Huge protests across Europe over new restrictions

Tens of thousands of people have been marching in the Belgian capital, Brussels, to protest against anti-COVID measures.

The BBC reports that some protesters threw fireworks at police officers, who intervened with tear gas and water cannon.

Demonstrators are mainly opposed to the use of COVID passes, which stops the unvaccinated from entering venues such as restaurants or bars.

This comes after fresh protests in the Netherlands against new lockdown rules.

Thousands of demonstrators also took to the streets in Austria, Croatia and Italy as anger mounted over new curbs.

In Belgium, rules on face masks have been tightened, including in places such as restaurants where COVID passes are already required, and most Belgians will also have to work from home four days a week until mid-December. There are also plans to make vaccinations for health workers compulsory.

Earlier, the World Health Organization said it was "very worried" about rising coronavirus cases on the continent.

Tens of thousands of people protested in Austria's capital, Vienna, after the government announced a new national lockdown and plans to make jabs compulsory in February 2022. It is the first European country to make vaccination a legal requirement.

The country will enter a 20-day nationwide lockdown from tomorrow, shutting all but essential shops and ordering people to work from home.

In Croatia, thousands marched in the capital, Zagreb, to show their anger at mandatory vaccinations for public sector workers, while in Italy, a few thousand protesters gathered at the ancient Circus Maximus chariot-racing ground in Rome to oppose "Green Pass" certificates required at workplaces, venues and on public transport.

French authorities are sending dozens more police officers to quell unrest on the Caribbean island of Guadeloupe.

Overnight riots saw looters ransack dozens of shops and set businesses alight after protests against France's own COVID pass turned violent.

UK Health Secretary Sajid Javid has said there are no plans to change travel rules between the UK and Germany at the moment, in view of the rising number of cases there.

He said this was because Germany was dealing with the Delta variant: "We have Delta here already, I'm not sure there is much benefit in having more rules, but we do keep an eye out for any potential new variants," he told Andrew Marr.

[Source: BBC]