New Covid restrictions in Europe have sparked anti-lockdown protests and riots, most notably in the city of Rotterdam, Netherlands. On Friday, hundreds of people were present to protest government plans for a Covid vaccine pass and a ban on fireworks on New Year’s Eve. Crowds set fire to cars, set off fireworks, and threw rocks at police, tearing through the city’s central shopping district. The city was placed under a state of emergency and the main train station was closed in response to the violence.
At least seven people were injured and officers made 51 arrests, about half of them minors, according to a statement made by the police on Twitter. The Dutch city’s mayor, Mayor Ahmed Aboutaleb, called the protest “an orgy of violence.” He told reporters that “the police felt it necessary to draw their weapons to defend themselves” and that they “shot at protestors.” Police fired warning shots and direct shots at protestors, as well as used a water cannon, to restore calm just around midnight.
“The riots and extreme violence against police officers, riot police, and firefighters last night in Rotterdam are disgusting to see,” said Dutch justice minister, Ferd Grapperhaus. The protests broke out after the Netherlands became the first western European nation to impose a partial lockdown since summer, as Covid cases continue to soar across the country, reaching record numbers in recent days. The lockdown is set to last for three weeks. Restaurants, bars, and essential shops are to close by 8 pm, and non-essential retail and services shuttered by 6 pm. Social gatherings are also limited to groups of only four. The recent protests are among the worst outbreaks of violence the Netherlands has seen since January when Covid restrictions were first imposed.
Similar protests against new Covid restrictions and measures set in response to the rise of cases in Europe are now seen in Vienna, Austria, and throughout France. Austria is set to enforce a full national lockdown as well as new mandatory vaccination rules. Protestors in France show their anger over newly introduced vaccine passports. Germany is also increasing Covid measures, restricting access to public spaces to those who have been vaccinated or recovered from Covid. Denmark is considering introducing new restrictions as well, only 2 months after lifting Covid rules in September.
Questions:
What are your thoughts about the actions of the police in response to the riots in Rotterdam?
Do you think that more riots and protests similar to this one and the one in Vienna will pop up across Europe in the coming months?
How do you think we could respond/assist with the current state of Europe? Should we even be concerned?
Sources:
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-59355950
15 comments:
Obviously everyone is frustrated by the ongoing presence of covid. But, I think that people are also too selfish to realize, that starting riots in protest to a deadly virus is going to do nothing but make the situation worse. So, I think that protests and riots similar to this will continue to pop up. Given that we're about to enter 2022, I can understand the frustration of the citizens, but I can't say I empathize with their urge to protest public safety precautions. Also, by looking at the photos and reading descriptions of the event, I think the police did the right thing. When property is being destroyed and fires are burning in the middle of a public thoroughfare, the responsibility of restoring order falls on them. Given that it sounds like it was a crowd of minors, I'm not sure how threatened the officers could have really felt to cease warning shots and fire into the crowd, but I couldn't find too much detail on that aspect of the event. Overall, seeing this happen is really disappointing because with cases still rising in Europe and people's patience thinning, it sounds like this won't be the last of these instances.
On the situation in Europe:
I think the violence of the protestors stems from anger over being in lockdown for such a long period of time. They have already been in lockdowns of varying intensity since the initial peaks of COVID, which would be more than 18 months, so another lockdown seems excessive to them.
To me, it always seems absurd to reduce the restrictions when there are no cases just for the cases to rise and then to implement lockdowns to lower them, wait for them to lower, then release restrictions on the lockdowns just to see the cases go back up in a seemingly-endless cycle. But politicians are not going to be able to legitimize keeping strict quarantine measures when cases are low, especially with businesses wanting to reopen.
I think the best solution would be to have everyone be vaccinated. I think this is inevitably the solution as COVID will not go away by itself (unless every single non-vaccinated person in the population gets it, which would be disastrous). Currently, 88%* of the population in the Netherlands have received at least one dose, yet daily cases have spiked**, which is quite an interesting development, possibly a result of the unvaccinated not following safety protocols and getting and spreading the virus amongst themselves. Cases among the vaccinated do not really matter as they have a greatly reduced chance of mild symptoms and even lesser chance of serious symptoms.
To conclude, I think the solution to the pandemic would be to have everyone get vaccinated, and in the meantime follow COVID social distancing guidelines if unvaccinated. I also think it is unfair to the vaccinated to have them live in an economy in lockdown to protect others who do not choose to get vaccinated. I would hope these people are the ones protesting, not people who are not vaccinated and want no lockdowns.
*https://coronadashboard.government.nl/landelijk/vaccinaties
**https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/netherlands/
I can understand the frustration surrounding covid and how it has been a burden for a couple of years now. Having restrictions going on for a while has certainly gotten to people, as they are clearly expressing their emotions on it. I believe that the actions the police took were justifiable, assuming they were using rubber bullets and felt the need to use them. Just looking at the photo, it is clear that there was a lot of violence going on, and based on the description Kamryn provided, the police had the right to use their weapons in self-defense. I believe that any changes that include lockdowns and restrictions in Europe are going to cause more riots. People are not going to be happy, so they will most likely act in a similar manner. I do not know how the United States could help besides offering some advice, which would probably be taken as a joke, or we could send over the military. However, I believe that the nations in Europe and the EU are going to have to figure out their problems on their own. I believe that the United States should stay cautious about the covid cases and do what is necessary to drop the numbers. I do not see anything becoming as violent as the protests in Europe have been in the United States.
I agree with the fact that people are probably extremely frustrated with the COVID situation but it does not justify riots and violence in any way. I think that many governments have some difficult decisions to make because people will continue to be unhappy if they have to lockdown and perhaps view their government as incapable of controlling the situation. However, if restrictions are relaxed and case numbers increase, governments will also have to deal with the issue that people are getting sick and dying. Given the politicized nature of the situation in both Europe and in the US, I'm not sure that there is a sensible solution that will truly satisfy everyone and prevent unrest. It seems to be human nature for some to react violently to a frustrating situation such as being on lockdown but time and increased herd immunity through vaccines is probably the only solution to the violence. I wouldn't expect any more violent events but I also would not be surprised if protests break out occasionally in response to certain restrictions. The US doesn't exactly have any responsibility to aid Europe's nations when we would probably have much more extreme violence if restrictions and lockdown of any significant magnitude were announced. In general, the US has generally acted as if COVID is no longer a significant issue so only time will tell if anything drastic changes.
Like others have said before me, people have become very frustrated because of the COVID-19 situation, and also don't have enough foresight to see that riots and coming together in protest of the lockdown and COVID restrictions will make the entire situation worse, continuing the cycle. Also, considering the damage that the protestors seem to have done, the police seem fairly justified in using their weapons to try and keep the peace. However, I don't think that there is really any way for the United States to offer help, except for maybe openly proclaiming their support for the actions of the Dutch government. The most important thing that our government can do about the situation is learn from it, in my opinion, considering that there has already been a fairly vocal anti-vax/anti-mask sentiment, and this may just fan the fires.
I believe that the actions of the police in response to the riots in Rotterdam were justified. I am aware of the frustrations that can arise from COVID-19 rules and regulations, but setting cars on fire, throwing rocks at police officers, and the lighting of fireworks in my opinion is not a reasonable way of conveying frustrations. Overall, the blog explains how seven were injured, but a majority were arrested. Connecting to why I believe that the actions the police took were justified, is because unlike other riots, the actions that were taken in this one lead to no deaths. I believe that with how far countries have come with placing mandates and regulations towards COVID-19, the more frustration that will rise from citizens.
Dutch people are mad, and rightly so in my opinion. According to Reuters, a new variant has been discovered in South Africa, and in a recent flight to Amsterdam, 61 of the 300 or so passengers tested positive for that variant. This variant is known to be the most dangerous. Europe has always been hit particularly hard, so of course the Dutch would be upset that they're returning to a state that they thought they've past. The police were right to use force but they took it too far, they should've fired rubber bullets as opposed to live rounds. The police were also only right to use force because the protest turned violent, as cars were lit on fire & rocks were thrown at police, so it was a matter of protecting their safety as well. Without a doubt there are going to be similar events to this all over Europe as the Omicron variant spreads and more countries have to lock down. We should definitely be aware of what's going on though, not just because we are at risk of Omicron spreading to the US, but that it's a lesson in how variants are formed. If the COVID virus finds hosts, it can multiply and create new variants, so if we don't take safety precautions seriously we're at risk of creating new variants ourselves.
Source: https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/dutch-find-61-covid-cases-among-south-africa-passengers-looking-new-variant-2021-11-27/
While I understand the frustrations that some people in the Netherlands may be experiencing due to the continuation of Covid-19 restrictions, they are not an excuse for conducting acts of violence. As said by other people, I think that protests and mass gatherings will worsen the situation by exposing more people to Covid-19. In addition, the new Omicron variant alongside the Delta variant which is considered to be even more contagious. Additionally, I think the police were right to use force against the protests because they need to restore order. While I believe the public has the right to voice their opinions, violence should not be occurring. I do think there will be more protests emerging across Europe because many are frustrated with lockdown restrictions and want them to be lifted. However, I still think restrictions should continue because of the new variant and many are still not vaccinated and Covid can still be transmittable even if one is vaccinated. However, I don't think the protests in Europe is something that the U.S. should participate with because their governments have the powers to diminish the violence. Additionally, the U.S. has its own share of opposition towards Covid restrictions.
Frustrations about covid and being forced inside is understandable people feel free to be upset but getting violent and setting cars on fire is way too far and way to extreme for light covid restrictions, to stop the spread of covid as summer cause the numbers to spike, the protesters were seen to get violent as cars were on fire and they were warned by the police, they had a right to respond to protect themselves but this all could've been avoided if the protesters listened to covid restrictions, which are in place to protect them. I think these are going to continue to pop up across europe as cases rise up and the people who were used to with little to no restrictions are no forced to listen to mandates, many people are frustrated and want to live their lives how they want and even if they are to be protected with these mandates they do not want to listen and these protest will most likely spread. I don't think we are going to get involved nor do I think we should, we have our restrictions and protections in place and many travelers who want to come from europe must be tested and vaccinated to enter, and we also have our own covid issues and we shouldn't worry about countries thousands of miles away that is their problem with their citizens.
Adding on to what Darshan said, with the new deadliest variant Omicron arising from South Africa. I do believe that we need to be more cautious and strict as to what we policies we bring forward with the upcoming of Omicron. I do believe that the Dutch had reason to be angered with the covid restrictions. However when 61 out of 300 passengers in a flight from South Africa tested positive with Omicron. There is going to be tension within the government and therefore having them to restrict some freedom. I believe under the circumstances the Netherlands are in right now, the restrictions brought forward aren't too extreme especially with Omicron spreading throughout the country. However, I do believe that the Dutch police had a right to defend themselves given that protestors were throwing rocks at them, set cars on fire, etc. Although I don't justify the use of live rounds in response to these aggressive actions taken by the protestors. Rubber bullets and tear gas would have been a much better option in keeping the protestors to a hault. Adding on, I don't believe this will be the last riot that will happen throughout Europe given the new restrictions due to the new variant, Omicron.
My thoughts about the police opening fire on protesters is unnecessary and wrong, although I understand that the policeman could have felt threatened by the “riots and extreme violence. With that being said, I still feel that it was unnecessary for them to draw firearms and shoot at protestors. With COVID-19 still killing many people, I don’t see major restrictions being lifted through Europe, which could cause more riots like this one to pop up, which is unfortunate to say. With a new variant of COVID-19, I think that it is for the better for the restrictions to stay in place until COVID-19 is under complete control. If COVID-19 restrictions were to be lifted right now, I feel that there will definitely be an increase and surge in COVID-19 cases and so I think it’s best to maintain the rules we have for now. Because of this, I think that the most we can do is to protect the protesters from any harm and allow them to protest, but not change the regulations. Other ways to prevent riots and protests like this is to educate the public about the dangers of getting COVID-19, or somehow convince them to understand that COVID-19 is very serious and lifting restrictions will hurt many people.
Considering the spread of the new variant in Europe, unfortunately, I don’t think this will be the last riot and protest around Europe. With Covid having been around since December 2019, people are becoming increasingly more frustrated with the new normal and restrictions due to the virus. However, these restrictions are absolutely necessary in order to keep everyone safe. Especially now, since our knowledge of the new variant is limited, abiding by protocols such as mask and vaccine mandates are critical in order to keep numbers low and prevent the rapid spread of the variant. Therefore, we should absolutely be concerned with the current state of Covid and must take measures necessary to slow the spread. Regarding a solution for the resistance we are seeing, in Europe, the US, and other nations I think it is critical to continue health regulations in high-impact areas such as schools and the workplace. We should continue to vaccinate as many people as possible, which also means pushing everyone to get an additional booster if qualified. Finally, we must continue being good about wearing masks and social distancing when possible.
This comment is by Lauren Mok because she is unable to post a comment due to technical difficulties:
Considering the spread of the new variant in Europe, unfortunately, I don’t think this will be the last riot and protest around Europe. With Covid having been around since December 2019, people are becoming increasingly more frustrated with the new normal and restrictions due to the virus. However, these restrictions are absolutely necessary in order to keep everyone safe. Especially now, since our knowledge of the new variant is limited, abiding by protocols such as mask and vaccine mandates are critical in order to keep numbers low and prevent the rapid spread of the variant. Therefore, we should absolutely be concerned with the current state of Covid and must take measures necessary to slow the spread. Regarding a solution for the resistance we are seeing, in Europe, the US, and other nations I think it is critical to continue health regulations in high-impact areas such as schools and the workplace. We should continue to vaccinate as many people as possible, which also means pushing everyone to get an additional booster if qualified. Finally, we must continue being good about wearing masks and social distancing when possible.
While it makes sense for people to be upset over such a virus continuing to run rampant, such riots do next to nothing to improve the situation. People who attend will definitely get infected and this will only contribute to the slow healing the world is undergoing. Although I can empathize with those who are frustrated with the current conditions we live in, I can't say I agree with protesting against countermeasures put in place to keep us safe. Destruction of property and being a nuisance to those who are not involved are in no way the right way to go about protesting for your beliefs. The group seems to be uneducated hot-headed teens who thought this was the way to make change quickly, they failed to understand the consequences of their actions are directly going against their cause while harming the public. It's very disappointing to see the future of our world taking matters "into their own hands" by burning those that have nurtured them in such an immature manner.
How the police responded should have been expected due to the actions of the protesters. There is no need to act in such a manner, especially when trying to prove a point. If the attention grabber is going to be through violence, then violence will be thinly thing seen and not the message trying to be delivered. I believe that their actions will only enforce even stricter COVID regulations which will most likely lead to more outrage from the radical young population. These have been tiring times, but we have to do our part to get through this together. Police measures we were taken appropriately to get the job done, and I believe it was justified to enforce some authority over the rioters.
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