And the initiation of re-imposing the total closure, as in Austria and partial, as in the Netherlands and Belgium, and the intensification of measures to combat the widespread epidemic wave that hit the European continent in many of its countries affected by that wave.
Since Friday, violent confrontations and clashes have erupted in many European countries from Austria, the Netherlands and Belgium, to France, Denmark and Croatia, whose public squares and alleys of their cities were ignited by rioting and burning tires and motorcycles, by protesters, as its streets turned into open confrontation fields between them and the security forces.
Tens of thousands demonstrated in many European capitals and cities, in protest against the re-imposition of restrictions on public life, against the backdrop of a record high rate of infections and deaths as a result of the Corona virus.
In Austria, which the complete closure entered into force last Monday, and which, as the first European country, intends to impose vaccination against the emerging corona at the beginning of February next year, confrontations erupted between protesters and security forces, as Austrian cities became deserted, with the closure of markets, restaurants, cafes, and music halls. and beauty centers, except for schools.
Thus, Austria is the first European country to re-impose home quarantine on its residents, after the availability of vaccines against the deadly virus for the population, with the exception of cases of buying the necessary necessities, exercising and taking medical care, as well as going to work.
In both Belgium and the Netherlands, the re-imposition of measures, to limit the spread of Covid-19, led to violent clashes with demonstrators, as dozens were imprisoned by the security services, in the Netherlands, whose cities such as The Hague and Rotterdam witnessed the most violent clashes, as the authorities intend to impose a series of Sanitary measures especially related to the restaurants and bars sector, which should close their doors at eight in the evening. And prevent the unvaccinated from entering some public places to reduce the epidemiological deterioration.
In Brussels, the capital of Belgium and the European Union, about 35,000 people demonstrated, rejecting the restrictions imposed by the authorities in an attempt to curb the widespread epidemic.
There is concern and apprehension among the governments of the European Union countries, that things will slip into what looks like a general European uprising, against restrictions on public life, which seems between two options, the best of which is bitter, between working to curb the deterioration of the epidemiological reality, where, for example, during this week, Germany recorded more From 50 thousand new infections within 24 hours, and in France, about 20 thousand injuries were recorded in one day, or to comply with the protesters’ demands to lift the strict restrictions to combat the epidemic.
And to find out the details of the burning scene in Europe, against the backdrop of the growing popular refusal to return the general closure policies, the expert in European affairs, Maher Al-Hamdani, who resides in Germany, said in an interview with “Sky News Arabia”: “What is happening in Belgium, the Netherlands and a number of other European countries. It is a prelude to what will happen across Europe. The Netherlands has re-imposed very strict restrictions, reaching to prevent the population from leaving without an excuse, after vaccination rates in it reached very high levels, amid previous government assurances that there is no return to a comprehensive closure, especially with a semi-general conviction. Officially and popularly in various European countries, the first quarantine experience with the beginning of the virus’s spread last year was neither feasible nor necessary, but the economic and education sectors were affected, and the repercussions were catastrophic on people’s mental health.
And he continues: “Now with European governments returning to the option of adopting closure and home quarantine policies again, it is very difficult for European citizens to accept this, and they who for the past two years have been generally confined to their homes amid strict procedures, and with receiving vaccinations in large numbers, they do not see a logical justification. To return to imposing a general closure, and these are the majority of the protesters currently.”
But there is a part of the disaffected and the rejectionists who believe in the conspiracy theory, and who are already skeptical about the validity of the existence of the new Corona virus, and even reject the theory of the epidemic, as Al-Hamdani explains.
He added: “Those who see that the whole issue is fabricated by the intelligence services of certain countries, and that it falls within the context of wars and settling accounts between the major global powers, consider that these government measures are a prelude to controlling peoples and stealing their will, and an attempt to impose the wills of institutions and major monopolies on all societies. Humanity”.
The other group is among the demonstrators against measures to reduce the epidemic in Europe, as Al-Hamdani explains: “They are groups of human rights activists and advocates of people’s freedom to accept or refuse vaccinations, and who object to the trend of some governments in Europe as in Austria to impose vaccinations on citizens, as An infringement on people’s absolute freedom, and therefore it considers that forcing vaccination is a violation of basic human rights, and if these strict measures are imposed, as in the Netherlands, in other countries such as France, for example, which is known for its rapid outbreak and ignition of public protests in its streets, and even in Germany, Italy and others, then We will be faced with the possibility of a continental European protest movement against the anti-coronavirus policies.”
That is why the rest of Europe is reluctant to impose strict measures, as the expert in European affairs says, continuing: “For example, Germany is late in tightening measures and restrictions, because the government fears the angry popular reaction, with the rate of injuries reaching dangerous levels, which is 400 injuries among For every 100,000 Germans, she and other European governments will be obliged, within a week or 10 days, to impose severe restrictions, if the epidemiological situation does not recede, and we will witness a widening circle of violence and clashes in Europe as a whole.
For his part, Dr. Zamo Bakhtiar believes, in an interview with “Sky News Arabia” that: “European governments are facing a very difficult moment, between prevailing the public interest or succumbing to street pressure, and they are called here to be firm and to prioritize considerations of preserving public health, and preventing deterioration.” The epidemic, whatever the cost of the confrontation, inaction and not imposing restrictions will lead to a health disaster that will not stop at the borders of Europe, because the virus has no limits to its spread and transmission around the world.
Bakhtiar added: “We are facing a festive period in a few days, and most European governments will most likely rightly impose preventive restrictions during these celebrations and may prevent them completely, especially since the angry protesters do not represent European public opinion as a whole, and they are silent groups in their ranks. of anarchists and troublemakers.”
The World Health Organization had sounded the alarm, warning a few days ago that the pace of transmission of Corona infection in Europe is “very worrying” at the present time, which could lead to an additional half a million deaths recorded on the continent by next February.
And all this comes amid warnings that the approaching winter, which will exacerbate the current epidemic wave in Europe, especially since Christmas and New Year celebrations, in the absence of controls, will contribute to a wide spread of the disease, according to what health experts warn.
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