In Austria, 40,000 people protested against the lockdown, a few were detained – TVNOVINY.sk

About 30,000 people took part in protests against the new government measures to fight the coronavirus in Vienna on Saturday, the DPA agency reported, referring to updated estimates by the Austrian police.

Tens of thousands of people gathered in the center of Vienna near the Austrian president’s seat on Saturday in response to a call from the far-right Free Party of Austria (FPÖ). They carried banners condemning the “covid dictatorship” and the “division of society” into vaccinated and unvaccinated.

The protesters disrupted traffic throughout the center of Vienna and nearly ten people were arrested for violating anti-pandemic measures and banning Nazi symbols. Some participants threw bottles at the cops.

Protest against the lockdown in Vienna. Photo: TV Awning

“It’s not normal for the government to deny us our rights,” said 42-year-old teacher Katarina Gierscher, who traveled to the rally for six hours.

Some protesters wore a yellow star with the word “unvaccinated” to commemorate the Star of David, which Jews were forced to wear in World War II during the Nazi era.

Austrian Interior Minister Karl Nehammer was angry and said in a statement that it was “an insult to the millions of victims of the Nazi dictatorship and their families”.

Protest against the lockdown in Vienna. Photo: TV Awning

As of Monday, 8.9 million Austrians, both vaccinated and unvaccinated, will not be able to forgive their homes: they will only be allowed to travel to work, trade in essential goods and on the move. The restrictions will last for 20 days, with the situation being assessed after ten days.

In addition, from 1 February next year, COVID-19 vaccination will be compulsory for all citizens in Austria. It will be the first state to order its entire population to be vaccinated.

Vaccination rates in Austria are among the lowest in Western Europe – about 66 percent of the population is fully vaccinated.

In recent days, the country has reported more than 10,000 new cases per day. Hospitals are currently facing an influx of patients and the number of victims continues to rise.