AMSTERDAM (Reuters) – Thousands of protesters packed Amsterdam’s streets on Sunday in opposition to the government-imposed COVID-19 measures and vaccination marketing campaign as virus infections hit a brand new file.
Authorities have been granted cease and search powers at a number of places throughout town and scores of riot police vans patrolled neighbourhoods the place the demonstrators marched with banners and yellow umbrellas.
Regular anti-coronavirus protests are held throughout the nation and Sunday’s massive gathering was joined by farmers who drove to the capital and parked tractors alongside the central Museum Square.
The crowd performed music, chanted anti-government slogans after which marched alongside thoroughfares, blocking site visitors.
The Netherlands had one in every of Europe’s hardest lockdowns for a month by means of the end-of-year holidays.
Amid rising public opposition, Prime Minister Mark Rutte on Friday introduced the reopening of shops, hairdressers and gymnasiums, partially lifting a lockdown regardless of file numbers of recent COVIC-19 circumstances.
Infections reached one other file excessive above 36,000 on Sunday, information revealed by the Netherlands Institute for Health (RIVM) confirmed. The Netherlands has recorded greater than 3.5 million infections and 21,000 deaths because the begin of the pandemic.
Rutte’s authorities ordered the lockdown in mid-December as a wave of the Delta variant pressured the well being system to cancel all however essentially the most pressing care and it appeared rising Omicron circumstances would overwhelm it.
Non-essential shops, hairdressers, magnificence salons and different service suppliers have been allowed to reopen on Saturday below strict circumstances.
Bars, eating places and cultural venues have been instructed to stay closed till a minimum of Jan. 25 resulting from uncertainty about how the Omicron wave will affect hospital capability.
(Reporting by Piroschka van de Wouw, Writing by Anthony Deutsch, Editing by Angus MacSwan)
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