Thousands of people participated in protests in several European capitals against the measures dictated to stop the spread of the coronavirus.
There were demonstrations in Athens, Helsinki, London, Paris and Stockholm.
Thousands of people marched in Paris against new rules according to which the unvaccinated will not be able to board national flights, sporting events, bars, cinemas and other spaces.
The French press reported massive protests in other cities of the country.
En Sweden, where proof of vaccination is required to attend indoor events of more than 50 peoples, some 3,000 people marched through central Stockholm to a central square, in a protest organized by the organization Frihetsrorelsen (“Freedom Movement”).
At the event were members of the neo-Nazi group Resistance Movement, local press reported. The police closely monitored this group, to which violent acts have been attributed in previous events.
Swedish police had warned that far-right groups could take part in the march. No incidents or clashes were reported during the protest.
There was also another protest in Gothenburg, the second largest city in Sweden, in which some 1,000 people participated.
Shortly before Christmas, the Finnish government had asked local and regional authorities to use “full and extensive measures” to prevent the spread of the contagious omicron variant.
Limitations included banning events, moving university classes online, limiting restaurant services and closing stores where there is a higher probability of contagion. Restaurants and event organizers were allowed to require proof of vaccination upon entry.
In Helsinki, some 4,000 people marched through the streets of downtown, police reported, in a protest organized by the group World Wide Demonstration. No altercation was reported.
Voice of America (VOA)
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