EU Clashes as tens of thousands protest Covid rules in Belgium - "Authorities estimated that around 50,000 people paraded through the Belgian capital — the largest in a spate of protests in the city over the past months."

Police fired water cannon and tear gas Sunday at stone-throwing protesters after tens of thousands of demonstrators marched through Brussels against Covid-19 rules.

Authorities estimated that around 50,000 people paraded through the Belgian capital — the largest in a spate of protests in the city over the past months.

Clashes broke out close to the headquarters of the European Union as police used water cannon and tear gas to push back protesters hurling paving stones and firecrackers.

News outlet RTL reported that masked demonstrators had smashed a glass entrance to the office of the EU’s foreign policy agency.

The protest comes as the Omicron wave causes infections to reach record highs across Europe.

Protesters carried signs slamming Belgium Prime Minister Alexander De Croo and the Covid Safe pass required for entry into numerous venues.

Organisers including the World Wide Demonstration for Freedom and Europeans United for Freedom had called for people to come from other EU states.

Flags from Poland, the Netherlands, France and Romania could be seen in the crowd.

“What has been happening since 2020 has allowed people to wake up to corruption,” said Francesca Fanara, who had travelled from Lille in northern France,

“I have come to march together.”

“It’s a health dictatorship,” said Adolfo Barbosa from Portugal.

“It warms the heart to see these people here.”

The EU’s health agency said on Friday that Omicron had now become the dominant variant circulating in the bloc and some neighbouring countries.

Belgium has seen daily infections surge to over 60,000 in the past week in what authorities have called a “tsunami”.

But the milder variant and high rate of vaccination — including people getting a third booster jab — means that health systems have not come under the same strain as during earlier waves.

De Croo on Friday announced that restaurants and bars could extend their opening hours — although nightclubs still remain closed.

Neighbouring France has said it will begin a gradual lifting of Covid restrictions from February 2 after authorities said there were “encouraging signs” that the wave of infections due to the Omicron variant is ebbing.

Article

 

[CharlesBarkley]

Man, it's almost like these protests almost defeat the idea of lockdowns in the first place and show that it's a pointless endeavor.

Like, I'm all down with clerical or office jobs becoming remote and bulldozing all that office space shit into parks or whatever, but maybe there is some kind of lesson to be learned here that humans don't really take being told to stay inside all day that well.

 

[Lifeguard Hermit]

Man, it's almost like these protests almost defeat the idea of lockdowns in the first place and show that it's a pointless endeavor.

Like, I'm all down with clerical or office jobs becoming remote and bulldozing all that office space shit into parks or whatever, but maybe there is some kind of lesson to be learned here that humans don't really take being told to stay inside all day that well.

It's this, along with basic common sense catching up to a governments autonomous behavior.

When you mix that blind machina with the obvious disdain the ppl running said machine have for the populace it's pretty easy for the peons to pick up on it.

Were really seeing the collapse of the last bastions of known societies: it's considered racist to note that covid was super mega deadly in asians for known biological variances in their makeup. Yet Chinas leader ran to hide on his volcano island, and is presumably still there.

As these final tenements fall, I guess the question of who leads who is coming into play. That "errbody stahp payun taxes" hillbilly logic is actually on the horizon lol. I'm optimistic but this type of schism could be a positive turning point if ppl would put their fucking phone down for five minutes.

 

[Snekposter]

I'm looking at all the nationalities mentioned in that article, and its becoming obvious that the only thing bringing Europeans together is a mutual dislike of the EU. Ironic.

 

[Useful_Mistake]

I'm looking at all the nationalities mentioned in that article, and its becoming obvious that the only thing bringing Europeans together is a mutual dislike of the EU. Ironic.

The only ones who like the EU are the elites, stupid, and the beurocrats.

 

[Battlecruiser3000ad]

That first railing toss

 

[Oxous]

The last time the Belgians displayed fighting spirit like this was over 100 years ago.

 

[Super-Chevy454]

There's a much longer video, lenght of around 1 hour, of that event posted by the guys of RT France.

 

[Stoneheart]

That first railing toss

and that scream was also fantastic.

 

[Clown College]

The last time the Belgians displayed fighting spirit like this was over 100 years ago.
View attachment 2913149

Damn they were throwing cinder blocks at the end of that video. Good to see other Europeans protesting this shit

 

[Bungdit Din]

Bloody love it - get stuck in, you magnificent bastards! Great to see the cops outnumbered, surrounded, and put to flight.

And, I bet, the inevitability of scenes like these on the streets of London, if the pressure kept up, played a factor in BoJo's decision to end restrictions in England. Very bad optics for The Party of Law and Order. Fucker might even have begun to be more scared of the people than his string-pullers, though that's probably a bit optimistic. The entire political/ruling class need to realize how close they are to getting strung up, for realzes. Not that I would want that to happen, of course.

 

[Michael Janke]

paraded through the capital.
sounds like an insurrection to me.

Like, I'm all down with clerical or office jobs becoming remote and bulldozing all that office space shit into parks or whatever, but maybe there is some kind of lesson to be learned here that humans don't really take being told to stay inside all day that well.

humans used to walk and run for miles thousands of years ago, for thousands of years.
that kind of instinct doesn't go away very fast.

 

[IAmNotAlpharius]

Good. My hats are off to them.

 

[Dude Snakes]

Bloody love it - get stuck in, you magnificent bastards! Great to see the cops outnumbered, surrounded, and put to flight.

And, I bet, the inevitability of scenes like these on the streets of London, if the pressure kept up, played a factor in BoJo's decision to end restrictions in England. Very bad optics for The Party of Law and Order. Fucker might even have begun to be more scared of the people than his string-pullers, though that's probably a bit optimistic. The entire political/ruling class need to realize how close they are to getting strung up, for realzes. Not that I would want that to happen, of course.

They must be strung up, they have ruined our lives for two years.

 

[Billy Beer]

Call me a faggo, and as much as I enjoy the carnage, we shouldn't have gotten to this point. And that we're at this point, ain't good.

That said, that railing twating the guy on the head, and him sliding down the stairs rag-doll style is 10/10

 

[Bungdit Din]

They must be strung up, they have ruined our lives for two years.

I'm not even fussy about methods. Bricks, broken bottles, agricultural implements, and blunt kitchen cutlery would be cosmically just.

Usual vidya disclaimers apply, I suppose.

 

[Billy Beer]

When shit like this breaks out, why do the protesters attack the coppers who are just doing a job? Not that anyone should be attacked, but IF you were going to attack anyone, surely it makes more sense for it to be the ones making the laws? Chucking bricks at officer jozef fredrik who has had 2 years of shit like the rest of us, gets a shitty wage like the rest of us, and has been locked down like the rest of us isn't going to change shit.

Go wang a bottle at the prick who pushed the restrictions, and things might change.

 

[Stoneheart]

why do the protesters attack the coppers who are just doing a job?

Ja Ja, i was only following order, ja ja!

Damn they were throwing cinder blocks at the end of that video. Good to see other Europeans protesting this shit

those arent cinderblocks. they just look like them.

 

[Bungdit Din]

When shit like this breaks out, why do the protesters attack the coppers who are just doing a job? Not that anyone should be attacked, but IF you were going to attack anyone, surely it makes more sense for it to be the ones making the laws? Chucking bricks at officer jozef fredrik who has had 2 years of shit like the rest of us, gets a shitty wage like the rest of us, and has been locked down like the rest of us isn't going to change shit.

Go wang a bottle at the prick who pushed the restrictions, and things might change.

Partly agree - and totally understand - but... Fuck 'em. Fuck 'em fully. Remember, they're the ones standing between the (mostly) peaceful protesters [heh] and the ones pushing the restrictions. Cunts could've called in sick - fuck, claim covid! - or joined with the people and then done the necessary. They made a choice. Choices have consequences.

Remember the first (genuinely) peaceful, polite protests in the UK against lockdowns, back in summer 2020? Baton charges and brutality.

BLM, same places, same timeframe? Cunts took the knee (and assaulted anyone trying to intervene to prevent the wokeists' destruction).

That was it for me. All their heads can end up on spikes and I won't feel a fucking thing.

That said, I'm still soft-hearted enough to offer forgiveness and a chance at redemption. These functionaries need to grow a conscience and stop serving evil. All could still be well.

Rate me optimistic.

 

[Tijuana Bible]

When shit like this breaks out, why do the protesters attack the coppers who are just doing a job? Not that anyone should be attacked, but IF you were going to attack anyone, surely it makes more sense for it to be the ones making the laws? Chucking bricks at officer jozef fredrik who has had 2 years of shit like the rest of us, gets a shitty wage like the rest of us, and has been locked down like the rest of us isn't going to change shit.

Go wang a bottle at the prick who pushed the restrictions, and things might change.

Hi Billy. While I agree that it shouldn't need to get to this point, it's hard to support the police right now.

Their track record these last years hasn't garnered any favour.

They have shown themselves to be completely inconsistent in their response to any kind of protests these last two years. They don't even bother to pretend they are impartial.

BLM shit? Take the knee. Watch some fucks deface statues, in Bristol they threw one off the pier and the police was nowhere to be seen.

Extinction rebellion? Dance with the protesters, hang out.

They came to people's houses for suspected breaching of Covid rules, they visited churches for hosting masses, harassed people endlessly. But never enforced the law and order they're meant to uphold when the normal people needed it.

In the UK specifically, we even had articles on the media about how overzealous the police were. Often they went beyond the actual Covid rules, and declared breaches of regulation on the fly as well. They have fucked up to such a magnitude that now they are thinking about revising a lot of the fines issued in 2020-2021. This article also describes some of the police's behaviour (and bear in mind this is the BBC so they are mostly sympathetic to the Covid thing).

It's become apparent that they don't provide a public service as much as they operate as a street force to keep everyone compliant.

Anti-covid? Break out the water cannons, bring out the blackjack, here's a police guy punching a teenage girl in the face.

I'm sure that #NotAllPolice, and there are outliers who may well be protesting right now. But the riot police had a choice, and they chose to be there.