Tens of thousands of protesters in Brussels against the vaccine and health restrictions
The demonstration against health restrictions in Brussels on January 23, 2022 degenerated into clashes with the police.
AP - Geert Vanden Wijngaert
Text by: RFI Follow
2 mins
According to the authorities, around 50,000 people marched in the Belgian capital on Sunday January 23 against vaccines and health measures.
This is the biggest protest in the city in recent months.
Started at midday and also bringing together a number of Europeans, the demonstration degenerated in the afternoon when the demonstrators were gathered at the gates of the European district of Brussels, despite a consequent deployment of riot police, mounted squadrons, helicopters and water cannons.
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With our correspondent in Brussels,
Pierre Benazet
A stone's throw from the European Commission, the Parc du Cinquantenaire was packed with people when the parade arrived, 50,000 people, according to the police, 10 times more than the previous
demonstration
.
Sanitary
measures
were slightly reduced in Belgium, but the demonstrators came from all over Europe, and in particular from neighboring countries: France, Germany and the Netherlands in the lead. Marcel, he came from Mechelen, at the gates of Brussels: “
Vaccinations are very dangerous and lead to mortality and sterility which puts humanity in danger. The demonstration was peaceful, it was a big party, there was music, there were speakers, and there are always antifas who are paid by the government who come to provoke the police and then the police come back up and we had to end the protest
. »
The first garbage cans caught fire in the afternoon and a squad of riot police was forced to take refuge in a metro entrance: many demonstrators had in fact come to let off steam like Jean-Jacques :
“
We are all in the demonstration to fight it out, for the dismissal of the government.
We're fed up with this tyranny that doesn't let people do what they want.
»
Despite the large police force, the rioters continued for hours to play cat and mouse with the police.
Several thousand anti-sanitary measures demonstrations in Brussels - Report
Pierre Benazet
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