Austria is imposing a 3-week lockdown for vaccinated and unvaccinated citizens. Dutch police arrested dozens after violence and fires.
Summary
COVID lockdowns in The Netherlands sparked violent protests in several countries, with Dutch police arresting dozens for setting fires and breaking into soccer stadiums.
- The Netherlands recently imposed a three-week partial lockdown, though authorities have not seen a downturn in the number of infection cases.
- Austria, which has one of the lowest vaccination rates for adults in Western Europe, is going into a full lockdown Monday for 20 days, requiring Austrians to stay home other than for basic necessities.
- Germany is also eyeing new restrictions after their health minister said the country is “in a national emergency.”
- Countries across the continent have implemented varying levels of mandates, restrictions, or lockdowns.
- As of late last week, Polish officials have no intention of tightening any restrictions.
- The Atlantic’s Yasmeen Serhan speculated on the different tactics being taken between France and Austria, suggesting that France’s lack of a vaccine mandate but implementation of a vaccine passport may be a more effective model for European nations to achieve their acceptable vaccination levels.
- Slate focused on the violence in The Netherlands, quoting the mayor of Rotterdam calling the protests “an orgy of violence” after police shot at “anti-lockdown protestors.”
- The Daily Beast provided a comprehensive rundown of various European nations’ restrictions and policies in the wake of imminent Dutch and Austrian lockdowns.
- The Daily Mail, based out of the UK, enjoyed taking a small potshot at continental Europe by saying most European nations have much lower vaccination rates than the UK.
- Newsmax ran an AFP wire report on the protests in Denmark, Croatia, Austria, and The Netherlands, highlighting a despicable tactic by some unvaccinated protestors using a yellow Star of David to declare themselves unvaccinated.
- The Wall Street Journal’s coverage also noted the reference to the treatment and persecution of Jews by Nazis during European protests, with signs saying “This is how it started in 1938.”
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© Dallas Gerber, 2021
