SICK AND TIRED

Global Protests Against COVID-19 Restrictions Worry Experts

From Paris to Sydney, people took to the streets Saturday to protest COVID-19 restrictions. But experts say these superspreader demos could just make things worse.

People took to the streets in Europe and Australia to protest clampdowns and restrictions tied to the contagious COVID-19 Delta variant. In Australia, hundreds of people were fined for breaching COVID restrictions in what prime minister Scott Morrison called “selfish and self-defeating” protests, warning, “It achieves no purpose. It won’t end the lockdown sooner.”

Across Europe, people came out by the thousands across Italy, Germany and France to protest various versions of restrictions tied to vaccine mandates. Police used teargas against around 160,000 protesters in Paris who say “big pharma” is behind new restrictions that will require people going to restaurants to be vaccinated. In Italy, several thousand gathered in Rome’s Piazza del Popolo to protest the new Green Pass that will make vaccinations mandatory for those who want to dine inside or go to gyms, museums, or sporting events. Health experts warned that mass gatherings run the risk of spreading the virus, since many in attendance are mask-less, which could spark further restrictions.