London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Aug 25, 2025

Hundreds arrested at anti-lockdown protests in Brussels, Budapest and Vienna

Hundreds arrested at anti-lockdown protests in Brussels, Budapest and Vienna

Large numbers join rallies against Covid restrictions, with neo-Nazis in Austrian capital refusing to disband

Police have dispersed or detained hundreds of protesters against Covid-19 lockdowns in Hungary, Austria and Belgium as continuing quarantine regimes across Europe chafed against the economic and social toll of nearly a year of restrictions on business, travel and community life.

Police in Brussels said on Sunday they had arrested scores of people in an attempt to prevent two banned demonstrations against measures to curb the spread of the coronavirus. “We are above 200 arrested at the moment,” mainly around the rail stations in the Belgian capital, a police spokesman said around midday.


The Belgian far right used an image of Auschwitz in its campaign against public health measures and vaccinations.


Police evacuated one square in front of the main railway station, where some of the protesters were football supporters from Belgian clubs. Dozens of people, responding to calls on social media, also began gathering at the Atomium landmark in Brussels.

“We remind you that there is no authorisation to come and demonstrate this Sunday,” Brussels police said in a tweet. “Those people who still intend to demonstrate in Brussels today will be approached, dissuaded from staying and if necessary [detained],” it said.

Belgium has registered one of the highest death rates in the world during the coronavirus pandemic, but restrictions closing bars and restaurants since October along with a night-time curfew have brought infection and hospital cases down in the past two months.

The country last week banned nonessential trips in and out of the country until 1 March.

Belgium’s neighbour the Netherlands was rocked by anti-curfew riots last week. But protesters took a different tack on Sunday in Apeldoorn under the rallying call of “drinking coffee together”.

Around 400 people dispersed peacefully in the central Dutch city after gathering for an authorised demonstration at a community centre.

In Amsterdam, a heavy police presence thwarted a mainly peaceful but unauthorised demonstration.

Around 5,000 people defied a ban to march in Vienna in protest against a curfew and lockdown aimed at curbing the spread of new Covid-19 variants.

The march was organised by the far-right FPOe party, and many participants ignored government regulations on mask wearing and the need to keep minimum distances from each other.

Neo-Nazi militants and thugs were reportedly among the crowd, which refused to disband and blocked traffic as it began to march towards the national parliament. Police intervened and detained some protesters.


Protesters at an anti-lockdown demonstration organised by the hospitality sector, at Heroes Square in Budapest, Hungary on Sunday.


Police also dispersed protesters at a Sunday demonstration in Budapest where workers in the country’s struggling hospitality sector demanded civil disobedience and a rethinking of lockdown restrictions.

Organisers of the demonstration at a central square in Hungary’s capital called for restaurateurs to break pandemic rules by opening their businesses to customers on Monday, in defiance of strict pandemic measures limiting restaurants and cafes to takeout service.

“Every tool that we have used until now has been depleted so, beginning now, every business should open in the spirit of civil disobedience,” protest organiser Aron Ecsenyi said.

The demonstration came alongside increasing calls for government action from Hungary’s hospitality sector as the country’s lockdown, which began on 11 November, approaches the three-month mark. Hungary’s government has insisted that only mass vaccination of the population can bring an end to the lockdown.

Pandemic restrictions were extended on Thursday until 1 March, and many business owners complain that they have received little to none of the government’s promised financial assistance while other businesses such as shopping malls and retail stores have been permitted to remain open.

Polish police said they raided discos in the cities of Wrocław and Rybnik that had opened in breach of coronavirus restrictions on Saturday, using stun grenades and teargas to clear the dancefloor.

Almost 150 officers were deployed at the Face 2 Face club in Rybnik, local police said on Sunday. Two officers were injured, and police arrested three men and checked the ID papers of 213 others.

Similar operations requiring less force were held in the south-western city of Wrocław, police said.

As is the case elsewhere, restrictions on dance and sport clubs, hotels, restaurants and ski areas have run into opposition in Poland, and some venues have decided to open despite the risk of heavy fines.

Poland has recorded more than 37,000 Covid-19 deaths from more than 1.5 million cases among a population of 38 million people.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Vietnam Evacuates Hundreds of Thousands as Typhoon Kajiki Strikes; China’s Sanya Shuts Down
UK Government Delays Decision on China’s Proposed London Embassy Amid Concerns Over Redacted Plans
A 150-Year Tradition to Be Abolished? Uproar Over the Popular Central Park Attraction
A new faith called Robotheism claims artificial intelligence isn’t just smart but actually God itself
Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner Purchases Third Property Amid Housing Tax Reforms Debate
HSBC Switzerland Ends Relationships with Over 1,000 Clients from Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Qatar, and Egypt
Sharia Law Made Legally Binding in Austria Despite Warnings Over 'Incompatible' Values
Italian Facebook Group Sharing Intimate Images Without Consent Shut Down Amid Police Investigation
Dutch Foreign Minister Resigns Amid Deadlock Over Israel Sanctions
Trump and Allies Send Messages of Support to Ukraine on Independence Day Amid Ongoing Conflict
China Reels as Telegram Chat Group Shares Hidden-Camera Footage of Women and Children
Sam Nicoresti becomes first transgender comedian to win Edinburgh Comedy Award
Builders uncover historic human remains in Lancashire house renovation
Australia Wants to Tax Your Empty Bedrooms
MotoGP Cameraman Narrowly Avoids Pedro Acosta Crash at Hungarian Grand Prix
FBI Investigates John Bolton Over Classified Documents in High-Profile Raids
Report reveals OpenAI pitched national ChatGPT Plus subscription to UK ministers
Labour set to freeze income tax thresholds in long-term 'stealth' tax raid
Coca‑Cola explores sale of Costa coffee chain
Trial hears dog walker was chased and fatally stabbed by trio
Restaurateur resigns from government hospitality council over tax criticism
Spanish City funfair shut after serious ride injury
Suspected arson at Ilford restaurant leaves three in critical condition
Tottenham beat Manchester City to go top of Premier League
Bank holiday heatwave to hit 30°C before remnants of Hurricane Erin arrive
UK to deploy immigration advisers to West Africa to block fake visas
Nurse who raped woman continued working for a year despite police alert
Drought forces closures of England’s canal routes, canceling boat holidays
Sweet tooth scents: food-inspired perfumes surge as weight-loss drugs suppress appetites
Experts warn Britain dangerously reliant on imported food
Family of Notting Hill Carnival murder victim call event unmanageable
Bunkers, Billions and Apocalypse: The Secret Compounds of Zuckerberg and the Tech Giants
Ukraine Declares De Facto War on Hungary and Slovakia with Terror Drone Strikes on Their Gas Lifeline
Animated K-pop Musical ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ Becomes Netflix’s Most-Watched Original Animated Film
New York Appeals Court Voids Nearly $500 Million Civil Fraud Penalty Against Trump While Upholding Fraud Liability
Elon Musk tweeted, “Europe is dying”
Far-Right Activist Convicted of Incitement Changes Gender and Demands: "Send Me to a Women’s Prison" | The Storm in Germany
Hungary Criticizes Ukraine: "Violating Our Sovereignty"
Will this be the first country to return to negative interest rates?
Child-free hotels spark controversy
North Korea is where this 95-year-old wants to die. South Korea won’t let him go. Is this our ally or a human rights enemy?
Hong Kong Launches Regulatory Regime and Trials for HKD-Backed Stablecoins
China rehearses September 3 Victory Day parade as imagery points to ‘loyal wingman’ FH-97 family presence
Trump Called Viktor Orbán: "Why Are You Using the Veto"
Horror in the Skies: Plane Engine Exploded, Passengers Sent Farewell Messages
MSNBC Rebrands as MS NOW Amid Comcast’s Cable Spin-Off
AI in Policing: Draft One Helps Speed Up Reports but Raises Legal and Ethical Concerns
Shame in Norway: Crown Princess’s Son Accused of Four Rapes
Apple Begins Simultaneous iPhone 17 Production in India and China
A Robot to Give Birth: The Chinese Announcement That Shakes the World
×