London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Oct 09, 2026

Violent clashes erupt during anti-lockdown demonstrations in Europe

Violent clashes erupt during anti-lockdown demonstrations in Europe

Protests in European countries against new Covid-19 restrictions turned violent over the weekend as cases continue to rise in the continent.

Rioting broke out at The Hague on Saturday over the Dutch government's new coronavirus measures. Video from the scene shows riot police deploying water cannons and charging groups of demonstrators.

The Netherlands re-entered three weeks of partial lockdown last Saturday and is now planning to ban unvaccinated people from entering some venues.

Five police officers were injured during the clashes at The Hague, with one taken to hospital suffering concussion and two suffering hearing damage from loud fireworks, police said in a statement.

"The group started fires, committed destruction, assaulted motorists and threw rocks and heavy fireworks at police officers," police said, confirming that 19 arrests were made.

They added that one demonstrator threw a stone through the window of an ambulance, which was transporting a patient to a hospital.

Thousands of protesters attended a largely peaceful march in the capital Amsterdam on Saturday. Dutch public broadcaster, NOS also reported rioting in the town of Urk and cities in southern Limburg province. The protests follow violent clashes on Friday night in the port city of Rotterdam, during which police were forced to fire gunshots to disperse the crowd, and 51 people were arrested.

Anti-lockdown protesters hold torches in Vienna, Austria on Saturday.


Elsewhere, an estimated 40,000 people on Saturday crowded the streets of Vienna in the country's biggest coronavirus-related protest to date. Police tried to de-escalate the protest and when the "mood was about to tip," they stopped fining those not wearing facemasks, Franz Eigner, Vice President of the Vienna police said during a press conference on Sunday.

Some police officers had "unidentified liquid" sprayed on them, and protesters were trying to blind a helicopter with a laser, Eigner said.

A small number of protesters were "extremely prone to violence," Austrian Interior Minister Karl Nehammer said during the press conference, which he associated with the "right-wing extremist scene."

Austria will re-introduce a nationwide partial lockdown on Monday and make coronavirus vaccinations mandatory from February next year.

More than 1,400 police officers were deployed across the country to maintain public order, according to a police statement. Pepper spray was used in one "heated" protest in central Vienna, the police statement added.

France sent dozens of elite police and counter-terrorism officers to its Caribbean island of Guadeloupe Saturday following looting and arson overnight in defiance of an overnight curfew.

The island's prefect on Friday introduced the stay-at-home order after protests against the vaccine pass spiralled into violence the previous night. The interior ministry said 31 people had been arrested.

Around 15,000 people on Saturday protested in Zagreb against the Croatian government's coronavirus measures. From Monday, only people with Covid passports can enter government and public buildings in Croatia.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
UK Announces New Sanctions on 17 Russia-Linked Entities During Foreign Secretary's Ukraine Visit
UK and Germany Finalize Kensington Treaty to Strengthen Defense and Technology Cooperation
Britain Maintains Diplomatic Mission in East Jerusalem Despite Israeli Closure Deadline
English Councils Push Government to Rethink Proposed Funding Cuts
Scottish Homebuilding Falls to Lowest Level in 11 Years
BBC Chief Matt Brittin Defends Restructuring as Staff Challenge Job Cuts
UK Finance Warns High Energy Costs and Bond Yields Are Complicating Fiscal Outlook
UK Adopts All 44 Recommendations on Regulating AI in Healthcare
Chancellor John Healey Prepares Autumn Budget as Borrowing Costs Strain Public Finances
UK Investigators See Strong Indications of Iranian Link After RAF Fairford Security Operation
Laura Trott Pledges Tighter Controls on Political Activism in UK Classrooms
Welsh Ministers Launch Long-Term Review of North Wales and Anglesey Crossings
Welsh Government Orders 18-Month Study of Road Solutions Around Newport
Reform UK MP Sarah Pochin Faces Scrutiny Over £800,000 Second Home Purchase
British Households Grow More Concerned About Fuel and Energy Prices
NHS Leaders Warn of Rising Winter Pressure on Emergency Departments
Kemi Badenoch Proposes £2.3 Billion Employer National Insurance Cut for Young Workers
Middle East Conflict Could Erase UK Fiscal Headroom, Economists Warn
Manchester City Found Guilty of Multiple Premier League Financial Rule Breaches
UK Security Services Find Strong Indications of Iranian Role in RAF Fairford Incident
Costa Coffee Returns to Operating Profit on Iced Drinks and Menu Changes
Asos Warns Customers After Unauthorized Access to Retail App and Data
Kemi Badenoch Puts Growth and Deregulation at Center of Conservative Conference
Campaigners Warn of Deepening Social Care Crisis for Disabled Adults
Study Finds Rising Early-Onset Cancer Rates Among Adults Under 50 in Britain
UK Coach Operators Warn High Diesel Prices Could Force Route Cuts
FCA Opens Independent Review Into Handling of Epstein-Linked Whistleblower Case
Argentina Vows to Block Falkland Islands Offshore Oil Development
UK Chancellor Prepares Fiscal Measures and Welfare Reforms Ahead of Autumn Budget
Sainsbury’s and Morrisons Explore Potential Multi-Billion-Pound Merger
UK Weighs Tariffs on Chinese Electric Vehicles to Align With European Union
UK Threatens Diplomatic Expulsions Over Planned Closure of East Jerusalem Consulate
UK Energy Price Cap Hits Three-Year High as Middle East Conflict Raises Costs
Seventh Arrest Made in Suspected Terror Plot at RAF Fairford
Systemic Education Collapse Sparks Mass Student Uprisings in France
Green Party Faces Backlash Over Resolution Equating Zionism With Racism
Conservatives Debate Scrapping Environmental Rules for New Homes
Cornwall Insight Warns UK Energy Bills Could Approach £2,000 This Winter
UK Coach Operators Warn of Service Cuts as Diesel Prices Exceed £2
Scottish Parliament Approves £68 Billion Budget With New Tax and Property Measures
FCA Opens Independent Review Into Handling of Epstein Whistleblower
UK Government Drops Plan to Suspend Jury Trials in England and Wales
Bank of England Holds Interest Rate at 3.75% as Markets Watch November
Two Iranian Nationals Charged Over Alleged Plot Targeting Manchester Jewish Community
UK Fiscal Headroom Halves to £11 Billion Ahead of Budget, EY Warns
US Bomber Withdrawal From RAF Fairford Prompts UK Security Review
Sarah Wakfer Appointed Chair of Northern Ireland’s Health and Care Regulator
Scotland Housing Completions Fall to 11-Year Low Amid National Shortage
UK Water Companies Face Tougher Oversight and Unannounced Regulatory Inspections
Middle East Conflict Pushes UK Fuel and Wholesale Energy Prices Higher
×