Thousands of people demonstrated last night (14.07.2021) in several Greek cities in the first massive anti-vaccine demonstration of the pandemic, against the government’s decision to force health workers to be vaccinated and to limit the closed spaces of hotels and leisure for those inoculated.
Around 3,000 people gathered in central Athens alone, without maintaining safe distances and virtually without masks, although there were also protests in other cities such as Thessaloniki in northern Greece , Patras, in the Peloponnese, or Heraklion, in the island of Crete. .
Many demonstrators waved Greek flags and religious signs, several raised crosses and Orthodox icons outside the parliament building in Syntagma Square, while protest slogans were mixed with the national anthem and other nationalist chants .
Among the banners they carried from Omonia Square to Parliament, one read “No to compulsory vaccination. Yes to individual freedoms, to free choice. No to state participation in medicine” or “No to separation, no blackmail, no terrorism”.
The demonstration was organized by the “Freedom Again” movement, led by a cardiologist who launched an appeal on Facebook, assuring that “any medical practice against the will of the patient is prohibited” and described the conservative New Democracy government as “fascist”. (ef)
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Vegans, right-wing extremists and conspiracy theorists demonstrate in Berlin
Berlin in the spotlight
As a reform of the Infection Protection Act was debated in the Bundestag, to give legal backing to the restrictions imposed by the authorities to halt the advance of the coronavirus, thousands of people gathered a few meters away . They did not want to celebrate the taking of action, but to criticize what some see as political decisions that restrict freedom.
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Vegans, right-wing extremists and conspiracy theorists demonstrate in Berlin
“Don’t Mess With My Constitution”
In front of the Brandenburg Gate, one of the German capital’s top tourist spots, gathered enemies of the closure measures, negationists, conspirators, far-right or even animalists. All argue that the restrictions are excessive. And some think that the virus does not exist and that all this is a huge farce to change the German Constitution.
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Vegans, right-wing extremists and conspiracy theorists demonstrate in Berlin
Thousands of people
“Wake up,” says the sign. Many believe that the pandemic is an invention that has other obscure ends, which vary according to the groups (imposing a dictatorship, forcing small businesses to close, etc.). At first the protest was peaceful, but around noon there were some altercations. Police asked people to disperse: no one was wearing a mask or keeping a distance.
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Vegans, right-wing extremists and conspiracy theorists demonstrate in Berlin
“Merkel must go”
Police, who deployed some 2,000 officers in central Berlin, tried unsuccessfully to break up the protest. After several attempts, it was decided to use force, although restrained. Officers stressed that a larger action was not possible, as there were many children in the protest. Some protesters demanded the resignation of Chancellor Angela Merkel.
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Vegans, right-wing extremists and conspiracy theorists demonstrate in Berlin
freedom for animals
The diversity of requests was great. This person, for example, is asking for freedom for animals and calling for people to join the vegan movement. There were also tenants who were affected by the temporary closure of their businesses. The police warned before the march that this type of demonstrations are exploited by far-right groups, which bring water to their own mill.
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Vegans, right-wing extremists and conspiracy theorists demonstrate in Berlin
They asked to go with children
The website of the newspaper Der Tagesspiegel assures that in the call for the demonstration there were explicit calls to bring children, to prevent the police from acting with more extreme measures to disperse those gathered. Among those present at the demonstration were prominent members of the far-right AfD (Alternative for Germany) and NPD parties, which are close to Nazism.
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Vegans, right-wing extremists and conspiracy theorists demonstrate in Berlin
“Enabling Act”
Some protesters say they seek to introduce legal changes that allow the state to interfere in people’s lives and speak of imposing a “dictatorship”, even comparing legal reforms to fight the pandemic with the ” Enabling Act” of 1933 which led to the dictatorial regime of Adolf Hitler. In the photo, a young woman raises a cross in front of the Police.
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Vegans, right-wing extremists and conspiracy theorists demonstrate in Berlin
If the rules are not respected, there is no protest
The authorities justified the use of water cannons. Deputy government spokeswoman Ulrike Demmer recalled that the demonstrators had not respected the rules of hygiene and distancing, two measures which she considered “inalienable”. He added that if these rules are broken, you cannot protest. Health Minister Jens Spahn justified the legal changes because “health has a higher weight”.
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Vegans, right-wing extremists and conspiracy theorists demonstrate in Berlin
pepper spray
The Berlin police spokesman said the water cannons were not fired directly at people, but sprayed in a way that did not affect children. However, pepper spray was fired at adults who refused to obey instructions. More than 100 people were arrested during the operation to disperse the demonstration.
Author: Diego Zuniga
