Europe is witnessing not just a surge of #COVID cases but also in tensions as renewed #lockdown restrictions as well as previous measures to contain the spread of the #coronavirus have also irked people in many places.

While health experts and government authorities view "back to normal" as an unfeasible option at present, many people had believed that vaccinations would guarantee a return to life before the pandemic. There were sporadic reports of violence in the largesly peaceful demonstrations against impending anti-pandemic measures in various countries. #Austria has announced legally mandated vaccinations from February 2022, which has caused anger.

Other sites for protests included Germany, Italy, Switzerland, Lithuania, and more indicated on the map. 

#Rotterdam #Netherlands saw violence with fireworks being lobbed by certain protestors at police who are reported to have responded with live fire at one point. Although #Europe has a high rate of #vaccinations compared to most of the world, it is still facing high rates of infections that are above the weekly average rate globally, according to the WHO's coronavirus dashboard.