Ukrainians want draft-eligible refugees sent back

Ukrainian government officials are calling for NATO countries to extradite Ukrainian war refugees eligible for conscription. The Polish government is willing to do so (subject to court approval), but the governments of Czechia, Austria, and Hungary have indicated they will not comply. 

Poland May Start to Extradite Ukrainian ‘Draft Dodgers’ | Kyiv Post:

September 4, 2023 - "On Sept. 1 David Arachamia, leader of Ukraine’s Servant of the People party, said that Ukrainian law enforcement agencies should demand the extradition of men of military age who had illegally left Ukraine to escape mobilization and prosecute them. 

"The Polish news outlet, Rzeczpospolitej reported on data provided by Poland’s Border Guard that 2.87 million Ukrainian adults had crossed into Poland between Feb. 24, 2022 and Aug. 31 this year. It was estimated that around 80,000 men aged 18-60, who were potentially eligible for military service, had entered the country; the whereabouts of whom are currently not known. A spokesperson for the Polish Border Guard, Lt. Anna Michalska, is quoted as saying that it was not known how many actually met the exemption requirements.

"Ukraine shares borders with five countries where Ukrainian men may have entered: Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, and Moldova. It is feared that the number of those who have fled may run into the tens of thousands. Fedir Venislavsky, a member of Ukraine’s National Security, Defense and Intelligence Committee said the numbers of those who illicitly avoided going to war and took refuge abroad is hugely significant. 'These people could be mobilized and increase the ranks of our armed forces, thereby strengthening our defense and security'....

"Inspector Mariusz Ciarka, a spokesman for the Poland’s Police Headquarters indicated that there had been a number of instances of individuals intercepted trying to cross the border illegally without an exemption.... In the case of those who appeared to have an exemption and crossed apparently legally, the inspector said it ... would be necessary for Ukraine to issue an international arrest warrant for each individual case. The details would be entered into Poland’s National Police Information System (KSIP) and shared with Interpol. If a Ukrainian was stopped for something such as a traffic offence, KSIP would flag the fact and the person would be detained. However, the police could not act on the warrant until a Polish court had approved extradition.

"In July the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) charged the MP Lyudmila Marchenko and her assistant with corruption or demanding a bribe to provide a man with a permit to leave Ukraine as well as registering him on the Shlyakh system, which allows men of military age to leave the country."
Read more: https://www.kyivpost.com/post/21242

Ukraine Demands Extradition of Its Draft-Age Men | European Conservative | Zoltán Kottász:

September 9, 2023 - "Neither the Austrian, nor the Czech government is willing to bow to Ukraine’s demands and extradite Ukrainian men who have fled the war-torn country. 'That would be a massive interference in our sovereignty, we would never do that,' a spokesman for the Austrian Interior Ministry said to Exxpress on September 7th. 'Such a request would likely contravene Czech law, making it impossible to approve it,' the Czech Justice Ministry stated in the Prague Monitor....

"With the war against Russia costing thousands of lives, the Ukrainian leadership is stepping up its efforts to recruit soldiers. But there are more and more reports of men fleeing the country to avoid military service.... The number of Ukrainian men who have successfully avoided mobilisation and sought refuge abroad could be in the tens of thousands, but there are no official statistics. What Eurostat’s statistics do tell us is that 17.7% of the 4 million Ukrainians who have been granted temporary protection in the EU since the start of the war are men aged 18-64....

"According to Exxpress, there are around 14,000 Ukrainian men aged between 18 and 54 who have been registered as refugees in Austria. The government in Vienna has clearly stated it will not deport any of them. Prague has also emphasised that extradition treaties do not apply under Czech law to crimes of a military or political nature. Polish authorities estimate that 80,000 Ukrainian men of military age may have entered Poland since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and the German Interior Ministry has registered more than 200,000 men in the same age group since the start of the war. Tareq Alaows of the human rights organisation Pro Asyl, told Deutschlandfunk that evading conscription is a human right, therefore, the German government shouldn’t give in to Ukraine’s demands, if such demands were made.

"While people with disabilities and illnesses are mostly exempt from the draft, Hungarian-language Ukrainian news website, Kárpáti Igaz Szó reports that the Ukrainian Ministry of Defence recently updated its list of illnesses that are no longer considered debilitating enough to stop men from serving in the army. These include clinically cured tuberculosis, viral hepatitis, asymptomatic HIV, mental and neurological disorders that cause only minimal pain and rare physical manifestations."
Read more: https://europeanconservative.com/articles/news/ukraine-demands-extradition-of-its-draft-age-men/

Germany just told Ukraine to F*CK off, along with 3 other E.U. countries | Redacted News | September 15, 2023:

Austrian gov't to end all Covid restrictions by July

Austria to ditch all Covid-19 laws this year: health minister | The Local.at:

January 15, 2023 - "Austria's health minister wants to bring the country back to 'normal' and said on Saturday that all of Austria's Covid-19 laws and regulations would be abolished over the course of 2023. This means that people would no longer need to report Covid-19 infections, Johannes Rauch said in an interview with Austrian daily Kronen Zeitung.

"The Green Party minister also said that, in his opinion, the current huge wave of infections in China no longer posed a great risk. 'We have taken the necessary precautionary measures. I don't see any signs currently of a major threat," he said. However, wastewater monitoring would remain in place. Austria examines the wastewater from all flights arriving from China for Covid-19 variants....

"Rauch does not think the virus is going away. Nonetheless, he believes Austria is well prepared: 'We have vaccines, we have drugs, we are monitoring the variants,' he said. After three years of the pandemic, Austria has achieved a high level of immunisation in the population, he wrote on Twitter.

"Covid-19 rules are not standardised across Austria and, outside of the capital, Covid-19 measures are no longer much in evidence. But restrictions in stricter Vienna are set to loosen, too: the current requirement to wear a mask (Maskenpflicht) on public transport in the city will be abolished soon, Rauch said. It was already dropped for the rest of the country last summer, although it is still compulsory to wear an FFP2 mask when visiting health and care facilities....

"Although Vienna's state government Covid-19 policies have typically been stricter than the national government's, Rauch told broadcaster ORF that he was confident that Vienna would slot in to the national regulations and said he planned to have discussions on the topic over the coming days. He said he expected that all nationwide regulations would be dropped within the first six months of 2023.

"The testing strategy is also set to change: only those with symptoms will be able to get free Covid-19 tests after June 30th, the minister said.... Rauch also said he would ... [amend] the law on epidemics, which he told Kronen Zeitung was 'not suitable for fighting a pandemic'.

Read more: https://www.thelocal.at/20230115/austria-to-ditch-all-covid-19-laws-this-year-health-minister

Austria and Italy end most Covid restrictions

Austria’s Capital to Lift Vaccination & Recovery Certificate Requirement for Access to Public Places | Schwengen Visa Info:

April 15, 2022 - "The Austrian authorities have announced that the capital of the country, Vienna, will no longer apply COVID-19 restrictions starting from April 16. Vienna was the only Austrian region to keep in place the vaccination and recovery certificate requirement, as the other parts of the country already dropped them on March 5, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports. Speaking at a press conference, the city councillor Peter Hacker said that the authorities have decided to go along with the steps that have been taken throughout the whole country. This means that from tomorrow, citizens of Vienna, as well as visitors, will no longer be required to present a valid vaccination or recovery certificate when attending bars, restaurants, museums, theatres, and other public places and events.

"In addition, it has been revealed that the mask requirement will also be dropped tomorrow for the majority of places. However, Hacker emphasised that the requirement will still remain in place for those who wish to enter healthcare institutions, essential shops, and public transport."

"Despite facilitating its domestic restrictions, Austria still keeps in place its entry rules. The Austrian authorities explain that all travellers, regardless of their country of origin, need to present a valid vaccination, recovery, or test certificate in order to be permitted restriction-free entry."
Read more: https://www.schengenvisainfo.com/news/austrias-capital-to-lift-vaccination-recovery-certificate-requirement-for-access-to-public-places/

Image courtesy ETIAS

Italy bids farewell to covid Green Pass | Wanted in Rome:

Apr 30, 2022 "The Italian government is to drop practically all requirements for the Green Pass - the digital certificate proving the holder has been vaccinated, tested negative or recovered from covid - with effect from Sunday 1 May. The lifting of these restrictions also includes those relating to the so-called Super Green Pass which can only be obtained by those who have been vaccinated or recovered from covid. The Super Green Pass system will however remain in force until 31 December for those visiting hospitals and nursing homes, as well as for healthcare workers and employees of care homes.

"When it was first introduced last June, a few weeks before the EU digital covid certificate, the Green Pass was designed primarily to allow people to attend large events, such as weddings, or to visit nursing homes. However its scope was expanded progressively by the Italian government, steered by health minister Roberto Speranza and prime minister Mario Draghi. .... Over recent weeks however the Green Pass system has been gradually wound down following the expiry of Italy's covid state of emergency - after more than two years - at the end of March.

"Also from 1 May the obligation to wear masks will no longer apply in restaurants, bars, shops, supermarkets and museums. [U]ntil 15 June masks will continue to be required on all forms of public transport, in hospitals and nursing homes, in cinemas and theatres, at concerts and indoor sporting events, and in schools and universities."
Read more: https://www.wantedinrome.com/news/italy-bids-farewell-to-covid-green-pass.html

Austria suspends universal Covid-vax mandate

Austria suspends law forcing all adults to have Covid jabs and admits the 'encroachment of fundamental rights' is not justified | Daily Mail - AFP:

March 9, 2022- "Austria is suspending mandatory Covid-19 vaccines for all adults saying the pandemic no longer poses the same danger, just weeks after the law took effect. The Alpine nation of nine million people was one of the few countries in the world to make jabs against the coronavirus compulsory for all adults. 

"The law took effect in February and called for fines up to 3,600 euros (£3,000) from mid-March for those who do not comply. But minister Karoline Edtstadler said the law's 'encroachment of fundamental rights' could no longer be justified by the danger posed by the pandemic. 

"'After consultations with the health minister, we have decided that we will of course follow what the (expert) commission has said,' Edtstadler told reporters after a Cabinet meeting. 'We see no need to actually implement this compulsory vaccination due to the (Omicron) variant that we are predominantly experiencing here.'

"The highly-contagious variant is widely believed to be less severe than previous strains of the virus, and so far Austrian hospitals have been able to cope with a surge in cases. This has led to the government to drop most coronavirus restrictions in recent weeks.

"Tens of thousands have demonstrated in regular weekend rallies across the country since the government said last November that it would seek to force people to get jabbed in an effort to boost the staggering vaccination rate. But the rate of those considered fully protected against the virus has hardly changed in recent week[s], hovering around 70 percent of the population. That group includes people who are vaccinated, those who have recovered, or a combination of both. Calls to review the law - including from within the ruling conservative People's Party - have also become increasingly loud as Austria has dropped many restrictions....

"The law was adopted by parliament on January 20 with all but the far-right [Freedom Party] supporting it and came into effect on February 5. It applied to all residents above 18 years old with the exception of pregnant women, those who have contracted the virus within the past 180 days and those with medical exemptions."

Read more: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10593797/Austria-suspends-law-forcing-adults-Covid-jabs-weeks-making-vaccines-mandatory.html 

Czech gov't scraps Covid-vax mandate 'nonsense'

Czech Republic scraps vaccine mandate as daily cases hit record high | The Independent - William Nattrass: 

Jan. 20, 2022 - "The Czech Republic’s new government has scrapped a decree making Covid vaccines mandatory for over-60s and key workers in some professions, with the country’s health minister describing the previous administration’s plan as 'nonsense from the start'. The mandate – which was supposed to come into effect in March for the elderly as well as health and care workers, police officers and firefighters – was dismissed by Prime Minister Petr Fiala’s new centre-right government.... 'We see no reason for compulsory vaccination' ... Mr Fiala said at a press conference on Wednesday. However, he emphasised that the government still considered vaccines as 'the best way to fight Covid'.

"Coalition members of the five-party government had opposed the vaccine mandate ever since it was introduced in December in the twilight days of the previous regime led by Andrej Babis. The plan sparked protests in Prague and elsewhere in the country. The 'Open Czechia' protest organization ran a petition claiming that 'instead of relevant expert information allowing citizens to make their own decision, the government is forcing us to be vaccinated through tools of corruption and extortion!' About 63 per cent of Czechs are fully vaccinated, below the European Union average, according [to]the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control....

"'The mandate was not defined well, so from this perspective we are happy that it will be cancelled,' said Jiří Horecký, president of the Association of Social Service Providers, which advocates for the rights of social workers. 'The group of people obliged to be vaccinated was unclear, the explanatory report was not up to date, and there were no exceptions for people who already had Covid,” he told The Independent.

"The country’s health minister Vlastimil Válek said the government had delivered on its promise to revoke the vaccine mandate. 'I considered mandatory Covid 19 vaccination nonsense from the start,' he said on Twitter....

"The government announced that asymptomatic key healthcare and social workers who test positive for Covid may be allowed to continue working to keep services running. Companies want the list to be extended, while cabinet members are pushing for the so-called “working quarantine” to apply to other key workers including firefighters, police officers, and transport staff. Mr Fiala’s administration has also shortened quarantine and isolation times, while launching mandatory testing of employees at companies from this week."

Read more: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/czech-republic-repeals-vaccine-mandate-b1996991.html

Austria parliament approves mandatory Covid vaccination | France 24 - Alex Halada:

January 20, 2022 - "Austria's parliament on Thursday approved making Covid-19 vaccinations mandatory for adults from next month, becoming the first European country to do so despite a wave of protests opposing the measure. Tens of thousands have demonstrated against mandatory vaccination in regular weekend rallies since the measure was announced in November in a bid to drive up the country's vaccination rate. But all parties, except the far-right, supported the measure, with the new legislation passing with 137 votes in favour and 33 votes against it....

"To date 72 percent of Austrian residents have been fully vaccinated against the coronavirus – in line with the European Union-wide average of just more than 70 percent.... 

"Under the new law, after an initial "introductory phase" those holding out against the jab can face fines of up to 3,600 euros ($4,084) from mid-March. The government initially wanted to cover everyone aged 14 and older, but now the measure only applies to adults, except pregnant women and those with a medical exemption.

"The only significant opposition came from the far-right Freedom Party (FPOe), which has courted anti-vaccination voters. FPOe leader Herbert Kickl railed against the law in Thursday's charged parliamentary debate, claiming it 'paves the way to totalitarianism in Austria'. He vowed that he himself would continue to refuse vaccination in defiance of the new law."

Read more: https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20220120-austria-parliament-approves-mandatory-covid-vaccination

Thousands protest Covid restrictions in Europe

‘Make Austria Great Again’: Thousands protest COVID-19 restrictions in Europe | Global News - Reuters [stress added]:

December 4, 2021 - " Tens of thousands of protesters marched through several northwest European cities on Saturday to demonstrate against coronavirus restrictions imposed amid a surge in infections.

"Austria last month became the first country in Western Europe to reimpose a lockdown, which is set to last 20 days, and said it would make vaccinations mandatory from February. Some of the more than 40,000 demonstrators in Vienna carried signs reading: 'I will decide for myself,' 'Make Austria Great Again' and 'New Elections'.... Around 1,200 police officers deployed for the march on the central Ring boulevard, and a 1,500-strong counter-protest, both allowed under the terms of Austria’s lockdown.

"In the central Dutch town of Utrecht, several thousand demonstrated against restrictions that began last weekend. Protesters carried banners reading 'Medical Freedom Now!', with a large police contingent present. It was the first major demonstration in the Netherlands against the measures.... 

"In the German financial capital, Frankfurt, police broke up a demonstration of several hundred people for failing to wear masks or maintain social distancing, using batons and pepper spray after they were attacked by a group of protesters. And in Berlin, where a new government is set to take office within days, small groups gathered to protest after a large demonstration was banned."

Read more: https://globalnews.ca/news/8425734/covid-19-protests-europe/

Covid restrictions tightened across Europe

COVID in Europe: Austria extends lockdown as Portugal tightens restrictions | Euronews with AP:

Map courtesy New York Times

December 1, 2021 - "COVID-19 cases are sweeping Europe once again.... Measures vary across the continent.... Here is a run-down of the latest situation in some of the European countries.

• "Austria's lockdown has officially been extended until December 11.... Essential shops that were allowed to open until 9 pm, however, will have to close by 7 pm starting on ... December 2.... Chancellor Alexander Schallenberg has also said that vaccination will become compulsory from February 1. Authorities in Austria said on November 17 that travellers would need to show a negative PCR test upon entering the country.
• "Portugal reintroduced tighter pandemic restrictions on Wednesday.... Face masks have once again become mandatory and the country tightened control of its borders. A digital certificate proving vaccination or recovery from COVID-19 is required to access restaurants, cinemas and hotels.... 
• "Belgium has closed nightclubs and requires people to work from home as part of an effort to curb COVID-19 cases. The government issued new measures on Friday (November 26) including shutting bars and restaurants from 11 pm. Events held indoors must be seated and private meetings, besides weddings and funerals, are banned.... 
• "Netherlands ... restrictions entered into force over the weekend includ[e] the closure of all non-essential shops including bars and restaurants from 17:00 to 05:00.... Hospitality and cultural venues have to ensure people are seated 1.5m apart.... Amateurs sporting events are also not permitted between 17:00 and 05:00 with professional sports events allowed to proceed but with no spectator.
• "A 30-day state of emergency came into effect on Friday (November 26) as the Czech Republic sees record-high COVID-19 cases.... Christmas markets across the country are banned and people will not be allowed to drink alcohol in public places.... Bars, restaurants, nightclubs, discotheques and casinos have to close at 10 p.m. The number of people at culture and sports events will be limited to 1,000 who are vaccinated or have recovered from COVID-19 All other public gatherings can be attended by up to 100 visitors, down from 1,000.
• "Slovakia declared a 90-day state of emergency and a two-week lockdown.... The ... measures ... include closing all non-essential stores, as well as bars and restaurants....
• [In] France ... From 15 January, all adults will need a booster jab at least seven months after being fully vaccinated in order to keep their health passes. From mid-December, people over the age of 65 will need one to have their health passes extended....
• "The Italian government on Wednesday (November 24) decided to exclude unvaccinated people from certain leisure activities.... Starting December 6, only people with proof of vaccination or of having recovered from COVID-19 can eat at indoor restaurants, go to the movies or attend sporting events. Having just a negative test result is no longer acceptable.... A new government decree also made vaccinations mandatory for law enforcement, military, and all school employees, among others.... Twenty towns in Italy's South Tyrol province face harsher COVID-19 restrictions from Wednesday (November 24) with an 8 pm curfew.... On public transport, passengers must wear an FFP2 mask or equivalent....
• "Sweden ... has announced that from December 1 a health pass will be required to attend any event of more than 100 people. The COVID pass — attesting that the holder has either been fully vaccinated, tested negative over the previous 72 hours or recovered from the disease over the preceding six months — has so far only been used in Sweden for travel purposes....
• "New COVID-19 restrictions came into force in Ireland on Thursday (November 18).... People were told to work from home unless attending the workplace is 'absolutely necessary'. A requirement for COVID-19 passes (based on vaccination or recovery) is extended to cinemas and theatres, while closing times for all on-licensed premises, including in hotels, will move to midnight.
• "[In] Ukraine From December 9, unvaccinated civil servants and social workers will be fired, the government said.... 
• [In] Latvia From 15 December, people must present a COVID-19 vaccination or recovery certificate in order to show up to work.
• "On November 12, Denmark reintroduced its digital pass.... For the next month, a valid pass is mandatory in order to enter nightclubs or cafes or to be seated indoors in restaurants." [stress added]

Read more: https://www.euronews.com/2021/12/01/covid-19-spike-felt-across-europe-as-vaccination-remains-stagnant

Partial lockdown fails, Austria back in full lockdown

Covid: Austria back in lockdown despite protests | BBC News: 

November 22, 2021 - "Austria has returned to a full national lockdown as protests against new restrictions aimed at curbing Covid-19 infections spread across Europe.... Austrians have been asked to work from home and non-essential shops have closed.... Last week Austria became the first European country to make Covid vaccination a legal requirement, with the law due to take effect in February.... 

"This is Austria's fourth national lockdown since the pandemic began. Authorities have ordered residents to stay home for all but essential reasons, including work, exercise and shopping for food. Restaurants, bars, hairdressers, theatres and non-essential shops must all close their doors. These measures will continue until 12 December, although officials said they will be reassessed after 10 days....

Speaking on ORF TV on Sunday night, health minister Wolfgang Mueckstein said the government had to 'react now'. 'A lockdown, a relatively tough method, a sledgehammer, is the only option to reduce the numbers [of infections] here,' he told the broadcaster.

"Tens of thousands of people protested in the capital Vienna ahead of the lockdown. Brandishing national flags and banners reading 'Freedom', protesters shouted 'Resistance!' and booed the police.... Jennifer Wall, a British woman who moved to Vienna about two years ago, has ... been double-jabbed. She described the protests over the weekend as 'disruptive' and 'scary'. 'The situation here is really tense,' she said. 'There is a clear divide between vaccinated and not vaccinated.' About 65% of Austria's population is fully vaccinated - one of the lowest rates in Western Europe."

Read more: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-59369488

COVID-19: Austria coronavirus lockdown feels not just like a health crisis, but also a cultural, social and political storm | Sky News - Adam Parsons:

November 22, 2021 - "Yes, this is lockdown, but it isn't quite the eerie emptiness of 18 months ago. Instead, the Austrian capital feels like it's closed for business. The clothes shops, the ice rinks and, of course, the Christmas markets. All shut.... Austria has seen a precipitous rise in the number of coronavirus infections recently, recording far more daily cases than it did during the first wave of the pandemic. So it has now introduced a national lockdown that largely resembles the original version - people told to work from home and only to leave the house for essential purposes....

"The lockdown is in place for 10 days but can be extended for a further 10 if necessary. After that point, if rates have fallen, the ties may be removed for vaccinated people, while restrictions remain in place for those who have not been inoculated. Perhaps that's why this new lockdown feels so very different to previous incarnations. Last year, the people of disparate European towns and cities seemed to share a sense of 'in it together' camaraderie as they faced up to the hardships of lockdown. Vienna didn't feel like that [today]. 

"We meet a group of young men strolling through the town, all of them dubious about the lockdown. One of them, Matthew, tells me that he only allowed himself to be vaccinated because it was the only way he could be guaranteed access to bars and restaurants. But he insists that this latest lockdown is 'a breach of human rights'. His friend, Andrew, was vaccinated early, and is at pains to say he's not an anti-vaxxer, but is troubled by what he sees as the changing narrative. 'When we were saying that it's 95% effective at the beginning, we're seeing that it's definitely not the case now. We're saying no more lockdowns yet we're in lockdowns now. How can we really trust the information that's being given to us at the moment? I think at this point, it's very, very difficult to trust anything that's going on. And I don't necessarily think we can trust the reasons for why we're in this lockdown at the moment."

"That's why this lockdown is different. Europe saw a series of protests over the weekend, vehement in their opposition to either new restrictions, or vaccination programmes, or the spectre of mandatory vaccinations, or perhaps all of them put together. Many Europeans, rightly or wrongly, have had their faith eroded in both the political and scientific establishment. Very public promises have, in the eyes of many Austrians, been broken and now those disenchanted people feel as if they are being stigmatised. This doesn't feel simply like a health crisis anymore, but also a cultural, social and political storm. Many other nations will be watching, and waiting to see what happens in Austria, and learning lessons."

Read more: https://news.sky.com/story/covid-19-austria-coronavirus-lockdown-feels-not-just-like-a-health-crisis-but-also-a-cultural-social-and-political-storm-12476017

Lockdowns, protests in Austria and Netherlands

Covid: Dutch partial Covid lockdown sparks protests | BBC News - Reuters:

November 14, 2021 - "Police in the Netherlands have used water cannon on protesters opposed to a new partial lockdown imposed amid record coronavirus infections and rising intensive care cases. Three weeks of restrictions for shops, sport and catering were announced by Prime Minister Mark Rutte on Friday.... The Dutch prime minister said ... the three-week partial lockdown would start on Saturday evening:

• Non-essential shops will have to shut at 18:00 (17:00 GMT) and supermarkets, cafes, restaurants and hotels at 20:00
• Professional and amateur sport will continue, but behind closed doors. That includes the Netherlands' football World Cup qualifier against Norway on 16 November
• The 18:00 closure applies to casinos and saunas as well as hairdressers and sex workers
• A maximum of four guests aged over 13 will be allowed at people's homes
• As many people should work from home as possible
• Cinemas and theatres will stay open. 
• Social distancing of 1.5m (5ft) is being reintroduced where Covid passes are not in operation.

"The catering industry has reacted angrily to the news; a spokesman told public broadcaster NOS the government had 'crossed a line'. Last weekend, thousands of protesters marched through The Hague in anger at existing Covid restrictions.... Protesters took to the streets in The Hague after Mr Rutte's announcement. Police fired water cannon after some of the crowd started throwing stones and fireworks at them."

Read more: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-59258409

Austria Orders the Unvaccinated Back Into Lockdown | Reason - Christian Britschgi:

November 15, 2021 - "Austria is ordering its unvaccinated population back into lockdown in an effort to 'encourage' more people to get the jab. On Sunday, Austrian Chancellor Alexander Schallenberg announced that those who are eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine, but who haven't received it or haven't recently recovered from COVID-19, will have to stay in their homes unless engaged in essential business or travel, reports Politico.

"That means unvaccinated people over the age of 12 will only be allowed to leave the house in order to do things like go to the grocery store or go on a walk, says the Los Angeles Times. Those with a negative COVID-19 test will be able to go to work as well, reports The Guardian.

"The new policy affects roughly 2 million people out of the country's population of nearly 9 million. Some 63 percent of Austria's population is fully vaccinated.... Violators will be hit with fines of 500 euros ($572). Police will also be conducting random stops of citizens to enforce the new lockdown policy. Those who refuse to participate in these checks can be fined an additional 1,450 euros ($1,658), says the BBC....

"Protests erupted in the capital city of Vienna in response to the lockdown, and the right-wing Freedom Party has promised to challenge its legality.

"German politicians are also considering similar restrictions. This week, the left-wing Greens and Social Democrats alongside the classical liberal Free Democrats (the three political parties likely to form the country's next coalition government) proposed requiring unvaccinated people to show a negative COVID-19 test when traveling on public transportation. Green co-chair Robert Habeck said the proposed restrictions amounted to a 'lockdown for the unvaccinated,' reports Politico. Berlin and other German state governments have gone further by limiting access to restaurants, theaters, and other public venues to the unvaccinated beginning this week."

Read more: https://reason.com/2021/11/15/austria-orders-the-unvaccinated-back-into-lockdown/ 

Protests occurred around the world on the weekend: