The audience protested against sanitary restrictions due to the fight against coronavirus. Those present are holding posters “No to the coronavirus society!”, “Democracy is freedom” and “No to QR-codes!”.
According to TASS, the event was organized by the non-governmental organization EuropeansUnited. This organization includes representatives of right and left views. Among the participants of the action, many people were seen with the flags of Flanders - a symbol of the Flemish right-wing radical parties.
A TASS correspondent at the scene managed to talk to one of the organizers of the protests, who said that citizens of many European countries, including Belgium, Germany, France, and Spain, are taking part in the action. More than 100,000 people are expected to take to the streets.
“We see how, in response to the health crisis, the authorities are implementing measures that turn our free democratic society into an authoritarian one. Numerous freedoms of citizens are being curtailed, and measures such as curfews are being introduced that seemed to be a thing of the past forever. At the same time, we do not see the result of these measures”, - one of the protesters, a teacher at the Free University of Brussels named Jacques, told a TASS correspondent.
The action was approved by the local authorities. Along the route of the column - from the North Station to the European Quarter - police cordons were placed. Due to the blocking of the central streets of the Belgian capital, traffic is difficult in the city. At least two water cannons are reportedly deployed in the European Quarter.
Earlier it became known that masks and COVID-passports were canceled in England, and a few days later, the French authorities decided to cancel the mandatory wearing of masks outdoors from February 2, as well as remove a number of other covid restrictions.