The Resurgence of COVID-19 and an Outbreak of Rioting in Western Europe: A Libertarian Response to the Pandemic
Several Western European towns and cities witnessed COVID-related demonstrations during the weekend of 20 to 21 November 2021. Most were relatively peaceful, but some degenerated into violent confrontations with the police. The protesters, both young and old and even entire families, came from a variety of backgrounds, such as COVID-minimisers, the unvaccinated (including anti-vaxxers), healthcare workers, far-right nationalist parties, the financially disadvantaged, and the lockdown-fatigued, judging from the many messages on public display.
Rising numbers of infections, amounting to a “fourth wave” of the pandemic, and relatively low vaccination rates have forced some Western European governments to impose vaccine mandates and threaten lockdowns, which seem to be the main gripes of the protesters. The recent surge in Europe is being driven by an unrestrained spread of the virulent delta strain, a low uptake of vaccines, and the cold weather, with added support from the citizens themselves.
The underlying reasons for the public expressions of dissatisfaction varied from country to country. The Netherlands, where riots broke out on 19 November in Rotterdam, can be considered the epicentre of the present outbreak of rioting. The country is under a three-week partial lockdown, announced on 12 November and extending until at least 4 December, during which supermarkets, hotels, bars, and restaurants are forced to close at 8 pm, and saunas, while casinos, hairdressers, saunas and sex workers have to cease operations even earlier, at 6 pm! Disorder spread to The Hague and Amsterdam on 20 November, and further afield the following night. In neighbouring Belgium, there was trouble too. On 20 November, the “Protest for Freedom” march in Brussels led to more violence. The protest was triggered by opposition to the Covid Safe Ticket, available on the CovidSafeBE app, without which one cannot access bars and restaurants, nightclubs, indoor sports and fitness centres, culture and recreation venues, and healthcare centres. Mask mandates, and plans for compulsory vaccination of all healthcare workers from 1 January 2022 onwards, also form part of the Belgian government’s widely unpopular proposals for COVID control.
Protesters in Vienna were particularly unhappy, as a temporary “full” national lockdown, for at least ten days in the first instance and possibly until 13 December at the latest, was coming into effect on 22 November. During this lockdown, only workplaces, schools, healthcare facilities, and essential shops will be allowed to open. To add to the pain of the protesters, Austria is also planning to become the first European country to make vaccination mandatory, from 1 February 2022 onwards.
In Rome, the “Green Pass” came under renewed attack. This health certificate was introduced in August 2021 and requires proof of full vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test for the workplace, leisure and cultural venues, and long-distance public transport. In Zagreb, Covid Passes (EU Digital Covid Certificates) and mandatory vaccinations for public sector workers were the focus of protesters’ anger. In Zurich, there were similar concerns over the Swiss COVID certificate, which requires full vaccination with a vaccine that is approved by the European Medicines Agency. In Copenhagen it was the matter of reinstatement of COVD passes for public sector workers, while in Belfast there was opposition to vaccine passports. Mutterings of discontent in France spilled over into the French Overseas Territory of Guadeloupe, in the Caribbean, while many Germans were unhappy about threats of tightening up of COVID rules.
This being Europe and not America, members of the public did not carry assault weapons and street fights had to be improvised on the spot. Disaffected people threw projectiles such as bottles, rocks and firecrackers, attacked police with baseball bats, set fire to dustbins, smashed or torched cars, burned bicycles (in a typically Dutch touch), and damaged property. The level of violence in the Netherlands provoked a vigorous police response that included tear gas, water cannon, and (possibly) rubber bullets.
SARS-CoV-2 is unfortunately an invisible enemy, so many people can readily deny its very existence, downplay its significance, or simply just don’t care about the consequences of infection. For many people in liberal democracies, personal freedoms such as the right to travel freely and work or relax as they choose, unencumbered by masks and without coercion to be vaccinated, form part of a libertarian agenda that places personal rights and freedoms of the individual above any collective welfare from controlling the spread of COVID-19. A widespread suspicion of the government, scientists, and Big Pharma further minimises the impact of any official, well-intended, public health messages.
Libertarianism has spread rapidly in recent years, mostly in liberal democracies. It seems unlikely that most street protesters will have read the works of Hayek, Friedman, and other libertarian gurus. Yet despite their differing viewpoints, agendas and political affiliations, all protesters seem united by a philosophy of freedom that empowers them to make their own choices, at all times free from “coercion”, which is taken to include governmental clampdowns on personal liberty during the pandemic. The word “freedom” frequently features on banners and posters and is often referred to by protesters when being interviewed.
The pandemic is providing us with useful insights into not just viral, but even human, behaviour, and we continue to learn. The key to implementing successful coronavirus control measures probably entails some form of behavioural manipulation and ideological change, and not just a better understanding of how viruses spread and how they are best controlled. As matters stand, reconciling widespread libertarian views with restrictive public health measures is proving to be a challenge, with no easy solutions in sight.
Ashis Banerjee