Europe anti-lockdown protests

Violent protests occurred in Europe, mostly in Central European countries, as some nations went back into full lockdown to try to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the approach to Christmas. Numbers of daily new cases had already risen to record levels throughout Europe before the lockdowns were ordered.

In Belgium, the Netherlands and Austria, protesters erected street barriers and set fires, clashing with police in multiple cities. Other countries, such as Italy, Croatia and Germany, also had protests, but those remained largely peaceful.