Austria's COVID vaccine mandate faces flak, thousands protest govt move amid Omicron scare

Tens of thousands of protesters in Vienna, Austria converged on Saturday to demonstrate against the coronavirus restrictions instated by Austria’s government, and the COVID-19 vaccine mandate as the world rushed to contain a new omicron variant of the SARS-CoV-2. Gathered in front of famous Heroes’ Square in front of the Hofburg, civilians in angst clapped hands blew horns and unfurled the Austrian flag standing up for they described their civil liberties against the government’s health safety measures and scores of restrictions on public venues.

A crowd, 35,000-strong, chanted slogans “no to vaccination”, “enough is enough” or “down with the fascist dictatorship” as they led an anti-lockdown march that started at the former imperial palace and headed down Vienna’s inner ring road before moving towards Hofburg, The Guardian newspaper reported. 

10 arrests for flouting the coronavirus restrictions

Austria police, trying to disperse the mob, made over 10 arrests for flouting the coronavirus restrictions and flashing the banned Nazi symbols comparing it with the government. Hurtling the anti-vax propaganda, fuelled by Austria's far-right Freedom Party (FPÖ), the third-biggest in the parliament, protesters clashed with the police. Effective Monday, Austria will enter into a total lockdown for both vaccinated and the non-vaccinated population, permitting only essential movement in an attempt to curb the new omicron variant with large mutations. It would be mandatory to have fully vaccinated status from February next year to be able to move freely in Austria. 

Although questioning those decisions, at least 30,000 Austrians marched in the European nation’s second-largest city Graz chanting ‘Peace, freedom, no dictatorship’ as they demanded that the government takes back the vaccination draft law set to be tabled in parliament during the second week of December.

In St Poelten, Klagenfurt, and Innsbruck, a large crowd, many of whom were not wearing masks, revolted against Austria’s general vaccination requirement. Skirmishes broke out between the far-right vaccine-resistant groups, and the police officers in riot gears as the protesters hurled beer cans, projectiles at officers and set off pyrotechnics on the routes that they marched, as per the reports. 

Accusing their leader of ‘failing’ citizens yelled ‘peace and humanity’ messages as they slammed the mandate that will require proof of COVID-19 vaccination to avail outdoor services and pursue recreational activities. Austria's opposition Populist Freedom Party has been opposing the ruling government’s COVID-related bans that have been, in some form, instated on the civilians since the last 18 months. Austria's seven-day incidence is 1,030 new infections per 100,000 inhabitants.