Friday 08 / November / 2024
The capitals of Italy and Croatia were hit by protests against coronavirus-prevention measures on Saturday.
There was a protest of about 2,000 people in Rome organised by various groups. The protest called for an end to the wearing of masks, physical distancing and potential vaccinations against the illness. Some protesters said the country turned into a "health dictatorship."
Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte expressed his displeasure with the protest. "We are dealing with an ongoing pandemic," Conte told an Italian news agency. "There is a demonstration in Rome today by people who believe it doesn't exist. We will answer them with data."
Foreign minister Luigi Di Maio said the protesters should show more respect to victims and their families. "I call on the coronavirus deniers to at least show respect for the families of the dead," said Di Maio during a speech in the southern city of Foggia.
Italy has recently seen its largest daily cases since early May. Health authorities on Saturday said there were more than 1,700 new cases on Friday.
Several thousand people also rallied against preventative measures in Zagreb on Saturday. They said the measures to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus were a threat to their human rights and freedoms.
"COVID is a lie, we are not all covidiots," said some protesters, referencing what some people have called those who do not follow prevention measures.
"We insist on safeguarding human rights, freedoms, knowledge, solidarity and mutual respect," read a statement from the group that organized the event, dubbed the Festival of Freedom.
Croatian authorities were not pleased with Saturday's rally. "All temporary restrictions had only one goal — to protect the health and lives of Croatian citizens. We succeeded in that," said Health Minister Vili Beros in a Facebook post.
The country has implemented rules that demand that people wear facemasks while on public transportation and in shops since mid-July. After the summer months with very few daily cases, Croatia has seen its highest number of daily cases. The nation of 4.2 million people saw a daily record 369 new cases on Thursday.
The protests come after two large protests against virus-stemming measures took place in Berlin last month.
