Fresh unrest has erupted in the Netherlands against new lockdown rules amid rising Covid-19 cases in Europe.
People hurled fireworks at police and set fire to bicycles in The Hague, one night after protests in Rotterdam turned violent and police opened fire.
Thousands of demonstrators also took to the streets in Austria, Croatia and Italy as anger mounted over new curbs.
Its regional director Dr Hans Kluge told the BBC that unless measures were tightened across Europe, half a million more deaths could be recorded by next spring.
“Covid-19 has become once again the number one cause of mortality in our region,” he said, adding “we know what needs to be done” in order to fight the virus – such as getting vaccinated, wearing masks, and using Covid passes.
Many governments across the continent are bringing in new restrictions in a bid to tackle rising infections. A number of countries have recently reported record-high daily case numbers.
Demonstrations and unrest
In the Netherlands, a second night of riots broke out on Saturday in several towns and cities.
Hooded rioters set fire to bicycles on the streets of The Hague, as riot police used horses, dogs and batons to chase the crowds away. Officials have announced an emergency order in the city, and at least seven people were arrested.
Police said someone threw a rock through the window of a passing ambulance carrying a patient. Officers in the city tweeted that five police were injured, with one taken away by ambulance with a knee injury.
Elsewhere in the country, two top-flight football matches were briefly halted after supporters broke into the grounds and ran onto the pitch. Fans are currently banned from stadiums because of new coronavirus rules.
The unrest follows a night of riots in Rotterdam condemned by the city’s mayor as “an orgy of violence”. Police fired warning shots and direct shots “because the situation was life-threatening”, a police spokesperson told Reuters news agency.
At least three demonstrators are receiving hospital treatment for gunshot wounds, officers said. Authorities have launched an investigation into the incident.
The Netherlands imposed a three-week partial lockdown last Saturday after recording a record spike in Covid cases. Bars and restaurants must close at 20:00, and crowds are banned at sports events.
