According to the police, several thousand people are gathering in the Glacis parking area in Luxembourg City to protest against the “liberticidal measures” taken by the authorities for several months as part of the fight against the spread of the coronavirus. The organizers asked the participants to be calm and in particular “not to let themselves be left”.

Tensions finally erupted around 3:30 p.m. near the Christmas market located on the Place de la Constitution, around the Gëlle Fra where some participants in the demonstration then knocked down several barriers in order to enter the site without showing a white footing with the help of ” a certificate or CovidCheck.

OVERFLOWS

After a passage in front of the Chamber of Deputies, the same scenario is produced on the Christmas market in the Place d’Armes, where the demonstrators again forced the barriers to find themselves in an empty square. The Christmas markets were temporarily closed to the public as a precaution following the tensions observed throughout the procession. According to witnesses on the spot, several firecrackers exploded in different streets of the capital. The Christmas markets were finally able to reopen and welcome visitors in the early evening.

After the procession returned to the Glacis, several hundred people headed for the Prime Minister’s home where the demonstrators demanded his resignation, calling him a “liar”. As can be seen in photos posted by the Prime Minister’s husband on social media, eggs were thrown on the facade of Xavier Bettel’s home, where at least one car was also scratched by strangers.

A supermarket located on the route of the procession had to close its doors to the passage of the demonstrators, several customers were still blocked inside the establishment.

Vaccination, the CovidCheck (health pass in Luxembourg) or even the more severe measures in the workplace announced this week at the heart of the messages of the demonstrators who, as during the white marches, denounced a deprivation of freedoms for people who do not do not wish to follow the recommendations of the authorities.

In its latest official bulletin, the police reported several minor incidents and confirmed the preventive closure of several Christmas markets, in particular those at Place de la Constitution, Place d’Armes and Place de Paris. Traffic in the capital was strongly impacted by the demonstrators who spent several hours in the streets of Luxembourg City.

The participants also criticize the measures taken in schools or concerning children, whom they want to “protect” from the “health dictatorship”. All these reasons therefore pushed the demonstrators to march in the capital in order to understand to the authorities that they do not agree with the decisions taken in recent weeks.

REACTIONS

Several political figures reacted following various excesses, in particular the degradations observed at the home of the Prime Minister.

On Twitter, Minister François Bausch (Déi Gréng) defended the freedoms of expression and to demonstrate while strongly condemning vandalism, attacks and threats.

Mars di Bartolomeo, socialist deputy, admits that his tolerance has limits. “Loosely masked on the Gëlle Fra but without a mask in front of the virus“.

MP Sven Clement (Pirates) retweeted the reaction of a Luxembourg emergency physician who “fr a fed up“.

Yves Cruchten, president of LSAP, declares that it is “of a shame“.