Europe sees widespread protests against COVID-19 restrictions

Several cities across the Netherlands saw violent protests on Friday and Saturday. [Forward to a friend]( | [Subscribe]( | [View in your browser]( [Top of The World]( --------------------------------------------------------------- What The World is following Europe sees widespread protests against COVID-19 restrictions [Protestors clash with riot police during a demonstration against the reinforced measures of the Belgium government to counter the latest spike of the coronavirus in Brussels, Belgium, Nov. 21, 2021.] Credit: Olivier Matthys/AP Europe It’s been a weekend of [protests against COVID-19]( restrictions across Europe, a continent that is seeing a surge in cases and is now the epicenter of the pandemic. In Belgium, where, starting Wednesday of last week, there’s been a wider mandate in masking and working from home, [nearly 35,000 people took to the streets]( in peaceful protests that broke out into violence. Several cities across the Netherlands saw violent protests on Friday and Saturday, with Dutch authorities deploying a water cannon, mounted officers and dogs to disperse the crowds. Austria, Denmark, and the French overseas territory of Guadeloupe had similar protests. The French government is [sending police special forces]( to Guadeloupe after three days of protests against COVID-19 restrictions that turned into rioting and looting. The rallies were initially called by workers’ unions to denounce France’s health pass, a necessary requirement to access restaurants, sports events and other places, and mandatory vaccinations for health care workers. Sudan Nearly four weeks after Sudan’s military took control of the country’s government in a coup that saw Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok deposed and placed under house arrest, [Hamdok has signed a deal]( with Sudan’s top army commander that will see him reinstated as interim prime minister until new elections are held. Thousands of Sudanese took to the streets to protest the deal, calling it a betrayal to the democratic cause. The agreement also includes the release of political prisoners who were jailed following the military coup. The number of people killed during rallies in the past month has been raised to 41, [according to a report]( by a coalition of medical workers. The report also stated that security forces have targeted hospitals and blocked injured protesters from receiving treatment. Haiti Two of the 17 missionaries that were kidnapped this past October in Haiti by the 400 Mawozo gang have been released. The hostages were part of an American missionary group that includes women and children. They were visiting an orphanage just outside the capital, Port-au-Prince. The Ohio-based Christian Aid Ministries said it would not announce the names of the two people who were freed, but that they are “[safe, in good spirits, and being cared for.](” The missionaries are all from [Amish, Mennonite and other]( conservative Anabaptist communities across six US states, plus one person from Canada. --------------------------------------------------------------- We need 372 more donors to reach our goal. Can we count on you? The World reaches over 2 million listeners each week, and even more through our podcast and website. If everyone who listened donated, we would be able to bring you even more deeply reported stories from all around the globe. Right now, we need just 372 listeners to donate $130, or $11/month, in order to ensure we can continue our work for another year. And every single gift gets us one step closer to our goal. [Make your gift today]( to add your name to our growing list of supporters from around the globe. --------------------------------------------------------------- From The World [Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict stifles critical transport development in the region, analyst says]( [A forest burns in the mountains after shelling by Azerbaijan's artillery during a military conflict outside Stepanakert, the separatist region of Nagorno-Karabakh, Oct. 31, 2020.]( Credit: AP Photo/File photo As tensions flare up again between Armenia and Azerbaijan, Thomas de Wall, a senior fellow with Carnegie Europe with a specialty in Eastern Europe, speaks to The World's host Marco Werman about the regional players invested in the fight and how their interests are [influencing the conflict](. [‘I’m still not free’: Aid workers who helped refugees in Greece face months of legal limbo]( [Irish German Seán Binder stands outside a court in Mytilene port, on the northeastern Aegean island of Lesbos, Greece, Nov. 18, 2021.]( Credit: Panagiotis Balaskas/AP Last week, Irishman Seán Binder and 23 other aid workers stood trial in Greece, accused of espionage, forgery and supporting a criminal organization. The judge ultimately ruled to [refer the case]( to a higher court. --------------------------------------------------------------- Double Take Sacré bleu! The French flag saw a change this past summer that's gone largely unnoticed until recently. President Emmanuel Macron’s office [darkened the blue]( in the flags flying around the Élysée Palace to align them with with the hue seen after the French Revolution. The switch took place in July. Presidential aides say the change is not in “opposition to the blue used by the European [Union] flag.” [Screenshot of Quartz's tweet]( Credit: Twitter --------------------------------------------------------------- In case you missed it from The World --------------------------------------------------------------- - [Shohei Ohtani MVP wins big]( - [Fighting breaks out between Armenia and Azerbaijan]( - [UK environmental activist delivers giant plastic tampon to Procter & Gamble to demand environmental action]( - [Colombian court considers decriminalizing abortion]( - [This comedian describes herself as ‘half Mexican, half white and 100% Muslim’]( - [Disappearances add to anxiety of living in Burkina Faso’s war zone]( - [Trendy secondhand]( - [IOC announces new framework for including transgender and intersex athletes in sport]( - [Modi farm reforms]( Don't forget to subscribe to The World's Latest Edition podcast using your favorite podcast player: [RadioPublic](, [Apple Podcasts](, [Stitcher](, [Soundcloud](, [RSS]( [The World logo]( [The World on Facebook]( [The World's Twitter account]( [Donate]( | [Forward to a friend]( | [Subscribe]( | [Edit your subscription]( | [Unsubscribe]( | [View in your browser]( Top of the World is written weekday mornings by the team at [The World](. 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