- Title: Minor scuffles at London anti-lockdown, anti-vax rally on 'freedom day'
- Date: 19th July 2021
- Summary: LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (JULY 19, 2021) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF DEMONSTRATORS NEAR PARLIAMENT SQUARE / PROTESTERS CHANTING (English): 'FREEDOM' WOMAN HOLDING SIGN READING (English): "MY BODY, MY CHOICE" MAN WEARING T-SHIRT READING (English): "HOAX" AND SPEAKING TO POLICE OFFICER POLICE FACING TOWARDS DEMONSTRATORS MAN FILMING DEMONSTRATION WITH IPHONE PLACARD READING (English): "MASK WEARING ZOMBIES WAKE UP OR COMPLY AND DIE" / DEMONSTRATORS SCUFFLING WITH POLICE DEMONSTRATORS SCUFFLING WITH POLICE RIOT POLICE OFFICERS PUTTING ON HELMETS LARGE POLICE CONTINGENT ACROSS FROM DEMONSTRATORS VARIOUS OF POLICE OFFICERS ARRESTING DEMONSTRATORS, LEADING THEM AWAY POLICE OFFICER LEADING MAN AWAY / PROTESTERS BLOWING WHISTLE AND SHOUTING AT POLICE POLICE OFFICERS / PLACARDS WITH ANTI-VACCINE, PANDEMIC CONSPIRACY THEMES BEHIND LINE OF POLICE OFFICERS VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS INTERACTING WITH POLICE WOMEN WEARING "MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN" HAT MOVING THROUGH CROWD / POLICE STANDING BY / AUDIO OF CROWD CHANTING (English): "SHAME ON YOU'
- Embargoed: 2nd August 2021 16:39
- Keywords: COVID-19 July 19 anti-lockdown anti-vax coronvirus freedom day lockdown protesters restrictions vaccine
- Location: LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM
- City: LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM
- Country: United Kingdom
- Topics: Europe,Society/Social Issues
- Reuters ID: LVA001EMIBXHJ
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Anti-lockdown and anti-vaccination protesters held a rally at Parliament Square on Monday (July 19) on the day England scrapped most coronavirus restrictions.
Some protesters were seen in minor scuffles with police as officers made some arrests..
Protesters temporarily blocked the road and caused traffic disruptions, according to Metropolitan Police.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson's 'freedom day' - ending over a year of COVID-19 lockdown restrictions - was marred by surging infections, warnings of supermarket shortages and his own forced self-isolation.
After rushing to vaccinate its population faster than almost all other European countries, Johnson's government is betting that England can reopen as fully vaccinated people are less likely to get seriously ill with COVID-19.
British society appears split on the restrictions: some want tough rules to continue as they fear the virus will keep killing people, but others have chafed at the most onerous restrictions in peacetime history.
Britain has the seventh highest death toll in the world, 128,708, and is forecast to soon have more new infections each day than it did at the height of a second wave of the virus earlier this year.
On Sunday (July 18) there were 48,161 new cases.
But, outstripping European peers, 87% of Britain's adult population has had one vaccination dose, and more than 68% have had the two doses which provide fuller protection.
Daily deaths, currently at around 40 per day, are just a fraction of a peak of above 1,800 seen in January.
(Production: Will Russell, Lucy Marks) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2021. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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