In Austria, tens of thousands of people took to the streets in Vienna, Salzburg, and other cities after the Austrian government announced a nationwide lockdown to deal with what it describes as a surge of COVID-19 cases. Austria’s lockdown, which follows a so-called “lockdown on the unvaccinated,” will start on Monday for an initial 10 days before government officials reevaluate it, meaning that people can only leave their homes for certain reasons, including going to the doctor, buying groceries, or exercising. Starting Feb. 1, Austria’s government said it will make vaccines mandatory for everyone. On Saturday, many waved Austrian flags while carrying signs with slogans such as “no to vaccination,” “enough is enough,” or “down with the fascist dictatorship.” Authorities said that in Vienna, the crowd surged to about 35,000 people.
