COVID-19 demonstrators are subjected to water cannons and tear gas by Belgian police.

Belgian police used water cannon and tear gas to evict some violent protestors in Brussels on Sunday, as the majority of demonstrators marched peacefully to protest tougher COVID-19 restrictions aimed at preventing a coronavirus outbreak.

Thousands turned out to protest the government’s new guidelines, which were issued for the third week in a row as an avalanche of new cases strains the country’s health services, depriving individuals with other life-threatening ailments of treatment.

Protesters marched to the European Union headquarters, shouting “Freedom! Freedom!” and carrying banners that read “United for our freedom, rights, and children.” Some also carried anti-vaccine signs, as well as signs opposing obligatory vaccinations.

When approximately a hundred protestors dashed towards a riot police barricade blocking entry to the European Commission on Sunday, the larger mass had already dispersed. Protesters hurled trash and other things at police, including a bicycle, and blew off firecrackers and flares after a brief standoff with officers. To disperse the throng, police used water cannons and tear gas. There were no reports of injuries at the time.

Prime Minister Alexander De Croo stated on Friday that day care facilities and primary schools will close a week early for the holiday, and that children under the age of six must henceforth wear masks. Indoor events with a capacity of no more than 200 persons will be permitted.

The government previously shut down nightclubs and ordered pubs and restaurants to close at 11 p.m. for three weeks. Closing times had been rumored to be pushed forward to 8 p.m., but the cabinet decided against it.

According to the most recent coronavirus data, the 11-million-strong EU nation appears to have hit a halt.

In Belgium, 17,862 new daily cases were recorded on a weekly average, up 6% from the preceding week. Hospital admissions increased by 4%. More than 3,700 people have been admitted to hospitals with the illness, with 821 of them requiring intensive care. Since the outbreak began last year, more than 27,000 individuals in Belgium have died from the virus.