The term 'compulsory' or 'government-mandated' have inspired knee-jerk reactions in democracies across the world. Months into the pandemic and with 'war-weariness' setting in, such reactions are only increasing and becoming more public. Across the world, there has been a noticeable surge in agitation by those that some online commentators have labelled as 'Covidiots', which are basically defined as people who ignore warnings regarding COVID-19 for a variety of reasons. These reasons could be as simple or ignorance or simple comfort or, as is becoming more common, a misplaced sense of rights and the perceived infringement on these very rights by government authority.
In the early days, while governments across the world tottered between acceptance and denial of the COVID menace, the US gave a very visible example of such protests made in the name of 'freedom'. Wearing masks quickly became a political issue with one store infamously posting a sign appraising potential mask wearers that they will not be welcome inside. Even before any reasonable talks of compulsory vaccination or mask usage or even social distancing began, there were already protests and demonstrations across the US, acts of defiance against a system that was 'pilfering their god-given liberty'. These physical protests were supplemented with endless online conspiracy theories and documentaries, all vaguely but generally pointing towards a nexus of evil that was trying to profit from spreading COVID-19 or secretly capitalising on the devastation it reaped. There were fears that COVID-19 would be used by states to tighten the leash. Some, rather callously, simplified the whole thing down to their right to get infected and coincidentally infect others.
Now, it is clear that the US is not the only country to be facing a surge of 'lockdown weariness'. Ongoing protests across many European cities are a clear indicator in this regard. Prominently, antivax and anti-mask protests are currently taking place in the UK and tensions are still simmering in Germany after a march by tens of thousands of protestors. The German protest in Berlin was organised after a tense legal battle that gave them the right to protest. However, police were forced to move in after the crowd reached Brandenburg Gate and it was observed that the protestors were not following social distancing norms. While it is questionable as to why German authorities thought the protestors would bother following some COVID norms while protesting against others, the protests did turn somewhat violent, with hundreds being arrested for tossing bottles and rocks. Later on, the whole event was given an even grimmer undertone when it recently came out that many of the protestors who were trying to storm up the steps of the German Reichstag building were doing so with far-right wing flags in hand.
Interviews with the protestors themselves saw a variety of justifications being given by those who had joined in what looks to be an umbrella movement against COVID measures. Some predictably were there to defend their fundamental rights. They were quick to assert that they were not extreme right sympathisers like many others were at the rally. Still others were adamant that there was no scientific proof for any of the claims made by health authorities worldwide. Then there were those who were unapologetic for the political angle they gave the protest, using it to vent long-held tensions against Merkel and her policies. The protests have been given greater impetus by recent laws set forth by the German Government, many of which are being implemented in other European nations as well. These laws institute greater penalties for those caught out in public without a mask or proper face covering. Coming at a time when Germany and Europe as a whole is seeing a second big surge of cases, these laws are meant to make people take the situation seriously. In some respects, the laws succeeded with that objective. In England, the protests were no different, with the addition of a few local celebrity conspiracists. There was, however, a much greater emphasis on the conspiracy theory linking COVID-19 to the worldwide spread of the 5G network. As yet, the protests have not turned violent but that's the least of the real harm being done.
These protests allow a variety of anti-science, anti-medicine groups to find backing that would normally not be given to their causes. By painting an issue as a matter of freedom, such protests have been demonstrated to pull in a wider, less traditionally conspiratorial crowd. The fact that such protests can easily become hotspots for COVID spread is patently obvious. It does not even need to be mentioned that the
violence that breaks out in such protests is not helpful for health and policing systems that are already overtaxed in such times. No, the real danger of such protests is blurring the lines of what individual freedoms mean in today's democratic systems. No society gives individuals the right to their point of view if said point of view is detrimental to society or the nation at large. Weariness of these dismal times is no excuse.