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<div>{{Short description|Multi-party war in the former Russian Empire (1917–1922)}}<br />
{{pp|small=yes}}<br />
{{Other uses|Russian Civil War (disambiguation)}}<br />
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2020}}<br />
{{Infobox military conflict<br />
| conflict = Russian Civil War<br />
| partof = the [[Russian Revolution]], [[revolutions of 1917–1923]], and the [[aftermath of World War I]]<br />
| image = CWRArticleImage.jpg<br />
| image_size = 300px<br />
| caption = Clockwise from top left:{{flatlist|<br />
* Soldiers of the [[Don Army]] in 1919<br />
* A [[White movement|White Russian]] infantry division in 1920<br />
* Soldiers of the [[1st Cavalry Army]]<br />
* [[Leon Trotsky]] in 1918<br />
* Hanging of Yekaterinoslav workers by Austro-Hungarian troops in 1918<br />
}}<br />
| date = 7 November 1917{{snd}}25 October 1922{{sfn|Mawdsley|2007|pp=3, 230}}<br />
| place = Former [[Russian Empire]]<br />
| result = Bolshevik victory (see {{slink||Aftermath}})<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |title=Russian Civil War |encyclopedia=Encyclopædia Britannica |url=https://www.britannica.com/event/Russian-Civil-War |date=10 May 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Murphy |first1=Brian |title=Rostov in the Russian Civil War, 1917-1920: The Key to Victory |date=2 August 2004 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-134-27129-0 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CMp-AgAAQBAJ&pg=PA2 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Bullock |first1=David |title=The Russian Civil War 1918–22 |date=6 June 2014 |publisher=Bloomsbury |isbn=978-1-472-81032-8 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=I52HCwAAQBAJ&pg=PA1882 |via=Google Books}}</ref><br />
| combatant1 = [[Bolsheviks]]:{{ubli<br />
| {{flag icon|RSFSR|1918}} [[Russian SFSR]]<br />
| {{nwr|{{flag icon|BSSR|1919}} [[Byelorussian SSR]]}}<br />
| {{flag icon|UkSSR|1919}} [[Ukrainian SSR]]<br />
| {{flag icon|Transcaucasian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic|1922}} [[Transcaucasian SFSR]]<br />
|{{flagicon image|Red flag.svg}} Regional forces}}<br />
| combatant2 = [[White movement]]:{{ubl|{{flagicon|Russia|1896}} [[Russian State]] |{{flagicon|Russia|1896}} [[South Russia (1919–1920)|South Russia]]}}<br />
| combatant3 = [[Pro-independence movements in the Russian Civil War|Separatists]]:{{ubli|<br />
| {{flagdeco|Poland|1919}} [[Second Polish Republic|Poland]]<br />
| {{flagicon image|Flag of Finland (1918–1920).svg}} [[Finland]]<br />
| {{flagicon image|Flag of Ukrainian People's Republic 1917.svg}} [[Ukrainian People's Republic|Ukraine]]<br />
| {{flagicon image|Flag of Belarus (1918, 1991–1995).svg}} [[Belarusian People's Republic|Belarus]]<br />
| {{flagdeco|Estonia}} [[History of Estonia (1920–1939)|Estonia]]<br />
| {{flag|Latvia}}<br />
| {{flagicon image|Flag of Lithuania (1918–1940).svg}} [[Lithuania]]<br />
| {{flagicon|Georgia|1918}} [[Georgian Democratic Republic|Georgia]]<br />
| {{flagicon|Armenia|1918}} [[First Republic of Armenia|Armenia]]<br />
| {{nwr|{{flagicon|Azerbaijan|1918}} [[Democratic Republic of Azerbaijan|Azerbaijan]]}}<br />
| {{flagicon image|Flag of the Mountain Republic.svg}} [[Mountainous Republic of the Northern Caucasus|Northern Caucasus]]<br />
| {{flagicon image|Flag of Turkestan.svg}} [[Basmachi movement]]<br />
}}<br />
| combatant1a = Anti-Bolshevik left:{{ubli<br />
| {{flagicon image|Red flag.svg}} [[Left Socialist-Revolutionaries|Left SRs]]<br />
| [[Green armies|Green Army]]<br />
| {{nwr|{{flagicon image|Махновское знамя.svg}} [[Makhnovshchina]]}}<br />
| {{flagicon image|Red flag.svg}} [[Right Socialist-Revolutionaries|Right SRs]] and [[Mensheviks]]<br />
}}<br />
| combatant2a = [[Allied intervention in the Russian Civil War|Allied intervention]]:{{ubli<br />
| {{flag|Empire of Japan|name=Japan}}<br />
| {{flagcountry|United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland}}<br />
| {{flag|United States|1912}}<br />
| {{flagcountry|French Third Republic}}<br />
| {{nwr|{{flagcountry|First Czechoslovak Republic|1918}}}}<br />
}}<br />
| {{flagcountry|Kingdom of Italy|{{flagcountry|Kingdom of Italy}}<br />
| combatant3a = [[Central Powers intervention in the Russian Civil War|Central&nbsp;Powers]]:{{ubli<br />
| {{flagcountry|German Empire|name=Germany}}<br />
| {{flagcountry|Austria-Hungary}}<br />
| {{nwr|{{flagcountry|Ottoman Empire}}}}<br />
}}<br />
| commander1 = {{ubli<br />
| [[Vladimir Lenin]]<br />
| [[Leon Trotsky]]<br />
| [[Sergey Kamenev]]<br />
| [[Jukums Vācietis]]<br />
| [[Yakov Sverdlov]]{{Natural Causes}}<br />
| ''[[Leaders of the Russian Civil War#Bolsheviks|...further details]]''<br />
}}<br />
| commander2 = {{ubli<br />
| {{nwr|[[Alexander Kerensky]]{{Surrendered}}}}<br />
| [[Alexander Kolchak]]{{Executed}}<br />
| [[Lavr Kornilov]]{{KIA}}<br />
| [[Anton Denikin]]<br />
| [[Pyotr Wrangel]]<br />
| ''[[Leaders of the Russian Civil War#White Movement|...further details]]''<br />
}}<br />
| commander3 = {{ubli<br />
| {{flagicon|Poland|1919}} [[Józef Piłsudski]]<br />
| {{nowrap|{{flagicon image|Flag of Finland (1918–1920).svg}} [[C. G. E. Mannerheim]]}}<br />
| ''[[Leaders of the Russian Civil War#Independence movements|...further details]]''<br />
}}<br />
| commander1a = {{ubli<br />
| {{flagicon image|Red flag.svg}} [[Maria Spiridonova]]<br />
| {{flagicon image|Махновское знамя.svg}} [[Nestor Makhno]]<br />
| ''[[Leaders of the Russian Civil War#Third party factions|...further details]]''<br />
}}<br />
| commander2a = {{ubli<br />
| ''[[Leaders of the Russian Civil War#Allied Expeditionary Forces|...further details]]''<br />
}}<br />
| commander3a = {{ubl<br />
| {{flagicon|German Empire}} [[Hermann von Eichhorn|H. von Eichhorn]]{{assassinated}}<br />
| ''[[Leaders of the Russian Civil War#Central Powers intervention|...further details]]''<br />
}}<br />
| strength1 = {{ubli<br />
| {{flagicon image|Soviet Red Army Hammer and Plough.svg}} [[Red Army]]: {{nwr|5,498,000 (peak){{sfn|Erickson|1984|p=763}}}}<br />
| {{flagicon image|Death to oppressors of workers.svg}} [[Revolutionary Insurgent Army of Ukraine|Makhnovtsi]]: 103,000 (peak)<ref>Belash, Victor & Belash, Aleksandr, ''Dorogi Nestora Makhno'', p. 340</ref><br />
| {{flagicon image|Petropavlovsk-Krondstadt flag.svg}} [[Kronstadt rebellion|Kronstadt mutineers]]: 17,961<br />
}}<br />
| strength2 = {{ubli<br />
| {{flagicon image|Volunteer Army Insignia.svg}} [[White Army]]: {{nwr|1,023,000 (peak)}}<br />
| {{flagicon image|Coat of arms of the Czechoslovak Legion.svg}} [[Czechoslovak Legion]]: {{nwr|50,000 (peak)}}<br />
| {{flagicon|Empire of Japan}} [[Imperial Japanese Army|Japanese Army]]: 70,000{{sfn|Humphreys|1996|p=26}}{{sfn|Tucker|Roberts|2005|p=547}}<br />
| {{flagicon|United Kingdom|1801}} [[British Army]]: 57,636<ref>Damien Wright, ''Churchill's Secret War with Lenin: British and Commonwealth Military Intervention in the Russian Civil War, 1918–20'', Solihull, UK, 2017, pp. 394, 526–528, 530–535; Clifford Kinvig, ''Churchill's Crusade: The British Invasion of Russia 1918–1920'', London 2006, {{ISBN|1-852-85477-4}}, p. 297; Timothy Winegard, ''The First World Oil War'', University of Toronto Press (2016), p. 229</ref><br />
| {{flagicon|United States|1912}} [[U.S. Army]]: 12,950<br />
}}<br />
| strength3 = &nbsp;<br />
| casualties1 = {{flagicon image|Soviet Red Army Hammer and Plough.svg}} 1,212,824 (official estimate){{sfn|Krivosheev|Andronikov|Gurkin|Kruglov|1993|p=12-13}}<br />
| casualties2 = {{ubli<br />
| {{flagicon image|Flag of Russia.svg}} 1,500,000{{sfn|Smele|2016|p=160}}{{failed verification|date=December 2024}}<br />
| {{flagicon|Czechoslovakia|1918}} 4,000 killed<br />
}}<br />
| casualties3 = {{ubli<br />
| {{flagicon|Poland|1919}} 250,000<br />
| {{flagicon image|Flag of Ukrainian People's Republic 1917.svg}} 125,000<br />
}}<br />
| casualties4 = {{ubl|7–12 million total casualties|1–2 million refugees outside Russia}}<br />
| campaignbox = {{Campaignbox Russian Civil War}}<br />
| territory = Establishment of the [[Soviet Union]]<br />
}}<br />
<br />
The '''Russian Civil War''' ({{langx|ru|Гражданская война в России|Grazhdanskaya voyna v Rossii}}) was a multi-party [[civil war]] in the former [[Russian Empire]] sparked by the overthrowing of the liberal-democratic [[Russian Provisional Government]] in the [[October Revolution]], as many factions vied to determine Russia's political future. It resulted in the formation of the [[Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic|Russian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic]] and later the [[Soviet Union]] in most of its territory. Its finale marked the end of the [[Russian Revolution]], which was one of the [[key events of the 20th century]].<br />
<br />
The [[List of Russian monarchs|Russian monarchy]] ended with the abdication of [[Nicholas II|Tsar Nicholas II]] during the [[February Revolution]], and Russia was in a state of political flux. A tense summer culminated in the [[October Revolution]], where the [[Bolsheviks]] overthrew the [[Russian Provisional Government|provisional government]] of the new [[Russian Republic]]. Bolshevik seizure of power was not universally accepted, and the country descended into civil war. The two largest combatants were the [[Red Army]], fighting for the establishment of a [[Bolshevik]]-led [[socialist state]] headed by [[Vladimir Lenin]], and the forces known as the [[White movement]] (and its [[White Army]]), led mainly by the [[Right-wing politics|right-leaning]] officers of the Russian Empire, united around the figure of [[Alexander Kolchak]]. In addition, rival militant socialists, notably the [[Anarchism in Ukraine|Ukrainian anarchists]] of the [[Makhnovshchina]] and [[Left Socialist-Revolutionaries]], were involved in conflict against the Bolsheviks. They, as well as non-ideological [[green armies]], opposed the Bolsheviks, the Whites and the foreign interventionists.<ref name="britannica">[http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/513737/Russian-Civil-War Russian Civil War] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090826234907/http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/513737/Russian-Civil-War |date=26 August 2009 }} [[Encyclopædia Britannica]] Online 2012</ref> Thirteen foreign states intervened against the Red Army, notably the [[Allied intervention in the Russian Civil War|Allied intervention]], whose primary goal was re-establishing the [[Eastern Front (World War I)|Eastern Front]] of [[World War I]]. Three foreign states of the [[Central Powers]] also intervened, rivaling the Allied intervention with the main goal of retaining the territory they had received in the [[Treaty of Brest-Litovsk]] with Soviet Russia.<br />
<br />
The Bolsheviks initially consolidated control over most of the former empire. The Treaty of Brest-Litovsk was an emergency peace with the [[German Empire]], who had captured vast swathes of the Russian territory during the chaos of the revolution. In May 1918, [[Revolt of the Czechoslovak Legion|the Czechoslovak Legion in Russia revolted]] in Siberia. In reaction, the Allies began their [[North Russia intervention|North Russian]] and [[Siberian intervention]]s. That, combined with the creation of the [[Provisional All-Russian Government]], saw the reduction of Bolshevik-controlled territory to most of [[European Russia]] and parts of [[Central Asia]]. In 1919, the White Army launched several [[Spring offensive of the White Army|offensives from the east]] in March, [[Advance on Moscow (1919)|the south]] in July, and [[Battle of Petrograd|west]] in October. The advances were later checked by the [[Eastern Front counteroffensive]], the [[Southern Front counteroffensive]], and the defeat of the [[Northwestern Army (Russia)|Northwestern Army]].<br />
<br />
By 1919, the White armies were in retreat and by the start of 1920 were defeated on all three fronts.{{sfnm|1a1=Leggett|1y=1981|1p=184|2a1=Service|2y=2000|2p=402|3a1=Read|3y=2005|3p=206}} Although the Bolsheviks were victorious, the territorial extent of the Russian state had been reduced, for many non-Russian ethnic groups had used the disarray to push for national independence.{{sfn|Hall|2015|p=83}} In March 1921, during [[Polish–Soviet War|a related war against Poland]], the [[Peace of Riga]] was signed, splitting disputed territories in [[Belarusian Democratic Republic|Belarus]] and [[Ukrainian People's Republic|Ukraine]] between the [[Second Polish Republic|Republic of Poland]] on one side and Soviet Russia and [[Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic|Soviet Ukraine]] on the other. Soviet Russia invaded all the newly [[Pro-independence movements in the Russian Civil War|independent nations]] of the former empire or supported the Bolshevik and socialist forces there, although the success of such invasions was limited. [[Estonian War of Independence|Estonia]], [[Latvian War of Independence|Latvia]], and [[Lithuanian–Soviet War|Lithuania]] all repelled Soviet invasions, while [[Ukrainian–Soviet War|Ukraine]], Belarus (as a result of the [[Polish–Soviet War]]), [[Red Army invasion of Armenia|Armenia]], [[Red Army invasion of Azerbaijan|Azerbaijan]] and [[Red Army invasion of Georgia|Georgia]] were occupied by the Red Army.{{sfn|Lee|2003|pp=84, 88}}{{sfn|Goldstein|2013|p=50}} By 1921, the Bolsheviks had defeated the national movements in Ukraine and the [[Caucasus]], although [[Basmachi movement|anti-Bolshevik uprisings]] in Central Asia lasted until the late 1920s.{{sfn|Hall|2015|p=84}}<br />
<br />
The armies under [[Alexander Kolchak|Kolchak]] were eventually forced on a [[Great Siberian Ice March|mass retreat eastward]]. Bolshevik forces advanced east, despite encountering resistance in [[Chita Operations|Chita]], [[Yakut revolt (1921)|Yakut]] and [[Soviet intervention in Mongolia|Mongolia]]. Soon the Red Army split the [[Don Army|Don]] and [[Volunteer Army|Volunteer armies]], forcing evacuations in [[Evacuation of Novorossiysk (1920)|Novorossiysk]] in March and [[Evacuation of the Crimea (1920)|Crimea]] in November 1920. After that, fighting was sporadic until the war ended with the capture of [[Vladivostok]] in October 1922, but anti-Bolshevik resistance continued with the Muslim [[Basmachi movement]] in Central Asia and [[Tungus Republic|Khabarovsk Krai]] until 1934. There were an estimated 7 to 12&nbsp;million casualties during the war, mostly civilians.{{sfn|Mawdsley|2007|p=287}}<br />
<br />
==Background==<br />
=== From World War I to the Russian Revolution ===<br />
{{main|Russia in the First World War|Russian Revolution}}<br />
The Russian Empire fought in World War I from 1914 alongside France and the United Kingdom ([[Triple Entente]]) against Germany, Austria-Hungary and Ottoman Empire ([[Central Powers]]).<br />
<br />
The [[February Revolution]] of 1917 resulted in the abdication of Emperor [[Nicholas II of Russia]]. As a result, the social-democratic [[Russian Provisional Government]] was established, and [[Soviet (council)|soviets]], elected councils of workers, soldiers, and peasants, were organized throughout the country, leading to a situation of [[dual power]]. The [[Russian Republic]] was proclaimed in September of the same year.<br />
<br />
====October Revolution====<br />
{{Main|October Revolution}}<br />
The Provisional Government, led by [[Socialist Revolutionary Party]] politician [[Alexander Kerensky]], was unable to solve the most pressing issues of the country, most importantly to end the war with the Central Powers. A [[Kornilov affair|failed military coup]] by General [[Lavr Kornilov]] in September 1917 led to a surge in support for the [[Bolsheviks]], who [[Bolshevization of the Soviets|took control of the soviets]], which until then had been controlled by the Socialist Revolutionaries. Promising an end to the war and "all power to the Soviets", the Bolsheviks then ended dual power by overthrowing the Provisional Government in late October, on the eve of the [[Second All-Russian Congress of Soviets of Workers' and Soldiers' Deputies]], in what would be the second Revolution of 1917. The initial stage of the October Revolution which involved the assault on [[Petrograd]] occurred largely without any human [[Casualty (person)|casualties]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Shukman |first1=Harold |title=The Blackwell Encyclopedia of the Russian Revolution |date=5 December 1994 |publisher=John Wiley & Sons |isbn=978-0-631-19525-2 |page=343 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ScabEAAAQBAJ&dq=october+revolution+bloodless&pg=PA343 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Bergman |first1=Jay |title=The French Revolutionary Tradition in Russian and Soviet Politics, Political Thought, and Culture |date=2019 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-884270-5 |page=224 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5UKjDwAAQBAJ&dq=october+revolution+bloodless&pg=PA224 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=McMeekin |first1=Sean |title=The Russian Revolution: A New History |date=30 May 2017 |publisher=Basic Books |isbn=978-0-465-09497-4 |pages=1–496 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=aXmZDgAAQBAJ&dq=october+revolution+bloodless&pg=PT155 |language=en}}</ref> Despite the Bolsheviks' seizure of power, they lost to the Socialist Revolutionary Party in the [[1917 Russian Constituent Assembly election]], and the Constituent Assembly was dissolved by the Bolsheviks in retaliation. The Bolsheviks soon lost the support of other far-left allies, such as the [[Left Socialist-Revolutionaries]], after their acceptance of the terms of the [[Treaty of Brest-Litovsk]] presented by the German Empire.<ref name="Stone-2011">{{Cite encyclopedia|author1-link=David R. Stone|last=Stone|first=David R.|title=Russian Civil War (1917–1920)|year=2011|encyclopedia=The Encyclopedia of War|editor-last=Martel|editor-first=Gordon|publisher=Blackwell Publishing Ltd|language=en|doi=10.1002/9781444338232.wbeow533|isbn=978-1-4051-9037-4|s2cid=153317860 }}</ref> Conversely, a number of prominent members of the [[Left Socialist Revolutionaries]] had assumed positions in Lenin's government and led commissariats in several areas. This included agriculture ([[Andrei Kolegayev|Kolegaev]]), property ([[Vladimir Karelin|Karelin]]), justice ([[Isaac Steinberg|Steinberg]]), post offices and telegraphs ([[Prosh Proshian|Proshian]]) and local government (Trutovsky).<ref>{{cite book |last1=Abramovitch |first1=Raphael R. |title=The Soviet Revolution, 1917-1939 |date=1985 |publisher=International Universities Press |page=130 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=L_q1WAmv7XkC&q=Steinberg+became+the+People%27s+Commissar+of+Justice,+Proshyan+became+the+People%27s+Commissar+for+Posts+and+Telegraphs |language=en}}</ref> The Bolsheviks also reserved a number of vacant seats in the Soviets and [[All-Russian Central Executive Committee|Central Executive]] for the [[Menshevik]] and [[Left Socialist Revolutionaries]] parties in proportion to their vote share at the Congress.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Deutscher |first1=Isaac |title=The Prophet Armed Trotsky 1879-1921 (1954) |date=1954 |publisher=Oxford University Press. |pages=330–336 |url=https://archive.org/details/dli.ernet.507702/page/335/mode/1up?view=theater}}</ref> The dissolution of the Constituent Assembly was also approved by the Left Socialist Revolutionaries and [[anarchists]], both groups were in favour of a more [[radical democracy]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Liebman |first1=Marcel |title=Leninism under Lenin |date=1975 |publisher=London : J. Cape |isbn=978-0-224-01072-6 |page=237 |url=https://archive.org/details/leninismunderlen0000lieb_f2h6/page/237/mode/1up}}</ref><br />
<br />
===Formation of the Red Army===<br />
{{Main|Red Army}}<br />
From mid-1917 onwards, the [[Russian Army (1917)|Russian Army]], the successor-organisation of the old [[Imperial Russian Army]], started to disintegrate;<ref>{{harvnb|Calder|1976|p=166}} "[...] the Russian Army disintegrated after the failure of the Galician offensive in July 1917."</ref> the Bolsheviks used the volunteer-based [[Red Guards (Russia)|Red Guards]] as their main military force, augmented by an armed military component of the [[Cheka]] (the Bolshevik state [[Chronology of Soviet secret police agencies|secret police]]). In January 1918, after significant Bolshevik reverses in combat, the future [[People's Commissar of Military and Naval Affairs of the Russian SFSR|Russian People's Commissar for Military and Naval Affairs]] [[Leon Trotsky]] headed the reorganization of the Red Guards into a ''Workers' and Peasants' Red Army'' in order to create a more effective fighting force. The Bolsheviks appointed [[political commissars]] to each unit of the Red Army to maintain morale and to ensure loyalty.<br />
<br />
In June 1918, when it had become apparent that a revolutionary army composed solely of workers would not suffice, Trotsky instituted mandatory [[Conscription in the Soviet Union|conscription]] of the rural peasantry into the Red Army.<ref>{{harvnb|Read|1996|p=237}} By 1920, 77% of the Red Army's enlisted ranks were peasant conscripts.</ref> The Bolsheviks overcame opposition of rural Russians to Red Army conscription units by taking hostages and shooting them when necessary in order to force compliance.<ref>Williams, Beryl, ''[[iarchive:russianrevolutio0000will|The Russian Revolution 1917–1921]]'', Blackwell Publishing Ltd. (1987), {{ISBN|978-0-631-15083-1}}: Typically, men of military age (17 to 40 years old) in a village would vanish when Red Army draft-units approached. The taking of hostages and a few summary executions usually brought the men back.</ref> The forced conscription drive had mixed results, successfully creating a larger army than the Whites, but with members indifferent towards [[Communism|communist ideology]].<ref name="Stone-2011" /><br />
<br />
The Red Army also utilized former Tsarist officers as "military specialists" (''voenspetsy'');<ref name="Overy 2004">{{harvnb|Overy|2004|p=446}} By the end of the civil war, one-third of all Red Army officers were ex-Tsarist ''voenspetsy''"</ref> sometimes their families were taken hostage in order to ensure their loyalty.<ref name="Williams, Beryl 1921">Williams, Beryl, ''The Russian Revolution 1917–1921'', Blackwell Publishing Ltd. (1987), {{ISBN|978-0-631-15083-1}}</ref> At the start of the civil war, former Tsarist officers formed three-quarters of the Red Army officer-corps.<ref name="Williams, Beryl 1921"/> By its end, 83% of all Red Army divisional and corps commanders were ex-Tsarist soldiers.<ref name="Overy 2004" /><br />
<br />
=== Constituent Assembly opposition ===<br />
====Dissolution of the Constituent Assembly, early Constituent Assembly rebellions====<br />
The [[Russian Constituent Assembly]] had been a demand of the Bolsheviks against the Provisional Government, which kept delaying it. After the October Revolution the elections were run by the body appointed by the previous Provisional Government. It was based on universal suffrage but used party lists from before the Left-Right SR split. The anti-Bolshevik Right SRs [[1917 Russian Constituent Assembly election|won the elections]] with the majority of the seats,{{sfn|Carr|1985|pages=111–112}} after which Lenin's ''Theses on the Constituent Assembly'' argued in ''[[Pravda]]'' that formal democracy was impossible because of class conflicts, conflicts with Ukraine and the Kadet-Kaledin uprising. He argued the Constituent Assembly must unconditionally accept sovereignty of the soviet government or it would be dealt with "by revolutionary means".{{sfn|Carr|1985|pages=113–115}}<br />
<br />
On December 30, 1917, the SR [[Nikolai Avksentiev]] and some followers were arrested for organizing a conspiracy. This was the first time Bolsheviks used this kind of repression against a socialist party. ''[[Izvestia]]'' said the arrest was not related to his membership in the Constituent Assembly.{{sfn|Carr|1985|page=115}}<br />
<br />
[[File:Viktor Chernov (1873-1952), Russian revolutionary (small).jpg|thumb|upright|left|[[Viktor Chernov]]]]<br />
<br />
On January 4, 1918, the [[All-Russian Central Executive Committee]] made a resolution saying the slogan "all power to the constituent assembly" was counterrevolutionary and equivalent to "down with the soviets".{{sfn|Carr|1985|pages=115–116}}<br />
<br />
[[File:Maria Spiridonova.jpg|thumb|right|[[Maria Spiridonova]]]]<br />
The Constituent Assembly met on January 18, 1918. The Right SR Chernov was elected president defeating the Bolshevik supported candidate, the Left SR [[Maria Spiridonova]] (she would later break with the Bolsheviks and after the decades of [[gulag]], she was shot on Stalin's orders in 1941). The Bolsheviks subsequently disbanded the Constituent Assembly and proceeded to rule the country as a [[one-party state]] with all opposition parties outlawed in 1921.<ref>[https://cyberleninka.ru/article/n/kontseptsiya-sotsialisticheskoy-demokratii-opyt-realizatsii-v-sssr-i-sovremennye-perspektivy-v-sng Концепция социалистической демократии: опыт реализации в СССР и современные перспективы в СНГ]</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=The Bolsheviks: the intellectual and political history of the triumph of communism in Russia |author=Adam Bruno Ulam |publisher=Harvard University Press |page=397}}</ref> A simultaneous demonstration in favor of the Constituent Assembly was dispersed with force, but there was little protest afterwards.{{sfn|Carr|1985|pages=120–121}}<br />
<br />
The first large [[Cheka]] repression involving the killing of [[libertarian socialist]]s in Petrograd began in April 1918. On May 1, 1918, a pitched battle took place in Moscow between the anarchists and the Bolshevik police.<ref name="Berkman">{{cite journal |last1=Berkman |first1=Alexander |author-link1=Alexander Berkman |last2=Goldman |first2=Emma |author-link2=Emma Goldman |date=January 1922 |title=Bolsheviks Shooting Anarchists |journal=Freedom |volume=36 |issue=391 |page=4 |url=https://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/emma-goldman-alexander-berkman-bolsheviks-shooting-anarchists |access-date=9 May 2023}}</ref><br />
<br />
====Constituent Assembly uprising====<br />
The Union of Regeneration was founded in Moscow in April 1918 as an underground organization of "democratic resistance" to the Bolsheviks, composed of the [[Popular Socialists (Russia)|Popular Socialists]] and "personal representatives" of Right Socialist Revolutionaries, [[Constitutional Democratic Party|Kadets]] and Defensists, among others. They were tasked with propping up anti-Bolshevik forces and to create a Russian state system based on "state consciousness, patriotism and civil liberties" with the goal to liberate the country from the "Germano-Bolshevik" yoke.<ref name=WS>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=73lLeNeICXUC |title=White Siberia: the politics of civil war |author=Norman G. O. Pereira |publisher=McGill-Queen's University Press |date=1996 |isbn=978-0-7735-1349-5 |page=65}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2gd7F6t2lCcC |title=The lost opportunity: attempts at unification of the anti-Bolsheviks, 1917–1919 – Moscow, Kiev, Jassy, Odessa |author=Christopher Lazarski |publisher=University Press of America |place=Lanham |date=2008 |isbn=978-0-7618-4120-3 |pages=42–43}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Mt9qzSvBrI4C |title=Dear comrades: Menshevik reports on the Bolshevik revolution and the civil war |author=Vladimir N. Brovkin |publisher=Hoover Press |date=1991 |isbn=978-0-8179-8981-1 |page=135}}</ref><br />
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On May 7, 1918, the Eighth Party Council of the [[Socialist Revolutionary Party]] commenced in [[Moscow]] and recognized the Union's leading role, putting aside political ideology and class for the purpose of Russia's salvation. They decided to start an uprising against the Bolsheviks with the goal of reconvening the Russian Constituent Assembly.<ref name=WS /> While preparations were under way, the [[Czechoslovak Legion]]s overthrew Bolshevik rule in [[Siberia]], the [[Ural Mountains|Urals]] and the [[Volga River|Volga]] region in late May-early June 1918 and the center of SR activity shifted there. On June 8, 1918, five Constituent Assembly members formed the All-Russian [[Committee of Members of the Constituent Assembly]] (''Komuch'') in [[Samara]] and declared it the new supreme authority in the country.<ref name="komuch">See Jonathan D. Smele. Op. cit., p.32 ("Op. cit." means to refer to a work cited earlier in the citations. this means you copied it from a citation list, and are citing something that you have not read. instead you should cite what you read and say it refers to this, or if you can get the original work and look at it then you can cite it directly.)</ref> The Social Revolutionary [[Provisional Siberian Government (Vladivostok)|Provisional Government of Autonomous Siberia]] came to power on 29 June 1918, after the uprising in [[Vladivostok]].<br />
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=== White movement and foreign interventions ===<br />
==== From "democratic counter-revolution" to the White movement ====<br />
{{Main|White movement}}<br />
[[File:Колчак, Нокс и английские офицеры восточного фронта.jpg|thumb|left|Admiral [[Alexander Kolchak]] (seated) and General [[Alfred Knox]] (behind Kolchak) observing military exercise, 1919]]<br />
<br />
The main Russian military and political force opposing the Bolsheviks was known as the [[White movement]], or simply the Whites; its armed formations were known as the [[White Army]].<br />
<br />
Some historians distinguish the White movement from the so-called "democratic counter-revolution"<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/nationalities-papers/article/abs/democratic-counterrevolution-of-1918-in-siberia/902F77B1E6F60CF8CC8EDFCB66A3894|title=Democratic counterrevolution of 1918 in Siberia |author=<!--Not stated--> |date= |website=www.cambridge.org |publisher= |access-date= |quote=}}{{Dead link|date=December 2024 |fix-attempted=yes |url=}}</ref><ref name="rev">{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_4SuDQAAQBAJ | isbn=978-0-19-873482-6 | title=Russia in Revolution: An Empire in Crisis, 1890 to 1928 | date=2017 | publisher=Oxford University Press }}</ref> led mainly by the [[Right Socialist-Revolutionaries|Right SRs]] and the [[Mensheviks]] that adhered to the values of [[parliamentary democracy]] and maintained anti-Bolshevik counter-governments ([[Komuch]], [[Ufa Directory]]) on the basis with alliance with the right-wing parties of Russia until November 1918. Until this period, [[parliamentary democracy]] was the main tendency of the anti-Bolshevik forces on the East (but not the South) of Russia, but since then, the White movement unified on an [[Right-wing dictatorship|authoritarian-right]] platform around the figure of [[Alexander Kolchak]] who [[Kolchak Coup|rose to power through a military coup]] as its principal leader and his [[Russian Government (1918—1919)|All-Russian government]].<ref name="rev"/><ref name="shubin1">{{cite web | title=Великая Российская революция. 10 вопросов|language=ru| url=https://historyrussia.org/images/documents/shubin-10-voprosov-revolution.pdf|author1=А. В. Шубин|author-link1=Alexander Vladlenovich Shubin}}</ref><ref name="shubin">{{cite book| title=1918 год. Революция, кровью омытая|language=ru|author1=А. В. Шубин|author-link1=Alexander Vladlenovich Shubin|isbn=978-5-8291-2317-8}}</ref> After the Kolchak coup, the Right SRs and the Mensheviks went to opposition to the Whites and co-operated with both factions of the Civil War on a tactical level, while also attempting to overthrow White administrations or establish themselves as "the third force" of the war: for example, they attempted to stage an anti-Kolchak mutiny in November 1919 with the help of the Czech general [[Radola Gajda]], and in 1920, they formed an organisation called 'Political Centre' and successfully overthrew the White administration in Irkutsk.<ref>{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nzhq85nPrdsC | isbn=978-0-521-47771-0 | title=A History of the Peoples of Siberia: Russia's North Asian Colony 1581-1990 | date=8 September 1994 | publisher=Cambridge University Press }}</ref><br />
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Although the White movement included a variety of political opinions, from the liberals through monarchists to the ultra-nationalist [[Black Hundreds]],<ref>Osborne, R. (2023, April 14). ''[https://study.com/academy/lesson/white-army-history-facts-russian.html White Army of Russia | History, Significance & Composition]''. Study.com. "Loosely commanded by former imperial admiral Alexander Kolchack, the White Army was composed of volunteers, conscripts, liberals, conservatives, monarchists, religious fundamentalists, and any group that opposed Bolshevik rule"</ref> and did not have universally-accepted leader or doctrine, the main force behind the movement were the conservative officers, and the resulting movement shared many traits with widespread right-wing counter-revolutionary movements of the time, namely [[nationalism]], [[racism]], distrust of liberal and democratic politics, [[clericalism]], contempt for the common man and dislike of industrial civilization;<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Kenez |first=Peter |year=1980 |title=The Ideology of the White Movement |journal=Soviet Studies |volume=32 |issue=32 |pages=58–83 |doi=10.1080/09668138008411280}}</ref> although not all of the participants of the movement wanted a restoration of [[Tsarism]], it generally preferred it to the revolution, and its main goal became to establish an order which would share the main features of the imperial one;<ref name="shubin"/><ref>{{cite book|title=Red Advance, White Defeat: Civil War in South Russia 1919–1920|author1=Peter Kenez|author-link1=Peter Kenez|isbn=9781955835176|year=2008|publisher=New Acdemia+ORM |quote= Not all the participants in the White movement wanted to recreate tsarist Russia. [...] Nevertheless, the Civil War divided those who preferred tsarist Russia to the society which they feared their country was heading toward, and those who hated the old and had confidence that they could build a more just and rational society. After three years of struggle the Whites lost the war, proving that the traditional order had too few defenders... The defeat of the Whites was the final and conclusive defeat of Imperial Russia.}}</ref> its positive program was largely summarized in the slogan of "united and indivisible Russia" which meant the restoration of imperial state borders (excluding Poland and Finland)<ref name="un1">{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YGib6O8vocoC | isbn=978-0-521-03025-0 | title=The People in Arms: Military Myth and National Mobilization Since the French Revolution | date=2 November 2006 | publisher=Cambridge University Press }}</ref><ref name="un2">{{Cite book| url=https://academic.oup.com/book/10472/chapter-abstract/158344535 | doi=10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199250219.003.0001 | chapter=Civil War | title=The White Russian Army in Exile 1920-1941 | date=2002 | last1=Robinson | first1=Paul | pages=1–15 | publisher=Oxford University Press | isbn=978-0-19-925021-9 }}</ref><ref name="un">{{cite web | url=https://www.hoover.org/research/wake-empire | title=In the Wake of Empire }}</ref> and its denial of the [[right to self-determination]] and the resulting hostility towards the [[Pro-independence movements in the Russian Civil War|movements for national independence]];<ref name="shubin1"/> the movement is associated with [[Pogroms during the Russian Civil War|pogroms]] and [[antisemitism]], although its relations with the Jews were more complex, as at first, for example, Jewish properitors supported the anti-Bolsheviks, but later the movement became known for its antisemic pogroms and discrimination against the Jews.<ref>{{cite book|title=Russian Jews Between the Reds and the Whites, 1917-1920|author1=Oleg Budnitskii|isbn=9780812208146|year=2012|publisher=University of Pennsylvania Press}}</ref><br />
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When the White Army was created, the structure of the [[Russian Army (1917)|Russian Army of the Provisional Government period]] was used, while almost every individual formation had its own characteristics. The military art of the White Army was based on the experience of World War I, which, however, left a strong imprint on the specifics of the Civil War.<ref>Military Encyclopedic Dictionary / Editorial Board: Alexander Gorkin, Vladimir Zolotarev et al. – Moscow: Great Russian Encyclopedia, RIPOL Classic, 2002 – 1664 Pages</ref><br />
<br />
====Allied intervention====<br />
{{Main|Allied intervention in the Russian Civil War}}<br />
The Western Allies armed and supported the Whites. They were worried about a possible Russo-German alliance, the prospect of the Bolsheviks making good on their threats to default on Imperial Russia's massive [[External debt|foreign debts]] and the possibility that Communist revolutionary ideas would spread (a concern shared by many Central Powers). Hence, many of the countries expressed their support for the Whites, including the provision of troops and supplies. [[Winston Churchill]] declared that Bolshevism must be "strangled in its cradle".<ref>[http://www.winstonchurchill.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=282 Cover Story: Churchill's Greatness.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061004110408/http://www.winstonchurchill.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=282 |date=2006-10-04}} Interview with Jeffrey Wallin. (The Churchill Centre)</ref> The British and French had supported [[Russia during World War I]] on a massive scale with war materials.<br />
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After the treaty, it looked like much of that material would fall into the hands of the Germans. To meet that danger, the [[Allied intervention in the Russian Civil War|Allies intervened]] with Great Britain and France sending troops into Russian ports. There were violent clashes with the Bolsheviks. Britain intervened in support of the White forces to defeat the Bolsheviks and prevent the spread of communism across Europe.<ref>Howard Fuller, "Great Britain and Russia's Civil War: The Necessity for a Definite and Coherent Policy". ''Journal of Slavic Military Studies'' 32.4 (2019): 553–559.</ref><br />
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==== Central Powers anti-Bolshevik intervention ====<br />
{{main|Central Powers intervention in the Russian Civil War}}<br />
The Central Powers also supported the anti-Bolshevik forces and the whites; after the [[Treaty of Brest-Litovsk]], the main goals of the intervention were to maintain the newly conquered territories and prevent a re-establishment of the Eastern Front. After the defeat of the Central Powers, many armies that stayed mostly helped the [[Russian White Guard]] eradicate communists in the Baltics until their eventual withdrawal and defeat. Pro-German factions fought against the newly independent Baltic states until their defeat by the Baltic States, backed by the victorious [[Allies of World War I|Allies]].<br />
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====Pro-independence movements and German protectorates====<br />
{{main|Pro-independence movements in the Russian Civil War}}<br />
[[File:Map Treaty Brest-Litovsk.jpg|thumb|Borders of the buffer states drawn by the [[Treaty of Brest-Litovsk]]]]<br />
The German Empire created several short-lived [[buffer state]]s within its sphere of influence after the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk: the [[United Baltic Duchy]], [[Duchy of Courland and Semigallia (1918)|Duchy of Courland and Semigallia]], [[Kingdom of Lithuania (1918)|Kingdom of Lithuania]], [[Kingdom of Poland (1916–1918)|Kingdom of Poland]],<ref>{{Cite book|title=Germany and Eastern Europe: Cultural Identity and Cultural Differences|last=Keith Bullivant, Geoffrey J. Giles and Walter Pape|publisher=Rodopi|year=1999|isbn=90-420-0678-1|pages=28–29}}</ref> the [[Belarusian People's Republic]], and the [[Ukrainian State]]. Following Germany's Armistice in World War I in November 1918, the states were abolished.<ref>Mieczysław B. Biskupski, "War and the Diplomacy of Polish Independence, 1914–18." ''Polish Review'' (1990): 5–17. [https://www.jstor.org/stable/25778473 online] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200127202015/https://www.jstor.org/stable/25778473 |date=27 January 2020 }}</ref><ref>Timothy Snyder, ''The Reconstruction of Nations: Poland, Ukraine, Lithuania, Belarus, 1569–1999'' (Yale UP, 2004)</ref><br />
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Finland was the first republic that [[Finnish Declaration of Independence|declared its independence from Russia]] in December 1917 and established itself in the ensuing [[Finnish Civil War]] between nationalist German-supported [[White Guard (Finland)|White Guards]] and socialist Bolshevik-supported [[Red Guards (Finland)|Red Guards]] from January–May 1918.<ref>{{Cite journal|doi= 10.1080/03585522.1978.10407894|title= Revolutionary ferment in Finland and the origins of the civil war 1917–1918|year= 1978|last1= Kirby|first1= D. G.|journal= Scandinavian Economic History Review|volume= 26 |pages= 15–35|doi-access= free}}</ref> The [[Second Polish Republic]], [[History of Lithuania|Lithuania]], [[History of Latvia|Latvia]] and [[History of Estonia|Estonia]] formed their own armies immediately after the abolition of the Brest-Litovsk Treaty and the start of the [[Soviet westward offensive of 1918–1919|Soviet westward offensive]] and subsequent [[Polish-Soviet War]] in November 1918.<ref>Anatol Lieven, ''The Baltic revolution: Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and the path to independence'' (Yale UP, 1993) pp. 54–61. [https://www.amazon.com/Baltic-Revolution-Estonia-Lithuania-Independence/dp/0300055528/ excerpt] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210316223710/https://www.amazon.com/Baltic-Revolution-Estonia-Lithuania-Independence/dp/0300055528/ |date=16 March 2021 }}</ref><br />
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=== Opposition and repression in Soviet Russia ===<br />
==== Exclusion of Mensheviks and SRs ====<br />
At the [[Fifth All–Russian Congress of Soviets]] of July 4, 1918, the [[Left Socialist-Revolutionaries]] had 352 delegates compared to 745 Bolsheviks out of 1132 total. The Left SRs raised disagreements on the suppression of rival parties, the death penalty, and mainly, the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk. The Bolsheviks excluded the Right SRs and Mensheviks from the government on 14 June for associating with counterrevolutionaries and seeking to "organize armed attacks against the workers and peasants" (though Mensheviks did not exist as a united movement and were split into the [[Menshevik-Internationalists|left-wing "internationalist"]] and more right-wing factions), while the Left SRs advocated forming a government of all socialist parties. The Left SRs agreed with extrajudicial execution of political opponents to stop the counterrevolution, but opposed having the government legally pronouncing death sentences, an unusual position that is best understood within the context of the group's terrorist past. The Left SRs strongly opposed the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk and opposed Trotsky's insistence that no one try to attack German troops in Ukraine.{{sfn|Carr|1985|pages=161–164}}<br />
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According to historian [[Marcel Liebman]], Lenin's wartime measures such as banning opposition parties was prompted by the fact that several political parties either [[left-wing uprisings against the Bolsheviks|took up arms]] against the new [[Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic]], or participated in sabotage, collaboration with the deposed Tsarists, or made [[Assassination attempts on Vladimir Lenin|assassination attempts against Lenin]] and other Bolshevik leaders.<ref name="Leninism Under Lenin">{{cite book |last1=Liebman |first1=Marcel |title=Leninism Under Lenin |date=1985 |publisher=Merlin Press |isbn=978-0-85036-261-9 |pages=1–348 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OQjzAAAAMAAJ |language=en}}</ref> Liebman noted that opposition parties such as the Cadets and [[Mensheviks]] who were democratically elected to the Soviets in some areas, then proceeded to use their mandate to welcome in Tsarist and [[Allied intervention in the Russian Civil War|foreign capitalist military forces]].<ref name="Leninism Under Lenin"/> [[26 Baku Commissars|In one incident in Baku]], the British military, once invited in, proceeded to execute members of the Bolshevik Party who had peacefully stood down from the Soviet when they failed to win the elections. As a result, the Bolsheviks banned each opposition party when it turned against the Soviet government. In some cases, bans were lifted. This banning of parties did not have the same repressive character as later bans enforced under the [[Stalinist]] regime.<ref name="Leninism Under Lenin"/><br />
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====Repression====<br />
In December 1917, [[Felix Dzerzhinsky]] was appointed to the duty of rooting out [[counter-revolutionary]] threats to the [[Government of the Soviet Union|Soviet government]]. He was the director of the All-Russian Extraordinary Commission (aka [[Cheka]]), a predecessor of the KGB that served as the [[secret police]] for the Soviets.<ref name="Bird-2018" /><br />
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The Bolsheviks had begun to see the anarchists as a legitimate threat and associate criminality such as [[robberies]], [[expropriations]] and [[murders]] with anarchist associations. Subsequently, the [[Council of People's Commissars]] (Sovnarkom) decided to liquidate criminal recklessness associated with anarchists and disarm all anarchist groups in the face of their militancy.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Goodwin |first1=James |title=Confronting Dostoevsky's Demons: Anarchism and the Specter of Bakunin in Twentieth-century Russia |date=2010 |publisher=Peter Lang |isbn=978-1-4331-0883-9 |page=48 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Pun07YW3t7sC&dq=anarchists+criminal+elements+cheka+april&pg=PA48 |language=en}}</ref><br />
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From early 1918, the Bolsheviks started physical elimination of opposition, other socialist and revolutionary fractions. [[Anarchism|Anarchists]] were among the first:<br />
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{{Blockquote|text=Of all the revolutionary elements in Russia it is the Anarchists who now suffer the most ruthless and systematic persecution. Their suppression by the Bolsheviki began already in 1918, when — in the month of April of that year — the Communist Government attacked, without provocation or warning, the Anarchist Club of Moscow and by the use of machine guns and artillery "liquidated" the whole organisation. It was the beginning of Anarchist hounding, but it was sporadic in character, breaking out now and then, quite planless, and frequently self-contradictory.|author=[[Alexander Berkman]], [[Emma Goldman]]|title="Bolsheviks Shooting Anarchists"<ref name="Berkman"/>}}<br />
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Prior to the events that would officially catalyze the [[Red Terror]],<ref name="black">{{harvp|Werth|Bartosek|Panne|Margolin|1999|loc=Chapter 4: The Red Terror.}}</ref> [[Vladimir Lenin]] issued orders and made speeches which included harsh expressions and descriptions of brutal measures to be taken against the "class enemies", which, however, often were not actual orders or were not carried out as such. For example, in a telegram which became known as "[[Lenin's hanging order]]" he demanded and "crush" landowners in [[Penza]] and to publicly hang "at least 100 kulaks, rich bastards, and known bloodsuckers"<ref name="black"/> in response to an uprising there; yet, only the 13 organizers of the murder of local authorities and the uprising were arrested, while the uprising ended as propaganda activities were held there;<ref name="log"/> in 1920, having received information that in Estonia and Latvia, with which Soviet Russia had concluded peace treaties, volunteers were being enrolled in anti-Bolshevik detachments, Lenin offered to "advance by 10–20 miles (versts) and hang kulaks, priests, landowners" "while pretending to be greens",<ref name="litvinalkbterror">[[:ru:Литвин, Алтер Львович|Alter Litvin]] ''Красный и Белый террор в России в 1917—1922 годах [Red and White terror in Russia in 1917-1922]'' {{in lang|ru}}, {{ISBN|5-87849-164-8}}.</ref> but instead, his government confined itself to sending diplomatic notes.<ref name="log">[[:ru:Логинов, Владлен Терентьевич|Vladlen Loginov]]. Послесловие / ''В.И.Ленин. Неизвестные документы. 1891-1922''. {{in lang|ru}}, {{ISBN|5-8243-0154-9}}.</ref><br />
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[[Leonid Kannegisser]], a young [[military cadet]] of the [[Imperial Russian Army]], assassinated [[Moisey Uritsky]] on August 17, 1918, outside the Petrograd Cheka headquarters in retaliation for the execution of his friend and other officers.<ref>[http://www.lib.ru/POLITOLOG/MELGUNOW/terror.txt Melgunov, S.P. ''Red Terror'' in Russia] {{in lang|ru}}</ref><br />
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[[File:Lenin attempt.jpg|250px|thumb|right|Vladimir Pchelin's depiction of the assassination attempt on Lenin]]<br />
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{{Cleanup section|date=August 2023|reason=incomplete sentence starting with 'and sought to eliminate...'. Next sentence explains 'the term', which hasn't been introduced.}}<br />
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On August 30, the SR [[Fanny Kaplan]] unsuccessfully [[Assassination attempts on Vladimir Lenin|attempted to assassinate]] Lenin,<ref name=":11">Wilde, Robert. 2019 February 20. "[https://www.thoughtco.com/the-red-terror-1221808 The Red Terror]" ''ThoughtCo''. Retrieved March 24, 2021.</ref> who sought to eliminate political dissent, opposition, and any other threat to Bolshevik power.<ref>Llewellyn, Jennifer; McConnell, Michael; Thompson, Steve (11 August 2019). [https://alphahistory.com/russianrevolution/red-terror/ "The Red Terror"]. ''Russian Revolution''. Alpha History. Retrieved 4 August 2021.</ref> As a result of the failed attempt on Lenin's life, he began to crack down on his political enemies in an event known as the [[Red Terror]]. More broadly, the term is usually applied to Bolshevik political repression throughout the Civil War (1917–1922),<ref>Melgunov, Sergey [1925] 1975. ''The Red Terror in Russia''. Hyperions. {{ISBN|0-88355-187-X}}.</ref><ref>[[Sergei Melgunov|Melgunov, Sergei]]. 1927. "[http://www.paulbogdanor.com/left/soviet/redterror.pdf The Record of the Red Terror] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181221170529/http://www.paulbogdanor.com/left/soviet/redterror.pdf |date=21 December 2018 }}." ''[[Current History]]'' (November 1927):198–205.</ref><ref name="Bird-2018" /><br />
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During interrogation by the [[Cheka]], she made the following statement:<br />
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{{Blockquote|My name is Fanya Kaplan. Today I shot Lenin. I did it on my own. I will not say from whom I obtained my revolver. I will give no details. I had resolved to kill Lenin long ago. I consider him a traitor to the Revolution. I was exiled to Akatui for participating in an assassination attempt against a Tsarist official in Kiev. I spent 11 years at hard labour. After the Revolution, I was freed. I favoured the [[Russian Constituent Assembly|Constituent Assembly]] and am still for it.<ref name="spartacus">{{cite web|url=http://spartacus-educational.com/RUSkaplan.htm|title=Fanya Kaplan|work=Spartacus Educational}}</ref>}}<br />
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Kaplan referenced the Bolsheviks' growing authoritarianism, citing their forcible shutdown of the Constituent Assembly in January 1918, the [[1917 Russian Constituent Assembly election|elections]] to which they had lost. When it became clear that Kaplan would not implicate any accomplices, she was executed in [[Alexander Garden]]. The order was carried out by the commander of the Kremlin, the former Baltic sailor P. D. Malkov and a group of Latvian Bolsheviks<ref>{{Cite book|title=Malkov P. Notes of the Kremlin commandant. – M.: Molodaya gvardiya, 1968.S. 148–149.|pages=}}</ref>{{page needed|date=August 2021}}{{primary source inline|date=August 2021}} on September 3, 1918, with a bullet to the back of the head.<ref name="how">{{cite book |title=How Did They Die? |first1=Norman |last1=Donaldson |first2=Betty |last2=Donaldson |isbn=9780517403020 |page=221 |publisher=Greenwich House |date=January 1, 1983}}</ref> Her corpse was bundled into a barrel and set alight. The order came from [[Yakov Sverdlov]], who only six weeks earlier had ordered the [[Murder of the Romanov family|murder]] of the Tsar and his family.<ref>{{Citation|last=Slezkine |first=Yuri |title=The house of government: a saga of the Russian Revolution |isbn=978-1-5384-7835-6|oclc=1003859221 |page=158}}</ref><ref name="Lyandres">{{cite journal |doi=10.2307/2498997 |jstor=2498997 |title=The 1918 Attempt on the Life of Lenin: A New Look at the Evidence |first=Semion |last=Lyandres |journal=Slavic Review |volume=48 |issue=3 |date=Autumn 1989 |pages=432–448 |publisher=Cambridge University Press|s2cid=155228899 }}</ref>{{rp|442}}<br />
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These events persuaded the government to heed Dzerzhinsky's lobbying for greater terror against opposition. The campaign of mass repressions would officially begin thereafter.<ref name=":11" /><ref name="Bird-2018" /> The Red Terror is considered to have officially begun between 17 and 30 August 1918.<ref name=":11" /><ref name="Bird-2018">{{Cite magazine|last=Bird|first=Danny|date=September 5, 2018|title=How the 'Red Terror' Exposed the True Turmoil of Soviet Russia 100 Years Ago|url=https://time.com/5386789/red-terror-soviet-history/ |access-date=2021-03-24|magazine=Time}}</ref><br />
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====Revolts against grain requisitioning====<br />
Protests against grain requisitioning of the peasantry were a major component of the [[Tambov Rebellion]] and similar uprisings; Lenin's [[New Economic Policy]] was introduced as a concession.<br />
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The policies of "food dictatorship" proclaimed by the Bolsheviks in May 1918 sparked violent resistance in numerous districts of [[European Russia]]: revolts and clashes between the peasants and the [[Red Army]] were reported in [[Voronezh]], [[Tambov]], [[Penza]], [[Saratov]] and in the districts of [[Kostroma Oblast|Kostroma]], [[Moscow Oblast|Moscow]], [[Novgorod Oblast|Novgorod]], [[Leningrad Oblast|Petrograd]], [[Pskov Oblast|Pskov]] and [[Smolensk Oblast|Smolensk]]. The revolts were bloodily crushed by the Bolsheviks: in the Voronezh Oblast, the Red Guards killed sixteen peasants during the pacification of the village, while another village was shelled with artillery in order to force the peasants to surrender and in the Novgorod Oblast the rebelling peasants were dispersed with machine-gun fire from a train sent by a detachment of Latvian Red Army soldiers.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Smith |first=Scott Baldwin |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5ueUEE8jVRsC |title=Captives of Revolution: The Socialist Revolutionaries and the Bolshevik Dictatorship, 1918–1923 |date=2011-04-15 |publisher=[[University of Pittsburgh Press]] |isbn=978-0-8229-7779-7 |pages=68–70 |language=en}}</ref> While the Bolsheviks immediately denounced the rebellion as orchestrated by the SRs, there is actually no evidence that they were involved into peasant violence, which they deemed as counterproductive.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Smith |first=Scott Baldwin |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5ueUEE8jVRsC |title=Captives of Revolution: The Socialist Revolutionaries and the Bolshevik Dictatorship, 1918–1923 |date=2011-04-15 |publisher=University of Pittsburgh Press |isbn=978-0-8229-7779-7 |pages=68 |language=en}}</ref><br />
<br />
==Geography and chronology==<br />
{{Main|Southern Front of the Russian Civil War|North Russia Campaign|Eastern Front of the Russian Civil War|Yakut Revolt|Finnish Civil War}}<br />
In the European part of Russia the war was fought across three main fronts: the eastern, the southern and the northwestern. It can also be roughly split into the following periods.<br />
[[File:Volunteer Army infantry company.jpg|thumb|left|Anti-Bolshevik [[Volunteer Army]] in South Russia, January 1918]]<br />
The first period lasted from the Revolution until the Armistice, or roughly March 1917 to November 1918. Already on the date of the Revolution, [[Cossack]] General [[Alexey Kaledin]] refused to recognize it and assumed full governmental authority in the [[Don River, Russia|Don]] region,<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.hrono.info/biograf/kaledina.html| title = Каледин, Алексей Максимович. A biography of Kaledin (in Russian)| access-date = 24 February 2008| archive-date = 8 November 2017| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20171108100553/http://www.hrono.info/biograf/kaledina.html| url-status = live}}</ref> where the [[Volunteer Army]] began amassing support. The signing of the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk also resulted in direct Allied intervention in Russia and the arming of military forces opposed to the Bolshevik government. There were also many German commanders who offered support against the Bolsheviks, fearing a confrontation with them was impending as well.<br />
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During the first period, the Bolsheviks took control of [[Central Asia]] out of the hands of the Provisional Government and White Army, setting up a base for the Communist Party in the [[Eurasian Steppe|Steppe]] and [[Russian Turkestan|Turkestan]], where nearly two million Russian settlers were located.{{sfn|Wheeler|1964|p=103}}<br />
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Most of the fighting in the first period was sporadic, involved only small groups and had a fluid and rapidly shifting strategic situation. Among the antagonists were the Czechoslovak Legion,<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://h2g2.com/edited_entry/A4241062 |title=The Czech Legion |publisher=Not Panicking, Ltd|website=h2g2.com |date=20 July 2005 |access-date=29 October 2020|archive-date=19 July 2012|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120719122821/http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A4241062|url-status=live}}</ref> the Poles of the [[4th Rifle Division (Poland)|4th]] and [[5th Rifle Division (Poland)|5th Rifle Divisions]] and the pro-Bolshevik Red [[Latvian riflemen]].<br />
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The second period of the war lasted from January to November 1919. At first the White armies' advances from the south (under Denikin), the east (under Kolchak) and the northwest (under Yudenich) were successful, forcing the Red Army and its allies back on all three fronts. In July 1919 the Red Army suffered another reverse after a mass defection of units in the Crimea to the anarchist Insurgent Army under Nestor Makhno, enabling anarchist forces to consolidate power in Ukraine. Leon Trotsky soon reformed the Red Army, concluding the first of two military alliances with the anarchists. In June the Red Army first checked Kolchak's advance. After a series of engagements, assisted by an Insurgent Army offensive against White supply lines, the Red Army defeated Denikin's and Yudenich's armies in October and November.<br />
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The third period of the war was the extended siege of the last White forces in the [[Crimea]] in 1920. General [[Pyotr Nikolayevich Wrangel|Wrangel]] had gathered the remnants of Denikin's armies, occupying much of the Crimea. An attempted invasion of southern Ukraine was rebuffed by the Insurgent Army under Makhno's command. Pursued into Crimea by Makhno's troops, Wrangel went over to the defensive in the Crimea. After an abortive move north against the Red Army, Wrangel's troops were forced south by Red Army and Insurgent Army forces; Wrangel and the remains of his army were evacuated to [[Istanbul|Constantinople]] in November 1920.<br />
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==Warfare==<br />
===October Revolution===<br />
{{Main|October Revolution}}<br />
[[File:Russian civil war in the west.svg|thumb|upright=1.2|European theatre of the Russian Civil War]]<br />
In the October Revolution, the Bolshevik Party directed the Red Guard (armed groups of workers and Imperial army deserters) to seize control of [[Petrograd]] and immediately began the armed takeover of cities and villages throughout the former Russian Empire. In January 1918 the Bolsheviks dissolved the [[Russian Constituent Assembly]] and proclaimed the Soviets (workers' councils) as the new government of Russia.<br />
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===Initial anti-Bolshevik uprisings===<br />
{{Main|Kerensky-Krasnov uprising|Junker mutiny|Volunteer Army}}<br />
The first attempt to regain power from the Bolsheviks was made by the Kerensky-Krasnov uprising in October 1917. It was supported by the Junker Mutiny in Petrograd but was quickly put down by the Red Guard, notably including the Latvian Rifle Division.<br />
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The initial groups that fought against the Communists were local Cossack armies that had declared their loyalty to the Provisional Government. Kaledin of the [[Don Cossacks]] and General [[Grigory Mikhailovich Semenov|Grigory Semenov]] of the [[Siberian Cossacks]] were prominent among them. The leading Tsarist officers of the Imperial Russian Army also started to resist. In November, General [[Mikhail Vasilevich Alekseev|Mikhail Alekseev]], the Tsar's Chief of Staff during the First World War, began to organize the Volunteer Army in [[Novocherkassk]]. Volunteers of the small army were mostly officers of the old Russian army, military cadets and students. In December 1917, Alekseev was joined by General Lavr Kornilov, Denikin and other Tsarist officers who had escaped from the jail, where they had been imprisoned following the abortive Kornilov affair just before the Revolution.{{sfn|Mawdsley|2007|p=27}} On 9 December, the [[Military Revolutionary Committee]] in [[Rostov-on-Don|Rostov]] rebelled, with the Bolsheviks controlling the city for five days until the Alekseev Organization supported Kaledin in recapturing the city. According to [[Peter Kenez]], "The operation, begun on December 9, can be regarded as the beginning of the Civil War."{{sfn|Kenez|2004a|pp=64–67}}<br />
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Having stated in the November 1917 "[[Declaration of Rights of Peoples of Russia|Declaration of Rights of Nations of Russia]]" that any nation under imperial Russian rule should be immediately given the power of self-determination, the Bolsheviks had begun to usurp the power of the Provisional Government in the territories of Central Asia soon after the establishment of the Turkestan Committee in Tashkent.{{sfn|Coates|Coates|1951|p=72}} In April 1917 the Provisional Government set up the committee, which was mostly made up of former Tsarist officials.{{sfn|Wheeler|1964|p=104}} The Bolsheviks attempted to take control of the Committee in Tashkent on 12 September 1917 but it was unsuccessful, and many leaders were arrested. However, because the Committee lacked representation of the native population and poor Russian settlers, they had to release the Bolshevik prisoners almost immediately because of a public outcry, and a successful takeover of that government body took place two months later in November.{{sfn|Coates|Coates|1951|p=70}} The Leagues of Mohammedam Working People (which Russian settlers and natives who had been sent to work behind the lines for the Tsarist government in 1916 formed in March 1917) had led numerous strikes in the industrial centers throughout September 1917.{{sfn|Coates|Coates|1951|pp=68–69}} However, after the Bolshevik destruction of the Provisional Government in [[Tashkent]], Muslim elites formed an autonomous government in Turkestan, commonly called the "Kokand autonomy" (or simply [[Kokand]]).{{sfn|Coates|Coates|1951|p=74}} The White Russians supported that government body, which lasted several months because of Bolshevik troop isolation from Moscow.{{sfn|Allworth|1967|p=226}} In January 1918 the Soviet forces, under Lt. Col. [[Mikhail Artemyevich Muravyov|Muravyov]], invaded Ukraine and invested [[Kiev]], where the [[Central Council of Ukraine]] held power. With the help of the [[Kiev Arsenal January Uprising|Kiev Arsenal Uprising]], the Bolsheviks [[Battle of Kiev (1918)|captured the city]] on 26 January.{{sfn|Mawdsley|2007|p=35}}<br />
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===Peace with the Central Powers===<br />
{{Main|Treaty of Brest-Litovsk}}<br />
[[File:Trotzki Deutsche Brest-Litowsk1917.jpg|thumb|Soviet delegation with [[Leon Trotsky|Trotsky]] greeted by German officers at Brest-Litovsk, 8 January 1918]]<br />
The Bolsheviks decided to immediately make peace with the Central Powers, as they had promised the Russian people before the Revolution.<ref>{{harvnb|Figes|1997|p=258}} quotes such comments from the peasant soldiers during the first weeks of the war: We have talked it over among ourselves; if the Germans want payment, it would be better to pay ten roubles a head than to kill people. Or: Is it not all the same what Tsar we live under? It cannot be worse under the German one. Or: Let them go and fight themselves. Wait a while, we will settle accounts with you. Or: 'What devil has brought this war on us? We are butting into other people's business.'</ref> [[Vladimir Lenin]]'s political enemies attributed that decision to his sponsorship by the Foreign Office of [[Wilhelm II, German Emperor]], offered to Lenin in hope that, with a revolution, Russia would withdraw from [[World War I]]. That suspicion was bolstered by the German Foreign Ministry's sponsorship of Lenin's return to Petrograd.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Vladimir Lenin |url=https://spartacus-educational.com/RUSlenin.htm |website=Spartacus Educational |access-date=29 October 2020 |archive-date=10 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200810163715/https://spartacus-educational.com/RUSlenin.htm |url-status=live}}</ref> However, after the military fiasco of the summer offensive (June 1917) by the Russian Provisional Government had devastated the structure of the Russian Army, it became crucial that Lenin realize the promised peace.<ref>{{harvnb|Figes|1997|p=419}} "It was partly a case of the usual military failings: units had been sent into battle without machine-guns; untrained soldiers had been ordered to engage in complex maneuvers using hand grenades and ended up throwing them without first pulling the pins."</ref> Even before the failed summer offensive the Russian population was very skeptical about the continuation of the war. Western socialists had promptly arrived from France and from the UK to convince the Russians to continue the fight, but could not change the new pacifist mood of Russia.<ref>{{harvnb|Figes|1997|p=412}} "This new civic patriotism did not extend beyond the urban middle classes, although the leaders of the Provisional Government deluded themselves that it did."</ref><br />
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On 16 December 1917 an armistice was signed between Russia and the Central Powers in [[Brest-Litovsk]] and peace talks began.{{sfn|Mawdsley|2007|p=42}} As a condition for peace, the proposed treaty by the Central Powers conceded huge portions of the former Russian Empire to the German Empire and the Ottoman Empire, greatly upsetting [[nationalist]]s and [[Conservatism|conservatives]]. Leon Trotsky, representing the Bolsheviks, refused at first to sign the treaty while continuing to observe a unilateral cease-fire, following the policy of "No war, no peace".{{sfn|Smith|Tucker|2014|pp=554–555}}<br />
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Therefore, on 18 February 1918, the Germans began [[Operation Faustschlag]] on the Eastern Front, encountering virtually no resistance in a campaign that lasted 11 days.{{sfn|Smith|Tucker|2014|pp=554–555}} Signing a formal peace treaty was the only option in the eyes of the Bolsheviks because the Russian Army was demobilized, and the newly formed Red Guard could not stop the advance. The Soviets acceded to a peace treaty, and the formal agreement, the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, was ratified on 3 March. The Soviets viewed the treaty as merely a necessary and expedient means to end the war.<br />
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===Ukraine, South Russia, and Caucasus (1918)===<br />
{{Main|Ukrainian People's Republic|Kiev Arsenal January Uprising|Ice March|26 Baku Commissars|German Caucasus Expedition|Battle of Baku|Central Caspian Dictatorship|Romanian military intervention in Bessarabia}}<br />
[[File:Dismembered Russia — Some Fragments (NYT article, Feb. 17, 1918).png|thumb|February 1918 article from ''[[The New York Times]]'' showing a map of the Russian Imperial territories claimed by the [[Ukrainian People's Republic]] at the time, before the annexation of the Austro-Hungarian lands of the [[West Ukrainian People's Republic]]]]<br />
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In Ukraine, the German-Austrian Operation Faustschlag had by April 1918 removed the Bolsheviks from Ukraine.<ref name="30076britbrit">{{cite encyclopedia |url=http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-30076/Ukraine |title=Ukraine – World War I and the struggle for independence |access-date=2008-01-30 |encyclopedia=[[Encyclopædia Britannica]] |archive-date=15 June 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080615144832/http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-30076/Ukraine |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="UkrainianWeek16042018UwIbbb">{{citation |last=Tynchenko |first=Yaros |title=The Ukrainian Navy and the Crimean Issue in 1917–18 |url=http://ukrainianweek.com/History/105648 |work=[[The Ukrainian Week]] |date=23 March 2018 |access-date=October 14, 2018 |archive-date=11 November 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191111180649/https://ukrainianweek.com/History/105648 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="retrospective2014031918b">[https://iht-retrospective.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/03/29/1918-germany-takes-control-of-crimea/ Germany Takes Control of Crimea] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190930205920/https://iht-retrospective.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/03/29/1918-germany-takes-control-of-crimea/ |date=30 September 2019 }}, [[New York Herald]] (18 May 1918)</ref><ref name="harvard11181181bbb">[https://dash.harvard.edu/handle/1/11181181 War Without Fronts: Atamans and Commissars in Ukraine, 1917–1919] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190403174842/https://dash.harvard.edu/handle/1/11181181|date=3 April 2019}} by Mikhail Akulov, [[Harvard University]], August 2013 (page 102 and 103)</ref> The German and Austro-Hungarian victories in Ukraine were caused by the apathy of the locals and the inferior fighting skills of Bolsheviks troops to their Austro-Hungarian and German counterparts.<ref name="harvard11181181bbb"/><br />
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Under Soviet pressure, the Volunteer Army embarked on the epic Ice March from [[Krasnodar|Yekaterinodar]] to [[Kuban]] on 22 February 1918, where they joined with the Kuban Cossacks to mount an abortive assault on Yekaterinodar.{{sfn|Mawdsley|2007|p=29}} The Soviets recaptured Rostov on the next day.{{sfn|Mawdsley|2007|p=29}} Kornilov was killed in the fighting on 13 April, and Denikin took over command. Fighting off its pursuers without respite, the army succeeded in breaking its way through back towards the Don by May, where the Cossack uprising against the Bolsheviks had started.{{sfn|Kenez|2004a|pp=115–118}}<br />
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The Baku Soviet Commune was established on 13 April. Germany landed its Caucasus Expedition troops in [[Poti]] on 8 June. The Ottoman [[Army of Islam (Ottoman Empire)|Army of Islam]] (in coalition with [[Azerbaijan Democratic Republic|Azerbaijan]]) drove them out of Baku on 26 July 1918. Subsequently, the [[Armenian Revolutionary Federation|Dashanaks]], Right SRs and [[Menshevik]]s started negotiations with Gen. [[Lionel Dunsterville|Dunsterville]], the commander of the British troops in [[Persia]]. The Bolsheviks and their [[Left SR]] allies were opposed to it, but on 25 July the majority of the Soviets voted to call in the British and the Bolsheviks resigned. The Baku Soviet Commune ended its existence and was replaced by the Central Caspian Dictatorship.<br />
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In June 1918 the Volunteer Army, numbering some 9,000 men, started its [[Second Kuban campaign]], capturing Yekaterinodar on 16 August, followed by [[Armavir, Russia|Armavir]] and [[Stavropol]]. By early 1919, they controlled the [[Northern Caucasus]].{{sfn|Kenez|2004a|pp=166–174, 182, 189–190}}<br />
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On 8 October, Alekseev died. On 8 January 1919, Denikin became the Supreme Commander of the [[Armed Forces of South Russia]], uniting the Volunteer Army with [[Pyotr Krasnov]]'s [[Don Army]]. [[Pyotr Wrangel]] became Denikin's Chief of Staff.{{sfn|Kenez|2004a|pp=195, 204, 267–270}}<br />
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In December, three-fourths of the army was in the Northern Caucasus. That included three thousand of [[Vladimir Liakhov]]'s soldiers around [[Vladikavkaz]], thirteen thousand soldiers under Wrangel and Kazanovich in the center of the front, Stankevich's almost three thousand men with the Don Cossacks, while [[Vladimir May-Mayevsky]]'s three thousand were sent to the [[Donets basin]], and de Bode commanded two thousand in Crimea.{{sfn|Kenez|2004b|pp=28–29}}<br />
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===Eastern Russia, Siberia and the Far East (1918)===<br />
{{Main|Revolt of the Czechoslovak Legion|Committee of Members of the Constituent Assembly|Provisional All-Russian Government}}<br />
The revolt of the Czechoslovak Legion broke out in May 1918, and proceeded to occupy the [[Trans-Siberian Railway]] from [[Ufa]] to [[Vladivostok]]. Uprisings overthrew other Bolshevik towns. On 7 July, the western portion of the legion declared itself to be a new eastern front, anticipating allied intervention. According to [[William Henry Chamberlin]], "Two governments emerged as a result of the first successes of the Czechs: the [[Provisional Siberian Government (Omsk)|West Siberian Commissariat]] and the Government of the [[Committee of Members of the Constituent Assembly]] in Samara." On 17 July, shortly before the fall of [[Yekaterinburg]], the former tsar and his family were [[Execution of the Romanov family|murdered]].{{sfn|Chamberlin|1935|pp=6–12, 91}}<br />
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[[File:Bolshveki killed at Vladivostok.jpg|thumb|Czechoslovak legionaries of the 8th Regiment at [[Nikolsk-Ussuriysky]] killed by Bolsheviks, 1918. Above them stand also members of the Czechoslovak Legion.]]<br />
The Mensheviks and Socialist-Revolutionaries supported [[peasant]]s fighting against Soviet control of food supplies.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Muldoon |first=Amy |url=https://isreview.org/issue/107/workers-organizations-russian-revolution |title=Workers' Organizations in the Russian Revolution |website=International Socialist Review |access-date=20 February 2018 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180221100132/https://isreview.org/issue/107/workers-organizations-russian-revolution |archive-date=21 February 2018}}</ref> In May 1918, with the support of the Czechoslovak Legion, they took [[Samara Oblast|Samara]] and [[Saratov]], establishing the [[Committee of Members of the Constituent Assembly]]—known as the "Komuch". By July the authority of the Komuch extended over much of the area controlled by the Czechoslovak Legion. The Komuch pursued an ambivalent social policy, combining democratic and socialist measures, such as the institution of an [[eight hour day|eight-hour working day]], with "restorative" actions, such as returning both factories and land to their former owners. After the fall of [[Kazan]], Vladimir Lenin called for the dispatch of Petrograd workers to the Kazan Front: "We must send down the ''maximum'' number of Petrograd workers: (1) a few dozen 'leaders' like [[Benyamin Kayurov|Kayurov]]; (2) a few thousand militants 'from the ranks'".<br />
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After a series of reverses at the front, the Bolsheviks' War Commissar, Trotsky, instituted increasingly harsh measures in order to prevent unauthorised withdrawals, desertions, and mutinies in the Red Army. In the field, the Cheka Special Investigations Forces (termed the ''Special Punitive Department of the All-Russian Extraordinary Commission for Combat of Counter-Revolution and Sabotage'' or ''Special Punitive Brigades'') followed the Red Army, conducting field tribunals and summary executions of soldiers and officers who deserted, retreated from their positions, or failed to display sufficient offensive zeal.<ref>{{harvnb|Chamberlin|1987|p=31}} Frequently the deserters' families were taken hostage to force a surrender; a portion were customarily executed, as an example to the others.</ref>{{sfn|Daniels|1993|p=70}} The Cheka Special Investigations Forces were also charged with the detection of sabotage and counter-revolutionary activity by Red Army soldiers and commanders. Trotsky extended the use of the death penalty to the occasional political commissar whose detachment retreated or broke in the face of the enemy.{{sfn|Volkogonov|1996|p=175}} In August, frustrated at continued reports of Red Army troops breaking under fire, Trotsky authorised the formation of [[barrier troops]] – stationed behind unreliable Red Army units and given orders to shoot anyone withdrawing from the battle line without authorisation.<ref>{{harvnb|Volkogonov|1996|p=180}}: By December 1918 Trotsky had ordered the formation of special detachments to serve as blocking units throughout the Red Army.</ref><br />
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[[File:Kolchak1919troops.jpg|thumb|left|Admiral [[Alexander Kolchak]] reviewing the troops, 1919]]<br />
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In September 1918, the Komuch, the Siberian Provisional Government, and other anti-Bolshevik Russians agreed during the [[State Meeting in Ufa]] to form a new [[Provisional All-Russian Government]] in Omsk, headed by a Directory of five: two [[Socialist Revolutionary Party|Socialist-Revolutionaries]]. [[Nikolai Avksentiev]] and [[Vladimir Zenzinov]], the [[Kadet]] lawyer V. A. Vinogradov, Siberian Premier Vologodskii, and General [[Vasily Boldyrev]].{{sfn|Chamberlin|1935|pp=20–21}}<br />
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By the fall of 1918, anti-Bolshevik White forces in the east included the People's Army ([[Komuch]]), the Siberian Army (of the Siberian Provisional Government) and insurgent Cossack units of Orenburg, the Urals, Siberia, Semirechye, Baikal, and Amur and Ussuri Cossacks, nominally under the orders of Gen. V.G. Boldyrev, Commander-in-Chief, appointed by the Ufa Directorate.<br />
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On the Volga, Col. [[Vladimir Kappel|Kappel]]'s White detachment captured Kazan on 7 August, but Red Forces recaptured the city on 8 September 1918 following a counteroffensive. On the 11th [[Simbirsk]] fell, and on 8 October [[Samara, Russia|Samara]]. The Whites fell back eastwards to Ufa and Orenburg.<br />
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In Omsk, the Russian Provisional Government quickly came under the influence and later the dominance of its new War Minister, the rear-admiral [[Aleksandr Vasilevich Kolchak|Kolchak]]. On 18 November, a [[Kolchak Coup|coup d'état]] established Kolchak as supreme leader. Two members of the Directory were arrested, and subsequently deported, while Kolchak was proclaimed "Supreme Ruler", and "Commander-in-Chief of all Land and Naval Forces of Russia."{{sfn|Chamberlin|1935|pp=177–178}} By mid-December 1918, the White armies had to leave Ufa, but they balanced that failure with a successful drive towards [[Perm, Russia|Perm]], which they took on 24 December.<br />
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==== Barrier troops ====<br />
In the Red Army, the concept of barrier troops first arose in August 1918 with the formation of the заградительные отряды (''zagraditelnye otriady''), translated as "blocking troops" or "anti-retreat detachments" ({{langx|ru| заградотряды, заградительные отряды, отряды заграждения}}).<ref name=volko>Dmitri Volkogonov, ''Trotsky: The Eternal Revolutionary'', transl. and edited by Harold Shukman, HarperCollins Publishers, London (1996), p. 180</ref> The barrier troops comprised personnel drawn from the Cheka punitive detachments or from regular Red Army infantry regiments. <!-- The Red Army numbered some 2.9 million troops at the start of World War II.<ref>{{Cite book|title= Stalin and Stalinism|last= McCauley|first= Martin|publisher= Routledge|year= 2013|location= New York, New York|pages= 2099}}</ref> --><br />
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The first use of the barrier troops by the Red Army occurred in the late summer and fall of 1918 in the [[Eastern Front (RSFSR)|Eastern front]] during the Russian Civil War, when Leon Trotsky authorized [[Mikhail Tukhachevsky]], the commander of the [[1st Army (RSFSR)|1st Army]], to station blocking detachments behind unreliable Red Army infantry regiments in the 1st Red Army, with orders to shoot if front-line troops either deserted or retreated without permission.<ref name=volko/><br />
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In December 1918, Trotsky ordered that detachments of additional barrier troops be raised for attachment to each infantry formation in the Red Army. On December 18 he cabled: <blockquote>How do things stand with the blocking units? As far as I am aware they have not been included in our establishment and it appears they have no personnel. It is absolutely essential that we have at least an embryonic network of blocking units and that we work out a procedure for bringing them up to strength and deploying them.<ref name=volko/></blockquote><br />
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In 1919, 616 "hardcore" deserters of the total 837,000 draft dodgers and deserters were executed following Trotsky's draconian measures.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Reese |first1=Roger R. |title=Russia's Army: A History from the Napoleonic Wars to the War in Ukraine |date=3 October 2023 |publisher=University of Oklahoma Press |isbn=978-0-8061-9356-4 |page=109 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hWS2EAAAQBAJ&dq=trotsky+desertion+612&pg=PA109 |language=en}}</ref> According to Figes, "a majority of deserters (most registered as "weak-willed") were handed back to the military authorities, and formed into units for transfer to one of the rear armies or directly to the front". Even those registered as "malicious" deserters were returned to the ranks when the demand for reinforcements became desperate". Forges also noted that the Red Army instituted [[amnesty]] weeks to prohibit punitive measures against desertion which encouraged the voluntary return of 98,000-132,000 deserters to the army.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Figes |first1=Orlando |title=The Red Army and Mass Mobilization during the Russian Civil War 1918-1920 |journal=Past & Present |date=1990 |issue=129 |pages=168–211 |doi=10.1093/past/129.1.168 |jstor=650938 |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/650938 |issn=0031-2746}}</ref><br />
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The barrier troops were also used to enforce Bolshevik control over food supplies in areas controlled by the Red Army as part of Lenin's [[war communism]] policies, a role which soon earned them the hatred of the Russian civilian population.<ref>Lih, Lars T., ''Bread and Authority in Russia, 1914–1921'', University of California Press (1990), p. 131</ref><br />
These policies in part led to the [[Russian famine of 1921–1922]], which killed about five million people.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia|title=War Communism|encyclopedia=[[Encyclopaedia Britannica]] |author=((The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica)) |date=8 June 2023 |url=https://www.britannica.com/event/War-Communism}}{{dubious|date=December 2023}}</ref>{{sfn|Mawdsley|2007|p=[https://archive.org/details/russiancivilwar00evan/page/287 287]}} However, the famine was preceded by bad [[harvests]], harsh winter, [[drought]] especially in the [[Volga region|Volga Valley]] which was exacerbated by a range of factors including the war, the presence of the White Army and the methods of war communism.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Götz |first1=Norbert |last2=Brewis |first2=Georgina |last3=Werther |first3=Steffen |title=Humanitarianism in the Modern World: The Moral Economy of Famine Relief |date=23 July 2020 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=978-1-108-49352-9 |page=44 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wILoDwAAQBAJ&dq=war+communism+1921+famine&pg=PA44 |language=en}}</ref> The outbreaks of diseases such as [[cholera]] and [[typhus]] were also contributing factors to the famine casualties.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Heinzen |first1=James W. |title=Inventing a Soviet Countryside: State Power and the Transformation of Rural Russia, 1917-1929 |date=1 February 2004 |publisher=University of Pittsburgh Pre |isbn=978-0-8229-7078-1 |page=52 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qICRs_f68KQC&dq=cholera+russian+famine+1921&pg=PA52 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Raleigh |first1=Donald J. |title=Experiencing Russia's Civil War: Politics, Society, and Revolutionary Culture in Saratov, 1917-1922 |date=11 May 2021 |publisher=Princeton University Press |isbn=978-1-4008-4374-9 |page=202 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=U00gEAAAQBAJ&dq=cholera+russian+famine+1921&pg=PA202 |language=en}}</ref><br />
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===Central Asia (1918)===<br />
[[File:Europe map 1919.jpg|thumb|London Geographical Institute's 1919 map of [[Europe]] after Brest-Litovsk and [[Treaty of Batum|Batum]] and before the [[Treaty of Tartu (disambiguation)|treaties of Tartu]], [[Treaty of Kars|Kars]], and [[Peace of Riga|Riga]]]]<br />
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In February 1918, the Red Army overthrew the White Russian-supported Kokand Autonomy of Turkestan.{{sfn|Rakowska-Harmstone|1970|p=19}} Although that move seemed to solidify Bolshevik power in Central Asia, more troubles soon arose for the Red Army as the Allied Forces began to intervene. British support of the White Army provided the greatest threat to the Red Army in Central Asia during 1918. Britain sent three prominent military leaders to the area. One was Lieutenant Colonel [[Frederick Marshman Baile]], who recorded a mission to Tashkent, from where the Bolsheviks forced him to flee. Another was General [[Wilfrid Malleson]], leading the [[Malleson Mission]], who assisted the Mensheviks in Ashkhabad (now the capital of Turkmenistan) with a small Anglo-Indian force. However, he failed to gain control of Tashkent, Bukhara and Khiva. The third was Major General Dunsterville, who was driven out by the Bolsheviks of Central Asia only a month after his arrival in August 1918.{{sfn|Coates|Coates|1951|p=75}} Despite setbacks as a result of British invasions during 1918, the Bolsheviks continued to make progress in bringing the Central Asian population under their influence. The first regional congress of the Russian Communist Party convened in the city of Tashkent in June 1918 in order to build support for a local Bolshevik Party.{{sfn|Allworth|1967|p=232}}<br />
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===Left SR Uprising===<br />
{{Main|Left SR uprising|Yaroslavl Uprising}}<br />
On 6 July 1918, two [[Left Socialist-Revolutionaries]] and Cheka employees, [[Yakov Blumkin]] and Nikolai Andreyev, assassinated the German ambassador, Count [[Wilhelm Mirbach|Mirbach]]. In Moscow a [[Left SR uprising]] was put down by the Bolsheviks, mass arrests of Socialist-Revolutionaries followed, and executions became more frequent. Chamberlin noted, "The time of relative leniency toward former fellow-revolutionists was over. The Left Socialist Revolutionaries, of course, were no longer tolerated as members of the Soviets; from this time the Soviet regime became a pure and undiluted dictatorship of the Communist Party." Similarly, [[Boris Savinkov]]'s surprise attacks were suppressed, with many of the conspirators being executed, as "Mass Red Terror" became a reality.{{sfn|Chamberlin|1935|pp=50–59}}<br />
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===Estonia, Latvia and Petrograd===<br />
{{Main|Estonian War of Independence|Latvian War of Independence|Battle of Petrograd}}<br />
Estonia [[Estonian War of Independence|cleared its territory]] of the Red Army by January 1919.<ref>[http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/1514725/Baltic-War-of-Liberation Baltic War of Liberation] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141008052602/http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/1514725/Baltic-War-of-Liberation |date=8 October 2014}} Encyclopedia Britannica</ref> [[Baltische Landeswehr|Baltic German volunteers]] captured [[Riga]] from the Red [[Latvian Riflemen]] on 22 May, but the Estonian 3rd Division [[Battle of Cēsis (1919)|defeated]] the Baltic Germans a month later, aiding the establishment of the [[Republic of Latvia]].<ref name=axishistory>{{cite web |url=http://www.axishistory.com/index.php?id=6953 |title=Generalkommando VI Reservekorps|publisher=Axis History|access-date=11 April 2012|archive-date=4 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304090953/http://www.axishistory.com/index.php?id=6953|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
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[[File:NikolaiYudenich1916.jpeg|thumb|upright|General [[Nikolai Yudenich]]]]<br />
That rendered possible another threat to the Red Army, from General Yudenich, who had spent the summer organizing the Northwestern Army in Estonia with local and British support. In October 1919, he tried to capture Petrograd in a sudden assault with a force of around 20,000 men. The attack was well-executed, using night attacks and lightning cavalry maneuvers to turn the flanks of the defending Red Army. Yudenich also had six British tanks, which caused panic whenever they appeared. The Allies gave large quantities of aid to Yudenich, but he complained of receiving insufficient support.<br />
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By 19 October, Yudenich's troops had reached the outskirts of the city. Some members of the Bolshevik central committee in Moscow were willing to give up Petrograd, but Trotsky refused to accept the loss of the city and personally organized its defenses. Trotsky himself declared, "It is impossible for a little army of 15,000 ex-officers to master a working-class capital of 700,000 inhabitants." He settled on a strategy of urban defense, proclaiming that the city would "defend itself on its own ground" and that the White Army would be lost in a labyrinth of fortified streets and there "meet its grave".<ref>Williams, Beryl, ''The Russian Revolution 1917–1921'', Blackwell Publishing (1987), {{ISBN|978-0-631-15083-1}}, {{ISBN|0-631-15083-8}}</ref><br />
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Trotsky armed all available workers, men and women, and ordered the transfer of military forces from Moscow. Within a few weeks, the Red Army defending Petrograd had tripled in size and outnumbered Yudenich three to one. Yudenich, short of supplies, then decided to call off the siege of the city and withdrew. He repeatedly asked permission to withdraw his army across the border to Estonia. However, units retreating across the border were disarmed and interned by orders of the Estonian government, which had entered into peace negotiations with the Soviet Government on 16 September and had been informed by the Soviet authorities of their 6 November decision that if the White Army was allowed to retreat into Estonia, it would be pursued across the border by the Reds.{{sfn|Rosenthal|2006|p=516}} In fact, the Reds attacked Estonian army positions and fighting continued until a ceasefire went into effect on 3 January 1920. After the [[Treaty of Tartu (Russian–Estonian)|Treaty of Tartu]], most of Yudenich's soldiers went into exile. Former Imperial Russian and then Finnish General [[Mannerheim]] planned an intervention to help the Whites in Russia capture Petrograd. However, he did not gain the necessary support for the endeavour. Lenin considered it "completely certain, that the slightest aid from Finland would have determined the fate of [the city]".<br />
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===Northern Russia (1919)===<br />
{{Main|North Russia intervention}}<br />
The British occupied [[Murmansk]] and seized [[Arkhangelsk]] alongside United States forces. With the retreat of Kolchak in Siberia, they pulled their troops out of the cities before the winter trapped them in the port. The remaining White forces under [[Yevgeny Miller]] evacuated the region in February 1920.<ref>Ian C.D. Moffat, "The Allies Act—Murmansk and Archangel." in Ian C. D. Moffat. ed., ''The Allied Intervention in Russia, 1918–1920'' (Palgrave Macmillan, 2015). 68–82.</ref><br />
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===Siberia (1919)===<br />
[[File:Uniformes (koltchak) 001.jpg|thumb|right|Russian soldiers of the anti-Bolshevik [[Siberian Army]] in 1919]]<br />
At the beginning of March 1919, the general offensive of the Whites on the eastern front began. Ufa was retaken on 13 March; by mid-April, the White Army stopped at the [[Glazov]]–[[Chistopol]]–[[Bugulma]]–[[Buguruslan]]–Sharlyk line. Reds started their [[Eastern Front counteroffensive|counteroffensive against Kolchak's forces]] at the end of April. The Red 5th Army, led by the capable commander [[Tukhachevsky]], captured [[Elabuga]] on 26 May, [[Sarapul]] on 2 June and [[Izevsk]] on the 7th and continued to push forward. Both sides had victories and losses, but by the middle of summer the Red Army was larger than the White Army and had managed to recapture territory previously lost.<ref>Jonathan D. Smele, ''Civil war in Siberia: the anti-Bolshevik government of Admiral Kolchak, 1918–1920'' (Cambridge UP, 2006).</ref><br />
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Following the abortive offensive at Chelyabinsk, the White armies withdrew beyond the [[Tobol]]. In September 1919 a White offensive was launched against the Tobol Front, the last attempt to change the course of events. However, on 14 October the Reds counterattacked, and thus began the uninterrupted [[Great Siberian Ice March|retreat of the Whites to the east]]. On 14 November 1919 the Red Army captured Omsk.<ref>{{cite news|title=Bolsheviki Grain Near Petrograd|newspaper=New York Tribune|date=15 November 1919 |url=http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83030214/1919-11-15/ed-1/seq-4/|access-date=10 September 2010 |agency=[[Library of Congress]]|location=Washington, DC|page=4 |archive-date=12 October 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121012044429/http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83030214/1919-11-15/ed-1/seq-4/ |url-status=live}}</ref> Adm. Kolchak lost control of his government shortly after the defeat; White Army forces in Siberia had essentially ceased to exist by December. Retreat of the eastern front by White armies lasted three months, until mid-February 1920, when the survivors, after crossing Lake Baikal, reached the [[Chita, Zabaykalsky Krai|Chita]] area and joined [[Ataman Semenov]]'s forces.<br />
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===South Russia (1919)===<br />
[[File:За единую Россію.jpg|thumb|190px|right|Anti-Bolshevik propaganda poster "For united Russia" representing Soviet Russia as a fallen communist dragon and the White Cause as a crusading knight]]<br />
[[File:Polish-soviet propaganda poster 1920.jpg|thumb|210px|Anti-Polish Soviet propaganda poster, 1920]]<br />
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The Cossacks had been unable to organise and capitalise on their successes at the end of 1918. By 1919 they had begun to run short of supplies. Consequently, when the Soviet Russian counteroffensive began in January 1919 under the Bolshevik commander [[Vladimir Antonov-Ovseenko|Antonov-Ovseenko]], the Cossack forces rapidly fell apart. The Red Army captured Kiev on 3 February 1919.{{Sfn|Kenez|1977|p={{page needed|date=August 2023}}}}<br />
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[[Anton Denikin|Denikin]]'s military strength continued to grow in 1919, with significant munitions supplied by the [[British Empire|British empire]]. In January, Denikin's Armed Forces of South Russia (AFSR) completed the elimination of Red forces in the northern Caucasus and moved north, in an effort to [[Battle for the Donbas (1919)|protect the Don district]].{{sfn|Kenez|2004b|pp=20–35}}<br />
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On 18 December 1918, French forces landed in [[Odessa]] and Crimea, but evacuated Odessa on 6 April 1919, and the Crimea by the end of the month. According to Chamberlin, "France gave far less practical aid to the Whites than did England; its sole independent venture in intervention, at Odessa, ended in a complete fiasco."{{sfn|Chamberlin|1935|pp=151, 165–167}}<br />
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Denikin then reorganized the Armed Forces of South Russia under the leadership of [[Vladimir May-Mayevsky]], [[Vladimir Sidorin]], and [[Pyotr Wrangel]]. On 22 May, Wrangel's Caucasian army defeated the [[10th Army (RSFSR)]] in the battle for [[Velikoknyazheskaya]], and then captured Tsaritsyn on 1 July. Sidorin advanced north toward [[Voronezh]], increasing his army's strength in the process. On 25 June, May–Mayevsky captured [[Kharkov]], and then [[Ekaterinoslav]] on 30 June, which forced the Reds to abandon Crimea. On 3 July, Denikin issued his [[Advance on Moscow (1919)|Moscow directive]], in which his armies would converge on Moscow.{{sfn|Kenez|2004b|pp=37–41}}<br />
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Although Britain had withdrawn its own troops from the theatre, it continued to give significant military aid (money, weapons, food, ammunition and some military advisers) to the White Armies during 1919. Major [[Ewen Cameron Bruce]] of the British Army had volunteered to command a British tank mission assisting the White Army. He was awarded the [[Distinguished Service Order]]<ref>{{Cite web|title=Distinguished Service Order citation for Bruce in the 1920 |work=London Gazette |url=http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/31875/supplements/4693/page.pdf}}</ref> for his bravery during the June 1919 [[Battle of Tsaritsyn]] for single-handedly storming and capturing the fortified city of Tsaritsyn, under heavy shell fire in a single tank, which led to the capture of over 40,000 prisoners.{{sfn|Kinvig|2006|p=225}} The fall of Tsaritsyn is viewed "as one of the key battles of the Russian Civil War" and greatly helped the White Russian cause.{{sfn|Kinvig|2006|p=225}} The notable historian [[Sir Basil Henry Liddell Hart]] comments that Bruce's tank action during the battle is to be seen as "one of the most remarkable feats in the whole history of the Tank Corps".<ref name="BasilLiddellHart">Liddell Hart, Basil. "The Tanks: The History Of The Royal Tank Regiment And Its Predecessors, Heavy Branch Machine-Gun Corps, Tank Corps And Royal Tank Corps, 1914–1945. Vol I". Cassell: 1959, p. 211.</ref><br />
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On 14 August, the Bolsheviks launched their [[Southern Front counteroffensive]]. After six weeks of heavy fighting the counteroffensive failed, and Denikin was able to capture more territory. By November, White Forces had reached the [[Zbruch]], the Ukrainian-Polish border.{{sfn|Kenez|2004b|pp=43, 154}}<br />
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[[File:Wrangel after worship Tsaritsyn 1919.jpg|thumb|left|General [[Pyotr Wrangel]] in [[Battle of Tsaritsyn|Tsaritsyn]], 15 October 1919]]<br />
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Denikin's forces constituted a real threat and for a time threatened to reach Moscow. The Red Army, stretched thin by fighting on all fronts, was forced out of Kiev on 30 August. [[Kursk]] and [[Oryol|Orel]] were taken, on 20 September and 14 October, respectively. The latter, only {{Convert|205|mi|km}} from Moscow, was the closest the AFSR would come to its target.{{Sfn|Kenez|1977|p=44}} The Cossack [[Don Army]] under the command of General [[Vladimir Sidorin]] continued north towards [[Voronezh]], but [[Semyon Budyonny]]'s cavalrymen defeated them there on 24 October. That allowed the Red Army to cross the [[Don River (Russia)|Don River]], threatening to split the Don and Volunteer Armies. Fierce fighting took place at the key rail junction of Kastornoye, which was taken on 15 November. Kursk was retaken two days later.{{Sfn|Kenez|1977|p=218}}<br />
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[[File:Klinom Krasnym Bej Belych.JPG|thumb|''[[Beat the Whites with the Red Wedge]]'', a Bolshevik [[Constructivism (art)|Constructivist]] propaganda poster by [[El Lissitzky]] that abstractly represents the defeat of the Whites by the Red Army]]<br />
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Kenez states, "In October Denikin ruled more than forty million people and controlled the economically most valuable parts of the Russian Empire." Yet, "The White armies, which had fought victoriously during the summer and early fall, fell back in disorder in November and December." Denikin's front line was overstretched, while his reserves dealt with Makhno's anarchists in the rear. Between September and October, the Reds mobilized one hundred thousand new soldiers and adopted the Trotsky-[[Jukums Vācietis|Vācietis]] strategy with the Ninth and Tenth armies forming V. I. Shorin's Southeastern Front between Tsaritsyn and Bobrov, while the Eighth, Twelfth, Thirteenth, and Fourteenth armies formed [[Alexander Yegorov (soldier)|A. I. Egorov]]'s Southern Front between Zhitomir and Bobrov. [[Sergey Kamenev]] was in overall command of the two fronts. On Denikin's left was [[Abram Dragomirov]], while in his center was [[Vladimir May-Mayevsky]]'s Volunteer Army, [[Vladimir Sidorin]]'s Don Cossacks were further east, with Wrangel's Caucasian army at Tsaritsyn, and an additional was in the Northern Caucasus attempting to capture Astrakhan. On 20 October, May–Mayevsky was forced to evacuate Orel during the [[Orel-Kursk operation]]. On 24 October, [[Semyon Budyonny]] captured Voronezh, and Kursk on 15 November, during the [[Voronezh-Kastornoye operation (1919)]]. On 6 January, the Reds reached the Black Sea at Mariupol and Taganrog, and on 9 January, they reached Rostov. According to Kenez, "The Whites had now lost all the territories which they had captured in 1919, and held approximately the same area in which they had started two years before."{{sfn|Kenez|2004b|pp=213–223}}<br />
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===Central Asia (1919)===<br />
By February 1919 the British government had pulled its military forces out of Central Asia.{{sfn|Allworth|1967|p=231}} Despite the success for the Red Army, the White Army's assaults in European Russia and other areas broke communication between Moscow and Tashkent. For a time, Central Asia was completely cut off from Red Army forces in Siberia.{{sfn|Coates|Coates|1951|p=76}} Although the communication failure weakened the Red Army, the Bolsheviks continued their efforts to gain support for the Bolshevik Party in Central Asia by holding a second regional conference in March. During the conference, a regional bureau of Muslim organisations of the Russian Bolshevik Party was formed. The Bolshevik Party continued to try to gain support among the native population by giving it the impression of better representation for the Central Asian population and throughout the end of the year could maintain harmony with the Central Asian people.{{sfn|Allworth|1967|pp=232–233}}<br />
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Communication difficulties with Red Army forces in Siberia and European Russia ceased to be a problem by mid-November 1919. Red Army successes north of Central Asia caused communication with Moscow to be re-established and the Bolsheviks to claim victory over the White Army in Turkestan.{{sfn|Coates|Coates|1951|p=76}}<br />
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In the Ural-Guryev operation of 1919–1920, the Red [[Turkestan Front]] defeated the [[Ural Army]]. During winter 1920, [[Ural Cossacks]] and their families, totaling about 15,000 people, headed south along the eastern coast of the Caspian Sea towards [[Fort-Shevchenko|Fort Alexandrovsk]]. Only a few hundred of them reached Persia in June 1920.{{sfn|Smele|2016|p=139}} The [[Orenburg Independent Army]] was formed from [[Orenburg Cossacks]] and other troops who rebelled against the Bolsheviks. During the winter 1919–20, the Orenburg Army retreated to [[Jetisu|Semirechye]] in what is known as the [[Starving March]], as half of the participants perished.{{sfn|Smele|2015|pp=1082–1083}} In March 1920 her remnants crossed the border into the Northwestern region of China.<br />
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===South Russia, Ukraine and Kronstadt (1920–21)===<br />
[[File:Trotsky_on_a_Polish_poster_of_1920.jpg|thumb|Polish anti-Soviet poster depicting [[Leon Trotsky|Lev Trotsky]].{{efn|<poem>Small caption in the lower right corner reads:<br />
The Bolsheviks promised:<br />
We'll give you peace<br />
We'll give you freedom<br />
We'll give you land<br />
Work and bread<br />
Despicably they cheated<br />
They started a war<br />
With Poland<br />
Instead of freedom they brought<br />
The fist<br />
Instead of land – confiscation<br />
Instead of work – misery<br />
Instead of bread – famine.</poem>}}]]<br />
At the beginning of 1920, Denikin was reduced to defending Novorossia, the Crimean peninsula, and the Northern Caucasus. On 26 January, the Caucasian army retreated beyond the [[Manych]]. On 7 February, the Reds occupied Odessa, but then [[Makhnovshchina|Makhno's anarchists]] started fighting the Fourteenth Red Army. On 20 February, Denikin succeeded in recapturing Rostov, his last victory, before giving it up soon after.{{sfn|Kenez|2004b|pp=236–239}}<br />
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By the beginning of 1920, the main body of the Armed Forces of South Russia was rapidly retreating towards the Don, to Rostov. Denikin hoped to hold the crossings of the Don, then rest and reform his troops, but the White Army was not able to hold the Don area, and at the end of February 1920 started a retreat across Kuban towards [[Novorossiysk]]. Slipshod [[Evacuation of Novorossiysk (1920)|evacuation of Novorossiysk]] proved to be a dark event for the White Army. Russian and Allied ships evacuated about 40,000 of Denikin's men from Novorossiysk to the Crimea, without horses or any heavy equipment, while about 20,000 men were left behind and either dispersed or were captured by the Red Army. Following the disastrous Novorossiysk evacuation, Denikin stepped down and the military council elected Wrangel as the new Commander-in-Chief of the White Army. He was able to restore order to the dispirited troops and reshape an army that could fight as a regular force again. It remained an organized force in the Crimea throughout 1920.<ref>Viktor G. Bortnevski, "White Administration and White Terror (the Denikin Period)." ''Russian Review'' 52.3 (1993): 354–366 [http://sites.bu.edu/revolutionaryrussia/files/2013/09/White-Propaganda-Efforts-in-the-South-during-the-Russian-Civil-War.pdf online] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200930231435/http://sites.bu.edu/revolutionaryrussia/files/2013/09/White-Propaganda-Efforts-in-the-South-during-the-Russian-Civil-War.pdf |date=30 September 2020 }}.</ref><br />
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[[File:Tambov Rebellion.png|thumb|left|upright|The [[Tambov Rebellion]] was one of the largest and best-organised [[List of peasant revolts|peasant rebellion]]s challenging the Bolshevik regime]]<br />
After Moscow's Bolshevik government signed a [[Starobilsk agreement|military and political alliance]] with [[Nestor Makhno]] and the [[Ukrainian anarchists]], the [[Revolutionary Insurgent Army of Ukraine|Insurgent Army]] attacked and defeated several regiments of Wrangel's troops in southern Ukraine, forcing him to retreat before he could capture that year's grain harvest.<ref>Berland, Pierre, "Makhno", ''Le Temps'', 28 August 1934: In addition to supplying White Army forces and their sympathizers with food, a successful seizure of the 1920 Ukrainian grain harvest would have had a devastating effect on food supplies to Bolshevik-held cities, while depriving both Red Army and Ukrainian Insurgent Army troops of their usual bread rations.</ref><br />
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Stymied in his efforts to consolidate his hold, Wrangel then attacked north in an attempt to take advantage of recent Red Army defeats at the close of the [[Polish–Soviet War]] of 1919–1920. The Red Army eventually halted the offensive, and Wrangel's troops had to retreat to [[Siege of Perekop (1920)|Crimea in November 1920]], pursued by both the Red and Black cavalry and infantry. [[Wrangel's fleet]] evacuated [[Evacuation of the Crimea (1920)|him and his army to Constantinople]] on 14 November 1920, ending the struggle of Reds and Whites in Southern Russia.{{Sfn|Kenez|1977|p={{page needed|date=August 2023}}}}<br />
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After the defeat of Wrangel, the Red Army immediately repudiated its 1920 treaty of alliance with Nestor Makhno and attacked the anarchist Insurgent Army; the [[Bolshevik–Makhnovist conflict#Second phase (November 1920–August 1921)|campaign to liquidate Makhno and the Ukrainian anarchists]] began with an attempted assassination of Makhno by Cheka agents. Anger at continued repression by the Bolshevik Communist government and at its liberal use of the Cheka to put down anarchist elements led to a [[Kronstadt rebellion|naval mutiny at Kronstadt]] in March 1921, followed by peasant revolts – all of which were put down by the Bolsheviks. The outset of the year was marked by strikes and demonstrations – in both Moscow and Petrograd, as well as the countryside – due to discontent with the results of policies that made up [[war communism]].{{sfn|Daniels|1951|p=241}}{{sfn|Avrich|2004|p=41}} The Bolsheviks, in response to the protests, enacted martial law and sent the Red Army to disperse the workers.{{sfn|Chamberlin|1987|p=440}}{{sfn|Figes|1997|p=760}} This was followed up by mass arrests executed by the [[Cheka]].{{sfn|Avrich|2004|p=52}} Repression and minor concessions only temporarily quelled the discontent as Petrograd protests continued that year in March. This time the factory workers were joined by sailors stationed on the nearby island-fort of Kronstadt.{{sfn|Avrich|2004|p=73}} Disappointed in the direction of the Bolshevik government, the rebels demanded a series of reforms including: reduction in Bolshevik privileges, newly elected [[Soviet (council)|soviet]]s to include socialist and anarchist groups, economic freedom for peasants and workers, dissolution of the bureaucratic governmental organs created during the civil war, and the restoration of worker rights for the working class.<ref>{{cite web |last=Berkman |first=Alexander |url=https://archive.org/details/TheKronstandtRebellion/page/n11/mode/2up |title=The Kronstadt Rebellion |year=1922 |pages=10–11 }}</ref> The workers and sailors of the Kronstadt rebellion were promptly crushed by Red Army forces, with a thousand rebels killed in battle and another thousand executed the following weeks, with many more fleeing abroad and to the countryside.{{sfn|Figes|1997|p=767}}{{sfn|Avrich|1970|p=215}}{{sfn|Avrich|1970|pp=210–211}} These events coincided with the [[10th Congress of the Russian Communist Party (Bolsheviks)]]. There, Lenin argued that the soviets and the principle of [[democratic centralism]] within the Bolshevik party still assured democracy. However, faced with support for Kronstadt within Bolshevik ranks, Lenin also issued a "temporary" [[ban on factions in the Russian Communist Party]]. This ban remained until the [[revolutions of 1989]] and, according to some critics, made the democratic procedures within the party an empty formality, and helped Stalin to consolidate much more authority under the party. Soviets were transformed into the bureaucratic structure that existed for the rest of the history of the Soviet Union and were completely under the control of party officials and the [[Politburo of the CPSU Central Committee|politburo]].{{efn|See note regarding Library of Congress Country Studies. Chapter 7 – The Communist Party. Democratic Centralism.{{citation needed|date=August 2023}}}} Red Army attacks on the anarchist forces and their sympathisers increased in ferocity throughout 1921.<ref>{{cite journal |first=Peter C. |last=Mentzel |title=Chaos and Utopia: The Anarchists in the Russian Revolution and Civil War |journal=Independent Review |volume=22 |issue=2 |date=Fall 2017 |pages=173–181 |url= https://www.independent.org/pdf/tir/tir_22_2_03_mentzel.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200229193315/https://www.independent.org/pdf/tir/tir_22_2_03_mentzel.pdf |archive-date=29 February 2020}}; and {{cite book |first=Alexandre |last=Skirda |title=Nestor Makhno — Anarchy's Cossack: The Struggle for Free Soviets in the Ukraine, 1917–1921 |place=Chico CA |publisher=AK Press |year=2004 |isbn=9781902593685}}</ref><br />
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===Siberia and the Far East (1920–22)===<br />
{{Main|Far Eastern Front in the Russian Civil War}}<br />
In Siberia, Admiral Kolchak's army had disintegrated. He himself gave up command after the loss of Omsk and designated Gen. [[Grigory Mikhaylovich Semyonov|Grigory Semyonov]] as the new leader of the White Army in Siberia. Not long afterward, Kolchak was arrested by the disaffected Czechoslovak Legion as he traveled towards [[Irkutsk]] without the protection of the army and was turned over to the socialist [[Political Centre (Russia)|Political Centre]] in Irkutsk. Six days later, the regime was replaced by a Bolshevik-dominated Military-Revolutionary Committee. On 6–7 February Kolchak and his prime minister Victor Pepelyaev were shot, and their bodies were thrown through the ice of the frozen Angara River, just before the arrival of the White Army in the area.{{sfn|Mawdsley|2007|pp=319–321}}<br />
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Remnants of Kolchak's army reached [[Transbaikalia]] and joined Semyonov's troops, forming the Far Eastern army. With the support of the Japanese army, it was able to hold Chita, but after the withdrawal of Japanese soldiers from Transbaikalia, Semenov's position became untenable and in November 1920 he was driven by the Red Army from Transbaikalia and took refuge in China. The Japanese, who had plans to annex the [[Amur Krai]], finally pulled their troops out as Bolshevik forces gradually asserted control over the Russian Far East. On 25 October 1922 Vladivostok fell to the Red Army, and the [[Provisional Priamur Government]] was extinguished.<br />
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==Aftermath==<br />
[[File:Europe in 1923.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|A map of Europe in 1923 after the [[revolutions of 1917–1923]]]]<br />
With the end of the war, the [[Russian Communist Party (Bolsheviks)]] no longer faced an acute military threat to its existence and power. However, the perceived threat of continued popular discontent, combined with the failure of socialist revolutions in other countries, such as the [[German revolution of 1918–1919]], contributed to the continued militarization of Soviet society.<br />
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The Bolsheviks managed to consolidate control over [[Soviet Russia|Russia]], but were only partially successful at re-establishing territorial control of the other provinces of the former [[Russian Empire]]. The [[treaty of Riga]], which was signed in March 1921 after the [[Polish–Soviet War]], split the territories in [[Belarusian Democratic Republic|Belarus]] and [[Ukrainian People's Republic|Ukraine]] between the [[Second Polish Republic|Republic of Poland]] and Soviet Russia. [[Estonian War of Independence|Estonia]], [[Finnish Civil War|Finland]], [[Latvian War of Independence|Latvia]], and [[Lithuanian–Soviet War|Lithuania]] all repelled Soviet invasions, while [[Red Army invasion of Armenia|Armenia]], [[Red Army invasion of Azerbaijan|Azerbaijan]] and [[Red Army invasion of Georgia|Georgia]] were occupied by the Red Army.{{sfn|Lee|2003|pp=84, 88}}{{sfn|Goldstein|2013|p=50}} In 1925, the Russian Communist Party (Bolsheviks) changed its name to the [[All-Union Communist Party (Bolsheviks)]].<br />
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===Evacuations===<br />
{{Main|White émigré}}<br />
{{See also|Evacuation of Novorossiysk (1920)|Evacuation of the Crimea}}<br />
[[File:Refugees on flatcars.jpg|thumb|Refugees on [[flatcar]]s]]<br />
Around one to two million people known as the [[White émigré]]s fled Russia, many with General Wrangel, some through the Far East and others west into the newly independent Baltic countries. The émigrés included a large percentage of the educated and skilled population of Russia.<ref>{{Cite book|last=|first=|title=Collective of authors. Revolution and Civil War in Russia: 1917-1923. Encyclopedia in 4 volumes -|publisher=|year=2008|isbn=|location=|pages=}}</ref><br />
<br />
===Ensuing rebellion===<br />
In Central Asia, Red Army troops continued to face resistance into 1923, where ''[[Basmachi Revolt|basmachi]]'' (armed bands of Islamic guerrillas) had formed to fight the Bolshevik takeover. The Soviets engaged non-Russian peoples in Central Asia, like [[Magaza Masanchi]], commander of the Dungan Cavalry Regiment, to fight against the Basmachis. The Communist Party did not completely dismantle the group until 1934.{{sfn|Wheeler|1964|p=107}}<br />
<br />
General [[Anatoly Pepelyayev]] [[Yakut Revolt|continued armed resistance]] in the [[Ayano-Maysky District]] until June 1923. The regions of [[Kamchatka]] and Northern [[Sakhalin]] remained under Japanese occupation until their [[Soviet–Japanese Basic Convention|treaty]] with the Soviet Union in 1925, when their forces were finally withdrawn.<br />
<br />
===Casualties===<br />
[[File:Streetkids RussianCivilWar.JPG|thumb|Street children during the Russian Civil War]]<br />
{{See also|Red Terror (Russia)|White Terror (Russia)}}<br />
The results of the civil war were momentous. Soviet demographer Boris Urlanis estimated that 300,000 men were killed in action during the Civil War and Polish-Soviet War – 125,000 in the Red Army, 175,500 White armies and Poles – and the total number of military personnel from both sides dead from disease as 450,000.<ref>Urlanis B. ''Wars and Population''. Moscow, Progress publishers, 1971.</ref> Boris Sennikov estimated the total losses among the population of [[Tambov Oblast|Tambov region]] in 1920 to 1922 resulting from the war, executions, and imprisonment in concentration camps as approximately 240,000.<ref>Sennikov, B.V. (2004). [http://rusk.ru/vst.php?idar=321701 ''Tambov rebellion and liquidation of peasants in Russia''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190330141755/https://rusk.ru/vst.php?idar=321701 |date=2019-03-30 }}. Moscow: Posev. In Russian. {{ISBN|5-85824-152-2}}</ref> By 1922, there were at least 7,000,000 [[street children]] in Russia as a result of nearly ten years of devastation from World War I and the civil war.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20130621173456/http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3763/is_/ai_n8801575 And Now My Soul Is Hardened: Abandoned Children in Soviet Russia, 1918–1930], Thomas J. Hegarty, Canadian Slavonic Papers</ref><br />
<br />
At the end of the Civil War the Russian SFSR was exhausted and near ruin. The droughts of 1920 and 1921, as well as the [[Russian famine of 1921]], worsened the disaster still further, killing roughly 5 million people. Disease had reached pandemic proportions, with 3,000,000 dying of [[typhus]] throughout the war. Millions more also died of widespread starvation, wholesale massacres by both sides and [[Pogroms of the Russian Civil War|pogroms against Jews in Ukraine and southern Russia]].<ref>{{cite web |last=Chapple |first=Amos |date=9 January 2019 |title=The Horror Of Russia's Civil War |url=https://www.rferl.org/a/the-horror-of-russias-civil-war-in-photos-from-red-cross-mission/29699442.html |website=Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty}}</ref><br />
<br />
====Civilian casualties====<br />
[[File:Victims of Soviet Famine 1922.jpg|thumb|Victims of the [[Russian famine of 1921]]]]<br />
As many as 10 million people died as a result of the Russian Civil War, and the overwhelming majority of these were civilian casualties.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Russian Civil War – Foreign intervention |url=https://www.britannica.com/event/Russian-Civil-War/Foreign-intervention |access-date=2023-01-31 |website=Britannica |language=en}}</ref> There is no consensus among the Western historians on the number of deaths from the Red Terror. One source gives estimates of 28,000 executions per year from December 1917 to February 1922.{{sfn|Ryan|2012|p=2}} Estimates for the number of people shot during the initial period of the Red Terror are at least 10,000.{{sfn|Ryan|2012|p=114}} Estimates for the whole period go for a low of 50,000<ref name="anatomy">Stone, Bailey (2013). ''The Anatomy of Revolution Revisited: A Comparative Analysis of England, France, and Russia''. Cambridge University Press. p. 335.</ref> to highs of 140,000<ref name="anatomy"/><ref>Pipes, Richard (2011). ''The Russian Revolution''. Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group. p. 838.</ref> and 200,000 executed.{{sfn|Lowe|2002|p=151}} Most estimations for the number of executions in total put the number at about 100,000.<ref>{{cite book |last=Lincoln |first=W. Bruce |author-link=W. Bruce Lincoln |year=1989 |title=Red Victory: A History of the Russian Civil War |publisher=Simon & Schuster |page=384 |isbn=0671631667 |quote=... the best estimates set the probable number of executions at about a hundred thousand.}}</ref> According to Vadim Erlikhman's investigation, the number of the Red Terror's victims is at least 1,200,000 people.<ref>{{cite book |last=Erlikhman |first=Vadim Viktorovich|author-link= |date=2004 |title=Poteri narodonaseleniya v XX veke. |trans-title=Population losses in the XX century |url=https://www.azstat.org/Kitweb/zipfiles/11553.pdf |location=Moscow |publisher=Russkaya panorama |page= |isbn=5-93165-107-1|language=ru}}</ref> According to [[Robert Conquest]], a total of 140,000 people were shot in 1917–1922, but Jonathan D. Smele estimates they were considerably fewer, "perhaps less than half that many".{{sfn|Smele|2015|p=934}} Candidate of Historical Sciences Nikolay Zayats states that the number of people shot by the Cheka in 1918–1922 is about 37,300 people, shot in 1918–1921 by the verdicts of the tribunals — 14,200, i.e. about 50,000–55,000 people in total, although executions and atrocities were not limited to the Cheka, having been organized by the Red Army as well.<ref>[https://scepsis.net/library/id_3807.html К вопросу о масштабах красного террора в годы Гражданской войны]</ref><ref>{{cite news |title="Красный террор": 1918– ...? |url=https://www.svoboda.org/a/29475805.html |newspaper=Радио Свобода |date=7 September 2018 |trans-title=The Red Terror: 1918– ...?}}</ref> In 1924, an anti-Bolshevik [[Popular Socialists (Russia)|Popular Socialist]] [[Sergei Melgunov]] (1879–1956) published a detailed account on the Red Terror in Russia, where he cited Professor [[Charles Saroléa]]'s estimates of 1,766,188 deaths from the Bolshevik policies. He questioned the accuracy of the figures, but endorsed Saroléa's "characterisation of terror in Russia", stating it matches reality.<ref>Часть IV. На гражданской войнe. // ''[[Sergei Melgunov]]'' [http://lib.ru/POLITOLOG/MELGUNOW/terror.txt «Красный террор» в России 1918—1923.]&nbsp;— 2-ое изд., доп.&nbsp;— Берлин, 1924</ref><ref>{{cite book |language=de |last=Melgunov |first=Sergei Petrovich |author-link=Sergei Melgunov |date=2008 |orig-date=1924 |title=Der rote Terror in Russland 1918–1923 |type=reprint of the 1924 Olga Diakow edition |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=S3FGAQAAIAAJ |location=Berlin |publisher=OEZ |page=186, note 182 |quote= |isbn=9783940452474}} An online English translation of the second edition of Melgunov's work is accessible at [https://archive.org/details/RedTerrorInRussia1918-1923 Internet Archive], whence the following translated text is drawn (p. 85, note n. 128): "Professor [[Charles Saroléa|[Charles] Sarolea]], who published a series of articles about Russia in Edinburgh newspaper "The Scotsman" touched upon the death statistics in an essay on terror (No. 7, November 1923.). He summarized the outcome of the Bolshevik massacre as follows: 28 bishops, 1219 clergy, 6000 professors and teachers, 9000 doctors, 54,000 officers, 260,000 soldiers, 70,000 policemen, 12,950 landowners, 355,250 professionals, 193,290 workers, 815,000 peasants. The author did not provide the sources of that data. Needless to say that the precise counts seem [too] fictional, but the author's [characterisation] of terror in Russia in general matches reality." The note is somewhat abbreviated in the 1925 English edition indicated in the bibliography: in particular, there is no mention of the imaginative nature of the data (p. 111, note n. 1).</ref> Modern historian Sergei Volkov, assessing the Red Terror as the entire repressive policy of the Bolsheviks during the years of the Civil War (1917–1922), estimates the direct death toll of the Red Terror at 2 million people.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.iskupitel.info/node/770 |title=Istorik Sergey Volkov: "Geneticheskomu fondu Rossii byl nanesen chudovishchnyy, ne vospolnennyy do sego vremeni, uron" |trans-title=Historian Sergei Volkov: "Russia's genetic pool suffered monstrous damage, so far not repaired" (interview with the famous historian of the Civil War, Doctor of Historical Sciences Sergei Vladimirovich Volkov) |author=Perevozchikov', Artyom |date=9 September 2010 |website=iskupitel.info |publisher=Monarxist |access-date=9 May 2023 }}</ref> Volkov's calculations, however, do not appear to have been confirmed by other major scholars.{{efn|In particular, they seem quite at odds with the demographic considerations elaborated by Italian historian and professor [[:it:Andrea Graziosi|Andrea Graziosi]] in the light of the good quality Tsarist and early Soviet statistics. According to him, the [[Excess mortality|excess deaths]] between 1914 and 1922 were about 16 million, of which 4–5 were military, the rest civilian; the overwhelming majority of the latter resulted from "starvation, typhus, epidemics, the [[Spanish flu]] and the famine of 1921–22", the roughly number of "victims of the various kinds of terror, and red and white repressions" amounting to a few hundred thousand— which is indeed a dreadful number in itself, however.{{sfn|Graziosi|2007|pp=171 & 570}}}}<br />
<br />
====Ethnic violence====<br />
{{See also|Pogroms during the Russian Civil War}}<br />
[[File:Khodorkiv Pogrom.jpg|thumb|Victims of a pogrom perpetrated by Ukrainian forces in Khodorkiv, 1919]]<br />
Some 10,000–500,000 [[Cossacks]] were killed or deported during [[Decossackization]], out of a population of around three million.{{sfn|Gellately|2007|pp=70–71}} An estimated 100,000 Jews were killed in Ukraine.<ref>{{cite journal |doi=10.2307/131078 |first=Peter |last=Kenez |title=The Prosecution of Soviet History: A Critique of Richard Pipes' ''The Russian Revolution'' |journal=Russian Review |volume=50|issue=3|year=1991 |pages=345–351 |jstor=131078}}</ref> Punitive organs of the All Great Don Cossack Host sentenced 25,000 people to death between May 1918 and January 1919.{{sfn|Holquist|2002|p=164}} Kolchak's government shot 25,000 people in Ekaterinburg province alone.<ref>{{cite web |website=Cult Info |url=http://www.cultinfo.ru/fulltext/1/001/008/063/073.htm |script-title=ru:Колчаковщина|language=ru|archive-url=https://archive.today/20050510090417/http://www.cultinfo.ru/fulltext/1/001/008/063/073.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=2005-05-10}}</ref> The White Terror, as it would become known, killed about 300,000 people in total.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Потери народонаселения в XX веке.|last=Эрлихман|first=Вадим|publisher=Издательский дом «Русская панорама»|year=2004|isbn=5931651071}}</ref><br />
<br />
===Economic impact===<br />
The civil war had a devastating impact on the Russian economy. A [[black market]] emerged in Russia, despite the threat of [[martial law]] against profiteering. The [[Russian ruble|ruble]] collapsed, with barter increasingly replacing money as a medium of exchange<ref name="DaviesHarrison1993">{{cite book|author1=R. W. Davies|author2=Mark Harrison|author3=S. G. Wheatcroft|title=The Economic Transformation of the Soviet Union, 1913–1945|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7ULWRnskfr4C&pg=PA6|date=9 December 1993|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=978-0-521-45770-5|page=6}}</ref> and, by 1921, heavy industry output had fallen to 20% of 1913 levels. 90% of wages were paid with goods rather than money.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Bread and Authority in Russia, 1914-1921|url=https://publishing.cdlib.org/ucpressebooks/view?docId=ft796nb4mj&chunk.id=d0e9364&toc.id=&brand=ucpress|access-date=2021-10-27|website=publishing.cdlib.org}}</ref> 70% of locomotives were in need of repair,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Russian Civil War - Intervention, Allies, Bolsheviks {{!}} Britannica |url=https://www.britannica.com/event/Russian-Civil-War/Foreign-intervention |access-date=2024-02-14 |website=www.britannica.com |language=en}}</ref> and food requisitioning, combined with the effects of seven years of war and a severe drought, contributed to a famine that caused between 3 and 10 million deaths.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://necrometrics.com/20c5m.htm#RCW|title=Twentieth Century Atlas – Death Tolls|website=necrometrics.com|access-date=2017-12-12}}</ref> Coal production decreased from 27.5 million tons (1913) to 7 million tons (1920), while overall factory production also declined from 10,000 million roubles to 1,000 million roubles. According to the noted historian David Christian, the grain harvest was also slashed from 80.1 million tons (1913) to 46.5 million tons (1920).<ref>{{cite book|last=Christian|first=David|title=Imperial and Soviet Russia|year=1997|publisher=Macmillan Press Ltd|location=London|isbn=0-333-66294-6|page=236}}</ref><br />
<br />
[[War communism]] saved the Soviet government during the Civil War, but much of the Russian economy had ground to a standstill. Some peasants responded to [[Prodrazvyorstka|food requisitions]] by refusing to till the land. By 1921, cultivated land had shrunk to 62% of the pre-war area, and the harvest yield was only about 37% of normal. The number of horses declined from 35&nbsp;million in 1916 to 24&nbsp;million in 1920 and cattle from 58 to 37&nbsp;million. The exchange rate with the US dollar declined from two [[roubles]] in 1914 to 1,200&nbsp;Rbls in 1920. Although Russia experienced extremely rapid economic growth<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://nintil.com/the-soviet-union-gdp-growth/|title=The Soviet Union: GDP growth|date=2016-03-26|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200517053259/https://nintil.com/the-soviet-union-gdp-growth/|archive-date=2020-05-17}}</ref> in the 1930s, the combined effect of World War I and the Civil War left a lasting scar on Russian society and had permanent effects on the development of the Soviet Union.<br />
<br />
===Political impact===<br />
{{See also|Treaty of Rapallo (1922)}}<br />
The complete failure of the [[Communist International]]-inspired revolutions was a sobering experience in Moscow, and the Bolsheviks moved from [[world revolution]] to [[socialism in one country]], the [[United Soviet Socialist Republics|Soviet Union]].<ref>Rex A. Wade, "The Revolution at One Hundred: Issues and Trends in the English Language Historiography of the Russian Revolution of 1917." ''Journal of Modern Russian History and Historiography'' 9.1 (2016): 9-38.</ref><br />
<br />
The [[Treaty of Rapallo (1922)]] was an agreement signed on 16 April 1922 between the [[Weimar Republic]] and Soviet Union, under which both renounced all territorial and financial claims against each other and opened friendly diplomatic relations.<ref name=Mueller>{{Cite journal |last=Mueller |first=Gordon H. |date=1976 |title=Rapallo Reexamined: A New Look at Germany's Secret Military Collaboration with Russia in 1922 |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/1986524 |journal=Military Affairs |volume=40 |issue=3 |pages=109–117 |doi=10.2307/1986524 |jstor=1986524 |issn=0026-3931}}</ref><br />
<br />
==In fiction==<br />
===Literature===<br />
The Civil War was a popular theme among the [[Socialist realism]] writers; it was championed in the works of such authors as [[Dmitri Furmanov]] (''[[:de:Tschapajew (Roman)|Chapayev]]'', 1923), [[Alexander Serafimovich]], [[Vsevolod Vishnevsky]] (''[[An Optimistic Tragedy]]'', 1933) and [[Alexander Fadeyev (writer)|Aleksandr Fadeyev]]; one of the best-known examples is the novel ''[[How the Steel Was Tempered]]'' (1934) by [[Nikolai Ostrovsky]].<br />
* ''[[The Road to Calvary]]'' (1922–1941) by [[Aleksey Nikolayevich Tolstoy]].<br />
Other prominent works of fiction by the Soviet writers that didn't follow the methods and doctrine of Socialist realism include:<br />
* ''[[The White Guard]]'' (1925) and ''[[A Young Doctor's Notebook]]'' (1925–1926) by [[Mikhail Bulgakov]]<br />
* ''[[Red Cavalry]]'' (1926–1933) by [[Isaac Babel]]<br />
* ''[[Chevengur]]'' (1927, fully published in 1971) by [[Andrei Platonov]]<br />
* ''[[And Quiet Flows the Don|Quiet Flows the Don]]'' (1928–1940) by [[Mikhail Sholokhov]]<br />
* ''Conquered City'' (1932) by [[Victor Serge]]<br />
* ''[[Doctor Zhivago (novel)|Doctor Zhivago]]'' (1957) by [[Boris Pasternak]]<br />
* ''[[The Red Wheel]] (1971–1991)'' by [[Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn]]<br />
by the [[White émigré|White ''émigré'']] authors:<br />
* ''An Evening with Claire'' (1930) by [[Gaito Gazdanov]]<br />
* ''[[Novel with Cocaine]]'' (1934) by [[M. Ageyev]]<br />
Works by the Western and contemporary authors:<br />
* ''Futility'' (1922) by [[William Gerhardie]]<br />
* ''[[Coup de Grâce (novel)|Coup de Grâce]]'' (1939) by [[Marguerite Yourcenar]]<br />
* ''[[Byzantium Endures]]'' (1981) by [[Michael Moorcock]]<br />
* ''[[Fall of Giants]]'' (2010) by [[Ken Follett]]<br />
* ''[[Bro (novel)|Bro]]'' (2011) by [[Vladimir Sorokin]]<br />
* ''A Splendid Little War'' (2012) by [[Derek Robinson (novelist)]]<br />
<br />
===Film===<br />
* ''[[Arsenal (1929 film)|Arsenal]]'' (1928)<br />
* ''[[Storm Over Asia (1928 film)|Storm Over Asia]]'' (1928)<br />
* ''[[Chapaev (film)|Chapaev]]'' (1934)<br />
* ''Thirteen'' (1936), directed by [[Mikhail Romm]]<br />
* ''We Are from Kronstadt'' (1936), directed by [[Efim Dzigan|Yefim Dzigan]]<br />
* ''[[Knight Without Armour]]'' (1937)<br />
* ''The Year 1919'' (1938), directed by [[Ilya Trauberg]]<br />
* ''The Baltic Marines'' (1939), directed by A. Faintsimmer<br />
* ''[[Shchors (film)|Shchors]]'' (1939), directed by Dovzhenko<br />
* ''[[How the Steel Was Tempered|Pavel Korchagin]]'' (1956), directed by A. Alov and V. Naumov<br />
* ''[[The Forty-First (1956 film)|The Forty-First]]'' (1956), directed by [[Grigori Chukhrai]]<br />
* ''[[The Communist (film)]]'' (1957), directed by [[Yuli Raizman]]<br />
* ''[[And Quiet Flows the Don (film)|And Quiet Flows the Don]]'' (1958), directed by [[Sergei Gerasimov (film director)|Sergei Gerasimov]]<br />
* ''[[Doctor Zhivago (film)|Doctor Zhivago]]'' (1965), directed by [[David Lean]]<br />
* ''[[The Elusive Avengers]]'' (1966)<br />
* ''[[The Red and the White (film)|The Red and the White]]'' (1967)<br />
* ''[[White Sun of the Desert]]'' (1970)<br />
* ''[[The Flight (1970 film)|The Flight]]'' (1970), directed by A. Alov and V. Naumov<br />
* ''[[Reds (film)|Reds]]'' (1981), directed by [[Warren Beatty]]<br />
* ''[[Corto Maltese|Corto Maltese in Siberia]]'' (2002)<br />
* ''[[Nine Lives of Nestor Makhno]]'' (2005/2007)<br />
* ''[[The Admiral (2008 film)|Admiral]]'' (2008)<br />
* ''[[Sunstroke (2014 film)|Sunstroke]]'' (2014), directed by [[Nikita Mikhalkov]]<br />
<br />
===Video games===<br />
* ''[[Last Train Home (video game)]]'' (2023)<br />
* ''[[Battlefield 1|Battlefield 1 In the Name of the Tsar]]'' (2017)<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.ea.com/games/battlefield/news/volga-all-you-need-to-know | title=Volga River: All You Need to Know | date=4 September 2017 }}</ref><br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
{{Portal|Soviet Union}}<br />
* [[Bibliography of the Russian Revolution and Civil War]]<br />
* [[Index of articles related to the Russian Revolution and Civil War]]<br />
* [[Nikolayevsk incident]]<br />
* [[Revolutionary Mass Festivals]]<br />
* [[Timeline of the Russian Civil War]]<br />
* [[Pro-independence movements in the Russian Civil War]]<br />
<br />
== Notes ==<br />
{{notelist}}<br />
<br />
== References ==<br />
=== Citations ===<br />
{{Reflist}}<br />
<br />
=== Bibliography ===<br />
{{See also|Bibliography of the Russian Revolution and Civil War}}<br />
{{Refbegin|30em|indent=true}}<br />
* {{cite book |last1=Krivosheev |first1=G. |last2=Andronikov |first2=V. |last3=Gurkin |first3=V. |last4=Kruglov |first4=A. |last5=Rodionov |first5=E. |last6=Filimoshin |first6=M. |language=ru |script-title=ru:Гриф секретности снят: Потери вооружённых сил СССР в войнах, боевых действиях и конфликтах |trans-title=The secrecy stamp has been lifted: Losses of the USSR armed forces in wars, hostilities and conflicts |publisher=Воениздат |date=1993 |isbn=5-203-01400-0 |chapter=Людские потери красной армии в период гражданской войны и военной интервенции |trans-chapter=Human losses of the Red Army during the Civil War and military intervention }}<br />
* {{Cite book |last=Allworth |first=Edward |url=https://archive.org/details/centralasiacentu0000allw |title=Central Asia: A Century of Russian Rule |publisher=Columbia University Press |year=1967 |location=New York |oclc=396652 |url-access=registration}}<br />
* {{Cite book |last=Avrich |first=Paul |author-link=Paul Avrich |title=Kronstadt, 1921 |title-link=Kronstadt, 1921 |publisher=Princeton University Press |year=1970 |isbn=0-691-08721-0}}<br />
** {{Cite book |last=Avrich |first=Paul |title=Kronstadt, 1921 |publisher=Libros de Anarres |year=2004 |isbn=9-872-08753-9 |location=Buenos Aires |language=es |author-mask=0}}<br />
* {{Cite book |last1=Andrew |first1=Christopher |url=https://archive.org/details/swordshieldmitro00andr |title=The Sword and the Shield: The Mitrokhin Archive and the Secret History of the KGB |last2=Mitrokhin |first2=Vasili |publisher=Basic |year=1999 |isbn=978-0-465-00312-9 |location=New York |page=[https://archive.org/details/swordshieldmitro00andr/page/28 28] |url-access=registration}}<br />
* {{Cite book |last=Bullock |first=David |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Mk61CwAAQBAJ |title=The Russian Civil War 1918–22 |publisher=Osprey |year=2008 |isbn=978-1-846-03271-4 |location=Oxford |access-date=26 December 2017}}<br />
* {{Cite book |last=Calder |first=Kenneth J. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nME8AAAAIAAJ |title=Britain and the Origins of the New Europe 1914–1918 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |year=1976 |isbn=978-0-521-20897-0 |series=International Studies |access-date=2017-10-06}}<br />
* {{Cite book |last=Carr |first=E. H. |url=https://archive.org/details/bolshevikrevolut01carr |title=The Bolshevik Revolution 1917–1923 |publisher=W. W. Norton |year=1985 |isbn=978-0-393-30195-3 |url-access=registration}}<br />
* {{Cite book |last=Chamberlin |first=William |title=The Russian Revolution, 1917–1921 |publisher=Macmillan |year=1935 |volume=2 |location=New York}}<br />
** {{Cite book |last=Chamberlin |first=William Henry |url=https://muse.jhu.edu/book/34982 |title=The Russian Revolution, Volume II: 1918–1921: From the Civil War to the Consolidation of Power |publisher=Princeton University Press |year=1987 |isbn=978-1-400-85870-5 |volume=2 |author-mask=0 |access-date=27 December 2017 |orig-date=1935 |url-access=subscription |via=[[Project MUSE]]}}<br />
* {{Cite book |last1=Coates |first1=W. P. |author-link=W. P. Coates |url=https://archive.org/details/SovietsInCentralAsiaCoates |title=Soviets in Central Asia |last2=Coates |first2=Zelda K. |author-link2=Zelda Kahan |publisher=Philosophical Library |year=1951 |location=New York |oclc=1533874}}<br />
* {{Cite book |last=Daniels |first=Robert V. |title=A Documentary History of Communism in Russia: From Lenin to Gorbachev |publisher=University Press of New England |year=1993 |isbn=978-0-874-51616-6 |location=Hanover, NH}}<br />
* {{Cite journal |last=Daniels |first=Robert V. |author-mask=3 |date=December 1951 |title=The Kronstadt Revolt of 1921: A Study in the Dynamics of Revolution |journal=[[Slavic Review|American Slavic and East European Review]] |volume=10 |issue=4 |pages=241–254 |doi=10.2307/2492031 |issn=1049-7544 |jstor=2492031}}<br />
* {{Cite book |last1=Eidintas |first1=Alfonsas |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0_i8yez8udgC&pg=PA33 |title=Lithuania in European Politics: The Years of the First Republic, 1918–1940 |last2=Žalys |first2=Vytautas |last3=Senn |first3=Alfred Erich |publisher=St. Martin's |year=1999 |isbn=0-312-22458-3 |edition=Paperback |location=New York}}<br />
* {{Cite book |last=Erickson |first=John. |title=The Soviet High Command: A Military-Political History, 1918–1941: A Military Political History, 1918–1941 |publisher=Westview |year=1984 |isbn=978-0-367-29600-1}}<br />
* {{Cite book |last=Figes |first=Orlando |url=https://archive.org/details/peoplestragedyhi00fige |title=A People's Tragedy: A History of the Russian Revolution |publisher=Viking |year=1997 |isbn=978-0-670-85916-0 |location=New York |url-access=registration}}<br />
* {{Cite book |last=Gellately |first=Robert |author-link=Robert Gellately |title=Lenin, Stalin, and Hitler: The Age of Social Catastrophe |publisher=Knopf |year=2007 |isbn=978-1-400-04005-6 |location=New York}}<br />
* {{Cite book |last=Goldstein |first=Erik |title=The First World War Peace Settlements, 1919–1925 |publisher=Routledge |year=2013 |isbn=978-1-317-883-678 |location=London}}<br />
* {{Cite book |last=Graziosi |first=Andrea |title=L'URSS di Lenin e Stalin. Storia dell'Unione Sovietica 1914–1945 |publisher=il Mulino |year=2007 |isbn=978-8-815-13786-9 |location=Bologna |language=it |trans-title=The USSR of Lenin and Stalin. History of the Soviet Union 1914–1945}}<br />
* {{Cite journal |last=Grebenkin |first=I. N. |year=2017 |title=The Disintegration of the Russian Army in 1917: Factors and Actors in the Process |journal=Russian Studies in History |volume=56 |issue=3 |pages=172–187 |doi=10.1080/10611983.2017.1392213 |s2cid=158643095}}<br />
* {{Cite book |last=Hall |first=Richard C. |title=Consumed by War: European Conflict in the 20th Century |publisher=University Press of Kentucky |year=2015 |isbn=978-0-813-15995-9 |location=Lexington}}<br />
* {{Cite book |last1=Haupt |first1=Georges |url=https://archive.org/details/makersofrussianr0000haup |title=Makers of the Russian revolution |last2=Marie |first2=Jean-Jacques |publisher=George Allen & Unwin |year=1974 |isbn=978-0-801-40809-0 |location=London |url-access=registration |name-list-style=amp}}<br />
* {{Cite book |last=Holquist |first=Peter |title=Making War, Forging Revolution: Russia's Continuum of Crisis, 1914–1921 |publisher=Harvard University Press |year=2002 |isbn=0-674-00907-X |location=Cambridge, MA}}<br />
* {{Cite book |last=Kenez |first=Peter |author-link=Peter Kenez |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vREGB60UPWMC |title=Civil War in South Russia, 1919–1920: The Defeat of the Whites |publisher=University of California Press |year=1977 |isbn=978-0-520-03346-7 |location=Berkeley}}<br />
** {{Cite book |last=Kenez |first=Peter |title=Red Attack, White Resistance; Civil War in South Russia 1918 |date=2004a |publisher=New Academia |isbn=978-0-974-49344-2 |location=Washington, DC |author-mask=0}}<br />
** {{Cite book |last=Kenez |first=Peter |title=Red Advance, White Defeat: Civil War in South Russia 1919–1920 |date=2004b |publisher=New Academia |isbn=978-0-974-49345-9 |location=Washington, DC |author-mask=0}}<br />
* {{Cite book |last=Kinvig |first=Clifford |title=Churchill's Crusade: The British Invasion of Russia, 1918–1920 |publisher=Hambledon Continuum |year=2006 |isbn=978-1-847-25021-6 |location=London}}<br />
* {{Cite encyclopedia |year=1997 |title=Soviet Casualties and Combat Losses in the Twentieth Century |publisher=Greenhill |location=London |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CTTfAAAAMAAJ |last=Krivosheev |first=G. F. |isbn=978-1-853-67280-4}}<br />
* {{Cite book |last=Lee |first=Stephen J. |title=Lenin and Revolutionary Russia |publisher=Routledge |year=2003 |isbn=978-0-415-28718-0 |location=London}}<br />
* {{Cite book |last=Leggett |first=George |url=https://archive.org/details/chekaleninspolit0000legg |title=The Cheka: Lenin's Political Police |publisher=Oxford University Press |year=1981 |isbn=978-0-198-22552-2 |url-access=registration}}<br />
* {{Cite book |last=Lowe |first=Norman |title=Mastering Twentieth Century Russian History |publisher=Palgrave |year=2002 |isbn=978-0-333-96307-4}}<br />
* {{Cite book |last=Mawdsley |first=Evan |author-link=Evan Mawdsley |url=https://archive.org/details/russiancivilwar00evan |title=The Russian Civil War |publisher=Pegasus |year=2007 |isbn=978-1-681-77009-3 |location=New York |url-access=registration}}<br />
* {{Cite book |last=Overy |first=Richard |url=https://archive.org/details/dictators00rich |title=The Dictators: Hitler's Germany and Stalin's Russia |publisher=W. W. Norton |year=2004 |isbn=978-0-393-02030-4 |location=New York |url-access=registration}}<br />
* {{Cite book |last=Rakowska-Harmstone |first=Teresa |author-link=Teresa Rakowska-Harmstone |url=https://archive.org/details/russianationalis0000rako |title=Russia and Nationalism in Central Asia: The Case of Tadzhikistan |publisher=Johns Hopkins University Press |year=1970 |isbn=978-0-801-81021-3 |location=Baltimore |url-access=registration}}<br />
* {{Cite book |last=Read |first=Christopher |title=From Tsar to Soviets |publisher=Oxford University Press |year=1996 |isbn=978-0-195-21241-9}}<br />
* {{Cite book |last=Read |first=Christopher |title=Lenin: A Revolutionary Life |publisher=Routledge |year=2005 |isbn=978-0-415-20649-5 |series=Routledge Historical Biographies |location=London |author-mask=3}}<br />
* {{Cite book |last=Rosenthal |first=Reigo |title=Loodearmee |publisher=Argo |year=2006 |isbn=9-949-41545-4 |location=Tallinn |language=et |trans-title=Northwestern Army}}<br />
* {{Cite book |last=Ryan |first=James |url=https://www.routledge.com/Lenins-Terror-The-Ideological-Origins-of-Early-Soviet-State-Violence/Ryan/p/book/9781138815681 |title=Lenin's Terror: The Ideological Origins of Early Soviet State Violence |publisher=Routledge |year=2012 |isbn=978-1-138-81568-1 |location=London |access-date=15 May 2017}}<br />
* {{Cite book |last=Service |first=Robert |author-link=Robert Service (historian) |title=Lenin: A Biography |title-link=Lenin: A Biography |publisher=Macmillan |year=2000 |isbn=978-0-333-72625-9 |location=London}}<br />
* {{Cite book |last=Smele |first=Jonathan D. |title=Historical Dictionary of the Russian Civil Wars, 1916–1926 |publisher=Rowman & Littlefield |year=2015 |isbn=978-1-442-25281-3}}<br />
* {{Cite book |last=Smele |first=Jonathan D. |title=The 'Russian' Civil Wars, 1916–1926: Ten Years That Shook the World |publisher=Oxford University Press |year=2016 |isbn=978-0-190-61321-1 |author-mask=3 |orig-date=2015}}<br />
* {{Cite book |last=Stewart |first=George |title=The White Armies of Russia A Chronicle of Counter-Revolution and Allied Intervention |publisher=Naval & Military Press |year=2009 |isbn=978-1-847-34976-7}}<br />
* {{Cite encyclopedia |year=2014 |title=Operation Faustschlag |encyclopedia=World War I: The Definitive Encyclopedia and Document Collection |publisher=ABC-CLIO |location=Santa Barbara, CA |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DBwTBQAAQBAJ |access-date=27 December 2017 |pages=554–555 |isbn=978-1-851-09965-8 |last2=Tucker |first2=Spencer C. |last1=Smith |first1=David A.}}<br />
* {{Cite book |last=Thompson |first=John M. |url=https://archive.org/details/visionunfulfille00thom |title=A Vision Unfulfilled. Russia and the Soviet Union in the Twentieth Century |publisher=D. C. Heath |year=1996 |isbn=978-0-669-28291-7 |location=Lexington, MA |url-access=registration}}<br />
* {{Cite book |last=Volkogonov |first=Dmitri |title=Trotsky: The Eternal Revolutionary |publisher=HarperCollins |year=1996 |isbn=978-0-002-55272-1 |location=London |translator-last=Shukman |translator-first=Harold}}<br />
* {{Cite book |last1=Werth |first1=Nicolas |title=Black Book of Communism: Crimes, Terror, Repression |last2=Bartosek |first2=Karel |last3=Panne |first3=Jean-Louis |last4=Margolin |first4=Jean-Louis |last5=Paczkowski |first5=Andrzej |last6=Courtois |first6=Stephane |publisher=Harvard University Press |year=1999 |isbn=0-674-07608-7}}<br />
* {{Cite book |last=Wheeler |first=Geoffrey |title=The Modern History of Soviet Central Asia |publisher=Frederick A. Praeger |year=1964 |location=New York |oclc=865924756}}<br />
*{{cite book |last=Humphreys |first=Leonard A. |year=1996 |title=The Way of the Heavenly Sword: The Japanese Army in the 1920s |publisher=Stanford University Press |isbn=0-8047-2375-3}}<br />
*{{Cite book |last1=Tucker |first1=Spencer |last2=Roberts |first2=Priscilla M. |url=https://www.academia.edu/31690780 |title= World War I: A Student Encyclopedia |publisher= ABC-CLIO |year=2005 |isbn= 1851098798 |location=Santa Barbara, CA |url-access=registration}}<br />
{{refend}}<br />
<br />
==Further reading==<br />
{{refbegin}}<br />
* Acton, Edward, V. et al. eds. ''Critical companion to the Russian Revolution, 1914–1921'' (Indiana UP, 1997).<br />
* Brovkin, Vladimir N. (1994). ''Behind the Front Lines of the Civil War: Political Parties and Social Movements in Russia, 1918–1922''. Princeton UP. [https://www.amazon.comdp/0691633770/ excerpt] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200728140214/https://www.amazon.com/Behind-Front-Lines-Civil-War/dp/0691633770/ |date=28 July 2020 }}<br />
* Dupuy, T. N. ''The Encyclopedia of Military History'' (many editions) Harper & Row Publishers.<br />
* Ford, Chris. "Reconsidering the Ukrainian Revolution 1917–1921: The Dialectics of National Liberation and Social Emancipation." ''Debatte'' 15.3 (2007): 279–306.<br />
* [[Peter Kenez]]. ''Civil War in South Russia, 1918: The First Year of the Volunteer Army'' (U of California Press, 1971).<br />
* Lincoln, W. Bruce. ''Red victory: A history of the Russian Civil War'' (1989).<br />
* Luckett, Richard. ''The White Generals: An Account of the White Movement and the Russian Civil War'' (Routledge, 2017).<br />
* Marples, David R. ''Lenin's Revolution: Russia, 1917–1921'' (Routledge, 2014).<br />
* Moffat, Ian, ed. ''The Allied Intervention in Russia, 1918–1920: The Diplomacy of Chaos'' (2015)<br />
* Polyakov, Yuri. ''[https://archive.org/details/civilwarrussia The Civil War in Russia: Its Causes and Significance]'' (Novosti, 1981).<br />
* Serge, Victor. ''Year One of the Russian Revolution'' (Haymarket, 2015).<br />
* Smele, Jonathan D. "Still Searching for the 'Third Way': Geoffrey Swain's Interventions in the Russian Civil Wars". ''Europe-Asia Studies'' 68.10 (2016): 1793–1812. {{doi|10.1080/09668136.2016.1257094}}.<br />
* Smele, Jonathan D. "'If Grandma had Whiskers...': Could the Anti-Bolsheviks have won the Russian Revolutions and Civil Wars? Or, the Constraints and Conceits of Counterfactual History." ''Revolutionary Russia'' (2020): 1–32. {{doi|10.1080/09546545.2019.1675961}}.<br />
* Stewart, George. ''The White Armies of Russia: A Chronicle of Counter-Revolution and Allied Intervention'' (2008) [https://www.amazon.com/Armies-Russia-Chronicle-Counter-Revolution-Intervention/dp/1847349765/ excerpt] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150627113844/http://www.amazon.com/Armies-Russia-Chronicle-Counter-Revolution-Intervention/dp/1847349765 |date=27 June 2015 }}<br />
* Stone, David R. "The Russian Civil War, 1917–1921," in ''The Military History of the Soviet Union''.<br />
* Swain, Geoffrey (2015). ''The Origins of the Russian Civil War'' [https://www.amazon.com/dp/1138837458/ excerpt] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200728140217/https://www.amazon.com/Origins-Russian-Civil-Modern-Wars/dp/1138837458/ |date=28 July 2020 }}<br />
<br />
===Primary sources===<br />
* Butt, V. P., et al., eds. ''The Russian Civil War: Documents from the Soviet Archives'' (Springer, 2016).<br />
* McCauley, Martin, ed. ''The Russian Revolution and the Soviet State 1917–1921: Documents'' (Springer, 1980).<br />
* Murphy, A. Brian, ed. ''The Russian Civil War: Primary Sources'' (Springer, 2000) [https://journals.openedition.org/monderusse/4022 online review] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200627165622/https://journals.openedition.org/monderusse/4022 |date=27 June 2020 }}<br />
{{refend}}<br />
<br />
==External links==<br />
{{Commons category|Civil war of Russia}}<br />
{{Wikiquote}}<br />
{{Library resources box}}<br />
* [https://www.net-film.ru/en/found-page-1/?search=1917-1935qcivil+war+in+Russia Newsreels about Russian Civil War // Net-Film Newsreels and Documentary Films Archive]<br />
* Sumpf, Alexandre: [https://encyclopedia.1914-1918-online.net/article/russian_civil_war Russian Civil War], in: [https://encyclopedia.1914-1918-online.net/home.html 1914–1918 online. International Encyclopedia of the First World War].<br />
* Mawdsley, Evan: [https://encyclopedia.1914-1918-online.net/article/international_responses_to_the_russian_civil_war_russian_empire International Responses to the Russian Civil War (Russian Empire)], in: [https://encyclopedia.1914-1918-online.net/home.html 1914–1918 online. International Encyclopedia of the First World War].<br />
* Read, Christopher: [https://encyclopedia.1914-1918-online.net/article/revolutions_russian_empire Revolutions (Russian Empire)], in: [https://encyclopedia.1914-1918-online.net/home.html 1914–1918 online. International Encyclopedia of the First World War].<br />
* Peeling, Siobhan: [https://encyclopedia.1914-1918-online.net/article/war_communism War Communism], in: [https://encyclopedia.1914-1918-online.net/home.html 1914–1918 online. International Encyclopedia of the First World War].<br />
* Beyrau, Dietrich: [https://encyclopedia.1914-1918-online.net/article/post-war_societies_russian_empire Post-war Societies (Russian Empire)], in: [https://encyclopedia.1914-1918-online.net/home.html 1914–1918 online. International Encyclopedia of the First World War].<br />
* Brudek, Pawe³: [https://encyclopedia.1914-1918-online.net/article/revolutions_east_central_europe Revolutions (East Central Europe)], in: [https://encyclopedia.1914-1918-online.net/home.html 1914–1918 online. International Encyclopedia of the First World War].<br />
* Melancon, Michael S.: [https://encyclopedia.1914-1918-online.net/article/social_conflict_and_control_protest_and_repression_russian_empire Social Conflict and Control, Protest and Repression (Russian Empire)], in: [https://encyclopedia.1914-1918-online.net/home.html 1914–1918 online. International Encyclopedia of the First World War].<br />
* [http://libcom.org/library/russian-revolution Russian Revolution and Civil War archive at libcom.org/library] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140907125245/http://libcom.org/library/russian-revolution |date=7 September 2014 }}<br />
* [https://www.bbc.co.uk/history/worldwars/wwone/eastern_front_01.shtml "BBC History of the Russian Revolution"] (3 February 2007)<br />
* [http://www.spartacus-educational.com/RUScivilwar.htm "Russian Civil War"] (Spartacus History, downloaded 3 January 2006)<br />
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20051221100007/http://www.onwar.com/aced/data/romeo/russia1918.htm "Russian Civil War 1918–1920"] (On War website, downloaded 4 January 2006)<br />
* [http://www.answers.com/topic/civil-war-of-1917-1922 "Civil War of 1917–1922 at Encyclopedia of Russian History] (3 February 2007)<br />
<br />
{{World War I}}<br />
{{Russian Civil War|collapsed}}<br />
{{Russian Revolution 1917}}<br />
{{Russian Conflicts}}<br />
{{Soviet Union topics}}<br />
{{Authority control}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Russian Civil War| ]]<br />
[[Category:1910s in Russia]]<br />
[[Category:1920s in Russia]]<br />
[[Category:1920s in the Soviet Union]]<br />
[[Category:Civil wars in Russia]]<br />
[[Category:Civil wars of the 20th century]]<br />
[[Category:Revolution-based civil wars]]<br />
[[Category:Russian Revolution|*Civil War]]<br />
[[Category:Wars involving Chechnya]]<br />
[[Category:Wars involving Soviet Russia (1917–1922)]]<br />
[[Category:Wars involving the Soviet Union]]<br />
[[Category:1910s conflicts]]<br />
[[Category:1920s conflicts]]<br />
[[Category:Wars involving Ukraine]]<br />
[[Category:Wars involving the Ottoman Empire]]<br />
[[Category:Wars involving the Circassians]]</div>Boackandwhitehttps://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Russian_Civil_War&diff=1267928767Russian Civil War2025-01-07T10:07:11Z<p>Boackandwhite: </p>
<hr />
<div>{{Short description|Multi-party war in the former Russian Empire (1917–1922)}}<br />
{{pp|small=yes}}<br />
{{Other uses|Russian Civil War (disambiguation)}}<br />
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2020}}<br />
{{Infobox military conflict<br />
| conflict = Russian Civil War<br />
| partof = the [[Russian Revolution]], [[revolutions of 1917–1923]], and the [[aftermath of World War I]]<br />
| image = CWRArticleImage.jpg<br />
| image_size = 300px<br />
| caption = Clockwise from top left:{{flatlist|<br />
* Soldiers of the [[Don Army]] in 1919<br />
* A [[White movement|White Russian]] infantry division in 1920<br />
* Soldiers of the [[1st Cavalry Army]]<br />
* [[Leon Trotsky]] in 1918<br />
* Hanging of Yekaterinoslav workers by Austro-Hungarian troops in 1918<br />
}}<br />
| date = 7 November 1917{{snd}}25 October 1922{{sfn|Mawdsley|2007|pp=3, 230}}<br />
| place = Former [[Russian Empire]]<br />
| result = Bolshevik victory (see {{slink||Aftermath}})<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |title=Russian Civil War |encyclopedia=Encyclopædia Britannica |url=https://www.britannica.com/event/Russian-Civil-War |date=10 May 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Murphy |first1=Brian |title=Rostov in the Russian Civil War, 1917-1920: The Key to Victory |date=2 August 2004 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-134-27129-0 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CMp-AgAAQBAJ&pg=PA2 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Bullock |first1=David |title=The Russian Civil War 1918–22 |date=6 June 2014 |publisher=Bloomsbury |isbn=978-1-472-81032-8 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=I52HCwAAQBAJ&pg=PA1882 |via=Google Books}}</ref><br />
| combatant1 = [[Bolsheviks]]:{{ubli<br />
| {{flag icon|RSFSR|1918}} [[Russian SFSR]]<br />
| {{nwr|{{flag icon|BSSR|1919}} [[Byelorussian SSR]]}}<br />
| {{flag icon|UkSSR|1919}} [[Ukrainian SSR]]<br />
| {{flag icon|Transcaucasian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic|1922}} [[Transcaucasian SFSR]]<br />
|{{flagicon image|Red flag.svg}} Regional forces}}<br />
| combatant2 = [[White movement]]:{{ubl|{{flagicon|Russia|1896}} [[Russian State]] |{{flagicon|Russia|1896}} [[South Russia (1919–1920)|South Russia]]}}<br />
| combatant3 = [[Pro-independence movements in the Russian Civil War|Separatists]]:{{ubli|<br />
| {{flagdeco|Poland|1919}} [[Second Polish Republic|Poland]]<br />
| {{flagicon image|Flag of Finland (1918–1920).svg}} [[Finland]]<br />
| {{flagicon image|Flag of Ukrainian People's Republic 1917.svg}} [[Ukrainian People's Republic|Ukraine]]<br />
| {{flagicon image|Flag of Belarus (1918, 1991–1995).svg}} [[Belarusian People's Republic|Belarus]]<br />
| {{flagdeco|Estonia}} [[History of Estonia (1920–1939)|Estonia]]<br />
| {{flag|Latvia}}<br />
| {{flagicon image|Flag of Lithuania (1918–1940).svg}} [[Lithuania]]<br />
| {{flagicon|Georgia|1918}} [[Georgian Democratic Republic|Georgia]]<br />
| {{flagicon|Armenia|1918}} [[First Republic of Armenia|Armenia]]<br />
| {{nwr|{{flagicon|Azerbaijan|1918}} [[Democratic Republic of Azerbaijan|Azerbaijan]]}}<br />
| {{flagicon image|Flag of the Mountain Republic.svg}} [[Mountainous Republic of the Northern Caucasus|Northern Caucasus]]<br />
| {{flagicon image|Flag of Turkestan.svg}} [[Basmachi movement]]<br />
}}<br />
| combatant1a = Anti-Bolshevik left:{{ubli<br />
| {{flagicon image|Red flag.svg}} [[Left Socialist-Revolutionaries|Left SRs]]<br />
| [[Green armies|Green Army]]<br />
| {{nwr|{{flagicon image|Махновское знамя.svg}} [[Makhnovshchina]]}}<br />
| {{flagicon image|Red flag.svg}} [[Right Socialist-Revolutionaries|Right SRs]] and [[Mensheviks]]<br />
}}<br />
| combatant2a = [[Allied intervention in the Russian Civil War|Allied intervention]]:{{ubli<br />
| {{flag|Empire of Japan|name=Japan}}<br />
| {{flagcountry|United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland}}<br />
| {{flag|United States|1912}}<br />
| {{flagcountry|French Third Republic}}<br />
| {{nwr|{{flagcountry|First Czechoslovak Republic|1918}}}}<br />
}}<br />
| {{flagcountry|Kingdom of Italy}}<br />
| combatant3a = [[Central Powers intervention in the Russian Civil War|Central&nbsp;Powers]]:{{ubli<br />
| {{flagcountry|German Empire|name=Germany}}<br />
| {{flagcountry|Austria-Hungary}}<br />
| {{nwr|{{flagcountry|Ottoman Empire}}}}<br />
}}<br />
| commander1 = {{ubli<br />
| [[Vladimir Lenin]]<br />
| [[Leon Trotsky]]<br />
| [[Sergey Kamenev]]<br />
| [[Jukums Vācietis]]<br />
| [[Yakov Sverdlov]]{{Natural Causes}}<br />
| ''[[Leaders of the Russian Civil War#Bolsheviks|...further details]]''<br />
}}<br />
| commander2 = {{ubli<br />
| {{nwr|[[Alexander Kerensky]]{{Surrendered}}}}<br />
| [[Alexander Kolchak]]{{Executed}}<br />
| [[Lavr Kornilov]]{{KIA}}<br />
| [[Anton Denikin]]<br />
| [[Pyotr Wrangel]]<br />
| ''[[Leaders of the Russian Civil War#White Movement|...further details]]''<br />
}}<br />
| commander3 = {{ubli<br />
| {{flagicon|Poland|1919}} [[Józef Piłsudski]]<br />
| {{nowrap|{{flagicon image|Flag of Finland (1918–1920).svg}} [[C. G. E. Mannerheim]]}}<br />
| ''[[Leaders of the Russian Civil War#Independence movements|...further details]]''<br />
}}<br />
| commander1a = {{ubli<br />
| {{flagicon image|Red flag.svg}} [[Maria Spiridonova]]<br />
| {{flagicon image|Махновское знамя.svg}} [[Nestor Makhno]]<br />
| ''[[Leaders of the Russian Civil War#Third party factions|...further details]]''<br />
}}<br />
| commander2a = {{ubli<br />
| ''[[Leaders of the Russian Civil War#Allied Expeditionary Forces|...further details]]''<br />
}}<br />
| commander3a = {{ubl<br />
| {{flagicon|German Empire}} [[Hermann von Eichhorn|H. von Eichhorn]]{{assassinated}}<br />
| ''[[Leaders of the Russian Civil War#Central Powers intervention|...further details]]''<br />
}}<br />
| strength1 = {{ubli<br />
| {{flagicon image|Soviet Red Army Hammer and Plough.svg}} [[Red Army]]: {{nwr|5,498,000 (peak){{sfn|Erickson|1984|p=763}}}}<br />
| {{flagicon image|Death to oppressors of workers.svg}} [[Revolutionary Insurgent Army of Ukraine|Makhnovtsi]]: 103,000 (peak)<ref>Belash, Victor & Belash, Aleksandr, ''Dorogi Nestora Makhno'', p. 340</ref><br />
| {{flagicon image|Petropavlovsk-Krondstadt flag.svg}} [[Kronstadt rebellion|Kronstadt mutineers]]: 17,961<br />
}}<br />
| strength2 = {{ubli<br />
| {{flagicon image|Volunteer Army Insignia.svg}} [[White Army]]: {{nwr|1,023,000 (peak)}}<br />
| {{flagicon image|Coat of arms of the Czechoslovak Legion.svg}} [[Czechoslovak Legion]]: {{nwr|50,000 (peak)}}<br />
| {{flagicon|Empire of Japan}} [[Imperial Japanese Army|Japanese Army]]: 70,000{{sfn|Humphreys|1996|p=26}}{{sfn|Tucker|Roberts|2005|p=547}}<br />
| {{flagicon|United Kingdom|1801}} [[British Army]]: 57,636<ref>Damien Wright, ''Churchill's Secret War with Lenin: British and Commonwealth Military Intervention in the Russian Civil War, 1918–20'', Solihull, UK, 2017, pp. 394, 526–528, 530–535; Clifford Kinvig, ''Churchill's Crusade: The British Invasion of Russia 1918–1920'', London 2006, {{ISBN|1-852-85477-4}}, p. 297; Timothy Winegard, ''The First World Oil War'', University of Toronto Press (2016), p. 229</ref><br />
| {{flagicon|United States|1912}} [[U.S. Army]]: 12,950<br />
}}<br />
| strength3 = &nbsp;<br />
| casualties1 = {{flagicon image|Soviet Red Army Hammer and Plough.svg}} 1,212,824 (official estimate){{sfn|Krivosheev|Andronikov|Gurkin|Kruglov|1993|p=12-13}}<br />
| casualties2 = {{ubli<br />
| {{flagicon image|Flag of Russia.svg}} 1,500,000{{sfn|Smele|2016|p=160}}{{failed verification|date=December 2024}}<br />
| {{flagicon|Czechoslovakia|1918}} 4,000 killed<br />
}}<br />
| casualties3 = {{ubli<br />
| {{flagicon|Poland|1919}} 250,000<br />
| {{flagicon image|Flag of Ukrainian People's Republic 1917.svg}} 125,000<br />
}}<br />
| casualties4 = {{ubl|7–12 million total casualties|1–2 million refugees outside Russia}}<br />
| campaignbox = {{Campaignbox Russian Civil War}}<br />
| territory = Establishment of the [[Soviet Union]]<br />
}}<br />
<br />
The '''Russian Civil War''' ({{langx|ru|Гражданская война в России|Grazhdanskaya voyna v Rossii}}) was a multi-party [[civil war]] in the former [[Russian Empire]] sparked by the overthrowing of the liberal-democratic [[Russian Provisional Government]] in the [[October Revolution]], as many factions vied to determine Russia's political future. It resulted in the formation of the [[Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic|Russian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic]] and later the [[Soviet Union]] in most of its territory. Its finale marked the end of the [[Russian Revolution]], which was one of the [[key events of the 20th century]].<br />
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The [[List of Russian monarchs|Russian monarchy]] ended with the abdication of [[Nicholas II|Tsar Nicholas II]] during the [[February Revolution]], and Russia was in a state of political flux. A tense summer culminated in the [[October Revolution]], where the [[Bolsheviks]] overthrew the [[Russian Provisional Government|provisional government]] of the new [[Russian Republic]]. Bolshevik seizure of power was not universally accepted, and the country descended into civil war. The two largest combatants were the [[Red Army]], fighting for the establishment of a [[Bolshevik]]-led [[socialist state]] headed by [[Vladimir Lenin]], and the forces known as the [[White movement]] (and its [[White Army]]), led mainly by the [[Right-wing politics|right-leaning]] officers of the Russian Empire, united around the figure of [[Alexander Kolchak]]. In addition, rival militant socialists, notably the [[Anarchism in Ukraine|Ukrainian anarchists]] of the [[Makhnovshchina]] and [[Left Socialist-Revolutionaries]], were involved in conflict against the Bolsheviks. They, as well as non-ideological [[green armies]], opposed the Bolsheviks, the Whites and the foreign interventionists.<ref name="britannica">[http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/513737/Russian-Civil-War Russian Civil War] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090826234907/http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/513737/Russian-Civil-War |date=26 August 2009 }} [[Encyclopædia Britannica]] Online 2012</ref> Thirteen foreign states intervened against the Red Army, notably the [[Allied intervention in the Russian Civil War|Allied intervention]], whose primary goal was re-establishing the [[Eastern Front (World War I)|Eastern Front]] of [[World War I]]. Three foreign states of the [[Central Powers]] also intervened, rivaling the Allied intervention with the main goal of retaining the territory they had received in the [[Treaty of Brest-Litovsk]] with Soviet Russia.<br />
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The Bolsheviks initially consolidated control over most of the former empire. The Treaty of Brest-Litovsk was an emergency peace with the [[German Empire]], who had captured vast swathes of the Russian territory during the chaos of the revolution. In May 1918, [[Revolt of the Czechoslovak Legion|the Czechoslovak Legion in Russia revolted]] in Siberia. In reaction, the Allies began their [[North Russia intervention|North Russian]] and [[Siberian intervention]]s. That, combined with the creation of the [[Provisional All-Russian Government]], saw the reduction of Bolshevik-controlled territory to most of [[European Russia]] and parts of [[Central Asia]]. In 1919, the White Army launched several [[Spring offensive of the White Army|offensives from the east]] in March, [[Advance on Moscow (1919)|the south]] in July, and [[Battle of Petrograd|west]] in October. The advances were later checked by the [[Eastern Front counteroffensive]], the [[Southern Front counteroffensive]], and the defeat of the [[Northwestern Army (Russia)|Northwestern Army]].<br />
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By 1919, the White armies were in retreat and by the start of 1920 were defeated on all three fronts.{{sfnm|1a1=Leggett|1y=1981|1p=184|2a1=Service|2y=2000|2p=402|3a1=Read|3y=2005|3p=206}} Although the Bolsheviks were victorious, the territorial extent of the Russian state had been reduced, for many non-Russian ethnic groups had used the disarray to push for national independence.{{sfn|Hall|2015|p=83}} In March 1921, during [[Polish–Soviet War|a related war against Poland]], the [[Peace of Riga]] was signed, splitting disputed territories in [[Belarusian Democratic Republic|Belarus]] and [[Ukrainian People's Republic|Ukraine]] between the [[Second Polish Republic|Republic of Poland]] on one side and Soviet Russia and [[Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic|Soviet Ukraine]] on the other. Soviet Russia invaded all the newly [[Pro-independence movements in the Russian Civil War|independent nations]] of the former empire or supported the Bolshevik and socialist forces there, although the success of such invasions was limited. [[Estonian War of Independence|Estonia]], [[Latvian War of Independence|Latvia]], and [[Lithuanian–Soviet War|Lithuania]] all repelled Soviet invasions, while [[Ukrainian–Soviet War|Ukraine]], Belarus (as a result of the [[Polish–Soviet War]]), [[Red Army invasion of Armenia|Armenia]], [[Red Army invasion of Azerbaijan|Azerbaijan]] and [[Red Army invasion of Georgia|Georgia]] were occupied by the Red Army.{{sfn|Lee|2003|pp=84, 88}}{{sfn|Goldstein|2013|p=50}} By 1921, the Bolsheviks had defeated the national movements in Ukraine and the [[Caucasus]], although [[Basmachi movement|anti-Bolshevik uprisings]] in Central Asia lasted until the late 1920s.{{sfn|Hall|2015|p=84}}<br />
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The armies under [[Alexander Kolchak|Kolchak]] were eventually forced on a [[Great Siberian Ice March|mass retreat eastward]]. Bolshevik forces advanced east, despite encountering resistance in [[Chita Operations|Chita]], [[Yakut revolt (1921)|Yakut]] and [[Soviet intervention in Mongolia|Mongolia]]. Soon the Red Army split the [[Don Army|Don]] and [[Volunteer Army|Volunteer armies]], forcing evacuations in [[Evacuation of Novorossiysk (1920)|Novorossiysk]] in March and [[Evacuation of the Crimea (1920)|Crimea]] in November 1920. After that, fighting was sporadic until the war ended with the capture of [[Vladivostok]] in October 1922, but anti-Bolshevik resistance continued with the Muslim [[Basmachi movement]] in Central Asia and [[Tungus Republic|Khabarovsk Krai]] until 1934. There were an estimated 7 to 12&nbsp;million casualties during the war, mostly civilians.{{sfn|Mawdsley|2007|p=287}}<br />
<br />
==Background==<br />
=== From World War I to the Russian Revolution ===<br />
{{main|Russia in the First World War|Russian Revolution}}<br />
The Russian Empire fought in World War I from 1914 alongside France and the United Kingdom ([[Triple Entente]]) against Germany, Austria-Hungary and Ottoman Empire ([[Central Powers]]).<br />
<br />
The [[February Revolution]] of 1917 resulted in the abdication of Emperor [[Nicholas II of Russia]]. As a result, the social-democratic [[Russian Provisional Government]] was established, and [[Soviet (council)|soviets]], elected councils of workers, soldiers, and peasants, were organized throughout the country, leading to a situation of [[dual power]]. The [[Russian Republic]] was proclaimed in September of the same year.<br />
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====October Revolution====<br />
{{Main|October Revolution}}<br />
The Provisional Government, led by [[Socialist Revolutionary Party]] politician [[Alexander Kerensky]], was unable to solve the most pressing issues of the country, most importantly to end the war with the Central Powers. A [[Kornilov affair|failed military coup]] by General [[Lavr Kornilov]] in September 1917 led to a surge in support for the [[Bolsheviks]], who [[Bolshevization of the Soviets|took control of the soviets]], which until then had been controlled by the Socialist Revolutionaries. Promising an end to the war and "all power to the Soviets", the Bolsheviks then ended dual power by overthrowing the Provisional Government in late October, on the eve of the [[Second All-Russian Congress of Soviets of Workers' and Soldiers' Deputies]], in what would be the second Revolution of 1917. The initial stage of the October Revolution which involved the assault on [[Petrograd]] occurred largely without any human [[Casualty (person)|casualties]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Shukman |first1=Harold |title=The Blackwell Encyclopedia of the Russian Revolution |date=5 December 1994 |publisher=John Wiley & Sons |isbn=978-0-631-19525-2 |page=343 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ScabEAAAQBAJ&dq=october+revolution+bloodless&pg=PA343 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Bergman |first1=Jay |title=The French Revolutionary Tradition in Russian and Soviet Politics, Political Thought, and Culture |date=2019 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-884270-5 |page=224 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5UKjDwAAQBAJ&dq=october+revolution+bloodless&pg=PA224 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=McMeekin |first1=Sean |title=The Russian Revolution: A New History |date=30 May 2017 |publisher=Basic Books |isbn=978-0-465-09497-4 |pages=1–496 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=aXmZDgAAQBAJ&dq=october+revolution+bloodless&pg=PT155 |language=en}}</ref> Despite the Bolsheviks' seizure of power, they lost to the Socialist Revolutionary Party in the [[1917 Russian Constituent Assembly election]], and the Constituent Assembly was dissolved by the Bolsheviks in retaliation. The Bolsheviks soon lost the support of other far-left allies, such as the [[Left Socialist-Revolutionaries]], after their acceptance of the terms of the [[Treaty of Brest-Litovsk]] presented by the German Empire.<ref name="Stone-2011">{{Cite encyclopedia|author1-link=David R. Stone|last=Stone|first=David R.|title=Russian Civil War (1917–1920)|year=2011|encyclopedia=The Encyclopedia of War|editor-last=Martel|editor-first=Gordon|publisher=Blackwell Publishing Ltd|language=en|doi=10.1002/9781444338232.wbeow533|isbn=978-1-4051-9037-4|s2cid=153317860 }}</ref> Conversely, a number of prominent members of the [[Left Socialist Revolutionaries]] had assumed positions in Lenin's government and led commissariats in several areas. This included agriculture ([[Andrei Kolegayev|Kolegaev]]), property ([[Vladimir Karelin|Karelin]]), justice ([[Isaac Steinberg|Steinberg]]), post offices and telegraphs ([[Prosh Proshian|Proshian]]) and local government (Trutovsky).<ref>{{cite book |last1=Abramovitch |first1=Raphael R. |title=The Soviet Revolution, 1917-1939 |date=1985 |publisher=International Universities Press |page=130 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=L_q1WAmv7XkC&q=Steinberg+became+the+People%27s+Commissar+of+Justice,+Proshyan+became+the+People%27s+Commissar+for+Posts+and+Telegraphs |language=en}}</ref> The Bolsheviks also reserved a number of vacant seats in the Soviets and [[All-Russian Central Executive Committee|Central Executive]] for the [[Menshevik]] and [[Left Socialist Revolutionaries]] parties in proportion to their vote share at the Congress.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Deutscher |first1=Isaac |title=The Prophet Armed Trotsky 1879-1921 (1954) |date=1954 |publisher=Oxford University Press. |pages=330–336 |url=https://archive.org/details/dli.ernet.507702/page/335/mode/1up?view=theater}}</ref> The dissolution of the Constituent Assembly was also approved by the Left Socialist Revolutionaries and [[anarchists]], both groups were in favour of a more [[radical democracy]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Liebman |first1=Marcel |title=Leninism under Lenin |date=1975 |publisher=London : J. Cape |isbn=978-0-224-01072-6 |page=237 |url=https://archive.org/details/leninismunderlen0000lieb_f2h6/page/237/mode/1up}}</ref><br />
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===Formation of the Red Army===<br />
{{Main|Red Army}}<br />
From mid-1917 onwards, the [[Russian Army (1917)|Russian Army]], the successor-organisation of the old [[Imperial Russian Army]], started to disintegrate;<ref>{{harvnb|Calder|1976|p=166}} "[...] the Russian Army disintegrated after the failure of the Galician offensive in July 1917."</ref> the Bolsheviks used the volunteer-based [[Red Guards (Russia)|Red Guards]] as their main military force, augmented by an armed military component of the [[Cheka]] (the Bolshevik state [[Chronology of Soviet secret police agencies|secret police]]). In January 1918, after significant Bolshevik reverses in combat, the future [[People's Commissar of Military and Naval Affairs of the Russian SFSR|Russian People's Commissar for Military and Naval Affairs]] [[Leon Trotsky]] headed the reorganization of the Red Guards into a ''Workers' and Peasants' Red Army'' in order to create a more effective fighting force. The Bolsheviks appointed [[political commissars]] to each unit of the Red Army to maintain morale and to ensure loyalty.<br />
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In June 1918, when it had become apparent that a revolutionary army composed solely of workers would not suffice, Trotsky instituted mandatory [[Conscription in the Soviet Union|conscription]] of the rural peasantry into the Red Army.<ref>{{harvnb|Read|1996|p=237}} By 1920, 77% of the Red Army's enlisted ranks were peasant conscripts.</ref> The Bolsheviks overcame opposition of rural Russians to Red Army conscription units by taking hostages and shooting them when necessary in order to force compliance.<ref>Williams, Beryl, ''[[iarchive:russianrevolutio0000will|The Russian Revolution 1917–1921]]'', Blackwell Publishing Ltd. (1987), {{ISBN|978-0-631-15083-1}}: Typically, men of military age (17 to 40 years old) in a village would vanish when Red Army draft-units approached. The taking of hostages and a few summary executions usually brought the men back.</ref> The forced conscription drive had mixed results, successfully creating a larger army than the Whites, but with members indifferent towards [[Communism|communist ideology]].<ref name="Stone-2011" /><br />
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The Red Army also utilized former Tsarist officers as "military specialists" (''voenspetsy'');<ref name="Overy 2004">{{harvnb|Overy|2004|p=446}} By the end of the civil war, one-third of all Red Army officers were ex-Tsarist ''voenspetsy''"</ref> sometimes their families were taken hostage in order to ensure their loyalty.<ref name="Williams, Beryl 1921">Williams, Beryl, ''The Russian Revolution 1917–1921'', Blackwell Publishing Ltd. (1987), {{ISBN|978-0-631-15083-1}}</ref> At the start of the civil war, former Tsarist officers formed three-quarters of the Red Army officer-corps.<ref name="Williams, Beryl 1921"/> By its end, 83% of all Red Army divisional and corps commanders were ex-Tsarist soldiers.<ref name="Overy 2004" /><br />
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=== Constituent Assembly opposition ===<br />
====Dissolution of the Constituent Assembly, early Constituent Assembly rebellions====<br />
The [[Russian Constituent Assembly]] had been a demand of the Bolsheviks against the Provisional Government, which kept delaying it. After the October Revolution the elections were run by the body appointed by the previous Provisional Government. It was based on universal suffrage but used party lists from before the Left-Right SR split. The anti-Bolshevik Right SRs [[1917 Russian Constituent Assembly election|won the elections]] with the majority of the seats,{{sfn|Carr|1985|pages=111–112}} after which Lenin's ''Theses on the Constituent Assembly'' argued in ''[[Pravda]]'' that formal democracy was impossible because of class conflicts, conflicts with Ukraine and the Kadet-Kaledin uprising. He argued the Constituent Assembly must unconditionally accept sovereignty of the soviet government or it would be dealt with "by revolutionary means".{{sfn|Carr|1985|pages=113–115}}<br />
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On December 30, 1917, the SR [[Nikolai Avksentiev]] and some followers were arrested for organizing a conspiracy. This was the first time Bolsheviks used this kind of repression against a socialist party. ''[[Izvestia]]'' said the arrest was not related to his membership in the Constituent Assembly.{{sfn|Carr|1985|page=115}}<br />
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[[File:Viktor Chernov (1873-1952), Russian revolutionary (small).jpg|thumb|upright|left|[[Viktor Chernov]]]]<br />
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On January 4, 1918, the [[All-Russian Central Executive Committee]] made a resolution saying the slogan "all power to the constituent assembly" was counterrevolutionary and equivalent to "down with the soviets".{{sfn|Carr|1985|pages=115–116}}<br />
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[[File:Maria Spiridonova.jpg|thumb|right|[[Maria Spiridonova]]]]<br />
The Constituent Assembly met on January 18, 1918. The Right SR Chernov was elected president defeating the Bolshevik supported candidate, the Left SR [[Maria Spiridonova]] (she would later break with the Bolsheviks and after the decades of [[gulag]], she was shot on Stalin's orders in 1941). The Bolsheviks subsequently disbanded the Constituent Assembly and proceeded to rule the country as a [[one-party state]] with all opposition parties outlawed in 1921.<ref>[https://cyberleninka.ru/article/n/kontseptsiya-sotsialisticheskoy-demokratii-opyt-realizatsii-v-sssr-i-sovremennye-perspektivy-v-sng Концепция социалистической демократии: опыт реализации в СССР и современные перспективы в СНГ]</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=The Bolsheviks: the intellectual and political history of the triumph of communism in Russia |author=Adam Bruno Ulam |publisher=Harvard University Press |page=397}}</ref> A simultaneous demonstration in favor of the Constituent Assembly was dispersed with force, but there was little protest afterwards.{{sfn|Carr|1985|pages=120–121}}<br />
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The first large [[Cheka]] repression involving the killing of [[libertarian socialist]]s in Petrograd began in April 1918. On May 1, 1918, a pitched battle took place in Moscow between the anarchists and the Bolshevik police.<ref name="Berkman">{{cite journal |last1=Berkman |first1=Alexander |author-link1=Alexander Berkman |last2=Goldman |first2=Emma |author-link2=Emma Goldman |date=January 1922 |title=Bolsheviks Shooting Anarchists |journal=Freedom |volume=36 |issue=391 |page=4 |url=https://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/emma-goldman-alexander-berkman-bolsheviks-shooting-anarchists |access-date=9 May 2023}}</ref><br />
<br />
====Constituent Assembly uprising====<br />
The Union of Regeneration was founded in Moscow in April 1918 as an underground organization of "democratic resistance" to the Bolsheviks, composed of the [[Popular Socialists (Russia)|Popular Socialists]] and "personal representatives" of Right Socialist Revolutionaries, [[Constitutional Democratic Party|Kadets]] and Defensists, among others. They were tasked with propping up anti-Bolshevik forces and to create a Russian state system based on "state consciousness, patriotism and civil liberties" with the goal to liberate the country from the "Germano-Bolshevik" yoke.<ref name=WS>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=73lLeNeICXUC |title=White Siberia: the politics of civil war |author=Norman G. O. Pereira |publisher=McGill-Queen's University Press |date=1996 |isbn=978-0-7735-1349-5 |page=65}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2gd7F6t2lCcC |title=The lost opportunity: attempts at unification of the anti-Bolsheviks, 1917–1919 – Moscow, Kiev, Jassy, Odessa |author=Christopher Lazarski |publisher=University Press of America |place=Lanham |date=2008 |isbn=978-0-7618-4120-3 |pages=42–43}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Mt9qzSvBrI4C |title=Dear comrades: Menshevik reports on the Bolshevik revolution and the civil war |author=Vladimir N. Brovkin |publisher=Hoover Press |date=1991 |isbn=978-0-8179-8981-1 |page=135}}</ref><br />
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On May 7, 1918, the Eighth Party Council of the [[Socialist Revolutionary Party]] commenced in [[Moscow]] and recognized the Union's leading role, putting aside political ideology and class for the purpose of Russia's salvation. They decided to start an uprising against the Bolsheviks with the goal of reconvening the Russian Constituent Assembly.<ref name=WS /> While preparations were under way, the [[Czechoslovak Legion]]s overthrew Bolshevik rule in [[Siberia]], the [[Ural Mountains|Urals]] and the [[Volga River|Volga]] region in late May-early June 1918 and the center of SR activity shifted there. On June 8, 1918, five Constituent Assembly members formed the All-Russian [[Committee of Members of the Constituent Assembly]] (''Komuch'') in [[Samara]] and declared it the new supreme authority in the country.<ref name="komuch">See Jonathan D. Smele. Op. cit., p.32 ("Op. cit." means to refer to a work cited earlier in the citations. this means you copied it from a citation list, and are citing something that you have not read. instead you should cite what you read and say it refers to this, or if you can get the original work and look at it then you can cite it directly.)</ref> The Social Revolutionary [[Provisional Siberian Government (Vladivostok)|Provisional Government of Autonomous Siberia]] came to power on 29 June 1918, after the uprising in [[Vladivostok]].<br />
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=== White movement and foreign interventions ===<br />
==== From "democratic counter-revolution" to the White movement ====<br />
{{Main|White movement}}<br />
[[File:Колчак, Нокс и английские офицеры восточного фронта.jpg|thumb|left|Admiral [[Alexander Kolchak]] (seated) and General [[Alfred Knox]] (behind Kolchak) observing military exercise, 1919]]<br />
<br />
The main Russian military and political force opposing the Bolsheviks was known as the [[White movement]], or simply the Whites; its armed formations were known as the [[White Army]].<br />
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Some historians distinguish the White movement from the so-called "democratic counter-revolution"<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/nationalities-papers/article/abs/democratic-counterrevolution-of-1918-in-siberia/902F77B1E6F60CF8CC8EDFCB66A3894|title=Democratic counterrevolution of 1918 in Siberia |author=<!--Not stated--> |date= |website=www.cambridge.org |publisher= |access-date= |quote=}}{{Dead link|date=December 2024 |fix-attempted=yes |url=}}</ref><ref name="rev">{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_4SuDQAAQBAJ | isbn=978-0-19-873482-6 | title=Russia in Revolution: An Empire in Crisis, 1890 to 1928 | date=2017 | publisher=Oxford University Press }}</ref> led mainly by the [[Right Socialist-Revolutionaries|Right SRs]] and the [[Mensheviks]] that adhered to the values of [[parliamentary democracy]] and maintained anti-Bolshevik counter-governments ([[Komuch]], [[Ufa Directory]]) on the basis with alliance with the right-wing parties of Russia until November 1918. Until this period, [[parliamentary democracy]] was the main tendency of the anti-Bolshevik forces on the East (but not the South) of Russia, but since then, the White movement unified on an [[Right-wing dictatorship|authoritarian-right]] platform around the figure of [[Alexander Kolchak]] who [[Kolchak Coup|rose to power through a military coup]] as its principal leader and his [[Russian Government (1918—1919)|All-Russian government]].<ref name="rev"/><ref name="shubin1">{{cite web | title=Великая Российская революция. 10 вопросов|language=ru| url=https://historyrussia.org/images/documents/shubin-10-voprosov-revolution.pdf|author1=А. В. Шубин|author-link1=Alexander Vladlenovich Shubin}}</ref><ref name="shubin">{{cite book| title=1918 год. Революция, кровью омытая|language=ru|author1=А. В. Шубин|author-link1=Alexander Vladlenovich Shubin|isbn=978-5-8291-2317-8}}</ref> After the Kolchak coup, the Right SRs and the Mensheviks went to opposition to the Whites and co-operated with both factions of the Civil War on a tactical level, while also attempting to overthrow White administrations or establish themselves as "the third force" of the war: for example, they attempted to stage an anti-Kolchak mutiny in November 1919 with the help of the Czech general [[Radola Gajda]], and in 1920, they formed an organisation called 'Political Centre' and successfully overthrew the White administration in Irkutsk.<ref>{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nzhq85nPrdsC | isbn=978-0-521-47771-0 | title=A History of the Peoples of Siberia: Russia's North Asian Colony 1581-1990 | date=8 September 1994 | publisher=Cambridge University Press }}</ref><br />
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Although the White movement included a variety of political opinions, from the liberals through monarchists to the ultra-nationalist [[Black Hundreds]],<ref>Osborne, R. (2023, April 14). ''[https://study.com/academy/lesson/white-army-history-facts-russian.html White Army of Russia | History, Significance & Composition]''. Study.com. "Loosely commanded by former imperial admiral Alexander Kolchack, the White Army was composed of volunteers, conscripts, liberals, conservatives, monarchists, religious fundamentalists, and any group that opposed Bolshevik rule"</ref> and did not have universally-accepted leader or doctrine, the main force behind the movement were the conservative officers, and the resulting movement shared many traits with widespread right-wing counter-revolutionary movements of the time, namely [[nationalism]], [[racism]], distrust of liberal and democratic politics, [[clericalism]], contempt for the common man and dislike of industrial civilization;<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Kenez |first=Peter |year=1980 |title=The Ideology of the White Movement |journal=Soviet Studies |volume=32 |issue=32 |pages=58–83 |doi=10.1080/09668138008411280}}</ref> although not all of the participants of the movement wanted a restoration of [[Tsarism]], it generally preferred it to the revolution, and its main goal became to establish an order which would share the main features of the imperial one;<ref name="shubin"/><ref>{{cite book|title=Red Advance, White Defeat: Civil War in South Russia 1919–1920|author1=Peter Kenez|author-link1=Peter Kenez|isbn=9781955835176|year=2008|publisher=New Acdemia+ORM |quote= Not all the participants in the White movement wanted to recreate tsarist Russia. [...] Nevertheless, the Civil War divided those who preferred tsarist Russia to the society which they feared their country was heading toward, and those who hated the old and had confidence that they could build a more just and rational society. After three years of struggle the Whites lost the war, proving that the traditional order had too few defenders... The defeat of the Whites was the final and conclusive defeat of Imperial Russia.}}</ref> its positive program was largely summarized in the slogan of "united and indivisible Russia" which meant the restoration of imperial state borders (excluding Poland and Finland)<ref name="un1">{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YGib6O8vocoC | isbn=978-0-521-03025-0 | title=The People in Arms: Military Myth and National Mobilization Since the French Revolution | date=2 November 2006 | publisher=Cambridge University Press }}</ref><ref name="un2">{{Cite book| url=https://academic.oup.com/book/10472/chapter-abstract/158344535 | doi=10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199250219.003.0001 | chapter=Civil War | title=The White Russian Army in Exile 1920-1941 | date=2002 | last1=Robinson | first1=Paul | pages=1–15 | publisher=Oxford University Press | isbn=978-0-19-925021-9 }}</ref><ref name="un">{{cite web | url=https://www.hoover.org/research/wake-empire | title=In the Wake of Empire }}</ref> and its denial of the [[right to self-determination]] and the resulting hostility towards the [[Pro-independence movements in the Russian Civil War|movements for national independence]];<ref name="shubin1"/> the movement is associated with [[Pogroms during the Russian Civil War|pogroms]] and [[antisemitism]], although its relations with the Jews were more complex, as at first, for example, Jewish properitors supported the anti-Bolsheviks, but later the movement became known for its antisemic pogroms and discrimination against the Jews.<ref>{{cite book|title=Russian Jews Between the Reds and the Whites, 1917-1920|author1=Oleg Budnitskii|isbn=9780812208146|year=2012|publisher=University of Pennsylvania Press}}</ref><br />
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When the White Army was created, the structure of the [[Russian Army (1917)|Russian Army of the Provisional Government period]] was used, while almost every individual formation had its own characteristics. The military art of the White Army was based on the experience of World War I, which, however, left a strong imprint on the specifics of the Civil War.<ref>Military Encyclopedic Dictionary / Editorial Board: Alexander Gorkin, Vladimir Zolotarev et al. – Moscow: Great Russian Encyclopedia, RIPOL Classic, 2002 – 1664 Pages</ref><br />
<br />
====Allied intervention====<br />
{{Main|Allied intervention in the Russian Civil War}}<br />
The Western Allies armed and supported the Whites. They were worried about a possible Russo-German alliance, the prospect of the Bolsheviks making good on their threats to default on Imperial Russia's massive [[External debt|foreign debts]] and the possibility that Communist revolutionary ideas would spread (a concern shared by many Central Powers). Hence, many of the countries expressed their support for the Whites, including the provision of troops and supplies. [[Winston Churchill]] declared that Bolshevism must be "strangled in its cradle".<ref>[http://www.winstonchurchill.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=282 Cover Story: Churchill's Greatness.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061004110408/http://www.winstonchurchill.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=282 |date=2006-10-04}} Interview with Jeffrey Wallin. (The Churchill Centre)</ref> The British and French had supported [[Russia during World War I]] on a massive scale with war materials.<br />
<br />
After the treaty, it looked like much of that material would fall into the hands of the Germans. To meet that danger, the [[Allied intervention in the Russian Civil War|Allies intervened]] with Great Britain and France sending troops into Russian ports. There were violent clashes with the Bolsheviks. Britain intervened in support of the White forces to defeat the Bolsheviks and prevent the spread of communism across Europe.<ref>Howard Fuller, "Great Britain and Russia's Civil War: The Necessity for a Definite and Coherent Policy". ''Journal of Slavic Military Studies'' 32.4 (2019): 553–559.</ref><br />
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==== Central Powers anti-Bolshevik intervention ====<br />
{{main|Central Powers intervention in the Russian Civil War}}<br />
The Central Powers also supported the anti-Bolshevik forces and the whites; after the [[Treaty of Brest-Litovsk]], the main goals of the intervention were to maintain the newly conquered territories and prevent a re-establishment of the Eastern Front. After the defeat of the Central Powers, many armies that stayed mostly helped the [[Russian White Guard]] eradicate communists in the Baltics until their eventual withdrawal and defeat. Pro-German factions fought against the newly independent Baltic states until their defeat by the Baltic States, backed by the victorious [[Allies of World War I|Allies]].<br />
<br />
====Pro-independence movements and German protectorates====<br />
{{main|Pro-independence movements in the Russian Civil War}}<br />
[[File:Map Treaty Brest-Litovsk.jpg|thumb|Borders of the buffer states drawn by the [[Treaty of Brest-Litovsk]]]]<br />
The German Empire created several short-lived [[buffer state]]s within its sphere of influence after the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk: the [[United Baltic Duchy]], [[Duchy of Courland and Semigallia (1918)|Duchy of Courland and Semigallia]], [[Kingdom of Lithuania (1918)|Kingdom of Lithuania]], [[Kingdom of Poland (1916–1918)|Kingdom of Poland]],<ref>{{Cite book|title=Germany and Eastern Europe: Cultural Identity and Cultural Differences|last=Keith Bullivant, Geoffrey J. Giles and Walter Pape|publisher=Rodopi|year=1999|isbn=90-420-0678-1|pages=28–29}}</ref> the [[Belarusian People's Republic]], and the [[Ukrainian State]]. Following Germany's Armistice in World War I in November 1918, the states were abolished.<ref>Mieczysław B. Biskupski, "War and the Diplomacy of Polish Independence, 1914–18." ''Polish Review'' (1990): 5–17. [https://www.jstor.org/stable/25778473 online] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200127202015/https://www.jstor.org/stable/25778473 |date=27 January 2020 }}</ref><ref>Timothy Snyder, ''The Reconstruction of Nations: Poland, Ukraine, Lithuania, Belarus, 1569–1999'' (Yale UP, 2004)</ref><br />
<br />
Finland was the first republic that [[Finnish Declaration of Independence|declared its independence from Russia]] in December 1917 and established itself in the ensuing [[Finnish Civil War]] between nationalist German-supported [[White Guard (Finland)|White Guards]] and socialist Bolshevik-supported [[Red Guards (Finland)|Red Guards]] from January–May 1918.<ref>{{Cite journal|doi= 10.1080/03585522.1978.10407894|title= Revolutionary ferment in Finland and the origins of the civil war 1917–1918|year= 1978|last1= Kirby|first1= D. G.|journal= Scandinavian Economic History Review|volume= 26 |pages= 15–35|doi-access= free}}</ref> The [[Second Polish Republic]], [[History of Lithuania|Lithuania]], [[History of Latvia|Latvia]] and [[History of Estonia|Estonia]] formed their own armies immediately after the abolition of the Brest-Litovsk Treaty and the start of the [[Soviet westward offensive of 1918–1919|Soviet westward offensive]] and subsequent [[Polish-Soviet War]] in November 1918.<ref>Anatol Lieven, ''The Baltic revolution: Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and the path to independence'' (Yale UP, 1993) pp. 54–61. [https://www.amazon.com/Baltic-Revolution-Estonia-Lithuania-Independence/dp/0300055528/ excerpt] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210316223710/https://www.amazon.com/Baltic-Revolution-Estonia-Lithuania-Independence/dp/0300055528/ |date=16 March 2021 }}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Opposition and repression in Soviet Russia ===<br />
==== Exclusion of Mensheviks and SRs ====<br />
At the [[Fifth All–Russian Congress of Soviets]] of July 4, 1918, the [[Left Socialist-Revolutionaries]] had 352 delegates compared to 745 Bolsheviks out of 1132 total. The Left SRs raised disagreements on the suppression of rival parties, the death penalty, and mainly, the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk. The Bolsheviks excluded the Right SRs and Mensheviks from the government on 14 June for associating with counterrevolutionaries and seeking to "organize armed attacks against the workers and peasants" (though Mensheviks did not exist as a united movement and were split into the [[Menshevik-Internationalists|left-wing "internationalist"]] and more right-wing factions), while the Left SRs advocated forming a government of all socialist parties. The Left SRs agreed with extrajudicial execution of political opponents to stop the counterrevolution, but opposed having the government legally pronouncing death sentences, an unusual position that is best understood within the context of the group's terrorist past. The Left SRs strongly opposed the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk and opposed Trotsky's insistence that no one try to attack German troops in Ukraine.{{sfn|Carr|1985|pages=161–164}}<br />
<br />
According to historian [[Marcel Liebman]], Lenin's wartime measures such as banning opposition parties was prompted by the fact that several political parties either [[left-wing uprisings against the Bolsheviks|took up arms]] against the new [[Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic]], or participated in sabotage, collaboration with the deposed Tsarists, or made [[Assassination attempts on Vladimir Lenin|assassination attempts against Lenin]] and other Bolshevik leaders.<ref name="Leninism Under Lenin">{{cite book |last1=Liebman |first1=Marcel |title=Leninism Under Lenin |date=1985 |publisher=Merlin Press |isbn=978-0-85036-261-9 |pages=1–348 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OQjzAAAAMAAJ |language=en}}</ref> Liebman noted that opposition parties such as the Cadets and [[Mensheviks]] who were democratically elected to the Soviets in some areas, then proceeded to use their mandate to welcome in Tsarist and [[Allied intervention in the Russian Civil War|foreign capitalist military forces]].<ref name="Leninism Under Lenin"/> [[26 Baku Commissars|In one incident in Baku]], the British military, once invited in, proceeded to execute members of the Bolshevik Party who had peacefully stood down from the Soviet when they failed to win the elections. As a result, the Bolsheviks banned each opposition party when it turned against the Soviet government. In some cases, bans were lifted. This banning of parties did not have the same repressive character as later bans enforced under the [[Stalinist]] regime.<ref name="Leninism Under Lenin"/><br />
<br />
====Repression====<br />
In December 1917, [[Felix Dzerzhinsky]] was appointed to the duty of rooting out [[counter-revolutionary]] threats to the [[Government of the Soviet Union|Soviet government]]. He was the director of the All-Russian Extraordinary Commission (aka [[Cheka]]), a predecessor of the KGB that served as the [[secret police]] for the Soviets.<ref name="Bird-2018" /><br />
<br />
The Bolsheviks had begun to see the anarchists as a legitimate threat and associate criminality such as [[robberies]], [[expropriations]] and [[murders]] with anarchist associations. Subsequently, the [[Council of People's Commissars]] (Sovnarkom) decided to liquidate criminal recklessness associated with anarchists and disarm all anarchist groups in the face of their militancy.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Goodwin |first1=James |title=Confronting Dostoevsky's Demons: Anarchism and the Specter of Bakunin in Twentieth-century Russia |date=2010 |publisher=Peter Lang |isbn=978-1-4331-0883-9 |page=48 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Pun07YW3t7sC&dq=anarchists+criminal+elements+cheka+april&pg=PA48 |language=en}}</ref><br />
<br />
From early 1918, the Bolsheviks started physical elimination of opposition, other socialist and revolutionary fractions. [[Anarchism|Anarchists]] were among the first:<br />
<br />
{{Blockquote|text=Of all the revolutionary elements in Russia it is the Anarchists who now suffer the most ruthless and systematic persecution. Their suppression by the Bolsheviki began already in 1918, when — in the month of April of that year — the Communist Government attacked, without provocation or warning, the Anarchist Club of Moscow and by the use of machine guns and artillery "liquidated" the whole organisation. It was the beginning of Anarchist hounding, but it was sporadic in character, breaking out now and then, quite planless, and frequently self-contradictory.|author=[[Alexander Berkman]], [[Emma Goldman]]|title="Bolsheviks Shooting Anarchists"<ref name="Berkman"/>}}<br />
<br />
Prior to the events that would officially catalyze the [[Red Terror]],<ref name="black">{{harvp|Werth|Bartosek|Panne|Margolin|1999|loc=Chapter 4: The Red Terror.}}</ref> [[Vladimir Lenin]] issued orders and made speeches which included harsh expressions and descriptions of brutal measures to be taken against the "class enemies", which, however, often were not actual orders or were not carried out as such. For example, in a telegram which became known as "[[Lenin's hanging order]]" he demanded and "crush" landowners in [[Penza]] and to publicly hang "at least 100 kulaks, rich bastards, and known bloodsuckers"<ref name="black"/> in response to an uprising there; yet, only the 13 organizers of the murder of local authorities and the uprising were arrested, while the uprising ended as propaganda activities were held there;<ref name="log"/> in 1920, having received information that in Estonia and Latvia, with which Soviet Russia had concluded peace treaties, volunteers were being enrolled in anti-Bolshevik detachments, Lenin offered to "advance by 10–20 miles (versts) and hang kulaks, priests, landowners" "while pretending to be greens",<ref name="litvinalkbterror">[[:ru:Литвин, Алтер Львович|Alter Litvin]] ''Красный и Белый террор в России в 1917—1922 годах [Red and White terror in Russia in 1917-1922]'' {{in lang|ru}}, {{ISBN|5-87849-164-8}}.</ref> but instead, his government confined itself to sending diplomatic notes.<ref name="log">[[:ru:Логинов, Владлен Терентьевич|Vladlen Loginov]]. Послесловие / ''В.И.Ленин. Неизвестные документы. 1891-1922''. {{in lang|ru}}, {{ISBN|5-8243-0154-9}}.</ref><br />
<br />
[[Leonid Kannegisser]], a young [[military cadet]] of the [[Imperial Russian Army]], assassinated [[Moisey Uritsky]] on August 17, 1918, outside the Petrograd Cheka headquarters in retaliation for the execution of his friend and other officers.<ref>[http://www.lib.ru/POLITOLOG/MELGUNOW/terror.txt Melgunov, S.P. ''Red Terror'' in Russia] {{in lang|ru}}</ref><br />
<br />
[[File:Lenin attempt.jpg|250px|thumb|right|Vladimir Pchelin's depiction of the assassination attempt on Lenin]]<br />
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{{Cleanup section|date=August 2023|reason=incomplete sentence starting with 'and sought to eliminate...'. Next sentence explains 'the term', which hasn't been introduced.}}<br />
<br />
On August 30, the SR [[Fanny Kaplan]] unsuccessfully [[Assassination attempts on Vladimir Lenin|attempted to assassinate]] Lenin,<ref name=":11">Wilde, Robert. 2019 February 20. "[https://www.thoughtco.com/the-red-terror-1221808 The Red Terror]" ''ThoughtCo''. Retrieved March 24, 2021.</ref> who sought to eliminate political dissent, opposition, and any other threat to Bolshevik power.<ref>Llewellyn, Jennifer; McConnell, Michael; Thompson, Steve (11 August 2019). [https://alphahistory.com/russianrevolution/red-terror/ "The Red Terror"]. ''Russian Revolution''. Alpha History. Retrieved 4 August 2021.</ref> As a result of the failed attempt on Lenin's life, he began to crack down on his political enemies in an event known as the [[Red Terror]]. More broadly, the term is usually applied to Bolshevik political repression throughout the Civil War (1917–1922),<ref>Melgunov, Sergey [1925] 1975. ''The Red Terror in Russia''. Hyperions. {{ISBN|0-88355-187-X}}.</ref><ref>[[Sergei Melgunov|Melgunov, Sergei]]. 1927. "[http://www.paulbogdanor.com/left/soviet/redterror.pdf The Record of the Red Terror] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181221170529/http://www.paulbogdanor.com/left/soviet/redterror.pdf |date=21 December 2018 }}." ''[[Current History]]'' (November 1927):198–205.</ref><ref name="Bird-2018" /><br />
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During interrogation by the [[Cheka]], she made the following statement:<br />
<br />
{{Blockquote|My name is Fanya Kaplan. Today I shot Lenin. I did it on my own. I will not say from whom I obtained my revolver. I will give no details. I had resolved to kill Lenin long ago. I consider him a traitor to the Revolution. I was exiled to Akatui for participating in an assassination attempt against a Tsarist official in Kiev. I spent 11 years at hard labour. After the Revolution, I was freed. I favoured the [[Russian Constituent Assembly|Constituent Assembly]] and am still for it.<ref name="spartacus">{{cite web|url=http://spartacus-educational.com/RUSkaplan.htm|title=Fanya Kaplan|work=Spartacus Educational}}</ref>}}<br />
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Kaplan referenced the Bolsheviks' growing authoritarianism, citing their forcible shutdown of the Constituent Assembly in January 1918, the [[1917 Russian Constituent Assembly election|elections]] to which they had lost. When it became clear that Kaplan would not implicate any accomplices, she was executed in [[Alexander Garden]]. The order was carried out by the commander of the Kremlin, the former Baltic sailor P. D. Malkov and a group of Latvian Bolsheviks<ref>{{Cite book|title=Malkov P. Notes of the Kremlin commandant. – M.: Molodaya gvardiya, 1968.S. 148–149.|pages=}}</ref>{{page needed|date=August 2021}}{{primary source inline|date=August 2021}} on September 3, 1918, with a bullet to the back of the head.<ref name="how">{{cite book |title=How Did They Die? |first1=Norman |last1=Donaldson |first2=Betty |last2=Donaldson |isbn=9780517403020 |page=221 |publisher=Greenwich House |date=January 1, 1983}}</ref> Her corpse was bundled into a barrel and set alight. The order came from [[Yakov Sverdlov]], who only six weeks earlier had ordered the [[Murder of the Romanov family|murder]] of the Tsar and his family.<ref>{{Citation|last=Slezkine |first=Yuri |title=The house of government: a saga of the Russian Revolution |isbn=978-1-5384-7835-6|oclc=1003859221 |page=158}}</ref><ref name="Lyandres">{{cite journal |doi=10.2307/2498997 |jstor=2498997 |title=The 1918 Attempt on the Life of Lenin: A New Look at the Evidence |first=Semion |last=Lyandres |journal=Slavic Review |volume=48 |issue=3 |date=Autumn 1989 |pages=432–448 |publisher=Cambridge University Press|s2cid=155228899 }}</ref>{{rp|442}}<br />
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These events persuaded the government to heed Dzerzhinsky's lobbying for greater terror against opposition. The campaign of mass repressions would officially begin thereafter.<ref name=":11" /><ref name="Bird-2018" /> The Red Terror is considered to have officially begun between 17 and 30 August 1918.<ref name=":11" /><ref name="Bird-2018">{{Cite magazine|last=Bird|first=Danny|date=September 5, 2018|title=How the 'Red Terror' Exposed the True Turmoil of Soviet Russia 100 Years Ago|url=https://time.com/5386789/red-terror-soviet-history/ |access-date=2021-03-24|magazine=Time}}</ref><br />
<br />
====Revolts against grain requisitioning====<br />
Protests against grain requisitioning of the peasantry were a major component of the [[Tambov Rebellion]] and similar uprisings; Lenin's [[New Economic Policy]] was introduced as a concession.<br />
<br />
The policies of "food dictatorship" proclaimed by the Bolsheviks in May 1918 sparked violent resistance in numerous districts of [[European Russia]]: revolts and clashes between the peasants and the [[Red Army]] were reported in [[Voronezh]], [[Tambov]], [[Penza]], [[Saratov]] and in the districts of [[Kostroma Oblast|Kostroma]], [[Moscow Oblast|Moscow]], [[Novgorod Oblast|Novgorod]], [[Leningrad Oblast|Petrograd]], [[Pskov Oblast|Pskov]] and [[Smolensk Oblast|Smolensk]]. The revolts were bloodily crushed by the Bolsheviks: in the Voronezh Oblast, the Red Guards killed sixteen peasants during the pacification of the village, while another village was shelled with artillery in order to force the peasants to surrender and in the Novgorod Oblast the rebelling peasants were dispersed with machine-gun fire from a train sent by a detachment of Latvian Red Army soldiers.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Smith |first=Scott Baldwin |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5ueUEE8jVRsC |title=Captives of Revolution: The Socialist Revolutionaries and the Bolshevik Dictatorship, 1918–1923 |date=2011-04-15 |publisher=[[University of Pittsburgh Press]] |isbn=978-0-8229-7779-7 |pages=68–70 |language=en}}</ref> While the Bolsheviks immediately denounced the rebellion as orchestrated by the SRs, there is actually no evidence that they were involved into peasant violence, which they deemed as counterproductive.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Smith |first=Scott Baldwin |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5ueUEE8jVRsC |title=Captives of Revolution: The Socialist Revolutionaries and the Bolshevik Dictatorship, 1918–1923 |date=2011-04-15 |publisher=University of Pittsburgh Press |isbn=978-0-8229-7779-7 |pages=68 |language=en}}</ref><br />
<br />
==Geography and chronology==<br />
{{Main|Southern Front of the Russian Civil War|North Russia Campaign|Eastern Front of the Russian Civil War|Yakut Revolt|Finnish Civil War}}<br />
In the European part of Russia the war was fought across three main fronts: the eastern, the southern and the northwestern. It can also be roughly split into the following periods.<br />
[[File:Volunteer Army infantry company.jpg|thumb|left|Anti-Bolshevik [[Volunteer Army]] in South Russia, January 1918]]<br />
The first period lasted from the Revolution until the Armistice, or roughly March 1917 to November 1918. Already on the date of the Revolution, [[Cossack]] General [[Alexey Kaledin]] refused to recognize it and assumed full governmental authority in the [[Don River, Russia|Don]] region,<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.hrono.info/biograf/kaledina.html| title = Каледин, Алексей Максимович. A biography of Kaledin (in Russian)| access-date = 24 February 2008| archive-date = 8 November 2017| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20171108100553/http://www.hrono.info/biograf/kaledina.html| url-status = live}}</ref> where the [[Volunteer Army]] began amassing support. The signing of the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk also resulted in direct Allied intervention in Russia and the arming of military forces opposed to the Bolshevik government. There were also many German commanders who offered support against the Bolsheviks, fearing a confrontation with them was impending as well.<br />
<br />
During the first period, the Bolsheviks took control of [[Central Asia]] out of the hands of the Provisional Government and White Army, setting up a base for the Communist Party in the [[Eurasian Steppe|Steppe]] and [[Russian Turkestan|Turkestan]], where nearly two million Russian settlers were located.{{sfn|Wheeler|1964|p=103}}<br />
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Most of the fighting in the first period was sporadic, involved only small groups and had a fluid and rapidly shifting strategic situation. Among the antagonists were the Czechoslovak Legion,<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://h2g2.com/edited_entry/A4241062 |title=The Czech Legion |publisher=Not Panicking, Ltd|website=h2g2.com |date=20 July 2005 |access-date=29 October 2020|archive-date=19 July 2012|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120719122821/http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A4241062|url-status=live}}</ref> the Poles of the [[4th Rifle Division (Poland)|4th]] and [[5th Rifle Division (Poland)|5th Rifle Divisions]] and the pro-Bolshevik Red [[Latvian riflemen]].<br />
<br />
The second period of the war lasted from January to November 1919. At first the White armies' advances from the south (under Denikin), the east (under Kolchak) and the northwest (under Yudenich) were successful, forcing the Red Army and its allies back on all three fronts. In July 1919 the Red Army suffered another reverse after a mass defection of units in the Crimea to the anarchist Insurgent Army under Nestor Makhno, enabling anarchist forces to consolidate power in Ukraine. Leon Trotsky soon reformed the Red Army, concluding the first of two military alliances with the anarchists. In June the Red Army first checked Kolchak's advance. After a series of engagements, assisted by an Insurgent Army offensive against White supply lines, the Red Army defeated Denikin's and Yudenich's armies in October and November.<br />
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The third period of the war was the extended siege of the last White forces in the [[Crimea]] in 1920. General [[Pyotr Nikolayevich Wrangel|Wrangel]] had gathered the remnants of Denikin's armies, occupying much of the Crimea. An attempted invasion of southern Ukraine was rebuffed by the Insurgent Army under Makhno's command. Pursued into Crimea by Makhno's troops, Wrangel went over to the defensive in the Crimea. After an abortive move north against the Red Army, Wrangel's troops were forced south by Red Army and Insurgent Army forces; Wrangel and the remains of his army were evacuated to [[Istanbul|Constantinople]] in November 1920.<br />
<br />
==Warfare==<br />
===October Revolution===<br />
{{Main|October Revolution}}<br />
[[File:Russian civil war in the west.svg|thumb|upright=1.2|European theatre of the Russian Civil War]]<br />
In the October Revolution, the Bolshevik Party directed the Red Guard (armed groups of workers and Imperial army deserters) to seize control of [[Petrograd]] and immediately began the armed takeover of cities and villages throughout the former Russian Empire. In January 1918 the Bolsheviks dissolved the [[Russian Constituent Assembly]] and proclaimed the Soviets (workers' councils) as the new government of Russia.<br />
<br />
===Initial anti-Bolshevik uprisings===<br />
{{Main|Kerensky-Krasnov uprising|Junker mutiny|Volunteer Army}}<br />
The first attempt to regain power from the Bolsheviks was made by the Kerensky-Krasnov uprising in October 1917. It was supported by the Junker Mutiny in Petrograd but was quickly put down by the Red Guard, notably including the Latvian Rifle Division.<br />
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The initial groups that fought against the Communists were local Cossack armies that had declared their loyalty to the Provisional Government. Kaledin of the [[Don Cossacks]] and General [[Grigory Mikhailovich Semenov|Grigory Semenov]] of the [[Siberian Cossacks]] were prominent among them. The leading Tsarist officers of the Imperial Russian Army also started to resist. In November, General [[Mikhail Vasilevich Alekseev|Mikhail Alekseev]], the Tsar's Chief of Staff during the First World War, began to organize the Volunteer Army in [[Novocherkassk]]. Volunteers of the small army were mostly officers of the old Russian army, military cadets and students. In December 1917, Alekseev was joined by General Lavr Kornilov, Denikin and other Tsarist officers who had escaped from the jail, where they had been imprisoned following the abortive Kornilov affair just before the Revolution.{{sfn|Mawdsley|2007|p=27}} On 9 December, the [[Military Revolutionary Committee]] in [[Rostov-on-Don|Rostov]] rebelled, with the Bolsheviks controlling the city for five days until the Alekseev Organization supported Kaledin in recapturing the city. According to [[Peter Kenez]], "The operation, begun on December 9, can be regarded as the beginning of the Civil War."{{sfn|Kenez|2004a|pp=64–67}}<br />
<br />
Having stated in the November 1917 "[[Declaration of Rights of Peoples of Russia|Declaration of Rights of Nations of Russia]]" that any nation under imperial Russian rule should be immediately given the power of self-determination, the Bolsheviks had begun to usurp the power of the Provisional Government in the territories of Central Asia soon after the establishment of the Turkestan Committee in Tashkent.{{sfn|Coates|Coates|1951|p=72}} In April 1917 the Provisional Government set up the committee, which was mostly made up of former Tsarist officials.{{sfn|Wheeler|1964|p=104}} The Bolsheviks attempted to take control of the Committee in Tashkent on 12 September 1917 but it was unsuccessful, and many leaders were arrested. However, because the Committee lacked representation of the native population and poor Russian settlers, they had to release the Bolshevik prisoners almost immediately because of a public outcry, and a successful takeover of that government body took place two months later in November.{{sfn|Coates|Coates|1951|p=70}} The Leagues of Mohammedam Working People (which Russian settlers and natives who had been sent to work behind the lines for the Tsarist government in 1916 formed in March 1917) had led numerous strikes in the industrial centers throughout September 1917.{{sfn|Coates|Coates|1951|pp=68–69}} However, after the Bolshevik destruction of the Provisional Government in [[Tashkent]], Muslim elites formed an autonomous government in Turkestan, commonly called the "Kokand autonomy" (or simply [[Kokand]]).{{sfn|Coates|Coates|1951|p=74}} The White Russians supported that government body, which lasted several months because of Bolshevik troop isolation from Moscow.{{sfn|Allworth|1967|p=226}} In January 1918 the Soviet forces, under Lt. Col. [[Mikhail Artemyevich Muravyov|Muravyov]], invaded Ukraine and invested [[Kiev]], where the [[Central Council of Ukraine]] held power. With the help of the [[Kiev Arsenal January Uprising|Kiev Arsenal Uprising]], the Bolsheviks [[Battle of Kiev (1918)|captured the city]] on 26 January.{{sfn|Mawdsley|2007|p=35}}<br />
<br />
===Peace with the Central Powers===<br />
{{Main|Treaty of Brest-Litovsk}}<br />
[[File:Trotzki Deutsche Brest-Litowsk1917.jpg|thumb|Soviet delegation with [[Leon Trotsky|Trotsky]] greeted by German officers at Brest-Litovsk, 8 January 1918]]<br />
The Bolsheviks decided to immediately make peace with the Central Powers, as they had promised the Russian people before the Revolution.<ref>{{harvnb|Figes|1997|p=258}} quotes such comments from the peasant soldiers during the first weeks of the war: We have talked it over among ourselves; if the Germans want payment, it would be better to pay ten roubles a head than to kill people. Or: Is it not all the same what Tsar we live under? It cannot be worse under the German one. Or: Let them go and fight themselves. Wait a while, we will settle accounts with you. Or: 'What devil has brought this war on us? We are butting into other people's business.'</ref> [[Vladimir Lenin]]'s political enemies attributed that decision to his sponsorship by the Foreign Office of [[Wilhelm II, German Emperor]], offered to Lenin in hope that, with a revolution, Russia would withdraw from [[World War I]]. That suspicion was bolstered by the German Foreign Ministry's sponsorship of Lenin's return to Petrograd.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Vladimir Lenin |url=https://spartacus-educational.com/RUSlenin.htm |website=Spartacus Educational |access-date=29 October 2020 |archive-date=10 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200810163715/https://spartacus-educational.com/RUSlenin.htm |url-status=live}}</ref> However, after the military fiasco of the summer offensive (June 1917) by the Russian Provisional Government had devastated the structure of the Russian Army, it became crucial that Lenin realize the promised peace.<ref>{{harvnb|Figes|1997|p=419}} "It was partly a case of the usual military failings: units had been sent into battle without machine-guns; untrained soldiers had been ordered to engage in complex maneuvers using hand grenades and ended up throwing them without first pulling the pins."</ref> Even before the failed summer offensive the Russian population was very skeptical about the continuation of the war. Western socialists had promptly arrived from France and from the UK to convince the Russians to continue the fight, but could not change the new pacifist mood of Russia.<ref>{{harvnb|Figes|1997|p=412}} "This new civic patriotism did not extend beyond the urban middle classes, although the leaders of the Provisional Government deluded themselves that it did."</ref><br />
<br />
On 16 December 1917 an armistice was signed between Russia and the Central Powers in [[Brest-Litovsk]] and peace talks began.{{sfn|Mawdsley|2007|p=42}} As a condition for peace, the proposed treaty by the Central Powers conceded huge portions of the former Russian Empire to the German Empire and the Ottoman Empire, greatly upsetting [[nationalist]]s and [[Conservatism|conservatives]]. Leon Trotsky, representing the Bolsheviks, refused at first to sign the treaty while continuing to observe a unilateral cease-fire, following the policy of "No war, no peace".{{sfn|Smith|Tucker|2014|pp=554–555}}<br />
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Therefore, on 18 February 1918, the Germans began [[Operation Faustschlag]] on the Eastern Front, encountering virtually no resistance in a campaign that lasted 11 days.{{sfn|Smith|Tucker|2014|pp=554–555}} Signing a formal peace treaty was the only option in the eyes of the Bolsheviks because the Russian Army was demobilized, and the newly formed Red Guard could not stop the advance. The Soviets acceded to a peace treaty, and the formal agreement, the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, was ratified on 3 March. The Soviets viewed the treaty as merely a necessary and expedient means to end the war.<br />
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===Ukraine, South Russia, and Caucasus (1918)===<br />
{{Main|Ukrainian People's Republic|Kiev Arsenal January Uprising|Ice March|26 Baku Commissars|German Caucasus Expedition|Battle of Baku|Central Caspian Dictatorship|Romanian military intervention in Bessarabia}}<br />
[[File:Dismembered Russia — Some Fragments (NYT article, Feb. 17, 1918).png|thumb|February 1918 article from ''[[The New York Times]]'' showing a map of the Russian Imperial territories claimed by the [[Ukrainian People's Republic]] at the time, before the annexation of the Austro-Hungarian lands of the [[West Ukrainian People's Republic]]]]<br />
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In Ukraine, the German-Austrian Operation Faustschlag had by April 1918 removed the Bolsheviks from Ukraine.<ref name="30076britbrit">{{cite encyclopedia |url=http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-30076/Ukraine |title=Ukraine – World War I and the struggle for independence |access-date=2008-01-30 |encyclopedia=[[Encyclopædia Britannica]] |archive-date=15 June 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080615144832/http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-30076/Ukraine |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="UkrainianWeek16042018UwIbbb">{{citation |last=Tynchenko |first=Yaros |title=The Ukrainian Navy and the Crimean Issue in 1917–18 |url=http://ukrainianweek.com/History/105648 |work=[[The Ukrainian Week]] |date=23 March 2018 |access-date=October 14, 2018 |archive-date=11 November 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191111180649/https://ukrainianweek.com/History/105648 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="retrospective2014031918b">[https://iht-retrospective.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/03/29/1918-germany-takes-control-of-crimea/ Germany Takes Control of Crimea] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190930205920/https://iht-retrospective.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/03/29/1918-germany-takes-control-of-crimea/ |date=30 September 2019 }}, [[New York Herald]] (18 May 1918)</ref><ref name="harvard11181181bbb">[https://dash.harvard.edu/handle/1/11181181 War Without Fronts: Atamans and Commissars in Ukraine, 1917–1919] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190403174842/https://dash.harvard.edu/handle/1/11181181|date=3 April 2019}} by Mikhail Akulov, [[Harvard University]], August 2013 (page 102 and 103)</ref> The German and Austro-Hungarian victories in Ukraine were caused by the apathy of the locals and the inferior fighting skills of Bolsheviks troops to their Austro-Hungarian and German counterparts.<ref name="harvard11181181bbb"/><br />
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Under Soviet pressure, the Volunteer Army embarked on the epic Ice March from [[Krasnodar|Yekaterinodar]] to [[Kuban]] on 22 February 1918, where they joined with the Kuban Cossacks to mount an abortive assault on Yekaterinodar.{{sfn|Mawdsley|2007|p=29}} The Soviets recaptured Rostov on the next day.{{sfn|Mawdsley|2007|p=29}} Kornilov was killed in the fighting on 13 April, and Denikin took over command. Fighting off its pursuers without respite, the army succeeded in breaking its way through back towards the Don by May, where the Cossack uprising against the Bolsheviks had started.{{sfn|Kenez|2004a|pp=115–118}}<br />
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The Baku Soviet Commune was established on 13 April. Germany landed its Caucasus Expedition troops in [[Poti]] on 8 June. The Ottoman [[Army of Islam (Ottoman Empire)|Army of Islam]] (in coalition with [[Azerbaijan Democratic Republic|Azerbaijan]]) drove them out of Baku on 26 July 1918. Subsequently, the [[Armenian Revolutionary Federation|Dashanaks]], Right SRs and [[Menshevik]]s started negotiations with Gen. [[Lionel Dunsterville|Dunsterville]], the commander of the British troops in [[Persia]]. The Bolsheviks and their [[Left SR]] allies were opposed to it, but on 25 July the majority of the Soviets voted to call in the British and the Bolsheviks resigned. The Baku Soviet Commune ended its existence and was replaced by the Central Caspian Dictatorship.<br />
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In June 1918 the Volunteer Army, numbering some 9,000 men, started its [[Second Kuban campaign]], capturing Yekaterinodar on 16 August, followed by [[Armavir, Russia|Armavir]] and [[Stavropol]]. By early 1919, they controlled the [[Northern Caucasus]].{{sfn|Kenez|2004a|pp=166–174, 182, 189–190}}<br />
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On 8 October, Alekseev died. On 8 January 1919, Denikin became the Supreme Commander of the [[Armed Forces of South Russia]], uniting the Volunteer Army with [[Pyotr Krasnov]]'s [[Don Army]]. [[Pyotr Wrangel]] became Denikin's Chief of Staff.{{sfn|Kenez|2004a|pp=195, 204, 267–270}}<br />
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In December, three-fourths of the army was in the Northern Caucasus. That included three thousand of [[Vladimir Liakhov]]'s soldiers around [[Vladikavkaz]], thirteen thousand soldiers under Wrangel and Kazanovich in the center of the front, Stankevich's almost three thousand men with the Don Cossacks, while [[Vladimir May-Mayevsky]]'s three thousand were sent to the [[Donets basin]], and de Bode commanded two thousand in Crimea.{{sfn|Kenez|2004b|pp=28–29}}<br />
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===Eastern Russia, Siberia and the Far East (1918)===<br />
{{Main|Revolt of the Czechoslovak Legion|Committee of Members of the Constituent Assembly|Provisional All-Russian Government}}<br />
The revolt of the Czechoslovak Legion broke out in May 1918, and proceeded to occupy the [[Trans-Siberian Railway]] from [[Ufa]] to [[Vladivostok]]. Uprisings overthrew other Bolshevik towns. On 7 July, the western portion of the legion declared itself to be a new eastern front, anticipating allied intervention. According to [[William Henry Chamberlin]], "Two governments emerged as a result of the first successes of the Czechs: the [[Provisional Siberian Government (Omsk)|West Siberian Commissariat]] and the Government of the [[Committee of Members of the Constituent Assembly]] in Samara." On 17 July, shortly before the fall of [[Yekaterinburg]], the former tsar and his family were [[Execution of the Romanov family|murdered]].{{sfn|Chamberlin|1935|pp=6–12, 91}}<br />
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[[File:Bolshveki killed at Vladivostok.jpg|thumb|Czechoslovak legionaries of the 8th Regiment at [[Nikolsk-Ussuriysky]] killed by Bolsheviks, 1918. Above them stand also members of the Czechoslovak Legion.]]<br />
The Mensheviks and Socialist-Revolutionaries supported [[peasant]]s fighting against Soviet control of food supplies.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Muldoon |first=Amy |url=https://isreview.org/issue/107/workers-organizations-russian-revolution |title=Workers' Organizations in the Russian Revolution |website=International Socialist Review |access-date=20 February 2018 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180221100132/https://isreview.org/issue/107/workers-organizations-russian-revolution |archive-date=21 February 2018}}</ref> In May 1918, with the support of the Czechoslovak Legion, they took [[Samara Oblast|Samara]] and [[Saratov]], establishing the [[Committee of Members of the Constituent Assembly]]—known as the "Komuch". By July the authority of the Komuch extended over much of the area controlled by the Czechoslovak Legion. The Komuch pursued an ambivalent social policy, combining democratic and socialist measures, such as the institution of an [[eight hour day|eight-hour working day]], with "restorative" actions, such as returning both factories and land to their former owners. After the fall of [[Kazan]], Vladimir Lenin called for the dispatch of Petrograd workers to the Kazan Front: "We must send down the ''maximum'' number of Petrograd workers: (1) a few dozen 'leaders' like [[Benyamin Kayurov|Kayurov]]; (2) a few thousand militants 'from the ranks'".<br />
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After a series of reverses at the front, the Bolsheviks' War Commissar, Trotsky, instituted increasingly harsh measures in order to prevent unauthorised withdrawals, desertions, and mutinies in the Red Army. In the field, the Cheka Special Investigations Forces (termed the ''Special Punitive Department of the All-Russian Extraordinary Commission for Combat of Counter-Revolution and Sabotage'' or ''Special Punitive Brigades'') followed the Red Army, conducting field tribunals and summary executions of soldiers and officers who deserted, retreated from their positions, or failed to display sufficient offensive zeal.<ref>{{harvnb|Chamberlin|1987|p=31}} Frequently the deserters' families were taken hostage to force a surrender; a portion were customarily executed, as an example to the others.</ref>{{sfn|Daniels|1993|p=70}} The Cheka Special Investigations Forces were also charged with the detection of sabotage and counter-revolutionary activity by Red Army soldiers and commanders. Trotsky extended the use of the death penalty to the occasional political commissar whose detachment retreated or broke in the face of the enemy.{{sfn|Volkogonov|1996|p=175}} In August, frustrated at continued reports of Red Army troops breaking under fire, Trotsky authorised the formation of [[barrier troops]] – stationed behind unreliable Red Army units and given orders to shoot anyone withdrawing from the battle line without authorisation.<ref>{{harvnb|Volkogonov|1996|p=180}}: By December 1918 Trotsky had ordered the formation of special detachments to serve as blocking units throughout the Red Army.</ref><br />
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[[File:Kolchak1919troops.jpg|thumb|left|Admiral [[Alexander Kolchak]] reviewing the troops, 1919]]<br />
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In September 1918, the Komuch, the Siberian Provisional Government, and other anti-Bolshevik Russians agreed during the [[State Meeting in Ufa]] to form a new [[Provisional All-Russian Government]] in Omsk, headed by a Directory of five: two [[Socialist Revolutionary Party|Socialist-Revolutionaries]]. [[Nikolai Avksentiev]] and [[Vladimir Zenzinov]], the [[Kadet]] lawyer V. A. Vinogradov, Siberian Premier Vologodskii, and General [[Vasily Boldyrev]].{{sfn|Chamberlin|1935|pp=20–21}}<br />
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By the fall of 1918, anti-Bolshevik White forces in the east included the People's Army ([[Komuch]]), the Siberian Army (of the Siberian Provisional Government) and insurgent Cossack units of Orenburg, the Urals, Siberia, Semirechye, Baikal, and Amur and Ussuri Cossacks, nominally under the orders of Gen. V.G. Boldyrev, Commander-in-Chief, appointed by the Ufa Directorate.<br />
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On the Volga, Col. [[Vladimir Kappel|Kappel]]'s White detachment captured Kazan on 7 August, but Red Forces recaptured the city on 8 September 1918 following a counteroffensive. On the 11th [[Simbirsk]] fell, and on 8 October [[Samara, Russia|Samara]]. The Whites fell back eastwards to Ufa and Orenburg.<br />
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In Omsk, the Russian Provisional Government quickly came under the influence and later the dominance of its new War Minister, the rear-admiral [[Aleksandr Vasilevich Kolchak|Kolchak]]. On 18 November, a [[Kolchak Coup|coup d'état]] established Kolchak as supreme leader. Two members of the Directory were arrested, and subsequently deported, while Kolchak was proclaimed "Supreme Ruler", and "Commander-in-Chief of all Land and Naval Forces of Russia."{{sfn|Chamberlin|1935|pp=177–178}} By mid-December 1918, the White armies had to leave Ufa, but they balanced that failure with a successful drive towards [[Perm, Russia|Perm]], which they took on 24 December.<br />
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==== Barrier troops ====<br />
In the Red Army, the concept of barrier troops first arose in August 1918 with the formation of the заградительные отряды (''zagraditelnye otriady''), translated as "blocking troops" or "anti-retreat detachments" ({{langx|ru| заградотряды, заградительные отряды, отряды заграждения}}).<ref name=volko>Dmitri Volkogonov, ''Trotsky: The Eternal Revolutionary'', transl. and edited by Harold Shukman, HarperCollins Publishers, London (1996), p. 180</ref> The barrier troops comprised personnel drawn from the Cheka punitive detachments or from regular Red Army infantry regiments. <!-- The Red Army numbered some 2.9 million troops at the start of World War II.<ref>{{Cite book|title= Stalin and Stalinism|last= McCauley|first= Martin|publisher= Routledge|year= 2013|location= New York, New York|pages= 2099}}</ref> --><br />
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The first use of the barrier troops by the Red Army occurred in the late summer and fall of 1918 in the [[Eastern Front (RSFSR)|Eastern front]] during the Russian Civil War, when Leon Trotsky authorized [[Mikhail Tukhachevsky]], the commander of the [[1st Army (RSFSR)|1st Army]], to station blocking detachments behind unreliable Red Army infantry regiments in the 1st Red Army, with orders to shoot if front-line troops either deserted or retreated without permission.<ref name=volko/><br />
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In December 1918, Trotsky ordered that detachments of additional barrier troops be raised for attachment to each infantry formation in the Red Army. On December 18 he cabled: <blockquote>How do things stand with the blocking units? As far as I am aware they have not been included in our establishment and it appears they have no personnel. It is absolutely essential that we have at least an embryonic network of blocking units and that we work out a procedure for bringing them up to strength and deploying them.<ref name=volko/></blockquote><br />
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In 1919, 616 "hardcore" deserters of the total 837,000 draft dodgers and deserters were executed following Trotsky's draconian measures.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Reese |first1=Roger R. |title=Russia's Army: A History from the Napoleonic Wars to the War in Ukraine |date=3 October 2023 |publisher=University of Oklahoma Press |isbn=978-0-8061-9356-4 |page=109 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hWS2EAAAQBAJ&dq=trotsky+desertion+612&pg=PA109 |language=en}}</ref> According to Figes, "a majority of deserters (most registered as "weak-willed") were handed back to the military authorities, and formed into units for transfer to one of the rear armies or directly to the front". Even those registered as "malicious" deserters were returned to the ranks when the demand for reinforcements became desperate". Forges also noted that the Red Army instituted [[amnesty]] weeks to prohibit punitive measures against desertion which encouraged the voluntary return of 98,000-132,000 deserters to the army.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Figes |first1=Orlando |title=The Red Army and Mass Mobilization during the Russian Civil War 1918-1920 |journal=Past & Present |date=1990 |issue=129 |pages=168–211 |doi=10.1093/past/129.1.168 |jstor=650938 |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/650938 |issn=0031-2746}}</ref><br />
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The barrier troops were also used to enforce Bolshevik control over food supplies in areas controlled by the Red Army as part of Lenin's [[war communism]] policies, a role which soon earned them the hatred of the Russian civilian population.<ref>Lih, Lars T., ''Bread and Authority in Russia, 1914–1921'', University of California Press (1990), p. 131</ref><br />
These policies in part led to the [[Russian famine of 1921–1922]], which killed about five million people.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia|title=War Communism|encyclopedia=[[Encyclopaedia Britannica]] |author=((The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica)) |date=8 June 2023 |url=https://www.britannica.com/event/War-Communism}}{{dubious|date=December 2023}}</ref>{{sfn|Mawdsley|2007|p=[https://archive.org/details/russiancivilwar00evan/page/287 287]}} However, the famine was preceded by bad [[harvests]], harsh winter, [[drought]] especially in the [[Volga region|Volga Valley]] which was exacerbated by a range of factors including the war, the presence of the White Army and the methods of war communism.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Götz |first1=Norbert |last2=Brewis |first2=Georgina |last3=Werther |first3=Steffen |title=Humanitarianism in the Modern World: The Moral Economy of Famine Relief |date=23 July 2020 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=978-1-108-49352-9 |page=44 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wILoDwAAQBAJ&dq=war+communism+1921+famine&pg=PA44 |language=en}}</ref> The outbreaks of diseases such as [[cholera]] and [[typhus]] were also contributing factors to the famine casualties.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Heinzen |first1=James W. |title=Inventing a Soviet Countryside: State Power and the Transformation of Rural Russia, 1917-1929 |date=1 February 2004 |publisher=University of Pittsburgh Pre |isbn=978-0-8229-7078-1 |page=52 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qICRs_f68KQC&dq=cholera+russian+famine+1921&pg=PA52 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Raleigh |first1=Donald J. |title=Experiencing Russia's Civil War: Politics, Society, and Revolutionary Culture in Saratov, 1917-1922 |date=11 May 2021 |publisher=Princeton University Press |isbn=978-1-4008-4374-9 |page=202 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=U00gEAAAQBAJ&dq=cholera+russian+famine+1921&pg=PA202 |language=en}}</ref><br />
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===Central Asia (1918)===<br />
[[File:Europe map 1919.jpg|thumb|London Geographical Institute's 1919 map of [[Europe]] after Brest-Litovsk and [[Treaty of Batum|Batum]] and before the [[Treaty of Tartu (disambiguation)|treaties of Tartu]], [[Treaty of Kars|Kars]], and [[Peace of Riga|Riga]]]]<br />
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In February 1918, the Red Army overthrew the White Russian-supported Kokand Autonomy of Turkestan.{{sfn|Rakowska-Harmstone|1970|p=19}} Although that move seemed to solidify Bolshevik power in Central Asia, more troubles soon arose for the Red Army as the Allied Forces began to intervene. British support of the White Army provided the greatest threat to the Red Army in Central Asia during 1918. Britain sent three prominent military leaders to the area. One was Lieutenant Colonel [[Frederick Marshman Baile]], who recorded a mission to Tashkent, from where the Bolsheviks forced him to flee. Another was General [[Wilfrid Malleson]], leading the [[Malleson Mission]], who assisted the Mensheviks in Ashkhabad (now the capital of Turkmenistan) with a small Anglo-Indian force. However, he failed to gain control of Tashkent, Bukhara and Khiva. The third was Major General Dunsterville, who was driven out by the Bolsheviks of Central Asia only a month after his arrival in August 1918.{{sfn|Coates|Coates|1951|p=75}} Despite setbacks as a result of British invasions during 1918, the Bolsheviks continued to make progress in bringing the Central Asian population under their influence. The first regional congress of the Russian Communist Party convened in the city of Tashkent in June 1918 in order to build support for a local Bolshevik Party.{{sfn|Allworth|1967|p=232}}<br />
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===Left SR Uprising===<br />
{{Main|Left SR uprising|Yaroslavl Uprising}}<br />
On 6 July 1918, two [[Left Socialist-Revolutionaries]] and Cheka employees, [[Yakov Blumkin]] and Nikolai Andreyev, assassinated the German ambassador, Count [[Wilhelm Mirbach|Mirbach]]. In Moscow a [[Left SR uprising]] was put down by the Bolsheviks, mass arrests of Socialist-Revolutionaries followed, and executions became more frequent. Chamberlin noted, "The time of relative leniency toward former fellow-revolutionists was over. The Left Socialist Revolutionaries, of course, were no longer tolerated as members of the Soviets; from this time the Soviet regime became a pure and undiluted dictatorship of the Communist Party." Similarly, [[Boris Savinkov]]'s surprise attacks were suppressed, with many of the conspirators being executed, as "Mass Red Terror" became a reality.{{sfn|Chamberlin|1935|pp=50–59}}<br />
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===Estonia, Latvia and Petrograd===<br />
{{Main|Estonian War of Independence|Latvian War of Independence|Battle of Petrograd}}<br />
Estonia [[Estonian War of Independence|cleared its territory]] of the Red Army by January 1919.<ref>[http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/1514725/Baltic-War-of-Liberation Baltic War of Liberation] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141008052602/http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/1514725/Baltic-War-of-Liberation |date=8 October 2014}} Encyclopedia Britannica</ref> [[Baltische Landeswehr|Baltic German volunteers]] captured [[Riga]] from the Red [[Latvian Riflemen]] on 22 May, but the Estonian 3rd Division [[Battle of Cēsis (1919)|defeated]] the Baltic Germans a month later, aiding the establishment of the [[Republic of Latvia]].<ref name=axishistory>{{cite web |url=http://www.axishistory.com/index.php?id=6953 |title=Generalkommando VI Reservekorps|publisher=Axis History|access-date=11 April 2012|archive-date=4 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304090953/http://www.axishistory.com/index.php?id=6953|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
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[[File:NikolaiYudenich1916.jpeg|thumb|upright|General [[Nikolai Yudenich]]]]<br />
That rendered possible another threat to the Red Army, from General Yudenich, who had spent the summer organizing the Northwestern Army in Estonia with local and British support. In October 1919, he tried to capture Petrograd in a sudden assault with a force of around 20,000 men. The attack was well-executed, using night attacks and lightning cavalry maneuvers to turn the flanks of the defending Red Army. Yudenich also had six British tanks, which caused panic whenever they appeared. The Allies gave large quantities of aid to Yudenich, but he complained of receiving insufficient support.<br />
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By 19 October, Yudenich's troops had reached the outskirts of the city. Some members of the Bolshevik central committee in Moscow were willing to give up Petrograd, but Trotsky refused to accept the loss of the city and personally organized its defenses. Trotsky himself declared, "It is impossible for a little army of 15,000 ex-officers to master a working-class capital of 700,000 inhabitants." He settled on a strategy of urban defense, proclaiming that the city would "defend itself on its own ground" and that the White Army would be lost in a labyrinth of fortified streets and there "meet its grave".<ref>Williams, Beryl, ''The Russian Revolution 1917–1921'', Blackwell Publishing (1987), {{ISBN|978-0-631-15083-1}}, {{ISBN|0-631-15083-8}}</ref><br />
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Trotsky armed all available workers, men and women, and ordered the transfer of military forces from Moscow. Within a few weeks, the Red Army defending Petrograd had tripled in size and outnumbered Yudenich three to one. Yudenich, short of supplies, then decided to call off the siege of the city and withdrew. He repeatedly asked permission to withdraw his army across the border to Estonia. However, units retreating across the border were disarmed and interned by orders of the Estonian government, which had entered into peace negotiations with the Soviet Government on 16 September and had been informed by the Soviet authorities of their 6 November decision that if the White Army was allowed to retreat into Estonia, it would be pursued across the border by the Reds.{{sfn|Rosenthal|2006|p=516}} In fact, the Reds attacked Estonian army positions and fighting continued until a ceasefire went into effect on 3 January 1920. After the [[Treaty of Tartu (Russian–Estonian)|Treaty of Tartu]], most of Yudenich's soldiers went into exile. Former Imperial Russian and then Finnish General [[Mannerheim]] planned an intervention to help the Whites in Russia capture Petrograd. However, he did not gain the necessary support for the endeavour. Lenin considered it "completely certain, that the slightest aid from Finland would have determined the fate of [the city]".<br />
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===Northern Russia (1919)===<br />
{{Main|North Russia intervention}}<br />
The British occupied [[Murmansk]] and seized [[Arkhangelsk]] alongside United States forces. With the retreat of Kolchak in Siberia, they pulled their troops out of the cities before the winter trapped them in the port. The remaining White forces under [[Yevgeny Miller]] evacuated the region in February 1920.<ref>Ian C.D. Moffat, "The Allies Act—Murmansk and Archangel." in Ian C. D. Moffat. ed., ''The Allied Intervention in Russia, 1918–1920'' (Palgrave Macmillan, 2015). 68–82.</ref><br />
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===Siberia (1919)===<br />
[[File:Uniformes (koltchak) 001.jpg|thumb|right|Russian soldiers of the anti-Bolshevik [[Siberian Army]] in 1919]]<br />
At the beginning of March 1919, the general offensive of the Whites on the eastern front began. Ufa was retaken on 13 March; by mid-April, the White Army stopped at the [[Glazov]]–[[Chistopol]]–[[Bugulma]]–[[Buguruslan]]–Sharlyk line. Reds started their [[Eastern Front counteroffensive|counteroffensive against Kolchak's forces]] at the end of April. The Red 5th Army, led by the capable commander [[Tukhachevsky]], captured [[Elabuga]] on 26 May, [[Sarapul]] on 2 June and [[Izevsk]] on the 7th and continued to push forward. Both sides had victories and losses, but by the middle of summer the Red Army was larger than the White Army and had managed to recapture territory previously lost.<ref>Jonathan D. Smele, ''Civil war in Siberia: the anti-Bolshevik government of Admiral Kolchak, 1918–1920'' (Cambridge UP, 2006).</ref><br />
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Following the abortive offensive at Chelyabinsk, the White armies withdrew beyond the [[Tobol]]. In September 1919 a White offensive was launched against the Tobol Front, the last attempt to change the course of events. However, on 14 October the Reds counterattacked, and thus began the uninterrupted [[Great Siberian Ice March|retreat of the Whites to the east]]. On 14 November 1919 the Red Army captured Omsk.<ref>{{cite news|title=Bolsheviki Grain Near Petrograd|newspaper=New York Tribune|date=15 November 1919 |url=http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83030214/1919-11-15/ed-1/seq-4/|access-date=10 September 2010 |agency=[[Library of Congress]]|location=Washington, DC|page=4 |archive-date=12 October 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121012044429/http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83030214/1919-11-15/ed-1/seq-4/ |url-status=live}}</ref> Adm. Kolchak lost control of his government shortly after the defeat; White Army forces in Siberia had essentially ceased to exist by December. Retreat of the eastern front by White armies lasted three months, until mid-February 1920, when the survivors, after crossing Lake Baikal, reached the [[Chita, Zabaykalsky Krai|Chita]] area and joined [[Ataman Semenov]]'s forces.<br />
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===South Russia (1919)===<br />
[[File:За единую Россію.jpg|thumb|190px|right|Anti-Bolshevik propaganda poster "For united Russia" representing Soviet Russia as a fallen communist dragon and the White Cause as a crusading knight]]<br />
[[File:Polish-soviet propaganda poster 1920.jpg|thumb|210px|Anti-Polish Soviet propaganda poster, 1920]]<br />
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The Cossacks had been unable to organise and capitalise on their successes at the end of 1918. By 1919 they had begun to run short of supplies. Consequently, when the Soviet Russian counteroffensive began in January 1919 under the Bolshevik commander [[Vladimir Antonov-Ovseenko|Antonov-Ovseenko]], the Cossack forces rapidly fell apart. The Red Army captured Kiev on 3 February 1919.{{Sfn|Kenez|1977|p={{page needed|date=August 2023}}}}<br />
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[[Anton Denikin|Denikin]]'s military strength continued to grow in 1919, with significant munitions supplied by the [[British Empire|British empire]]. In January, Denikin's Armed Forces of South Russia (AFSR) completed the elimination of Red forces in the northern Caucasus and moved north, in an effort to [[Battle for the Donbas (1919)|protect the Don district]].{{sfn|Kenez|2004b|pp=20–35}}<br />
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On 18 December 1918, French forces landed in [[Odessa]] and Crimea, but evacuated Odessa on 6 April 1919, and the Crimea by the end of the month. According to Chamberlin, "France gave far less practical aid to the Whites than did England; its sole independent venture in intervention, at Odessa, ended in a complete fiasco."{{sfn|Chamberlin|1935|pp=151, 165–167}}<br />
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Denikin then reorganized the Armed Forces of South Russia under the leadership of [[Vladimir May-Mayevsky]], [[Vladimir Sidorin]], and [[Pyotr Wrangel]]. On 22 May, Wrangel's Caucasian army defeated the [[10th Army (RSFSR)]] in the battle for [[Velikoknyazheskaya]], and then captured Tsaritsyn on 1 July. Sidorin advanced north toward [[Voronezh]], increasing his army's strength in the process. On 25 June, May–Mayevsky captured [[Kharkov]], and then [[Ekaterinoslav]] on 30 June, which forced the Reds to abandon Crimea. On 3 July, Denikin issued his [[Advance on Moscow (1919)|Moscow directive]], in which his armies would converge on Moscow.{{sfn|Kenez|2004b|pp=37–41}}<br />
<br />
Although Britain had withdrawn its own troops from the theatre, it continued to give significant military aid (money, weapons, food, ammunition and some military advisers) to the White Armies during 1919. Major [[Ewen Cameron Bruce]] of the British Army had volunteered to command a British tank mission assisting the White Army. He was awarded the [[Distinguished Service Order]]<ref>{{Cite web|title=Distinguished Service Order citation for Bruce in the 1920 |work=London Gazette |url=http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/31875/supplements/4693/page.pdf}}</ref> for his bravery during the June 1919 [[Battle of Tsaritsyn]] for single-handedly storming and capturing the fortified city of Tsaritsyn, under heavy shell fire in a single tank, which led to the capture of over 40,000 prisoners.{{sfn|Kinvig|2006|p=225}} The fall of Tsaritsyn is viewed "as one of the key battles of the Russian Civil War" and greatly helped the White Russian cause.{{sfn|Kinvig|2006|p=225}} The notable historian [[Sir Basil Henry Liddell Hart]] comments that Bruce's tank action during the battle is to be seen as "one of the most remarkable feats in the whole history of the Tank Corps".<ref name="BasilLiddellHart">Liddell Hart, Basil. "The Tanks: The History Of The Royal Tank Regiment And Its Predecessors, Heavy Branch Machine-Gun Corps, Tank Corps And Royal Tank Corps, 1914–1945. Vol I". Cassell: 1959, p. 211.</ref><br />
<br />
On 14 August, the Bolsheviks launched their [[Southern Front counteroffensive]]. After six weeks of heavy fighting the counteroffensive failed, and Denikin was able to capture more territory. By November, White Forces had reached the [[Zbruch]], the Ukrainian-Polish border.{{sfn|Kenez|2004b|pp=43, 154}}<br />
<br />
[[File:Wrangel after worship Tsaritsyn 1919.jpg|thumb|left|General [[Pyotr Wrangel]] in [[Battle of Tsaritsyn|Tsaritsyn]], 15 October 1919]]<br />
<br />
Denikin's forces constituted a real threat and for a time threatened to reach Moscow. The Red Army, stretched thin by fighting on all fronts, was forced out of Kiev on 30 August. [[Kursk]] and [[Oryol|Orel]] were taken, on 20 September and 14 October, respectively. The latter, only {{Convert|205|mi|km}} from Moscow, was the closest the AFSR would come to its target.{{Sfn|Kenez|1977|p=44}} The Cossack [[Don Army]] under the command of General [[Vladimir Sidorin]] continued north towards [[Voronezh]], but [[Semyon Budyonny]]'s cavalrymen defeated them there on 24 October. That allowed the Red Army to cross the [[Don River (Russia)|Don River]], threatening to split the Don and Volunteer Armies. Fierce fighting took place at the key rail junction of Kastornoye, which was taken on 15 November. Kursk was retaken two days later.{{Sfn|Kenez|1977|p=218}}<br />
<br />
[[File:Klinom Krasnym Bej Belych.JPG|thumb|''[[Beat the Whites with the Red Wedge]]'', a Bolshevik [[Constructivism (art)|Constructivist]] propaganda poster by [[El Lissitzky]] that abstractly represents the defeat of the Whites by the Red Army]]<br />
<br />
Kenez states, "In October Denikin ruled more than forty million people and controlled the economically most valuable parts of the Russian Empire." Yet, "The White armies, which had fought victoriously during the summer and early fall, fell back in disorder in November and December." Denikin's front line was overstretched, while his reserves dealt with Makhno's anarchists in the rear. Between September and October, the Reds mobilized one hundred thousand new soldiers and adopted the Trotsky-[[Jukums Vācietis|Vācietis]] strategy with the Ninth and Tenth armies forming V. I. Shorin's Southeastern Front between Tsaritsyn and Bobrov, while the Eighth, Twelfth, Thirteenth, and Fourteenth armies formed [[Alexander Yegorov (soldier)|A. I. Egorov]]'s Southern Front between Zhitomir and Bobrov. [[Sergey Kamenev]] was in overall command of the two fronts. On Denikin's left was [[Abram Dragomirov]], while in his center was [[Vladimir May-Mayevsky]]'s Volunteer Army, [[Vladimir Sidorin]]'s Don Cossacks were further east, with Wrangel's Caucasian army at Tsaritsyn, and an additional was in the Northern Caucasus attempting to capture Astrakhan. On 20 October, May–Mayevsky was forced to evacuate Orel during the [[Orel-Kursk operation]]. On 24 October, [[Semyon Budyonny]] captured Voronezh, and Kursk on 15 November, during the [[Voronezh-Kastornoye operation (1919)]]. On 6 January, the Reds reached the Black Sea at Mariupol and Taganrog, and on 9 January, they reached Rostov. According to Kenez, "The Whites had now lost all the territories which they had captured in 1919, and held approximately the same area in which they had started two years before."{{sfn|Kenez|2004b|pp=213–223}}<br />
<br />
===Central Asia (1919)===<br />
By February 1919 the British government had pulled its military forces out of Central Asia.{{sfn|Allworth|1967|p=231}} Despite the success for the Red Army, the White Army's assaults in European Russia and other areas broke communication between Moscow and Tashkent. For a time, Central Asia was completely cut off from Red Army forces in Siberia.{{sfn|Coates|Coates|1951|p=76}} Although the communication failure weakened the Red Army, the Bolsheviks continued their efforts to gain support for the Bolshevik Party in Central Asia by holding a second regional conference in March. During the conference, a regional bureau of Muslim organisations of the Russian Bolshevik Party was formed. The Bolshevik Party continued to try to gain support among the native population by giving it the impression of better representation for the Central Asian population and throughout the end of the year could maintain harmony with the Central Asian people.{{sfn|Allworth|1967|pp=232–233}}<br />
<br />
Communication difficulties with Red Army forces in Siberia and European Russia ceased to be a problem by mid-November 1919. Red Army successes north of Central Asia caused communication with Moscow to be re-established and the Bolsheviks to claim victory over the White Army in Turkestan.{{sfn|Coates|Coates|1951|p=76}}<br />
<br />
In the Ural-Guryev operation of 1919–1920, the Red [[Turkestan Front]] defeated the [[Ural Army]]. During winter 1920, [[Ural Cossacks]] and their families, totaling about 15,000 people, headed south along the eastern coast of the Caspian Sea towards [[Fort-Shevchenko|Fort Alexandrovsk]]. Only a few hundred of them reached Persia in June 1920.{{sfn|Smele|2016|p=139}} The [[Orenburg Independent Army]] was formed from [[Orenburg Cossacks]] and other troops who rebelled against the Bolsheviks. During the winter 1919–20, the Orenburg Army retreated to [[Jetisu|Semirechye]] in what is known as the [[Starving March]], as half of the participants perished.{{sfn|Smele|2015|pp=1082–1083}} In March 1920 her remnants crossed the border into the Northwestern region of China.<br />
<br />
===South Russia, Ukraine and Kronstadt (1920–21)===<br />
[[File:Trotsky_on_a_Polish_poster_of_1920.jpg|thumb|Polish anti-Soviet poster depicting [[Leon Trotsky|Lev Trotsky]].{{efn|<poem>Small caption in the lower right corner reads:<br />
The Bolsheviks promised:<br />
We'll give you peace<br />
We'll give you freedom<br />
We'll give you land<br />
Work and bread<br />
Despicably they cheated<br />
They started a war<br />
With Poland<br />
Instead of freedom they brought<br />
The fist<br />
Instead of land – confiscation<br />
Instead of work – misery<br />
Instead of bread – famine.</poem>}}]]<br />
At the beginning of 1920, Denikin was reduced to defending Novorossia, the Crimean peninsula, and the Northern Caucasus. On 26 January, the Caucasian army retreated beyond the [[Manych]]. On 7 February, the Reds occupied Odessa, but then [[Makhnovshchina|Makhno's anarchists]] started fighting the Fourteenth Red Army. On 20 February, Denikin succeeded in recapturing Rostov, his last victory, before giving it up soon after.{{sfn|Kenez|2004b|pp=236–239}}<br />
<br />
By the beginning of 1920, the main body of the Armed Forces of South Russia was rapidly retreating towards the Don, to Rostov. Denikin hoped to hold the crossings of the Don, then rest and reform his troops, but the White Army was not able to hold the Don area, and at the end of February 1920 started a retreat across Kuban towards [[Novorossiysk]]. Slipshod [[Evacuation of Novorossiysk (1920)|evacuation of Novorossiysk]] proved to be a dark event for the White Army. Russian and Allied ships evacuated about 40,000 of Denikin's men from Novorossiysk to the Crimea, without horses or any heavy equipment, while about 20,000 men were left behind and either dispersed or were captured by the Red Army. Following the disastrous Novorossiysk evacuation, Denikin stepped down and the military council elected Wrangel as the new Commander-in-Chief of the White Army. He was able to restore order to the dispirited troops and reshape an army that could fight as a regular force again. It remained an organized force in the Crimea throughout 1920.<ref>Viktor G. Bortnevski, "White Administration and White Terror (the Denikin Period)." ''Russian Review'' 52.3 (1993): 354–366 [http://sites.bu.edu/revolutionaryrussia/files/2013/09/White-Propaganda-Efforts-in-the-South-during-the-Russian-Civil-War.pdf online] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200930231435/http://sites.bu.edu/revolutionaryrussia/files/2013/09/White-Propaganda-Efforts-in-the-South-during-the-Russian-Civil-War.pdf |date=30 September 2020 }}.</ref><br />
<br />
[[File:Tambov Rebellion.png|thumb|left|upright|The [[Tambov Rebellion]] was one of the largest and best-organised [[List of peasant revolts|peasant rebellion]]s challenging the Bolshevik regime]]<br />
After Moscow's Bolshevik government signed a [[Starobilsk agreement|military and political alliance]] with [[Nestor Makhno]] and the [[Ukrainian anarchists]], the [[Revolutionary Insurgent Army of Ukraine|Insurgent Army]] attacked and defeated several regiments of Wrangel's troops in southern Ukraine, forcing him to retreat before he could capture that year's grain harvest.<ref>Berland, Pierre, "Makhno", ''Le Temps'', 28 August 1934: In addition to supplying White Army forces and their sympathizers with food, a successful seizure of the 1920 Ukrainian grain harvest would have had a devastating effect on food supplies to Bolshevik-held cities, while depriving both Red Army and Ukrainian Insurgent Army troops of their usual bread rations.</ref><br />
<br />
Stymied in his efforts to consolidate his hold, Wrangel then attacked north in an attempt to take advantage of recent Red Army defeats at the close of the [[Polish–Soviet War]] of 1919–1920. The Red Army eventually halted the offensive, and Wrangel's troops had to retreat to [[Siege of Perekop (1920)|Crimea in November 1920]], pursued by both the Red and Black cavalry and infantry. [[Wrangel's fleet]] evacuated [[Evacuation of the Crimea (1920)|him and his army to Constantinople]] on 14 November 1920, ending the struggle of Reds and Whites in Southern Russia.{{Sfn|Kenez|1977|p={{page needed|date=August 2023}}}}<br />
<br />
After the defeat of Wrangel, the Red Army immediately repudiated its 1920 treaty of alliance with Nestor Makhno and attacked the anarchist Insurgent Army; the [[Bolshevik–Makhnovist conflict#Second phase (November 1920–August 1921)|campaign to liquidate Makhno and the Ukrainian anarchists]] began with an attempted assassination of Makhno by Cheka agents. Anger at continued repression by the Bolshevik Communist government and at its liberal use of the Cheka to put down anarchist elements led to a [[Kronstadt rebellion|naval mutiny at Kronstadt]] in March 1921, followed by peasant revolts – all of which were put down by the Bolsheviks. The outset of the year was marked by strikes and demonstrations – in both Moscow and Petrograd, as well as the countryside – due to discontent with the results of policies that made up [[war communism]].{{sfn|Daniels|1951|p=241}}{{sfn|Avrich|2004|p=41}} The Bolsheviks, in response to the protests, enacted martial law and sent the Red Army to disperse the workers.{{sfn|Chamberlin|1987|p=440}}{{sfn|Figes|1997|p=760}} This was followed up by mass arrests executed by the [[Cheka]].{{sfn|Avrich|2004|p=52}} Repression and minor concessions only temporarily quelled the discontent as Petrograd protests continued that year in March. This time the factory workers were joined by sailors stationed on the nearby island-fort of Kronstadt.{{sfn|Avrich|2004|p=73}} Disappointed in the direction of the Bolshevik government, the rebels demanded a series of reforms including: reduction in Bolshevik privileges, newly elected [[Soviet (council)|soviet]]s to include socialist and anarchist groups, economic freedom for peasants and workers, dissolution of the bureaucratic governmental organs created during the civil war, and the restoration of worker rights for the working class.<ref>{{cite web |last=Berkman |first=Alexander |url=https://archive.org/details/TheKronstandtRebellion/page/n11/mode/2up |title=The Kronstadt Rebellion |year=1922 |pages=10–11 }}</ref> The workers and sailors of the Kronstadt rebellion were promptly crushed by Red Army forces, with a thousand rebels killed in battle and another thousand executed the following weeks, with many more fleeing abroad and to the countryside.{{sfn|Figes|1997|p=767}}{{sfn|Avrich|1970|p=215}}{{sfn|Avrich|1970|pp=210–211}} These events coincided with the [[10th Congress of the Russian Communist Party (Bolsheviks)]]. There, Lenin argued that the soviets and the principle of [[democratic centralism]] within the Bolshevik party still assured democracy. However, faced with support for Kronstadt within Bolshevik ranks, Lenin also issued a "temporary" [[ban on factions in the Russian Communist Party]]. This ban remained until the [[revolutions of 1989]] and, according to some critics, made the democratic procedures within the party an empty formality, and helped Stalin to consolidate much more authority under the party. Soviets were transformed into the bureaucratic structure that existed for the rest of the history of the Soviet Union and were completely under the control of party officials and the [[Politburo of the CPSU Central Committee|politburo]].{{efn|See note regarding Library of Congress Country Studies. Chapter 7 – The Communist Party. Democratic Centralism.{{citation needed|date=August 2023}}}} Red Army attacks on the anarchist forces and their sympathisers increased in ferocity throughout 1921.<ref>{{cite journal |first=Peter C. |last=Mentzel |title=Chaos and Utopia: The Anarchists in the Russian Revolution and Civil War |journal=Independent Review |volume=22 |issue=2 |date=Fall 2017 |pages=173–181 |url= https://www.independent.org/pdf/tir/tir_22_2_03_mentzel.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200229193315/https://www.independent.org/pdf/tir/tir_22_2_03_mentzel.pdf |archive-date=29 February 2020}}; and {{cite book |first=Alexandre |last=Skirda |title=Nestor Makhno — Anarchy's Cossack: The Struggle for Free Soviets in the Ukraine, 1917–1921 |place=Chico CA |publisher=AK Press |year=2004 |isbn=9781902593685}}</ref><br />
<br />
===Siberia and the Far East (1920–22)===<br />
{{Main|Far Eastern Front in the Russian Civil War}}<br />
In Siberia, Admiral Kolchak's army had disintegrated. He himself gave up command after the loss of Omsk and designated Gen. [[Grigory Mikhaylovich Semyonov|Grigory Semyonov]] as the new leader of the White Army in Siberia. Not long afterward, Kolchak was arrested by the disaffected Czechoslovak Legion as he traveled towards [[Irkutsk]] without the protection of the army and was turned over to the socialist [[Political Centre (Russia)|Political Centre]] in Irkutsk. Six days later, the regime was replaced by a Bolshevik-dominated Military-Revolutionary Committee. On 6–7 February Kolchak and his prime minister Victor Pepelyaev were shot, and their bodies were thrown through the ice of the frozen Angara River, just before the arrival of the White Army in the area.{{sfn|Mawdsley|2007|pp=319–321}}<br />
<br />
Remnants of Kolchak's army reached [[Transbaikalia]] and joined Semyonov's troops, forming the Far Eastern army. With the support of the Japanese army, it was able to hold Chita, but after the withdrawal of Japanese soldiers from Transbaikalia, Semenov's position became untenable and in November 1920 he was driven by the Red Army from Transbaikalia and took refuge in China. The Japanese, who had plans to annex the [[Amur Krai]], finally pulled their troops out as Bolshevik forces gradually asserted control over the Russian Far East. On 25 October 1922 Vladivostok fell to the Red Army, and the [[Provisional Priamur Government]] was extinguished.<br />
<br />
==Aftermath==<br />
[[File:Europe in 1923.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|A map of Europe in 1923 after the [[revolutions of 1917–1923]]]]<br />
With the end of the war, the [[Russian Communist Party (Bolsheviks)]] no longer faced an acute military threat to its existence and power. However, the perceived threat of continued popular discontent, combined with the failure of socialist revolutions in other countries, such as the [[German revolution of 1918–1919]], contributed to the continued militarization of Soviet society.<br />
<br />
The Bolsheviks managed to consolidate control over [[Soviet Russia|Russia]], but were only partially successful at re-establishing territorial control of the other provinces of the former [[Russian Empire]]. The [[treaty of Riga]], which was signed in March 1921 after the [[Polish–Soviet War]], split the territories in [[Belarusian Democratic Republic|Belarus]] and [[Ukrainian People's Republic|Ukraine]] between the [[Second Polish Republic|Republic of Poland]] and Soviet Russia. [[Estonian War of Independence|Estonia]], [[Finnish Civil War|Finland]], [[Latvian War of Independence|Latvia]], and [[Lithuanian–Soviet War|Lithuania]] all repelled Soviet invasions, while [[Red Army invasion of Armenia|Armenia]], [[Red Army invasion of Azerbaijan|Azerbaijan]] and [[Red Army invasion of Georgia|Georgia]] were occupied by the Red Army.{{sfn|Lee|2003|pp=84, 88}}{{sfn|Goldstein|2013|p=50}} In 1925, the Russian Communist Party (Bolsheviks) changed its name to the [[All-Union Communist Party (Bolsheviks)]].<br />
<br />
===Evacuations===<br />
{{Main|White émigré}}<br />
{{See also|Evacuation of Novorossiysk (1920)|Evacuation of the Crimea}}<br />
[[File:Refugees on flatcars.jpg|thumb|Refugees on [[flatcar]]s]]<br />
Around one to two million people known as the [[White émigré]]s fled Russia, many with General Wrangel, some through the Far East and others west into the newly independent Baltic countries. The émigrés included a large percentage of the educated and skilled population of Russia.<ref>{{Cite book|last=|first=|title=Collective of authors. Revolution and Civil War in Russia: 1917-1923. Encyclopedia in 4 volumes -|publisher=|year=2008|isbn=|location=|pages=}}</ref><br />
<br />
===Ensuing rebellion===<br />
In Central Asia, Red Army troops continued to face resistance into 1923, where ''[[Basmachi Revolt|basmachi]]'' (armed bands of Islamic guerrillas) had formed to fight the Bolshevik takeover. The Soviets engaged non-Russian peoples in Central Asia, like [[Magaza Masanchi]], commander of the Dungan Cavalry Regiment, to fight against the Basmachis. The Communist Party did not completely dismantle the group until 1934.{{sfn|Wheeler|1964|p=107}}<br />
<br />
General [[Anatoly Pepelyayev]] [[Yakut Revolt|continued armed resistance]] in the [[Ayano-Maysky District]] until June 1923. The regions of [[Kamchatka]] and Northern [[Sakhalin]] remained under Japanese occupation until their [[Soviet–Japanese Basic Convention|treaty]] with the Soviet Union in 1925, when their forces were finally withdrawn.<br />
<br />
===Casualties===<br />
[[File:Streetkids RussianCivilWar.JPG|thumb|Street children during the Russian Civil War]]<br />
{{See also|Red Terror (Russia)|White Terror (Russia)}}<br />
The results of the civil war were momentous. Soviet demographer Boris Urlanis estimated that 300,000 men were killed in action during the Civil War and Polish-Soviet War – 125,000 in the Red Army, 175,500 White armies and Poles – and the total number of military personnel from both sides dead from disease as 450,000.<ref>Urlanis B. ''Wars and Population''. Moscow, Progress publishers, 1971.</ref> Boris Sennikov estimated the total losses among the population of [[Tambov Oblast|Tambov region]] in 1920 to 1922 resulting from the war, executions, and imprisonment in concentration camps as approximately 240,000.<ref>Sennikov, B.V. (2004). [http://rusk.ru/vst.php?idar=321701 ''Tambov rebellion and liquidation of peasants in Russia''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190330141755/https://rusk.ru/vst.php?idar=321701 |date=2019-03-30 }}. Moscow: Posev. In Russian. {{ISBN|5-85824-152-2}}</ref> By 1922, there were at least 7,000,000 [[street children]] in Russia as a result of nearly ten years of devastation from World War I and the civil war.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20130621173456/http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3763/is_/ai_n8801575 And Now My Soul Is Hardened: Abandoned Children in Soviet Russia, 1918–1930], Thomas J. Hegarty, Canadian Slavonic Papers</ref><br />
<br />
At the end of the Civil War the Russian SFSR was exhausted and near ruin. The droughts of 1920 and 1921, as well as the [[Russian famine of 1921]], worsened the disaster still further, killing roughly 5 million people. Disease had reached pandemic proportions, with 3,000,000 dying of [[typhus]] throughout the war. Millions more also died of widespread starvation, wholesale massacres by both sides and [[Pogroms of the Russian Civil War|pogroms against Jews in Ukraine and southern Russia]].<ref>{{cite web |last=Chapple |first=Amos |date=9 January 2019 |title=The Horror Of Russia's Civil War |url=https://www.rferl.org/a/the-horror-of-russias-civil-war-in-photos-from-red-cross-mission/29699442.html |website=Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty}}</ref><br />
<br />
====Civilian casualties====<br />
[[File:Victims of Soviet Famine 1922.jpg|thumb|Victims of the [[Russian famine of 1921]]]]<br />
As many as 10 million people died as a result of the Russian Civil War, and the overwhelming majority of these were civilian casualties.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Russian Civil War – Foreign intervention |url=https://www.britannica.com/event/Russian-Civil-War/Foreign-intervention |access-date=2023-01-31 |website=Britannica |language=en}}</ref> There is no consensus among the Western historians on the number of deaths from the Red Terror. One source gives estimates of 28,000 executions per year from December 1917 to February 1922.{{sfn|Ryan|2012|p=2}} Estimates for the number of people shot during the initial period of the Red Terror are at least 10,000.{{sfn|Ryan|2012|p=114}} Estimates for the whole period go for a low of 50,000<ref name="anatomy">Stone, Bailey (2013). ''The Anatomy of Revolution Revisited: A Comparative Analysis of England, France, and Russia''. Cambridge University Press. p. 335.</ref> to highs of 140,000<ref name="anatomy"/><ref>Pipes, Richard (2011). ''The Russian Revolution''. Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group. p. 838.</ref> and 200,000 executed.{{sfn|Lowe|2002|p=151}} Most estimations for the number of executions in total put the number at about 100,000.<ref>{{cite book |last=Lincoln |first=W. Bruce |author-link=W. Bruce Lincoln |year=1989 |title=Red Victory: A History of the Russian Civil War |publisher=Simon & Schuster |page=384 |isbn=0671631667 |quote=... the best estimates set the probable number of executions at about a hundred thousand.}}</ref> According to Vadim Erlikhman's investigation, the number of the Red Terror's victims is at least 1,200,000 people.<ref>{{cite book |last=Erlikhman |first=Vadim Viktorovich|author-link= |date=2004 |title=Poteri narodonaseleniya v XX veke. |trans-title=Population losses in the XX century |url=https://www.azstat.org/Kitweb/zipfiles/11553.pdf |location=Moscow |publisher=Russkaya panorama |page= |isbn=5-93165-107-1|language=ru}}</ref> According to [[Robert Conquest]], a total of 140,000 people were shot in 1917–1922, but Jonathan D. Smele estimates they were considerably fewer, "perhaps less than half that many".{{sfn|Smele|2015|p=934}} Candidate of Historical Sciences Nikolay Zayats states that the number of people shot by the Cheka in 1918–1922 is about 37,300 people, shot in 1918–1921 by the verdicts of the tribunals — 14,200, i.e. about 50,000–55,000 people in total, although executions and atrocities were not limited to the Cheka, having been organized by the Red Army as well.<ref>[https://scepsis.net/library/id_3807.html К вопросу о масштабах красного террора в годы Гражданской войны]</ref><ref>{{cite news |title="Красный террор": 1918– ...? |url=https://www.svoboda.org/a/29475805.html |newspaper=Радио Свобода |date=7 September 2018 |trans-title=The Red Terror: 1918– ...?}}</ref> In 1924, an anti-Bolshevik [[Popular Socialists (Russia)|Popular Socialist]] [[Sergei Melgunov]] (1879–1956) published a detailed account on the Red Terror in Russia, where he cited Professor [[Charles Saroléa]]'s estimates of 1,766,188 deaths from the Bolshevik policies. He questioned the accuracy of the figures, but endorsed Saroléa's "characterisation of terror in Russia", stating it matches reality.<ref>Часть IV. На гражданской войнe. // ''[[Sergei Melgunov]]'' [http://lib.ru/POLITOLOG/MELGUNOW/terror.txt «Красный террор» в России 1918—1923.]&nbsp;— 2-ое изд., доп.&nbsp;— Берлин, 1924</ref><ref>{{cite book |language=de |last=Melgunov |first=Sergei Petrovich |author-link=Sergei Melgunov |date=2008 |orig-date=1924 |title=Der rote Terror in Russland 1918–1923 |type=reprint of the 1924 Olga Diakow edition |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=S3FGAQAAIAAJ |location=Berlin |publisher=OEZ |page=186, note 182 |quote= |isbn=9783940452474}} An online English translation of the second edition of Melgunov's work is accessible at [https://archive.org/details/RedTerrorInRussia1918-1923 Internet Archive], whence the following translated text is drawn (p. 85, note n. 128): "Professor [[Charles Saroléa|[Charles] Sarolea]], who published a series of articles about Russia in Edinburgh newspaper "The Scotsman" touched upon the death statistics in an essay on terror (No. 7, November 1923.). He summarized the outcome of the Bolshevik massacre as follows: 28 bishops, 1219 clergy, 6000 professors and teachers, 9000 doctors, 54,000 officers, 260,000 soldiers, 70,000 policemen, 12,950 landowners, 355,250 professionals, 193,290 workers, 815,000 peasants. The author did not provide the sources of that data. Needless to say that the precise counts seem [too] fictional, but the author's [characterisation] of terror in Russia in general matches reality." The note is somewhat abbreviated in the 1925 English edition indicated in the bibliography: in particular, there is no mention of the imaginative nature of the data (p. 111, note n. 1).</ref> Modern historian Sergei Volkov, assessing the Red Terror as the entire repressive policy of the Bolsheviks during the years of the Civil War (1917–1922), estimates the direct death toll of the Red Terror at 2 million people.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.iskupitel.info/node/770 |title=Istorik Sergey Volkov: "Geneticheskomu fondu Rossii byl nanesen chudovishchnyy, ne vospolnennyy do sego vremeni, uron" |trans-title=Historian Sergei Volkov: "Russia's genetic pool suffered monstrous damage, so far not repaired" (interview with the famous historian of the Civil War, Doctor of Historical Sciences Sergei Vladimirovich Volkov) |author=Perevozchikov', Artyom |date=9 September 2010 |website=iskupitel.info |publisher=Monarxist |access-date=9 May 2023 }}</ref> Volkov's calculations, however, do not appear to have been confirmed by other major scholars.{{efn|In particular, they seem quite at odds with the demographic considerations elaborated by Italian historian and professor [[:it:Andrea Graziosi|Andrea Graziosi]] in the light of the good quality Tsarist and early Soviet statistics. According to him, the [[Excess mortality|excess deaths]] between 1914 and 1922 were about 16 million, of which 4–5 were military, the rest civilian; the overwhelming majority of the latter resulted from "starvation, typhus, epidemics, the [[Spanish flu]] and the famine of 1921–22", the roughly number of "victims of the various kinds of terror, and red and white repressions" amounting to a few hundred thousand— which is indeed a dreadful number in itself, however.{{sfn|Graziosi|2007|pp=171 & 570}}}}<br />
<br />
====Ethnic violence====<br />
{{See also|Pogroms during the Russian Civil War}}<br />
[[File:Khodorkiv Pogrom.jpg|thumb|Victims of a pogrom perpetrated by Ukrainian forces in Khodorkiv, 1919]]<br />
Some 10,000–500,000 [[Cossacks]] were killed or deported during [[Decossackization]], out of a population of around three million.{{sfn|Gellately|2007|pp=70–71}} An estimated 100,000 Jews were killed in Ukraine.<ref>{{cite journal |doi=10.2307/131078 |first=Peter |last=Kenez |title=The Prosecution of Soviet History: A Critique of Richard Pipes' ''The Russian Revolution'' |journal=Russian Review |volume=50|issue=3|year=1991 |pages=345–351 |jstor=131078}}</ref> Punitive organs of the All Great Don Cossack Host sentenced 25,000 people to death between May 1918 and January 1919.{{sfn|Holquist|2002|p=164}} Kolchak's government shot 25,000 people in Ekaterinburg province alone.<ref>{{cite web |website=Cult Info |url=http://www.cultinfo.ru/fulltext/1/001/008/063/073.htm |script-title=ru:Колчаковщина|language=ru|archive-url=https://archive.today/20050510090417/http://www.cultinfo.ru/fulltext/1/001/008/063/073.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=2005-05-10}}</ref> The White Terror, as it would become known, killed about 300,000 people in total.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Потери народонаселения в XX веке.|last=Эрлихман|first=Вадим|publisher=Издательский дом «Русская панорама»|year=2004|isbn=5931651071}}</ref><br />
<br />
===Economic impact===<br />
The civil war had a devastating impact on the Russian economy. A [[black market]] emerged in Russia, despite the threat of [[martial law]] against profiteering. The [[Russian ruble|ruble]] collapsed, with barter increasingly replacing money as a medium of exchange<ref name="DaviesHarrison1993">{{cite book|author1=R. W. Davies|author2=Mark Harrison|author3=S. G. Wheatcroft|title=The Economic Transformation of the Soviet Union, 1913–1945|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7ULWRnskfr4C&pg=PA6|date=9 December 1993|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=978-0-521-45770-5|page=6}}</ref> and, by 1921, heavy industry output had fallen to 20% of 1913 levels. 90% of wages were paid with goods rather than money.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Bread and Authority in Russia, 1914-1921|url=https://publishing.cdlib.org/ucpressebooks/view?docId=ft796nb4mj&chunk.id=d0e9364&toc.id=&brand=ucpress|access-date=2021-10-27|website=publishing.cdlib.org}}</ref> 70% of locomotives were in need of repair,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Russian Civil War - Intervention, Allies, Bolsheviks {{!}} Britannica |url=https://www.britannica.com/event/Russian-Civil-War/Foreign-intervention |access-date=2024-02-14 |website=www.britannica.com |language=en}}</ref> and food requisitioning, combined with the effects of seven years of war and a severe drought, contributed to a famine that caused between 3 and 10 million deaths.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://necrometrics.com/20c5m.htm#RCW|title=Twentieth Century Atlas – Death Tolls|website=necrometrics.com|access-date=2017-12-12}}</ref> Coal production decreased from 27.5 million tons (1913) to 7 million tons (1920), while overall factory production also declined from 10,000 million roubles to 1,000 million roubles. According to the noted historian David Christian, the grain harvest was also slashed from 80.1 million tons (1913) to 46.5 million tons (1920).<ref>{{cite book|last=Christian|first=David|title=Imperial and Soviet Russia|year=1997|publisher=Macmillan Press Ltd|location=London|isbn=0-333-66294-6|page=236}}</ref><br />
<br />
[[War communism]] saved the Soviet government during the Civil War, but much of the Russian economy had ground to a standstill. Some peasants responded to [[Prodrazvyorstka|food requisitions]] by refusing to till the land. By 1921, cultivated land had shrunk to 62% of the pre-war area, and the harvest yield was only about 37% of normal. The number of horses declined from 35&nbsp;million in 1916 to 24&nbsp;million in 1920 and cattle from 58 to 37&nbsp;million. The exchange rate with the US dollar declined from two [[roubles]] in 1914 to 1,200&nbsp;Rbls in 1920. Although Russia experienced extremely rapid economic growth<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://nintil.com/the-soviet-union-gdp-growth/|title=The Soviet Union: GDP growth|date=2016-03-26|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200517053259/https://nintil.com/the-soviet-union-gdp-growth/|archive-date=2020-05-17}}</ref> in the 1930s, the combined effect of World War I and the Civil War left a lasting scar on Russian society and had permanent effects on the development of the Soviet Union.<br />
<br />
===Political impact===<br />
{{See also|Treaty of Rapallo (1922)}}<br />
The complete failure of the [[Communist International]]-inspired revolutions was a sobering experience in Moscow, and the Bolsheviks moved from [[world revolution]] to [[socialism in one country]], the [[United Soviet Socialist Republics|Soviet Union]].<ref>Rex A. Wade, "The Revolution at One Hundred: Issues and Trends in the English Language Historiography of the Russian Revolution of 1917." ''Journal of Modern Russian History and Historiography'' 9.1 (2016): 9-38.</ref><br />
<br />
The [[Treaty of Rapallo (1922)]] was an agreement signed on 16 April 1922 between the [[Weimar Republic]] and Soviet Union, under which both renounced all territorial and financial claims against each other and opened friendly diplomatic relations.<ref name=Mueller>{{Cite journal |last=Mueller |first=Gordon H. |date=1976 |title=Rapallo Reexamined: A New Look at Germany's Secret Military Collaboration with Russia in 1922 |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/1986524 |journal=Military Affairs |volume=40 |issue=3 |pages=109–117 |doi=10.2307/1986524 |jstor=1986524 |issn=0026-3931}}</ref><br />
<br />
==In fiction==<br />
===Literature===<br />
The Civil War was a popular theme among the [[Socialist realism]] writers; it was championed in the works of such authors as [[Dmitri Furmanov]] (''[[:de:Tschapajew (Roman)|Chapayev]]'', 1923), [[Alexander Serafimovich]], [[Vsevolod Vishnevsky]] (''[[An Optimistic Tragedy]]'', 1933) and [[Alexander Fadeyev (writer)|Aleksandr Fadeyev]]; one of the best-known examples is the novel ''[[How the Steel Was Tempered]]'' (1934) by [[Nikolai Ostrovsky]].<br />
* ''[[The Road to Calvary]]'' (1922–1941) by [[Aleksey Nikolayevich Tolstoy]].<br />
Other prominent works of fiction by the Soviet writers that didn't follow the methods and doctrine of Socialist realism include:<br />
* ''[[The White Guard]]'' (1925) and ''[[A Young Doctor's Notebook]]'' (1925–1926) by [[Mikhail Bulgakov]]<br />
* ''[[Red Cavalry]]'' (1926–1933) by [[Isaac Babel]]<br />
* ''[[Chevengur]]'' (1927, fully published in 1971) by [[Andrei Platonov]]<br />
* ''[[And Quiet Flows the Don|Quiet Flows the Don]]'' (1928–1940) by [[Mikhail Sholokhov]]<br />
* ''Conquered City'' (1932) by [[Victor Serge]]<br />
* ''[[Doctor Zhivago (novel)|Doctor Zhivago]]'' (1957) by [[Boris Pasternak]]<br />
* ''[[The Red Wheel]] (1971–1991)'' by [[Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn]]<br />
by the [[White émigré|White ''émigré'']] authors:<br />
* ''An Evening with Claire'' (1930) by [[Gaito Gazdanov]]<br />
* ''[[Novel with Cocaine]]'' (1934) by [[M. Ageyev]]<br />
Works by the Western and contemporary authors:<br />
* ''Futility'' (1922) by [[William Gerhardie]]<br />
* ''[[Coup de Grâce (novel)|Coup de Grâce]]'' (1939) by [[Marguerite Yourcenar]]<br />
* ''[[Byzantium Endures]]'' (1981) by [[Michael Moorcock]]<br />
* ''[[Fall of Giants]]'' (2010) by [[Ken Follett]]<br />
* ''[[Bro (novel)|Bro]]'' (2011) by [[Vladimir Sorokin]]<br />
* ''A Splendid Little War'' (2012) by [[Derek Robinson (novelist)]]<br />
<br />
===Film===<br />
* ''[[Arsenal (1929 film)|Arsenal]]'' (1928)<br />
* ''[[Storm Over Asia (1928 film)|Storm Over Asia]]'' (1928)<br />
* ''[[Chapaev (film)|Chapaev]]'' (1934)<br />
* ''Thirteen'' (1936), directed by [[Mikhail Romm]]<br />
* ''We Are from Kronstadt'' (1936), directed by [[Efim Dzigan|Yefim Dzigan]]<br />
* ''[[Knight Without Armour]]'' (1937)<br />
* ''The Year 1919'' (1938), directed by [[Ilya Trauberg]]<br />
* ''The Baltic Marines'' (1939), directed by A. Faintsimmer<br />
* ''[[Shchors (film)|Shchors]]'' (1939), directed by Dovzhenko<br />
* ''[[How the Steel Was Tempered|Pavel Korchagin]]'' (1956), directed by A. Alov and V. Naumov<br />
* ''[[The Forty-First (1956 film)|The Forty-First]]'' (1956), directed by [[Grigori Chukhrai]]<br />
* ''[[The Communist (film)]]'' (1957), directed by [[Yuli Raizman]]<br />
* ''[[And Quiet Flows the Don (film)|And Quiet Flows the Don]]'' (1958), directed by [[Sergei Gerasimov (film director)|Sergei Gerasimov]]<br />
* ''[[Doctor Zhivago (film)|Doctor Zhivago]]'' (1965), directed by [[David Lean]]<br />
* ''[[The Elusive Avengers]]'' (1966)<br />
* ''[[The Red and the White (film)|The Red and the White]]'' (1967)<br />
* ''[[White Sun of the Desert]]'' (1970)<br />
* ''[[The Flight (1970 film)|The Flight]]'' (1970), directed by A. Alov and V. Naumov<br />
* ''[[Reds (film)|Reds]]'' (1981), directed by [[Warren Beatty]]<br />
* ''[[Corto Maltese|Corto Maltese in Siberia]]'' (2002)<br />
* ''[[Nine Lives of Nestor Makhno]]'' (2005/2007)<br />
* ''[[The Admiral (2008 film)|Admiral]]'' (2008)<br />
* ''[[Sunstroke (2014 film)|Sunstroke]]'' (2014), directed by [[Nikita Mikhalkov]]<br />
<br />
===Video games===<br />
* ''[[Last Train Home (video game)]]'' (2023)<br />
* ''[[Battlefield 1|Battlefield 1 In the Name of the Tsar]]'' (2017)<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.ea.com/games/battlefield/news/volga-all-you-need-to-know | title=Volga River: All You Need to Know | date=4 September 2017 }}</ref><br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
{{Portal|Soviet Union}}<br />
* [[Bibliography of the Russian Revolution and Civil War]]<br />
* [[Index of articles related to the Russian Revolution and Civil War]]<br />
* [[Nikolayevsk incident]]<br />
* [[Revolutionary Mass Festivals]]<br />
* [[Timeline of the Russian Civil War]]<br />
* [[Pro-independence movements in the Russian Civil War]]<br />
<br />
== Notes ==<br />
{{notelist}}<br />
<br />
== References ==<br />
=== Citations ===<br />
{{Reflist}}<br />
<br />
=== Bibliography ===<br />
{{See also|Bibliography of the Russian Revolution and Civil War}}<br />
{{Refbegin|30em|indent=true}}<br />
* {{cite book |last1=Krivosheev |first1=G. |last2=Andronikov |first2=V. |last3=Gurkin |first3=V. |last4=Kruglov |first4=A. |last5=Rodionov |first5=E. |last6=Filimoshin |first6=M. |language=ru |script-title=ru:Гриф секретности снят: Потери вооружённых сил СССР в войнах, боевых действиях и конфликтах |trans-title=The secrecy stamp has been lifted: Losses of the USSR armed forces in wars, hostilities and conflicts |publisher=Воениздат |date=1993 |isbn=5-203-01400-0 |chapter=Людские потери красной армии в период гражданской войны и военной интервенции |trans-chapter=Human losses of the Red Army during the Civil War and military intervention }}<br />
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* {{Cite book |last=Thompson |first=John M. |url=https://archive.org/details/visionunfulfille00thom |title=A Vision Unfulfilled. Russia and the Soviet Union in the Twentieth Century |publisher=D. C. Heath |year=1996 |isbn=978-0-669-28291-7 |location=Lexington, MA |url-access=registration}}<br />
* {{Cite book |last=Volkogonov |first=Dmitri |title=Trotsky: The Eternal Revolutionary |publisher=HarperCollins |year=1996 |isbn=978-0-002-55272-1 |location=London |translator-last=Shukman |translator-first=Harold}}<br />
* {{Cite book |last1=Werth |first1=Nicolas |title=Black Book of Communism: Crimes, Terror, Repression |last2=Bartosek |first2=Karel |last3=Panne |first3=Jean-Louis |last4=Margolin |first4=Jean-Louis |last5=Paczkowski |first5=Andrzej |last6=Courtois |first6=Stephane |publisher=Harvard University Press |year=1999 |isbn=0-674-07608-7}}<br />
* {{Cite book |last=Wheeler |first=Geoffrey |title=The Modern History of Soviet Central Asia |publisher=Frederick A. Praeger |year=1964 |location=New York |oclc=865924756}}<br />
*{{cite book |last=Humphreys |first=Leonard A. |year=1996 |title=The Way of the Heavenly Sword: The Japanese Army in the 1920s |publisher=Stanford University Press |isbn=0-8047-2375-3}}<br />
*{{Cite book |last1=Tucker |first1=Spencer |last2=Roberts |first2=Priscilla M. |url=https://www.academia.edu/31690780 |title= World War I: A Student Encyclopedia |publisher= ABC-CLIO |year=2005 |isbn= 1851098798 |location=Santa Barbara, CA |url-access=registration}}<br />
{{refend}}<br />
<br />
==Further reading==<br />
{{refbegin}}<br />
* Acton, Edward, V. et al. eds. ''Critical companion to the Russian Revolution, 1914–1921'' (Indiana UP, 1997).<br />
* Brovkin, Vladimir N. (1994). ''Behind the Front Lines of the Civil War: Political Parties and Social Movements in Russia, 1918–1922''. Princeton UP. [https://www.amazon.comdp/0691633770/ excerpt] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200728140214/https://www.amazon.com/Behind-Front-Lines-Civil-War/dp/0691633770/ |date=28 July 2020 }}<br />
* Dupuy, T. N. ''The Encyclopedia of Military History'' (many editions) Harper & Row Publishers.<br />
* Ford, Chris. "Reconsidering the Ukrainian Revolution 1917–1921: The Dialectics of National Liberation and Social Emancipation." ''Debatte'' 15.3 (2007): 279–306.<br />
* [[Peter Kenez]]. ''Civil War in South Russia, 1918: The First Year of the Volunteer Army'' (U of California Press, 1971).<br />
* Lincoln, W. Bruce. ''Red victory: A history of the Russian Civil War'' (1989).<br />
* Luckett, Richard. ''The White Generals: An Account of the White Movement and the Russian Civil War'' (Routledge, 2017).<br />
* Marples, David R. ''Lenin's Revolution: Russia, 1917–1921'' (Routledge, 2014).<br />
* Moffat, Ian, ed. ''The Allied Intervention in Russia, 1918–1920: The Diplomacy of Chaos'' (2015)<br />
* Polyakov, Yuri. ''[https://archive.org/details/civilwarrussia The Civil War in Russia: Its Causes and Significance]'' (Novosti, 1981).<br />
* Serge, Victor. ''Year One of the Russian Revolution'' (Haymarket, 2015).<br />
* Smele, Jonathan D. "Still Searching for the 'Third Way': Geoffrey Swain's Interventions in the Russian Civil Wars". ''Europe-Asia Studies'' 68.10 (2016): 1793–1812. {{doi|10.1080/09668136.2016.1257094}}.<br />
* Smele, Jonathan D. "'If Grandma had Whiskers...': Could the Anti-Bolsheviks have won the Russian Revolutions and Civil Wars? Or, the Constraints and Conceits of Counterfactual History." ''Revolutionary Russia'' (2020): 1–32. {{doi|10.1080/09546545.2019.1675961}}.<br />
* Stewart, George. ''The White Armies of Russia: A Chronicle of Counter-Revolution and Allied Intervention'' (2008) [https://www.amazon.com/Armies-Russia-Chronicle-Counter-Revolution-Intervention/dp/1847349765/ excerpt] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150627113844/http://www.amazon.com/Armies-Russia-Chronicle-Counter-Revolution-Intervention/dp/1847349765 |date=27 June 2015 }}<br />
* Stone, David R. "The Russian Civil War, 1917–1921," in ''The Military History of the Soviet Union''.<br />
* Swain, Geoffrey (2015). ''The Origins of the Russian Civil War'' [https://www.amazon.com/dp/1138837458/ excerpt] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200728140217/https://www.amazon.com/Origins-Russian-Civil-Modern-Wars/dp/1138837458/ |date=28 July 2020 }}<br />
<br />
===Primary sources===<br />
* Butt, V. P., et al., eds. ''The Russian Civil War: Documents from the Soviet Archives'' (Springer, 2016).<br />
* McCauley, Martin, ed. ''The Russian Revolution and the Soviet State 1917–1921: Documents'' (Springer, 1980).<br />
* Murphy, A. Brian, ed. ''The Russian Civil War: Primary Sources'' (Springer, 2000) [https://journals.openedition.org/monderusse/4022 online review] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200627165622/https://journals.openedition.org/monderusse/4022 |date=27 June 2020 }}<br />
{{refend}}<br />
<br />
==External links==<br />
{{Commons category|Civil war of Russia}}<br />
{{Wikiquote}}<br />
{{Library resources box}}<br />
* [https://www.net-film.ru/en/found-page-1/?search=1917-1935qcivil+war+in+Russia Newsreels about Russian Civil War // Net-Film Newsreels and Documentary Films Archive]<br />
* Sumpf, Alexandre: [https://encyclopedia.1914-1918-online.net/article/russian_civil_war Russian Civil War], in: [https://encyclopedia.1914-1918-online.net/home.html 1914–1918 online. International Encyclopedia of the First World War].<br />
* Mawdsley, Evan: [https://encyclopedia.1914-1918-online.net/article/international_responses_to_the_russian_civil_war_russian_empire International Responses to the Russian Civil War (Russian Empire)], in: [https://encyclopedia.1914-1918-online.net/home.html 1914–1918 online. International Encyclopedia of the First World War].<br />
* Read, Christopher: [https://encyclopedia.1914-1918-online.net/article/revolutions_russian_empire Revolutions (Russian Empire)], in: [https://encyclopedia.1914-1918-online.net/home.html 1914–1918 online. International Encyclopedia of the First World War].<br />
* Peeling, Siobhan: [https://encyclopedia.1914-1918-online.net/article/war_communism War Communism], in: [https://encyclopedia.1914-1918-online.net/home.html 1914–1918 online. International Encyclopedia of the First World War].<br />
* Beyrau, Dietrich: [https://encyclopedia.1914-1918-online.net/article/post-war_societies_russian_empire Post-war Societies (Russian Empire)], in: [https://encyclopedia.1914-1918-online.net/home.html 1914–1918 online. International Encyclopedia of the First World War].<br />
* Brudek, Pawe³: [https://encyclopedia.1914-1918-online.net/article/revolutions_east_central_europe Revolutions (East Central Europe)], in: [https://encyclopedia.1914-1918-online.net/home.html 1914–1918 online. International Encyclopedia of the First World War].<br />
* Melancon, Michael S.: [https://encyclopedia.1914-1918-online.net/article/social_conflict_and_control_protest_and_repression_russian_empire Social Conflict and Control, Protest and Repression (Russian Empire)], in: [https://encyclopedia.1914-1918-online.net/home.html 1914–1918 online. International Encyclopedia of the First World War].<br />
* [http://libcom.org/library/russian-revolution Russian Revolution and Civil War archive at libcom.org/library] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140907125245/http://libcom.org/library/russian-revolution |date=7 September 2014 }}<br />
* [https://www.bbc.co.uk/history/worldwars/wwone/eastern_front_01.shtml "BBC History of the Russian Revolution"] (3 February 2007)<br />
* [http://www.spartacus-educational.com/RUScivilwar.htm "Russian Civil War"] (Spartacus History, downloaded 3 January 2006)<br />
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20051221100007/http://www.onwar.com/aced/data/romeo/russia1918.htm "Russian Civil War 1918–1920"] (On War website, downloaded 4 January 2006)<br />
* [http://www.answers.com/topic/civil-war-of-1917-1922 "Civil War of 1917–1922 at Encyclopedia of Russian History] (3 February 2007)<br />
<br />
{{World War I}}<br />
{{Russian Civil War|collapsed}}<br />
{{Russian Revolution 1917}}<br />
{{Russian Conflicts}}<br />
{{Soviet Union topics}}<br />
{{Authority control}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Russian Civil War| ]]<br />
[[Category:1910s in Russia]]<br />
[[Category:1920s in Russia]]<br />
[[Category:1920s in the Soviet Union]]<br />
[[Category:Civil wars in Russia]]<br />
[[Category:Civil wars of the 20th century]]<br />
[[Category:Revolution-based civil wars]]<br />
[[Category:Russian Revolution|*Civil War]]<br />
[[Category:Wars involving Chechnya]]<br />
[[Category:Wars involving Soviet Russia (1917–1922)]]<br />
[[Category:Wars involving the Soviet Union]]<br />
[[Category:1910s conflicts]]<br />
[[Category:1920s conflicts]]<br />
[[Category:Wars involving Ukraine]]<br />
[[Category:Wars involving the Ottoman Empire]]<br />
[[Category:Wars involving the Circassians]]</div>Boackandwhitehttps://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Eastern_Front_of_the_Russian_Civil_War&diff=1267389540Eastern Front of the Russian Civil War2025-01-04T22:30:22Z<p>Boackandwhite: </p>
<hr />
<div>{{Short description|Siberian front of the Russian Civil War}}<br />
{{refimprove|date=October 2012}}<br />
{{Expand Russian|Восточный фронт Русской армии|date=February 2020}}<br />
{{Warbox<br />
| conflict = Eastern Front<br />
| partof = the [[Russian Civil War]]<br />
| campaign = <br />
| image = Kolchak troop inspection.jpg<br />
| image_size = 300<br />
| caption = [[Alexander Kolchak|Kolchak]] inspecting White Russian troops<br />
| date = [[Revolt of the Czechoslovak Legion|May 14, 1918]] – [[Yakut Revolt|June 16, 1923]]<br />
| place = [[Volga Region|Volga]], [[Ural (region)|Ural]], [[Siberia]], [[Russian Far East|Far East]], [[Mongolia]]<br />
| result = [[Bolshevik]] victory<br />
* Collapse of [[White movement|White]] and [[anti-Soviet]] Resistance<br />
| combatant1 = '''[[Bolshevik|Bolsheviks]]:'''<br/>{{flagcountry|Russian SFSR|1918}}<br />{{flagicon image|Flag of the Far Eastern Republic.svg}} [[Far Eastern Republic]]<br />{{flagicon image|Flag of the People's Republic of Mongolia (1921-1924).svg}} [[Mongolian People's Party]]<br />{{flagicon image|Калужская организация левых эсеров.svg}} [[Left Socialist-Revolutionaries|Left SRs]]<br /> {{small||(Until March 1918)}}<br />
| combatant2 = '''[[White movement]]:'''<br />
*{{flagdeco|Russia}} [[Russian state|Russian State]]<br />
*{{flagdeco|Russia}} [[Provisional Priamurye Government|Priamur Government]] {{small|(1921–1922)}}<br />
<hr><br />
'''[[Siberian Intervention|Allied Powers]]:'''<br />
{{ubl|{{flagcountry|Empire of Japan}}<br />
|{{flag|United States|1912}}<br />
|{{flagcountry|United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland}}<br />
{{flagicon|Kingdom of Italy}} [[Kingdom of Italy]]<br />
|{{flagcountry|French Third Republic}}<br />
|{{flagicon|Czechoslovakia}} [[Czechoslovak Republic (1918–1938)|Czechoslovakia]]<br />
|{{flagicon|Republic of China (1912–1949)|1912}} [[Beiyang government|China]]}}<br />
*{{flagdeco|China|1912}} [[Occupation of Mongolia|Mongolia]] {{small|(1921)}}<br />
<hr><br />
{{ubl|{{flagicon image|Flag of Green Ukraine.svg}} [[Green Ukraine]]<br />
|[[State of Buryat-Mongolia|Buryat-Mongolia]]<br />
|{{flagdeco|Mongolia|1911}} [[Bogd Khanate of Mongolia|Mongolia]]}}<br />
| commander1 = {{ubl|{{flagdeco|Russian SFSR|1918}} [[Leon Trotsky]]<br />
|{{flagdeco|Russian SFSR|1918}} [[Jukums Vācietis]]<br />
|{{flagdeco|Russian SFSR|1918}} [[Sergey Kamenev]]<br />
|{{flagdeco|Russian SFSR|1918}} [[Mikhail Artemyevich Muravyov|Mikhail Muravyov]]{{KIA}}<br />
|{{nowrap|{{flagdeco|Russian SFSR|1918}} [[Mikhail Tukhachevsky]]}}<br />
|{{flagdeco|Russian SFSR|1918}} [[Mikhail Frunze]]<br />
|{{flagdeco|Russian SFSR|1918}} [[Aleksandr Samoylo]]<br />
|{{flagdeco|Russian SFSR|1918}} [[Pavel Lebedev (general)|Pavel Lebedev]]<br />
|{{flagdeco|Russian SFSR|1918}} [[Vasily Blyukher]]<br />
|{{flagdeco|Russian SFSR|1918}} [[Ivan Smirnov (politician)|Ivan Smirnov]]<br />
|{{flagdeco|Russian SFSR|1918}} [[Sergey Lazo]]{{Executed}}<br />
|{{flagdeco|Far Eastern Republic}} [[Alexander Krasnoshchyokov|A. Krasnoshchyokov]]<br />
|{{flagicon image|Flag of the People's Republic of Mongolia (1921-1924).svg}} [[Damdin Sükhbaatar]]<br />
|{{nowrap|{{flagicon image|Flag of the People's Republic of Mongolia (1921-1924).svg}} [[Khorloogiin Choibalsan]]}} }}<br />
| commander2 = {{ubl|{{flagdeco|Russia}} [[Alexander Kolchak]]{{Executed}}<br />
|{{flagdeco|Russia}} [[Grigory Semyonov (general)|Grigory Semyonov]]<br />
|{{flagdeco|Russia}} [[Mikhail Diterikhs]]<br />
|{{flagdeco|Russia}} [[Vladimir Kappel]]<br />
|{{nowrap|{{flagdeco|Russia}} [[Roman von Ungern-Sternberg|R. Ungern-Sternberg]]{{Executed}}}}<br />
|{{flagdeco|Russia}} [[Anatoly Pepelyayev]]<br />
|{{flagdeco|Czechoslovakia}} [[Radola Gajda]]<br />
|{{flagdeco|Czechoslovakia}} [[Stanislav Čeček]]<br />
|{{flagdeco|Czechoslovakia}} [[Jan Syrový]]<br />
|{{flagdeco|Empire of Japan}} [[Kikuzo Otani]]<br />
|{{flagdeco|Empire of Japan}} [[Yui Mitsue]]<br />
|{{flagdeco|United States|1912}} [[William S. Graves]]<br />
|{{flagdeco|UKGBI}} [[Alfred Knox]]<br />
|{{flagdeco|French Third Republic}} [[Maurice Janin]]}}<br />
<hr><br />
{{ubl|{{flagicon image|Flag of Green Ukraine.svg}} [[Yuri Hlushko-Mova]]<br />
|{{flagdeco|Mongolia|1911}} [[Bogd Khan]]}}<br />
| strength1 = '''Total:''' 600,000<br />[[Red Army]]: 5 Field Armies<br />
| strength2 = '''Total:''' 740,000<br />[[White Army]]: 420,000<br />[[Siberian Army]]: 80,000<br />[[Czechoslovak Legion]]: 42,000<br />[[People's Army of Komuch]]: 10,000<br />[[Irregular military|Irregulars]] and [[Bandits]]: 50,000<br />[[Allied intervention in the Russian Civil War|Allied Expeditionary Force]]: 140,000<hr>[[Green Ukraine]]: 5,000<br />
| casualties1 = 150,000–300,000<br />
| casualties2 = 250,000–400,000<br />
| notes = <br />
}}<br />
{{Eastern Front of Russian Civil War}}<br />
{{Siberian Intervention}}<br />
{{Campaignbox Russian Civil War}}<br />
The [[Russian Civil War]] spread to the east in May 1918, with a series of revolts along the route of the [[Trans-Siberian Railway]], on the part of the [[Czechoslovak Legion]] and officers of the Russian Army. Provisional anti-[[Bolshevik]] local governments were formed in many parts of [[Siberia]] and the [[Russian Far East]] during that summer in the wake of the Czechoslovak Legion uprising, including in [[Samara, Russia|Samara]], [[Omsk]], [[Yekaterinburg]], and [[Vladivostok]].<br />
<br />
The [[Red Army]] mounted a counter-offensive in the autumn of 1918. Throughout the winter and spring of 1918/1919, the White Army had dominance over this front. In the summer of 1919, and from then onward, the Red Army defeated the [[White movement|White]] commander [[Aleksandr Kolchak]]. The White Army collapsed in the East as well as on other fronts throughout the winter of 1919/1920. Smaller-scale conflicts in the region went on until as late as 1923.<br />
<br />
==Czechoslovak and White uprising==<br />
{{Main|Revolt of the Czechoslovak Legion|Spring offensive of the White Army|Eastern Front counteroffensive}}<br />
<br />
In May 1918, soldiers of the [[Czechoslovak Legion]] revolted against the [[Bolsheviks]] in [[Chelyabinsk]]. The revolt was triggered by Trotsky's order to local Bolshevik commanders to disarm the Czechslovaks (in violation of previous agreements) following a confrontation between the Czechslovaks traveling Eastwards and a train full of Austro-Hungarian former POWs traveling westward. The Czechslovak Legion was formed out of Czech and Slovak POWs of the Austro-Hungarian army who volunteered to fight against the empire ruling their homeland. Consequently, The Legion was trying to evacuate to the [[Western Front (World War I)|Western Front]] to continue the fight against the [[Central powers]], but after the [[Treaty of Brest-Litovsk]] in March, the Bolsheviks no longer supported this move.<ref>Bullock 2008, p. 44-46.</ref> The revolt quickly spread across [[Siberia]], because the Czechoslovaks used the [[Trans-Siberian Railway]] to move their troops east quickly and because they were supported by local uprisings instigated by Russian army officers. When the uprising reached [[Yekaterinburg]], the former Tsar and his family who were being held there by the Bolsheviks were [[Shooting of the Romanov family|executed]] to prevent their release by the Whites. By the end of August, [[Vladivostok]] was in Czechoslovak hands.<ref>Bullock 2008, p. 46.</ref><br />
<br />
The Komuch quickly ordered a general mobilisation, with [[People's Army of Komuch|its troops]] coming from the anti-Bolshevik forces of the former [[Volga Military District]]. The Czechoslovaks allied with Komuch and advanced to the west as they formed a Volga Front, taking key cities in the region, [[Capture of Kazan by the White Army|including Kazan]], where they captured the tsar's gold reserves which had been moved east for safekeeping.<ref>Bullock 2008, p. 46-48.</ref>{{sfn|Smele|2015|pages=75–76}}<br />
<br />
On January 24, the Red 4th Army captured Uralsk.<br />
<br />
==Provisional White governments==<br />
In the power vacuum left by the departure of the Bolsheviks multiple [[White Movement]] governments were established, including the [[Committee of Members of the Constituent Assembly]] (or Komuch) at [[Samara, Russia|Samara]] on 8 June 1918, the [[Provisional Siberian Government (Omsk)|Provisional Siberian Government]] at [[Omsk]] on 23 June 1918, and a [[Provisional Regional Government of the Urals]] in [[Yekaterinburg]] on 25 August 1918. Earlier in January 1918 a [[Provisional Government of Autonomous Siberia]] had been created by the [[Siberian regionalism|Siberian regionalists]] in [[Tomsk]], but it was broken up by Bolshevik Red Guards, and its leaders fled to [[Vladivostok]], where they reasserted their authority in July 1918.{{sfn|Smele|2015|page=69}} When the [[State Meeting in Ufa|State Conference in Ufa]] led to the creation of the [[Provisional All-Russian Government]] in September, all of these governments at least nominally recognized the new authority, and it also had the support of Russia's diplomatic missions abroad.{{sfn|Shmelev|2021|page=87–92}}<br />
<br />
The Komuch government in Samara and the Provisional Siberian Government organized the Ufa Conference to unite anti-Bolshevik forces, but their alliance was tenuous from the beginning. Komuch was controlled by the [[Party of Socialist Revolutionaries]], whose goal was to restore the [[Russian Constituent Assembly]] [[1917 Russian Constituent Assembly election|elected in 1917]], which had been dominated by the SRs and had no significant non-socialist representation. The right-wing factions leading the Omsk government, the [[Constitutional Democratic Party (Russia)|Constitutional Democrats]] (Kadets) and the military, had no interest in reviving the Constituent Assembly or cooperating with the socialists, but this was the outcome of the conference. The Provisional All-Russian Government, with a five-member Directory at its head, was created by the Ufa Conference on 23 September 1918 to fight Bolshevism and continue the [[Eastern Front (World War I)|war]] against [[German Empire|Germany]].{{sfn|Smele|2015|pages=72–73}}<br />
<br />
The Provisional All-Russian Government united all White Russian forces east of the Urals, at least in name, but only lasted for eight weeks. The Directory was transferred from Ufa to Omsk, where the institutions of the former Provisional Siberian Government were based, and where the [[Allies of World War I|Western Allies]] had established their diplomatic and military missions. The Directory was opposed to this, but having no administrative state of its own, had to rely on the Omsk government to carry out day-to-day functions. Not long after the move to Omsk, a [[Kolchak Coup|coup d'etat]] was carried out against the Directory by Admiral [[Alexander Kolchak]], supported by Kadets, army officers, and Cossacks on 18 November 1918. He was declared the [[Supreme Ruler of Russia]] without much opposition among the Whites in Siberia, and pledged to wipe out Bolshevism. Kolchak quickly gained the support of the [[Siberian Army]] command, Cossack leaders in Siberia and the Far East (including Ataman [[Grigory Semyonov (general)|Grigory Semyonov]]), and the local industry.{{sfn|Shmelev|2021|page=87–92}}{{sfn|Smele|2015|pages=74–75}}<br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
* [[Far Eastern Front in the Russian Civil War]]<br />
<br />
==Notes==<br />
{{Reflist}}<br />
<br />
==References==<br />
* Bullock, David (2008). ''The Russian Civil War 1918–22''. Osprey Publishing. {{ISBN|978-1-84603-271-4}}<br />
* {{Cite book |last=Shmelev |first=Anatol |title=In the Wake of Empire: Anti-Bolshevik Russia in International Affairs, 1917–1920 |year=2021 |publisher=Hoover Institution |isbn=978-0-8179-2426-3 }}<br />
* {{cite book |last=Smele |first=Jonathan D. |title=The "Russian" Civil Wars, 1916–1926 |year=2015 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-023304-4 }}<br />
<br />
{{DEFAULTSORT:Eastern Front Of The Russian Civil War}}<br />
[[Category:Russian Civil War]]<br />
[[Category:History of Siberia]]<br />
[[Category:White movement]]<br />
[[Category:Military history of the Arctic]]</div>Boackandwhitehttps://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Carabinieri&diff=1267086129Carabinieri2025-01-03T14:57:11Z<p>Boackandwhite: </p>
<hr />
<div>{{Short description|Italian police force}}<br />
{{About}}<br />
{{Distinguish|Carbonari}}<br />
{{Infobox law enforcement agency<br />
| agencyname = Carabinieri<br />
| nativename = {{lang|it|Arma dei Carabinieri}}<br />
| commonname = <br />
| abbreviation = <br />
| fictional = <br />
| patch = File:Fiamma dei carabinieri.svg<br />
| patchcaption = Emblem<br />
| logo = Coat of arms of the Carabinieri.svg<br />
| logocaption = Heraldic achievement<br />
| badge = <br />
| badgecaption = <br />
| flag = <br />
| flagcaption = <br />
| imagesize = <br />
| motto = ''Nei Secoli Fedele''<br />
| mottotranslated = Faithful through the centuries<br />
| formedyear = 13 July 1814<br />
| country = Italy<br />
| national = yes<br />
| local = yes<br />
| military = yes<br />
| paramilitary = <br />
| gendarmerie = yes<br />
| religious = <br />
| speciality1 = <br />
| headquarters = [[Rome]]<br />
| sworntype = <br />
| sworn = 110,000 officers<br />
| unsworntype = <br />
| unsworn = <br />
| multinational = <!--NNN or {{collapsible list |title=NNN |[[country1]] . . |[[countryNNN]]}}--><br />
| electeetype = <br />
| minister1name = [[Guido Crosetto]]<br />
| minister1pfo = [[Minister of Defence (Italy)|Minister of Defence]]<br />
| minister2name = <br />
| minister2pfo = <br />
| chief1name = General [[:it:Salvatore Luongo|Salvatore Luongo]]<br />
| chief1position = [[Commander-General of the Carabinieri|Commander General]]<br />
<!-- (...up to 6...) -->| parentagency = [[Ministry of Defence (Italy)|Ministry of Defence]]<br />
| child1agency = <!-- (...up to 6...) --><br />
| anniversary1 = 5 June, Carabinieri Day<br />
| website = [http://www.carabinieri.it/ carabinieri.it]<br />
}}<br />
<br />
The '''Carabinieri''' ({{IPAc-en|ˌ|k|ær|ə|b|ɪ|n|ˈ|j|ɛər|i}}, <small>also</small> {{IPAc-en|US|ˌ|k|ɑːr|-}},<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20190325133612/https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/us/carabiniere "carabiniere"] (US) and {{Cite dictionary |url=http://www.lexico.com/definition/carabiniere |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200322182120/https://www.lexico.com/definition/carabiniere |url-status=dead |archive-date=2020-03-22 |title=carabiniere |dictionary=[[Lexico]] UK English Dictionary |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite Merriam-Webster|carabiniere|accessdate=25 March 2019}}</ref> {{IPA|it|karabiˈnjɛːri|lang}}; formally '''''Arma dei Carabinieri''''', "Arm of Carabineers"; previously ''Corpo dei Carabinieri Reali'', "Royal Carabineers Corps")<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Uz8eiwzEMHQC |first1=Ciro |last1=Paoletti |title=A Military History of Italy |publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group |year=2008 |isbn=978-0-275-98505-9}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last1=Stone|first1=Peter G|last2=Bajjaly|first2=Joanne Farchakh|title=The Destruction of Cultural Heritage in Iraq|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RDttNod0xH4C&pg=PA235|year=2008|publisher=Boydell & Brewer Ltd|isbn=978-1-84383-384-0|page=235}}</ref><ref>Richard Heber Wrightson, ''A History of Modern Italy, from the First French Revolution to the Year 1850''. Elibron.com, 2005</ref><ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0oAqAAAAMAAJ |title=A new survey of universal knowledge |volume=4 |publisher=[[Encyclopædia Britannica]] |year=1952}}</ref> are the national [[gendarmerie]] of [[Italy]] who primarily carry out domestic and foreign policing duties. It is one of Italy's main [[law enforcement]] agencies, alongside the [[Polizia di Stato]] and the [[Guardia di Finanza]]. As with the Guardia di Finanza but in contrast to the Polizia di Stato, the Carabinieri are a military force. As the fourth [[Military branch|branch]] of the [[Italian Armed Forces]], they come under the authority of the [[Ministry of Defence (Italy)|Ministry of Defence]]; for activities related to inland public order and security, they functionally depend on the [[Ministry of the Interior (Italy)|Ministry of the Interior]]. In practice, there is a significant overlap between the jurisdiction of the Polizia di Stato and Carabinieri, although both of them are contactable through [[112 (emergency telephone number)|112]], the European Union's Single Emergency number.<ref>{{Cite web|title=The Service|url=https://112.gov.it/en/service/|access-date=2021-07-26|website=NUE 112 Numero di emergenza Unico Europeo|language=en-GB}}</ref> Unlike the Polizia di Stato, the Carabinieri have responsibility for [[Military police|policing the military]], and a number of members regularly participate in military missions abroad.<br />
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They were originally founded as the police force of the [[Kingdom of Sardinia (1720–1861)|Kingdom of Sardinia]], the forerunner of the [[Kingdom of Italy]]. During the process of [[Italian unification]], the Carabinieri were appointed as the "First Force" of the new national military organization. Although the Carabinieri assisted in the suppression of opposition during the rule of [[Benito Mussolini]], they were also responsible for his downfall and many units were disbanded during [[World War II]] by [[Nazi Germany]], which resulted in large numbers of Carabinieri joining the [[Italian resistance movement]].<br />
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In 2000, they were separated from the Army to become a separate branch of the [[Italian Armed Forces]]. Carabinieri have policing powers that can be exercised at any time and in any part of the country, and they are always permitted to carry their assigned weapon as personal equipment ([[Beretta 92|Beretta 92FS]] pistols).<br />
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The Carabinieri are often referred to as "La Benemerita" (The Reputable or The Meritorious) as they are a trusted and prestigious law enforcement institution in Italy. The first official account of the use of this term to refer to the Carabinieri dates back to 24 June 1864.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.carabinieri.it/arma/curiosita/non-tutti-sanno-che/b/benemerita|title=Benemerita|website=www.carabinieri.it}}</ref><br />
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== History ==<br />
=== Early history ===<br />
Inspired by the French [[gendarmerie]], the corps was created by King [[Victor Emmanuel I of Sardinia]] with the aim of providing the [[Savoyard state]] of the [[Kingdom of Sardinia (1720–1861)|Kingdom of Sardinia]] with a police corps. After French soldiers had occupied [[Turin]] at the end of the 18th century and later abandoned it to the Kingdom of Sardinia, the Royal Carabinieri Corps was instituted under the Royal Patents of 13 July 1814.<ref name=cab /> The name is derived from the French word ''carabinier'', meaning "[[soldier]] armed with a [[carbine]]."<ref>{{cite web | title=Origin and meaning of carabinieri| website=Online Etymology Dictionary | url=https://www.etymonline.com/word/carabinieri | access-date=2019-08-29}}</ref><br />
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The new force was divided into divisions on the scale of one division for each province. The divisions were further divided into companies and subdivided into lieutenancies, which commanded and coordinated the local police stations and were distributed throughout the national territory in direct contact with the public.<ref name=cab /><br />
[[File:Carb1875.jpg|thumb|Photo of a carabiniere around 1875. The 'Medal of Italian Independence' is worn, indicating a veteran of the [[Risorgimento]] (The Wars for Italian Unification).]]<br />
In 1868, the [[Cuirassiers Regiment (Italy)|Cuirassiers Regiment]] or ''Corazzieri'' was formed, initially as a cavalry escort of honour for the sovereign, and since 1946 for the President of the Republic.<ref name=cab /> The Italian unification saw the number of divisions increased,<ref name=cab /> and on 24 January 1861, the ''Carabinieri'' were appointed the "First Force" of the new national military organization.<ref name=cab /><br />
[[File:0 Chapeau de la grande tenue des Carabiniers italiens.JPG|thumb|Carabinier's bicorne.]]<br />
In May 1915, Italian troops marched to encompass [[South Tyrol]], a territory of their former allies [[Austria-Hungary]], in the [[Italian Campaign (World War I)|Italian front]] . The defenders had sufficient time to prepare strong fortifications there, and at the [[Karst Plateau]] to the east. The Italians, under the overall command of General [[Luigi Cadorna]], found themselves repeatedly repulsed in harsh fighting. The role of the Carabinieri was to act as [[barrier troops]], setting up machine gun posts to control the rear of the attacking regiments and prevent desertion.<ref>{{cite book|last=Thompson|first=Mark|title=The White War|year=2009|publisher=Faber|location=London|isbn=978-0-571-22334-3|page=227}}</ref><br />
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=== 1930s and 1940s ===<br />
During [[Fascist Italy (1922–1943)]] under [[Benito Mussolini]], the Carabinieri were one of the police forces entrusted with suppressing opposition in Italy.<ref name="collab">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yZQlNLN3YXQC&pg=PA274 |title=The Oxford illustrated history of Italy – Google Books |access-date=2009-09-19|isbn=978-0-19-820527-2|year=1997|last1=Holmes |first1=George |last2=Holmes |first2=Chichele|page=274|publisher=Oxford University Press }}</ref> During the same period, while part of the [[Italian African Police]] (mainly in the late 1930s), they were involved in atrocities<ref>{{cite web | title=Massacres and Atrocities of WWII in the Axis Countries | website=members.iinet.net.au | url=http://members.iinet.net.au/~gduncan/massacres_axis.html | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303194232/http://members.iinet.net.au/~gduncan/massacres_axis.html | archive-date=2016-03-03 | url-status=live | access-date=2019-08-29}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.dacb.org/stories/ethiopia/petros2_abuna.html |title=Pétros, Ethiopia, Orthodox |publisher=Dacb.org |access-date=2009-09-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101228190751/http://www.dacb.org/stories/ethiopia/petros2_abuna.html |archive-date=2010-12-28 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Adejumobi|first=Saheed A.|title=The History of Ethiopia|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-U7aydmefrgC&pg=PA78| year=2007| publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group| isbn=978-0-313-32273-0|page=78}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Mockler|first=Anthony|title=Haile Selassie's War|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vCb_nQEACAAJ&pg=PA175|year=2003|publisher=Signal Books|isbn=978-1-902669-53-3|page=175}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.linkethiopia.org/guide/pankhurst/ethiopian_patriots/ethiopian_patriots_4.html |title=The Pankhurst History Library |publisher=[[Link Ethiopia]] |access-date=2009-09-19 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100706001537/http://www.linkethiopia.org/guide/pankhurst/ethiopian_patriots/ethiopian_patriots_4.html |archive-date=2010-07-06 }}</ref> in colonial [[Italian East Africa]] during the [[Second Italo-Ethiopian War]]. During [[World War II]], they fought in their function as military police against the Allied forces, and against [[Yugoslav Partisans]] as part of the Italian occupation force of the [[Kingdom of Yugoslavia]].<br />
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After the [[fall of the Fascist regime in Italy]] on 25 July 1943, on the orders of the king, Mussolini was arrested by the Carabinieri as he left the [[Villa Ada|king's private residence]] in Rome and subsequently imprisoned on [[Campo Imperatore]] by Carabinieri forces. After the [[armistice between Italy and Allied armed forces]] on 3 September 1943 and the country's split into the fascist [[Italian Social Republic]] in the north and the [[Kingdom of Italy]] in the south, the Carabinieri split into two groups.<br />
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In the Kingdom of Italy, the Carabinieri Command for Liberated Italy was founded in Bari, mobilizing new units for the Italian war of liberation. These units were attached to the Italian Liberation Corps and the six Italian Combat Groups of the [[Italian Co-Belligerent Army]], fighting with the Allied forces.<br />
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In the fascist Social Republic in the North, the regime organized the [[National Republican Guard (Italy)|National Republican Guard]] (composed of Carabinieri, former officers from the [[Italian African Police]], [[Guardia di Finanza]] and customs police), to employ it as a military police and rapid-deployment anti-guerrilla force. GNR was later joined (but not taken over) by the [[Black Brigades]], which represented a new militant incarnation of the Fascist party.{{citation needed|date=January 2019}}<br />
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Due to the role the Carabinieri had played in the downfall of Mussolini, and since one of the few units which fought the German occupation of Rome were the [[Granatieri di Sardegna Mechanized Brigade]] regiments and the II Carabinieri cadet battalion, the Germans did not view the Carabinieri as loyal to the fascist cause. They disarmed the force and began the deportation of 8,000 officers to Germany for [[forced labour]] on 6 October 1943; the Italian Colonial Police took over their jobs.<ref>{{cite book |last=Paehler |first=Katrin |title=The Third Reich's Intelligence Services|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KphUDgAAQBAJ&pg=PA202 |year=2017 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=978-1-107-15719-4 |page=202}}</ref><br />
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Subsequently, large numbers of Carabinieri joined the [[Italian resistance movement]] to fight German and Italian fascists.<ref>{{cite book |last=Friesendorf |first=Cornelius|title=How Western Soldiers Fight: Organizational Routines in Multinational Missions|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EgpaDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA83|year=2018 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=978-1-108-42910-8 |page=83}}</ref> Nonetheless, some 45,000 officers remained on the job and as of March 1944, this group was the only national security force in Italy.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Battistelli |first1=Pier Paolo|last2=Crociani|first2=Piero|title=World War II Partisan Warfare in Italy|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zECXCwAAQBAJ&pg=PA14 |year=2015 |publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing |isbn=978-1-4728-0894-3|page=14}}</ref><br />
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After the war the Carabinieri counted at least 2735 fallen and 6500 wounded, out of approximately 14,000 who had joined the Resistance in northern and central Italy. In Yugoslavia, the Carabinieri formed a battalion of the Italian [[182nd Armored Infantry Regiment "Garibaldi"]], which fought alongside the Yugoslav partisans against the [[Wehrmacht]] and the Croatian [[Ustaše]]. The battalion lost over 80% of its members in combat and was awarded the [[Silver Medal of Military Valor]] to commemorate the fallen.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.carabinieri.it/Internet/Arma/Curiosita/Non+tutti+sanno+che/R/21+R.htm |title=Arma dei Carabinieri – Home – L'Arma – Curiosità – Non tutti sanno che... - R |publisher=Carabinieri.it |access-date=2009-09-19}}</ref><ref name="milhist">{{cite web|url=http://www.carabinieri.it/Internet/Multilingua/EN/MilitaryOperations/ |title=Arma dei Carabinieri – Home - > – EN – Military Operations |publisher=Carabinieri.it |access-date=2009-09-19}}</ref><br />
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One notable act of heroism in this era came from Vice [[Brigadier#Italy|Brigadiere]] [[Salvo D'Acquisto]], who was executed by [[Nazi Germany]] in Palidoro (near [[Rome]]) during World War II. D'Acquisto exchanged his life for the lives of citizens due to be executed in retaliation for the killing of a German soldier; instead, he claimed responsibility and was executed for the offence.<ref>{{cite book|title=Italy Justice System and National Police Handbook|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qnL4EMUhaSEC&pg=PA196|date=22 April 2018|publisher=Int'l Business Publications|isbn=978-1-4387-2542-0|page=196}}</ref><br />
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=== Present day ===<br />
[[File:Alfa-Romeo159-Carabinieri-di-Roma.JPG|thumb|[[Alfa Romeo 159]]]]<br />
The Carabinieri were in the forefront of many internal conflicts in Italy in the late 20th century, such as the [[Years of Lead (Italy)|Years of Lead]] (against the [[Red Brigades]]) and the [[Second Mafia War]] (against the [[Corleonesi Mafia]]).<ref name=Ginzburg>[[Carlo Ginzburg]], ''The Judge and the Historian. Marginal Notes and a Late-Twentieth-century Miscarriage of Justice'', London 1999, {{ISBN|1-85984-371-9}}. Original ed. 1991.</ref><ref name="ricerca.repubblica.it">{{cite web|url=http://ricerca.repubblica.it/repubblica/archivio/repubblica/2003/10/11/strage-alla-circonvallazione-sicari-adesso-hanno-un.html|title=Strage alla circonvallazione i sicari adesso hanno un volto - la Repubblica.it|date=11 October 2003 }}</ref> They participated, and lost men, in events such as the [[Peteano massacre]] in 1972,<ref name="Provvisionato Corriere 1">{{cite news | author = Sandro Provvisionato | url = http://www.corriere.it/europeo/cronache/2009/11/apertura-tre-anni-che-sconvolsero-italia_58dacb9e-d296-11de-a0b4-00144f02aabc.shtml | title = I tre anni che sconvolsero l'Italia | work = [[Corriere della Sera]] | date = 16 November 2009 | access-date = 10 January 2011 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110125052829/http://www.corriere.it/europeo/cronache/2009/11/apertura-tre-anni-che-sconvolsero-italia_58dacb9e-d296-11de-a0b4-00144f02aabc.shtml | archive-date = 25 January 2011 }}</ref> [[Circonvallazione massacre]] in 1982,<ref name="ricerca.repubblica.it"/> and the murder of [[Emanuele Basile]].<ref>{{cite news|last1=Walker|first1=Keith|title=73-year-old Sicilian Sergio Mattarella is Italy's new president|url=http://www.euronews.com/2015/01/31/73-year-old-sicilian-sergio-mattarella-is-new-president-of-italy/|access-date=February 5, 2015|work=Euronews|agency=[[Reuters]]|date=January 31, 2015}}</ref> Until 2000, the Carabinieri were part of the [[Italian Army]]. On 31 March 2000, they were separated to become the fourth branch of the Italian Armed Forces.<ref name=cab /> [[Interpol]] summarizes this force (part of the Ministry of Defence) as having a "nationwide remit for crime investigations. It also serves as the military police for the Italian armed forces and can be called upon for national defence action."<ref>{{cite web | title=Italy | website=INTERPOL | url=https://www.interpol.int/en/Who-we-are/Member-countries/Europe/ITALY | access-date=2019-08-29}}</ref><br />
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According to [[Europol]] (the EU's law enforcement agency), the Carabinieri Corps' military duties include "contributing to national defence, participating in military operations in Italy and abroad, executing military police functions and ensuring the security of Italian diplomatic and consular representations". As a national police force, it "carries out public order and security policing, as well as investigative activities on its own initiative or at the request of the judicial authorities". Europol also states that the force is "supplemented by the Specialized Carabinieri Commands, responsible for safeguarding the primary interests of the community: from the protection of the environment, health, work and national cultural heritage, to the observance of community and agri-food regulations, to the suppression of forgery [of] currency".<br />
<ref name="auto">{{cite web |url=https://www.europol.europa.eu/partners-agreements/member-states/italy |title=Italy |date=7 March 2018 |publisher=Europol |access-date=28 July 2019 }}</ref><br />
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In recent years Carabinieri units have been dispatched on [[peacekeeping]] missions, including [[Kosovo war|Kosovo]], [[War in Afghanistan (2001–present)|Afghanistan]], and [[Iraq War|Iraq]]. In 2003, 12 Carabinieri [[2003 Nasiriyah bombing|were killed in a suicide bombing]] on their base in [[Nasiriyah]], near [[Basra]] in southern Iraq, in the largest Italian military loss of life in a single action since the [[World War II|Second World War]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.carabinieri.it/arma/ieri/storia/vista-da-2015/fascicolo-43/la-strage-di-nassiriya |title=Arma dei Carabinieri – La strage di Nassiriya |publisher=Carabinieri.it |access-date=2016-04-17}}</ref> One of the previous projects included training and assisting the Afghan National Security Forces, the Afghan National Police, and the Afghan National Civil Order Police. In Iraq, Carabinieri have trained 13,000 police officers; during the ISIS destruction of historic sites, Italy dispatched troops from the Carabinieri's Command to protect cultural heritage.<ref>{{cite web | last=Braw | first=Elisabeth | title=For Not-Quite-Wars, Italy Has a Useful Alternative to Traditional Troops | website=Defense One | date=2018-04-16 | url=https://www.defenseone.com/ideas/2018/04/todays-not-quite-wars-italy-has-alternative-traditional-troops/147457/ | access-date=2019-08-29}}</ref><br />
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At the Sea Island Conference of the [[G8]] in 2004, Carabinieri were given a mandate to establish a [[Centre of Excellence for Stability Police Units]] to spearhead the development of training and doctrinal standards for civilian police units attached to international peacekeeping missions.<ref>{{cite web<br />
|url=http://www.carlisle.army.mil/pksoi/Docs/policeunits.pdf<br />
|title=Formed Police Units Workshop and Seminar<br />
|access-date=2007-05-15<br />
|url-status=dead<br />
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070616220931/http://www.carlisle.army.mil/pksoi/Docs/policeunits.pdf<br />
|archive-date=2007-06-16<br />
}} Issue Paper No. 2006-04, US Army Peacekeeping and Stability Operations Institute, January 2007.</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |doi = 10.1080/09662839.2012.747511|title = The European Gendarmerie Force: A solution in search of problems?|journal = European Security|volume = 22|pages = 1–20|year = 2013|last1 = Arcudi|first1 = Giovanni|last2 = Smith|first2 = Michael E.|doi-access = free}}</ref><br />
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The [[State Forestry Corps]] was dissolved on 31 December 2016 and personnel with forestry police function were militarized and absorbed by the Carabinieri.<br />
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== Organization ==<br />
[[File:2june 2007 432.jpg|left|thumb|Senior Carabinieri General in a [[VM 90]] during the 2007 Republic Day parade in Italy]]<br />
[[File:Carabinieri - Specialized and Mobile Units Command - Organization July 2020.png|thumb|Structure of the Specialist & Mobile Units Command]]<br />
The corps is headed by the ''{{lang|it|Comando}}'', consisting of the ''[[List of Commanding Generals of the Carabinieri|Comandante Generale]]'' (a [[General]]), the ''{{lang|it|Vice-Comandante Generale}}'' (a [[Lieutenant General]]) and the Chief of Staff, all located in [[Rome]]. The Chief of Staff directs, coordinates and supervises all activities of the force. It directly supervises the Directors of Administration, Health, Engineering, the motor pool and the Veterinary Commission. On the Deputy Chiefs of Staff depend the National Center for Recruitment and Selection, the Administration National Center and the Legislation Office.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.carabinieri.it/Internet/Arma/Oggi/Reparti/Organizzazione+Centrale/ |title=Organizzazione Centrale |access-date=July 13, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120227104549/http://www.carabinieri.it/Internet/Arma/Oggi/Reparti/Organizzazione%2BCentrale/ |archive-date=February 27, 2012 }}</ref><br />
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=== Territorial Organization ===<br />
The Carabinieri are organised on a territorial basis for law-enforcement missions. The territorial organization represents the core of the institution; it contains 80 percent of the force and is organized hierarchically in five inter-regional commands, 19 regional commands and 102 provincial commands, 504 Company Commands and<br />
4,672 Station Commands and lieutenancies.<ref name="auto" /><br />
<br />
The territorial organization includes four heliborne units:<br />
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* [[Carabinieri Heliborne Squadron "Cacciatori di Calabria"]], responsible for operations in [[Calabria]]<br />
* [[Carabinieri Heliborne Squadron "Cacciatori di Sicilia"]], responsible for operations in [[Sicily]]<br />
* [[Carabinieri Heliborne Squadron "Cacciatori di Sardegna"]], responsible for operations in [[Sardinia]]<br />
* [[Carabinieri Heliborne Squadron "Cacciatori di Puglia"]], responsible for operations in [[Apulia]]<br />
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=== Specialist and Mobile Units Command Organization ===<br />
{{more citations needed section|date=July 2017}}<!--only last sentence has a citation--><br />
Outside the territorial organisation, the Specialist and Mobile Units Command ''Palidoro'' ({{lang|it|Comando delle Unità Mobili e Specializzate "Palidoro"}}, based in Rome) controls the [[Carabinieri Mobile Units Division]], the [[Carabinieri Specialist Units Division]] and the [[Raggruppamento Operativo Speciale|ROS]].<br />
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==== Carabinieri Specialist Units Division ====<br />
{{See also|Carabinieri Specialist Units Division}}<br />
The [[Carabinieri Specialist Units Division]] is the Carabinieri formation, established in 2001, dedicated to the performance of specialist police activities and the support to the Territorial Organizations. The Division directs, controls, and coordinates its own units, which carry out tasks related to the protection of Italian artistic heritage, to the currency protection, to the protection of Italian embassies abroad, to the health protection, to the labour policing, to Bank of Italy needs, to the Carabinieri forensics police services. In addition, the Division provides Carabinieri air support.<br />
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==== Mobile Units Division ====<br />
[[File:0 Béret de carabinier parachutiste italien.JPG|thumb|Paratrooper Carabinieri beret.]]<br />
{{See also|Carabinieri Mobile Units Division}}<br />
The [[Carabinieri Mobile Units Division]] is located in [[Rome]] and has two brigades tasked with mass manoeuvres during emergencies, defending the nation and participating in military operations abroad. It supports [[public order]] and territorial control in urban areas, and contributes to the operations of civil authorities in terms of public safety. 1st Mobile Brigade, whose headquarters is located in Rome and includes six Regiments and four Battalions mainly employed in public order tasks. 2nd Mobile Brigade headquartered in Livorno includes the [[Gruppo di Intervento Speciale]] special forces group, the [[1st Paratroopers Carabinieri Regiment "Tuscania"]], and the 7th "Trentino-Alto Adige" and 13th "Friuli-Venezia Giulia" regiments, which, together with the [[Multinational Specialized Unit]], are mainly engaged in international missions.<br />
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==== Special forces ====<br />
{{See also|Gruppo di Intervento Speciale}}<br />
The [[Gruppo di Intervento Speciale]] in one of the six [[Italian special forces]].<br />
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==== ROS ====<br />
The ROS (''[[Raggruppamento Operativo Speciale]]'' or Special Operational Group) is an elite unit founded in 1990 to deal with [[organised crime]] ([[Sicilian Mafia|Mafia]] and others), subversive activities, [[terrorism]] and more complex types of crime. An anti-crime section is found in every city and district public prosecutor's office.<br />
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==== Special Tasks Departments ====<br />
[[File:2june2006 374.jpg|thumb|Corazzieri]]<br />
Special Tasks Departments are outside the ordinary organisational framework and are used for special missions:<br />
''[[Corazzieri]]'' ([[Cuirassier]]s) are an elite corps and honour guard of the [[President of the Italian Republic]], located in the [[Quirinal Palace]]. They are distinguished by their uniforms and height (the minimum height for admission is {{convert|1.9|m|ftin|abbr=on|disp=or}}). They have almost no other everyday duties, although they may be seen patrolling occasionally. <br />
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Other departments are in service to constitutional bodies such as, the Presidency of the Republic, the Senate, Parliament, the Judiciary, the [[prime minister]] and the National Council of Economy and Labour. Carabinieri also perform [[military police]] and security duties for the Ministry of Defence, military high commands, the offices of the military judiciary and allied military organisations in Italy and abroad. They also have personnel attached to the [[Polizia di Stato|Department of Public Security]] in various departments, as well as anti-Mafia and anti-drug investigative task forces. ''Carabinieri'' officers are charged with surveillance and security at Italian embassies and consulates abroad, performing the same services entrusted to the [[Marine Corps Embassy Security Group]] in United States diplomatic and consular offices.<br />
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Together with the [[Polizia di Stato]] and the [[Guardia di Finanza]], the Carabinieri is also responsible for [[border control]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://ec.europa.eu/home-affairs/doc_centre/borders/docs/List%20of%20national%20services%20responsible%20for%20border%20control.pdf|title=List of national services responsible for border control}}</ref><br />
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==== Command Unit for environmental, agri-food and forestry protection ====<br />
The specialized ''Comando unità per la tutela forestale, ambientale, e agroalimentare'' has its headquarters in Rome, and 15 regional commands and approximately 700 Station Commands around the country, with 7,000 personnel. Its missions are preventing production and distribution of illicit agri-foodstuffs, environmental and biodiversity protection, prevention of poaching, and suppression of all criminal organizations that, with their activity, affect the environment. In the Unit, there are also 29 NOEs (''Nucleo Operativo Ecologico''), teams highly specialized in complex investigations in environmental matters against organized crime.<br />
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== War service ==<br />
[[File:2june2006 134.jpg|thumb|1st Paratroopers [[Carabinieri Regiment "Tuscania"]]]]<br />
The main battles in which the Carabinieri took part before World War I are:<br />
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* Grenoble, July 5, 1815<br />
* [[Battle of Pastrengo]], 30 April 1848 – the Carabinieri Corps was awarded its first [[Silver Medal of Military Valor]]<br />
* [[Battle of Santa Lucia]], 6 May 1848 – the Carabinieri Corps was awarded its first [[Bronze Medal of Military Valor]]<br />
* [[Battle of Custoza (1848)|Battle of Custoza]], 24–25 July 1848<br />
* [[Battle of Custoza (1866)|Battle of Custoza]], 24 June 1866<br />
* [[Capture of Rome]], 20 September 1870 (together with the [[Bersaglieri]])<br />
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For its contributions during the First World War, the Corps was awarded its first [[Gold Medal of Military Valor]]<br />
<br />
In World War II, Carabinieri fought in the following battles:<ref name="milhist" /><br />
* Battle of Klisoura on the Greek-Albanian front from 16 to 30 December 1940 [[Bronze Medal of Military Valor]]<br />
* Battle at Cafe Struga on the Albanian-Yugoslav front on 18 April 1941<br />
* [[Battle of Culqualber]] (Ethiopia), 6 August-21 November 1941 – Corps was awarded its second [[Gold Medal of Military Valor]]<br />
<br />
From 1943 to 1945, the Carabinieri were accountable to the Control Commission of the [[Allied Military Government]] (AMGOT). Their reorganization and reform was organized by Colonel [[Arthur Young (police officer)|Arthur Young]], a British [[police officer]] seconded as Director of Public Safety and Director of Security.<br />
<br />
== Uniforms ==<br />
[[File:2june 2007 035d.jpg|200px|thumb|Dress uniform]]<br />
{{See also|Uniforms of the Italian Armed Forces#Arma dei Carabinieri (Gendarmerie)|Rank insignia of the Carabinieri}}<br />
<br />
The Carabinieri, as a military and police force, have various uniforms for different functions. For each type of uniform there are seasonal variants and (except for service, combat and historical) versions for men and women.<ref name="carabinieri.it">{{Cite web|url=http://www.carabinieri.it/arma/oggi/uniformi/uniformi|title = Uniformi}}</ref> How, when and why they are to be worn is dictated by the ''"R-11 "Regulation on Uniforms for the Carabinieri Arma''" published by the Carabinieri General Command in 1988.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.carabinieri.it/arma/oggi/uniformi/classificazione/uso-delle-uniformi|title = Uso delle uniformi}}</ref><br />
<br />
The uniforms of the Carabinieri are divided into: <br />
# historical and full dress<br />
# ordinary,<br />
# service,<br />
# representative, (for warrant officers, NCOs and constables) <br />
# Great Winter Uniform (GUI) / Great Summer Uniform (GUE) (for officers) <br />
# operational use<br />
# athletic gear<br />
<br />
Those of service, representation and GUI/GUE are a derivation of the ordinary.<ref name="carabinieri.it"/><br />
<br />
===History===<br />
Originally, the Carabinieri were issued a distinctive uniform in black with silver braid around the collar and cuffs, edges trimmed in scarlet and epaulettes in silver. The mounted division had white fringes, and the infantry had light blue. Their headgear was a distinctive [[bicorne]], popularly called the ''lucerna'' (in use only for historical uniform and ceremonies).<ref name=cab>{{cite web|title=The ancient Corps of the Royal Carabinieri|access-date=2009-05-20|publisher=Carabinieri|url=http://www.carabinieri.it/Internet/Multilingua/EN/HistoricalReferences/01_EN.htm}}</ref><br />
They still use a version of the historic uniform today for ceremonies.<ref name=cab /><br />
<br />
===Design===<br />
The uniform that the [[Gendarmerie]] wore in 1814 consisted of a [[Turquoise (color)|turquoise]] fabric buttoned suit with a blue collar and padded gloves. Since 1822, some small changes have been made to the uniform. Officials and Marshals had silver swords and sabres, both in a black leather [[scabbard]]. At the beginning of the 20th Century, the rules of the dress code were reinforced because of [[World War I]].<br />
<br />
Troopers had three different types of uniforms: the ''Complete uniform'', the ''Ordinary uniform'', and the ''Effort uniform''. The Carabinieri's uniform at that time was made of a green-grey cloth material, and was used by all soldiers.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.carabinieri.it/arma/ieri/equipaggiamento-e-materiali/1910-1940/le-uniformi/l%27uniforme-di-guerra---1940|title=War uniform – 1940|website=Carabinieri|publisher=Ministry of Defence|language=it|access-date=8 October 2018}}</ref><br />
<br />
===Historical and Ceremonial (Special) uniform===<br />
[[File:Dmitry Medvedev in Italy, June 2011-12.jpeg|thumb|Ceremonial uniforms worn by the Carabinieri during a Russian [[state visit]] to Italy]]<br />
For historical and ceremonial use, the Carabinieri uniform consists of a distinctive black uniform made of silver [[braid]]s around the collar and cuffs, edges trimmed in scarlet and [[epaulettes]] in silver. The fringes of the mounted division are white, and the infantry has light blue. The headgear used is the traditional two-pointed hat for Carabinieri, known as the Lucerna, also called a [[bicorne]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.relicmilitaria.com/product/italy-italian-carabinieri-lucernabicorne-hatceremonial-headdress-circa-1970s-scarce/|title=Bicorne hat, ceremonial headdress|publisher=Relic Militaria|access-date=10 November 2018}}</ref><br />
<br />
During the 1980s [[Giorgio Armani]] designed the new more modern uniforms.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/fashion-blog/2014/jul/10/giorgio-armani-80-eight-facts-fashion-designer|title=Giorgio Armani at 80: eight things you didn't know about the fashion designer|last=Cochrane|first=Lauren|date=10 July 2014|work=The Guardian}}</ref><br />
<br />
===Ordinary uniform===<br />
[[File:Walking Carabinieri.JPG|thumb|Carabinieri in everyday ordinary uniform, winter version. Note the pistol worn on the left side for cross-draw purposes and the white cross-belt. (March 2015)]]<br />
<br />
The modern Carabinieri Force uniform is coloured in black for every seasonal version, with small variations on weather basis (coat or wind jacket), and is composed of:<br />
<br />
*a four-button jacket with shoulder pads: all buttons on the uniform are silvered<br />
*a shirt underneath in white, with two pockets<br />
*trousers have a classic cut, with four pockets and has two vertical red stripes along the outer side of both legs, stretching from the hips to the ankles<br />
*flat black shoes are worn.<br />
<br />
The uniform is accompanied by accessories such as:<br />
<br />
*the black tie, <br />
*the white cross-belt, or [[Sam Browne belt|Sam Browne]] or no belt, <br />
*peaked cap (males), bowler cap (females) <br />
*black leather gloves,<br />
*V-neck sweater<br />
*wind-breaker<br />
*waterproof coat<br />
<br />
There are differences for season, duties, rank and location. For instance, in the summer the four-button jacket and white shirt and tie are replaced with a short-sleeved blue shirt.<br />
<br />
Depending on the weather conditions, the uniform can be worn with a waterproof coat (or beaver cloth for officers) and an anorak. Inside the military installations, the jacket can be removed or replaced with the "V-neck" sweater.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.carabinieri.it/arma/oggi/uniformi/classificazione/uniforme-ordinaria|title = Uniforme ordinaria}}</ref><br />
<br />
In 2020 new 'bomber-style jackets', with appropriate logos were introduced which can be worn instead of the four-button jacket. The white cross belt is still worn on top and either a roll-neck base layer or a white shirt and tie is worn underneath.<br />
<br />
Accessories are the same, although ''Wanted in Rome'' reported that: ''"The old leather holster will also be retired, replaced by an external belt with a quick-release holster, made of plastic material. The old gloves will be replaced with modern, cut-resistant gloves. However, style has not been sacrificed for function, begging the question, are the Carabinieri of Rome the most stylish police force in the world?"'' <ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.wantedinrome.com/news/italys-carabinieri-get-a-new-uniform-complete-with-neck-warmer.html|title = Italy's Carabinieri get a new uniform complete with neck warmer|date = 14 December 2020}}</ref><br />
<br />
====Headdress====<br />
The regulation peaked cap is rigid with a ''frieze'' of the Carabinieri (metallic for pinned, Carabinieri and students, embroidered in silver fabric for NCOs, gilded for the inspectors and officers while for the generals the frieze is the eagle of the staff with RI monogram in the centre, silver for brigade and division generals, gold for corps generals). The commanding officers of the department wear the frieze embroidered in gold-edged with red.<br />
<br />
The official emblem is placed at the center of the cap.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.carabinieri.it/arma/oggi/uniformi/classificazione|title=Regular uniform-Carabinieri|website=Carabinieri|publisher=Ministry of Defence|language=it|access-date=8 October 2018}}</ref><br />
<br />
Each cap is black and has a wimple held by two rounded buttons, the wimple is black for carabinieri, pinned, brigadiers and students; for the chief brigadiers the wimple is also black but with the addition of a silver galloncino mottled with black. The wimple becomes silver mottled with black in the center from the rank of marshal to that of chief marshal with the number of chevrons increasing as the rank increases. For the major marshals, the wimple is silver edged in red with three silver gallons flecked with black; for the top rank of non-commissioned officers, i.e. the lieutenant, the wiggle is silver edged in red with four silver braids edged in red.<br />
<br />
For the lower officers, the wiggle and the braids are entirely in silver without streaks, for the superior officers, the wiggle becomes a double braided cord always silver with silver braids. Finally, for the general officers, the wimple becomes a silver braid with silver braids.<br />
<br />
Other forms of headdress include berets and mountain-style caps. Carabinieri MP Units also wear a dark navy blue beret.<br />
<br />
===Service uniform===<br />
[[File:Carabinieri a cavallo.jpg|thumb|Carabinieri on horseback wearing '''service''' uniform for mounted duty; note the riding safety helmet with capbadge and tall boots.]]<br />
The service uniform is essentially the same as the ordinary uniform but is adapted for the specific duty of the soldier.<br />
<br />
E.g.:<br />
*mountainous areas – [[ski]] patrol; ski kit is worn, <br />
*mounted (horseback) patrol; different boots are worn, <br />
*'radio-mobile' (car) patrol; different boots and a 'paletta' (stop sign used to stop vehicles) are worn, etc.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.carabinieri.it/arma/oggi/uniformi/classificazione/accessori-uniformi-di-servizio|title = Accessori uniformi di servizio}}</ref><br />
<br />
===Representative (dress) uniform===<br />
''(For carabinieri, NCOs, warrant officers, officers.)''<br />
<br />
The representative uniform is essentially the same as the ordinary uniform, but worn for more formal, but still on duty occasions, where the ordinary and ceremonial uniforms are unsuitable. It differs from the ordinary uniform for the following elements:<br />
<br />
*white cords (agiluettes) on the four-button jacket, <br />
*sabre (sword) with pendants and dragon, <br />
*black belt with shoulder strap (only marshals and chief brigadiers) or white cross-belt/bandolier (for the remaining staff).<br />
*white gloves<br />
*and a black-cape in colder conditions<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.carabinieri.it/arma/oggi/uniformi/classificazione/un-di-rappresentanza|title=Un. Di rappresentanza}}</ref><br />
<br />
Sometimes the pistol is worn with the sword, other times it is not. The cap worn is the peaked cap.<br />
<br />
===Operational uniform===<br />
The operational uniform is worn for public order (riot) situations, raids, cross-country work and is worn for operations only.<br />
It is blue in color with red piping and a 'Polychrome' uniform.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.carabinieri.it/arma/oggi/uniformi/classificazione/uniforme-operativa|title = Uniforme operativa}}</ref><br />
<br />
It consists of:<br />
<br />
*jacket (with four patch pockets, shoulder straps fastened by a button and thermal lining) and trousers; <br />
*blue fleece suit (to be used as an alternative to the sweater); <br />
*blue neckerchief with red piping; <br />
*black leather gloves with reinforcement; <br />
*operational black amphibious ankle boots<br />
*and a dark-blue beret with cap badge<br />
<br />
A "particular" version of this uniform is worn by the soldiers of the Special Intervention Group, as well as the following departments: The "Tuscania" CC Parachute Regiment, Carabinieri Regiment on Horseback and Airborne Squadrons CC Cacciatori. The colours (for the trousers and jacket) are often camouflage rather than blue and red and maroon/red (for the beret) rather than blue.<br />
<br />
Riot helmets, body-armour, equipment vests, rescue helmets etc., are worn when necessary.<br />
<br />
===Gymnastic===<br />
It consists of a tracksuit (jacket and pants), t-shirt and shorts.<br />
<br />
The suit consists of a jacket and long trousers in blue fabric, with red inserts. The jacket is made up of a body with a central zip, two detachable sleeves with a zip and a collar.<br />
The trousers consist of two leggings, an elastic waistband with a drawstring at the waist and a zip at the bottom. The jacket, the T-shirt and the shorts bear the ''frieze'' of the Carabinieri.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.carabinieri.it/arma/oggi/uniformi/classificazione/uniformi-ginniche|title=Uniformi ginniche}}</ref><br />
<br />
===Other===<br />
There are also evening-dress style (mess kit) uniforms for dinners and galas, as well as variations for the above uniform for occasions (e.g. medals, sabres to be worn etc.).<br />
<br />
''The full set of different Carabinieri uniforms today is presented here ([http://www.carabinieri.it/Internet/Arma/Oggi/Uniformi/ in Italian]).''<br />
<br />
====Females====<br />
[[File:Arma dei Carabinieri female officer in uniform .jpg|thumb|Arma dei Carabinieri female warrant officer in '''ordinary''' uniform. Note the [[Sam Browne belt]] worn by warrant officers ]]<br />
The uniforms adopted for female staff are essentially an adaptation of the male ones.<br />
<br />
The variants concern the buttoning, the shape of the jackets (without upper pockets), the use of skirts inside the Offices, off-duty or with formal uniforms and shoes.<br />
<br />
No changes were made to any other items of clothing/equipment already in use by male personnel.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.carabinieri.it/arma/oggi/uniformi/classificazione/uniformi-femminili|title = Uniformi femminili}}</ref><br />
<br />
{{Clear}}<br />
<br />
== Decorations ==<br />
The State Color of the Carabinieri bears the following decorations:<br />
*6 Cavalier Crosses of the [[Military Order of Italy]]<br />
*3 Gold Medals of Military Valor<br />
*3 Gold Medals of Army Valor<br />
*5 Silver Medals of Military Valor<br />
*4 Bronze Medals of Military Valor<br />
*11 Gold Medals of Civil Valor<br />
*1 Silver Medal of Civil Valor<br />
*2 War Crosses of Military Valor<br />
*4 Gold Medals of Civil Merit<br />
*6 Gold Medals of Benemerited Public Security<br />
*6 Gold Medals of Benemerited Service to Education, Culture and the Arts<br />
*2 Gold Medals of Benemerited Service to the Environment<br />
*1 Gold Medal of Service in the Earthquake of 1909<br />
*1 Bronze Medal of Civil Defense Excellence 1st Class<br />
<br />
== Weapons ==<br />
<br />
[[File:Vicenza_officials_practice_for_emergencies.jpg|thumb|Carabinieri officers armed with a [[Beretta M12|Beretta PM-12]] [[submachine gun]] ]]<br />
<br />
{| class="wikitable"<br />
! style="text-align:center; background:#acc;"|Weapon<br />
! style="text-align: center; background:#acc;"|Origin<br />
! style="text-align:l center; background:#acc;"|Type<br />
|-<br />
| [[Beretta 92]] <br />
| {{flag|Italy}}<br />
| Individual armament<br />
|-<br />
| [[Beretta 8000]]<br />
| {{flag|Italy}}<br />
| Individual armament for officers, to be replaced by the Px4 <br />
|-<br />
| [[Beretta Px4 Storm]] <br />
| {{flag|Italy}}<br />
| Individual armament for officers, replacing the decommissioned Cougar 8000<ref>{{Cite web |title=General Command of the Carabinieri regulation regarding the use of the Beretta Px4 Storm |url=https://www.carabinieri.it/docs/default-source/gareappalto/2019/7947832672/determina-611-r-u-a-del-14-06-2019.pdf?sfvrsn=ca1d2323_2}}</ref><br />
|-<br />
| [[Glock 17]] <br />
| {{flag|Austria}}<br />
| Special armament supplied to GIS<br />
|-<br />
| [[Beretta M12|Beretta PM12-S2]] <br />
| {{flag|Italy}}<br />
| Ordinary armament, to be replaced by the PMX <br />
|-<br />
| [[Beretta PMX]]<br />
| {{flag|Italy}}<br />
| Ordinary armament, intended to replace the PM12<br />
|-<br />
| [[Heckler & Koch MP5]] <br />
| {{flag|Germany}}<br />
| Special armament<br />
|-<br />
| [[Beretta AR70/90|Beretta 70/90]]<br />
| {{flag|Italy}}<br />
| Ordinary armament, "AR" and "SCP" versions, to be decommissioned <br />
|-<br />
| [[Beretta ARX160|Beretta ARX-160A3]] <br />
| {{flag|Italy}}<br />
| Ordinary armament, replacement of the 70/90 rifles <ref>{{Cite web |title=ARX160A3 in use by the Carabinieri |date=13 April 2018 |url=https://www.armietiro.it/arx-160a3-per-i-carabinieri-9620}}</ref><br />
|-<br />
| [[M4 carbine]] <br />
| {{flag|USA}}<br />
| Special armament<br />
|-<br />
| [[Accuracy International Arctic Warfare|Accuracy International AWP]]<br />
| {{flag|UK}}<br />
| Special armament, used by snipers and GIS<br />
|-<br />
| [[:File:Mauser sp66.JPG|Mauser Sp 66]]<br />
| {{flag|Germany}}<br />
| Special armament, used by snipers and GIS<br />
|-<br />
| [[MG 3 machine gun|Beretta MG 42/59]]<br />
| {{flag|Italy}}<br />
| Special armament<br />
|-<br />
| [[FN Minimi]]<br />
| {{flag|Belgium}}<br />
| Special armament<br />
|-<br />
|}<br />
<br />
== Vehicles and equipment ==<br />
{{More citations needed section|date=July 2020}}<br />
Until very recently the Italian police (including the ''Carabinieri'') operated only Italian-made vehicles, but that changed with the introduction of [[Land Rover Defender]]s and [[Subaru]]s into service. Normal ''Carabinieri'' patrol vehicles are dark blue with a white roof, with a red stripe along the side. Carabinieri license plates begin with "CC" or previously with "EI" (formerly Esercito Italiano, Italian Army), and a Carabinieri car is traditionally called a ''Gazzella'' ([[gazelle]]). Small or medium-sized cars are used for ordinary patrol work, with larger and more powerful vehicles being used for emergency response, highway patrol, and special services. The vehicles of the ''Carabinieri'' military police and mobile units are painted in NATO camouflage scheme as done with the other Italian Armed Forces vehicles.<br />
<br />
=== Cars ===<br />
[[File:2june2006 285.jpg|thumb|Carabinieri [[Alfa Romeo 159]].]]<br />
[[File:MSU_Carabinieri_Land_Rover_Discovery_4.jpg|thumb|[[Multinational Specialized Unit|MSU]] Land Rover Discovery IV in [[Kosovo]].]]<br />
* [[Alfa Romeo 159]]<br />
* [[Alfa Romeo Giulia (952)|Alfa Romeo Giulia]]<br />
*[[Alfa Romeo Giulietta (940)|Alfa Romeo Giulietta]]<br />
* [[Subaru Forester]]<br />
* [[Lancia Kappa]]<br />
* [[Land Rover Freelander]]<br />
* [[Land Rover Defender]]-90 hard top<br />
* [[Land Rover Discovery]] II e III e IV<br />
* [[Lotus Evora]] S<br />
* [[Fiat Ducato]]<br />
* [[Hummer H1]]<br />
* [[Fiat Grande Punto]]<br />
* [[Fiat Tipo (2015)]]<br />
* [[Jeep Renegade]]<br />
* [[Jeep Grand Cherokee (WK2)|Jeep Grand Cherokee]]<br />
* [[Mitsubishi Pajero]]<br />
* [[Mitsubishi i-MiEV]]<br />
* [[Isuzu D-Max]]<br />
* [[Renault Clio]]<br />
* [[Iveco Daily]]<br />
* [[SEAT León]]<br />
* [[Suzuki Jimny]]<br />
<br />
=== Motorcycles ===<br />
[[File:2june2006 266.jpg|thumb|Carabinieri [[BMW motorcycles|BMW R1100-RTP]]]]<br />
* [[Moto Guzzi California]] Cruiser<br />
* [[BMW 650 single|BMW F650GS]]<br />
* [[BMW R1100RT|BMW R1100-RTP]]<br />
* [[BSA M20]]<br />
<br />
=== Aircraft ===<br />
[[File:Agusta-Westland AW-109N Nexus, Italy - Arma dei Carabinieri JP7482156.jpg|thumb|Carabinieri AgustaWestland AW109N]]<br />
*Fixed-wing aircraft<br />
** [[Piaggio P.180 Avanti]]<br />
*Helicopters<br />
** [[AgustaWestland AW109]]<br />
** [[Bell 412|Agusta-Bell AB 412]]<br />
** [[AgustaWestland AW139]] (2019)<br />
<br />
=== Tactical vehicles ===<br />
[[File:2june2006 288.jpg|thumb|Carabinieri Mercedes Unimog 3000 – 5000 mobile labs for CBRN (Chemical, Biological, Radiological & Nuclear) activity]]<br />
[[File:VM90 CC.jpg|thumb|Carabinieri Iveco [[VM 90]]P Protected.]]<br />
* [[Land Rover Defender]] 110 soft top<br />
* [[Iveco Daily]] 4×4 40.10WM 4×4 off-road light armored military truck<br />
* [[Unimog]]<br />
* [[RG-12]]<br />
* [[Iveco VM 90]]T Torpedo<br />
* [[Iveco VM 90]]P Protected<br />
* [[Iveco LMV]]<br />
* [[Puma (AFV)|Puma 4×4]]<br />
* [[Puma (AFV)|Puma 6×6]]<br />
* [[M113 armored personnel carrier|VCC1]]<br />
* [[M113 armored personnel carrier|M113]]<br />
* [[M3 Half Track|M3]]<br />
* [[Hummer H1]]<br />
<br />
=== Ships ===<br />
* [[Patrol boat|Offshore patrol boats]]<br />
** Motovedetta classe 800<br />
** Motovedetta classe N700<br />
** Motovedetta classe 600<br />
* [[Patrol boat|Coastal patrol boats]]<br />
** Motovedetta classe 200<br />
** Motovedetta classe 100<br />
* Motorboats<br />
** Motovedetta classe 300<br />
** Motovedetta classe N100<br />
** Motovedetta classe T120<br />
** Motovedette classe S<br />
** Battello pneumatico Stinger<br />
<br />
=== Special Vehicles ===<br />
[[File:2june 2007 453.jpg|thumb|right| An Italian Carabinieri [[Global Electric Motorcars|GEM]] e2 (called the ''Ovetti'' – "little eggs") in Carabinieri service. Used for patrolling urban areas.]]<br />
* [[Global Electric Motorcars|GEMCAR]]<br />
* Snowmobile Polaris<br />
<br />
=== Uniforms ===<br />
<gallery><br />
File:Carabiniere a Bologna (April 2006).jpg|A Carabiniere in everyday uniform<br />
File:Milano Italy Carabinieri-01.jpg|Carabinieri with capes<br />
File:CarabinieriPompei.jpg|Summer dress<br />
File:Firenze.Carabinieri01.JPG|Carabinieri at a demonstration in Florence<br />
</gallery><br />
<br />
== See also ==<br />
{{Portal|Italy}}<br />
*[[Italian Carabinieri Bands]]<br />
*[[Civilian control of the military]]<br />
*[[Corps of Gendarmerie of Vatican City]]<br />
*[[Gendarmerie]]<br />
*[[Law enforcement in Italy]]<br />
*[[Military police]]<br />
*[[Multinational Specialized Unit]]<br />
*[[Zaptie]]<br />
*[[Carlo Alberto Dalla Chiesa]]<br />
*[[Centro Sportivo Carabinieri]]<br />
{{Clear}}<br />
<br />
== References ==<br />
{{Reflist}}<br />
<br />
== External links ==<br />
{{Commons category|Arma dei Carabinieri}}<br />
* {{in lang|en}} [http://www.carabinieri.it/Internet/Multilingua/EN/default.htm Official ''Carabinieri'' website]<br />
* {{in lang|en}} [http://www.fiep.org/member-forces/italian-carabinieri/ FIEP – Italian Carabinieri]<br />
* {{in lang|it}} [http://www.assocarabinieri.it/ Carabinieri Association website]<br />
<br />
{{Law enforcement in Italy}}<br />
{{Italian Military}}<br />
{{NATO Land Forces}}<br />
{{Border guards}}<br />
{{EUROGENDFOR}}<br />
{{Authority control}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Carabinieri| ]]<br />
[[Category:National law enforcement agencies of Italy]]<br />
[[Category:Gendarmerie]]<br />
[[Category:Border guards]]<br />
[[Category:Military provosts]]<br />
[[Category:Military of Italy]]<br />
[[Category:1814 establishments in Italy]]<br />
[[Category:Military units and formations established in 1814]]</div>Boackandwhitehttps://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Carabinieri&diff=1267085932Carabinieri2025-01-03T14:55:53Z<p>Boackandwhite: </p>
<hr />
<div>{{Short description|Italian police force}}<br />
{{About}}<br />
{{Distinguish|Carbonari}}<br />
{{Infobox law enforcement agency<br />
| agencyname = Carabinieri<br />
| nativename = {{lang|it|Arma dei Carabinieri}}<br />
| commonname = <br />
| abbreviation = <br />
| fictional = <br />
| patch = File:Fiamma dei carabinieri.svg<br />
| patchcaption = Emblem<br />
| logo = Coat of arms of the Carabinieri.svg<br />
| logocaption = Heraldic achievement<br />
| badge = <br />
| badgecaption = <br />
| flag = <br />
| flagcaption = <br />
| imagesize = <br />
| motto = ''Nei Secoli Fedele''<br />
| mottotranslated = Faithful through the centuries<br />
| formedyear = 13 July 1814<br />
| country = Italy<br />
| national = yes<br />
| local = yes<br />
| military = yes<br />
| paramilitary = <br />
| gendarmerie = yes<br />
| religious = <br />
| speciality1 = <br />
| headquarters = [[Rome]]<br />
| sworntype = <br />
| sworn = 110,000 officers<br />
| unsworntype = <br />
| unsworn = <br />
| multinational = <!--NNN or {{collapsible list |title=NNN |[[country1]] . . |[[countryNNN]]}}--><br />
| electeetype = <br />
| minister1name = [[Guido Crosetto]]<br />
| minister1pfo = [[Minister of Defence (Italy)|Minister of Defence]]<br />
| minister2name = <br />
| minister2pfo = <br />
| chief1name = General [[:it:Salvatore Luongo|Salvatore Luongo]]<br />
| chief1position = [[Commander-General of the Carabinieri|Commander General]]<br />
<!-- (...up to 6...) -->| parentagency = [[Ministry of Defence (Italy)|Ministry of Defence]]<br>[[Ministry of the Interior (Italy)|Ministry of the Interior]]<br />
| child1agency = <!-- (...up to 6...) --><br />
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The '''Carabinieri''' ({{IPAc-en|ˌ|k|ær|ə|b|ɪ|n|ˈ|j|ɛər|i}}, <small>also</small> {{IPAc-en|US|ˌ|k|ɑːr|-}},<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20190325133612/https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/us/carabiniere "carabiniere"] (US) and {{Cite dictionary |url=http://www.lexico.com/definition/carabiniere |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200322182120/https://www.lexico.com/definition/carabiniere |url-status=dead |archive-date=2020-03-22 |title=carabiniere |dictionary=[[Lexico]] UK English Dictionary |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite Merriam-Webster|carabiniere|accessdate=25 March 2019}}</ref> {{IPA|it|karabiˈnjɛːri|lang}}; formally '''''Arma dei Carabinieri''''', "Arm of Carabineers"; previously ''Corpo dei Carabinieri Reali'', "Royal Carabineers Corps")<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Uz8eiwzEMHQC |first1=Ciro |last1=Paoletti |title=A Military History of Italy |publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group |year=2008 |isbn=978-0-275-98505-9}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last1=Stone|first1=Peter G|last2=Bajjaly|first2=Joanne Farchakh|title=The Destruction of Cultural Heritage in Iraq|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RDttNod0xH4C&pg=PA235|year=2008|publisher=Boydell & Brewer Ltd|isbn=978-1-84383-384-0|page=235}}</ref><ref>Richard Heber Wrightson, ''A History of Modern Italy, from the First French Revolution to the Year 1850''. Elibron.com, 2005</ref><ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0oAqAAAAMAAJ |title=A new survey of universal knowledge |volume=4 |publisher=[[Encyclopædia Britannica]] |year=1952}}</ref> are the national [[gendarmerie]] of [[Italy]] who primarily carry out domestic and foreign policing duties. It is one of Italy's main [[law enforcement]] agencies, alongside the [[Polizia di Stato]] and the [[Guardia di Finanza]]. As with the Guardia di Finanza but in contrast to the Polizia di Stato, the Carabinieri are a military force. As the fourth [[Military branch|branch]] of the [[Italian Armed Forces]], they come under the authority of the [[Ministry of Defence (Italy)|Ministry of Defence]]; for activities related to inland public order and security, they functionally depend on the [[Ministry of the Interior (Italy)|Ministry of the Interior]]. In practice, there is a significant overlap between the jurisdiction of the Polizia di Stato and Carabinieri, although both of them are contactable through [[112 (emergency telephone number)|112]], the European Union's Single Emergency number.<ref>{{Cite web|title=The Service|url=https://112.gov.it/en/service/|access-date=2021-07-26|website=NUE 112 Numero di emergenza Unico Europeo|language=en-GB}}</ref> Unlike the Polizia di Stato, the Carabinieri have responsibility for [[Military police|policing the military]], and a number of members regularly participate in military missions abroad.<br />
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They were originally founded as the police force of the [[Kingdom of Sardinia (1720–1861)|Kingdom of Sardinia]], the forerunner of the [[Kingdom of Italy]]. During the process of [[Italian unification]], the Carabinieri were appointed as the "First Force" of the new national military organization. Although the Carabinieri assisted in the suppression of opposition during the rule of [[Benito Mussolini]], they were also responsible for his downfall and many units were disbanded during [[World War II]] by [[Nazi Germany]], which resulted in large numbers of Carabinieri joining the [[Italian resistance movement]].<br />
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In 2000, they were separated from the Army to become a separate branch of the [[Italian Armed Forces]]. Carabinieri have policing powers that can be exercised at any time and in any part of the country, and they are always permitted to carry their assigned weapon as personal equipment ([[Beretta 92|Beretta 92FS]] pistols).<br />
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The Carabinieri are often referred to as "La Benemerita" (The Reputable or The Meritorious) as they are a trusted and prestigious law enforcement institution in Italy. The first official account of the use of this term to refer to the Carabinieri dates back to 24 June 1864.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.carabinieri.it/arma/curiosita/non-tutti-sanno-che/b/benemerita|title=Benemerita|website=www.carabinieri.it}}</ref><br />
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== History ==<br />
=== Early history ===<br />
Inspired by the French [[gendarmerie]], the corps was created by King [[Victor Emmanuel I of Sardinia]] with the aim of providing the [[Savoyard state]] of the [[Kingdom of Sardinia (1720–1861)|Kingdom of Sardinia]] with a police corps. After French soldiers had occupied [[Turin]] at the end of the 18th century and later abandoned it to the Kingdom of Sardinia, the Royal Carabinieri Corps was instituted under the Royal Patents of 13 July 1814.<ref name=cab /> The name is derived from the French word ''carabinier'', meaning "[[soldier]] armed with a [[carbine]]."<ref>{{cite web | title=Origin and meaning of carabinieri| website=Online Etymology Dictionary | url=https://www.etymonline.com/word/carabinieri | access-date=2019-08-29}}</ref><br />
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The new force was divided into divisions on the scale of one division for each province. The divisions were further divided into companies and subdivided into lieutenancies, which commanded and coordinated the local police stations and were distributed throughout the national territory in direct contact with the public.<ref name=cab /><br />
[[File:Carb1875.jpg|thumb|Photo of a carabiniere around 1875. The 'Medal of Italian Independence' is worn, indicating a veteran of the [[Risorgimento]] (The Wars for Italian Unification).]]<br />
In 1868, the [[Cuirassiers Regiment (Italy)|Cuirassiers Regiment]] or ''Corazzieri'' was formed, initially as a cavalry escort of honour for the sovereign, and since 1946 for the President of the Republic.<ref name=cab /> The Italian unification saw the number of divisions increased,<ref name=cab /> and on 24 January 1861, the ''Carabinieri'' were appointed the "First Force" of the new national military organization.<ref name=cab /><br />
[[File:0 Chapeau de la grande tenue des Carabiniers italiens.JPG|thumb|Carabinier's bicorne.]]<br />
In May 1915, Italian troops marched to encompass [[South Tyrol]], a territory of their former allies [[Austria-Hungary]], in the [[Italian Campaign (World War I)|Italian front]] . The defenders had sufficient time to prepare strong fortifications there, and at the [[Karst Plateau]] to the east. The Italians, under the overall command of General [[Luigi Cadorna]], found themselves repeatedly repulsed in harsh fighting. The role of the Carabinieri was to act as [[barrier troops]], setting up machine gun posts to control the rear of the attacking regiments and prevent desertion.<ref>{{cite book|last=Thompson|first=Mark|title=The White War|year=2009|publisher=Faber|location=London|isbn=978-0-571-22334-3|page=227}}</ref><br />
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=== 1930s and 1940s ===<br />
During [[Fascist Italy (1922–1943)]] under [[Benito Mussolini]], the Carabinieri were one of the police forces entrusted with suppressing opposition in Italy.<ref name="collab">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yZQlNLN3YXQC&pg=PA274 |title=The Oxford illustrated history of Italy – Google Books |access-date=2009-09-19|isbn=978-0-19-820527-2|year=1997|last1=Holmes |first1=George |last2=Holmes |first2=Chichele|page=274|publisher=Oxford University Press }}</ref> During the same period, while part of the [[Italian African Police]] (mainly in the late 1930s), they were involved in atrocities<ref>{{cite web | title=Massacres and Atrocities of WWII in the Axis Countries | website=members.iinet.net.au | url=http://members.iinet.net.au/~gduncan/massacres_axis.html | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303194232/http://members.iinet.net.au/~gduncan/massacres_axis.html | archive-date=2016-03-03 | url-status=live | access-date=2019-08-29}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.dacb.org/stories/ethiopia/petros2_abuna.html |title=Pétros, Ethiopia, Orthodox |publisher=Dacb.org |access-date=2009-09-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101228190751/http://www.dacb.org/stories/ethiopia/petros2_abuna.html |archive-date=2010-12-28 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Adejumobi|first=Saheed A.|title=The History of Ethiopia|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-U7aydmefrgC&pg=PA78| year=2007| publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group| isbn=978-0-313-32273-0|page=78}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Mockler|first=Anthony|title=Haile Selassie's War|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vCb_nQEACAAJ&pg=PA175|year=2003|publisher=Signal Books|isbn=978-1-902669-53-3|page=175}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.linkethiopia.org/guide/pankhurst/ethiopian_patriots/ethiopian_patriots_4.html |title=The Pankhurst History Library |publisher=[[Link Ethiopia]] |access-date=2009-09-19 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100706001537/http://www.linkethiopia.org/guide/pankhurst/ethiopian_patriots/ethiopian_patriots_4.html |archive-date=2010-07-06 }}</ref> in colonial [[Italian East Africa]] during the [[Second Italo-Ethiopian War]]. During [[World War II]], they fought in their function as military police against the Allied forces, and against [[Yugoslav Partisans]] as part of the Italian occupation force of the [[Kingdom of Yugoslavia]].<br />
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After the [[fall of the Fascist regime in Italy]] on 25 July 1943, on the orders of the king, Mussolini was arrested by the Carabinieri as he left the [[Villa Ada|king's private residence]] in Rome and subsequently imprisoned on [[Campo Imperatore]] by Carabinieri forces. After the [[armistice between Italy and Allied armed forces]] on 3 September 1943 and the country's split into the fascist [[Italian Social Republic]] in the north and the [[Kingdom of Italy]] in the south, the Carabinieri split into two groups.<br />
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In the Kingdom of Italy, the Carabinieri Command for Liberated Italy was founded in Bari, mobilizing new units for the Italian war of liberation. These units were attached to the Italian Liberation Corps and the six Italian Combat Groups of the [[Italian Co-Belligerent Army]], fighting with the Allied forces.<br />
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In the fascist Social Republic in the North, the regime organized the [[National Republican Guard (Italy)|National Republican Guard]] (composed of Carabinieri, former officers from the [[Italian African Police]], [[Guardia di Finanza]] and customs police), to employ it as a military police and rapid-deployment anti-guerrilla force. GNR was later joined (but not taken over) by the [[Black Brigades]], which represented a new militant incarnation of the Fascist party.{{citation needed|date=January 2019}}<br />
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Due to the role the Carabinieri had played in the downfall of Mussolini, and since one of the few units which fought the German occupation of Rome were the [[Granatieri di Sardegna Mechanized Brigade]] regiments and the II Carabinieri cadet battalion, the Germans did not view the Carabinieri as loyal to the fascist cause. They disarmed the force and began the deportation of 8,000 officers to Germany for [[forced labour]] on 6 October 1943; the Italian Colonial Police took over their jobs.<ref>{{cite book |last=Paehler |first=Katrin |title=The Third Reich's Intelligence Services|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KphUDgAAQBAJ&pg=PA202 |year=2017 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=978-1-107-15719-4 |page=202}}</ref><br />
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Subsequently, large numbers of Carabinieri joined the [[Italian resistance movement]] to fight German and Italian fascists.<ref>{{cite book |last=Friesendorf |first=Cornelius|title=How Western Soldiers Fight: Organizational Routines in Multinational Missions|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EgpaDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA83|year=2018 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=978-1-108-42910-8 |page=83}}</ref> Nonetheless, some 45,000 officers remained on the job and as of March 1944, this group was the only national security force in Italy.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Battistelli |first1=Pier Paolo|last2=Crociani|first2=Piero|title=World War II Partisan Warfare in Italy|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zECXCwAAQBAJ&pg=PA14 |year=2015 |publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing |isbn=978-1-4728-0894-3|page=14}}</ref><br />
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After the war the Carabinieri counted at least 2735 fallen and 6500 wounded, out of approximately 14,000 who had joined the Resistance in northern and central Italy. In Yugoslavia, the Carabinieri formed a battalion of the Italian [[182nd Armored Infantry Regiment "Garibaldi"]], which fought alongside the Yugoslav partisans against the [[Wehrmacht]] and the Croatian [[Ustaše]]. The battalion lost over 80% of its members in combat and was awarded the [[Silver Medal of Military Valor]] to commemorate the fallen.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.carabinieri.it/Internet/Arma/Curiosita/Non+tutti+sanno+che/R/21+R.htm |title=Arma dei Carabinieri – Home – L'Arma – Curiosità – Non tutti sanno che... - R |publisher=Carabinieri.it |access-date=2009-09-19}}</ref><ref name="milhist">{{cite web|url=http://www.carabinieri.it/Internet/Multilingua/EN/MilitaryOperations/ |title=Arma dei Carabinieri – Home - > – EN – Military Operations |publisher=Carabinieri.it |access-date=2009-09-19}}</ref><br />
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One notable act of heroism in this era came from Vice [[Brigadier#Italy|Brigadiere]] [[Salvo D'Acquisto]], who was executed by [[Nazi Germany]] in Palidoro (near [[Rome]]) during World War II. D'Acquisto exchanged his life for the lives of citizens due to be executed in retaliation for the killing of a German soldier; instead, he claimed responsibility and was executed for the offence.<ref>{{cite book|title=Italy Justice System and National Police Handbook|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qnL4EMUhaSEC&pg=PA196|date=22 April 2018|publisher=Int'l Business Publications|isbn=978-1-4387-2542-0|page=196}}</ref><br />
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=== Present day ===<br />
[[File:Alfa-Romeo159-Carabinieri-di-Roma.JPG|thumb|[[Alfa Romeo 159]]]]<br />
The Carabinieri were in the forefront of many internal conflicts in Italy in the late 20th century, such as the [[Years of Lead (Italy)|Years of Lead]] (against the [[Red Brigades]]) and the [[Second Mafia War]] (against the [[Corleonesi Mafia]]).<ref name=Ginzburg>[[Carlo Ginzburg]], ''The Judge and the Historian. Marginal Notes and a Late-Twentieth-century Miscarriage of Justice'', London 1999, {{ISBN|1-85984-371-9}}. Original ed. 1991.</ref><ref name="ricerca.repubblica.it">{{cite web|url=http://ricerca.repubblica.it/repubblica/archivio/repubblica/2003/10/11/strage-alla-circonvallazione-sicari-adesso-hanno-un.html|title=Strage alla circonvallazione i sicari adesso hanno un volto - la Repubblica.it|date=11 October 2003 }}</ref> They participated, and lost men, in events such as the [[Peteano massacre]] in 1972,<ref name="Provvisionato Corriere 1">{{cite news | author = Sandro Provvisionato | url = http://www.corriere.it/europeo/cronache/2009/11/apertura-tre-anni-che-sconvolsero-italia_58dacb9e-d296-11de-a0b4-00144f02aabc.shtml | title = I tre anni che sconvolsero l'Italia | work = [[Corriere della Sera]] | date = 16 November 2009 | access-date = 10 January 2011 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110125052829/http://www.corriere.it/europeo/cronache/2009/11/apertura-tre-anni-che-sconvolsero-italia_58dacb9e-d296-11de-a0b4-00144f02aabc.shtml | archive-date = 25 January 2011 }}</ref> [[Circonvallazione massacre]] in 1982,<ref name="ricerca.repubblica.it"/> and the murder of [[Emanuele Basile]].<ref>{{cite news|last1=Walker|first1=Keith|title=73-year-old Sicilian Sergio Mattarella is Italy's new president|url=http://www.euronews.com/2015/01/31/73-year-old-sicilian-sergio-mattarella-is-new-president-of-italy/|access-date=February 5, 2015|work=Euronews|agency=[[Reuters]]|date=January 31, 2015}}</ref> Until 2000, the Carabinieri were part of the [[Italian Army]]. On 31 March 2000, they were separated to become the fourth branch of the Italian Armed Forces.<ref name=cab /> [[Interpol]] summarizes this force (part of the Ministry of Defence) as having a "nationwide remit for crime investigations. It also serves as the military police for the Italian armed forces and can be called upon for national defence action."<ref>{{cite web | title=Italy | website=INTERPOL | url=https://www.interpol.int/en/Who-we-are/Member-countries/Europe/ITALY | access-date=2019-08-29}}</ref><br />
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According to [[Europol]] (the EU's law enforcement agency), the Carabinieri Corps' military duties include "contributing to national defence, participating in military operations in Italy and abroad, executing military police functions and ensuring the security of Italian diplomatic and consular representations". As a national police force, it "carries out public order and security policing, as well as investigative activities on its own initiative or at the request of the judicial authorities". Europol also states that the force is "supplemented by the Specialized Carabinieri Commands, responsible for safeguarding the primary interests of the community: from the protection of the environment, health, work and national cultural heritage, to the observance of community and agri-food regulations, to the suppression of forgery [of] currency".<br />
<ref name="auto">{{cite web |url=https://www.europol.europa.eu/partners-agreements/member-states/italy |title=Italy |date=7 March 2018 |publisher=Europol |access-date=28 July 2019 }}</ref><br />
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In recent years Carabinieri units have been dispatched on [[peacekeeping]] missions, including [[Kosovo war|Kosovo]], [[War in Afghanistan (2001–present)|Afghanistan]], and [[Iraq War|Iraq]]. In 2003, 12 Carabinieri [[2003 Nasiriyah bombing|were killed in a suicide bombing]] on their base in [[Nasiriyah]], near [[Basra]] in southern Iraq, in the largest Italian military loss of life in a single action since the [[World War II|Second World War]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.carabinieri.it/arma/ieri/storia/vista-da-2015/fascicolo-43/la-strage-di-nassiriya |title=Arma dei Carabinieri – La strage di Nassiriya |publisher=Carabinieri.it |access-date=2016-04-17}}</ref> One of the previous projects included training and assisting the Afghan National Security Forces, the Afghan National Police, and the Afghan National Civil Order Police. In Iraq, Carabinieri have trained 13,000 police officers; during the ISIS destruction of historic sites, Italy dispatched troops from the Carabinieri's Command to protect cultural heritage.<ref>{{cite web | last=Braw | first=Elisabeth | title=For Not-Quite-Wars, Italy Has a Useful Alternative to Traditional Troops | website=Defense One | date=2018-04-16 | url=https://www.defenseone.com/ideas/2018/04/todays-not-quite-wars-italy-has-alternative-traditional-troops/147457/ | access-date=2019-08-29}}</ref><br />
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At the Sea Island Conference of the [[G8]] in 2004, Carabinieri were given a mandate to establish a [[Centre of Excellence for Stability Police Units]] to spearhead the development of training and doctrinal standards for civilian police units attached to international peacekeeping missions.<ref>{{cite web<br />
|url=http://www.carlisle.army.mil/pksoi/Docs/policeunits.pdf<br />
|title=Formed Police Units Workshop and Seminar<br />
|access-date=2007-05-15<br />
|url-status=dead<br />
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070616220931/http://www.carlisle.army.mil/pksoi/Docs/policeunits.pdf<br />
|archive-date=2007-06-16<br />
}} Issue Paper No. 2006-04, US Army Peacekeeping and Stability Operations Institute, January 2007.</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |doi = 10.1080/09662839.2012.747511|title = The European Gendarmerie Force: A solution in search of problems?|journal = European Security|volume = 22|pages = 1–20|year = 2013|last1 = Arcudi|first1 = Giovanni|last2 = Smith|first2 = Michael E.|doi-access = free}}</ref><br />
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The [[State Forestry Corps]] was dissolved on 31 December 2016 and personnel with forestry police function were militarized and absorbed by the Carabinieri.<br />
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== Organization ==<br />
[[File:2june 2007 432.jpg|left|thumb|Senior Carabinieri General in a [[VM 90]] during the 2007 Republic Day parade in Italy]]<br />
[[File:Carabinieri - Specialized and Mobile Units Command - Organization July 2020.png|thumb|Structure of the Specialist & Mobile Units Command]]<br />
The corps is headed by the ''{{lang|it|Comando}}'', consisting of the ''[[List of Commanding Generals of the Carabinieri|Comandante Generale]]'' (a [[General]]), the ''{{lang|it|Vice-Comandante Generale}}'' (a [[Lieutenant General]]) and the Chief of Staff, all located in [[Rome]]. The Chief of Staff directs, coordinates and supervises all activities of the force. It directly supervises the Directors of Administration, Health, Engineering, the motor pool and the Veterinary Commission. On the Deputy Chiefs of Staff depend the National Center for Recruitment and Selection, the Administration National Center and the Legislation Office.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.carabinieri.it/Internet/Arma/Oggi/Reparti/Organizzazione+Centrale/ |title=Organizzazione Centrale |access-date=July 13, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120227104549/http://www.carabinieri.it/Internet/Arma/Oggi/Reparti/Organizzazione%2BCentrale/ |archive-date=February 27, 2012 }}</ref><br />
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=== Territorial Organization ===<br />
The Carabinieri are organised on a territorial basis for law-enforcement missions. The territorial organization represents the core of the institution; it contains 80 percent of the force and is organized hierarchically in five inter-regional commands, 19 regional commands and 102 provincial commands, 504 Company Commands and<br />
4,672 Station Commands and lieutenancies.<ref name="auto" /><br />
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The territorial organization includes four heliborne units:<br />
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* [[Carabinieri Heliborne Squadron "Cacciatori di Calabria"]], responsible for operations in [[Calabria]]<br />
* [[Carabinieri Heliborne Squadron "Cacciatori di Sicilia"]], responsible for operations in [[Sicily]]<br />
* [[Carabinieri Heliborne Squadron "Cacciatori di Sardegna"]], responsible for operations in [[Sardinia]]<br />
* [[Carabinieri Heliborne Squadron "Cacciatori di Puglia"]], responsible for operations in [[Apulia]]<br />
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=== Specialist and Mobile Units Command Organization ===<br />
{{more citations needed section|date=July 2017}}<!--only last sentence has a citation--><br />
Outside the territorial organisation, the Specialist and Mobile Units Command ''Palidoro'' ({{lang|it|Comando delle Unità Mobili e Specializzate "Palidoro"}}, based in Rome) controls the [[Carabinieri Mobile Units Division]], the [[Carabinieri Specialist Units Division]] and the [[Raggruppamento Operativo Speciale|ROS]].<br />
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==== Carabinieri Specialist Units Division ====<br />
{{See also|Carabinieri Specialist Units Division}}<br />
The [[Carabinieri Specialist Units Division]] is the Carabinieri formation, established in 2001, dedicated to the performance of specialist police activities and the support to the Territorial Organizations. The Division directs, controls, and coordinates its own units, which carry out tasks related to the protection of Italian artistic heritage, to the currency protection, to the protection of Italian embassies abroad, to the health protection, to the labour policing, to Bank of Italy needs, to the Carabinieri forensics police services. In addition, the Division provides Carabinieri air support.<br />
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==== Mobile Units Division ====<br />
[[File:0 Béret de carabinier parachutiste italien.JPG|thumb|Paratrooper Carabinieri beret.]]<br />
{{See also|Carabinieri Mobile Units Division}}<br />
The [[Carabinieri Mobile Units Division]] is located in [[Rome]] and has two brigades tasked with mass manoeuvres during emergencies, defending the nation and participating in military operations abroad. It supports [[public order]] and territorial control in urban areas, and contributes to the operations of civil authorities in terms of public safety. 1st Mobile Brigade, whose headquarters is located in Rome and includes six Regiments and four Battalions mainly employed in public order tasks. 2nd Mobile Brigade headquartered in Livorno includes the [[Gruppo di Intervento Speciale]] special forces group, the [[1st Paratroopers Carabinieri Regiment "Tuscania"]], and the 7th "Trentino-Alto Adige" and 13th "Friuli-Venezia Giulia" regiments, which, together with the [[Multinational Specialized Unit]], are mainly engaged in international missions.<br />
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==== Special forces ====<br />
{{See also|Gruppo di Intervento Speciale}}<br />
The [[Gruppo di Intervento Speciale]] in one of the six [[Italian special forces]].<br />
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==== ROS ====<br />
The ROS (''[[Raggruppamento Operativo Speciale]]'' or Special Operational Group) is an elite unit founded in 1990 to deal with [[organised crime]] ([[Sicilian Mafia|Mafia]] and others), subversive activities, [[terrorism]] and more complex types of crime. An anti-crime section is found in every city and district public prosecutor's office.<br />
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==== Special Tasks Departments ====<br />
[[File:2june2006 374.jpg|thumb|Corazzieri]]<br />
Special Tasks Departments are outside the ordinary organisational framework and are used for special missions:<br />
''[[Corazzieri]]'' ([[Cuirassier]]s) are an elite corps and honour guard of the [[President of the Italian Republic]], located in the [[Quirinal Palace]]. They are distinguished by their uniforms and height (the minimum height for admission is {{convert|1.9|m|ftin|abbr=on|disp=or}}). They have almost no other everyday duties, although they may be seen patrolling occasionally. <br />
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Other departments are in service to constitutional bodies such as, the Presidency of the Republic, the Senate, Parliament, the Judiciary, the [[prime minister]] and the National Council of Economy and Labour. Carabinieri also perform [[military police]] and security duties for the Ministry of Defence, military high commands, the offices of the military judiciary and allied military organisations in Italy and abroad. They also have personnel attached to the [[Polizia di Stato|Department of Public Security]] in various departments, as well as anti-Mafia and anti-drug investigative task forces. ''Carabinieri'' officers are charged with surveillance and security at Italian embassies and consulates abroad, performing the same services entrusted to the [[Marine Corps Embassy Security Group]] in United States diplomatic and consular offices.<br />
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Together with the [[Polizia di Stato]] and the [[Guardia di Finanza]], the Carabinieri is also responsible for [[border control]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://ec.europa.eu/home-affairs/doc_centre/borders/docs/List%20of%20national%20services%20responsible%20for%20border%20control.pdf|title=List of national services responsible for border control}}</ref><br />
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==== Command Unit for environmental, agri-food and forestry protection ====<br />
The specialized ''Comando unità per la tutela forestale, ambientale, e agroalimentare'' has its headquarters in Rome, and 15 regional commands and approximately 700 Station Commands around the country, with 7,000 personnel. Its missions are preventing production and distribution of illicit agri-foodstuffs, environmental and biodiversity protection, prevention of poaching, and suppression of all criminal organizations that, with their activity, affect the environment. In the Unit, there are also 29 NOEs (''Nucleo Operativo Ecologico''), teams highly specialized in complex investigations in environmental matters against organized crime.<br />
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== War service ==<br />
[[File:2june2006 134.jpg|thumb|1st Paratroopers [[Carabinieri Regiment "Tuscania"]]]]<br />
The main battles in which the Carabinieri took part before World War I are:<br />
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* Grenoble, July 5, 1815<br />
* [[Battle of Pastrengo]], 30 April 1848 – the Carabinieri Corps was awarded its first [[Silver Medal of Military Valor]]<br />
* [[Battle of Santa Lucia]], 6 May 1848 – the Carabinieri Corps was awarded its first [[Bronze Medal of Military Valor]]<br />
* [[Battle of Custoza (1848)|Battle of Custoza]], 24–25 July 1848<br />
* [[Battle of Custoza (1866)|Battle of Custoza]], 24 June 1866<br />
* [[Capture of Rome]], 20 September 1870 (together with the [[Bersaglieri]])<br />
<br />
For its contributions during the First World War, the Corps was awarded its first [[Gold Medal of Military Valor]]<br />
<br />
In World War II, Carabinieri fought in the following battles:<ref name="milhist" /><br />
* Battle of Klisoura on the Greek-Albanian front from 16 to 30 December 1940 [[Bronze Medal of Military Valor]]<br />
* Battle at Cafe Struga on the Albanian-Yugoslav front on 18 April 1941<br />
* [[Battle of Culqualber]] (Ethiopia), 6 August-21 November 1941 – Corps was awarded its second [[Gold Medal of Military Valor]]<br />
<br />
From 1943 to 1945, the Carabinieri were accountable to the Control Commission of the [[Allied Military Government]] (AMGOT). Their reorganization and reform was organized by Colonel [[Arthur Young (police officer)|Arthur Young]], a British [[police officer]] seconded as Director of Public Safety and Director of Security.<br />
<br />
== Uniforms ==<br />
[[File:2june 2007 035d.jpg|200px|thumb|Dress uniform]]<br />
{{See also|Uniforms of the Italian Armed Forces#Arma dei Carabinieri (Gendarmerie)|Rank insignia of the Carabinieri}}<br />
<br />
The Carabinieri, as a military and police force, have various uniforms for different functions. For each type of uniform there are seasonal variants and (except for service, combat and historical) versions for men and women.<ref name="carabinieri.it">{{Cite web|url=http://www.carabinieri.it/arma/oggi/uniformi/uniformi|title = Uniformi}}</ref> How, when and why they are to be worn is dictated by the ''"R-11 "Regulation on Uniforms for the Carabinieri Arma''" published by the Carabinieri General Command in 1988.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.carabinieri.it/arma/oggi/uniformi/classificazione/uso-delle-uniformi|title = Uso delle uniformi}}</ref><br />
<br />
The uniforms of the Carabinieri are divided into: <br />
# historical and full dress<br />
# ordinary,<br />
# service,<br />
# representative, (for warrant officers, NCOs and constables) <br />
# Great Winter Uniform (GUI) / Great Summer Uniform (GUE) (for officers) <br />
# operational use<br />
# athletic gear<br />
<br />
Those of service, representation and GUI/GUE are a derivation of the ordinary.<ref name="carabinieri.it"/><br />
<br />
===History===<br />
Originally, the Carabinieri were issued a distinctive uniform in black with silver braid around the collar and cuffs, edges trimmed in scarlet and epaulettes in silver. The mounted division had white fringes, and the infantry had light blue. Their headgear was a distinctive [[bicorne]], popularly called the ''lucerna'' (in use only for historical uniform and ceremonies).<ref name=cab>{{cite web|title=The ancient Corps of the Royal Carabinieri|access-date=2009-05-20|publisher=Carabinieri|url=http://www.carabinieri.it/Internet/Multilingua/EN/HistoricalReferences/01_EN.htm}}</ref><br />
They still use a version of the historic uniform today for ceremonies.<ref name=cab /><br />
<br />
===Design===<br />
The uniform that the [[Gendarmerie]] wore in 1814 consisted of a [[Turquoise (color)|turquoise]] fabric buttoned suit with a blue collar and padded gloves. Since 1822, some small changes have been made to the uniform. Officials and Marshals had silver swords and sabres, both in a black leather [[scabbard]]. At the beginning of the 20th Century, the rules of the dress code were reinforced because of [[World War I]].<br />
<br />
Troopers had three different types of uniforms: the ''Complete uniform'', the ''Ordinary uniform'', and the ''Effort uniform''. The Carabinieri's uniform at that time was made of a green-grey cloth material, and was used by all soldiers.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.carabinieri.it/arma/ieri/equipaggiamento-e-materiali/1910-1940/le-uniformi/l%27uniforme-di-guerra---1940|title=War uniform – 1940|website=Carabinieri|publisher=Ministry of Defence|language=it|access-date=8 October 2018}}</ref><br />
<br />
===Historical and Ceremonial (Special) uniform===<br />
[[File:Dmitry Medvedev in Italy, June 2011-12.jpeg|thumb|Ceremonial uniforms worn by the Carabinieri during a Russian [[state visit]] to Italy]]<br />
For historical and ceremonial use, the Carabinieri uniform consists of a distinctive black uniform made of silver [[braid]]s around the collar and cuffs, edges trimmed in scarlet and [[epaulettes]] in silver. The fringes of the mounted division are white, and the infantry has light blue. The headgear used is the traditional two-pointed hat for Carabinieri, known as the Lucerna, also called a [[bicorne]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.relicmilitaria.com/product/italy-italian-carabinieri-lucernabicorne-hatceremonial-headdress-circa-1970s-scarce/|title=Bicorne hat, ceremonial headdress|publisher=Relic Militaria|access-date=10 November 2018}}</ref><br />
<br />
During the 1980s [[Giorgio Armani]] designed the new more modern uniforms.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/fashion-blog/2014/jul/10/giorgio-armani-80-eight-facts-fashion-designer|title=Giorgio Armani at 80: eight things you didn't know about the fashion designer|last=Cochrane|first=Lauren|date=10 July 2014|work=The Guardian}}</ref><br />
<br />
===Ordinary uniform===<br />
[[File:Walking Carabinieri.JPG|thumb|Carabinieri in everyday ordinary uniform, winter version. Note the pistol worn on the left side for cross-draw purposes and the white cross-belt. (March 2015)]]<br />
<br />
The modern Carabinieri Force uniform is coloured in black for every seasonal version, with small variations on weather basis (coat or wind jacket), and is composed of:<br />
<br />
*a four-button jacket with shoulder pads: all buttons on the uniform are silvered<br />
*a shirt underneath in white, with two pockets<br />
*trousers have a classic cut, with four pockets and has two vertical red stripes along the outer side of both legs, stretching from the hips to the ankles<br />
*flat black shoes are worn.<br />
<br />
The uniform is accompanied by accessories such as:<br />
<br />
*the black tie, <br />
*the white cross-belt, or [[Sam Browne belt|Sam Browne]] or no belt, <br />
*peaked cap (males), bowler cap (females) <br />
*black leather gloves,<br />
*V-neck sweater<br />
*wind-breaker<br />
*waterproof coat<br />
<br />
There are differences for season, duties, rank and location. For instance, in the summer the four-button jacket and white shirt and tie are replaced with a short-sleeved blue shirt.<br />
<br />
Depending on the weather conditions, the uniform can be worn with a waterproof coat (or beaver cloth for officers) and an anorak. Inside the military installations, the jacket can be removed or replaced with the "V-neck" sweater.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.carabinieri.it/arma/oggi/uniformi/classificazione/uniforme-ordinaria|title = Uniforme ordinaria}}</ref><br />
<br />
In 2020 new 'bomber-style jackets', with appropriate logos were introduced which can be worn instead of the four-button jacket. The white cross belt is still worn on top and either a roll-neck base layer or a white shirt and tie is worn underneath.<br />
<br />
Accessories are the same, although ''Wanted in Rome'' reported that: ''"The old leather holster will also be retired, replaced by an external belt with a quick-release holster, made of plastic material. The old gloves will be replaced with modern, cut-resistant gloves. However, style has not been sacrificed for function, begging the question, are the Carabinieri of Rome the most stylish police force in the world?"'' <ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.wantedinrome.com/news/italys-carabinieri-get-a-new-uniform-complete-with-neck-warmer.html|title = Italy's Carabinieri get a new uniform complete with neck warmer|date = 14 December 2020}}</ref><br />
<br />
====Headdress====<br />
The regulation peaked cap is rigid with a ''frieze'' of the Carabinieri (metallic for pinned, Carabinieri and students, embroidered in silver fabric for NCOs, gilded for the inspectors and officers while for the generals the frieze is the eagle of the staff with RI monogram in the centre, silver for brigade and division generals, gold for corps generals). The commanding officers of the department wear the frieze embroidered in gold-edged with red.<br />
<br />
The official emblem is placed at the center of the cap.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.carabinieri.it/arma/oggi/uniformi/classificazione|title=Regular uniform-Carabinieri|website=Carabinieri|publisher=Ministry of Defence|language=it|access-date=8 October 2018}}</ref><br />
<br />
Each cap is black and has a wimple held by two rounded buttons, the wimple is black for carabinieri, pinned, brigadiers and students; for the chief brigadiers the wimple is also black but with the addition of a silver galloncino mottled with black. The wimple becomes silver mottled with black in the center from the rank of marshal to that of chief marshal with the number of chevrons increasing as the rank increases. For the major marshals, the wimple is silver edged in red with three silver gallons flecked with black; for the top rank of non-commissioned officers, i.e. the lieutenant, the wiggle is silver edged in red with four silver braids edged in red.<br />
<br />
For the lower officers, the wiggle and the braids are entirely in silver without streaks, for the superior officers, the wiggle becomes a double braided cord always silver with silver braids. Finally, for the general officers, the wimple becomes a silver braid with silver braids.<br />
<br />
Other forms of headdress include berets and mountain-style caps. Carabinieri MP Units also wear a dark navy blue beret.<br />
<br />
===Service uniform===<br />
[[File:Carabinieri a cavallo.jpg|thumb|Carabinieri on horseback wearing '''service''' uniform for mounted duty; note the riding safety helmet with capbadge and tall boots.]]<br />
The service uniform is essentially the same as the ordinary uniform but is adapted for the specific duty of the soldier.<br />
<br />
E.g.:<br />
*mountainous areas – [[ski]] patrol; ski kit is worn, <br />
*mounted (horseback) patrol; different boots are worn, <br />
*'radio-mobile' (car) patrol; different boots and a 'paletta' (stop sign used to stop vehicles) are worn, etc.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.carabinieri.it/arma/oggi/uniformi/classificazione/accessori-uniformi-di-servizio|title = Accessori uniformi di servizio}}</ref><br />
<br />
===Representative (dress) uniform===<br />
''(For carabinieri, NCOs, warrant officers, officers.)''<br />
<br />
The representative uniform is essentially the same as the ordinary uniform, but worn for more formal, but still on duty occasions, where the ordinary and ceremonial uniforms are unsuitable. It differs from the ordinary uniform for the following elements:<br />
<br />
*white cords (agiluettes) on the four-button jacket, <br />
*sabre (sword) with pendants and dragon, <br />
*black belt with shoulder strap (only marshals and chief brigadiers) or white cross-belt/bandolier (for the remaining staff).<br />
*white gloves<br />
*and a black-cape in colder conditions<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.carabinieri.it/arma/oggi/uniformi/classificazione/un-di-rappresentanza|title=Un. Di rappresentanza}}</ref><br />
<br />
Sometimes the pistol is worn with the sword, other times it is not. The cap worn is the peaked cap.<br />
<br />
===Operational uniform===<br />
The operational uniform is worn for public order (riot) situations, raids, cross-country work and is worn for operations only.<br />
It is blue in color with red piping and a 'Polychrome' uniform.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.carabinieri.it/arma/oggi/uniformi/classificazione/uniforme-operativa|title = Uniforme operativa}}</ref><br />
<br />
It consists of:<br />
<br />
*jacket (with four patch pockets, shoulder straps fastened by a button and thermal lining) and trousers; <br />
*blue fleece suit (to be used as an alternative to the sweater); <br />
*blue neckerchief with red piping; <br />
*black leather gloves with reinforcement; <br />
*operational black amphibious ankle boots<br />
*and a dark-blue beret with cap badge<br />
<br />
A "particular" version of this uniform is worn by the soldiers of the Special Intervention Group, as well as the following departments: The "Tuscania" CC Parachute Regiment, Carabinieri Regiment on Horseback and Airborne Squadrons CC Cacciatori. The colours (for the trousers and jacket) are often camouflage rather than blue and red and maroon/red (for the beret) rather than blue.<br />
<br />
Riot helmets, body-armour, equipment vests, rescue helmets etc., are worn when necessary.<br />
<br />
===Gymnastic===<br />
It consists of a tracksuit (jacket and pants), t-shirt and shorts.<br />
<br />
The suit consists of a jacket and long trousers in blue fabric, with red inserts. The jacket is made up of a body with a central zip, two detachable sleeves with a zip and a collar.<br />
The trousers consist of two leggings, an elastic waistband with a drawstring at the waist and a zip at the bottom. The jacket, the T-shirt and the shorts bear the ''frieze'' of the Carabinieri.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.carabinieri.it/arma/oggi/uniformi/classificazione/uniformi-ginniche|title=Uniformi ginniche}}</ref><br />
<br />
===Other===<br />
There are also evening-dress style (mess kit) uniforms for dinners and galas, as well as variations for the above uniform for occasions (e.g. medals, sabres to be worn etc.).<br />
<br />
''The full set of different Carabinieri uniforms today is presented here ([http://www.carabinieri.it/Internet/Arma/Oggi/Uniformi/ in Italian]).''<br />
<br />
====Females====<br />
[[File:Arma dei Carabinieri female officer in uniform .jpg|thumb|Arma dei Carabinieri female warrant officer in '''ordinary''' uniform. Note the [[Sam Browne belt]] worn by warrant officers ]]<br />
The uniforms adopted for female staff are essentially an adaptation of the male ones.<br />
<br />
The variants concern the buttoning, the shape of the jackets (without upper pockets), the use of skirts inside the Offices, off-duty or with formal uniforms and shoes.<br />
<br />
No changes were made to any other items of clothing/equipment already in use by male personnel.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.carabinieri.it/arma/oggi/uniformi/classificazione/uniformi-femminili|title = Uniformi femminili}}</ref><br />
<br />
{{Clear}}<br />
<br />
== Decorations ==<br />
The State Color of the Carabinieri bears the following decorations:<br />
*6 Cavalier Crosses of the [[Military Order of Italy]]<br />
*3 Gold Medals of Military Valor<br />
*3 Gold Medals of Army Valor<br />
*5 Silver Medals of Military Valor<br />
*4 Bronze Medals of Military Valor<br />
*11 Gold Medals of Civil Valor<br />
*1 Silver Medal of Civil Valor<br />
*2 War Crosses of Military Valor<br />
*4 Gold Medals of Civil Merit<br />
*6 Gold Medals of Benemerited Public Security<br />
*6 Gold Medals of Benemerited Service to Education, Culture and the Arts<br />
*2 Gold Medals of Benemerited Service to the Environment<br />
*1 Gold Medal of Service in the Earthquake of 1909<br />
*1 Bronze Medal of Civil Defense Excellence 1st Class<br />
<br />
== Weapons ==<br />
<br />
[[File:Vicenza_officials_practice_for_emergencies.jpg|thumb|Carabinieri officers armed with a [[Beretta M12|Beretta PM-12]] [[submachine gun]] ]]<br />
<br />
{| class="wikitable"<br />
! style="text-align:center; background:#acc;"|Weapon<br />
! style="text-align: center; background:#acc;"|Origin<br />
! style="text-align:l center; background:#acc;"|Type<br />
|-<br />
| [[Beretta 92]] <br />
| {{flag|Italy}}<br />
| Individual armament<br />
|-<br />
| [[Beretta 8000]]<br />
| {{flag|Italy}}<br />
| Individual armament for officers, to be replaced by the Px4 <br />
|-<br />
| [[Beretta Px4 Storm]] <br />
| {{flag|Italy}}<br />
| Individual armament for officers, replacing the decommissioned Cougar 8000<ref>{{Cite web |title=General Command of the Carabinieri regulation regarding the use of the Beretta Px4 Storm |url=https://www.carabinieri.it/docs/default-source/gareappalto/2019/7947832672/determina-611-r-u-a-del-14-06-2019.pdf?sfvrsn=ca1d2323_2}}</ref><br />
|-<br />
| [[Glock 17]] <br />
| {{flag|Austria}}<br />
| Special armament supplied to GIS<br />
|-<br />
| [[Beretta M12|Beretta PM12-S2]] <br />
| {{flag|Italy}}<br />
| Ordinary armament, to be replaced by the PMX <br />
|-<br />
| [[Beretta PMX]]<br />
| {{flag|Italy}}<br />
| Ordinary armament, intended to replace the PM12<br />
|-<br />
| [[Heckler & Koch MP5]] <br />
| {{flag|Germany}}<br />
| Special armament<br />
|-<br />
| [[Beretta AR70/90|Beretta 70/90]]<br />
| {{flag|Italy}}<br />
| Ordinary armament, "AR" and "SCP" versions, to be decommissioned <br />
|-<br />
| [[Beretta ARX160|Beretta ARX-160A3]] <br />
| {{flag|Italy}}<br />
| Ordinary armament, replacement of the 70/90 rifles <ref>{{Cite web |title=ARX160A3 in use by the Carabinieri |date=13 April 2018 |url=https://www.armietiro.it/arx-160a3-per-i-carabinieri-9620}}</ref><br />
|-<br />
| [[M4 carbine]] <br />
| {{flag|USA}}<br />
| Special armament<br />
|-<br />
| [[Accuracy International Arctic Warfare|Accuracy International AWP]]<br />
| {{flag|UK}}<br />
| Special armament, used by snipers and GIS<br />
|-<br />
| [[:File:Mauser sp66.JPG|Mauser Sp 66]]<br />
| {{flag|Germany}}<br />
| Special armament, used by snipers and GIS<br />
|-<br />
| [[MG 3 machine gun|Beretta MG 42/59]]<br />
| {{flag|Italy}}<br />
| Special armament<br />
|-<br />
| [[FN Minimi]]<br />
| {{flag|Belgium}}<br />
| Special armament<br />
|-<br />
|}<br />
<br />
== Vehicles and equipment ==<br />
{{More citations needed section|date=July 2020}}<br />
Until very recently the Italian police (including the ''Carabinieri'') operated only Italian-made vehicles, but that changed with the introduction of [[Land Rover Defender]]s and [[Subaru]]s into service. Normal ''Carabinieri'' patrol vehicles are dark blue with a white roof, with a red stripe along the side. Carabinieri license plates begin with "CC" or previously with "EI" (formerly Esercito Italiano, Italian Army), and a Carabinieri car is traditionally called a ''Gazzella'' ([[gazelle]]). Small or medium-sized cars are used for ordinary patrol work, with larger and more powerful vehicles being used for emergency response, highway patrol, and special services. The vehicles of the ''Carabinieri'' military police and mobile units are painted in NATO camouflage scheme as done with the other Italian Armed Forces vehicles.<br />
<br />
=== Cars ===<br />
[[File:2june2006 285.jpg|thumb|Carabinieri [[Alfa Romeo 159]].]]<br />
[[File:MSU_Carabinieri_Land_Rover_Discovery_4.jpg|thumb|[[Multinational Specialized Unit|MSU]] Land Rover Discovery IV in [[Kosovo]].]]<br />
* [[Alfa Romeo 159]]<br />
* [[Alfa Romeo Giulia (952)|Alfa Romeo Giulia]]<br />
*[[Alfa Romeo Giulietta (940)|Alfa Romeo Giulietta]]<br />
* [[Subaru Forester]]<br />
* [[Lancia Kappa]]<br />
* [[Land Rover Freelander]]<br />
* [[Land Rover Defender]]-90 hard top<br />
* [[Land Rover Discovery]] II e III e IV<br />
* [[Lotus Evora]] S<br />
* [[Fiat Ducato]]<br />
* [[Hummer H1]]<br />
* [[Fiat Grande Punto]]<br />
* [[Fiat Tipo (2015)]]<br />
* [[Jeep Renegade]]<br />
* [[Jeep Grand Cherokee (WK2)|Jeep Grand Cherokee]]<br />
* [[Mitsubishi Pajero]]<br />
* [[Mitsubishi i-MiEV]]<br />
* [[Isuzu D-Max]]<br />
* [[Renault Clio]]<br />
* [[Iveco Daily]]<br />
* [[SEAT León]]<br />
* [[Suzuki Jimny]]<br />
<br />
=== Motorcycles ===<br />
[[File:2june2006 266.jpg|thumb|Carabinieri [[BMW motorcycles|BMW R1100-RTP]]]]<br />
* [[Moto Guzzi California]] Cruiser<br />
* [[BMW 650 single|BMW F650GS]]<br />
* [[BMW R1100RT|BMW R1100-RTP]]<br />
* [[BSA M20]]<br />
<br />
=== Aircraft ===<br />
[[File:Agusta-Westland AW-109N Nexus, Italy - Arma dei Carabinieri JP7482156.jpg|thumb|Carabinieri AgustaWestland AW109N]]<br />
*Fixed-wing aircraft<br />
** [[Piaggio P.180 Avanti]]<br />
*Helicopters<br />
** [[AgustaWestland AW109]]<br />
** [[Bell 412|Agusta-Bell AB 412]]<br />
** [[AgustaWestland AW139]] (2019)<br />
<br />
=== Tactical vehicles ===<br />
[[File:2june2006 288.jpg|thumb|Carabinieri Mercedes Unimog 3000 – 5000 mobile labs for CBRN (Chemical, Biological, Radiological & Nuclear) activity]]<br />
[[File:VM90 CC.jpg|thumb|Carabinieri Iveco [[VM 90]]P Protected.]]<br />
* [[Land Rover Defender]] 110 soft top<br />
* [[Iveco Daily]] 4×4 40.10WM 4×4 off-road light armored military truck<br />
* [[Unimog]]<br />
* [[RG-12]]<br />
* [[Iveco VM 90]]T Torpedo<br />
* [[Iveco VM 90]]P Protected<br />
* [[Iveco LMV]]<br />
* [[Puma (AFV)|Puma 4×4]]<br />
* [[Puma (AFV)|Puma 6×6]]<br />
* [[M113 armored personnel carrier|VCC1]]<br />
* [[M113 armored personnel carrier|M113]]<br />
* [[M3 Half Track|M3]]<br />
* [[Hummer H1]]<br />
<br />
=== Ships ===<br />
* [[Patrol boat|Offshore patrol boats]]<br />
** Motovedetta classe 800<br />
** Motovedetta classe N700<br />
** Motovedetta classe 600<br />
* [[Patrol boat|Coastal patrol boats]]<br />
** Motovedetta classe 200<br />
** Motovedetta classe 100<br />
* Motorboats<br />
** Motovedetta classe 300<br />
** Motovedetta classe N100<br />
** Motovedetta classe T120<br />
** Motovedette classe S<br />
** Battello pneumatico Stinger<br />
<br />
=== Special Vehicles ===<br />
[[File:2june 2007 453.jpg|thumb|right| An Italian Carabinieri [[Global Electric Motorcars|GEM]] e2 (called the ''Ovetti'' – "little eggs") in Carabinieri service. Used for patrolling urban areas.]]<br />
* [[Global Electric Motorcars|GEMCAR]]<br />
* Snowmobile Polaris<br />
<br />
=== Uniforms ===<br />
<gallery><br />
File:Carabiniere a Bologna (April 2006).jpg|A Carabiniere in everyday uniform<br />
File:Milano Italy Carabinieri-01.jpg|Carabinieri with capes<br />
File:CarabinieriPompei.jpg|Summer dress<br />
File:Firenze.Carabinieri01.JPG|Carabinieri at a demonstration in Florence<br />
</gallery><br />
<br />
== See also ==<br />
{{Portal|Italy}}<br />
*[[Italian Carabinieri Bands]]<br />
*[[Civilian control of the military]]<br />
*[[Corps of Gendarmerie of Vatican City]]<br />
*[[Gendarmerie]]<br />
*[[Law enforcement in Italy]]<br />
*[[Military police]]<br />
*[[Multinational Specialized Unit]]<br />
*[[Zaptie]]<br />
*[[Carlo Alberto Dalla Chiesa]]<br />
*[[Centro Sportivo Carabinieri]]<br />
{{Clear}}<br />
<br />
== References ==<br />
{{Reflist}}<br />
<br />
== External links ==<br />
{{Commons category|Arma dei Carabinieri}}<br />
* {{in lang|en}} [http://www.carabinieri.it/Internet/Multilingua/EN/default.htm Official ''Carabinieri'' website]<br />
* {{in lang|en}} [http://www.fiep.org/member-forces/italian-carabinieri/ FIEP – Italian Carabinieri]<br />
* {{in lang|it}} [http://www.assocarabinieri.it/ Carabinieri Association website]<br />
<br />
{{Law enforcement in Italy}}<br />
{{Italian Military}}<br />
{{NATO Land Forces}}<br />
{{Border guards}}<br />
{{EUROGENDFOR}}<br />
{{Authority control}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Carabinieri| ]]<br />
[[Category:National law enforcement agencies of Italy]]<br />
[[Category:Gendarmerie]]<br />
[[Category:Border guards]]<br />
[[Category:Military provosts]]<br />
[[Category:Military of Italy]]<br />
[[Category:1814 establishments in Italy]]<br />
[[Category:Military units and formations established in 1814]]</div>Boackandwhitehttps://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=2024_Ecuadorian_conflict&diff=12669518762024 Ecuadorian conflict2025-01-02T23:47:54Z<p>Boackandwhite: </p>
<hr />
<div>{{Short description|Conflict with organized crime groups}}<br />
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2024}}<br />
{{Use American English|date=April 2024}}<br />
{{about|a domestic conflict with organized crime groups|the diplomatic incident between Ecuador and Mexico|2024 raid on the Mexican embassy in Ecuador}}<br />
{{Infobox military conflict<br />
| conflict = 2024 Ecuadorian conflict<br />
| width = 300px<br />
| partof = the [[Ecuadorian security crisis]] the [[war on drugs]] and the [[war on drugs in Ecuador]]<br />
| image = Militares ecuatorianos durante el conflicto armado interno.jpg<br />
| image_size = <br />
| alt = <br />
| caption = Ecuadorian military on 13 January<br />
| date = 9 January 2024 – present<br />({{Age in years, months, weeks and days|month1=1|day1=9|year1=2024}})<br />
| place = [[Ecuador]]<br />
| result = <br />
| status = [[List of ongoing armed conflicts|Ongoing]] as a [[low-intensity conflict]]<br />
| combatant1 = {{flagicon|Ecuador}} [[Government of Ecuador]]<br />
| combatant2 = [[Organized crime]] groups, notably [[Los Choneros]]<br />
| commander1 = {{Unbulleted list|{{flagicon image|National Standard of Ecuador.svg|size=20px}} [[Daniel Noboa]]|{{flagicon image|National Standard of Ecuador.svg|size=20px}} [[Jaime Vela Erazo]]}}<br />
| commander2 = {{Unbulleted list|[[José Adolfo Macías Villamar]]|{{ill|Fabricio Colón Pico|es}} }}<br />
| units1 = *[[File:Escudo_Policia_Nacional_Ecuador.jpg|20px]] [[National Police of Ecuador|National Police]]<br />
*{{flagicon|Ecuador}} [[Armed Forces of Ecuador|Armed Forces]]<br />
**{{army|Ecuador}}<br />
**{{flagicon image|Civil flag and ensign of Ecuador.svg}} [[Ecuadorian Air Force]]<br />
<hr /><br />
Armed civilians<br />
| units2 = {{Collapsible list | title = {{nobold|Several organisations}}<ref>{{cite web |date=2024-01-09 |title=Daniel Noboa decreta estado de conflicto interno |url=https://www.publimetro.cl/noticias/2024/01/09/daniel-noboa-decreta-estado-de-conflicto-interno/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240110111418/https://www.publimetro.cl/noticias/2024/01/09/daniel-noboa-decreta-estado-de-conflicto-interno/ |archive-date=10 January 2024 |accessdate=2024-01-09 |work=Publimetro}}</ref> | bullets = yes <br />
| 1 = Águilas<br />
| 2 = Águilas Killers<br />
| 3 = AK47<br />
| 4 = Caballeros Oscuros<br />
| 5 = [[Chone Killers]]<br />
| 6 = [[Los Choneros|Choneros]]<br />
| 7 = Covicheros<br />
| 8 = Cuartel de las Feas<br />
| 9 = Cubanos<br />
| 10 = El Grupete<br />
| 11 = Fatales<br />
| 12 = Gánster<br />
| 14 = Kater Piler<br />
| 15 = Lagartos<br />
| 16 = {{flagicon image|Flag of Latin Kings.svg}} [[Latin Kings (gang)|Latin Kings]]<br />
| 17 = [[Los Lobos (gang)|Lobos]]<br />
| 18 = Mafia 18<br />
| 19 = Mafia Trébol<br />
| 20 = Patrones<br />
| 21 = R7<br />
| 22 = Tiburones<br />
| 23 = [[Los Tiguerones|Tiguerones]]<br />
}}<br />
| strength1 = <br />
| strength2 = <br />
| casualties1 = 2 police officers killed<ref name="cas1">{{cite news |title=Al menos diez muertos, entre ellos dos policías, dejó la ola de violencia narco en Ecuador|trans-title=At least ten dead, including two police officers, left the wave of drug violence in Ecuador |url=https://www.infobae.com/america/america-latina/2024/01/10/al-menos-ocho-muertos-en-guayaquil-en-una-jornada-de-violencia-en-ecuador/ |access-date=10 January 2024 |work=Infobae |date=10 January 2024 |language=es |archive-date=10 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240110003344/https://www.infobae.com/america/america-latina/2024/01/10/al-menos-ocho-muertos-en-guayaquil-en-una-jornada-de-violencia-en-ecuador/ |url-status=live }}</ref><br />4 police officers kidnapped<ref>{{Cite web |date=9 January 2024 |title=Ecuador TV studio taken over live on air by masked people brandishing guns. |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/explosions-kidnapping-police-mark-ecuador-state-emergency-2024-01-09/ |access-date=9 January 2024 |website=Reuters |language=en}}</ref><br />1 prosecutor killed<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/jan/17/ecuador-prosecutor-cesar-suarez-shot-killed | title=Ecuador prosecutor investigating gang attack on TV station shot and killed | newspaper=The Guardian }}</ref><br /> 1 councillor killed<ref name="dead_councillor"/> <br /> 1 mayor killed<ref name="dead_mayor"/><br /> 1 staffer killed<ref name="dead_mayor"/><br />
| casualties2 = 8 killed<ref name="ec">{{cite news|url=https://apnews.com/world-news/general-news-78b9e40c7be988afa0e439de811d4614|title=Casi 900 detenidos y 5 delincuentes abatidos en Ecuador ante despliegue militar y alza de impuestos|trans-title=Almost 900 detainees with 5 criminals killed in Ecuador following military deployment after tax increases|last1=Solano|first1=Gonzalo|last2=Molina|first2=Gabriela|lang=es|work=Associated Press|date=13 January 2024|access-date=13 January 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240113232941/https://apnews.com/world-news/general-news-78b9e40c7be988afa0e439de811d4614|archive-date=13 January 2024|url-status=live}}</ref><br>more than 10,000 suspects detained<ref name="cas1"/><ref name="ec"/><ref name="dan">{{cite news |last=Tegel|first=Simeon|title=Ecuador's millennial president rounds up prison gangs |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2024/01/15/ecuador-millennial-president-rounds-up-prison-gangs/ |access-date=15 January 2024 |work=The Telegraph |date=15 January 2024 |language=en |archive-date=15 January 2024 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240115173458/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2024/01/15/ecuador-millennial-president-rounds-up-prison-gangs/ }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ecuador-2024-prison-hostages-freed-in-war-with-narco-drug-gangs/ | title=Ecuador declares control over prisons, frees hostages after eruption in "war" with drug gangs | website=CBS News |date=15 January 2024 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Ecuador's Noboa Says Crackdown On Gangs Bearing Fruit |url=https://www.barrons.com/news/ecuador-s-noboa-says-crackdown-on-gangs-bearing-fruit-1eb45a74 |date=22 January 2024| access-date=22 January 2024 |work=Barrons }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Más 10.000 personas fueron detenidas en Ecuador desde el inicio de la lucha contra el narcoterrorismo|trans-title=More than 10,000 people have been arrested in Ecuador since the beginning of the fight against narcoterrorism|last=Gimeno|first=Fernando|work=Infobae|date=26 February 2024|language=es|url=https://www.infobae.com/america/america-latina/2024/02/26/mas-10000-personas-han-sido-detenidas-en-ecuador-desde-el-inicio-de-la-lucha-contra-el-narcoterrorismo/}}</ref><br />
| casualties3 = 21 civilians killed<ref name="cas1"/><ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-03-31 |title=Zeker dertien mensen doodgeschoten door gewapende bendes in Ecuador |url=https://nos.nl/artikel/2514903-zeker-dertien-mensen-doodgeschoten-door-gewapende-bendes-in-ecuador |access-date=2024-03-31 |website=nos.nl |language=nl}}</ref><br > Over 50 killed overall<br />
| notes = <br />
| campaignbox = <br />
}}<br />
On 9 January 2024, an armed conflict broke out in [[Ecuador]] involving [[Government of Ecuador|the country's government]] against several [[organized crime]] groups, most notably the [[Los Choneros]] cartel.<br />
<br />
Reports of armed attacks throughout [[Guayaquil]] and other parts of the country were widespread, occurring primarily in prisons, markets, roads, and universities.<ref name="marca">{{Cite web |date=9 January 2024 |title=Ecuador in complete chaos as gunmen take over TV station and terrorize college campus |url=https://www.marca.com/en/lifestyle/world-news/2024/01/09/659db4d422601d9a478b4593.html |access-date=9 January 2024 |website=MARCA |language=en |archive-date=10 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240110233234/https://www.marca.com/en/lifestyle/world-news/2024/01/09/659db4d422601d9a478b4593.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="cnn internal armed conflict">{{Cite web |last=John |first=Tara |date=2024-01-09 |title=Ecuador declares 'internal armed conflict' as gunmen take over live TV broadcast |url=https://www.cnn.com/2024/01/09/americas/armed-men-interrupt-live-tv-ecuador-intl/index.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240109233303/https://www.cnn.com/2024/01/09/americas/armed-men-interrupt-live-tv-ecuador-intl/index.html |archive-date=9 January 2024 |access-date=2024-01-09 |website=CNN |language=en}}</ref> The large-scale attacks were a combination of responses to the [[prison escape|escape]] of Los Choneros leader [[José Adolfo Macías Villamar]] in Guayaquil,<ref name="ap">{{cite web |date=8 January 2024 |title=A notorious Ecuadorian gang leader vanishes from prison and authorities investigate if he escaped |url=https://apnews.com/article/ecuador-gang-leader-prison-violence-los-choneros-1bef48cc79d52a854a63a2f3c64ca4b5 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240108184831/https://apnews.com/article/ecuador-gang-leader-prison-violence-los-choneros-1bef48cc79d52a854a63a2f3c64ca4b5 |archive-date=8 January 2024 |access-date=9 January 2024 |website=AP}}</ref> and President [[Daniel Noboa]] declaring a [[state of emergency]] and then an internal [[state of war]].<ref name="cnn internal armed conflict" /><br />
<br />
== Background ==<br />
{{main|Ecuadorian security crisis}}<br />
The [[homicide rate]] in Ecuador rose from 5 to 46 per 100,000 inhabitants between 2017 and 2023. According to political analyst Fernando Carrion, from the [[Latin American Faculty of Social Sciences]], the turning point came when [[Lenín Moreno]] came into office in 2017. The new president embarked on a policy of [[austerity]] and the security apparatus was weakened by merging several ministries into a single one with a reduced budget. Expenditure on prison security was slashed by a third between 2017 and 2021, despite an increase in the prison population.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=Angeline |first=Montoya |date=January 11, 2024 |title=Ecuador President Daniel Noboa declares war on gangs |website=[[Le Monde]] |url=https://www.lemonde.fr/en/international/article/2024/01/11/ecuador-president-daniel-noboa-declares-war-on-gangs_6423961_4.html}}</ref><br />
<br />
The deterioration in social indicators has also made it easier for gangs to recruit. While the poverty rate had fallen from 35% to 21% between 2007 and 2017, the combined effects of a reduction in public spending under the presidencies of Moreno and [[Guillermo Lasso]] and the [[COVID-19 pandemic]] have pushed it back up to 27% in 2023. Unemployment and the lack of study grants mean that a third of young people aged between 15 and 25, mostly from disadvantaged backgrounds, are neither studying nor working, making them vulnerable to recruitment by criminal groups.<ref name=":2" /><br />
<br />
Geographically, Ecuador is located between [[Colombia]] and [[Peru]], the two main cocaine producing countries in the world. It also possesses the port of [[Guayaquil]], an important gateway that suffers from poor oversight by Ecuadorian authorities. Until 2016, the [[Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia]] (FARC) controlled cocaine trafficking operations between Colombia and Ecuador. Following a [[Colombian peace process|peace agreement]] between FARC and the Colombian government that year which led to the former withdrawing from main cocaine producing areas, some [[FARC dissidents|dissident FARC members]] founded their own drug gangs. Due to better control of the Colombian government over transportation hubs, drug trafficking from Colombia decreased and its operations moved to Ecuador.<ref>Jens Glüsing: Die Drogenkartelle haben Ecuador den Krieg erklärt . , ISSN 2195-1349 ISSN 2195-1349 [[Der Spiegel (website)|spiegel.de]]</ref><br />
<br />
According to ''[[Vox (website)|Vox]]'', the lower demand for cocaine in the United States alongside the Colombian peace process created a [[power vacuum]] that saw Albanian, Mexican and Venezuelan criminal groups attempt to control drug trafficking routes out of Ecuador.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Goette-Luciak |first=C. D. |date=2024-01-11 |title=Cocaine, cartels, and corruption: The crisis in Ecuador, explained |url=https://www.vox.com/world-politics/2024/1/11/24034891/ecuador-drugs-cocaine-cartels-violence-murder-daniel-naboa-columbia-crime |access-date=2024-01-12 |website=[[Vox (website)|Vox]] |language=en |archive-date=12 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240112180427/https://www.vox.com/world-politics/2024/1/11/24034891/ecuador-drugs-cocaine-cartels-violence-murder-daniel-naboa-columbia-crime |url-status=live }}</ref> Former interior minister and head of the [[National Police of Peru]], Eduardo Pérez Rocha, said after the conflict began that the increased violence in Ecuador was due to the presence of the international Venezuelan gang [[Tren de Aragua]], resulting with a higher intensity of criminal activity.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Rojas Berríos |first=Manuel |date=2024-01-11 |title=Exministro peruano responsabilizó a delincuentes venezolanos por desatar ola de violencia en Ecuador |url=https://www.infobae.com/peru/2024/01/11/exministro-peruano-responsabilizo-a-delincuentes-venezolanos-por-desatar-ola-de-violencia-en-ecuador/ |access-date=2024-01-12 |website=[[infobae]] |language=es-ES |archive-date=12 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240112180427/https://www.infobae.com/peru/2024/01/11/exministro-peruano-responsabilizo-a-delincuentes-venezolanos-por-desatar-ola-de-violencia-en-ecuador/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Since 2018, Ecuador has faced a historic wave of violence as the country has become a critical [[Cocaine#Trafficking and distribution|cocaine transit]] point, and [[organized crime]] groups compete for control of drug routes and prisons. Hundreds of prison inmates have been killed in prison fights.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |last=Schmidt |first=Samantha |date=2024-01-10 |title=Ecuador TV station stormed by gunmen, president declares state of conflict |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/01/09/ecuadoran-president-declares-armed-conflict-gunmen-storm-tv-studio/ |access-date=2024-01-10 |newspaper=Washington Post |language=en-US |issn=0190-8286}}</ref><br />
<br />
In 2019 [[2019 Ecuadorian protests|massive riots]] broke out in response to [[austerity measures]].<ref name= "austerity2">{{Cite news |title=Ecuador: indigenous protesters paralyze roads in fifth day of anti-austerity unrest|date=2019-10-07 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/oct/07/ecuador-anti-austerity-protests|agency=[[Reuters]]|work=[[The Guardian]] |access-date=2019-10-11|language=en-GB|issn=0261-3077|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191012223735/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/oct/07/ecuador-anti-austerity-protests |archive-date=2019-10-12|url-status=live}}</ref> On 10 October, the capital [[Quito]] was overrun by the protesters forcing president Moreno to relocate the government to [[Guayaquil]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/ecuadors-leader-moves-government-seat-clashes-escalate-66134866 |title=Protesters move into Ecuador's capital; president moves out |website=ABC News|access-date=10 October 2019|archive-date=10 October 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191010133827/https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/ecuadors-leader-moves-government-seat-clashes-escalate-66134866|url-status=live}}</ref> Returning the fuel subsidies ended these clashes.<ref name=decree894>{{cite news |url=https://www.informateypunto.com/actualidad/4767-se-deroga-oficialmente-el-decreto-883|title=Se deroga oficialmente el Decreto 883 |website=Infórmate y Punto|language=es|date=14 October 2019|access-date=15 October 2019|archive-date=15 October 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191015065711/https://www.informateypunto.com/actualidad/4767-se-deroga-oficialmente-el-decreto-883|url-status=dead}}</ref><br />
<br />
On 2 November 2022 [[President of Ecuador|President]] [[Guillermo Lasso]] declared a [[state of emergency]] in the [[provinces of Ecuador|provinces]] of [[Guayas Province|Guayas]] and [[Esmeraldas Province|Esmeraldas]] for the next 45 days following the killings of five police officers and the abduction of several prison guards by [[organized crime]] members.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ecuador-emergency-police-officers-killed-prison-guards-hostage-headless-bodies-hung-bridge/ |publisher=[[CBS News]] |date=November 2, 2022 |title=Ecuador declares emergency after 5 police officers kileld, prison guqrds taken hostage, headless bodies hung from bridge - CBS News |access-date=February 25, 2024 }}</ref><br />
<br />
==Escape of gang leaders==<br />
On 7 January 2024, Los Choneros leader [[José Adolfo Macías Villamar]] escaped from prison in Guayaquil on the day of his scheduled transfer to a maximum-security prison. The events were reported the next day by authorities, with charges being filed against two corrections officers.<ref name="ap" /><ref name="cbs">{{cite web |date=9 January 2024 |title=Gunmen in Ecuador fire shots on live TV as country hit by series of violent attacks |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ecuador-gunmen-fire-shots-live-tv-country-violent-attacks-daniel-noboa/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240110002517/https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ecuador-gunmen-fire-shots-live-tv-country-violent-attacks-daniel-noboa/ |archive-date=10 January 2024 |access-date=9 January 2024 |website=CBS News}}</ref> On 9 January, {{ill|Fabricio Colón Pico|es}}, the leader of another criminal group, [[Los Lobos (gang)|Los Lobos]], also escaped from prison in [[Riobamba]] four days after he had been arrested for plotting to kill Attorney-General [[Diana Salazar Méndez]].<ref name="f24"/><ref name="cnn">{{cite web |date=9 January 2024 |title=Ecuador declares 'internal armed conflict' as gunmen take over live TV broadcast |url=https://www.cnn.com/2024/01/09/americas/armed-men-interrupt-live-tv-ecuador-intl/index.html |access-date=11 January 2024 |website=CNN |archive-date=9 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240109233303/https://www.cnn.com/2024/01/09/americas/armed-men-interrupt-live-tv-ecuador-intl/index.html |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
Following the escape, President [[Daniel Noboa]] declared a state of emergency to last for 60 days,<ref name="cnn internal armed conflict" /> granting authorities the power to suspend people's rights and allowing the military to be mobilized inside prisons. Riots ensued in multiple prisons across Ecuador.<ref>{{Cite web |date=8 January 2024 |title=Ecuador declares state of emergency after narco boss escapes prison |url=https://www.france24.com/en/americas/20240108-ecuador-declares-state-of-emergency-after-narco-boss-escapes-prison |access-date=9 January 2024 |website=France 24 |language=en |archive-date=10 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240110233159/https://www.france24.com/en/americas/20240108-ecuador-declares-state-of-emergency-after-narco-boss-escapes-prison |url-status=live }}</ref> A series of attacks took place, including attacks with explosives on businesses and private vehicles and an explosion near the house of the president of the {{ill|National Court of Justice|es|Corte Nacional de Justicia}}.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.emol.com/noticias/Internacional/2024/01/09/1118061/ecuador-estado-de-excepcion.html |title=Toque de queda, cuatro policías secuestrados y jefe criminal prófugo: La crítica situación que vive Ecuador |date=9 January 2024 |access-date=11 January 2024 |archive-date=9 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240109215803/https://www.emol.com/noticias/Internacional/2024/01/09/1118061/ecuador-estado-de-excepcion.html |url-status=live }}</ref> On the night of 8 January, four police officers were kidnapped in Quito and [[Quevedo, Ecuador|Quevedo]].<ref name="ap" /> <br />
<br />
According to ''[[The Washington Post]]'', intelligence analysts said that the attacks may have been triggered at least in part by a recent investigation into links between drug traffickers, criminal gangs, and political operators. The operation, known as Metastasis, led to the arrests of at least 20 top security officials and judges in December 2023 for alleged criminal activity benefiting a drug trafficker.<ref name=":0" /><br />
<br />
== Conflict ==<br />
===January===<br />
On 9 January 2024, organized crime groups in Ecuador issued threats of "war", prompting the country's president to declare a state of armed internal conflict and authorize military operations against these groups.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ecuador In State Of 'Internal Armed Conflict': President |url=https://www.barrons.com/news/ecuador-in-state-of-internal-armed-conflict-president-79951b45 |access-date=9 January 2024 |website=Barron's |language=en-US |archive-date=10 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240110233133/https://www.barrons.com/news/ecuador-in-state-of-internal-armed-conflict-president-79951b45 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=LOPEZ |first=Paola |date=9 January 2024 |title=Gunshots on live TV as Ecuador gangsters vow 'war' |url=https://www.heraldpalladium.com/news/national/gunshots-on-live-tv-as-ecuador-gangsters-vow-war/article_bb7c543c-e4bf-5702-8612-5a8c1cfc1dc8.html |access-date=9 January 2024 |website=The Herald Palladium |language=en |archive-date=10 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240110233238/https://www.heraldpalladium.com/news/national/gunshots-on-live-tv-as-ecuador-gangsters-vow-war/article_bb7c543c-e4bf-5702-8612-5a8c1cfc1dc8.html |url-status=live }}</ref> On the same day, Los Choneros gunmen<ref name="marca" /> forcibly entered a [[TC Televisión]] studio in Guayaquil, where they took journalists hostage during a live newscast.<ref name="france24">{{cite web |date=9 January 2024 |title=Gunmen burst into Ecuador TV studio, take journalists hostage live on air |url=https://www.france24.com/en/americas/20240109-gunmen-burst-into-ecuador-tv-studio-threaten-journalists-live-on-air |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240109202938/https://www.france24.com/en/americas/20240109-gunmen-burst-into-ecuador-tv-studio-threaten-journalists-live-on-air |archive-date=9 January 2024 |access-date=9 January 2024 |website=France24}}</ref> Later in the day, the [[Ecuadorian police]] raided the TV studio, released the journalists, and arrested the gang members.<ref name="marca" /> One journalist was injured after being shot in the leg while another station employee suffered a broken arm.<ref>{{cite web |date=10 January 2024 |title=Ecuador declares war on armed gangs after TV station attacked on air |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-67930452 |access-date=10 January 2024 |website=BBC |archive-date=9 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240109235540/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-67930452 |url-status=live }}</ref> Some of the attackers were reported to be minors.<ref name="ajphotos">{{cite web |date=11 January 2024 |title=Ecuador 'in state of war' against drug cartels' terror campaign |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/gallery/2024/1/11/photos-ecuador-in-state-of-war-against-drug-cartels-terror-campaign |access-date=11 January 2024 |website=Al Jazeera |archive-date=11 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240111071220/https://www.aljazeera.com/gallery/2024/1/11/photos-ecuador-in-state-of-war-against-drug-cartels-terror-campaign |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
In Quito at 15:00, officials of the [[Palacio de Carondelet]] in the historic center and other state institutions were evacuated for safety. Many businesses closed their commercial activities for the day. An explosive device was later found and deactivated in the vicinity of the [[Obelisco de la Vicentina]]. It was also reported that the vehicle restriction system called [[pico y placa]] was suspended until further notice.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Redacción |title=Quito: saqueos y desmanes se reportaron en el Centro Histórico |url=https://www.ecuavisa.com/noticias/seguridad/quito-saqueos-desmanes-centro-historico-YD6603537 |accessdate=2024-01-09 |date=2024-01-09 |newspaper=Ecuavisa |location=Ecuador |language=es |trans-title=Quito: Looting and riots were reported in the Historic Center |archive-date=10 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240110022102/https://www.ecuavisa.com/noticias/seguridad/quito-saqueos-desmanes-centro-historico-YD6603537 |url-status=live}}</ref><br />
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[[File:Barricadas_en_el_Hospital_Ceibos_durante_el_ataque_del_9_de_enero.jpg|thumb|Barricades in the {{ill|Hospital IESS Los Ceibos|es|Hospital General del Norte de Guayaquil IESS Los Ceibos|lt=hospital}} of {{ill|Los Ceibos|es| Los Ceibos (Guayaquil)}} in the north of [[Guayaquil]]]]<br />
Several hospitals in Guayaquil were targets of violent acts, including {{ill|Hospital de Especialidades Teodoro Maldonado Carbo|es|lt=Teodoro Maldonado}}, {{Ill|Hospital Luis Vernaza|es|lt=Luis Vernaza}}, {{ill|Hospital Guayaquil|es|lt=Guayaquil}}, El Niño and {{ill|Hospital IESS Los Ceibos|es|Hospital General del Norte de Guayaquil IESS Los Ceibos|lt=Los Ceibos}}.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.primicias.ec/noticias/seguridad/ola-terrorista-guayaquil-ocho-muertos-hospitales-tomados/ |title=Ola de terror en Guayaquil dejó ocho muertos y cinco hospitales atacados |date=9 January 2024 |access-date=11 January 2024 |archive-date=10 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240110131851/https://www.primicias.ec/noticias/seguridad/ola-terrorista-guayaquil-ocho-muertos-hospitales-tomados/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The assaults on the hospitals ranged from robberies of medical personnel to shooting at medical facilities. During an attack near Ceibos Hospital, the singer [[Diego Gallardo]] (also known as "Aire del Golfo") and a high school student were shot and wounded. Both were treated at the same hospital, where Gallardo died from his injuries.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://elcomercio.pe/tvmas/famosos/diego-gallardo-cantautor-ecuatoriano-fallecio-por-una-bala-perdida-en-plena-ola-de-violencia-en-guayaquil-ultimas-noticia/ |title=Diego Gallardo, cantautor ecuatoriano, falleció por una bala perdida en plena ola de violencia en Guayaquil |newspaper=El Comercio |date=10 January 2024 |access-date=11 January 2024 |archive-date=10 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240110142345/https://elcomercio.pe/tvmas/famosos/diego-gallardo-cantautor-ecuatoriano-fallecio-por-una-bala-perdida-en-plena-ola-de-violencia-en-guayaquil-ultimas-noticia/#:~:text=Diego%20Gallardo,%20cantante%20ecuatoriano%20también,calles%20de%20Guayaquil,%20en%20Ecuador. |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
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Concurrently, another group took police officers hostage, coercing them to read a message characterizing the events as a reaction to Noboa's declared state of emergency.<ref name="france24" /> Additionally, a kidnapping incident unfolded at the [[University of Guayaquil]] campus, where students barricaded themselves inside classrooms.<ref name="marca" /><br />
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Several attacks on civilians were reported. At the [[Centro Comercial Albán Borja]] in Guayaquil, two civilians were shot and killed.<ref>{{Cite news |date=9 January 2024 |title=Situación en Ecuador EN VIVO: últimas noticias sobre la crisis en Guayaquil |url=https://elcomercio.pe/mundo/latinoamerica/canal-10-tc-television-guayaquil-en-vivo-ultimas-noticias-de-la-toma-y-ataque-armado-de-delincuentes-con-fusiles-y-granadas-en-guayaquil-ecuador-universidad-nacional-en-directo-secuestrados-canal-tv-crisis-en-ecuador-transmision-lbposting-noticia/ |accessdate=2024-01-09 |newspaper=El Comercio |archive-date=10 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240110233134/https://elcomercio.pe/mundo/latinoamerica/canal-10-tc-television-guayaquil-en-vivo-ultimas-noticias-de-la-toma-y-ataque-armado-de-delincuentes-con-fusiles-y-granadas-en-guayaquil-ecuador-universidad-nacional-en-directo-secuestrados-canal-tv-crisis-en-ecuador-transmision-lbposting-noticia/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Two police officers were killed in an attack in [[Nobol]].<ref name="ajten"/> Videos began circulating online showing prison guards being executed, while others requested a dialogue with Noboa, threatening to continue killing more guards.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-01-09 |title=Crisis en Ecuador: Terroristas asesinan a guías penitenciarios secuestrados |publisher=PERU21 NOTICIAS |url=https://peru21.pe/mundo/america/crisis-en-ecuador-terroristas-asesinan-a-guias-penitenciarios-secuestrados-video-ecuador-asesinato-terrorismo-narcotrafico-guias-penitenciarios-rehenes-daniel-noboa-crisis-en-ecuador-noticia/ |accessdate=2024-01-09 |archive-date=10 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240110233133/https://peru21.pe/mundo/america/crisis-en-ecuador-terroristas-asesinan-a-guias-penitenciarios-secuestrados-video-ecuador-asesinato-terrorismo-narcotrafico-guias-penitenciarios-rehenes-daniel-noboa-crisis-en-ecuador-noticia/ |url-status=live }}</ref> One gang announcement threatened to kill anyone out in the streets after 11&nbsp;pm.<ref name="cbs"/> Two vehicles and a gas station were set on fire in [[Esmeraldas, Ecuador|Esmeraldas]].<ref name="cnn"/> Explosions were also reported across the country, particularly in Guayaquil, [[Cuenca, Ecuador|Cuenca]], [[Machala]], and [[Loja, Ecuador|Loja]], as well as in [[Esmeraldas Province|Esmeraldas]] and [[Los Rios Province]]s.<ref name="storm">{{cite web |date=9 January 2024 |title=Armed gang storms Ecuador TV studio after state of emergency declared |website=Al Jazeera |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/1/9/several-police-kidnapped-in-ecuador-after-state-of-emergency-declared |access-date=10 January 2024 |archive-date=9 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240109224132/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/1/9/several-police-kidnapped-in-ecuador-after-state-of-emergency-declared |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
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Banks, markets, and shops were closed throughout the country in cities such as Quito and Guayaquil to protect merchants and customers from armed attacks.<ref>{{cite web |date=9 January 2024 |title=Locales comerciales de Quito y los valles cerraron ante alerta de saqueos |url=https://www.eluniverso.com/noticias/ecuador/locales-quito-valles-tumbaco-saqueos-policia-estado-excepcion-nota/ |accessdate=9 January 2024 |publisher=El Universo |archive-date=10 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240110233220/https://www.eluniverso.com/noticias/ecuador/locales-quito-valles-tumbaco-saqueos-policia-estado-excepcion-nota/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=9 January 2024 |title=Mercados municipales cierran anticipademente ante hechos delictivos en Guayaquil |url=https://www.eluniverso.com/noticias/seguridad/mercados-municipales-cierran-anticipadamente-ante-hechos-delictivos-en-guayaquil-nota/ |publisher=El Universo |language=es |access-date=10 January 2024 |archive-date=11 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240111042025/https://www.eluniverso.com/noticias/seguridad/mercados-municipales-cierran-anticipadamente-ante-hechos-delictivos-en-guayaquil-nota/ |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
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On 10 January, a special [[KLM]] flight was made to Ecuador to get seven Dutch nationals out of the country following an emergency call on [[X (Twitter)]] by Dutch television personality {{ill|Rob Kamphues|nl}}.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.televizier.nl/amusement/rob-kamphues-ecuador-gered-door-klm|title=Rob Kamphues in Ecuador gered door KLM|work=Televizier|date=10 January 2024|language=nl|access-date=11 January 2024|archive-date=11 January 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240111191447/https://www.televizier.nl/amusement/rob-kamphues-ecuador-gered-door-klm|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.ad.nl/show/rob-kamphues-en-vriendin-kristi-kunnen-ecuador-woensdag-verlaten~aa40b8f3/|title=Rob Kamphues en vriendin Kristi kunnen Ecuador woensdag verlaten|work=[[Algemeen Dagblad]]|date=10 January 2024|language=nl|access-date=11 January 2024|archive-date=11 January 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240111191447/https://www.ad.nl/show/rob-kamphues-en-vriendin-kristi-kunnen-ecuador-woensdag-verlaten~aa40b8f3/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraaf.nl/nieuws/543130064/nederlanders-in-ecuador-in-spanning-na-geweldsexplosie|title=Nederlanders in Ecuador in spanning na geweldsexplosie|work=[[De Telegraaf]]|date=10 January 2024|language=nl|access-date=11 January 2024|archive-date=11 January 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240111191447/https://www.telegraaf.nl/nieuws/543130064/nederlanders-in-ecuador-in-spanning-na-geweldsexplosie|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
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On 11 January, two people were killed and nine others were injured in an arson attack on a nightclub in [[Puerto Francisco de Orellana|Coca]] which also destroyed 11 stores.<ref>{{cite web |date=12 January 2024 |title=Violence rattles Ecuador as a nightclub arson kills 2 and a bomb scare sparks an evacuation |url=https://apnews.com/article/ecuador-violence-bomb-threat-nightclub-fire-6b47d27426de44fc2a7805ebfb197dd5 |publisher=Associated Press |language=en |access-date=12 January 2024 |archive-date=12 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240112051248/https://apnews.com/article/ecuador-violence-bomb-threat-nightclub-fire-6b47d27426de44fc2a7805ebfb197dd5 |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
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On 13 January, the government announced that all 178 prison guards and other employees held hostage in prisons across the country since that start of the unrest by the gangs had been freed.<ref>{{cite web |date=14 January 2024 |title=Scores of hostages released from gang-controlled prisons, Ecuador government claims |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/jan/14/hostages-released-from-gang-controlled-prisons-ecuador-government-claims |work=The Guardian |language=en |access-date=15 January 2024 |archive-date=14 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240114230928/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/jan/14/hostages-released-from-gang-controlled-prisons-ecuador-government-claims |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
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On 17 January, public prosecutor [[César Suárez (prosecutor)|César Suárez]], who was leading the investigation into the attack on the TV station, was shot and killed in a daylight attack in Guayaquil. The gunmen are believed to be members of [[Los Chone Killers]], a splinter group of Los Choneros.<ref>{{cite news |date=17 January 2024 |title=Ecuador prosecutor investigating gang attack on TV station shot and killed |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/jan/17/ecuador-prosecutor-cesar-suarez-shot-killed |newspaper=The Guardian}}</ref><br />
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On 18 January, security forces stormed Guayaquil's central prison as part of a major operation.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-68022873 | title=Ecuador security forces launch major prison operation |work=BBC |date=18 January 2024}}</ref> Later that day, the army claimed on [[X (Twitter)]] that they were "in control of the external and internal perimeter of the penitentiary complex" and shared photos from within the prison.<ref>{{Cite news |date=19 January 2024 |title=Soldiers raid Ecuador prison as two arrested for prosecutor's murder |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/1/19/soldiers-raid-ecuador-prison-as-two-arrested-for-prosecutors-murder |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240120125451/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/1/19/soldiers-raid-ecuador-prison-as-two-arrested-for-prosecutors-murder |archive-date=20 January 2024 |access-date=20 March 2024 |work=Al Jazeera}}</ref><br />
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On 21 January, police thwarted an attempt by gangs to seize a hospital in [[Yaguachi]], resulting in 68 arrests. It is believed that the failed attack was meant to "rescue a colleague" who had been admitted earlier that day. A rehabilitation center found to contain local gang headquarters was also raided.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.barrons.com/news/dozens-arrested-in-ecuador-after-hospital-assault-15fa122b |title=Dozens Arrested In Ecuador After Hospital Assault |work=Barron’s |date=21 January 2024}}</ref><br />
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===February===<br />
On 7 February, soon after leaving a city council meeting, councillor [[Diana Carnero]] was shot in [[Naranjal, Ecuador|Naranjal]] while filming a video regarding the city's poor road conditions.<ref name="dead_councillor">{{Cite web |last=Hagan |first=Rachel |date=8 February 2024 |title=Councillor, 29, executed in broad daylight while she's filming video about roads |url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/ecuadorian-councillor-29-executed-broad-32083197 |access-date=9 February 2024 |website=The Mirror |language=en}}</ref> She died at a local hospital.<ref>{{Cite web |last=K.G |date=2024-02-08 |title=A manos de sicarios murió Diana Carnero, concejal de Ecuador |url=https://www.vanguardia.com/mundo/a-manos-de-sicarios-murio-diana-carnero-concejal-de-ecuador-DE8574757 |access-date=2024-02-09 |website=www.vanguardia.com |language=es-CO}}</ref><br />
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On 23 February, three prisoners escaped from a prison in [[Latacunga]]<ref>{{Cite news |date=23 February 2024 |title=Prisoners' escape from Ecuadorian prison touted as success on day of press visit |url=https://www.laprensalatina.com/prisoners-escape-from-ecuadorian-prison-touted-as-success-on-day-of-press-visit/ |access-date=20 March 2024 |work=La Prensa Latina |archive-date=20 March 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240320083349/https://www.laprensalatina.com/prisoners-escape-from-ecuadorian-prison-touted-as-success-on-day-of-press-visit/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> that were recently captured by security forces from members of [[Los Lobos (gang)|Los Lobos]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Mella |first=Carolina |date=24 February 2024 |title=Ecuador's failed attempt to follow El Salvador's model for prisons: Escapes and gang control continue |url=https://english.elpais.com/international/2024-02-24/ecuadors-failed-attempt-to-follow-el-salvadors-model-for-prisons-escapes-and-gang-control-continue.html |access-date=20 March 2024 |work=El País English}}</ref><br />
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=== March ===<br />
On 8 March, President Noboa extended the state of emergency by thirty days. The murder rate had halved from 24 killings a day to 12 and over 11,700 people had been arrested since the beginning of the conflict.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-03-08 |title=Ecuador extends its state of emergency by 30 days |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/ecuador-extends-state-emergency-30-days-rcna142431 |access-date=2024-03-21 |website=NBC News |language=en}}</ref><br />
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On 16 March, ''[[El País]]'' reported that the government was creating [[DNA profiling|genetic profiles]] of inmates to both make it easier to identify deaths in cases of [[Prison riot|prison riots]] and in case of [[identity theft]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Mella |first=Juan Diego Quesada, Carolina |date=2024-03-16 |title=Daniel Noboa secretly creates database with genetic profiles of criminals in Ecuador |url=https://english.elpais.com/international/2024-03-16/daniel-noboa-secretly-creates-database-with-genetic-profiles-of-criminals-in-ecuador.html |access-date=2024-03-21 |website=El País English |language=en-us}}</ref><br />
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On 24 March, [[Brigitte García]], the mayor of [[San Vicente, Ecuador|San Vicente]], was found dead with gunshot wounds in her car in [[Manabí Province]], along with her staffer Jairo Loor. The killer has not been captured.<ref name="dead_mayor">{{Cite web |last=Mella |first=Carolina |date=2024-03-25 |title=Asesinada a tiros una alcaldesa en Ecuador |url=https://elpais.com/america/2024-03-25/asesinada-a-tiros-una-alcaldesa-en-ecuador.html |access-date=2024-03-25 |website=El País América |language=es}}</ref><br />
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On 28 March, three inmates were killed and six others were injured following a prison riot at the Regional 8 penitentiary in Guayaquil.<ref>{{Cite web |date=28 March 2024 |title=Ecuador Prison Riot Leaves 3 Dead, 6 Injured |url=https://www.voanews.com/a/ecuador-prison-riot-leaves-3-dead-6-injured-/7548320.html |access-date=1 April 2024 |website=VOA |language=en}}</ref><br />
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On 29 March, eleven people were abducted in Manabí Province. Five of them were later found killed execution-style while the remaining six, including five children, were released. Two suspects were released the next day. Police said the victims may have been tourists caught up in a drug dispute.<ref name="guasmo"/><br />
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On 31 March, nine people were killed and ten others were injured after gunmen opened fire on a group of people practicing sports on a street in [[Guasmo]], a neighborhood in Guayaquil.<ref name="guasmo">{{Cite web |date=1 April 2024 |title=Gunmen in Ecuador kill 9, injure 10 others in attack in coastal city of Guayaquil as violence surges |url=https://apnews.com/article/ecuador-violence-shootings-82895468cbeafd6246a59840a35741cd |access-date=1 April 2024 |website=AP News |language=en}}</ref><br />
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===April===<br />
On 17 April, Jose Sanchez, the mayor of [[Camilo Ponce Enríquez (parish)|Camilo Ponce Enríquez]], [[Azuay Province]], was shot dead, followed on 19 April by Jorge Maldonado, the mayor of [[Portovelo]], [[El Oro Province]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=20 April 2024 |title=Second Ecuadoran Mayor Killed Ahead Of Anti-crime Referendum: Police |url=https://www.barrons.com/news/second-ecuadoran-mayor-killed-ahead-of-anti-crime-referendum-police-3e19c02a |access-date=20 April 2024 |website=Barron's |language=en}}</ref> <br />
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On 22 April, a dismembered body inside a bag was found near the residence of Diana Salazar in Quito,<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-04-22 |title=Dos cuerpos desmembrados fueron hallados en el norte de Quito |url=https://www.eluniverso.com/noticias/seguridad/quito-cuerpos-desmembrados-fiscalia-general-del-estado-nota/ |access-date=2024-06-07 |website=El Universo |language=es}}</ref> it was later reported that the victim was identified as a 19-year old Venezuelan and that the killing might have been a "message" directed to Salazar.<ref>{{Cite web |title=La historia del joven de 19 años que desmembraron para amenazar a la fiscal Salazar |url=https://www.extra.ec/noticia/actualidad/diana-salazar-amenaza-historia-joven-desmembrado-103491.html |access-date=2024-06-07 |website=www.extra.ec}}</ref><br />
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===May===<br />
On 11 May, eight people were killed in a gun attack on a bar hosting a birthday party in [[Chanduy]], [[Santa Elena Province]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=12 May 2024 |title=8 people were killed in a shooting attack at a bar in Ecuador, local police say |url=https://apnews.com/article/ecuador-bar-shooting-violence-gangs-734528e27f04cc6beac88d26876fb050 |access-date=12 May 2024 |website=Associated Press |language=en}}</ref><br />
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=== June ===<br />
[[File:COMISIÓN OCASIONAL PARA LA INVESTIGACIÓN DEL ASESINATO DE FERNANDO VILLAVICENCIO. ECUADOR, 30 DE MAYO DEL 2024.jpg|thumb|Alternate assemblyman Cristhian Nieto was killed alongside his wife on 2 June]]<br />
On 2 June, Cristhian Nieto, alternate assemblyman for Mónica Salazar, alongside his wife Nicole Burgos and a bystander Steven Mendoza were killed inside a circus in [[Manta, Ecuador|Manta]], [[Manabí Province]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-06-03 |title=Ecuador: asambleísta y su esposa mueren en un ataque armado en un circo |url=https://www.vozdeamerica.com/a/ecuador-asambleista-su-esposa-mueren-ataque-armado-en-un-circo/7640444.html |access-date=2024-06-07 |website=Voz de América |language=es}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Joven que hacía fila para entrar al circo es la tercera víctima de ataque armado en Manta |url=https://www.primicias.ec/noticias/sucesos/victimas-ataque-armado-circo-manta-cristhian-nieto/ |access-date=2024-06-07 |website=Primicias |date=3 June 2024 |language=es}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last= |date=2024-06-03 |title=LAMENTABLE {{!}} A tres sube la cifra de muertos tras ataque a circo en Manta, Manabí |url=https://manabinoticias.com/lamentable-a-tres-sube-la-cifra-de-muertos-tras-ataque-a-circo-en-manta-manabi/ |access-date=2024-12-06 |website=Manabí Noticias |language=es}}</ref><br />
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=== September ===<br />
On 3 September director of Lago Agrio prison Alex Guevara was killed by gunshot in a targeted assassination. On 12 September, [[María Daniela Icaza]], director of [[Litoral Penitentiary]], was killed in a targeted shooting.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2024-09-13 |title=Ecuador prison chief killed, second this month: Officials |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/rest-of-world/ecuador-prison-chief-killed-second-this-month-officials/articleshow/113306894.cms |access-date=2024-09-16 |work=The Times of India |issn=0971-8257}}</ref><br />
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=== October ===<br />
On 23 October, Ecuadorean police said that two men involved in the TV attack in Guayaquil on 9 January had been arrested in [[Spain]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Valencia |first=Alexandra |date=October 23, 2024 |title=Ecuadorean police say two men involved in TV attack arrested in Spain |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/ecuador-police-say-two-criminals-involved-tv-raid-arrested-in-spain-2024-10-23/ |website=Reuters}}</ref> This included William Alcívar Bautista, the leader of the Tiguerones.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Bargent |first1=James |last2=Bonello |first2=Deborah |date=2024-10-23 |title=Arrest of Leaders of Ecuador's Tiguerones Could Further Fracture Gang |url=https://insightcrime.org/news/arrest-of-leaders-of-ecuadors-tiguerones-could-further-fracture-gang/ |access-date=2024-10-24 |website=InSight Crime |language=en-US}}</ref><br />
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=== November ===<br />
On 28 November, a 17-year-old girl was abducted by four local gang members near her home in Cota Mil, she was then robbed, forced out of the car and shot several times, her body was discovered the following morning.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Piña |first=Mileydi |date=2024-12-05 |title=Abatido el asesino de Samantha Ramírez, hallada en la Cota Mil |url=https://diarioelregionaldelzulia.com/abatido-el-asesino-de-samantha-ramirez-hallada-en-la-cota-mil/ |access-date=2024-12-06 |website=El Regional Del Zulia |language=es}}</ref><br />
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=== December ===<br />
On 1 December, [[El Guabo massacre|10 men in a rental home]] in the town of [[El Guabo, Ecuador|El Guabo]], were gunned down by members of the Sao-Box cartel.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Beltrán |first=Por Daniela |date=2024-12-03 |title=Esta es la primera hipótesis de la masacre en Ecuador, que cobró la vida de nueve colombianos |url=https://www.infobae.com/colombia/2024/12/03/esta-es-la-primera-hipotesis-de-la-masacre-en-ecuador-que-cobro-la-vida-de-nueve-colombianos/ |access-date=2024-12-06 |website=infobae |language=es-ES}}</ref><br />
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On 5 December, the prison director of El Oro No. 1 Deprivation of Liberty Center and one other person were attacked by armed men while driving in a vehicle. The prognosis of both victims is guarded.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-12-06 |title=El SNAI rechaza atentado contra director de cárcel de Machala y otro funcionario |url=https://www.eluniverso.com/noticias/ecuador/el-snai-rechaza-atentado-contra-director-de-carcel-de-machala-y-otro-funcionario-nota/ |access-date=2024-12-06 |website=El Universo |language=es}}</ref><br />
<br />
== Government response ==<br />
President Daniel Noboa declared in a decree that the country was experiencing an "internal armed conflict" and ordered the military to carry out operations to neutralize armed groups.<ref name="Noboa">{{Cite news |date=2024-01-09 |title=Ecuador: Noboa declara conflicto armado interno y ordena a los militares neutralizar a grupos criminales |url=https://elcomercio.pe/mundo/latinoamerica/ecuador-daniel-noboa-declara-conflicto-armado-interno-y-ordena-a-las-fuerzas-militares-neutralizar-a-grupos-criminales-ahora-terroristas-tc-television-guayaquil-alias-fito-noticia/ |newspaper=El Comercio |access-date=10 January 2024 |archive-date=10 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240110233737/https://elcomercio.pe/mundo/latinoamerica/ecuador-daniel-noboa-declara-conflicto-armado-interno-y-ordena-a-las-fuerzas-militares-neutralizar-a-grupos-criminales-ahora-terroristas-tc-television-guayaquil-alias-fito-noticia/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The head of the [[Armed Forces of Ecuador]], [[Jaime Vela Erazo]] said in response to the decree that there will be "no negotiations" with armed groups.<ref>{{Cite web |date=10 January 2024 |title=Head of Ecuador's Armed Forces Say 'No Negotiations' With Named Groups Amid Violence |url=https://uk.news.yahoo.com/head-ecuadors-armed-forces-no-064455256.html |access-date=10 January 2024 |website=[[Yahoo! News]] |archive-date=10 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240110111418/https://consent.yahoo.com/v2/collectConsent?sessionId=2_cc-session_82f07bf7-9c10-4985-aa0a-0115d640276b |url-status=live }}</ref> Noboa identified these organized crime groups as "terrorist organizations and belligerent non-state actors."<ref name="Noboa" /> The [[National Assembly (Ecuador)|National Assembly]] subsequently approved the measures unanimously.<ref>{{Cite web |date=11 January 2024 |title=Ecuador president defies gangs to take on the army |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-67944447 |access-date=11 January 2024 |website=BBC |archive-date=11 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240111125143/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-67944447 |url-status=live }}</ref> That same day, the [[Ministry of Education (Ecuador)|Ministry of Education]] suspended in-person classes and mandated virtual learning until 12 January.<ref>{{cite web |date=2024-01-09 |title=Ministerio de Educación suspende las clases presenciales en todo Ecuador hasta el 12 de enero |url=https://www.eluniverso.com/noticias/ecuador/suspension-clases-estado-de-excepcion-ecuador-enero-2024-nota/ |accessdate=2024-01-09 |publisher=El Universo |archive-date=10 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240110111420/https://www.eluniverso.com/noticias/ecuador/suspension-clases-estado-de-excepcion-ecuador-enero-2024-nota/ |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
Noboa announced that transportation in Quito would cease operations, except for the [[Quito Metro]], which would run under limited stops and hours.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-01-09 |title=Metro de Quito habilitó solo un acceso por estación pero está operativo |url=https://www.eltelegrafo.com.ec/noticias/actualidad/44/metro-de-quito-habilito-solo-un-acceso-por-estacion-pero-esta-operativo |publisher=El Telégrafo |language=es |access-date=10 January 2024 |archive-date=10 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240110111457/https://www.eltelegrafo.com.ec/noticias/actualidad/44/metro-de-quito-habilito-solo-un-acceso-por-estacion-pero-esta-operativo |url-status=live }}</ref> He also stated that the [[Mariscal Sucre International Airport]] in Quito would remain open but with increased security.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-01-09 |title=Requisitos para los viajeros del aeropuerto de Quito ante situación que atraviesa el país |url=https://www.metroecuador.com.ec/noticias/2024/01/09/requisitos-para-los-viajeros-del-aeropuerto-de-quito-ante-situacion-que-atraviesa-el-pais/ |publisher=Metro Ecuador |language=es |access-date=10 January 2024 |archive-date=10 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240110111419/https://www.metroecuador.com.ec/noticias/2024/01/09/requisitos-para-los-viajeros-del-aeropuerto-de-quito-ante-situacion-que-atraviesa-el-pais/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Noboa also said that foreign inmates were to be deported to reduce the prison population.<ref>{{Cite web |date=11 January 2024 |title=Streets empty as Ecuador reels from violence |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-67938285 |access-date=11 January 2024 |website=BBC |archive-date=11 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240111002006/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-67938285 |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
A [[2024 Ecuadorian constitutional referendum|constitutional referendum]] on tougher security measures was held on 21 April 2024. Voters approved all proposed security measures.<ref>{{Cite web |date=21 April 2024 |title=Ecuador's President Naboa handily wins security-focused referendum |website=[[Reuters]] |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/ecuadorean-president-noboa-seeking-approval-security-measures-sunday-vote-2024-04-21/ |access-date=9 August 2024}}</ref><br />
<br />
== Reactions ==<br />
=== Domestic ===<br />
*The [[Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador]] and the {{ill|Ecuadorian Episcopal Conference|es|Conferencia Episcopal Ecuatoriana}} called for national unity to overcome the "situation of unprecedented violence caused by organized crime." They emphasized that the national government must act within the current legal framework. Furthermore, they stressed that the state should not use this crisis "as an excuse to approve unpopular laws or policies that adversely affect the majority of the population."<ref>{{cite web |title=CONAIE |url=https://twitter.com/CONAIE_Ecuador/status/1744873899630739497 |website=X |access-date=10 January 2024 |archive-date=10 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240110014334/https://twitter.com/CONAIE_Ecuador/status/1744873899630739497 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.iglesia.cl/46716-conferencia-episcopal-ecuatoriana-la-violencia-no-prevalecera.html |title=Conferencia Episcopal Ecuatoriana: La violencia no prevalecerá |access-date=11 January 2024 |archive-date=10 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240110145636/https://www.iglesia.cl/46716-conferencia-episcopal-ecuatoriana-la-violencia-no-prevalecera.html |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
*Former Ecuadorian president [[Rafael Correa]] expressed support for Noboa's decision to declare an "internal armed conflict" in the country. He endorsed Noboa's order for the [[Armed Forces of Ecuador]] to take action and called for national unity.<ref>{{cite news |title=Rafael Correa apoyó la decisión del presidente Noboa de declarar el conflicto armado interno en Ecuador: "Es hora de la unidad nacional" |url=https://www.infobae.com/america/america-latina/2024/01/09/rafael-correa-apoyo-la-decision-del-presidente-noboa-de-declarar-el-conflicto-armado-interno-en-ecuador-es-hora-de-la-unidad-nacional/ |access-date=10 January 2024 |publisher=Infobae |date=9 January 2024 |archive-date=10 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240110001052/https://www.infobae.com/america/america-latina/2024/01/09/rafael-correa-apoyo-la-decision-del-presidente-noboa-de-declarar-el-conflicto-armado-interno-en-ecuador-es-hora-de-la-unidad-nacional/ |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
*President Noboa has introduced the "Phoenix Plan," which involves the establishment of a new intelligence unit, tactical weapons for security forces, new high-security prisons, and reinforced security at ports and airports.{{cn|date=February 2024|reason=Removed unreliable source}}<br />
<br />
=== International ===<br />
====Countries====<br />
*{{flag|Argentina}}: The Argentine Government expressed support for the authorities and people of Ecuador in their "struggle against organized crime, which seeks to undermine the rule of law."<ref>{{cite web |title=Cancillería Argentina |url=https://twitter.com/CancilleriaARG/status/1744882053340975384 |website=X |access-date=10 January 2024 |archive-date=10 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240110011340/https://twitter.com/CancilleriaARG/status/1744882053340975384 |url-status=live }}</ref> The Minister for Security, [[Patricia Bullrich]], announced that the government would offer armed assistance to Ecuador, stating that drug trafficking was a "continental issue".<ref>{{cite news |last1=T |first1=L |title=Patricia Bullrich aseguró que el Gobierno está dispuesto a mandar fuerzas de seguridad a Ecuador: "Esto es un tema continental" |url=https://www.perfil.com/noticias/politica/patricia-bullrich-aseguro-que-el-gobierno-esta-dispuesto-a-mandar-fuerzas-de-seguridad-a-ecuador-esto-es-un-tema-continental.phtml |access-date=11 January 2024 |work=Perfil |date=10 January 2024 |language=es |archive-date=10 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240110162408/https://www.perfil.com/noticias/politica/patricia-bullrich-aseguro-que-el-gobierno-esta-dispuesto-a-mandar-fuerzas-de-seguridad-a-ecuador-esto-es-un-tema-continental.phtml |url-status=live }}</ref> On 19 January, Bullrich announced that Macias’ wife and children had been detained in [[Córdoba Province, Argentina|Córdoba Province]] and repatriated to Ecuador.<ref>{{cite news |last=Seddon |first=Sean |title= Ecuador: Argentina expels family of gang boss Adolfo Macías |url= https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-68038970 |access-date=20 January 2024 |work=BBC |date=19 January 2024 |language=en}}</ref><br />
*{{flag|Brazil}}: The Brazilian government expressed concern over the violent incidents in Ecuador. It also conveyed its "solidarity with both the Ecuadorian Government and the Ecuadorian people who have fallen victim to these attacks."<ref>{{cite news |date=9 January 2024 |title=Ações do crime organizado no Equador |trans-title=Organized crime actions in Ecuador |language=pt |url=https://www.gov.br/mre/pt-br/canais_atendimento/imprensa/notas-a-imprensa/acoes-do-crime-organizado-no-equador |access-date=10 January 2024 |publisher=gov.br |archive-date=10 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240110014349/https://www.gov.br/mre/pt-br/canais_atendimento/imprensa/notas-a-imprensa/acoes-do-crime-organizado-no-equador/ |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
*{{flag|Chile}}: The Chilean Foreign Ministry issued a statement expressing its concern, extending its support to the "Ecuadorian institutions and conveying a message of solidarity and support to their authorities and people."<ref>{{cite news |date=9 January 2024 |title=Comunicado por situación de Ecuador |trans-title=Statement regarding the situation in Ecuador |url=https://www.minrel.gob.cl/noticias-anteriores/comunicado-por-situacion-de-ecuador |access-date=10 January 2024 |publisher=minrel.gob.cl |language=es |archive-date=10 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240110022438/https://www.minrel.gob.cl/noticias-anteriores/comunicado-por-situacion-de-ecuador |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
*{{flag|China}}: The country announced the temporary closure of its embassy and consulates in Ecuador on 10 January.<ref name="ajten">{{cite news |date=10 January 2024 |title=Ten killed, gangs unleash terror as Ecuador declares state of emergency |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/1/10/ten-killed-gangs-unleash-terror-as-ecuador-declares-state-of-emergency |access-date=10 January 2024 |work=Al Jazeera |archive-date=10 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240110092423/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/1/10/ten-killed-gangs-unleash-terror-as-ecuador-declares-state-of-emergency |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
*{{flag|Colombia}}: The Colombian Foreign Ministry indicated its support for the democratic institutions and the rule of law of the neighboring country through a press release. It also expressed solidarity with those affected and wished for the restoration of public order.<ref>{{cite web |title=Cancillería Colombia |url=https://twitter.com/CancilleriaCol/status/1744854725999067585 |website=X |access-date=10 January 2024 |archive-date=9 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240109234716/https://twitter.com/CancilleriaCol/status/1744854725999067585 |url-status=live }}</ref> The [[Colombian army]] said that it was increasing security measures along the [[Colombia–Ecuador border|border with Ecuador]].<ref name="f24"/><br />
*{{flag|Costa Rica}}, {{flag|Dominican Republic}}, {{flag|Panama}}: The three countries jointly expressed their support and solidarity with the Government of Ecuador.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.laestrella.com.pa/mundo/costa-rica-panama-y-republica-dominicana-expresan-apoyo-a-ecuador-ante-ola-de-violencia-YM5835526|title=Costa Rica, Panamá y República Dominicana expresan apoyo a Ecuador ante ola de violencia|trans-title=Costa Rica, Panama and the Dominican Republic express support for Ecuador in the face of wave of violence|lang=es|agency=Agencia EFE|work=La Estrella de Panamá|date=11 January 2024|access-date=13 January 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240113235607/https://www.laestrella.com.pa/mundo/costa-rica-panama-y-republica-dominicana-expresan-apoyo-a-ecuador-ante-ola-de-violencia-YM5835526|archive-date=13 January 2024|url-status=live}}</ref> Panamanian [[Laurentino Cortizo]] also expressed regret at the crisis in Ecuador and expressed solidarity with President Noboa.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.tvn-2.com/nacionales/cortizo-lamento-situacion-ecuador-pide-violencia-panamenos_1_2101150.html|title=Cortizo lamenta situación de Ecuador y monitorea el estado de los panameños en ese país|trans-title=Cortizo regrets the situation in Ecuador and monitors the state of Panamanians in that country|last=De La Cruz|first=Omar|lang=es|work=tvn|date=9 January 2024|access-date=13 January 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240113235948/https://www.tvn-2.com/nacionales/cortizo-lamento-situacion-ecuador-pide-violencia-panamenos_1_2101150.html|archive-date=13 January 2024|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
*{{flag|France}}: The country warned its nationals against traveling to Ecuador.<ref name="ajwar"/><br />
*{{flag|Mexico}}: Mexican Ambassador to Ecuador Raquel Serur appealed for calm and urged everyone to follow local authorities' instructions, stay at home, and avoid attending large-scale events.<ref>{{cite web |title=Relaciones Exteriores |url=https://twitter.com/SRE_mx/status/1744878165460152725 |website=X |access-date=10 January 2024 |archive-date=10 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240110011340/https://twitter.com/SRE_mx/status/1744878165460152725 |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
*{{flag|Netherlands}}: The [[Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Netherlands)|Ministry of Foreign Affairs]] warned people traveling to Ecuador not to visit the border area with Colombia and recommended only essential travel to [[Esmeraldas Province]].<ref>{{cite web |title= Reisadvies Ecuador |url= https://www.nederlandwereldwijd.nl/reisadvies/ecuador |website= {{ill|Rijksoverheid|nl}} |date= 4 April 2017 |access-date= 12 January 2024 |language= nl |archive-date= 12 January 2024 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20240112085418/https://www.nederlandwereldwijd.nl/reisadvies/ecuador |url-status= live }}</ref><br />
*{{flag|Paraguay}}: The country expressed its solidarity with the people and Government of Ecuador amidst the "delicate internal security situation."<ref>{{cite news |date=9 January 2024 |title=Paraguay se solidariza con Ecuador ante su "delicada situación de seguridad interna" |trans-title=Paraguay expresses solidarity with Ecuador in the face of its "delicate internal security situation" |url=https://www.ultimahora.com/paraguay-se-solidariza-con-ecuador-ante-su-delicada-situacion-de-seguridad-interna |access-date=10 January 2024 |publisher=ultimahora |language=es |archive-date=10 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240110035609/https://www.ultimahora.com/paraguay-se-solidariza-con-ecuador-ante-su-delicada-situacion-de-seguridad-interna |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
*{{flag|Peru}}: Prime Minister [[Alberto Otarola]] declared an emergency along the [[Ecuador–Peru border|border with Ecuador]] and ordered the deployment of the [[Peruvian army]] to bolster [[National Police of Peru|National Police]] units<ref name="storm" /> sent there by Interior Minister [[Víctor Torres Falcón]].<ref>{{Cite web |last= |date=9 January 2024 |title=Ecuador, en 'estado de guerra': 8 personas mueren en Guayaquil por hechos violentos |trans-title=Ecuador, in a 'state of war': 8 people die in Guayaquil due to violent events |url=https://www.elfinanciero.com.mx/mundo/2024/01/09/violencia-ecuador-ataques-crimen-organizado-hoy-9-de-enero-sigue-el-minuto-a-minuto/ |access-date=2024-01-10 |website=El Financiero |language=es |archive-date=10 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240110042850/https://www.elfinanciero.com.mx/mundo/2024/01/09/violencia-ecuador-ataques-crimen-organizado-hoy-9-de-enero-sigue-el-minuto-a-minuto/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Berríos |first=Manuel Rojas |date=2024-01-09 |title=Mininter toma acción por violencia en Ecuador: contingente de la Diroes resguardará la frontera de Tumbes |trans-title=Mininter takes action due to violence in Ecuador: Diroes contingent will guard the Tumbes border |url=https://www.infobae.com/peru/2024/01/09/mininter-toma-accion-por-violencia-en-ecuador-contingente-de-la-diroes-resguardara-la-frontera-de-tumbes/ |access-date=2024-01-10 |website=infobae |language=es |archive-date=10 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240110013241/https://www.infobae.com/peru/2024/01/09/mininter-toma-accion-por-violencia-en-ecuador-contingente-de-la-diroes-resguardara-la-frontera-de-tumbes/ |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
*{{flag|Russia}}: The country warned its nationals against traveling to Ecuador.<ref name="ajwar"/><br />
*{{flag|United States}}: Ambassador [[Brian A. Nichols]], the [[Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs]], expressed concern about "the violence and kidnappings" and said that the US was "ready to provide assistance to the Ecuadorian government and will remain in close contact with the President regarding our support."<ref>{{cite web |title=Brian A. Nichols |url=https://twitter.com/WHAAsstSecty/status/1744881891751133550 |website=X |access-date=10 January 2024 |archive-date=10 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240110015358/https://twitter.com/WHAAsstSecty/status/1744881891751133550 |url-status=live }}</ref> [[United States National Security Council|National Security Council]] Advisor [[Jake Sullivan]] said that the US was "committed to supporting Ecuadorians' security & prosperity & bolstering cooperation w/partners to ensure the perpetrators are brought to justice." The US embassy in Quito canceled consular services on 10 January.<ref>{{cite news |date=10 January 2024 |title=Soldiers patrol streets in Ecuador as government and cartels declare war on each other |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ecuador-government-cartels-declare-war-daniel-noboa/ |access-date=11 January 2024 |work=CBS |archive-date=11 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240111000543/https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ecuador-government-cartels-declare-war-daniel-noboa/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Sanctions against Los Choneros were filed on 7 February.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Psaledakis |first=Daphe |date=7 February 2024 |editor-last=O'Brien |editor-first=Rosalba |title=US imposes sanctions on Ecuador's Los Choneros gang |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/us-imposes-sanctions-ecuadors-los-choneros-gang-2024-02-07/ |access-date=20 March 2024 |work=Reuters}}</ref><br />
*{{flag|Uruguay}}: The [[Ministry of Foreign Relations (Uruguay)|Ministry of Foreign Relations]] issued a statement in which it expressed its "solidarity with the Ecuadorian authorities" on behalf of the Uruguayan Government and that it ensures the "reestablishment of internal order within the strict framework of the current institutions that allows the recovery of "citizen coexistence".<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ante situación en Ecuador |url=https://www.gub.uy/ministerio-relaciones-exteriores/comunicacion/comunicados/ante-situacion-ecuador |access-date=2024-01-12 |website=Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores |language=es |archive-date=12 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240112065929/https://www.gub.uy/ministerio-relaciones-exteriores/comunicacion/comunicados/ante-situacion-ecuador |url-status=live }}</ref> In addition, it was announced that the Embassy of Uruguay is closely following the development of events and an emergency line was enabled for Uruguayan citizens in Ecuador.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Gobierno uruguayo se solidarizó con Ecuador por violencia |url=https://www.telenoche.com.uy/nacionales/gobierno-uruguayo-se-solidarizo-ecuador-violencia-n5361183 |access-date=2024-01-12 |website=Telenoche |language=es-PA |archive-date=12 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240112065349/https://www.telenoche.com.uy/nacionales/gobierno-uruguayo-se-solidarizo-ecuador-violencia-n5361183 |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
*{{flag|Venezuela}}: President [[Nicolás Maduro]] wrote on Twitter, "I strongly reject the violence unleashed by Ecuadorian criminal gangs that put the security and peace of our sister Republic at risk and express, on behalf of Venezuela, our solidarity with the people and government of Ecuador in this fight against the scourge of organized crime. I trust in the prompt restoration of order and in the timely action of justice against the intellectual and material authors of these unacceptable terrorist acts."<ref>{{cite tweet|author=Nicolás Maduro|author-link=Nicolás Maduro|user=NicolasMaduro|number=1744908402705219592|title=Rechazo de manera contundente la violencia desatada por las bandas criminales ecuatorianas que ponen en riesgo la seguridad y la paz de nuestra hermana República y expreso, en nombre de Venezuela, nuestra solidaridad al pueblo y al gobierno del Ecuador en esta lucha contra el flagelo del crimen organizado. Confío en el pronto restablecimiento del orden y en la actuación oportuna de la justicia contra los autores intelectuales y materiales de estos inaceptables actos terroristas.}}</ref><br />
<br />
====Supranational organizations====<br />
*{{flag|European Union}}: Foreign policy chief [[Josep Borrell]] described the increased gang activity as a "direct attack on democracy and the rule of law".<ref name="ajwar">{{cite news |date=11 January 2024 |title=Ecuador president declares 'war' with criminal gangs amid soaring violence |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/1/10/ecuador-president-declares-war-with-criminal-gangs-amid-soaring-violence |access-date=11 January 2024 |work=Al Jazeera |archive-date=10 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240110193441/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/1/10/ecuador-president-declares-war-with-criminal-gangs-amid-soaring-violence |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
*{{flag|United Nations}}: Secretary-General [[António Guterres]] expressed alarm at the "deteriorating situation in the country as well as its disruptive impact on the lives of Ecuadorans".<ref name="f24">{{cite news |date=10 January 2024 |title=Ecuador in 'state of war' against cartels amid surge in violence, president says |url=https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20240110-soldiers-on-the-street-as-ecuador-declares-war-on-drug-cartels |access-date=11 January 2024 |work=France 24 |archive-date=10 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240110235015/https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20240110-soldiers-on-the-street-as-ecuador-declares-war-on-drug-cartels |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
==References==<br />
{{reflist|30em}}<br />
<br />
==External links==<br />
* {{Commons category-inline}}<br />
<br />
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ecuadorian conflict, 2024}}<br />
[[Category:2024 in Ecuador|Conflict]]<br />
[[Category:2024 riots]] <!-- In this category because "Riots ensued in multiple prisons across Ecuador" --><br />
[[Category:2024 crimes in Ecuador]]<br />
[[Category:2020s murders in Ecuador]]<br />
[[Category:2020s civil wars]]<br />
[[Category:21st century in Guayaquil]]<br />
[[Category:Conflicts in 2024|Ecuador]]<br />
[[Category:January 2024 crimes in South America]] <!-- In this category because attacks are crimes --><br />
[[Category:January 2024 events in Ecuador|Ecuador]]<br />
[[Category:Attacks in South America in the 2020s]]<br />
[[Category:Attacks on buildings and structures in 2024]]<br />
<!-- In this category because second sentence is "Reports of armed attacks throughout Guayaquil were widespread" --><br />
[[Category:2024 murders in South America]]<br />
[[Category:Civil wars involving the states and peoples of South America]]<br />
[[Category:Law enforcement operations against organized crime]]<br />
[[Category:Military operations against organized crime]]<br />
[[Category:Organized crime conflicts]]<br />
[[Category:Riots and civil disorder in Ecuador]]<br />
[[Category:Military history of Ecuador]]<br />
[[Category:Organized crime in Ecuador]]<br />
[[Category:Attacks on hospitals during armed conflicts]]<br />
[[Category:Arson in South America]]<br />
[[Category:Arson in 2024]]<br />
[[Category:Attacks on schools in South America]]</div>Boackandwhitehttps://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Stop_Cop_City&diff=1266165873Stop Cop City2024-12-30T11:10:16Z<p>Boackandwhite: </p>
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<div>{{Short description|American social movement that is a part of a larger international movement to abolish police}}<br />
{{Use American English|date=January 2023}}<br />
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2023}}<br />
<br />
{{Infobox civil conflict<br />
| title = Stop Cop City<br />
| subtitle = <br />
| partof = [[Black Lives Matter]] and [[United States racial unrest (2020–2023)]] and the [[climate movement]]<br />
| image = Stop Cop City.jpg<br />
| caption = Stop Cop City graffiti along the Proctor Creek Greenway Trail<br />
| date = <br />
| place = [[Cop City]], [[South River Forest]], [[DeKalb County, Georgia]]<br />
| coordinates = {{coord|33.69383|-84.33606|format=dms|display=it}}<br />
| causes = <br />
| goals = <br />
| methods = <br />
| status = <br />
| result = <br />
| side1 = Government<br />
* [[Georgia State Patrol]]<br />
* [[Georgia Bureau of Investigation]]<br />
* [[Atlanta Police Department]]<br />
Atlanta Police Foundation<br />[[Brasfield & Gorrie]]<br />
| side2 = Coalition of environmental organizations, social justice organizations, community groups, and autonomous forest defenders<br />
| side3 = <br />
| side4 = <br />
| leadfigures1 = [[Brian Kemp]]<br />[[Andre Dickens]]<br />
| leadfigures2 = ''non-centralized leadership''<br />
| leadfigures3 = <br />
| leadfigures4 = <br />
| howmany1 = <br />
| howmany2 = <br />
| howmany3 = <br />
| howmany4 = <br />
| casualties1 = 1 Georgia State Trooper injured (Gunshot)<br />
| casualties2 = 1 killed ([[Killing of Manuel Esteban Paez Terán|Manuel Esteban Paez Terán]])<br />
| casualties3 = <br />
| casualties4 = <br />
| fatalities = <br />
| injuries = <br />
| arrests = <br />
| damage = <br />
| buildings = <br />
| detentions = <br />
| charged = <br />
| fined = <br />
| effect = <br />
| effect_label = <br />
| casualties_label = <br />
| notes = <br />
| mapframe = yes<br />
| sidebox = <br />
| mapframe-zoom = 12<br />
}}<br />
<br />
'''Stop Cop City''' ('''SCC'''), also known as '''Block Cop City''' and '''Defend the Atlanta Forest''' ('''DTF'''), is a [[decentralized]] movement in [[Atlanta]], [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]], [[United States]], whose goal is to stop construction of the [[Cop City|Atlanta Public Safety Training Center]] by the [[Atlanta Police Foundation]] and the [[Atlanta|City of Atlanta]]. The proposed location for the facility is the [[Old Atlanta Prison Farm]], and opponents of the facility are concerned about the growth of policing in the city—which has witnessed several protests against police violence following the 2020 [[murder of George Floyd]] and the [[killing of Rayshard Brooks]],<ref name="AJCD">{{cite news |last1=Abusaid |first1=Shaddi |last2=Stevens |first2=Alexis |last3=Hollis |first3=Henri |last4=Burns |first4=Asia Simone |title=No charges against Atlanta officers in fatal shooting of Rayshard Brooks |url=https://www.ajc.com/news/crime/breaking-no-charges-for-apd-officers-in-fatal-shooting-of-rayshard-brooks/KDDYTQKCCNF6HMH2ZRVHFKJEK4/ |access-date=August 24, 2022 |work=[[The Atlanta Journal-Constitution]] |date=August 23, 2020 |archive-date=August 24, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220824002346/https://www.ajc.com/news/crime/breaking-no-charges-for-apd-officers-in-fatal-shooting-of-rayshard-brooks/KDDYTQKCCNF6HMH2ZRVHFKJEK4/ |url-status=live }}</ref> both by police officers.<ref name="yesmagazine">{{Cite web |title=Abolitionists and Environmentalists in Atlanta Band Together to "Stop Cop City" |url=https://www.yesmagazine.org/environment/2022/03/22/atlanta-organizers-abolition-environmentalists |access-date=December 10, 2022 |website=YES! Magazine |language=en-US |archive-date=December 10, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221210200221/https://www.yesmagazine.org/environment/2022/03/22/atlanta-organizers-abolition-environmentalists |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="newyorker">{{Cite magazine |date=August 3, 2022 |title=The New Fight Over an Old Forest in Atlanta |last=Bethea |first=Charles |url=https://www.newyorker.com/news/letter-from-the-south/the-new-fight-over-an-old-forest-in-atlanta |access-date=December 10, 2022 |magazine=The New Yorker |language=en-US |archive-date=April 5, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230405235748/https://www.newyorker.com/news/letter-from-the-south/the-new-fight-over-an-old-forest-in-atlanta |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
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Proponents of the training facility say that the project is necessary to improve police morale and to fight crime. They have said that there is no feasible alternative location for the training center and that the Old Atlanta Prison Farm is "not a forest".<ref name="newyorker"/> Critics of the training facility state that the center will increase [[militarization of police]] and that destruction of the forest will exacerbate economic disparities and ecological collapse in a poor-majority Black neighborhood.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-06-07 |title=Atlanta organizers unveil plan to stop 'Cop City' at the ballot box |url=https://apnews.com/article/atlanta-police-training-cop-city-referendum-d605bfb043f2e24c5749f441458acf5a |access-date=2023-11-03 |website=AP News |language=en |archive-date=June 21, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230621204914/http://apnews.com/article/atlanta-police-training-cop-city-referendum-d605bfb043f2e24c5749f441458acf5a |url-status=live }}</ref> On January 18, 2023, Georgia State Patrol Officers shot and killed [[Killing of Manuel Esteban Paez Terán|Manuel Esteban Paez Terán]] during a raid on the occupied encampment.<br />
<br />
== Background ==<br />
In 2020, as part of the [[Black Lives Matter]] movement and nationwide response to the [[murder of George Floyd]], Atlanta witnessed a months-long [[George Floyd protests in Atlanta|series of protests]] against police brutality.<ref name="yesmagazine"/><ref name="cnn">{{Cite web |last=Maxouris |first=Christina |date=September 24, 2022 |title=Atlanta wants to build a massive police training facility in a forest. Neighbors are fighting to stop it |url=https://www.cnn.com/2022/09/24/us/atlanta-public-safety-training-center-plans-community/index.html |access-date=December 10, 2022 |website=CNN |language=en |archive-date=March 6, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230306225415/https://www.cnn.com/2022/09/24/us/atlanta-public-safety-training-center-plans-community/index.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="theintercept">{{Cite web |last=Lennard |first=Natasha |year=2022 |title=An Uncompromising Coalition Is Building Support to Nix Atlanta's "Cop City" |url=https://theintercept.com/2022/08/18/atlanta-cop-city-forest-abolition-environmentalism/ |access-date=December 10, 2022 |website=The Intercept |language=en |archive-date=December 10, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221210200224/https://theintercept.com/2022/08/18/atlanta-cop-city-forest-abolition-environmentalism/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Less than three weeks after [[Minneapolis Police Department|Minneapolis police]] officer [[Derek Chauvin]] murdered Floyd on a public street, an [[Atlanta Police Department|Atlanta police]] (APD) officer shot and killed Atlanta resident [[Killing of Rayshard Brooks|Rayshard Brooks]], which resulted in protests, arson,<ref>{{Cite web|last=Ellis|first=Ralph|date=June 24, 2020|title=Woman charged in Atlanta Wendy's arson given $10,000 bond in first court hearing|url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/23/us/natalie-white-wendys-arson/index.html|access-date=2020-07-04|website=CNN|archive-date=June 26, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200626174727/https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/23/us/natalie-white-wendys-arson/index.html|url-status=live}}</ref> national outcry, and calls to [[defund the police]].<ref name="yesmagazine"/><br />
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Criticism of police and associated unrest has reduced police morale.<ref name="cnn"/> Authorities claim that the city has struggled with rising crime, citing 149 homicides in 2021: the most in a single year since the 1990s.<ref name="newyorker"/> However, the city's crime compilation data shows a drop in overall crime rates and a mixed trend in homicides over the period from 2009 to the present.<ref>{{cite web |title=Weekly Crime Reports |url=https://www.atlantapd.org/i-want-to/crime-data-downloads |access-date=January 27, 2023 |archive-date=January 27, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230127035317/https://www.atlantapd.org/i-want-to/crime-data-downloads |url-status=live }}</ref> Advocates for the proposed training facility have said that the project is an attempt to address these problems.<ref name="newyorker"/><ref name="cnn"/><br />
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The $90&nbsp;million proposed training center would include a [[shooting range]] and a mock village that has led the project to be nicknamed "Cop City." The city is expected to pay one-third of the cost, with the Atlanta Police Foundation (APF) paying the rest.<ref name="newyorker"/> Plans for the {{cvt|85|acre|adj=on}} facility were announced in 2017 {{Citation needed|date=October 2023|reason=I cannot find anything that puts the date of the announcement nearly as far back as 2017, the earliest I have found dates it back to the 2021 announcement of its location in Weelaunee forest.}}. According to the APF, the project provides "the necessary facilities required to effectively train 21st-century law enforcement agencies responsible for public safety in a major urban city."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Jordan |first=Mike |date=June 16, 2022 |title=The US activists holed up in treehouses to block $90m 'Cop City' |url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/jun/16/us-activists-protest-atlanta-cop-city-training-forest |access-date=December 12, 2022 |website=The Guardian |language=en |archive-date=May 16, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240516132012/https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/jun/16/us-activists-protest-atlanta-cop-city-training-forest |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
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Cox Enterprises is a corporate investor in the training facility and owns the city's major daily newspaper, ''[[The Atlanta Journal-Constitution]]'',<ref name="cnn"/> which has published multiple editorials in favor of the project.<ref name="newyorker"/><br />
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=== Prison farm ===<br />
{{See also|Old Atlanta Prison Farm}}<br />
The facility's proposed location is the Old Atlanta Prison Farm (OPF). A 2021 study by the Atlanta Community Press Collective—a self-described "abolitionist media" group—called the location a site of "atrocities of the past."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Atlanta Community Press Collective |date=August 14, 2021 |title=A brief history of the Atlanta City Prison Farm |url=https://atlpresscollective.com/2021/08/14/history-of-the-atlanta-city-prison-farm/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220809054809/https://atlpresscollective.com/2021/08/14/history-of-the-atlanta-city-prison-farm/ |archive-date=August 9, 2022 |access-date=June 11, 2024}}</ref><ref name="yesmagazine"/><ref name="jacobin">{{Cite web |last=Vicks |first=Akil |date=July 2022 |title=Atlanta Is Building a "Cop City" on the Site of a Former Prison Farm |url=https://jacobin.com/2022/07/atlana-cop-city-south-river-forest |access-date=July 30, 2022 |work=[[Jacobin (magazine)|Jacobin]] |language=en-US |archive-date=July 30, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220730134421/https://jacobin.com/2022/07/atlana-cop-city-south-river-forest |url-status=live }}</ref> An earlier study in 1999 did not mention historical atrocities, but did recommend that the area be preserved and placed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]]. Opponents of the project have objected to placing the police facility on the site of historic human rights violations.<ref name="yesmagazine"/><ref name="jacobin"/> [[Environmental justice]] advocates and organizations have proposed that the OPF should remain a centerpiece in the {{cvt|3500|acre|km2|adj=on}} urban green space called the [[South River Forest]].,<ref name="newyorker"/><ref name="cnn"/> citing Atlanta's "massive disparities" in green space: areas with higher percentages of African-American residents–including the area surrounding the OPF–have fewer and smaller parks.<ref name="cnn"/><br />
<br />
== Timeline ==<br />
[[File:Stop_Cop_City_Jan_2023_2.jpg|thumb|Stop Cop City protests in Atlanta in January 22, 2023]]<br />
The APF training facility is opposed by a coalition of environmental groups, neighborhood associations, local schools,<ref name=":3">{{Cite news |last=Pratt |first=Timothy |date=February 9, 2023 |title='Cop City' opposition spreads beyond Georgia forest defenders |language=en-GB |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/feb/09/cop-city-opposition-georgia |access-date=2023-02-28 |issn=0261-3077 |archive-date=February 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230228223911/https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/feb/09/cop-city-opposition-georgia |url-status=live }}</ref> and racial justice groups.<ref name="mainlinezine">{{Cite web |last=Herskind |first=Micah |date=February 8, 2022 |title=Cop City and the Prison Industrial Complex in Atlanta |url=https://www.mainlinezine.com/cop-city-and-the-prison-industrial-complex-in-atlanta/ |access-date=December 10, 2022 |website=Mainline |language=en-US |archive-date=December 10, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221210200221/https://www.mainlinezine.com/cop-city-and-the-prison-industrial-complex-in-atlanta/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Plans were approved by the city in September 2021 after 17 hours of public comment from over 1,100 residents, 70% of whom opposed the project.<ref name="newyorker"/> Residents have expressed concern that the approval process was secretive with limited input from affected communities.<ref name="cnn"/> The city appointed a community-advisory committee, and in 2022 Atlanta mayor [[Andre Dickens]] said that there was "a lot of room for input."<ref name="newyorker"/> The advisory committee does not include representatives from environmental groups, but does include representatives from the police and fire departments and the Dickens administration.<ref name="newyorker"/> A vocal critic of the facility was removed from the advisory committee.<ref name="newyorker"/><br />
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Residents who support the construction of the training facility have said that they want a properly trained police force and hope the project would improve the quality of the Atlanta police force to make their communities safer.<ref name="cnn"/><br />
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DTF supporters have led divestment movements against APF corporate sponsors funding the APF, and four "week of action" campaigns in 2021–22 featured live music, supply drives, skill shares, and history lessons about the area.<ref name="facingsouth">{{Cite news |date=September 2, 2022 |title=INSTITUTE INDEX: Defending Atlanta's last forest from 'Cop City' |language=en |website=Facing South |url=https://www.facingsouth.org/2022/09/atlanta-forest-defenders-abolitionists-protest-cop-city |access-date=December 10, 2022 |archive-date=December 10, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221210200233/https://www.facingsouth.org/2022/09/atlanta-forest-defenders-abolitionists-protest-cop-city |url-status=live }}</ref> Dozens of local community groups and regional organizations have opposed the project.<ref>{{Cite web |date=June 24, 2022 |title=64 groups and businesses sign on to oppose public safety training center ahead of City Council resolution |url=https://saportareport.com/64-groups-and-businesses-sign-on-to-oppose-public-safety-training-center-ahead-of-city-council-resolution/sections/reports/johnruch/ |access-date=2023-01-30 |website=SaportaReport |language=en-US |archive-date=January 30, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230130181741/https://saportareport.com/64-groups-and-businesses-sign-on-to-oppose-public-safety-training-center-ahead-of-city-council-resolution/sections/reports/johnruch/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Capelouto |first=J. D. |title=SE Atlanta neighborhoods: Don't build police training facility on old prison farm site |language=English |work=The Atlanta Journal-Constitution |url=https://www.ajc.com/news/atlanta-news/se-atlanta-neighborhoods-dont-build-police-training-facility-on-old-prison-farm-site/5WDFKBUGYREZ5PQU6XWNC4Z7V4/ |access-date=2023-01-30 |issn=1539-7459 |archive-date=January 30, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230130180237/https://www.ajc.com/news/atlanta-news/se-atlanta-neighborhoods-dont-build-police-training-facility-on-old-prison-farm-site/5WDFKBUGYREZ5PQU6XWNC4Z7V4/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=What is 'Cop City'? How opposition to an Atlanta police center prompted national demonstrations |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/nbcblk/what-is-cop-city-atlanta-police-protests-rcna67291 |access-date=2023-01-30 |website=NBC News |date=January 26, 2023 |language=en |archive-date=January 30, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230130180237/https://www.nbcnews.com/news/nbcblk/what-is-cop-city-atlanta-police-protests-rcna67291 |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
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Two environmental organizations, the South River Forest Coalition and the South River Watershed Alliance, have filed a lawsuit against the film studio development.<ref name="newyorker"/><br />
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=== Forest defense actions ===<br />
[[File:Prison farm tree sit.jpg|thumb|A [[tree sit]] to prevent cutting of trees at the Old Atlanta Prison Farm]]<br />
Beginning in late 2021, the contested forest was occupied by self-described [[Environmental defender|forest defenders]] who barricaded the area and constructed tree-sits to prevent trees from being cut. Forest defenders had several conflicts with police, resulting in some arrests. They have also destroyed equipment being used by developers in the forest, vandalized property belonging to corporations connected with the APF and Blackhall studios, and committed arson.<ref name="newyorker"/> In May 2022 the corporate offices of [[Brasfield & Gorrie]] in Birmingham, Alabama were vandalized, and the message "Drop Cop City Or Else" was spray-painted on the building.<ref name="filtermag">{{Cite web |date=August 25, 2022 |title=Diverse Coalition Unites Against Atlanta's Plan to Build "Cop City" |url=https://filtermag.org/atlanta-stop-cop-city/ |access-date=December 10, 2022 |website=Filter |language=en-US |archive-date=December 10, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221210200221/https://filtermag.org/atlanta-stop-cop-city/ |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
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There is wide variation in the political stance and approach of DTF forest defenders,<ref name="filtermag"/> and several sources describe the movement as leaderless and autonomous, with any participant able to act as they wish.<ref name="mainlinezine"/><ref>{{Cite news |last=Fassler |first=Ella |date=February 17, 2022 |title=Activists Are Occupying the Woods of Atlanta to Block a New Police Facility |language=en |work=Vice |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/4aw7xn/activists-are-occupying-the-woods-of-atlanta-to-block-a-new-police-facility |access-date=July 30, 2022 |archive-date=July 30, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220730151027/https://www.vice.com/en/article/4aw7xn/activists-are-occupying-the-woods-of-atlanta-to-block-a-new-police-facility |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Bernd |first=Candice |date=February 23, 2022 |title=Activists Blockade Construction of Massive Cop Training Center in Atlanta Forest |url=https://truthout.org/articles/inside-forest-defenders-blockade-of-atlantas-cop-city-training-compound/ |access-date=December 10, 2022 |website=Truthout |language=en-US |archive-date=December 10, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221210200233/https://truthout.org/articles/inside-forest-defenders-blockade-of-atlantas-cop-city-training-compound/ |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Prison abolition movement|Prison abolition]] is a strongly represented political philosophy among opponents.<ref name="yesmagazine"/><ref name="theintercept"/><br />
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On December 13, 2022, a task force of multiple police agencies conducted a joint raid at the training facility site.<ref name=":0">{{cite news |last1=Sayers |first1=Devon M. |last2=Watson |first2=Michelle |last3=Levenson |first3=Eric |title=Five people arrested on domestic terrorism charges in clash at Atlanta's 'Cop City' site |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2022/12/14/us/atlanta-police-cop-city-terrorism/index.html |work=CNN |date=December 14, 2022 |language=en |access-date=December 16, 2022 |archive-date=December 16, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221216004111/https://edition.cnn.com/2022/12/14/us/atlanta-police-cop-city-terrorism/index.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Five people were arrested and charged with [[Domestic terrorism in the United States|domestic terrorism]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Wheatley |first1=Thomas |title=Atlanta's "Cop City" activists face domestic terrorism charges |url=https://www.axios.com/local/atlanta/2022/12/15/atlanta-cop-city-occupation-activists-charged-with-domestic-terrorism |work=Axios |date=December 15, 2022 |language=en |access-date=December 16, 2022 |archive-date=December 16, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221216004111/https://www.axios.com/local/atlanta/2022/12/15/atlanta-cop-city-occupation-activists-charged-with-domestic-terrorism |url-status=live }}</ref> The [[Georgia Bureau of Investigation]] (GBI) stated that [[road flare]]s, gasoline, and explosive devices were found in the area;<ref name=":0" /> when reporters asked police whether the explosive devices were fireworks or something more dangerous, the police declined to answer.<ref>{{Cite web |date=January 29, 2023 |title=Protesters question circumstances surrounding 'Stop Cop City' activist's death |url=https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/protesters-question-circumstances-surrounding-stop-cop-city-activists-death |access-date=2023-02-28 |website=PBS NewsHour |language=en-us |archive-date=February 3, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230203154724/https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/protesters-question-circumstances-surrounding-stop-cop-city-activists-death |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Fatal shooting by police ===<br />
{{Main|Killing of Tortuguita}}<br />
<br />
On January 18, 2023, [[Georgia State Patrol|Georgia State Troopers]] and other agencies launched another raid. During the raid a trooper was shot in the leg, and a protester, [[Death of Manuel Esteban Paez Terán|Manuel Terán]], known also as "Tortuguita", was shot and killed by police.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Atlanta Police Kill Forest Defender at Protest Encampment Near Proposed "Cop City" Training Center |url=https://www.democracynow.org/2023/1/20/atlanta_cop_city_protester_killed |access-date=2023-01-23 |website=Democracy Now! |language=en |archive-date=January 31, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230131163810/https://www.democracynow.org/2023/1/20/atlanta_cop_city_protester_killed |url-status=live }}</ref> Police stated that Terán fired on them without warning.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Pratt |first=Timothy |date=January 21, 2023 |title='Assassinated in cold blood': activist killed protesting Georgia's 'Cop City' |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/jan/21/protester-killed-georgia-cop-city-police-shooting |access-date=2023-01-23 |website=The Guardian |language=en |archive-date=January 30, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230130130213/https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/jan/21/protester-killed-georgia-cop-city-police-shooting |url-status=live }}</ref> Multiple groups, including other protestors, two independent journalists who had previously interviewed Terán, and Terán's family, have questioned whether Terán fired first, pointing to the lack of [[body camera]] footage of the shooting and calling for an independent investigation.<ref name=":1" /><ref>{{Cite web |date=January 29, 2023 |title=Protesters: 'Cop City' activist's killing doesn't make sense |url=https://apnews.com/article/law-enforcement-george-floyd-vienna-climate-and-environment-forests-21a4ed944c898d316db5872d87cea440 |access-date=2023-02-02 |website=AP NEWS |language=en |archive-date=January 29, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230129185132/https://apnews.com/article/law-enforcement-george-floyd-vienna-climate-and-environment-forests-21a4ed944c898d316db5872d87cea440 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Rico |first=R.J. |title=Man killed, trooper shot while 'Cop City' protesters cleared |url=https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/georgia-state-trooper-shot-atlanta-96507278 |access-date=2023-02-02 |website=ABC News |language=en |archive-date=February 2, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230202201234/https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/georgia-state-trooper-shot-atlanta-96507278 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Peisner |first=David |title=Little Turtle's War |url=https://bittersoutherner.com/feature/2023/little-turtles-war-cop-city-atlanta |access-date=2023-02-02 |website=THE BITTER SOUTHERNER |language=en-US |archive-date=February 2, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230202201235/https://bittersoutherner.com/feature/2023/little-turtles-war-cop-city-atlanta |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Georgia Bureau of Investigation|GBI]] conducted a forensic ballistic analysis which determined that the projectile recovered from the officer's wound matched the handgun found in Terán's possession.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Donesha |first1=Aldridg |title=GBI: Ballistic analysis shows projectile recovered from trooper's wound matches gun in protester's possession |work=11 Alive |url=https://www.11alive.com/article/news/local/ballistic-analysis-shows-projectile-recovered-from-troopers-wound-matches-gun-in-protesters-possession/85-fe50a6e7-3959-45d8-bcf9-0954cd1f653c |access-date=January 23, 2023 |archive-date=May 16, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240516132011/https://www.11alive.com/article/news/local/ballistic-analysis-shows-projectile-recovered-from-troopers-wound-matches-gun-in-protesters-possession/85-fe50a6e7-3959-45d8-bcf9-0954cd1f653c |url-status=live }}</ref> The GBI said that there is no body camera footage of the shooting because officers near the incident did not have cameras. Georgia State Patrol officers do not wear body-cameras.<ref name=":2">{{cite news |last1=Raymond |first1=Jonathan |date=January 23, 2023 |title=GBI says bodycam video exists of aftermath of deadly 'Cop City' clash |work=11 Alive |url=https://www.11alive.com/article/news/local/gbi-update-cop-city-death-firearm-manuel-teran-tortuguita-protester/85-0eb1fc17-898a-4eef-8543-96c01b3ab075 |access-date=January 29, 2023 |archive-date=May 16, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240516132121/https://www.11alive.com/article/news/local/gbi-update-cop-city-death-firearm-manuel-teran-tortuguita-protester/85-0eb1fc17-898a-4eef-8543-96c01b3ab075 |url-status=live }}</ref> However, there is footage of the aftermath; officers from other agencies were present and would have captured that video.<ref name=":2" /> The recovered handgun was determined to be purchased legally by Terán in September 2020.<ref>{{cite news |author=<!--not stated--> |title=GBI: Gun used to shoot trooper at site of Atlanta Public Safety Training Center bought legally by suspect |work=Fox5 Atlanta |url=https://www.fox5atlanta.com/news/gbi-gun-used-to-shoot-trooper-at-site-of-atlanta-public-safety-training-center-bought-legally-by-suspect.amp |access-date=July 4, 2024 |archive-date=January 27, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230127064753/https://www.fox5atlanta.com/news/gbi-gun-used-to-shoot-trooper-at-site-of-atlanta-public-safety-training-center-bought-legally-by-suspect.amp |url-status=live }}</ref> Other protesters and Terán's family dispute that Terán fired a gun.<ref name=":1" /><br />
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On February 9, 2023, the Atlanta police released body camera footage of the aftermath of the shooting wherein an officer is heard saying "You fucked your own officer up." This led some to believe that the injured officer had not been shot by Terán, but by [[friendly fire]] from another officer.<ref name="Estep Abusaid 2023">{{cite web | last1=Estep | first1=Tyler | last2=Abusaid | first2=Shaddi | title=Atlanta police release footage of training center shooting aftermath | website=[[The Atlanta Journal Constitution]] | date=February 8, 2023 | url=https://www.ajc.com/neighborhoods/dekalb/apd-releasing-body-cam-footage-of-training-center-shooting-aftermath/FF7PKXCAVRF2XGJZ6VZ4XC72V4/ | access-date=February 9, 2023 | archive-date=February 9, 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230209002920/https://www.ajc.com/neighborhoods/dekalb/apd-releasing-body-cam-footage-of-training-center-shooting-aftermath/FF7PKXCAVRF2XGJZ6VZ4XC72V4/ | url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | last=Unicorn Riot | author-link=Unicorn Riot | title=Atlanta PD Releases Bodycam Footage from Deadly Jan. 18 Forest Raid | date=February 8, 2023 | url=https://unicornriot.ninja/2023/atlanta-pd-releases-bodycam-footage-from-deadly-jan-18-forest-raid/ | access-date=February 9, 2023 | archive-date=February 9, 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230209144312/https://unicornriot.ninja/2023/atlanta-pd-releases-bodycam-footage-from-deadly-jan-18-forest-raid/ | url-status=live }}</ref><br />
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In March, Terán's family released the results of an independent autopsy revealing that Terán was shot fourteen times while sitting cross-legged on the ground with their hands raised in the air.<ref>{{cite news |last=Owen |first=Tess |date=March 13, 2023 |title=Police Shot 'Stop Cop City' Activist 14 Times With Their Hands Up, Independent Autopsy Shows |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/pkae48/cop-city-activist-shot-hands-up-tortuguita-death |work=[[Vice News]] |access-date=March 14, 2023 |archive-date=March 13, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230313224451/https://www.vice.com/en/article/pkae48/cop-city-activist-shot-hands-up-tortuguita-death |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Rico |first=R.J. |date=March 13, 2023 |title=Autopsy report says 'Cop City' protester had hands raised when killed |url=https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/autopsy-report-says-cop-city-protester-had-hands-raised-when-killed |work=[[PBS News]] |access-date=March 14, 2023 |archive-date=March 13, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230313200349/https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/autopsy-report-says-cop-city-protester-had-hands-raised-when-killed |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
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=== January 2023 protests ===<br />
[[File:Stop_Cop_City_Jan_2023.jpg|thumb|Stop Cop City protests in Atlanta on January 22, 2023]]<br />
On January 21, 2023, protesters marched from [[Underground Atlanta]] down [[Peachtree Street]]. At the intersection with Ellis St, some protesters damaged institutions who support the facility and burned an [[Atlanta Police Department]] vehicle. Six arrests were made. Responding to condemnation of these acts, Stop Cop City issued a statement asserting that "Destruction of material is fundamentally different from violence. All reported acts appear to be explicitly targeted against the financial backers".<ref>{{cite news |title=6 arrested after violent protesters cause mayhem, set APD car on fire in downtown Atlanta |url=https://www.wsbtv.com/news/local/atlanta/6-arrested-after-violent-protesters-cause-mayhem-set-apd-car-fire-downtown-atlanta/BR5LU4XBTBFFRGTPLXC4FTLL5U/ |access-date=January 22, 2023 |work=WSBTV |archive-date=January 27, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230127151815/https://www.wsbtv.com/news/local/atlanta/6-arrested-after-violent-protesters-cause-mayhem-set-apd-car-fire-downtown-atlanta/BR5LU4XBTBFFRGTPLXC4FTLL5U/ |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
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Vigils and protests were also held in other cities, such as [[Bridgeport, Connecticut|Bridgeport]], [[Minneapolis]], [[Nashville, Tennessee|Nashville]], [[Philadelphia]], and [[Tucson, Arizona|Tucson]], from January 20 to 22, 2023.<ref name=":02">{{Cite web |last=Fur |first=Lucy |date=January 23, 2023 |title=Marches and Vigils Across the US Respond to the Police Killing of Forest Defender Tort |url=https://unicornriot.ninja/2023/marches-and-vigils-across-the-us-respond-to-the-police-killing-of-forest-defender-tort/ |access-date=2023-01-24 |website=[[Unicorn Riot]] |language=en-US |archive-date=January 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230128100728/https://unicornriot.ninja/2023/marches-and-vigils-across-the-us-respond-to-the-police-killing-of-forest-defender-tort/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Some demonstrators spray painted graffiti on Bank of America buildings to protest the company's involvement in financing the facility's construction.<ref name=":02" /><br />
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=== March 2023 protests ===<br />
A protest was held at the facility construction site on March 5, 2023. Several demonstrators threw rocks and firebombs, resulting in the destruction of several pieces of construction equipment. Police subsequently raided the nearby South River Music Festival and detained 35 people, of which 12 were released and the remaining 23 were charged with domestic terrorism.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Spender |first=Tom |date=March 6, 2023 |title=Atlanta 'Cop City': Arrests as protesters clash with police |language=en-GB |work=[[BBC News]] |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-64842272 |access-date=2023-03-06 |archive-date=March 6, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230306220440/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-64842272 |url-status=live }}</ref> Festival attendees have accused police of selectively charging protestors from out of state, while releasing Georgia residents, in order to further the narrative that "outside agitators" coordinated and controlled the protests.{{citation needed| date=August 2023}}<br />
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The arrest warrant for the festival attendees stated that domestic terrorism charges were brought against those based on probable cause, such as having had mud on their feet, and that those with legal aid phone numbers written on their bodies were considered suspicious. According to ''The Intercept'', there is no information contained in the warrants that directly connects any of the defendants to illegal actions.<ref>{{Cite web |date=March 8, 2023 |title=The Show Must Go On: On Sunday's arrests at the South River Music Festival |url=https://atlpresscollective.com/2023/03/08/the-show-must-go-on-on-sundays-arrests-at-the-south-river-music-festival/ |access-date=2023-03-11 |website=Atlanta Community Press Collective |language=en-US |archive-date=March 11, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230311011335/https://atlpresscollective.com/2023/03/08/the-show-must-go-on-on-sundays-arrests-at-the-south-river-music-festival/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Lennard |first1=Natasha |title=Atlanta Cop City Protesters Charged With Domestic Terror for Having Mud on Their Shoes |url=https://theintercept.com/2023/03/08/atlanta-cop-city-protesters/ |website=The Intercept |access-date=20 May 2023 |date=8 March 2023 |archive-date=March 12, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230312040742/https://theintercept.com/2023/03/08/atlanta-cop-city-protesters/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Atlanta police chief Darin Schierbaum refused to comment when confronted by journalists about this allegation.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Unicorn Riot Coverage of the Movement to Protect the Atlanta Forest |url=https://unicornriot.ninja/unicorn-riot-coverage-of-the-movement-to-protect-the-atlanta-forest/ |access-date=2023-03-11 |website=UNICORN RIOT |language=en-US |archive-date=March 11, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230311011335/https://unicornriot.ninja/unicorn-riot-coverage-of-the-movement-to-protect-the-atlanta-forest/ |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
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In May 2023, three activists were arrested and charged with [[felony]] intimidation of a police officer and [[misdemeanor]] stalking, with penalties up to 20 years in prison, for posting fliers and identifying the officer that shot Manuel Terán.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Lennard |first1=Natasha |last2=Lacy |first2=Akela |title=Activists Face Felonies for Distributing Flyers on "Cop City" Protester Killing |url=https://theintercept.com/2023/05/02/cop-city-activists-arrest-flyers/ |website=The Intercept |access-date=20 May 2023 |date=2 May 2023 |quote=A forensics report from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation about guns fired during Tortuguita’s killing named six state patrol officers: Bryland Myers, Jerry Parrish, Jonathan Salcedo, Mark Jonathan Lamb, Ronaldo Kegel, and Royce Zah. According to public records, one of the officers named lives in the area where the activists posted flyers. The report was obtained by the Atlanta Community Press Collective, an abolitionist nonprofit media group, through an open records request. |archive-date=May 4, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230504221106/https://theintercept.com/2023/05/02/cop-city-activists-arrest-flyers/ |url-status=live }}</ref> That same month, three more activists were arrested and charged with [[charity fraud]] and [[money laundering]] for organizing a legal [[bail fund]].<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://theintercept.com/2023/05/31/cop-city-bail-fund-protest-raid-atlanta/ |work=The Intercept |title=ATLANTA POLICE ARREST ORGANIZERS OF BAIL FUND FOR COP CITY PROTESTERS |date=May 31, 2023 |access-date=June 1, 2023 |archive-date=June 1, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230601031106/https://theintercept.com/2023/05/31/cop-city-bail-fund-protest-raid-atlanta/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Regarding the arrests, Georgia Attorney General [[Christopher M. Carr|Chris Carr]] pledged to “not rest until we have held accountable every person who has funded, organized, or participated in this violence and intimidation” regarding the protests.<ref>{{Cite news |url= https://www.pbs.org/newshour/amp/politics/atlanta-police-arrest-3-organizers-behind-bail-fund-supporting-protests-against-cop-city |title= Atlanta police arrest 3 organizers behind bail fund supporting protests against 'cop city' |work= PBS |access-date= June 1, 2023 |archive-date= June 1, 2023 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20230601031108/https://www.pbs.org/newshour/amp/politics/atlanta-police-arrest-3-organizers-behind-bail-fund-supporting-protests-against-cop-city |url-status= live }}</ref><br />
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=== 2024 protests ===<br />
In April 2024, students at [[Emory University]] organized a [[April 2024 pro-Palestinian protests across US universities#In Georgia|protest]] on the university lawn against Cop City and the university's ties to Israel.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |last=Stieb |first=Matt |date=2024-04-25 |title=Cops Tase Students in Violent Arrests at Emory |url=https://nymag.com/intelligencer/article/cops-tase-students-in-violent-arrests-at-emory.html |access-date=2024-04-26 |website=[[Intelligencer (website)|Intelligencer]] |language=en |archive-date=April 25, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240425210109/https://nymag.com/intelligencer/article/cops-tase-students-in-violent-arrests-at-emory.html |url-status=live }}</ref> A statement from protest organizers accused the university of being “complicit in genocide and police militarization” and called for "total institutional divestment from [[Israel and apartheid|Israeli apartheid]] and Cop City at all Atlanta colleges and universities."<ref name=":5">{{Cite news |last1=Pratt |first1=Timothy |last2=Yang |first2=Maya |last3=Salam |first3=Erum |date=2024-04-26 |title=Police allegedly use rubber bullets and teargas at university protest in Georgia |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/apr/25/emory-university-protest-arrests |access-date=2024-04-26 |work=[[The Guardian]] |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077 |archive-date=May 16, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240516132246/https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/apr/25/emory-university-protest-arrests |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Yen |first=Amanda |date=2024-04-25 |title=Arrests Get Violent as Cops Deploy Tasers and Tear Gas on Campus Protesters |url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/arrests-get-violent-as-cops-deploy-tasers-and-tear-gas-on-campus-protesters |access-date=2024-04-26 |work=[[The Daily Beast]] |language=en |archive-date=April 25, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240425190420/https://www.thedailybeast.com/arrests-get-violent-as-cops-deploy-tasers-and-tear-gas-on-campus-protesters |url-status=live }}</ref> The protests were peaceful until [[Georgia State Patrol]], [[Atlanta Police Department|Atlanta Police]] and University Police forcefully dispersed the protests.<ref name=":5" /><ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-04-25 |title=Pro-Palestinian, 'Cop City' protesters arrested on Emory University campus |url=https://www.wabe.org/pro-palestinian-cop-city-protesters-arrested-on-emory-university-campus/ |access-date=2024-04-26 |website=[[WABE (FM)|WABE]] |language=en-US |archive-date=April 26, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240426140040/https://www.wabe.org/pro-palestinian-cop-city-protesters-arrested-on-emory-university-campus/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Law enforcement used tear gas, rubber bullets, and tasers during the crackdown.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Lenthang |first=Marlene |date=2024-04-26 |title=Reports of pepper bullets, tear gas and stun guns used at Emory protest |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/live-blog/columbia-protests-live-update-encampment-continue-college-negotiates-p-rcna149111 |access-date=2024-04-26 |website=[[NBC News]] |language=en |archive-date=April 25, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240425135205/https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/live-blog/columbia-protests-live-update-encampment-continue-college-negotiates-p-rcna149111 |url-status=live }}</ref> 28 people were arrested, including the university's philosophy department chair [[Noëlle McAfee]].<ref name=":4" /><br />
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== Issues and themes ==<br />
In September 2022, the APF reported that it projected opening the first phase of the facility in late 2023. DTF estimated that it had delayed the project by at least a month and a half.<ref name="facingsouth" /><br />
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=== Domestic terrorism charges ===<br />
Following the arrests in December when protestors were charged with domestic terrorism, additional protestors arrested in January were also charged with terrorism resulting in a total of 20 people facing these charges.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Lennard |first=Natasha |date=January 27, 2023 |title=The Crackdown on Cop City Protesters Is So Brutal Because of the Movement's Success |url=https://theintercept.com/2023/01/27/cop-city-atlanta-forest/ |access-date=2023-02-28 |website=The Intercept |language=en |archive-date=February 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230228222256/https://theintercept.com/2023/01/27/cop-city-atlanta-forest/ |url-status=live }}</ref> On March 6, 2023, it was reported that 23 people who had thrown large rocks, bricks, Molotov cocktails, and fireworks at police, as well having set buildings and equipment on fire, had been charged with domestic terrorism. Only two of them were from Atlanta. One was from France, and one was from Canada.<ref>[https://www.yahoo.com/news/23-charged-domestic-terrorism-violent-171109871.html 23 charged with domestic terrorism after violent night at Atlanta public safety training center site] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230306234926/https://www.yahoo.com/news/23-charged-domestic-terrorism-violent-171109871.html |date=March 6, 2023 }}, WSB via Yahoo, March 6, 2023</ref><ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=INRG3PWfeEA 23 charged with domestic terrorism after Atlanta 'Cop City' clashes] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230306220038/https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=INRG3PWfeEA |date=March 6, 2023 }}, NBC News channel at YouTube, March 6, 2023</ref><ref>[https://abcnews.go.com/US/dozens-arrested-fiery-clashes-atlantas-cop-city-training/story?id=97649479 23 protesters charged with domestic terrorism after fiery clashes at Atlanta's 'Cop City' training center] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240516132122/https://abcnews.go.com/US/dozens-arrested-fiery-clashes-atlantas-cop-city-training/story?id=97649479 |date=May 16, 2024 }}, ABC News, March 6, 2023</ref><ref>[https://www.cnn.com/2023/03/06/us/atlanta-cop-city-protests/index.html 23 face domestic terrorism charges after arrests in ‘Cop City’ protests at planned police training site in Atlanta] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230307002400/https://www.cnn.com/2023/03/06/us/atlanta-cop-city-protests/index.html |date=March 7, 2023 }}, CNN, March 6, 2023</ref><br />
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This is the first time that state law has been used in this way. Legal scholars, protest groups, and state and local governments are interested in the precedents that this will set for handling similar cases in the future. Supporters of this approach say that it will deter criminal behavior, while critics say that it is overreach and could stifle legitimate protest.<ref>{{Cite news |last=McWhirter |first=Mariah Timms and Cameron |title=Atlanta 'Cop City' Cases Test Use of Domestic-Terrorism Charges Against Protesters |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/atlanta-cop-city-cases-test-use-of-domestic-terrorism-charges-against-protesters-80c88152 |access-date=2023-02-28 |newspaper=Wall Street Journal |date=February 24, 2023 |language=en-US |archive-date=February 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230228222255/https://www.wsj.com/articles/atlanta-cop-city-cases-test-use-of-domestic-terrorism-charges-against-protesters-80c88152 |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
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In March 2023, several human rights groups co-signed a letter which said that "application of the domestic terrorism statute" against 19 of the 35 arrested March 2023 protestors "is an escalatory intimidation tactic and a draconian step that seems intended to chill [[First Amendment]] [[Freedom of speech in the United States|protected activity]]". The groups that signed the letter included [[Amnesty International]], [[Human Rights Watch]], the [[National Lawyers Guild]], and the [[Center for Constitutional Rights]].<ref>{{cite web |title=66 Organizations Urge that Domestic Terrorism Charges Against Defend the Atlanta Forest Protesters Be Dropped |publisher=Defending Rights & Dissent |date=March 6, 2023 |url=https://www.rightsanddissent.org/news/66-organizations-urge-that-domestic-terrorism-charges-against-defend-the-atlanta-forest-protesters-be-dropped/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230308011102/https://www.rightsanddissent.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Georgia-Protester-Domestic-Terrorism-Charges.pdf |archive-date=March 8, 2023}}</ref><br />
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In September 2023, 61 people were indicted under the [[Georgia RICO (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations) Act]] for involvement in the protests.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-09-05 |title=61 indicted in Georgia on racketeering charges connected to 'Stop Cop City' movement |url=https://apnews.com/article/atlanta-cop-city-protests-rico-charges-3177a63ac1bd31a1594bed6584e9f330 |access-date=2023-09-08 |website=AP News |language=en |archive-date=September 8, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230908024135/https://apnews.com/article/atlanta-cop-city-protests-rico-charges-3177a63ac1bd31a1594bed6584e9f330 |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Responses ===<br />
In spring 2023, dozens of students and faculty from [[Georgia State University]], [[Emory University]], [[Agnes Scott College]], [[Morehouse College]], [[Spelman College]] and other Atlanta area colleges and universities petitioned their institutions to officially denounce the training center.<ref name=":3" /><ref>{{cite web | url=https://atlantadailyworld.com/2023/04/24/auc-gsu-tech-agnes-scott-and-emory-students-hold-coordinated-protests-against-cop-city/ | title=AUC, GSU, Tech, Agnes Scott, and Emory Students Hold Coordinated Protests Against Cop City | date=April 24, 2023 | access-date=October 24, 2023 | archive-date=January 12, 2024 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240112000541/https://atlantadailyworld.com/2023/04/24/auc-gsu-tech-agnes-scott-and-emory-students-hold-coordinated-protests-against-cop-city/ | url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
On April 25, 2023, Emory University students gathered on the Atlanta Campus quad and pitched tents as an act of protest to urge university leadership to denounce the building of the training center.<ref name="emorywheel" /> Students were also asking that Emory University President Greg Fenves step down from his role as a member of the Atlanta Committee for Progress (ACP), which plays a role in the building of the project.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://atlprogress.org/about.php | title=Atlanta Committee for Progress | access-date=January 27, 2024 | archive-date=January 27, 2024 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240127212423/http://atlprogress.org/about.php | url-status=live }}</ref> The protest ultimately came to an end when Emory Police arrived on the Quad and asked students to leave the Quad, informing them that those who remained would face arrest.<ref name="emorywheel">{{Cite web |url=https://emorywheel.com/epd-removes-stop-cop-city-student-protestors-from-quad/ |title=EPD Removes Stop Cop City Student Protestors from Quad |date=April 25, 2023 |access-date=January 27, 2024 |archive-date=January 27, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240127212423/https://emorywheel.com/epd-removes-stop-cop-city-student-protestors-from-quad/ |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
As of December 31, 2023, there has been no official denouncement of the training center from any [[List of colleges and universities in metropolitan Atlanta|Atlanta area college or university]].<br />
<br />
In 2023, [[Christopher M. Carr]], the [[Georgia Attorney General]], has defended domestic terrorism charges that have been brought against protestors allegedly breaking the law.<ref>{{Cite web |date=February 14, 2023 |title=Georgia AG defends domestic terrorism charges for Atlanta 'Cop City' protesters – 1010 WCSI |url=https://1010wcsi.com/fox-news/georgia-ag-defends-domestic-terrorism-charges-for-atlanta-cop-city-protesters/ |access-date=2023-02-28 |website=1010wcsi.com |language=en-US |archive-date=February 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230228223918/https://1010wcsi.com/fox-news/georgia-ag-defends-domestic-terrorism-charges-for-atlanta-cop-city-protesters/ |url-status=dead }}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Dropped charges ===<br />
In September 2024, Georgia prosecutors dropped all fifteen charges of money laundering against three Atlanta bail fund organizers.<ref>{{Cite web |date=September 17, 2023 |title=Georgia prosecutors drop all 15 counts of money laundering against 3 'Cop City' activists - AP News|url=https://apnews.com/article/atlanta-cop-city-charges-dropped-solidarity-fund-360fad48beddfb970b145fc6577cc113 |access-date=2024-09-20 |website=apnews.com}}</ref> The three individuals were indicted alongside 58 others after helping to organize the Atlanta Solidarity Fund, a provider of bail money for protestors taken into custody.<br />
<br />
== See also ==<br />
* [[Atlanta tree canopy]]<br />
*[[Crime in Atlanta]]<br />
* [[Zone to Defend|Zone to Defend (ZAD)]]<br />
<br />
== References ==<br />
{{Reflist}}<br />
<br />
== External links ==<br />
{{Commons category}}<br />
*[https://atltrainingcenter.com/ Atlanta Public Safety Training Center]<br />
*[https://defendtheatlantaforest.org/ Defend the Atlanta Forest]<br />
*[https://stopcop.city/ Stop Cop City]<br />
* Police footage from raid and subsequent events leading to the killing of Terán:<br />
** [https://vimeo.com/797179326 Atlanta PD Bodycam – 1/18/23 Forest Raid (89-2.mp4)]<br />
** [https://vimeo.com/797177430 Atlanta PD Bodycam – 1/18/23 Forest Raid (39-3.mp4)]<br />
** [https://vimeo.com/797180069 Atlanta PD Bodycam – 1/18/23 Forest Raid Axon Body 3 Video (0901_X6039B6NY.mp4)]<br />
** [https://vimeo.com/797181482 Atlanta PD Bodycam – 1/18/23 Forest Raid Axon Body 3 Video (0845_X6039B6NY.mp4)]<br />
<br />
{{Atlanta history}}<br />
{{Atlanta Police Department}}<br />
{{Black Lives Matter}}<br />
{{Riots in the United States (1980–present)}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:2020s controversies in the United States]]<br />
[[Category:2021 in Atlanta]]<br />
[[Category:2021 controversies in the United States]]<br />
[[Category:2021 protests]]<br />
[[Category:2022 in Atlanta]]<br />
[[Category:2022 controversies in the United States]]<br />
[[Category:2022 protests]]<br />
[[Category:2023 in Atlanta]]<br />
[[Category:2023 protests]]<br />
[[Category:2023 controversies in the United States]]<br />
[[Category:Atlanta Police Department]]<br />
[[Category:Environmental protests in the United States]]<br />
[[Category:Nonviolent occupation]]<br />
[[Category:Police abolition movement]]<br />
[[Category:Protests in Georgia (U.S. state)]]<br />
[[Category:Cop City]]</div>Boackandwhitehttps://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Template:War_on_terror_infobox&diff=1264967256Template:War on terror infobox2024-12-24T11:37:47Z<p>Boackandwhite: Undid revision 1264771034 by Cinderella157 (talk)</p>
<hr />
<div><noinclude>{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2022}}<br />
</noinclude>{{#invoke:Infobox military conflict|main<br />
| conflict = [[War on terror|War on Terror]]<br />
| partof = the [[post–Cold War era|post-Cold War]] and [[post-9/11]] eras<br />
|image = <br />
{{Multiple image<br />
| perrow = 2/2/1<br />
| total_width = 330<br />
| border=infobox<br />
| background color = white<br />
| image1=Snow_won't_stop_operations_121228-F-LR266-849.jpg<br />
| image2=Car_bomb_in_Iraq.jpg<br />
| image3=Tomahawk_Missile_fired_from_US_Destroyers.jpg<br />
| image4=US_soldiers_in_Zabul_province.jpg<br />
| image5=Major_military_operations_of_the_War_on_Terror.svg<br />
}}<br />
|caption = '''Photographs, clockwise from top left:''' U.S. servicemen boarding an aircraft at [[Bagram Air Base]], [[Islamic Republic of Afghanistan|Afghanistan]]; explosion of an Iraqi car bomb in [[Baghdad]]; a U.S. soldier and Afghan interpreter in [[Zabul Province]], Afghanistan; [[Tomahawk (missile family)|Tomahawk missiles]] being fired from the warships at [[ISIL]] targets in the city of [[Raqqa]], [[Syria]]<br />'''Map''': Countries with major military operations of the war on terror.<br />
| date = '''Main phase:''' [[Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Terrorists|14 September 2001]]<ref>{{cite news |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Archives/video/sept-15-2001-president-declares-war-terror-10877347 |title=Video: Pres. Bush Declares War on Terror |date=September 15, 2001|work=[[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]] archives}}</ref> – [[2020–2021 US troop withdrawal from Afghanistan|30 August 2021]]{{refn|The war on terror was also officially declared over in May 2010 and again in May 2013|group=note}}<br />
({{Age in years, months, weeks and days|month1=9|day1=14|year1=2001|month2=8|day2=30|year2=2021}}){{refn|Origins date back to the 1980s.|group=note}}<br />
| place = Globally, but mainly in the [[Middle East]] and [[Africa]]<br />
| cause = [[September 11 attacks]]<br />
| status = Major wars ended, ongoing in small operations{{Efn|<br />
* {{cite web|last=Daniel|first=DePetris|title=The US war on terror continues. We just don’t talk about it|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/2023/05/09/daniel-depetris-the-us-war-on-terror-continues-we-just-dont-talk-about-it/ |access-date=9 May 2023|website=Chicago Tribune|language=en}}<br />
* {{Cite web |last=John |first=Haltiwanger |title=Graphic Truth: The US's 'Global War on Terror' never ended |url=https://www.gzeromedia.com/Graphic-Truth/graphic-truth-the-us-s-global-war-on-terror-never-ended |date=10 December 2023 |website=Costs of War |publisher=GZERO}}}}<br />
| combatant1 = <br />
'''Main countries:'''{{unbulleted list<br />
| {{flag|United States}}<br />
| {{flag|United Kingdom}}<br />
| {{flag|Germany}}<br />
| {{flag|Italy}}<br />
| {{flag|Canada}}<br />
| {{flag|Australia}}<br />
| {{flag|New Zealand}}<br />
| {{flag|Netherlands}}<br />
| {{flag|Poland}}<br />
| {{flag|Turkey}}}}<br />
'''Non state actors'''{{unbulleted list<br />
| {{flag|NATO}}<br />
| {{flag|EU}}}}<br />
| combatant2 = '''Main opponents:'''{{unbulleted list<br />
|{{flagicon image|Flag of al-Qaeda.svg|size=23px}} [[Al-Qaeda]]<br />
|{{flag decoration|Islamic State|23px}} [[Islamic State]] * {{refn|[[ISIS]] is sometimes fighting against [[Taliban]] and [[Al-Qaeda]] since 2014 see:[[Al-Qaeda–Islamic State conflict]] and [[Islamic State–Taliban conflict]]|group=note}}<br />
|{{flagicon image|Flag of the Taliban.svg|size=23px}} [[Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (1996–2001)|Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan]] ([[Taliban]])<br />
|{{flag icon|Ba'athist Iraq}} [[Ba'athist Iraq]]<br />
|{{flagicon image|Flag of the Ba'ath Party.svg}} [[Iraqi Ba'ath Party|Iraqi Ba'athist insurgents]]}}<br />
| commander1 = {{ubli|{{flag decoration|United States}} [[George W. Bush]]|{{flag decoration|United States}} [[Barack Obama]]}}<br />
| commander2 = {{ubli|{{flagicon image|Flag of al-Qaeda.svg|size=23px}} [[Osama bin Laden]]{{Assassinated|Killing of Osama bin Laden}}|{{flagicon image|Flag of al-Qaeda.svg|size=23px}} [[Ayman al-Zawahiri]]{{Assassinated|Killing of Ayman al-Zawahiri}}|{{flag icon|Ba'athist Iraq}} [[Saddam Hussein]]{{Executed|Execution of Saddam Hussein}}}}<br />
| strength1 = <br />
| strength2 = <br />
| casualties1 =<br />
| casualties2 =<br />
| casualties3 = {{ubli|4.5–4.6 million+ people killed{{refn|The [[Costs of War Project]] report defined post-9/11 war zones as conflicts that included significant United States counter-terrorism operations since 9/11, which in addition to the wars in [[Iraqi conflict|Iraq]], [[War in Afghanistan (2001–2021)|Afghanistan]] and [[Insurgency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa|Pakistan]], also includes the civil wars in [[Syrian civil war|Syria]], [[Yemeni Civil War (2014–present)|Yemen]], [[Libyan Crisis (2011–present)|Libya]] and [[Somali Civil War|Somalia]]. The report derived their estimate of indirect deaths using a calculation from the [[Geneva Declaration on Armed Violence and Development|Geneva Declaration of Secretariat]] which estimates that for every person directly killed by war, four more die from the indirect consequences of war. The report's author Stephanie Savell stated that in an ideal scenario, the preferable way of quantifying the total death toll would have been by studying excess mortality, or by using on-the-ground researchers in the affected countries.<ref name=":2"/>|group=note}}{{Efn|<br />
* {{cite web|title=Human Cost of Post-9/11 Wars: Direct War Deaths in Major War Zones, Afghanistan & Pakistan (Oct. 2001 – Aug. 2021); Iraq (March 2003 – Aug. 2021); Syria (Sept. 2014 – May 2021); Yemen (Oct. 2002–Aug. 2021) and Other Post-9/11 War Zones|url=https://watson.brown.edu/costsofwar/figures/2021/WarDeathToll|access-date=10 September 2021|website=The Costs of War|publisher=Brown University|language=en}}<br />
* {{Cite news |last=Berger |first=Miriam |date=15 May 2023 |title=Post-9/11 wars have contributed to some 4.5 million deaths, report suggests |work=The Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/05/15/war-on-terror-911-deaths-afghanistan-iraq/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230529144019/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/05/15/war-on-terror-911-deaths-afghanistan-iraq/ |archive-date=29 May 2023}}<br />
* {{Cite web |last=Savell |first=Stephanie |date=15 May 2023 |title=How Death Outlives War: The Reverberating Impact of the Post-9/11 Wars on Human Health |url=https://watson.brown.edu/costsofwar/files/cow/imce/papers/2023/Indirect%20Deaths.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230609194652/https://watson.brown.edu/costsofwar/files/cow/imce/papers/2023/Indirect%20Deaths.pdf |archive-date=9 June 2023 |website=Costs of War |publisher=Watson Institute of International & Public Affairs}}}}|(937,000+ direct deaths including 387,000+ civilians, 3.6–3.7 million indirect deaths){{refn|The definition of "indirect" is paraphrased by the Washington Post as "caused by the deterioration of economic, environmental, psychological and health conditions". Savell says it includes "mounting poverty, food insecurity, environmental contamination, the ongoing trauma of violence, and the destruction of health and public infrastructure, along with private property and means of livelihood".<ref name=":2"/>|group=note}}{{Efn|<br />
* {{cite web|title=Human Cost of Post-9/11 Wars: Direct War Deaths in Major War Zones, Afghanistan & Pakistan (Oct. 2001 – Aug. 2021); Iraq (March 2003 – Aug. 2021); Syria (Sept. 2014 – May 2021); Yemen (Oct. 2002–Aug. 2021) and Other Post-9/11 War Zones|url=https://watson.brown.edu/costsofwar/figures/2021/WarDeathToll|access-date=10 September 2021|website=The Costs of War|publisher=Brown University|language=en}}<br />
* {{Cite news |last=Berger |first=Miriam |date=15 May 2023 |title=Post-9/11 wars have contributed to some 4.5 million deaths, report suggests |work=The Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/05/15/war-on-terror-911-deaths-afghanistan-iraq/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230529144019/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/05/15/war-on-terror-911-deaths-afghanistan-iraq/ |archive-date=29 May 2023}}<br />
* {{Cite web |last=Savell |first=Stephanie |date=15 May 2023 |title=How Death Outlives War: The Reverberating Impact of the Post-9/11 Wars on Human Health |url=https://watson.brown.edu/costsofwar/files/cow/imce/papers/2023/Indirect%20Deaths.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230609194652/https://watson.brown.edu/costsofwar/files/cow/imce/papers/2023/Indirect%20Deaths.pdf |archive-date=9 June 2023 |website=Costs of War |publisher=Watson Institute of International & Public Affairs}}}}|At least 38 million people displaced{{Efn|<br />
* {{cite web|title=Human Cost of Post-9/11 Wars: Direct War Deaths in Major War Zones, Afghanistan & Pakistan (Oct. 2001 – Aug. 2021); Iraq (March 2003 – Aug. 2021); Syria (Sept. 2014 – May 2021); Yemen (Oct. 2002–Aug. 2021) and Other Post-9/11 War Zones|url=https://watson.brown.edu/costsofwar/figures/2021/WarDeathToll|access-date=10 September 2021|website=The Costs of War|publisher=Brown University|language=en}}<br />
* {{Cite news |last=Berger |first=Miriam |date=15 May 2023 |title=Post-9/11 wars have contributed to some 4.5 million deaths, report suggests |work=The Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/05/15/war-on-terror-911-deaths-afghanistan-iraq/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230529144019/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/05/15/war-on-terror-911-deaths-afghanistan-iraq/ |archive-date=29 May 2023}}<br />
* {{Cite web |last=Savell |first=Stephanie |date=15 May 2023 |title=How Death Outlives War: The Reverberating Impact of the Post-9/11 Wars on Human Health |url=https://watson.brown.edu/costsofwar/files/cow/imce/papers/2023/Indirect%20Deaths.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230609194652/https://watson.brown.edu/costsofwar/files/cow/imce/papers/2023/Indirect%20Deaths.pdf |archive-date=9 June 2023 |website=Costs of War |publisher=Watson Institute of International & Public Affairs}}}}}}<br />
<!-- commented out because it relies on undefined named references -- <br />
| casualties3 = {{ubli|897,000 to 929,000 people killed|364,000+ civilians killed<ref name="costs2021"/>|At least 38 million people displaced<ref name="costs displaced"/>}}<br />
--><br />
}}<noinclude><br />
<br />
== Notes ==<br />
{{Reflist|group=note}}<br />
<br />
== References ==<br />
{{Notelist}}<br />
{{Reflist|colwidth=30em}}<br />
{{Documentation}}<br />
[[Category:War on Terror templates]]<br />
[[Category:War and conflict infobox templates]]<br />
[[Category:Campaignbox templates]]<br />
</noinclude></div>Boackandwhitehttps://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Second_Arab_Spring&diff=1264966345Second Arab Spring2024-12-24T11:31:10Z<p>Boackandwhite: </p>
<hr />
<div>{{Short description|Protests and revolutions in the Arab world in the late 2010s and early 2020s}}<br />
{{multiple issues|<br />
{{original research|date=January 2023}}<br />
{{synthesis|date=January 2023}}<br />
}}<br />
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2023}}<br />
{{Infobox civil conflict<br />
| title = Second Arab Spring or Arab summer or New Arab spring<br />
| partof = the aftermath of the [[Arab Spring|First Arab Spring]] and the [[Arab Winter]]<br />
| image = {{multiple image<br />
| border = infobox<br />
| total_width = 290<br />
| perrow = 2/1<br />
| image1 = Jordan Protests, June 2018 - 17.jpg<br />
| image2 = <br />
| image3 = Sudanese protestors celebrate signing of political_agreement.png}}<br />
| date = 1 January 2018 – 7 December 2024 <br/>({{Age in years, months, weeks and days|month1=01|day1=1|year1=2018}})<br />
| place = [[Arab League]] countries in North Africa, Central Africa and Middle East (i.e. [[MENA]])<!--PLEASE discuss on talk page before reversing these geographical titles – leave to reflect the article title--><br />
| causes = *[[Authoritarianism]]<br />
*[[Energy crisis]] <br />
*[[Human rights#Violations|Human rights violations]]<br />
*[[Inflation]] <br />
*[[Kleptocracy]]<br />
*[[Political corruption]] <br />
*Poor basic services<br />
*[[Poverty]]<br />
*[[Sectarianism]] ([[Lebanon]] and [[Iraq]])<br />
*[[State terrorism]]<br />
*[[Unemployment]]<br />
| goals = *[[Democracy]]<br />
*[[Economic equality]]<br />
*[[Employment]]<br />
*[[Election|Free elections]]<br />
*[[Human rights]]<br />
*[[Nationalism]]<br />
*[[Regime change]]<br />
*[[Secularism]]<br />
| methods = *[[Civil resistance]]<br />
*[[Civil war]]<br />
*[[Demonstration (political)|Demonstration]]s<br />
*[[Insurgency]]<br />
*[[Internet activism]]<br />
*[[Labor strike]]<br />
*[[Mutiny]]<br />
*[[Protests]]<br />
*[[Rebellion]]<br />
*[[Riots]]<br />
*[[Self-immolation]]<br />
| result = <!--fill when conflict is over, status should be empty--><br />
| status = {{Collapsible list|title='''Full result by country'''|titlestyle=font-weight:normal;background:transparent;text-align:left;|<br />
*'''[[Tunisia]]''': 2018 budget repealed.<br />
*'''[[Sudan]]''': [[President of Sudan|President]] [[Omar al-Bashir]] [[Sudanese Revolution|ousted]], [[arrested]], [[criminal charge|charged]], government overthrown. Transitional authority established, but later modified by a [[2021 Sudanese coup d'état|coup]], eventually leading to a [[Sudanese civil war (2023–present)|civil war]].<br />
*'''[[Algeria]]''': [[President of Algeria|President]] [[Abdelaziz Bouteflika]] resigns, government overthrown. [[2019 Algerian presidential election|Presidential elections]] were delayed until December 2019. Pro-establishment [[Abdelmadjid Tebboune]] elected as new president. [[Algerian politics]] still dominated by the [[military]] elite.<br />
*'''[[Gaza Strip|Gaza]]''' and '''[[Egypt]]''': Protests suppressed.<br />
*'''[[Jordan]]''': [[Hani Mulki]]'s government resigns, [[Omar Razzaz]] forms new government. Controversial tax bill withdrawn for further discussion.<br />
*'''[[Iraq]]''': Pro-Western [[prime minister of Iraq|prime minister]] [[Haider al-Abadi]] defeated in [[2018 Iraqi parliamentary election|parliamentary elections]] and pro-[[Iran]] government led by [[Adil Abdul-Mahdi]] elected. Abdul-Mahdi's government resigns in November 2019 following protests against Iran's growing influence in Iraqi politics. [[Mustafa Al-Kadhimi]] appointed as new prime minister. [[2021 Iraqi parliamentary election|Early elections]] held in October 2021.<br />
*'''[[Lebanon]]''': [[Prime Minister of Lebanon|Prime Ministers]] [[Saad Hariri]] and [[Hassan Diab]] resign. [[Najib Mikati]] appointed as prime minister on 10 September 2021.<br />
*'''[[Syria]]''': [[Prime Minister of Syria|Prime Minister]] [[Imad Khamis]] [[Termination of employment|sacked]]. [[President of Syria|President]] [[Bashar al-Assad]] [[Fall of the Assad regime|overthrown]] following the [[Fall of Damascus]]<br />
}}<br />
| howmany1 = <br />
| howmany2 = <br />
| fatalities = <br />
| injuries = <!--we don't know the number--><br />
| arrests = <br />
| sidebox = {{Campaignbox 2018–2019 Arab protests}}<br />
{{Revolution sidebar}}<br />
}}<br />
<br />
The '''Second Arab Spring''' is a series of anti-government protests which took place in several [[Arab world]] countries from late 2018 onwards.<ref name="tg20190126">{{cite web|last=Tisdall|first=Simon|date=26 January 2019|title=Will corruption, cuts and protest produce a new Arab spring?|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/jan/26/sudan-egypt-corruption-arab-spring|work=The Guardian|access-date=2019-03-19 |archive-date=2019-10-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191027045622/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/jan/26/sudan-egypt-corruption-arab-spring|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="WillMary_ArabSpring10yrs_after">{{Cite web |title=Q&A on Arab Spring 10 years after |url=https://www.wm.edu/news/stories/2021/qa-on-arab-spring-10-years-after.php |website=William & Mary}}</ref><br />
<br />
In [[Iraq]], the deadliest incident of civil unrest since the fall of [[Saddam Hussein]] resulted in its [[Prime Minister of Iraq|Prime Minister]] being replaced.<ref>{{Cite news |url= https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-51342053 |title= Iraq protests: Mohammed Allawi named prime minister. |work= BBC News |date= February 2020 |access-date= 2020-02-03 |archive-date= 2020-02-02 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20200202202553/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-51342053 |url-status= live }}</ref><ref name="Resignation29Nov">{{Cite web|url=https://www.politico.com/news/2019/11/29/iraq-prime-minister-resign-worsening-crisis-074396|title=Iraqi prime minister to resign in wake of deadly protests|website=[[Politico]] |agency=[[Associated Press]]|date=29 November 2019|access-date=29 November 2019|archive-date=2020-11-06 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201106061216/https://www.politico.com/news/2019/11/29/iraq-prime-minister-resign-worsening-crisis-074396|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="larges"/> [[Sudanese Revolution|Sustained civil disobedience]] in [[Sudan]] resulted in the overthrow of president [[Omar al-Bashir]] in a military [[2019 Sudanese coup d'état|coup d'état]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cnn.com/africa/live-news/sudan-latest-updates/index.html|title=Sudan's Omar al-Bashir forced out in coup|date=11 April 2019|publisher=CNN|access-date=11 April 2019|archive-date=2019-05-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190503181337/https://www.cnn.com/africa/live-news/sudan-latest-updates/index.html|url-status=live}}</ref> the [[Khartoum massacre]], and the transfer of power from a military junta to a combined military–civilian [[Sovereignty Council of Sudan|Sovereignty Council]] that is legally committed to a [[2019 Sudanese transition to democracy|39-month transition to democracy]]. In [[Algeria]], a series of [[Hirak (Algeria)|mass protests]] resulted in the resignation of president [[Abdelaziz Bouteflika]], and the postponement of the [[2019 Algerian presidential election|scheduled presidential election]]. Other protests also took place in [[2019 Egyptian protests|Egypt]], [[2018 Jordanian protests|Jordan]], [[17 October Revolution|Lebanon]], [[2017–2018 Moroccan protests|Morocco]], and [[2018 Tunisian protests|Tunisia]], along with [[2019 Gaza economic protests|economic protests]] in the [[Gaza Strip]].<ref name="aj">{{cite web |title=Gaza rights groups denounce Hamas crackdown on protests |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/03/gaza-rights-groups-denounce-hamas-crackdown-economic-protests-190318093948229.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191020141553/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/03/gaza-rights-groups-denounce-hamas-crackdown-economic-protests-190318093948229.html |archive-date=20 October 2019 |newspaper=[[Al Jazeera English]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |date=16 December 2020 |title=Arab Spring 2.0: Five lessons from 2011 for today's protesters |url=https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/arab-spring-five-lessons-protesters-today |url-access=subscription |newspaper=Middle East Eye}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Arab Spring 2.0 |url=https://carnegie-mec.org/specialprojects/arabspring2.0/?lang=en |website=Carnegie Middle East Center |access-date=6 June 2021 |archive-date=13 August 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210813135439/https://carnegie-mec.org/specialprojects/arabspring2.0/?lang=en |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Arab Spring 2.0: Five lessons from 2011 for today's protesters |url=http://www.middleeasteye.net/news/arab-spring-five-lessons-protesters-today |website=Middle East Eye}}</ref><ref name="WillMary_ArabSpring10yrs_after" /><br />
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The alternative names "'''New Arab Spring'''" and "'''Arab Summer'''" refer as well to similarity with the preceding [[Arab Spring]] wave of pro-democracy protests which took place in 2010–2013.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://abcnews.go.com/International/arab-spring-20-protests-roiling-iraq-lebanon-middle/story?id=66740013|title='Arab Spring 2.0': What to know about the protests roiling Iraq, Lebanon and the Middle East|website=ABC News}}</ref> However, in this wave of protests "the similarities and differences suggest more an upgrading than a replay of the Arab Spring."<ref name=":5">{{Cite journal |last1=Feuer |first1=Sarah |last2=Valensi |first2=Carmit |date=2019 |title=Arab Spring 2.0? Making Sense of the Protests Sweeping the Region |journal=Institute for National Security Studies |issue=1235}}</ref> The wider call for democracy and human rights was replaced by more day-to-day demands, on issues including excessive costs of living and high unemployment rates.<ref name=":5" /><br />
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==Context and background==<br />
{{main|Arab Spring|Arab Winter}}<br />
Tesbih Habbal and Muzna Hasnawi, Syrian editors writing in ''[[The Nation]]'' in October 2019, argued that the 2018–2019 sustained street protests in the Arab world starting with Sudan in December 2018, Algeria in February 2019, Egypt and Iraq in September and October 2019, Syria and Lebanon in October 2019, constituted a second wave of the process that started with the 2010–2011 Arab Spring. Syrian protestors in October held signs stating, "Syria—Egypt—Iraq: You've revived the spirit of the Arab people, from the [Atlantic] Ocean to the [Persian] Gulf!" Habbal and Hansawi described the process as having "profoundly changed the political consciousness of the region", overcoming fear of political activity and "setting a crucial precedent for challenging the persistence of authoritarianism". Habbal and Hansawi argued that the October protests in Syria "[proved] that even ruthless repression and tyranny cannot deter the resistance."<ref name="TesbihMuzna_InvincibleArabSpring" /><br />
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Habbal and Hansawi argued that the new wave of protests frequently included usage of the slogan "[[Ash-shab yurid isqat an-nizam]]" (''The people want the fall of the regime'') used during the 2010–2011 Arab Spring.<ref name="TesbihMuzna_InvincibleArabSpring" /> The protests have often been described as being inherently "anti-systemic" to the entirety of the [[political establishment]] instead of opposition to a single [[policy]], fueling this is large scale [[unemployment]] specifically [[youth unemployment]], as well as frustration towards many Arab government policies, reliance on [[international aid]] for basic necessities, [[corruption]] and reliance of [[hydrocarbons]] ([[fossil fuels]]) has all led to discontent towards the often [[Cronyism|cronyistic]] system widely in use in Middle Eastern countries.<ref>{{Cite journal |author1=Feuer, Sarah |author2=Valensi, Carmit |year=2019 |title=Arab Spring 2.0?: Making Sense of the Protests Sweeping the Region |journal=INSS Insight |publisher=Institute for National Security Studies |issue=1235 |jstor=resrep23500}}</ref><br />
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==Timeline by country==<br />
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=== Morocco ===<br />
{{Main article|2017–2018 Moroccan protests}}<br />
Multiple socioeconomic demonstrations occurred in Morocco during this period, mainly stemming from issues existing since the [[Arab Spring]]. These issues, while exacerbated by the [[death of Mouhcine Fikri]] and the subsequent [[Hirak Rif Movement]], were due to the lack of a suitable standard of living for the "lower middle class and the poorest segments of society" in Morocco,<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last1=Fakir |first1=Intissar |last2=Werenfels |first2=Isabelle |date=2020-06-29 |title=In Morocco, Benevolent Authoritarianism Isn't Sustainable |url=https://carnegieendowment.org/2020/07/29/in-morocco-benevolent-authoritarianism-isn-t-sustainable-pub-82395 |access-date=2022-06-16 |website=Carnegie Endowment for International Peace |language=en}}</ref> particularly poor quality of transportation within major cities like the bus system in Casablanca,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://thearabweekly.com/traffic-jams-filthy-streets-decaying-buses-turn-life-casablanca-daily-nightmare|title=Traffic jams, filthy streets, decaying buses turn life in Casablanca into daily nightmare {{!}} Saad Guerraoui|website=AW|language=en|access-date=2020-03-31|archive-date=2020-03-18 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200318043420/https://thearabweekly.com/traffic-jams-filthy-streets-decaying-buses-turn-life-casablanca-daily-nightmare|url-status=live}}</ref> a lack of basic access to food and water and a 22% unemployment rate.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/morocco/|title=Africa :: Morocco — The World Factbook - Central Intelligence Agency|website=www.cia.gov|access-date=2020-03-18|archive-date=2021-01-09 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210109223454/https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/morocco|url-status=live}}</ref> The economic disparity and inequality between social classes in Morocco worsened further as a result of the [[Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic|impact of COVID-19]],<ref>{{Cite web |last=Dumpis |first=Toms |title=COVID-19 Has Worsened Social Inequality in Morocco |url=https://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2021/03/338419/covid-19-has-worsened-social-inequality-in-morocco |access-date=2022-06-16 |website=Morocco World News |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":2" /> and have generated more social unrest among the poor.<br />
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[[2017–2018 Moroccan protests|One such series of protests]] started in late 2017 and continued into 2018 over the lack of food and water. During this period, a stampede occurred in [[Sidi Boulaalam]], a small village outside [[Essaouira]], when supplies arrived to a marketplace, resulting in the trampling and deaths of at least 15 people.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://twitter.com/AlArabiya_Eng/status/932314783197605890?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E932314783197605890&ref_url=https://|title=Stampede near #Morocco's Essaouira kills at least 15|last=English|first=Al Arabiya|date=2017-11-19|website=@AlArabiya_Eng|language=ca|access-date=2020-03-31}}</ref> The situation was worse in the country's interior in places like [[Zagora, Morocco|Zagora]], a small village in [[Drâa-Tafilalet]], where for years people have been surviving off drinking imported bottled water.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.news24.com/Africa/News/water-shortages-parch-moroccan-towns-prompt-protests-20171105|title=Water shortages parch Moroccan towns, prompt protests|date=2017-11-05|website=News24|language=en|access-date=2020-03-31|archive-date=2020-04-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200408200755/https://www.news24.com/Africa/News/water-shortages-parch-moroccan-towns-prompt-protests-20171105|url-status=dead}}</ref><br />
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While the country was mainly spared from the violence seen in other Arab countries, it still occasionally sees protests over economic and social conditions.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Moroccan king pardons thousands, including 'Hirak' protesters |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/07/moroccan-king-pardons-thousands-including-hirak-protesters-190730063730436.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200330065033/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/07/moroccan-king-pardons-thousands-including-hirak-protesters-190730063730436.html |archive-date=2020-03-30 |access-date=2020-03-31 |website=www.aljazeera.com}}</ref> Methods of protesting against corruption and poor standards of living included singing political chants at soccer stadiums,<ref>{{Citation|title=Moroccan Ultras anti corruption chants of 2019|url=https://www.facebook.com/MiddleEastEye/videos/1464504480392465/|language=en|access-date=2020-03-31|archive-date=2020-11-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201101005428/https://www.facebook.com/MiddleEastEye/videos/1464504480392465/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite tweet|number=1179072320817844224|user=MiddleEastEye|title=Ittihad Tangier ultras sang anti-corruption chant during their teams recent game. The song called "This is a Land of Humiliation" highlights government corruption and poor economic conditions|author=Middle East Eye}}</ref> with mostly young football fans gathering in the tens of thousands at Moroccan soccer club stadiums.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nybooks.com/daily/2018/12/20/the-soccer-politics-of-morocco/|title=The Soccer Politics of Morocco|last=Alami|first=Aida|date=2018-12-20|website=The New York Review of Books|language=en|access-date=2020-03-18|archive-date=2020-03-06 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200306191635/https://www.nybooks.com/daily/2018/12/20/the-soccer-politics-of-morocco/|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
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In February 2021, protests in [[Fnideq]] against the closure of the borders with [[Ceuta]] and [[Melilla]], which led to worsened socioeconomic conditions, were met with police repression, with authorities saying that the protests were "unauthorized" and "in violation" of the [[State of emergency|state of health emergency]] imposed in response to the [[COVID-19 pandemic in Morocco|COVID-19 pandemic]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Chahir |first=Aziz |title=Morocco: Repression is no answer to fear of a new popular uprising |url=http://www.middleeasteye.net/opinion/morocco-uprising-popular-government-crackdown |access-date=2022-06-16 |website=Middle East Eye |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-02-05 |title=Manifestations à Fnideq pour exiger la réouverture de la frontière avec Sebta |url=https://mobile.ledesk.ma/2021/02/05/manifestations-fnideq-pour-exiger-la-reouverture-de-la-frontiere-avec-sebta/ |access-date=2022-06-16 |website=Le Desk |language=fr}}</ref><br />
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In July 2021, local authorities in [[Sidi Bennour]] confiscated a food cart belonging to a 25-year-old man, Yassine Lekhmidi, as he wasn't wearing a face mask. Lekhmidi paid a fine, but the police did not return his cart. As a result, he [[Self-immolation|self-immolated]] in an act of protest and eventually died of his injuries on 6 August.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |title=Is Morocco's 'Arab Spring' moment finally here? |url=https://amp.dw.com/en/is-moroccos-arab-spring-moment-finally-here/a-58846817 |access-date=2022-06-16 |website=Deutsche Welle}}</ref> Lekhmidi's death led to demonstrations in Sidi Bennour which garnered nationwide attention, but otherwise failed to make any significant changes in the political landscape.<ref name=":3" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Chograni |first=Houda |title=Morocco Consolidates Its Authoritarianism |url=https://arabcenterdc.org/resource/morocco-consolidates-its-authoritarianism/ |access-date=2022-06-16 |website=Arab Center Washington DC |language=en-US}}</ref><br />
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==== Anti-vaccine pass protests ====<br />
On 18 October 2021, the new government of [[Aziz Akhannouch]] announced that a COVID-19 vaccine pass would be mandatory effective 21 October to enter public facilities and enclosed locations including restaurants, cafes and shops, as well as for both international and domestic travel.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |last=Latrech |first=Oumaima |date=2021-11-01 |title=Moroccans Continue to Protest Against Mandatory Vaccine Pass Mandate |url=https://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2021/11/345291/moroccans-continue-to-protest-against-mandatory-vaccine-pass-mandate |access-date=2022-06-16 |website=Morocco World News |language=en}}</ref> While over 58% of the population had been [[COVID-19 vaccination in Morocco|vaccinated]] by this point,<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-10-22 |title=COVID-19: Over 860,000 People Receive 3rd Dose (Health Ministry) |url=https://www.maroc.ma/en/news/covid-19-over-860000-people-receive-3rd-dose-health-ministry |access-date=2022-06-16 |website=Maroc.ma |language=en}}</ref> the decision still angered many in the working-class, including cafeteria and restaurant owners,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Haskouri |first=Khouloud |date=2021-10-22 |title=Moroccan Cafe, Restaurant Owners Resist Vaccine Pass Mandate |url=https://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2021/10/345118/moroccan-cafe-restaurant-owners-resist-vaccine-pass-mandate |access-date=2022-06-16 |website=Morocco World News |language=en}}</ref> as well as politicians including [[Nabila Mounib]], head of the [[Unified Socialist Party (Morocco)|Unified Socialist Party]] (PSU), who refused to get vaccinated.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Latrech |first=Oumaima |date=2021-10-21 |title=Morocco's Unified Socialist Party Criticizes 'Vaccine Pass' Decision |url=https://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2021/10/345104/moroccos-unified-socialist-party-criticizes-vaccine-pass-decision |access-date=2022-06-16 |website=Morocco World News |language=en}}</ref> The decision in particular to impose the pass requirement despite vaccination being only voluntary was also criticized.<br />
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By late October and early November, hundreds were demonstrating across the country against the vaccine pass.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-10-31 |title=Moroccans protest vaccine pass required for work, travel |url=https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-lifestyle-travel-air-travel-north-africa-9a116e046ab9c0455d6e19c31e454b3c |access-date=2022-06-16 |website=Associated Press |language=en-US}}</ref><ref name=":4" /> In Rabat, police dispersed around a hundred protesters planning to hold an "unauthorized rally", while an online petition criticizing the "arbitrary" introduction of the vaccine pass received thousands of signatures.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2021-11-08 |title=Moroccan police disperse demonstration against Covid-19 health pass |work=africanews |agency=Agence France-Presse |url=https://www.africanews.com/2021/11/08/moroccan-police-disperse-demonstration-against-covid-19-health-pass/ |access-date=2022-06-16}}</ref><br />
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By December, most restaurants and shops had backtracked and no longer required a vaccine pass for access.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Eljechtimi |first=Ahmed |date=2021-12-07 |title=Morocco's vaccine pass stumbles with new variant looming |language=en |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/moroccos-vaccine-pass-stumbles-with-new-variant-looming-2021-12-07/ |access-date=2022-06-16}}</ref> A [[Qantara.de]] columnist noted that the mass protests made the Akhannouch government "the first in Morocco's history to clash with the public during its first few weeks in office".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Taifouri |first=Mohamed |date=2022-03-15 |title=Morocco's billionaire PM: Business elite stifles politics |url=https://en.qantara.de/content/moroccos-billionaire-pm-business-elite-stifles-politics |access-date=2022-06-16 |website=Qantara.de - Dialogue with the Islamic World |language=en}}</ref><br />
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===Jordan===<br />
{{main|2018 Jordanian protests}}<br />
The [[2018 Jordanian protests]] started as a [[general strike]] organized by more than 30 [[trade unions]] on 31 May 2018 after the government of [[Hani Mulki]] submitted a new tax law to [[Parliament of Jordan|Parliament]]. The bill followed [[International Monetary Fund|IMF]]-backed austerity measures adopted by Mulki's government since 2016 that aimed to tackle Jordan's growing public debt. Although Jordan had been relatively unscathed from the violence that swept the region following the 2011 [[Arab Spring]], [[Economy of Jordan|its economy]] had taken a hit from the surrounding turmoil and from an influx of a large number of [[Syrian refugees]] into the country. Jordan also hosts a large contingent of [[Iraqi refugee|Iraqi]] and [[Palestinian refugees]], further straining its finances. The [[UNHCR]] places Jordan as the world's second largest host of refugees per capita.<ref name="TJT">{{cite web |url=http://www.jordantimes.com/news/local/jordan-second-largest-refugee-host-worldwide-%E2%80%94-unhcr |title=Jordan second largest refugee host worldwide – UNHCR |access-date=5 June 2018 |date=8 March 2017 |work=The Jordan Times |archive-date=2019-06-14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190614043703/http://www.jordantimes.com/news/local/jordan-second-largest-refugee-host-worldwide-%E2%80%94-unhcr |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
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The day following the strike on the 31st of May, the government raised fuel and electricity prices responding to an increase in international oil prices. This led to crowds of protesters pouring onto the 4th circle in [[Amman]], near the Prime Ministry's offices that night. Other Jordanians also gathered across the country in protest of the measure in unprecedented large numbers. On the 1st of June [[Abdullah II of Jordan|King Abdullah]] intervened and ordered the freeze of the price hikes; the government acquiesced but said the decision would cost the treasury $20 million. The protests continued for four days until Mulki submitted his resignation to the King on the 4th of June, and [[Omar Razzaz]], his [[Education Minister]], became prime minister. Protests only ceased after Razzaz announced his intention of withdrawing the new tax bill.<br />
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The protests have not been led by traditional opposition groups like the [[Muslim Brotherhood]] or leftists but by diverse crowds from the middle and poor classes. Although some protesters set aflame tires and blocked roads multiple nights, protests were largely peaceful and few casualties were reported. They were staged after daylight hours as it was during the month of [[Ramadan]].<br />
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===Tunisia===<br />
{{main|2018 Tunisian protests}}<br />
The [[2018 Tunisian protests]] were a series of protests occurring throughout [[Tunisia]]. Beginning January 2018, protests erupted in multiple towns and cities across Tunisia over issues related to the cost of living and [[tax]]es.<ref name="nytimes09012018">{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/09/world/africa/tunisia-protests.html|title='You Can't Survive Anymore': Tunisia Protests Rising Prices and Taxes|last=Blaise|first=Lilia|date=9 January 2018|work=The New York Times|access-date=10 January 2018|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331|archive-date=2019-07-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190726190005/https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/09/world/africa/tunisia-protests.html|url-status=live}}</ref> As of 9 January, the demonstrations had claimed at least one life, and revived worries about the fragile political situation in Tunisia.<ref name="nytimes09012018"/><br />
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The [[Popular Front (Tunisia)|Popular Front]], an alliance of [[Left-wing politics|leftist]] opposition parties, called for continued protests against the government's "unjust" [[austerity]] measures while Tunisian Prime Minister [[Youssef Chahed]] denounced the violence and called for calm, claiming that he and his government believe 2018 "would be the last difficult year for Tunisians".<ref name="AJE_Tunisia_antiausterity201801"/><br />
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A [[2021 Tunisian protests|new series of protests]] started on 15 January 2021, amidst the 10th anniversary of the [[Tunisian Revolution]]. Thousands rioted in cities and towns across Tunisia, which saw looting, arson, as well as mass deployment of police and army in several cities and the arrests of hundreds of people.<br />
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After 7 months of discontinuous protests, on 25 July, [[President of Tunisia|President]] [[Kais Saied]] sacked the prime minister and froze the [[Assembly of the Representatives of the People|parliament]] which resulted in a [[2021 Tunisian political crisis|political crisis]].<br />
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===Iraq===<br />
{{main|2015–2018 Iraqi protests|2019–2021 Iraqi protests}}<br />
[[File:ثورة تشرين في بدايتها في ساحة الطيران.jpg|thumb|2 October 2019 in Iraq]]<br />
The [[2018–2019 Iraqi protests]] over deteriorating economic conditions and [[Corruption in Iraq|state corruption]] started in July 2018 in [[Baghdad]] and other major [[Iraq]]i cities, mainly in the central and southern provinces. During the nationwide [[2019 Iraqi protests|protests erupting in October 2019]], Iraqi security forces killed over 500<ref name="Alghad Press">{{cite news | language =ar | title= الصحة: حصيلة قتلى التظاهرات منذ انطلاقتها بلغ 511 قتيلا |trans-title = Ministry of Health: total death count for the protests since they started is 511 people<!-- trans-title is the English translation --> | date= 2019-12-12 |newspaper= Alghad Press | url= https://www.alghadpress.com/view.php?cat=226815 |access-date=2020-01-02 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20200102222727/https://www.alghadpress.com/view.php?cat=226815 |archive-date= 2020-01-02 |url-status=live <!-- live|dead|unfit|usurped -->}}</ref> people and over 27,000 have been injured, leading Iraq's president [[Barham Salih]] to call the actions of security forces "unacceptable".<ref name="loveluck">{{cite news |last1=Loveluck |first1=Louisa |last2=Salim |first2=Mustafa |title=Iraqi military admits to 'excessive force' in crackdown against protesters |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/iraqi-military-admits-to-excessive-force-in-crackdown-against-protesters/2019/10/07/2fb11db6-e908-11e9-a329-7378fbfa1b63_story.html |access-date=8 October 2019 |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=7 October 2019 |archive-date=2019-10-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191026004248/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/iraqi-military-admits-to-excessive-force-in-crackdown-against-protesters/2019/10/07/2fb11db6-e908-11e9-a329-7378fbfa1b63_story.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Some police have also been killed in the protests.<ref name="AJUpdates">{{Cite web|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/10/iraq-protests-latest-updates-191004085506824.html|title=Iraq protests: All the latest updates|website=www.aljazeera.com|access-date=8 October 2019|archive-date=2020-05-11 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200511202329/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/10/iraq-protests-latest-updates-191004085506824.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="I1">{{Cite web|url=https://www.cnn.com/2019/10/03/middleeast/iraq-economic-protests-intl/index.html|title=Iraq Prime Minister calls protesters' demands 'righteous,' as 93 killed in demonstrations|last1=Alkhshali|first1=Hamdi|last2=Tawfeeq|first2=Mohammed|date=5 October 2019|website=CNN|access-date=5 October 2019|last3=Qiblawi|first3=Tamara|archive-date=2019-10-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191027075324/https://www.cnn.com/2019/10/03/middleeast/iraq-economic-protests-intl/index.html|url-status=live}}</ref> The protests are the deadliest unrest in Iraq since the fall of Saddam Hussein,<ref name="larges">{{cite news | url=https://foreignpolicy.com/2019/11/07/why-iraqs-protesters-are-still-in-the-streets | work=[[Foreign Policy]] | title=Iraq Protester's Step Up Their Tactics As the Government in Baghdad Scrambles to Respond | date=7 November 2019 | access-date=18 November 2019 | archive-date=2020-11-26 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201126142220/https://foreignpolicy.com/2019/11/07/why-iraqs-protesters-are-still-in-the-streets/ | url-status=live }}</ref> with the death toll reaching 511 by 2 January 2020<ref name="Alghad Press" /> and 669 by 13 January 2020.<ref name="AlArabiya" /><br />
<br />
===Algeria===<br />
{{main|2019–2021 Algerian protests}}<br />
<br />
The [[2019 Algerian protests]], also called ''Revolution of Smiles''<ref name="Meddi">{{cite web|author=Adlène Meddi|website=[[Le Point]]|language=fr|title=Algérie, les 4 pièges à éviter pour la "révolution du sourire"|trans-title=Algeria, the 4 traps to avoid for the "smile revolution"|url=https://www.lepoint.fr/monde/algerie-les-4-pieges-a-eviter-pour-la-revolution-du-sourire-15-03-2019-2301261_24.php|date=15 March 2019|access-date=16 March 2019|archive-date=2019-03-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190327085828/https://www.lepoint.fr/monde/algerie-les-4-pieges-a-eviter-pour-la-revolution-du-sourire-15-03-2019-2301261_24.php|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Sourire">{{cite news|newspaper=HuffPost Maghreb|author=Myriam Belkaïd|title=La révolution du sourire, Acte 1, scène 4|trans-title=The Smile Revolution, Act 1, Scene 4|url=https://www.huffpostmaghreb.com/entry/la-revolution-du-sourire-acte-i-scene-4_mg_5c9097dde4b071a25a861aff|date=19 March 2019|access-date=2 April 2019|language=fr|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190804171717/https://www.huffpostmaghreb.com/entry/la-revolution-du-sourire-acte-i-scene-4_mg_5c9097dde4b071a25a861aff|archive-date=4 August 2019|url-status=usurped}}</ref> or ''Hirak Movement'',<ref>{{cite news|title=26th Friday Protest Marches Reiterate Main Hirak Movement's Demands|url=http://www.aps.dz/en/algeria/30521-26th-friday-protest-marches-reiterate-main-hirak-movement-s-demands|newspaper=[[Algeria Press Service]]|date=16 August 2019|access-date=24 August 2019|archive-date=2019-08-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190824102431/http://www.aps.dz/en/algeria/30521-26th-friday-protest-marches-reiterate-main-hirak-movement-s-demands|url-status=live}}</ref> began on 16 February 2019, ten days after [[Abdelaziz Bouteflika]] announced his candidacy for a fifth presidential term in a signed statement. These protests, without precedent since the [[Algerian Civil War]], have been peaceful and led the military to insist on Bouteflika's immediate resignation, which took place on 2 April 2019.<ref name="Carnegie_Tlemçani">{{cite journal |last=Tlemçani |first=Rachid |year=2008 |title=Algeria Under Bouteflika: Civil Strife and National Reconciliation |journal=Carnegie Papers |volume=7 |url=http://carnegieendowment.org/files/cmec7_tlemcani_algeria_final.pdf |access-date=2019-10-18 |archive-date=2011-07-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110725141559/http://carnegieendowment.org/files/cmec7_tlemcani_algeria_final.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> By early May, a significant number of power-brokers close to the deposed administration, including the former president's younger brother [[Saïd Bouteflika|Saïd]], had been arrested.<ref name="DW">{{Cite web|url=https://www.dw.com/en/algeria-said-bouteflika-and-two-spy-chiefs-arrested/a-48604645|title=Algeria: Said Bouteflika and two spy chiefs arrested|publisher=DW|date=4 May 2019|access-date=25 May 2019|archive-date=2019-05-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190526015417/https://www.dw.com/en/algeria-said-bouteflika-and-two-spy-chiefs-arrested/a-48604645|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="awsat">{{Cite web|url=https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/1709101/algeria-military-judge-orders-arrest-bouteflika%E2%80%99s-brother|title=Algeria Military Judge Orders Arrest of Bouteflika's Brother|publisher=Asharq Al-Awsat|date=5 May 2019|access-date=25 May 2019|archive-date=2019-05-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190526015417/https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/1709101/algeria-military-judge-orders-arrest-bouteflika%25E2%2580%2599s-brother|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
===Egypt===<br />
{{main|2019 Egyptian protests|2020 Egyptian protests}}<br />
The [[2019 Egyptian protests]] consisted of protests by thousands of people in [[Cairo]], [[Alexandria]], [[Damietta]] and five other Egyptian cities starting on 20 and 21 September 2019 in which the protestors called for President of Egypt [[Abdel Fattah el-Sisi]] to be removed from power.<ref name="AJE_LeaveSisi">{{cite news| title= 'Leave, Sisi!': All you need to know about the protests in Egypt|date=21 September 2019|newspaper= [[Al Jazeera English]]|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/09/sisi-protests-egypt-190921091738593.html |access-date=21 September 2019 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20190921191758/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/09/sisi-protests-egypt-190921091738593.html|archive-date=21 September 2019|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="AFP_21Sep2019">{{cite news | title= Protesters and police clash in Egypt for second day running|date=22 September 2019|newspaper=[[The Guardian]]|agency=[[Agence France Presse|AFP]]|url= https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/sep/22/protesters-and-police-clash-in-egypt-for-second-day-running |access-date=22 September 2019|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20190922102549/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/sep/22/protesters-and-police-clash-in-egypt-for-second-day-running |archive-date=22 September 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> Security forces responded with tear gas, rubber bullets and live bullets<ref name="AFP_21Sep2019" /> and, {{as of|2019|10|06|lc=yes}}, {{val|3000}} arrests had been made,<ref name="Indep_tyranny_UK_US">{{cite news | last1= Trew | first1= Bel | title= President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi is getting away with tyranny in Egypt thanks to his UK and US allies | date= 6 October 2019 | newspaper= [[The Independent]] | url= https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/egypt-protests-sisi-alaa-uk-us-trump-johnson-a9144826.html |access-date=6 October 2019 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20191006212527/https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/egypt-protests-sisi-alaa-uk-us-trump-johnson-a9144826.html |archive-date= 6 October 2019 |url-status=live}}</ref> based on data from the [[Egyptian Center for Economic and Social Rights]], the [[Egyptian Commission for Rights and Freedoms]] and the [[Arabic Network for Human Rights Information]].<ref name="AJE_1100_arrested">{{cite news|title= Egypt: More than 1,100 protesters arrested after demonstration|date=25 September 2019|newspaper=[[Al Jazeera English]]|url= https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/09/egypt-1100-protesters-arrested-demonstration-190925134137761.html |access-date=25 September 2019|archive-url= http://archive.wikiwix.com/cache/20201213130442/http://archive.wikiwix.com/cache/index2.php?url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/09/egypt-1100-protesters-arrested-demonstration-190925134137761.html |archive-date=13 December 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="MEE_1400_arrests">{{cite news |title= Egypt arrests prominent critics of Sisi with 1,400 detained since Friday protests|date=25 September 2019|newspaper= [[Middle East Eye]] | url= https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/egypt-arrests-prominent-political-scientists-critical-sisi |access-date=25 September 2019 |archive-url= http://archive.wikiwix.com/cache/20190925233404/http://archive.wikiwix.com/cache/index2.php?url=https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/egypt-arrests-prominent-political-scientists-critical-sisi |archive-date=25 September 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> Prominent arrestees included human rights lawyer [[Mahienour El-Massry|Mahienour el-Massry]],<ref name="22Sep19_ElMassry_arrest">{{Cite web|url =https://madamasr.com/en/2019/09/22/news/politics/lawyer-mahienour-al-massry-arrested-and-karama-party-leader-appears-before-supreme-state-security-prosecution-after-forced-disappearance/|title =Lawyer Mahienour al-Massry arrested and Karama Party leader appears before Supreme State Security Prosecution after forced disappearance|date=22 September 2019|access-date=22 September 2019|website =[[Mada Masr]] |archive-url=http://archive.wikiwix.com/cache/20190923230632/http://archive.wikiwix.com/cache/index2.php?url=https://madamasr.com/en/2019/09/22/news/politics/lawyer-mahienour-al-massry-arrested-and-karama-party-leader-appears-before-supreme-state-security-prosecution-after-forced-disappearance |archive-date=23 September 2019}}</ref> journalist and former leader of the [[Constitution Party (Egypt)|Constitution Party]] [[Khaled Dawoud]] and two professors of political science at [[Cairo University]], [[Hazem Hosny]] and [[Hassan Nafaa]].<ref name="AJE_1100_arrested" /> The wave of arrests was the biggest in Egypt since Sisi formally became president in 2014.<ref name="MadaMasr_1909_arrests">{{cite news | title= Biggest wave of arrests since Sisi took office: 1909 people detained |date=26 September 2019|newspaper=[[Mada Masr]]|url= https://madamasr.com/en/2019/09/26/feature/politics/biggest-wave-of-arrests-since-sisi-took-office-1909-people-detained/|access-date=26 September 2019|archive-url= http://archive.wikiwix.com/cache/20190926213330/http://archive.wikiwix.com/cache/index2.php?url=https://madamasr.com/en/2019/09/26/feature/politics/biggest-wave-of-arrests-since-sisi-took-office-1909-people-detained/ |archive-date=26 September 2019 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Indep_tyranny_UK_US" /> [[Human Rights Watch]] called for all those arrested for peacefully expressing their opinions to be released immediately.<ref name="HRW_right2protest">{{cite web| title=Egypt: Respect Right to Peaceful Protest | date=21 September 2019 | website=[[Human Rights Watch]] | url=https://www.hrw.org/news/2019/09/21/egypt-respect-right-peaceful-protest |access-date=21 September 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190921191835/https://www.hrw.org/news/2019/09/21/egypt-respect-right-peaceful-protest |archive-date=21 September 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Amnesty International]] described the Sisi government being "shaken to its core" by 20–21 September protests and that the authorities had "launched a full-throttle clampdown to crush demonstrations and intimidate activists, journalists and others into silence".<ref name="AI_190926_crackdown">{{cite web|title =Egypt: World leaders must act to stop President al-Sisi's repressive crackdown|website=[[Amnesty International]] |date =24 September 2019|url=https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2019/09/egypt-world-leaders-must-act-to-stop-president-al-sisis-repressive-crackdown/ | access-date =26 September 2019|archive-url= http://archive.wikiwix.com/cache/20190926220103/http://archive.wikiwix.com/cache/index2.php?url=https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2019/09/egypt-world-leaders-must-act-to-stop-president-al-sisis-repressive-crackdown/ |archive-date=26 September 2019|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
Two thousand people, including [[Sudanese Professionals Association]] (SPA) representatives, protested in [[Khartoum]] on 26 September in support of Waleed Abdelrahman Hassan, a Sudanese anti-Islamist student detained by Egyptian authorities, who gave a [[forced confession]] on [[MBC Masr]] television.<ref name="MEE_Abdelrahman_Hassan">{{cite news | last1= Amin| first1=Mohammed | title= Detention of Sudanese student in Cairo ignites protests in Sudan | date= 28 September 2019 |newspaper= [[Middle East Eye]] | url= https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/detention-sudanese-student-cairo-ignites-protests-sudan |access-date=28 September 2019 |archive-url= http://archive.wikiwix.com/cache/20190928231047/http://archive.wikiwix.com/cache/index2.php?url=https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/detention-sudanese-student-cairo-ignites-protests-sudan |archive-date= 28 September 2019 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Dabanga_Abdelrahman_support">{{cite news | title= Demonstration for Sudanese student jailed in Egypt | date= 27 September 2019 |newspaper= [[Radio Dabanga]] | url= https://www.dabangasudan.org/en/all-news/article/demonstration-for-jailed-sudanese-student-in-egypt |access-date=27 September 2019 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20190928000411/https://www.dabangasudan.org/en/all-news/article/demonstration-for-jailed-sudanese-student-in-egypt |archive-date= 28 September 2019 |url-status=live}}</ref> The SPA stated, "the era when Sudanese citizens were humiliated inside or outside their country has gone and will never return".<ref name="MEE_Abdelrahman_Hassan" /> The [[Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Sudan)|Sudanese Foreign Ministry]] summoned the Egyptian ambassador<ref name="MEE_eg_ambassador_Khartoum">{{cite news | title= Sudan summons Egypt envoy over detained student as protesters rally | date= 29 September 2019 |newspaper= [[Middle East Eye]] | url= https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/sudan-summons-egypt-envoy-over-detained-student-protesters-rally |access-date=29 September 2019 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20190929225204/https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/sudan-summons-egypt-envoy-over-detained-student-protesters-rally |archive-date= 29 September 2019 |url-status=live}}</ref> and Waleed Abdelrahman Hassan was freed on 2 October 2019.<ref name="MEE_Waleed_freed">{{cite news | title=Egyptian authorities free Sudanese student arrested in crackdown | date=2 October 2019 | newspaper=[[Middle East Eye]] | url=https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/egyptian-authorities-free-sudan-student-arrested-crackdown |access-date= 3 October 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191003224048/https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/egyptian-authorities-free-sudan-student-arrested-crackdown |archive-date= 3 October 2019 |url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
On the evening of 2 October, during the lead up to the [[2023 Egyptian presidential election]], a [[Nation's Future Party]] rally in [[Mersa Matruh]] turned into anti-Sisi protests, with protesters burning photos of him and chanting anti-Sisi slogans.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2 October 2023 |title=فيديو: احتفالية لدعم السيسي تتحول إلى مظاهرة ضده بمطروح |trans-title=Video: A celebration in support of Sisi turns into a demonstration against him in Matrouh |url=https://rassd.com/534935.htm |access-date=3 October 2023 |work=Rasd News Network |language=ar}}</ref><br />
<br />
===Gaza===<br />
{{main|2019 Gaza economic protests|2023 Gaza economic protests}}<br />
A series of economic protests in Gaza<ref name=":02">{{cite news |title=Gaza economic protests expose cracks in Hamas's rule |work=BBC News |date=18 March 2019 |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-47616809 }}</ref><ref name=":12">{{cite web |title=Gaza rights groups denounce Hamas crackdown on protests |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/3/19/gaza-rights-groups-denounce-hamas-crackdown-on-protests |website=Al Jazeera}}</ref> began in February 2019, and it was initiated with the popular calls "We want to live" and "Revolt of the hungry" by groups of civilians and activists. The group has been nicknamed the ''14 March movement''.<ref name=":02" /><br />
<br />
The protests aim at the overall dire conditions of living in the Gaza Strip. Half of the 2 million residents live in poverty.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Hincks |first=Joseph |title=Hamas condemned over a violent crackdown on protests in Gaza |journal=TIME Magazine |volume=193 |issue=12 |pages=9}}</ref> Civilians claimed that the nonviolent protests were not meant to threaten the current ruling power, but rather asking to improve social and economic conditions. Among their requests, one is to strengthen labour organizations to safeguard workers’ rights, ease taxes, reduce the extremely high costs of living, and establish check and balance mechanisms to contrast corruption within the private sector.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Party officials support popular protests against Hamas tax increases |url=https://www.haaretz.com/middle-east-news/palestinians/2019-03-19/ty-article/.premium/fatah-spokesman-attacked-near-home-by-masked-assailants-amid-gaza-economic-protests/0000017f-e7d3-da9b-a1ff-efff87690000 |website=Haaretz}}</ref> The majority of the protestors were young people who cried out about the urgency of labour reforms. According to the [[World Bank]], Gaza’s economic conditions are in decline every year, with a rate of youth unemployment of 70 percent.<ref name=":12" /><ref name=":22">{{Cite news |title=Hamas violently suppresses Gaza economic protests |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/mar/21/hamas-violently-suppresses-gaza-economic-israeli-border-protests |website=The Guardian|date=21 March 2019 |last1=Holmes |first1=Oliver }}</ref><ref name=":32">{{Cite web |title=Gaza: Hamas must end brutal crackdown against protesters and rights defenders |url=https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/press-release/2019/03/gaza-hamas-must-end-brutal-crackdown-against-protesters-and-rights-defenders/ |website=Amnesty International|date=18 March 2019 }}</ref><br />
<br />
Over the previous decade, Gazans were already dependent on external [[humanitarian aid]]. The already difficult situation owing to internal mismanagement also worsened due to US President [[Donald Trump]]'s "drastic cuts to US-funded Palestinian aid programme",<ref name=":22" /> the continued wars initiated by Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad against Israel, and the lack of support from the [[Palestinian National Authority|Palestinian Authority]].<br />
<br />
The peaceful protests were brutally crushed by the ruling [[Hamas]], which dispatched security forces to disperse people. The neutralization by Hamas saw a spillover of violence: there have been reports of armed patrols breaking into people’s homes, mass arrests and beatings in [[Gaza City]], [[Jabalia|Jabaliya refugee camp]], [[Deir al-Balah]], [[Khan Yunis]] and [[Rafah]].<ref name=":12" /> Although there are no killings recorded, over 1000 people got threatened, beaten, and detained. Journalists, photographers and activists were forbidden to cover the manifestation. Local correspondents who were able to document parts of the protests have been assaulted by Hamas officers.<ref name=":42">{{Cite news |title=Hamas Crackdown on Gaza Protests Instills Fear |work=The New York Times |date=24 March 2019 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/24/world/middleeast/gaza-protests-hamas.html |last1=Abuheweila |first1=Iyad |last2=Kershner |first2=Isabel }}</ref><br />
<br />
Numerous political organisations and human rights groups condemned the aggressive repression by the hand of Hamas security forces to the nonviolent demonstrations.<ref name=":22" /><ref name=":32" /> The [[Palestinian Centre for Human Rights|Palestinian Center for Human Rights]] denounced their actions as "a crime and violation according to the national and international laws", and urged the security forces to "respect the right to peaceful assembly and right to freedom of expression".<ref name=":12" /> [[Human Rights Watch]] reported that "Hamas authorities routinely arrest and torture peaceful critics and opponents with impunity."<ref name=":42" /> [[Amnesty International]] called for a "thorough and transparent investigation into the unnecessary and excessive use of force, arbitrary arrest and detention, and torture and other ill-treatment by security forces."<ref name=":32" /> Supporting groups of the demonstrators directed attention to a number of domestic political issues that worsened since the [[Blockade of the Gaza Strip|Israeli and Egyptian blockade in 2007]] and the takeover of Hamas. Among those, the rivalry between Hamas and [[Fatah]] resulted in the failure to assure stability and security, notwithstanding the financial pressure put on by the Palestinian Authority.<ref name=":12" /><br />
<br />
The Hamas-led government responded with apologies on behalf of the security forces for the attacks on Palestinians and condemned their conduct. The protests were described as a moment that shook Hamas' authority since their takeover in 2007.<ref name=":02" /><br />
<br />
In late July 2023, protesters against the Hamas government rose up once more, however due to the inaccessibility of the strip and the subsequent government crackdown, the scale of the protests was unknown and may have been a larger demonstration than the protests in 2019.<ref name="AP">{{cite news |title=Thousands take to streets in Gaza in rare public display of discontent with Hamas |url=https://apnews.com/article/gaza-hamas-demonstration-israel-blockade-palestinians-306b19228f9dd21f1036386ce3709672 |access-date=9 November 2023 |work=Associated Press |date=2023-07-30}}</ref><ref name="NYT">{{cite news |last1=Kingsley |first1=Patrick |title=Gaza Protests Struggle to Gain Traction as Police Crack Down |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/07/world/middleeast/gaza-strip-protests-hamas.html |access-date=9 November 2023 |work=[[New York Times]] |date=2023-08-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230807182839/https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/07/world/middleeast/gaza-strip-protests-hamas.html |archive-date=2023-08-07}}</ref><br />
<br />
===Lebanon===<br />
{{main|17 October Revolution}}<br />
[[File:Beirut protests 2019 - 1.jpg|thumb|19 October 2019 in Beirut]]<br />
The Lebanese protests were a series of protests that constitute a reaction against sectarian rule, stagnant economy, unemployment,<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=https://reportsyndication.news.blog/2019/10/27/lebanon-protesters-find-strength-in-unity-ditched-sectarianism/|title=Lebanon Protesters Found Strength in Unity, Ditched Sectarianism|date=27 October 2019|website=Report Syndication|access-date=2019-12-16 |archive-date=2020-08-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200803125404/https://reportsyndication.news.blog/2019/10/27/lebanon-protesters-find-strength-in-unity-ditched-sectarianism/|url-status=live}}</ref> endemic corruption in the public sector, legislation (such as banking secrecy) that is perceived to shield the ruling class from accountability.<ref name=":1" /><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.mtv.com.lb/en/news/local/979920/protesters_march_from_al_nour_square_to_central_bank_in_tripoli|title=Protesters march from Al Nour Square to Central Bank in Tripoli|website=MTV Lebanon|language=en|access-date=2019-12-15|archive-date=2019-10-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191026131114/https://www.mtv.com.lb/en/news/local/979920/protesters_march_from_al_nour_square_to_central_bank_in_tripoli|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.mtv.com.lb/en/news/local/979923/protesters_block_karakoul_druze-mar_elias_road|title=Protesters block Karakoul Druze-Mar Elias road|website=MTV Lebanon|language=en|access-date=2019-12-15|archive-date=2019-10-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191026131115/https://www.mtv.com.lb/en/news/local/979923/protesters_block_karakoul_druze-mar_elias_road|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-10-17/whatsapp-protests-erupt-in-lebanon-as-economic-crisis-deepens|title=Nationwide Protests Erupt in Lebanon as Economic Crisis Deepens|last=Khraiche|first=Dana|newspaper=Bloomberg.com|date=17 October 2019 |access-date=18 October 2019|archive-date=2020-06-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200627164750/https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-10-17/whatsapp-protests-erupt-in-lebanon-as-economic-crisis-deepens|url-status=live}}</ref> It is suspected that the direct trigger to the protests were due to the planned imposed taxes on gasoline, tobacco and online phone calls such as through [[WhatsApp]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Lebanon-News/2019/Oct-17/493723-lebanon-to-charge-6-on-whatsapp-call-report.ashx|title=Lebanese govt to charge $0.20 a day for WhatsApp calls |website=www.dailystar.com.lb|access-date=18 October 2019|archive-date=2020-06-09 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200609153749/https://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Lebanon-News/2019/Oct-17/493723-lebanon-to-charge-6-on-whatsapp-call-report.ashx|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/10/protests-erupt-lebanon-plans-impose-taxes-191017194856354.html|title=Protests erupt in Lebanon over plans to impose new taxes|website=www.aljazeera.com|access-date=18 October 2019|archive-date=2019-12-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191225124935/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/10/protests-erupt-lebanon-plans-impose-taxes-191017194856354.html|url-status=live}}</ref> as protests started breaking out right after unanimous [[Lebanese government of January 2019|Cabinet]] approval of the [[WhatsApp]] taxes, due to be ratified by 22 October.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Lebanon-News/2019/Oct-18/493775-protests-erupt-over-taxes-as-govt-races-to-wrap-up-budget.ashx|title=Protests erupt over taxes as govt races to wrap up budget |website=www.dailystar.com.lb|access-date=18 October 2019|archive-date=2019-10-31 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191031204311/http://www.dailystar.com.lb//News/Lebanon-News/2019/Oct-18/493775-protests-erupt-over-taxes-as-govt-races-to-wrap-up-budget.ashx|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
In contrast to the 2005 [[Cedar Revolution]], and similarly to a process started in the [[2015–2016 Lebanese protests]], the 2019 protests were non-sectarian, crossing the Sunni–Shia Muslim / Christian sociological and religious divide and bypassing traditional political party alignments.<ref name="AJE_social_revn" /><br />
<br />
=== Oman ===<br />
{{Main|2018-2019 Oman protests}}<br />
The 2018–2019 Omani protests were nationwide [[protest]]s and rallies in which tens of thousands of protesters marched against skyrocketing [[unemployment]] and [[inflation]] in the [[Sultanate]] of [[Oman]]. Over a 13-month period between January 2018 and January 2019, Omani citizens went out into the streets on several occasions to rally against decisions made by their [[government]], whilst demanding more employment opportunities as well as [[economic]] reforms.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Oman jobs protest spreads to other cities as arrests reported |url=http://www.middleeasteye.net/news/oman-jobs-protest-spreads-other-cities-arrests-reported |access-date=2022-05-13 |website=Middle East Eye |language=en}}</ref><br />
<br />
Protests erupted in Omani capital Muscat outside the Ministry of Manpower on 22 January 2018. Demonstrations spread rapidly across the country, reaching other major cities such as [[Salalah]], [[Sohar]] and [[Sur, Oman|Sur]]. Numerous people were reportedly arrested. In response, the Omani government announced that it would create 25 thousand public service jobs to accommodate protesters’ demands.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Omani government promises to address unemployment after nationwide protests |url=http://www.middleeasteye.net/news/omani-government-promises-address-unemployment-after-nationwide-protests |access-date=2022-05-13 |website=Middle East Eye |language=en}}</ref><br />
<br />
At the end of 2018 and into January 2019, mass protests resurfaced in Oman. Thousands of protesters rallied against economic hardship and once again requested more job opportunities. Demonstrations were oppressed by riot police, causing dozens of people to be arrested. The demonstrations triggered a swift response by the Omani government. On 6 January, the Omani government announced that it would establish a new body to alleviate the employment-crisis. The so-called National Center for Employment was created to help Omanis to navigate the national [[labor market]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-01-06 |title=Oman launches new job center service for locals as expat visa ban continues |url=https://www.arabnews.com/node/1431146/business-economy |access-date=2022-05-13 |website=Arab News |language=en}}</ref> As a result, protests and strikes came to an end on 9 January 2019.<br />
<br />
===Libya===<br />
{{main|2020 Libyan protests}}<br />
Street protests took place in August and September 2020 over issues of poor provision of services in several cities in [[Libya]], including both cities controlled by the [[Government of National Accord]] (GNA) in the west ([[Tripoli, Libya|Tripoli]], [[Misrata]], [[Zawiya, Libya|Zawiya]])<ref name="LibHerald_3towns" /> and by the [[Libyan National Army]] (LNA) in the east of [[Libya]] ([[Benghazi]]).<ref name="AJE_Benghazi_protests" /> The ''de facto'' [[Second Al-Thani Cabinet|LNA-associated government]] led by [[Abdullah al-Thani]] offered its resignation on 13 September 2020 in response to the protests.<ref name="AJE_alThanigovt_resigns" /><br />
<br />
Strikes against power cuts saw hundreds attend on 29–30 October. It was met with tear gas and plastic bullets and riots were met with rubber bullets. Riots occurred on 29 October by workers and ended violently with clashes. On 31 October 2020, Fayez al-Sarraj rescinded his decision to resign.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Libyan PM al-Serraj takes back resignation |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/10/31/libyan-prime-minister-takes-back-decision-to-resign |access-date=2022-05-13 |website=www.aljazeera.com |language=en}}</ref> Elections were scheduled to be held on 24 December 2021 but was postponed after the head of [[High National Election Commission]] (HNEC) ordered the dissolution of the electoral committees nationwide. [[Next Libyan presidential election|Elections]] are indefinitely postponed.<ref>{{cite web |title=Libya electoral commission dissolves poll committees |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/12/21/libya-electoral-commission-dissolves-poll-committees |website=Al Jazeera |access-date=2023-05-09}}</ref><br />
<br />
===Sudan===<br />
====Revolution====<br />
{{Main|Sudanese revolution|2019–2022 Sudanese protests}}<br />
The [[Sudanese revolution]] was a major shift of political power in [[Sudan]] which began with street protests throughout Sudan on 19 December 2018<ref name="AJE_20181219">{{cite news|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/12/protests-rising-prices-spread-sudan-khartoum-181220132130661.html|title=Several killed in Sudan as protests over rising prices continue|date=21 December 2018|publisher=Al Jazeera|access-date=21 December 2018|archive-date=2018-12-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181220211518/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/12/protests-rising-prices-spread-sudan-khartoum-181220132130661.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="AJE_slogans_revolution">{{Cite web|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/01/sudan-police-fire-live-rounds-home-slain-protester-190118093023028.html|title=Sudan police fire live rounds outside home of slain protester|publisher=Al Jazeera|access-date=22 March 2019|url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190121105914/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/01/sudan-police-fire-live-rounds-home-slain-protester-190118093023028.html |archive-date=21 January 2019 }}</ref> and continued with sustained [[civil disobedience]] for about eight months, during which the [[2019 Sudanese coup d'état]] deposed President [[Omar al-Bashir]] after thirty years in power, the [[Khartoum massacre]] took place under the leadership of the [[Transitional Military Council (2019)|Transitional Military Council]] (TMC) that replaced al-Bashir, and in July and August 2019 the TMC and the [[Forces of Freedom and Change]] alliance (FFC) signed a Political Agreement and a Draft Constitutional Declaration legally defining a planned [[Sudanese transition to democracy (2019–2021)|39-month phase of transitional state institutions and procedures]] to return Sudan to a civilian democracy.<ref name="Dabanga_const_dec_signed190804">{{cite news | title= Sudan Constitutional Declaration signed – Sovereign Council to be announced in two weeks | date= 4 August 2019 |newspaper= [[Radio Dabanga]] | url= https://www.dabangasudan.org/en/all-news/article/sudan-constitutional-declaration-signed-sovereign-council-to-be-announced-in-two-weeks |access-date= 4 August 2019 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20190804215014/https://www.dabangasudan.org/en/all-news/article/sudan-constitutional-declaration-signed-sovereign-council-to-be-announced-in-two-weeks |archive-date= 4 August 2019 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="raisethevoices_4Aug2019_const_dec">{{cite web | title = (الدستوري Declaration (العربية)) | trans-title = (Constitutional Declaration) |language = ar | website= raisethevoices.org |date =4 August 2019 | url = http://raisethevoices.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/sudan-amendment.pdf | access-date = 5 August 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190805170905/http://raisethevoices.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/sudan-amendment.pdf |archive-date= 5 August 2019 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Const_Dec_En_unofficial">{{cite web | last1 = FFC | last2 = TMC | last3 = IDEA | last4 = Reeves | first4 = Eric | author1-link = Forces of Freedom and Change | author2-link = Transitional Military Council (2019) | author3-link = International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance | author4-link = Eric Reeves | title = Sudan: Draft Constitutional Charter for the 2019 Transitional Period | website = sudanreeves.org | date = 10 August 2019 | url = https://sudanreeves.org/2019/08/06/sudan-draft-constitutional-charter-for-the-2019-transitional-period/ | access-date = 10 August 2019 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190810213233/https://sudanreeves.org/2019/08/06/sudan-draft-constitutional-charter-for-the-2019-transitional-period/ | archive-date = 10 August 2019 | url-status = dead }}</ref> In August and September 2019, the TMC formally transferred executive power to a mixed military–civilian collective head of state, the [[Sovereignty Council of Sudan]], and to a civilian prime minister ([[Abdalla Hamdok]]) and a mostly civilian [[Cabinet of Sudan|cabinet]], while judicial power was transferred to [[Nemat Abdullah Khair]], Sudan's first female [[Chief Justice of Sudan|Chief Justice]].<ref name="Dabanga_Khair_confirmed_191010" /> Street protests continued during the [[Sudanese transition to democracy (2019–2021)|39-month planned transitionary institution period]].<br />
<br />
===Syria===<br />
In southwest Syria in June 2020, worsening economic conditions led to rare anti-government protests in the city of [[Suweida]], where demonstrators called for the removal of President [[Bashar al-Assad]], as well as the withdrawal of Iran-backed militias and Russian troops from the region.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/06/protest-southwest-syria-faltering-economy-corruption-200607192940212.html|title=Protest in southwest Syria against faltering economy, corruption|publisher=Al Jazeera|date=7 June 2020|access-date=2020-09-29 |archive-date=2020-07-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200701185502/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/06/protest-southwest-syria-faltering-economy-corruption-200607192940212.html|url-status=live}}</ref> The protests led Assad to dismiss Prime Minister [[Imad Khamis]]. In addition, counter-demonstrations in support of the Assad government were also held.<ref>{{Cite news|date=11 June 2020|title=Syria war: Assad sacks PM as economic crisis sparks protests|language=en-GB|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-53006408|access-date=10 May 2021|archive-date=2020-06-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200617074057/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-53006408|url-status=live}}</ref> Both [[Amnesty International]] and [[Human Rights Watch]] condemned the use of "arbitrary detentions", beatings and arrests by Syrian security forces, and called on the government to "immediately release" those detained.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Syria: Peaceful protesters detained in Sweida must be released immediately|url=https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2020/06/syria-peaceful-protesters-detained-in-sweida-must-be-released-immediately/|url-status=live|access-date=2021-05-10|website=www.amnesty.org|date=24 June 2020 |publisher=Amnesty International|language=en|archive-date=2020-07-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200708003033/https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2020/06/syria-peaceful-protesters-detained-in-sweida-must-be-released-immediately/}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-06-28|title=Syria: Protesters Describe Beatings, Arrests|url=https://www.hrw.org/news/2020/06/28/syria-protesters-describe-beatings-arrests|access-date=2021-05-10|website=Human Rights Watch|language=en|archive-date=2021-03-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210328080921/https://www.hrw.org/news/2020/06/28/syria-protesters-describe-beatings-arrests|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
==Summary of conflicts by country==<br />
{|class="wikitable sortable collapsible" style="font-size: 95%"<br />
|-<br />
!scope="col" style="width:10%;"|Country<br />
!scope="col" style="width:10%;"|Date started<br />
!scope="col" style="width:15%;"|Status of protests<br />
!scope="col" style="width:35%;" class="unsortable"|Outcome<br />
!scope="col" style="width:10%;"|Death toll<br />
!scope="col" style="width:15%;"|Situation<br />
|-<br />
|{{flag|Tunisia}}<br />
|{{dts|format=dmy|2018|1|1}}<br />
|Ended in February 2018<br />
|'''2018 budget repealed'''<br />
| 1<ref name="nytimes09012018" /><br />
|<br />
* [[2018 Tunisian protests]]<br />
* [[2021 Tunisian protests]]<br />
|-<br />
|{{flag|Jordan}}<br />
|{{dts|format=dmy|2018|5|30}}<br />
|Ended on 7 June 2018<br />
|'''Prime Minister [[Hani Mulki]] resigns and is replaced with [[Omar Razzaz]].'''<br />
* Tax bill withdrawn<br />
|<br />
| [[2018 Jordanian protests]]<br />
|-<br />
|{{flag|Iraq}}<br />
|{{dts|format=dmy|2018|7|16}}<br />
|Ended on 18 July 2021<br />
|'''Resignation of the Iraqi Prime minister [[Adil Abdul-Mahdi]]''' (remained as caretaker for two months<ref name="AJE_Allawi_PM_Iraq_20200201" />)<br />
|669<ref name="AlArabiya"/><br />
|<br />
*[[2015–2018 Iraqi protests]]<br />
*[[2019–2021 Iraqi protests]]<br />
|-<br />
|{{flag|Sudan}}<br />
|{{dts|format=dmy|2018|12|19}}<br />
|Ended on 10 June 2021<br />
|'''Ousting of [[Omar al-Bashir]] in a [[2019 Sudanese coup d'état|military coup d'état]]'''<br />
*April 2019: Seizure of power by [[Transitional Military Council (2019)|Transitional Military Council]]<br />
*June 2019: [[Khartoum massacre]]<br />
*September 2019: Executive power transferred to military–civilian [[Transitional Sovereignty Council|Sovereignty Council]] and civilian Prime Minister [[Abdalla Hamdok]]<br />
*October 2019: Judicial power transferred to [[Chief Justice of Sudan|Chief Justice]] [[Nemat Abdullah Khair|Nemat Khair]]<ref name="Dabanga_Khair_confirmed_191010"/><br />
| 246<ref name="Dabanga_deathtoll246" /><br />
|<br />
*[[Sudanese Revolution]]<br />
*[[2019–2022 Sudanese protests|Transitionary period protests]]<br />
|-<br />
|{{flag|Algeria}}<br />
|{{dts|format=dmy|2019|2|16}}<br />
|Ended on 28 April 2021<br />
|'''Resignation of [[Abdelaziz Bouteflika]] under pressure added by [[Algerian People's National Army|the military]]'''<br />
| 3<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.aps.dz/algerie/86343-le-defunt-hassan-benkhedda-inhume-au-cimetiere-de-sidi-yahia-a-alger |title=Le défunt Hassan Benkhedda inhumé au cimetière de Sidi Yahia à Alger |work=Algérie Presse Service |date=2 March 2019 |language=fr |access-date=2019-10-30 |archive-date=2019-03-06 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190306044515/http://www.aps.dz/algerie/86343-le-defunt-hassan-benkhedda-inhume-au-cimetiere-de-sidi-yahia-a-alger |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.lefigaro.fr/flash-actu/algerie-un-manifestant-blesse-meurt-20190419 |title=Algérie: un manifestant blessé meurt |work=Le Figaro |date=19 April 2019 |language=fr |access-date=2019-10-30 |archive-date=2019-10-30 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191030134719/https://www.lefigaro.fr/flash-actu/algerie-un-manifestant-blesse-meurt-20190419 |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
|<br />
* [[Hirak (Algeria)|2019–2021 Algerian protests]]<br />
* [[2021 Algerian protests]]<br />
|-<br />
|{{flag|Gaza}}<br />
|{{dts|format=dmy|2019|3|14}}<br />
|Ended in March 2019<br />
| '''Protests repressed by [[Hamas]] security forces'''<br />
|<br />
| [[2019 Gaza economic protests]]<br />
|-<br />
|{{flag|Egypt}}<br />
|{{dts|format=dmy|2019|09|20}}<br />
|Protests ended on 27 September 2019; prisoners unreleased as of November 2019 <br />
|'''Protests repressed by [[Politics of Egypt|Egyptian government]] and authorities'''<br />
|<br />
|[[2019 Egyptian protests]]<br />
|-<br />
|{{flag|Lebanon}}<br />
|{{dts|format=dmy|2019|10|17}}<br />
|Ongoing<br />
| '''Prime Ministers [[Saad Hariri]] and [[Hassan Diab]] resign. New [[Third Cabinet of Najib Mikati|cabinet]] formed by [[Najib Mikati]] on 10 September 2021'''<br />
| 11<ref>{{cite web |url=https://ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=25209&LangID=E |title=Press briefing note on Lebanon |work=OHCHR |date=25 October 2019 |access-date=2019-10-30 |archive-date=2019-12-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191216204126/https://ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=25209&LangID=E |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-lebanon-protests/man-killed-as-protests-sweep-lebanon-after-aoun-interview-idUSKBN1XM1DH|title=Man killed as protests sweep Lebanon after Aoun interview|date=12 November 2019|work=Reuters|access-date=13 November 2019|archive-date=2019-11-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191113153718/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-lebanon-protests/man-killed-as-protests-sweep-lebanon-after-aoun-interview-idUSKBN1XM1DH|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Lebanon-News/2019/Nov-25/496220-two-die-in-car-crash-after-hitting-roadblock-in-jiyyeh.ashx|title=Anger breaks out after two die in roadblock crash|date=25 Nov 2019|work=The Daily Star|access-date=15 Dec 2019|archive-date=2019-11-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191127181300/http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Lebanon-News/2019/Nov-25/496220-two-die-in-car-crash-after-hitting-roadblock-in-jiyyeh.ashx|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
| [[17 October Revolution]]<br />
|-<br />
|{{flag|Oman}}<br />
|22 January 2018<br />
|Ended on 9 January 2019<br />
|'''Economic reforms by [[Sultan Qaboos]].'''<br />
|<br />
|[[2018–2019 Omani protests]]<br />
|-<br />
| rowspan="2" |{{flag|Syria}}<br />
|{{dts|format=dmy|2020|06|07}}<br />
|Ended on 15 June 2020<br />
| '''Sacking of Prime Minister [[Imad Khamis]].'''<br />
| <br />
| 2020 Suweida protests<br />
|-<br />
|{{dts|format=dmy|2023|08|17}}<br />
|Ongoing<br />
|Fall of Bashar Assad in 2024<br />
|<br />
|[[Southern Syria protests (2023–present)]]<br />
|-<br />
| colspan="4" style="text-align:right;" |'''''Total death toll and other consequences:'''''<br />
|'''926+'''<br>(combined estimate)<!--<br />
Calculation of total (update this comment; please do not remove it):<br />
TN JO IQ SD DZ PS EG LB<br />
1 + 0 + 669 + 246 + 3 + 0 + 0 + 7 --><br />
|<br />
*2 [[Head of state|heads of state]] and 3 [[head of government|heads of government]] left office as part of the events.{{Efn|Count excludes ousted short-term leaders: [[Ahmed Awad Ibn Auf]] in Sudan quit after one day, and [[Abdel Fattah al-Burhan]] led the military-only [[Transitional Military Council (2019)|TMC]] in Sudan and later became the chair of the mixed civilian–military [[Sovereignty Council of Sudan]] that replaced the TMC.}}<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
{{Portal|Africa|Politics|Society}}<br />
* [[2019 Sudanese coup d'état]]<br />
* [[2019–2020 Iranian protests]]<br />
* [[2019–2021 Algerian protests]]<br />
* [[2020s in political history]]<br />
* [[2021–2022 Tunisian political crisis]]<br />
* [[Arab Revolt (disambiguation)]]<br />
* [[Arab Spring]]<br />
* [[Arab Winter]]<br />
* [[Hirak Rif Movement]]<br />
* [[List of protests in the 21st century]]<br />
<br />
== Notes ==<br />
{{Notelist}}<br />
<br />
==References==<br />
{{Reflist|refs=<br />
<br />
<ref name="AJE_social_revn">{{cite news<br />
|last1=Khatib|first1=Lina<br />
|title=Lebanon is experiencing a social revolution<br />
|date=20 October 2019<br />
|publisher=[[Al Jazeera English]]<br />
|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/lebanon-experiencing-social-revolution-191020065959490.html|access-date=20 October 2019<br />
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191020135322/https://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/lebanon-experiencing-social-revolution-191020065959490.html |archive-date=20 October 2019<br />
|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
<ref name="TesbihMuzna_InvincibleArabSpring">{{cite news<br />
|last1=Habbal|first1=Tesbih<br />
|last2=Hasnawi|first2=Muzna<br />
|title=In the Midst of Chaos, an Invincible Arab Spring – This month's protests in Syria, Iraq, and Egypt prove that what began in 2010 was just the beginning of a long revolution.|date=10 October 2019|newspaper=[[The Nation]]<br />
|url=https://www.thenation.com/article/protests-iraq-syria-egypt/|access-date=21 October 2019<br />
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191021230144/http://www.thenation.com/article/protests-iraq-syria-egypt/|archive-date=21 October 2019|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
<ref name="Dabanga_Khair_confirmed_191010">{{cite news<br />
|title=Sudan appoints its first woman Chief Justice<br />
|date=10 October 2019<br />
|publisher=[[Radio Dabanga]]<br />
|url=https://www.dabangasudan.org/en/all-news/article/sudan-appoints-its-first-woman-chief-justice<br />
|access-date=10 October 2019<br />
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191010224602/https://www.dabangasudan.org/en/all-news/article/sudan-appoints-its-first-woman-chief-justice<br />
|archive-date=10 October 2019<br />
|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
<ref name="Dabanga_deathtoll246">{{cite news | title= More than 240 people killed in Sudan uprising |trans-title = <!-- trans-title is the English translatoin --> | date= 20 July 2019 |publisher= [[Radio Dabanga]] | url= https://www.dabangasudan.org/en/all-news/article/more-than-240-people-killed-in-sudan-uprising |access-date=30 October 2019 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20191030213800/https://www.dabangasudan.org/en/all-news/article/more-than-240-people-killed-in-sudan-uprising |archive-date= 30 October 2019 |url-status=live <!-- live|dead|unfit|usurped -->}}</ref><br />
<br />
<ref name="AJE_Tunisia_antiausterity201801">{{cite news | title= Tunisian opposition leader calls for continued protests | date= 2018-01-09 |publisher= [[Al Jazeera English]] | url= https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/01/anti-austerity-protests-tunisia-turn-deadly-180109070431217.html |access-date=2020-01-11 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20180109084622/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/01/anti-austerity-protests-tunisia-turn-deadly-180109070431217.html |archive-date= 2018-01-09 |url-status=live <!-- live|dead|unfit|usurped -->}}</ref><br />
<br />
<ref name="AJE_Allawi_PM_Iraq_20200201">{{Cite web|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/02/iraq-president-appoints-mohammed-allawi-pm-state-tv-200201150554113.html|title=Iraq president appoints Mohammed Allawi as new prime minister|work=[[Al Jazeera English|Al Jazeera]]|date=1 February 2020|access-date=1 February 2020 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200201184604/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/02/iraq-president-appoints-mohammed-allawi-pm-state-tv-200201150554113.html |archive-date=2020-02-01 |url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
<ref name="AlArabiya">{{cite news | language =ar | title= مركز توثيق جرائم الحرب بالعراق: 669 قتيلاً بالمظاهرات |trans-title = Iraqi War Crime Documentation Centre: 669 demonstrators killed<!-- trans-title is the English translation --> | date= 2020-01-13 |newspaper= [[Al Arabiya]] | url= https://www.alarabiya.net/ar/arab-and-world/iraq/2020/01/13/مركز-توثيق-جرائم-الحرب-بالعراق-669-قتيلا-بالمظاهرات |access-date=2020-01-23 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20200114221744/https://www.alarabiya.net/ar/arab-and-world/iraq/2020/01/13/%D9%85%D8%B1%D9%83%D8%B2-%D8%AA%D9%88%D8%AB%D9%8A%D9%82-%D8%AC%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%A6%D9%85-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AD%D8%B1%D8%A8-%D8%A8%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B9%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%82-669-%D9%82%D8%AA%D9%8A%D9%84%D8%A7-%D8%A8%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D8%B8%D8%A7%D9%87%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%AA |archive-date= 2020-01-14 |url-status=live <!-- live|dead|unfit|usurped --> |url-access = <!-- (subscription/registration/limited) default=free -->}}</ref><br />
<br />
<ref name="LibHerald_3towns">{{cite news | last1= Zaptia | first1= Sami | title= Shooting at Tripoli demonstrations: MoI identifies shooters, will investigate and reveal results | date= 2020-09-24 |newspaper= [[Libya Herald]] | url= https://www.libyaherald.com/2020/08/24/shooting-at-tripoli-demonstrations-moi-identifies-shooters-will-investigate-and-reveal-results/ |access-date=2020-09-11 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20200829211249/https://www.libyaherald.com/2020/08/24/shooting-at-tripoli-demonstrations-moi-identifies-shooters-will-investigate-and-reveal-results/ |archive-date= 2020-08-29 |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
<ref name="AJE_Benghazi_protests">{{cite news | title= Anger in Libya's Benghazi over power cuts, living conditions | date= 2020-09-11 |publisher= [[Al Jazeera English]] | url= https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/09/anger-libya-benghazi-power-cuts-living-conditions-200911075607648.html |access-date=2020-09-11 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20200911123511/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/09/anger-libya-benghazi-power-cuts-living-conditions-200911075607648.html |archive-date= 2020-09-11 |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
<ref name="AJE_alThanigovt_resigns">{{cite news | title= Libya's eastern-based government resigns amid protests | date= 2020-09-14 |publisher= [[Al Jazeera English]] | url= https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/09/libya-eastern-based-government-resigns-protests-200914063023436.html |access-date=2020-09-14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200914143720/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/09/libya-eastern-based-government-resigns-protests-200914063023436.html |archive-date= 2020-09-14 |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
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}}<br />
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{{authority control}}<br />
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Arab protests, 2018-2021}}<br />
[[Category:Second Arab Spring| ]]<br />
[[Category:2010s in Africa]]<br />
[[Category:2010s in Asia]]<br />
[[Category:2010s protests]]<br />
[[Category:2020s in Africa]]<br />
[[Category:2020s in Asia]]<br />
[[Category:2020s protests]]<br />
[[Category:Arab Winter]]<br />
[[Category:History of North Africa]]<br />
[[Category:Intifadas]]<br />
[[Category:Protest marches]]<br />
[[Category:Revolutionary waves]]</div>Boackandwhitehttps://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Piracy_off_the_coast_of_Somalia&diff=1264774881Piracy off the coast of Somalia2024-12-23T13:00:43Z<p>Boackandwhite: </p>
<hr />
<div>{{Short description|Hijacking of ships by Somali pirates}}<br />
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2020}}<br />
{{Infobox military conflict<br />
| conflict = Piracy off the coast of Somalia<br />
| partof = the [[Somali Civil War]] and [[piracy around the Horn of Africa]]<br />
| date = 2000–present<br />
| place = [[Gulf of Aden]], [[Guardafui Channel]], [[Bab-el-Mandeb]], [[Arabian Sea]], [[Indian Ocean]]<br />
| result = Inconclusive<br />
*Suppression of pirate activities<br />
*Continued presence of pirates<ref><br />
{{Cite web <br />
|date=2024-06-07 <br />
|title=The Roots of Somalia's Slow Piracy Resurgence |url=https://www.crisisgroup.org/africa/horn-africa/somalia/roots-somalias-slow-piracy-resurgence <br />
|access-date=2024-08-13 <br />
|website=International Crisis Group<br />
|language=en}}<br />
</ref><br />
| combatant1 = {{Flag|Somalia}}<br/><br />
{{Collapsible list|title=Allies|<br />
{{Plain list|<br />
* {{Flagicon|Kenya}} [[Kenya]]<br />
* {{Flagicon|United Kingdom}} [[United Kingdom]]<br />
* {{Flagicon|United States}} [[United States]]<br />
* {{Flagicon|France}} [[France]]<br />
* {{Flagicon|Japan}} [[Japan]]<br />
* {{Flagicon|Russia}} [[Russia]]<br />
* {{Flagicon|India}} [[India]]<br />
* {{Flagicon|Bangladesh}} [[Bangladesh]]<br />
* {{Flagicon|Indonesia}} [[Indonesia]]<br />
* {{Flagicon|Malaysia}} [[Malaysia]]<br />
* {{Flagicon|Italy}} [[Italy]]<br />
* {{Flagicon|Iran}} [[Iran]]<br />
* {{Flagicon|Germany}} [[Germany]]<br />
* {{Flagicon|Spain}} [[Spain]]<br />
* {{Flagicon|United Arab Emirates}} [[United Arab Emirates]]<br />
* {{Flagicon|Netherlands}} [[Netherlands]]<br />
* {{Flagicon|Pakistan}} [[Pakistan]]<br />
* {{Flagicon|Belgium}} [[Belgium]]<br />
* {{Flagicon|Australia}} [[Australia]]<br />
* {{Flagicon|New Zealand}} [[New Zealand]]<br />
* {{Flagicon|Denmark}} [[Denmark]]<br />
* {{Flagicon|Sweden}} [[Sweden]]<br />
* {{Flagicon|Finland}} [[Finland]]<br />
* {{Flagicon|Norway}} [[Norway]]<br />
* {{Flagicon|Canada}} [[Canada]]<br />
* {{Flagicon|China}} [[China]] ([[Somali Naval Escort Operation of the People's Liberation Army]])<br />
* {{Flagicon|South Africa}} [[South Africa]]<br />
* {{Flagicon|Montenegro}} [[Montenegro]]<br />
* {{Flagicon|Croatia}} [[Croatia]]<br />
* {{Flagicon|North Korea}} [[North Korea]]<br />
* {{Flagicon|Greece}} [[Greece]]<br />
* {{Flagicon|Turkey}} [[Turkey]]<br />
* {{Flagicon|Portugal}} [[Portugal]]<br />
*{{Flagicon|South Korea}} [[South Korea]]}}<br />
}}<br />
| combatant2 = Somali pirates<br/><br />
{{Collapsible list|title=Allies|<br />
* Somali marines{{citation needed|date=September 2023}}<br />
* National Volunteer Coast Guard (NVCG){{citation needed|date=September 2023}}<br />
* Marka group{{citation needed|date=September 2023}}<br />
* Puntland group{{citation needed|date=September 2023}}}}<br />
'''Allies'''<br />
[[Al-Shabaab]]<br />
[[Al-Qaeda]]<br />
<ref name="pirate links">{{cite news| url=https://af.reuters.com/article/topNews/idAFJOE79J0G620111020?sp=true | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111223205734/http://af.reuters.com/article/topNews/idAFJOE79J0G620111020?sp=true | url-status=dead | archive-date=23 December 2011 | work=Reuters| title=Shabaab-Somali pirate links growing: UN adviser | date=20 October 2011}}</ref><br />
<ref name="AQ Urges">{{cite news|title=Al Qaeda Urges Somalis To Attack Ships |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/al-qaeda-urges-somalis-to-attack-ships/ |publisher=CBS |date=16 April 2009 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110212105724/http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503543_162-4949488-503543.html |archive-date=12 February 2011 }}</ref><br />
Yemeni pirates<ref>{{cite news |title= Eritrea 'arming' Somali militia |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/6918582.stm |publisher=BBC News | date=27 July 2007 |access-date=20 May 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url = http://english.aljazeera.net/news/africa/2009/05/200951603447360512.html |title=UN probes Eritrea arms in Somalia – Africa |publisher=[[Al Jazeera English|Al Jazeera]] English |date=16 May 2009 |access-date=20 April 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Jeffrey |last=Gettleman |date=27 July 2007 |title=A U.N. Report on Somalia Accuses Eritrea of Adding to the Chaos |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/27/world/africa/27somalia.html |work=[[The New York Times]] |access-date=20 May 2010}}</ref><br />
}}<br />
{{Campaignbox Piracy in Somalia}}<br />
<br />
'''Piracy off the coast of Somalia''' occurs in the [[Gulf of Aden]], [[Guardafui Channel]], and [[Somali Sea]], in Somali territorial waters and other surrounding places and has a long troubled history with different perspectives from different communities. It was initially a threat to international fishing vessels during the early 2000s, only to rapidly escalate and expand to [[Freight_transport#Ship|international shipping]] during the [[War in Somalia (2006–2009)]].<br />
<br />
Somali waters have high fisheries production potential, but the sustainability of those fisheries is compromised by the presence of foreign fishing vessels, many of them fishing illegally. The Somali domestic fishing sector is small and poorly developed, whereas foreign vessels have fished in Somali waters for at least seven decades. Some foreign vessels and their crew have been viewed by Somali artisanal fishers as a threat to their traditional livelihoods. Many foreign vessels directly compete for fish, reducing fish populations and destroying marine habitat through bottom trawling.<ref>{{cite journal | doi=10.3389/fmars.2019.00704 | doi-access=free | title=Foreign Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated Fishing in Somali Waters Perpetuates Conflict | year=2019 | last1=Glaser | first1=Sarah M. | last2=Roberts | first2=Paige M. | last3=Hurlburt | first3=Kaija J. | journal=Frontiers in Marine Science | volume=6 }}</ref> Foreign fishing has increased more than twenty-fold since 1981, and the most rapid increase occurred during the 1990s after the collapse of the Federal government under [[Siad Barre]] and the ensuing [[civil war]].<br />
<br />
[[Somalia]] was designated as a [[failed state]] in 1992,<ref>{{cite web |last1=Jamal |first1=Ahmad Rashid |title=Identifying Causes of State failure: The Case of Somalia |url=http://www.atlantic-community.org/documents/10180/280d1fa4-ccd0-43fa-af90-834e3b2bb9b3 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150522111347/http://www.atlantic-community.org/documents/10180/280d1fa4-ccd0-43fa-af90-834e3b2bb9b3 |archive-date=May 22, 2015 |access-date=22 May 2015 |publisher=Universität Konstanz Politik- und Verwaltungswissenschaften |df=mdy-all}}; {{cite news |last=Fergusson |first=James |date=13 January 2013 |title=Somalia: A failed state is back from the dead |work=The Independent |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/africa/somalia-a-failed-state-is-back-from-the-dead-8449310.html?printService=print |url-status=live |access-date=18 May 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170908201520/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/africa/somalia-a-failed-state-is-back-from-the-dead-8449310.html?printService=print |archive-date=September 8, 2017 |df=mdy-all}}; {{cite magazine |last=Anderson |first=Jon Lee |date=14 December 2009 |title=The Most Failed State |url=http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2009/12/14/the-most-failed-state |url-status=live |magazine=The New Yorker |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150328192207/http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2009/12/14/the-most-failed-state |archive-date=March 28, 2015 |access-date=18 May 2015 |df=mdy-all}}</ref> with extensive internal conflicts and major instability continuing until 2012, when the [[Federal Government of Somalia]] was established, which despite the intervention and support of foreign forces, could not fully establish its authority with threats from [[jihadist]] group [[Al-Shabaab (militant group)|al-Shabaab]], so Somalia remained characterised as a [[fragile state]]. This disorder meant there was no longer effective government policing of Somali waters by the [[Somali Navy]], a weakness then exploited by often large foreign fishing boats, further threatening the livelihoods of local Somali [[fishing community|fishing communities]]. They in part responded by forming armed groups to deter what they perceived as invaders. These groups, using small boats such as skiffs and motorised boats, would sometimes hold vessels and crew for ransom. This practice grew into a lucrative trade, where large [[ransom]] payments were demanded and often paid. These groups were then considered to be pirates, especially after they began hijacking non-fishing commercial vessels. With the region badly affected by [[poverty]] and [[government corruption]], there was little political motivation at the local level to deal with the crisis. Large numbers of unemployed Somali youth began to see it as a means of making money. International organizations began to express concern over the new wave of piracy due to its high cost to global trade and the incentive to [[Profiteering (business)|profiteer]] by [[insurance companies]] and others. Some{{who|date=October 2023}} believe that elements within Somalia collaborated with the pirates both to strengthen their political influence as well as for financial gain.<br />
<br />
After the [[1998 United States embassy bombings]], the [[USS Cole bombing|USS ''Cole'' bombing]] in 2000 in [[Aden]], [[Yemen]], followed by the [[9/11 attacks]] in 2001 on the [[United States]], the [[US Navy]] decided to step up its activities around the [[Horn of Africa]] and the [[Red Sea]], by establishing in stages a multinational anti-piracy coalition known as [[Combined Task Force 150]] (CTF 150), with an Area of Responsibility (AOR) including some of the world's busiest shipping lanes, spanning over two million square miles, covering the [[Red Sea]], [[Gulf of Aden]], [[Indian Ocean]] and [[Gulf of Oman]] (but not inside the [[Persian Gulf]], which is the responsibility of CTF 152). This area is a vital artery of world trade from the [[Far East]] to [[Europe]] and the US, with thousands of shipping movements per year including the transportation of over 27 million barrels of oil. The participating nations have included [[Australia]], [[Canada]], [[Denmark]], [[France]], [[Germany]], [[Italy]], [[Netherlands]], [[New Zealand]], [[Pakistan]], [[Spain]], [[Saudi Arabia]], the [[United Kingdom]] and the United States. Command of CTF 150 generally rotates between nations on a four monthly basis.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://combinedmaritimeforces.com/ctf-150-maritime-security/ | title=CTF 150: Maritime Security | date=17 September 2010 }}</ref><br />
<br />
By 2010, these patrols succeeded in steadily reducing the number of piracy incidents. In early 2017, a few incidents of piracy were reported as the navies of Asian and European nations began to more actively rescue hijacked ships, including the [[bulk carrier]] {{ship||OS35|bulk carrier|2}}.<ref name="marex">{{cite news |title=Chinese Navy Hands Pirates Over to Somali Authorities |url=https://www.maritime-executive.com/article/chinese-navy-hands-pirates-over-to-somali-authorities |access-date=22 October 2018 |work=The Maritime Executive |date=8 May 2017}}</ref><br />
<br />
In January 2023, the Indian Ocean High Risk Area (HRA) was lifted by the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) due to a significant absence of Somali pirate attacks in previous years, although Somali pirates still reportedly possess the ability and resources to conduct attacks in the [[Gulf of Aden]] region.<ref>{{Cite web |date=22 August 2022 |title=Shipping industry to remove the Indian Ocean High Risk Area |url=https://www.ics-shipping.org/press-release/shipping-industry-to-remove-the-indian-ocean-high-risk-area/ |publisher=International Chamber of Shipping}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Piracy trends and high risk areas |url= https://www.gard.no/articles/piracy-trends-high-risk-areas/ |publisher=[[Assuranceforeningen Gard|Gard]] |access-date=2023-06-06}}</ref><br />
<br />
As a derivative effect of the escalating [[Israel-Hamas war]] at the end of 2023, new piracy-related activity rose on the Somalian coast.<ref name="ICC report">{{cite web |title=New report highlights continued threat of Somali piracy |url=https://www.icc-ccs.org/index.php/1348-new-report-highlights-continued-threat-of-somali-piracy |website=ICC Commercial Crime Services |publisher=ICC |access-date=27 May 2024}}</ref><ref name="Nor">{{cite news |last1=Nor |first1=Mohammed Sheikh |title=Somali pirates resurface, disrupting maritime routes |url=https://www.theafricareport.com/342533/somali-pirates-resurface-disrupting-maritime-routes/ |access-date=28 May 2024|issue= |publisher=The African Report |date=April 2, 2024}}</ref><ref name="Sinha">{{cite web |last1=Sinha |first1=Aanchal |title=Operation Atalanta: New Horizons of Maritime Security Co-operation Between India and Other Nations |url=https://cenjows.in/operation-atalanta-new-horizons-of-maritime-security-co-operation-between-india-and-other-nations/ |website=CENTRE FOR JOINT WARFARE STUDIES |publisher=cenjows.com |access-date=28 May 2024}}</ref> According to the [[International Maritime Bureau]] (IMB) the first successful hijacking of a cargo vessel in the area after six years happened in December 2023.<ref name="Longley">{{cite news |last1=Longley |first1=Alex |title=With focus on Houthi attacks in Red Sea, threat from Somali pirates re-emerges |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/world/africa/2024/02/03/with-focus-on-houthi-attacks-in-red-sea-threat-from-somali-pirates-re-emerges/ |access-date=28 May 2024 |publisher=The Irish Times |date=3 February 2024}}</ref> On March 17 2024 Indian naval commandos led a rescue operation taking back control over the vessel about 500 km off the coast of Somalia bringing the 35 Somali pirates to prosecution in Mumbai.<ref name="Aljazeera">{{cite news |title=Captured Somali pirates arrive in India to face trial over ship hijacking |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/3/23/captured-somali-pirates-arrive-in-india-to-face-trial-over-ship-hijacking |access-date=28 May 2024 |publisher=Aljazeera.com |date=23 March 2024}}</ref> This resurface of piracy in the area is closely linked to the unaltered root causes<ref name="Karawita"/><ref name="Moss et al.">{{cite journal |last1=Moss |first1=Kelly |last2=Pigeon |first2=Masie |title=Stable Seas: Western Indian Ocean |journal=Stable Seas |date=March 2022 }}</ref><ref name="Nor" /> and the instability which the war creates in the area.<ref name="Oyewole">{{cite news |last1=Oyewole |first1=Samuel |title=Houthi militant attacks in the Red Sea raise fears of Somali piracy resurgence |url=https://theconversation.com/houthi-militant-attacks-in-the-red-sea-raise-fears-of-somali-piracy-resurgence-221665 |access-date=28 May 2024 |agency=The Conversation |date=January 31, 2024}}</ref><br />
<br />
== History ==<br />
In the early 1980s, prior to the outbreak of the civil war in Somalia, the Somali Ministry of Fisheries and the Coastal Development Agency (CDA) launched a development program focusing on the establishment of agricultural and fishery cooperatives for artisanal fishermen. It also received significant foreign investment funds for various fishery development projects, as the Somali fishing industry was considered to have a lot of potential owing to its unexploited marine stocks. The government at this time permitted foreign fishing through official licensing or joint venture agreements, forming two such partnerships in the Iraqi-Somali Siadco and Italian-Somali Somital ventures.<ref name="Mfrsfihpfg">{{cite web|url=http://spo.nmfs.noaa.gov/mfr4412/mfr44124.pdf|title=Marine Fisheries Review, ''Somali fishery industry has potential for growth'', December 1982, 44 (12)|access-date=27 March 2011|archive-date=21 July 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110721055829/http://spo.nmfs.noaa.gov/mfr4412/mfr44124.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref><br />
[[File:Somcoralreef.jpg|thumb|right|Somalia's [[coral reef]]s, ecological parks and protected areas]]<br />
After the collapse of the central government in the ensuing civil war, the [[Somali Navy]] disbanded in 1990–1991. With Somali territorial waters undefended, foreign [[fishing trawler]]s began illegally fishing on the Somali seaboard and ships began dumping industrial and other waste off the Somali coast. This led to erosion of the [[Fish stocks|fish stock]] and local fishermen started to band together to try to protect their resources. An escalation began, leading to weapons being used and tactics such as taking over a foreign ship until their owners paid a ransom.<ref name="Gerforpol">{{cite web |url=http://www.german-foreign-policy.com/en/fulltext/57866 |title=The Advantage of Piracy |publisher=German-foreign-policy.com |access-date=17 December 2011 |archive-date=29 September 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170929233723/http://www.german-foreign-policy.com/en/fulltext/57866 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="Spafcfbol">{{cite web|url=http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/apr/11/somali-pirates-a-far-cry-from-buccaneers-of-old/?page=1 |title=Somali pirates a far cry from buccaneers of old |work=The Washington Times |date=11 April 2009 |access-date=17 December 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author=Najad Abdullahi|url=http://english.aljazeera.net/news/africa/2008/10/2008109174223218644.html|title="'Toxic waste' behind Somali piracy", October 2008|publisher=English.aljazeera.net|date=11 October 2008|access-date=27 March 2011}}</ref><br />
<br />
Pirate activity reportedly began off the coast around 2000, but rapidly escalated during the [[War in Somalia (2006–2009)|War in Somalia from 2006 to 2009]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=India: 332 days at the mercy of Somali pirates - a survivor's account |url=https://www.unodc.org/southasia/frontpage/2012/April/At-the-mercy-of-somali-pirates.html |access-date=2023-06-07 |website=www.unodc.org}}</ref> During the [[Islamic Courts Union|Islamic Court Union's]] six-month rule of southern Somalia in the months prior, pirate activity completely ceased due to the extensive [[Anti-piracy measures in Somalia|anti-piracy]] operations conducted by the courts.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Viscusi |first=Gregory |date=2008-12-04 |title=Did U.S. action create Somali pirate haven? |url=https://www.deseret.com/2008/12/4/20289512/did-u-s-action-create-somali-pirate-haven |access-date=2023-06-07 |website=[[Deseret News]] |language=en |agency=Bloomberg News}}</ref> After the organization's collapse in early 2007, piracy sharply increased. Reportedly, elements within the [[Transitional Federal Government of Somalia|Transitional Federal Government]] (TFG) were involved in the lucrative piracy business during this early period.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Maliti |first=Tom |date=17 Oct 2007 |title=Piracy Off Somalia's Coast Increases |url=https://www.hiiraan.com/comments2-news-2007-oct-piracy_off_somalia_s_coast_increases.aspx |access-date=7 Jun 2023 |website=www.hiiraan.com |publisher=[[Hiiraan Online]] |agency=[[Associated Press]]}}</ref> Seeing the profitability of ransom payments, some financiers and former militiamen started to fund pirate activities, sharing the profits equally with the pirates.<ref>{{cite news |last=Westcott |first=Kathryn |date=23 April 2008 |title=Somalia's pirates face battles at sea |work=BBC News |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/7358764.stm |access-date=2 May 2008}}</ref> In most of the hijackings, the pirates have not harmed their prisoners.<ref>{{Cite web |date=15 August 2008 |title=Somali Pirates Seize Two Ships |url=http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/World-News/Somali-Pirates-Seized-Ships-Hijackings-In-The-Countrys-Waters/Article/200808315079721 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081216082741/http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/World-News/Somali-Pirates-Seized-Ships-Hijackings-In-The-Countrys-Waters/Article/200808315079721 |archive-date=16 December 2008 |website=[[Sky News]]}}</ref><br />
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[[Combined Task Force 150]], a multinational coalition task force, subsequently took on the role of fighting piracy off the coast of Somalia by establishing a [[Maritime Security Patrol Area]] (MSPA) within the Gulf of Aden.<ref name="MSPA">{{cite web|title=Combined Task Force 150 Thwarts Criminal Activities|author=Commander, Combined Maritime Forces Public Affairs|publisher=US Africa Command|url=http://www.africom.mil/getArticle.asp?art=2137|date=29 September 2008|access-date=17 November 2008|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081206083436/http://www.africom.mil/getArticle.asp?art=2137|archive-date=6 December 2008}}</ref> However, many foreign naval vessels chasing pirates were forced to break off when the pirates entered Somali territorial waters.<ref name="CNN, October 2007">{{cite news |first=Barbara |last=Starr |url=http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/africa/10/29/somalia.pirates/index.html|title=U.S. destroyer pursuing hijacked ship in Somali waters, military says|publisher=CNN|date=29 October 2007|access-date=22 May 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Nick |last=Rankin |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/7280042.stm |title=No vessel is safe from modern pirates |work=BBC News|date=11 March 2008|access-date=26 March 2010}}</ref> To address this, in June 2008, following a letter from the Somali [[Transitional Federal Government of Somalia|TFG]] to the President of the UN Security Council requesting assistance for the TFG's efforts to tackle acts of piracy off the coast of Somalia, the UN Security Council unanimously passed a declaration authorizing nations that have the consent of the Transitional Federal Government to enter Somali territorial waters to deal with pirates.<ref name="UN_SPV5902_2008">{{UN document |docid=S-PV-5902 |date=2 June 2008 |type=Verbatim Report |body=Security Council |meeting=5902 |accessdate=3 June 2008}}</ref> On the advice of lawyers, the [[Royal Navy]] and other international naval forces have often released suspected pirates that they have captured because, although the men are frequently armed, they have not been caught engaging in acts of piracy and have thus not technically committed a crime.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/piracy/6684210/Navy-regularly-releases-Somali-pirates-even-when-caught-in-the-act.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220112/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/piracy/6684210/Navy-regularly-releases-Somali-pirates-even-when-caught-in-the-act.html |archive-date=12 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live | title=Navy regularly releases Somali pirates, even when caught in the act | newspaper=The Telegraph | date=29 November 2009}}{{cbignore}}</ref><br />
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Due to improved anti-piracy measures the success of piracy acts on sea decreased dramatically by the end of 2011, with only 4 vessels hijacked in the last quarter versus 17 in the last quarter of the preceding year.<ref name=bahadur>{{cite news| url=http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/01/31/somalia-pirates-adopt-troubling-new-tactics.html|first=Jay|last=Bahadur|newspaper=[[The Daily Beast]]| title=Somalia Pirates Adopt Troubling New Tactics|date=31 January 2012 |access-date=20 February 2012}}</ref> In response, pirates resorted to increased hostage taking on land.<ref name=bahadur/> The government of the autonomous [[Puntland]] region has also made progress in combating piracy, evident in interventions by its [[Puntland Maritime Police Force|maritime police force]] (PMPF).<ref name="Reuters: 2008-04-23">{{cite news|first=Abdiqani|last=Hassan|title=Crew say lucky to be alive after Somali hijack|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-somalia-pirates-idUSL236175320080423<br />
|publisher=[[Reuters]] Africa|date=23 April 2008|access-date=25 April 2008}}</ref><br />
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In part to further curtail piracy activity, the [[London Somalia Conference]] was convened in February 2012.<br />
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According to the [[International Maritime Bureau]], pirate attacks in the Indian Ocean had by October 2012 dropped to a six-year low.<ref name="Bspftsylagds">{{cite news|last=Alaric Nightingale|first=Michelle Wiese Bockmann|title=Somalia Piracy Falls to Six-Year Low as Guards Defend Ships|url=http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-10-22/somalia-piracy-attacks-plunge-as-navies-secure-trade-route|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121024233644/http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-10-22/somalia-piracy-attacks-plunge-as-navies-secure-trade-route|url-status=dead|archive-date=24 October 2012|access-date=25 October 2012|newspaper=Bloomberg News|date=22 October 2012}}</ref> Attempted hijackings fell from 237 in 2011 to 75 the following year, with successful attacks plummeting from 28 in 2011 to 14 in 2012.<ref name="Ssiparfylit">{{cite news|title=Somalia: International Piracy Attacks Reach Five-Year Low in 2012|url=http://allafrica.com/stories/201301180240.html|access-date=21 January 2013|newspaper=Sabahi|date=17 January 2013}}</ref> Additionally, only one ship was attacked in the third quarter of 2012 compared to 36 during the same period in 2011.<ref name="Bspftsylagds"/><br />
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=== Summary of events ===<br />
{{Main article|List of ships attacked by Somali pirates}}<br />
Somali pirates have attacked hundreds of vessels in the [[Arabian Sea]] and [[Indian Ocean]] region, though most attacks do not result in a successful hijacking. In 2008, there were 111 attacks which included 42 successful hijackings.<ref name="FoxNews20000336">{{cite news|title=Pirates Hijack Two Tankers Within 24 Hours Off Somali Shore|url=https://www.foxnews.com/story/pirates-hijack-two-tankers-within-24-hours-off-somali-shore|publisher=Fox News Channel|date=26 March 2009|access-date=26 March 2009}}</ref> However, this is only a fraction of the up to 30,000 merchant vessels which pass through that area.<ref>{{Cite web |date=9 February 2011 |title=Factbox: Pirates stalk shipping lanes |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-oman-tanker-lanes-factbox-idUSTRE7184SD20110209/ |website=[[Reuters]]}}</ref> The rate of attacks in January and February 2009 was about 10 times higher than during the same period in 2008 and "there have been almost daily attacks in March",<ref name="FoxNews20000336"/> with 79 attacks,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://pr-canada.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=92316&Itemid=61|title= pr-canada.net |publisher=Pr-Canada.Net|access-date=27 March 2011}}</ref> 21 successful, by mid-April. Most of these attacks occurred in the Gulf of Aden but subsequently the pirates increased their range and started attacking ships as far south as off the coast of Kenya in the Indian Ocean.<ref>{{Cite web |date=19 November 2008 |title=Seized tanker anchors off Somalia |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/7735507.stm |website=[[BBC News]] |language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=India: Pirate 'mother ship' left in flames|url=http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/africa/11/19/somalia.pirates/index.html|publisher=CNN|date=19 November 2008|access-date=19 November 2008}}</ref> Below are some notable pirate events which have garnered significant media coverage since 2007.<br />
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====2005====<br />
{{more citations needed section|date=January 2019}}<br />
The [[United States Coast Guard]] cutter {{USCGC|Munro|WHEC-724|6}}, working with the British aircraft carrier {{HMS|Invincible|R05|6}} and destroyer {{HMS|Nottingham|D91|6}} in the [[Gulf of Aden]], intercepted a hijacked vessel at around noon on 17 March. The interception was ordered after Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Central Command (COMUSNAVCENT) received telephone reports from the [[International Maritime Bureau]]'s Piracy Reporting Center in [[Kuala Lumpur]], Malaysia, concerning the hijacking of the Thai-flagged fishing boat ''Sirichai Nava 12'' by three Somalis on the evening of 16 March, as well as a fax indicating that the hijackers demanded U.S. $800,000 in ransom for the vessel's crew.<br />
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Commander, Combined Task Force (CTF) 150 tasked ''Invincible'', ''Nottingham'' and ''Munro'' to investigate the situation. A [[Visit, Board, Search and Seizure]] (VBSS) team from ''Munro'' boarded ''Sirichai Nava'', while a boarding team from ''Nottingham'' went on to a second fishing vessel, ''Ekhwat Patana'', which was with the Thai vessel. ''Munro''{{'}}s boarding team detained the Somalis without incident.<br />
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One of the crew members of the Thai vessel had a minor flesh wound, which was treated by the ''Munro'' boarding team. The Coast Guardsmen also discovered four automatic weapons in the pilothouse, expended ammunition shells on the deck of the vessel, as well as ammunition on the detained suspects. The three suspects were transferred to ''Munro''.<br />
<br />
==== 2007 ====<br />
On 28 May 2007, a Chinese sailor was killed by the pirates because the ship's owners failed to meet their ransom demand.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/africaCrisis/idUSL15534801|title=Somali pirates killed Chinese sailor-official|date=14 November 2007|access-date=12 April 2009|work=Reuters|first=Duncan|last=Miriri}}</ref> On 5 October 2008, the [[United Nations Security Council]] adopted [[United Nations Security Council Resolution 1838|resolution 1838]]<ref name="UN_SRES18382008">{{UN document|docid=S-RES-1838 (2008)|type=Resolution|body=Security Council|year=2008|resolution_number=1838|accessdate=19 November 2008|date= 7 October 2008}}</ref> calling on nations with vessels in the area to apply military force to repress the acts of piracy.<ref name=UN>{{cite news|url=http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5jxzBM8B5jScl8Wirb9gP7aMZ-A0g |title=New Somalia piracy resolution adopted at UN |date=8 October 2008 |agency=Agence France-Presse|access-date=10 October 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081201095821/http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5jxzBM8B5jScl8Wirb9gP7aMZ-A0g |archive-date=1 December 2008 }}</ref> At the 101st council of the International Maritime Organization, India called for a United Nations [[peacekeeping]] force under unified command to tackle piracy off Somalia.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/India-calls-for-UN-force-to-deter-pirates-off-Somalia/articleshow/3710102.cms|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121105040131/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2008-11-13/india/27891712_1_eyl-aden-government-after-somali-pirates|url-status=live|archive-date=5 November 2012|title=India calls for UN force to deter pirates off Somalia|date=13 November 2008|newspaper=[[The Times of India]]|access-date=27 March 2009}}</ref> (There has been a [[United Nations Security Council Resolution 751|general and complete arms embargo against Somalia]] since 1992.)<br />
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In October 2007, Somali pirates hijacked a North Korean cargo ship. This was called the [[Dai Hong Dan incident]]. Somali pirates took North Korean sailors hostage, prompting the United States to come to its aid—an uncommon occurrence between both nations at the time. A U.S. Naval vessel helped North Korean sailors get back their ship. Some Somali pirates were wounded during the operation. North Korea thanked the U.S. for its help shortly afterwards.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-korea-north-pirates-idUSSEO27491420071109| title=North Korea offers rare thanks to U.S. for help|access-date=19 August 2018|publisher=[[Reuters]]}}</ref><br />
<br />
==== 2008 ====<br />
In November 2008, Somali pirates began hijacking ships well outside the [[Gulf of Aden]], perhaps targeting ships headed for the port of [[Mombasa]], Kenya.<ref name="ihtTanyo2008-11-14">{{cite news|title=Chinese fishing boat reported hijacked off Kenya |agency=Associated Press |date=14 November 2008 |access-date=17 November 2008 |work=International Herald Tribune |url=http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/11/14/news/Piracy.php |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090213163148/http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/11/14/news/Piracy.php |archive-date=13 February 2009 }}</ref> The frequency and sophistication of the attacks also increased around this time, as did the size of vessels being targeted. Large cargo ships, oil and chemical tankers on international voyages became the new targets of choice for the Somali hijackers. This is in stark contrast to the pirate attacks which were once frequent in the [[Strait of Malacca]], another strategically important waterway for international trade, which were according to maritime security expert [[Catherine Zara Raymond]], generally directed against "smaller, more vulnerable vessels carrying trade across the Straits or employed in the coastal trade on either side of the Straits."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rsis.edu.sg/publications/policy_papers/IDSS%20S&S%20book.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110726085413/http://www.rsis.edu.sg/publications/policy_papers/IDSS%20S%26S%20book.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=26 July 2011 |title=IDSS S&S FPP.indd |access-date=27 March 2011 }}</ref><br />
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On 19 November 2008, the [[Indian Navy]] warship {{INS|Tabar}} sank a suspected pirate [[Mother ship|mothership]].<ref>{{cite news|title=India 'sinks Somali pirate ship'|work= BBC News|date= 19 November 2008|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7736885.stm}}</ref> Later, it was claimed to be a Thai trawler being hijacked by pirates.<ref>{{cite news|title=Indian navy 'sank Thai trawler'|work= BBC News|date=25 November 2008|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7749245.stm}}</ref> The Indian Navy later defended its actions by stating that its ship was fired upon first.<ref>{{cite news|title=India navy defends piracy sinking|work= BBC News|date= 26 November 2008|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7749486.stm}}</ref> On 21 November 2008, BBC News reported that the Indian Navy had received United Nations approval to enter Somali waters to combat piracy.<ref>{{cite news|last=Pandey|first=Geeta|title=India navy 'to go after pirates'|publisher=BBC|date=21 November 2008|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7741287.stm|access-date=21 November 2008}}</ref><br />
<br />
==== 2009 ====<br />
On 8 April 2009, four Somali pirates seized {{MV|Maersk Alabama}} {{convert|240|nmi|km mi|lk=in}} southeast of the Somalia port city of [[Eyl]].<ref>{{cite news|date= 9 April 2009|last=Sanders|first= Edmund|author2=Barnes, Julian E. |url= http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-somali-pirates9-2009apr09,0,4104857.story|title= Somalia pirates hold U.S. captain|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]|access-date= 12 April 2009}}</ref> The ship was carrying 17,000 [[tonne]]s of cargo, of which 5,000 tonnes were relief supplies bound for Somalia, Uganda, and Kenya.<ref name="BBC7989474">{{cite news|title=Somali pirates hijack Danish ship|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7989474.stm|date= 8 April 2009|access-date= 8 April 2009|work=BBC News}}</ref><ref name="CNN">{{cite news|title=Ship carrying 20 Americans believed hijacked off Somalia|url=http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/africa/04/08/ship.hijacked/index.html|date= 9 April 2009|access-date=9 April 2009|publisher=CNN}}</ref> On 12 April 2009, [[United States Navy SEALs|U.S. Navy SEAL]] snipers killed the three pirates who were holding [[Captain Richard Phillips]] hostage aboard a [[lifeboat (shipboard)|lifeboat]] from ''Maersk Alabama'' after determining that Captain Phillips' life was in immediate danger.<ref>{{cite news|date=12 April 2009|url=https://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gSXyAok3YrJTZLKD31SAjC9pfvkgD97H4J581|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090415084700/http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gSXyAok3YrJTZLKD31SAjC9pfvkgD97H4J581|archive-date=15 April 2009|url-status=dead|title=Official: US sea captain faced imminent danger|agency= Associated Press|access-date=12 April 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|date=12 April 2009|last=Mikkelsen|first=Randall|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/marketsNews/idUSN1233162120090412|title= US acted after pirates aimed at ship captain|work= Reuters|access-date=12 April 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090415084700/http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gSXyAok3YrJTZLKD31SAjC9pfvkgD97H4J581|url-status=live|archive-date=15 April 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|date=13 April 2009|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7996087.stm|title= US captain rescued from pirates|work=BBC News|access-date=13 April 2009}}</ref> A fourth pirate, [[Abdul Wali Muse]], surrendered and was taken into custody.<ref name="CNN04120901">{{cite news|date=12 April 2001|last= Verjee|first=Zain|author-link=Zain Verjee|author2=Starr, Barbara |url=http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/africa/04/12/somalia.pirates/index.html|title=Captain jumps overboard, SEALs shoot pirates, official says|publisher=CNN|access-date=12 April 2009}}</ref><ref name="BBC041209">{{cite news|date=12 April 2009|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7996087.stm|title=US captain held by pirates freed|work=BBC News|access-date=14 April 2009}}</ref> He pled guilty to hijacking, kidnapping and hostage taking charges, receiving a sentence of 33 years and 9 months in Federal prison.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Rivera |first=Ray |date=2010-05-19 |title=Somali Man Pleads Guilty in 2009 Hijacking of Ship |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/19/nyregion/19pirate.html |access-date=2023-11-18 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref><br />
<br />
On 20 April 2009, [[United States Secretary of State]] [[Hillary Clinton]] commented on the capture and release of seven Somali pirates by Dutch Naval forces who were on a NATO mission.<ref name="CNN20090420">{{cite news|title=Clinton says releasing pirates sends 'wrong signal'|publisher=CNN|url=http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/04/20/clinton.pirates/index.html|author=Elise Labott|date=20 April 2009|access-date=21 April 2009}}</ref> After an attack on ''Handytankers Magic'', a petroleum tanker, the Dutch [[frigate]] {{HNLMS|De Zeven Provinciën|F802|2}} tracked the pirates back to a pirate mothership and captured them.<ref name="CNN20090420" /><ref name="Reuters20090418">{{cite news|title=NATO frees pirate hostages, Belgian ship seized|work=Reuters|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSLI11637320090418?pageNumber=1&virtualBrandChannel=0|author=Mohamed Ahmed|date=18 April 2009|access-date=21 April 2009}}</ref> They confiscated the pirates' weapons and freed 20 Yemeni fishermen whom the pirates had kidnapped and who had been forced to sail the pirate mothership.<ref name="CNN20090420" /><ref name="Reuters20090418" /> Since the Dutch Naval Forces were part of a NATO exercise, but not on an EU mission, they lacked legal jurisdiction to keep the pirates so they released them.<ref name="CNN20090420" /> Clinton stated that this action "sends the wrong signal" and that additional coordination was needed among nations.<ref name="CNN20090420" /><br />
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On 23 April 2009, international donors pledged over $250 million for Somalia, including $134 million to increase the African Union peacekeeping mission from 4,350 troops to 8,000 troops and $34 million for Somali security forces.<ref name="ABC20090423">{{cite news|title=Donors Pledge Over $250 Million for Somalia |publisher=CNN |url=https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=7407956 |author=Constant Brand |date=23 April 2009 |access-date=23 April 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110628214249/https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=7407956 |archive-date=28 June 2011 }}</ref><ref name="USAToday20090423">{{cite news |title=Donors pledge over $250 million for Somalia|work=USA Today|url=https://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2009-04-23-somalia-donors_N.htm|date=23 April 2009|access-date=23 April 2009}}</ref> [[Secretary-General of the United Nations]] [[Ban Ki-moon]] told delegates at a donors' conference sponsored by the UN that "piracy is a symptom of anarchy and insecurity on the ground" and that "more security on the ground will make less piracy on the seas."<ref name="ABC20090423" /><ref name="USAToday20090423" /> Somali [[President of Somalia|President]] [[Sharif Ahmed]] pledged at the conference that he would fight piracy and to loud applause said that "it is our duty to pursue these criminals not only on the high seas, but also on terra firma".<ref name="ABC20090423" /><ref name="USAToday20090423" /> The Somali government has not gone after pirates because pirate leaders currently have more power than the government.<ref name="ABC20090423" /><ref name="USAToday20090423" /> In 2008 the pirates are estimated to have gained about $80 million through ransom payments.<ref name="ABC20090423" /><ref name="USAToday20090423" /><br />
<br />
[[George Mason University]] professor Peter Leeson suggested that the international community appropriate Somali territorial waters and sell them, together with the international portion of the Gulf of Aden, to a private company which would then provide security from piracy in exchange for charging tolls to world shipping through the Gulf.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://corner.nationalreview.com/post/?q=Y2YyYWQ0ZTQwYjQzZTFiZGViMGUzZTZlOWY5ZDgxMTg=|title=Want to Prevent Piracy? Privatize the Ocean|author=Leeson, Peter T.|date=April 13, 2009|work=National Review|access-date=March 3, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090422130251/http://corner.nationalreview.com/post/?q=Y2YyYWQ0ZTQwYjQzZTFiZGViMGUzZTZlOWY5ZDgxMTg%3D|archive-date=April 22, 2009|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://abcnews.go.com/2020/story?id=7537710&page=1|title=Could Profit Motive Put an End to Piracy?|date=May 8, 2009|publisher=ABC News|author1=Stossel, John|author2=Kirell, Andrew|name-list-style=amp|access-date=June 28, 2020|archive-date=August 6, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200806082118/https://abcnews.go.com/2020/story?id=7537710&page=1|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
On 2 May 2009, Somali pirates captured MV ''Ariana'' with its 24 Ukrainian crew.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.elmundo.es/suplementos/cronica/2009/736/1258844401.html |title=No dejo de pensar en la ni Niña de 12 años que vi cuando me llevaron a otro barco y en la cocinera violada por los piratas |language=es |newspaper=[[El Mundo (Spain)|El Mundo]] |date=22 November 2009}}</ref> The ship was released on 10 December 2009 after a ransom of almost US$3,000,000 was paid.<ref name=BBC8406303>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/8406303.stm|title=Somali pirates free Greek ship with Ukrainian crew|work=[[BBC News]]|access-date=12 December 2009|date=10 December 2009}}</ref><br />
[[File:Suspected pirate skiff near Somalia.jpg|right|thumb|Armed pirates in the Indian Ocean near [[Somalia]]. After the picture was taken, the vessel's crew members opened fire on [[U.S. Navy]] ships and the ship's crew members returned fire. One suspected pirate was killed and 12 were taken into custody (see [[March 18, 2006 incident off Somalia|engaged pirate vessels]]).]]<br />
On 8 November 2009, Somali pirates threatened that a kidnapped British couple, the Chandlers, would be "punished" if a German warship did not release seven pirates.<ref name="FoxNews20091108">{{cite news|title=Pirates Step Up Threats Against British Couple, Threaten to 'Punish' Them|publisher=Fox News Channel|url=https://www.foxnews.com/story/pirates-step-up-threats-against-british-couple-threaten-to-punish-them|date=8 November 2009|access-date=8 November 2009}}</ref> Omer, one of the pirates holding the British couple, claimed the seven men were fishermen, but a European Union Naval Force spokesman stated they were captured as they fired [[AK-47]] assault rifles at a French [[fishing vessel]].<ref name="FoxNews20091108"/> The Chandlers were released on 14 November 2010 after 388 days of captivity. At least two ransom payments, reportedly over [[Pound sterling|£]]500,000, had been made.<ref name="uk-11752027">{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-11752027|title=BBC News: Somali pirates free UK couple Paul and Rachel Chandler|publisher=BBC|date=14 November 2010|access-date=27 March 2011}}</ref><br />
<br />
==== 2010 ====<br />
In April 2010, the [[Central Intelligence Agency]] (CIA) alluded to possible covert and overt action against the pirates. CIA officials had been publicly warning of this potential threat for months. In a ''[[Harper's Magazine]]'' article, a CIA official said, "We need to deal with this problem from the beach side, in concert with the ocean side, but we don't have an embassy in Somalia and limited, ineffective intelligence operations. We need to work in Somalia and in [[Lebanon]], where a lot of the ransom money has changed hands. But our operations in Lebanon are a joke, and we have no presence at all in Somalia".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Silverstein |first=Ken |date=9 April 2009 |title=Pirates and the CIA: What would Thomas Jefferson have done? |url=https://harpers.org/2009/04/pirates-and-the-cia-what-would-thomas-jefferson-have-done/ |access-date=27 March 2011 |publisher=[[Harper's Magazine]]}}</ref><br />
<br />
In early May 2010, [[Spetsnaz|Russian special forces]] retook a Russian oil tanker that had been hijacked by 11 pirates. One died in the assault, and a week later Russian military officials reported that the remainder were freed due to weaknesses in [[international law]] but died before reaching the Somali coast. [[President of Russia|Russian President]] [[Dmitry Medvedev]] had announced the day the ship was retaken that "we'll have to do what our forefathers did when they met the pirates" until a suitable way of prosecuting them is available.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D9FKN8L84.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121102054321/http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D9FKN8L84.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=2 November 2012|title=Russia says freed pirates didn't reach land|author=Mansur Mirovalev|date=11 May 2010|work=Bloomberg BusinessWeek}}</ref><br />
<br />
On 11 May 2010, Somali pirates seized a Bulgarian-flagged ship in the [[Gulf of Aden]]. ''Panega'', with 15 Bulgarian crew members aboard, was en route from the Red Sea to India or Pakistan. This was the first such hijacking of a Bulgarian-flagged ship. On 12 May 2010, Athens announced that Somali pirates had seized a Greek vessel in the Gulf of Aden with at least 24 people on board, including two Greek citizens and several Philippine citizens. The vessel, sailing under the Liberian flag, was transporting iron from Ukraine to China.<br />
<br />
==== 2011 ====<br />
On 14 January 2011, while speaking to reporters, [[Commodore (rank)|Commodore]] Michiel Hijmans of the [[Royal Netherlands Navy]] stated that the use of hijacked vessels in more recent hijackings had led to increased range of pirating activities, as well as difficulty to actively thwart future events due to the use of kidnapped sailors as [[human shields]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Smarter Somali pirates thwarting navies, NATO admits |author=Michael Richards |url=https://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20110114/wl_africa_afp/somaliapiracyshippingnato_20110114190819 |agency=Agence France-Presse|date=14 January 2011 |access-date=23 January 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110122115627/http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20110114/wl_africa_afp/somaliapiracyshippingnato_20110114190819 |archive-date=22 January 2011 }}</ref><br />
<br />
On 15 January 2011 13 Somali pirates [[Operation Dawn of Gulf of Aden|seized ''Samho Jewelry'']], a Maltese-flagged chemical carrier operated by Samho Shipping, 650&nbsp;km southeast of [[Muscat, Oman|Muscat]]. The [[Republic of Korea Navy]] destroyer {{ship|ROKS|Choi Young|DDH-981|2}} shadowed ''Samho Jewelry'' for several days. In the early morning of 21 January 2011, 25 [[Republic of Korea Navy UDT/SEAL|ROK Navy SEALs]] on small boats launched from ''Choi Young'' boarded ''Samho Jewelry'' while ''Choi Young''{{'}}s [[Super Lynx|Westland Super Lynx]] provided covering fire. Eight pirates were killed and five captured in the operation; the crew of 21 was freed with the captain suffering a gunshot wound to the stomach.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2931338|title=Navy storms hijacked ship, rescues all 21 sailors|access-date=21 January 2011|date=21 January 2011|publisher=Korea JoongAng Daily}}</ref> The captain fully recovered later.<br />
<br />
On 28 January 2011, an [[Indian Coast Guard]] aircraft while responding to a distress call from ''CMA CGM Verdi'', located two skiffs attempting a piracy attack near [[Lakshadweep]]. Seeing the aircraft, the skiffs immediately aborted their piracy attempt and dashed towards the mother vessel, MV ''Prantalay 14'' – a hijacked Thai trawler, which hurriedly hoisted the two skiffs on board and moved westward. The Indian Navy deployed [[INS Cankarso (T73)|INS ''Cankaraso'' (T73)]] which located and engaged the mothership {{convert|100|nmi|km}} north of the [[Minicoy]] island. Ten pirates were killed while 15 were apprehended and 20 [[Thai people|Thai]] and Burmese fishermen being held aboard the ship as hostages were rescued.<ref name="google1">{{cite news<br />
|url=https://news.google.com/news/more?q=indian+navy+news&hl=en&client=firefox-a&hs=TQr&rls=org.mozilla:en-GB:official&prmd=ivnsu&resnum=4&um=1&ie=UTF-8&ncl=dalubOnqq3k9VhMp2DaP0ZRrzmUNM&ei=OWhLTcfwHYW8cJ6Z1d4L&sa=X&oi=news_result&ct=more-results&resnum=5&ved=0CFgQqgIwBA<br />
|title=Various News Reports, collected on Google News |access-date=4 January 2011}}</ref><br />
<br />
Within a week of its previous success, the Indian Navy captured another hijacked Thai trawler, MV ''Prantalay 11'' and captured 28 pirates aboard in an operation undertaken by {{INS|Tir|A86|6}} pursuant to receiving information that a [[Greeks|Greek]] merchant ship had been attacked by pirates on board high-speed boats, although it had managed to avoid capture. When INS ''Tir'' ordered the pirate ship to stop and be boarded for inspection, it was fired upon. INS ''Tir'' returned fire in which three pirates were injured and caused the pirates to raise a white flag indicating their surrender. INS ''Tir'' subsequently was joined by CGS ''Samar'' of the Indian Coast Guard. Officials from the Indian Navy reported that a total of 52 men were apprehended, but of that 24 are believed to be Thai fishermen who were hostages of the 28 African pirates.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-12376695|title=BBC News: Indian navy seizes pirates' Indian Ocean mothership|access-date=4 January 2011}}</ref><br />
<br />
In late February 2011, piracy targeting smaller yachts and collecting ransom made headlines when four Americans were killed aboard their vessel, ''Quest'', by their captors, while a military ship shadowed them.<ref name="Americans slain by captors on hijacked yacht; pirates killed, arrested">{{cite news|url= http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/africa/02/22/somalia.us.yacht/index.html|title=Americans slain by captors on hijacked yacht; pirates killed, arrested |publisher=CNN|date=22 February 2011|access-date=22 February 2011}}</ref> A federal court in Norfolk, Virginia, sentenced three members of the gang that seized the yacht to life imprisonment.<ref>{{cite news|title=Somali pirate gets life in jail|publisher=BBC|date= 3 October 2011|access-date= 3 October 2011|url= https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-15155047}}</ref><br />
On 24 February 2011 a Danish family on a yacht were captured by pirates.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dr.dk/Nyheder/Udland/2011/03/01/162340.htm |title=Pirater truer med at dræbe gidsler – dr.dk/Nyheder/Udland |date=March 2011 |publisher=Dr.dk |access-date=27 March 2011}}</ref><br />
<br />
In March 2011, the Indian Navy intercepted a pirate mother vessel {{convert|600|nmi|km}} west of the Indian coast in the Arabian Sea and rescued 13 hostages, the names of the 13 hostages are James Blaydes, Thomas Walton, Lucas Pittman, Thomas Strauss, William Dickey, Jett Rice, Jude Coppola, and Rex Reeves. The names of the others were not found. Sixty-one pirates were also caught in the operation carried out by Navy's [[INS Kalpeni (T75)|INS ''Kalpeni'' (T75)]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://ibnlive.in.com/news/navy-intercepts-pirate-ship-rescues-13-sailors/145840-3.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110316054750/http://ibnlive.in.com/news/navy-intercepts-pirate-ship-rescues-13-sailors/145840-3.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=16 March 2011|title=Navy intercepts pirate ship, rescues 13 sailors|access-date=14 March 2011}}</ref><br />
<br />
In late March 2011, the Indian Navy seized 16 suspected pirates after a three-hour-long battle in the Arabian Sea, The navy also rescued 16 crew members of a hijacked Iranian ship west of the [[Lakshadweep Islands]]. The crew included 12 Iranians and four Pakistanis.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-12877557 | work=BBC News | title=Indian navy captures 16 Somali pirates on Iranian ship | date=28 March 2011}}</ref><br />
<br />
In October 2011, [[Rescue of Jessica Buchanan and Poul Hagen Thisted|Jessica Buchanan and Poul Hagen Thisted]], while working on a [[demining]] project with the [[Danish Refugee Council]]; were kidnapped by [[Somalis|Somali]] [[pirate]]s in [[Galkayo]].<ref>{{cite news|last=Sheikh |first=Abdi |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-somalia-hostages-idUSTRE80O0I220120125 |title=U.S. commandos free two hostages in daring Somalia raid |publisher=[[Reuters]] |accessdate=2024-05-06 |date=January 25, 2012}}</ref>The pair were rescued in January 2012.<ref name=NYT2012>{{cite news| url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/26/world/africa/us-raid-frees-2-hostages-from-somali-pirates.html | work=[[The New York Times]] | first1=Jeffrey | last1=Gettleman | author-link = Jeffrey Gettleman| first2=Eric | last2=Schmitt | authorlink2 = Eric P. Schmitt| first3=Thom | last3=Shanker | title=U.S. Commandos Free 2 Hostages From Somali Pirates | date=January 25, 2012|accessdate=2024-05-06}}</ref><br />
<br />
==== 2012 ====<br />
On 5 January 2012, an MH-60S Seahawk from the [[Guided missile destroyer|guided-missile destroyer]] {{USS|Kidd|DDG-100|6}}, part of the [[Carrier Strike Group 3]] led by the {{USS|John C. Stennis|CVN-74|6}}, detected a suspected pirate skiff alongside the Iranian-flagged fishing boat, ''Al Molai''. The master of ''Al Molai'' sent a distress call about the same time reporting pirates were holding him captive.<br />
<br />
A visit, board, search and seizure team from ''Kidd'' boarded the dhow, a traditional Arabian sailing vessel, and detained 15 suspected pirates who had been holding a 13-member Iranian crew hostage for several weeks. ''Al Molai'' had been hijacked and used as a mothership for pirate operations throughout the Persian Gulf, members of the Iranian vessel's crew reported.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.defense.gov/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=66710|work= American Forces Press Service|title= Pirate Capture Shows U.S. Commitment to Free Seas, Leaders Say|date=7 January 2012}}</ref><br />
<br />
On 21 January 2012, while researching a book on piracy via a [[Pulitzer Center for Crisis Reporting]] grant; journalist [[Michael Scott Moore]] was abducted in [[Galkayo]] by a local gang of pirates, who subsequently demanded $20 million.{{citation needed|date=September 2024}} U.S. and [[German Foreign Ministry|German officials]] negotiated with the pirates until Moore was freed, September 22, 2014, after $USD1.6 million dollars ransom was paid, and following 977 days of captivity.<ref>{{cite news|title=American-German Journalist Michael Scott Moore Released in Somalia|url=http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/american-german-journalist-michael-scott-moore-released-in-somalia-a-993308.html|accessdate=2024-05-06|agency=Der Spiegel|date=September 23, 2014}}</ref> Moore's account is detailed in his memoir, ''The Desert and the Sea: 977 Days Captive on the Somali Pirate Coast''.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Moore |first=Michael Scott |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=scXADQAAQBAJ |title=The Desert and the Sea: 977 Days Captive on the Somali Pirate Coast |date=2019 |publisher=[[HarperCollins]] |isbn=978-0-06-296867-8 |location=New York}}</ref><br />
<br />
On 25 January 2012, [[Navy SEAL]]s parachuted from a [[Lockheed C-130 Hercules|C-130 Hercules]] twelve miles north of the Somali town of Adado, [[Galguduud]], where pirates held hostages in order to seek ransom for them.<ref name=NYT2012/> The SEALs, traveling on foot from the [[drop zone]], attacked the compound, and engaged in battle, killing all nine pirates and rescuing two aid workers, [[Rescue of Jessica Buchanan and Poul Hagen Thisted|Jessica Buchanan and Poul Hagen Thisted]] held captive since the previous October.<ref>{{cite news |last=Lawrence |first=Chris |date=January 27, 2012 |title=U.S. special forces rescue Somalia aid workers |publisher=[[CNN]] |url=http://www.cnn.com/2012/01/25/world/africa/somalia-aid-workers/index.html |accessdate=2024-05-06}}</ref> The rescue raid is detailed in A first-hand account of the raid appears in Buchanan's 2014 memoir, ''Impossible Odds: The Kidnapping of Jessica Buchanan and Her Dramatic Rescue by SEAL Team Six''.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Buchanan |first=Jessica |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=v2VOBAAAQBAJ |title=Impossible Odds: The Kidnapping of Jessica Buchanan and Her Dramatic Rescue by SEAL Team Six |last2=Landemalm |first2=Erik |last3=Flacco |first3=Anthony |date=2013 |publisher=[[Simon and Schuster]] |isbn=978-1-4767-2516-1 |location=New York}}</ref><br />
<br />
==== 2013 and decline ====<br />
On 11 October, pirates attacked Hong Kong registered tanker ''Island Splendor'' and attacked a Spanish fishing vessel three days later. Suspected to have been carried out by the same group of pirates, they were tracked down by RFA ''Fort Victoria'', supported by {{HMAS|Melbourne|FFG 05|6}}, {{Ship|ROKS|Wang Geon|DDH-978|6}}, European Union flagship {{HNLMS|Johan de Witt|L801|6}}, and a Seychelles-based maritime patrol aircraft from Luxembourg. The pirate skiffs were tracked by ''Melbourne''{{'}}s [[Sikorsky SH-60 Seahawk|Seahawk]] helicopter, a boarding team from ''Melbourne'' searched the skiffs, they successfully apprehended nine pirates and later destroyed two skiffs and their equipment.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/news-and-latest-activity/news/2013/october/21/131021-somali-pirates|title=Teamwork helps stop Somali pirates|date=21 October 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/royal-navy-helps-apprehend-somali-pirates|title=Royal Navy helps apprehend Somali pirates|date=21 October 2013}}</ref><br />
<br />
By December 2013, the US [[Office of Naval Intelligence]] reported that only nine vessels had been attacked during the year by the pirates, with no successful hijackings.<ref name="Qspwrtzty">{{cite news|last=Yanofsky|first=David|title=Somali piracy was reduced to zero this year|url=http://qz.com/161704/somali-piracy-was-reduced-to-zero-this-year/|access-date=14 January 2014|newspaper=Quartz|date=27 December 2013}}</ref> [[Control Risks Group|Control Risks]] attributed this 90% decline in pirate activity from the corresponding period in 2012 to the adoption of best management practices by vessel owners and crews, armed private security on board ships, a significant naval presence, and the development of onshore security forces.<ref name="Tspidnpfly">{{cite news|title=Somali piracy is down 90 per cent from last year|url=http://www.thejournal.ie/piracy-somalia-down-on-last-year-1219326-Dec2013/|access-date=14 January 2014|newspaper=The Journal|date=15 December 2013}}</ref><br />
<br />
With the increase in [[illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing|illegal fishing]] off Somalia after the 2013 decline in piracy, fishing vessels became targets in a few incidents in 2015.<ref name=kriel>{{cite news |url=http://www.cnn.com/2015/11/23/world/somalia-piracy/| author=Kriel R, Duggan B |title=Somali pirates seize Iranian, Thai ships| publisher=CNN |date=24 November 2015 |access-date=11 January 2016}}</ref> In March two Iranian vessels and in November one Iranian and a Thai vessel were attacked.<ref name=kriel/><br />
<br />
==== 2015 ====<br />
In 2015, a report by the Spanish [[Chief of Staff of the Navy (Spain)|Office of the Chieff of Staff of the Navy]] stated that the EU [[Operation Atalanta]] had been a "success" and that the "periodic reports prepared by intelligence units and sent to the Navy Staff reflect the “practical eradication of suspicious activity” in these waters."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Digital |first=Confidencial |date=2015-02-10 |title=Informe de la Armada: la piratería en Somalia está erradicada |url=https://www.elconfidencialdigital.com/articulo/defensa/Informe-Armada-pirateria-Somalia-erradicada/20150209193807076120.html |access-date=2023-12-17 |website=Confidencial Digital |language=es}}</ref> After a small rebound in 2017, the European Union has periodically extended Operation Atalanta, and the official position has been that "piracy in Somalia is contained, but not eradicated".<ref>{{Cite web |date=2018-11-04 |title=El jefe de la 'operación Atalanta': "La piratería no está erradicada" |url=https://www.elmundo.es/espana/2018/11/04/5bddd113468aeb80518b45aa.html |access-date=2023-12-17 |website=ELMUNDO |language=es}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-09-15 |title=La piratería en Somalia, contenida, pero no erradicada |url=https://www.rtve.es/play/audios/radar-30-en-radio-5/pirateria-somalia-contenida-pero-no-erradicada/6096139/ |access-date=2023-12-17 |website=RTVE.es |language=es}}</ref><br />
<br />
==== 2017 ====<br />
The tanker ''Aris 13'', which had been carrying fuel from Djibouti to [[Mogadishu]], was hijacked off the coast of Somalia on 13 March 2017.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.yahoo.com/news/somali-pirates-release-oil-tanker-061033327.html|title=Somali pirates release oil tanker and crew members without ransom, officials say|access-date=2017-03-17|language=en-US}}</ref> This was the first reported hijacking of a large commercial vessel in five years. Two skiffs approached the tanker and boarded the vessel off the northern coast of Somalia. Eight Sri Lankan crew members were aboard at the time. After being captured, ''Aris 13'' was taken to Alula and anchored there before its release without ransom was confirmed by security officials on 16 March 2017.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/03/16/somali-pirates-release-oil-tanker-crew-without-ransom/ |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220112/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/03/16/somali-pirates-release-oil-tanker-crew-without-ransom/ |archive-date=12 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=Somali pirates release oil tanker and crew without ransom|date=2017-03-16|work=The Telegraph|access-date=2018-05-23|language=en-GB|issn=0307-1235}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/somalia-alula-piracy-report-1.4023772 |title=Pirates hijack oil tanker off Somalia's coast in 1st reported piracy in 5 years |publisher=CBC News |agency=Associated Press|date=14 March 2017}}</ref><br />
<br />
==== 2023 ====<br />
In January 2023, the "Indian Ocean High Risk Area" was removed, following no reported attacks by Somali pirates for several years.<ref name=":0" /> Piracy resurged in the region during the early 2020s,<ref>{{cite news |title=Fears that pirates are returning to seas off Somalia |url=https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20240214-fears-that-pirates-are-returning-to-seas-off-somalia |access-date=2024-05-03 |work=France24}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Hijacked ship off Somalia fuels fears pirates back in Red Sea waters |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/hijacked-ship-off-somalia-fuels-fears-pirates-back-red-sea-waters-2023-12-19/ |access-date=2024-05-03 |work=Reuters}}</ref> with incidents of piracy and hijacking in the Somali basin continuing to increase.<ref>{{cite web |title=Paying the price may cause piracy to rise |url=https://safety4sea.com/paying-the-price-may-cause-piracy-to-rise/ |website=safety4sea.com |date=16 April 2024 |publisher=Safety4Sea |access-date=23 April 2024}}</ref><br />
<br />
The March 2024 hijacking of the ''Ruen'' by Somali pirates was their first successful attack on commercial shipping tankers since 2017.<ref name=Splash>{{cite news |title=Somali pirates make their first return in years |url=https://splash247.com/somali-pirates-make-their-first-return-in-years/ |access-date=2024-05-03 |work=Splash247 |publisher=Asia Shipping Media}}</ref><br />
<br />
In November 2023, amid the [[2023 Israel–Hamas war|Israel–Hamas war]], the crew of the [[USS Mason (DDG-87)]] thwarted a suspected Somali pirate attack<ref name="cppolitico">{{cite news |last1=Seligman |first1=Lara |title=Pentagon: Suspected Somali pirates behind cargo ship attack in the Middle East |url=https://www.politico.com/news/2023/11/27/pentagon-somali-pirates-attack-00128712 |access-date=28 November 2023 |work=[[Politico]] |date=27 November 2023}}</ref> on the ''Central Park'', a [[flag of convenience|Liberian-flagged]] tanker ship owned by [[Zodiac Maritime]], which is owned by an Israeli.<ref name="cpwapo">{{cite news |last1=Gambrell |first1=Jon |title=Attackers seize an Israel-linked tanker off Yemen in a third such assault during Israel-Hamas war |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2023/11/26/israel-palestinians-hamas-war-yemen-ship-attack/ba538130-8c5a-11ee-95e1-edd75d825df0_story.html |access-date=28 November 2023 |newspaper=Washington Post |date=26 November 2023 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20231126142834/https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2023/11/26/israel-palestinians-hamas-war-yemen-ship-attack/ba538130-8c5a-11ee-95e1-edd75d825df0_story.html |archive-date= 26 November 2023 }}</ref><br />
<br />
==== 2024 ====<br />
In the beginning of 2024, piracy seemed to have had a rebound in the region.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-01-10 |title=Terrorism, militancy and pirates: Gulf of Aden hijacking underlines naval challenges |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/terrorism-militancy-and-pirates-gulf-of-aden-hijacking-underlines-naval-challenges-9103276/ |url-access=subscription |first1=Abhijit |last1=Singh |access-date=2024-03-20 |website=The Indian Express |language=en }}</ref> In March 2024, [[MV Abdullah]] was hijacked by pirates and the crew taken hostage.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Pirates seize control of cargo ship near Somalia, say owners |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/3/12/twenty-armed-men-take-control-of-cargo-ship-off-somalia-say-watchdogs |date=12 Mar 2024 |access-date=2024-03-14 |website=Al Jazeera |language=en}}</ref> The increase has been attributed to a change of focus, from the Gulf of Aden to the Red Sea, according to the Maritime Policy Initiative at the [[Observer Research Foundation]], a [[New Delhi]] [[think tank]].<ref>{{Cite news |date=January 6, 2024 |title=India Navy rescues bulk carrier crew after Arabian Sea hijack attempt |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/india-sends-warship-after-hijacking-liberian-flagged-vessel-arabian-sea-2024-01-05/ |website=Reuters |first1=Krishn |last1=Kaushik |access-date=March 20, 2024}}</ref><br />
<br />
Pirates armed with Kalashnikov-style rifles and rocket-propelled grenades fired upon the [[Marshall Islands]]-[[Ensign (flag)|flagged]] ''Chrystal Arctic'' in an attempted hijacking as it voyaged through the [[Gulf of Aden]] on May 10 but subsequently retreated after the vessel's security team returned fire. The vessel continued its voyage with all of its crew members safe.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-05-10 |title=Suspected pirate attack in the Gulf of Aden raises concerns about growing Somali piracy |url=https://apnews.com/article/mideast-piracy-somalia-yemen-houthi-israel-hamas-war-463b3f1c87b059152cbcb21133c3266e |first1= Jon |last1=Gambrell |access-date=2024-05-13 |website=AP News |language=en}}</ref> Six suspected Somali pirates were later located and detained by [[EUNAVFOR]] naval forces, as part of [[Operation Atalanta]].<ref>{{cite news |title=EUNAVFOR Operation Atalanta Halts Pirate Assault on Tanker |url=https://www.marinetraffic.com/en/maritime-news/15/maritime-security/2024/11210/eunavfor-operation-atalanta-halts-pirate-assault-on-tanker |first1=Raghib |last1=Raza |access-date=13 May 2024 |work=Maritime Traffic |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20240703224643/https://www.marinetraffic.com/en/maritime-news/15/maritime-security/2024/11210/eunavfor-operation-atalanta-halts-pirate-assault-on-tanker |archive-date= 3 July 2024 }}</ref><br />
<br />
The Indian Navy has now emerged as a very important player in the western Indian Ocean and has repeatedly carried out operations against pirates. In March 2024, 35 Somali pirates captured from the hijacked bulk carrier MV Reun were sent to Mumbai to be tried. The Indian Navy had carried out a major long-range operation to free the ship.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2024-03-23 |title=Indian Navy brings 35 Somali pirates who hijacked merchant vessel MV Ruen to Mumbai for trial |url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/defence/indian-navy-brings-35-somali-pirates-who-hijacked-merchant-vessel-mv-ruen-to-mumbai-for-trial/articleshow/108723103.cms |work=The Economic Times |url-status=live |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20240616161520/https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/defence/indian-navy-brings-35-somali-pirates-who-hijacked-merchant-vessel-mv-ruen-to-mumbai-for-trial/articleshow/108723103.cms?from=mdr |archive-date= Jun 16, 2024 }}</ref><br />
<br />
== Pirates ==<br />
[[File:Somali Pirates.jpg|thumb|Photomontage of Somali pirates on the [[MV Faina|MV ''Faina'']]]]<br />
<br />
=== Profile ===<br />
Most Somali pirates are young.<ref name="Wpfeo">{{cite web|url=http://www.somaliareport.com/index.php/post/1586|title= Why Pirates Fight Each Other |website=SomaliaReport |first1=Jama |last1=Deperani |last2=MJ |date=September 18, 2011 |access-date=20 May 2016|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160611175216/http://www.somaliareport.com/index.php/post/1586|archive-date=11 June 2016}}</ref> An official list issued in 2010 by the Somali government of 40 apprehended pirate suspects noted that 80% (32/40) were born in Somalia's southern conflict zones, while only 20% (8/40) came from the more stable northern regions.<ref name="Mmsaokxs">{{cite news|last=Macruf|first=Harun|title=Magacyada Maxaabiis Soomaali ah oo ku xiran Seychelles|url=http://www.voasomali.com/content/magacyada-maxaabiis-ku-xiran-seychelles-99096239/1249862.html|access-date=3 October 2012|newspaper=VOA|date=23 July 2010}}</ref> As of 2012, the pirates primarily operated from the [[Galmudug]] region in the central section of the country.<ref name="PMPFEE">{{cite web|url=http://somaliareport.com/index.php/post/2978/Puntland_Marine_Police_Force_Enter_Eyl_ |title=SomaliaReport: Puntland Marine Police Force Enter Eyl |access-date=20 May 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160324073532/http://somaliareport.com/index.php/post/2978/Puntland_Marine_Police_Force_Enter_Eyl_ |archive-date=24 March 2016 }}</ref><ref name="Apclih">{{Cite web |last=Hassan |first=Khalid |date=3 March 2012 |title=Anti-Piracy Campaign Launched in Hobyo |url=http://dissidentnation.com/anti-piracy-campaign-launched-in-hobyo/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120308042558/http://dissidentnation.com/anti-piracy-campaign-launched-in-hobyo/ |archive-date=8 March 2012 |website=Dissident Nation}}</ref> In previous years, they largely ventured to sea from ports located in the northeastern province of [[Puntland]] until the regional administration launched a major anti-piracy campaign and operation and established a [[Puntland Maritime Police Force|maritime police force]] (PMPF).<ref name="PMPFEE"/><br />
<br />
According to a 2008 BBC report, the pirates can be divided into three main categories:<br />
* Local [[Fisherman|fishermen]], considered the brains of the pirates' operations due to their skill and knowledge of the sea.<br />
* Ex-militiamen, who previously fought for the local clan warlords, or ex-military from the former [[Siad Barre|Barre]] government used as the muscle.<br />
* Technical experts, who operate equipment such as [[Global Positioning System|GPS devices]].<ref name="Pirates high life">{{cite news|last=Hunter|first=Robyn|title=Somali pirates living the high life|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/7650415.stm|publisher=BBC|date=28 October 2008|access-date=20 November 2008}}</ref><br />
<br />
The closest [[Somali language|Somali]] term for 'pirate' is ''burcad badeed'', which means "ocean robber". However, the pirates themselves prefer to be called ''badaadinta badah'' or "saviours of the sea" (often translated as "coast guard").<ref>{{cite news| last = Bahadur| first = Jay | title = Somali pirate: 'We're not murderers... we just attack ships'| publisher = The Guardian (UK)| date = 24 May 2011| url = https://www.theguardian.com/world/2011/may/24/a-pioneer-of-somali-piracy| location=London}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Methodology ===<br />
[[File:Captured boat in Baltiysk.jpg|thumb|right|A pirate [[skiff]] in [[Baltiysk]], Russia — captured by the Russian Navy]]<br />
The methods used in a typical pirate attack have been analyzed.<ref name="bmp3">{{cite book|url=http://www.mschoa.org/docs/public-documents/bmp4-low-res_sept_5_2011.pdf|title=Best Management Practices for Protection against Somalia Based Piracy|publisher=Witherby Seamanship International, London|date=August 2011|author=Consortium of International Organizations|isbn=978-1-85609-505-1|location=Livingston|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160909191819/http://www.mschoa.org/docs/public-documents/bmp4-low-res_sept_5_2011.pdf|archive-date=9 September 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref> They show that while attacks can be expected at any time, most occur during the day; often in the early hours.{{clarify|that's a contradiction - the early hours isn't during the day|date=August 2019}} They may involve two or more [[skiff]]s that can reach speeds of up to 25 knots. With the help of motherships that include captured fishing and [[merchant vessel]]s, the operating range of the skiffs has been increased far into the [[Indian Ocean]]. An attacked vessel is approached from quarter or stern; [[Rocket-propelled grenade|RPGs]] and small arms are used to intimidate the operator to slow down and allow boarding. Light ladders are brought along to climb aboard. Pirates then will try to get control of the bridge to take operational control of the vessel.<ref name=bmp3/> When pirates take control of the bridge, they do not seek to steal from the ship or to impose violence on any of the crew. Instead, they attempt to get into communications with the ship's bank via radio and telephone. Once they have reached communications with the bank, they hand the operation over to their negotiator, who is on land somewhere in or around Somalia. The negotiator often has a strong command of the English language and an understanding of finance. It is their job to win a large [[ransom]] money for the pirates from the ship's bank. While these negotiations go on, the pirates hold the crew hostage, maintaining as much order as possible. Oftentimes, these negotiations can take many hours and even several days. Once an agreement is reached between the negotiator and the ship's bank, a helicopter hovers over the ship and drops a package full of cash onto the ship's deck. When the pirates have retrieved their ransom money, they call back their mother ship to come pick them up. Once picked up from the ship, they flee the scene as quickly as possible, returning to the shores of Somalia.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Abbas |date=2011 |title=Piracy in Somalia |url=https://www.un.org/depts/los/nippon/unnff_programme_home/fellows_pages/fellows_papers/djama_1112_djibouti_PPT.pdf |website=UN}}</ref><br />
<br />
According to [[Sky News]], pirates often jettison their equipment in the sea before arrest, as this lowers the likelihood of a successful prosecution.<ref name="Iteuapnc">{{cite news|title=Inside The EU's Anti-Piracy Nerve Centre |url=http://news.sky.com/home/uk-news/article/16175400 |publisher=Sky News |date=23 February 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120429110511/http://news.sky.com/home/uk-news/article/16175400 |archive-date=29 April 2012 }}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Weaponry and funding ===<br />
The pirates obtain most of their weapons from [[Yemen]], but a significant number are sourced from [[Mogadishu]], Somalia's capital. Weapons dealers in the capital receive a deposit from a ''[[hawala]]'' dealer on behalf of the pirates and the weapons are then driven to [[Puntland]], where the pirates pay the balance.<ref name="Pirates high life"/> Various photographs of pirates in situ indicate that their weapons are predominantly [[AK-47]], [[AKM]], [[Type 56 assault rifle|Type 56]], [[RPK]], [[PK machine gun#PKM|PKM]], [[RPG-7]], and [[Tokarev pistol]]s.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/devon/7791236.stm|title=Somali pirates killed 'legally'|work=BBC News |date=19 December 2008|access-date=27 March 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Pflanz|first=Mike|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/piracy/4238924/Cargo-ship-escapes-Somali-pirates.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220112/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/piracy/4238924/Cargo-ship-escapes-Somali-pirates.html |archive-date=12 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=Cargo ship escapes Somali pirates|newspaper=The Telegraph|date=14 January 2009|access-date=27 March 2009|location=London}}{{cbignore}}</ref> Additionally, given the particular origin of their weaponry, they are likely to have [[hand grenade]]s such as the [[RGD-5]] or [[F1 grenade (Russia)|F1]].{{cn|date=May 2024}}<br />
<br />
The funding of piracy operations is now structured in a [[stock exchange]], with investors buying and selling shares in upcoming attacks in a bourse in [[Harardhere]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.wired.com/2009/12/the-pirate-stock-exchange/|title=The Pirate Stock Exchange|author=Bruce Sterling|date=3 December 2009|publisher=Wired|access-date=1 March 2023}}</ref> Pirates say ransom money is paid in large-denomination US dollar bills. It is delivered to them in [[burlap]] sacks, which are either dropped from helicopters or cased in waterproof suitcases loaded onto tiny [[skiff]]s. To authenticate the [[banknote]]s, pirates use [[currency-counting machine]]s, the same technology used at foreign exchange bureaus worldwide. According to one pirate, these machines are, in turn, purchased from business connections in [[Dubai]], [[Djibouti]], and other areas.<ref name="Boomtowns">{{Cite web |date=19 November 2008 |title=Somali pirates turn villages into boomtowns |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna27806965 |website=[[NBC News]] |language=en}}</ref> Hostages seized by the pirates usually have to wait 45 days or more for the ships' owners to pay the ransom and secure their release.<ref name="Piratesgained">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/7742761.stm |title=Pirates 'gained $150m this year' |work=BBC News |date=21 November 2008 |access-date=27 March 2009}}</ref><br />
<br />
In 2008, there were also allegations that the pirates received assistance from some members of the [[Somali diaspora]]. Somali expatriates, including some members of the Somali community in Canada, reportedly offered funds, equipment and information.<ref>{{Cite web |date=11 December 2008 |title=Somali pirates get help from expats in Canada |url=https://www.thestar.com/news/world/somali-pirates-get-help-from-expats-in-canada/article_f0eb478e-9b67-5082-9b1b-522d1a8b0c3b.html |website=[[Toronto Star]] |language=en}}</ref><br />
<br />
According to the head of the UN's counter-piracy division, Colonel John Steed, the [[Al-Shabaab (militant group)|Al-Shabaab]] group in 2011 increasingly sought to cooperate with the pirate gangs in the face of dwindling funds and resources for their own activities.<ref name="pirate links">{{cite news| url=https://af.reuters.com/article/topNews/idAFJOE79J0G620111020?sp=true | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111223205734/http://af.reuters.com/article/topNews/idAFJOE79J0G620111020?sp=true | url-status=dead | archive-date=23 December 2011 | work=Reuters| title=Shabaab-Somali pirate links growing: UN adviser | date=20 October 2011}}</ref> Steed, however, acknowledged that he had no definite proof of operational ties between the pirates and the Islamist militants. Detained pirates also indicated to [[UNODC]] officials that some measure of cooperation with Al-Shabaab militants was necessary, as they have increasingly launched maritime raids from areas in southern Somalia controlled by the insurgent outfit. Al-Shabaab members have also extorted the pirates, demanding protection money from them and forcing seized pirate gang leaders in Harardhere to hand over 20% of future ransom proceeds.<ref name="Prceuwsm">{{cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/somalia-piracy-idUSLDE7650U320110706|title=Piracy ransom cash ends up with Somali militants|agency=Reuters Editorial|date=6 July 2011|access-date=20 May 2016}}</ref> It has been suggested that [[al-Qaeda]] have received funding from pirate operations. A maritime intelligence source told [[CBS News]] that it was "'inconceivable' to Western intelligence agencies that al Qaeda would not be getting some financial reward from the successful hijackings". They go on to express concern about this funding link being able to keep the group satisfied, as piracy gains more publicity and higher ransoms.<ref name="AQ Urges">{{cite news|title=Al Qaeda Urges Somalis To Attack Ships |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/al-qaeda-urges-somalis-to-attack-ships/ |publisher=CBS |date=16 April 2009 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110212105724/http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503543_162-4949488-503543.html |archive-date=12 February 2011 }}</ref><br />
<br />
== Root causes ==<br />
<br />
A combination of root causes can be attributed to the pervasive presence of piracy off the coast of Somalia including; geography, weak law enforcement and corruption as well as economic factors. Most of these drivers display considerable overlap just like they can be viewed as derivative effects of land based problems<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Moss |first1=Kelly |last2=Pigeon |first2=Maisie |title=Stable Seas: Western Indian Ocean |journal=Stable Seas |date=March 2022 |page=18 }}</ref> The following section breaks down some of the identified root causes for the pervasiveness of piracy in the region.<br />
<br />
===Geography===<br />
One of the most vital shipping routes of the world takes international trade across the [[Western Indian Ocean]] through the [[Bab el-Mandeb]] strait connecting the Red Sea with the [[Gulf of Aden]] making it the perfect strategic place for pirates to operate. Generally, pirate activities thrive in areas with high value maritime traffic.<ref name="Bueger & Edmunds" /> Thus, geography plays a significant role in making the coast of Somalia a lucrative place for pirates to hijack vessels.<br />
<br />
In this context, the [[Gulf of Aden]] is one of the most lucrative places for piracy in the world, because of its close proximity to the main merchant shipping route.<ref name="Akar">{{cite journal |last1=Akar |first1=Çağlar |title=The Development of Piracy in the Horn of Africa |journal=Journal of Marine and Engineering Technology (JOINMET) |date=9 June 2022 |volume=2 |issue=1 |page=31-39 |url=https://dergipark.org.tr/en/download/article-file/2440019 |access-date=28 May 2024}}</ref> More than 20% of global trade passes through the Gulf of Aden.<ref name="EUNAVFOR">{{cite web |title=MARITIME SECURITY CENTRE – HORN OF AFRICA (MSCHOA) |url=https://eunavfor.eu/mschoa |website=EU Naval Force Operation ATALANTA |access-date=28 May 2024}}</ref> The region is characterized by a diverse geography including one of the world’s most important maritime chokepoints, the Bab-el Mandeb strait as well as wide-open ocean off the coast of Somalia.<ref name="EIA">{{cite news |title=The Bab el-Mandeb Strait is a strategic route for oil and natural gas shipments |url=https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=41073 |access-date=28 May 2024 |agency=U.S. Energy Information Administration |date=August 27, 2019}}</ref> The area had earlier been designated as a high risk area in 2010 during the peak of pirate attacks but this designation was removed again from 2023 as the level of attacks declined.<ref name="Larsen">{{cite news |last1=Larsen |first1=Jakob Paaske |title=Indian Ocean High Risk Area for piracy to be removed on 1 January |url=https://www.bimco.org/insights-and-information/safety-security-environment/20221216-hra-indian-ocean |access-date=28 May 2024 |publisher=BIMCO.com |date=December 16, 2022}}</ref><ref name="ICS Shipping">{{cite web |title=Shipping industry to remove the Indian Ocean High Risk Area |url=https://www.ics-shipping.org/press-release/shipping-industry-to-remove-the-indian-ocean-high-risk-area/ |website=International Chamber of Shipping |access-date=28 May 2024}}</ref><ref name="The Maritime Executive">{{cite news |title=Indian Ocean High Risk Designation to be Withdrawn at End of 2022 |url=https://maritime-executive.com/article/indian-ocean-high-risk-designation-to-be-withdrawn-at-end-of-2022 |access-date=28 May 2024 |publisher=The Maritime Executive |date=August 22, 2022}}</ref><br />
<br />
===Economic factors===<br />
Given that the piracy in the area is a fundamentally profit-driven activity, economic factors also play a huge role in explaining the root causes. This is due to myriad factors such as socioeconomic factors, unemployment, a lack of viable economic alternatives to piracy,<ref name="Moss et al." /> and the emission of toxic waste by foreign companies causing the fishing industry as a source of income to crumble.<ref name="PolyMatter">{{cite web |title=How Somalia's Pirates Make Money |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dZh0B8AYxac |website=YouTube.com | date=10 February 2019 |publisher=PolyMatter |access-date=28 May 2024}}</ref> In general, the [[economy of Somalia]] is classified as a least developed country, being dependent on agriculture and livestock which is challenged by the harsh climate and poor soil. Furthermore, as a result of civil unrest, the Somali economy was destroyed.<ref name="Karawita"/><br />
<br />
Piracy is often linked to insecurity on land and caused by lack of other opportunities to make a living.<ref name="Moss et al." /><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Felbab-Brown |first1=Vanda |title=The not-so-jolly roger: Dealing with piracy off the coast of Somalia and in the Gulf of Guinea. |journal=The Brookings Institution |date=2014 |issue=Foresight Africa: Top Priorities for the Continent in 2014 |url=https://www.brookings.edu/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/02-foresight-piracy-somalia-felbab-brown-1.pdf |access-date=28 May 2024}}</ref><ref name="IMCA">{{cite web |title=Oceans Beyond Piracy Annual Report: The state of maritime piracy 2015 – assessing the economic and human cost |url=https://www.imca-int.com/information-notes/oceans-beyond-piracy-annual-report-the-state-of-maritime-piracy-2015-assessing-the-economic-and-human-cost/ |website=International Marine Contractors Association |publisher=IMCA |access-date=6 May 2016}}</ref><ref name="PolyMatter, 2022">{{cite web |title=Why This is the World's Pirate Capital |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OMnJ24XG5Gc |website=YouTube.com | date=22 February 2022 |publisher=PolyMatter |access-date=28 May 2024}}</ref> This has also been the case in Somalia, where especially incomes from fishing have drastically declined. Therefore, piracy creates an alternative economic opportunity to improve the living conditions due to the possibility of striking a good ransom deal.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Karawita |first1=Amali Kartika |title=Piracy in Somalia: An Analysis of the Challenges Faced by the International Community |journal=Jurnal Hubungan Internasional |date=2020 |page=23 |location=London School of Public Relations Jakarta}}</ref> In essence, elements of poverty, lack of education and unemployment are viewed as main drivers.<ref name="IMCA">{{cite web |title=Oceans Beyond Piracy Annual Report: The state of maritime piracy 2015 – assessing the economic and human cost |url=https://www.imca-int.com/information-notes/oceans-beyond-piracy-annual-report-the-state-of-maritime-piracy-2015-assessing-the-economic-and-human-cost/ |website=International Marine Contractors Association |publisher=IMCA |access-date=6 May 2016}}</ref > The combination of high unemployment and the decline in the possibility of making a living from fishing creates the incentives to make a profit from piracy which is often associated with large sums of money.<ref name="Karawita">{{cite journal |last1=Karawita |first1=Amali Kartika |title=Piracy in Somalia: An Analysis of the Challenges Faced by the International Community |url=https://doi.org/10.22146/jsp.37855 |journal=Jurnal Hubungan Internasional |date=2020 |volume=23 |issue=2 |pages=19–23 |doi=10.22146/jsp.37855 }}</ref><ref name="PolyMatter, 2022">{{cite web |title=Why This is the World's Pirate Capital |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OMnJ24XG5Gc |website=YouTube.com | date=22 February 2022 |publisher=PolyMatter |access-date=28 May 2024}}</ref> In a country where poverty is rampant, piracy offers an alternative way to make a living, which attracts young Somali men.<ref name="Karawita" /><br />
<br />
===Weak law enforcement and corruption===<br />
Somalia was ranked the most corrupt country in the world in 2023.<ref name="Transparency International">{{cite web |title=Our work in Somalia - CORRUPTION PERCEPTIONS INDEX |url=https://www.transparency.org/en/countries/somalia |website=Transparency International |date=30 January 2024 |access-date=28 May 2024}}</ref><br />
Corrupt actors can help facilitate the piracy activities by turning a blind eye to or providing means for the pirates to operate and thereby also taking share in the multimillion-dollar business.<ref name="Bueger & Edmunds">{{Cite book |last=Bueger |first=Christian |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=D7MCEQAAQBAJ |title=Understanding Maritime Security |last2=Edmunds |first2=Timothy |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |year=2024 |isbn=978-0-19-776714-6 |page=81}}</ref> This occurs as a result of Somalia being a failed state leading to weak law enforcement and an ineffective government.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Karawita |first1=Amali Kartika |title=Piracy in Somalia: An Analysis of the Challenges Faced by the International Community |journal=Jurnal Hubungan Internasional |date=2020 |volume=Tahun XIII, No.1 |page=24}}</ref> The access to information regarding the level of security on board of the vessels as well as the general ship information is of high value to the pirates making bribery of port and government officials essential.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Karawita |first1=Amali Kartika |title=Piracy in Somalia: An Analysis of the Challenges Faced by the International Community |journal=Jurnal Hubungan Internasional |date=2020 |volume=Tahun XIII, No.1 |page=25 }}</ref> Furthermore, according to Bueger & Edmunds, studies of piracy operations in Somalia show that laundering of profits, protecting from other criminals and supplying and recruitment are among the elements pirates depend on<ref name="Bueger & Edmunds" /> <br />
The weak law enforcement occurs as a result of the last decades instability and civil unrest. Moreover, the general lawlessness which has pervaded the region can be seen as a result of the absence of a central authority. The inability to control the maritime territory and perform security tasks left the 3,330 km coastline of Somalia unpatrolled, giving rise to several forms of blue crimes.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Karawita |first1=Amali Kartika |title=Piracy in Somalia: An Analysis of the Challenges Faced by the International Community |journal=Jurnal Hubungan Internasional |date=2020 |volume=Tahun XIII, No.1 |page=22}}</ref> Furthermore, the lack of patrolling and thereby control over the Somali territorial waters entailed the illegal fishing and plundering of Somalis fish stocks by foreign fishing ships.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Karawati |first1=Amali Kartika |title=Piracy in Somalia: An Analysis of the Challenges Faced by the International Community |journal=Jurnal Hubungan Internasional |date=2020 |volume=Tahun XIII, No.1 }}</ref> The insufficient and absent response from the authorities to both illegal fishing by foreign ships and the dumping of toxic waste forced the Somali fishermen to take up arms against the foreign ships. From here piracy evolved from charging smaller amounts from illegal trawlers as a way of concealing their illegal activities to more extensive piracy including hostage taking.<br />
<br />
Overall, the weak law enforcement capacity, ineffective government and level of corruption all contribute to the enabling of piracy activities in the region.<br />
<br />
===Cultural acceptability and legitimation===<br />
In continuation of the actions from the local coastal communities and fishermen against the illegal fishing by foreign fishers the element of cultural acceptability and legitimation also plays a significant role. The estimated cost of illegal fishing has been calculated by the UN at more than 300 $ for Somalia each year.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Karawita |first1=Amali Kartika |title=Piracy in Somalia: An Analysis of the Challenges Faced by the International Community |journal=Jurnal Hubungan Internasional |date=2020 |volume=Tahun XIII, No.1 |page=22}}</ref> The cultural acceptability of piracy in Somali coastal communities stems from the perception of the actions taken against the external actors in the Somali water as legitimate. Since the illegal fishing and pollution crimes by foreign ships has increased the economic hardship and destroyed the livelihood of fishermen, this justified the actions against the foreign ships committed by the local fishermen<ref name="Bueger & Edmunds" /><br />
<br />
== Effects and perceptions ==<br />
[[File:Piracy Decline LRIT.png|thumb|400px|right|Time series of maritime traffic crossing the Indian Ocean showing the effect of piracy and its progressive decline in re-routing ships. Each sub-plot shows 6-month colour-coded trips, red southbound and green northbound, using Long Range Identification and Tracking [[Long-range identification and tracking (ships)|(LRIT)]] historical data. Operational authorities requested an increase of LRIT reporting frequency from ships in 2009 and 2010 in order to better track them remotely in the [[Piracy around the Horn of Africa|High Risk Area]]. The increase of tracking points can be erroneously perceived as an apparently higher volume of traffic with respect to other periods.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Vespe|first1=Michele|last2=Greidanus|first2=Harm|last3=Alvarez|first3=Marlene Alvarez|title=The declining impact of piracy on maritime transport in the Indian Ocean: Statistical analysis of 5-year vessel tracking data|journal=Marine Policy|date=1 September 2015|volume=59|pages=9–15|doi=10.1016/j.marpol.2015.04.018|doi-access=free|bibcode=2015MarPo..59....9V }}</ref>]]<br />
<br />
=== Costs ===<br />
Significant negative effects of piracy have been reported.<ref name="Cweattcop">{{cite web|last=Venetia Archer|first=Robert Young Pelton|title=Can We Ever Assess the True Cost of Piracy?|url=http://www.somaliareport.com/index.php/post/2867/Can_We_Ever_Assess_the_True_Cost_of_Piracy_|publisher=Somalia Report|access-date=21 May 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120602064556/http://www.somaliareport.com/index.php/post/2867/Can_We_Ever_Assess_the_True_Cost_of_Piracy_|archive-date=2 June 2012}}</ref> In 2005, a liquefied petroleum tanker, '''MS ''Feisty Gas''''', was hijacked and ransomed for $315,000 after being held for about two weeks.<ref name="Mcknight 2012 42">{{Cite book |last=McKnight |first=Terry |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EEh1GjgByMQC |title=Pirate Alley: Commanding Task Force 151 Off Somalia |last2=Hirsh |first2=Michael |publisher=[[Naval Institute Press]] |year=2012 |isbn=978-1-61251-134-4 |location=Annapolis, MD |page=42}}</ref> In 2009, pirate income derived from ransoms was estimated at 42.1 million euros (about $58 million),<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.spiegel.de/panorama/justiz/0,1518,741573,00.html|author=Utler, Simone|title=Alleine unter Piraten|language=de|work=[[Der Spiegel]]|date=25 January 2011|access-date=25 January 2011}}</ref> rising to $238 million in 2010.<ref name=eyeft>{{cite web|url=http://www.eyefortransport.com/content/maritime-piracy-costs-global-community-12-billion-year|author=Gill, Sharon|title=Maritime Piracy Costs Global Community 12 Billion a Year.|date=20 January 2011|access-date=27 January 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110124074536/http://www.eyefortransport.com/content/maritime-piracy-costs-global-community-12-billion-year|archive-date=24 January 2011}}</ref> The average ransom had risen to $5.4 million in 2010, up from around $150,000 in 2005.<ref name="Ransom cash">{{cite news|title=Piracy ransom cash ends up with Somali militants|url=https://af.reuters.com/article/topNews/idAFJOE7650C420110706|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110713150456/http://af.reuters.com/article/topNews/idAFJOE7650C420110706|url-status=dead|archive-date=13 July 2011|work=Reuters| date=6 July 2011}}</ref> However, by 2011, pirate ransom income dropped to $160 million, a downward trend which has been attributed to intensified counter-piracy efforts.<ref name="Cweattcop"/><br />
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Besides the actual cost of paying ransoms, various attempts have been made at gauging indirect costs stemming from the piracy; especially those reportedly incurred over the course of anti-piracy initiatives.<ref name="Cweattcop"/><ref name="piracycostecon">Tim Besley, et al. [http://www.trfetzer.com/?p=36 ''One Kind of Lawlessness: Estimating the Welfare Cost of Somali Piracy''], ''Besley et al.'', June 2012. Retrieved 25 June 2012</ref><br />
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During the height of the piracy phenomenon in 2008, local residents complained that the presence of so many armed men made them feel insecure and that their free spending ways caused wild fluctuations in the local [[exchange rate]]. Others faulted them for excessive consumption of alcoholic beverages and [[khat]].<ref name="Pirates high life"/><br />
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A 2010 report suggested that piracy off the coast of Somalia led to a decrease of revenue for [[Egypt]] as fewer ships use the [[Suez Canal]] (estimated loss of about $642 million), impeded trade with neighboring countries, and negatively impacted tourism and fishing in the [[Seychelles]].<ref name=eyeft/><ref name="piracycost">Anna Bowden, et al. [https://wayback.archive-it.org/all/20120629210819/http://oceansbeyondpiracy.org/documents/The_Economic_Cost_of_Piracy_Full_Report.pdf ''The Economic Cost of Maritime Piracy''], p. 13. ''One Earth Future'', December 2010. Retrieved 26 February 2011</ref> According to Sky News, around 50% of the world's containers passed through the Horn of Africa coastline as of 2012. The [[European Union Naval Force]] (EU NAVFOR) has a yearly budget of over 8 million Euros earmarked for patrolling the {{convert|8.3|e6km2|sqmi|abbr=off}}.<ref name="Iteuapnc"/><br />
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A 2011 report by Oceans Beyond Piracy (OBP) suggested that the indirect costs of piracy were much higher and estimated to be between $6.6 to $6.9 billion, as they also included insurance, naval support, legal proceedings, re-routing of slower ships, and individual protective steps taken by ship-owners.<ref name="OBP2011">{{cite web|url=http://oceansbeyondpiracy.org/sites/default/files/attachments/View%20Full%20Report_3.pdf|title=The Economic Cost of Somali Piracy 2011|first=Bowden|last=Anna|date=11 January 2024 |publisher=Oceans Beyond Piracy}}</ref><ref name="Cweattcop"/><ref name=eyeft/><ref name="Guardian Luck">{{cite news|title=Outgunned Somali pirates can hardly believe their luck|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/may/08/outgunned-somali-pirates-luck?newsfeed=true|newspaper=The Guardian | location=London|first=Nick|last=Hopkins|date=8 May 2012}}</ref><ref name="Pirate Raids">{{cite news|title=Private navy planned to counter pirate raids|url=http://www.thenational.ae/business/economy/private-navy-planned-to-counter-pirate-raids|newspaper=The National}}</ref><br />
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Another report from 2011 published by the consultancy firm Geopolicity Inc. investigated the causes and consequences of international piracy, with a particular focus on such activity off the coast of Somalia. The paper asserted that what began as an attempt in the mid-1990s by Somali fishermen to protect their territorial waters has extended far beyond their seaboard and grown into an emerging market in its own right. Due to potentially substantial financial rewards, the report hypothesized that the number of new pirates could swell by 400 persons annually, that pirate ransom income could in turn rise to $400 million per year by 2015, and that piracy costs as a whole could increase to $15 billion over the same period.<ref name=piracy>{{cite news|last=Owen|first=Jonathan|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/africa/out-of-control-piracy-set-to-cost-world-1639bn-by-2015-2269013.html|title=The Economics of Piracy|work=The Independent|date=17 April 2011|location=London}}</ref><br />
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In 2011 alone, it has been estimated that MAERSK, the world's largest shipping company, incurred costs upwards of $200 million. To help combat this, the company introduced a 'piracy risk surcharge', ranging from $110-$170 per 40&nbsp;ft equivalent unit.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Jones|first=Stephanie|date=2014-01-01|title=Maritime piracy and the cost of world trade*|url=https://doi.org/10.1108/CR-02-2013-0008|journal=Competitiveness Review|volume=24|issue=3|pages=158–170|doi=10.1108/CR-02-2013-0008|issn=1059-5422}}</ref><br />
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According to a 2012 investigative piece by the Somalia Report, the OBP paper and other similar reports that attempt to calibrate the global cost of piracy produce inaccurate estimates based on a variety of factors. Most saliently, instead of comparing the actual costs of piracy with the considerable benefits derived from the phenomenon by the maritime industry and local parties capitalizing on capacity-building initiatives, the OBP paper conflated the alleged piracy costs with the large premiums made by insurance companies and lumped them together with governmental and societal costs. The report also exaggerated the impact that piracy has had on the shipping sector, an industry which has grown steadily in size from 25,000 billion tonnes/miles to 35,000 billion tonnes/miles since the rise of Indian Ocean piracy in 2005. Moreover, the global costs of piracy reportedly represent a small fraction of total maritime shipping expenses and are significantly lower than more routine costs, such as those brought on by port theft, bad weather conditions or fuel-related issues. In the United States alone, the National Cargo Security Council estimated that between $10–$15 billion were stolen from ports in 2003, a figure several times higher than the projected global cost of piracy. Additionally, while the OBP paper alleged that pirate activity has had a significantly negative impact on regional economies, particularly the Kenyan tourism industry, tourist-derived revenue in Kenya rose by 32% in 2011. According to the Somalia Report investigation, the OBP paper also did not factor into its calculations the overall decline in successful pirate attacks beginning in the second half of 2011, a downward trend largely brought about by the increasing use of armed guards.<ref name="OBP2011"/><ref name="Cweattcop"/> According to Admiral [[Terence E. McKnight]], ransom demands and payments have risen exponentially and the financers and pirates decided they are willing to wait as long as it takes to receive "high seven-figure payouts".<ref name="Mcknight 2012 42" /><br />
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=== Benefits ===<br />
Some benefits from the piracy have also been noted. In the earlier years of the phenomenon in 2008, it was reported that many local residents in pirate hubs such as [[Harardhere]] appreciated the rejuvenating effect that the pirates' on-shore spending and restocking had on their small towns, a presence which often provided jobs and opportunity when there were comparatively fewer. Entire hamlets were in the process reportedly transformed into [[boomtown]]s, with local shop owners and other residents using their gains to purchase items such as [[Electrical generator|generators]] for uninterrupted electricity.<ref name="Boomtowns" /> However, the election of a new administration in 2009 in the northeastern [[Puntland]] region saw a sharp decrease in pirate operations, as the provincial authorities launched a comprehensive anti-piracy campaign and established an official [[Puntland Maritime Police Force|maritime police force]] (PMPF). Since 2010, pirates have mainly operated from the Galmudug region to the south. According to the Somalia Report, the significant infrastructural development evident in Puntland's urban centers has also mainly come from a combination of government development programs, internal investment by local residents returning to their home regions following the civil war in the south, and especially [[remittance]] funds sent by the sizable Somali diaspora. The latter contributions have been estimated at $1.3–$2 billion a year, exponentially dwarfing pirate ransom proceeds, which total only a few million dollars annually and are difficult to track in terms of spending.<ref name="Srpppp">{{cite web|last=Young Pelton|first=Robert|title=Plunder, Politics, Presumption and Puntland|url=http://somaliareport.com/index.php/post/2530/Plunder_Politics_Presumption_and_Puntland|publisher=Somalia Report|access-date=31 May 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120117223911/http://www.somaliareport.com/index.php/post/2530/Plunder_Politics_Presumption_and_Puntland|archive-date=17 January 2012}}</ref><br />
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Additionally, impoverished fishermen in Kenya's [[Malindi]] area in the southeastern [[African Great Lakes]] region have reported their largest catches in 40 years, catching hundreds of kilos of fish and earning 50 times the average daily wage as a result. They attribute the recent abundance and variety of marine stock to the pirates scaring away foreign fishing trawlers, which have for decades deprived local [[dhow]]s of a livelihood. According to marine biologists, indicators are that the local [[fishery]] is recovering because of the lack of commercial-scale fishing.<ref name="Kfcsp">{{cite web|title=Kenyan Fishermen Celebrate Somali Pirates|work=A24Media|url=http://a24media.com/downloads/pdf/scripts/english/kenyan_fishermen_celebrate_somali_pirates.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101025135024/http://a24media.com/downloads/pdf/scripts/english/kenyan_fishermen_celebrate_somali_pirates.pdf|archive-date=25 October 2010}}</ref><br />
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Piracy off the coast of Somalia also appears to have a positive impact on the problem of overfishing in Somali waters by foreign vessels. A comparison has been made with the situation in [[Tanzania]] further to the south, which is also affected by fishing by foreign ships and generally lacks the means to effectively protect and regulate its territorial waters. There, catches have dropped to dramatically low levels, whereas in Somalia they have risen back to more acceptable levels since the beginning of the piracy.<ref>{{cite video|people=Georges Pernoud|date=21 May 2010|title=Dans les îles Eparses|url=http://thalassa.france3.fr/|language=fr|publisher=[[Thalassa (TV series)|Thalassa (television)]]|access-date=23 May 2010|time=51'48", 1:00:17|archive-date=25 December 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121225073156/http://thalassa.france3.fr/|url-status=dead}}</ref><br />
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=== Casualties ===<br />
Of the 4,185 seafarers whose ships had been attacked by the pirates and the 1,090 who were held hostage in 2010, a third were reportedly abused. Some captives have also indicated that they were used as human shields for pirate attacks while being held hostage.<ref name=obp>{{cite web|url=http://oneearthfuture.org/images/imagefiles/HCOP%20Press%20Release.pdf |author=Ocean Beyond Piracy |title=Human Cost of Somali Piracy |date=2 June 2011 |access-date=7 July 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110926072943/http://oneearthfuture.org/images/imagefiles/HCOP%20Press%20Release.pdf |archive-date=26 September 2011 }}</ref><br />
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According to Reuters, of the 3,500 captured during a four-year period, 62 died. The causes of death included suicide and malnutrition,<ref name=reu>{{cite news| url=https://www.reuters.com/article/somalia-piracy-seafarers-idUSLDE75J1KA20110620 | author=Jonathan Saul |title=Deaths of Seafarers in Somali Pirate Attacks Soar | work=Reuters| date=20 June 2011 |access-date=7 July 2011}}</ref> with 25 of the deaths attributed to murder according to [[International Association of Dry Cargo Shipowners|Intercargo]].<ref name="Hostkprbm"/> In some cases, the captives have also reported being tortured.<ref name="Torture detailed">{{cite news|title=Torture by Somali pirates detailed at Va. trial|url=http://www.telegram.com/article/20120420/NEWS/120429953/1052|agency=Associated Press|date=20 April 2012}}</ref> Many seafarers are left traumatized after release.<ref name=reu/><br />
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According to many interviewed maritime security firms, ship owner groups, lawyers and insurance companies, fear of pirate attacks has increased the likelihood of violent encounters at sea, as untrained or overeager vessel guards have resorted to shooting indiscriminately without first properly assessing the actual threat level. In the process, they have killed both pirates and sometimes innocent fishermen, as well as jeopardizing the reputation of private maritime security firms with their reckless gun use. Since many of the new maritime security companies that have emerged often also enlist the services of off-duty policemen and former soldiers who saw combat in [[Iraq]] and [[Afghanistan]], worries of a "[[Nisour Square massacre|Blackwater]] out in the Indian Ocean" have only intensified.<ref name="Hostkprbm">{{cite web|url=http://www.hiiraan.com/news4/2012/may/24028/shooting_to_kill_pirates_risks_blackwater_moment.aspx|title=Shooting to Kill Pirates Risks Blackwater Moment|access-date=20 May 2016}}</ref><br />
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=== Profiteers ===<br />
According to the [[German Institute for Economic Research]] (DIW), a veritable industry of profiteers has also risen around the piracy. [[Insurance]] companies, in particular, have profited from the pirate attacks, as insurance premiums have increased significantly. DIW reports that, in order to keep premiums high, insurance firms have not demanded that ship owners take security precautions that would make hijackings more difficult. For their part, shipping companies often ignore naval guidelines on how best to prevent pirate attacks in order to cut down on costs. In addition, security contractors and the arms industry have profited from the phenomenon.<ref name="Gerforpol"/><br />
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== Sovereignty and environmental protection ==<br />
[[File:Faina highjacked.jpg|thumb|The crew of the merchant vessel [[MV Faina|''Faina'']] stand on the deck after a U.S. Navy request to check on their health and welfare. The Belize-flagged cargo ship owned and operated by Kaalbye Shipping, Ukraine, was seized by pirates 25 September 2008 and forced to proceed to anchorage off the Somali coast. The ship was carrying a cargo of Ukrainian [[T-72]] tanks and related military equipment.]]<br />
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The former UN envoy for Somalia, [[Ahmedou Ould-Abdallah]], has stated that "because there is no (effective) government, there is … much irregular fishing from European and Asian countries,"<ref name="MiddleEast"/> and that the UN has reliable information that European and Asian companies are dumping [[Toxic waste|toxic]] and [[Radioactive waste|nuclear waste]] off the Somali coastline.<ref name =aljazeera11Oct2008/> However, he stresses that "no government has endorsed this act, and that private companies and individuals acting alone are responsible".<ref name =aljazeera11Oct2008/> In addition, Ould-Abdallah told the press that he approached several international [[NGO]]s, such as [[Global Witness]], to trace the illicit fishing and waste-dumping. He added that he believes the toxic waste dumping is "a disaster off the Somali coast, a disaster (for) the Somali environment, the Somali population", and that what he terms "this illegal fishing, illegal dumping of waste" helps fuel the civil war in Somalia since the illegal foreign fishermen pay off corrupt local officials or warlords for protection or to secure counterfeit licenses.<ref name="MiddleEast"/> Ould-Abdallah noted that piracy will not prevent waste dumping:<br />
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{{blockquote|I am convinced there is dumping of solid waste, chemicals and probably nuclear (waste).... There is no government (control) and there are few people with high moral ground[…] The intentions of these pirates are not concerned with protecting their environment. What is ultimately needed is a functioning, effective government that will get its act together and take control of its affairs.|Ahmedou Ould-Abdallah, the UN envoy for Somalia<ref name =aljazeera11Oct2008/>}}<br />
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Somali pirates which captured [[MV Faina|MV ''Faina'']], a Ukrainian ship carrying tanks and military hardware, accused European firms of dumping toxic waste off the Somali coast and declared that the $8m ransom for the return of the ship will go towards cleaning up the waste. The ransom demand is a means of "reacting to the toxic waste that has been continually dumped on the shores of our country for nearly 20 years", Januna Ali Jama, a spokesman for the pirates said. "The Somali coastline has been destroyed, and we believe this money is nothing compared to the devastation that we have seen on the seas."<ref name =aljazeera11Oct2008/><br />
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Former [[African Union]] [[Chairperson of the African Union|chairman]] and [[History of Libya under Muammar Gaddafi|Libyan president]] [[Muammar Gaddafi|Muammar al-Gaddafi]] argued that piracy; "[is] a response to greedy Western nations, who invade and exploit Somalia's water resources illegally...[it] is not a piracy, it is self defence."<ref>{{Cite news |date=February 5, 2009 |title=Gaddafi defends Somali pirates |work=Nation |url=https://nation.africa/kenya/news/africa/1066-525348-13rtrgiz/index.html |access-date=July 9, 2023}}</ref><br />
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Pirate leader Sugule Ali said their motive was "to stop illegal fishing and dumping in our waters … We don't consider ourselves sea bandits. We consider sea bandits [to be] those who illegally fish and dump in our seas and dump waste in our seas and carry weapons in our seas." According to [[Johann Hari]], the independent Somali news-site [[WardherNews]] found that 70 percent "strongly supported the piracy as a form of national defence of the country's territorial waters".<ref name="huffingtonpost.com">{{cite news|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/johann-hari/you-are-being-lied-to-abo_b_155147.html|title=Johann Hari: You Are Being Lied to About Pirates|work=HuffPost|access-date=27 March 2011|date=13 April 2009}}</ref><br />
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=== Waste dumping ===<br />
{{See also|Toxic waste dumping by the 'Ndrangheta}}<br />
Following the [[2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami|Indian Ocean tsunami of December 2004]], allegations have emerged that after the outbreak of the Somali Civil War in late 1991, Somalia's long, remote shoreline was used as a dump site for the disposal of toxic waste. The huge waves which battered northern Somalia after the tsunami are believed to have stirred up tonnes of nuclear and toxic waste that was illegally dumped in Somali waters by several European firms – front companies created by the [[Italian mafia]].<ref name="Clayton"/> The [[European Green Party]] followed up these revelations by presenting before the press and the [[European Parliament]] in [[Strasbourg]] copies of contracts signed by two European companies—the Italian Swiss firm, Achair Partners, and an Italian waste broker, Progresso—and representatives of the warlords then in power, to accept 10 million tonnes of toxic waste in exchange for $80 million (then about £60 million). According to a report by the [[United Nations Environment Programme]] (UNEP) assessment mission, there are far higher than normal cases of respiratory infections, mouth ulcers and bleeding, abdominal hemorrhages and unusual skin infections among many inhabitants of the areas around the northeastern towns of [[Hobyo|Hobbio]] and [[Benadir]] on the Indian Ocean coast. UNEP continues that the current situation along the Somali coastline poses a very serious environmental hazard not only in Somalia but also in the eastern Africa sub-region.<ref name="Clayton">{{cite news|url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/article418665.ece|title=Somalia's secret dumps of toxic waste washed ashore by tsunami|work=The Times|access-date=25 February 2009|location=London|date=4 March 2005|first=Jonathan|last=Clayton}}{{dead link|date=September 2024|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref><ref>It is estimated{{by whom|date=October 2010}} that it costs around $2.50 per ton to illegally dump toxic waste in Somali waters as opposed to $250 per ton for legal disposal in Europe.</ref><br />
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{{blockquote|In 1992, reports ran in the European press of "unnamed European firms" contracting with local warlords to dump toxic waste both in Somalia and off Somalia's shores. The United Nations Environment Program was called in to investigate, and the Italian parliament issued a report later in the decade. Several European "firms" — really front companies created by the [['Ndrangheta|Italian mafia]] — contracted with local [[Somali warlords]] to ship hundreds of thousands of tons of toxic industrial waste from Europe to Somalia.|Troy S. Thomas, ''Warlords rising: confronting violent non-state actors''<ref>Troy S. Thomas, Stephen D. Kiser, William D. Casebeer (2005). ''Warlords rising: confronting violent non-state actors''. Lexington Books. p.127. {{ISBN|0-7391-1190-6}}</ref>}}<br />
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Under Article 9(1)(d) of the [[Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal]], it is illegal for "any transboundary movement of hazardous wastes or other wastes: that results in deliberate disposal (e.g. dumping) of hazardous wastes or other wastes in contravention of this Convention and of general principles of international law".<ref>[http://www.basel.int/text/con-e-rev.pdf ''Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal'', 22 March 1989] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090124051608/http://www.basel.int/text/con-e-rev.pdf |date=24 January 2009 }}</ref><br />
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According to [[Nick Nuttall]] of the United Nations Environmental Programme, "Somalia has been used as a dumping ground for hazardous waste starting in the early 1990s, and continuing through the civil war there", and "European companies found it to be very cheap to get rid of the waste, costing as little as $2.50 a tonne, where waste disposal costs in Europe are closer to $1000 per tonne."<ref name =aljazeera11Oct2008>{{cite web|last=Abdullahi|first=Najad|url=http://english.aljazeera.net/news/africa/2008/10/2008109174223218644.html|title=Toxic waste' behind Somali piracy'|publisher=English.aljazeera.net|date=11 October 2008|access-date=27 March 2009}}</ref><ref name=UNEP16Mar05>United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) [http://www.unep.org/cpi/briefs/Brief16Mar05.doc The Environment in the News, 16 Mar 2005] {{Webarchive|url=http://webarchive.loc.gov/all/20090118001826/http%3A//www.unep.org/cpi/briefs/Brief16Mar05.doc |date=18 January 2009 }}</ref><br />
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=== Illegal fishing ===<br />
At the same time, foreign trawlers began illegally fishing Somalia's seas, with an estimated $300 million of [[tuna]], [[shrimp]], and [[lobster]] being taken each year, depleting stocks previously available to local fishermen. Through interception with speedboats, Somali fishermen tried to either dissuade the dumpers and trawlers or levy a "tax" on them as compensation, as Segule Ali's previously mentioned quote notes. Peter Lehr, a Somalia piracy expert at the [[University of St. Andrews]], says "It's almost like a resource swap", Somalis collect up to $100 million a year from pirate ransoms off their coasts and the Europeans and Asians poach around $300 million a year in fish from Somali waters.<ref name="Hari">{{cite news|title= You are being lied to about pirates|work=[[The Independent]]|date= 5 January 2009| access-date=10 April 2009 | url= https://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/johann-hari/johann-hari-you-are-being-lied-to-about-pirates-1225817.html|location=London}}</ref><ref>[http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-somalia-pirates_salopek1oct10,0,6155016.story "Off the lawless coast of Somalia, questions of who is pirating who."], ''[[Chicago Tribune]]'', 10 October 2008</ref> The UK's Department for International Development (DFID) issued a report in 2005 stating that, between 2003 and 2004, Somalia lost about $100 million in revenue due to illegal [[tuna]] and [[shrimp]] fishing in the country's [[exclusive economic zone]] by foreign trawlers.<ref name="autogenerated2009">{{Citation|author=Dagne,Ted|title=Somalia: Conditions and Prospects for Lasting Peace|year=2009|ref=CRS}}</ref><br />
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In an effort to curb illegal fishing the [[Federal Government of Somalia]] introduced new legislation in December 2014 which banned bottom trawling by domestic and foreign vessels, made all prior licenses null and void, and reserved the first 24&nbsp;nm of Somali waters for Somali fishers.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ecolex.org/details/legislation/fisheries-law-of-the-federal-republic-of-somalia-review-of-2016-lex-faoc171668/|title=Fisheries law of the Federal Republic of Somalia (Review of 2016).|website=ecolex.org|access-date=2020-03-14}}</ref> Foreign fishing vessels caught an estimate 92,500 mt of fish in 2014, almost twice that caught by the Somali domestic fleet. Iran (48%) and Yemen (31%) accounted for the vast majority of foreign fish catch in the most recent year of analysis.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Glaser|first1=Sarah M.|last2=Roberts|first2=Paige M.|last3=Hurlburt|first3=Kaija J.|year=2019|title=Foreign Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated Fishing in Somali Waters Perpetuates Conflict|journal=Frontiers in Marine Science|language=en|volume=6|doi=10.3389/fmars.2019.00704|issn=2296-7745|doi-access=free}}</ref><br />
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According to Roger Middleton of [[Chatham House]], "The problem of [[overfishing]] and illegal fishing in Somali waters is a very serious one, and does affect the livelihoods of people inside Somalia […] the dumping of toxic waste on Somalia's shores is a very serious issue, which will continue to affect people in Somalia long after the war has ended, and piracy is resolved".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rfi.fr/actuen/articles/112/article_3481.asp|title=RFI – US vessel evades capture but pirates take more|publisher=Radio France Internationale|access-date=27 March 2011}}</ref> To lure fish to their traps, foreign trawlers reportedly also use fishing equipment under prohibition such as nets with very small mesh sizes and sophisticated underwater lighting systems.<ref name="MiddleEast">{{cite web|url=http://www.middle-east-online.com/english/?id=27114|title=UN envoy decries waste dumping off Somalia|publisher=Middle-east-online.com|date=26 July 2008|access-date=27 March 2011|archive-date=15 December 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171215001253/http://www.middle-east-online.com/english/?id=27114|url-status=dead}}</ref><br />
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Under Article 56(1)(b)(iii) of the [[Law of the Sea Convention]]:<blockquote>"In the exclusive economic zone, the coastal State has jurisdiction as provided for in the relevant provisions of this Convention with regard to the protection and preservation of the marine environment".</blockquote><br />
Article 57 of the Convention in turn outlines the limit of that jurisdiction:<blockquote>"The exclusive economic zone shall not extend beyond 200 nautical miles from the baselines from which the breadth of the territorial sea is measured".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.un.org/Depts/los/convention_agreements/texts/unclos/unclos_e.pdf|title=''United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea'', 10 December 1982|access-date=27 March 2011}}</ref></blockquote><br />
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According to Amedeo Policante, a researcher from Goldsmiths College, University of London: "The devastating effect of these types of corporate-led form of capital accumulation cannot be overstated in a region where, according to the most recent reports of the UNEP, over 30 million people are dependent on maritime and coastal resources for their daily livelihoods. Nevertheless, there was little or no international will to insist on the implementation of the United Nations Conventions on the Law of the Sea, which banish both over-fishing and toxic dumping in oceanic waters. This form of illegality – despite the environmental disruption and the high cost in human life it implied – was not perceived as an existential threat by states and it was therefore left unchecked. Only when piracy appeared in the region the lack of effective sovereign control over the Gulf of Aden was problematized".<ref>{{cite journal|title= The new pirate wars: the world market as imperial formation| doi=10.1080/23269995.2013.804760|volume=3|journal=Global Discourse|pages=52–71|year = 2013|last1 = Policante|first1 = Amedeo}}</ref><br />
<br />
== Anti-piracy measures ==<br />
{{Main|Anti-piracy measures in Somalia}}<br />
<br />
[[File:Anti piracy operations by INS Tabar, in the Gulf of Aden on November 18, 2008.jpg|thumb|Anti piracy operations by Indian Navy's [[INS Tabar]], in the Gulf of Aden on 18 November 2008]]<br />
<br />
As of 2013, four international naval task forces operated in the region, with numerous national vessels and task forces entering and leaving the region, engaging in counter-piracy operations for various lengths of time. The three international task forces which compose the bulk of counter-piracy operations are [[Combined Task Force 150]] (whose overarching mission is [[Operation Enduring Freedom – Horn of Africa|Operation Enduring Freedom]]), [[CTF 151|Combined Task Force 151]] (which was set up in 2009 specifically to run counter-piracy operations),<ref>{{cite web|author=Commander, Combined Maritime Forces Public Affairs |url=http://www.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=41687 |title=New Counter-Piracy Task Force Established |publisher=United States Navy |access-date=27 March 2011}}</ref> the EU naval task force operating under [[Operation Atalanta]] and the SADC naval task force operating under Operation Copper.<ref name="operation copper">{{cite web|url=https://www.maritime-executive.com/article/South-Africas-Engagement-in-CounterPiracy-2014-11-08|title=South Africa's Engagement in Counter-Piracy|publisher=The Maritime Executive|date=8 November 2014|access-date=8 November 2014}}</ref> All counter-piracy operations are coordinated through a monthly planning conference called [[Shared Awareness and Deconfliction (SHADE)]].<ref name="SHADE">{{cite web|url=http://www.eunavfor.eu/2009/10/8th-shade-meeting-sees-largest-international-participation-so-far |title=Shared Awareness and Deconfliction (SHADE) |publisher=Eunavfor.eu |access-date=27 March 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110221092500/http://www.eunavfor.eu/2009/10/8th-shade-meeting-sees-largest-international-participation-so-far/ |archive-date=21 February 2011 }}</ref> Originally having representatives only from NATO, the EU, and the [[Combined Maritime Forces]] (CMF) HQ in Bahrain, it now regularly attracts representatives from over 20 countries.<br />
<br />
Between 2009 and 2010, the government of the autonomous [[Puntland]] region in northeastern Somalia enacted a number of reforms and pre-emptive measures as a part of its officially declared anti-piracy campaign.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.puntland-gov.net/viewnews.asp?nwtype=PR&nid=PRPR202231312104753706 |title=Somalia: Puntland Government Continues Anti-Piracy Campaign, Rejects Monitoring Group Accusations |publisher=Puntland-gov.net |access-date=27 March 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110724022457/http://www.puntland-gov.net/viewnews.asp?nwtype=PR&nid=PRPR202231312104753706 |archive-date=24 July 2011 }}</ref> In May 2010, construction also began on a new naval base in the town of Bandar Siyada, located 25&nbsp;km west of [[Bosaso]], the commercial capital of Puntland.<ref name="Horseed">{{cite web |url=http://horseedmedia.net/2010/05/somalia-puntland-to-start-construction-of-new-navy-base/ |title=Somalia: Puntland to start construction of new Navy base |publisher=Horseedmedia.net |access-date=27 March 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100603030323/http://horseedmedia.net/2010/05/somalia-puntland-to-start-construction-of-new-navy-base/ |archive-date=3 June 2010 |url-status=dead }}</ref> These numerous security measures appear to have borne fruit, as many pirates were apprehended in 2010, including a prominent leader.<ref name="Abcpulas">{{cite web|url=https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=10697130|title=Pirate on US wanted list arrested in Somalia |publisher=ABC News|date=20 May 2010|access-date=27 March 2011}}</ref> Puntland's security forces also reportedly managed to force out the pirate gangs from their traditional safe havens such as Eyl and Gar'ad,<ref name="PPDGA">{{cite web|url=http://www.garoweonline.com/artman2/publish/Somalia_27/Somalia_Puntland_president_delineates_government_achievement.shtml |title=Puntland president delineates government achievement |publisher=Garoweonline.com |date=9 January 2010 |access-date=27 March 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110514132210/http://www.garoweonline.com/artman2/publish/Somalia_27/Somalia_Puntland_president_delineates_government_achievement.shtml |archive-date=14 May 2011 }}</ref> with the pirates now primarily operating from [[Hobyo]], El Danaan and Harardhere in the neighboring [[Galmudug]] region.<ref name="PPDGA2">{{cite web |url=http://kirk.senate.gov/pdfs/KirkReportfinal2.pdf |title=Microsoft Word – KirkReportfinal.docx |access-date=17 December 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111117191352/http://kirk.senate.gov/pdfs/KirkReportfinal2.pdf |archive-date=17 November 2011}}</ref><br />
<br />
Government officials from the [[Galmudug]] administration in the north-central [[Hobyo]] district have also reportedly attempted to use pirate gangs as a bulwark against Islamist insurgents from southern Somalia's conflict zones;<ref name="jgtle">{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/world/africa/02pirates.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&th&emc=th |title=In Somali Civil War, Both Sides Embrace Pirates |work=The New York Times |date= 1 September 2010|access-date=27 March 2011 |first=Jeffrey |last=Gettleman}}</ref> other pirates are alleged to have reached agreements of their own with the Islamist groups, although a senior commander from the [[Hizbul Islam]] militia vowed to eradicate piracy by imposing [[sharia law]] when his group briefly took control of Harardhere in May 2010 and drove out the local pirates.<ref name="jgtle"/><ref name="Sivteppfws">{{cite web|last=Haji |first=Mustafa |url=https://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5j0OwOfeiTIzFFb3Vb2e8dxaI5qHA |title=Somali Islamists vow to end piracy, pirates flee with ships |date=2 May 2010 |access-date=27 March 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140223194103/https://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5j0OwOfeiTIzFFb3Vb2e8dxaI5qHA |archive-date=23 February 2014 }}</ref><br />
<br />
By the first half of 2010, these increased policing efforts by Somali government authorities on land along with international naval vessels at sea reportedly contributed to a drop in pirate attacks in the Gulf of Aden from 86 a year prior to 33, forcing pirates to shift attention to other areas such as the Somali Basin and the wider Indian Ocean.<ref name="Abcpulas"/><ref name="World pirate attacks drop 18%">{{cite news|url=http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-world/world-pirate-attacks-drop-18-20100715-10cld.html|title=World pirate attacks drop 18%|work=The Sydney Morning Herald|date=15 July 2010|access-date=27 March 2011|first=Eileen|last=Ng}}</ref><ref name="Spfawp">{{cite web|url=http://www.garoweonline.com/artman2/publish/Somalia_27/Somalia_Puntland_forces_arrest_wanted_pirates_in_Garowe.shtml |title=Somalia: Puntland forces arrest wanted pirates in Garowe |publisher=Garoweonline.com |date=18 May 2010 |access-date=27 March 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100521041934/http://www.garoweonline.com/artman2/publish/Somalia_27/Somalia_Puntland_forces_arrest_wanted_pirates_in_Garowe.shtml |archive-date=21 May 2010}}</ref><br />
<br />
The government of [[Somaliland]] has adopted stringent anti-piracy measures, arresting and imprisoning pirates forced to make port in [[Berbera]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://articles.cnn.com/2011-04-20/world/somaliland.pirates.prison_1_somali-waters-pirate-vessel-somaliland?_s=PM:WORLD |publisher=CNN |date=20 April 2011 |access-date=2 August 2011 |title=Life inside Somaliland's pirate prison |first=Jane |last=Ferguson |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110520033508/http://articles.cnn.com/2011-04-20/world/somaliland.pirates.prison_1_somali-waters-pirate-vessel-somaliland?_s=PM%3AWORLD |archive-date=20 May 2011 }}</ref><ref name="Prevent Piracy">{{cite news|title=Somaliland coast guard tries to prevent piracy|url=http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/news/2011/04/ap-piracy-somaliland-coast-guard-040411/|newspaper=Marine Corps|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130513193130/http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/news/2011/04/ap-piracy-somaliland-coast-guard-040411/|archive-date=13 May 2013}}</ref><br />
<br />
In addition to naval patrolling and marine capacity building, the shipping industry implemented Best Management Practices (BMP) in the [[Piracy High Risk Area]] (HRA), a maritime area bounded by the [[Suez]] and the [[Strait of Hormuz]].<br />
<br />
The Chinese [[People's Liberation Army Navy]] began participation in anti-piracy operations in the Gulf of Aden/Horn of Africa, off the Somalian coast, in December 2008; this was the first time that the modern Chinese navy was deployed to an operational mission outside of China's claimed territorial waters.<ref>{{Cite web|author=Alison A. Kaufman|url=https://www.cna.org/cna_files/pdf/D0020834.A1.pdf|title=Conference Report: China's Participation in Anti-Piracy Operations off the Horn of Africa: Drivers and Implications|publisher=[[CNA (nonprofit)|CNA]]|date=July 2009}}</ref> In 2017, China officially opened its [[Chinese People's Liberation Army Support Base in Djibouti|first overseas military base]] in [[Djibouti]]; the base is used for anti-piracy operations, as well as unrelated Chinese efforts aimed at "intelligence collection, non-combat evacuation operations, peacekeeping operation support, and counterterrorism."<ref>Tyler Headley, [https://thediplomat.com/2018/12/chinas-djibouti-base-a-one-year-update/ China's Djibouti Base: A One Year Update], ''The Diplomat'' (4 December 2018).</ref><br />
<br />
== Trials ==<br />
In May 2010, a Yemeni court sentenced six Somali pirates to death and jailed six others for 10 years each, for hijacking a Yemeni oil tanker, killing one cabin crew member and leaving another missing in April 2009.<ref>{{cite news|title=Yemen court sentences six Somali pirates to death|agency=[[Reuters]]|date= 18 May 2010|url=http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/LDE64H1QB.htm}}</ref><br />
<br />
In May 2010, another Somali, [[Abduwali Muse]], pleaded guilty in a [[United States District Court for the Southern District of New York|New York federal court]] to seizing a United States-flagged ship ''Maersk Alabama'' and kidnapping its captain and was sentenced to 33 years imprisonment.<ref>{{cite news|title=Somali pirate sentenced to 33 years in US prison|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-12486129|work= BBC News|date=16 February 2011|access-date=16 February 2011}}</ref><br />
<br />
The first European trial of alleged Somali pirates opened in the [[Netherlands]] in May 2010. They were arrested in the Gulf of Aden in January 2009, when their high-speed boat was intercepted by a Danish frigate while allegedly preparing to board the cargo ship ''Samanyolu'', which was registered in the [[Netherlands Antilles|Dutch Antilles]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Trial of alleged Somali pirates opens in Netherlands|date=25 June 2010|publisher=BBC|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/africa/10151792.stm|access-date=26 May 2010}}</ref> The pirates were sentenced to five years in prison, which was less than the maximum possible sentence. It is unlikely the men will be returned to Somalia after their sentence, as Somalia is considered too dangerous for deportation. One of the five has already applied for [[right of asylum|asylum]] in the Netherlands. Consequently, there are concerns that trials in European courts would encourage, rather than deter, pirates.<ref name="guardian1">{{cite news|title=Somali pirates jailed by Dutch court|first=Henry|last= Foy|newspaper=[[The Guardian]]|date=17 June 2010|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2010/jun/17/somali-pirates-jailed-netherlands|location=London}}</ref> However, trials are continuing in Europe. More recently in Paris, November 2011,<ref name="google news">{{cite news|title=Homesick Somali 'pirates' on trial in Paris |first=Annie |last=Thomas |date=17 November 2011 |url=https://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5juItAA87Q2zJfdQ561Wy_Bks8row?docId=CNG.4a103f4c12c31f010418ccb1595560e0.8c1 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140223193823/https://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5juItAA87Q2zJfdQ561Wy_Bks8row?docId=CNG.4a103f4c12c31f010418ccb1595560e0.8c1 |archive-date=23 February 2014 }}</ref> five men were sentenced to between four and eight years; one man was acquitted. A trial was also held in [[Hamburg]] for ten Somali pirates who had hijacked the freighter ''Taipan'' in 2010. They were found guilty in 2012 and sentenced to 6-7 years in prison with reduced time for the [[Juvenile delinquency|juveniles]] among them. After release, five left Germany, the others filed for asylum.<ref>{{cite news|title=Hamburger Piraten-Prozess – Leben die Somalier mittlerweile von Hartz 4?|url=https://correctiv.org/faktencheck/2018/04/13/hamburger-piraten-prozess-leben-die-somalier-mittlerweile-von-hartz-4/|work= Correctiv|date=30 April 2018|access-date=1 May 2024}}</ref> In Italy, nine Somali pirates had been tried and sentenced to prison terms of 16 and 19 years.<ref name="Crippa Italian sentence">{{cite news|last=Crippa|first=Matteo|title=UPDATE: Convictions in First Italy Piracy Trial|url=http://piracy-law.com/2012/12/02/convictions-in-first-italy-piracy-tria/|access-date=25 December 2012|newspaper=Piracy-law.com|date=2 December 2012}}</ref> They had been found guilty of attempted kidnapping for extortion and illegal possession of firearms, in connection with 10 October 2011 attack and seizure of an Italian-owned cargo vessel, the Montecristo.<ref name="Crippa Italian trial">{{cite news|last=Crippa|first=Matteo|title=Historic Piracy Trial Opens in Italy|url=http://piracy-law.com/2012/03/27/historic-piracy-trial-opens-in-italy/|access-date=25 December 2012|newspaper=Piracy-law.com|date=27 March 2012}}</ref><br />
<br />
On 1 April 2010, {{USS|Nicholas|FFG-47|6}} was on patrol off the Somali coast when it took fire from men in a small skiff. After chasing down the skiff and its mothership, US military captured five Somalis.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/2010/04/01/2010-04-01_us_navy_captures_5_somali_pirates_siezes_pirate_mother_ship_off_kenya_somali_coa.html|title=U.S. Navy captures 5 Somali pirates; seizes pirate mother ship off Kenya, Somali coasts|author=Nelson, Katie|newspaper=[[Daily News (New York)|Daily News]]|location=New York|access-date=1 April 2010|date=1 April 2010}}</ref> Judge [[Raymond Alvin Jackson|Raymond A. Jackson]], a [[United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia|Federal District Court]] judge in [[Norfolk, Virginia]] threw out the piracy charge, which dates from enactment in 1819 when piracy was defined only as robbery at sea. The penalty for piracy is mandatory life in prison. The U.S. government appealed the ruling.<ref>{{cite web|last=McGlone|first=Tim|url=http://hamptonroads.com/2010/11/federal-courts-norfolk-wrestle-over-definition-piracy|title=Federal judges in Norfolk wrestle over definition of piracy &#124; HamptonRoads.com &#124; PilotOnline.com|publisher=HamptonRoads.com|date=8 November 2010|access-date=27 March 2011}}</ref> In March 2011 the five Somalis were sentenced to life for piracy to run consecutively with the 80-year term.<ref>{{cite web|last=McGlone|first=Tim|url=http://hamptonroads.com/2011/03/somalis-get-life-plus-80-years-pirate-attack-nicholas|title=5 Somali pirates get life for attack on Nicholas<br />
|publisher=HamptonRoads.com|date=15 March 2010|access-date=27 March 2011}}</ref> In the same month 13 Somalis and one Yemeni suspected of hijacking and killing four Americans aboard a yacht made their first appearance in federal court in Norfolk.<ref>{{cite web|last=Reilly|first=Corinne|url=http://hamptonroads.com/2011/03/somali-pirate-suspects-leave-enterprise-possibly-norfolk|title=Arabian Sea piracy suspects appear in Norfolk court|publisher=HamptonRoads.com|date=3 November 2010|access-date=27 March 2011}}</ref><br />
<br />
On 28 January 2011, pursuant to the naval engagement of the pirate mother vessel MV ''Prantalay'' (a hijacked Thai trawler) by Car Nicobar-class fast attack craft INS ''Cankarso'', the [[Indian Navy]] and the [[Indian Coast Guard]] killed 10 pirates and apprehended 15, while rescuing 20 Thai and Burmese fishermen that were held aboard the ship as hostages. The rescued fishermen were sent to [[Kochi]] while the 15 pirates, of Somali, Ethiopian and Kenyan origin, were taken to [[Mumbai]]. The [[Mumbai Police]] confirmed that they registered a case against the pirates for attempt to murder and various other provisions under the [[Indian Penal Code]] and the Passports Act for entering the Indian waters without permission.<ref name="google1"/><br />
<br />
In May 2012, a U.S. federal appeals court upheld the convictions of five pirates, a decision which prosecutors described as the first United States-based piracy convictions in 190 years.<ref name="US Pirate Trial">{{cite news|title=U.S. Court Upholds Somali Pirates' Conviction|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/24/world/africa/us-court-upholds-somali-pirates-conviction.html|newspaper=The New York Times|date=23 May 2012}}</ref><br />
<br />
In October 2013, [[Mohamed Abdi Hassan]] ("Afweyne") was arrested in [[Belgium]] for having allegedly masterminded the 2009 hijacking of the Belgian dredge vessel ''Pompei'', abducted its crew, and participated in a criminal organization. According to federal prosecutor Johan Delmulle, Hassan was responsible for the hijacking of dozens of commercial ships from 2008 to 2013.{{citation needed|date=June 2020}} In March 2016, Hassan was tried in [[Bruges]] and sentenced to twenty years imprisonment for leading the 2009 hijacking of the ''Pompei.''<ref>{{Cite web |title=Somali Piracy Kingpin Known As Afwayne Sentenced To 20 Years In Prison For Hijacking Belgian Ship, Pompei – Strategic Intelligence Service |date=16 March 2016 |url=https://intelligencebriefs.com/somali-piracy-kingpin-known-as-afwayne-sentenced-to-20-years-in-prison-for-hijacking-belgian-ship-pompei/ |access-date=2022-04-03 |language=en-US}}</ref><br />
<br />
== See also ==<!-- PLEASE RESPECT ALPHABETICAL ORDER --><br />
{{div col|colwidth=30em}}<br />
* [[August 2009 Egyptian hostage escape]]<br />
* [[April 2009 raid off Somalia]]<br />
* [[2012 Italian Navy Marines shooting incident in the Laccadive Sea]]<br />
* [[Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal]]<br />
* [[CIA]]'s [[Special Activities Division]]<br />
* [[Drone strikes in Somalia]]<br />
* [[Combined Task Force 150]] and [[Combined Task Force 151]] coalition force counter-piracy operations in the region.<br />
* [[Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia]]<br />
* [[International Maritime Bureau]]<br />
* [[International Maritime Organization]]<br />
* [[Operation Atalanta]]<br />
* [[Operation Enduring Freedom – Horn of Africa]]<br />
* [[People's Armed Forces Maritime Militia]]<br />
* [[Piracy around the Horn of Africa]]<br />
* [[Piracy in the Gulf of Guinea]]<br />
* [[Piracy in the Strait of Malacca]]<br />
* [[Piracy on Falcon Lake]]<br />
* [[Pirate Round]]<br />
* [[Ship Security Alert System]]<br />
{{div col end}}<br />
<br />
== References ==<br />
{{Reflist}}<br />
<br />
== External links ==<br />
* {{Commons category-inline}}<br />
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20111007135656/http://somaliareport.com/index.php/category/3/Piracy%20REPORT Somalia Report publishes a weekly piracy report]<br />
* [http://www.piracy-studies.org/ Piracy Studies] A knowledge resource and online bibliography on contemporary maritime piracy]<br />
* [http://www.eunavfor.eu/ European Union Naval Force Somalia – Operation Atalanta]<br />
* [http://www.lessonsfrompiracy.net/ Website of the Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia Report including all official documents an papers on lessons from piracy]<br />
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20130913213239/http://www.maritimesecurity.eu/fileadmin/content/news_events/workingpaper/PiraT_Arbeitspapier_Nr6_2011_Maouche.pdf Alexandre Maouche: Piracy along the Horn of Africa: An Analysis of the Phenomena within Somalia, June 2011]<br />
* Christian Bueger, [http://doi.org/10.1080/23340460.2015.960170 Learning from Piracy: Future Challenges of Maritime Security Governance, Global Affairs, 1(1), 33–42, 2015]<br />
* [[Stig Jarle Hansen]], [https://web.archive.org/web/20110501085654/http://www.nibr.no/uploads/publications/26b0226ad4177819779c2805e91c670d.pdf Piracy in the greater Gulf of Aden, Myths, Misconception and Remedies, NIBR Report 2009:29], Norwegian Institute for Urban and Regional Research<br />
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20120425080038/http://seadb.aperto-nota.fr/2011/12/maritime-transportation-the-impact-of-somalian-piracy/ aperto-nota.fr] maritime routes off Somalia (2011)<br />
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20120112112115/http://www.difesa.it/SMD/CASD/Istituti_militari/CeMISS/Pubblicazioni/News206/2009-12/Pagine/La_pirateria_nel_golfo_di_Aden_11754.aspx Lorenzo Striuli, La pirateria nel golfo di Aden], Italian Military Center for Strategic Studies report (2009) (In Italian)<br />
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20131208124219/http://vsos.sc/about-vsos/ VSOS] Indian Ocean Maritime Security<br />
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20130402205646/http://www.globalgovernance.eu/index.php/p-s-publications/246-new-analysis-the-somali-crisis-and-the-eu-3.html Global Governance Institute publishes on Somalia and the EU]<br />
* [http://icc-ccs.org/piracy-reporting-centre International Maritime Bureau Piracy Reporting Centre], International Chamber of Commerce, Commercial Crime Services<br />
* [http://www.todayonline.com/singapore/safer-waters-global-piracy-menace-wane Interactive Map, Attacks in 2013], TODAY Online<br />
* [https://www.academia.edu/5145475/Quaderni_Asiatici_101_-_marzo_2013_PIRACY_IN_SOMALIA_A_LONG_TERM_MENACE_OR_A_PHENOMENON_IN_ITS_LAST_THROES, Martino Sacchi, Piracy in Somalia: a long term menace or a phenomenon in its last throes?] Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 2013<br />
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{{Pirates}}<br />
{{Human rights in Somalia}}<br />
{{Piracy in Somalia}}<br />
{{Post-Cold War African conflicts}}<br />
{{Military of India}}<br />
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[[Category:Piracy in Somalia| ]]<br />
[[Category:Transport in Somalia]]<br />
[[Category:Gulf of Aden]]<br />
[[Category:Military operations involving China]]<br />
[[Category:Military operations involving Iran]]<br />
[[Category:Military operations involving Japan]]<br />
[[Category:Military operations involving the United Kingdom]]<br />
[[Category:Military operations involving the United States]]<br />
[[Category:Arabian Sea]]<br />
[[Category:2000s crimes in Somalia]]<br />
[[Category:2010s crimes in Somalia]]<br />
[[Category:2005 crimes in Somalia]]<br />
[[Category:Illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing]]<br />
[[Category:Transport in the Arabian Sea]]<br />
[[Category:Military operations involving India]]</div>Boackandwhitehttps://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=New_York_City_Transit_Police&diff=1264774089New York City Transit Police2024-12-23T12:53:51Z<p>Boackandwhite: Undid revision 1236677939 by Epicgenius (talk)</p>
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<div>{{short description|Former law enforcement agency in New York City}}<br />
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| sworn = Approx. 4,000<br />
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}}<br />
<br />
The '''New York City Transit Police Department''' was a [[law enforcement agency]] in [[New York City]] that existed from 1953 (with the creation of the [[New York City Transit Authority]]) to 1995, and is currently part of the [[New York City Police Department|NYPD]]. The roots of this organization go back to 1936 when Mayor [[Fiorello H. La Guardia]] authorized the hiring of special patrolmen for the [[New York City Subway]]. These patrolmen eventually became officers of the Transit Police.<ref>[http://www.nycpolicemuseum.org/html/faq.html#transit-housing New York City Police Museum site] Accessed January 26, 2008</ref> In 1949, the department was officially divorced from the [[New York City Police Department]], but was eventually fully re-integrated in 1995 as the [[Organization of the New York City Police Department#Transit Bureau|Transit Bureau of the New York City Police Department]] by New York City Mayor [[Rudolph W. Giuliani|Rudy Giuliani]].<br />
<br />
In 1997, the Transit Bureau became the Transit Division within the newly formed [[New York City Police Department Transportation Bureau|Transportation Bureau]]. In July 1999, the Transit Division once again became the Transit Bureau, but remained part of the Police Department. Headquarters for the NYPD Transit Bureau are located at 130 Livingston Street in Brooklyn Heights.<ref name="NYCTPD">[http://www.nyc.gov/html/nypd/html/transportation/tpd.html New York City Government] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070805020026/http://www.nyc.gov/html/nypd/html/transportation/tpd.html |date=August 5, 2007 }}, 2002, Accessed August 29, 2007.</ref><br />
<br />
==History==<br />
{{see also|History of the New York City Subway}}<br />
[[File:Patch of the New York City Transit Police (1984).png|thumb|upright|left|Patch during the 1980s]]<br />
Since the 1860s, the New York City Subway's predecessors operated lines running at grade level and on elevated structures. Between 1900 and October 27, 1904, the [[Interborough Rapid Transit Company]] (IRT) built [[Early history of the IRT subway|the first subway line]] in Manhattan. Both the IRT and the competing [[Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company]] (BRT, later [[Brooklyn–Manhattan Transit Corporation|BMT]]) were privately held operators who operated city-owned subway lines. They hired their own police. However, in 1932, the city-owned [[Independent Subway System]] (IND) opened; the IND lines originally had "station supervisors" employed to police them, their names having been taken from the [[New York City Police Department]]'s hiring list.<br />
<br />
The creation of the New York City Transit Police came about on November 17, 1933, six men were sworn in as New York State Railway Police. They were unarmed but were still responsible for the safety of the passengers on the IND as well as guarding property. Two years later, 20 "station supervisors, class B" were added for police duty. Responsible for assisting in the opening and closing of doors and announcing destinations, these 26 "specials" were soon given powers of arrest, but only on the IND line. In 1937, 160 more men were added to this police force. Additionally, 3 lieutenants, 1 captain, and 1 inspector from the NYPD were assigned as supervisors. When the privately run IRT and BMT were taken over by New York City in 1940, the small patrol force on the IND line nearly doubled in size. Now part of the Civil Service system, more Transit supervisors were needed. In 1942, the first promotional exam was given for the title of "special patrolman grade 2" – or what is now known as a sergeant.<br />
<br />
The Code of Criminal Procedure was changed in 1947 granting transit patrolmen peace officer status and by 1950, the number of "specials" reached 563. The following year, exams were held for both Transit sergeants and lieutenants. In 1953, the New York City Transit Authority came into being and assumed control over all the subway lines from the old [[New York City Board of Transportation]].<br />
<br />
Beginning in 1949, the question as to who should supervise the Transit Police Department was one which was carefully scrutinized over the next five years by various city officials. The issue being considered was, "Should Transit be taken over by the NYPD?" In 1955, the decision was made that the Transit Police Department would become a separate and distinctly different department, ending almost two decades of rule by the NYPD. The Civil Service Commission established a new test for transit recruits, and on April 4, the first appointments from the list were made. An NYPD lieutenant, Thomas O'Rourke, was also designated the first commanding officer of the Transit Police Department. Soon after, Lieutenant O'Rourke along with 9 others, passed the captain's exam. Captain O'Rourke was then appointed as the first chief of the new department. With crime on the rise, the number of transit officers increased so that by 1966, the Department had grown to 2,272 officers. That year, Robert H. Rapp was appointed chief by the NYC Transit Authority. Under Chief Rapp, and at the direction of the mayor, an ambitious new anti-crime program got underway. The program had a goal of assigning an officer to each of New York City's subway trains between the hours of 8:00 PM and 4:00 AM. And the Transit Police Department continued to grow. By early 1975, the department comprised nearly 3,600 members.<br />
<br />
In 1975, a former NYPD chief inspector and sometime City Council president, [[Sanford Garelik]], was appointed chief of the Transit Police Department.<ref name=nytimes>{{cite news|first=Matt|last=Flagenheimer |title=Sanford Garelik, Former Mayoral Candidate, Dies at 93 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/21/nyregion/sanford-garelik-former-new-york-city-mayoral-candidate-dies-at-93.html?_r=1 |work=[[New York Times]] |date=November 20, 2011 |access-date=2011-11-23}}</ref> Determined to reorganize the Transit Police Department, Chief Garelik was also successful in instilling a new sense of pride and professionalism among the ranks. However, the fiscal crisis that began that year was an unexpected blow – especially to transit cops. Over the next five years, layoffs and attrition would reduce their numbers to fewer than 2,800. On September 12, 1979, in a sweeping shake up, Chief Garelik was ousted and replaced by Chief James Meehan former Chief of Personnel of NYPD. New officers would not be hired until 1980. By that time, Transit Police was a very old department personnel wise, losing many officers each month to retirement. The first recruits were hired off the list of NYPD exam # 8155 given on June 30, 1979. This first wave of new hires was historic as it contained the first female officers ever sworn into the Transit Police. This required many of the older districts to be renovated to provide locker room facilities for women. Shortly thereafter, Transit Police resumed their own exams. By the early 1990s the Transit Police Department had regained all of its former strength and had increased even further.<br />
<br />
In 1991, the Transit Police gained federal accreditation{{Clarify|reason=What is federal accreditation of police?|date=February 2021}} under Chief [[William Bratton]]. The department became one of only 175 law-enforcement agencies in the country and only the second in the New York State to achieve that distinction, the other being [[Suffolk County Police Department]]. The following year it was also accredited by the State of New York, and by 1994, there were almost 4,500 uniformed and civilian members of the department, making it the sixth-largest police force in the United States. Bratton was also responsible for upgrading the antiquated radio system, changing the service revolvers to a semi-automatic 9mm [[Glock]], and greatly improving the morale of the department.<br />
<br />
Over time, however, the separation between the NYPD and the NYC Transit Police Department created more and more problems. Redundancy of units, difficulty in communications and differences in procedures all created frustration and inefficiency. As part of his mayoral campaign, candidate [[Rudolph Giuliani]] pledged to end the long-unresolved discussion and merge all three of New York City's police departments (the NYPD, the Transit Police, and the [[New York City Housing Authority Police Department]]) into a single, coordinated force. Mayor Giuliani took office on January 1, 1994, and immediately appointed William Bratton as NYPD Police Commissioner whose great expertise at police work undertook the mission to fulfill Giuliani's promise. Discussions between the city and the New York City Transit Authority which included a threat of laying off the entire Transit Police Department, produced a memorandum of understanding, and at 12:01 AM on April 2, 1995, the NYC Transit Police was consolidated with the New York City Police Department to become a new bureau within the NYPD called NYPD Transit Bureau. This consolidation is unofficially referred to by some as "The Hostile Takeover Of 95." This term originated with the Transit Police Union, as well as the members of the Transit Police who were opposed to the merger. After a reorganization of the Department in February 1997, the Transit Bureau became the Transit Division within the newly formed Transportation Bureau. In July 1999, the Transit Division once again became the Transit Bureau. The true reasoning behind the consolidation was Giuliani's desire to create one police payroll instead of three separate ones, and to bring all three police departments under his direct control. Prior to April 2, 1995, neither the Transit Police nor the Housing Police was under the purview of the police commissioner, who was in turn the direct subordinate of the mayor. While Members of the Transit Police were paid by the Transit Authority, and those of the Housing Police was paid by the Housing Authority, the funds for the payrolls did not actually come from those agencies, but were provided monthly by The City of New York. Giuliani won his quest for the consolidation by withholding the payroll funds for both police departments.<br />
<br />
==Jobs of the Transit Police==<br />
[[File:NYPD Transit Dist 1 59th St jeh.jpg|thumb|NYPD Transit District 1]]<br />
One main task of the Transit Police was its defense of the subway system from defacement. [[Graffiti]] was very prominent throughout the subway system by the mid-1980s and the city government took a hard line in response. The Transit Police, and specifically a new unit called the Vandal Squad, led by its commanding officer, Lieutenant Kenneth Chiulli, began to [[Fine (penalty)|fine]] and [[arrest]] those painting graffiti. Founded in 1980, the Vandal Squad's mission was to protect the subway system from serious criminal acts of destruction like kicking out windows and throwing seats out of train cars. It was only with the Clean Car Program of 1984 that graffiti became the primary focus of this specialized unit. They also made a policy to remove any work of graffiti within 24 hours. By the end of the 1980s, the Transit Police had effectively solved the problem of graffiti in the subway system.<ref name="NYCPD">[http://www.nyc.gov/html/nypd/html/transportation/jobofa.html New York City Police Department], 2002, Accessed August 29, 2007.</ref><br />
<br />
The Transit Police also handled both quality of life crimes and violent crime in the subway system, with uniform officers, plain clothes anti-crime, as well as a detective squad in each district. While NYPD operated out of precincts, Transit Police operated out of districts with each district covering a different part of the system. Each district had at least 1 RMP patrol car on the surface to provide rapid response to stations requiring police action, and to transport officers with prisoners to central booking, or back to the district. The typical uniformed Transit Police officer worked alone. Plain clothes officers, such as anti-crime, worked in pairs. The Decoy Squad worked in a group, with each member playing a specific role. New hires known as probationary officers were most often assigned to the Tactical Patrol Force known as TPF. The TPF was responsible strictly for train patrol. TPF officers were assigned various trains that they were responsible for during their tour. Patrol required the officers to ride the train for the entire route which meant the TPF crossed both borough lines as well as District lines. At times this caused conflict between the TPF supervisors and the local district supervisors as to who truly had jurisdiction over the TPF. To combat fare evasion, Transit Police had the Summons Squad, whose officers worked in plain clothes in pairs, with the prime objective of issuing summonses system wide for fare evasion, littering and smoking.<br />
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Prior to the 1990s, all summons issued for fare evasion were appearance tickets in criminal court. The typical penalty was $10 or 2 days. After the creation of the Transit Adjudication Bureau (TAB), summonses were primarily handled by the Transit Adjudication Bureau, a division of New York Civil Court, with the fines going back to the Transit Authority. Even then, Criminal Court summonses could still be issued in lieu of a TAB summons but the TAB summons was the preferred option to help recoup the lost revenue from fare evasion.<br />
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The Transit Police also had their own internal affairs, with field investigative officers nicknamed "The Shoo-Fly Squad" by the rank and file officers. The shoo-flys would travel throughout the subway system with the express purpose of finding officers committing any form of violation while on post and giving that officer a "complaint". A common warning that a "shoo-fly" was in a particular area would be a radio check followed by a forward and backward count to five. Civilian complaints were handled at [[370 Jay Street]] in Brooklyn.<br />
<br />
Other specialized Transit Police units included the Emergency Medical Rescue Unit (EMRU) which handled major emergencies on the subway system, the most common being a passenger struck by train, referred to as "man under" if the passenger was run over, "space case" if the passenger had fallen into the gap between the train and the platform, and "dragging" if the passenger had been dragged by the train. A lesser known unit was the Surface Crime Unit (Bus Squad). It consisted of about sixty officers who patrolled the NYC buses and bus depots. There was also a K9 Unit for subway patrol, Vandals Squad to combat graffiti, the Decoy Squad to target robberies, Pickpocket Squad to go after pickpockets, and a Homeless Outreach Unit that would remove homeless persons from the subway and transport them to homeless shelters where various services were offered.<br />
<br />
there was also a emergency special unit<ref>https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/col%C3%B3ns-corner-what-weunmerged-mike-col%C3%B3n-</ref><br />
<br />
==Line of duty deaths==<br />
During the existence of the New York City Transit Police Department, 13 officers died in the line of duty.<ref>[http://www.odmp.org/agency/2760-new-york-city-transit-police-department-new-york The Officer Down Memorial Page] Accessed January 26, 2008</ref><br />
<br />
{| class="wikitable"<br />
|-<br />
! Officer<br />
! Date of Death<br />
! Cause of Death<br />
|-<br />
| Patrolman John Tuohy<ref>[http://www.odmp.org/officer.php?oid=13496 Patrolman John Tuohy]</ref><br />
| align=center | Wednesday, March 20, 1963<br />
| Heart attack<br />
|-<br />
| Patrolman Lloyd Innes<ref>[http://www.odmp.org/officer.php?oid=6935 Patrolman Lloyd Innes]</ref><br />
| align=center | Friday, June 16, 1967<br />
| Gunfire<br />
|-<br />
| Patrolman Michael Melchiona<ref>[http://www.odmp.org/officer.php?oid=9195 Patrolman Michael Melchiona]</ref><br />
| align=center | Saturday, February 28, 1970<br />
| Gunfire<br />
|-<br />
| Police Officer John Skagen<ref>[http://www.odmp.org/officer.php?oid=12310 Police Officer John Skagen]</ref><br />
| align=center | Wednesday, June 28, 1972<br />
| Gunfire (friendly fire)<br />
|-<br />
| Police Officer Sidney L. Thompson<ref>[http://www.odmp.org/officer.php?oid=13265 Police Officer Sidney L. Thompson]</ref><br />
| align=center | Tuesday, June 5, 1973<br />
| Gunfire<br />
|-<br />
| Detective George Caccavale<ref>[http://www.odmp.org/officer.php?oid=2647 Detective George Caccavale]</ref><br />
| align=center | Saturday, June 26, 1976<br />
| Gunfire<br />
|-<br />
| Police Officer Carlos King<ref>[http://www.odmp.org/officer.php?oid=7552 Police Officer Carlos King]</ref><br />
| align=center | Monday, December 20, 1976<br />
| Gunfire<br />
|-<br />
| Police Officer Seraphin Calabrese<ref>[http://www.odmp.org/officer.php?oid=2666 Police Officer Seraphin Calabrese]</ref><br />
| align=center | Sunday, February 24, 1980<br />
| Gunfire<br />
|-<br />
| Police Officer Irving W. Smith<ref>[http://www.odmp.org/officer.php?oid=12429 Police Officer Irving W. Smith]</ref><br />
| align=center | Friday, February 29, 1980<br />
| Gunfire<br />
|-<br />
| Police Officer Joseph Keegan<ref>[http://www.odmp.org/officer.php?oid=7371 Police Officer Joseph Keegan]</ref><br />
| align=center | Thursday, June 19, 1980<br />
| Gunfire<br />
|-<br />
| Police Officer Joseph Hamperian<ref>[http://www.odmp.org/officer.php?oid=5997 Police Officer Joseph Hamperian]</ref><br />
| align=center | Thursday, September 22, 1983<br />
| Struck by vehicle<br />
|-<br />
| [[Irma Lozada|Police Officer Irma Lozada]]<br />
| align=center | Friday, September 21, 1984<br />
| Gunfire<br />
|-<br />
| Police Officer Robert Venable<ref>[http://www.odmp.org/officer.php?oid=13637 Police Officer Robert Venable]</ref><br />
| align=center | Tuesday, September 22, 1987<br />
| Gunfire<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
{{Portal|New York City}}<br />
<br />
*[[List of law enforcement agencies in New York City|List of law enforcement agencies in New York]]<br />
*[[Transit police]]<br />
**[[Metropolitan Transportation Authority Police|New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority Police Department]]<br />
**[[Port Authority Police Department|Port Authority of New York & New Jersey Police Department]]<br />
**[[New Jersey Transit Police Department]]<br />
**[[Amtrak Police|Amtrak Police Department]]<br />
**[[Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority Police]]<br />
**[[Utah Transit Authority Police Department]]<br />
**[[Bay Area Rapid Transit Police Department|BART Police]]<br />
**[[South Coast British Columbia Transportation Authority Police Service]]<br />
**[[British Transport Police]]<br />
*[[Transportation in New York City]]<br />
<br />
==References==<br />
{{Reflist}}<br />
<br />
== External links ==<br />
{{external media<br />
| width = 210px<br />
| float = right<br />
| video1 = [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rie-RQkUoq0 NYPD Transit District 23 Dedication 9/18/2009], Metropolitan Transportation Authority; January 12, 2010; 1:31 YouTube video clip<br />
}}<br />
* [http://www1.nyc.gov/site/nypd/bureaus/transit-housing/transit.page New York City Police Department Transit Bureau]<br />
<br />
{{NYPD}}<br />
{{MTA (New York)}}<br />
{{New York City}}<br />
<br />
<!--The transit police was not part of the NYPD so it should not be categorized there. --><br />
[[Category:1933 establishments in New York City]]<br />
[[Category:1995 disestablishments in New York (state)]]<br />
[[Category:Defunct law enforcement agencies of New York (state)]]<br />
[[Category:History of New York City]]<br />
[[Category:Transit police departments of the United States]]</div>Boackandwhitehttps://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Template:War_on_terror_infobox&diff=1264771910Template:War on terror infobox2024-12-23T12:33:56Z<p>Boackandwhite: </p>
<hr />
<div><noinclude>{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2022}}<br />
</noinclude>{{#invoke:Infobox military conflict|main<br />
| conflict = [[War on terror|War on Terror]]<br />
| partof = the [[post–Cold War era|post-Cold War]] the [[Second Cold War]] and [[post-9/11]] eras<br />
|image = <br />
{{Multiple image<br />
| perrow = 2/2/1<br />
| total_width = 330<br />
| border=infobox<br />
| background color = white<br />
| image1=Snow_won't_stop_operations_121228-F-LR266-849.jpg<br />
| image2=Car_bomb_in_Iraq.jpg<br />
| image3=Tomahawk_Missile_fired_from_US_Destroyers.jpg<br />
| image4=US_soldiers_in_Zabul_province.jpg<br />
| image5=Major_military_operations_of_the_War_on_Terror.svg<br />
}}<br />
|caption = '''Photographs, clockwise from top left:''' U.S. servicemen boarding an aircraft at [[Bagram Air Base]], [[Islamic Republic of Afghanistan|Afghanistan]]; explosion of an Iraqi car bomb in [[Baghdad]]; a U.S. soldier and Afghan interpreter in [[Zabul Province]], Afghanistan; [[Tomahawk (missile family)|Tomahawk missiles]] being fired from the warships at [[ISIL]] targets in the city of [[Raqqa]], [[Syria]]<br />'''Map''': Countries with major military operations of the war on terror.<br />
| date = '''Main phase:''' [[Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Terrorists|14 September 2001]]<ref>{{cite news |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Archives/video/sept-15-2001-president-declares-war-terror-10877347 |title=Video: Pres. Bush Declares War on Terror |date=September 15, 2001|work=[[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]] archives}}</ref> – [[2020–2021 US troop withdrawal from Afghanistan|30 August 2021]]{{refn|The war on terror was also officially declared over in May 2010 and again in May 2013|group=note}}<br />
({{Age in years, months, weeks and days|month1=9|day1=14|year1=2001|month2=8|day2=30|year2=2021}}){{refn|Origins date back to the 1980s.|group=note}}<br />
Continue in some parts of the world<br />
| place = Globally, but mainly in the [[Middle East]] and [[Africa]]<br />
| cause = [[September 11 attacks]]<br />
| status = Major wars ended, ongoing in small operations{{Efn|<br />
* {{cite web|last=Daniel|first=DePetris|title=The US war on terror continues. We just don’t talk about it|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/2023/05/09/daniel-depetris-the-us-war-on-terror-continues-we-just-dont-talk-about-it/ |access-date=9 May 2023|website=Chicago Tribune|language=en}}<br />
* {{Cite web |last=John |first=Haltiwanger |title=Graphic Truth: The US's 'Global War on Terror' never ended |url=https://www.gzeromedia.com/Graphic-Truth/graphic-truth-the-us-s-global-war-on-terror-never-ended |date=10 December 2023 |website=Costs of War |publisher=GZERO}}}}<br />
| combatant1 = <br />
'''Main countries:'''{{unbulleted list<br />
| {{flag|United States}}<br />
| {{flag|United Kingdom}}<br />
| {{flag|Germany}}<br />
| {{flag|Italy}}<br />
| {{flag|Canada}}<br />
| {{flag|Australia}}<br />
| {{flag|New Zealand}}<br />
| {{flag|Netherlands}}<br />
| {{flag|Poland}}<br />
| {{flag|Turkey}}}}<br />
| combatant2 = '''Main opponents:'''{{unbulleted list<br />
|{{flagicon image|Flag of al-Qaeda.svg|size=23px}} [[Al-Qaeda]]<br />
|{{flag decoration|Islamic State|23px}} [[Islamic State]] * {{refn|[[ISIS]] is sometimes fighting against [[Taliban]] and [[Al-Qaeda]] since 2014 see:[[Al-Qaeda–Islamic State conflict]] and [[Islamic State–Taliban conflict]]|group=note}}<br />
|{{flagicon image|Flag of the Taliban.svg|size=23px}} [[Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (1996–2001)|Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan]] ([[Taliban]])<br />
|{{flag icon|Ba'athist Iraq}} [[Ba'athist Iraq]]<br />
|{{flagicon image|Flag of the Ba'ath Party.svg}} [[Iraqi Ba'ath Party|Iraqi Ba'athist insurgents]]}}<br />
| commander1 = {{ubli|{{flag decoration|United States}} [[George W. Bush]]|{{flag decoration|United States}} [[Barack Obama]]}}<br />
| commander2 = {{ubli|{{flagicon image|Flag of al-Qaeda.svg|size=23px}} [[Osama bin Laden]]{{Assassinated|Killing of Osama bin Laden}}|{{flagicon image|Flag of al-Qaeda.svg|size=23px}} [[Ayman al-Zawahiri]]{{Assassinated|Killing of Ayman al-Zawahiri}}|{{flag icon|Ba'athist Iraq}} [[Saddam Hussein]]{{Executed|Execution of Saddam Hussein}}}}<br />
| strength1 = <br />
| strength2 = <br />
| casualties1 =<br />
| casualties2 =<br />
| casualties3 = {{ubli|4.5–4.6 million+ people killed{{refn|The [[Costs of War Project]] report defined post-9/11 war zones as conflicts that included significant United States counter-terrorism operations since 9/11, which in addition to the wars in [[Iraqi conflict|Iraq]], [[War in Afghanistan (2001–2021)|Afghanistan]] and [[Insurgency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa|Pakistan]], also includes the civil wars in [[Syrian civil war|Syria]], [[Yemeni Civil War (2014–present)|Yemen]], [[Libyan Crisis (2011–present)|Libya]] and [[Somali Civil War|Somalia]]. The report derived their estimate of indirect deaths using a calculation from the [[Geneva Declaration on Armed Violence and Development|Geneva Declaration of Secretariat]] which estimates that for every person directly killed by war, four more die from the indirect consequences of war. The report's author Stephanie Savell stated that in an ideal scenario, the preferable way of quantifying the total death toll would have been by studying excess mortality, or by using on-the-ground researchers in the affected countries.<ref name=":2"/>|group=note}}{{Efn|<br />
* {{cite web|title=Human Cost of Post-9/11 Wars: Direct War Deaths in Major War Zones, Afghanistan & Pakistan (Oct. 2001 – Aug. 2021); Iraq (March 2003 – Aug. 2021); Syria (Sept. 2014 – May 2021); Yemen (Oct. 2002–Aug. 2021) and Other Post-9/11 War Zones|url=https://watson.brown.edu/costsofwar/figures/2021/WarDeathToll|access-date=10 September 2021|website=The Costs of War|publisher=Brown University|language=en}}<br />
* {{Cite news |last=Berger |first=Miriam |date=15 May 2023 |title=Post-9/11 wars have contributed to some 4.5 million deaths, report suggests |work=The Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/05/15/war-on-terror-911-deaths-afghanistan-iraq/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230529144019/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/05/15/war-on-terror-911-deaths-afghanistan-iraq/ |archive-date=29 May 2023}}<br />
* {{Cite web |last=Savell |first=Stephanie |date=15 May 2023 |title=How Death Outlives War: The Reverberating Impact of the Post-9/11 Wars on Human Health |url=https://watson.brown.edu/costsofwar/files/cow/imce/papers/2023/Indirect%20Deaths.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230609194652/https://watson.brown.edu/costsofwar/files/cow/imce/papers/2023/Indirect%20Deaths.pdf |archive-date=9 June 2023 |website=Costs of War |publisher=Watson Institute of International & Public Affairs}}}}|(937,000+ direct deaths including 387,000+ civilians, 3.6–3.7 million indirect deaths){{refn|The definition of "indirect" is paraphrased by the Washington Post as "caused by the deterioration of economic, environmental, psychological and health conditions". Savell says it includes "mounting poverty, food insecurity, environmental contamination, the ongoing trauma of violence, and the destruction of health and public infrastructure, along with private property and means of livelihood".<ref name=":2"/>|group=note}}{{Efn|<br />
* {{cite web|title=Human Cost of Post-9/11 Wars: Direct War Deaths in Major War Zones, Afghanistan & Pakistan (Oct. 2001 – Aug. 2021); Iraq (March 2003 – Aug. 2021); Syria (Sept. 2014 – May 2021); Yemen (Oct. 2002–Aug. 2021) and Other Post-9/11 War Zones|url=https://watson.brown.edu/costsofwar/figures/2021/WarDeathToll|access-date=10 September 2021|website=The Costs of War|publisher=Brown University|language=en}}<br />
* {{Cite news |last=Berger |first=Miriam |date=15 May 2023 |title=Post-9/11 wars have contributed to some 4.5 million deaths, report suggests |work=The Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/05/15/war-on-terror-911-deaths-afghanistan-iraq/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230529144019/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/05/15/war-on-terror-911-deaths-afghanistan-iraq/ |archive-date=29 May 2023}}<br />
* {{Cite web |last=Savell |first=Stephanie |date=15 May 2023 |title=How Death Outlives War: The Reverberating Impact of the Post-9/11 Wars on Human Health |url=https://watson.brown.edu/costsofwar/files/cow/imce/papers/2023/Indirect%20Deaths.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230609194652/https://watson.brown.edu/costsofwar/files/cow/imce/papers/2023/Indirect%20Deaths.pdf |archive-date=9 June 2023 |website=Costs of War |publisher=Watson Institute of International & Public Affairs}}}}|At least 38 million people displaced{{Efn|<br />
* {{cite web|title=Human Cost of Post-9/11 Wars: Direct War Deaths in Major War Zones, Afghanistan & Pakistan (Oct. 2001 – Aug. 2021); Iraq (March 2003 – Aug. 2021); Syria (Sept. 2014 – May 2021); Yemen (Oct. 2002–Aug. 2021) and Other Post-9/11 War Zones|url=https://watson.brown.edu/costsofwar/figures/2021/WarDeathToll|access-date=10 September 2021|website=The Costs of War|publisher=Brown University|language=en}}<br />
* {{Cite news |last=Berger |first=Miriam |date=15 May 2023 |title=Post-9/11 wars have contributed to some 4.5 million deaths, report suggests |work=The Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/05/15/war-on-terror-911-deaths-afghanistan-iraq/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230529144019/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/05/15/war-on-terror-911-deaths-afghanistan-iraq/ |archive-date=29 May 2023}}<br />
* {{Cite web |last=Savell |first=Stephanie |date=15 May 2023 |title=How Death Outlives War: The Reverberating Impact of the Post-9/11 Wars on Human Health |url=https://watson.brown.edu/costsofwar/files/cow/imce/papers/2023/Indirect%20Deaths.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230609194652/https://watson.brown.edu/costsofwar/files/cow/imce/papers/2023/Indirect%20Deaths.pdf |archive-date=9 June 2023 |website=Costs of War |publisher=Watson Institute of International & Public Affairs}}}}}}<br />
<!-- commented out because it relies on undefined named references -- <br />
| casualties3 = {{ubli|897,000 to 929,000 people killed|364,000+ civilians killed<ref name="costs2021"/>|At least 38 million people displaced<ref name="costs displaced"/>}}<br />
--><br />
}}<noinclude><br />
<br />
== Notes ==<br />
{{Reflist|group=note}}<br />
<br />
== References ==<br />
{{Notelist}}<br />
{{Reflist|colwidth=30em}}<br />
{{Documentation}}<br />
[[Category:War on Terror templates]]<br />
[[Category:War and conflict infobox templates]]<br />
[[Category:Campaignbox templates]]<br />
</noinclude></div>Boackandwhitehttps://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Template:War_on_terror_infobox&diff=1264769652Template:War on terror infobox2024-12-23T12:11:35Z<p>Boackandwhite: </p>
<hr />
<div><noinclude>{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2022}}<br />
</noinclude>{{#invoke:Infobox military conflict|main<br />
| conflict = [[War on terror|War on Terror]]<br />
| partof = the [[post–Cold War era|post-Cold War]] and [[post-9/11]] eras<br />
|image = <br />
{{Multiple image<br />
| perrow = 2/2/1<br />
| total_width = 330<br />
| border=infobox<br />
| background color = white<br />
| image1=Snow_won't_stop_operations_121228-F-LR266-849.jpg<br />
| image2=Car_bomb_in_Iraq.jpg<br />
| image3=Tomahawk_Missile_fired_from_US_Destroyers.jpg<br />
| image4=US_soldiers_in_Zabul_province.jpg<br />
| image5=Major_military_operations_of_the_War_on_Terror.svg<br />
}}<br />
|caption = '''Photographs, clockwise from top left:''' U.S. servicemen boarding an aircraft at [[Bagram Air Base]], [[Islamic Republic of Afghanistan|Afghanistan]]; explosion of an Iraqi car bomb in [[Baghdad]]; a U.S. soldier and Afghan interpreter in [[Zabul Province]], Afghanistan; [[Tomahawk (missile family)|Tomahawk missiles]] being fired from the warships at [[ISIL]] targets in the city of [[Raqqa]], [[Syria]]<br />'''Map''': Countries with major military operations of the war on terror.<br />
| date = '''Main phase:''' [[Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Terrorists|14 September 2001]]<ref>{{cite news |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Archives/video/sept-15-2001-president-declares-war-terror-10877347 |title=Video: Pres. Bush Declares War on Terror |date=September 15, 2001|work=[[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]] archives}}</ref> – [[2020–2021 US troop withdrawal from Afghanistan|30 August 2021]]{{refn|The war on terror was also officially declared over in May 2010 and again in May 2013|group=note}}<br />
({{Age in years, months, weeks and days|month1=9|day1=14|year1=2001|month2=8|day2=30|year2=2021}}){{refn|Origins date back to the 1980s.|group=note}}<br />
| place = Globally, but mainly in the [[Middle East]] and [[Africa]]<br />
| cause = [[September 11 attacks]]<br />
| status = Major wars ended, ongoing in small operations{{Efn|<br />
* {{cite web|last=Daniel|first=DePetris|title=The US war on terror continues. We just don’t talk about it|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/2023/05/09/daniel-depetris-the-us-war-on-terror-continues-we-just-dont-talk-about-it/ |access-date=9 May 2023|website=Chicago Tribune|language=en}}<br />
* {{Cite web |last=John |first=Haltiwanger |title=Graphic Truth: The US's 'Global War on Terror' never ended |url=https://www.gzeromedia.com/Graphic-Truth/graphic-truth-the-us-s-global-war-on-terror-never-ended |date=10 December 2023 |website=Costs of War |publisher=GZERO}}}}<br />
| combatant1 = <br />
'''Main countries:'''{{unbulleted list<br />
| {{flag|United States}}<br />
| {{flag|United Kingdom}}<br />
| {{flag|Germany}}<br />
| {{flag|Italy}}<br />
| {{flag|Canada}}<br />
| {{flag|Australia}}<br />
| {{flag|New Zealand}}<br />
| {{flag|Netherlands}}<br />
| {{flag|Poland}}<br />
| {{flag|Turkey}}}}<br />
'''Non state actors'''{{unbulleted list<br />
| {{flag|NATO}}<br />
| {{flag|EU}}}}<br />
| combatant2 = '''Main opponents:'''{{unbulleted list<br />
|{{flagicon image|Flag of al-Qaeda.svg|size=23px}} [[Al-Qaeda]]<br />
|{{flag decoration|Islamic State|23px}} [[Islamic State]]<br />
|{{flagicon image|Flag of the Taliban.svg|size=23px}} [[Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (1996–2001)|Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan]] ([[Taliban]])<br />
|{{flag icon|Ba'athist Iraq}} [[Ba'athist Iraq]]<br />
|{{flagicon image|Flag of the Ba'ath Party.svg}} [[Iraqi Ba'ath Party|Iraqi Ba'athist insurgents]]}}<br />
| commander1 = {{ubli|{{flag decoration|United States}} [[George W. Bush]]|{{flag decoration|United States}} [[Barack Obama]]}}<br />
| commander2 = {{ubli|{{flagicon image|Flag of al-Qaeda.svg|size=23px}} [[Osama bin Laden]]{{Assassinated|Killing of Osama bin Laden}}|{{flagicon image|Flag of al-Qaeda.svg|size=23px}} [[Ayman al-Zawahiri]]{{Assassinated|Killing of Ayman al-Zawahiri}}|{{flag icon|Ba'athist Iraq}} [[Saddam Hussein]]{{Executed|Execution of Saddam Hussein}}}}<br />
| strength1 = <br />
| strength2 = <br />
| casualties1 =<br />
| casualties2 =<br />
| casualties3 = {{ubli|4.5–4.6 million+ people killed{{refn|The [[Costs of War Project]] report defined post-9/11 war zones as conflicts that included significant United States counter-terrorism operations since 9/11, which in addition to the wars in [[Iraqi conflict|Iraq]], [[War in Afghanistan (2001–2021)|Afghanistan]] and [[Insurgency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa|Pakistan]], also includes the civil wars in [[Syrian civil war|Syria]], [[Yemeni Civil War (2014–present)|Yemen]], [[Libyan Crisis (2011–present)|Libya]] and [[Somali Civil War|Somalia]]. The report derived their estimate of indirect deaths using a calculation from the [[Geneva Declaration on Armed Violence and Development|Geneva Declaration of Secretariat]] which estimates that for every person directly killed by war, four more die from the indirect consequences of war. The report's author Stephanie Savell stated that in an ideal scenario, the preferable way of quantifying the total death toll would have been by studying excess mortality, or by using on-the-ground researchers in the affected countries.<ref name=":2"/>|group=note}}{{Efn|<br />
* {{cite web|title=Human Cost of Post-9/11 Wars: Direct War Deaths in Major War Zones, Afghanistan & Pakistan (Oct. 2001 – Aug. 2021); Iraq (March 2003 – Aug. 2021); Syria (Sept. 2014 – May 2021); Yemen (Oct. 2002–Aug. 2021) and Other Post-9/11 War Zones|url=https://watson.brown.edu/costsofwar/figures/2021/WarDeathToll|access-date=10 September 2021|website=The Costs of War|publisher=Brown University|language=en}}<br />
* {{Cite news |last=Berger |first=Miriam |date=15 May 2023 |title=Post-9/11 wars have contributed to some 4.5 million deaths, report suggests |work=The Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/05/15/war-on-terror-911-deaths-afghanistan-iraq/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230529144019/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/05/15/war-on-terror-911-deaths-afghanistan-iraq/ |archive-date=29 May 2023}}<br />
* {{Cite web |last=Savell |first=Stephanie |date=15 May 2023 |title=How Death Outlives War: The Reverberating Impact of the Post-9/11 Wars on Human Health |url=https://watson.brown.edu/costsofwar/files/cow/imce/papers/2023/Indirect%20Deaths.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230609194652/https://watson.brown.edu/costsofwar/files/cow/imce/papers/2023/Indirect%20Deaths.pdf |archive-date=9 June 2023 |website=Costs of War |publisher=Watson Institute of International & Public Affairs}}}}|(937,000+ direct deaths including 387,000+ civilians, 3.6–3.7 million indirect deaths){{refn|The definition of "indirect" is paraphrased by the Washington Post as "caused by the deterioration of economic, environmental, psychological and health conditions". Savell says it includes "mounting poverty, food insecurity, environmental contamination, the ongoing trauma of violence, and the destruction of health and public infrastructure, along with private property and means of livelihood".<ref name=":2"/>|group=note}}{{Efn|<br />
* {{cite web|title=Human Cost of Post-9/11 Wars: Direct War Deaths in Major War Zones, Afghanistan & Pakistan (Oct. 2001 – Aug. 2021); Iraq (March 2003 – Aug. 2021); Syria (Sept. 2014 – May 2021); Yemen (Oct. 2002–Aug. 2021) and Other Post-9/11 War Zones|url=https://watson.brown.edu/costsofwar/figures/2021/WarDeathToll|access-date=10 September 2021|website=The Costs of War|publisher=Brown University|language=en}}<br />
* {{Cite news |last=Berger |first=Miriam |date=15 May 2023 |title=Post-9/11 wars have contributed to some 4.5 million deaths, report suggests |work=The Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/05/15/war-on-terror-911-deaths-afghanistan-iraq/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230529144019/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/05/15/war-on-terror-911-deaths-afghanistan-iraq/ |archive-date=29 May 2023}}<br />
* {{Cite web |last=Savell |first=Stephanie |date=15 May 2023 |title=How Death Outlives War: The Reverberating Impact of the Post-9/11 Wars on Human Health |url=https://watson.brown.edu/costsofwar/files/cow/imce/papers/2023/Indirect%20Deaths.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230609194652/https://watson.brown.edu/costsofwar/files/cow/imce/papers/2023/Indirect%20Deaths.pdf |archive-date=9 June 2023 |website=Costs of War |publisher=Watson Institute of International & Public Affairs}}}}|At least 38 million people displaced{{Efn|<br />
* {{cite web|title=Human Cost of Post-9/11 Wars: Direct War Deaths in Major War Zones, Afghanistan & Pakistan (Oct. 2001 – Aug. 2021); Iraq (March 2003 – Aug. 2021); Syria (Sept. 2014 – May 2021); Yemen (Oct. 2002–Aug. 2021) and Other Post-9/11 War Zones|url=https://watson.brown.edu/costsofwar/figures/2021/WarDeathToll|access-date=10 September 2021|website=The Costs of War|publisher=Brown University|language=en}}<br />
* {{Cite news |last=Berger |first=Miriam |date=15 May 2023 |title=Post-9/11 wars have contributed to some 4.5 million deaths, report suggests |work=The Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/05/15/war-on-terror-911-deaths-afghanistan-iraq/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230529144019/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/05/15/war-on-terror-911-deaths-afghanistan-iraq/ |archive-date=29 May 2023}}<br />
* {{Cite web |last=Savell |first=Stephanie |date=15 May 2023 |title=How Death Outlives War: The Reverberating Impact of the Post-9/11 Wars on Human Health |url=https://watson.brown.edu/costsofwar/files/cow/imce/papers/2023/Indirect%20Deaths.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230609194652/https://watson.brown.edu/costsofwar/files/cow/imce/papers/2023/Indirect%20Deaths.pdf |archive-date=9 June 2023 |website=Costs of War |publisher=Watson Institute of International & Public Affairs}}}}}}<br />
<!-- commented out because it relies on undefined named references -- <br />
| casualties3 = {{ubli|897,000 to 929,000 people killed|364,000+ civilians killed<ref name="costs2021"/>|At least 38 million people displaced<ref name="costs displaced"/>}}<br />
--><br />
}}<noinclude><br />
<br />
== Notes ==<br />
{{Reflist|group=note}}<br />
<br />
== References ==<br />
{{Notelist}}<br />
{{Reflist|colwidth=30em}}<br />
{{Documentation}}<br />
[[Category:War on Terror templates]]<br />
[[Category:War and conflict infobox templates]]<br />
[[Category:Campaignbox templates]]<br />
</noinclude></div>Boackandwhitehttps://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Afghan_conflict&diff=1264768980Afghan conflict2024-12-23T12:05:36Z<p>Boackandwhite: </p>
<hr />
<div>{{Short description|Near-continuous series of wars in Afghanistan}}<br />
{{use dmy dates|date=August 2021}}<br />
{{for|a list of specific armed conflicts in Afghanistan since the 19th century|War in Afghanistan}}<br />
{{Infobox military conflict<br />
| conflict = Afghan conflict<br />
| partof = the [[Cold War]] (1978–1992) and the [[War on terror|Global War on Terrorism]] (2001-present) the [[Iran–Saudi Arabia proxy conflict]] and the [[War on drugs]]<br />
| image = [[File:War in Afghanistan (1992–2001).png|frameless|upright=1.35]]<br />
| caption = Development of the Afghan Civil War from the [[Peshawar Accord]] in April 1992 to the [[Battle of Tora Bora]] in December 2001<br />
| place = [[Afghanistan]] (spillover into [[Insurgency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa|Pakistan]])<br />
| date = 27 April 1978 – present<br />({{Age in years, months, weeks and days|month1=04|day1=27|year1=1978}})<br />
| territory = The [[Taliban]] controls all of Afghanistan's territory under the re-established [[Afghanistan|Islamic Emirate]] since September 2021<ref name="pancap">{{cite news |last1=Pannett |first1=Rachel |last2=Khan |first2=Haq Nawaz |last3=Mehrdad |first3=Ezzatullah |last4=O'Grady |first4=Siobhán |title=Panjshir Valley, last resistance holdout in Afghanistan, falls to the Taliban |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2021/09/06/afghanistan-kabul-taliban-updates/ |access-date=6 September 2021 |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=6 September 2021}}</ref><ref name="pancap2">{{cite web |last1=Roggio |first1=Bill |title=Taliban completes conquest of Afghanistan after seizing Panjshir |url=https://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2021/09/taliban-completes-conquest-of-afghanistan-after-seizing-panjshir.php |access-date=6 September 2021 |website=[[Foundation for Defense of Democracies|FDD]]'s Long War Journal |date=6 September 2021 |archive-date=6 September 2021 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210906141609/https://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2021/09/taliban-completes-conquest-of-afghanistan-after-seizing-panjshir.php }}</ref><br />
| result = <br />
| status = Ongoing [[Low-intensity conflict|low-level]] conflict:<ref>{{Cite news |last=Bezhan |first=Frud |date=2023-06-30 |title=The Azadi Briefing: Violence 'Widespread' In Afghanistan, Despite Conflict Subsiding |url=https://www.rferl.org/a/azadi-briefing-afghanistan-widespread-violence-taliban-wesa/32483532.html |access-date=2024-03-25 |work=Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-12-30 |title=Taliban's Reversion to Sharia-Based Public Punishments Dominated |url=https://www.voanews.com/a/taliban-s-reversion-to-sharia-based-public-punishments-dominated-/6879367.html |access-date=2024-03-25 |website=Voice of America |language=en}}</ref><br />
*[[Islamic State–Taliban conflict|ISIS–Taliban conflict]] since 2015<br />
*[[Republican insurgency in Afghanistan|Republican insurgency]] since 2021<br />
| casualties3 = 1,405,111–2,584,468 (1978–2013){{Update inline|date=September 2021}}<ref name="osprey russia afghanistan">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=k86jifnA3oYC&q=osprey+russia+afghanistan&pg=PA5|title=Russia's War in Afghanistan|access-date=18 October 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150406011623/http://books.google.com/books?id=k86jifnA3oYC&pg=PA5&dq=osprey+russia+afghanistan&hl=en|archive-date=6 April 2015|url-status=dead|isbn=9780850456912|last1=Isby|first1=David C.|date=15 June 1986|publisher=Bloomsbury USA }}</ref><ref name="War, Politics and Society in Afghanistan, 1978-1992">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Hz5NzJtg48kC&q=soviet+afghan+war+safronov&pg=PA115|title=War, Politics and Society in Afghanistan, 1978–1992|access-date=18 October 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140718181827/http://books.google.com/books?id=Hz5NzJtg48kC&pg=PA115&dq=soviet+afghan+war+safronov&hl=en|archive-date=18 July 2014|url-status=live|isbn=9781850653967|last1=Giustozzi|first1=Antonio|year=2000|publisher=Hurst }}</ref><ref name="Consequences 78-87">{{cite web|url=http://www.nonel.pu.ru/erdferkel/khalidi.pdf|title=Afghanistan: Demographic Consequences of War : 1978–1987|publisher=Nonel.pu.ru|access-date=19 October 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171010130229/http://www.nonel.pu.ru/erdferkel/khalidi.pdf|archive-date=10 October 2017|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Life under Taliban cuts two ways - CSMonitor.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.csmonitor.com/2001/0920/p1s3-wosc.htm|title=Life under Taliban cuts two ways|date=20 September 2001|work=The Christian Science Monitor|access-date=18 October 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060614053525/http://csmonitor.com/2001/0920/p1s3-wosc.htm|archive-date=14 June 2006|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Costs of war 2001-13">{{cite web|url=http://costsofwar.org/sites/default/files/HMCHART_2.pdf|title=Human Costs of War: Direct War Death in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Pakistan: October 2001 – February 2013|publisher=Costsofwar.org|access-date=19 October 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130430155253/http://costsofwar.org/sites/default/files/HMCHART_2.pdf|archive-date=30 April 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref><!-- {{ntsh|8398}} 8,398+<ref name="Susan G. Chesser">{{cite report|url=https://fas.org/sgp/crs/natsec/R41084.pdf|title=Afghanistan Casualties: Military Forces and Civilians|first=Susan G. |last=Chesser|date=6 December 2012|publisher=U.S. Congressional Research Service|access-date=13 December 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160109043850/http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/natsec/R41084.pdf|archive-date=9 January 2016|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="icasualties1">{{cite web |url=http://icasualties.org/OEF/index.aspx |access-date=24 March 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151016021930/http://icasualties.org/OEF/Index.aspx |archive-date=16 October 2015 |url-status=live}}</ref> --><br />
| notes = <br />
| campaignbox = {{Campaignbox Afghanistan}}<br />
}}<br />
{{history of Afghanistan}}<br />
<br />
The '''Afghan conflict''' ({{langx|ps|دافغانستان جنګونه}}; {{langx|fa|درگیری افغانستان}})<ref>{{Citation |last=Najibullah |first=Heela |title=Different Layers of the Afghan Conflict |date=2020 |url=https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-11795-5_132-1 |encyclopedia=The Palgrave Encyclopedia of Peace and Conflict Studies |pages=1–6 |access-date=2023-04-23 |place=Cham |publisher=Springer International Publishing |language=en |doi=10.1007/978-3-030-11795-5_132-1 |isbn=978-3-030-11795-5|s2cid=243361032 }}</ref> is a term that refers to the series of events that have kept [[Afghanistan]] in a near-continuous state of armed conflict since the 1970s.<ref>{{Cite news |date=August 31, 2021 |title=A Look At Afghanistan's 40 Years Of Crisis — From The Soviet War To Taliban Recapture |work=NPR |url=https://www.npr.org/2021/08/19/1028472005/afghanistan-conflict-timeline}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Instability in Afghanistan |url=https://cfr.org/global-conflict-tracker/conflict/war-afghanistan |access-date=2023-04-23 |website=Global Conflict Tracker |language=en}}</ref> Early instability followed the collapse of the [[Kingdom of Afghanistan]] in the largely non-violent [[1973 Afghan coup d'état|1973 coup d'état]], which deposed Afghan monarch [[Mohammad Zahir Shah]] {{Langx|la|in absentia|label=none}}, ending his 40-year-long reign. With the concurrent establishment of the [[Republic of Afghanistan (1973–1978)|Republic of Afghanistan]], headed by [[Mohammad Daoud Khan]], the country's relatively peaceful and stable period in modern history came to an end. However, all-out fighting did not erupt until after 1978, when the [[Saur Revolution]] violently overthrew Khan's government and established the [[Democratic Republic of Afghanistan]]. Subsequent unrest over the radical reforms that were being pushed by the then-ruling [[People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan]] (PDPA) led to unprecedented violence, prompting a large-scale pro-PDPA military intervention by the [[Soviet Union]] in 1979. In the ensuing [[Soviet–Afghan War]], the anti-Soviet [[Afghan mujahidin|Afghan mujahideen]] received extensive support from [[Pakistan]], the [[United States]], and [[Saudi Arabia]] in a joint covert effort that was dubbed [[Operation Cyclone]].<br />
<br />
Although the [[Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan|Soviets withdrew from Afghanistan]] in 1989, the various mujahideen factions [[Afghan Civil War (1989–1992)|continued to fight against the PDPA government]], which collapsed in the face of the [[Peshawar Accord]] in 1992. However, the Peshawar Accord failed to remain intact in light of the mujahideen's representatives' inability to reach an agreement on a power-sharing coalition for the new government, triggering a [[Afghan Civil War (1992–1996)|multi-sided civil war between them]]. By 1996, the [[Taliban]], supported by Pakistan's [[Inter-Services Intelligence]], had seized the capital city of [[Kabul]] in addition to approximately 90% of the country, while northern Afghanistan remained under the authority of the anti-Taliban [[Northern Alliance]]. During this time, the Northern Alliance's [[Islamic State of Afghanistan]] enjoyed widespread international recognition and was represented at the [[United Nations]], as opposed to the Taliban's [[Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (1996–2001)|Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan]] which only received diplomatic recognition from three nations. Despite the fall of Kabul to the Taliban, the Northern Alliance continued to resist in [[Afghan Civil War (1996–2001)|another civil war for the next five years]].<br />
<br />
After the [[September 11 attacks]] were carried out by [[al-Qaeda]] against the United States in 2001, the Taliban granted Saudi-born jihadist [[Osama bin Laden]] political asylum in the Islamic Emirate's territory. The group's subsequent non-compliance with the demand by the [[Presidency of George W. Bush|Bush administration]] to extradite him prompted the [[United States invasion of Afghanistan|American-led invasion of Taliban-controlled Afghanistan]], which bolstered the Northern Alliance by toppling the Islamic Emirate and installing the [[Transitional Islamic State of Afghanistan|Afghan Transitional Authority]] in 2002. The invasion triggered the 20-year-long [[War in Afghanistan (2001–2021)|War in Afghanistan]], in which [[NATO]] and NATO-allied countries fought alongside the nascent [[Islamic Republic of Afghanistan]] to combat the [[Taliban insurgency]]. During the [[Battle of Tora Bora]], the American-led military coalition failed to capture bin Laden, who subsequently relocated to Pakistan and remained there until he was [[Killing of Osama bin Laden|killed by U.S. SEAL Team Six in Abbottabad in 2011]]. Nonetheless, the fighting in Afghanistan continued, eventually leading to the [[2020–2021 US troop withdrawal from Afghanistan|2020–2021 American withdrawal]] and ultimately ending with the [[2021 Taliban offensive]], which led to the re-establishment of the [[Afghanistan|present-day Islamic Emirate]]. Though the country-wide war ended in 2021, clashes and unrest currently persist in some parts of Afghanistan<ref>{{Cite web |title=One year later, Austin acknowledges lasting questions over Afghanistan war's end |url=https://www.stripes.com/theaters/us/2022-08-30/lasting-questions-afghanistan-withdrawal-7156882.html |access-date=2022-10-01 |website=Stars and Stripes |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-03-09 |title=Karzai says while the war has ended, unity has not yet been achieved {{!}} Ariana News |url=https://www.ariananews.af/karzai-says-while-the-war-has-ended-unity-has-not-yet-been-achieved/ |access-date=2022-10-01 |website=www.ariananews.af |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-01-26 |title=Briefing by Special Representative Deborah Lyons to the Security Council |url=https://unama.unmissions.org/briefing-special-representative-deborah-lyons-security-council-10 |access-date=2022-10-01 |website=UNAMA |language=en}}</ref> due to the [[Islamic State–Taliban conflict|ISIS–Taliban conflict]] and the anti-Taliban [[Republican insurgency in Afghanistan|Republican insurgency]]. {{As of|2024}}, the collapsed Islamic Republic of Afghanistan remains the internationally recognized government of the country.<br />
<br />
== List of major events ==<br />
<br />
=== Cold War era ===<br />
* [[Saur Revolution]] (1978): Overthrow of the [[Republic of Afghanistan (1973–1978)|Republic of Afghanistan]] and President [[Mohammad Daoud Khan]] by the [[People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan]] (PDPA). Establishment of the [[Democratic Republic of Afghanistan]], a [[socialist state]] aligned with the [[Soviet Union]].<br />
* [[Soviet–Afghan War]] (1979–1989): Military intervention by the [[Soviet Armed Forces]] in support of the PDPA against large-scale rebellions. Fighting primarily occurred between the Soviet–Afghan alliance and the [[Afghan mujahideen]], who were backed by the [[United States]], the [[United Kingdom]], [[Pakistan]], [[Saudi Arabia]], [[China]], and [[Iran]], among others. Ended with the [[Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan]] in 1989.<br />
* [[Afghan Civil War (1989–1992)]]: Continuation of the conflict between the Afghan government and the Afghan mujahideen but without the involvement of Soviet forces. The Soviet Union continued to financially support the Afghan government in its fight and, likewise, mujahideen factions continued to receive support from the United States and Pakistan. The Democratic Republic of Afghanistan survived until the [[Battle of Kabul (1992–1996)|Battle of Kabul]], during which the mujahideen established the [[Islamic State of Afghanistan]] (ISA).<br />
* [[Afghan Civil War (1992–1996)]]: Began when various mujahideen groups withdrew support from and began fighting against the ISA, including [[Hezb-e Islami Gulbuddin]], later largely replaced by the [[Taliban]] and [[al-Qaeda]] (all of whom were supported by Pakistan), [[Hezbe Wahdat|Hezb-e Wahdat]] (who were supported by Iran), and [[National Islamic Movement of Afghanistan|Junbish-i Milli Islami]] (who were supported by [[Uzbekistan]]). Mujahideen loyal to the Islamic State of Afghanistan received support from Saudi Arabia. Ended with the Taliban seizing control of [[Kabul]] and most of the country in 1996, establishing the first [[Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (1996–2001)|Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan]] (IEA).<br />
* [[Afghan Civil War (1996–2001)]]: Continuation of the previous phase of the war between militias loyal to either the ISA or the Taliban-ruled IEA. ISA loyalists reorganized into the [[Northern Alliance]], including Hezb-e Wahdat and Junbish-i Milli Islami, who previously opposed the ISA. During the war, [[al-Qaeda]] stepped up its terrorist attacks against the United States, culminating in the [[September 11 attacks]], after which the IEA lost almost all international support and diplomatic recognition from Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and the [[United Arab Emirates]].<br />
<br />
=== Post-9/11 era ===<br />
* [[War in Afghanistan (2001–2021)]]: Began with the [[United States invasion of Afghanistan|United States' invasion of Afghanistan]] on 7 October 2001. Overthrow of the Taliban and eventual establishment of the internationally recognized [[Islamic Republic of Afghanistan]]. The war turned into a protracted [[Taliban insurgency]], with Afghan government and [[NATO]]-led coalition troops fighting the reorganized Taliban and sporadically other Islamist militant groups such as al-Qaeda, the [[Haqqani network]], Hezb-e Islami Gulbuddin, and the [[Islamic State – Khorasan Province]]. Bilateral negotiations between the Taliban and the United States led to an agreement whereby [[Withdrawal of United States troops from Afghanistan (2020–2021)|American and NATO troops withdrew]] amidst the [[2021 Taliban offensive]], in which the Islamic Republic fell, and the Taliban established the second Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.<br />
* [[Islamic State–Taliban conflict]] (2015–present): Began in 2015, during the post-9/11 war, as Taliban dissident groups organized into the local branch of the [[Islamic State]] (not to be confused with the former Islamic State of Afghanistan). The group attacked the Taliban as well as NATO troops, but primarily targeted civilians. The insurgency is ongoing.<br />
* [[Republican insurgency in Afghanistan]] (2021–present): Began in 2021 when the remaining forces loyal to the fallen Islamic Republic reorganized into the [[National Resistance Front of Afghanistan]] in the [[Panjshir Valley]]. Despite having international recognition as the legitimate government of Afghanistan, the National Resistance Front has received no foreign support. Taliban forces captured the Panjshir Valley in September 2021, and leaders of the National Resistance Front fled to [[Tajikistan]]. Fighting is ongoing between the newly organized military of the Taliban and the small, scattered holdouts of the National Resistance Front in [[Panjshir Province]] and [[Baghlan Province]].<br />
<br />
By 2014, adding different estimates of casualties for some of these individual conflicts together, 1,405,111 to 2,084,468 people had been killed over the duration of the Afghanistan conflict.<ref name="osprey russia afghanistan" /><ref name="War, Politics and Society in Afghanistan, 1978-1992" /><ref name="Consequences 78-87" /><ref name="Life under Taliban cuts two ways - CSMonitor.com" /><ref name="Costs of war 2001-13" />{{Disputed inline|date=May 2023}}<br />
<br />
== Prelude ==<br />
<br />
=== Kingdom of Afghanistan ===<br />
From 1933 to 1973, the [[Kingdom of Afghanistan]] experienced a lengthy period of peace and relative stability.<ref name="NYT">{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/24/world/asia/24shah.html|title=Mohammad Zahir Shah, Last Afghan King, Dies at 92|last=Bearak|first=Barry|date=24 July 2007 |work=The New York Times |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170611223330/http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/24/world/asia/24shah.html |archive-date=11 June 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> It was ruled as a monarchy by King [[Mohammad Zahir Shah|Zahir Shah]], who belonged to the Afghan [[Musahiban]] [[Barakzai dynasty]].<ref name="NYT" /><ref name="Judah">{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2001/sep/23/terrorism.afghanistan1|title=Profile: Mohamed Zahir Shah|last=Judah|first=Tim|date=23 September 2001|work=The Guardian|access-date=18 March 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130825154007/http://www.theguardian.com/world/2001/sep/23/terrorism.afghanistan1|archive-date=25 August 2013|url-status=live}}</ref> In the 1960s, Afghanistan as a [[constitutional monarchy]] held limited parliamentary elections.<ref name="FAS">{{cite news|url=https://fas.org/sgp/crs/row/RS21922.pdf|title=Afghanistan: Politics, Elections, and Government Performance|last=Katzman|first=Kenneth|date=30 March 2012|publisher=Congressional Research Service|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924135712/http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/row/RS21922.pdf|archive-date=24 September 2015|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
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=== Republic of Afghanistan ===<br />
[[1973 Afghan coup d'état|Shah was overthrown]] by his cousin [[Mohammad Daoud Khan]] in July 1973, after discontent with the monarchy grew in the urban areas of Afghanistan.<ref name="NYT" /> The country had experienced several droughts, and charges of corruption and poor economic policies were leveled against the ruling dynasty. Khan abolished the monarchy and declared the Republic of Afghanistan, and he became the first [[President of Afghanistan]]. He was supported by a faction of the [[People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan]] (PDPA), Afghanistan's [[communist party]], which was founded in 1965 and enjoyed a strong relationship with the Soviet Union. In ''The Rise of the Taliban in Afghanistan: Mass Mobilization, Civil War, and the Future of the Region'', Neamatollah Nojumi writes: "The establishment of the Republic of Afghanistan increased the Soviet investment in Afghanistan and the PDPA influence in the government's military and civil bodies."<ref name="Neamatollah Nojumi">{{Cite book| last =Neamatollah Nojumi | title =The Rise of the Taliban in Afghanistan: Mass Mobilization, Civil War, and the Future of the Region| year =2002 | url =https://archive.org/details/riseoftalibani00neam | url-access =registration |edition= 2002 1st |pages=[https://archive.org/details/riseoftalibani00neam/page/38 38]–42| location = Palgrave, New York}}</ref><br />
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In 1976, alarmed by the growing power of the PDPA and the party's strong affiliation with the Soviet Union, Khan tried to scale back the PDPA's influence.<ref name="autogenerated7">{{Cite book| last =Neamatollah Nojumi | title =The Rise of the Taliban in Afghanistan: Mass Mobilization, Civil War, and the Future of the Region| year =2002 | url =https://archive.org/details/riseoftalibani00neam | url-access =registration |edition= 2002 1st |page=[https://archive.org/details/riseoftalibani00neam/page/39 39]| publisher = Palgrave, New York}}</ref> He dismissed PDPA members from their government posts, appointed conservative elements instead and finally announced the dissolution of the PDPA, arresting senior party members.<ref name="Neamatollah Nojumi" /> <br />
<br />
=== Democratic Republic of Afghanistan ===<br />
On 27 April 1978, the PDPA and military units loyal to the PDPA revolted and killed Khan, his immediate family and bodyguards in a violent coup during the battle to seize control of the capital, Kabul, in the [[Saur Revolution]].<ref name="autogenerated8">{{Cite book| last =Neamatollah Nojumi | title =The Rise of the Taliban in Afghanistan: Mass Mobilization, Civil War, and the Future of the Region| year =2002 | url =https://archive.org/details/riseoftalibani00neam | url-access =registration |edition= 2002 1st |page=[https://archive.org/details/riseoftalibani00neam/page/41 41]| publisher = Palgrave, New York}}</ref> As the PDPA had chosen a weekend holiday to conduct the coup, when many government employees were having a day off, Khan was not able to fully activate the well-trained armed forces which remained loyal to him to counter the coup.<ref name="autogenerated8" /><br />
<br />
== The PDPA's Democratic Republic ==<br />
{{Main|History of Afghanistan (1978–1992)|||}}<br />
<br />
=== Khalqists vs. Parchamites ===<br />
The PDPA formed a new government through a 'revolutionary council', which attempted to balance the two major competing factions within itself—the more radical and revolutionary [[Khalq]] and the more moderate and reformist [[Parcham]]. The Khalqist wing, led by the charismatic [[Nur Muhammad Taraki]], who became the new chairman, gained supremacy in the aftermath of the revolution and adopted a program of land reform, abolition of feudal and tribal structures and equality for women. The council also prefixed the term "Democratic" to the country's Daoud-era name, making it the "Democratic Republic of Afghanistan." Though these reforms were supported by the army and city-dwelling population, they opposed the very traditional, religious and tribal customs of rural Afghanistan, which in turn led to strong rural and clerical opposition to the government and various anti-government uprisings.<ref name=autogenerated2>{{Cite book |last=Neamatollah Nojumi |title=The Rise of the Taliban in Afghanistan: Mass Mobilization, Civil War, and the Future of the Region|year=2002 |url=https://archive.org/details/riseoftalibani00neam |url-access=registration |edition= 2002 1st |page=[https://archive.org/details/riseoftalibani00neam/page/42 42]|location=Palgrave, New York}}</ref> Around this time, the party came to be influenced by [[Hafizullah Amin]], who undermined Taraki despite being a fellow Khalqist, purged Parchamites from the party and began ruthlessly cracking down on political opposition. Therefore, a hostile doctrine against any political dissent was adopted, whether inside or outside the party.<ref name="Neamatollah Nojumi" /> Taraki, who had ruled for only about a year, was assassinated by Amin, who took over formal leadership of the country.<ref name="AFG">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/83854.stm|title=World: Analysis Afghanistan: 20 years of bloodshed|date=26 April 1998|work=BBC News|access-date=13 March 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091016010648/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/83854.stm|archive-date=16 October 2009|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
==== Mass executions ====<br />
Amin was known for his independent and nationalist inclinations and was also seen by many as a ruthless leader. He has been accused of killing tens of thousands of Afghan civilians at [[Pul-e-Charkhi prison|Pul-e-Charkhi]] and other national prisons while cracking down on both the opposition and the Parchamites: 27,000 politically motivated executions reportedly took place at [[Pul-e-Charkhi prison]] alone.<ref>''[https://books.google.com/books?id=-4oHrInacy8C&q=Pul-i-Charki Soldiers of God: With Islamic Warriors in Afghanistan and Pakistan] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160131053917/https://books.google.com/books?ei=EEY4TZ2GGsXTrQfdsZmZCA&ct=result&id=-4oHrInacy8C&dq=%27%27Soldiers+of+God%3A+With+Islamic+Warriors+in+Afghanistan+and+Pakistan%27%27&q=Pul-i-Charki |date=31 January 2016}}'' by Robert D. Kaplan. Vintage, 2001. {{ISBN|1-4000-3025-0}} p.115</ref><ref name=":0">{{cite web|title=The Intervention in Afghanistan and the Fall of Detente, A Chronology|url=https://nsarchive2.gwu.edu/carterbrezhnev/docs_intervention_in_afghanistan_and_the_fall_of_detente/fall_of_detente_chron.pdf|website=National Security Archive}}</ref> Afghans generally held Amin personally responsible for most of the repression, while the Soviet Union considered his government illegitimate, discredited and doomed to collapse in a civil war.<ref>{{cite web|title=Library of Congress / Federal Research Division / Country Studies / Area Handbook Series / Afghanistan|url=http://www.country-data.com/frd/cs/afghanistan/afghanistan.html|website=country-data.com|quote=Yet many Afghans held Amin responsible for the regime's harshest measures and the Soviets, worried about their huge investment in Afghanistan might be jeopardized, increased the number of 'advisers' in Afghanistan. Amin become the target of several assassination attempts in early and mid-December 1979.}}</ref><ref name=":0" /><br />
<br />
==== Soviet pro-Parchamite intervention ====<br />
The Soviet Union secured an alliance with the more moderate [[Babrak Karmal]] and his Parchamite faction, invading Afghanistan on 24 December 1979 and originally meeting only limited resistance.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/soviet-tanks-roll-into-afghanistan|title=Soviet Union invades Afghanistan|publisher=History|language=English|access-date=30 August 2021}}</ref> Amin was deposed from power almost immediately, as he and 200 of his guards were killed during [[Operation Storm-333]] on 27 December by [[Soviet Army]] [[Spetsnaz]], replaced by Karmal. After deployment into Afghanistan, Soviet forces, whom the locals dubbed [[Shuravi]], along with government forces would begin to engage in a protracted [[counterinsurgency]] war against a wide coalition of various anti-government insurgent forces, who in turn styled themselves as [[Afghan mujahideen|mujahideen]]—Islamic holy warriors.<ref name=":2" /><br />
<br />
=== Soviet–Afghan War ===<br />
<br />
==== Leadership of Babrak Karmal ====<br />
Karmal declared a [[Amnesty|general amnesty]] for people imprisoned during Taraki and Amin's rule and restored the Afghan national symbols in place of the Khalqist red flag. He also granted several concessions to religious leaders and at least partially restored property seized during the original Khalqist land reform.<ref name=":2">{{Cite book|last=Kakar|first=Mohammed|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QyTmFj5tUGsC|title=Afghanistan: The Soviet Invasion and the Afghan Response, 1979-1982|date=1995-08-01|publisher=University of California Press|isbn=978-0-520-91914-3|language=en}}</ref> However, this did not satisfy the opposition, as they considered his ascension to power during the Soviet intervention to be a mark that he would rule as a "Soviet puppet", thus continuing their insurgency against the government.<ref>{{Cite book|last1=Borer|first1=Douglas A.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Z54rBgAAQBAJ&pg=PA174|title=Superpowers Defeated: Vietnam and Afghanistan Compared|date=February 2013|publisher=Routledge |isbn=9781136316579}}</ref><br />
<br />
[[File:RIAN archive 24609 Troop withdrawal from Afghanistan.jpg|thumb|left|Soviet troops returning home from Afghanistan during the Soviet–Afghan War in October 1986]]<br />
The [[Government of the Soviet Union|Soviet government]] realized that a military solution to the conflict would require far more troops. Because of this they discussed troop withdrawals and searched for a political and peaceful solution as early as 1980, but they never took any serious steps in that direction until 1988. Early Soviet military reports confirm the difficulties the Soviet army had while fighting on the mountainous terrain, for which the Soviet army had no training. Parallels with the [[Vietnam War]] were frequently referred to by Soviet army officers.<ref name="kgb">{{cite web|author=Svetlana Savranskaya |url=http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB57/soviet.html |title=Volume II: Afghanistan: Lessons from the Last War |publisher=The National Security Archive |access-date=15 March 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090312032535/http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB57/soviet.html |archive-date= 12 March 2009 |url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
==== Leadership of Mohammad Najibullah ====<br />
Policy failures and the stalemate that ensued after the Soviet intervention led the Soviet leadership to become highly critical of Karmal's leadership. Under [[Mikhail Gorbachev]], the Soviet Union was able to depose Karmal and replace him with [[Mohammad Najibullah]]. Karmal's leadership was seen as a failure by the Soviet Union because of the rise of violence and crime during his administration. Najibullah, another Parchamite, attempted to end the insurgency through a policy of accommodation and power sharing known as the [[National Reconciliation (Afghanistan)|National Reconciliation]]. He reversed several of his predecessor's unpopular reforms, abolished the one-party system, reinstated Islam as the state religion (though still maintaining a fairly secular legal and political setup),<ref name="IslamicState">{{cite book|author=Otto, Jan Michiel|title=Sharia Incorporated: A Comparative Overview of the Legal Systems of Twelve Muslim Countries in Past and Present|publisher=[[Amsterdam University Press]]|year=2010|isbn=978-90-8728-057-4|page=[https://books.google.com/books?id=8ep7cX3ma0sC&pg=PA289 289]}}</ref> replaced the Revolutionary Council with a republican presidency and [[Bicameralism|bicameral]] parliament, removed communist symbols deemed "provocative" to the opposition from the country's national emblem, dropped the "Democratic" prefix from the country's name, offered amnesty to mujahideen fighters and called for a six-month [[ceasefire]] in which fighting would stop in exchange for political negotiations intended to create a [[coalition government]] between the PDPA and various rebel groups in an attempt to end the country's crisis.<br />
<br />
The talks did not succeed in reconciling the government and the mujahideen, though it was noted that they increased the government's popularity among urban areas, stabilized the armed forces and led to a round of defections from disillusioned mujahideen fighters to government militias.<ref name="MNPP">{{cite book|author=Amtstutz, J. Bruce|title=Afghanistan: Past and Present|publisher=Diane Publishing|year=1994|isbn=0-7881-1111-6|page=[https://books.google.com/books?id=a0Mp1AHpp0gC&pg=PA152 152]-[https://books.google.com/books?id=a0Mp1AHpp0gC&pg=PA153 153]}}</ref> Despite this, the only insurgent group to fully reconcile with the government was the [[Shia Islam|Shia]]-dominated [[Hezbollah Afghanistan|Afghan Hizbullah]]. A mujahideen boycott of the [[1988 Afghan parliamentary election|1988 elections]], which were the first-ever Afghan elections to allow competing political parties, foiled Najibullah's attempt to reconstruct the nation's parliament, who in turn ordered 50 seats be left vacant to offer to the mujahideen if they decided to reconcile at a later date. Moreover, though Najibullah presented himself personally as a pious Muslim and restored the legal status of Islam, his government was unable to acquire the same Islamic credentials that the mujahideen forces wielded, which in turn meant that many of his reforms were not nearly as successful at convincing the devout, conservative rural and tribal population as Najibullah had hoped.<ref>{{cite book|last=Riaz|first=Ali|title=Religion and politics in South Asia|publisher=[[Taylor & Francis]]|year=2010|isbn=978-0-415-77800-8|page=[https://books.google.com/books?id=vzI8e-zJf5YC&pg=PA34 34]|author-link=Ali Riaz}}</ref> Most importantly, Najibullah oversaw the withdrawal of Soviet forces from Afghanistan. The withdrawal was to be done according to the [[Geneva Accords (1988)|Geneva Accords]], which entailed a full removal of Soviet forces from Afghanistan in exchange for the end of American and Pakistan support to the mujahideen.<ref name="peacekeeping.un.org">{{cite web|title=UNGOMAP: United Nations Good Offices Mission in Afghanistan and Pakistan - Background|url=https://peacekeeping.un.org/sites/default/files/past/ungomap/background.html|access-date=2021-09-03|website=peacekeeping.un.org}}</ref><br />
<br />
==== Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan ====<br />
[[File:Evstafiev-spetsnaz-prepare-for-mission.jpg|thumb|A [[Soviet Army|Soviet]] [[Spetsnaz]] group prepares for a mission in 1988]]<br />
Throughout the Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan, troop convoys came under attack by Afghan rebel fighters. In all, 523 Soviet soldiers were killed during the withdrawal. The total withdrawal of all Soviet troops from Afghanistan was completed in February 1989.<ref name="AFGHA">{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/graphic/2007/07/17/GR2007071700070.html|title=How Not to End a War|date=17 July 2007|newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=13 March 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120623035606/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/graphic/2007/07/17/GR2007071700070.html|archive-date=23 June 2012|url-status=live}}</ref> The last Soviet soldier to leave was Lieutenant General [[Boris Gromov]], leader of the Soviet military operations in Afghanistan at the time of the Soviet invasion.<ref name="last">{{cite web|url=http://english.aljazeera.net/news/asia/2009/02/20092158556204114.html |title=Russia marks Afghanistan retreat |publisher=Al Jazeera |access-date=15 March 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090309204618/http://english.aljazeera.net/news/asia/2009/02/20092158556204114.html|archive-date=9 March 2009 |url-status=live}}</ref> In total, 14,453 Soviet soldiers died during the Soviet–Afghan War. Though the Soviet forces did withdraw, the mujahideen refused to abide by the accords since they were not party to the negotiations. Furthermore, the United States reneged on its agreement and continued funding the insurgent groups even after the Soviet withdrawal.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Garthoff|first1=Raymond L.|title=The Great Transition: American-Soviet Relations and the End of the Cold War|date=1994|publisher=Brookings Institution|isbn=0-8157-3060-8|location=Washington, D.C.|page=737}}</ref> Najibullah's government further complained to the UN that Pakistan had also continued supplying, training and arming the rebel forces fighting against his government.<ref name="peacekeeping.un.org"/><br />
<br />
The Soviet war had a damaging impact on Afghanistan. The death of up to 2 million Afghans in the war has been described as a "[[genocide]]" by a number of sources.<ref name=":1">{{Cite book|url=http://publishing.cdlib.org/ucpressebooks/view?docId=ft7b69p12h;brand=ucpress|title=The Soviet Invasion and the Afghan Response, 1979–1982|last=Kakar|first=Mohammed|publisher=University of California Press|isbn=978-0-520-20893-3|quote=The Afghans are among the latest victims of genocide by a superpower. Large numbers of Afghans were killed to suppress resistance to the army of the Soviet Union, which wished to vindicate its client regime and realize its goal in Afghanistan.|access-date=7 January 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170106175142/http://publishing.cdlib.org/ucpressebooks/view?docId=ft7b69p12h;brand=ucpress|archive-date=6 January 2017|url-status=live|date=3 March 1997}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=I2chrSJCW54C&q=2+million+afghans+killed+soviet&pg=PA129|title=The Widening Circle of Genocide|last=Klass|first=Rosanne|publisher=Transaction Publishers|year=1994|isbn=978-1-4128-3965-5|page=129|quote=During the intervening fourteen years of Communist rule, an estimated 1.5 to 2 million Afghan civilians were killed by Soviet forces and their proxies- the four Communist regimes in Kabul, and the East Germans, Bulgarians, Czechs, Cubans, Palestinians, Indians and others who assisted them. These were not battle casualties or the unavoidable civilian victims of warfare. Soviet and local Communist forces seldom attacked the scattered guerilla bands of the Afghan Resistance except, in a few strategic locales like the Panjsher valley. Instead they deliberately targeted the civilian population, primarily in the rural areas.}}</ref><ref name=":22">{{cite web|url=http://www.paulbogdanor.com/left/afghan/genocide.pdf|title=Genocide and the Soviet Occupation of Afghanistan|last1=Reisman|first1=W. Michael|last2=Norchi|first2=Charles H.|access-date=7 January 2017|quote=According to widely reported accounts, substantial programmes of depopulation have been conducted in these Afghan provinces: Ghazni, Nagarhar, Lagham, Qandahar, Zabul, Badakhshan, Lowgar, Paktia, Paktika and Kunar...There is considerable evidence that genocide has been committed against the Afghan people by the combined forces of the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan and the Soviet Union.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161026182528/http://www.paulbogdanor.com/left/afghan/genocide.pdf|archive-date=26 October 2016|url-status=live}}</ref> Five to ten million Afghans fled to Pakistan and Iran, amounting to 1/3 of the prewar population of the country, and another 2 million were displaced within the country. Pakistan's [[Khyber Pakhtunkhwa|North-West Frontier Province]] functioned as an organisational and networking base for the anti-Soviet Afghan resistance, with the province's influential [[Deobandi]] ulama playing a major supporting role in promoting the jihad.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Haroon|first=Sana|year=2008|title=The Rise of Deobandi Islam in the North-West Frontier Province and Its Implications in Colonial India and Pakistan 1914–1996|jstor=27755911|journal=Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society|volume=18|issue=1|pages=66–67}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Fall of the PDPA ===<br />
{{Main|Afghan Civil War (1989–1992)}}<br />
After the Soviet withdrawal, the Republic of Afghanistan under Najibullah continued to face resistance from the various mujahideen forces and instituted a [[state of emergency]] as he prepared to fend off the armed opposition on his own. Nevertheless, Najibullah received funding and arms from the Soviet Union until 1991 when the Soviet Union collapsed.<ref name="AFGSOV">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/april/14/newsid_4419000/4419833.stm |title=1988: USSR pledges to leave Afghanistan|date=14 April 1988|work=BBC News|access-date=15 March 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090417090326/http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/april/14/newsid_4419000/4419833.stm|archive-date=17 April 2009 |url-status=live}}</ref> For several years the [[Afghan army]] had actually increased their effectiveness past levels ever achieved during the Soviet military presence. The Afghan army was able to prove itself in combat during the [[Afghan Civil War (1989–1992)#Battle of Jalalabad (1989)|Battle of Jalalabad]] in 1989, where it defeated a major assault on the city by mujahideen forces with U.S. and Pakistani backing, inflicting on them greater than 3,000 losses. Moreover, it was actually able to go on the offensive, forestalling several more attacks and preventing the governmental collapse that both American and Pakistani policymakers expected. This greatly increased army morale and demoralized the rebel groups, who had hoped for a quick post-withdrawal victory.<ref name="NotMN">{{cite book|author=[[Rodric Braithwaite|Braithwaite, Rodric]]|title=Afgantsy: The Russians in Afghanistan, 1979–1989|publisher=Indo-European Publishing|year=2007|isbn=978-1-60444-002-7|page=[https://books.google.com/books?id=guQQKejG3qUC&pg=PA296 296]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|date=1989-08-29|title=Rebels without a cause|publisher=[[Public Broadcasting Service|PBS]]|url=https://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/asia/afghanistan/segment_8-29-89.html|access-date=2007-07-27|archive-date=10 November 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121110210639/http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/asia/afghanistan/segment_8-29-89.html|url-status=dead}}</ref><br />
<br />
==== PDPA reforms and attempted coup d'état ====<br />
In 1990, Najibullah reformed the PDPA into the ''Watan'' (Homeland) Party, which rejected [[Marxism–Leninism]] in favour of [[Left-wing nationalism|leftist]] [[Afghan nationalism]]. This did not necessarily have the desired effect, as it did not lead to significant drop in opposition, but did enrage several of his party members, not only Khalqists but also pro-Karmal Parchamites, who accused him of conceding too much of the Saur Revolution's gains to the mujahideen. Najibullah rejected the accusations, stating that his actions had been done in an attempt to preserve and protect the gains of the revolution, not sacrifice them. Regardless, these reforms caused further rifts within the ruling party.<ref>{{cite book|author=Giustozzi, Antonio|title=War, Politics and Society in Afghanistan, 1978–1992|publisher=[[C. Hurst & Co.|C. Hurst & Co. Publishers]]|year=2000|isbn=978-1-85065-396-7|page=[https://books.google.com/books?id=Hz5NzJtg48kC&pg=PA157 157]}}</ref> These tensions boiled over in the [[1990 Afghan coup d'état attempt]], in which a group of disillusioned Khalqists, led by Defence Minister [[Shahnawaz Tanai]], attempted to overthrow Najibullah with the aid of [[Hezb-e Islami Gulbuddin]] and external support from Pakistan. The coup failed but led to many pro-Khalqist officers either fleeing the country or being sacked by Najibullah, considerably weakening the Afghan armed forces.<ref>{{Cite news|agency=Reuters|date=1990-03-08|title=Afghan Leader Says Plotters Have Fled|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1990/03/08/world/afghan-leader-says-plotters-have-fled.html|access-date=2021-09-03|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> The resulting instability led to a defeat in the [[Siege of Khost]] a year later to the hands of Pakistan-backed mujahideen forces after ten years of heavy fighting.<ref>Tomsen, Peter. ''The Wars of Afghanistan: Messianic Terrorism, Tribal Conflicts, and the Failure of Great Powers''. 2011</ref><br />
<br />
==== Dissolution of the Soviet Union ====<br />
Another blow was dealt to his government in late 1991, as the [[dissolution of the Soviet Union]] signalled the end of foreign aid for Najibullah's Afghanistan, as Russian President [[Boris Yeltsin]] had neither the resources nor the desire to aid the Afghan government.<ref name="lastdays">{{cite book|author=[[Rodric Braithwaite|Braithwaite, Rodric]]|title=Afgantsy: The Russians in Afghanistan, 1979–1989|publisher=Indo-European Publishing|year=2007|isbn=978-1-60444-002-7|page=[https://books.google.com/books?id=guQQKejG3qUC&pg=PA299 299]}}</ref> Because of this and with Afghanistan being [[Landlocked country|landlocked]] and not having a fuel supply of its own, the relatively modern and formidable [[Afghan Air Force]] essentially became grounded by a lack of fuel, which in turn made it all the more difficult to supply the army and various pro-government militias spread across Afghanistan's harsh geography, consequently causing a considerable increase in desertion.<ref name="marshall">{{cite book|last=Marshall|first=A.|date=2006|title=Phased Withdrawal, Conflict Resolution and State Reconstruction|publisher=Defence Academy of the United Kingdom, Conflict Studies Research Centre |url=http://www.defac.ac.uk/colleges/csrc/document-listings/ca/06%2829%29AM.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071201033319/http://www.defac.ac.uk/colleges/csrc/document-listings/ca/06%2829%29AM.pdf|archive-date=2007-12-01|access-date=2008-02-12|isbn=1-905058-74-8}}</ref> A few months later and with the war still continuing, Najibullah offered his entire government's resignation and voiced his support for a [[United Nations]] plan for a transitional administration including both Watan and all mujahideen groups in the country. This announcement led to the desertion of many of his own supporters, who feared the end of his government.<ref>{{Cite book|last1=Halim Tanwir|first1=Dr. M.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=oyQDAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA471|title=AFGHANISTAN: History, Diplomacy and Journalism Volume 1|date=February 2013|publisher=Xlibris Corporation |isbn=9781479760909}}</ref><br />
<br />
In these circumstances, [[Abdul Rashid Dostum]], a leading army general, created an alliance with the [[Shura-e Nazar]] of [[Ahmad Shah Massoud]] and turned against Najibullah, taking with him over 40,000 previously pro-government soldiers. Najibullah sent a high-ranking army general to talk to Dostum and attempt to salvage the situation, only to learn that the general had also defected, alongside his own foreign minister.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://publishing.cdlib.org/ucpressebooks/view?docId=ft7b69p12h;chunk.id=0;doc.view=print|title=Afghanistan|website=publishing.cdlib.org}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://qz.com/india/1114676/najibullahs-failed-escape-how-india-and-the-un-mucked-up-completely-in-afghanistan/|title=Murder of a president: How India and the UN mucked up completely in Afghanistan|first=Avinash|last=Paliwal|website=Quartz|date=30 October 2017 }}</ref> These defections devastated the Afghan Armed Forces' morale, and large parts of the Afghan government and armed forces capitulated to the forces of Massoud in early 1992. By April, Najibullah stated that he would be handing power to a seven-member transitional council and resigning immediately. Mujahideen forces loyal to Massoud and Dostum entered and captured Kabul shortly, thereafter, leading to the definitive end of PDPA/Watan rule in Afghanistan.<ref>{{cite book|title=Regional Surveys of the World: Far East and Australasia 2003|publisher=[[Routledge]]|year=2002|isbn=978-1-85743-133-9|page=[https://books.google.com/books?id=e5Az1lGCJwQC&pg=PA66 66]}}</ref><br />
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Najibullah was granted safety by the UN office in Kabul. He had obtained [[Right of asylum|political asylum]] in [[India]] but was unable to leave as he was prevented from doing so by forces loyal to Massoud, Dostum and Hekmatyar. Because of this, he was forced to remain in the UN building until he was captured, dragged from a truck, castrated and executed by the Taliban several years later.<ref name="GG2-H-23">{{cite web|last=Latifi|first=Ali M.|date=22 June 2012|title=Executed Afghan president stages 'comeback'|url=http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2012/06/2012618134838393817.html|access-date=23 August 2012|publisher=aljazeera.com}}</ref> After the Soviet defeat, ''[[The Wall Street Journal]]'' named Massoud "the Afghan who won the Cold War".<ref name="Charlie Rose">{{cite web|year=2001 |url=http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=2911290068493351924# |title=Charlie Rose March 26, 2001 |work=[[CBS]] |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110417165736/http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=2911290068493351924 |archive-date=17 April 2011}}</ref> He had defeated the Soviet forces nine times in his home region of the [[Panjshir Valley]] in northeastern Afghanistan.<ref name="CNN">{{cite news|url=http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/asiapcf/05/27/massoud.afghanistan/|title=He would have found Bin Laden|date=27 May 2009|publisher=CNN|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110628202851/http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/asiapcf/05/27/massoud.afghanistan/|archive-date=28 June 2011|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
==== Increased Pakistani interference ====<br />
Pakistan tried to install [[Gulbuddin Hekmatyar]] in power in Afghanistan despite the opposition of all other mujahideen commanders and factions.<ref name="Tomsen">{{cite book |last=Tomsen|first=Peter|title=Wars of Afghanistan|year=2011|publisher=PublicAffairs|isbn=978-1-58648-763-8|pages=405–408}}</ref> As early as October 1990, the [[Inter-Services Intelligence]] had devised a plan for Hekmatyar to conduct a mass bombardment of the Afghan capital Kabul with possible Pakistani troop enforcements.<ref name="Tomsen" /> This unilateral ISI-Hekmatyar plan came although the thirty most important mujahideen commanders had agreed on holding a conference inclusive of all Afghan groups to decide on a common future strategy.<ref name="Tomsen" /> [[Peter Tomsen]] reports that the protest by the other mujahideen commanders was like a "firestorm". [[Ahmad Zia Massoud]], the brother of Ahmad Shah Massoud, said that his faction strongly opposed the plan and like other factions would take measures if any "Pakistani troops reinforced Hekmatyar". [[Abdul Haq (Afghan leader)|Abdul Haq]] was reportedly so angry about the ISI plan that he was "red in the face".<ref name="Tomsen" /> And Nabi Mohammad, another commander, pointed out that "Kabul's 2 million could not escape Hekmatyar's rocket bombardment—there would be a massacre."<ref name="Tomsen" /> Representatives for Massoud, Haq and Wardak said that "Hekmatyar's rocketing of Kabul ... would produce a civilian bloodbath."<ref name="Tomsen" /> The United States finally put pressure on Pakistan to stop the 1990 plan, which was subsequently called off until 1992.<ref name="Tomsen" /><br />
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== Peshawar Accord and Afghan Civil War ==<br />
{{Further|Afghan Civil War (1992–1996)}}<br />
[[File:Hezbi Islami.svg|thumb|right|Flag of Hezb-e Islami. All of the Afghan political parties were unified under the [[Islamic State of Afghanistan]] in April 1992 except for Hezb-e Islami led by [[Gulbuddin Hekmatyar]]. Hezb-e Islami, supported by Pakistan, started a massive bombardment campaign against the Islamic State of Afghanistan.]]<br />
<br />
=== Pakistan's objectives ===<br />
After the fall of Najibullah's government in 1992, the Afghan political parties agreed on a power-sharing agreement, the [[Peshawar Accord]]. The Peshawar Accord created the [[Islamic State of Afghanistan]] and appointed an [[Provisional government|interim government]] for a transitional period to be followed by general democratic elections. [[Human Rights Watch]] said: "The sovereignty of Afghanistan was vested formally in the Islamic State of Afghanistan, an entity created in April 1992, after the fall of the [[Soviet Union|Soviet]]-backed Najibullah government. ... With the exception of Gulbuddin Hekmatyar's [[Hezb-e Islami Gulbuddin|Hezb-e Islami]], all of the parties ... were ostensibly unified under this government in April 1992. ... Hekmatyar's Hezb-e Islami, for its part, refused to recognize the government for most of the period discussed in this report and launched attacks against government forces and Kabul generally. ... Shells and rockets fell everywhere."<ref name="Human Rights Watch (4)" /><br />
<br />
Hekmatyar received operational, financial and military support from Pakistan.<ref name=autogenerated5>{{Cite book| last =Neamatollah Nojumi | title =The Rise of the Taliban in Afghanistan: Mass Mobilization, Civil War, and the Future of the Region| year =2002 | url =https://archive.org/details/riseoftalibani00neam | url-access =registration |edition= 2002 1st | location = Palgrave, New York}}</ref> On ''Modern Afghanistan: A History of Struggle and Survival'', Afghanistan expert [[Amin Saikal]] says that "Pakistan was keen to gear up for a breakthrough in [[Central Asia]]. ... [[Islamabad]] could not possibly expect the new Islamic government leaders ... to subordinate their own nationalist objectives in order to help Pakistan realize its regional ambitions. ... Had it not been for the ISI's logistic support and supply of a large number of rockets, Hekmatyar's forces would not have been able to target and destroy half of Kabul.<ref name="Amin Saikal" /><br />
<br />
=== Iran–Saudi Arabia proxy conflict ===<br />
In addition, [[Saudi Arabia]] and [[Iran]]—as competitors for regional [[hegemony]]—supported Afghan militias hostile towards each other.<ref name="Amin Saikal">{{Cite book|last=Amin Saikal |author-link=Amin Saikal|title =Modern Afghanistan: A History of Struggle and Survival|edition= 2006 1st |page=352|publisher=I.B. Tauris & Co Ltd., London New York |isbn=1-85043-437-9|date=13 November 2004}}</ref> According to Human Rights Watch, Iran was assisting the Shia [[Hazaras|Hazara]] [[Hezbe Wahdat|Hezb-i Wahdat]] forces of [[Abdul Ali Mazari]], as Iran was attempting to maximize Wahdat's military power and influence.<ref name="Human Rights Watch (4)">{{cite web|url=https://www.hrw.org/en/reports/2005/07/06/blood-stained-hands|title=Blood-Stained Hands, Past Atrocities in Kabul and Afghanistan's Legacy of Impunity|date=6 July 2005|publisher=[[Human Rights Watch]]|access-date=4 December 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090314003407/http://www.hrw.org/en/reports/2005/07/06/blood-stained-hands|archive-date=14 March 2009|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Amin Saikal" /><ref name="Roy Gutman">GUTMAN, Roy (2008): How We Missed the Story: Osama Bin Laden, the Taliban and the Hijacking of Afghanistan, Endowment of the United States Institute of Peace, 1st ed., Washington D.C.</ref> Saudi Arabia supported the [[Wahhabism|Wahhabite]] [[Abdul Rasul Sayyaf]] and his [[Islamic Dawah Organisation of Afghanistan|Ittihad-i Islami]] faction.<ref name="Human Rights Watch (4)" /><ref name="Amin Saikal" /> Conflict between the two militias soon escalated into a full-scale war. A publication by the [[George Washington University]] describes the situation: "[O]utside forces saw instability in Afghanistan as an opportunity to press their own security and political agendas."<ref name="The National Security Archive">{{cite web|year=2003|url=http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB97/|title=The September 11 Sourcebooks Volume VII: The Taliban File|publisher=[[George Washington University]]|access-date=2010-08-30|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131031042857/http://www2.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB97/|archive-date=2013-10-31|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
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Owing to the sudden initiation of the war, working government departments, police units or a system of justice and accountability for the newly created Islamic State of Afghanistan did not have time to form. Atrocities were committed by individuals of the different armed factions while Kabul descended into lawlessness and chaos as described in reports by Human Rights Watch and the Afghanistan Justice Project.<ref name="Human Rights Watch (4)" /><ref name="Afghanistan Justice Project">{{cite web|year=2005|url=http://www.afghanistanjusticeproject.org/warcrimesandcrimesagainsthumanity19782001.pdf|title=Casting Shadows: War Crimes and Crimes against Humanity: 1978–2001|publisher=Afghanistan Justice Project|access-date=23 March 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131004221455/http://www.afghanistanjusticeproject.org/warcrimesandcrimesagainsthumanity19782001.pdf|archive-date=4 October 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref> Because of the chaos, some leaders increasingly had only nominal control over their (sub-)commanders.<ref name="Human Rights Watch (5)">{{cite web|url=https://www.hrw.org/reports98/afghan/Afrepor0-01.htm#P81_13959|title=II. BACKGROUND|publisher=Human Rights Watch|access-date=4 December 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081102042606/http://www.hrw.org/reports98/afghan/Afrepor0-01.htm#P81_13959|archive-date=2 November 2008|url-status=live}}</ref> For civilians there was little security from murder, rape and extortion.<ref name="Human Rights Watch (5)" /> An estimated 25,000 people died during the most intense period of bombardment by Hekmatyar's Hezb-i Islami and the [[National Islamic Movement of Afghanistan|Junbish-i Milli]] forces of Dostum, who had created an alliance with Hekmatyar in 1994.<ref name="Afghanistan Justice Project" /> Half a million people fled Afghanistan.<ref name="Human Rights Watch (5)" /> Human Rights Watch writes: "Rare ceasefires, usually negotiated by representatives of Ahmad Shah Massoud, [[Sibghatullah Mojaddedi]] or [[Burhanuddin Rabbani]] [the interim government], or officials from the [[International Committee of the Red Cross]], commonly collapsed within days."<ref name="Human Rights Watch (4)" /><br />
<br />
=== Rise of the Taliban government ===<br />
{{Main|Taliban|History of the Taliban}}<br />
Southern Afghanistan was not under the control of foreign-backed militias nor was it under the control of the government in Kabul; instead, it was ruled by local leaders such as [[Gul Agha Sherzai]] and their militias. In 1994, the [[Taliban]] (a movement which originated in [[Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam]] religious schools for [[Afghan refugees]] in [[Afghans in Pakistan|Pakistan]]) also developed as a political-religious force in Afghanistan, reportedly in opposition to the tyranny of the local governor.<ref name="Matinuddin, Kamal 1999 pp.25">Matinuddin, Kamal, ''The Taliban Phenomenon, Afghanistan 1994–1997'', [[Oxford University Press]], (1999), pp.25–6</ref> [[Mullah Omar]] founded his movement with less than 50 armed [[Madrasa|madrassah]] students in his home town of [[Kandahar]].<ref name="Matinuddin, Kamal 1999 pp.25" /> When the Taliban took control of the city in 1994, they forced dozens of local Pashtun leaders who had presided over a situation of complete lawlessness and atrocities to surrender.<ref name="Human Rights Watch (5)" /> In 1994, the Taliban took power in several provinces in southern and central Afghanistan.<br />
<br />
[[File:Kabul during civil war of fundamentalists 1993.jpg|thumb|Ruins in Kabul in 1993]]<br />
In late 1994, most of the militia factions (Hezb-i Islami, Junbish-i Milli and Hezb-i Wahdat) which had been fighting in the battle for control of Kabul were defeated militarily by forces of the Islamic State's [[Defence minister|Secretary of Defense]] Massoud. Bombardment of the capital came to a halt.<ref name="Afghanistan Justice Project" /><ref name="amnesty.org">{{cite web|url=https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/asa11/015/1995/en/|title=Document – Afghanistan: Further information on fear for safety and new concern: deliberate and arbitrary killings: Civilians in Kabul – Amnesty International|date=16 November 1995 |publisher=Amnesty.org|access-date=18 October 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150403163212/https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/ASA11/015/1995/en/|archive-date=3 April 2015|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="International Committee of the Red Cross">{{cite web|year=1995|url=http://www.icrc.org/eng/resources/documents/misc/57jly2.htm|title=Afghanistan: escalation of indiscriminate shelling in Kabul|publisher=International Committee of the Red Cross|access-date=22 December 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110510012006/http://www.icrc.org/eng/resources/documents/misc/57jly2.htm|archive-date=10 May 2011|url-status=live}}</ref> Massoud tried to initiate a nationwide political process with the goal of national [[Democratic consolidation|consolidation]] and democratic elections, also inviting the Taliban to join the process.<ref name="Webster University Press Book">{{cite book |last=Marcela Grad |title=Massoud: An Intimate Portrait of the Legendary Afghan Leader|edition= 1 March 2009 |page=310 |publisher=Webster University Press}}</ref> Massoud had united political and cultural personalities, governors, commanders, clergymen and representatives to reach a lasting agreement. Massoud, like most people in Afghanistan, saw this conference as a small hope for democracy and for free elections. His favourite for candidacy to the presidency was Dr. [[Mohammad Yusuf (politician)|Mohammad Yusuf]], the first democratic prime minister under Zahir Shah, the former king. In the first meeting representatives from 15 different Afghan provinces met, in the second meeting there were already 25 provinces participating. Massoud went unarmed to talk to several Taliban leaders in Maidan Shar, but the Taliban declined to join this political process.<ref name="Webster University Press Book" /> When Massoud returned safely, the Taliban leader who had received him as his guest paid with his life: he was killed by other senior Taliban for failing to execute Massoud while the possibility was there.<br />
<br />
==== Founding of the Islamic Emirate ====<br />
The Taliban started to shell Kabul in early 1995 but they were defeated by the forces of the Islamic State government under Massoud.<ref name="amnesty.org" /> [[Amnesty International]], referring to the Taliban offensive, wrote in a 1995 report: "This is the first time in several months that Kabul civilians have become the targets of rocket attacks and shelling aimed at residential areas in the city."<ref name="amnesty.org"/> The Taliban's early victories in 1994 were followed by a series of defeats that resulted in heavy losses.<ref name="Human Rights Watch (5)" /> Pakistan provided strong support to the Taliban.<ref name="Amin Saikal" /><ref name="George Washington University">{{cite web |year=2007 |url=http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB227/index.htm#17 |title=Documents Detail Years of Pakistani Support for Taliban, Extremists |publisher=[[George Washington University]] |access-date=22 December 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080708224453/http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB227/index.htm#17 |archive-date=8 July 2008 |url-status=live}}</ref> Many analysts like [[Amin Saikal]] describe the Taliban as developing into a [[Proxy war|proxy]] force for Pakistan's regional interests which the Taliban deny.<ref name="Amin Saikal" /> On 26 September 1996, as the Taliban, with military support from Pakistan and financial support from Saudi Arabia, prepared for another major offensive, Massoud ordered a full retreat from Kabul.<ref>Coll, ''Ghost Wars'' (New York: Penguin, 2005), 14.</ref> The Taliban seized Kabul on 27 September 1996 and established the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.<br />
<br />
== Taliban vs. Northern Alliance ==<br />
{{Main|Afghan Civil War (1996–2001)|Northern Alliance|Taliban}}<br />
<br />
=== Taliban offensives ===<br />
[[File:1996afghan (1).png|thumb|Map of the situation in Afghanistan in 1996: Ahmad Shah Massoud (red), Abdul Rashid Dostum (green) and Taliban (yellow) territories]]<br />
The Taliban imposed on the parts of Afghanistan under their control their interpretation of Islam. The [[Physicians for Human Rights]] (PHR) stated: "To PHR's knowledge, no other regime in the world has methodically and violently forced half of its population into virtual [[house arrest]], prohibiting them on pain of physical punishment."<ref name="Physicians for Human Rights">{{cite web |year=1998 |url=http://physiciansforhumanrights.org/library/documents/reports/talibans-war-on-women.pdf |title=The Taliban's War on Women. A Health and Human Rights Crisis in Afghanistan |publisher=[[Physicians for Human Rights]] |access-date=2010-12-22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070702234326/http://physiciansforhumanrights.org/library/documents/reports/talibans-war-on-women.pdf |archive-date=2007-07-02 |url-status=dead}}</ref> Women were required to wear the all-covering ''[[burqa]]'', they were banned from public life and denied access to health care and education, windows needed to be covered so that women could not be seen from the outside, and they were not allowed to laugh in a manner that could be heard by others.<ref name="Physicians for Human Rights" /> The Taliban, without any real court or hearing, cut people's hands or arms off when they were accused of stealing.<ref name="Physicians for Human Rights" /> Taliban hit-squads watched the streets, conducting arbitrary brutal public beatings.<ref name="Physicians for Human Rights" /><br />
<br />
The Taliban began preparing offensives against the remaining areas controlled by Massoud and Dostum. The former foes responded by allying to form the [[United Islamic Front for the Salvation of Afghanistan|United Front]] ([[Northern Alliance]]) against the Taliban.<ref>{{YouTube|EvYglyjbHkI}}</ref> In addition to the dominantly [[Tajiks|Tajik]] forces of Massoud and the [[Uzbeks|Uzbek]] forces of Dostum, the United Front included [[Hazaras|Hazara]] factions and [[Pashtuns|Pashtun]] forces under the leadership of commanders such as [[Abdul Haq (Afghan leader)|Abdul Haq]] or [[Haji Abdul Qadeer|Haji Abdul Qadir]]. Prominent politicians of the United Front were Afghan Prime Minister [[Abdul Rahim Ghafoorzai]] and the United Front's foreign minister [[Abdullah Abdullah]]. From the Taliban conquest in 1996 until November 2001 the United Front controlled roughly 30% of Afghanistan's population in provinces such as [[Badakhshan Province|Badakhshan]], [[Kapisa Province|Kapisa]], [[Takhar Province|Takhar]] and parts of [[Parwan Province|Parwan]], [[Kunar Province|Kunar]], [[Nuristan Province|Nuristan]], [[Laghman Province|Laghman]], [[Samangan Province|Samangan]], [[Kunduz Province|Kunduz]], [[Ghōr Province|Ghōr]] and [[Bamyan Province|Bamyan]].<br />
<br />
==== Atrocities by Arab jihadists ====<br />
[[File:Taliban-Torkham-2001.jpg|thumb|right|upright|Taliban border guard in 2001]]<br />
According to a 55-page report by the United Nations, the Taliban, while trying to consolidate control over northern and western Afghanistan, committed systematic massacres against civilians.<ref name="Newsday 2001">{{cite news|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/2001/10/12/taliban-massacres-outlined-for-un/|title=Taliban massacres outlined for UN|author=Newsday|date=October 2001|publisher=Chicago Tribune|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110916074935/http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2001-10-12/news/0110120312_1_taliban-fighters-massacres-in-recent-years-mullah-mohammed-omar|archive-date=16 September 2011|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="papillonsartpalace.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.papillonsartpalace.com/massacre.htm |title=Confidential UN report details mass killings of civilian villagers |access-date=12 October 2001 |author=Newsday |year=2001 |publisher=newsday.org |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20021118162327/http://www.papillonsartpalace.com/massacre.htm |archive-date=18 November 2002}}</ref> UN officials stated that there had been "15 massacres" between 1996 and 2001.<ref name="Newsday 2001" /><ref name="papillonsartpalace.com" /> They also said "these have been highly systematic and they all lead back to the [Taliban] Ministry of Defense or to [[Mullah Omar]] himself."<ref name="Newsday 2001" /><ref name="papillonsartpalace.com" /> In a major effort to retake the Shomali plains, the Taliban indiscriminately killed civilians, while uprooting and expelling the population. Kamal Hossein, a special reporter for the [[UN]], reported on these and other [[war crimes]]. Upon taking [[Mazar-i-Sharif]] in 1998, about 4,000 civilians were executed by the Taliban and many more reported tortured.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.unhcr.org/refworld/country,,IRBC,,AFG,,3ae6aab050,0.html|title=Afghanistan: Situation in, or around, Aqcha (Jawzjan province) including predominant tribal/ethnic group and who is currently in control|date=February 1999|publisher=[[UNHCR]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110510011619/http://www.unhcr.org/refworld/country%2C%2CIRBC%2C%2CAFG%2C%2C3ae6aab050%2C0.html|archive-date=10 May 2011|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.hrw.org/reports98/afghan/Afrepor0-03.htm#P186_38364 |title=INCITEMENT OF VIOLENCE AGAINST HAZARAS BY GOVERNOR NIAZI |access-date=27 December 2007 |author= Human Rights Watch|author-link= Human Rights Watch|date=November 1998|work=AFGHANISTAN: THE MASSACRE IN MAZAR-I SHARIF |publisher= hrw.org| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20071215095339/http://www.hrw.org/reports98/afghan/Afrepor0-03.htm|archive-date=15 December 2007 |url-status=live}}</ref> The Taliban especially targeted people of Shia religious or Hazara ethnic background.<ref name="Newsday 2001" /><ref name="papillonsartpalace.com" /> Among those killed in Mazari-i-Sharif [[1998 killing of Iranian diplomats in Afghanistan|were several Iranian diplomats]]. Others were kidnapped by the Taliban, touching off a hostage crisis that nearly escalated to a full-scale war, with 150,000 Iranian soldiers massed on the Afghan border at one time.<ref>{{cite news|title=Iranian military exercises draw warning from Afghanistan |date=31 August 1997 |publisher=CNN News |url=http://www.cnn.com/WORLD/meast/9808/31/iran.games/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081211123252/http://www.cnn.com/WORLD/meast/9808/31/iran.games/ |archive-date=11 December 2008}}</ref> It was later admitted that the diplomats were killed by the Taliban, and their bodies were returned to Iran.<ref>{{cite news|title=Taliban threatens retaliation if Iran strikes|date=15 September 1997|publisher=CNN|url=http://www.cnn.com/WORLD/meast/9809/15/iran.afghan.tensions.02/index.html|access-date=14 March 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090423161849/http://www.cnn.com/WORLD/meast/9809/15/iran.afghan.tensions.02/index.html|archive-date=23 April 2009|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
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The documents also reveal the role of Arab and Pakistani support troops in these killings.<ref name="Newsday 2001" /><ref name="papillonsartpalace.com" /> [[Osama bin Laden|Osama Bin Laden]]'s so-called [[055 Brigade]] was responsible for mass killings of Afghan civilians.<ref name="Ahmed Rashid/The Telegraph">{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/afghanistan/1340244/Afghanistan-resistance-leader-feared-dead-in-blast.html|title=Afghanistan resistance leader feared dead in blast|author=Ahmed Rashid|work=Telegraph|location=London|date=11 September 2001|access-date=5 April 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131108225950/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/afghanistan/1340244/Afghanistan-resistance-leader-feared-dead-in-blast.html|archive-date=8 November 2013|url-status=live}}</ref> The report by the United Nations quotes eyewitnesses in many villages describing Arab fighters carrying long knives used for slitting throats and skinning people.<ref name="Newsday 2001" /><ref name="papillonsartpalace.com" /><br />
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==== Role of Pakistan's ISI ====<br />
Pakistan's ISI wanted the mujahideen to establish a government in Afghanistan. The director-general of the ISI, [[Hamid Gul]], was interested in an Islamic revolution which would transcend national borders, not just in Afghanistan and Pakistan but also in [[Central Asia]]. To set up the proposed mujahideen government, Gul ordered an assault on [[Jalalabad]] with the intent on using it as the capital for the new government Pakistan was interested in establishing in Afghanistan.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2015/08/legacy-pakistan-loved-loathed-hamid-gul-150817114006616.html|title=The legacy of Pakistan's loved and loathed Hamid Gul|last=Nasir|first=Abbas|date=18 August 2015|publisher=Al Jazeera|quote=His commitment to jihad – to an Islamic revolution transcending national boundaries, was such that he dreamed one day the "green Islamic flag" would flutter not just over Pakistan and Afghanistan, but also over territories represented by the (former Soviet Union) Central Asian republics. After the Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan, as the director-general of the Pakistan's intelligence organisation, Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) directorate, an impatient Gul wanted to establish a government of the so-called Mujahideen on Afghan soil. He then ordered an assault using non-state actors on Jalalabad, the first major urban centre across the Khyber Pass from Pakistan, with the aim capturing it and declaring it as the seat of the new administration.|access-date=4 January 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170103194942/http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2015/08/legacy-pakistan-loved-loathed-hamid-gul-150817114006616.html|archive-date=3 January 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> The Taliban were largely funded by ISI in 1994.<ref name="Shaffer">{{cite book|last=Shaffer|first=Brenda|title=The Limits of Culture: Islam and Foreign Policy|url=https://archive.org/details/limitscultureisl00shaf|url-access=limited|year=2006|publisher=MIT Press|isbn=978-0-262-69321-9|page=[https://archive.org/details/limitscultureisl00shaf/page/n289 267]|quote=Pakistani involvement in creating the movement is seen as central}}</ref><ref name="Forsythe3">{{cite book|last=Forsythe|first=David P.|title=Encyclopedia of human rights|year=2009|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=978-0-19-533402-9|page=2|edition= Volume 1|quote=In 1994 the Taliban was created, funded and inspired by Pakistan}}</ref><ref name="[[Hall Gardner]]">{{cite book|last=Gardner|first=Hall|title=American global strategy and the 'war on terrorism'|url=https://archive.org/details/americanglobalst00gard|url-access=limited|year=2007|publisher=Ashgate|isbn=978-0-7546-7094-0|page=[https://archive.org/details/americanglobalst00gard/page/n67 59]}}</ref><ref name="Jones">{{cite book|last=Jones|first=Owen Bennett|title=Pakistan: eye of the storm|url=https://archive.org/details/pakistaneyestorm00jone|url-access=limited|year=2003|publisher=Yale University Press|isbn=978-0-300-15475-7|page=[https://archive.org/details/pakistaneyestorm00jone/page/n260 240]|quote=The ISI's undemocratic tendencies are not restricted to its interference in the electoral process. The organisation also played a major role in creating the Taliban movement.}}</ref><ref name="Randal">{{cite book|last=Randal|first=Jonathan|title=Osama: The Making of a Terrorist|year=2005|publisher=I.B.Tauris|isbn=978-1-84511-117-5|page=26|quote=Pakistan had all but invented the Taliban, the so-called Koranic students}}</ref><ref name="Peiman">{{cite book|last=Peiman|first=Hooman|title=Falling Terrorism and Rising Conflicts|year=2003|publisher=Greenwood|isbn=978-0-275-97857-0|page=14|quote=Pakistan was the main supporter of the Taliban since its military intelligence, the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) formed the group in 1994}}</ref><ref name="Hilali">{{cite book|last=Hilali|first=A. Z.|title=US-Pakistan relationship: Soviet invasion of Afghanistan|year=2005|publisher=Ashgate|isbn=978-0-7546-4220-6|page=248}}</ref><ref name="Rumer">{{cite book|last=Rumer|first=Boris Z.|title=Central Asia: a gathering storm?|year=2002|publisher=M.E. Sharpe|isbn=978-0-7656-0866-6|page=103}}</ref> The ISI used the Taliban to establish a regime in Afghanistan which would be favorable to Pakistan, as they were trying to gain [[strategic depth]].<ref name="Pape">{{cite book|last=Pape|first=Robert A|title=Cutting the Fuse: The Explosion of Global Suicide Terrorism and How to Stop It|url=https://archive.org/details/cuttingfuseexplo00pape|url-access=limited|year=2010|publisher=University of Chicago Press|isbn=978-0-226-64560-5|pages=[https://archive.org/details/cuttingfuseexplo00pape/page/n150 140]–141}}</ref><ref name="Harf">{{cite book|last=Harf|first=James E.|title=The Unfolding Legacy of 9/11|year=2004|publisher=University Press of America|isbn=978-0-7618-3009-2|page=122|author2=Mark Owen Lombard}}</ref><ref name="Hinnells">{{cite book|last=Hinnells|first=John R.|title=Religion and violence in South Asia: theory and practice|url=https://archive.org/details/religionviolence00hinn|url-access=limited|year=2006|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-0-415-37290-9|page=[https://archive.org/details/religionviolence00hinn/page/n163 154]}}</ref><ref name="Boase">{{cite book|last=Boase|first=Roger|title=Islam and Global Dialogue: Religious Pluralism and the Pursuit of Peace|year=2010|publisher=Ashgate|isbn=978-1-4094-0344-9|page=85|quote=Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence agency used the students from these madrassas, the Taliban, to create a favourable regime in Afghanistan}}</ref> Since the creation of the Taliban, the ISI and the Pakistani military have given financial, logistical and military support.<ref name="Armajani">{{cite book|last=Armajani|first=Jon|title=Modern Islamist Movements: History, Religion, and Politics|url=https://archive.org/details/modernislamistmo00arma|url-access=limited|year=2012|publisher=Wiley-Blackwell|isbn=978-1-4051-1742-5|page=[https://archive.org/details/modernislamistmo00arma/page/n63 48]}}</ref><ref name="Bayo">{{cite book|last=Bayo|first=Ronald H.|title=Multicultural America: An Encyclopedia of the Newest Americans|year=2011|publisher=Greenwood|isbn=978-0-313-35786-2|page=8}}</ref><ref name="Goodson">{{cite book|last=Goodson|first=Larry P.|title=Afghanistan's Endless War: State Failure, Regional Politics and the Rise of the Taliban|url=https://archive.org/details/afghanistansendl0000good|url-access=registration|year=2002|publisher=University of Washington Press|isbn=978-0-295-98111-6|page=[https://archive.org/details/afghanistansendl0000good/page/111 111]|quote =Pakistani support for the Taliban included direct and indirect military involvement, logistical support}}</ref><br />
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According to Pakistani Afghanistan expert [[Ahmed Rashid]], "between 1994 and 1999, an estimated 80,000 to 100,000 Pakistanis trained and fought in Afghanistan" on the side of the Taliban.<ref name="Maley">{{cite book|last=Maley|first=William|title=The Afghanistan wars|year=2009|publisher=Palgrave Macmillan|isbn=978-0-230-21313-5|page=288}}</ref> [[Peter Tomsen]] stated that Pakistani military and ISI officers along with thousands of regular Pakistani Armed Forces personnel had been involved in the fighting in Afghanistan.<ref name="autogenerated4">{{cite book|last=Tomsen|first=Peter|title=Wars of Afghanistan|year=2011|publisher=PublicAffairs|isbn=978-1-58648-763-8|page=322}}</ref> In 2001 alone, according to several international sources, 28,000–30,000 Pakistani nationals, 14,000–15,000 Afghan Taliban and 2,000–3,000 Al Qaeda militants were fighting against anti-Taliban forces in Afghanistan as a roughly 45,000-strong military force.<ref name="Webster University Press Book" /><ref name="Ahmed Rashid/The Telegraph" /><ref name="Edward Girardet">{{cite book | last = Edward Girardet| title =Killing the Cranes: A Reporter's Journey Through Three Decades of War in Afghanistan |edition= 3 August 2011 |page=416 | publisher = Chelsea Green Publishing}}</ref><ref name="Rashid 2000 91">{{cite book|author-link=Ahmed Rashid|last=Rashid|first=Ahmed|title=[[Taliban: Militant Islam, Oil and Fundamentalism in Central Asia]]|publisher=[[Yale University Press]]|year=2000|isbn=9780300083408|page=91}}</ref> Pakistani President [[Pervez Musharraf]]&nbsp;– then as Chief of Army Staff&nbsp;– was responsible for sending thousands of Pakistanis to fight alongside the Taliban and Bin Laden against the forces of Massoud.<ref name="Webster University Press Book" /><ref name="George Washington University" /><ref name="National Geographic">{{cite web | year = 2007 | url = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xpQI6HKV-ZY | title = Inside the Taliban | publisher = [[National Geographic Society]] | access-date = 13 December 2015 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20151216030829/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xpQI6HKV-ZY | archive-date = 16 December 2015 | url-status = live}}</ref> Of the estimated 28,000 Pakistani nationals fighting in Afghanistan, 8,000 were militants recruited in madrassas filling regular Taliban ranks.<ref name="Ahmed Rashid/The Telegraph" /> A 1998 document by the [[United States Department of State|U.S. State Department]] confirms that "20–40 percent of [regular] Taliban soldiers are Pakistani."<ref name="George Washington University" /> The document further states that the parents of those Pakistani nationals "know nothing regarding their child's military involvement with the Taliban until their bodies are brought back to Pakistan."<ref name="George Washington University" /> According to the U.S. State Department report and reports by Human Rights Watch, the other Pakistani nationals fighting in Afghanistan were regular Pakistani soldiers especially from the [[Frontier Corps]] but also from the Pakistani Army providing direct combat support.<ref name="George Washington University" /><ref name="Human Rights Watch">{{cite news| url =https://www.hrw.org/reports/2001/afghan2/Afghan0701-02.htm| title =Pakistan's support of the taliban| publisher =Human Rights Watch| year =2000| archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20100615184800/http://www.hrw.org/reports/2001/afghan2/Afghan0701-02.htm| archive-date =15 June 2010| url-status =live}}</ref><br />
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[[File:Pervez Musharraf - World Economic Forum Annual Meeting Davos 2008 number3.jpg|thumb|Former Pakistani President [[Pervez Musharraf]] sent more troops against the United Front of [[Ahmad Shah Massoud]] than the Afghan Taliban]]<br />
In 2000, Human Rights Watch wrote: "Of all the foreign powers involved in efforts to sustain and manipulate the ongoing fighting [in Afghanistan], Pakistan is distinguished both by the sweep of its objectives and the scale of its efforts, which include soliciting funding for the Taliban, bankrolling Taliban operations, providing diplomatic support as the Taliban's virtual emissaries abroad, arranging training for Taliban fighters, recruiting skilled and unskilled manpower to serve in Taliban armies, planning and directing offensives, providing and facilitating shipments of ammunition and fuel, and ... directly providing combat support.<ref name="Human Rights Watch"/><br />
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On 1 August 1997, the Taliban launched an attack on [[Sheberghan]], the main military base of Dostum. Dostum has said the reason the attack was successful was that 1,500 Pakistani commandos took part and that the Pakistani Air Force also gave support.<ref name=Clements2>{{cite book|last=Clements|first=Frank|title=Conflict in Afghanistan: a historical encyclopedia|url=https://archive.org/details/conflictafghanis00clem|url-access=limited|year=2003|publisher=ABC-CLIO|isbn=978-1-85109-402-8|page=[https://archive.org/details/conflictafghanis00clem/page/n92 54]}}</ref> In 1998, Iran accused Pakistani troops of war crimes at [[Bamyan|Bamiyan]] and claimed that Pakistani warplanes had, in support of the Taliban, bombarded Afghanistan's last Shia stronghold.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/1998/09/14/iran-raises-anti-pakistan-outcry/|title=Iran Raises Anti-pakistan Outcry|last=Schmetzer|first=Uli|date=14 September 1998|work=Chicago Tribune|quote=Karachi, Pakistan — Iran, which has amassed 200,000 troops on the border with Afghanistan, accused Pakistan on Sunday of sending warplanes to strafe and bombard Afghanistan's last Shiite stronghold, which fell hours earlier to the Taliban, the Sunni militia now controlling the central Asian country.|access-date=5 January 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170105180518/http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1998-09-14/news/9809140197_1_shiite-taliban-sunni|archive-date=5 January 2017|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1998/09/16/afghanistan-arena-for-a-new-rivalry/eeedba2f-03b7-4ed6-ba97-91e51e633e96/|title=Afghanistan: Arena For a New Rivalry |last=Constable |first=Pamela |author-link=Pamela Constable |date=16 September 1998 |newspaper=The Washington Post |quote=Taliban officials accused Iran of providing military support to the opposition forces; Tehran radio accused Pakistan of sending its air force to bomb the city in support of the Taliban's advance and said Iran was holding Pakistan responsible for what it termed war crimes at Bamiyan. Pakistan has denied that accusation and previous allegations of direct involvement in the Afghan conflict. Also fueling the volatile situation are ethnic and religious rivalries between the Taliban, who are Sunni Muslims of Afghanistan's dominant Pashtun ethnic group, and the opposition factions, many of which represent other ethnic groups or include Shiite Muslims. Iran, a Shiite Muslim state, has a strong interest in promoting that sect; Pakistan, one of the Taliban's few international allies, is about 80 percent Sunni.|access-date=5 January 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170205181352/https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1998/09/16/afghanistan-arena-for-a-new-rivalry/eeedba2f-03b7-4ed6-ba97-91e51e633e96/|archive-date=5 February 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> The same year Russia said, Pakistan was responsible for the "military expansion" of the Taliban in northern Afghanistan by sending large numbers of Pakistani troops some of whom had subsequently been taken as prisoners by the anti-Taliban United Front.<ref name="Press Trust of India">{{cite news| url =http://www.expressindia.com/ie/daily/19980812/22450054.html| title =Pak involved in Taliban offensive&nbsp;– Russia| publisher =Express India| year =1998| archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20050128030041/http://www.expressindia.com/ie/daily/19980812/22450054.html| archive-date =28 January 2005| url-status =dead}}</ref><br />
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In 2000, the UN Security Council imposed an arms embargo against military support to the Taliban, with UN officials explicitly singling out Pakistan. The UN secretary-general implicitly criticized Pakistan for its military support, and the Security Council "expressed deep distress over reports of involvement in the fighting, on the Taliban side, of thousands of non-Afghan nationals, some of whom were below the age of 14."<ref name="UN">{{cite news| url =https://www.un.org/News/dh/latest/afghan/un-afghan-history.shtml| title =Afghanistan & the United Nations| publisher =[[United Nations]]| year =2012| archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20131031084259/http://www.un.org/News/dh/latest/afghan/un-afghan-history.shtml| archive-date =31 October 2013| url-status =live}}</ref> In July 2001, several countries including the United States, accused Pakistan of being "in violation of UN sanctions because of its military aid to the Taliban."<ref name="Washington Times (2)">{{cite news| url =http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=WT&p_theme=wt&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0ED02FA7F968789D&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM| title =U.S. presses for bin Laden's ejection| work=[[The Washington Times]]| year =2001| archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20130511185904/http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=WT&p_theme=wt&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0ED02FA7F968789D&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM| archive-date =11 May 2013| url-status =live}}</ref> The Taliban also obtained financial resources from Pakistan. In 1997 alone, after the [[Battle of Kabul (1992–1996)|capture of Kabul]] by the Taliban, Pakistan gave $30 million in aid and a further $10 million for government wages.<ref name="Byman">{{cite book|last=Byman|first=Daniel|title=Deadly connections: states that sponsor terrorism|url=https://archive.org/details/deadlyconnection00byma|url-access=limited|year=2005|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=978-0-521-83973-0|page=[https://archive.org/details/deadlyconnection00byma/page/n208 195]}}</ref><br />
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In 2000, [[MI6|British Intelligence]] reported that the ISI was taking an active role in several Al Qaeda training camps.<ref name="Atkins">{{cite book|last=Atkins|first=Stephen E.|title=The 9/11 Encyclopedia|year=2011|publisher=ABC-CLIO|isbn=978-1-59884-921-9|page=540}}</ref> The ISI helped with the construction of training camps for both the Taliban and Al Qaeda.<ref name="Atkins" /><ref name="Litwak">{{cite book|last=Litwak|first=Robert|title=Regime change: U.S. strategy through the prism of 9/11|url=https://archive.org/details/regimechange00robe|url-access=registration|year=2007|publisher=Johns Hopkins University Press|isbn=978-0-8018-8642-3|page=[https://archive.org/details/regimechange00robe/page/309 309]}}</ref><ref name="McGrath">{{cite book|last=McGrath|first=Kevin|title=Confronting Al-Qaeda|year=2011|publisher=Naval Institute Press|isbn=978-1-59114-503-5|page=138|quote =the Pakistani military's Inter-services Intelligence Directorate (IsI) provided assistance to the Taliban, to include its military and al Qaeda–related terrorist training camps}}</ref> From 1996 to 2001 the Al Qaeda of Osama Bin Laden and [[Ayman al-Zawahiri]] became a state within the Taliban state.<ref name="Daily Times">{{cite web|year=2008 |url=http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2008\08\31\story_31-8-2008_pg3_4 |title=Book review: The inside track on Afghan wars by Khaled Ahmed |publisher=[[Daily Times (Pakistan)|Daily Times]] |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131022195043/http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2008%5C08%5C31%5Cstory_31-8-2008_pg3_4 |archive-date=22 October 2013}}</ref> Bin Laden sent Arab and Central Asian Al-Qaeda militants to join the fight against the United Front, among them his 055 Brigade.<ref name="Daily Times" /><ref name="autogenerated3">{{cite web |url =https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Grugy2txSvc&feature=search |title =Brigade 055 |publisher =CNN |access-date =13 December 2015 |archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20150719190619/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Grugy2txSvc&feature=search |archive-date =19 July 2015 |url-status =live}}</ref><br />
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=== Anti-Taliban resistance ===<br />
[[File:Ahmad Zia Massoud 1.jpg|thumb|right|[[Ahmad Zia Massoud]] (left), the brother of anti-Taliban leader Ahmad Shah Massoud]]<br />
Dostum and his forces were defeated by the Taliban in 1998. Dostum subsequently went into exile. Massoud became the only leader to remain in Afghanistan and who was able to defend vast parts of his area against the Taliban. In the areas under his control, Massoud set up democratic institutions and signed the Women's Rights Declaration.<ref name=autogenerated32>{{Cite book| last = Marcela Grad| author-link = Marcela Grad| title = Massoud: An Intimate Portrait of the Legendary Afghan Leader|edition= 1 March 2009 |page=310 | publisher = Webster University Press}}</ref> In the area of Massoud, women and girls did not have to wear the Afghan burqa. They were allowed to work and to go to school. In at least two known instances, Massoud personally intervened against cases of forced marriage.<ref name="Webster University Press Book" /> To Massoud there was reportedly nothing worse than treating a person like an object.<ref name="Webster University Press Book" /> He stated: "It is our conviction and we believe that both men and women are created by the Almighty. Both have equal rights. Women can pursue an education, women can pursue a career, and women can play a role in society — just like men."<ref name="Webster University Press Book"/><br />
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In ''Massoud: From Warrior to Statesman'', author Pepe Escobar writes "Massoud is adamant that in Afghanistan women have suffered oppression for generations. He says that 'the cultural environment of the country suffocates women. But the Taliban exacerbate this with oppression.' His most ambitious project is to shatter this cultural prejudice and so give more space, freedom and equality to women — they would have the same rights as men."<ref name="Webster University Press Book"/> While it was Massoud's stated conviction that men and women are equal and should enjoy the same rights, he also had to deal with Afghan traditions which he said would need a generation or more to overcome. In his opinion that could only be achieved through education.<ref name="Webster University Press Book" /> Humayun Tandar, who took part as an Afghan diplomat in the 2001 [[International Conference on Afghanistan, Bonn (2001)|International Conference on Afghanistan]] in Bonn, said that "strictures of language, ethnicity, region were [also] stifling for Massoud. That is why ... he wanted to create a unity which could surpass the situation in which we found ourselves and still find ourselves to this day."<ref name="Webster University Press Book" /> This applied also to strictures of religion. Jean-José Puig describes how Massoud often led prayers before a meal or at times asked his fellow Muslims to lead the prayer but also did not hesitate to ask a Christian friend Jean-José Puig or the Jewish [[Princeton University]] Professor Michael Barry: "Jean-José, we believe in the same God. Please, tell us the prayer before lunch or dinner in your own language."<ref name="Webster University Press Book" /><br />
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Human Rights Watch cites no human rights crimes for the forces under direct control of Massoud for the period from October 1996 until the assassination of Massoud in September 2001.<ref name=autogenerated9>{{cite web|year=2001|url=https://www.hrw.org/backgrounder/asia/afghan-bck1005.htm#uf|title=Human Rights Watch Backgrounder, October 2001|publisher=[[Human Rights Watch]]|access-date=4 December 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101019172324/http://www.hrw.org/backgrounder/asia/afghan-bck1005.htm#uf|archive-date=19 October 2010|url-status=live}}</ref> One million people fled the Taliban, many to the area of Massoud.<ref name=autogenerated6>{{cite web|year=2007|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xpQI6HKV-ZY|title=Inside the Taliban|website=[[National Geographic]]|access-date=13 December 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151216030829/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xpQI6HKV-ZY|archive-date=16 December 2015|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|year=2007 |url=http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/episode/inside-the-taliban-3274/Overview |title=Inside the Taliban |website=[[National Geographic]] |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080929130330/http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/episode/inside-the-taliban-3274/Overview |archive-date=29 September 2008}}</ref> In its ''Inside the Taliban'' documentary, ''[[National Geographic]]'' states: "The only thing standing in the way of future Taliban massacres is Ahmad Shah Massoud."<ref name="National Geographic" /> The Taliban repeatedly offered Massoud a position of power to make him stop his resistance, but Massoud declined. He explained in one interview: "The Taliban say: 'Come and accept the post of prime minister and be with us', and they would keep the highest office in the country, the presidentship. But for what price?! The difference between us concerns mainly our way of thinking about the very principles of the society and the state. We can not accept their conditions of compromise, or else we would have to give up the principles of modern democracy. We are fundamentally against the system called "the Emirate of Afghanistan."<ref name="Interview">{{cite web |year=2001 |url=http://www.orient.uw.edu.pl/balcerowicz/texts/Ahmad_Shah_Masood_en.htm |title =The Last Interview with Ahmad Shah Massoud |publisher=Piotr Balcerowicz |access-date=2013-11-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060925043421/http://www.orient.uw.edu.pl/balcerowicz/texts/Ahmad_Shah_Masood_en.htm |archive-date =2006-09-25 |url-status =dead}}</ref> In another interview, he was quoted as saying: "There should be an Afghanistan where every Afghan finds himself or herself happy. And I think that can only be assured by democracy based on consensus."<ref name="St. Petersburg Times" /> With his proposals for peace,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.peace-initiatives.com/frame.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020607220754/http://www.peace-initiatives.com/frame.htm|archive-date=7 June 2002|url-status=dead|title=Framework for Peace for the People of Afghanistan|access-date=31 August 2021|via=Peace Initiatives}}</ref> Massoud wanted to convince the Taliban to join a political process leading towards nationwide democratic elections in a foreseeable future.<ref name="Interview"/> Massoud stated: "The Taliban are not a force to be considered invincible. They are distanced from the people now. They are weaker than in the past. There is only the assistance given by Pakistan, Osama bin Laden and other extremist groups that keep the Taliban on their feet. With a halt to that assistance, it is extremely difficult to survive."<ref name="St. Petersburg Times">{{cite web|year=2002|url=http://www.sptimes.com/2002/09/09/911/The_man_who_would_hav.shtml|title=The man who would have led Afghanistan|publisher=[[St. Petersburg Times]]|access-date=2010-08-30|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100813021010/http://www.sptimes.com/2002/09/09/911/The_man_who_would_hav.shtml|archive-date=2010-08-13|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
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In early 2001, Massoud employed a new strategy of local military pressure and global political appeals.<ref name="Steve Coll: Ghost Wars">{{cite book | last = Steve Coll| author-link = Steve Coll| title =Ghost Wars: The Secret History of the CIA, Afghanistan, and Bin Laden, from the Soviet Invasion to September 10, 2001 | year = 2005| url = https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780141020808| url-access = registration|edition= 23 February 2004 |page=[https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780141020808/page/n739 720]| publisher =Penguin Press HC }}</ref> Resentment was increasingly gathering against Taliban rule from the bottom of Afghan society including the Pashtun areas.<ref name="Steve Coll: Ghost Wars" /> Massoud publicized their cause of "popular consensus, general elections and democracy" worldwide. At the same time he was very wary not to revive the failed Kabul government of the early 1990s.<ref name="Steve Coll: Ghost Wars" /> In 1999, he began training police forces specifically to keep order and protect the civilian population, in case the United Front was successful.<ref name="Webster University Press Book" /> Massoud also addressed the [[European Parliament]] in [[Brussels]] asking the international community to provide humanitarian help to the people of Afghanistan.<ref name="EU Parliament (2)">{{cite web|year=2001|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t78N6Q5VD60|title=Massoud in the European Parliament 2001|publisher=EU media|access-date=5 April 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140225002506/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t78N6Q5VD60|archive-date=25 February 2014|url-status=live}} {{YouTube|id=t78N6Q5VD60&t=4m34s}}.</ref> He stated that the Taliban and Al Qaeda had introduced "a very wrong perception of Islam" and that without the support of Pakistan and Bin Laden the Taliban would not be able to sustain their military campaign for up to a year.<ref name="EU Parliament">{{cite web|year=2001|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t78N6Q5VD60&t=4m34s|title=Massoud in the European Parliament 2001|publisher=EU media|access-date=5 April 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150712180700/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t78N6Q5VD60&t=4m34s|archive-date=12 July 2015|url-status=live}}</ref> On this visit to Europe, he also warned that his intelligence had gathered information about a large-scale attack on U.S. soil being imminent.<ref name="gwu.edu">{{cite web|url=http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB97/tal32.pdf|title=Secret document|publisher=Gwu.edu|access-date=19 October 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140617045854/http://www2.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB97/tal32.pdf|archive-date=17 June 2014|url-status=live}}</ref>{{failed verification|date=March 2012}}<ref name="nineeleven">{{cite news|last=Boettcher|first=Mike|url=https://www.cnn.com/2003/US/11/06/massoud.cable/index.html|title=How much did Afghan leader know?|publisher=CNN.com|date=6 November 2003|access-date=12 March 2012|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100916032857/http://articles.cnn.com/2003-11-06/us/massoud.cable_1_bin-qaeda-sheikh-osama?_s=PM:US|archive-date=16 September 2010}}</ref> The president of the European Parliament, [[Nicole Fontaine]], called him the "pole of liberty in Afghanistan".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t78N6Q5VD60&t=4m34s |title=Ahmad Shah Massoud: Lion of Afghanistan, Lion of Islam (5/7) |publisher=Youtube.com |date=5 March 2001 |access-date=31 October 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150712180700/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t78N6Q5VD60&t=4m34s |archive-date=12 July 2015 |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
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On 9 September 2001, Massoud was the target of a [[suicide attack]] by two Arabs posing as journalists at Khwaja Bahauddin in the [[Takhar Province]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2001/09/10/world/taliban-foe-hurt-and-aide-killed-by-bomb.html |title=Taliban Foe Hurt and Aide Killed by Bomb |location=Afghanistan |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=10 September 2001 |access-date=27 August 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130205235141/http://www.nytimes.com/2001/09/10/world/taliban-foe-hurt-and-aide-killed-by-bomb.html |archive-date=5 February 2013 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Burns |first=John F. |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2002/09/09/world/threats-responses-assassination-afghans-too-mark-day-disaster-hero-was-lost.html |title=Threats and Responses: Assassination; Afghans, Too, Mark a Day of Disaster: A Hero Was Lost |location=Afghanistan |work=The New York Times |date=9 September 2002 |access-date=27 August 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110217015213/http://www.nytimes.com/2002/09/09/world/threats-responses-assassination-afghans-too-mark-day-disaster-hero-was-lost.html |archive-date=17 February 2011 |url-status=live }}</ref> Massoud died in a helicopter taking him to a hospital. The funeral, though in a rather rural area, was attended by hundreds of thousands of mourning people.<ref>{{YouTube|Aq-zqA1DMWs|Ahmad Shah Massoud Sad Day Part 2}}</ref> The assassination was not the first time Al-Qaeda, the Taliban, the Pakistani [[Inter-Services Intelligence|ISI]]—and before them the Soviet [[KGB]], the Afghan Communist [[KHAD]] and [[Hekmatyar]]—had tried to assassinate Massoud. He survived countless assassination attempts over a period of 26 years. The first attempt on Massoud's life was carried out by Hekmatyar and two Pakistani ISI agents in 1975, when Massoud was only 22 years old.<ref name="Roy Gutman" /> In early 2001, Al-Qaeda would-be assassins were captured by Massoud's forces while trying to enter his territory.<ref name="Steve Coll: Ghost Wars"/><br />
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=== 9/11 attacks and American involvement ===<br />
The assassination of Massoud is believed to have a strong connection to the [[September 11 attacks|September 11, 2001, attacks]] on the United States, which killed nearly 3,000 people and appeared to be the terrorist attack that Massoud had warned the European Parliament about when he made his speech in the presence of it several months earlier.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/2003/US/11/06/massoud.cable/|title=How much did Afghan leader know? - Nov. 6, 2003|author1=Mike Boettcher |author2=Henry Schuster|website=www.cnn.com|access-date=20 May 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141223054812/http://www.cnn.com/2003/US/11/06/massoud.cable/|archive-date=23 December 2014|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
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[[John P. O'Neill]] was a counter-terrorism expert and the assistant director of the [[FBI]] until late 2001. He retired from the FBI and was offered the position of director of security at the [[World Trade Center (1973–2001)|World Trade Center]] (WTC). He took the job at the WTC two weeks before 9/11. On 10 September 2001, O'Neill allegedly told two of his friends, "We're due. And we're due for something big.... Some things have happened in Afghanistan (referring to the assassination of Massoud). I don't like the way things are lining up in Afghanistan...I sense a shift, and I think things are going to happen...soon."<ref name="PBS">{{cite web |year=2002 |url=https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/knew/etc/script.html |title=The Man Who Knew |publisher=[[Public Broadcasting Service|PBS]] |access-date=18 September 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170903210940/https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/knew/etc/script.html |archive-date=3 September 2017 |url-status=live}}</ref> O'Neill died when the [[World Trade Center (1973–2001)|South Tower]] collapsed.<ref name="PBS" /><br />
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After the terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001, Massoud's United Front troops, with American air support, ousted the Taliban from power in Kabul in [[Operation Enduring Freedom]]. In November and December 2001, the United Front gained control of much of the country and played a crucial role in establishing the post-Taliban interim government of [[Hamid Karzai]] in late 2001.<ref>{{Cite book|title=The Far East and Australasia 2003.|publisher=Europa|year=2002|isbn=1-85743-133-2|edition= 34th |location=London|pages=xix|oclc=59468141}}</ref><br />
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== NATO-led invasion and Taliban insurgency ==<br />
{{Main|Presidency of Hamid Karzai|War in Afghanistan (2001–2021)|Taliban insurgency|}}<br />
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=== Afghan Transitional Authority ===<br />
[[File:Hamid Karzai and US Special Forces.jpg|thumb|U.S. Special Forces [[Operational Detachment Alpha 574|ODA 574]] with [[Hamid Karzai]] during the [[United States invasion of Afghanistan|U.S. invasion of Afghanistan]] in October 2001.]]<br />
[[File:US Navy 040602-M-8096M-016 U.S. Marines assigned to Battalion Landing Team 1st Bn., 6th Marines wait for the word to move toward a mountain.jpg|thumb|U.S. Marines of [[1st Battalion, 6th Marines]] and an allied fighter near [[Siah Chub Kalay]] during [[Operation Asbury Park]] in 2004.]]<br />
The U.S.-led war in Afghanistan began on 7 October 2001, as [[Operation Enduring Freedom]]. It was designed to capture or kill Osama bin Laden and al-Qaeda militants, as well as replace the Taliban with a U.S.-friendly government. The [[Bush Doctrine]] stated that, [[Foreign policy of the George W. Bush administration|as policy]], it would not distinguish between al-Qaeda and nations that harbor them. Several Afghan leaders were invited to [[Germany]] in December 2001 for the UN sponsored [[Bonn Agreement (Afghanistan)|Bonn Agreement]], which was to restore stability and governance in their country. In the first step, the [[Transitional Islamic State of Afghanistan|Afghan Transitional Administration]] was formed and was installed on 22 December.<ref name="UNations">{{cite web |url=http://www.unama-afg.org/news/_parelection/_factsheets/_english/JEMBS%20PO%20BG%20General%20BG%20final%202005-4-1%20eng.pdf |title=UN factsheet on Bonn Agreement |publisher=United Nations |access-date=15 March 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090305155438/http://www.unama-afg.org/news/_parelection/_factsheets/_english/JEMBS%20PO%20BG%20General%20BG%20final%202005-4-1%20eng.pdf |archive-date=5 March 2009 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Chaired by Hamid Karzai, it numbered 30 leaders and included a [[Supreme Court of Afghanistan|Supreme Court]], an Interim Administration, and a Special Independent Commission.<br />
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==== Founding of the Islamic Republic ====<br />
[[File:GW Bush and Hamid Karzai in Kabul 2006-03-01.jpg|thumb|right|U.S. President [[George W. Bush]] and [[Hamid Karzai]] at the Presidential Palace in [[Kabul]], Afghanistan.]]<br />
[[File:Afghan soldiers.jpg|thumb|Soldiers of the [[Afghan National Army]], including the [[ANA Commando Brigade]] standing in the front.]]<br />
A loya [[jirga]] (grand assembly) was convened in June 2002 by former King Zahir Shah, who returned from exile after 29 years. Karzai was elected president for the two years in the jirga, in which the Afghan Interim Authority was also replaced with the Transitional Islamic State of Afghanistan (TISA). A constitutional loya jirga was held in December 2003, adopting the [[2004 Constitution of Afghanistan|2004 constitution]], with a presidential form of government and a bicameral legislature.<ref name="BBCNews">{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4540756.stm |title=Afghan MPs hold landmark session |work=BBC News |access-date=15 March 2009 |date=19 December 2005 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090103021003/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4540756.stm |archive-date=3 January 2009 |url-status=live}}</ref> Karzai was elected in the [[2004 Afghan presidential election|2004 presidential election]] followed by winning a second term in the [[2009 Afghan presidential election|2009 presidential election]]. Both the [[2005 Afghan parliamentary election|2005]] and the [[2010 Afghan parliamentary election|2010 parliamentary elections]] were also successful.<br />
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{{anchor|Reconstruction in Afghanistan}}<br />
In the meantime, the reconstruction process of Afghanistan began in 2002. There were more than 14,000 reconstruction projects, such as the [[Kajaki Dam]] and the [[Afghan-India Friendship Dam|Salma Dam]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.rferl.org/featuresarticle/2007/03/642FF16A-41C2-4AF2-B314-1D7BAEDDFAE6.html|title=Afghanistan: NATO Pleased With Offensive, But Goals Still Unmet|work=RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty|access-date=18 October 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080709034355/http://www.rferl.org/featuresarticle/2007/03/642ff16a-41c2-4af2-b314-1d7baeddfae6.html|archive-date=9 July 2008|url-status=live |last1=Synovitz |first1=Ron }}</ref> Many of these projects were supervised by the [[Provincial Reconstruction Team]]s. The World Bank Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund was set up in 2002, which was financed by 24 international donor countries and spent more than $1.37 billion as of 2007.<ref name="AFGReco">{{cite web|url=http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/COUNTRIES/SOUTHASIAEXT/AFGHANISTANEXTN/0,,contentMDK:20152008~pagePK:141137~piPK:217854~theSitePK:305985,00.html |title=Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund |publisher=World Bank | access-date=13 March 2009| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090202093827/http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/COUNTRIES/SOUTHASIAEXT/AFGHANISTANEXTN/0,,contentMDK:20152008~pagePK:141137~piPK:217854~theSitePK:305985,00.html| archive-date= 2 February 2009 | url-status= live}}</ref> Approximately 30 billion dollars were provided by the international community for the reconstruction of Afghanistan, most of it from the United States. In 2002, the world community allocated $4 billion at the Tokyo conference followed by another $4 billion in 2004. In February 2006, $10.5 billion were committed for Afghanistan at the [[International Conference on Afghanistan, London (2006)|London Conference]]<ref name="AFGR">{{cite web |url=http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=51510&SelectRegion=Asia&SelectCountry=AFGHANISTAN |title=Government to have greater control over aid pledged in London |publisher=IRIN Asia |access-date=13 March 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061129015837/http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=51510&SelectRegion=Asia&SelectCountry=AFGHANISTAN |archive-date=29 November 2006 |url-status=live |date=27 September 2004}}</ref> and $11 billion from the United States in early 2007. Despite these vast investments by the international community, the reconstruction effort's results were mixed. Implementation of development projects was frequently marred by lack of coordination, knowledge of local conditions, and sound planning on the side of international donors as well as by corruption and inefficiency on the side of Afghan government officials. On the provincial and national level, projects such as the National Solidarity Programme, inter-provincial road construction, and the U.S.-led revamping of rural health services met with more success.<br />
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=== Nation-building in Afghanistan ===<br />
[[File:US Navy 100628-N-0475R-287 Seabees, Marines, Soldiers and members of the Afghan National Army take a tour of an area surrounding a newly completed Mabey-Johnson Bridge project.jpg|right|thumb|U.S. and Afghan troops in 2010.]]<br />
[[File:2PARA Gold 50.jpg|thumb|Afghan Tiger Team special forces night movement in January of 2011]][[File:2PARA Gold 71.jpg|thumb|On patrol in January 2011]]<br />
NATO and Afghan troops led many offensives against the Taliban in this period. By 2009, a Taliban-led shadow government began to form, complete with their own version of mediation court.<ref>{{Cite news | url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/07/AR2009120704127.html | newspaper=The Washington Post | access-date=30 March 2010 | title=Taliban shadow officials offer concrete alternative | first=Griff | last=Witte | date=8 December 2009 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110516090753/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/07/AR2009120704127.html | archive-date=16 May 2011 | url-status=live}}</ref> In 2010, U.S. President [[Barack Obama]] deployed an additional 30,000 soldiers over a period of six months and proposed that he would begin troop withdrawals by 2012. At the [[International Conference on Afghanistan, London (2010)|2010 International Conference on Afghanistan]] in London, Karzai said he intended to reach out to the Taliban leadership (including [[Mullah Omar]], [[Sirajuddin Haqqani]] and [[Gulbuddin Hekmatyar]]). Supported by senior U.S. officials Karzai called on the group's leadership to take part in a loya jirga meeting to initiate peace talks. According to ''The Wall Street Journal'', these steps were initially reciprocated with an intensification of bombings, assassinations and ambushes.<ref name="online.wsj.com">{{Cite news| url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052748703720004575476913015061570| work=The "Wall Street Journal"| access-date=11 September 2010 | title=Karzai Divides Afghanistan in Reaching Out to Taliban | first=Yaroslav| last=Trofimov| date=11 September 2010| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20100912162856/http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703720004575476913015061570.html| archive-date= 12 September 2010 | url-status= live}}</ref><br />
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Many Afghan groups (including the former intelligence chief [[Amrullah Saleh]] and opposition leader Dr. [[Abdullah Abdullah]]) believed that Karzai's plan aimed to appease the insurgents' senior leadership at the cost of the democratic constitution, the democratic process and progress in the field of human rights, especially women's rights.<ref name="The Scotsman">{{Cite news| url=http://news.scotsman.com/world/Karzai39s-Taleban-talks-raise-spectre.6557817.jp| work=The Scotsman| title=Karzai's Taleban talks raise spectre of civil war warns former spy chief| date=30 September 2010| location=Edinburgh| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101203030945/http://news.scotsman.com/world/Karzai39s-Taleban-talks-raise-spectre.6557817.jp| archive-date=3 December 2010| url-status=live}}</ref> Abdullah stated: "I should say that Taliban are not fighting in order to be accommodated. They are fighting in order to bring the state down. So it's a futile exercise, and it's just misleading. ... There are groups that will fight to the death. Whether we like to talk to them or we don't like to talk to them, they will continue to fight. So, for them, I don't think that we have a way forward with talks or negotiations or contacts or anything as such. Then we have to be prepared to tackle and deal with them militarily. In terms of the Taliban on the ground, there are lots of possibilities and opportunities that with the help of the people in different parts of the country, we can attract them to the peace process; provided, we create a favorable environment on this side of the line. At the moment, the people are leaving support for the government because of corruption. So that expectation is also not realistic at this stage."<ref name="National Public Radio (NPR)">{{Cite news| url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=130757482| work=National Public Radio (NPR)| title=Abdullah Abdullah: Talks With Taliban Futile| date=2010-10-22| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180921134702/https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=130757482| archive-date=2018-09-21| url-status=live}}</ref><br />
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According to a report by the United Nations, the Taliban were responsible for 76% of civilian casualties in 2009.<ref name="The Weekly Standard">{{Cite news| url=http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/taliban-responsible-76-deaths-afghanistan-un| work=The Weekly Standard| title=UN: Taliban Responsible for 76% of Deaths in Afghanistan| date=10 August 2010| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110102054938/http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/taliban-responsible-76-deaths-afghanistan-un| archive-date=2 January 2011| url-status=dead}}</ref> Afghanistan was struggling to rebuild itself while dealing with the results of 30 years of war, corruption among high-level politicians and the ongoing [[Taliban insurgency]] which according to different scientific institutes such as the [[London School of Economics]], senior international officials, such as former United States Chairman of the Joint Chief of Staff Admrial [[Michael Mullen]], believed the Taliban was backed by the ISI.<ref>{{Cite news| url=https://abcnews.go.com/Video/video?id=5484891&tab=9482931&section=8865284&page=1| work=[[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]]| access-date=28 September 2010| title=Pakistan Accused of Helping Taliban| date=31 July 2008| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131221050959/http://abcnews.go.com/Video/video?id=5484891&tab=9482931&section=8865284&page=1| archive-date=21 December 2013| url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news| url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/afghanistan/7910687/Wikileaks-Pakistan-accused-of-helping-Taliban-in-Afghanistan-attacks.html| publisher=U.K. Telegraph| access-date=28 September 2010| title=Wikileaks: Pakistan accused of helping Taliban in Afghanistan attacks| date=26 July 2010| location=London| first1=Rob| last1=Crilly| first2=Alex| last2=Spillius| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140129073942/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/afghanistan/7910687/Wikileaks-Pakistan-accused-of-helping-Taliban-in-Afghanistan-attacks.html| archive-date=29 January 2014| url-status=live| df=dmy-all}}</ref><br />
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At the end of July 2010, the Netherlands became the first NATO ally to end its combat mission in Afghanistan after 4 years military deployment including the most intense period of hostilities. They withdrew 1,900 troops. The Atlantic Council described the decision as "politically significant because it comes at a time of rising casualties and growing doubts about the war."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.acus.org/natosource/dutch-become-1st-nato-member-quit-afghanistan |title=Dutch become 1st NATO member to quit Afghanistan |work=Atlantic Council |date=1 August 2010 |access-date=12 March 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111224065417/http://www.acus.org/natosource/dutch-become-1st-nato-member-quit-afghanistan |archive-date=24 December 2011}}</ref> Canada withdrew troops in 2011, but about 900 were left to train Afghani soldiers.<ref>Theophilos Argitis: [https://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-05-30/harper-makes-surprise-afghanistan-visit-to-troops-to-mark-end-of-mission.html Canada’s Harper Makes Afghanistan Stop to Mark End of Military Mission] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140222145200/http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-05-30/harper-makes-surprise-afghanistan-visit-to-troops-to-mark-end-of-mission.html |date=22 February 2014}} [[Bloomberg.com]], 31 May 2011</ref><ref>Brian Stewart:[https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/let-s-be-clear-canada-is-still-at-war-in-afghanistan-1.1020153 Let's be clear, Canada is still at war in Afghanistan] CBC News, 2 November 2011</ref><br />
<br />
In February 2012, a small number of American service members [[2012 Afghanistan Quran burning protests|burned several copies]] of the [[Quran]]. Some Afghans responded by staging massive demonstrations and riots in Kabul and other areas. Assailants killed several American military personnel, including two officers in the Interior Ministry building following this event. On 11 March 2012, an American soldier, [[Robert Bales]], killed 16 civilians in the [[Kandahar massacre]].<br />
<br />
According to [[ISAF]] there were about 120,000 NATO-led troops in Afghanistan per December 2012, of which 66,000 were US troops and 9,000 British. The rest were from 48 countries. A process of handing over power to local forces had started and according to plans a majority of international troops would leave in 2014.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-11371138|title=BBC News – Q&A: Foreign forces in Afghanistan|work=BBC News|date=20 September 2010 |access-date=18 October 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141014224140/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-11371138|archive-date=14 October 2014|url-status=live}}</ref> On 24 November 2013, Karzai held a loya jirga and imposed a ban on NATO house raids. This ban was put in place, and NATO soldiers were instructed to adhere to it. In December 2013, a house raid in Zabul Province was exceptionally carried out by two NATO soldiers. Karzai condemned this in a highly publicised speech. On 3 January 2014 a bomb blast was heard by NATO soldiers in a base in Kabul; there were no reported casualties or injuries. The day after, a bomb hit a U.S. military base in Kabul and killed one U.S. citizen. The bomb was planted by the Taliban, and the American service member was the first combat casualty in Afghanistan in that year. The Taliban immediately claimed responsibility for the attack.<br />
<br />
=== Peace negotiations in Qatar ===<br />
On 1 May 2015 the media reported a scheduled meeting in [[Qatar]] between Taliban insurgents and peacemakers, including the Karzai, about ending the war.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-afghanistan-taliban-idUKKBN0NM3TP20150501 |title=Afghan delegation to meet with Taliban in Qatar – officials |date=1 May 2015 |author=Rafiq Sharzad |publisher=Reuters |access-date=3 September 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150823065746/http://uk.reuters.com/article/2015/05/01/uk-afghanistan-taliban-idUKKBN0NM3TP20150501 |archive-date=23 August 2015 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/may/01/afghan-delegation-qatar-talks-taliban-pakistan-conflict-afghanistan |title=Afghan delegation heads to Qatar for talks with the Taliban |newspaper=The Guardian |date=2 May 2015 |access-date=3 September 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150807225223/http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/may/01/afghan-delegation-qatar-talks-taliban-pakistan-conflict-afghanistan |archive-date=7 August 2015 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.arabnews.com/world/news/740551 |title=Afghan delegation to meet with Taleban in Qatar |newspaper=Arab News |date=2 May 2015 |access-date=2 May 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150502125624/http://www.arabnews.com/world/news/740551 |archive-date=2 May 2015 |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2016, the government signed a peace deal with Hekmatyar's Hezb-e Islami, which was at the time the second largest anti-government insurgent after the Taliban.<ref>{{cite news|title=Afghan government signs peace deal with armed group|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/9/22/afghanistan-hezb-i-islami-armed-group-signs-peace-deal|website=www.aljazeera.com|language=en}}</ref> The deal proved controversial, and several sectors of Afghan society protested against it because of the Hekmatyar's alleged war crimes.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Nordland|first1=Rod|date=September 22, 2016|title=Afghanistan Signs Draft Peace Deal With Faction Led by Gulbuddin Hekmatyar (Published 2016)|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/23/world/asia/afghanistan-peace-deal-hezb-i-islami.html|website=The New York Times}}</ref><br />
<br />
Tensions between the U.S. and Pakistan worsened as U.S. President [[Donald Trump]] accused Pakistan of harboring the Taliban.<ref>{{Cite web|date=August 23, 2017|title=U.S. puts more pressure on Pakistan to help with Afghan war|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-afghanistan-idUSKCN1B109Q|publisher=[[Reuters]]}}</ref> Afghan President [[Ashraf Ghani]] offered unconditional peace talks to the Taliban, offering them legal status as a regular political party, alongside the release of Taliban prisoners. Over 20 nations and organizations backed the deal, but it was rejected by the Taliban who refused to negotiate with the Afghan government. The Taliban insisted on only negotiating directly with the United States and only upon a full U.S. withdrawal from the country—a demand the U.S. rejected.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Tashkent Conference Backs Afghan Government's Peace Offer|url=https://www.rferl.org/a/uzbekistan-offers-host-talks-taliban-afghanistan/29127849.html|access-date=2021-09-05|newspaper=Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty|date=27 March 2018 |language=en}}</ref><br />
<br />
An unprecedented three-day ceasefire was negotiated in 2018 around the [[Eid al-Fitr]] celebrations, with Taliban members openly approaching and talking to civilians and government forces. The ceasefire was widely celebrated, and Ghani announced it would be extended by ten days, with some societal leaders calling for it to be made permanent. The Taliban, however, rejected the extension and relaunched their military campaign against the government at the end of the original three-day period.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Afghanistan: Taliban resume fighting as Eid ceasefire ends|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/06/afghanistan-taliban-resume-fighting-eid-ceasefire-ends-180618044536196.html|publisher=[[Al Jazeera Arabic|Al Jazeera]]}}</ref><br />
<br />
[[File:Taliban insurgency in Afghanistan (2015–present).svg|thumb|Map showing the war as of January 2019<br />
{{legend|#ebc0b3|Under control of the [[:en:Politics of Afghanistan|Afghan Government]], [[:en:Resolute Support Mission|NATO]], and [[:en:War in Afghanistan (2015–present)#Allied militias|Allies]]}}{{legend|#ffffff|Under control of the [[:en:Taliban|Taliban]], [[:en:Al-Qaeda|Al-Qaeda]], and [[:en:Islamic Jihad Union|Allies]]}}{{legend|#b3b2ae|Under control of the [[:en:Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant|Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant]] (ISIL) and [[:en:Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan|Allies]]}}{{legend|#76e56a|Under control of the [[:en:Pakistani Army|Pakistani Army]]}}<br />
]]<br />
As the Afghan government had fallen into a major dispute over the [[2019 Afghan presidential election]], in which both Ghani and his rival Abdullah Abdullah claimed victory, a power-sharing deal between the two men was signed, which assigned responsibility for the peace negotiations to the latter.<ref>{{Cite news|date=May 17, 2020|title=Rival Afghan leaders sign power-sharing deal|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-52699158|access-date=May 18, 2020}}</ref><br />
<br />
==== Taliban–United States agreement ====<br />
[[File:Secretary Pompeo Participates in a Signing Ceremony in Doha (49601220548).jpg|thumb|US representative [[Zalmay Khalilzad]] (left) and Taliban representative [[Abdul Ghani Baradar]] (right) sign the [[Doha Agreement (2020)|Doha Agreement]] in [[Qatar]] in 2020.]]<br />
Eventually and after several years of back-and-forth negotiations, the U.S. [[First presidency of Donald Trump|Trump Administration]] struck a major deal with the Taliban in 2020, known as the [[Doha Agreement (2020)|Doha Agreement]]. The deal provided for a full but staggered U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in exchange for a Taliban pledge not to allow Al-Queda to reestablish itself in the country and commit itself to talks with the Afghan government (which was not a party to the agreement).<ref>{{Cite news|last=Qazi|first=Shereena|date=February 29, 2020|title=Afghanistan's Taliban, US sign agreement aimed at ending war|publisher=[[Al Jazeera Arabic|Al-Jazeera]]|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/02/afghanistan-taliban-sign-deal-america-longest-war-200213063412531.html|access-date=March 6, 2020}}</ref> The deal also required the Afghan president to release 5,000 Taliban prisoners in exchange for a Taliban release of 1,000 captive Afghan soldiers. Ghani, having never agreed to the deal, rejected the prisoner release, stating that it was not a U.S. prerogative and adding that he would reject any other releases as a prerequisite to Taliban-Afghan government talks.<ref name="guardian">{{Cite news|last1=Graham-Harrison|first1=Emma|last2=Sabbagh|first2=Dan|last3=Makoii|first3=Akhtar Mohammad|last4=Borger|first4=Julian|date=February 29, 2020|title=US and Taliban sign deal to withdraw American troops from Afghanistan|work=[[The Guardian]]|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/feb/29/us-taliban-sign-peace-agreement-afghanistan-war|access-date=March 6, 2020|issn=0029-7712}}</ref> The Taliban replied by reiterating that they would not start any talks with the Afghan government until the 5,000 prisoners were released.<ref>{{cite news|last=Sediqi|first=Abdul Qadir|date=March 2, 2020|title=Taliban rule out taking part in Afghan talks until prisoners freed|work=Reuters|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-afghanistan-taliban/taliban-rule-out-taking-part-in-afghan-talks-until-prisoners-freed-idUSKBN20P1FZ|access-date=March 6, 2020}}</ref><br />
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The situation led to an increase in Taliban attacks, with the group having launched more than 4,500 attacks on government forces during the 45-day period following the signing of the Doha Agreement—a 70% increase compared to the same period during the previous year.<ref name="re12">{{Cite news|date=May 1, 2020|title=Taliban step up attacks on Afghan forces since signing U.S. deal: data|newspaper=Reuters|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-afghanistan-taliba/taliban-step-up-attacks-on-afghan-forces-since-signing-u-s-deal-data-idUSKBN22D5S7|via=www.reuters.com}}</ref> As the U.S. had stopped conducting airstrikes on Taliban targets as part of the agreement (in exchange for a halting of Taliban attacks on U.S. forces), Taliban casualties dropped by about two thirds during this period.<ref name="re12" /> Following what was described as some of the bloodiest fighting in 19 years, the U.S. conducted several airstrikes against the group in early March 2020.<ref>{{cite news|date=March 4, 2020|title=U.S. carries out first airstrike on Taliban since Doha deal|work=[[NBC News]]|agency=Reuters|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/u-s-carries-out-first-airstrike-taliban-doha-deal-n1149331|access-date=March 6, 2020}}</ref> Ghani agreed on releasing 1,500 Taliban prisoners, so long as those prisoners signed a pledge not to return to combat once released.<ref name="ghanidecree">{{cite news|last=Shalizi|first=Hamid|date=March 10, 2020|title=Exclusive: Afghan government to release 1,500 Taliban prisoners from jails – decree|publisher=Reuters|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-afghanistan-taliban-prisoners-decree/exclusive-afghan-government-to-release-1500-taliban-prisoners-from-jails-decree-idUSKBN20X30W|access-date=March 10, 2020}}</ref> The Taliban rejected this move, insisting on the full and unconditional release of the full 5,000 prisoner list.<ref name="voareject">{{cite news|last=Gul|first=Ayaz|date=March 11, 2020|title=Taliban Reject Afghan Government's Prisoner Release Plan|publisher=Voice of America|url=https://www.voanews.com/south-central-asia/taliban-reject-afghan-governments-prisoner-release-plan|access-date=March 12, 2020}}</ref> By August, the government agreed to free the 5,000 Taliban captives but stated that it could not release 400 of them, as they had been accused of serious crimes against civilians, calling a loya jirga to decide their fate. It ruled in favor of release, and all of the prisoners were freed.<ref name="torelease">{{cite web|author=Ehsan Qaane|date=August 7, 2020|title=To Release, Or Not To Release? Legal questions around Ghani's consultative loya jirga on Taleban prisoners|url=https://www.afghanistan-analysts.org/en/reports/war-and-peace/to-release-or-not-to-release-legal-questions-around-ghanis-consultative-loya-jirga-on-taleban-prisoners/|access-date=August 9, 2020|publisher=Afghanistan Analysts}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|date=August 9, 2020|title=Loya Jirga Approves Release of 400 Taliban Prisoners|url=https://tolonews.com/afghanistan/loya-jirga-approves-release-400-taliban-prisoners|access-date=August 10, 2020|publisher=TOLO News}}</ref> Following these developments, the first intra-Afghan talks between the Taliban and Afghan government were held in Qatar.<ref>{{cite news|date=September 10, 2020|title=Qatar to host long-awaited intra-Afghan talks from Saturday|work=Al Jazeera|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/09/qatar-host-long-awaited-intra-afghan-talks-saturday-200910172323910.html}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== American withdrawal and 2021 Taliban offensive ===<br />
{{Main|2020–2021 U.S. troop withdrawal from Afghanistan|2021 Taliban offensive}}<br />
[[File:Afghanistan map taliban advances.webp|thumb|left|Taliban control of Afghanistan during the [[2021 Taliban offensive]] and [[Fall of Kabul (2021)|capture of Kabul]].]]<br />
In April 2021, the newly inaugurated U.S. President [[Joe Biden]] announced that all U.S. troops would withdraw from the country by 11 September 2021, the 20-year anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.<ref name="Time 2021">{{cite magazine|last=Satia|first=Priya|date=27 April 2021|editor-last=Felsenthal|editor-first=Edward|editor-link=Edward Felsenthal|title=History's Warning for the U.S. Withdrawal From Afghanistan|url=https://time.com/5959073/afghanistan-withdrawal-empire-history/|url-status=live|magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]]|location=[[New York City]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210427194916/https://time.com/5959073/afghanistan-withdrawal-empire-history/|archive-date=27 April 2021|access-date=27 April 2021}}</ref> He later brought this date forward to 31 August.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web|date=2021-08-18|title=Misread warnings helped lead to chaotic Afghan evacuation|url=https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-evacuations-32bb6a22846f649b626a3130f8c5dffb|access-date=2021-09-05|website=AP NEWS|language=en}}</ref> As U.S. forces started to withdraw in May, the Taliban stepped up attacks on the Afghan government.<ref>{{cite news|date=4 May 2021|title=Taliban launches major Afghan offensive after deadline for U.S. pullout|work=Reuters|url=https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/taliban-launches-huge-afghan-offensive-after-deadline-us-pullout-2021-05-04/}}</ref> The group began by first capturing the countryside to surround regional capitals, then taking those capitals without facing any major resistance. The [[United States Intelligence Community]] warned in July that the Afghan government was likely to collapse 6–12 months after the U.S. withdrawal.<ref>{{cite news|date=23 July 2021|title=Intel analysis: Afghan government could collapse six months after US troops withdraw|work=The Hill|url=https://thehill.com/policy/defense/559894-intel-analysis-afghan-government-could-collapse-six-months-after-us-troops}}</ref> Biden stated that he would not cease or delay the withdrawal, regardless of the situation.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-07-08|title=Remarks by President Biden on the Drawdown of U.S. Forces in Afghanistan|url=https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/speeches-remarks/2021/07/08/remarks-by-president-biden-on-the-drawdown-of-u-s-forces-in-afghanistan/|access-date=2021-09-05|website=The White House|language=en-US}}</ref><br />
<br />
==== Collapse of the Islamic Republic ====<br />
{{See also|Fall of Kabul (2021)}}<br />
By 15 August, almost the entire country was under the control of the Taliban, who had already encircled and were preparing to enter the nation's capital. Ghani fled the country to [[Tajikistan]], and [[Fall of Kabul (2021)|Kabul was captured]] that same day, with the entire political and military apparatus of the Islamic Republic having collapsed.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-08-16|title=The Fall of Kabul: Beginning of Taliban 2.0|url=https://www.financialexpress.com/defence/the-fall-of-kabul-beginning-of-taliban-2-0/2311839/|access-date=2021-09-05|website=The Financial Express|language=en-US}}</ref><ref name=":3" /> The remainder of the NATO forces in the country occupied the [[Kabul International Airport|Hamid Karzai International Airport]] in Kabul, [[2021 Kabul airlift|evacuating hundreds of thousands of servicemen and civilians]]. In their last act while in Afghanistan, coalition forces destroyed or damaged most of what was left behind in the airport to prevent it from being used by the Taliban, totalling 75 aircraft and over 100 vehicles and other equipment, alongside the airport's [[Anti-aircraft warfare|anti-air defences]], before definitively leaving the country on 30 August, thus meeting Biden's withdrawal deadline.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Inside the Final Hours at Kabul Airport|url=https://www.govexec.com/defense/2021/08/inside-final-hours-kabul-airport/184979/|access-date=2021-09-05|website=Government Executive|date=31 August 2021 |language=en}}</ref><br />
<br />
Biden defended his decision, stating that he did not wish to prolong the "forever war" and blamed the Afghan authorities for not having found a political settlement and fleeing the country for the collapse of the country's government, adding that the collapse had nevertheless "unfolded more quickly than anticipated". According to Biden, the American mission in the country had never been [[nation-building]], but instead a pre-emption of attacks on the U.S. homeland, which he considered to have been a success.<ref>{{Cite web|author=Kevin Liptak, Jeff Zeleny, Kaitlan Collins, Jennifer Hansler and Maegan Vazquez|title=Biden admits Afghanistan's collapse 'did unfold more quickly than we had anticipated'|url=https://www.cnn.com/2021/08/16/politics/biden-afghanistan-speech/index.html|access-date=2021-09-05|website=CNN|date=16 August 2021 }}</ref> Following the coalition's withdrawal, Taliban forces captured the airport and announced they would form a new government shortly thereafter.<ref>{{Cite news|date=2021-08-31|title=After U.S. withdrawal, Taliban shift focus to governin amid deepening economic crisis|work=CBC News|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/taliban-airport-seize-1.6159272|access-date=2021-08-31}}</ref><br />
<br />
Despite the call to have some refugees admitted to the U.S. after the withdrawal of NATO troops, only a tiny percentage of vulnerable Afghans seeking to move to the United States under a refugee resettlement program were admitted to the U.S. Refugees admitted through the P-2 criteria by the State Department's pre-existing Priority 1 program had the only option to be referred to the [[United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees|U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees]] or a designated [[Non-governmental organization|NGO]].<ref>[https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/hundreds-of-afghans-denied-humanitarian-entry-into-u-s "Hundreds of Afghans denied humanitarian entry into U.S."] pbs.org. Retrieved 20 January 2021.</ref><br />
<br />
== Return of the Taliban government ==<br />
<br />
=== Re-establishment of the Islamic Emirate ===<br />
{{Further|Government of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan}}<br />
As the Taliban took over Kabul, a Coordination Council was formed to transfer power to the Taliban, consisting of former mujahideen and Hezb-e Islami commander Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, former President Hamid Karzai and political leader Abdullah Abdullah.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-08-15|title='Coordination council to oversee peaceful transfer of power'|url=http://tribune.com.pk/story/2315763/coordination-council-to-oversee-peaceful-transfer-of-power-in-afghanistan-karzai|access-date=2021-09-05|website=The Express Tribune|language=en}}</ref> The latter two then met with Taliban representatives with the stated goal of ensuring safety and returning normalcy to the capital.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Karzai, Abdullah Meet Taliban Political Office Members in Kabul|url=https://tolonews.com/afghanistan-174343|access-date=2021-09-05|website=TOLOnews|language=en}}</ref> However, it was reported that the two would likely not be a part of the future Taliban government.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Former Afghan leader Hamid Karzai unlikely to be part of Taliban-led government|url=https://www.ft.com/content/874ff094-3baf-4e48-9aa7-245f3e5d5bf2|access-date=2021-09-05|newspaper=Financial Times|date=September 2021|last1=Findlay|first1=Stephanie}}</ref> [[The New York Times]] reported that Karzai had been forced out of his home after the Taliban disarmed his guards and took over security at his residence, instead moving in to live in Abdullah's house.<ref>{{Cite news|last1=Gall|first1=Carlotta|last2=Ramzy|first2=Austin|last3=Hassan|first3=Sharif|date=2021-08-23|title=Forced to leave his home, former President Hamid Karzai remains in Kabul despite the risks.|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/23/world/asia/hamid-karzai-home-kabul.html|access-date=2021-09-05|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> According to a source cited by the CNN, both had effectively been placed under [[house arrest]], with their security details removed and at the mercy of the Taliban.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Walsh|first=Nick Paton|date=2021-08-26|title=With 36 hours left to evacuate and gates now closed, an estimated 150 Americans need to get to Kabul airport – source|url=https://edition.cnn.com/world/live-news/afghanistan-news-taliban-refugees-08-26-21-intl/h_ff5624d84cb5b1bca8f6e75e2cbc9600|access-date=2021-09-05|website=CNN|language=en}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Anti-Taliban uprisings ===<br />
{{Main|Republican insurgency in Afghanistan}}<br />
Following the Taliban's victory across Afghanistan, the Islamic Republic's vice president and long-time opponent of the Taliban, [[Amrullah Saleh]], cited provisions in the [[2004 Constitution of Afghanistan]] which would make him acting president of the country. In doing so, he appealed to a sense of continuity of the Islamic Republic, which would lend him political legitimacy. As Kabul, alongside the vast majority of Afghanistan, was under Taliban control, he joined forces with [[Ahmad Massoud]], son of former mujahideen commander Ahmad Shah Massoud, in declaring the [[National Resistance Front of Afghanistan]] (also known as the ''Panjshir Resistance''), an anti-Taliban coalition based in the Panjshir Valley. In turn, he was recognized as president by Massoud, as well as Defence Minister [[Bismillah Khan Mohammadi]].<ref name="tribaug">{{cite news|date=August 17, 2021|title=Panjshir flies flag of resistance again; Amrullah says he is President of Afghanistan|work=Tribune India|url=https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/world/panjshir-flies-flag-of-resistance-again-amrullah-says-he-is-president-of-afghanistan-298553|access-date=August 17, 2021}}</ref> A small-scale uprising led by the group in August 2021 succeeded in ousting the Taliban from three districts, establishing its own control in the valley.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Rosenberg|first=Matthew|date=2021-08-21|title=Resistance fighters drive Taliban from 3 districts in the mountains north of Kabul.|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/21/world/asia/resistance-fighters-taliban-afghanistan.html|access-date=2021-09-05|issn=0362-4331}}</ref><br />
<br />
The front, often compared to the Northern Alliance, reached a ceasefire with the Taliban shortly thereafter.<ref name="GEOC">{{cite web|title=Taliban, Northern Alliance agree not to attack each other: sources|url=https://www.geo.tv/latest/367157-taliban-northern-alliance-enter-into-peace-agreement-sources|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210826073602/https://www.geo.tv/latest/367157-taliban-northern-alliance-enter-into-peace-agreement-sources|archive-date=26 August 2021|access-date=26 August 2021|website=www.geo.tv|language=en}}</ref> The ceasefire did not last long and by the start of September the Taliban had launched an assault against the Panjshir resistance.<ref>{{Cite web|date=1 September 2021|title=Fighting Breaks Out Between Taliban, Panjshiri Resistance After Failed Talks|url=https://www.voanews.com/south-central-asia/fighting-breaks-out-between-taliban-panjshiri-resistance-after-failed-talks|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210901193923/https://www.voanews.com/south-central-asia/fighting-breaks-out-between-taliban-panjshiri-resistance-after-failed-talks|archive-date=1 September 2021|access-date=1 September 2021|website=Voice of America}}</ref> By 3 September, the Taliban claimed to have defeated the resistance, establishing Taliban control over the entirety of Afghanistan for the first time in the country's history. These claims were dismissed as lies by resistance forces, which in turn claimed they were still in control of much of their positions and were actively fighting the Taliban.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-09-03|title=The Afghan Resistance Says Reports Of Its Defeat In Panjshir Are Taliban Propaganda|url=https://www.npr.org/2021/09/03/1033966153/afghanistan-taliban-panjshir-resistance?t=1630709474162|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210903232813/https://www.npr.org/2021/09/03/1033966153/afghanistan-taliban-panjshir-resistance?t=1630709474162|archive-date=3 September 2021|access-date=2021-09-03|website=NPR|language=en}}</ref> Fighting continued into the following day, and [[Mark Milley]], Chairman of the U.S. [[Joint Chiefs of Staff]], warned that the situation could develop into a full-scale civil war.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-09-05|title=Taliban, opposition fight for Afghan holdout province, top U.S. general warns of civil war|url=https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/taliban-opposition-vie-control-panjshir-pakistan-spy-chief-flies-kabul-2021-09-04/|access-date=2021-09-05|website=Reuters|language=en}}</ref><br />
<br />
At the same time, notable regional leaders Tajik [[Atta Muhammad Nur]] and Uzbek Abdul Rashid Dostum (the PDPA-era commander who turned on Najibullah in 1991 and formed his own Uzbek-dominated and relatively left-secular political movement [[National Islamic Movement of Afghanistan|Junbish]]) fled the country to avoid what they dubbed conspiracy as [[Mazar-i-Sharif]] fell to the Taliban. The two had been bitter political rivals but joined forces in the face of the Taliban advance. According to Nur, the local equipment of the armed forces had been handed over to the Taliban in a "cowardly plot" intended to entrap him and Dostum, which led to the fall of the city.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-08-14|title=Afghan militia leaders Atta Noor, Dostum escape 'conspiracy'|url=https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/afghan-militia-leaders-atta-noor-dostum-escape-conspiracy-2021-08-14/|access-date=2021-09-05|website=Reuters|language=en}}</ref> The two joined with other regional strongmen and politicians in creating a front for negotiations with the Taliban, in which they would hope to achieve concessions from the predominantly Pashtun group for their respective local movements and ethnicities. The two stated that they would never accept a surrender and were preparing for armed anti-Taliban resistance should the talks fail,<ref>{{Cite web|title=Veteran Afghan strongmen to form new front for negotiating with Taliban|url=https://news.yahoo.com/veteran-afghan-strongmen-form-front-062226949.html|access-date=2021-09-05|website=news.yahoo.com|date=29 August 2021 |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Veteran Afghan Strongmen to Form New Front for Negotiating With Taliban {{!}} Voice of America - English|url=https://www.voanews.com/us-afghanistan-troop-withdrawal/veteran-afghan-strongmen-form-new-front-negotiating-taliban|access-date=2021-09-05|website=www.voanews.com|date=29 August 2021 |language=en}}</ref> prior to the ultimate fall of the Panjshir Valley to the Taliban the following day. Both Saleh and Massoud fled the Panjshiri capital but remained in the province.<ref name="cnn">{{cite news|url=https://www.cnn.com/2021/09/06/asia/afghanistan-monday-intl-hnk/index.html|title=Taliban claims victory in Panjshir, but resistance forces say they still control strategic position in the valley|work=[[CNN]]|last1=Robertson|first1=Nic|last2=Kohzad|first2=Nilly|last3=Lister|first3=Tim|last4=Regan|first4=Helen|date=6 September 2021|access-date=6 September 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Pannett |first1=Rachel |title=Panjshir Valley, last resistance holdout in Afghanistan, falls to the Taliban |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2021/09/06/afghanistan-kabul-taliban-updates/ |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=6 September 2021|access-date=6 September 2021}}</ref><br />
<br />
===Afghanistan–Iran border clashes===<br />
[[2021 Afghanistan–Iran clashes|Afghan–Iranian clashes]] occurred in December 2021, overlapping with the [[Republican insurgency in Afghanistan]], between the restored Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan and Iran in [[Nimruz Province|Nimruz]] over [[border checkpoint]]s. It resulted in a ''de facto'' Taliban victory, with the Islamic Emirate capturing various border checkpoints. However, the Taliban later withdrew from the checkpoints and things returned to [[status quo ante bellum]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Clashes over Iran-Afghanistan's 'border misunderstanding' ended |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/clashes-over-iran-afghanistans-border-misunderstanding-ended-2021-12-01/ |access-date=1 December 2021 |publisher=Reuters |date=1 December 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=طالبان تسيطر على مواقع ونقاط حراسة ايرانية على الحدود المشتركة |url=https://www.albawaba.com/ar/%D8%A3%D8%AE%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%B1/%D9%85%D8%B9%D8%A7%D8%B1%D9%83-%D8%B6%D8%A7%D8%B1%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D8%A8%D9%8A%D9%86-%D8%B7%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A8%D8%A7%D9%86-%D9%88%D8%AD%D8%B1%D8%B3-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AD%D8%AF%D9%88%D8%AF-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%8A%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%86%D9%8A-1457282 |access-date=1 December 2021 |publisher=Al Bawaba |date=1 December 2021}}</ref><br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
{{Portal|Afghanistan}}<br />
*[[Afghan refugees]]<br />
*[[Human rights in Afghanistan]]<br />
**[[Freedom of religion in Afghanistan]]<br />
**[[Women in Afghanistan]]<br />
***[[Treatment of women by the Taliban]]<br />
*[[Afghan peace process|Afghanistan peace process]]<br />
**[[Reconstruction in Afghanistan]]<br />
*[[Environmental impacts of war in Afghanistan|Environmental impacts of the Afghan conflict]]<br />
<br />
== References ==<br />
{{reflist|30em}}<br />
<br />
== Bibliography ==<br />
* {{citation |first=Carole |last=Hillenbrand|year=2015 |title=Islam: A New Historical Introduction|location=London |publisher=Thames & Hudson Ltd|isbn=978-0-500-11027-0 |author-link=Carole Hillenbrand}}<br />
* {{cite book |last=Maley |first=William |date=2021 |title=The Afghanistan Wars |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PpJKEAAAQBAJ&pg=PR7 |edition=3rd |location=London |publisher=Red Globe Press |isbn=978-1-352-01100-5}}<br />
<br />
== Further reading ==<br />
* {{cite book |last=Collins |first=Joseph J. |date=2011 |title=Understanding War in Afghanistan |url=http://ndupress.ndu.edu/Portals/68/Documents/Books/understanding-war-in-afghan.pdf |location=Washington, D.C. |publisher=National Defense University Press |isbn=978-1-78039-924-9}}<br />
* {{cite web |url=https://www.stratfor.com/weekly/20100628_30_year_war_afghanistan |title=The 30-Year War in Afghanistan |author=George Friedman |date=29 June 2010 |website=Geopolitical Weekly |publisher=[[Stratfor]]|author-link=George Friedman}}<br />
* Chiovenda, Andrea, and Melissa Chiovenda. "The specter of the “arrivant”: hauntology of an interethnic conflict in Afghanistan." Asian Anthropology 17.3 (2018): 165–184.<br />
<br />
== External links ==<br />
* [https://www.hrw.org/backgrounder/asia/afghan-bck1023.htm Backgrounder on Afghanistan: History of the War October 2001]<br />
* [https://www.rand.org/pubs/testimonies/2007/RAND_CT271.pdf Ending Afghanistan’s Civil by James Dobbins, The RAND Corporation, Testimony presented before the House Armed Services Committee on January 30, 2007]<br />
* [https://www.hrw.org/backgrounder/asia/afghanistan/afghbk.htm Fueling Afghanistan's War-Press Backgrounder]<br />
* [http://www.csis.org/isp/pcr/ More information on Post-Conflict Reconstruction from the Center for Strategic and International Studies] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090610082115/http://www.csis.org/isp/pcr/ |date=10 June 2009 }}<br />
<br />
{{Afghanistan topics}}<br />
{{ongoing military conflicts}}<br />
{{post-Cold War Asian conflicts}}<br />
{{Military history of Pakistan}}<br />
<br />
{{DEFAULTSORT:War in Afghanistan (1978-present)}}<br />
[[Category:Afghanistan conflict (1978–present)| ]]<br />
[[Category:Anti-communism in Afghanistan]]<br />
[[Category:Wars involving Afghanistan]]<br />
[[Category:Cold War military history of the Soviet Union]]<br />
[[Category:Cold War rebellions]]<br />
[[Category:Religion-based civil wars]]<br />
[[Category:Revolution-based civil wars]]<br />
[[Category:Warlordism]]<br />
[[Category:Wars involving the Taliban]]</div>Boackandwhitehttps://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Afghan_mujahideen&diff=1264767418Afghan mujahideen2024-12-23T11:50:49Z<p>Boackandwhite: Undid revision 1264528439 by TheTimesAreAChanging (talk)</p>
<hr />
<div>{{Short description|Islamist resistance groups}}<br />
{{Italic title|string=mujahideen}}<br />
{{Use Oxford spelling|date=August 2021}}<br />
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2021}}<br />
{{Infobox war faction<br />
| name = ''Mujahideen''<br />
| native_name = {{lang|ps|مجاهدين}}<br />
| native_name_lang = ps<br />
| image = Afghan mujahideen.jpg<br />
| image_size = 250px<br />
| caption = Mujahideen of the [[Yunus Khalis]] group, 1987<br />
| organizations = [[Islamic Unity of Afghanistan Mujahideen|Peshawar Seven]] (Sunni Groups)<br />
* {{flagicon image|Flag of Jamiat-e Islami.svg}} [[Jamiat-i Islami]]<br />
* {{flagicon image|Flag of Hezbi Islami Gulbuddin.svg}} [[Hezb-e Islami Gulbuddin]]<br />
*{{flagicon image|Logo of Hezb-e Islami Khalis.svg}} [[Hezb-i Islami Khalis]]<br />
* {{flagicon image|Black flag.svg}} [[Islamic Dawah Organisation of Afghanistan|Islamic Union for the Liberation of Afghanistan]]<br />
*[[Islamic and National Revolution Movement of Afghanistan|Islamic Revolutionary Movement of Afghanistan]] <br />
* {{flagicon image|Flag of the National Islamic Front of Afghanistan.svg}} [[National Islamic Front of Afghanistan]]<br />
*National Liberation Front<br />
[[Tehran Eight]] (Shia Groups)<br /> (All except the Islamic Movement and Hezbollah Merged into [[Hezbe Wahdat]])<br />
*[[Hezbollah Afghanistan]]<br />
* {{flagicon image|Emblem of the Nasr Party (Afghanistan).svg}} [[Sazman-i Nasr]] <br />
* {{flagicon image|Emblem of the Revolutionary Guards of Afghanistan.svg}} Corps of Islamic Revolution Guardians of Afghanistan<br />
*The [[Islamic Movement of Afghanistan]]<br />
*[[Revolutionary Council of Islamic Unity of Afghanistan]]<br />
*Islamic Revolution Movement<br />
*Union of Islamic Fighters<br />
*Raad ("Thunder") party<br />
Other Groups<br />
*[[Afghanistan Liberation Organization]]<br />
*[[Liberation Organization of the People of Afghanistan]]<br />
*[[Afghanistan Mujahedin Freedom Fighters Front]]<br />
*[[Islamic Union of the Northern Provinces]]<br />
*[[Sharafat Kuh Front]]<br />
*[[Partisans of National Liberation of Afghanistan]]<br />
*[[Harakat-e-Mulavi]]<br />
| flag = [[File:Flag of the Afghan interim government-in-exile (1988–1992).svg|100px]]<br />
| active = 1975–1992 (resistance phase)<br />1992–1996 (loyalist factions)<br />
| ideology = [[Islamism]]<br />[[Anti-communism]]<br />[[Anti-Sovietism]]<br />[[Afghan nationalism]]<br />
| motives = Combat the Soviet invasion of [[Afghanistan]] and overthrow the Soviet-backed [[Democratic Republic of Afghanistan|communist government]]<br />
| leaders = [[Burhanuddin Rabbani]] and [[Ahmad Shah Massoud]] (Jamiat)<br />[[Sibghatullah Mojaddedi]] (JNMA/AIG)<br />[[Gulbuddin Hekmatyar]] (HIG)<br />[[Mohammad Nabi Mohammadi]] (Harakat)<br />[[Abdul Ali Mazari]] (Wahdat)<br />
| area = {{flatlist| <br />
* Afghanistan<br />
* Pakistan}}<br />
| size = <br />
| allies = {{flag|Pakistan}}<br />{{flag|United States}}<br />{{flag|Saudi Arabia}}<br />{{flag|China}}<br/>{{flag|Turkey}}<br />{{flag|West Germany}}<br />{{flag|Iran}}<br /> ([[Tehran Eight]])<ref>{{cite news|last1=Renz|first1=Michael|title=Operation Sommerregen|url=https://www.welt.de/print/wams/politik/article120664012/Operation-Sommerregen.html|access-date=6 June 2015|agency=Die Welt|issue=40|newspaper=Die Welt|date=October 6, 2012|language=de}}</ref><ref name=":1" /><br />{{flag|United Kingdom}}<ref name=":1">{{cite book|surname1=Michael Pohly|title=Krieg und Widerstand in Afghanistan|pages=154|language=de}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{cite web|url=http://www.foia.cia.gov/sites/default/files/document_conversions/89801/DOC_0000284013.pdf|title=Use of toxins and other lethal agents in Southeast Asia and Afghanistan|date=2 February 1982|access-date=21 October 2014|publisher=CIA|archive-date=10 September 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140910213821/http://www.foia.cia.gov/sites/default/files/document_conversions/89801/DOC_0000284013.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref><br />{{flag|Egypt}}<ref>{{cite web|title=Das Engagement der arabischen Staaten in Afghanistan|url=http://www.bpb.de/apuz/32735/das-engagement-der-arabischen-staaten-in-afghanistan?p=all|access-date=2016-03-18|last=Inken Wiese| date=14 May 2010 |language=de}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{cite book |surname1=Conrad Schetter|title=Ethnizität und ethnische Konflikte in Afghanistan|pages=430|language=de}}</ref><br /><br />
{{flag|NATO}}<ref name="DesertShield">{{cite web |url=https://apps.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a234743.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190412060905/https://apps.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a234743.pdf |url-status=live |archive-date=12 April 2019 |website=apps.dtic.mil |access-date=2018-12-18 |title=Desert Shield And Desert Storm: A Chronology And Troop List for the 1990–1991 Persian Gulf Crisis}}</ref><br />
| opponents = {{flag|Democratic Republic of Afghanistan}}<br />{{flag|Soviet Union}}<br/>{{Flagcountry|Ba'athist Iraq}} (1991)<br/><br />
| battles = [[1975 Panjshir Valley uprising]]{{Clear}}[[Soviet–Afghan War]] (1979–1989)<br />[[Afghan Civil War (1989–1992)|First Afghan Civil War]] (1989–1992)<br />[[Gulf War]] (1991)<br />
| successor = [[Northern Alliance]]{{Clear}}[[Taliban]]<br />
}}<br />
{{Campaignbox Soviet–Afghan War}}<br />
{{Campaignbox Afghan Civil War}}<br />
{{Covert United States involvement in regime change}}<br />
<br />
The '''Afghan ''mujahideen''''' ({{langx|ps|افغان مجاهدين|translit=}}; {{langx|prs|مجاهدین افغان|translit=}}) were [[Islamist]] militant groups that fought against the [[Democratic Republic of Afghanistan]] and the [[Soviet Union]] during the [[Soviet–Afghan War]] and the subsequent [[Afghan Civil War (1989–1992)|First Afghan Civil War]].<br />
<br />
The term ''[[mujahideen|mujahid]]'' (from {{Langx|ar|مجاهدين|link=no}}) is used in a religious context by [[Muslims]] to refer to those engaged in a struggle of any nature for the sake of [[Islam]], commonly referred to as ''[[jihad]]'' ({{Langx|ar|جهاد|label=none}}). The Afghan mujahidin consisted of numerous groups that differed from each other across ethnic and/or ideological lines, but were united by their [[Anti-communism|anti-communist]] and pro-Islamic goals. The coalition of [[anti-Soviet]] Muslim militias was also known as the "Afghan resistance",<ref>Sources:<br />
* {{Cite book |last=Arnold |first=Anthony |title=Afghanistan's two-party communism: Parcham and Khalq |publisher=Hoover University Press |year=1983 |isbn=0-8179-7792-9 |location=Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA |pages=109, 129, 133, 134}}<br />
* {{cite book| first= Andrew |last= Langley |year= 2007 |chapter= Introduction |title= The collapse of the Soviet Union: the end of an empire |isbn=978-0-7565-2009-0 | publisher= Compass Point Books|location= Minneapolis, MN |page=43}}<br />
* {{cite book|last=Amstutz|first=J. Bruce|title=Afghanistan: The First Five Years of Soviet Occupation|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RUSNyMH1aFQC|date=1 July 1994|publisher=DIANE Publishing|isbn=9780788111112|pages=133, 134}}<br />
* {{cite book| first1= Deigo |last1= Cordovez |last2= Harrison |first2= Selig S. | year= 1995 |title= Out of Afghanistan: The Inside Story of the Soviet Withdrawal |isbn=0-19-506294-9 |chapter=2: Soviet Occupation, Afghan Resistance, and the American Response | publisher= Oxford University Press|location= New York, USA |pages=57–59}}</ref> and the [[Western media|Western press]] widely referred to the [[Afghan people|Afghan]] [[guerrillas]] as "freedom fighters", or "Mountain Men".<br />
<br />
The militants of the Afghan mujahidin were recruited and organized immediately after the Soviet Union invaded [[Afghanistan]] in 1979, initially from the regular Afghan population and defectors from the [[Afghan Armed Forces#20th century|Afghan military]], with the aim of waging an armed struggle against both the [[Communism|communist]] government of the [[People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan]], which had taken power in the 1978 [[Saur Revolution]], and the Soviet Union, which had invaded the country in support of the former. There were many ideologically different factions among the mujahidin, with the most influential being the [[Jamiat-e Islami]] and [[Hezb-e Islami Gulbuddin]] parties. The Afghan mujahidin were generally divided into two distinct alliances: the larger and more significant [[Sunni Islam]]ic union collectively referred to as the "Peshawar Seven", based in [[Pakistan]], and the smaller [[Shia Islam]]ic union collectively referred to as the "[[Tehran Eight]]", based in [[Iran]]; as well as independent units that referred to themselves as "mujahidin". The "Peshawar Seven" alliance received heavy assistance from the [[United States]] ([[Operation Cyclone]]), [[Pakistan]], [[Saudi Arabia]], [[Turkey]], the [[United Kingdom]], as well as other countries and private international donors.<br />
<br />
The basic units of the mujahidin continued to reflect the highly decentralized nature of Afghan society and strong loci of competing [[Pashtun tribes|Pashtun tribal groups]], which had formed a union with other Afghan groups under intense American, Saudi Arabian and Pakistani pressure.<ref><br />
{{cite book<br />
| isbn=978-0-231-12692-2<br />
| url=https://archive.org/details/insidealqaedaglo00guna<br />
| url-access=registration<br />
| page=[https://archive.org/details/insidealqaedaglo00guna/page/254 254]<br />
| quote=Union of Mujahidin OR Union of Mujahideen.<br />
| title=Inside Al Qaeda: Global Network of Terror<br />
| author=Rohan Gunaratna<br />
| publisher=[[Columbia University Press]]<br />
| year=2002<br />
}}</ref><ref><br />
{{cite book<br />
| isbn=978-0-7546-3615-1<br />
| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=n1pKnc3RJGIC&q=%22Union+of+Mujahidin%22+OR+%22Union+of+Mujahideen%22&pg=PA138<br />
| title=A Bitter Harvest: US Foreign Policy and Afghanistan<br />
| author=Tom Lansford<br />
| publisher=[[Ashgate Publishing, Ltd.]]<br />
| year=2003<br />
| quote=Under pressure from the United States, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, the main mujahideen parties joined together to form the Islamic Union of Mujahideen of Afghanistan in May 1985. The alliance was led by a general council which included Hekmatyr, Rabbani, and [[Abd-ur-Rabb-ur-Rasul Sayyaf]], the leader of the [[Islamic Union for the Liberation of Afghanistan]] which was established and funded by the Saudis.}}</ref> The alliance sought to function as a united diplomatic front towards the international community, and sought representation in the [[United Nations]] and the [[Organisation of Islamic Cooperation|Organisation of the Islamic Conference]].<ref>{{cite journal |first=George W. |last=Collins |title=The War in Afghanistan |journal=Air University Review |date=March–April 1986 |url=http://www.airpower.au.af.mil/airchronicles/aureview/1986/mar-apr/collins.html |access-date=2009-03-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081003015504/http://www.airpower.au.af.mil/airchronicles/aureview/1986/mar-apr/collins.html |archive-date=2008-10-03 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The Afghan mujahidin also saw thousands of volunteers from various [[Muslim world|Muslim countries]] come to Afghanistan to aid the resistance. The majority of the international fighters came from the [[Arab world]], and later became known as [[Afghan Arabs]]; the most well-known [[Arabs|Arab]] financier and militant of the group during this period was [[Osama bin Laden]], who would later found [[al-Qaeda]] and mastermind the [[September 11 attacks]] on the United States. Other international fighters from the Indian subcontinent became involved in terrorist activities in [[Kashmir]] and against the states of [[Bangladesh]] and [[Myanmar]] during the 1990s.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Layekuzzaman |date=2021-09-02 |title=Will the Era of Afghan Mujahideen Return to Bangladesh Againh? |url=https://thedailyguardian.com/will-the-era-of-afghan-mujahideen-return-to-bangladesh-again/ |access-date=2022-11-17 |website=The Daily Guardian |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-02-03 |title=Ours Not To Question Why |url=https://www.outlookindia.com/website/story/ours-not-to-question-why/236926 |access-date=2022-11-17 |website=www.outlookindia.com/ |language=en}}</ref> The mujahidin guerrillas fought a long and costly war against the [[Soviet Armed Forces|Soviet military]], which suffered heavy losses and withdrew from the country in 1989, after which the rebels' war against the communist Afghan government continued. The loosely-aligned mujahidin took the capital city of [[Kabul]] in 1992 following the collapse of the [[Government of the Soviet Union|Moscow]]-backed government. However, the new mujahidin government that was formed by the [[Peshawar Accord]]s following these events was quickly fractured by rival factions and became severely dysfunctional. This unrest quickly escalated into [[Afghan Civil War (1992–1996)|a second civil war]], which saw the large-scale collapse of the united Afghan mujahidin and the victorious emergence of the [[Taliban]], which established the [[Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (1996–2001)|Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan]] shortly after taking most of the country in 1996. The Taliban groups were then ousted in 2001 during the [[War in Afghanistan (2001–2021)|War in Afghanistan]], but regrouped and [[2021 Taliban offensive|retook the country]] in 2021.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/national-security/even-taliban-are-surprised-how-fast-they-re-advancing-afghanistan-n1272236|title=Taliban forces rapidly gaining ground in Afghanistan as U.S. leaves|website=NBC News|date=25 June 2021 }}</ref><br />
<br />
==Origins and formation==<br />
Certain organisations that would later form the ''mujahideen'' had already existed, such as [[Jamiat-e Islami]] in 1972 and [[Hezbi Islami|Hezb-e Islami]] in 1976, as militias and paramilitary groups. The two organizations first took part in the [[1975 Panjshir Valley uprising|1975 Panjshir Valley]] and [[1975 Laghman uprising|Laghman uprisings]], and perpetrated acid attacks on women who were unveiled.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Haqqani |first=Husain |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nYppZ_dEjdIC&q=Jamiat-e+Islami+afghanistan&pg=PA171 |title=Pakistan: Between Mosque and Military |date=2010-03-10 |publisher=Carnegie Endowment |isbn=978-0-87003-285-1 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last1=Wahab |first1=Shaista |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=y20MTE0C9kwC |title=A Brief History of Afghanistan |last2=Youngerman |first2=Barry |date=2007 |publisher=Infobase Publishing |isbn=978-1-4381-0819-3 |language=en}}</ref><br />
<br />
Groups of resistance formed in parts of eastern Afghanistan by the fall of 1978, but it was in early 1979 that the situation rapidly escalated to open rebellion. As early as February 2, 1979, it was reported that Afghan dissidents were receiving guerilla training across the border in Pakistan.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://nsarchive2.gwu.edu/carterbrezhnev/docs_intervention_in_afghanistan_and_the_fall_of_detente/fall_of_detente_chron.pdf |title=The Intervention in Afghanistan and the Fall of Detente. A Chronology|website=nsarchive2.gwu.edu|access-date=31 March 2023}}</ref> The conflict reached a height during the [[1979 Herat uprising|Herat mutiny]] in March, in which a non-organized group of Afghan army mutineers from the 17th Division and the civilians rebelled and briefly overthrew the city garrison. The incident and subsequent air bombardment gave indications of a looming civil war. [[Sibghatullah Mojaddedi]], a leader of [[Islamic mysticism]] and a [[hazrat]], was one of the original leaders of an organized anti-government armed group. He created an organization named the Afghan National Liberation Front (''[[Jabha-i Nejat-i Milli]]'') and on May 25, 1979, appealed for support in New York City.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1979/05/26/archives/afghan-rebel-group-appeals-in-new-york-for-aid-for-its-forces-10.html|title=Afghan Rebel Group Appeals in New York For Aid for Its Forces|newspaper=The New York Times|date=26 May 1979}}</ref> [[Ahmed Gailani|Sayyed Ahmad Gailani]], a spiritual leader (''[[pir (Sufism)|pir]]''), also created a resistance organization during this time, called National Islamic Front (''Mahaz-e-Millie-Islami''). [[Mawlawi (Islamic title)|Mawlawi]] [[Mohammad Nabi Mohammadi]], a religious scholar and former member of parliament in the Kingdom, formed the Revolutionary Islamic Movement (Harakat-e-Inqilab-e-Islami); he was well known for assaulting prominent leftist [[Babrak Karmal]] inside the House of Representatives in 1966.<ref name="auto">{{Cite web|url=https://publishing.cdlib.org/ucpressebooks/view?docId=ft7b69p12h;chunk.id=0;doc.view=print|title=Afghanistan|website=publishing.cdlib.org}}</ref> On August 11, 1979, the Afghan National Liberation Front along with three others groups ([[Jamiat-i Islami]], [[Hezb-i Islami Khalis]], and Revolutionary Islamic Movement) formed a new organization based in [[Peshawar]], Pakistan, aiming to establish an [[Islamic Republic]]. Other rebel movements were also active throughout the country, including [[Hazaras|Hazara]] tribes that had some 5,000 men as of August 1979.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://web.stanford.edu/group/tomzgroup/pmwiki/uploads/3025-1979-10-12-KS-b-EYJ.pdf|title=Intensification of Warfare between Government Forces and Moslem Rebels - Government Changes - Alleged Involvement of Foreign Powers |website=stanford.edu|access-date=31 March 2023|date=12 October 1979|page=29878 }}</ref><br />
<br />
A broad mujahidin had existed as a ''de facto'' political bloc since May 1979, when the [[Government of Pakistan|Pakistani government]] decided to limit the flow of financial aid to the said seven organizations, thus cutting off monetary supply to nationalist and left-wing resistance groups.<ref>{{cite book|first=Thomas |last=Ruttig |title=Islamists, Leftists – and a Void in the Center. Afghanistan's Political Parties and where they come from (1902-2006) |publisher=Konrad Adenauer Stiftung |access-date=2009-03-27 |url=http://www.kas.de/db_files/dokumente/7_dokument_dok_pdf_9674_2.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130524194344/http://www.kas.de/db_files/dokumente/7_dokument_dok_pdf_9674_2.pdf |archive-date=2013-05-24 }}</ref><br />
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The [[Operation Storm-333|Soviet operation of December 1979]] turned the civil war into a war of liberation, and the ''[[jihad]]'' was more forceful than previous Afghan empires had fought against the British and the Sikhs. Except for pockets of supporters of the DRA regime, almost every social, religious and ethnic group protested the Soviet action (despite their removal of the tyrannical [[Khalq]] regime), and even religious minorities of Afghan Sikhs and Hindus covertly assisted the mujahidin.<ref name="auto"/> Following the exodus of Afghans to Pakistan in 1980, as many as 84 different resistance groups were formed in Peshawar. A coalition of the resistance with a united front for military activities was demanded by Afghan refugees during meetings in Peshawar in 1980. They, including tribal and community elders, former members of parliament and mujahidin commanders, met in several ''[[loya jirga]]s'' (traditional grand assembly) to solidify the resistance, liberate Afghanistan from the Soviet Union, topple the Kabul regime, and create a single political bloc. Mojaddedi took part in these, and the first jirga passed a resolution on February 21, 1980. The last round of the jirga in May 1980 set up the Islamic National Revolutionary Council, headed by Mohammad Omar Babrakzay as acting president. It advocated for a national, Islamic, and democratic republic. The pressure persuaded leaders of the Islamic groups to make attempts to unite. A coalition of the three Islamist and three traditionalist organizations, the Islamic Union for the Liberation of Afghanistan, was formed, headed by [[Abdul Rasul Sayyaf]]. However, it did not last, as [[Gulbuddin Hekmatyar]]'s group (''[[Hizb-i Islami Gulbuddin]]'') and later the three traditionalist groups seceded from it. These three set up the Union of the Three. The Islamic Union later called the tribal Revolutionary Council an "enemy".<ref name="auto"/><br />
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Because of disunity, elders from western Afghanistan attempted to hold a loya jirga, citing that [[party politics]] disunited the resisting Afghans. Political Islamists warned against people attending the jirga, but it was held safely in September 1981 in [[Pishin, Pakistan]], consisting of tribal elders, the Ulama, and military officers. Elders native from [[Nangarhar]] proposed that the former Afghan king, [[Mohammed Zahir Shah]], would be an ideal "National Leader" in any coalition. However, Pakistan, which preferred a divided Afghan resistance, was against the return of the former king to Afghanistan, seeing it as a symbol of Afghan nationalism.<ref name="auto"/><br />
<br />
==Groups==<br />
There were seven major mujahidin groups as recognized by Pakistan and its allies, based in [[Peshawar]] and sometimes called the ''Peshawar Seven''. They were often categorized into the fundamentalist and traditional; the fundamentalist factions were militarily stronger in the war.<ref name=auto1>{{cite web|url=https://www.ecoi.net/en/file/local/1154721/1226_1369733568_ppig1.pdf |title=Background Paper. Afghanistan: Political Parties and Insurgent Groups 1978-2001|website=Australian Refugee Review Tribunal|access-date=31 March 2023|date=7 March 2013}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.caspianpolicy.org/special-report-the-afghan-peace-process/|title=Special report: The Afghan Peace Process|access-date=31 March 2023}}{{Dead link|date=August 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref><br />
;Political Islamist<br />
* {{flagicon image|Flag of Jamiat-e Islami.svg}} [[Jamiat-i Islami]]<ref>(Pashto/Dari: جمعیت اسلامی)</ref> (''Islamic Society of Afghanistan''), a mostly [[Tajiks|Tajik]] faction headed by [[Burhanuddin Rabbani]], a former professor of theology at Kabul University, advocating for a semi-democratic Islamic revolutionary state - one of the most notable and strongest of the ''mujahideen'' factions<br />
* {{flagicon image|Flag of Hezbi Islami Gulbuddin.svg}} [[Hizb-i Islami Gulbuddin|Hizb-i Islami (Gulbuddin)]]<ref>(Pashto/Dari: حزب اسلامی گلبدین)</ref> (''Islamic Party''), a radical, oppositionist faction headed by [[Gulbuddin Hekmatyar]] who enjoyed the largest amount of ISI Pakistan funding, Saudi intelligence funding, and American CIA funding; traditionally strongest in [[Ghilzai]] Pashtun tribal regions in the south-east - aimed for a state similar to that founded and led by [[Ruhollah Khomeini|Khomeini]] in [[Iran]]<br />
* {{flagicon image|Logo of Hezb-e Islami Khalis.svg}} [[Hezb-i Islami Khalis]]<ref>(Pashto/Dari: حزب اسلامی خالص)</ref> (''Islamic Party''), a splinter faction headed by theologian [[Mohammad Yunus Khalis]], with its supporter base having been Ghilzai Pashtuns - favored cooperation with other factions<br />
* {{flagicon image|Black flag.svg}} [[Ittihad-i Islami]]<ref>(Pashto/Dari: اتحاد اسلامی برای آزادی افغانستان)</ref> (''Islamic Union (for the liberation of Afghanistan)''), a faction advocating for [[Wahhabism]], led by fundamentalist [[Abdul Rasul Sayyaf]] and funded by Saudi Arabia; smaller than the other parties, but influential in international recruitment for the jihad<ref>{{cite book|authorlink=Steve Coll|last=Coll|first=Steve|title=[[Ghost Wars|Ghost Wars: The Secret History of the CIA, Afghanistan, and Bin Laden, from the Soviet Invasion to September 10, 2001]]|publisher=[[Penguin Group]]|year=2004|isbn=9781594200076|page=201|quote=The CIA's Islamabad station estimated in a 1989 cable to Langley that there were probably about four thousand Arab volunteers in Afghanistan, mainly organized under Sayyaf's leadership. He was in turn heavily supported by Saudi intelligence and Gulf charities.}}</ref><br />
<br />
;Afghan traditionalist<br />
* [[Harakat-i Inqilab-i Islami]]<ref>(Pashto/Dari: حرکت انقلاب اسلامی افغانستان)</ref> (''Revolutionary Islamic Movement (of Afghanistan)''), a [[Pashtun]] faction led by [[Mohammad Nabi Mohammadi]], a religious figure and former member of parliament, and gaining support among Pashtun tribes in the south<br />
* [[Jabha-i Nejat-i Milli]]<ref>(Pashto/Dari: جبه نجات ملی)</ref> (''(Afghan) National Liberation Front''), headed by the [[Tariqa|Sufi order]] [[Sibghatullah Mojaddedi]], a [[monarchist]] faction that favored the return of Afghanistan's ousted King, [[Zahir Shah]], in a traditional Islamic state with a parliamentary democracy; it was said to be the weakest militarily, although with a respected leader<br />
* [[Mahaz-i Milli]]<ref>(Pashto/Dari: حمحاذ ملی اسلامی افغانستان)</ref> (''National (Islamic) Front''), the most secular, pro-Western and liberal of the mujahidin factions, rejecting both communism and Islamic fundamentalism, instead adhering to Pashtun nationalism, democracy and a return of the monarchy; led by [[Ahmed Gailani|Sayid Ahmad Gailani]], an Islamic mystical figure, and supported by a number of tribal leaders<br />
<br />
===Commanders===<br />
[[File:Wardak Amin 65.jpg|thumb|[[Amin Wardak]], a mujahidin commander of [[Maidan Wardak Province]]]]<br />
Some of the group leaders also acted as commanders, such as Khalis and Hekmatyar. The other notable mujahidin commanders were [[Ahmad Shah Massoud]] (Jamiat-i Islami), [[Abdul Haq (Afghan leader)|Abdul Haq]] (Hizb-i Islami Khalis), [[Ismail Khan]] (Jamiat-i Islami), [[Jalaluddin Haqqani]] (Hizb-i Islami Khalis), [[Amin Wardak]] (Mahaz-e Melli) and [[Mohammad Zabihullah]] (Jamiat-i Islami).<ref name="auto2">{{cite book| last=Amstutz| first=J. Bruce| publisher=Diane Publishing| isbn=978-0-7881-1111-2| url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_RUSNyMH1aFQC| title=Afghanistan: The First Five Years of Soviet Occupation| year=1994|oclc=948347893}}</ref><br />
<br />
===Ideologies and divisions===<br />
[[File:August 1985 Muja.jpg|thumb|Mujahidin guerillas in [[Kunar Province]], Afghanistan, 1985]]<br />
The Afghan ''mujahideen'' were not a united movement. The resistance parties remained deeply divided along ethnic, ideological and personal lines, despite internal and external pressures to unite. Dutch journalist Jere Van Dyk reported in 1981 that the guerillas were effectively fighting two civil wars: one against the regime and the Soviets, and another among themselves. [[Gulbuddin Hekmatyar]]'s [[Hizb-i Islami Gulbuddin|Hizb-i Islami]] was most cited as the initiator of cross-mujahidin clashes. Through the years, there were various efforts to create a united front, but all were either non-effective or failed in a short time. At least three different iterations of an "Islamic Unity of Afghan Mujahedin" (IUAM) were tried, none of which lasted. The formation of the Afghanistan Interim Government (AIG) in 1988 also failed to promote unity.<ref name=auto3>{{cite thesis|url=http://prr.hec.gov.pk/jspui/bitstream/123456789/1322/1/799S.pdf|title=The causes of the failure of the government of Afghanistan under Professor Burhanuddin Rabbani|location=University of Peshawar|date=December 2007|degree=PhD|author=Ahmad Noor}}</ref> Additionally, it only included the select Sunni Muslim groups approved by Pakistan; Shi'ite groups backed by Iran and pro-Chinese (anti-Soviet) leftist groups were excluded.<ref name="auto"/><br />
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''Mujahideen'' leader [[Mohammad Yunus Khalis]] thought that the lack of trust among the various leaders was a factor for the many disunited organizations.<ref name="auto"/> Numerous ''mujahideen'' commanders additionally regarded schools and its teachers as legitimate targets for attacks, with their justification being that the [[People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan|PDPA]]’s [[Left-wing politics|leftist]] ideology was taught in educational institutions to students.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Urban |first=Mark |date=1990 |title=War in Afghanistan |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-20761-9 |doi=10.1007/978-1-349-20761-9|isbn=978-0-333-51478-8 }}</ref><br />
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{{blockquote|text=The only party fighting the Soviets was the Harakat-i Inqilab-i Islami. The others were all fighting each other.|author=Eduard Lagourge, French aid worker in Afghanistan, 1988<ref name="auto3"/>}}<br />
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The issue of the exiled king, [[Mohammed Zahir Shah]], also caused divisions. Zahir Shah enjoyed considerable popularity among the Afghan refugees in Pakistan. Both Hekmatyar and Khalis were strongly against the king, while Gailani, Mojaddedi and Mohammadi supported an interim coalition with him. Rabbani and Sayyaf were initially against a role for the king, later changing their minds.<ref name="auto3"/><ref name="auto1"/><br />
<br />
Although the Afghan mujahidin were praised for bravery in resisting a superpower, the lack of unity showed weaknesses in the guerillas, such as the lack of a clear political strategy.<ref name="auto3"/><br />
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In an attempt to dissuade infighting and develop a ''de facto'' functioning [[proto state]], [[Ahmad Shah Massoud]] created the [[Shura-e Nazar]] in 1984, an offshoot of the Jamiat faction. Shura-e Nazar was created as a military–political combination and consisted of an organized structure dealing with health and education in the areas it operated in (northern and north-eastern Afghanistan).<br />
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====Attempts at unity====<br />
{{Anchor|Union of the Seven|Islamic Unity of Afghan Mujahidin|Afghan Interim Government}}<br />
In 1981 the Islamist groups formed a broader alliance, the '''Union of the Seven''', made up of the three Islamist groups, the newly formed organization led by Sayyaf, and three splinter groups. But many differences remained between them. In 1985, under pressure from the king of Saudi Arabia – which was a major donor to the mujahidin – a more broad coalition was created, named '''Islamic Unity of Afghan Mujahidin''' (IUAM), comprising the four main Islamist and three moderate groups. It was also nicknamed the '''Seven Party Mujahidin Alliance''', the '''Peshawar Seven''', and the '''Seven Dwarves'''.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Wright|first=Lawrence|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/761224415|title=The Looming Tower: Al-Qaeda and the Road to 9/11|publisher=Vintage Books|year=2011|isbn=978-0-525-56436-2|edition=1|location=New York|pages=115|oclc=761224415}}</ref><br />
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In 1989 under the patronage of Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, An '''Afghan Interim Government''' (AIG) was formed in Pakistan to coincide with the withdrawal of Soviet troops from Afghanistan. The Interim Government had been in exile in Pakistan since 1988.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Afghan Interim Rule: Rocky Road |work=Christian Science Monitor |url=https://www.csmonitor.com/1992/0513/13181.html |access-date=2023-09-02 |issn=0882-7729}}</ref><ref>[https://www.cia.gov/readingroom/docs/DOC_0000258646.pdf Middle East Brief] cia.gov</ref> The Interim Government was Headed by traditionalist [[Sibghatullah Mojaddedi]], with orthodox [[Abdul Rasul Sayyaf]] as prime minister, the AIG represented itself as a [[government in exile]] and a legitimate incoming state following the Soviet withdrawal.<ref name="auto"/> The two individuals proved popular, despite not being leaders of major groups, with Sayyaf said to have had exceptional ability in solving issues. However, the AIG was weak, as it only included the Peshawar Seven and not nationalists or tribal elders. After the Soviet withdrawal, the AIG attempted to establish itself within Afghan territory – the mujahidin and Pakistani forces attacked the city of [[Jalalabad]] in March 1989,<ref name="Abbas22">{{Cite news |last=Nasir |first=Abbas |date=18 August 2015 |title=The legacy of Pakistan's loved and loathed Hamid Gul |work=Al-Jazeera |url=http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2015/08/legacy-pakistan-loved-loathed-hamid-gul-150817114006616.html |access-date=4 January 2017 |quote=His commitment to jihad – to an Islamic revolution transcending national boundaries, was such that he dreamed one day the "green Islamic flag" would flutter not just over Pakistan and Afghanistan, but also over territories represented by the (former Soviet Union) Central Asian republics. After the Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan, as the director-general of the Pakistan's intelligence organisation, Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) directorate, an impatient Gul wanted to establish a government of the so-called Mujahideen on Afghan soil. He then ordered an assault using non-state actors on Jalalabad, the first major urban centre across the Khyber Pass from Pakistan, with the aim capturing it and declaring it as the seat of the new administration. This was the spring of 1989 and a furious prime minister, Benazir Bhutto – who was kept in the dark by ... Gul and ... Mirza Aslam Beg – demanded that Gul be removed from the ISI.}}</ref> visioning a final victory towards Kabul, but were disastrously defeated by the Afghan Army.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.refworld.org/docid/467bb4855.html|title=Human Rights Watch World Report 1989 - Afghanistan|publisher=United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees|website=Refworld}}</ref> The rivalry between Hekmatyar and the Jamiat-i Islami only increased, leading to Hekmatyar's resignation from the AIG. He eventually decided to go at the Kabul regime in a very different way: a coalition with [[Khalq]] communists of General [[Shahnawaz Tanai]], which caused many resignations in his party in protest. Together, they launched a [[1990 Afghan coup attempt|coup attempt in 1990]] to oust the Parchamite [[Mohammed Najibullah]], but failed.<ref name="auto"/><br />
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===Other resistance groups===<br />
====Shi'ite groups====<br />
{{see also|Tehran Eight}}<br />
A number of [[Shia]] militia groups also operated, mainly in central Afghanistan populated by ethnic [[Hazaras]]. These groups were also, similarly, divided between themselves. [[Sayyid Ali Beheshti]]'s [[Revolutionary Council of Islamic Unity of Afghanistan|Shura-i Inqilab-i Ittifaq]], a traditionalist group, controlled the [[Hazarajat]] at first, but pro-Iran [[Khomeinism|Khomeinist]] groups challenged them and took control of the region from them. By the mid-1980s the strongest of these was [[Sazman-i Nasr]], while Shura-i Inqilab-i Ittifaq was prominent only in [[Maidan Wardak]].<ref>{{cite book |first=A. Z. |last=Hilali |title=US-Pakistan relationship: Soviet invasion of Afghanistan |year=2005 |isbn= 978-0-7546-4220-6 |page=125 |publisher=Ashgate Publishing, Ltd}}</ref> They united as the "[[Tehran Eight]]" in 1987 (so-called due to Iranian support). In 1989, most of these merged into one group, [[Hezb-e Wahdat]].<ref name="auto1"/><br />
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====Maoist groups====<br />
{{see also|Sino-Soviet split}}<br />
There were also [[Maoist]] militias that fought against the Soviets and the Afghan regime, as well as the Mujahidin. They were initially well organized and carried out attacks in Kabul; the [[KGB]] then had a policy of clearing Kabul of any pro-Chinese elements. A mild suspicion from [[KHAD]] was enough to put someone in prison by accusing them of being a pro-Chinese communist. The [[People's Republic of China]], which was a backer of the main Pakistan-based Mujahidin, was either unable or unwilling to help the Afghan Maoists. [[Majid Kalakani]], a prominent figure and leader of the [[Liberation Organization of the People of Afghanistan]] (SAMA), was executed by the Afghan regime in June 1980.<ref name="auto"/> Members of [[Shola-e Javid]] ("Eternal Flame") were involved in fighting the government and mujahidin (particularly [[Hezb-i Islami]]). The [[Babrak Karmal]] government arrested many of its members in June 1981.<ref name="auto1"/><br />
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====Smaller groups====<br />
Smaller mujahidin groups not connected to the main seven parties include the [[Sharafat Kuh Front]] in Farah Province and [[Harakat-e-Mulavi]]. Additionally a [[Baloch people|Baloch]] nationalist group operated called the [[Nimruz Front]].<br />
<br />
The [[Settam-e-Melli]] was a small long-time splinter faction of the PDPA based in [[Badakhshan Province]] that fought against the regime and other Mujahidin. They were driven out of [[Panjshir Valley]] by Massoud's mujahidin forces in 1981. By 1983 its resistance seemed to have ceased as it appeared to join the Karmal government.<ref name="auto2"/><br />
<br />
The moderate [[Afghan Millat Party|Afghan Social Democratic Party (Afghan Millat)]], formed in the 1960s, also resisted in the early days of the war. It was treated as a [[Outcast (person)|pariah]] by the recognized Peshawar-based mujahidin groups. Its guerilla band was heavily damaged in September 1980 following an attack by Hekmatyar's mujahidin forces. The regime in Kabul neutralized an Afghan Millat unit in the city in 1983.<ref name="auto2"/><br />
<br />
==Equipment==<br />
{{See also|List of military equipment used by mujahideen during Soviet–Afghan War}}<br />
Most of the Mujahidin's weapons were of Soviet design; this includes mostly those that were supplied by their funders and smaller numbers that were captured from the Soviet or Afghan militaries. It was disclosed in 1981 that [[recoilless rifle]]s (Chinese 83mm, Blo, 70mm) were being used by the resistance. Also in use were [[82-BM-37|Soviet 82 mm mortars]], British mortars and Chinese [[M2 mortar|Type 63]] mortars. Twin barrelled Chinese-built [[ZPU|Type 58]]s has been seen in smaller numbers. [[Lee–Enfield]] rifles, Egyptian made [[AKM]]s, and Chinese made [[SKS]]s have also been used by them.<ref>Resistance Movement in Afghanistan (1979-81), Mahfooz Ahmad, ''Pakistan Horizon''</ref><br />
<br />
Beginning in 1985, they began to receive heavy equipment like [[bazooka]]s and heavy machine guns, while also receiving better equipment for the cold winters, such as snow boots and ski tents. The raised fundings or assistance from the United States, China and Saudi Arabia all contributed to strengthening the Mujahidin movement by 1987.<ref name="auto"/><br />
<br />
The portable surface-to-air "[[FIM-92 Stinger|Stinger]]" missile was first used by Mujahedin in September 1986 and is considered by some to have been a turning point in the war.<ref>{{cite news|last=Phillips|first=Michael M.|url=https://www.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052970204138204576598851109446780|title="Launching the Missile That Made History," by Michael M. Phillips, Wall Street Journal, October 1, 2011|publisher=wsj.com|access-date=February 15, 2012|date=October 1, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150717205723/http://www.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052970204138204576598851109446780|archive-date=July 17, 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref> Some military analysts considered it a "game changer" coined the term "Stinger effect" to describe it.<ref>{{cite web|last=Schroeder|first=Matthew|url=https://foreignpolicy.com/articles/2010/07/28/The_Taliban_Doesn%E2%80%99t_Have_Stingers|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100731223411/http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2010/07/28/The_Taliban_Doesn%E2%80%99t_Have_Stingers|archive-date=July 31, 2010|title="Stop Panicking About the Stingers," by Matthew Schroeder, Foreign Policy, July 28, 2010|publisher=foreignpolicy.com|access-date=February 15, 2012}}</ref> However, these statistics are based on Mujahedin self-reporting, which is of unknown reliability. A Russian general however claimed the United States "greatly exaggerated" Soviet and Afghan aircraft losses during the war.<ref>{{cite book | last = Hammerich | first = Helmut | title = Die Grenzen des Militärischen | publisher = Hartmann, Miles-Verl | location = Berlin | year = 2010 | isbn = 9783937885308 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hWuwxZeYsZQC&pg=PA195 | page=195}}</ref><br />
<br />
==Allies and funding==<br />
[[File:AfghanGuerillainUS1986e.JPEG|thumb|Wounded Afghan guerillas having arrived at [[Norton Air Force Base]], the United States, for medical treatment, 1986]]<br />
The mujahidin were heavily backed by [[Pakistan]] (through the [[Inter-Services Intelligence]]) and the United States (through the [[Central Intelligence Agency]]), also receiving backing primarily from [[Saudi Arabia]] and the [[China|People's Republic of China]], while more covert support came from the [[United Kingdom]], [[Egypt]], and [[West Germany]] (through the [[Federal Intelligence Service]]). The [[Hezb-e Islami Gulbuddin|Hezb-i Islami Gulbuddin]] faction received the lion's share of weapons from the ISI and CIA.<ref name="auto1"/> While Ahmad Shah Massoud's group was supported by Britain's MI6 and trained and supplied by the [[Special Air Service|SAS]]. Britain's support to the Afghan resistance turned out to be [[Government of the United Kingdom|Whitehall]]'s most extensive covert operation since the [[Second World War]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Declassified files reveal Britain's secret support to Afghan Mujahideen |url=https://timesofislamabad.com/30-Jan-2018/declassified-files-reveal-britain-s-secret-support-to-afghan-mujahideen |access-date=12 March 2020 |agency=[[Times of Islamabad]] |date=30 January 2018 |ref=TOI}}</ref> The CIA's [[Operation Cyclone]] was said to be its "largest and 'most successful' covert operation ever."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://nsarchive2.gwu.edu/NSAEBB/NSAEBB57/essay.html|title=Afghanistan: Lessons from the Last War|website=nsarchive2.gwu.edu}}</ref> Pakistan controlled which rebels received assistance: the four "fundamentalist" factions received most of the funding.<ref name="Kepel">{{cite book |last=Kepel |first=Gilles |title=Jihad: The Trail of Political Islam |publisher=I.B. Tauris |year=2006 |isbn=978-1-84511-257-8 |pages=138–139, 142–144}}</ref> A large amount of funding also came from private donors and charities from the [[Arab states of the Persian Gulf]].<ref>{{cite book|author-link=Jason Burke|last=Burke|first=Jason|title=[[Al-Qaeda: Casting a Shadow of Terror]]|publisher=[[I.B. Tauris]]|year=2004|isbn=9781850436669|page=59}}</ref><br />
<br />
==Areas of activity==<br />
[[File:Afghanistan insurgency 1985.jpg|thumb|left|The areas where the different mujahidin forces operated as of 1985]]<br />
By May 1980, mujahidin controlled virtually all of rural Afghanistan, and these regions were cleared of [[Khalq]]ists and [[Parcham]]ites. With the exception of parts of the north near the Soviet border (under [[Abdul Rashid Dostum]]'s command), along with several cities, mujahidin guerillas were in control of most of the country as of 1987.<ref name="auto"/><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://users.erols.com/mwhite28/afghanis.htm|title=Map of the War in Afghanistan|website=users.erols.com}}</ref><br />
<br />
As of 1985, the Jamiat-i Islami held the most territory, stretching from [[Herat]] in the west through the north to [[Badakhshan]] in the north-east. Harakat-i Inqilab also held a large amount of territory in the southern provinces, stretching from [[Nimroz]] to [[Logar Province|Logar]]. Hizb-i Islami Khalis had its stronghold around [[Nangarhar]] and [[Paktia]], while Hizb-i Islami Gulbuddin held many pockets of territory throughout the country. The Mahaz-i-Milli was prominent in [[Loya Paktia]] but also had territory in other parts of the country.<br />
<br />
As Soviet forces withdrew in 1988–89, the Mujahidin captured several key districts, towns and provincial capitals, such as [[Taloqan]], [[Mahmud Raqi]], [[Asadabad, Afghanistan|Asadabad]], [[Bamyan]], [[Spin Boldak]], [[Dara-i-Suf District|Dara-i-Suf]] and [[Imam Sahib District|Imam Sahib]]. The cities of [[Kunduz]], [[Qalat, Zabul|Qalat]], and [[Maidan Shahr]] also fell to the Mujahidin in the summer of 1988, but were retaken by the government with Soviet bombardment and logistical support.<br />
<br />
By the time Soviet forces completed their withdrawal, the Afghan government held only sixty urban centers and the Mujahidin controlled six entire provinces. However, the Mujahidin were unable to seize the country's major cities for several years, due to the lack of coordination between the various groups and the lack of heavy firepower necessary for such actions. The Afghan Army beat back the Mujahidin's attempts to take the city of [[Jalalabad]] in March 1989, and the civil war settled into a stalemate for three years.<ref name="Dorronsoro">{{cite book |last=Dorronsoro|first=Gilles |title=Revolution Unending: Afghanistan 1979 to the Present |publisher=Hust & Company London |year=2005 |isbn=1850657033 |pages=227–229}}</ref><br />
<br />
==Role of women==<br />
Women also played a part in the Afghan mujahidin, often traveling with them to cook food or wash their clothes, but also taking part in weapons smuggling. There were many female sympathizers who encouraged their husbands, sons or other male family members to take part in the war against the invaders. However, women in Afghanistan were split between the two sides, with many also supporting the [[Democratic Republic of Afghanistan|Democratic Republic]] where they enjoyed social privileges.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.usip.org/sites/default/files/SR396-Afghan-Women-and-Violent-Extremism.pdf|title=Afghan Women and Violent Extremism|website=usip.org|date=November 2016|author1=Belquis Ahmadi<br />
|author2=Sadaf Lakhani}}</ref> Female refugees also created and recited [[Landay (poetry)|Landays]] (traditional Afghan poems) about the war.<ref>{{cite thesis|url=https://scholarworks.calstate.edu/downloads/1j92gb391|title=The Soviet-Afghan War: Female Perspective and Participation<br />
|degree=MA|location=California State University, Northridge|date=August 2012|author=Elva Madrigal}}</ref><br />
<br />
There is one recorded female mujahidin warlord, [[Bibi Ayesha]] (nicknamed ''Kaftar'', meaning "dove"), who operated in [[Baghlan Province]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://america.aljazeera.com/features/2014/4/commander-kaftarafemalewarlordinafghanistan.html|title=A woman's war: The rise and fall of Afghanistan's female warlord|website=america.aljazeera.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jul/07/armed-afghan-women-take-to-streets-in-show-of-defiance-against-taliban|title=Armed Afghan women take to streets in show of defiance against Taliban|date=7 July 2021|website=The Guardian}}</ref><br />
<br />
==Soviet withdrawal and civil war==<br />
{{see also|Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan|Afghan Civil War (1989–1992)|Gulf War}}<br />
On 14 April 1988, the governments of Afghanistan and Pakistan signed the [[Geneva Accords (1988)|Geneva Accords]], guaranteed by the United States and Soviet Union. This committed the Soviet Union to withdraw all its troops from Afghanistan by 15 February 1989. The withdrawal was conducted in two phases. The first half of the contingent was removed between 15 May and 16 August 1988, and the second half after 15 November 1988. As the Soviets withdrew, they left the Afghan army in fortified positions and even helped them conduct counteroffensives, in order to leave them in as strong a position as possible.<ref name="marshall">{{cite book|last=Marshall |first=A.|url=http://www.defac.ac.uk/colleges/csrc/document-listings/ca/06%2829%29AM.pdf |title=Phased Withdrawal, Conflict Resolution and State Reconstruction |date=2006 |publisher=Defence Academy of the United Kingdom, Conflict Studies Research Centre |access-date=2008-02-12 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071201033319/http://www.defac.ac.uk/colleges/csrc/document-listings/ca/06%2829%29AM.pdf |archive-date=2007-12-01 |isbn=1-905058-74-8 }}</ref> The withdrawal was completed on schedule, with commander [[Boris Gromov]] of the 40th Army being the last Soviet soldier to leave Afghanistan. After the Soviet withdrawal, most of the Afghan mujahidin continued its fight against the government of [[Mohammad Najibullah]], which continued to receive funding from Moscow, while similarly the Mujahidin was also still receiving funding from Washington and Islamabad.<br />
<br />
Despite initial estimates, the Mujahidin proved unable to topple Najibullah's regime immediately after the Soviet withdrawal. The government concentrated its forces in defense of key cities, while relying on vast amounts of military and humanitarian aid from the Soviet Union to stay afloat. Soviet military advisors were still present in Afghanistan, helping advise the war effort and even coordinate air strikes.<ref name="marshall"/> Soviet volunteers operated the [[Scud missiles]] which gave the government an advantage in firepower. The Afghan Air Force, supplied and maintained with Soviet support, proved to be a crucial asset in keeping the government in power.<ref name="nyt1">{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1989/04/13/world/the-lessons-of-jalalabad-afghan-guerrillas-see-weaknesses-exposed.html|title=The Lessons Of Jalalabad; Afghan Guerrillas See Weaknesses Exposed|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=13 April 1989|quote=Casualties have been high on both sides. Government troops have been reduced by heavy guerrilla shelling and rocketing from 12,000 to 9,000, Western diplomats say....The Afghan Air Force is said to be taking advantage of the fact that, probably for the first time in the war, guerrilla forces are concentrated in static positions, which make them easier bombing targets.}}</ref> As late as December 1991, Soviet pilots were recorded flying bombing missions against the Mujahidin.<ref name="nyt2">{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1991/12/29/magazine/in-afghanistan-peace-must-wait.html|title=In Afghanistan, Peace Must Wait|work=[[The New York Times]]| date=29 December 1991|quote=Later, at Jalalabad, we will eavesdrop on the shortwave radio and hear Soviet pilots making actual bombing runs on resistance positions.}}</ref><br />
<br />
The Mujahidin's divisions and factionalism hindered their war effort, and skirmishes between rival groups became common. Massoud was one of the most active elements in this time. In both 1990 and 1991 he staged spring offensives, capturing several cities and steadily expanding the territory under his influence.<ref name="Dorronsoro" /> The government meanwhile came to rely heavily on tribal militias to stay in power, primarily the Jowzjani militia of Abdul Rashid Dostum. After 1989, these were the only forces capable of offensives against the Mujahidin.<ref name="marshall"/><br />
<br />
By the summer of 1990, the Afghan government forces were on the defensive again, and by the beginning of 1991 the government controlled only 10 percent of Afghanistan. In March 1991, Mujahidin forces [[Siege of Khost|captured]] the city of [[Khost]] ending an eleven-year siege. After the [[1991 Soviet coup attempt|failed coup d'état attempt]] by hardliners in the Soviet Union in August 1991, Soviet support to Najibullah's government dried up. This effectively doomed it, as the Afghan Air Force could no longer fly due to fuel shortages. Consequently, the Army's desertion rate skyrocketed.<ref name="marshall"/> In March 1992, Dostum's militiamen defected to Massoud after negotiations, and Najibullah's regime fell shortly afterwards.<br />
<br />
In 1991, some factions of the Mujahidin were deployed in [[Kuwait]] to fight [[Ba'athist Iraq|Iraq]].<ref name="DesertShield">{{cite web |url=https://apps.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a234743.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190412060905/https://apps.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a234743.pdf |url-status=live |archive-date=12 April 2019 |website=apps.dtic.mil |access-date=2018-12-18 |title=Desert Shield And Desert Storm: A Chronology And Troop List for the 1990–1991 Persian Gulf Crisis}}</ref> After Hekmatyar and Sayyaf publicly denounced the U.S. and the Saudi royal family for their role in the [[Gulf War]], U.S. and Saudi officials indicated that they would stop funding both commanders, but this did not happen. However, the CIA and Saudi intelligence pressured the ISI to send captured Iraqi tanks to Haqqani instead of Hekmatyar.<ref>{{cite book|author-link=Steve Coll|last=Coll|first=Steve|title=[[Ghost Wars|Ghost Wars: The Secret History of the CIA, Afghanistan, and Bin Laden, from the Soviet Invasion to September 10, 2001]]|publisher=[[Penguin Group]]|year=2004|isbn=9781594200076|pages=223–224, 226–227}}</ref> In 1993, it was reported that some Mujahidin were deployed in the Caucusus to fight the forces of [[Armenia]] in the [[First Nagorno-Karabakh War]].<ref>{{Cite news |date=1993-11-16 |title=Afghan Fighters Join Azeri-Armenian War |work=Christian Science Monitor |url=https://www.csmonitor.com/1993/1116/16071.html |access-date=2022-11-17 |issn=0882-7729}}</ref> Afghan mujahidin fighters have also been reportedly involved in the [[Tajikistani Civil War|civil war in Tajikistan]] during 1992–1993.<ref>{{Cite news |date=1992-09-24 |title=Afghan Arms and Mujahideen Slip Past Border Guards and Into Tajik Civil War |work=Christian Science Monitor |url=https://www.csmonitor.com/1992/0924/24013.html |access-date=2022-11-17 |issn=0882-7729}}</ref><br />
<br />
==After the War==<br />
{{see also|Peshawar Accord|Islamic State of Afghanistan}}<br />
[[File:War in Afghanistan (1992–2001).png|thumb|Progress of the continuing civil war, 1992–2001]]<br />
After Najibullah's government collapsed, the Mujahidin factions (apart from ''Hezb-i Islami Gulbuddin'') signed a power sharing agreement (the [[Peshawar Accord]]) and captured [[Kabul]] on April 28, 1992, celebrating their "[[Mujahideen Victory Day|Victory Day]]". However, the divisions between the various factions were still there and it was a catalyst that led to [[Afghan Civil War (1992-96)|another civil war]] between the new government and Mujahidin factions that rebelled against it. This meant that after 1992, various Mujahidin factions including the Shi'ite [[Hezb-i Wahdat]] continued to exist as militias rather than merely political parties, with many fighters being loyal to specific leaders.<br />
<br />
===Relationship with the Taliban===<br />
The [[Taliban]] is a puritanical movement that was formed in 1994, five years after the end of the [[Soviet–Afghan War]] and in the midst of anarchy in Afghanistan. Supported by Pakistan and recruited from religious students from [[madrasa]]s across the border, it won a highly effective military campaign against former Mujahidin factions in the civil war, gaining control and establishing the [[Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (1996–2001)|Islamic Emirate]] in 1996. Nearly all of the Taliban's original leadership fought in the Soviet–Afghan War for either the Hezb-i Islami Khalis or Harakat-i Inqilab-e Islami factions of the Mujahidin.<ref name="auto1" /><br />
<br />
Veteran mujahidin leaders who fought against the Soviets were divided regarding the Taliban. Yunus Khalis was a strong supporter of the Taliban<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/5211604.stm|title=Leader of Afghan mujahideen dies|date=24 July 2006|publisher=BBC News}}</ref> and Nabi Mohammadi also supported them, even dissolving his own organization in doing so. However, Rabbani and Sayyaf were against the Taliban and formed a new united opposition force called the [[Northern Alliance]], which also recruited [[Haji Abdul Qadeer|Abdul Qadeer]] (a commander who defected from Khalis's faction), prominent Shi'ite leaders such as [[Muhammad Mohaqiq]], and former DRA commander [[Abdul Rashid Dostum]]. This group was supported following the [[United States invasion of Afghanistan]] in 2001 that successfully drove out the Taliban and led to the rise of [[Hamid Karzai]].<ref name="auto1" /><br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
* [[Afghanistan–Pakistan relations]]<br />
* [[Pakistan–United States relations]]<br />
<br />
==References==<br />
{{reflist}}<br />
<br />
==Bibliography==<br />
* Kaplan, Robert D. ''Soldiers of God: With the Mujahidin in Afghanistan''. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1990. {{ISBN|0-395-52132-7}}<br />
* Weisman, Steven R. "Rebel Rivalry is Hampering Afghan Talks", ''The New York Times'', March 1, 1988.<br />
<br />
{{Soviet–Afghan War}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Anti-Soviet factions in the Soviet–Afghan War]]<br />
[[Category:Anti-communist resistance movements]]<br />
[[Category:Anti-communist guerrilla organizations]]<br />
[[Category:Islamist groups]]<br />
[[Category:Anti-Soviet resistance]]<br />
[[Category:Islamism in Afghanistan]]<br />
[[Category:Islamic Unity of Afghanistan Mujahideen| ]]<br />
[[Category:Rebel groups in Afghanistan]]<br />
[[Category:Defunct political party alliances in Afghanistan]]<br />
[[Category:History of Islam in Afghanistan]]<br />
[[Category:Mujahideen]]<br />
[[Category:Rebellions against the Soviet Union]]</div>Boackandwhitehttps://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Third_Indochina_War&diff=1264764731Third Indochina War2024-12-23T11:25:08Z<p>Boackandwhite: </p>
<hr />
<div>{{Short description|War in Indochina following the Fall of Saigon}}<br />
{{Use American English|date=January 2019}}<br />
<br />
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2019}}{{Infobox military conflict<br />
| conflict = Third Indochina War<br />
| partof = the [[Indochina Wars]], the [[Cold War]], and the [[Sino-Soviet split]]<br />
| image = Indochina 1979 map de.svg<br />
| caption = <br />
| date = {{nowrap|1 May 1975{{spaced ndash}}23 October 1991}}<br />{{nowrap|({{Age in years, months, weeks and days|month1=05|day1=01|year1=1975|month2=10|day2=23|year2=1991}})}}<br />
continue as a low intensity conflict in Laos <br />
| place = [[Vietnam]], [[Laos]], [[Cambodia]], [[Thailand]], [[China]]<br />
| result = [[1991 Paris Peace Accords]]<ref name="OHCHR">{{cite web |url=http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/Cambodia-20yearsonfromtheParisPeace.aspx |title= Cambodia - 20 years on from the Paris Peace Agreements |publisher=OHCHR |date=October 21, 2011 |access-date=March 31, 2018}}</ref><br />
* [[Insurgency in Laos]]<br />
* Removal of the [[Khmer Rouge]] from power<br />
* End of the [[Cambodian genocide]]<br />
* [[People's Republic of Kampuchea|Pro-Vietnamese]] government installed in Cambodia<br />
* China withdraws from Vietnam after [[Sino-Vietnamese War|27 days of fighting]]<br />
* [[Communist Party of Thailand]] abandons [[Communist insurgency in Thailand|armed struggle]]<br />
* Vietnam withdraws from Cambodia in 1989<ref name="max">{{cite web |url=http://www.mpil.de/files/pdf2/mpunyb_keller_9_127_178.pdf |title= UNTAC in Cambodia – from Occupation, Civil War and Genocide to Peace - The Paris Peace Conference in 1989 |publisher=Max-Planck-Institut für ausländisches öffentliches Recht und Völkerrecht |author=Lucy Keller |access-date=March 31, 2018}}</ref><br />
* 1990 Chengdu summit leads to the normalization of relations between China and Vietnam<br />
* Restoration of the [[House of Norodom]] in Cambodia<br />
* [[Insurgency in Laos]] ([[low-intensity conflict]])<br />
| combatant1 = {{flag|China}}<br />
<br>{{flagdeco|Cambodia|1975}} [[Democratic Kampuchea]] (until 1979/82)<br>{{flagdeco|Cambodia|1975}} [[Coalition Government of Democratic Kampuchea|CGDK]] (after 1982)<br />
* {{flagdeco|Cambodia|1975}} [[Khmer Rouge|PDK]]<br />
* {{flagdeco|Cambodia}} [[FUNCINPEC]]<br />
* {{flagdeco|Cambodia|1970}} [[Khmer People's National Liberation Front|KPNLF]]<br />
{{flagdeco|Laos|1952}} [[Royal Lao Government in Exile|Lao royalists]]<br>{{flagicon image|Hmong Flag (UNPO).svg}} [[Hmong people|Hmong insurgents]]<br>{{flagicon image|Flag of FULRO.svg}} [[United Front for the Liberation of Oppressed Races|FULRO]]<br>{{flag|Thailand}}<br />
'''Supported by:'''<br>{{flag|Malaysia}}<br>{{flag|North Korea|1948}}<br>{{flag|Socialist Republic of Romania|name=Romania}}<br>{{flag|Singapore}}<br>{{flag|United Kingdom}}<br>{{flag|United States}}<br><br />
| combatant2 = {{Flag|Vietnam}}<br>{{flag|Laos}}<br>{{flag|People's Republic of Kampuchea}} (until 1989)<br>{{flag|State of Cambodia}} (from 1989)<br />
'''Supported by:'''<br>{{flag|People's Socialist Republic of Albania|name=Albania}}<ref>{{cite web |url=https://cambodiatokampuchea.files.wordpress.com/2015/08/1978_hands-off-vietnam0001.pdf |title=Outside Interference in Vietnamese Affairs Condemned |date=July 20, 1978 |website=www.cambodiatokampuchea.wordpress.com}}</ref><br>{{flag|People's Republic of Bulgaria|name=Bulgaria}}<br>{{flag|Cuba}}<br>{{flag|Czechoslovak Socialist Republic|name=Czechoslovakia}}<br>{{flag|East Germany}}<br>{{flag|Hungarian People's Republic|name=Hungary}}<br>{{flag|India}}<br>{{flag|Polish People's Republic|name=Poland}}<br>{{flag|Soviet Union}}<br />
| combatant3 = {{flagicon image|Flag of the Communist Party of Thailand.svg}} [[Communist Party of Thailand]]<br />
* [[Pak Mai]]<br />
'''Supported by:'''<br>{{flagicon image|Flag of the Communist Party of Malaya.svg}} [[Malayan Communist Party]]<br />
| commander1 = {{plainlist|<br />
* {{flagdeco|China}} [[Hua Guofeng]]<br />([[Chairman of the Chinese Communist Party|CCP Chairman]], [[Premier of the People's Republic of China|Premier]])<br />
* {{flagdeco|China}} [[Deng Xiaoping]]<br />([[People's Liberation Army General Staff Department|PLA Chief of Staff]])<br />
* {{flagdeco|China}} [[Ye Jianying]]<br />([[Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress|National Congress Chairman]])<br />
* {{flagdeco|China}} [[Xu Xiangqian]]<br />([[Ministry of National Defense of the People's Republic of China|Defense Minister]])<br />
* {{flagdeco|China}} [[Yang Dezhi]]<br />(Commander of the [[Kunming Military Region]])<br />
* {{flagdeco|China}} [[Xu Shiyou]]<br />(Commander of the [[Guangzhou Military Region]])<br />
}}{{ubl|{{flagdeco|Cambodia|1975}} [[Pol Pot]]|{{flagdeco|Cambodia|1975}} [[Khieu Samphan]]|{{flagdeco|Cambodia|1975}} [[Ieng Sary]] | {{flagdeco|Cambodia|1970}} [[Son Sann]]|{{flagdeco|Cambodia|1970}} [[Dien Del]]|{{flagdeco|Cambodia}} [[Norodom Sihanouk]]}}|<br />
| commander2 = {{ubl|{{flagdeco|Vietnam}} [[Lê Duẩn]] |{{flagdeco|Vietnam}} [[Trường Chinh]] |{{flagdeco|Vietnam}} [[Nguyễn Văn Linh]] |{{flagdeco|Vietnam}} [[Võ Nguyên Giáp]] |{{flagdeco|Vietnam}} [[Văn Tiến Dũng]]|{{flagdeco|Vietnam}} [[Lê Đức Anh]]|{{flagdeco|Vietnam}} [[Vũ Lập]]| {{flagdeco|Vietnam}} [[Đàm Quang Trung]] | {{flagdeco|Cambodia|1979}} [[Heng Samrin]]| {{flagdeco|Cambodia|1979}} [[Hun Sen]]| {{flagdeco|Cambodia|1989}} [[Chea Sim]]| {{flagdeco|Cambodia|1979}} [[Pen Sovan]]| {{flagdeco|Cambodia|1979}} [[Chan Sy]]}}|<br />
| commander3 = Unknown<br />
| strength1 = ~800,000 military<br />
| strength2 = ~430,000 military<br />
| strength3 = Unknown<br />
| casualties1 = ~310,000 military deaths<br />
| casualties2 = '''Vietnam:'''<br>105,627 military deaths<ref>[http://datafile.chinhsachquandoi.gov.vn/Qu%E1%BA%A3n%20l%C3%BD%20ch%E1%BB%89%20%C4%91%E1%BA%A1o/Chuy%C3%AAn%20%C4%91%E1%BB%81%204.doc Chuyên đề 4 CÔNG TÁC TÌM KIẾM, QUY TẬP HÀI CỐT LIỆT SĨ TỪ NAY ĐẾN NĂM 2020 VÀ NHỮNG NĂM TIẾP THEO, datafile.chinhsachquandoi.gov.vn/Quản%20lý%20chỉ%20đạo/Chuyên%20đề%204.doc]</ref><br />
| casualties3 = Unknown<br />
| notes = <br />
| campaignbox = {{Campaignbox Indochina Wars}}<br />
}}<br />
<br />
The '''Third Indochina War''' was a series of interconnected armed conflicts, mainly among the various communist factions over strategic influence in [[Indochina]] after Communist victory in South Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia in 1975.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite book |last=Ang |first=Cheng Guan |url=https://books.google.com/books/about/The_Third_Indochina_War.html?id=uyXS0AEACAAJ&source=kp_book_description&redir_esc=y |title=The Third Indochina War: An International History |date=2024 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=978-1-009-56007-8 |language=en}}</ref> The conflict primarily started due to continued raids and incursions by the [[Khmer Rouge]] into Vietnamese territory that they sought to retake. These incursions would result in the [[Cambodian–Vietnamese War]] in which the newly unified Vietnam overthrew the [[Pol Pot]] regime and the Khmer Rouge, in turn ending the [[Cambodian genocide]]. Vietnam had installed a government led by many opponents of Pol Pot, most notably [[Hun Sen]], a former Khmer Rouge commander. This led to Vietnam's occupation of Cambodia for over a decade. The Vietnamese push to completely destroy the Khmer Rouge led to them conducting [[Vietnamese border raids in Thailand|border raids in Thailand]] against those who had provided sanctuary.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://opus.macmillan.yale.edu/workpaper/pdfs/GS24.pdf |title= Second Life, Second Death: The Khmer Rouge After 1978 |author=Kelvin Rowley |publisher= Swinburne University of Technology |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160216054030/http://opus.macmillan.yale.edu/workpaper/pdfs/GS24.pdf |access-date=March 11, 2018|archive-date= February 16, 2016 }}</ref><ref name="global">{{cite web| url=https://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/war/cambodia3-3.htm | title= 1978-1979 - Vietnamese Invasion of Cambodia | publisher=GlobalSecurity| access-date=March 11, 2018}}</ref><br />
<br />
Vietnam-China relations became tense because Vietnam chose to be pro-Soviet after unification in 1976 instead of being neutral as before. China strongly objected to the invasion of Cambodia. Chinese armed forces launched a punitive operation ([[Sino-Vietnamese War]]) in February 1979 and attacked Vietnam's northern provinces, determined to contain Soviet/Vietnamese influence and prevent territorial gains in the region.<ref>{{cite journal|author=Bernard K. Gordon|date=September 1986|title=The Third Indochina Conflict|url=https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/asia/1986-09-01/third-indochina-conflict|journal=Foreign Affairs|volume=65 |issue=Fall 1986|access-date=March 11, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=The 1979 campaign|url=https://wss.apan.org/s/TRADOCTraining/TTC%20Materials/Class%20Readings/%28U%29%20Dowd%20%28UNK%29%20Overview%20Ch%204%20Chinese%20Military%20Strategy%20in%20the%20Third%20Indochina%20War%20-%20Edward%20O%27dowd.pdf|access-date=March 31, 2018|publisher=All Partners Access Network|archive-date=July 6, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200706051545/https://wss.apan.org/s/TRADOCTraining/TTC%20Materials/Class%20Readings/%28U%29%20Dowd%20%28UNK%29%20Overview%20Ch%204%20Chinese%20Military%20Strategy%20in%20the%20Third%20Indochina%20War%20-%20Edward%20O%27dowd.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref><br />
<br />
In order to acquire full control over Cambodia the [[People's Army of Vietnam]] needed to dislodge the remaining Khmer Rouge leaders and units, which had retreated to the remote areas along the Thai-Cambodian border.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1696&dat=19850102&id=zhIbAAAAIBAJ&pg=6730,188774 |title= Viets shell Cambodian positions... |date=January 2, 1985 |access-date=March 11, 2018}}</ref> After the Paris Peace Conference in 1989, the [[People's Army of Vietnam|PAVN]] withdrew from Cambodian territory. Finally regular troop engagements in the region ended after the conclusion of the [[1991 Paris Peace Accords]].<ref name="max">{{cite web |url=http://www.mpil.de/files/pdf2/mpunyb_keller_9_127_178.pdf |title= UNTAC in Cambodia – from Occupation, Civil War and Genocide to Peace - The Paris Peace Conference in 1989 |publisher=Max-Planck-Institut für ausländisches öffentliches Recht und Völkerrecht |author=Lucy Keller |access-date=March 31, 2018}}</ref><ref name="OHCHR">{{cite web |url=http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/Cambodia-20yearsonfromtheParisPeace.aspx |title= Cambodia - 20 years on from the Paris Peace Agreements |publisher=OHCHR |date=October 21, 2011 |access-date=March 31, 2018}}</ref><br />
<br />
In Laos, an [[insurgency in Laos|insurgency]] is still ongoing, though to a lesser extent since 2007, with the government being supported by both China and Vietnam.<br />
<br />
==Background==<br />
<br />
===Soviet-Chinese discord===<br />
{{Main|Vietnam War|Sino-Soviet split}}<br />
After [[Joseph Stalin]]'s death in 1953,<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/joseph-stalin-dies|title=Joseph Stalin dies - Mar 05, 1953|work=HISTORY.com|access-date=2017-04-24}}</ref> [[Nikita Khrushchev]] became leader of the Soviet Union. His denouncement of Stalin and his purges, the [[Khrushchev Thaw|introduction of more moderate communist policies]] and foreign policy of [[peaceful coexistence]] with the West angered China's leadership. [[Mao Zedong]] had been following a strict [[Stalinism|Stalinistic]] course, that insisted on the cult of personality as a unifying force of the nation.<ref>{{cite web |last=Clines |first=Francis X. |title=Soviets, After 33 Years, Publish Khrushchev's Anti-Stalin Speech |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1989/04/06/world/soviets-after-33-years-publish-khrushchev-s-anti-stalin-speech.html |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=6 April 1989 |access-date=29 February 2016}}</ref> Disagreements over technical assistance for developing China's nuclear weapons and basic economic policies further alienated the Soviets and the Chinese as opposing forces of communist influence across the globe. As decolonization movements began to pick up speed in the 1960s and many such countries descended into violence, both of the communist powers competed for political control of the various nations or competing factions in ongoing civil war fights.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.marxists.org/history/erol/uk.ebbingtide/powell-china.htm |title= Chinese Communist Critiques of Soviet Society |author= Harry Powell | publisher= Encyclopedia of Anti-Revisionism |access-date=March 11, 2018}}</ref> Ever more diverging Chinese and Soviet strategic and political doctrines had increased the [[Sino-Soviet split]] of the mid-1950s.<br />
<br />
===Political developments during the Vietnam War===<br />
<br />
<!-- EDITORIAL NOTE: Meanwhile in Indochina, since 1952 American Forces had been fighting against the communist [[Democratic Republic of Vietnam]], which was secured in the North of the country, while it supported the anti-communist [[Republic of Vietnam]]. This fighting often spilt over into Vietnam's neighbours, especially as the [[John F. Kennedy]]'s administration began U.S. involvement in the war proper, and as the [[Richard Nixon]]'s administration tried to escalate the war in its later stages. This escalation led to the destabilisation of Vietnamese neighbours. As the Vietnam War progressed, American involvement lessened, and by 1975 American troops had completely left the country. This allowed the communist Vietnamese to enter Saigon largely unopposed and declared themselves the sole government of Vietnam. While at first closer to the Chinese, due to assistance during the war and general closeness, the government soon drifted apart, due to ideological differences, and pressures from Russia. === Cambodia ===<br />
<br />
After the 1954 [[Geneva Conference (1954)|Geneva Conference]], Cambodia restored its monarchy under the authoritarian and isolationist regime of Prince Norodom Sihanouk, who sought to be neutral as the region descended into violence.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://factsanddetails.com/southeast-asia/Cambodia/sub5_2a/entry-2847.html|title=CAMBODIA UNDER SIHANOUK, 1954-70 {{!}} Facts and Details|last=Hays|first=Jeffrey|website=factsanddetails.com|language=en|access-date=2017-04-24}}</ref> Cambodia, however, descended into political violence further in 1968 after a group of Maoist-influenced rebels rose up in the nation and began an insurgency against the royalist forces, led by [[Pol Pot]] and calling themselves the [[Khmer Rouge]]. During this time, Vietnamese forces, under attack by U.S. troops, fled into Cambodia, expanding the Ho Chi Minh Trail into the nation, and established camps to continue the war on a front with South Vietnam. Sihanouk saw these forces as equal threats against his rule and began a brutal campaign against all communist forces in the country, especially in the northeast.<br />
<br />
The U.S. meanwhile began to view Sihanouk as more and more of a threat to the ongoing war efforts in the region. This is because during the opening stages of the Khmer Rouge insurgency Sihanouk had cut off diplomatic relations with America, and his movement into the northeast had caused [[ARVN]] advisors to begin fearing of a Cambodian invasion. As a result, America began a bombing campaign into Cambodia. The bombing, and the subsequent invasion by the U.S. military and destabilised the nation. In 1970, a U.S. backed coup ousted Sihanouk and established the Khmer Republic. Though initially liked by the elite of Cambodia, the republic became more and more dictatorial as the war against the Khmer Rouge continued.<br />
<br />
During this time, America continued its bombing campaign against Cambodia, leading to huge amounts of civilian deaths. The Khmer Rouge used the campaign as recruiting material for the largely ignored and angry peasantry of Cambodia. The Khmer Rouge also started to centralise around [[Pol Pot]], who took power in 1962. Pot took the opportunity to purge the party, and the party became increasingly focused around the worship of Pol Pot. The Khmer Republic fell in April 1975, when the Khmer Rouge entered Phnom Penh, and ousted the Republican government, officially declaring allegiance to Pol Pot.--><br />
The [[Democratic Republic of Vietnam]] (North Vietnam), which had chosen to ally with the USSR, justified incursions into neighbouring Laos and Cambodia during the Second Indochinese War by reference to the international nature of communist revolution, where "Indochina is a single strategic unit, a single battlefield" and the [[Vietnam People's Army]]'s pivotal role in bringing this about.<ref name=Thay>{{cite web |url=https://www.scribd.com/document/24972227/Thayer-The-Sino-Vietnamese-Border-War-1986-87 |title= SECURITY ISSUES IN SOUTHEAST ASIA: THE THIRD INDOCHINA WAR |publisher=SCRIBD |author=Carlyle A. Thayer |access-date=March 31, 2018}}</ref> However, this internationalism was obstructed by complicated regional historical realities, such as the "timeless oppositions between the Chinese and the Vietnamese on the one hand and the Vietnamese and the Khmers on the other".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://cgoscha.uqam.ca/wp-content/uploads/sites/28/2016/09/Vietnam-the-third-indochina-war.pdf |title= Vietnam, the Third Indochina War and the meltdown of Asian internationalism, p. 161 |publisher=UQAM - Université du Québec à Montréal |author= Christopher E. Goscha|access-date=March 31, 2018}}</ref> North Vietnam intervened in the civil war between the Royal Lao Army and the communist Pathet Lao until the establishment of the [[Lao People's Democratic Republic]] and the "Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation" signed in July 1977. Permanently stationed North Vietnamese troops secured and maintained vital supply routes and strategic staging sites ([[Ho Chi Minh trail]]).<ref name=Thay/> From 1958 on, Northern and Southern Vietnamese combat troops also began to infiltrate the remote jungles of eastern Cambodia where they continued the Ho Chi Minh trail. The Cambodian communist insurgents had joined these sanctuaries during the late 1960s. Although co-operation took place, the Khmer communists did not adopt modern socialist doctrines and eventually allied with China.<ref>{{cite book| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1be-AAAAQBAJ&q=Second+Indochina+War+cambodia&pg=PA21 | title= The Second Indochina War: A Concise Political and Military History |author= William S. Turley | date= 2008-10-17| publisher= Rowman & Littlefield Publishers | access-date=March 31, 2018| isbn= 9780742557451 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h1888.html | title= America's Vietnam War in Indochina War in Cambodia | publisher=US History | access-date= March 31, 2018}}</ref><br />
<br />
The complete American withdrawal instantaneously eliminated the principal and common adversary of all the communist powers.<ref name="jstor">{{Cite journal|author=William S. Turley, Jeffrey Race|year=1980|title=The Third Indochina War|journal=Foreign Policy|issue=38|pages=92–116|doi=10.2307/1148297|jstor=1148297|s2cid=158492536 }}</ref> The communist regimes of Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos pledged allegiance with one of these two opposing factions.<br />
<br />
==Cambodian-Vietnamese war==<br />
{{Main|Khmer Rouge–Vietnamese War|Cambodian Conflict (1979–1998)}}<br />
<!-- EDITORIAL NOTE: After the signing of the peace accords that ended the Second Indochina War North Vietnam spent two years rebuilding its military; South Vietnam was hamstrung in its responses by a fear the U.S. Congress would cut off all aid if it took military action against communist buildup. Its army lacked reserves, while the NVA was growing.--><br />
<br />
[[File:Cheung Ek - Killing Fields Site - Cambodia - 01.JPG|thumb|The [[Khmer Rouge]] killed between 1.6 and 1.8 million Cambodians during the Cambodian Genocide. The Khmer Rouge also invaded Ba Chúc, Vietnam and massacred 3,157 Vietnamese civilians, which prompted Vietnam to invade Cambodia and overthrow the regime.]]<br />
<br />
After the [[Fall of Saigon]] and [[Fall of Phnom Penh|Phnom Penh]] in April and May 1975 and the subsequent communist takeover in Laos five months later, Indochina was dominated by communist regimes. Armed border clashes between Cambodia and Vietnam soon flared up and escalated as Khmer Rouge forces advanced deep into Vietnamese territory and raided villages, killing hundreds of civilians. Vietnam counterattacked and in December 1978, NVA troops invaded Cambodia, reaching Phnom Penh in January 1979 and arriving at the Thai border in spring 1979.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-29106034 |title= Vietnam's forgotten Cambodian war |date= September 14, 2014|author=Kevin Doyle | publisher= BBC |access-date=March 31, 2018|work= BBC News }}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=http://www.historynet.com/vietnam-war|title=Vietnam War - Facts, information and articles about The Vietnam War |publisher=HistoryNet|language=en-US|access-date=March 31, 2018}}</ref><br />
<br />
However, as China, the U.S. and the majority of the international community opposed the Vietnamese campaign, the remaining Khmer Rouge managed to permanently settle in the Thai-Cambodian border region. In a United Nations Security Council meeting, seven non-aligned members drafted a resolution for a ceasefire and Vietnamese withdrawal which failed due to opposition from the Soviet Union and Czechoslovakia.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Bangladesh, Bolivia, Gabon, Jamaica, Kuwait, Nigeria and Zambia: draft resolution |website=[[United Nations Digital Library]] |date=January 15, 1979 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231225120837/https://digitallibrary.un.org/nanna/record/1575/files/S_13027-EN.pdf?withWatermark=0&withMetadata=0&version=1&registerDownload=1 |archive-date=December 25, 2023 |url=https://digitallibrary.un.org/record/1575?ln=en&v=pdf}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=United Nations Security Council Official Records: Thirty-Fourth Year — 2112th Meeting: January 15, 1979 |website=[[United Nations]] Document System |date=May 4, 1982 |page=3 |url=https://documents.un.org/doc/undoc/gen/nl7/900/09/pdf/nl790009.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241001021403/https://documents.un.org/doc/undoc/gen/nl7/900/09/pdf/nl790009.pdf |archive-date=October 1, 2024}}</ref> Thailand tolerated the presence of the Khmer Rouge on its soil as they helped to contain the Vietnamese and Thai domestic guerillas. Over the course of the following decade, the Khmer Rouge received considerable support from Vietnam's enemies and served as a bargaining tool in the [[Realpolitik]] of Thailand, China, the [[Association of Southeast Asian Nations|ASEAN]] and the U.S.<ref>{{cite web|url = https://object.cato.org/sites/cato.org/files/pubs/pdf/pa074.pdf |title = U.S. Aid to Anti-Communist Rebels: The "Reagan Doctrine" and Its Pitfalls|author=Ted Galen Carpenter |publisher=Cato Institute |access-date =March 31, 2018}}</ref><ref name=max/><br />
<br />
===Vietnamese-Thailand conflict===<br />
{{main|Vietnamese border raids in Thailand}} <br />
Khmer Rouge forces operated from inside Thai territory attacking the pro-Hanoi People's Republic of Kampuchea's government. Similarly Vietnamese forces frequently attacked the Khmer Rouge bases inside Thailand. Eventually Thai and Vietnamese regular troops clashed on several occasions during the following decade.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1384&dat=19800625&id=QJcWAAAAIBAJ&pg=7061,5377431 |title=Vietnam, Thai clash continues |publisher=Star News |date=June 25, 1980 |access-date=March 31, 2018 |archive-date=March 8, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210308215214/https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1384&dat=19800625&id=QJcWAAAAIBAJ&pg=7061,5377431 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The situation escalated as Thailand's territorial sovereignty was violated on numerous occasions. Heavy fighting with many casualties resulted from direct confrontations between Vietnamese and Thai troops. Thailand increased troop strength, purchased new equipment and built a diplomatic front against Vietnam.<ref name="jstor" /><br />
<br />
==Sino-Vietnamese conflicts==<br />
{{Main|Sino-Vietnamese War|Sino-Vietnamese conflicts, 1979–1991}}<br />
<br />
China attacked Vietnam in response to Vietnam's occupation of Cambodia, entered northern Vietnam and captured several cities near the border. On March 6, 1979, China declared that their punitive mission had been successful and withdrew from Vietnam. However, both China and Vietnam claimed victory. The fact that Vietnamese forces continued to stay in Cambodia for another decade implies that China's campaign was a strategic failure. On the other hand, the conflict had proven that China had succeeded in preventing effective Soviet support for its Vietnamese ally.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/war/vietnam3.htm |title= The Third Indochina War | publisher= Global Security |access-date=March 11, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Elleman|first=Bruce A.|title=Modern Chinese Warfare, 1795-1989|url=https://archive.org/details/modernchinesewar00elle|url-access=limited|year=2001|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-0415214742|page=[https://archive.org/details/modernchinesewar00elle/page/n309 297]}}</ref><br />
<br />
As forces remained mobilized, the Vietnamese Army and the Chinese [[People's Liberation Army]] engaged in another decade-long series of border disputes and naval clashes that lasted until 1990. These mostly local engagements usually wore out in prolonged stand-offs, as neither side achieved any long-term military gains. By the late 1980s the Vietnamese Communist Party's (VCP) began to adopt its ''Doi Moi'' (renovation) policy and reconsider its China policy in particular. Prolonged hostile relations with China had been recognized as to be detrimental to economic reforms, national security and the regime's survival. A number of political concessions opened the way for the normalization process of 1991.<ref>{{Cite journal|title= Vietnam's Domestic–Foreign Policy Nexus: Doi Moi, Foreign Policy Reform, and Sino Vietnamese Normalization |journal= Asian Politics & Policy |volume= 5 |issue= 3 |pages= 387–406 |date= June 26, 2013 |author=Le Hong Hiep |doi= 10.1111/aspp.12035 }}</ref><br />
<br />
==Regional conflicts==<br />
* The [[Insurgency in Laos]]<br />
* The [[Communist insurgency in Thailand]]<br />
* The [[Thai–Laotian Border War]]<br />
* The [[Johnson South Reef Skirmish]]<br />
* The [[FULRO insurgency against Vietnam]]<br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
* [[First Indochina War]]<br />
* [[Sino-Soviet split]]<br />
* [[Vietnam War]]<br />
<br />
==References==<br />
{{Reflist}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Third Indochina War| ]]<br />
[[Category:1970s in Vietnam]]<br />
[[Category:1980s in Vietnam]]<br />
[[Category:1990s in Vietnam]]<br />
[[Category:20th-century conflicts|Indochina03]]<br />
[[Category:Cambodia–Vietnam relations|Indochina]]<br />
[[Category:China–Vietnam relations|Indochina]]<br />
[[Category:Cold War conflicts|Indochina03]]<br />
[[Category:Indochina Wars|#3]]<br />
[[Category:Laos–Thailand relations|Indochina]]<br />
[[Category:Thailand–Vietnam military relations|Indochina]]<br />
[[Category:Wars involving Cambodia|Indochina]]<br />
[[Category:Wars involving Laos|Indochina]]<br />
[[Category:Wars involving Thailand|Indochina]]<br />
[[Category:Wars involving the People's Republic of China|Indochina]]<br />
[[Category:Wars involving Vietnam|Indochina]]</div>Boackandwhitehttps://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=User_talk:Pivotman319&diff=1264676279User talk:Pivotman3192024-12-22T23:19:06Z<p>Boackandwhite: /* modifing mujaheddin page */ Reply</p>
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<div>{{Talk header}}<br />
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== Double-warn ==<br />
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Hi! You appear to have left a warning on [[User talk:2.104.156.249]] after I already left the same warning. While I'm going to leave the decision to you, I'd kindly recommend undoing your warning, as it may be confusing and is improper. Thank you, and best to you in the quest against vandals! If you see fit, you may choose to amend the comments of your warning to mine. [[User:Builder018|Builder018]] ([[User talk:Builder018|talk]]) 11:35, 5 January 2021 (UTC)<br />
:{{re|Builder018}} Gotcha. Double-warn removed. - [[User:Pivotman319|pivotman319]] ([[User_talk:Pivotman319|📫]]) 11:39, 5 January 2021 (UTC)<br />
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== February 2022 ==<br />
[[File:Information.svg|25px|alt=Information icon]] Hello, I'm [[User:Firestar464|Firestar464]]. I noticed that you added or changed content in an article, [[:2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine]], but you didn't provide a [[Wikipedia:Reliable sources|reliable source]]. It's been removed and archived in the page history for now, but if you'd like to [[Wikipedia:Citing sources|include a citation]] and re-add it, please do so. You can have a look at [[Help:Referencing for beginners|referencing for beginners]]. If you think I made a mistake, you can leave me a message on [[User talk:Firestar464|my talk page]]. Thank you. <!-- Template:uw-unsourced1 --> [[User:Firestar464|Firestar464]] ([[User talk:Firestar464|talk]]) 07:36, 25 February 2022 (UTC)<br />
:{{re|Firestar464}} I'm assuming the revert might have been some sort of mistake? I only reworded the part in the lead section surrounding sanctions that were imposed internationally. - [[User:Pivotman319|pivotman319]] ([[User_talk:Pivotman319|📫]]) 07:39, 25 February 2022 (UTC)<br />
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== mark "invasion of Ukraine" in bold ==<br />
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See also talk page discussion on this point.[[User:Laurel Lodged|Laurel Lodged]] ([[User talk:Laurel Lodged|talk]]) 11:45, 26 February 2022 (UTC)<br />
:{{re|Laurel Lodged}} sorry, just noticed - [[User:Pivotman319|pivotman319]] ([[User_talk:Pivotman319|📫]]) 13:01, 26 February 2022 (UTC)<br />
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I didnt edit the page? <!-- Template:Unsigned IP --><small class="autosigned">—&nbsp;Preceding [[Wikipedia:Signatures|unsigned]] comment added by [[Special:Contributions/81.168.53.8|81.168.53.8]] ([[User talk:81.168.53.8#top|talk]]) 11:51, 3 March 2022 (UTC)</small> <!--Autosigned by SineBot--><br />
:{{re|81.168.53.8}} Please consider [[WP:ACCOUNT|creating (or logging into) an account]] for yourself if you believe these notices are not relevant. - [[User:Pivotman319|pivotman319]] ([[User_talk:Pivotman319|📫]]) 11:58, 3 March 2022 (UTC)<br />
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The Telugu tracklist has a YouTube source. YouTube source cannot be added as it is not reliable source. <!-- Template:Unsigned IP --><small class="autosigned">—&nbsp;Preceding [[Wikipedia:Signatures|unsigned]] comment added by [[Special:Contributions/2001:8F8:1825:2E6F:4458:20E2:2DA8:6D8E|2001:8F8:1825:2E6F:4458:20E2:2DA8:6D8E]] ([[User talk:2001:8F8:1825:2E6F:4458:20E2:2DA8:6D8E#top|talk]]) 12:50, 3 March 2022 (UTC)</small> <!--Autosigned by SineBot--><br />
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== modifing mujaheddin page ==<br />
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thank you for fixing the nato alliance citation that i added on the mujaheddin page😉 [[User:Boackandwhite|Boackandwhite]] ([[User talk:Boackandwhite|talk]]) 10:36, 20 December 2024 (UTC)<br />
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:Anytime. - [[User:Pivotman319|pivotman319]] ([[User_talk:Pivotman319|📫]]) 10:37, 20 December 2024 (UTC)<br />
::Urgh! actually someone didn't like our modification and totally random eliminated it )-: [[User:Boackandwhite|Boackandwhite]] ([[User talk:Boackandwhite|talk]]) 23:19, 22 December 2024 (UTC)<br />
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I hope you enjoy editing here and being a [[Wikipedia:Wikipedians|Wikipedian]]! I'm sorry you didn't get an official welcme before this, but once again, welcome! [[User:Mathglot|Mathglot]] ([[User talk:Mathglot|talk]]) 12:11, 20 December 2024 (UTC)<!-- Template:Welcome-belated --> [[User:Mathglot|Mathglot]] ([[User talk:Mathglot|talk]]) 12:11, 20 December 2024 (UTC)</div>Boackandwhitehttps://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Foreign_involvement_in_the_Soviet%E2%80%93Afghan_War&diff=1264673561Foreign involvement in the Soviet–Afghan War2024-12-22T22:55:39Z<p>Boackandwhite: </p>
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<div>{{Short description|none}}<br />
{{cleanup split|dir=from|Soviet–Afghan War}}<br />
During the [[Soviet–Afghan War]], there was a large amount of foreign involvement. The [[Afghan mujahidin]] were backed primarily by [[Pakistan]], the [[United States]], [[Saudi Arabia]],{{refn|<ref name="SaudUSA">{{cite journal |last1=Hegghammer |first1=Thomas |title=The Rise of Muslim Foreign Fighters: Islam and the Globalization of Jihad |journal=[[International Security (journal)|International Security]] |date=2011 |volume=35 |issue=3 |page=62 |doi=10.1162/ISEC_a_00023 |s2cid=40379198 |quote=The United States and Saudi Arabia did provide considerable financial, logistical, and military support to the Afghan mujahideen.}}</ref><ref name="britannica2001">{{cite web|url=https://www.britannica.com/event/Afghanistan-War|title=Afghanistan War &#124; History, Combatants, Facts, & Timeline|website=Encyclopedia Britannica|date=7 June 2023 }}</ref><ref name="britannica1978">{{cite web|url=https://www.britannica.com/event/Afghan-War|title=Afghan War &#124; History & Facts|website=Encyclopedia Britannica|date=24 May 2023 }}</ref><ref name="Brzezinski">{{cite web|url=http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/coldwar/interviews/episode-17/brzezinski1.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000829032721/http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/coldwar/interviews/episode-17/brzezinski1.html|archive-date=29 August 2000|title=Interview with Dr. Zbigniew Brzezinski-(13/6/97).|access-date=2 October 2014}}</ref><ref name="Wilson">{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/charlie-wilson-congressman-whose-support-for-the-mujahideen-helped-force-the-soviet-union-out-of-afghanistan-1898180.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220524/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/charlie-wilson-congressman-whose-support-for-the-mujahideen-helped-force-the-soviet-union-out-of-afghanistan-1898180.html |archive-date=24 May 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=Charlie Wilson: Congressman whose support for the mujahideen helped force the Soviet Union out of Afghanistan|work=The Independent|access-date=2 October 2014|location=London|first=Rupert|last=Cornwell|date=13 February 2010}}</ref><ref name="SaudiArabia">{{cite web|url=http://www.cfr.org/afghanistan/saudi-arabia-future-afghanistan/p17964|title=Saudi Arabia and the Future of Afghanistan|work=Council on Foreign Relations|access-date=2 October 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141007011621/http://www.cfr.org/afghanistan/saudi-arabia-future-afghanistan/p17964|archive-date=7 October 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref>}} and the [[United Kingdom]] making it a [[Cold War]] [[proxy war]]. Pakistani forces trained the mujahidin rebels while the U.S. and Saudi Arabia offered the greatest financial support.<ref name="Brzezinski" />{{refn|<ref name="SaudUSA" /><ref name="Brzezinski" /><ref name="Wilson" /><ref name='Oily' /><ref name="auto">{{cite web|url=https://2001-2009.state.gov/r/pa/ho/time/rd/17741.htm|title="Reagan Doctrine, 1985," United States State Department|publisher=State.gov|access-date=20 February 2011}}</ref>}}<ref name="Wilson" /><ref name="SaudiArabia" /><ref name="Oily">{{cite magazine |last1=Barlett |first1=Donald L. |last2=Steele |first2=James B. |date=13 May 2003 |title=The Oily Americans |url=http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,450997-92,00.html |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |access-date=8 July 2008}}</ref><ref name="auto" /><ref name="Timeline">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/7883532.stm|title=Timeline: Soviet war in Afghanistan|access-date=2 October 2014|work=BBC News|date=17 February 2009}}</ref>{{refn|<ref name="Wilson" /><ref name="gwu.edu">[http://nsarchive.gwu.edu/coldwar/interviews/episode-17/brzezinski2.html Interview with Dr. Zbigniew Brzezinski] – (13 June 1997). Part 2. Episode 17. Good Guys, Bad Guys. 13 June 1997.</ref>}} However, private donors and religious charities throughout the [[Muslim world]]—particularly in the Persian Gulf—raised considerably more funds for the Afghan rebels than any foreign government;<ref name="shichor">{{cite book |last=Frederick Starr |first=S. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GXj4a3gss8wC&pg=PA157 |title=Xinjiang: China's Muslim Borderland |publisher=M.E. Sharpe |year=2004 |isbn=978-0-7656-3192-3 |pages=157–158}}</ref><ref name="Oily" />{{sfn|Kepel|2002|p=143}}<ref>According to Milton Bearden, former CIA chief in charge of the Afghan department, "The Saudi dollar-for-dollar match with the US taxpayer was fundamental to the success [of the ten-year engagement in Afghanistan]" (from [https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/binladen/interviews/bearden.html Milton Bearden] Interview. PBS Frontline.)</ref> [[Jason Burke]] recounts that "as little as 25 per cent of the money for the Afghan jihad was actually supplied directly by states."<ref>{{cite book|author-link=Jason Burke|last=Burke|first=Jason|title=Al-Qaeda: Casting a Shadow of Terror|publisher=[[I.B. Tauris]]|year=2004|isbn=978-1-85043-666-9|page=59|title-link=Al-Qaeda: Casting a Shadow of Terror}}</ref> Saudi Arabia was heavily involved in the war effort and matched the United States' contributions dollar-for-dollar in public funds. Saudi Arabia also gathered an enormous amount of money for the Afghan mujahidin in private donations that amounted to about $20 million per month at their peak.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Ricks |first1=Thomas |title=The war against the Soviets in Afghanistan was run by Zia, not by us |url=https://foreignpolicy.com/2014/07/14/riedel-the-war-against-the-soviets-in-afghanistan-was-run-by-zia-not-by-us/ |website=FOREIGN POLICY |date=14 July 2014 |publisher=THE SLATE GROUP |access-date=25 March 2020}}</ref><ref name="562k">{{cite journal |last1=Lacina |first1=Bethany |last2=Gleditsch |first2=Nils Petter |url=http://www.bethanylacina.com/LacinaGleditsch_newdata.pdf |title=Monitoring Trends in Global Combat: A New Dataset of Battle Deaths |journal=European Journal of Population |volume=21 |issue=2–3 |year=2005 |page=154 |access-date=8 December 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006175909/http://www.bethanylacina.com/LacinaGleditsch_newdata.pdf |archive-date=6 October 2014 |url-status=dead |doi=10.1007/s10680-005-6851-6 |s2cid=14344770}}</ref> Other countries that supported the Mujahideen were [[Egypt]], [[China]], [[West Germany]], [[France]], [[Turkey]], [[Japan]] and even [[Israel]],<ref>{{cite book |last1=Yousaf |first1=Mohammad |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9PImDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT121 |title=The Battle for Afghanistan: The Soviets Versus the Mujahideen During the 1980s |last2=Adkin |first2=Mark |date=2007 |publisher=Pen & Sword Military |isbn=978-1-84415-616-0 |location=Barnsley |pages=83–84 |orig-date=First published in 1992 as ''Afghanistan: The Bear Trap''}}</ref>{{sfn|Crile|2003|pp=131–132}}<ref name="PlanetWissen">{{cite web |last1=Zeter |first1=Kerstin |date=17 October 2014 |title=Rückblick: Die deutsch-afghanischen Beziehungen |url=http://www.planet-wissen.de/laender_leute/naher_und_mittlerer_osten/afghanistan/deutsch_afghanische_beziehung.jsp |access-date=30 December 2014 |website=Planet Wissen |language=de}}</ref>{{refn|<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1981/09/23/world/sadat-says-us-buys-soviet-arms-in-egypt-for-afghan-rebels.html|title=Sadat Says U.S. Buys Soviet Arms in Egypt for Afghan Rebels |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=23 September 1981 |access-date=12 July 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1980/02/14/egypt-says-it-trains-afghan-rebels/a09f455a-fca0-48c0-b7fe-12e8c9bcede6/|title=Egypt Says It Trains Afghan Rebels |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=14 February 1980 |access-date=8 January 2020}}</ref>}}<ref name=":02">{{cite web |date=2 February 1982 |title=Use of toxins and other lethal agents in Southeast Asia and Afghanistan |url=http://www.foia.cia.gov/sites/default/files/document_conversions/89801/DOC_0000284013.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140910213821/http://www.foia.cia.gov/sites/default/files/document_conversions/89801/DOC_0000284013.pdf |archive-date=10 September 2014 |access-date=21 October 2014 |publisher=CIA}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{cite book |surname1=Conrad Schetter |title=Ethnizität und ethnische Konflikte in Afghanistan |pages=430 |language=de}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |surname1=Michael Pohly |title=Krieg und Widerstand in Afghanistan |pages=154 |language=de}}</ref> [[Iran]] on the other hand only supported the Shia Mujahideen, namely the Persian speaking Shiite [[Hazaras]] in a limited way. One of these groups was the [[Tehran Eight]], a political union of Afghan Shi'a.<ref name="ruttig">Ruttig, T. ''Islamists, Leftists – and a Void in the Center. Afghanistan's Political Parties and where they come from (1902–2006)'' [http://www.kas.de/wf/doc/kas_9674-544-2-30.pdf]</ref>{{sfn|Goodson|2011|p=139}} They were supplied predominately by the [[Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps]], but Iran's support for the Hazaras nevertheless frustrated efforts for a united Mujahidin front.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Parker |first1=John W |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=g5CATmJzU0wC&pg=PT60 |title=Persian Dreams: Moscow and Tehran Since the Fall of the Shah |date=2009 |publisher=Potomac Books, Inc. |isbn=978-1-59797-646-6 |pages=94–95}}</ref><br />
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On the other hand, the Soviets were supported with military personnel from [[Bulgaria]], [[Cuba]], [[Czechoslovakia]], [[East Germany]] and [[Vietnam]] throughout the war, according to a report.<ref name="NYTA">{{cite news |date=20 December 1982 |title=Troops of 5 Soviet Allies Reported Fighting Guerrillas in Afghanistan |work=The New York Times |agency=Associated Press |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1982/12/20/world/troops-of-5-soviet-allies-reported-fighting-guerillas-in-afghanistan.html |access-date=12 November 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181215125748/https://www.nytimes.com/1982/12/20/world/troops-of-5-soviet-allies-reported-fighting-guerillas-in-afghanistan.html |archive-date=15 December 2018}}</ref> Prior to invasion, the [[Warsaw Pact]] member states were not consulted. Eastern European troops neither participated in the initial invasion nor, aside from limited advisory missions, took a direct role in the hostilities. In the end, the Soviets would have nothing more than limited political support from the Warsaw Pact countries.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Hardt |first1=John Pearce |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0GHhW6aJFysC |title=An assessment of the Afghanistan sanctions: implications for trade and diplomacy in the 1980s : report Volume 1196 of Committee print |last2=Tomlinson |first2=Kate S |date=1981 |publisher=U.S. G.P.O |pages=113–14}}</ref> [[Romania]] went further and broke with its Warsaw Pact allies and abstained when the UN General Assembly voted on a resolution calling for the immediate and unconditional withdrawal of Soviet troops. [[North Korea]] also refused to endorse the invasion partly because China was supporting the Mujahideen, so they had to create a fine political balance between them and the Soviets.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Byun |first1=Dae-Ho |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Y4FyAAAAMAAJ |title=North Korea's Foreign Policy: The Juche Ideology and the Challenge of Gorbachev's New Thinking Volume 13. Volume 13 of Korean unification studies series |date=1991 |publisher=Research Center for Peace and Unification of Korea |page=15}}</ref> The allies of the Soviet Union that gave support to the intervention were [[Angola]], East Germany,<ref name=":0">{{cite news |last=Weymouth |first=Lally |date=14 October 1990 |title=East Germany's Dirty Secret |newspaper=The Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/opinions/1990/10/14/east-germanys-dirty-secret/09375b6f-2ae1-4173-a0dc-77a9c276aa4b/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190105094332/https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/opinions/1990/10/14/east-germanys-dirty-secret/09375b6f-2ae1-4173-a0dc-77a9c276aa4b/ |archive-date=5 January 2019}}</ref><ref name="NYTA" /> Vietnam and [[India]].<ref name="indiasupport">{{cite news |last=Berlin |first=Michael J. |date=12 January 1980 |title=India Supports Soviets' Afghan Position in U.N. Debate |newspaper=The Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1980/01/12/india-supports-soviets-afghan-position-in-un-debate/17dd1eb5-93f9-44bf-9f95-ecda7285843c/ |url-status=live |access-date=4 November 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190306050534/https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1980/01/12/india-supports-soviets-afghan-position-in-un-debate/17dd1eb5-93f9-44bf-9f95-ecda7285843c/ |archive-date=6 March 2019}}</ref><br />
<br />
== Pro-Mujahidin ==<br />
=== Italy ===<br />
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<small>Italian state owned industry motorola sell land mines to afghan mujaheddin</small><ref>{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cB51AAAAMAAJ | title=The Soviet-Afghan War: How a Superpower Fought and Lost | date=2002 | publisher=University Press of Kansas | isbn=978-0-7006-1185-0 }}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Afghan Arabs ===<br />
{{Excerpt|Afghan Arabs|paragraphs=1-2}}<br />
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=== Pakistan ===<br />
[[File:Afghanistankrieg-Ressourcen.svg|thumb|upright|A German database showing the channelling of the money and weapons, provided by ''ISI'' officer Mohammad Yousaf in his book: ''Afghanistan – The Bear Trap: The Defeat of a Superpower'']]Shortly after the invasion, Pakistani president [[Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq]] chaired a meeting of his [[Presidency of Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq|military government]].<ref name="Jang Publishers, 1991">{{cite book|last=Yousaf, PA|first=Brigadier General (retired) Mohammad|title=Silent soldier: the man behind the Afghan jehad General Akhtar Abdur Rahman|year=1991|publisher=Jang Publishers|location=Karachi, Sindh|pages=106 pages|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cAoNAAAAIAAJ}}</ref> At this meeting, Zia asked the [[Chief of Army Staff (Pakistan)|Chief of Army Staff]] General [[Khalid Mahmud Arif]] and the [[Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee|Chairman]] of the [[Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee|Joint Chiefs of Staff]] Admiral [[Mohammad Shariff|Muhammad Shariff]] to lead a specialized civil-military team to formulate a geo-strategy to counter the Soviet aggression.<ref name="Jang Publishers, 1991" /> At this meeting, the [[Director-General]] of the [[Directorate for Inter-Services Intelligence|''ISI'']] at that time, [[Lieutenant-General]] [[General Akhtar Abdur Rahman|Akhtar Abdur Rahman]] advocated for an idea of covert operation in Afghanistan by arming the Islamic extremist.<ref name="Jang Publishers, 1991" /> As for Pakistan,{{sfn|Goodson|2011|p=141}} the Soviet war with Islamist mujahideen was viewed as retaliation for the Soviet Union's long unconditional support of regional rival, India, notably during the [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1965|1965]] and the [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1971|1971 wars]], which led to the [[Bangladesh Liberation War|loss]] of [[East Pakistan|Pakistani territory]] to the new state of [[Bangladesh]].<ref name="Jang Publishers, 1991" /><br />
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After the Soviet deployment, Pakistan's military ruler General [[Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq]] started accepting [[aid|financial aid]] from the Western powers to aid the Mujahidin.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yXrwKA8GkU8C&pg=PA162|title=South Asia Defence and Strategic Year Book, 2010|last=Singh|first=Harjeet|date=2010|publisher=Pentagon Press|isbn=978-81-8274-444-8}}</ref> In 1981, following the election of US President [[Ronald Reagan]], aid for the Mujahidin through Zia's Pakistan significantly increased, mostly due to the efforts of Texas [[US Congress|Congressman]] [[Charlie Wilson (Texas politician)|Charlie Wilson]] and CIA officer [[Gust Avrakotos]].<ref name="Ralph Carter">{{cite book|title=Choosing to Lead: Understanding Congressional Foreign Policy Entrepreneurs|publisher=Duke University Press|isbn=978-0-8223-4503-9|page=122|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wYzGTelSjcsC&pg=PA122|first1=Ralph G.|last1=Carter|first2=James M.|last2=Scott|date=3 July 2009}}</ref><ref name="Todd Leopold">{{cite news|title=The real Charlie Wilson: 'War' got it right|url=http://www.cnn.com/2008/SHOWBIZ/Movies/04/23/charlie.wilson/|access-date=24 July 2013|newspaper=CNN|date=23 April 2008|first=Todd|last=Leopold}}</ref><br />
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The [[Pakistan Navy]] were involved in the covert war coordinating foreign weapons being funnelled into Afghanistan. Some of the navy's high-ranking admirals were responsible for storing those weapons in their depots.<br />
<br />
ISI allocated the highest percentage of covert aid to warlord [[Gulbuddin Hekmatyar]] leader of the [[Hezb-e-Islami]] faction. This was based on his record as an effective anti-Soviet military commander in Afghanistan.<ref>{{cite book|last=Yousaf|first=Mohammad|author2=Adkin, Mark|title=Afghanistan, the bear trap: defeat of a superpower|year=1992|publisher=Casemate|isbn=978-0-9711709-2-6|page=[https://archive.org/details/afghanistanthebe00yous/page/104 104]|url=https://archive.org/details/afghanistanthebe00yous/page/104}}</ref> The other reason was that Hekmatyar and his men had "almost no grassroots support and no military base inside Afghanistan", and thus more "dependent on Zia-ul-Haq's protection and financial largesse" than other Mujahiden factions. In retaliation for Pakistan's assistance to the insurgents, the [[KHAD]] Afghan security service, under leader [[Mohammad Najibullah]], carried out (according to the [[Mitrokhin Archive]]s and other sources) [[KHAD-KGB campaign in Pakistan|a large number of operations]] against Pakistan. In 1987, 127 incidents resulted in 234 deaths in Pakistan. In April 1988, an ammunition depot outside the Pakistani capital of [[Islamabad]] was blown up killing 100 and injuring more than 1000 people. The KHAD and [[KGB]] were suspected in the perpetration of these acts.{{sfn|Kaplan|2008|p=12}} Soviet fighters and Democratic Republic of Afghanistan Air Force bombers occasionally bombed Pakistani villages along the Pakistani-Afghan border. The target of Soviet and Afghan fighters and bombers were Afghan refugees camps on Pakistan side of the border.<ref name="nationalinterest">{{cite web |url=https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/pakistan%E2%80%99s-f-16s-battled-soviet-jets%E2%80%94and-shot-down-future-vice-president-russia-47717 |title=Pakistan's F-16s Battled Soviet Jets – and Shot Down the Future Vice President of Russia |date=16 March 2019 |work=National Interest |last=Roblin |first=Sebastian |access-date=20 December 2019}}</ref> These attacks are known to have caused at least 300 civilian deaths and extensive damage. Sometimes they got involved in shootings with the Pakistani jets defending the airspace.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1987/05/02/world/afghans-down-a-pakistani-f-16-saying-fighter-jet-crossed-border.html|work=The New York Times|title=Afghans Down a Pakistani F-16, Saying Fighter Jet Crossed Border|first=Steven R.|last=Weisman|date=2 May 1987|access-date=27 March 2010}}</ref><br />
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Pakistan actively trained rebels the mujahidin rebels, which resulted in Afghan communist leaders ordering airstrikes in Pakistan at rebel targets.{{Sfn|Pentz|1988|p=385}} Many secular Pakistanis outside of the government were worried about fundamentalists guerrillas in Afghanistan, such as Hekmatyar, receiving such a high amount of aid, would lead to bolster conservative Islamic forces in Pakistan and its military.<ref name="nsaessay">{{cite web |url=https://nsarchive2.gwu.edu/NSAEBB/NSAEBB57/essay.html |title=Afghanistan: Lessons from the Last War}}</ref><br />
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Pakistan also provided volunteers who went to Afghanistan in order to fight, their numbers estimated at around 40,000 by General [[Mirza Aslam Beg]], a former [[Chief of the Army Staff (Pakistan)|chief]] of the Pakistan Army.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Bonney |first1=Richard |title=Warriors after war: Indian and Pakistani retired military leaders reflect on relations between the two countries, past, present and future |last2=Maini |first2=Tridivesh Singh |last3=Malik |first3=Tahir Javed |date=2011 |publisher=Peter Lang |isbn=978-3-0343-0285-2 |series=Studies in the history of religious and political pluralism |location=Oxford Bern |pages=159}}</ref><br />
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Pakistan took in millions of [[Afghan refugee]]s (mostly Pashtun) fleeing the Soviet occupation. Although the [[refugee]]s were controlled within Pakistan's largest province, [[Balochistan, Pakistan|Balochistan]] under then-[[martial law]] ruler General [[Rahimuddin Khan]], the influx of so many refugees – believed to be the largest refugee population in the world <ref>{{cite web|url=http://web.amnesty.org/library/Index/engASA110161999|title=Amnesty International – Library – Afghanistan: Refugees from Afghanistan: The world's largest single refugee group|date=11 July 2003|access-date=14 May 2018|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030711014619/http://web.amnesty.org/library/Index/engASA110161999|archive-date=11 July 2003}}</ref>– spread into several other regions.<br />
<br />
All of this had a heavy impact on Pakistan and its effects continue to this day. Pakistan, through its support for the Mujahidin, played a significant role in the eventual withdrawal of Soviet military personnel from Afghanistan.<br />
<br />
=== United States ===<br />
{{Main|Operation Cyclone}}<br />
In the late 1970s, Pakistani intelligence officials began privately lobbying the U.S. and its allies to send material assistance to the Islamist rebels. Pakistani President [[Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq]]'s ties with the U.S. had been strained during [[Jimmy Carter]]'s [[Presidency of Jimmy Carter|presidency]] due to [[Pakistan and weapons of mass destruction|Pakistan's nuclear program]]. Carter told National Security Adviser [[Zbigniew Brzezinski]] and Secretary of State [[Cyrus Vance]] as early as January 1979 that it was vital to "repair our relationships with Pakistan" in light of the [[Iranian Revolution|unrest in Iran]].<br />
[[File:Reagan sitting with people from the Afghanistan-Pakistan region in February 1983.jpg|thumb|[[President of the United States|U.S. President]] [[Ronald Reagan|Reagan]] meeting with [[Afghan mujahidin]] at the [[White House]], to highlight Soviet atrocities in Afghanistan]]<br />
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Carter insisted that this "Soviet aggression" could not be viewed as an isolated event of limited geographical importance but had to be contested as a potential threat to US influence in the [[Persian Gulf]] region. The U.S. was also worried about the USSR gaining access to the Indian Ocean by coming to an arrangement with Pakistan. The Soviet air base outside of [[Kandahar]] was only thirty minutes flying time by strike aircraft or naval bomber to the Persian Gulf. It "became the heart of the southernmost concentration of Soviet soldier" in the 300-year history of Russian expansion in central Asia.{{sfn|Kaplan|2008|p=186}}<br />
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Brzezinski, known for his hardline policies on the Soviet Union, became convinced by mid-1979 that the Soviets were going to invade Afghanistan regardless of U.S. policy due to the Carter administration's failure to respond aggressively to Soviet activity in [[Africa]]. Despite the risk of [[unintended consequences]], support for the Mujahiden could be an effective way to prevent Soviet aggression beyond Afghanistan (particularly in Brzezinski's native Poland).<ref name="White">{{cite web |last=White |first=John Bernell |url=http://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=4790&context=gradschool_theses |title=The Strategic Mind of Zbigniew Brzezinski: How a Native Pole Used Afghanistan to Protect His Homeland |date=May 2012 |access-date=10 October 2017 |pages=7–8, 12, 29, 45–46, 80–83, 97}}</ref> In July 1979, Carter signed two presidential findings permitting the CIA to spend $695,000 on non-military assistance (e.g., "cash, medical equipment, and radio transmitters") and on a propaganda campaign targeting the Soviet-backed leadership of the DRA, which (in the words of [[Steve Coll]]) "seemed at the time a small beginning."{{sfn|Coll|2004|p=46}}<ref name="Tobin 2020" /> Pakistan's [[Inter-Services Intelligence]] (ISI) was used as an intermediary for most of these activities to disguise the sources of support for the resistance in a program called [[Operation Cyclone]].<ref name="Brzezinski" /><ref name="Dorril752">{{cite book |last1=Dorril |first1=Stephen |url=https://archive.org/details/mi6insidecovertw00dorr |title=MI6: Inside the Covert World of Her Majesty's Secret Intelligence Service |date=2002 |publisher=Simon and Schuster |isbn=978-0-7432-1778-1 |page=[https://archive.org/details/mi6insidecovertw00dorr/page/752 752] |url-access=registration}}</ref><ref>[http://nsarchive.gwu.edu/NSAEBB/NSAEBB57/us.html U.S. Analysis of the Soviet War in Afghanistan: Declassified], from the ''[[National Security Archive]]'', edited by John Prados (9 October 2001)</ref><ref name="Riedel">{{cite book |author-link=Bruce Riedel |last=Riedel |first=Bruce |title=What We Won: America's Secret War in Afghanistan, 1979–1989 |publisher=[[Brookings Institution]] Press |year=2014 |isbn=978-0-8157-2595-4 |pages=98–99}}</ref><br />
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The [[Director of Central Intelligence]] (DCI) [[Stansfield Turner]] and the CIA's [[Directorate of Operations (CIA)|Directorate of Operations]] (DO) contemplated sending lethal arms from U.S. stocks to the mujahidin as early as late August 1979,<ref>{{cite book|author-link=Robert Gates|last=Gates|first=Robert|title=From the Shadows: The Ultimate Insider's Story of Five Presidents and How They Won the Cold War|publisher=[[Simon & Schuster]]|year=2007|isbn=978-1-4165-4336-7|pages=146–147}}</ref> but this idea was ultimately not implemented until after the Soviet invasion in December.<ref name="Tobin 2020" /> The first shipment of U.S. weapons intended for the Mujahidin reached Pakistan on 10 January 1980.<ref name="Tobin 2020" /><ref>{{cite book|last1=Blight|first1=James G.|title=Becoming Enemies: U.S.-Iran Relations and the Iran-Iraq War, 1979–1988|publisher=[[Rowman & Littlefield]] Publishers|year=2012|isbn=978-1-4422-0830-8|pages=19, 66|quote='''[[Charles Cogan]]''': There were no lethal provisions given to the Afghans before the Soviet invasion. There was a little propaganda, communication assistance, and so on at the instigation of the ISI. But after the Soviet invasion, everything changed. The first weapons for the Afghans arrived in Pakistan on the tenth of January, fourteen days after the invasion. Shortly after the invasion, we got into the discussions with the Saudis that you just mentioned. And then when [William J.] [[William J. Casey|Casey]] became DCI under Reagan at the beginning of 1981, the price tag went through the ceiling.|display-authors=etal}}</ref>{{sfn|Coll|2004|p=58}}<ref>{{cite book|author-link=Selig S. Harrison|last=Harrison|first=Selig S.|chapter=Soviet Occupation, Afghan Resistance, and the American Response|title=Out of Afghanistan: The Inside Story of the Soviet Withdrawal|url=https://archive.org/details/outafghanistanin00cord|url-access=limited|publisher=[[Oxford University Press]]|year=1995|isbn=978-0-19-536268-8|page=[https://archive.org/details/outafghanistanin00cord/page/n65 53]|quote=Within days of the invasion, President Carter made a series of symbolic gestures to invoke American outrage&nbsp;... No longer skittish about a direct American role in providing weapons support to the Afghan resistance, Carter also gave the CIA the green light for an American–orchestrated covert assistance program to be financed in part by congressional appropriations and in part with Saudi Arabian help.}}</ref><br />
[[File:Charlie Wilson with Afghan man.jpg|thumb|left|[[Charlie Wilson (Texas politician)|Charlie Wilson]] ([[Democratic Party (United States)|D]]-[[Texas|TX]]), 2nd from the left, dressing in [[Afghan clothing]] (armed with [[AKS-74U]]) with the local Afghan mujahidin]]<br />
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Democratic Congressman [[Charlie Nesbitt Wilson|Charlie Wilson]] became obsessed with the Afghan cause.<ref>{{cite web |title=Relations with Israel: Interesting suggestions start pouring in for Pakistani govt |url=https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/521755-relations-with-israel-interesting-suggestions-start-pouring-in-for-pakistani-govt |access-date=7 February 2021 |website=www.thenews.com.pk |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=How Pakistan's President Zia collaborated with Israel's Mossad to defeat Soviet forces in Afghanistan |url=https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/how-pakistans-president-zia-collaborated-with-israels-mossad-to-defeat-soviet-forces-in-afghanistan-353467 |access-date=7 February 2021 |website=WION |date=30 December 2020 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=29 August 2019 |title=How Israel-Pakistan Relations Could Be Established By The End Of 2020? |url=https://eurasiantimes.com/how-israel-pakistan-relations-could-be-established-by-the-end-of-2020/ |access-date=7 February 2021 |website=Latest Asian, Middle-East, EurAsian, Indian News |language=en-US}}</ref> Wilson collaborate with Israeli defense engineers to create and transport man-portable anti-aircraft guns to Pakistan.{{sfn|Crile|2003|pp=31–33}} In 1982 he visited the Pakistani leadership, and was taken to a major Pakistan-based Afghan refugee camp to see first hand the conditions and the Soviet atrocities. After his visit he was able to leverage his position on the [[United States House Committee on Appropriations|House Committee on Appropriations]] to encourage other Democratic congressmen to vote for CIA Afghan war money.{{sfn|Crile|2003|p=210}} Wilson teamed with CIA manager [[Gust Avrakotos]] and formed a team of a few dozen insiders who greatly enhanced support for the Mujahideen. With [[Ronald Reagan]] as president he then greatly expanded the program as part of the [[Reagan Doctrine]] of aiding anti-Soviet resistance movements abroad. To execute this policy, Reagan deployed CIA [[Special Activities Center|Special Activities Division]] paramilitary officers to equip the Mujahidin forces against the Soviet Army. Avrakotos hired [[Michael G. Vickers]], the CIA's regional head who had a close relationship with Wilson and became a key architect of the strategy. The program funding was increased yearly due to lobbying by prominent U.S. politicians and government officials, such as Wilson, [[Gordon J. Humphrey]], [[Fred Iklé]], and [[William J. Casey]]. Under the [[Ronald Reagan|Reagan]] administration, U.S. support for the Afghan Mujahiden evolved into a centerpiece of U.S. foreign policy, called the [[Reagan Doctrine]], in which the U.S. provided military and other support to anti-communist resistance movements in Afghanistan, Angola, and Nicaragua.{{sfn|Crile|2003|p=246}}<br />
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The CIA gave the majority of their weapons and finances to [[Gulbuddin Hekmatyar]]'s [[Hezb-e Islami Gulbuddin]] who also received the lion's share of aid from the Saudis. There was recurrent contact between the CIA and Afghan commanders, especially by agent [[Howard Hart]],{{sfn|Coll|2004|p=69}} and [[Director of Central Intelligence]] [[William J. Casey]] personally visited training camps on several occasions.<ref>{{cite book|first1=Howard B.|last1=Schaffer|first2=Teresita C.|last2=Schaffer|title=How Pakistan Negotiates with the United States: Riding the Roller Coaster|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=axT9i-FhO0UC&pg=PA131|year=2011|publisher=US Institute of Peace Press|isbn=978-1-60127-075-7|page=131}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1992/07/19/anatomy-of-a-victory-cias-covert-afghan-war/1bd10b14-a0cc-441c-99cc-d2b5d1ba6e2d/|title=ANATOMY OF A VICTORY: CIA'S COVERT AFGHAN WAR|first=Steve|last=Coll|date=19 July 1992|newspaper=The Washington Post}}</ref> There was also direct Pentagon and State Department involvement<ref>{{cite book|first1=James|last1=Mann|first2=Jim|last2=Mann|title=Rise of the Vulcans: The History of Bush's War Cabinet|url=https://archive.org/details/riseofvulcanshis00mann|url-access=registration|year=2004|publisher=Penguin Books|isbn=978-0-14-303489-6|page=[https://archive.org/details/riseofvulcanshis00mann/page/122 122]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2012/01/201212614551208744.html|title=Hekmatyar's never-ending Afghan war|first=Mujib|last=Mashal|website=www.aljazeera.com|access-date=3 March 2019}}</ref> which led to several major Mujahideen being welcomed to the White House for a conference in October 1985. Gulbuddin Hekmatyar declined the opportunity to meet with Ronald Reagan, but [[Mohammad Yunus Khalis]] and [[Abdul Haq (Afghan leader)|Abdul Haq]] were hosted by the president.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-R13CgAAQBAJ&pg=PT52|title=The Envoy: From Kabul to the White House, My Journey Through a Turbulent World|first=Zalmay|last=Khalilzad|date=22 March 2016|publisher=St. Martin's Publishing Group|isbn=978-1-250-08301-2|via=Google Books}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|first=Peter|last=Tomsen|title=The Wars of Afghanistan: Messianic Terrorism, Tribal Conflicts, and the Failures of Great Powers|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kdfIAQAAQBAJ&pg=PA16|year=2013|publisher=PublicAffairs|isbn=978-1-61039-412-3|page=16}}</ref> CIA agents are also known to have given direct cash payments to [[Jalaluddin Haqqani]].<ref>{{cite book|first1=Vahid|last1=Brown|first2=Don|last2=Rassler|title=Fountainhead of Jihad: The Haqqani Nexus, 1973–2012|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=b95MAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA289|year=2013|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=978-0-19-932798-0|pages=68–69}}</ref><br />
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The arms included [[FIM-43 Redeye]] and [[9K32 Strela-2]] shoulder-fired, antiaircraft weapons that they initially used against Soviet helicopters. [[Michael Pillsbury]], a Pentagon official, and [[Vincent Cannistraro]] pushed the CIA to supply the [[FIM-92 Stinger|Stinger missile]] to the rebels.{{sfn|Crile|2003|p=246}} This was first supplied in 1986; Wilson's good contact with Zia was instrumental in the final go-ahead for the Stinger introduction. The first [[Mil Mi-24|Hind]] helicopter was brought down later that year. The CIA eventually supplied nearly 500 Stingers (some sources claim 1,500–2,000) to the Mujahideen in Afghanistan,<ref name=malley>Malley, William (2002) ''The Afghanistan wars''. Palgrave Macmillan, p. 80. {{ISBN|0-333-80290-X}}</ref> and 250 launchers.<ref>Hilali, A. Z. (2005). ''US-Pakistan relationship: Soviet invasion of Afghanistan''. p. 169. {{ISBN|0-7546-4220-8}}</ref> The impact of the Stinger on the outcome of the war is contested, nevertheless some saw it more of a "[[force multiplier]]" and a morale booster.{{sfn|Crile|2003|p=209}}<br />
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[[File:Protesters with signs decrying Soviet occupation of Afghanistan, Los Angeles.jpg|thumb|Afghani anti-war protestors in Los Angeles, December 1986]]<br />
Overall financially the U.S. offered two packages of economic assistance and military sales to support Pakistan's role in the war against the Soviet troops in Afghanistan. By the war's end more than $20 billion in U.S. funds were funnelled through Pakistan.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia|title=The Oxford Encyclopedia of American Military and Diplomatic History|date=8 January 2013|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=978-0-19-975925-5|page=219|chapter=Cold War (1945–1991): External Course}}</ref> In total, the combined U.S., Saudi, and Chinese aid to the mujahideen is valued at between $6–12 billion.{{sfn|Coll|2004|p=238}} Controversially $600 million went to Hekmatyar's Hezb-i-Islami party which had the dubious distinction of never winning a significant battle during the war. They also killed significant numbers of Mujahideen from other parties, and eventually took a virulently anti-Western line.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Bergen |first1=Peter L |title=Holy War, Inc.: Inside the Secret World of Osama bin Laden |date=2001 |publisher=New York : Free Press |page=69 |isbn=978-0-7432-3495-5 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pqjBaKpgSEQC}}</ref> ''Cyclone'' nevertheless was one of the CIA's longest and most expensive covert operations.<ref name="time.com">{{cite magazine|magazine=Time|date= 13 May 2003|title= The Oily Americans|url=http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,450997-2,00.html}}</ref><br />
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The full significance of the U.S. sending aid to the Mujahideen prior to the intervention is debated among scholars. Some assert that it directly, and even deliberately, provoked the Soviets to send in troops.<ref>{{cite book|first=Robert|last=Worley|title=Orchestrating the Instruments of Power: A Critical Examination of the U. S. National Security System|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pHDfCQAAQBAJ&pg=PT159|year=2015|publisher=University of Nebraska Press|isbn=978-1-61234-752-3|page=159|chapter=Cold War Strategies}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|first=Ali|last=Riaz|title=Faithful Education: Madrassahs in South Asia|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HxOOwy-4J4UC&pg=PA243|year=2008|publisher=Rutgers University Press|isbn=978-0-8135-4345-1|page=104}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|first=Andrew J.|last=Bacevich|title=America's War for the Greater Middle East: A Military History|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_TnOCgAAQBAJ&pg=PA23|year=2016|publisher=Random House Publishing Group|isbn=978-0-553-39394-1|pages=23, 26|chapter=War of Choice}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|title=Empire's Ally: Canada and the War in Afghanistan, Jerome Klassen and Greg Albo, eds., Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2012, pp. 432.|first=Tyler|last=Shipley|journal=Canadian Journal of Political Science|volume=47|issue=1|pages=201–202|doi=10.1017/S0008423914000055|year=2014|s2cid=154222407}}</ref>{{sfn|Kepel|2002|p=394}} According to Coll's dissenting analysis, however: "Contemporary memos—particularly those written in the first days after the Soviet invasion—make clear that while Brzezinski was determined to confront the Soviets in Afghanistan through covert action, he was also very worried the Soviets would prevail.&nbsp;... Given this evidence and the enormous political and security costs that the invasion imposed on the Carter administration, any claim that Brzezinski lured the Soviets into Afghanistan warrants deep skepticism."{{sfn|Coll|2004|p=593}}<ref>cf. {{cite web|author-link=Zbigniew Brzezinski|last=Brzezinski|first=Zbigniew|url=http://nsarchive.gwu.edu/NSAEBB/NSAEBB396/docs/1979-12-26%20Brzezinski%20to%20Carter%20on%20Afghanistan.pdf|title=Reflections on Soviet Intervention in Afghanistan|date=26 December 1979|access-date=21 April 2020}}</ref> A 2020 review of declassified U.S. documents by Conor Tobin in the journal ''[[Diplomatic History (journal)|Diplomatic History]]'' found that "a Soviet military intervention was neither sought nor desired by the Carter administration&nbsp;... The small-scale covert program that developed ''in response'' to the increasing Soviet influence was part of a contingency plan ''if'' the Soviets did intervene militarily, as Washington would be in a better position to make it difficult for them to consolidate their position, but not designed to induce an intervention."<ref name="Tobin 2020">{{cite journal|last=Tobin|first=Conor|title=The Myth of the "Afghan Trap": Zbigniew Brzezinski and Afghanistan, 1978–1979|journal=[[Diplomatic History (journal)|Diplomatic History]]|publisher=[[Oxford University Press]]|volume=44|issue=2|date=April 2020|pages=237–264|doi=10.1093/dh/dhz065|doi-access=free}}</ref> Historian Elisabeth Leake adds, "the original provision was certainly inadequate to force a Soviet armed intervention. Instead it adhered to broader US practices of providing limited covert support to anti-communist forces worldwide".<ref>{{cite book |last=Leake |first=Elisabeth |date=2022 |title=Afghan Crucible: The Soviet Invasion and the Making of Modern Afghanistan |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DiFnEAAAQBAJ&pg=PA178 |location=Oxford |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-884601-7 |page=178}}</ref><br />
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The US [[Operation MIAS|attempted to buy back the Stinger missiles]], with a $55 million program launched in 1990 to buy back around 300 missiles (US$183,300 each).<ref>{{cite news |first=Tim |last=Weiner |title=U.S. Increases Fund To Outbid Terrorists For Afghan Missiles |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1993/07/24/world/us-increases-fund-to-outbid-terrorists-for-afghan-missiles.html |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=24 July 1993 |access-date=1 January 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121104113232/http://www.nytimes.com/1993/07/24/world/us-increases-fund-to-outbid-terrorists-for-afghan-missiles.html |archive-date=4 November 2012 |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
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=== United Kingdom ===<br />
{{main|United Kingdom in the Soviet–Afghan War}}<br />
Throughout the war, Britain played a significant role in support of the US and acted in concert with the U.S. government. While the US provided far more in financial and material terms to the Afghan resistance, the UK played more of a direct combat role – in particular the [[Special Air Service]] — supporting resistance groups in practical manners.<ref>{{cite news |title=Declassified files reveal Britain's secret support to Afghan Mujahideen |url=https://timesofislamabad.com/30-Jan-2018/declassified-files-reveal-britain-s-secret-support-to-afghan-mujahideen |access-date=12 March 2020 |agency=[[Times of Islamabad]] |date=30 January 2018 |ref=TOI}}</ref> This turned out to be [[Government of the United Kingdom|Whitehall]]'s most extensive covert operation since the [[Second World War]].<ref name="Curtis171">{{Harvnb|Curtis|2018|pp=171–72}}</ref><br />
[[File:Kunar August85 with Enfield.png|thumb|An Afghan mujahid carries a [[Lee–Enfield No. 4]] in August 1985]]<br />
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Unlike the U.S., British aid to the Afghan resistance began before the Soviet invasion was actually launched, working with chosen Afghani forces during the Afghan government's close ties to the Soviet Union in the late seventies. Within three weeks of the invasion this was stepped up – [[cabinet secretary]], Sir [[Robert Armstrong, Baron Armstrong of Ilminster|Robert Armstrong]] sent a note to Prime Minister [[Margaret Thatcher]], Secretary of State [[Peter Carington, 6th Baron Carrington|Peter Carrington]] and "C", the head of [[MI6]] arguing the case for military aid to "encourage and support resistance". Support was approved by the British government who then authorised MI6 to conduct operations in the first year of the Soviet occupation, coordinated by MI6 officers in Islamabad in liaison with the CIA and the ISI.<br />
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Thatcher visited Pakistan in October 1981 and met President Zia-ul-Haq, toured the refugee camps close to the Afghan border and then gave a speech telling the people that the ''hearts of the free world'' were with them and promised aid. The Kremlin responded to the whole incident by blasting Thatcher's "provocation aimed at stirring up anti-Soviet hysteria." Five years later two prominent Mujahideen, [[Gulbuddin Hekmatyar]] and Abdul Haq, met Thatcher in [[Downing Street]].<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/reviews/secret-affairs-by-mark-curtis-2038691.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220524/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/reviews/secret-affairs-by-mark-curtis-2038691.html |archive-date=24 May 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live | location=London | work=The Independent | first=Kim | last=Sengupta | title=Secret Affairs, By Mark Curtis | date=30 July 2010}}</ref><br />
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MI6 helped the CIA by activating long-established British networks of contacts in Pakistan.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Bowcott |first1=Owen |title=UK discussed plans to help mujaheddin weeks after Soviet invasion of Afghanistan |url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2010/dec/30/uk-mujahideen-afghanistan-soviet-invasion |access-date=12 March 2020 |agency=[[The Guardian]]}}</ref> MI6 supported the hardline Islamic group Jamiat-e Islami commanded by Ahmad Shah Massoud commander in the [[Panjshir Valley]]. With comparatively little support from Pakistan's ISI and the CIA the British were the primary means of support for Massoud.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Weir |first1=William |title=Guerrilla Warfare Irregular Warfare in the Twentieth Century |date=2008 |publisher=Stackpole Books|pages= 209–10 |isbn=9781461751090}}</ref> Despite the CIA's doubts on him he nevertheless became a key MI6 ally and would become an effective fighter. They sent an annual mission of two of their officers as well as military instructors to Massoud and his fighters. They stayed for three weeks or more in the mountains moving supplies to Massoud under the noses of the Pakistanis who insisted on maintaining control. The team's most important contribution was help with organisation and communication via radio equipment. The Cheltenham-based [[GCHQ]] intercepted and translated Soviet battle plan communications which was then relayed to the Afghan resistance.<ref name="Coles48">{{Harvnb|Coles|2018|pp=48–49}}</ref> MI6 also helped to retrieve crashed Soviet helicopters from Afghanistan – parts of which were carried on mules.<ref name="Dorril752"/><br />
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In the Spring of 1986, Whitehall sent weapons [[Secrecy|clandestinely]] to some units of the Mujahideen, and made sure their origins were open to speculation.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cmyk.info/markcurtis/print1b.html |title=''Web of Deceit'', Mark Curtis, Chronology |access-date=27 July 2005 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110515030601/http://www.cmyk.info/markcurtis/print1b.html |archive-date=15 May 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The most notable of these was the [[Blowpipe (missile)|Blowpipe missile launchers]]. These had proved a failure in the [[Falklands War]] and had been [[mothball]]ed by the British army, but were available on the international arms market. Around fifty Launchers and 300 Missiles were delivered<ref name="sipri.org">{{cite web|url=http://armstrade.sipri.org/armstrade/page/trade_register.php|title=Trade Registers|website=armstrade.sipri.org|access-date=2023-08-17|archive-date=2010-04-14|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100414022558/http://armstrade.sipri.org/armstrade/page/trade_register.php|url-status=dead}}</ref> and the system nevertheless proved ineffective; thirteen missiles were fired for no hits and it was eventually supplanted by the US Stinger missile.<ref>[http://fmso.leavenworth.army.mil/documents/zhawar/zhawar.htm ''The Campaign for the Caves: The battles for Zhawar'', Lester W. Grau and Ali Ahmad Jalali] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051113125550/http://fmso.leavenworth.army.mil/documents/zhawar/zhawar.htm |date=13 November 2005 }}</ref> The mujahideen were also sent hundreds of thousands of old British army small arms, mostly [[Lee Enfield]] rifles, some of which were purchased from old [[Indian Army]] stocks.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Karlekar |first1=Hiranmay |title=Endgame in Afghanistan: For Whom the Dice Rolls |date=2012 |publisher=SAGE Publishing India |isbn=9788132117131 |page=133 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WxdBDwAAQBAJ}}</ref> They also included [[limpet mines]] which proved the most successful, destroying Soviet barges on their side of the [[Amu River]].<ref name="Bruce48">{{cite book |last1=Bruce Riedel |title=What We Won: America's Secret War in Afghanistan, 1979 89 |date=2014 |publisher=Brookings Institution Press |isbn=978-0-8157-2585-5 |pages=48–49 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Hb8xAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA65}}</ref><br />
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In 1983 the [[Special Air Service]] were sent in to Pakistan and worked alongside their SSG, whose commandos guided guerrilla operations in Afghanistan in the hope officers could impart their learned expertise directly to the Afghans. Britain also directly trained Afghan forces, much of which was contracted out to private security firms, a policy cleared by the British Government. The main company was [[Keenie Meenie Services]] (KMS Ltd) led by former SAS officers.<ref name="Cormac235">{{cite book |last1=Cormac |first1=Rory |title=Disrupt and Deny: Spies, Special Forces, and the Secret Pursuit of British Foreign Policy |date=2018 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-878459-3 |pages=235–36 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=emZaDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA235}}</ref> In 1985 they helped train Afghans in sabotage, reconnaissance, attack planning, arson, how to use explosive devices and heavy artillery such as mortars. One of these men was a key trainer, a former senior officer in the royal Afghan army, Brigadier General [[Rahmatullah Safi]] – he trained as many as 8,000 men. As well as sending Afghan commando units to secret British bases in [[Oman]] to train; KMS even sent them to Britain. Disguised as tourists, selected junior commanders in the Mujahideen were trained in three week cycles in Scotland, northern and southern England on SAS training grounds.<ref name="Coles48" /><ref name="Bruce48" /><br />
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The UK's role in the conflict entailed direct military involvement not only in Afghanistan, but the Central Asian republics of the Soviet Union.<ref name="Cormac235" /> MI6 organised and executed "scores" of psyop attacks in [[Tajikistan]] and [[Uzbekistan]], on Soviet troop supplies which flowed from these areas. These were the first direct Western attacks on the Soviet Union since the 1950s. MI6 also funded the spread of radical and anti-Soviet Islamic literature in the Soviet republics.<ref name="Coles48" /><br />
<br />
=== China ===<br />
During the [[Sino-Soviet split]], strained relations between China and the USSR resulted in bloody border clashes and mutual backing for the opponent's enemies.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Sharma |first1=Raghav |title=China's Afghanistan Policy: Slow Recalibration |journal=[[China Report]] |date=2011 |volume=46 |issue=3 |page=202 |doi=10.1177/000944551104600303 |s2cid=154028247 |quote=...Beijing began to closely coordinate with Washington, Islamabad and Riyadh to covertly aid the mujahideen in carrying out the anti-Soviet jihad in Afghanistan.}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Szczudlik-Tatar |first1=Justyna |title=China's Evolving Stance on Afghanistan: Towards More Robust Diplomacy with "Chinese Characteristics" |journal=Strategic File |date=October 2014 |issue=22 |page=2 |url=https://www.files.ethz.ch/isn/184324/PISM%20Strategic%20File%20no%2022%20(58).pdf |publisher=[[Polish Institute of International Affairs]] |quote=Then, in the 1980s, Beijing acted in cooperation with Washington to provide Afghan anti-Soviet insurgents with arms, and trained Mujahidin.}}</ref> China and Afghanistan had neutral relations with each other during the King's rule. When the pro-Soviet Afghan Communists seized power in Afghanistan in 1978, relations between China and the Afghan communists quickly turned hostile. The Afghan pro-Soviet communists supported China's then-enemy Vietnam and blamed China for supporting Afghan anti-communist militants. China responded to the Soviet war in Afghanistan by supporting the Mujahideen and ramping up their military presence near Afghanistan in [[Xinjiang]]. China acquired military equipment from America to defend itself from Soviet attack.<ref>{{cite book|author=S. Frederick Starriditor=S. Frederick Starr|year=2004|edition=illustrated|publisher=M.E. Sharpe|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GXj4a3gss8wC&pg=PA157|title=Xinjiang: China's Muslim Borderland|isbn=978-0-7656-1318-9|page=157}}</ref> At the same time relations with the United States had cooled considerably that by 1980 Washington had begun to supply China with a variety of weapons. They even reached an agreement of two joint tracking and listening stations in Xinjiang.<ref name="Starr158">{{cite book|author=S. Frederick Starr|year=2004|edition=illustrated|publisher=M.E. Sharpe|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GXj4a3gss8wC&pg=PA158|title=Xinjiang: China's Muslim Borderland|isbn=978-0-7656-1318-9|pages=157–58}}</ref><br />
<br />
China may have given support to Tajik and Kazakh insurgents even before the 1978 coup. But the Chinese also requested before the Soviet intervention that Pakistan not permit Chinese arms it had received to be sent to the Afghan guerrillas.<ref>{{cite book |last=Garthoff |first=Raymond L. |author-link=Raymond L. Garthoff |date=1994 |title=Détente and Confrontation: American-Soviet Relations from Nixon to Reagan |edition=revised |publisher=Brookings Institution Press |isbn=0-8157-3041-1 |pages=1029–1030}}</ref><br />
<br />
The Chinese [[People's Liberation Army]] provided training, arms organisation and financial support. Anti-aircraft missiles, rocket launchers and machine guns, valued at hundreds of millions, were given to the Mujahideen by the Chinese. Throughout the war Chinese military advisers and army troops trained upwards of several thousand Mujahideen inside Xinjiang and along the Pakistani border.<ref name="Starr158" /> Overall, Chinese aid exceeded $400 million.<ref>{{cite book |last=Riedel |first=Bruce |author-link=Bruce Riedel |date=2014 |title=What We Won: America's Secret War in Afghanistan, 1979–1989 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Hb8xAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA107 |publisher=Brookings Institution Press |isbn=978-0-8157-2595-4 |page=107}}</ref><br />
<br />
== Pro-Soviet ==<br />
=== Czechoslovakia ===<br />
The [[Czechoslovak Socialist Republic]] reportedly supported Soviet actions in Afghanistan.{{Sfn|Tůma|2004|p=221}} According to some sources, Czechoslovakia's involvement in Afghanistan increased in the early 1980s and became second only to the Soviet Union in providing aid to the Afghan communist regime.{{Sfn|Tůma|2004|p=222}} Czechoslovakia also trained Afghan communist soldiers and security personnel.{{Sfn|Tůma|2004|p=222}}<br />
<br />
=== East Germany ===<br />
Throughout the Soviet–Afghan War, the [[German Democratic Republic]] (East Germany) supported the Soviet military campaign as well as the communist government of Afghanistan.<ref name=":0" /><ref name="NYTA" /> East Germany was one of the first and only nations to publicly endorse the Soviet invasion in 1979.<ref name=McAdams>{{cite book|last=McAdams|first=A. James|title=East Germany and Detente: Building Authority After the Wall|date=1985|pages=164–165|publisher=Cambridge University Press|location=Cambridge|isbn=978-0812216202}}</ref> However, the East German leadership feared this would cost the country in terms of diplomatic rapport with Western nations, which almost uniformly opposed the invasion.<ref name=McAdams/> [[Erich Honecker]], then newly appointed chairman of East Germany's ruling [[State Council of East Germany|State Council]], supported the war in public while he lamented the possible jeopardizing of relations with the West over Afghanistan in private.<ref name=McAdams/> Nevertheless, under Honecker's direction, a number of East German military and security advisers were deployed to Afghanistan, where they were directly embedded in the Afghan regime's intelligence agencies.<ref name=Frag>{{cite book|last=Rubin|first=Barnett|title=The Fragmentation of Afghanistan|date=2002|pages=114, 125|publisher=Yale University Press|location=New Haven|isbn=978-0300095197}}</ref> The presence of East German advisers was first leaked to the Western press by two former Afghan military intelligence officers who defected to Pakistan in 1982;<ref name="NYTA"/> although unverifiable at the time, their accounts were later substantiated by ex-[[Stasi]] sources after [[German reunification]].<ref name=":0"/><br />
<br />
In 1986 alone, up to 1,000 Afghan military, militia, and internal security personnel were being trained in East Germany.<ref name=":0"/> East Germany is also believed to have hosted Mohammad Najibullah for about four weeks.<ref name=":0" /> The Stasi worked in concert with the KGB and Naijubullah personally to infiltrate advocacy and funding networks for the Afghan resistance in western Europe.<ref name=":0"/><br />
<br />
=== India ===<br />
India, a close ally of the Soviet Union, supported the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan<ref name="indiasupport" /> and by the end of the hostilities, offered to provide humanitarian assistance to the Afghan communist government.<ref name="nytimes1989">{{cite news|last=CROSSETTE|first=BARBARA|title=India to Provide Aid to Government in Afghanistan|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1989/03/07/world/india-to-provide-aid-to-government-in-afghanistan.html|access-date=5 December 2011|newspaper=The New York Times|date=7 March 1989}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=van Dijk|first=Ruud|title=Encyclopedia of the Cold War, Volume 1|year=2008|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-0-415-97515-5}}</ref>{{verify source|date=July 2012}} India did not condemn the Soviet intervention in Afghanistan as India was excessively dependent on the Soviet Union for its military and security,<ref>Sumit Ganguly and Rahul Mukherji, ''India Since 1980'', Cambridge University Press (2011), p. 22</ref> and it has been said that "the failure of the Indian government to publicly condemn the invasion, its support of the Soviet puppet regime of Kabul, and its hostile vision of the resistance have created major stumbling blocks in Afghan-Indian relations."<ref>Valenta and Cibulka (editors), ''Gorbachev's New Thinking and Third World Conflicts'', p. 146</ref> India also opposed a [[UN resolution]] condemning the intervention.<ref>Gabriella Grasselli, ''British and American Responses to the Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan'', Dartmouth Publishing Company (1996), p. 168</ref><br />
<br />
=== Vietnam ===<br />
[[Vietnam]] supported the Soviet position over Afghanistan,<ref name="indiasupport" /> and Vietnamese troops were reportedly fighting the ''mujahidin'' in Afghanistan.<ref name="NYTA" /><br />
<br />
== References ==<br />
{{reflist}}<br />
<br />
===Works cited===<br />
{{refbegin|2}}<br />
* {{cite book |last1=Coles |first1=T. J |title=Manufacturing Terrorism: When Governments Use Fear to Justify Foreign Wars and Control Society |date=2018 |publisher=Clairview Books |isbn=9781905570973}}<br />
* {{cite book |last=Coll |first=Steve |title=Ghost Wars: The Secret History of the CIA, Afghanistan, and Bin Laden, from the Soviet Invasion to September 10, 2001 |url=https://archive.org/details/ghostwarssecreth00coll |url-access=registration |year=2004 |location=New York |publisher=Penguin Press |isbn=978-1-59420-007-6}}<br />
* {{cite book |last=Crile |first=George |title=Charlie Wilson's War: The Extraordinary Story of the Largest Covert Operation in history |location=New York |publisher=Atlantic Monthly Press |year=2003 |isbn=978-0-87113-851-4 |url=https://archive.org/details/badgergames00jack}}<br />
* {{cite book |last1=Curtis |first1=Mark |title=Secret Affairs: Britain's Collusion with Radical Islam |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Y3EuDwAAQBAJ |date=2018 |publisher=Serpent's Tail |isbn=978-1-78283-433-5}}<br />
* {{cite book |last=Goodson |first=Larry P. |title=Afghanistan's Endless War: State Failure, Regional Politics, and the Rise of the Taliban |date=2011 |publisher=University of Washington Press |isbn=978-0-295-80158-2 |oclc=1026403863 |url=https://archive.org/details/afghanistansendl00good}}<br />
* {{cite book |last=Kaplan |first=Robert D. |author-link=Robert D. Kaplan |title=Soldiers of God: With Islamic Warriors in Afghanistan and Pakistan |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=r3TLByMXsJkC |year=2008 |publisher=Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group |isbn=978-0-307-54698-2 |oclc=48367823}}<br />
* {{cite book |last=Kepel |first=Gilles |title=Jihad: The Trail of Political Islam |url=https://archive.org/details/jihad00gill_0 |url-access=registration |year=2002 |publisher=Harvard University Press |oclc=685132509 |isbn=978-0-674-01090-1}}<br />
{{refend}}<br />
<br />
* {{Cite journal |last=Pentz |first=Peter A. |date=1988 |title=The Mujahidin Middleman: Pakistan's Role in the Afghan Crisis and the International Rule of Non-Intervention |url=https://elibrary.law.psu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1081&context=psilr |journal=Dickinson Journal of International Law |volume=6 |pages=377–401}}<br />
* {{citation |last1=Tůma |first1=Oldrich |title=Cold War International History Project Bulletin, Issue 14/15 |date=2004 |url=https://www.wilsoncenter.org/article/cwihp-bulletin-no-1415-available |chapter=Czechoslovakia and the War in Afghanistan, 1979-1989}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Soviet–Afghan War]]<br />
[[Category:Foreign involvement by war|Soviet–Afghan War]]<br />
[[Category:Foreign relations of Afghanistan]]</div>Boackandwhitehttps://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=National_Islamic_Front_of_Afghanistan&diff=1264087020National Islamic Front of Afghanistan2024-12-20T10:42:10Z<p>Boackandwhite: </p>
<hr />
<div>{{Short description|Primarily Pashtun Sufi political party in Afghanistan}}<br />
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2020}}<br />
{{Infobox political party<br />
| name = National Islamic Front of Afghanistan<br />
| native_name = محاذ ملی اسلامی افغانستان<br />
| native_name_lang = <br />
| lang1 = <br />
| name_lang1 = <br />
| lang2 = <br />
| name_lang2 = <br />
| lang3 = <br />
| name_lang3 = <br />
| lang4 = <br />
| name_lang4 = <br />
| logo = Emblem of the National Islamic Front of Afghanistan.svg<br />
| logo_size = 150px<br />
| caption = <br />
| colorcode = {{party color|National Islamic Front of Afghanistan}}<br />
| abbreviation = <!-- official abbreviation --><br />
| leader = Hamed Gailani (since 2017)<br />
| president = <br />
| chairperson = <!-- or: | chairman = --><br />
| general_secretary = <br />
| first_secretary = <br />
| secretary_general = <br />
| presidium = <br />
| secretary = <br />
| spokesperson = <br />
| founder = [[Ahmed Gailani]]<br />
| leader1_title = <br />
| leader1_name = <br />
| leader2_title = <br />
| leader2_name = <br />
| leader3_title = <br />
| leader3_name = <br />
| leader4_title = <br />
| leader4_name = <br />
| leader5_title = <br />
| leader5_name = <br />
| slogan = <br />
| founded = 1979<br />
| legalised = <!-- or |legalized= --><br />
| dissolved = <!-- {{end date|df=yes|YYYY|MM|DD}} --><br />
| merger = <br />
| split = <br />
| predecessor = <br />
| merged = <br />
| successor = <br />
| headquarters = [[Kabul]]<br />
| newspaper = <br />
| think_tank = <br />
| student_wing = <br />
| youth_wing = <br />
| wing1_title = <br />
| wing1 = <br />
| wing2_title = <br />
| wing2 = <br />
| wing3_title = <br />
| wing3 = <br />
| membership_year = <br />
| membership = <br />
| ideology = {{Nowrap|[[Afghan nationalism]]<br>[[Pashtun people|Pashtun Interests]]<br>[[Royalism]] (formerly)}}<br />
| position = [[Right-wing]]<br />
| religion = [[Sunni]] [[Islam]]<br />
| national = <br />
| international = <br />
| european = <br />
| europarl = <br />
| affiliation1_title = <br />
| affiliation1 = <br />
| colors = <!-- or: | colours = --><br />
| anthem = <br />
| seats1_title = Seats in the [[Leadership Council of Afghanistan|Leadership Council]]<br />
| seats1 = {{Composition bar|0|30|{{party color|National Islamic Front of Afghanistan}}}}<br />
| symbol = <br />
| flag = [[File:Flag of the National Islamic Front of Afghanistan.svg|200px]]<br />
| website = [https://www.facebook.com/pages/%D8%AF-%D8%A7%D9%81%D8%BA%D8%A7%D9%86%D8%B3%D8%AA%D8%A7%D9%86-%D9%85%D9%84%D9%8A-%D8%A7%D8%B3%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%85%D9%8A-%D9%85%D8%AD%D8%A7%D8%B0/1410987529153587 Facebook page]<br />
| state = Afghanistan<br />
}}<br />
{{Infobox war faction<br />
| name = National Islamic Front of Afghanistan<br />
| native_name = {{Nobold|محاذ ملی اسلامی افغانستان}}<br />
| native_name_lang = fa<br />
| logo = <br />
| founder = <br />
| leader = [[Ahmed Gailani]]<br />
| military_leader = <br />
| active = {{plainlist|<br />
*1979–1989 ([[Afghan Mujahideen|Part of Afghan Mujahideen]])<br />
*1989–1992 ([[Afghan Mujahideen|1st government as Interim]])<br />
*1992–2001 ([[Islamic State of Afghanistan|2nd government]])<br />
*2001–present (as [[political party]])}}<br />
| country = Afghanistan<br />
| clans = <br />
| headquarters = <br />
| ideology = [[Afghan nationalism]]<br />[[Anti-communism]]<br />[[Royalism]]<br />
| status = <br />
| partof = [[Afghan Mujahideen]] (1979–1989)<br/>{{flagicon image|Flag of Afghan Interim Government in exile (1988-1992).svg}} [[Peshawar Seven|Interim Afghan Government]] (1989–1992)<br/>{{flagicon|Afghanistan|1992}} [[Islamic State of Afghanistan]] (1992–2001)<br/>{{flagicon|Afghanistan|1992}} [[Northern Alliance]] (1996–2001)<br />
| allies = *{{flag|United States}}<br/><br />
*{{flag|Pakistan}}<br />
*{{flag|West Germany}}<br />
*{{flagicon|United Kingdom}} [[United Kingdom]]<br />
*{{flagicon|France}} [[France]]<br />
*{{flagicon|Turkey}} [[Turkey]]<br />
*{{flagicon|Japan}} [[Japan]]<br />
*{{flagicon|China}} [[China]]<br />
*{{flagicon|Egypt}} [[Egypt]]<br />
*{{flagicon|NATO}} [[NATO]]<br />
*{{flagicon|Saudi Arabia}} [[Saudi Arabia]]<br />
*{{flagicon|Kuwait}} [[Kuwait]] (1991)<br />
'''Non-state Allies:<br/>'''<br />
*{{flagicon image|Flag of Hezbi Islami Gulbuddin.svg}} [[Hezb-e Islami Gulbuddin]]<br />
*{{flagicon image|Flag of Jamiat-e Islami.svg}} [[Jamiat-e Islami]]<br />
*{{flagicon image|Logo of Hezb-e Islami Khalis.svg}} [[Hezb-e Islami Khalis]]<br />
| opponents = '''State Opponents:'''<br/><br />
*{{flagicon|Democratic Republic of Afghanistan}} {{flagicon image|Flag of Taliban.svg}} [[Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan|Afghanistan]] (1974–1992; 1996–2001; 2021–present)<br />
*{{flagicon|Soviet Union}} [[Soviet Union]] (until 1989)<br />
*{{Flagcountry|Ba'athist Iraq}} (1991)<br />
'''Non-state Opponents:'''<br/><br />
*{{flagicon image|Flag of Hezbi Islami Gulbuddin.svg}} [[Hezb-e Islami Gulbuddin]] (From 1992)<br />
*{{flagicon|Taliban|2023}} [[Taliban]]<br />
*{{flagicon image|Flag of Jihad.svg}} [[Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan]]<br />
*{{flagicon image|Flag of Jihad.svg}} [[Al-Qaeda]]<br />
| battles = *[[Soviet–Afghan War]]<br /><br />
*[[Afghan Civil War (1989–92)]]<br />
*[[Gulf War]]<br />
*[[Afghan Civil War (1992–96)]] <br />
*[[Afghan Civil War (1996–2001)]]<br />
*[[War in Afghanistan (2001–2021)]]<br />
| designated_as_terror_group_by = <br />
| flag = <br />
| colours = <br />
| website = <br />
}}<br />
<br />
'''National Islamic Front of Afghanistan''' ('''Mahaz-e Milli-ye Islami-ye Afghanistan''', '''Mahaz-i Milli-yi Islami-yi Afghanistan''') is a political party in [[Afghanistan]].<ref name=OxfordDictionaryOfIslam2004><br />
{{cite book<br />
| isbn = 978-0-19-512559-7<br />
| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=6VeCWQfVNjkC&q=mahazmili+OR+%22Mahaz-e+Milli-ye+Islami-ye%22+Afghanistan&pg=PA92<br />
| title = The Oxford dictionary of Islam<br />
| publisher = [[Oxford University Press]]<br />
| author = John L. Esposito<br />
| year = 2004<br />
| page = 92<br />
| quote = He was succeeded by his sons, Sher agha Jan (Sayyid Ali Gaylani, b. 1923) and the Effendi Jan (Sayyed Ahmad Gaylani, b. 1932), who left Kabul in 1978 and headed the National Islamic Front, Mahaz-e Milli-ye Islami-ye Afghanistan, in Peshawar during the jihad against the Soviet occupation.<br />
}}<br />
</ref><ref name=HumanSecurity2009><br />
{{cite news<br />
|url = http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/documents/NDI_2009PresidentialAndProvincialCouncilElectionsInAfghanistan.pdf<br />
|title = The 2009 Presidential and Provincial Council Electionsin Afghanistan<br />
|publisher = [[National Democratic Institute]]<br />
|year = 2009<br />
|page = 49<br />
|archivedate = 12 July 2011<br />
|archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20110712231911/http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/documents/NDI_2009PresidentialAndProvincialCouncilElectionsInAfghanistan.pdf<br />
|url-status = live<br />
|quote = Four of the Paktika provincial council members are affiliated with the Mahaz Mili Islami Afghanistan party and one is affiliated with the Jamiat Islami Afghanistan party.<br />
}}<br />
</ref><br />
It has been led, since its founding, by members of a prominent [[Sufi]] family, the Gailani. It is primarily (but not exclusively) a Pashtun party, followers of the Sufi holy man [[Pir (Sufism)|Pir]] Sayyid [[Ahmed Gailani]] have a reputation for moderate thought and the traditional mystical and introspective religious currents that characterize Sufism in that sect.<br />
<br />
==History==<br />
===Formation & role in the Soviet War in Afghanistan===<br />
The party was formed in 1979 in [[Peshawar]], [[Pakistan]],<ref name="Bio">http://www.afghan-bios.info/index.php?option=com_afghanbios&id=569&task=view&total=2869&start=865&Itemid=2 Gilani, Pir Sayed Ahmad Gailani – Afghan Biographies</ref> where Gailani had fled to following the rise to power of the communist [[People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan|PDPA]] in Afghanistan. The party was largely moderate and royalist, with ties to the former royal family.<br />
<br />
This party was a member of the [[Peshawar Seven]], and was used by the Pakistani [[Inter-Services Intelligence|ISI]] for distributing [[Central Intelligence Agency|CIA]]-funded weapons to the mujahideen fighting the Soviet occupation. NIFA had the most liberal and secular stance of all the Peshawar parties, and it supported the return of King [[Zahir Shah]] from exile.<ref name="Vogelsang">{{cite book |last=Vogelsang |first=Willem |title=The Afghans |year=2002 |publisher=Blackwell Publishers |location=Malden |isbn=978-0-631-19841-3 |page=[https://archive.org/details/afghans00voge/page/316 316] |url=https://archive.org/details/afghans00voge/page/316 }}</ref> Representing the interests of the pre-war [[Pashtun people|Pashtun]] establishment, it rejected both [[communism]] and [[Islamism]], in favour of "nationalism and democracy."<ref name="Rubin1">{{cite book |last=Rubin |first=Barnett |authorlink=Barnett Rubin |title=The fragmentation of Afghanistan |year= 1995|publisher=[[Yale University Press]] |location=New Haven |isbn= 0-300-05963-9 |page=203}}</ref> The party line emphasized freedom for individuals, the press, and organizations, whilst advocating the [[separation of powers]] of government.<ref>http://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6ad1014.html Pakistan/Afghanistan: Information on the National Islamic Front of Afghanistan (NIFA), in particular, its activities in Quetta, Baluchistan, and whether the organization issue certificates of identity to Afghan refugees in Pakistan between 1990 and 1998</ref><br />
<br />
The party had a local following in [[Paktia]] and [[Nangarhar]], partly due to family tribal ties of Gailani.<ref>{{cite book| last=Amstutz| first=J. Bruce| publisher=Diane Publishing| isbn=978-0-7881-1111-2| url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_RUSNyMH1aFQC| title=Afghanistan: The First Five Years of Soviet Occupation| year=1994|oclc=948347893}}</ref><br />
<br />
Gailani's constituency was drawn from the following of the Qadiryyah, and his group functioned like a Sufi order, greatly hampering its efficiency as a political and military organisation. The followers of the pir always expected to interact with him personally, which meant that the party functioned like a [[Court (royal)|court]], centered on Gailani and his children, rather than like a modern party. No decision was ever delegated. The quantity of weapons a NIFA mujahideen commander could expect to receive depended mostly on his personal relation with the pir. Also the pir's tradition of generosity led to many abuses, with many party officials receiving essentially fictitious posts through personal contacts.<ref name="Edwards2">{{cite book |last=Edwards |first=David |title=Before Taliban: Genealogies of the Afghan Jihad |url=https://archive.org/details/beforetalibangen00edwa |url-access=limited |year= 2002 |publisher=[[University of California Press]] |location=Berkeley |isbn=978-0-520-22861-0 |page= 274}}</ref><br />
<br />
Despite this, NIFA remained the most popular party among the [[Afghan refugees]] living in Pakistan. A poll carried out in 1987 revealed that 456 refugees out of a sample of 2,000 supported NIFA, which was the highest score of any of the mujahideen parties.<ref>{{cite book |last=Urban |first=Mark |authorlink= Mark Urban |title=War in Afghanistan |year=1990 |publisher=Palgrave MacMillan |location=London |isbn=0-333-51477-7|pages=223 }}</ref> By contrast, the Pakistanis, judging the group inefficient allocated NIFA only 10-11 percent of the weapons procured by the CIA, with a much larger share going to Islamist groups, in particular [[Hekmatyar]]'s [[Hezb-e-Islami Gulbuddin]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Yousaf |first=Mohammad |author2=Adkin, Mark |title=Afghanistan: The Bear Trap |year=2001 |publisher=Casemate |location=Havertown |isbn=0-9711709-2-4 |page=[https://archive.org/details/afghanistanthebe00yous/page/105 105] |url=https://archive.org/details/afghanistanthebe00yous/page/105 }}</ref><br />
<br />
===Following the Soviet Withdrawal===<br />
During the 1990s, it was a minor party within the [[United Islamic Front for the Salvation of Afghanistan|Northern Alliance]].<br />
<br />
In 1991, they fought in [[Kuwait]] against [[Ba'athist Iraq]] during the [[Gulf War]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://apps.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a234743.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190412060905/https://apps.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a234743.pdf|url-status=live|archive-date=12 April 2019|website=apps.dtic.mil|access-date=2018-12-18 |title=DESERT SHIELD AND DESERT STORM A CHRONOLOGY AND TROOP LIST FOR THE 1990–1991 PERSIAN GULF CRISIS}}</ref><br />
<br />
Gailani supported the candidacy of Karzai in the 2004 presidential election.<ref name="Bio"/><br />
<br />
In November 2009 Lal Mohammad, a senior official in the party was assassinated by gunmen mounted on a motorcycle.<ref name=Pahjwok2009-11-03><br />
{{cite news<br />
|url = http://www.pajhwok.com/en/2009/11/03/ex-jihadi-commander-teacher-killed-north<br />
|title = Ex-jihadi commander, teacher killed in north by Zabihullah Ihsas & Hamid on 3 November 2009–13:30<br />
|publisher = [[Pahjwok Afghan News]]<br />
|author = Zabihullah Ihsas, Hamid<br />
|date = 3 November 2009<br />
|archivedate = 13 March 2012<br />
|archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20120313033908/http://www.pajhwok.com/en/2009/11/03/ex-jihadi-commander-teacher-killed-north<br />
|url-status = live<br />
|quote = Gul Ahmad, son of the 55-year-old, said his father had no political relations with anyone and solved people's problems through jirgas. He added his father was a commander of the Jmiat Islami Faction before joining the Mahaz Mili Faction that might be a reason behind his killing.<br />
}}<br />
</ref><br />
<br />
==References==<br />
{{Reflist}}<br />
*Program for Culture and Conflict Studies. [http://www.nps.edu/programs/ccs/MaydenWardak.html Wardak]. US Naval Postgraduate School. Last updated 23 January 2009.<br />
{{Political parties in Afghanistan}}<br />
<br />
{{DEFAULTSORT:National Islamic Front of Afghanistan}}<br />
[[Category:1979 establishments in Afghanistan]]<br />
[[Category:Afghan nationalism]]<br />
[[Category:Anti-Soviet factions in the Soviet–Afghan War]]<br />
[[Category:Islamic political parties in Afghanistan]]<br />
[[Category:Islamic Unity of Afghanistan Mujahideen]]<br />
[[Category:National Islamic Front of Afghanistan politicians|*]]<br />
[[Category:Nationalist parties in Afghanistan]]<br />
[[Category:Political parties established in 1979]]<br />
[[Category:Political parties in Afghanistan]]</div>Boackandwhitehttps://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=User_talk:Pivotman319&diff=1264086518User talk:Pivotman3192024-12-20T10:36:31Z<p>Boackandwhite: /* modifing mujaheddin page */ new section</p>
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<div>{{Talk header}}<br />
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== Double-warn ==<br />
<br />
Hi! You appear to have left a warning on [[User talk:2.104.156.249]] after I already left the same warning. While I'm going to leave the decision to you, I'd kindly recommend undoing your warning, as it may be confusing and is improper. Thank you, and best to you in the quest against vandals! If you see fit, you may choose to amend the comments of your warning to mine. [[User:Builder018|Builder018]] ([[User talk:Builder018|talk]]) 11:35, 5 January 2021 (UTC)<br />
:{{re|Builder018}} Gotcha. Double-warn removed. - [[User:Pivotman319|pivotman319]] ([[User_talk:Pivotman319|📫]]) 11:39, 5 January 2021 (UTC)<br />
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== February 2022 ==<br />
[[File:Information.svg|25px|alt=Information icon]] Hello, I'm [[User:Firestar464|Firestar464]]. I noticed that you added or changed content in an article, [[:2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine]], but you didn't provide a [[Wikipedia:Reliable sources|reliable source]]. It's been removed and archived in the page history for now, but if you'd like to [[Wikipedia:Citing sources|include a citation]] and re-add it, please do so. You can have a look at [[Help:Referencing for beginners|referencing for beginners]]. If you think I made a mistake, you can leave me a message on [[User talk:Firestar464|my talk page]]. Thank you. <!-- Template:uw-unsourced1 --> [[User:Firestar464|Firestar464]] ([[User talk:Firestar464|talk]]) 07:36, 25 February 2022 (UTC)<br />
:{{re|Firestar464}} I'm assuming the revert might have been some sort of mistake? I only reworded the part in the lead section surrounding sanctions that were imposed internationally. - [[User:Pivotman319|pivotman319]] ([[User_talk:Pivotman319|📫]]) 07:39, 25 February 2022 (UTC)<br />
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== mark "invasion of Ukraine" in bold ==<br />
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See also talk page discussion on this point.[[User:Laurel Lodged|Laurel Lodged]] ([[User talk:Laurel Lodged|talk]]) 11:45, 26 February 2022 (UTC)<br />
:{{re|Laurel Lodged}} sorry, just noticed - [[User:Pivotman319|pivotman319]] ([[User_talk:Pivotman319|📫]]) 13:01, 26 February 2022 (UTC)<br />
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== Earlier edits ==<br />
Hi <br />
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I didnt edit the page? <!-- Template:Unsigned IP --><small class="autosigned">—&nbsp;Preceding [[Wikipedia:Signatures|unsigned]] comment added by [[Special:Contributions/81.168.53.8|81.168.53.8]] ([[User talk:81.168.53.8#top|talk]]) 11:51, 3 March 2022 (UTC)</small> <!--Autosigned by SineBot--><br />
:{{re|81.168.53.8}} Please consider [[WP:ACCOUNT|creating (or logging into) an account]] for yourself if you believe these notices are not relevant. - [[User:Pivotman319|pivotman319]] ([[User_talk:Pivotman319|📫]]) 11:58, 3 March 2022 (UTC)<br />
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The Telugu tracklist has a YouTube source. YouTube source cannot be added as it is not reliable source. <!-- Template:Unsigned IP --><small class="autosigned">—&nbsp;Preceding [[Wikipedia:Signatures|unsigned]] comment added by [[Special:Contributions/2001:8F8:1825:2E6F:4458:20E2:2DA8:6D8E|2001:8F8:1825:2E6F:4458:20E2:2DA8:6D8E]] ([[User talk:2001:8F8:1825:2E6F:4458:20E2:2DA8:6D8E#top|talk]]) 12:50, 3 March 2022 (UTC)</small> <!--Autosigned by SineBot--><br />
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== modifing mujaheddin page ==<br />
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thank you for fixing the nato alliance citation that i added on the mujaheddin page😉 [[User:Boackandwhite|Boackandwhite]] ([[User talk:Boackandwhite|talk]]) 10:36, 20 December 2024 (UTC)</div>Boackandwhitehttps://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Afghan_mujahideen&diff=1263739511Afghan mujahideen2024-12-18T09:54:54Z<p>Boackandwhite: </p>
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<div>{{Short description|Islamist resistance groups}}<br />
{{Italic title|string=mujahideen}}<br />
{{Use Oxford spelling|date=August 2021}}<br />
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2021}}<br />
{{Infobox war faction<br />
| name = ''Mujahideen''<br />
| native_name = {{lang|ps|مجاهدين}}<br />
| native_name_lang = ps<br />
| image = Afghan mujahideen.jpg<br />
| image_size = 250px<br />
| caption = Mujahideen of the [[Yunus Khalis]] group, 1987<br />
| organizations = [[Islamic Unity of Afghanistan Mujahideen|Peshawar Seven]] (Sunni Groups)<br />
* {{flagicon image|Flag of Jamiat-e Islami.svg}} [[Jamiat-i Islami]]<br />
* {{flagicon image|Flag of Hezbi Islami Gulbuddin.svg}} [[Hezb-e Islami Gulbuddin]]<br />
*{{flagicon image|Logo of Hezb-e Islami Khalis.svg}} [[Hezb-i Islami Khalis]]<br />
* {{flagicon image|Black flag.svg}} [[Islamic Dawah Organisation of Afghanistan|Islamic Union for the Liberation of Afghanistan]]<br />
*[[Islamic and National Revolution Movement of Afghanistan|Islamic Revolutionary Movement of Afghanistan]] <br />
* {{flagicon image|Flag of the National Islamic Front of Afghanistan.svg}} [[National Islamic Front of Afghanistan]]<br />
*National Liberation Front<br />
[[Tehran Eight]] (Shia Groups)<br /> (All except the Islamic Movement and Hezbollah Merged into [[Hezbe Wahdat]])<br />
*[[Hezbollah Afghanistan]]<br />
* {{flagicon image|Emblem of the Nasr Party (Afghanistan).svg}}[[Sazman-i Nasr]] <br />
* {{flagicon image|Emblem of the Revolutionary Guards of Afghanistan.svg}} Corps of Islamic Revolution Guardians of Afghanistan<br />
*The [[Islamic Movement of Afghanistan]]<br />
*[[Revolutionary Council of Islamic Unity of Afghanistan]]<br />
*Islamic Revolution Movement<br />
*Union of Islamic Fighters<br />
*Raad ("Thunder") party<br />
Other Groups<br />
*[[Afghanistan Liberation Organization]]<br />
*[[Liberation Organization of the People of Afghanistan]]<br />
*[[Afghanistan Mujahedin Freedom Fighters Front]]<br />
*[[Islamic Union of the Northern Provinces]]<br />
*[[Sharafat Kuh Front]]<br />
*[[Partisans of National Liberation of Afghanistan]]<br />
*[[Harakat-e-Mulavi]]<br />
| flag = [[File:Flag of the Afghan interim government-in-exile (1988–1992).svg|100px]]<br />
| active = 1975–1992 (resistance phase)<br />1992–1996 (loyalist factions)<br />
| ideology = [[Islamism]]<br />[[Anti-communism]]<br />[[Anti-Sovietism]]<br />[[Afghan nationalism]]<br />
| motives = Combat the Soviet invasion of [[Afghanistan]] and overthrow the Soviet-backed [[Democratic Republic of Afghanistan|communist government]]<br />
| leaders = [[Burhanuddin Rabbani]] and [[Ahmad Shah Massoud]] (Jamiat)<br />[[Sibghatullah Mojaddedi]] (JNMA/AIG)<br />[[Gulbuddin Hekmatyar]] (HIG)<br />[[Mohammad Nabi Mohammadi]] (Harakat)<br />[[Abdul Ali Mazari]] (Wahdat)<br />
| area = {{flatlist| <br />
* Afghanistan<br />
* Pakistan}}<br />
| size = <br />
| allies = {{flag|Pakistan}}<br />{{flag|United States}}<br />{{flag|Saudi Arabia}}<br />{{flag|China}}<br/>{{flag|Turkey}}<br />{{flag|West Germany}}<br />{{flag|Iran}}<br /> ([[Tehran Eight]])<ref>{{cite news|last1=Renz|first1=Michael|title=Operation Sommerregen|url=https://www.welt.de/print/wams/politik/article120664012/Operation-Sommerregen.html|access-date=6 June 2015|agency=Die Welt|issue=40|newspaper=Die Welt|date=October 6, 2012|language=de}}</ref><ref name=":1" /><br />{{flag|United Kingdom}}<ref name=":1">{{cite book|surname1=Michael Pohly|title=Krieg und Widerstand in Afghanistan|pages=154|language=de}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{cite web|url=http://www.foia.cia.gov/sites/default/files/document_conversions/89801/DOC_0000284013.pdf|title=Use of toxins and other lethal agents in Southeast Asia and Afghanistan|date=2 February 1982|access-date=21 October 2014|publisher=CIA|archive-date=10 September 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140910213821/http://www.foia.cia.gov/sites/default/files/document_conversions/89801/DOC_0000284013.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref><br />{{flag|Egypt}}<ref>{{cite web|title=Das Engagement der arabischen Staaten in Afghanistan|url=http://www.bpb.de/apuz/32735/das-engagement-der-arabischen-staaten-in-afghanistan?p=all|access-date=2016-03-18|last=Inken Wiese| date=14 May 2010 |language=de}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{cite book |surname1=Conrad Schetter|title=Ethnizität und ethnische Konflikte in Afghanistan|pages=430|language=de}}</ref><br /><br />
{{flag|NATO}}{{cite web |url=https://apps.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a234743.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190412060905/https://apps.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a234743.pdf |url-status=live |archive-date=12 April 2019 |website=apps.dtic.mil |access-date=2018-12-18 |title=Desert Shield And Desert Storm: A Chronology And Troop List for the 1990–1991 Persian Gulf Crisis}}<br />
| opponents = {{flag|Democratic Republic of Afghanistan}}<br />{{flag|Soviet Union}}<br/>{{Flagcountry|Ba'athist Iraq}} (1991)<br/><br />
| battles = [[1975 Panjshir Valley uprising]]{{Clear}}[[Soviet–Afghan War]] (1979–1989)<br />[[Afghan Civil War (1989–1992)|First Afghan Civil War]] (1989–1992)<br />[[Gulf War]] (1991)<br />
| successor = [[Northern Alliance]]{{Clear}}[[Taliban]]<br />
}}<br />
{{Campaignbox Soviet–Afghan War}}<br />
{{Campaignbox Afghan Civil War}}<br />
{{Covert United States involvement in regime change}}<br />
<br />
The '''Afghan ''mujahideen''''' ({{langx|ps|افغان مجاهدين|translit=}}; {{langx|prs|مجاهدین افغان|translit=}}) were [[Islamist]] militant groups that fought against the [[Democratic Republic of Afghanistan]] and the [[Soviet Union]] during the [[Soviet–Afghan War]] and the subsequent [[Afghan Civil War (1989–1992)|First Afghan Civil War]].<br />
<br />
The term ''[[mujahideen|mujahid]]'' (from {{Langx|ar|مجاهدين|link=no}}) is used in a religious context by [[Muslims]] to refer to those engaged in a struggle of any nature for the sake of [[Islam]], commonly referred to as ''[[jihad]]'' ({{Langx|ar|جهاد|label=none}}). The Afghan mujahidin consisted of numerous groups that differed from each other across ethnic and/or ideological lines, but were united by their [[Anti-communism|anti-communist]] and pro-Islamic goals. The coalition of [[anti-Soviet]] Muslim militias was also known as the "Afghan resistance",<ref>Sources:<br />
* {{Cite book |last=Arnold |first=Anthony |title=Afghanistan's two-party communism: Parcham and Khalq |publisher=Hoover University Press |year=1983 |isbn=0-8179-7792-9 |location=Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA |pages=109, 129, 133, 134}}<br />
* {{cite book| first= Andrew |last= Langley |year= 2007 |chapter= Introduction |title= The collapse of the Soviet Union: the end of an empire |isbn=978-0-7565-2009-0 | publisher= Compass Point Books|location= Minneapolis, MN |page=43}}<br />
* {{cite book|last=Amstutz|first=J. Bruce|title=Afghanistan: The First Five Years of Soviet Occupation|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RUSNyMH1aFQC|date=1 July 1994|publisher=DIANE Publishing|isbn=9780788111112|pages=133, 134}}<br />
* {{cite book| first1= Deigo |last1= Cordovez |last2= Harrison |first2= Selig S. | year= 1995 |title= Out of Afghanistan: The Inside Story of the Soviet Withdrawal |isbn=0-19-506294-9 |chapter=2: Soviet Occupation, Afghan Resistance, and the American Response | publisher= Oxford University Press|location= New York, USA |pages=57–59}}</ref> and the [[Western media|Western press]] widely referred to the [[Afghan people|Afghan]] [[guerrillas]] as "freedom fighters", or "Mountain Men".<br />
<br />
The militants of the Afghan mujahidin were recruited and organized immediately after the Soviet Union invaded [[Afghanistan]] in 1979, initially from the regular Afghan population and defectors from the [[Afghan Armed Forces#20th century|Afghan military]], with the aim of waging an armed struggle against both the [[Communism|communist]] government of the [[People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan]], which had taken power in the 1978 [[Saur Revolution]], and the Soviet Union, which had invaded the country in support of the former. There were many ideologically different factions among the mujahidin, with the most influential being the [[Jamiat-e Islami]] and [[Hezb-e Islami Gulbuddin]] parties. The Afghan mujahidin were generally divided into two distinct alliances: the larger and more significant [[Sunni Islam]]ic union collectively referred to as the "Peshawar Seven", based in [[Pakistan]], and the smaller [[Shia Islam]]ic union collectively referred to as the "[[Tehran Eight]]", based in [[Iran]]; as well as independent units that referred to themselves as "mujahidin". The "Peshawar Seven" alliance received heavy assistance from the [[United States]] ([[Operation Cyclone]]), [[Pakistan]], [[Saudi Arabia]], [[Turkey]], the [[United Kingdom]], as well as other countries and private international donors.<br />
<br />
The basic units of the mujahidin continued to reflect the highly decentralized nature of Afghan society and strong loci of competing [[Pashtun tribes|Pashtun tribal groups]], which had formed a union with other Afghan groups under intense American, Saudi Arabian and Pakistani pressure.<ref><br />
{{cite book<br />
| isbn=978-0-231-12692-2<br />
| url=https://archive.org/details/insidealqaedaglo00guna<br />
| url-access=registration<br />
| page=[https://archive.org/details/insidealqaedaglo00guna/page/254 254]<br />
| quote=Union of Mujahidin OR Union of Mujahideen.<br />
| title=Inside Al Qaeda: Global Network of Terror<br />
| author=Rohan Gunaratna<br />
| publisher=[[Columbia University Press]]<br />
| year=2002<br />
}}</ref><ref><br />
{{cite book<br />
| isbn=978-0-7546-3615-1<br />
| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=n1pKnc3RJGIC&q=%22Union+of+Mujahidin%22+OR+%22Union+of+Mujahideen%22&pg=PA138<br />
| title=A Bitter Harvest: US Foreign Policy and Afghanistan<br />
| author=Tom Lansford<br />
| publisher=[[Ashgate Publishing, Ltd.]]<br />
| year=2003<br />
| quote=Under pressure from the United States, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, the main mujahideen parties joined together to form the Islamic Union of Mujahideen of Afghanistan in May 1985. The alliance was led by a general council which included Hekmatyr, Rabbani, and [[Abd-ur-Rabb-ur-Rasul Sayyaf]], the leader of the [[Islamic Union for the Liberation of Afghanistan]] which was established and funded by the Saudis.}}</ref> The alliance sought to function as a united diplomatic front towards the international community, and sought representation in the [[United Nations]] and the [[Organisation of Islamic Cooperation|Organisation of the Islamic Conference]].<ref>{{cite journal |first=George W. |last=Collins |title=The War in Afghanistan |journal=Air University Review |date=March–April 1986 |url=http://www.airpower.au.af.mil/airchronicles/aureview/1986/mar-apr/collins.html |access-date=2009-03-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081003015504/http://www.airpower.au.af.mil/airchronicles/aureview/1986/mar-apr/collins.html |archive-date=2008-10-03 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The Afghan mujahidin also saw thousands of volunteers from various [[Muslim world|Muslim countries]] come to Afghanistan to aid the resistance. The majority of the international fighters came from the [[Arab world]], and later became known as [[Afghan Arabs]]; the most well-known [[Arabs|Arab]] financier and militant of the group during this period was [[Osama bin Laden]], who would later found [[al-Qaeda]] and mastermind the [[September 11 attacks]] on the United States. Other international fighters from the Indian subcontinent became involved in terrorist activities in [[Kashmir]] and against the states of [[Bangladesh]] and [[Myanmar]] during the 1990s.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Layekuzzaman |date=2021-09-02 |title=Will the Era of Afghan Mujahideen Return to Bangladesh Againh? |url=https://thedailyguardian.com/will-the-era-of-afghan-mujahideen-return-to-bangladesh-again/ |access-date=2022-11-17 |website=The Daily Guardian |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-02-03 |title=Ours Not To Question Why |url=https://www.outlookindia.com/website/story/ours-not-to-question-why/236926 |access-date=2022-11-17 |website=www.outlookindia.com/ |language=en}}</ref> The mujahidin guerrillas fought a long and costly war against the [[Soviet Armed Forces|Soviet military]], which suffered heavy losses and withdrew from the country in 1989, after which the rebels' war against the communist Afghan government continued. The loosely-aligned mujahidin took the capital city of [[Kabul]] in 1992 following the collapse of the [[Government of the Soviet Union|Moscow]]-backed government. However, the new mujahidin government that was formed by the [[Peshawar Accord]]s following these events was quickly fractured by rival factions and became severely dysfunctional. This unrest quickly escalated into [[Afghan Civil War (1992–1996)|a second civil war]], which saw the large-scale collapse of the united Afghan mujahidin and the victorious emergence of the [[Taliban]], which established the [[Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (1996–2001)|Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan]] shortly after taking most of the country in 1996. The Taliban groups were then ousted in 2001 during the [[War in Afghanistan (2001–2021)|War in Afghanistan]], but regrouped and [[2021 Taliban offensive|retook the country]] in 2021.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/national-security/even-taliban-are-surprised-how-fast-they-re-advancing-afghanistan-n1272236|title=Taliban forces rapidly gaining ground in Afghanistan as U.S. leaves|website=NBC News|date=25 June 2021 }}</ref><br />
<br />
==Origins and formation==<br />
Certain organisations that would later form the ''mujahideen'' had already existed, such as [[Jamiat-e Islami]] in 1972 and [[Hezbi Islami|Hezb-e Islami]] in 1976, as militias and paramilitary groups. The two organizations first took part in the [[1975 Panjshir Valley uprising|1975 Panjshir Valley]] and [[1975 Laghman uprising|Laghman uprisings]], and perpetrated acid attacks on women who were unveiled.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Haqqani |first=Husain |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nYppZ_dEjdIC&q=Jamiat-e+Islami+afghanistan&pg=PA171 |title=Pakistan: Between Mosque and Military |date=2010-03-10 |publisher=Carnegie Endowment |isbn=978-0-87003-285-1 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last1=Wahab |first1=Shaista |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=y20MTE0C9kwC |title=A Brief History of Afghanistan |last2=Youngerman |first2=Barry |date=2007 |publisher=Infobase Publishing |isbn=978-1-4381-0819-3 |language=en}}</ref><br />
<br />
Groups of resistance formed in parts of eastern Afghanistan by the fall of 1978, but it was in early 1979 that the situation rapidly escalated to open rebellion. As early as February 2, 1979, it was reported that Afghan dissidents were receiving guerilla training across the border in Pakistan.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://nsarchive2.gwu.edu/carterbrezhnev/docs_intervention_in_afghanistan_and_the_fall_of_detente/fall_of_detente_chron.pdf |title=The Intervention in Afghanistan and the Fall of Detente. A Chronology|website=nsarchive2.gwu.edu|access-date=31 March 2023}}</ref> The conflict reached a height during the [[1979 Herat uprising|Herat mutiny]] in March, in which a non-organized group of Afghan army mutineers from the 17th Division and the civilians rebelled and briefly overthrew the city garrison. The incident and subsequent air bombardment gave indications of a looming civil war. [[Sibghatullah Mojaddedi]], a leader of [[Islamic mysticism]] and a [[hazrat]], was one of the original leaders of an organized anti-government armed group. He created an organization named the Afghan National Liberation Front (''[[Jabha-i Nejat-i Milli]]'') and on May 25, 1979, appealed for support in New York City.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1979/05/26/archives/afghan-rebel-group-appeals-in-new-york-for-aid-for-its-forces-10.html|title=Afghan Rebel Group Appeals in New York For Aid for Its Forces|newspaper=The New York Times|date=26 May 1979}}</ref> [[Ahmed Gailani|Sayyed Ahmad Gailani]], a spiritual leader (''[[pir (Sufism)|pir]]''), also created a resistance organization during this time, called National Islamic Front (''Mahaz-e-Millie-Islami''). [[Mawlawi (Islamic title)|Mawlawi]] [[Mohammad Nabi Mohammadi]], a religious scholar and former member of parliament in the Kingdom, formed the Revolutionary Islamic Movement (Harakat-e-Inqilab-e-Islami); he was well known for assaulting prominent leftist [[Babrak Karmal]] inside the House of Representatives in 1966.<ref name="auto">{{Cite web|url=https://publishing.cdlib.org/ucpressebooks/view?docId=ft7b69p12h;chunk.id=0;doc.view=print|title=Afghanistan|website=publishing.cdlib.org}}</ref> On August 11, 1979, the Afghan National Liberation Front along with three others groups ([[Jamiat-i Islami]], [[Hezb-i Islami Khalis]], and Revolutionary Islamic Movement) formed a new organization based in [[Peshawar]], Pakistan, aiming to establish an [[Islamic Republic]]. Other rebel movements were also active throughout the country, including [[Hazaras|Hazara]] tribes that had some 5,000 men as of August 1979.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://web.stanford.edu/group/tomzgroup/pmwiki/uploads/3025-1979-10-12-KS-b-EYJ.pdf|title=Intensification of Warfare between Government Forces and Moslem Rebels - Government Changes - Alleged Involvement of Foreign Powers |website=stanford.edu|access-date=31 March 2023|date=12 October 1979|page=29878 }}</ref><br />
<br />
A broad mujahidin had existed as a ''de facto'' political bloc since May 1979, when the [[Government of Pakistan|Pakistani government]] decided to limit the flow of financial aid to the said seven organizations, thus cutting off monetary supply to nationalist and left-wing resistance groups.<ref>{{cite book|first=Thomas |last=Ruttig |title=Islamists, Leftists – and a Void in the Center. Afghanistan's Political Parties and where they come from (1902-2006) |publisher=Konrad Adenauer Stiftung |access-date=2009-03-27 |url=http://www.kas.de/db_files/dokumente/7_dokument_dok_pdf_9674_2.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130524194344/http://www.kas.de/db_files/dokumente/7_dokument_dok_pdf_9674_2.pdf |archive-date=2013-05-24 }}</ref><br />
<br />
The [[Operation Storm-333|Soviet operation of December 1979]] turned the civil war into a war of liberation, and the ''[[jihad]]'' was more forceful than previous Afghan empires had fought against the British and the Sikhs. Except for pockets of supporters of the DRA regime, almost every social, religious and ethnic group protested the Soviet action (despite their removal of the tyrannical [[Khalq]] regime), and even religious minorities of Afghan Sikhs and Hindus covertly assisted the mujahidin.<ref name="auto"/> Following the exodus of Afghans to Pakistan in 1980, as many as 84 different resistance groups were formed in Peshawar. A coalition of the resistance with a united front for military activities was demanded by Afghan refugees during meetings in Peshawar in 1980. They, including tribal and community elders, former members of parliament and mujahidin commanders, met in several ''[[loya jirga]]s'' (traditional grand assembly) to solidify the resistance, liberate Afghanistan from the Soviet Union, topple the Kabul regime, and create a single political bloc. Mojaddedi took part in these, and the first jirga passed a resolution on February 21, 1980. The last round of the jirga in May 1980 set up the Islamic National Revolutionary Council, headed by Mohammad Omar Babrakzay as acting president. It advocated for a national, Islamic, and democratic republic. The pressure persuaded leaders of the Islamic groups to make attempts to unite. A coalition of the three Islamist and three traditionalist organizations, the Islamic Union for the Liberation of Afghanistan, was formed, headed by [[Abdul Rasul Sayyaf]]. However, it did not last, as [[Gulbuddin Hekmatyar]]'s group (''[[Hizb-i Islami Gulbuddin]]'') and later the three traditionalist groups seceded from it. These three set up the Union of the Three. The Islamic Union later called the tribal Revolutionary Council an "enemy".<ref name="auto"/><br />
<br />
Because of disunity, elders from western Afghanistan attempted to hold a loya jirga, citing that [[party politics]] disunited the resisting Afghans. Political Islamists warned against people attending the jirga, but it was held safely in September 1981 in [[Pishin, Pakistan]], consisting of tribal elders, the Ulama, and military officers. Elders native from [[Nangarhar]] proposed that the former Afghan king, [[Mohammed Zahir Shah]], would be an ideal "National Leader" in any coalition. However, Pakistan, which preferred a divided Afghan resistance, was against the return of the former king to Afghanistan, seeing it as a symbol of Afghan nationalism.<ref name="auto"/><br />
<br />
==Groups==<br />
There were seven major mujahidin groups as recognized by Pakistan and its allies, based in [[Peshawar]] and sometimes called the ''Peshawar Seven''. They were often categorized into the fundamentalist and traditional; the fundamentalist factions were militarily stronger in the war.<ref name=auto1>{{cite web|url=https://www.ecoi.net/en/file/local/1154721/1226_1369733568_ppig1.pdf |title=Background Paper. Afghanistan: Political Parties and Insurgent Groups 1978-2001|website=Australian Refugee Review Tribunal|access-date=31 March 2023|date=7 March 2013}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.caspianpolicy.org/special-report-the-afghan-peace-process/|title=Special report: The Afghan Peace Process|access-date=31 March 2023}}{{Dead link|date=August 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref><br />
;Political Islamist<br />
* {{flagicon image|Flag of Jamiat-e Islami.svg}} [[Jamiat-i Islami]]<ref>(Pashto/Dari: جمعیت اسلامی)</ref> (''Islamic Society of Afghanistan''), a mostly [[Tajiks|Tajik]] faction headed by [[Burhanuddin Rabbani]], a former professor of theology at Kabul University, advocating for a semi-democratic Islamic revolutionary state - one of the most notable and strongest of the ''mujahideen'' factions<br />
* {{flagicon image|Flag of Hezbi Islami Gulbuddin.svg}} [[Hizb-i Islami Gulbuddin|Hizb-i Islami (Gulbuddin)]]<ref>(Pashto/Dari: حزب اسلامی گلبدین)</ref> (''Islamic Party''), a radical, oppositionist faction headed by [[Gulbuddin Hekmatyar]] who enjoyed the largest amount of ISI Pakistan funding, Saudi intelligence funding, and American CIA funding; traditionally strongest in [[Ghilzai]] Pashtun tribal regions in the south-east - aimed for a state similar to that founded and led by [[Ruhollah Khomeini|Khomeini]] in [[Iran]]<br />
* {{flagicon image|Logo of Hezb-e Islami Khalis.svg}} [[Hezb-i Islami Khalis]]<ref>(Pashto/Dari: حزب اسلامی خالص)</ref> (''Islamic Party''), a splinter faction headed by theologian [[Mohammad Yunus Khalis]], with its supporter base having been Ghilzai Pashtuns - favored cooperation with other factions<br />
* {{flagicon image|Black flag.svg}} [[Ittihad-i Islami]]<ref>(Pashto/Dari: اتحاد اسلامی برای آزادی افغانستان)</ref> (''Islamic Union (for the liberation of Afghanistan)''), a faction advocating for [[Wahhabism]], led by fundamentalist [[Abdul Rasul Sayyaf]] and funded by Saudi Arabia; smaller than the other parties, but influential in international recruitment for the jihad<ref>{{cite book|authorlink=Steve Coll|last=Coll|first=Steve|title=[[Ghost Wars|Ghost Wars: The Secret History of the CIA, Afghanistan, and Bin Laden, from the Soviet Invasion to September 10, 2001]]|publisher=[[Penguin Group]]|year=2004|isbn=9781594200076|page=201|quote=The CIA's Islamabad station estimated in a 1989 cable to Langley that there were probably about four thousand Arab volunteers in Afghanistan, mainly organized under Sayyaf's leadership. He was in turn heavily supported by Saudi intelligence and Gulf charities.}}</ref><br />
<br />
;Afghan traditionalist<br />
* [[Harakat-i Inqilab-i Islami]]<ref>(Pashto/Dari: حرکت انقلاب اسلامی افغانستان)</ref> (''Revolutionary Islamic Movement (of Afghanistan)''), a [[Pashtun]] faction led by [[Mohammad Nabi Mohammadi]], a religious figure and former member of parliament, and gaining support among Pashtun tribes in the south<br />
* [[Jabha-i Nejat-i Milli]]<ref>(Pashto/Dari: جبه نجات ملی)</ref> (''(Afghan) National Liberation Front''), headed by the [[Tariqa|Sufi order]] [[Sibghatullah Mojaddedi]], a [[monarchist]] faction that favored the return of Afghanistan's ousted King, [[Zahir Shah]], in a traditional Islamic state with a parliamentary democracy; it was said to be the weakest militarily, although with a respected leader<br />
* [[Mahaz-i Milli]]<ref>(Pashto/Dari: حمحاذ ملی اسلامی افغانستان)</ref> (''National (Islamic) Front''), the most secular, pro-Western and liberal of the mujahidin factions, rejecting both communism and Islamic fundamentalism, instead adhering to Pashtun nationalism, democracy and a return of the monarchy; led by [[Ahmed Gailani|Sayid Ahmad Gailani]], an Islamic mystical figure, and supported by a number of tribal leaders<br />
<br />
===Commanders===<br />
[[File:Wardak Amin 65.jpg|thumb|[[Amin Wardak]], a mujahidin commander of [[Maidan Wardak Province]]]]<br />
Some of the group leaders also acted as commanders, such as Khalis and Hekmatyar. The other notable mujahidin commanders were [[Ahmad Shah Massoud]] (Jamiat-i Islami), [[Abdul Haq (Afghan leader)|Abdul Haq]] (Hizb-i Islami Khalis), [[Ismail Khan]] (Jamiat-i Islami), [[Jalaluddin Haqqani]] (Hizb-i Islami Khalis), [[Amin Wardak]] (Mahaz-e Melli) and [[Mohammad Zabihullah]] (Jamiat-i Islami).<ref name="auto2">{{cite book| last=Amstutz| first=J. Bruce| publisher=Diane Publishing| isbn=978-0-7881-1111-2| url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_RUSNyMH1aFQC| title=Afghanistan: The First Five Years of Soviet Occupation| year=1994|oclc=948347893}}</ref><br />
<br />
===Ideologies and divisions===<br />
[[File:August 1985 Muja.jpg|thumb|Mujahidin guerillas in [[Kunar Province]], Afghanistan, 1985]]<br />
The Afghan ''mujahideen'' were not a united movement. The resistance parties remained deeply divided along ethnic, ideological and personal lines, despite internal and external pressures to unite. Dutch journalist Jere Van Dyk reported in 1981 that the guerillas were effectively fighting two civil wars: one against the regime and the Soviets, and another among themselves. [[Gulbuddin Hekmatyar]]'s [[Hizb-i Islami Gulbuddin|Hizb-i Islami]] was most cited as the initiator of cross-mujahidin clashes. Through the years, there were various efforts to create a united front, but all were either non-effective or failed in a short time. At least three different iterations of an "Islamic Unity of Afghan Mujahedin" (IUAM) were tried, none of which lasted. The formation of the Afghanistan Interim Government (AIG) in 1988 also failed to promote unity.<ref name=auto3>{{cite thesis|url=http://prr.hec.gov.pk/jspui/bitstream/123456789/1322/1/799S.pdf|title=The causes of the failure of the government of Afghanistan under Professor Burhanuddin Rabbani|location=University of Peshawar|date=December 2007|degree=PhD|author=Ahmad Noor}}</ref> Additionally, it only included the select Sunni Muslim groups approved by Pakistan; Shi'ite groups backed by Iran and pro-Chinese (anti-Soviet) leftist groups were excluded.<ref name="auto"/><br />
<br />
''Mujahideen'' leader [[Mohammad Yunus Khalis]] thought that the lack of trust among the various leaders was a factor for the many disunited organizations.<ref name="auto"/> Numerous ''mujahideen'' commanders additionally regarded schools and its teachers as legitimate targets for attacks, with their justification being that the [[People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan|PDPA]]’s [[Left-wing politics|leftist]] ideology was taught in educational institutions to students.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Urban |first=Mark |date=1990 |title=War in Afghanistan |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-20761-9 |doi=10.1007/978-1-349-20761-9|isbn=978-0-333-51478-8 }}</ref><br />
<br />
{{blockquote|text=The only party fighting the Soviets was the Harakat-i Inqilab-i Islami. The others were all fighting each other.|author=Eduard Lagourge, French aid worker in Afghanistan, 1988<ref name="auto3"/>}}<br />
<br />
The issue of the exiled king, [[Mohammed Zahir Shah]], also caused divisions. Zahir Shah enjoyed considerable popularity among the Afghan refugees in Pakistan. Both Hekmatyar and Khalis were strongly against the king, while Gailani, Mojaddedi and Mohammadi supported an interim coalition with him. Rabbani and Sayyaf were initially against a role for the king, later changing their minds.<ref name="auto3"/><ref name="auto1"/><br />
<br />
Although the Afghan mujahidin were praised for bravery in resisting a superpower, the lack of unity showed weaknesses in the guerillas, such as the lack of a clear political strategy.<ref name="auto3"/><br />
<br />
In an attempt to dissuade infighting and develop a ''de facto'' functioning [[proto state]], [[Ahmad Shah Massoud]] created the [[Shura-e Nazar]] in 1984, an offshoot of the Jamiat faction. Shura-e Nazar was created as a military–political combination and consisted of an organized structure dealing with health and education in the areas it operated in (northern and north-eastern Afghanistan).<br />
<br />
====Attempts at unity====<br />
{{Anchor|Union of the Seven|Islamic Unity of Afghan Mujahidin|Afghan Interim Government}}<br />
In 1981 the Islamist groups formed a broader alliance, the '''Union of the Seven''', made up of the three Islamist groups, the newly formed organization led by Sayyaf, and three splinter groups. But many differences remained between them. In 1985, under pressure from the king of Saudi Arabia – which was a major donor to the mujahidin – a more broad coalition was created, named '''Islamic Unity of Afghan Mujahidin''' (IUAM), comprising the four main Islamist and three moderate groups. It was also nicknamed the '''Seven Party Mujahidin Alliance''', the '''Peshawar Seven''', and the '''Seven Dwarves'''.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Wright|first=Lawrence|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/761224415|title=The Looming Tower: Al-Qaeda and the Road to 9/11|publisher=Vintage Books|year=2011|isbn=978-0-525-56436-2|edition=1|location=New York|pages=115|oclc=761224415}}</ref><br />
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In 1989 under the patronage of Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, An '''Afghan Interim Government''' (AIG) was formed in Pakistan to coincide with the withdrawal of Soviet troops from Afghanistan. The Interim Government had been in exile in Pakistan since 1988.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Afghan Interim Rule: Rocky Road |work=Christian Science Monitor |url=https://www.csmonitor.com/1992/0513/13181.html |access-date=2023-09-02 |issn=0882-7729}}</ref><ref>[https://www.cia.gov/readingroom/docs/DOC_0000258646.pdf Middle East Brief] cia.gov</ref> The Interim Government was Headed by traditionalist [[Sibghatullah Mojaddedi]], with orthodox [[Abdul Rasul Sayyaf]] as prime minister, the AIG represented itself as a [[government in exile]] and a legitimate incoming state following the Soviet withdrawal.<ref name="auto"/> The two individuals proved popular, despite not being leaders of major groups, with Sayyaf said to have had exceptional ability in solving issues. However, the AIG was weak, as it only included the Peshawar Seven and not nationalists or tribal elders. After the Soviet withdrawal, the AIG attempted to establish itself within Afghan territory – the mujahidin and Pakistani forces attacked the city of [[Jalalabad]] in March 1989,<ref name="Abbas22">{{Cite news |last=Nasir |first=Abbas |date=18 August 2015 |title=The legacy of Pakistan's loved and loathed Hamid Gul |work=Al-Jazeera |url=http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2015/08/legacy-pakistan-loved-loathed-hamid-gul-150817114006616.html |access-date=4 January 2017 |quote=His commitment to jihad – to an Islamic revolution transcending national boundaries, was such that he dreamed one day the "green Islamic flag" would flutter not just over Pakistan and Afghanistan, but also over territories represented by the (former Soviet Union) Central Asian republics. After the Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan, as the director-general of the Pakistan's intelligence organisation, Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) directorate, an impatient Gul wanted to establish a government of the so-called Mujahideen on Afghan soil. He then ordered an assault using non-state actors on Jalalabad, the first major urban centre across the Khyber Pass from Pakistan, with the aim capturing it and declaring it as the seat of the new administration. This was the spring of 1989 and a furious prime minister, Benazir Bhutto – who was kept in the dark by ... Gul and ... Mirza Aslam Beg – demanded that Gul be removed from the ISI.}}</ref> visioning a final victory towards Kabul, but were disastrously defeated by the Afghan Army.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.refworld.org/docid/467bb4855.html|title=Human Rights Watch World Report 1989 - Afghanistan|publisher=United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees|website=Refworld}}</ref> The rivalry between Hekmatyar and the Jamiat-i Islami only increased, leading to Hekmatyar's resignation from the AIG. He eventually decided to go at the Kabul regime in a very different way: a coalition with [[Khalq]] communists of General [[Shahnawaz Tanai]], which caused many resignations in his party in protest. Together, they launched a [[1990 Afghan coup attempt|coup attempt in 1990]] to oust the Parchamite [[Mohammed Najibullah]], but failed.<ref name="auto"/><br />
<br />
===Other resistance groups===<br />
====Shi'ite groups====<br />
{{see also|Tehran Eight}}<br />
A number of [[Shia]] militia groups also operated, mainly in central Afghanistan populated by ethnic [[Hazaras]]. These groups were also, similarly, divided between themselves. [[Sayyid Ali Beheshti]]'s [[Revolutionary Council of Islamic Unity of Afghanistan|Shura-i Inqilab-i Ittifaq]], a traditionalist group, controlled the [[Hazarajat]] at first, but pro-Iran [[Khomeinism|Khomeinist]] groups challenged them and took control of the region from them. By the mid-1980s the strongest of these was [[Sazman-i Nasr]], while Shura-i Inqilab-i Ittifaq was prominent only in [[Maidan Wardak]].<ref>{{cite book |first=A. Z. |last=Hilali |title=US-Pakistan relationship: Soviet invasion of Afghanistan |year=2005 |isbn= 978-0-7546-4220-6 |page=125 |publisher=Ashgate Publishing, Ltd}}</ref> They united as the "[[Tehran Eight]]" in 1987 (so-called due to Iranian support). In 1989, most of these merged into one group, [[Hezb-e Wahdat]].<ref name="auto1"/><br />
<br />
====Maoist groups====<br />
{{see also|Sino-Soviet split}}<br />
There were also [[Maoist]] militias that fought against the Soviets and the Afghan regime, as well as the Mujahidin. They were initially well organized and carried out attacks in Kabul; the [[KGB]] then had a policy of clearing Kabul of any pro-Chinese elements. A mild suspicion from [[KHAD]] was enough to put someone in prison by accusing them of being a pro-Chinese communist. The [[People's Republic of China]], which was a backer of the main Pakistan-based Mujahidin, was either unable or unwilling to help the Afghan Maoists. [[Majid Kalakani]], a prominent figure and leader of the [[Liberation Organization of the People of Afghanistan]] (SAMA), was executed by the Afghan regime in June 1980.<ref name="auto"/> Members of [[Shola-e Javid]] ("Eternal Flame") were involved in fighting the government and mujahidin (particularly [[Hezb-i Islami]]). The [[Babrak Karmal]] government arrested many of its members in June 1981.<ref name="auto1"/><br />
<br />
====Smaller groups====<br />
Smaller mujahidin groups not connected to the main seven parties include the [[Sharafat Kuh Front]] in Farah Province and [[Harakat-e-Mulavi]]. Additionally a [[Baloch people|Baloch]] nationalist group operated called the [[Nimruz Front]].<br />
<br />
The [[Settam-e-Melli]] was a small long-time splinter faction of the PDPA based in [[Badakhshan Province]] that fought against the regime and other Mujahidin. They were driven out of [[Panjshir Valley]] by Massoud's mujahidin forces in 1981. By 1983 its resistance seemed to have ceased as it appeared to join the Karmal government.<ref name="auto2"/><br />
<br />
The moderate [[Afghan Millat Party|Afghan Social Democratic Party (Afghan Millat)]], formed in the 1960s, also resisted in the early days of the war. It was treated as a [[Outcast (person)|pariah]] by the recognized Peshawar-based mujahidin groups. Its guerilla band was heavily damaged in September 1980 following an attack by Hekmatyar's mujahidin forces. The regime in Kabul neutralized an Afghan Millat unit in the city in 1983.<ref name="auto2"/><br />
<br />
==Equipment==<br />
{{See also|List of military equipment used by mujahideen during Soviet–Afghan War}}<br />
Most of the Mujahidin's weapons were of Soviet design; this includes mostly those that were supplied by their funders and smaller numbers that were captured from the Soviet or Afghan militaries. It was disclosed in 1981 that [[recoilless rifle]]s (Chinese 83mm, Blo, 70mm) were being used by the resistance. Also in use were [[82-BM-37|Soviet 82 mm mortars]], British mortars and Chinese [[M2 mortar|Type 63]] mortars. Twin barrelled Chinese-built [[ZPU|Type 58]]s has been seen in smaller numbers. [[Lee–Enfield]] rifles, Egyptian made [[AKM]]s, and Chinese made [[SKS]]s have also been used by them.<ref>Resistance Movement in Afghanistan (1979-81), Mahfooz Ahmad, ''Pakistan Horizon''</ref><br />
<br />
Beginning in 1985, they began to receive heavy equipment like [[bazooka]]s and heavy machine guns, while also receiving better equipment for the cold winters, such as snow boots and ski tents. The raised fundings or assistance from the United States, China and Saudi Arabia all contributed to strengthening the Mujahidin movement by 1987.<ref name="auto"/><br />
<br />
The portable surface-to-air "[[FIM-92 Stinger|Stinger]]" missile was first used by Mujahedin in September 1986 and is considered by some to have been a turning point in the war.<ref>{{cite news|last=Phillips|first=Michael M.|url=https://www.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052970204138204576598851109446780|title="Launching the Missile That Made History," by Michael M. Phillips, Wall Street Journal, October 1, 2011|publisher=wsj.com|access-date=February 15, 2012|date=October 1, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150717205723/http://www.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052970204138204576598851109446780|archive-date=July 17, 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref> Some military analysts considered it a "game changer" coined the term "Stinger effect" to describe it.<ref>{{cite web|last=Schroeder|first=Matthew|url=https://foreignpolicy.com/articles/2010/07/28/The_Taliban_Doesn%E2%80%99t_Have_Stingers|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100731223411/http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2010/07/28/The_Taliban_Doesn%E2%80%99t_Have_Stingers|archive-date=July 31, 2010|title="Stop Panicking About the Stingers," by Matthew Schroeder, Foreign Policy, July 28, 2010|publisher=foreignpolicy.com|access-date=February 15, 2012}}</ref> However, these statistics are based on Mujahedin self-reporting, which is of unknown reliability. A Russian general however claimed the United States "greatly exaggerated" Soviet and Afghan aircraft losses during the war.<ref>{{cite book | last = Hammerich | first = Helmut | title = Die Grenzen des Militärischen | publisher = Hartmann, Miles-Verl | location = Berlin | year = 2010 | isbn = 9783937885308 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hWuwxZeYsZQC&pg=PA195 | page=195}}</ref><br />
<br />
==Allies and funding==<br />
[[File:AfghanGuerillainUS1986e.JPEG|thumb|Wounded Afghan guerillas having arrived at [[Norton Air Force Base]], the United States, for medical treatment, 1986]]<br />
The mujahidin were heavily backed by [[Pakistan]] (through the [[Inter-Services Intelligence]]) and the United States (through the [[Central Intelligence Agency]]), also receiving backing primarily from [[Saudi Arabia]] and the [[China|People's Republic of China]], while more covert support came from the [[United Kingdom]], [[Egypt]], and [[West Germany]] (through the [[Federal Intelligence Service]]). The [[Hezb-e Islami Gulbuddin|Hezb-i Islami Gulbuddin]] faction received the lion's share of weapons from the ISI and CIA.<ref name="auto1"/> While Ahmad Shah Massoud's group was supported by Britain's MI6 and trained and supplied by the [[Special Air Service|SAS]]. Britain's support to the Afghan resistance turned out to be [[Government of the United Kingdom|Whitehall]]'s most extensive covert operation since the [[Second World War]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Declassified files reveal Britain's secret support to Afghan Mujahideen |url=https://timesofislamabad.com/30-Jan-2018/declassified-files-reveal-britain-s-secret-support-to-afghan-mujahideen |access-date=12 March 2020 |agency=[[Times of Islamabad]] |date=30 January 2018 |ref=TOI}}</ref> The CIA's [[Operation Cyclone]] was said to be its "largest and 'most successful' covert operation ever."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://nsarchive2.gwu.edu/NSAEBB/NSAEBB57/essay.html|title=Afghanistan: Lessons from the Last War|website=nsarchive2.gwu.edu}}</ref> Pakistan controlled which rebels received assistance: the four "fundamentalist" factions received most of the funding.<ref name="Kepel">{{cite book |last=Kepel |first=Gilles |title=Jihad: The Trail of Political Islam |publisher=I.B. Tauris |year=2006 |isbn=978-1-84511-257-8 |pages=138–139, 142–144}}</ref> A large amount of funding also came from private donors and charities from the [[Arab states of the Persian Gulf]].<ref>{{cite book|author-link=Jason Burke|last=Burke|first=Jason|title=[[Al-Qaeda: Casting a Shadow of Terror]]|publisher=[[I.B. Tauris]]|year=2004|isbn=9781850436669|page=59}}</ref><br />
<br />
==Areas of activity==<br />
[[File:Afghanistan insurgency 1985.jpg|thumb|left|The areas where the different mujahidin forces operated as of 1985]]<br />
By May 1980, mujahidin controlled virtually all of rural Afghanistan, and these regions were cleared of [[Khalq]]ists and [[Parcham]]ites. With the exception of parts of the north near the Soviet border (under [[Abdul Rashid Dostum]]'s command), along with several cities, mujahidin guerillas were in control of most of the country as of 1987.<ref name="auto"/><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://users.erols.com/mwhite28/afghanis.htm|title=Map of the War in Afghanistan|website=users.erols.com}}</ref><br />
<br />
As of 1985, the Jamiat-i Islami held the most territory, stretching from [[Herat]] in the west through the north to [[Badakhshan]] in the north-east. Harakat-i Inqilab also held a large amount of territory in the southern provinces, stretching from [[Nimroz]] to [[Logar Province|Logar]]. Hizb-i Islami Khalis had its stronghold around [[Nangarhar]] and [[Paktia]], while Hizb-i Islami Gulbuddin held many pockets of territory throughout the country. The Mahaz-i-Milli was prominent in [[Loya Paktia]] but also had territory in other parts of the country.<br />
<br />
As Soviet forces withdrew in 1988–89, the Mujahidin captured several key districts, towns and provincial capitals, such as [[Taloqan]], [[Mahmud Raqi]], [[Asadabad, Afghanistan|Asadabad]], [[Bamyan]], [[Spin Boldak]], [[Dara-i-Suf District|Dara-i-Suf]] and [[Imam Sahib District|Imam Sahib]]. The cities of [[Kunduz]], [[Qalat, Zabul|Qalat]], and [[Maidan Shahr]] also fell to the Mujahidin in the summer of 1988, but were retaken by the government with Soviet bombardment and logistical support.<br />
<br />
By the time Soviet forces completed their withdrawal, the Afghan government held only sixty urban centers and the Mujahidin controlled six entire provinces. However, the Mujahidin were unable to seize the country's major cities for several years, due to the lack of coordination between the various groups and the lack of heavy firepower necessary for such actions. The Afghan Army beat back the Mujahidin's attempts to take the city of [[Jalalabad]] in March 1989, and the civil war settled into a stalemate for three years.<ref name="Dorronsoro">{{cite book |last=Dorronsoro|first=Gilles |title=Revolution Unending: Afghanistan 1979 to the Present |publisher=Hust & Company London |year=2005 |isbn=1850657033 |pages=227–229}}</ref><br />
<br />
==Role of women==<br />
Women also played a part in the Afghan mujahidin, often traveling with them to cook food or wash their clothes, but also taking part in weapons smuggling. There were many female sympathizers who encouraged their husbands, sons or other male family members to take part in the war against the invaders. However, women in Afghanistan were split between the two sides, with many also supporting the [[Democratic Republic of Afghanistan|Democratic Republic]] where they enjoyed social privileges.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.usip.org/sites/default/files/SR396-Afghan-Women-and-Violent-Extremism.pdf|title=Afghan Women and Violent Extremism|website=usip.org|date=November 2016|author1=Belquis Ahmadi<br />
|author2=Sadaf Lakhani}}</ref> Female refugees also created and recited [[Landay (poetry)|Landays]] (traditional Afghan poems) about the war.<ref>{{cite thesis|url=https://scholarworks.calstate.edu/downloads/1j92gb391|title=The Soviet-Afghan War: Female Perspective and Participation<br />
|degree=MA|location=California State University, Northridge|date=August 2012|author=Elva Madrigal}}</ref><br />
<br />
There is one recorded female mujahidin warlord, [[Bibi Ayesha]] (nicknamed ''Kaftar'', meaning "dove"), who operated in [[Baghlan Province]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://america.aljazeera.com/features/2014/4/commander-kaftarafemalewarlordinafghanistan.html|title=A woman's war: The rise and fall of Afghanistan's female warlord|website=america.aljazeera.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jul/07/armed-afghan-women-take-to-streets-in-show-of-defiance-against-taliban|title=Armed Afghan women take to streets in show of defiance against Taliban|date=7 July 2021|website=The Guardian}}</ref><br />
<br />
==Soviet withdrawal and civil war==<br />
{{see also|Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan|Afghan Civil War (1989–1992)|Gulf War}}<br />
On 14 April 1988, the governments of Afghanistan and Pakistan signed the [[Geneva Accords (1988)|Geneva Accords]], guaranteed by the United States and Soviet Union. This committed the Soviet Union to withdraw all its troops from Afghanistan by 15 February 1989. The withdrawal was conducted in two phases. The first half of the contingent was removed between 15 May and 16 August 1988, and the second half after 15 November 1988. As the Soviets withdrew, they left the Afghan army in fortified positions and even helped them conduct counteroffensives, in order to leave them in as strong a position as possible.<ref name="marshall">{{cite book|last=Marshall |first=A.|url=http://www.defac.ac.uk/colleges/csrc/document-listings/ca/06%2829%29AM.pdf |title=Phased Withdrawal, Conflict Resolution and State Reconstruction |date=2006 |publisher=Defence Academy of the United Kingdom, Conflict Studies Research Centre |access-date=2008-02-12 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071201033319/http://www.defac.ac.uk/colleges/csrc/document-listings/ca/06%2829%29AM.pdf |archive-date=2007-12-01 |isbn=1-905058-74-8 }}</ref> The withdrawal was completed on schedule, with commander [[Boris Gromov]] of the 40th Army being the last Soviet soldier to leave Afghanistan. After the Soviet withdrawal, most of the Afghan mujahidin continued its fight against the government of [[Mohammad Najibullah]], which continued to receive funding from Moscow, while similarly the Mujahidin was also still receiving funding from Washington and Islamabad.<br />
<br />
Despite initial estimates, the Mujahidin proved unable to topple Najibullah's regime immediately after the Soviet withdrawal. The government concentrated its forces in defense of key cities, while relying on vast amounts of military and humanitarian aid from the Soviet Union to stay afloat. Soviet military advisors were still present in Afghanistan, helping advise the war effort and even coordinate air strikes.<ref name="marshall"/> Soviet volunteers operated the [[Scud missiles]] which gave the government an advantage in firepower. The Afghan Air Force, supplied and maintained with Soviet support, proved to be a crucial asset in keeping the government in power.<ref name="nyt1">{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1989/04/13/world/the-lessons-of-jalalabad-afghan-guerrillas-see-weaknesses-exposed.html|title=The Lessons Of Jalalabad; Afghan Guerrillas See Weaknesses Exposed|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=13 April 1989|quote=Casualties have been high on both sides. Government troops have been reduced by heavy guerrilla shelling and rocketing from 12,000 to 9,000, Western diplomats say....The Afghan Air Force is said to be taking advantage of the fact that, probably for the first time in the war, guerrilla forces are concentrated in static positions, which make them easier bombing targets.}}</ref> As late as December 1991, Soviet pilots were recorded flying bombing missions against the Mujahidin.<ref name="nyt2">{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1991/12/29/magazine/in-afghanistan-peace-must-wait.html|title=In Afghanistan, Peace Must Wait|work=[[The New York Times]]| date=29 December 1991|quote=Later, at Jalalabad, we will eavesdrop on the shortwave radio and hear Soviet pilots making actual bombing runs on resistance positions.}}</ref><br />
<br />
The Mujahidin's divisions and factionalism hindered their war effort, and skirmishes between rival groups became common. Massoud was one of the most active elements in this time. In both 1990 and 1991 he staged spring offensives, capturing several cities and steadily expanding the territory under his influence.<ref name="Dorronsoro" /> The government meanwhile came to rely heavily on tribal militias to stay in power, primarily the Jowzjani militia of Abdul Rashid Dostum. After 1989, these were the only forces capable of offensives against the Mujahidin.<ref name="marshall"/><br />
<br />
By the summer of 1990, the Afghan government forces were on the defensive again, and by the beginning of 1991 the government controlled only 10 percent of Afghanistan. In March 1991, Mujahidin forces [[Siege of Khost|captured]] the city of [[Khost]] ending an eleven-year siege. After the [[1991 Soviet coup attempt|failed coup d'état attempt]] by hardliners in the Soviet Union in August 1991, Soviet support to Najibullah's government dried up. This effectively doomed it, as the Afghan Air Force could no longer fly due to fuel shortages. Consequently, the Army's desertion rate skyrocketed.<ref name="marshall"/> In March 1992, Dostum's militiamen defected to Massoud after negotiations, and Najibullah's regime fell shortly afterwards.<br />
<br />
In 1991, some factions of the Mujahidin were deployed in [[Kuwait]] to fight [[Ba'athist Iraq|Iraq]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://apps.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a234743.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190412060905/https://apps.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a234743.pdf|url-status=live|archive-date=12 April 2019|website=apps.dtic.mil|access-date=2018-12-18 |title=Desert Shield and Desert Storm – A Chronology and Troop List for the 1990–1991 Persian Gulf Crisis}}</ref> After Hekmatyar and Sayyaf publicly denounced the U.S. and the Saudi royal family for their role in the [[Gulf War]], U.S. and Saudi officials indicated that they would stop funding both commanders, but this did not happen. However, the CIA and Saudi intelligence pressured the ISI to send captured Iraqi tanks to Haqqani instead of Hekmatyar.<ref>{{cite book|author-link=Steve Coll|last=Coll|first=Steve|title=[[Ghost Wars|Ghost Wars: The Secret History of the CIA, Afghanistan, and Bin Laden, from the Soviet Invasion to September 10, 2001]]|publisher=[[Penguin Group]]|year=2004|isbn=9781594200076|pages=223–224, 226–227}}</ref> In 1993, it was reported that some Mujahidin were deployed in the Caucusus to fight the forces of [[Armenia]] in the [[First Nagorno-Karabakh War]].<ref>{{Cite news |date=1993-11-16 |title=Afghan Fighters Join Azeri-Armenian War |work=Christian Science Monitor |url=https://www.csmonitor.com/1993/1116/16071.html |access-date=2022-11-17 |issn=0882-7729}}</ref> Afghan mujahidin fighters have also been reportedly involved in the [[Tajikistani Civil War|civil war in Tajikistan]] during 1992–1993.<ref>{{Cite news |date=1992-09-24 |title=Afghan Arms and Mujahideen Slip Past Border Guards and Into Tajik Civil War |work=Christian Science Monitor |url=https://www.csmonitor.com/1992/0924/24013.html |access-date=2022-11-17 |issn=0882-7729}}</ref><br />
<br />
==After the War==<br />
{{see also|Peshawar Accord|Islamic State of Afghanistan}}<br />
[[File:War in Afghanistan (1992–2001).png|thumb|Progress of the continuing civil war, 1992–2001]]<br />
After Najibullah's government collapsed, the Mujahidin factions (apart from ''Hezb-i Islami Gulbuddin'') signed a power sharing agreement (the [[Peshawar Accord]]) and captured [[Kabul]] on April 28, 1992, celebrating their "[[Mujahideen Victory Day|Victory Day]]". However, the divisions between the various factions were still there and it was a catalyst that led to [[Afghan Civil War (1992-96)|another civil war]] between the new government and Mujahidin factions that rebelled against it. This meant that after 1992, various Mujahidin factions including the Shi'ite [[Hezb-i Wahdat]] continued to exist as militias rather than merely political parties, with many fighters being loyal to specific leaders.<br />
<br />
===Relationship with the Taliban===<br />
The [[Taliban]] is a puritanical movement that was formed in 1994, five years after the end of the [[Soviet–Afghan War]] and in the midst of anarchy in Afghanistan. Supported by Pakistan and recruited from religious students from [[madrasa]]s across the border, it won a highly effective military campaign against former Mujahidin factions in the civil war, gaining control and establishing the [[Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (1996–2001)|Islamic Emirate]] in 1996. Nearly all of the Taliban's original leadership fought in the Soviet–Afghan War for either the Hezb-i Islami Khalis or Harakat-i Inqilab-e Islami factions of the Mujahidin.<ref name="auto1" /><br />
<br />
Veteran mujahidin leaders who fought against the Soviets were divided regarding the Taliban. Yunus Khalis was a strong supporter of the Taliban<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/5211604.stm|title=Leader of Afghan mujahideen dies|date=24 July 2006|publisher=BBC News}}</ref> and Nabi Mohammadi also supported them, even dissolving his own organization in doing so. However, Rabbani and Sayyaf were against the Taliban and formed a new united opposition force called the [[Northern Alliance]], which also recruited [[Haji Abdul Qadeer|Abdul Qadeer]] (a commander who defected from Khalis's faction), prominent Shi'ite leaders such as [[Muhammad Mohaqiq]], and former DRA commander [[Abdul Rashid Dostum]]. This group was supported following the [[United States invasion of Afghanistan]] in 2001 that successfully drove out the Taliban and led to the rise of [[Hamid Karzai]].<ref name="auto1" /><br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
* [[Afghanistan–Pakistan relations]]<br />
* [[Pakistan–United States relations]]<br />
<br />
==References==<br />
{{reflist}}<br />
<br />
==Bibliography==<br />
* Kaplan, Robert D. ''Soldiers of God: With the Mujahidin in Afghanistan''. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1990. {{ISBN|0-395-52132-7}}<br />
* Weisman, Steven R. "Rebel Rivalry is Hampering Afghan Talks", ''The New York Times'', March 1, 1988.<br />
<br />
{{Soviet–Afghan War}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Anti-Soviet factions in the Soviet–Afghan War]]<br />
[[Category:Anti-communist resistance movements]]<br />
[[Category:Anti-communist guerrilla organizations]]<br />
[[Category:Islamist groups]]<br />
[[Category:Anti-Soviet resistance]]<br />
[[Category:Islamism in Afghanistan]]<br />
[[Category:Islamic Unity of Afghanistan Mujahideen| ]]<br />
[[Category:Rebel groups in Afghanistan]]<br />
[[Category:Defunct political party alliances in Afghanistan]]<br />
[[Category:History of Islam in Afghanistan]]<br />
[[Category:Mujahideen]]<br />
[[Category:Rebellions against the Soviet Union]]</div>Boackandwhitehttps://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Afghan_mujahideen&diff=1263738784Afghan mujahideen2024-12-18T09:46:03Z<p>Boackandwhite: </p>
<hr />
<div>{{Short description|Islamist resistance groups}}<br />
{{Italic title|string=mujahideen}}<br />
{{Use Oxford spelling|date=August 2021}}<br />
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2021}}<br />
{{Infobox war faction<br />
| name = ''Mujahideen''<br />
| native_name = {{lang|ps|مجاهدين}}<br />
| native_name_lang = ps<br />
| image = Afghan mujahideen.jpg<br />
| image_size = 250px<br />
| caption = Mujahideen of the [[Yunus Khalis]] group, 1987<br />
| organizations = [[Islamic Unity of Afghanistan Mujahideen|Peshawar Seven]] (Sunni Groups)<br />
* {{flagicon image|Flag of Jamiat-e Islami.svg}} [[Jamiat-i Islami]]<br />
* {{flagicon image|Flag of Hezbi Islami Gulbuddin.svg}} [[Hezb-e Islami Gulbuddin]]<br />
*{{flagicon image|Logo of Hezb-e Islami Khalis.svg}} [[Hezb-i Islami Khalis]]<br />
* {{flagicon image|Black flag.svg}} [[Islamic Dawah Organisation of Afghanistan|Islamic Union for the Liberation of Afghanistan]]<br />
*[[Islamic and National Revolution Movement of Afghanistan|Islamic Revolutionary Movement of Afghanistan]] <br />
* {{flagicon image|Flag of the National Islamic Front of Afghanistan.svg}} [[National Islamic Front of Afghanistan]]<br />
*National Liberation Front<br />
[[Tehran Eight]] (Shia Groups)<br /> (All except the Islamic Movement and Hezbollah Merged into [[Hezbe Wahdat]])<br />
*[[Hezbollah Afghanistan]]<br />
* {{flagicon image|Emblem of the Nasr Party (Afghanistan).svg}}[[Sazman-i Nasr]] <br />
* {{flagicon image|Emblem of the Revolutionary Guards of Afghanistan.svg}} Corps of Islamic Revolution Guardians of Afghanistan<br />
*The [[Islamic Movement of Afghanistan]]<br />
*[[Revolutionary Council of Islamic Unity of Afghanistan]]<br />
*Islamic Revolution Movement<br />
*Union of Islamic Fighters<br />
*Raad ("Thunder") party<br />
Other Groups<br />
*[[Afghanistan Liberation Organization]]<br />
*[[Liberation Organization of the People of Afghanistan]]<br />
*[[Afghanistan Mujahedin Freedom Fighters Front]]<br />
*[[Islamic Union of the Northern Provinces]]<br />
*[[Sharafat Kuh Front]]<br />
*[[Partisans of National Liberation of Afghanistan]]<br />
*[[Harakat-e-Mulavi]]<br />
| flag = [[File:Flag of the Afghan interim government-in-exile (1988–1992).svg|100px]]<br />
| active = 1975–1992 (resistance phase)<br />1992–1996 (loyalist factions)<br />
| ideology = [[Islamism]]<br />[[Anti-communism]]<br />[[Anti-Sovietism]]<br />[[Afghan nationalism]]<br />
| motives = Combat the Soviet invasion of [[Afghanistan]] and overthrow the Soviet-backed [[Democratic Republic of Afghanistan|communist government]]<br />
| leaders = [[Burhanuddin Rabbani]] and [[Ahmad Shah Massoud]] (Jamiat)<br />[[Sibghatullah Mojaddedi]] (JNMA/AIG)<br />[[Gulbuddin Hekmatyar]] (HIG)<br />[[Mohammad Nabi Mohammadi]] (Harakat)<br />[[Abdul Ali Mazari]] (Wahdat)<br />
| area = {{flatlist| <br />
* Afghanistan<br />
* Pakistan}}<br />
| size = <br />
| allies = {{flag|Pakistan}}<br />{{flag|United States}}<br />{{flag|Saudi Arabia}}<br />{{flag|China}}<br/>{{flag|Turkey}}<br />{{flag|West Germany}}<br />{{flag|Iran}}<br /> ([[Tehran Eight]])<ref>{{cite news|last1=Renz|first1=Michael|title=Operation Sommerregen|url=https://www.welt.de/print/wams/politik/article120664012/Operation-Sommerregen.html|access-date=6 June 2015|agency=Die Welt|issue=40|newspaper=Die Welt|date=October 6, 2012|language=de}}</ref><ref name=":1" /><br />{{flag|United Kingdom}}<ref name=":1">{{cite book|surname1=Michael Pohly|title=Krieg und Widerstand in Afghanistan|pages=154|language=de}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{cite web|url=http://www.foia.cia.gov/sites/default/files/document_conversions/89801/DOC_0000284013.pdf|title=Use of toxins and other lethal agents in Southeast Asia and Afghanistan|date=2 February 1982|access-date=21 October 2014|publisher=CIA|archive-date=10 September 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140910213821/http://www.foia.cia.gov/sites/default/files/document_conversions/89801/DOC_0000284013.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref><br />{{flag|Egypt}}<ref>{{cite web|title=Das Engagement der arabischen Staaten in Afghanistan|url=http://www.bpb.de/apuz/32735/das-engagement-der-arabischen-staaten-in-afghanistan?p=all|access-date=2016-03-18|last=Inken Wiese| date=14 May 2010 |language=de}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{cite book |surname1=Conrad Schetter|title=Ethnizität und ethnische Konflikte in Afghanistan|pages=430|language=de}}</ref><br /><br />
[[NATO]] {{cite web |url=https://apps.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a234743.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190412060905/https://apps.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a234743.pdf |url-status=live |archive-date=12 April 2019 |website=apps.dtic.mil |access-date=2018-12-18 |title=Desert Shield And Desert Storm: A Chronology And Troop List for the 1990–1991 Persian Gulf Crisis}}</ref><br />
| opponents = {{flag|Democratic Republic of Afghanistan}}<br />{{flag|Soviet Union}}<br/>{{Flagcountry|Ba'athist Iraq}} (1991)<br/><br />
| battles = [[1975 Panjshir Valley uprising]]{{Clear}}[[Soviet–Afghan War]] (1979–1989)<br />[[Afghan Civil War (1989–1992)|First Afghan Civil War]] (1989–1992)<br />[[Gulf War]] (1991)<br />
| successor = [[Northern Alliance]]{{Clear}}[[Taliban]]<br />
}}<br />
{{Campaignbox Soviet–Afghan War}}<br />
{{Campaignbox Afghan Civil War}}<br />
{{Covert United States involvement in regime change}}<br />
<br />
The '''Afghan ''mujahideen''''' ({{langx|ps|افغان مجاهدين|translit=}}; {{langx|prs|مجاهدین افغان|translit=}}) were [[Islamist]] militant groups that fought against the [[Democratic Republic of Afghanistan]] and the [[Soviet Union]] during the [[Soviet–Afghan War]] and the subsequent [[Afghan Civil War (1989–1992)|First Afghan Civil War]].<br />
<br />
The term ''[[mujahideen|mujahid]]'' (from {{Langx|ar|مجاهدين|link=no}}) is used in a religious context by [[Muslims]] to refer to those engaged in a struggle of any nature for the sake of [[Islam]], commonly referred to as ''[[jihad]]'' ({{Langx|ar|جهاد|label=none}}). The Afghan mujahidin consisted of numerous groups that differed from each other across ethnic and/or ideological lines, but were united by their [[Anti-communism|anti-communist]] and pro-Islamic goals. The coalition of [[anti-Soviet]] Muslim militias was also known as the "Afghan resistance",<ref>Sources:<br />
* {{Cite book |last=Arnold |first=Anthony |title=Afghanistan's two-party communism: Parcham and Khalq |publisher=Hoover University Press |year=1983 |isbn=0-8179-7792-9 |location=Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA |pages=109, 129, 133, 134}}<br />
* {{cite book| first= Andrew |last= Langley |year= 2007 |chapter= Introduction |title= The collapse of the Soviet Union: the end of an empire |isbn=978-0-7565-2009-0 | publisher= Compass Point Books|location= Minneapolis, MN |page=43}}<br />
* {{cite book|last=Amstutz|first=J. Bruce|title=Afghanistan: The First Five Years of Soviet Occupation|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RUSNyMH1aFQC|date=1 July 1994|publisher=DIANE Publishing|isbn=9780788111112|pages=133, 134}}<br />
* {{cite book| first1= Deigo |last1= Cordovez |last2= Harrison |first2= Selig S. | year= 1995 |title= Out of Afghanistan: The Inside Story of the Soviet Withdrawal |isbn=0-19-506294-9 |chapter=2: Soviet Occupation, Afghan Resistance, and the American Response | publisher= Oxford University Press|location= New York, USA |pages=57–59}}</ref> and the [[Western media|Western press]] widely referred to the [[Afghan people|Afghan]] [[guerrillas]] as "freedom fighters", or "Mountain Men".<br />
<br />
The militants of the Afghan mujahidin were recruited and organized immediately after the Soviet Union invaded [[Afghanistan]] in 1979, initially from the regular Afghan population and defectors from the [[Afghan Armed Forces#20th century|Afghan military]], with the aim of waging an armed struggle against both the [[Communism|communist]] government of the [[People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan]], which had taken power in the 1978 [[Saur Revolution]], and the Soviet Union, which had invaded the country in support of the former. There were many ideologically different factions among the mujahidin, with the most influential being the [[Jamiat-e Islami]] and [[Hezb-e Islami Gulbuddin]] parties. The Afghan mujahidin were generally divided into two distinct alliances: the larger and more significant [[Sunni Islam]]ic union collectively referred to as the "Peshawar Seven", based in [[Pakistan]], and the smaller [[Shia Islam]]ic union collectively referred to as the "[[Tehran Eight]]", based in [[Iran]]; as well as independent units that referred to themselves as "mujahidin". The "Peshawar Seven" alliance received heavy assistance from the [[United States]] ([[Operation Cyclone]]), [[Pakistan]], [[Saudi Arabia]], [[Turkey]], the [[United Kingdom]], as well as other countries and private international donors.<br />
<br />
The basic units of the mujahidin continued to reflect the highly decentralized nature of Afghan society and strong loci of competing [[Pashtun tribes|Pashtun tribal groups]], which had formed a union with other Afghan groups under intense American, Saudi Arabian and Pakistani pressure.<ref><br />
{{cite book<br />
| isbn=978-0-231-12692-2<br />
| url=https://archive.org/details/insidealqaedaglo00guna<br />
| url-access=registration<br />
| page=[https://archive.org/details/insidealqaedaglo00guna/page/254 254]<br />
| quote=Union of Mujahidin OR Union of Mujahideen.<br />
| title=Inside Al Qaeda: Global Network of Terror<br />
| author=Rohan Gunaratna<br />
| publisher=[[Columbia University Press]]<br />
| year=2002<br />
}}</ref><ref><br />
{{cite book<br />
| isbn=978-0-7546-3615-1<br />
| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=n1pKnc3RJGIC&q=%22Union+of+Mujahidin%22+OR+%22Union+of+Mujahideen%22&pg=PA138<br />
| title=A Bitter Harvest: US Foreign Policy and Afghanistan<br />
| author=Tom Lansford<br />
| publisher=[[Ashgate Publishing, Ltd.]]<br />
| year=2003<br />
| quote=Under pressure from the United States, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, the main mujahideen parties joined together to form the Islamic Union of Mujahideen of Afghanistan in May 1985. The alliance was led by a general council which included Hekmatyr, Rabbani, and [[Abd-ur-Rabb-ur-Rasul Sayyaf]], the leader of the [[Islamic Union for the Liberation of Afghanistan]] which was established and funded by the Saudis.}}</ref> The alliance sought to function as a united diplomatic front towards the international community, and sought representation in the [[United Nations]] and the [[Organisation of Islamic Cooperation|Organisation of the Islamic Conference]].<ref>{{cite journal |first=George W. |last=Collins |title=The War in Afghanistan |journal=Air University Review |date=March–April 1986 |url=http://www.airpower.au.af.mil/airchronicles/aureview/1986/mar-apr/collins.html |access-date=2009-03-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081003015504/http://www.airpower.au.af.mil/airchronicles/aureview/1986/mar-apr/collins.html |archive-date=2008-10-03 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The Afghan mujahidin also saw thousands of volunteers from various [[Muslim world|Muslim countries]] come to Afghanistan to aid the resistance. The majority of the international fighters came from the [[Arab world]], and later became known as [[Afghan Arabs]]; the most well-known [[Arabs|Arab]] financier and militant of the group during this period was [[Osama bin Laden]], who would later found [[al-Qaeda]] and mastermind the [[September 11 attacks]] on the United States. Other international fighters from the Indian subcontinent became involved in terrorist activities in [[Kashmir]] and against the states of [[Bangladesh]] and [[Myanmar]] during the 1990s.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Layekuzzaman |date=2021-09-02 |title=Will the Era of Afghan Mujahideen Return to Bangladesh Againh? |url=https://thedailyguardian.com/will-the-era-of-afghan-mujahideen-return-to-bangladesh-again/ |access-date=2022-11-17 |website=The Daily Guardian |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-02-03 |title=Ours Not To Question Why |url=https://www.outlookindia.com/website/story/ours-not-to-question-why/236926 |access-date=2022-11-17 |website=www.outlookindia.com/ |language=en}}</ref> The mujahidin guerrillas fought a long and costly war against the [[Soviet Armed Forces|Soviet military]], which suffered heavy losses and withdrew from the country in 1989, after which the rebels' war against the communist Afghan government continued. The loosely-aligned mujahidin took the capital city of [[Kabul]] in 1992 following the collapse of the [[Government of the Soviet Union|Moscow]]-backed government. However, the new mujahidin government that was formed by the [[Peshawar Accord]]s following these events was quickly fractured by rival factions and became severely dysfunctional. This unrest quickly escalated into [[Afghan Civil War (1992–1996)|a second civil war]], which saw the large-scale collapse of the united Afghan mujahidin and the victorious emergence of the [[Taliban]], which established the [[Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (1996–2001)|Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan]] shortly after taking most of the country in 1996. The Taliban groups were then ousted in 2001 during the [[War in Afghanistan (2001–2021)|War in Afghanistan]], but regrouped and [[2021 Taliban offensive|retook the country]] in 2021.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/national-security/even-taliban-are-surprised-how-fast-they-re-advancing-afghanistan-n1272236|title=Taliban forces rapidly gaining ground in Afghanistan as U.S. leaves|website=NBC News|date=25 June 2021 }}</ref><br />
<br />
==Origins and formation==<br />
Certain organisations that would later form the ''mujahideen'' had already existed, such as [[Jamiat-e Islami]] in 1972 and [[Hezbi Islami|Hezb-e Islami]] in 1976, as militias and paramilitary groups. The two organizations first took part in the [[1975 Panjshir Valley uprising|1975 Panjshir Valley]] and [[1975 Laghman uprising|Laghman uprisings]], and perpetrated acid attacks on women who were unveiled.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Haqqani |first=Husain |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nYppZ_dEjdIC&q=Jamiat-e+Islami+afghanistan&pg=PA171 |title=Pakistan: Between Mosque and Military |date=2010-03-10 |publisher=Carnegie Endowment |isbn=978-0-87003-285-1 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last1=Wahab |first1=Shaista |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=y20MTE0C9kwC |title=A Brief History of Afghanistan |last2=Youngerman |first2=Barry |date=2007 |publisher=Infobase Publishing |isbn=978-1-4381-0819-3 |language=en}}</ref><br />
<br />
Groups of resistance formed in parts of eastern Afghanistan by the fall of 1978, but it was in early 1979 that the situation rapidly escalated to open rebellion. As early as February 2, 1979, it was reported that Afghan dissidents were receiving guerilla training across the border in Pakistan.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://nsarchive2.gwu.edu/carterbrezhnev/docs_intervention_in_afghanistan_and_the_fall_of_detente/fall_of_detente_chron.pdf |title=The Intervention in Afghanistan and the Fall of Detente. A Chronology|website=nsarchive2.gwu.edu|access-date=31 March 2023}}</ref> The conflict reached a height during the [[1979 Herat uprising|Herat mutiny]] in March, in which a non-organized group of Afghan army mutineers from the 17th Division and the civilians rebelled and briefly overthrew the city garrison. The incident and subsequent air bombardment gave indications of a looming civil war. [[Sibghatullah Mojaddedi]], a leader of [[Islamic mysticism]] and a [[hazrat]], was one of the original leaders of an organized anti-government armed group. He created an organization named the Afghan National Liberation Front (''[[Jabha-i Nejat-i Milli]]'') and on May 25, 1979, appealed for support in New York City.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1979/05/26/archives/afghan-rebel-group-appeals-in-new-york-for-aid-for-its-forces-10.html|title=Afghan Rebel Group Appeals in New York For Aid for Its Forces|newspaper=The New York Times|date=26 May 1979}}</ref> [[Ahmed Gailani|Sayyed Ahmad Gailani]], a spiritual leader (''[[pir (Sufism)|pir]]''), also created a resistance organization during this time, called National Islamic Front (''Mahaz-e-Millie-Islami''). [[Mawlawi (Islamic title)|Mawlawi]] [[Mohammad Nabi Mohammadi]], a religious scholar and former member of parliament in the Kingdom, formed the Revolutionary Islamic Movement (Harakat-e-Inqilab-e-Islami); he was well known for assaulting prominent leftist [[Babrak Karmal]] inside the House of Representatives in 1966.<ref name="auto">{{Cite web|url=https://publishing.cdlib.org/ucpressebooks/view?docId=ft7b69p12h;chunk.id=0;doc.view=print|title=Afghanistan|website=publishing.cdlib.org}}</ref> On August 11, 1979, the Afghan National Liberation Front along with three others groups ([[Jamiat-i Islami]], [[Hezb-i Islami Khalis]], and Revolutionary Islamic Movement) formed a new organization based in [[Peshawar]], Pakistan, aiming to establish an [[Islamic Republic]]. Other rebel movements were also active throughout the country, including [[Hazaras|Hazara]] tribes that had some 5,000 men as of August 1979.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://web.stanford.edu/group/tomzgroup/pmwiki/uploads/3025-1979-10-12-KS-b-EYJ.pdf|title=Intensification of Warfare between Government Forces and Moslem Rebels - Government Changes - Alleged Involvement of Foreign Powers |website=stanford.edu|access-date=31 March 2023|date=12 October 1979|page=29878 }}</ref><br />
<br />
A broad mujahidin had existed as a ''de facto'' political bloc since May 1979, when the [[Government of Pakistan|Pakistani government]] decided to limit the flow of financial aid to the said seven organizations, thus cutting off monetary supply to nationalist and left-wing resistance groups.<ref>{{cite book|first=Thomas |last=Ruttig |title=Islamists, Leftists – and a Void in the Center. Afghanistan's Political Parties and where they come from (1902-2006) |publisher=Konrad Adenauer Stiftung |access-date=2009-03-27 |url=http://www.kas.de/db_files/dokumente/7_dokument_dok_pdf_9674_2.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130524194344/http://www.kas.de/db_files/dokumente/7_dokument_dok_pdf_9674_2.pdf |archive-date=2013-05-24 }}</ref><br />
<br />
The [[Operation Storm-333|Soviet operation of December 1979]] turned the civil war into a war of liberation, and the ''[[jihad]]'' was more forceful than previous Afghan empires had fought against the British and the Sikhs. Except for pockets of supporters of the DRA regime, almost every social, religious and ethnic group protested the Soviet action (despite their removal of the tyrannical [[Khalq]] regime), and even religious minorities of Afghan Sikhs and Hindus covertly assisted the mujahidin.<ref name="auto"/> Following the exodus of Afghans to Pakistan in 1980, as many as 84 different resistance groups were formed in Peshawar. A coalition of the resistance with a united front for military activities was demanded by Afghan refugees during meetings in Peshawar in 1980. They, including tribal and community elders, former members of parliament and mujahidin commanders, met in several ''[[loya jirga]]s'' (traditional grand assembly) to solidify the resistance, liberate Afghanistan from the Soviet Union, topple the Kabul regime, and create a single political bloc. Mojaddedi took part in these, and the first jirga passed a resolution on February 21, 1980. The last round of the jirga in May 1980 set up the Islamic National Revolutionary Council, headed by Mohammad Omar Babrakzay as acting president. It advocated for a national, Islamic, and democratic republic. The pressure persuaded leaders of the Islamic groups to make attempts to unite. A coalition of the three Islamist and three traditionalist organizations, the Islamic Union for the Liberation of Afghanistan, was formed, headed by [[Abdul Rasul Sayyaf]]. However, it did not last, as [[Gulbuddin Hekmatyar]]'s group (''[[Hizb-i Islami Gulbuddin]]'') and later the three traditionalist groups seceded from it. These three set up the Union of the Three. The Islamic Union later called the tribal Revolutionary Council an "enemy".<ref name="auto"/><br />
<br />
Because of disunity, elders from western Afghanistan attempted to hold a loya jirga, citing that [[party politics]] disunited the resisting Afghans. Political Islamists warned against people attending the jirga, but it was held safely in September 1981 in [[Pishin, Pakistan]], consisting of tribal elders, the Ulama, and military officers. Elders native from [[Nangarhar]] proposed that the former Afghan king, [[Mohammed Zahir Shah]], would be an ideal "National Leader" in any coalition. However, Pakistan, which preferred a divided Afghan resistance, was against the return of the former king to Afghanistan, seeing it as a symbol of Afghan nationalism.<ref name="auto"/><br />
<br />
==Groups==<br />
There were seven major mujahidin groups as recognized by Pakistan and its allies, based in [[Peshawar]] and sometimes called the ''Peshawar Seven''. They were often categorized into the fundamentalist and traditional; the fundamentalist factions were militarily stronger in the war.<ref name=auto1>{{cite web|url=https://www.ecoi.net/en/file/local/1154721/1226_1369733568_ppig1.pdf |title=Background Paper. Afghanistan: Political Parties and Insurgent Groups 1978-2001|website=Australian Refugee Review Tribunal|access-date=31 March 2023|date=7 March 2013}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.caspianpolicy.org/special-report-the-afghan-peace-process/|title=Special report: The Afghan Peace Process|access-date=31 March 2023}}{{Dead link|date=August 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref><br />
;Political Islamist<br />
* {{flagicon image|Flag of Jamiat-e Islami.svg}} [[Jamiat-i Islami]]<ref>(Pashto/Dari: جمعیت اسلامی)</ref> (''Islamic Society of Afghanistan''), a mostly [[Tajiks|Tajik]] faction headed by [[Burhanuddin Rabbani]], a former professor of theology at Kabul University, advocating for a semi-democratic Islamic revolutionary state - one of the most notable and strongest of the ''mujahideen'' factions<br />
* {{flagicon image|Flag of Hezbi Islami Gulbuddin.svg}} [[Hizb-i Islami Gulbuddin|Hizb-i Islami (Gulbuddin)]]<ref>(Pashto/Dari: حزب اسلامی گلبدین)</ref> (''Islamic Party''), a radical, oppositionist faction headed by [[Gulbuddin Hekmatyar]] who enjoyed the largest amount of ISI Pakistan funding, Saudi intelligence funding, and American CIA funding; traditionally strongest in [[Ghilzai]] Pashtun tribal regions in the south-east - aimed for a state similar to that founded and led by [[Ruhollah Khomeini|Khomeini]] in [[Iran]]<br />
* {{flagicon image|Logo of Hezb-e Islami Khalis.svg}} [[Hezb-i Islami Khalis]]<ref>(Pashto/Dari: حزب اسلامی خالص)</ref> (''Islamic Party''), a splinter faction headed by theologian [[Mohammad Yunus Khalis]], with its supporter base having been Ghilzai Pashtuns - favored cooperation with other factions<br />
* {{flagicon image|Black flag.svg}} [[Ittihad-i Islami]]<ref>(Pashto/Dari: اتحاد اسلامی برای آزادی افغانستان)</ref> (''Islamic Union (for the liberation of Afghanistan)''), a faction advocating for [[Wahhabism]], led by fundamentalist [[Abdul Rasul Sayyaf]] and funded by Saudi Arabia; smaller than the other parties, but influential in international recruitment for the jihad<ref>{{cite book|authorlink=Steve Coll|last=Coll|first=Steve|title=[[Ghost Wars|Ghost Wars: The Secret History of the CIA, Afghanistan, and Bin Laden, from the Soviet Invasion to September 10, 2001]]|publisher=[[Penguin Group]]|year=2004|isbn=9781594200076|page=201|quote=The CIA's Islamabad station estimated in a 1989 cable to Langley that there were probably about four thousand Arab volunteers in Afghanistan, mainly organized under Sayyaf's leadership. He was in turn heavily supported by Saudi intelligence and Gulf charities.}}</ref><br />
<br />
;Afghan traditionalist<br />
* [[Harakat-i Inqilab-i Islami]]<ref>(Pashto/Dari: حرکت انقلاب اسلامی افغانستان)</ref> (''Revolutionary Islamic Movement (of Afghanistan)''), a [[Pashtun]] faction led by [[Mohammad Nabi Mohammadi]], a religious figure and former member of parliament, and gaining support among Pashtun tribes in the south<br />
* [[Jabha-i Nejat-i Milli]]<ref>(Pashto/Dari: جبه نجات ملی)</ref> (''(Afghan) National Liberation Front''), headed by the [[Tariqa|Sufi order]] [[Sibghatullah Mojaddedi]], a [[monarchist]] faction that favored the return of Afghanistan's ousted King, [[Zahir Shah]], in a traditional Islamic state with a parliamentary democracy; it was said to be the weakest militarily, although with a respected leader<br />
* [[Mahaz-i Milli]]<ref>(Pashto/Dari: حمحاذ ملی اسلامی افغانستان)</ref> (''National (Islamic) Front''), the most secular, pro-Western and liberal of the mujahidin factions, rejecting both communism and Islamic fundamentalism, instead adhering to Pashtun nationalism, democracy and a return of the monarchy; led by [[Ahmed Gailani|Sayid Ahmad Gailani]], an Islamic mystical figure, and supported by a number of tribal leaders<br />
<br />
===Commanders===<br />
[[File:Wardak Amin 65.jpg|thumb|[[Amin Wardak]], a mujahidin commander of [[Maidan Wardak Province]]]]<br />
Some of the group leaders also acted as commanders, such as Khalis and Hekmatyar. The other notable mujahidin commanders were [[Ahmad Shah Massoud]] (Jamiat-i Islami), [[Abdul Haq (Afghan leader)|Abdul Haq]] (Hizb-i Islami Khalis), [[Ismail Khan]] (Jamiat-i Islami), [[Jalaluddin Haqqani]] (Hizb-i Islami Khalis), [[Amin Wardak]] (Mahaz-e Melli) and [[Mohammad Zabihullah]] (Jamiat-i Islami).<ref name="auto2">{{cite book| last=Amstutz| first=J. Bruce| publisher=Diane Publishing| isbn=978-0-7881-1111-2| url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_RUSNyMH1aFQC| title=Afghanistan: The First Five Years of Soviet Occupation| year=1994|oclc=948347893}}</ref><br />
<br />
===Ideologies and divisions===<br />
[[File:August 1985 Muja.jpg|thumb|Mujahidin guerillas in [[Kunar Province]], Afghanistan, 1985]]<br />
The Afghan ''mujahideen'' were not a united movement. The resistance parties remained deeply divided along ethnic, ideological and personal lines, despite internal and external pressures to unite. Dutch journalist Jere Van Dyk reported in 1981 that the guerillas were effectively fighting two civil wars: one against the regime and the Soviets, and another among themselves. [[Gulbuddin Hekmatyar]]'s [[Hizb-i Islami Gulbuddin|Hizb-i Islami]] was most cited as the initiator of cross-mujahidin clashes. Through the years, there were various efforts to create a united front, but all were either non-effective or failed in a short time. At least three different iterations of an "Islamic Unity of Afghan Mujahedin" (IUAM) were tried, none of which lasted. The formation of the Afghanistan Interim Government (AIG) in 1988 also failed to promote unity.<ref name=auto3>{{cite thesis|url=http://prr.hec.gov.pk/jspui/bitstream/123456789/1322/1/799S.pdf|title=The causes of the failure of the government of Afghanistan under Professor Burhanuddin Rabbani|location=University of Peshawar|date=December 2007|degree=PhD|author=Ahmad Noor}}</ref> Additionally, it only included the select Sunni Muslim groups approved by Pakistan; Shi'ite groups backed by Iran and pro-Chinese (anti-Soviet) leftist groups were excluded.<ref name="auto"/><br />
<br />
''Mujahideen'' leader [[Mohammad Yunus Khalis]] thought that the lack of trust among the various leaders was a factor for the many disunited organizations.<ref name="auto"/> Numerous ''mujahideen'' commanders additionally regarded schools and its teachers as legitimate targets for attacks, with their justification being that the [[People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan|PDPA]]’s [[Left-wing politics|leftist]] ideology was taught in educational institutions to students.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Urban |first=Mark |date=1990 |title=War in Afghanistan |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-20761-9 |doi=10.1007/978-1-349-20761-9|isbn=978-0-333-51478-8 }}</ref><br />
<br />
{{blockquote|text=The only party fighting the Soviets was the Harakat-i Inqilab-i Islami. The others were all fighting each other.|author=Eduard Lagourge, French aid worker in Afghanistan, 1988<ref name="auto3"/>}}<br />
<br />
The issue of the exiled king, [[Mohammed Zahir Shah]], also caused divisions. Zahir Shah enjoyed considerable popularity among the Afghan refugees in Pakistan. Both Hekmatyar and Khalis were strongly against the king, while Gailani, Mojaddedi and Mohammadi supported an interim coalition with him. Rabbani and Sayyaf were initially against a role for the king, later changing their minds.<ref name="auto3"/><ref name="auto1"/><br />
<br />
Although the Afghan mujahidin were praised for bravery in resisting a superpower, the lack of unity showed weaknesses in the guerillas, such as the lack of a clear political strategy.<ref name="auto3"/><br />
<br />
In an attempt to dissuade infighting and develop a ''de facto'' functioning [[proto state]], [[Ahmad Shah Massoud]] created the [[Shura-e Nazar]] in 1984, an offshoot of the Jamiat faction. Shura-e Nazar was created as a military–political combination and consisted of an organized structure dealing with health and education in the areas it operated in (northern and north-eastern Afghanistan).<br />
<br />
====Attempts at unity====<br />
{{Anchor|Union of the Seven|Islamic Unity of Afghan Mujahidin|Afghan Interim Government}}<br />
In 1981 the Islamist groups formed a broader alliance, the '''Union of the Seven''', made up of the three Islamist groups, the newly formed organization led by Sayyaf, and three splinter groups. But many differences remained between them. In 1985, under pressure from the king of Saudi Arabia – which was a major donor to the mujahidin – a more broad coalition was created, named '''Islamic Unity of Afghan Mujahidin''' (IUAM), comprising the four main Islamist and three moderate groups. It was also nicknamed the '''Seven Party Mujahidin Alliance''', the '''Peshawar Seven''', and the '''Seven Dwarves'''.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Wright|first=Lawrence|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/761224415|title=The Looming Tower: Al-Qaeda and the Road to 9/11|publisher=Vintage Books|year=2011|isbn=978-0-525-56436-2|edition=1|location=New York|pages=115|oclc=761224415}}</ref><br />
<br />
In 1989 under the patronage of Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, An '''Afghan Interim Government''' (AIG) was formed in Pakistan to coincide with the withdrawal of Soviet troops from Afghanistan. The Interim Government had been in exile in Pakistan since 1988.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Afghan Interim Rule: Rocky Road |work=Christian Science Monitor |url=https://www.csmonitor.com/1992/0513/13181.html |access-date=2023-09-02 |issn=0882-7729}}</ref><ref>[https://www.cia.gov/readingroom/docs/DOC_0000258646.pdf Middle East Brief] cia.gov</ref> The Interim Government was Headed by traditionalist [[Sibghatullah Mojaddedi]], with orthodox [[Abdul Rasul Sayyaf]] as prime minister, the AIG represented itself as a [[government in exile]] and a legitimate incoming state following the Soviet withdrawal.<ref name="auto"/> The two individuals proved popular, despite not being leaders of major groups, with Sayyaf said to have had exceptional ability in solving issues. However, the AIG was weak, as it only included the Peshawar Seven and not nationalists or tribal elders. After the Soviet withdrawal, the AIG attempted to establish itself within Afghan territory – the mujahidin and Pakistani forces attacked the city of [[Jalalabad]] in March 1989,<ref name="Abbas22">{{Cite news |last=Nasir |first=Abbas |date=18 August 2015 |title=The legacy of Pakistan's loved and loathed Hamid Gul |work=Al-Jazeera |url=http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2015/08/legacy-pakistan-loved-loathed-hamid-gul-150817114006616.html |access-date=4 January 2017 |quote=His commitment to jihad – to an Islamic revolution transcending national boundaries, was such that he dreamed one day the "green Islamic flag" would flutter not just over Pakistan and Afghanistan, but also over territories represented by the (former Soviet Union) Central Asian republics. After the Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan, as the director-general of the Pakistan's intelligence organisation, Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) directorate, an impatient Gul wanted to establish a government of the so-called Mujahideen on Afghan soil. He then ordered an assault using non-state actors on Jalalabad, the first major urban centre across the Khyber Pass from Pakistan, with the aim capturing it and declaring it as the seat of the new administration. This was the spring of 1989 and a furious prime minister, Benazir Bhutto – who was kept in the dark by ... Gul and ... Mirza Aslam Beg – demanded that Gul be removed from the ISI.}}</ref> visioning a final victory towards Kabul, but were disastrously defeated by the Afghan Army.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.refworld.org/docid/467bb4855.html|title=Human Rights Watch World Report 1989 - Afghanistan|publisher=United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees|website=Refworld}}</ref> The rivalry between Hekmatyar and the Jamiat-i Islami only increased, leading to Hekmatyar's resignation from the AIG. He eventually decided to go at the Kabul regime in a very different way: a coalition with [[Khalq]] communists of General [[Shahnawaz Tanai]], which caused many resignations in his party in protest. Together, they launched a [[1990 Afghan coup attempt|coup attempt in 1990]] to oust the Parchamite [[Mohammed Najibullah]], but failed.<ref name="auto"/><br />
<br />
===Other resistance groups===<br />
====Shi'ite groups====<br />
{{see also|Tehran Eight}}<br />
A number of [[Shia]] militia groups also operated, mainly in central Afghanistan populated by ethnic [[Hazaras]]. These groups were also, similarly, divided between themselves. [[Sayyid Ali Beheshti]]'s [[Revolutionary Council of Islamic Unity of Afghanistan|Shura-i Inqilab-i Ittifaq]], a traditionalist group, controlled the [[Hazarajat]] at first, but pro-Iran [[Khomeinism|Khomeinist]] groups challenged them and took control of the region from them. By the mid-1980s the strongest of these was [[Sazman-i Nasr]], while Shura-i Inqilab-i Ittifaq was prominent only in [[Maidan Wardak]].<ref>{{cite book |first=A. Z. |last=Hilali |title=US-Pakistan relationship: Soviet invasion of Afghanistan |year=2005 |isbn= 978-0-7546-4220-6 |page=125 |publisher=Ashgate Publishing, Ltd}}</ref> They united as the "[[Tehran Eight]]" in 1987 (so-called due to Iranian support). In 1989, most of these merged into one group, [[Hezb-e Wahdat]].<ref name="auto1"/><br />
<br />
====Maoist groups====<br />
{{see also|Sino-Soviet split}}<br />
There were also [[Maoist]] militias that fought against the Soviets and the Afghan regime, as well as the Mujahidin. They were initially well organized and carried out attacks in Kabul; the [[KGB]] then had a policy of clearing Kabul of any pro-Chinese elements. A mild suspicion from [[KHAD]] was enough to put someone in prison by accusing them of being a pro-Chinese communist. The [[People's Republic of China]], which was a backer of the main Pakistan-based Mujahidin, was either unable or unwilling to help the Afghan Maoists. [[Majid Kalakani]], a prominent figure and leader of the [[Liberation Organization of the People of Afghanistan]] (SAMA), was executed by the Afghan regime in June 1980.<ref name="auto"/> Members of [[Shola-e Javid]] ("Eternal Flame") were involved in fighting the government and mujahidin (particularly [[Hezb-i Islami]]). The [[Babrak Karmal]] government arrested many of its members in June 1981.<ref name="auto1"/><br />
<br />
====Smaller groups====<br />
Smaller mujahidin groups not connected to the main seven parties include the [[Sharafat Kuh Front]] in Farah Province and [[Harakat-e-Mulavi]]. Additionally a [[Baloch people|Baloch]] nationalist group operated called the [[Nimruz Front]].<br />
<br />
The [[Settam-e-Melli]] was a small long-time splinter faction of the PDPA based in [[Badakhshan Province]] that fought against the regime and other Mujahidin. They were driven out of [[Panjshir Valley]] by Massoud's mujahidin forces in 1981. By 1983 its resistance seemed to have ceased as it appeared to join the Karmal government.<ref name="auto2"/><br />
<br />
The moderate [[Afghan Millat Party|Afghan Social Democratic Party (Afghan Millat)]], formed in the 1960s, also resisted in the early days of the war. It was treated as a [[Outcast (person)|pariah]] by the recognized Peshawar-based mujahidin groups. Its guerilla band was heavily damaged in September 1980 following an attack by Hekmatyar's mujahidin forces. The regime in Kabul neutralized an Afghan Millat unit in the city in 1983.<ref name="auto2"/><br />
<br />
==Equipment==<br />
{{See also|List of military equipment used by mujahideen during Soviet–Afghan War}}<br />
Most of the Mujahidin's weapons were of Soviet design; this includes mostly those that were supplied by their funders and smaller numbers that were captured from the Soviet or Afghan militaries. It was disclosed in 1981 that [[recoilless rifle]]s (Chinese 83mm, Blo, 70mm) were being used by the resistance. Also in use were [[82-BM-37|Soviet 82 mm mortars]], British mortars and Chinese [[M2 mortar|Type 63]] mortars. Twin barrelled Chinese-built [[ZPU|Type 58]]s has been seen in smaller numbers. [[Lee–Enfield]] rifles, Egyptian made [[AKM]]s, and Chinese made [[SKS]]s have also been used by them.<ref>Resistance Movement in Afghanistan (1979-81), Mahfooz Ahmad, ''Pakistan Horizon''</ref><br />
<br />
Beginning in 1985, they began to receive heavy equipment like [[bazooka]]s and heavy machine guns, while also receiving better equipment for the cold winters, such as snow boots and ski tents. The raised fundings or assistance from the United States, China and Saudi Arabia all contributed to strengthening the Mujahidin movement by 1987.<ref name="auto"/><br />
<br />
The portable surface-to-air "[[FIM-92 Stinger|Stinger]]" missile was first used by Mujahedin in September 1986 and is considered by some to have been a turning point in the war.<ref>{{cite news|last=Phillips|first=Michael M.|url=https://www.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052970204138204576598851109446780|title="Launching the Missile That Made History," by Michael M. Phillips, Wall Street Journal, October 1, 2011|publisher=wsj.com|access-date=February 15, 2012|date=October 1, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150717205723/http://www.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052970204138204576598851109446780|archive-date=July 17, 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref> Some military analysts considered it a "game changer" coined the term "Stinger effect" to describe it.<ref>{{cite web|last=Schroeder|first=Matthew|url=https://foreignpolicy.com/articles/2010/07/28/The_Taliban_Doesn%E2%80%99t_Have_Stingers|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100731223411/http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2010/07/28/The_Taliban_Doesn%E2%80%99t_Have_Stingers|archive-date=July 31, 2010|title="Stop Panicking About the Stingers," by Matthew Schroeder, Foreign Policy, July 28, 2010|publisher=foreignpolicy.com|access-date=February 15, 2012}}</ref> However, these statistics are based on Mujahedin self-reporting, which is of unknown reliability. A Russian general however claimed the United States "greatly exaggerated" Soviet and Afghan aircraft losses during the war.<ref>{{cite book | last = Hammerich | first = Helmut | title = Die Grenzen des Militärischen | publisher = Hartmann, Miles-Verl | location = Berlin | year = 2010 | isbn = 9783937885308 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hWuwxZeYsZQC&pg=PA195 | page=195}}</ref><br />
<br />
==Allies and funding==<br />
[[File:AfghanGuerillainUS1986e.JPEG|thumb|Wounded Afghan guerillas having arrived at [[Norton Air Force Base]], the United States, for medical treatment, 1986]]<br />
The mujahidin were heavily backed by [[Pakistan]] (through the [[Inter-Services Intelligence]]) and the United States (through the [[Central Intelligence Agency]]), also receiving backing primarily from [[Saudi Arabia]] and the [[China|People's Republic of China]], while more covert support came from the [[United Kingdom]], [[Egypt]], and [[West Germany]] (through the [[Federal Intelligence Service]]). The [[Hezb-e Islami Gulbuddin|Hezb-i Islami Gulbuddin]] faction received the lion's share of weapons from the ISI and CIA.<ref name="auto1"/> While Ahmad Shah Massoud's group was supported by Britain's MI6 and trained and supplied by the [[Special Air Service|SAS]]. Britain's support to the Afghan resistance turned out to be [[Government of the United Kingdom|Whitehall]]'s most extensive covert operation since the [[Second World War]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Declassified files reveal Britain's secret support to Afghan Mujahideen |url=https://timesofislamabad.com/30-Jan-2018/declassified-files-reveal-britain-s-secret-support-to-afghan-mujahideen |access-date=12 March 2020 |agency=[[Times of Islamabad]] |date=30 January 2018 |ref=TOI}}</ref> The CIA's [[Operation Cyclone]] was said to be its "largest and 'most successful' covert operation ever."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://nsarchive2.gwu.edu/NSAEBB/NSAEBB57/essay.html|title=Afghanistan: Lessons from the Last War|website=nsarchive2.gwu.edu}}</ref> Pakistan controlled which rebels received assistance: the four "fundamentalist" factions received most of the funding.<ref name="Kepel">{{cite book |last=Kepel |first=Gilles |title=Jihad: The Trail of Political Islam |publisher=I.B. Tauris |year=2006 |isbn=978-1-84511-257-8 |pages=138–139, 142–144}}</ref> A large amount of funding also came from private donors and charities from the [[Arab states of the Persian Gulf]].<ref>{{cite book|author-link=Jason Burke|last=Burke|first=Jason|title=[[Al-Qaeda: Casting a Shadow of Terror]]|publisher=[[I.B. Tauris]]|year=2004|isbn=9781850436669|page=59}}</ref><br />
<br />
==Areas of activity==<br />
[[File:Afghanistan insurgency 1985.jpg|thumb|left|The areas where the different mujahidin forces operated as of 1985]]<br />
By May 1980, mujahidin controlled virtually all of rural Afghanistan, and these regions were cleared of [[Khalq]]ists and [[Parcham]]ites. With the exception of parts of the north near the Soviet border (under [[Abdul Rashid Dostum]]'s command), along with several cities, mujahidin guerillas were in control of most of the country as of 1987.<ref name="auto"/><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://users.erols.com/mwhite28/afghanis.htm|title=Map of the War in Afghanistan|website=users.erols.com}}</ref><br />
<br />
As of 1985, the Jamiat-i Islami held the most territory, stretching from [[Herat]] in the west through the north to [[Badakhshan]] in the north-east. Harakat-i Inqilab also held a large amount of territory in the southern provinces, stretching from [[Nimroz]] to [[Logar Province|Logar]]. Hizb-i Islami Khalis had its stronghold around [[Nangarhar]] and [[Paktia]], while Hizb-i Islami Gulbuddin held many pockets of territory throughout the country. The Mahaz-i-Milli was prominent in [[Loya Paktia]] but also had territory in other parts of the country.<br />
<br />
As Soviet forces withdrew in 1988–89, the Mujahidin captured several key districts, towns and provincial capitals, such as [[Taloqan]], [[Mahmud Raqi]], [[Asadabad, Afghanistan|Asadabad]], [[Bamyan]], [[Spin Boldak]], [[Dara-i-Suf District|Dara-i-Suf]] and [[Imam Sahib District|Imam Sahib]]. The cities of [[Kunduz]], [[Qalat, Zabul|Qalat]], and [[Maidan Shahr]] also fell to the Mujahidin in the summer of 1988, but were retaken by the government with Soviet bombardment and logistical support.<br />
<br />
By the time Soviet forces completed their withdrawal, the Afghan government held only sixty urban centers and the Mujahidin controlled six entire provinces. However, the Mujahidin were unable to seize the country's major cities for several years, due to the lack of coordination between the various groups and the lack of heavy firepower necessary for such actions. The Afghan Army beat back the Mujahidin's attempts to take the city of [[Jalalabad]] in March 1989, and the civil war settled into a stalemate for three years.<ref name="Dorronsoro">{{cite book |last=Dorronsoro|first=Gilles |title=Revolution Unending: Afghanistan 1979 to the Present |publisher=Hust & Company London |year=2005 |isbn=1850657033 |pages=227–229}}</ref><br />
<br />
==Role of women==<br />
Women also played a part in the Afghan mujahidin, often traveling with them to cook food or wash their clothes, but also taking part in weapons smuggling. There were many female sympathizers who encouraged their husbands, sons or other male family members to take part in the war against the invaders. However, women in Afghanistan were split between the two sides, with many also supporting the [[Democratic Republic of Afghanistan|Democratic Republic]] where they enjoyed social privileges.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.usip.org/sites/default/files/SR396-Afghan-Women-and-Violent-Extremism.pdf|title=Afghan Women and Violent Extremism|website=usip.org|date=November 2016|author1=Belquis Ahmadi<br />
|author2=Sadaf Lakhani}}</ref> Female refugees also created and recited [[Landay (poetry)|Landays]] (traditional Afghan poems) about the war.<ref>{{cite thesis|url=https://scholarworks.calstate.edu/downloads/1j92gb391|title=The Soviet-Afghan War: Female Perspective and Participation<br />
|degree=MA|location=California State University, Northridge|date=August 2012|author=Elva Madrigal}}</ref><br />
<br />
There is one recorded female mujahidin warlord, [[Bibi Ayesha]] (nicknamed ''Kaftar'', meaning "dove"), who operated in [[Baghlan Province]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://america.aljazeera.com/features/2014/4/commander-kaftarafemalewarlordinafghanistan.html|title=A woman's war: The rise and fall of Afghanistan's female warlord|website=america.aljazeera.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jul/07/armed-afghan-women-take-to-streets-in-show-of-defiance-against-taliban|title=Armed Afghan women take to streets in show of defiance against Taliban|date=7 July 2021|website=The Guardian}}</ref><br />
<br />
==Soviet withdrawal and civil war==<br />
{{see also|Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan|Afghan Civil War (1989–1992)|Gulf War}}<br />
On 14 April 1988, the governments of Afghanistan and Pakistan signed the [[Geneva Accords (1988)|Geneva Accords]], guaranteed by the United States and Soviet Union. This committed the Soviet Union to withdraw all its troops from Afghanistan by 15 February 1989. The withdrawal was conducted in two phases. The first half of the contingent was removed between 15 May and 16 August 1988, and the second half after 15 November 1988. As the Soviets withdrew, they left the Afghan army in fortified positions and even helped them conduct counteroffensives, in order to leave them in as strong a position as possible.<ref name="marshall">{{cite book|last=Marshall |first=A.|url=http://www.defac.ac.uk/colleges/csrc/document-listings/ca/06%2829%29AM.pdf |title=Phased Withdrawal, Conflict Resolution and State Reconstruction |date=2006 |publisher=Defence Academy of the United Kingdom, Conflict Studies Research Centre |access-date=2008-02-12 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071201033319/http://www.defac.ac.uk/colleges/csrc/document-listings/ca/06%2829%29AM.pdf |archive-date=2007-12-01 |isbn=1-905058-74-8 }}</ref> The withdrawal was completed on schedule, with commander [[Boris Gromov]] of the 40th Army being the last Soviet soldier to leave Afghanistan. After the Soviet withdrawal, most of the Afghan mujahidin continued its fight against the government of [[Mohammad Najibullah]], which continued to receive funding from Moscow, while similarly the Mujahidin was also still receiving funding from Washington and Islamabad.<br />
<br />
Despite initial estimates, the Mujahidin proved unable to topple Najibullah's regime immediately after the Soviet withdrawal. The government concentrated its forces in defense of key cities, while relying on vast amounts of military and humanitarian aid from the Soviet Union to stay afloat. Soviet military advisors were still present in Afghanistan, helping advise the war effort and even coordinate air strikes.<ref name="marshall"/> Soviet volunteers operated the [[Scud missiles]] which gave the government an advantage in firepower. The Afghan Air Force, supplied and maintained with Soviet support, proved to be a crucial asset in keeping the government in power.<ref name="nyt1">{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1989/04/13/world/the-lessons-of-jalalabad-afghan-guerrillas-see-weaknesses-exposed.html|title=The Lessons Of Jalalabad; Afghan Guerrillas See Weaknesses Exposed|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=13 April 1989|quote=Casualties have been high on both sides. Government troops have been reduced by heavy guerrilla shelling and rocketing from 12,000 to 9,000, Western diplomats say....The Afghan Air Force is said to be taking advantage of the fact that, probably for the first time in the war, guerrilla forces are concentrated in static positions, which make them easier bombing targets.}}</ref> As late as December 1991, Soviet pilots were recorded flying bombing missions against the Mujahidin.<ref name="nyt2">{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1991/12/29/magazine/in-afghanistan-peace-must-wait.html|title=In Afghanistan, Peace Must Wait|work=[[The New York Times]]| date=29 December 1991|quote=Later, at Jalalabad, we will eavesdrop on the shortwave radio and hear Soviet pilots making actual bombing runs on resistance positions.}}</ref><br />
<br />
The Mujahidin's divisions and factionalism hindered their war effort, and skirmishes between rival groups became common. Massoud was one of the most active elements in this time. In both 1990 and 1991 he staged spring offensives, capturing several cities and steadily expanding the territory under his influence.<ref name="Dorronsoro" /> The government meanwhile came to rely heavily on tribal militias to stay in power, primarily the Jowzjani militia of Abdul Rashid Dostum. After 1989, these were the only forces capable of offensives against the Mujahidin.<ref name="marshall"/><br />
<br />
By the summer of 1990, the Afghan government forces were on the defensive again, and by the beginning of 1991 the government controlled only 10 percent of Afghanistan. In March 1991, Mujahidin forces [[Siege of Khost|captured]] the city of [[Khost]] ending an eleven-year siege. After the [[1991 Soviet coup attempt|failed coup d'état attempt]] by hardliners in the Soviet Union in August 1991, Soviet support to Najibullah's government dried up. This effectively doomed it, as the Afghan Air Force could no longer fly due to fuel shortages. Consequently, the Army's desertion rate skyrocketed.<ref name="marshall"/> In March 1992, Dostum's militiamen defected to Massoud after negotiations, and Najibullah's regime fell shortly afterwards.<br />
<br />
In 1991, some factions of the Mujahidin were deployed in [[Kuwait]] to fight [[Ba'athist Iraq|Iraq]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://apps.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a234743.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190412060905/https://apps.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a234743.pdf|url-status=live|archive-date=12 April 2019|website=apps.dtic.mil|access-date=2018-12-18 |title=Desert Shield and Desert Storm – A Chronology and Troop List for the 1990–1991 Persian Gulf Crisis}}</ref> After Hekmatyar and Sayyaf publicly denounced the U.S. and the Saudi royal family for their role in the [[Gulf War]], U.S. and Saudi officials indicated that they would stop funding both commanders, but this did not happen. However, the CIA and Saudi intelligence pressured the ISI to send captured Iraqi tanks to Haqqani instead of Hekmatyar.<ref>{{cite book|author-link=Steve Coll|last=Coll|first=Steve|title=[[Ghost Wars|Ghost Wars: The Secret History of the CIA, Afghanistan, and Bin Laden, from the Soviet Invasion to September 10, 2001]]|publisher=[[Penguin Group]]|year=2004|isbn=9781594200076|pages=223–224, 226–227}}</ref> In 1993, it was reported that some Mujahidin were deployed in the Caucusus to fight the forces of [[Armenia]] in the [[First Nagorno-Karabakh War]].<ref>{{Cite news |date=1993-11-16 |title=Afghan Fighters Join Azeri-Armenian War |work=Christian Science Monitor |url=https://www.csmonitor.com/1993/1116/16071.html |access-date=2022-11-17 |issn=0882-7729}}</ref> Afghan mujahidin fighters have also been reportedly involved in the [[Tajikistani Civil War|civil war in Tajikistan]] during 1992–1993.<ref>{{Cite news |date=1992-09-24 |title=Afghan Arms and Mujahideen Slip Past Border Guards and Into Tajik Civil War |work=Christian Science Monitor |url=https://www.csmonitor.com/1992/0924/24013.html |access-date=2022-11-17 |issn=0882-7729}}</ref><br />
<br />
==After the War==<br />
{{see also|Peshawar Accord|Islamic State of Afghanistan}}<br />
[[File:War in Afghanistan (1992–2001).png|thumb|Progress of the continuing civil war, 1992–2001]]<br />
After Najibullah's government collapsed, the Mujahidin factions (apart from ''Hezb-i Islami Gulbuddin'') signed a power sharing agreement (the [[Peshawar Accord]]) and captured [[Kabul]] on April 28, 1992, celebrating their "[[Mujahideen Victory Day|Victory Day]]". However, the divisions between the various factions were still there and it was a catalyst that led to [[Afghan Civil War (1992-96)|another civil war]] between the new government and Mujahidin factions that rebelled against it. This meant that after 1992, various Mujahidin factions including the Shi'ite [[Hezb-i Wahdat]] continued to exist as militias rather than merely political parties, with many fighters being loyal to specific leaders.<br />
<br />
===Relationship with the Taliban===<br />
The [[Taliban]] is a puritanical movement that was formed in 1994, five years after the end of the [[Soviet–Afghan War]] and in the midst of anarchy in Afghanistan. Supported by Pakistan and recruited from religious students from [[madrasa]]s across the border, it won a highly effective military campaign against former Mujahidin factions in the civil war, gaining control and establishing the [[Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (1996–2001)|Islamic Emirate]] in 1996. Nearly all of the Taliban's original leadership fought in the Soviet–Afghan War for either the Hezb-i Islami Khalis or Harakat-i Inqilab-e Islami factions of the Mujahidin.<ref name="auto1" /><br />
<br />
Veteran mujahidin leaders who fought against the Soviets were divided regarding the Taliban. Yunus Khalis was a strong supporter of the Taliban<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/5211604.stm|title=Leader of Afghan mujahideen dies|date=24 July 2006|publisher=BBC News}}</ref> and Nabi Mohammadi also supported them, even dissolving his own organization in doing so. However, Rabbani and Sayyaf were against the Taliban and formed a new united opposition force called the [[Northern Alliance]], which also recruited [[Haji Abdul Qadeer|Abdul Qadeer]] (a commander who defected from Khalis's faction), prominent Shi'ite leaders such as [[Muhammad Mohaqiq]], and former DRA commander [[Abdul Rashid Dostum]]. This group was supported following the [[United States invasion of Afghanistan]] in 2001 that successfully drove out the Taliban and led to the rise of [[Hamid Karzai]].<ref name="auto1" /><br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
* [[Afghanistan–Pakistan relations]]<br />
* [[Pakistan–United States relations]]<br />
<br />
==References==<br />
{{reflist}}<br />
<br />
==Bibliography==<br />
* Kaplan, Robert D. ''Soldiers of God: With the Mujahidin in Afghanistan''. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1990. {{ISBN|0-395-52132-7}}<br />
* Weisman, Steven R. "Rebel Rivalry is Hampering Afghan Talks", ''The New York Times'', March 1, 1988.<br />
<br />
{{Soviet–Afghan War}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Anti-Soviet factions in the Soviet–Afghan War]]<br />
[[Category:Anti-communist resistance movements]]<br />
[[Category:Anti-communist guerrilla organizations]]<br />
[[Category:Islamist groups]]<br />
[[Category:Anti-Soviet resistance]]<br />
[[Category:Islamism in Afghanistan]]<br />
[[Category:Islamic Unity of Afghanistan Mujahideen| ]]<br />
[[Category:Rebel groups in Afghanistan]]<br />
[[Category:Defunct political party alliances in Afghanistan]]<br />
[[Category:History of Islam in Afghanistan]]<br />
[[Category:Mujahideen]]<br />
[[Category:Rebellions against the Soviet Union]]</div>Boackandwhitehttps://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=User_talk:TheTimesAreAChanging&diff=1263737401User talk:TheTimesAreAChanging2024-12-18T09:32:00Z<p>Boackandwhite: /* Mujaheddin */ Reply</p>
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== Jan 2023 ==<br />
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@[[User:TheTimesAreAChanging|TheTimesAreAChanging]] Hello, its one thing to make valid criticism of an edit, its yet another to make adhominem attacks against other editors like you did here [https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ba%27athism&oldid=prev&diff=1136030617] with no regards to [[WP:AGF|Assumimg Good Faith]]. If you have doubts regarding my [[WP:NPOV]], you are welcome to discuss the edits with [[WP:CIV|Civility]] and by [[WP:FOC|focusing on the content]], so long as you stop making [[WP:PA|Personal attacks]].<br />
~~ [[User:shadowwarrior8|shadowwarrior8]] ([[User talk:shadowwarrior8|talk]]) 14:58 28 January 2023<br />
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== Dreamcast Sales Numbers ==<br />
<br />
Please actually check out the source I posted. Its from Sega of Japans offical Website. It isn't from a press release but from the Dreamcast page in their Hardware History section. They (the page doesn't have an author listed) state that the Dreamcast sold more than 10 million units. Just because someone else once falsly claimed that it sold 10.6 million units, which Sega doesn't even claim just that it sold more than 10 million units, doesn't mean that the 9.13 million sales number is written in stone. The source for the Playstation 2 sales numbers on Wikipedia is basically the same thing, a page from the offical Sony Website about their hardware history so I do not understand why this page couldn't be used as a source for the sales numbers of the Sega Dreamcast despite literally being from Sega themselve. [[Special:Contributions/178.27.108.243|178.27.108.243]] ([[User talk:178.27.108.243|talk]]) 09:46, 28 November 2024 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:Here is the relevant excerpt. The page was released on Novmeber 5, 2018 and is entirely in japanese:<br />
:セガ最後の家庭用ゲーム機『ドリームキャスト』は累計1,000万台あまりが世に送り出されました。<br />
:Which translates to:<br />
:Sega's last home video game console, the Dreamcast, sold a total of more than 10 million units.<br />
:Here is a link to the page as well as a link to an archive of the page from 3 days ago:<br />
:https://www.sega.jp/history/hard/column/column_06.html<br />
:https://web.archive.org/web/20241007020058/https://www.sega.jp/history/hard/column/column_06.html [[Special:Contributions/178.27.108.243|178.27.108.243]] ([[User talk:178.27.108.243|talk]]) 09:54, 28 November 2024 (UTC)<br />
::{{U|178.27.108.243}}, I reviewed the source that you provided; however, it appears to be close to a blog post, and not obviously more reliable than the 9.13 million CESA figure reported in Zackariasson ''et al.'' ([[Routledge]], 2012).<br />
::More broadly, what happens on the [[PlayStation 2]] article has no direct bearing on [[Dreamcast]]. You are now edit-warring against a prior talk page consensus, complete with a notice not to change the sales figure without consensus.<br />
::If you would like to discuss this further, it may be more productive to do so with the community at [[Talk:Dreamcast]], rather than on my user talk page.[[User:TheTimesAreAChanging|TheTimesAreAChanging]] ([[User talk:TheTimesAreAChanging#top|talk]]) 10:11, 28 November 2024 (UTC)<br />
::{{U|178.27.108.243}}, tangentially, [https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sega_Saturn&diff=prev&oldid=1259918115 this edit] fails [[WP:V|verification]] because the sources do not state that {{tq|"''[[Virtua Fighter 2]]'' is the best-selling Sega Saturn game."}} Regardless of the truth of the claim, you should be aware that Wikipedia has strict sourcing requirements that do not permit editors to engage in [[WP:OR|original]] [[WP:SYNTH|synthesis]] of reliable sources to reach conclusions not directly supported by the citations provided.[[User:TheTimesAreAChanging|TheTimesAreAChanging]] ([[User talk:TheTimesAreAChanging#top|talk]]) 10:28, 28 November 2024 (UTC)<br />
:::You should change the Wikipedia page for Virtua Fighter 2 as well since its state there that: the top-selling game worldwide for the Sega Saturn [is Virtua Fighter 2].<br />
:::Can I add Virtua Fighter 2 as the best selling game if I write that it was only the best selling in Japan?<br />
:::I wasn't aware of 10.6 million claim nor of the debate about its credibility that happened nearly a decaded ago.<br />
:::I however fail to see how that claim and debate means that the Dreamcast section of: ''The encyclopedia of Sega video game consoles'' from Sega of Japan's offical website which according to the banner on its index page (found here: https://www.sega.jp/history/hard/index.html) is: ''based on existing documents/materials at Sega'' (Original Text in Japanese: セガに現存する資料をもとに、歴代セガハードをご紹介) isn't a crediable source. I doubt that the japanese employee who created those pages used english internet discussions and rumors about console sales numbers as a source. <br />
:::Your claim about Sega maybe just rounded up the Saturns unit sales number to 6 million also is just your speculation since you don't provide any proof.<br />
:::In the case of the Mega Drive which sold about 3.58 million units according to Famitus the Megad Drive section of: ''The encyclopedia of Sega video game consoles'' states that: ''More than 3 million units of the “Mega Drive” were sold in Japan.'' (Original Text in Japanese: 『メガドライブ』は日本において300万台以上が販売されました。)<br />
:::This doesn't prove that Sega didn't round up the Sega Saturn unit sales number but is at least an example form the same source that shows that for one of their other consoles they definitly didn't just round up to the next higher number. [[Special:Contributions/178.27.108.243|178.27.108.243]] ([[User talk:178.27.108.243|talk]]) 12:53, 28 November 2024 (UTC)<br />
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== Mujaheddin ==<br />
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Hello i noticed that you eliminated my modification on the page mujaheddin that says that mujaheddin were NATO allies, they were allies due to intervention of mujaheddin in the gulf war against Saddam Hussein [[User:Boackandwhite|Boackandwhite]] ([[User talk:Boackandwhite|talk]]) 13:08, 17 December 2024 (UTC)<br />
:{{U|Boackandwhite}}, thank you for reaching out. Please provide a [[WP:RS|reliable source]] for [[WP:V|verification]]. Regards,[[User:TheTimesAreAChanging|TheTimesAreAChanging]] ([[User talk:TheTimesAreAChanging#top|talk]]) 03:49, 18 December 2024 (UTC)<br />
::okay i have a pdf about units involved in 1991 gulf war that include mujaheddin i'll use it [[User:Boackandwhite|Boackandwhite]] ([[User talk:Boackandwhite|talk]]) 09:32, 18 December 2024 (UTC)</div>Boackandwhitehttps://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Polish_constitutional_crisis&diff=1263646615Polish constitutional crisis2024-12-17T21:44:37Z<p>Boackandwhite: </p>
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<div>{{Short description|Political conflict centred on the rule of law in Poland}}<br />
{{Update|date=January 2024}}<br />
{{Politics of Poland}}<br />
The '''Polish constitutional crisis''', also known as the '''Polish rule-of-law crisis''', is a political conflict ongoing since 2015 in which the [[Polish government]] has been accused of failing to comply with [[European Union law|European]] and [[Constitution of Poland|Polish constitutional]] law. The [[2015 in Poland#Elections|2015 elections]] resulted in the [[Law and Justice (Poland)|Law and Justice]] party ({{lang|pl|Prawo i Sprawiedliwość}}, PiS) winning control of both the presidency and the parliament. With this [[government trifecta]] (as a result of its participation in the [[United Right (Poland)|United Right]]), PiS used its power to appoint judges to the [[Constitutional Tribunal (Poland)|Constitutional Tribunal]] in 2015, leading to the [[2015 Polish Constitutional Court crisis]]. The [[government of Poland]] continued to expand its hold on [[Judiciary of Poland|the judiciary]] resulting in the [[Supreme Court of Poland#2017–2018 Constitutional Crisis|2017 Supreme Court crisis]], and the 2019 [[Polish judicial disciplinary panel law]]. These events allowed the legislature and executive of the Polish government to have ''de facto'' control over judges and their appointments.<ref>{{Cite web| title=Poland |url=https://freedomhouse.org/country/poland/freedom-world/2020 |access-date=2020-11-15 |website=Freedom House |language=en}}</ref> <br />
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Causing a [[Democratic backsliding|Democratic Backsliding.]]<br />
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These moves have been condemned by the [[European Union]] which initiated an [[Article 7 of the Treaty on European Union|Article 7]] process against Poland. The [[European Commission]] referred Poland to the [[European Court of Justice]] (ECJ), stating in 2017, "the executive and legislative branches have been systematically enabled to politically interfere in the composition, powers, administration and functioning of the judicial branch."<ref name="Commission-2">{{Cite web|last=|first=|title=Rule of Law: European Commission acts to defend judicial independence in Poland|url=https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_17_5367|access-date=2020-11-15|website=[[European Commission]]|language=en|date=20 December 2017|archive-url=https://archive.today/20240717190344/https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_17_5367|archive-date=2024-07-17|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2019 and 2020, the ECJ ruled against Poland in ''[[Commission v Poland]]'', ordering it to suspend several laws which interfere with the independence of the judiciary, but these rulings have been largely ignored in Poland.<ref name="Morijn-2020">{{Cite journal|date=2020-03-10|title=Commission v Poland: What Happened, What it Means, What it Will Take|url=https://verfassungsblog.de/commission-v-poland-what-happened-what-it-means-what-it-will-take/|access-date=2020-11-15|journal=Verfassungsblog: On Matters Constitutional|doi=10.17176/20200310-215105-0 |language=en-US |last1=Morijn |first1=John }}</ref> The crisis briefly jeopardised the [[Next Generation EU|EU coronavirus budget]] which allowed funds to be made available to EU member states on the condition of "rule of law", a clause which both the Polish government and [[Hungarian government]] threatened to veto in 2020.<ref name="Guardian-2020">{{Cite web|date=2020-12-11|title=Rule of law fears remain in Poland despite EU compromise|url=http://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/dec/11/eu-fears-hungary-poland-compromise-not-end-of-story|access-date=2020-12-13|website=The Guardian|language=en}}</ref><br />
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Since the [[Judiciary of Poland#Reforms of late 2010s and consequences|changes to the judiciary]], a [[Protests against Polish judiciary reforms|number of protests]] took place as a result of either the changes themselves, rulings by the new judiciary, or other legislative action deemed to break [[European Union law|European]] or international [[human rights]] legislation. This includes the [[Abortion in Poland#Black Protest|Black Protest]] and [[2020–21 women's strike protests in Poland|Women's Strike]] against restrictions to women's rights (especially with regards to abortion), the [[December 2016 Polish protests|Polish Sejm Crisis]] against restrictions of press freedoms, and the [[August 2020 LGBT protests in Poland|2020 LGBT protests in Poland]] against restrictions to LGBT rights,<ref>{{Cite web|last=UKCLA|date=2020-11-12|title=Atina Krajewska: The judgment of the Polish Constitutional Tribunal on abortion: a dark day for Poland, for Europe, and for democracy|url=https://ukconstitutionallaw.org/2020/11/12/atina-krajewska-the-judgment-of-the-polish-constitutional-tribunal-on-abortion-a-dark-day-for-poland-for-europe-and-for-democracy/|access-date=2020-11-15|website=UK Constitutional Law Association|language=en}}</ref> and the [[2023 Polish protests]] in response to the oppression committed by the government by these actions. These rulings and legislative actions with the corresponding protest action have exacerbated the crisis in Poland.<br />
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After the [[2023 Polish parliamentary election]], the installation of the [[Donald Tusk]]-led coalition government has started to reverse the PiS reforms. This is opposed by [[Andrzej Duda]], who remains [[President of Poland]].<br />
<br />
== Background ==<br />
<br />
=== Constitutional Tribunal ===<br />
{{Main|Constitutional Tribunal (Poland)}}<br />
<br />
{| class="wikitable floatright" align=right style="font-size:88%;line-height:15px;"<br />
|+List of [[Constitutional Tribunal (Poland)|TC]] judges by seniority in June 2015<br />
!No || Judge || {{efn|The colors only represent the majorities that elected each judge, as the [[Polish Constitution]] of 1997 mandates that judges shall be independent and shall not belong to any political party (Article 195).<ref name="pl_konst">{{Cite web|url=http://www.sejm.gov.pl/prawo/konst/angielski/kon1.htm|title=The Constitution of the Republic of Poland|website=Sejm}}</ref>}} || Nomination date || End of term<br />
|-<br />
|1 || [[:pl:Maria Gintowt-Jankowicz|Maria Gintowt-Jankowicz]] || {{color box|{{party color|Law and Justice}}}} || data-sort-value="2006-11-06"|6 November 2006 || data-sort-value="2015-11-06"|'''6 November 2015'''<br />
|-<br />
|2 || [[:pl:Wojciech Hermeliński|Wojciech Hermeliński]] || {{color box|{{party color|Law and Justice}}}} || data-sort-value="2006-11-06"|6 November 2006 || data-sort-value="2015-11-06"|'''6 November 2015'''<br />
|-<br />
|3 || [[Marek Kotlinowski]] || {{color box|{{party color|Law and Justice}}}} || data-sort-value="2006-11-06"|6 November 2006 || data-sort-value="2015-11-06"|'''6 November 2015'''<br />
|-<br />
|4 || [[:pl:Zbigniew Cieślak|Zbigniew Cieślak]] || {{color box|{{party color|Law and Justice}}}} || data-sort-value="2006-12-02"|2 December 2006 || data-sort-value="2015-12-02"|'''2 December 2015'''<br />
|-<br />
|5 || [[:pl:Teresa Liszcz|Teresa Liszcz]] || {{color box|{{party color|Law and Justice}}}} || data-sort-value="2006-12-08"|8 December 2006 || data-sort-value="2015-12-08"|'''8 December 2015'''<br />
|-<br />
|6 || [[:pl:Mirosław Granat|Mirosław Granat]] || {{color box|{{party color|Law and Justice}}}} || data-sort-value="2007-04-27"|27 April 2007 || data-sort-value="2016-04-27"|27 April 2016<br />
|-<br />
|7 || [[Andrzej Rzepliński]] (President) || {{color box|{{party color|Civic Platform}}}} || data-sort-value="2007-12-19"|19 December 2007 || data-sort-value="2016-12-16"|19 December 2016<br />
|-<br />
|8 || [[:pl:Stanisław Biernat|Stanisław Biernat]] (Vice-President) || {{color box|{{party color|Civic Platform}}}} || data-sort-value="2008-06-26"|26 June 2008 || data-sort-value="2017-06-26"|26 June 2017<br />
|-<br />
|9 || [[Sławomira Wronkowska-Jaśkiewicz]] || {{color box|{{party color|Civic Platform}}}} || data-sort-value="2010-05-06"|6 May 2010 || data-sort-value="2019-05-06"|6 May 2019<br />
|-<br />
|10 || [[:pl:Stanisław Rymar|Stanisław Rymar]] || {{color box|{{party color|Civic Platform}}}} || data-sort-value="2010-12-03"|3 December 2010 || data-sort-value="2019-12-03"|3 December 2019<br />
|-<br />
|11 || [[:pl:Piotr Tuleja|Piotr Tuleja]] || {{color box|{{party color|Civic Platform}}}} || data-sort-value="2010-12-03"|3 December 2010 || data-sort-value="2019-12-03"|3 December 2019<br />
|-<br />
|12 || [[:pl:Marek Zubik|Marek Zubik]] || {{color box|{{party color|Civic Platform}}}} || data-sort-value="2010-12-03"|3 December 2010 || data-sort-value="2019-12-03"|3 December 2019<br />
|-<br />
|13 || [[:pl:Małgorzata Pyziak-Szafnicka|Małgorzata Pyziak-Szafnicka]] || {{color box|{{party color|Civic Platform}}}} || data-sort-value="2011-01-05"|5 January 2011 || data-sort-value="2020-01-05"|5 January 2020<br />
|-<br />
|14 || [[Andrzej Wróbel]] || {{color box|{{party color|Civic Platform}}}} || data-sort-value="2011-05-29"|29 May 2011 || data-sort-value="2020-05-29"|29 May 2020<br />
|-<br />
|15 || [[Leon Kieres]] || {{color box|{{party color|Civic Platform}}}} || data-sort-value="2012-07-23"|23 July 2012 || data-sort-value="2021-07-23"|23 July 2021<br />
|-<br />
|colspan=5|{{Legend|{{party color|Law and Justice}}|Nominated by PiS or its coalition partners (2006-2007)}}<br />
|-<br />
|colspan=5|{{Legend|{{party color|Civic Platform}}|Nominated by PO or its coalition partners (2007-2015)}}<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The Constitutional Tribunal (TC) of Poland was founded in 1982 by the government of the [[Polish People's Republic]]. It oversees the actions of government, including legislative action, to ensure compliance with the [[Constitution of Poland]]. Judges are elected to the court by the [[Sejm]] and approved by the [[President of Poland|President]]. The court is made up of 15 judges who serve single nine-year terms and which point they are replaced through agreement of the Sejm and President.<ref>{{Cite web|title=The Constitutional Tribunal of the Republic of Poland|url=http://www.bbcj.eu/the-constitutional-tribunal-of-the-republic-of-poland/|access-date=2020-11-15|website=Association of Constitutional Justice of the Countries of the Baltic and Black Sea Regions|language=en-US}}</ref> In 2015, before the crisis, the court was made up of ten justices nominated by the [[Centre-right politics|centre-right]] [[Civic Platform]] (PO) and five justices nominated by the [[Right-wing politics|right-wing]] [[Nationalism|nationalist]] [[Law and Justice (Poland)|Law and Justice]] Party (PiS).<br />
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=== Abortion law in Poland ===<br />
{{Main|Abortion in Poland}}<br />
In Poland it was illegal{{When|date=February 2022}} to have an abortion except where the mother's life was at risk, the pregnancy was a result of rape or if the foetus had "severe and irreparable" impairment. The largely Christian conservative base of PiS follow the [[Catholic Church and abortion|Catholic Church teaching on abortion]]. In 2017, a [[Pew Research Center]] poll showed 51% of Poles thought abortion should be illegal in all or most cases.<ref>{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=May 2015|title=Religious Belief and National Belonging in Central and Eastern Europe|url=https://assets.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2017/05/09154356/Central-and-Eastern-Europe-Topline_FINAL-FOR-PUBLICATION.pdf|access-date=|website=[[Pew Research Center]]}}</ref><br />
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=== 2015 Polish presidential election ===<br />
{{multiple image<br />
| align = left<br />
| direction = horizontal<br />
| total_width = 250<br />
| header = [[2015 Polish presidential election]]<br />
| image1 = Andrzej Duda (9851867824) (cropped).jpg<br />
| alt1 = Andrzej Duda<br />
| caption1 = [[Andrzej Duda]], [[Law and Justice (Poland)|Law and Justice]] (PiS)<br />
| image2 = KPRP 20130131 WG 305 BRONISLAW KOMOROWSKI.jpg<br />
| alt2 = Bronisław Komorowski<br />
| caption2 = [[Bronisław Komorowski]], endorsed by [[Civic Platform]] (PO)<br />
}}<br />
In May 2015 [[Andrzej Duda]] was elected as [[President of Poland]] with a radical right-wing platform, defeating incumbent [[Bronisław Komorowski]] of the Civic Platform. Prior to the election, Komorowski was believed to be the favourite to win.<ref>{{Cite news|date=2015-05-25|title=Poland election: President Komorowski loses to rival Duda|language=en-GB|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-32862772|access-date=2020-11-24}}</ref> Duda promised to block the Constitutional Tribunal nominations of the Civic Platform-controlled Sejm until after the [[2015 Polish parliamentary election]]. The outcome has been described as a shock in many media, as observers feared a potential conflict between Poland and the European Union as well as Duda's authoritarian tendency.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/idUS17111278820150522|title = Why Poland's presidential election may shake up the European Union|newspaper = Reuters|date = 22 May 2015|last1 = Cichowlas|first1 = Ola}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.ft.com/content/b72a065a-02d4-11e5-8333-00144feabdc0|title=Duda presidential victory stuns Poland|first=Henry|last=Foy|newspaper=Financial Times|date=May 25, 2015}}</ref><br />
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=== European migrant crisis ===<br />
Following the election of Duda, relations between the European Union and Poland soured, especially in relation to the ongoing [[European migrant crisis]], where Duda refused to be part of the European migrant quota plan managed by the [[European Asylum Support Office]], causing the EU to initiate sanctions procedures against Poland and other [[Visegrád Group]] member states.<ref>{{Cite news|date=2015-09-08|title=Poland's Duda Blasts EU 'Dictate of the Strong' on Migrants|language=en|work=Bloomberg.com|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-09-08/polish-president-blasts-eu-dictate-of-the-strong-on-migrants|access-date=2021-02-12}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2017-06-13|title=EU opens sanctions procedure against Hungary, Poland and Czech Republic over refugees|url=https://www.euractiv.com/section/justice-home-affairs/news/eu-opens-sanctions-procedure-against-hungary-poland-and-czech-republic-over-refugees/|access-date=2021-02-12|website=www.euractiv.com|language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=|first=|date=8 February 2017|title=Relocation and Resettlement – State of Play|url=https://ec.europa.eu/home-affairs/sites/homeaffairs/files/what-we-do/policies/european-agenda-migration/20170208_factsheet_on_relocation_and_resettlement_en.pdf|access-date=12 February 2021|website=|publisher=European Commission}}</ref><br />
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== First Duda term ==<br />
<br />
=== 2015 Constitutional Court crisis ===<br />
{{Main|2015 Polish Constitutional Court crisis}}<br />
{{multiple image<br />
|align = right<br />
|direction = vertical<br />
| total_width = 250<br />
|image1 = Warszawa t konstytucyjny.jpg<br />
|alt1 = The Constitutional Court building<br />
|caption1 = The Constitutional Court in Warsaw<br />
|image2 = Demonstracja Komitetu Obrony Demokracji 04.JPG<br />
|alt2 = Protestors in Warsaw waving Polish and European flags<br />
|caption2 = Protests against the appointment of new judges to the Constitutional Tribunal at rally organised by the [[Committee for the Defence of Democracy]]<br />
|image3 = Demonstration of supporters of changes to the law on the Constitutional Tribunal in Poland 13 12 2015.JPG<br />
|alt3 = Protestors in Warsaw waving Polish flags<br />
|caption3 = Protestors for the changes to the Constitutional Tribunal at a [[Law and Justice (Poland)|Law and Justice]] rally<br />
}}<br />
Between the election of Duda and the start of the [[List of Sejm members (2015–19)|8th Sejm]] on 12 November 2015, 5 seats on the TC were due to expire. The [[List of Sejm members (2011–15)|7th Sejm]], controlled by PO and its allies completed its election process for replacement judges. However, Duda refused to swear in these nominees until after the sitting of the 8th Sejm.<ref name="ppb">{{Cite web|last=Szczerbiak|first=Aleks|date=31 December 2015|title=Who is winning Poland's 'constitutional tribunal war'?|url=https://polishpoliticsblog.wordpress.com/2015/12/31/who-is-winning-polands-constitutional-tribunal-war/|work=The Polish Politics Blog}}</ref> Following the [[2015 Polish parliamentary election]] in October 2015, PiS took control of the Sejm and elected its own five replacement judges, who were elected on 2 December and sworn in on 3 December by Duda.<ref name="Kisilowski-2015">{{Cite web|last=Kisilowski|first=Maciej|date=2015-12-08|title=Poland's 'overnight court' breaks all the rules|url=http://www.politico.eu/article/law-vs-justice-poland-constitution-judges/|access-date=2016-03-30|website=POLITICO|language=en-US}}</ref> PO claimed this was unlawful,<ref name="Kisilowski-2015" /> whereas PiS claimed that the initial election of judges by 7th Sejm was unlawful. On 3 December the TC ruled that 3 of the judges nominated by the 7th Sejm were legally elected; 2 were not. Despite the ruling, Duda did not swear in the legally elected judges.<ref>{{cite web|date=8 December 2015|title=President Duda won't implement constitutional tribunal ruling|url=http://wbj.pl/president-duda-wont-implement-constitutional-tribunal-ruling/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160105182813/http://wbj.pl/president-duda-wont-implement-constitutional-tribunal-ruling/|archive-date=2016-01-05|access-date=2015-12-27|work=[[Warsaw Business Journal]]}}</ref> The President of the Constitutional Tribunal dictated that the new five judges should not hear cases until the situation was settled; in order to combat this, PiS passed a series of laws through the Sejm and Senate which compelled the TC to allow the judges to hear new cases. The new legislation was signed into law on 28 December. In January 2016, the TC ruled the five new judges elected by the 8th Sejm were legally appointed, but in March 2016 ruled the new legislation unconstitutional. The latter ruling was ignored by the Polish government, which considered the ruling "advisory".<ref name="Goe">{{cite web|last=Goettig|first=Marcin|date=22 December 2015|title=Polish parliament passes contentious amendment to top court law|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/poland-constitution-crisis-idUSL8N14B2UG20151222|publisher=Reuters}}</ref><ref name="BBC News">{{cite web|date=12 March 2016|title=Polish protests as government rejects court ruling|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-35793914|work=BBC News}}</ref> The crisis provoked outrage in the European Union which began an investigation into Poland under [[Article 7 of the Treaty on European Union]], describing the situation as threatening the [[Rule of law|rule-of-law]].<ref name="Commission-1">{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=Commission adopts Rule of Law Opinion on the situation in Poland|url=https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_16_2015|access-date=2020-11-29|website=European Commission|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|date=2016-01-13|title=Bruxelles lance une enquête préliminaire inédite sur la situation de l'Etat de droit en Pologne|language=fr|newspaper=Le Monde.fr|url=http://www.lemonde.fr/europe/article/2016/01/13/bruxelles-lance-une-enquete-preliminaire-inedite-sur-la-situation-de-l-etat-de-droit-en-pologne_4846618_3214.html|access-date=2016-12-04|issn=1950-6244}}</ref> Protests both for and against the government of Poland occurred in [[Warsaw]] and other major Polish cities.<ref name="BBC News"/><br />
<br />
On 13 January 2016, the European Commission launched a formal rule-of-law assessment to determine a serious threat of a breach of Union law based on rules set out in 2014 and the provisions of [[Article 7 of the Treaty on European Union]], regarding the amendments of the constitutional court and the public media law in Poland. A recommendation, the second step in the rule-of-law assessment, was issued on 1 June 2016.<ref>{{cite press release|url=http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_MEMO-16-2017_en.htm|title=Commission Opinion on the Rule of Law in Poland and the Rule of Law Framework: Questions & Answers|date=1 June 2016|publisher=[[European Commission]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/jun/01/poland-gets-official-warning-from-eu-over-constitutional-court-changes|title=Poland gets official warning from EU over constitutional court changes|work=The Guardian| date=1 June 2016}}</ref> Iverna McGowan, director of [[Amnesty International|Amnesty International's]] European Institutes office in Brussels, commented: "The willingness of the commission to use the rule-of-law framework is a positive step towards a more serious approach by the EU to speak out and hold its own member states to account on their human rights records."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.irishtimes.com/news/world/europe/eu-begins-assessment-of-poland-over-controversial-new-laws-1.2495394 |title=EU begins assessment of Poland over controversial new laws| publisher=The Irish Times| date=13 January 2016}}</ref> Hungary declared that it will oppose any sanctions against Poland.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tvp.info/23588427/blaszczak-zadne-sankcje-na-polske-nie-zostana-nalozone|title=Błaszczak: żadne sankcje na Polskę nie zostaną nałożone|author=dmilo, k|date=14 January 2016}}</ref><br />
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On 11 March 2016 the [[Council of Europe|Council of Europe's]] [[Venice Commission]], who had been asked for an opinion by the Polish government in December 2015, assessed the amendments as crippling the Court's effectiveness and undermining democracy, human rights and the rule of law.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://wbj.pl/venice-commission-criticizes-changes-to-top-constitutional-court/|title=Venice Commission criticizes changes to top constitutional court|website=[[Warsaw Business Journal]]|date=11 March 2016|access-date=16 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160312155509/http://wbj.pl/venice-commission-criticizes-changes-to-top-constitutional-court/|archive-date=12 March 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref> On 13 April 2016 the European Parliament, by 513 votes to 142 and with 30 abstentions, passed a resolution declaring that the Parliament "is seriously concerned that the effective paralysis of the Constitutional Tribunal in Poland endangers democracy, human rights and the rule of law".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/14/world/europe/poland-eu-parliament.html |title=EU accuses Polish Government of undermining Democracy|work=The New York Times| date=13 April 2016}}<br/>{{Cite web| url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-poland-eu-parliament-idUSKCN0XA1BH |title=Poland court 'paralysis' threatens democracy|publisher=Reuters|date=13 April 2016}}</ref><br />
<br />
In July 2016, the [[European Commission]] issued a statement outlining its recommendations regarding "the rule of law in Poland", including the swearing-in of the three judges elected by the 7th Sejm and the adherence to the March 2016 TC ruling declaring that changes to the structure and functioning of the TC were unconstitutional.<ref name="Commission-1" /><ref name="Commission-3">{{Cite web|last=|first=|title=Commission Opinion on the Rule of Law in Poland and the Rule of Law Framework: Questions & Answers|url=https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/memo_16_2017|access-date=2020-12-13|website=[[European Commission]]|language=en|date=1 June 2016|archive-url=https://archive.today/20240717190357/https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/memo_16_2017|archive-date=2024-07-17|url-status=}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== 2016 protests ===<br />
<br />
==== Sejm Crisis ====<br />
{{Main|December 2016 Polish protests}}<br />
[[File:Protest opozycji Sejm 16 grudnia 2016 Flickr Platformy Obywatelskiej.jpg|alt=Opposition MPs in the Polish parliament holding placards and protesting|thumb|Opposition MPs protesting against limits on press freedom]]<br />
In 2016, the government passed legislation which only allowed a small number of journalists and TV stations to report from parliament. This was seen as a continuation of PiS anti-journalistic policy, and resulted in protests. Inside the parliament building, opposition MPs staged a sit-in, forcing government legislators to pass bills elsewhere, and protestors outside the building gathered, shouting "freedom, equality, democracy".<ref>{{Cite news|date=2016-12-18|title=Poland protests: Crowds renew calls for press freedom|language=en-GB|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-38352742|access-date=2020-11-29}}</ref><br />
<br />
==== Black Protest ====<br />
{{Further|Abortion in Poland#Black Protest}}<br />
The 8th Sejm held debates on reforming abortion law in Poland, in order to make them more restrictive. The votes on the new restrictive abortion legislation took place on 6 October and were voted down due to domestic and international pressure. Despite a lack of legislative changes, PiS MPs began ligation in order to see abortion become more restrictive.<br />
<br />
=== 2017 Supreme Court crisis ===<br />
{{See also|Supreme Court of Poland}}<br />
In 2017 the Sejm and Senate passed a law mandating retirement for all judges aged over 70, unless given an exemption by the [[Ministry of Justice (Poland)|Minister of Justice]]. Following widespread protests this law was vetoed by Duda. A revised bill, mandating retirement at aged 65 was eventually passed and signed by Duda, giving significant control to the government over judges and their livelihoods.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2017-07-20|title=Poland: Draft Law Threatens Supreme Court|url=https://www.hrw.org/news/2017/07/20/poland-draft-law-threatens-supreme-court|access-date=2020-12-13|website=Human Rights Watch|language=en}}</ref><ref name="Brzozowski-2019">{{Cite web|last=Brzozowski|first=Alexandra|date=2019-11-05|title=Poland's 2017 judicial reform broke EU law, bloc's top court rules|url=https://www.euractiv.com/section/justice-home-affairs/news/polands-2017-judicial-reform-broke-eu-law-blocs-top-court-rules/|access-date=2020-12-13|website=www.euractiv.com|language=en-GB}}</ref><br />
<br />
In December 2017 the European Commission warned that "over a period of two years the Polish authorities have adopted more than 13 laws affecting the entire structure of the justice system in Poland", stating that "Article 7(1) of the [[Treaty on European Union]] provides for [[Council of the European Union|the Council]], acting by a majority of four fifths of its members, to determine that there is a clear risk of a serious breach by a Member State of the common values referred to in Article 2 of the Treaty... The Commission can trigger this process by a reasoned proposal."<ref name="Commission-2" /> In December 2018, a new law was signed by Duda, reinstating all judges who had been removed from their posts by the 2017 law — despite this, concerns in the European Union remained.<ref>{{cite web|author1=Joanna Berendt|author2=Marc Santora|date=December 17, 2018|title=Poland Reverses Supreme Court Purge, Retreating From Conflict With E.U.|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/17/world/europe/poland-supreme-court.html|access-date=December 18, 2018|website=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref> In April 2020, the ECJ ruled that Poland had still "failed to fulfil its obligations" under the [[Treaties of the European Union]].<ref name="Brzozowski-2019" /><ref>{{Cite web|author=Court of Justice of the European Union|date=8 April 2020|title=Commission v Poland (Press Release)|url=https://curia.europa.eu/jcms/upload/docs/application/pdf/2020-04/cp200047en.pdf|access-date=|website=curia.europa.eu}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Deforestation ===<br />
[[File:Bialowieza National Park in Poland0029.JPG|alt=A fallen tree covered in moss|thumb|A fallen tree in [[Białowieża Forest]]]]<br />
[[Białowieża Forest]], an [[ancient woodland]] and [[World Heritage Site]], has been subjected to large-scale logging since 2017.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Davies|first=Christian|date=2017-05-23|title='My worst nightmares are coming true': last major primeval forest in Europe on 'brink of collapse'|language=en-GB|work=The Guardian|url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/may/23/worst-nightmare-europes-last-primeval-forest-brink-collapse-logging|access-date=2021-02-12|issn=0261-3077}}</ref> 190,000 cubic metres (160,000-180,000 trees) of wood were felled in 2017 alone.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Białowieza: destructive logging in Polish Primeval Forest|url=https://www.europeandatajournalism.eu/News/Data-news/Bialowieza-destructive-logging-in-Polish-Primeval-Forest|access-date=2021-02-12|website=European Data Journalism Network|language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Scars of the Primeval Forest – What Really Happened in the Oldest Forest of Europe|url=https://infografiki.wyborcza.pl/wyrok-na-puszcze/en|access-date=2021-02-12|website=infografiki.wyborcza.pl}}</ref> The European Commission sued Poland at the European Court of Justice, which ruled that logging must be immediately halted as Poland had failed to fulfil its obligations under the [[Habitats Directive]] and the [[Birds Directive]],<ref>{{Cite web|agency=Reuters|date=2017-07-28|title=EU court orders Poland to stop logging in Białowieża forest|url=http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/jul/28/eu-court-orders-poland-to-stop-logging-in-bialowieza-forest|access-date=2021-02-12|website=The Guardian|language=en}}</ref><ref name="ECJ-2018">{{Cite web|last=European Court of Justice|date=17 April 2018|title=The forest management operations concerning the Puszcza Białowieska Natura 2000 site that have been undertaken by Poland infringe EU law|url=https://www.politico.eu/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/B_forest_ECJ.pdf|access-date=2021-02-12|website=[[Politico EU]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=C-441/17 - Commission v Poland (Białowieża Forest)|url=http://curia.europa.eu/juris/liste.jsf?num=C-441/17|access-date=2021-02-12|website=curia.europa.eu}}</ref> and threatened to [[Fine (penalty)|fine]] the Polish state.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2017-11-21|title=Poland faces €100,000-a-day fines over illegal logging in Białowieża forest|url=http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/nov/21/poland-faces-100000-a-day-fines-over-illegal-logging-in-biaowieza-forest|access-date=2021-02-12|website=The Guardian|language=en}}</ref> [[UNESCO]] also requested that the Polish government halt logging in the area.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2017-07-06|title=UNESCO urges Poland to stop logging ancient forest|url=https://www.euractiv.com/section/central-europe/news/unesco-urges-poland-to-stop-logging-ancient-forest/|access-date=2021-02-12|website=www.euractiv.com|language=en-GB}}</ref> Despite this, the Polish government has continued to allow logging in Białowieża Forest, although at "lower intensity" according to [[Greenpeace|Greenpeace Poland]],<ref>{{Cite web|last=Brussels|first=Agence France-Presse in|date=2017-07-31|title=Poland vows to continue logging in Białowieża forest despite court ban|url=http://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/jul/31/poland-continue-logging-biaowieza-forest-despite-eu-court-ban|access-date=2021-02-12|website=The Guardian|language=en}}</ref> under the pretext of a [[bark beetle]] infestation, a pretext which has been twice rejected by the ECJ.<ref name="ECJ-2018" /><ref>{{Cite web|date=2018-04-17|title=Poland violated EU laws by logging in Białowieża forest, court rules|url=http://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/apr/17/poland-violated-eu-laws-by-logging-in-biaowieza-forest-says-ecj|access-date=2021-02-12|website=The Guardian|language=en}}</ref> <br />
However, several years later it turns out that the [[bark beetle]] infestation got out of control, causing many more trees to die than would have been necessary, if the infestation had been controlled, by removing all infested and dead trees. Additionally, bordering private forests were lost to the infestation. The owners sued the government for not containing the infestation in time, claiming that the damage could have been prevented, had the expertise of their rangers and forest officials not been overruled by activists and foreign political entities.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://regiony.tvp.pl/44952051/inwazja-kornika-drukarza-wlasciciele-lasow-prywatnych-winia-lesnikow|title=Inwazja kornika drukarza. Właściciele lasów prywatnych winią leśników|first=Telewizja Polska|last=S.A|website=regiony.tvp.pl}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== LGBT-free zones ===<br />
{{Main|LGBT-free zone}}<br />
[[File:Krasnik lgbtfreezone 02.jpg|alt=|thumb|Illegally mounted street sign that created the confusion around the "LGBT Free Zones" and made the story go viral.]]<br />
In 2019 and 2020, LGBT-free zones were declared across many local authorities in Poland, with over 100 municipalities voting to declare themselves "LGBT-free", meaning free of the popular ideology in their public education programs.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Ciobanu |first1=Claudia |title=A Third of Poland Declared 'LGBT-Free Zone' |url=https://balkaninsight.com/2020/02/25/a-third-of-poland-declared-lgbt-free-zone/ |access-date=20 September 2020 |work=Balkan Insight |date=25 February 2020}}</ref> Whilst without legal backing, such declaration were found by the [[Council of Europe|European]] [[Commissioner for Human Rights]] as "stigmatisation" which "directly impact" LGBT citizens, contrary to the [[European Convention on Human Rights]] and likely prohibited by Article 34 of [[Constitution of Poland]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Council of Europe|first=Commissioner for Human Rights|date=3 December 2020|title=Memorandum on the stigmatisation of LGBTI people in Poland|url=https://rm.coe.int/memorandum-on-the-stigmatisation-of-lgbti-people-in-poland/1680a08b8e|access-date=13 January 2021|website=[[Council of Europe]]}}</ref> The European Union broadly denounced these declarations, with the [[European Parliament]] voting overwhelming to condemn such declarations.<ref name="Deutsche Welle-2019">{{Cite web|date=18 December 2019|title=European Parliament slams 'LGBTI-free' zones in Poland|url=https://www.dw.com/en/european-parliament-slams-lgbti-free-zones-in-poland/a-51722613|work=[[Deutsche Welle]]}}</ref> An LGBT activist placed "LGBT - Free Zone" road signs in front of the towns, creating the impression that they were officially placed by the towns and photographed them. These pictures were then used by media outlets all around the world.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://notesfrompoland.com/2020/01/25/activist-signposts-polish-towns-as-lgbt-free-zone-in-protest-against-anti-lgbt-resolutions/|title=Activist signposts Polish towns as "LGBT-free zones" in protest against anti-LGBT resolutions|date=January 25, 2020}}</ref> The misleading presentation made the story go viral, so the young activist's success was recognized by a Obama foundation scholarship.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://bartstaszewski.pl/2020/09/01/bart-staszewski-announced-as-new-obama-foundation-european-leader/|title=Bart Staszewski Announced as New Obama Foundation European Leader|date=September 1, 2020}}</ref> Polish opposition politicians, such as [[Robert Biedroń]], have compared the declaration to the ''[[judenfrei]]'' zones created by the [[Nazi Germany|Nazis]] in Poland.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Polish magazine criticized for planning 'LGBT-free zone' stickers|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/feature/nbc-out/polish-magazine-criticized-planning-lgbt-free-zone-stickers-n1031296|access-date=2021-01-13|website=NBC News|date=18 July 2019 |language=en}}</ref> Due to the breach of Article 2 of the [[Maastricht Treaty]], the European Union's [[Structural Funds and Cohesion Fund]] can no longer be used in these areas. However, the Polish government pledged to fill the gap in funding to affected areas, in opposition to the EU but supported by the [[Catholic Church in Poland|Catholic Church]].<ref name="Charlish-2020">{{cite web|last1=Charlish|first1=Alan|last2=Florkiewicz|first2=Pawel|last3=Plucinska|first3=Joanna|date=18 August 2020|title=Polish 'LGBT-free' town gets state financing after EU funds cut|url=https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-poland-eu-lgbt/polish-lgbt-free-town-gets-state-financing-after-eu-funds-cut-idUKKCN25E1RH|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200819022349/https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-poland-eu-lgbt/polish-lgbt-free-town-gets-state-financing-after-eu-funds-cut-idUKKCN25E1RH|url-status=dead|archive-date=August 19, 2020|website=[[Reuters]]}}</ref><ref name="Luxmoore-2019">{{Cite web|last=Luxmoore|first=Jonathan|date=August 19, 2019|title=Church in Poland continues confrontation with the LGBTQ community|url=https://www.ncronline.org/news/justice/church-poland-continues-confrontation-lgbtq-community|access-date=August 19, 2019|website=National Catholic Reporter}}</ref> President [[Ursula von der Leyen]] said "LGBTQI-free zones are humanity free zones. And they have no place in our Union" during her [[State of the Union (European Union)|State of the Union]] speech in September 2020, indicating the strength of opposition in the European Union.<ref>{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=16 September 2020|title=State of the Union Address by President von der Leyen at the European Parliament Plenary|url=https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/SPEECH_20_1655|access-date=2021-01-13|website=European Commission|language=en}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== 2019 Judicial disciplinary panel law ===<br />
{{Main|Polish judicial disciplinary panel law}}On 20 December 2019 the Sejm voted to allow [[Disciplinary Chamber]] of the Supreme Court of Poland to remove judges deemed to be partaking in "political activity". This gave the government ''de facto'' control of entire judicial arm of the state. The law also gave government greater control over appointment to the position of head judge of the Supreme Court of Poland. The law was criticised by the [[UN Human Rights Commission]] which stated the law "risks further undermining" the Polish judiciary.<ref name="nytimes">{{cite web|title=Polish Lawmakers OK Disciplining Judges; EU Decries Move|url=https://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2019/12/20/world/europe/ap-eu-poland-judiciary.html|access-date=2019-12-21|website=The New York Times}}</ref> The European Union also criticised the bill, with Poland risking further sanctions under Article 7 and by the European Court of Justice.<ref name="nytimes" /> The EU urged Poland not to pass the bill, and to consult the [[Venice Commission]], yet it passed.<ref name="reuters">{{cite news|author=Jan Strupczewski|title=Poland lower house adopts judiciary reform despite EU concerns|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-poland-eu-judges/poland-lower-house-adopts-judiciary-reform-despite-eu-concerns-idUSKBN1YO28G|access-date=2019-12-21|website=Reuters|date=20 December 2019}}</ref> The Association of Judges of Ireland condemned the Polish legislation.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Gallagher|first=Conor|title=Irish judges to condemn Polish government's judicial policy|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/irish-judges-to-condemn-polish-government-s-judicial-policy-1.4135175|access-date=Jan 12, 2020|newspaper=The Irish Times}}</ref> [[Koen Lenaerts]], [[Court of Justice of the European Union#President|President of the Court of Justice of the European Union]], warned that "You can’t be a member of the European Union if you don’t have independent, impartial courts operating in accordance with fair trial rule, upholding union law".<ref>{{Cite news|date=Jan 9, 2020|title=EU's top judge warns Poland over overhaul of judiciary|newspaper=Reuters|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-poland-judiciary-eu-idUSKBN1Z81VV|access-date=Jan 12, 2020|via=www.reuters.com|last1=Ptak|first1=Alicja}}</ref><br />
<br />
The Polish Supreme Court stated that the bill was a "[[Martial law in Poland|continuation of the lawlessness of the 1980s]]". According to the court: "Everything is there: a ban on the freedom of speech by judges, the establishment of a surveillance mechanism and a drastic reduction of their right to have profiles on social networks".<ref>{{Cite web|date=Dec 18, 2019|title=Mass protests erupt across Poland over plan to punish judges|url=https://apnews.com/e26d62993f66c106045d57e80a8ff6ab|access-date=Jan 12, 2020|website=AP NEWS}}</ref> The Polish Supreme Court, prior to the bill passing, said that Poland overruling the primacy of EU law may force it out of the bloc.<ref name="euronews">{{cite web|title=Poland could be forced to leave EU by its judicial reforms, top court says|url=https://www.euronews.com/2019/12/18/poland-could-be-forced-to-leave-eu-by-its-judicial-reforms-top-court-says|access-date=2019-12-21|website=Euronews|date=18 December 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Deutsche Welle (www.dw.com)|title=Poland's judicial reforms put EU membership at risk, warns top court |date=17 December 2019 |url=https://www.dw.com/en/polands-judicial-reforms-put-eu-membership-at-risk-warns-top-court/a-51711735|access-date=Jan 12, 2020|website=DW.COM}}</ref><br />
<br />
[[Donald Tusk]], former [[European Council]] president, warned the bill might force Poland out of the EU. Ombudsman [[Adam Bodnar]] said the law "violates the Constitution and the ground rules of the rule of law" and "would definitively put Polish courts and judges under the control of the legislative and executive branches of government". Special Rapporteur of the United Nations on the Independence of Judges and Lawyers [[Diego García Sayán]] and President of the European Association of Judges José Igreja Matos warned the legislation "runs contrary to judicial independence".<ref>{{Cite web|date=Dec 17, 2019|title=Time is fast running out for judicial independence in PiS-ruled Poland |url=https://www.euronews.com/2019/12/17/time-is-fast-running-out-for-judicial-independence-in-pis-ruled-poland-view|access-date=Jan 12, 2020|website=euronews}}</ref><br />
[[File:Adam Bodnar 2019a.jpg|alt=A portrait photo of Adam Bodnar|thumb|[[Polish Ombudsman]] since 2015, [[Adam Bodnar]] is responsible for defending human rights in Poland and has criticised the Polish government throughout this crisis]]<br />
<br />
=== COVID-19 reporting ===<br />
{{Further|COVID-19 pandemic in Poland}}<br />
On 20 March 2020, the secretary of state of the Ministry of Health, [[Józefa Szczurek-Żelazko]], sent a written statement ordering voivodeship medical consultants to not make statements about SARS-CoV-2, the epidemiological situation, the risks for medical staff or methods of protection from infection, unless they had first consulted with the Ministry of Health or {{ill|Główny Inspektorat Sanitarny|pl}}. Szczurek-Żelazko motivated the order by the need to provide correct, unified information and to avoid unjustified unrest in the medical community.<ref>{{Cite web|date=20 March 2020|title=Letter from Józef Szczurek-Żelazko to consultants|url=https://twitter.com/PChSKALPEL/status/1242882805685723151/photo/1/|url-access=<!-- (subscription/registration/limited) default=free -->|url-status=live|archive-url=https://archive.today/20200330105257/https://twitter.com/PChSKALPEL/status/1242882805685723151/photo/1|archive-date=30 March 2020|access-date=30 March 2020|website=twitter.com}}</ref><br />
<br />
A surgeons group, {{Lang|pl|Porozumienie Chirurgów SKALPEL}}, described the order as [[blackmail]] and said that it risked catastrophe. The group stated that the COVID-19 pandemic showed Poland as "not at all prepared for crisis situations" with a "lack of equipment, basic personal protective gear and disinfectant materials and a lack of standards and procedures".<ref name="GazWyb_MOH_to_censor_medicos">{{Cite news|date=2020-03-26|title=Ministerstwo Zdrowia chce kontrolować wypowiedzi wojewódzkich konsultantów medycznych|language=pl|trans-title=The Minister of Health wants to control voivodeship medical consultants' freedom of speech<!-- trans-title is the English translation -->|work=[[Gazeta Wyborcza]]|url=https://wiadomosci.gazeta.pl/wiadomosci/7,173952,25823872,ministerstwo-zdrowia-chce-kontrolowac-wypowiedzi-wojewodzkich.html|url-status=live|url-access=<!-- (subscription/registration/limited) default=free -->|access-date=2020-03-27|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200327015229/https://wiadomosci.gazeta.pl/wiadomosci/7,173952,25823872,ministerstwo-zdrowia-chce-kontrolowac-wypowiedzi-wojewodzkich.html|archive-date=2020-03-27}}</ref><br />
<br />
On 25 March 2020, the [[Polish Ombudsman]] [[Adam Bodnar]] sent a letter to the Minister of Health, Szumowski, stating that medical staff's freedom of speech and is guaranteed under [[wikisource:Constitution of the Republic of Poland/Chapter 1|Articles 2]] and [[wikisource:Constitution of the Republic of Poland/Chapter 2|54 of the Polish Constitution]] and the right of the public to information is guaranteed under [[wikisource:Constitution of the Republic of Poland/Chapter 2|Article 61]] of the constitution. Bodnar stated that firing or punishing doctors for informing the public during the pandemic could be a violation of the "obligatory standards". Bodnar asked if Szumowski was aware of the situation and requested a clarification of policy.<ref name="PortPielPoloz_fired">{{Cite web|last=Mielcarek|first=Mariusz|date=2020-03-26|title=Pielęgniarki - położna napisała jak jest w szpitalu. Została zwolniona!|trans-title=Nurses - a midwife wrote about the situation in a hospital. She was fired!<!-- trans-title is the English translation -->|url=https://www.pielegniarki.info.pl/article/view/id/10720|url-access=<!-- (subscription/registration/limited) default=free -->|url-status=live|archive-url=https://archive.today/20200327204145/https://www.pielegniarki.info.pl/article/view/id/10720|archive-date=2020-03-27|access-date=2020-03-27|website=Portal Pielęgniarek i Położnych|language=pl}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== 2019–20 elections ===<br />
{{multiple image<br />
| align = left<br />
| direction = horizontal<br />
| total_width = 250<br />
| header = [[2020 Polish presidential election]]<br />
| image1 = Andrzej Duda (9851867824) (cropped).jpg<br />
| alt1 = Andrzej Duda<br />
| caption1 = [[Andrzej Duda]], endorsed by [[Law and Justice (Poland)|Law and Justice]] (PiS)<br />
| image2 = Rafał Trzaskowski (EPP Summit, Zagreb, 2019).jpg<br />
| alt2 = Rafał Trzaskowski<br />
| caption2 = [[Rafał Trzaskowski]], [[Civic Platform]] (KO)<br />
}}<br />
<br />
In 2019 and 2020 PiS and the United Right retained control of the parliament and presidency of Poland. In the [[2019 Polish parliamentary election]], which had the highest turnout since the fall of [[History of Poland (1945–1989)|communism in Poland]],<ref>{{cite news|title=Poland celebrates record voter turnout since 1989 elections|agency=[[TVN24]]|url=https://www.tvn24.pl/tvn24-news-in-english,157,m/polish-parliementary-vote-highest-turnout-since-1989,977832.html|access-date=18 October 2019}}</ref> PiS retained 43.59% of the popular vote for the Sejm and 44.56% of the vote for the Senate,<ref>{{Cite web|title=Wybory do Sejmu i Senatu Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej 2019 r.|url=https://sejmsenat2019.pkw.gov.pl/sejmsenat2019/en/wyniki/senat/pl|access-date=2020-12-13|website=sejmsenat2019.pkw.gov.pl|language=pl}}</ref> marking a positive [[Swing (politics)|swing]] in these elections.<br />
<br />
In 2020, the [[2020 Polish presidential election]] took place, with Duda winning with 51.03% of the vote. Independent observers from the [[Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe]] found that [[Telewizja Polska]], the Polish [[public broadcasting]] service, was inappropriately and "clearly biased" towards Duda and PiS in both elections.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Day|first=Matthew|date=2019-10-15|title=Biased state broadcaster left Polish voters with limited choice in election, report says|language=en-GB|work=The Telegraph|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/10/15/biased-state-broadcaster-left-polish-voters-limited-choice-election/|access-date=2020-12-13|issn=0307-1235}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Polish presidential election managed well despite legal uncertainties, but intolerance and public media bias tarnished campaign, international observers say|url=https://www.osce.org/odihr/elections/poland/455731|access-date=2020-12-13|website=[[osce.org]]|language=en}}</ref><br />
<br />
== Second Duda term ==<br />
<br />
=== LGBT rights ===<br />
{{Main|Rainbow Night}}<br />
[[File:Rainbow_Black_Madonna_of_Częstochowa.png|thumb|The [[Rainbow Madonna]]]]<br />
In August 2020, following the arrest of [[Margot (activist)|Margot]], an LGBT activist, several mass demonstrations took place across Poland. In central Warsaw, this protest degenerated and led to a violent police response, in turn resulting in further protest action. These protested against the "[[#LGBT-free zones|LGBT-free zones]]", police violence and human rights rollbacks by the government.<ref name="Notes">{{cite news|last1=Metcalfe|first1=Percy|date=12 August 2020|title="No apologies, no shame": the rise of Poland's guerrilla LGBT activists|work=Notes From Poland|url=https://notesfrompoland.com/2020/08/12/no-apologies-no-shame-the-rise-of-polands-guerrilla-lgbt-activists/|url-status=live|access-date=18 August 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200905235035/https://notesfrompoland.com/2020/08/12/no-apologies-no-shame-the-rise-of-polands-guerrilla-lgbt-activists/|archive-date=5 September 2020}}</ref><ref name="nbc2">{{cite news|date=10 August 2020|title=Polish Stonewall? Protesters decry government's anti-LGBTQ attitudes|language=en|work=NBC News|agency=[[Associated Press]]|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/feature/nbc-out/polish-stonewall-protesters-decry-government-s-anti-lgbtq-attitudes-n1236273|url-status=live|access-date=18 August 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200814135046/https://www.nbcnews.com/feature/nbc-out/polish-stonewall-protesters-decry-government-s-anti-lgbtq-attitudes-n1236273|archive-date=14 August 2020}}</ref><ref name="wiadomosci">{{cite news|date=8 August 2020|title=W całym kraju demonstracje solidarności z osobami LGBT i "Margot"|language=pl|work=[[Onet.pl|Onet Wiadomości]]|url=https://wiadomosci.onet.pl/kraj/w-calym-kraju-demonstracje-solidarnosci-z-osobami-lgbt-i-margot/evtzwx3|url-status=live|access-date=19 August 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200817140405/https://wiadomosci.onet.pl/kraj/w-calym-kraju-demonstracje-solidarnosci-z-osobami-lgbt-i-margot/evtzwx3|archive-date=17 August 2020}}</ref> It has been described by some media outlets as "Poland's Stonewall".<ref name="nbc2"/><br />
<br />
In January 2021, the trial of three Polish activists began, charged with [[Offending religious feelings (Poland)|offending religious feelings]] after creating and posting posters of the [[Black Madonna of Częstochowa]] with the [[Rainbow flag (LGBT)|rainbow flag]], popularly known as the [[Rainbow Madonna]].<ref>{{Cite news|last=Sokolowski {{!}} AP|first=Monika Scislowska and Czarek|title=Desecration trial opens over LGBT rainbow put on Polish icon|language=en-US|newspaper=Washington Post|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/poland-trial-starts-over-lgbt-symbol-on-revered-icon-posters/2021/01/13/a0eedb8c-55a2-11eb-acc5-92d2819a1ccb_story.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210114214912/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/poland-trial-starts-over-lgbt-symbol-on-revered-icon-posters/2021/01/13/a0eedb8c-55a2-11eb-acc5-92d2819a1ccb_story.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=2021-01-14|access-date=2021-01-13|issn=0190-8286}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Abortion rights ===<br />
{{Main|2020–21 women's strike protests in Poland}}<br />
[[File:02020 0691 Protest against abortion restriction in Kraków, October 2020.jpg|alt=A large crowd of protesters holding signs promoting women's rights in Polish|thumb|October 2020 protests against abortion restrictions in [[Kraków]], Poland]]<br />
On 22 October 2020, the Constitutional Tribunal, with [[#2015 Constitutional Court crisis|disputed judges]], ruled that abortion in cases of disability or life-limiting illness were unconstitutional, further limiting abortion rights in Poland. The decision was nearly unanimous, with judges ruling 11–2 in favour of limiting abortion. The court found it violated the right to [[human dignity]] enshrined in the Polish constitution.<ref name="eclj1">{{Cite web|date=2020-10-23|title=Poland: The Constitutional Court Repeals Eugenic Abortion|url=https://eclj.org/eugenics/eu/pologne--le-tribunal-constitutionnel-abroge-lavortement-eugenique?lng=en|website=ECLJ}}</ref> This precipitated significant protests and civil unrest. Protests began on the day of the ruling, but have continued, especially in major cities such as [[Warsaw]], which saw an estimated 100,000 people protest on 30 October.<ref>{{Cite web|date=30 October 2020|title=W całej Polsce protesty przeciwko zaostrzeniu aborcji. Trwa "Marsz na Warszawę", doszło do starć [RELACJA NA ŻYWO]|url=https://wiadomosci.onet.pl/kraj/strajk-kobiet-trwaja-protesty-ws-aborcji-w-polskich-miastach-relacja-na-zywo/y9we7n1|access-date=30 October 2020|website=Onet Wiadomości|language=pl}}</ref> Protests continued throughout November and December 2020. On 27 January 2021, the ruling was formally published in ''[[Dziennik Ustaw]]'' and enforcement of the ruling began across Poland, precipitating further waves of unrest. Poland now has one of the most restrictive [[abortion law]]s in Europe, described as a "near-total ban" by the BBC as 98% of previous abortions in Poland took place under the laws now deemed unconstitutional.<ref>{{Cite news|date=2021-01-28|title=Poland enforces controversial near-total abortion ban|language=en-GB|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-55838210|access-date=2021-02-02}}</ref><br />
<br />
== Removal of PiS government ==<br />
In 2023, the [[Civic Coalition (Poland)|Civic Coalition]], a coalition led by [[Donald Tusk]], won the [[2023 Polish parliamentary election]], and the Tusk government began a series of measures to roll back Duda's reforms and to restore the rule of law to Poland, opposed by Duda, who remained President.<ref name="POLITICO-2024">{{Cite web |date=2024-01-09 |title=Polish police arrest MPs as Tusk vs. Duda rule-of-law battle heats up |url=https://www.politico.eu/article/poland-police-arrest-mps-andrzej-duda-donald-tusk-mariusz-kaminski-maciej-wasik/ |access-date=2024-01-16 |website=POLITICO |language=en}}</ref><br />
<br />
In January 2024, two convicted members of parliament were arrested in the [[Polish presidential palace]], where Duda had given them refuge from serving their prison sentences.<ref name="POLITICO-2024" /><br />
<br />
In March 2024, the Sejm voted on a motion that declared the 2015 nomination of several of the [[Constitutional Tribunal (Poland)|Constitutional Tribunal]] justices to have been illegally invalid. The motion stated the President of the Constitutional Tribunal, [[Julia Przyłębska]], had been invalidly appointed, her de facto appointment to 21 December 2022 effectively terminated her de facto role as President of the tribunal, and all the procedural decisions made under her presidentship were open to legal challenge.<ref name="Sejm_Uchwala_6March2024_constitutional_crisis">{{cite Q|Q127536041|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
== Opposition groups ==<br />
=== Domestic ===<br />
<br />
==== Parliamentary parties ====<br />
*[[Civic Coalition (Poland)|Civic Coalition]], the main opposition<br />
**[[Civic Platform]], the second largest party in the Sejm<br />
*[[The Left (Poland)|The Left]], political alliance of left-wing parties<br />
<br />
==== Other ====<br />
*[[All-Poland Women's Strike]], social movement for women's rights<br />
** [[Consultative Council (Poland)|Consultative Council]], strategy council for the All-Poland Women's Strike<br />
*[[Campaign Against Homophobia]], gay rights organisation<br />
*[[Citizens of Poland]], pro-democracy civic movement<br />
* [[Committee for the Defence of Democracy]], [[NGO]] promoting "European values"<br />
* [[Polish Judges Association "Iustitia"|Polish Judges Association]]<br />
<br />
=== International ===<br />
<br />
* [[Amnesty International]]<br />
* [[European Union]]<br />
*[[Greenpeace]]<br />
* [[Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights]]<br />
* [[Women on Web]]<br />
<br />
== Role of the European Union ==<br />
{{See also|Poland in the European Union|Rule of Law Conditionality Regulation}}<br />
Under [[European Union law]], the European Court of Justice may strike down [[Member state of the European Union|member state]] law if the laws are incompatible with [[Treaties of the European Union]],<ref>{{cite web |title=2021 Rule of Law Report: Country Chapter on the rule of law situation in Poland |url=https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A52021SC0722 |date=20 July 2021 | access-date=23 December 2021 |publisher=European Commission}}</ref> or if they concern one of the shared competences.<ref>{{cite web |title=Areas of EU action | access-date=23 December 2021 |url=https://ec.europa.eu/info/about-european-commission/what-european-commission-does/law/areas-eu-action_en |publisher=European Commission}}</ref> Examples of the former include [[judicial independence]], [[human rights]] (including [[women's rights]] and [[LGBT rights in the European Union|LGBT rights]]) and [[freedom of the press]]. Thus, several times from 2016 to 2020, the European Commission referred to a lack of [[rule of law]] in Poland, as Union law was not being applied.<ref name="Commission-2" /><ref name="Morijn-2020" /><ref name="Guardian-2020" /><ref name="Commission-3" /> [[Article 7 of the Treaty on European Union]] allows the Union to suspend the rights of membership if a nation breaches the vaguely formulated Article 2, namely "respect for human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law and respect for human rights, including the rights of persons belonging to minorities". This would be subject to a veto by any other member state, with [[Hungary]] indicating it would veto such action. Despite this, attempts were made to introduce sanctions or [[Rule of Law Conditionality Regulation|make funding conditional on the rule-of-law]], such as in the [[Next Generation EU]] budget,<ref name="Guardian-2020" /> [[Structural Funds and Cohesion Fund]].<ref name="Charlish-2020" /><br />
<br />
== See also ==<br />
{{Portal|Poland|European Union}} <br />
* [[Poland in the European Union]]<br />
* [[Polexit]]<br />
* [[Anti-LGBT rhetoric]]<br />
* [[Democratic backsliding]]<br />
* [[European Charter of Fundamental Rights]]<br />
*[[European Convention on Human Rights]]<br />
* [[Polish Ombudsman]]<br />
<br />
== Notes ==<br />
{{Notelist}}<br />
<br />
== References ==<br />
{{Reflist}}<br />
<br />
{{Polish constitutional crisis}}<br />
<br />
<!--- Categories ---><br />
[[Category:Polish constitutional crisis| ]]<br />
[[Category:Germany–Poland relations]]<br />
[[Category:Judiciary of Poland]]<br />
[[Category:Political controversies in Poland]]<br />
[[Category:Legal history of Poland]]<br />
[[Category:LGBTQ rights in Poland]]<br />
[[Category:Abortion in Poland]]<br />
[[Category:Freedom of expression in Poland]]<br />
[[Category:Human rights in the European Union|Poland]]<br />
<!-----><br />
[[Category:2010s in Poland]]<br />
[[Category:2020s in Poland]]<br />
[[Category:2010s protests]]<br />
[[Category:2020s protests]]<br />
[[Category:Democratic backsliding in Poland]]</div>Boackandwhitehttps://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=2023_Polish_protests&diff=12636461172023 Polish protests2024-12-17T21:40:49Z<p>Boackandwhite: </p>
<hr />
<div>{{Short description|Anti-government protests in Poland}}<br />
{{Infobox civil conflict<br />
| title = 2023 Polish protests<br />
| partof = [[Polish constitutional crisis]]<br />
| image = Marsz 4 czerwca w Warszawie.jpg<br />
| caption = People marching through the streets of [[Warsaw]] as part of the protests held on 4 June 2023.<br />
| date = June 4, 2023 – October 1, 2023<br />
| place = [[Warsaw]] and other areas of [[Poland]]<ref name="bbc-1">{{cite news|author=<!-- not stated -->|title=Poland protest: Hundreds of thousands demand change in Warsaw|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-65803318|work=[[BBC News]]|location=<!--not stated-->|date=4 June 2023|access-date=5 June 2023}}</ref><br />
| causes = [[Democratic backsliding in Poland|Democratic backsliding]]<br />
*Erosion of civil liberties<ref name="ap-1" /><br />
*Alleged suppression of opposition parties<ref name="reuters-1">{{cite news|author=<!--not stated-->|title=Polish president signs 'Tusk Law' on undue Russian influence|url=https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/polish-president-sign-russian-influence-bill-despite-opposition-protests-2023-05-29/|work=[[Reuters]]|location=Warsaw|date=29 May 2023|access-date=5 June 2023}}</ref><ref name="ap-2">{{cite news|last=Scislowska|first=Monika|date=29 May 2023|title=Poland's president approves law on Russia's influence that could target opposition|url=https://apnews.com/article/poland-politics-controversial-law-tusk-kaczynski-russia-073c052351e599e149e0ecebaeb4914b|work=[[Associated Press]]|location=Warsaw, Poland|access-date=5 June 2023}}</ref><br />
*Drift-away from the [[European Union]]<ref name="ap-1" /><br />
*Economic crisis, high inflation<ref name="ap-1" /><br />
*Perceived misuse of funds and poor planning for [[infrastructure]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://wiesci24.pl/2023/07/01/ujawniamy-kaczynskiego-schowali-do-tunelu-zeby-protesty-nie-zaklocaly-mu-gledzenia/|title=Ujawniamy; Kaczyńskiego schowali do tunelu żeby protesty nie zakłócały mu ględzenia|access-date=13 July 2023}}</ref><br />
| goals = [[Democratization]]<br />
*[[Anti-corruption]]<br />
*[[Free elections]]<br />
*Cancellation of the "Lex Tusk" law<br />
*[[Poland in the European Union|Pro-Europeanism]]<ref name="ap-1" /><br />
| side1 = [[Liberal democracy|Pro-democracy protestors]]<br>[[Civic Platform]]<br>[[Committee for the Defence of Democracy|KOD]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://ruchkod.pl/30578-2/|title=Ruch KOD|date=4 June 2023 |access-date=8 June 2023}}</ref><br>Supported by:<br>[[League of Polish Families]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=iilKfmst2ZM|title=MARSZ 4 CZERWCA - komentuje Roman Giertych. NA ŻYWO!|access-date=2 August 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=pfbid0ZkwSfJCsQcWsia8jb6uSHuP3bQ9kouXRBFdNw57DZ3XoxF1Z8JtTmAMEJUTTaq2Sl&id=100064568237594|title=Liga Polskich Rodzin|access-date=1 October 2023}}</ref><br>[[AGROunia]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.farmer.pl/fakty/polska/agrounia-dolacza-do-marszu-4-czerwca,132284.html|title=Agrounia dołącza do marszu 4 czerwca |language=pl |website=Farmer.pl|access-date=6 April 2024}}</ref><br>[[New Left (Poland)|New Left]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://lewica.org.pl/aktualnosci/9467-czarzasty-badzcie-4-czerwca-to-nie-jest-zadna-impreza-partyjna-to-protest-przeciwko-zlu|title=Lewica|access-date=6 April 2024}}</ref><br>[[TVN Group]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://tvn24.pl/tagi/marsz-4-czerwca|title=Marsz 4 czerwca – najnowsze informacje|website=TVN24|access-date=6 August 2023}}</ref><br>[[Newsweek Polska]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.newsweek.pl/polska/polityka/marsz-4-czerwca-kiedy-startuje-marsz-opozycji-relacja/pnk0p85 |title=Marsz 4 czerwca. Gigantyczna frekwencja. Tusk: Ich siłą była nasza bezsiła |website=Newsweek|access-date=6 April 2024}}</ref><br>[[Gazeta Wyborcza]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://wyborcza.pl/7,82983,29816122,jestesmy-z-kamera-na-marszu-w-warszawie-na-zywo.html |title=Jesteśmy z kamerą na marszu w Warszawie |website=Gazeta Wyborcza|access-date=6 April 2024}}</ref><br><br />
| side2 = [[Polish government]]<br>[[Law and Justice (Poland)|Law and Justice]]<br>[[Counterprotestors]]<br>Supported by:<br>[[Telewizja Polska]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://notesfrompoland.com/2023/07/10/actor-says-he-was-paid-to-appear-as-passer-by-on-polish-state-tv-criticising-anti-government-protest/|title=Actor says he was paid to appear as "passer-by" on Polish state TV criticising anti-government protest|access-date=14 July 2023}}</ref><br />
| leadfigures1 = [[Donald Tusk]]<ref name="ap-1">{{cite news|last=Gera|first=Vanessa|date=4 June 2023|title=Hundreds of thousands march in Poland anti-government protests to show support for democracy|url=https://apnews.com/article/poland-democracy-march-tusk-kaczynski-duda-4ab13141a16b88d63b060c1f977bb75e|work=Associated Press|location=Warsaw, Poland|access-date=5 June 2023}}</ref><br>[[Rafał Trzaskowski]]<ref name="ap-1" /><br>[[Lech Wałęsa]]<ref name="ap-1" /><br><br />
| leadfigures2 = [[Andrzej Duda]]<ref name="ap-1" /><br/> [[Mateusz Morawiecki]]<ref name="ap-1"/><br/>[[Jarosław Kaczyński]]<ref name="ap-1" /><br />
| howmany1 = June 4:<br>Nationwide: 1,000,000+ protestors<ref>{{cite web|url=https://wiesci24.pl/2023/06/04/nie-tylko-warszawa-setki-tysiecy-ludzi-na-ulicach-w-calym-kraju-przeciw-pis/|title=Nie tylko Warszawa. Setki tysięcy ludzi na ulicach w całym kraju przeciw PiS.|date=4 June 2023 |access-date= 8 June 2023}}</ref><br>Warsaw: 500,000+ protestors<ref name="ap-1"/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.politico.eu/article/anti-government-protest-warsaw-poland-against-pis-party/|title=Half a million march in Warsaw against Poland’s ruling party|access-date=14 July 2023}}</ref><br />
<br />
June 16:<br>Poznań: 50,000+ protestors<ref>{{cite web|url=https://wiesci24.pl/2023/06/17/kilkadziesiat-tysiecy-ludzi-na-marszu-przeciw-pis-w-poznaniu/|title=KILKADZIESIĄT TYSIĘCY LUDZI NA MARSZU PRZECIW PIS W POZNANIU|date=17 June 2023 |access-date=17 June 2023}}</ref><br />
<br />
June 24:<br>Wrocław: 50,000+ protestors<ref>{{cite web|url=https://wiesci24.pl/2023/06/25/opozycja-demokratyczna-wygra-te-wybory-wiec-we-wroclawiu-przypieczetowal-kleske-pis/|title=OPOZYCJA DEMOKRATYCZNA WYGRA TE WYBORY. WIEC WE WROCŁAWIU PRZYPIECZĘTOWAŁ KLĘSKĘ PIS|date=25 June 2023 |access-date=25 June 2023}}</ref><br />
}}<br />
<br />
On June 4, 2023, a series of anti-government protests took place in several areas of [[Poland]], with the main one being held in the capital city of [[Warsaw]]. The protests were sparked by the passing of the bill commonly referred to as "[[2023 Polish protests#Lex Tusk law|Lex Tusk]]", which critics argued would disrupt the constitutional [[separation of powers]] by giving the ruling party of [[Law and Justice (Poland)|PiS]] excessive [[judicial oversight]]. The Polish opposition in the [[Parliament of Poland|national Parliament]], as well as numerous foreign commentators, considered the law's approval an extension of the perceived [[Polish constitutional crisis|constitutional crisis]] under the [[President of Poland|presidency]] of [[Andrzej Duda]] and the [[Council of Ministers (Poland)|government]] headed by Prime Minister [[Mateusz Morawiecki]].<br />
<br />
On 1 October 2023, the "March of a Million Hearts" took place in Warsaw.<br />
<br />
==Causes==<br />
{{See also|Democratic backsliding in Poland|Polish constitutional crisis}}<br />
<br />
Since at least 2015, the [[Council of Ministers (Poland)|Polish government]] headed by the [[Right-wing populism|right-wing populist]] [[Law and Justice (Poland)|Law and Justice]] party has been accused of facilitating [[democratic backsliding]], specifically within the realm of [[Judiciary of Poland#Partisan control of the National Council of the Judiciary|judicial independence]].<ref name="ap-1" /><ref name=":0">{{Cite news |last=Walker |first=Shaun |date=4 June 2023 |title=Poland: hundreds of thousands march against rightwing populist government |language=en-GB |work=[[The Guardian]] |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jun/04/poland-hundreds-of-thousands-march-against-rightwing-populist-government |access-date=6 June 2023 |issn=0261-3077}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web |date=4 June 2023 |title=La grande manifestazione contro il governo polacco a Varsavia |url=https://www.ilpost.it/2023/06/04/varsavia-proteste-governo-tusk/ |access-date=6 June 2023 |website=[[Il Post]] |language=it-IT}}</ref> The party has been accused of curtailing the independence of the judiciary, eliminating the [[separation of powers]], and exercising undue influence over the courts.<ref name="ap-1" /><ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" /> This culminated in December 2017, when the [[European Commission]] triggered [[Article 7 of the Treaty on European Union|Article 7]] in relation to the perceived risk to the [[rule of law]] in Poland.<ref name="timmermans-1">{{cite speech |last=Timmermans |first=Frans |author-link=Frans Timmermans |location=Brussels, Belgium |date=20 December 2017 |url=https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/SPEECH_17_5387 |access-date=5 June 2023 |title=Opening remarks of First Vice-President Frans Timmermans, Readout of the European Commission discussion on the Rule of Law in Poland}}</ref><br />
<br />
{{Blockquote<br />
|text=The common pattern of all these legislative changes is that the executive or legislative powers are now set up in such a way that the ruling majority can systematically, politically interfere with the composition, the powers, the administration and the functioning of these authorities, thereby rendering the independence of the judiciary completely moot.<ref name=timmermans-1 /><br />
|author=[[Frans Timmermans]], [[Vice-President of the European Commission#First Vice-President|First Vice-President of the European Commission]]<br />
}}<br />
<br />
While the cabinets led by [[Beata Szydło]] and [[Mateusz Morawiecki]] received popular support among [[Conservatism|conservatives]] and the [[Catholic Church in Poland|national Catholic Church]]<ref name="bbc-1" /><ref name=":1" /> and steadily increased [[social benefits]],<ref name="ap-1" /><ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" /> worries have been raised over the government's increasingly aggressive campaigns against minorities (most notably the [[LGBT rights in Poland|LGBTQ+ community]]),<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" /> [[Abortion in Poland|reproductive rights]],<ref name="ap-1" /><ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" /> [[Refugees in Poland|immigration]]<ref name=":6">{{Cite web |date=16 June 2023 |title=Tusk w Poznaniu: Boli was ta PiS-owska gemela |url=https://www.polsatnews.pl/wiadomosc/2023-06-16/poznan-cala-polska-na-placu-wolnosci-ruszyl-wiec-donalda-tuska/ |access-date=18 June 2023 |website=[[Polsat News]] |language=pl}}</ref> and [[Institutions of the European Union|EU institutions]].<ref name="ap-1" /><ref name=":1" /><ref name=":6" /> The perceived erosion of academic freedom in the area of [[Holocaust research]] and [[Freedom of speech in Poland|media liberties]], as well as the rising [[inflation]], were also widely seen as reasons of concern.<ref name="ap-1" /><ref name="bbc-2">{{cite news |last=Murphy |first=Matt |date=30 May 2023 |title=Polish probe into 'Russian influence' angers EU |work=BBC News |location=<!--not stated--> |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-65752803 |access-date=5 June 2023}}</ref><br />
<br />
===''Lex Tusk''===<br />
On 29 May 2023, [[President of Poland]] [[Andrzej Duda]] announced that he would sign a bill which would establish an investigative panel into whether the liberal party [[Civic Platform]], which was leading the opposition in the [[Parliament of Poland|national Parliament]] at the time, had allowed the country to be [[Poland–Russia relations|influenced by Russia]] under the cabinets of [[Donald Tusk]] and [[Ewa Kopacz]] from 2007 to 2015, thus making Poland dependent on [[Petroleum industry in Russia|Russian oil]] and [[Natural gas in Russia|natural gas]].<ref name="reuters-1" /><ref name="ap-2" /><ref>{{Cite web |date=29 May 2023 |title=Komisja ds. badania wpływów rosyjskich. Prezydent zdecydował |url=https://www.polsatnews.pl/wiadomosc/2023-05-29/lex-tusk-komisja-ds-badania-wplywow-rosyjskich-decyzja-andrzeja-dudy/ |access-date=6 June 2023 |website=[[Polsat News]] |language=pl}}</ref> The bill, which was published on the [[Dziennik Ustaw|''Journal of Laws'']] the following day,<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |date=30 May 2023 |title="Lex Tusk". Ustawę opublikowano ustawę w Dzienniku Ustaw |url=https://www.polsatnews.pl/wiadomosc/2023-05-30/ustawa-o-badaniu-wplywow-rosyjskich-opublikowano-przepisy/ |access-date=6 June 2023 |website=Polsat News |language=pl}}</ref> would allow the Parliament to create a 10-member commission, whose head would be directly selected by [[Prime Minister of Poland|Prime Minister]] Morawiecki,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Cienski |first=Jan |date=27 May 2023 |title=Polish opposition denounces new commission to probe Russian influence |url=https://www.politico.eu/article/polish-opposition-denounces-new-commission-to-probe-russian-influence/ |access-date=6 June 2023 |website=[[Politico]] |language=en-US}}</ref> that would deliver an initial report on 17 September 2023, ahead of the [[2023 Polish parliamentary election|parliamentary election]] that was set to be held later in the year;<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2" /><ref name="ap-3">{{cite news |last=Scislowska |first=Monika |date=2 June 2023 |title=Poland's president proposes urgent amendments to law on Russian influence |work=Associated Press |location=Warsaw, Poland |url=https://apnews.com/article/poland-duda-tusk-russia-influence-law-amendments-ce535f8f70cf79d58b2706ae3e09d381 |access-date=5 June 2023}}</ref> the panel would also be allowed to ban any political figures found to have subjected Poland to Russian influence from holding most official public duties for ten years.<ref name="reuters-1" /><ref name="ap-2" /><ref name=":2" /><br />
<br />
Both Duda and the Law and Justice party, which supported the bill's passage, were accused by critics and opposition parties of designing the legislation with the specific goal of targeting opponents and removing them from public life,<ref name="ap-1" /><ref name=":1" /><ref name="ap-2" /> as well as harming support for Civic Platform's leader, former Prime Minister Tusk: for this reason, the law was nicknamed the "Lex Tusk", or the "Tusk Law".<ref name=":1" /><ref name="reuters-1" /><ref name=":2" /> Some critics compared the law's goals to the [[McCarthyism|political rhetoric]] that was originally spread by US Senator [[Joseph McCarthy]] during the late 1940s and the 1950s.<ref name="ap-1" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Kosicki |first=Piotr H. |date=5 June 2023 |title=Poland Is Not Ready to Accept a New McCarthyism |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2023/06/poland-warsaw-anti-government-protests/674294/ |access-date=6 June 2023 |website=[[The Atlantic]]}}</ref> The "Lex Tusk" also drew criticism from the [[European Union]], through official statements by [[Věra Jourová]]<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sorgi |first=Gregorio |date=30 May 2023 |title=EU blasts Poland over Russian interference law |url=https://www.politico.eu/article/eu-blast-poland-russian-interference-law-ban-public-office/ |access-date=6 June 2023 |website=Politico}}</ref> and [[Didier Reynders]],<ref name="bbc-2" /><ref name="ap-4">{{cite news |last=Casert |first=Raf |date=30 May 2023 |title=US and EU criticize Polish plans for law that could keep opposition from holding office |work=Associated Press |location=Warsaw, Poland |url=https://apnews.com/article/eu-poland-us-antidemocratic-law-rusk-russia-06f6a8455c6957e94689835bfd5032c5 |access-date=5 June 2023}}</ref> and the [[United States]], with [[US State Department]] spokesman Matthew Miller filing an official announcement.<ref name=":2" /><ref name="ap-4" /><br />
<br />
On 2 June 2023, Duda announced that he sent an urgent amendment containing several proposed revisions of the bill to the Polish Parliament, encouraging lawmakers to "act swiftly" and stating that he was reacting to the public outrage surrounding the law's initial passage.<ref name="ap-3" /><ref name=":3">{{Cite web |date=2 June 2023 |title=Duda: Mówię "sprawdzam" rządowi i opozycji. "Przygotowałem nowelizację" |url=https://www.polsatnews.pl/wiadomosc/2023-06-02/oswiadczenie-prezydenta-andrzej-dudy-ws-ustawy-ws-komisji-lex-tusk/ |access-date=6 June 2023 |website=Polsat News |language=pl}}</ref> According to the Polish president, the proposed amendments would ensure that the law was subject to [[Nonpartisanism|non-partisan]] review, that no parliamentary members would be allowed to be part of the commission, and that none of the politicians who would face charges as a result of the investigation could be banned from public office.<ref name="ap-3" /><ref name=":3" /><br />
<br />
==Protests==<br />
{{Expand section|date=June 2023}}<br />
<br />
=== June 4 protests ===<br />
On 4 June 2023, former Prime Minister [[Donald Tusk]], together with several other members of the [[Civic Platform]] party, organized a series of anti-government protests in [[Warsaw]], Poland's capital city:<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":4">{{Cite web |date=4 June 2023 |title=Marsz 4 czerwca w Warszawie. Tusk: Rządzą nami ponurzy faceci z kompleksami |url=https://www.polsatnews.pl/wiadomosc/2023-06-04/marsz-4-marca-w-warszawie-wydarzenie-opozycji-w-centrum-stolicy/ |access-date=6 June 2023 |website=Polsat News |language=pl}}</ref> people from all around the country joined the demonstration,<ref name="ap-1" /><ref name=":0" /><ref name=":5">{{Cite web |date=4 June 2023 |title=Tysiące ludzi na ulicach polskich miast. Imponujące zdjęcia z Krakowa |url=https://wiadomosci.onet.pl/kraj/tysiace-ludzi-na-ulicach-polskich-miast-imponujace-zdjecia-z-krakowa/gmlqgbw |access-date=6 June 2023 |website=[[Onet]] |language=pl}}</ref> while crowds also gathered in [[Kraków]], [[Szczecin]], [[Poznań]] and other Polish cities.<ref name="bbc-1" /><ref name="ap-1" /><ref name=":5" /> The protests in Warsaw were notably attended by former President and [[Solidarity (Polish trade union)|Solidarity]] leader [[Lech Wałęsa]],<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":4" /><ref>{{Cite web |date=4 June 2023 |title=Tłum przerwał wystąpienie Wałęsy. "Jak nie chcecie słuchać, to dziękuję bardzo" |url=https://www.polsatnews.pl/wiadomosc/2023-06-04/tlum-przerwal-wystapienie-walesy-jak-nie-chcecie-sluchac-to-dziekuje-bardzo/ |access-date=6 June 2023 |website=Polsat News |language=pl}}</ref> incumbent [[mayor of Warsaw]] [[Rafał Trzaskowski]],<ref name="ap-1" /><ref name=":0" /> social activist [[Sylwia Gregorczyk-Abram]]<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":4" /> and [[New Left (Poland)|New Left]] leader [[Włodzimierz Czarzasty]], among others.<ref name=":4" /> Despite having maintained a more cautious approach in the weeks preceding the event,<ref name=":1" /> many other opposition groupings, with the exception of [[far-right]] party [[Confederation Liberty and Independence|Confederation]],<ref name=":4" /> eventually sent their respective representatives to Warsaw,<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" /><ref name=":4" /> in response to the approval of the "Lex Tusk".<ref name=":1" /><br />
<br />
Although there was no official confirmation of the size of the rally, the estimated amount of participants in the protests in Warsaw ranged from 300,000 people, according to Polish web portal [[Onet.pl|''Onet'']],<ref name="ap-1" /><ref>{{Cite web |date=4 June 2023 |title=Imponująca frekwencja na wielkim marszu 4 czerwca. Policzyliśmy, ile mogło być osób |url=https://wiadomosci.onet.pl/warszawa/imponujaca-frekwencja-na-wielkim-marszu-4-czerwca-policzylismy-ile-moglo-byc-osob/5mmn9d2 |access-date=6 June 2023 |website=Onet |language=pl}}</ref> to 500,000 people, according to estimates by the city hall and Tusk himself.<ref name="ap-1" /><ref name=":0" /><ref name=":4" /> The march was symbolically convened to mark the 34th anniversary of the [[1989 Polish legislative election|semi-free elections]] held in 1989, which have widely been seen as the catalyst for the [[History of Poland (1945–1989)#Fall of Communism in Poland|fall of the Communist regime]] and a [[History of Poland (1945–1989)#Political transformation|peaceful transition]] to [[Parliamentary system|parliamentarian democracy]] in Poland.'''<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" />'''<br />
<br />
=== March of a Million Hearts ===<br />
On 1 October 2023, a second wave of protests took place throughout the country, and primarily in the city of [[Warsaw]], which was visited by former Prime Minister and protest leader [[Donald Tusk]]. The organizers put the attendance at at least a few hundred thousand, the Warsaw city hall at 1 million, and the police at over 100,000.<br />
<br />
==Reactions==<br />
The protests have been called a Polish version of the [[Euromaidan]], by both pro and anti-government media.<ref>{{Cite web |title="Mam nadzieję, że nie będzie czołgów na ulicach". Wizje Tomasza Lisa |url=https://dorzeczy.pl/amp/457356/mam-nadzieje-ze-nie-bedzie-czolgow-na-ulicach-wizje-tomasza-lisa.html |access-date=2023-07-14 |website=dorzeczy.pl}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Andrzej Szeptycki. Co łączy ukraiński Majdan z marszem 4 czerwca? |url=https://www.rp.pl/publicystyka/art38618491-andrzej-szeptycki-co-laczy-ukrainski-majdan-z-marszem-4-czerwca-donalda-tuska |access-date=2023-07-14 |website=Rzeczpospolita |language=pl}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-05-19 |title=Karnkowski: Niebezpieczny temat |url=https://www.tvp.info/69965608/krzysztof-karnkowski-niebezpieczny-temat |access-date=2023-07-14 |website=www.tvp.info |language=pl}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-02-22 |title=Majdan to był pokojowy bunt narodu przeciwko dyktaturze |url=https://wiadomosci.onet.pl/opinie/majdan-to-byl-pokojowy-bunt-narodu-przeciwko-dyktaturze/qf4kq8t |access-date=2023-07-14 |website=Onet Wiadomości |language=pl}}</ref><br />
<br />
==References==<br />
{{Reflist}}<br />
<br />
{{DEFAULTSORT:Polish protests, 2023}}<br />
[[Category:2023 protests]]<br />
[[Category:2020s in Warsaw]]<br />
[[Category:21st century in Poznań]]<br />
[[Category:June 2023 events in Poland|Protests]]<br />
[[Category:Protests in Poland|2023]]<br />
[[Category:Protests in the European Union]]<br />
[[Category:Political history of Warsaw]]<br />
[[Category:Democratization]]<br />
[[Category:Pro-Europeanism]]</div>Boackandwhitehttps://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Afghan_mujahideen&diff=1263578993Afghan mujahideen2024-12-17T13:15:31Z<p>Boackandwhite: </p>
<hr />
<div>{{Short description|Islamist resistance groups}}<br />
{{Italic title|string=mujahideen}}<br />
{{Use Oxford spelling|date=August 2021}}<br />
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2021}}<br />
{{Infobox war faction<br />
| name = ''Mujahideen''<br />
| native_name = {{lang|ps|مجاهدين}}<br />
| native_name_lang = ps<br />
| image = Afghan mujahideen.jpg<br />
| image_size = 250px<br />
| caption = Mujahideen of the [[Yunus Khalis]] group, 1987<br />
| organizations = [[Islamic Unity of Afghanistan Mujahideen|Peshawar Seven]] (Sunni Groups)<br />
* {{flagicon image|Flag of Jamiat-e Islami.svg}} [[Jamiat-i Islami]]<br />
* {{flagicon image|Flag of Hezbi Islami Gulbuddin.svg}} [[Hezb-e Islami Gulbuddin]]<br />
*{{flagicon image|Logo of Hezb-e Islami Khalis.svg}} [[Hezb-i Islami Khalis]]<br />
* {{flagicon image|Black flag.svg}} [[Islamic Dawah Organisation of Afghanistan|Islamic Union for the Liberation of Afghanistan]]<br />
*[[Islamic and National Revolution Movement of Afghanistan|Islamic Revolutionary Movement of Afghanistan]] <br />
* {{flagicon image|Flag of the National Islamic Front of Afghanistan.svg}} [[National Islamic Front of Afghanistan]]<br />
*National Liberation Front<br />
[[Tehran Eight]] (Shia Groups)<br /> (All except the Islamic Movement and Hezbollah Merged into [[Hezbe Wahdat]])<br />
*[[Hezbollah Afghanistan]]<br />
* {{flagicon image|Emblem of the Nasr Party (Afghanistan).svg}}[[Sazman-i Nasr]] <br />
* {{flagicon image|Emblem of the Revolutionary Guards of Afghanistan.svg}} Corps of Islamic Revolution Guardians of Afghanistan<br />
*The [[Islamic Movement of Afghanistan]]<br />
*[[Revolutionary Council of Islamic Unity of Afghanistan]]<br />
*Islamic Revolution Movement<br />
*Union of Islamic Fighters<br />
*Raad ("Thunder") party<br />
Other Groups<br />
*[[Afghanistan Liberation Organization]]<br />
*[[Liberation Organization of the People of Afghanistan]]<br />
*[[Afghanistan Mujahedin Freedom Fighters Front]]<br />
*[[Islamic Union of the Northern Provinces]]<br />
*[[Sharafat Kuh Front]]<br />
*[[Partisans of National Liberation of Afghanistan]]<br />
*[[Harakat-e-Mulavi]]<br />
| flag = [[File:Flag of the Afghan interim government-in-exile (1988–1992).svg|100px]]<br />
| active = 1975–1992 (resistance phase)<br />1992–1996 (loyalist factions)<br />
| ideology = [[Islamism]]<br />[[Anti-communism]]<br />[[Anti-Sovietism]]<br />[[Afghan nationalism]]<br />
| motives = Combat the Soviet invasion of [[Afghanistan]] and overthrow the Soviet-backed [[Democratic Republic of Afghanistan|communist government]]<br />
| leaders = [[Burhanuddin Rabbani]] and [[Ahmad Shah Massoud]] (Jamiat)<br />[[Sibghatullah Mojaddedi]] (JNMA/AIG)<br />[[Gulbuddin Hekmatyar]] (HIG)<br />[[Mohammad Nabi Mohammadi]] (Harakat)<br />[[Abdul Ali Mazari]] (Wahdat)<br />
| area = {{flatlist| <br />
* Afghanistan<br />
* Pakistan}}<br />
| size = <br />
| allies = {{flag|Pakistan}}<br />{{flag|United States}}<br />{{flag|Saudi Arabia}}<br />{{flag|China}}<br/>{{flag|Turkey}}<br />{{flag|West Germany}}<br />{{flag|Iran}}<br /> ([[Tehran Eight]])<ref>{{cite news|last1=Renz|first1=Michael|title=Operation Sommerregen|url=https://www.welt.de/print/wams/politik/article120664012/Operation-Sommerregen.html|access-date=6 June 2015|agency=Die Welt|issue=40|newspaper=Die Welt|date=October 6, 2012|language=de}}</ref><ref name=":1" /><br />{{flag|United Kingdom}}<ref name=":1">{{cite book|surname1=Michael Pohly|title=Krieg und Widerstand in Afghanistan|pages=154|language=de}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{cite web|url=http://www.foia.cia.gov/sites/default/files/document_conversions/89801/DOC_0000284013.pdf|title=Use of toxins and other lethal agents in Southeast Asia and Afghanistan|date=2 February 1982|access-date=21 October 2014|publisher=CIA|archive-date=10 September 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140910213821/http://www.foia.cia.gov/sites/default/files/document_conversions/89801/DOC_0000284013.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref><br />{{flag|Egypt}}<ref>{{cite web|title=Das Engagement der arabischen Staaten in Afghanistan|url=http://www.bpb.de/apuz/32735/das-engagement-der-arabischen-staaten-in-afghanistan?p=all|access-date=2016-03-18|last=Inken Wiese| date=14 May 2010 |language=de}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{cite book |surname1=Conrad Schetter|title=Ethnizität und ethnische Konflikte in Afghanistan|pages=430|language=de}}</ref><br /><br />
{{flag|NATO}} (during [[Gulf War]])<br />
| opponents = {{flag|Democratic Republic of Afghanistan}}<br />{{flag|Soviet Union}}<br/>{{Flagcountry|Ba'athist Iraq}} (1991)<br/><br />
| battles = [[1975 Panjshir Valley uprising]]{{Clear}}[[Soviet–Afghan War]] (1979–1989)<br />[[Afghan Civil War (1989–1992)|First Afghan Civil War]] (1989–1992)<br />[[Gulf War]] (1991)<br />
| successor = [[Northern Alliance]]{{Clear}}[[Taliban]]<br />
}}<br />
{{Campaignbox Soviet–Afghan War}}<br />
{{Campaignbox Afghan Civil War}}<br />
{{Covert United States involvement in regime change}}<br />
<br />
The '''Afghan ''mujahideen''''' ({{langx|ps|افغان مجاهدين|translit=}}; {{langx|prs|مجاهدین افغان|translit=}}) were [[Islamist]] militant groups that fought against the [[Democratic Republic of Afghanistan]] and the [[Soviet Union]] during the [[Soviet–Afghan War]] and the subsequent [[Afghan Civil War (1989–1992)|First Afghan Civil War]].<br />
<br />
The term ''[[mujahideen|mujahid]]'' (from {{Langx|ar|مجاهدين|link=no}}) is used in a religious context by [[Muslims]] to refer to those engaged in a struggle of any nature for the sake of [[Islam]], commonly referred to as ''[[jihad]]'' ({{Langx|ar|جهاد|label=none}}). The Afghan mujahidin consisted of numerous groups that differed from each other across ethnic and/or ideological lines, but were united by their [[Anti-communism|anti-communist]] and pro-Islamic goals. The coalition of [[anti-Soviet]] Muslim militias was also known as the "Afghan resistance",<ref>Sources:<br />
* {{Cite book |last=Arnold |first=Anthony |title=Afghanistan's two-party communism: Parcham and Khalq |publisher=Hoover University Press |year=1983 |isbn=0-8179-7792-9 |location=Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA |pages=109, 129, 133, 134}}<br />
* {{cite book| first= Andrew |last= Langley |year= 2007 |chapter= Introduction |title= The collapse of the Soviet Union: the end of an empire |isbn=978-0-7565-2009-0 | publisher= Compass Point Books|location= Minneapolis, MN |page=43}}<br />
* {{cite book|last=Amstutz|first=J. Bruce|title=Afghanistan: The First Five Years of Soviet Occupation|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RUSNyMH1aFQC|date=1 July 1994|publisher=DIANE Publishing|isbn=9780788111112|pages=133, 134}}<br />
* {{cite book| first1= Deigo |last1= Cordovez |last2= Harrison |first2= Selig S. | year= 1995 |title= Out of Afghanistan: The Inside Story of the Soviet Withdrawal |isbn=0-19-506294-9 |chapter=2: Soviet Occupation, Afghan Resistance, and the American Response | publisher= Oxford University Press|location= New York, USA |pages=57–59}}</ref> and the [[Western media|Western press]] widely referred to the [[Afghan people|Afghan]] [[guerrillas]] as "freedom fighters", or "Mountain Men".<br />
<br />
The militants of the Afghan mujahidin were recruited and organized immediately after the Soviet Union invaded [[Afghanistan]] in 1979, initially from the regular Afghan population and defectors from the [[Afghan Armed Forces#20th century|Afghan military]], with the aim of waging an armed struggle against both the [[Communism|communist]] government of the [[People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan]], which had taken power in the 1978 [[Saur Revolution]], and the Soviet Union, which had invaded the country in support of the former. There were many ideologically different factions among the mujahidin, with the most influential being the [[Jamiat-e Islami]] and [[Hezb-e Islami Gulbuddin]] parties. The Afghan mujahidin were generally divided into two distinct alliances: the larger and more significant [[Sunni Islam]]ic union collectively referred to as the "Peshawar Seven", based in [[Pakistan]], and the smaller [[Shia Islam]]ic union collectively referred to as the "[[Tehran Eight]]", based in [[Iran]]; as well as independent units that referred to themselves as "mujahidin". The "Peshawar Seven" alliance received heavy assistance from the [[United States]] ([[Operation Cyclone]]), [[Pakistan]], [[Saudi Arabia]], [[Turkey]], the [[United Kingdom]], as well as other countries and private international donors.<br />
<br />
The basic units of the mujahidin continued to reflect the highly decentralized nature of Afghan society and strong loci of competing [[Pashtun tribes|Pashtun tribal groups]], which had formed a union with other Afghan groups under intense American, Saudi Arabian and Pakistani pressure.<ref><br />
{{cite book<br />
| isbn=978-0-231-12692-2<br />
| url=https://archive.org/details/insidealqaedaglo00guna<br />
| url-access=registration<br />
| page=[https://archive.org/details/insidealqaedaglo00guna/page/254 254]<br />
| quote=Union of Mujahidin OR Union of Mujahideen.<br />
| title=Inside Al Qaeda: Global Network of Terror<br />
| author=Rohan Gunaratna<br />
| publisher=[[Columbia University Press]]<br />
| year=2002<br />
}}</ref><ref><br />
{{cite book<br />
| isbn=978-0-7546-3615-1<br />
| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=n1pKnc3RJGIC&q=%22Union+of+Mujahidin%22+OR+%22Union+of+Mujahideen%22&pg=PA138<br />
| title=A Bitter Harvest: US Foreign Policy and Afghanistan<br />
| author=Tom Lansford<br />
| publisher=[[Ashgate Publishing, Ltd.]]<br />
| year=2003<br />
| quote=Under pressure from the United States, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, the main mujahideen parties joined together to form the Islamic Union of Mujahideen of Afghanistan in May 1985. The alliance was led by a general council which included Hekmatyr, Rabbani, and [[Abd-ur-Rabb-ur-Rasul Sayyaf]], the leader of the [[Islamic Union for the Liberation of Afghanistan]] which was established and funded by the Saudis.}}</ref> The alliance sought to function as a united diplomatic front towards the international community, and sought representation in the [[United Nations]] and the [[Organisation of Islamic Cooperation|Organisation of the Islamic Conference]].<ref>{{cite journal |first=George W. |last=Collins |title=The War in Afghanistan |journal=Air University Review |date=March–April 1986 |url=http://www.airpower.au.af.mil/airchronicles/aureview/1986/mar-apr/collins.html |access-date=2009-03-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081003015504/http://www.airpower.au.af.mil/airchronicles/aureview/1986/mar-apr/collins.html |archive-date=2008-10-03 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The Afghan mujahidin also saw thousands of volunteers from various [[Muslim world|Muslim countries]] come to Afghanistan to aid the resistance. The majority of the international fighters came from the [[Arab world]], and later became known as [[Afghan Arabs]]; the most well-known [[Arabs|Arab]] financier and militant of the group during this period was [[Osama bin Laden]], who would later found [[al-Qaeda]] and mastermind the [[September 11 attacks]] on the United States. Other international fighters from the Indian subcontinent became involved in terrorist activities in [[Kashmir]] and against the states of [[Bangladesh]] and [[Myanmar]] during the 1990s.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Layekuzzaman |date=2021-09-02 |title=Will the Era of Afghan Mujahideen Return to Bangladesh Againh? |url=https://thedailyguardian.com/will-the-era-of-afghan-mujahideen-return-to-bangladesh-again/ |access-date=2022-11-17 |website=The Daily Guardian |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-02-03 |title=Ours Not To Question Why |url=https://www.outlookindia.com/website/story/ours-not-to-question-why/236926 |access-date=2022-11-17 |website=www.outlookindia.com/ |language=en}}</ref> The mujahidin guerrillas fought a long and costly war against the [[Soviet Armed Forces|Soviet military]], which suffered heavy losses and withdrew from the country in 1989, after which the rebels' war against the communist Afghan government continued. The loosely-aligned mujahidin took the capital city of [[Kabul]] in 1992 following the collapse of the [[Government of the Soviet Union|Moscow]]-backed government. However, the new mujahidin government that was formed by the [[Peshawar Accord]]s following these events was quickly fractured by rival factions and became severely dysfunctional. This unrest quickly escalated into [[Afghan Civil War (1992–1996)|a second civil war]], which saw the large-scale collapse of the united Afghan mujahidin and the victorious emergence of the [[Taliban]], which established the [[Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (1996–2001)|Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan]] shortly after taking most of the country in 1996. The Taliban groups were then ousted in 2001 during the [[War in Afghanistan (2001–2021)|War in Afghanistan]], but regrouped and [[2021 Taliban offensive|retook the country]] in 2021.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/national-security/even-taliban-are-surprised-how-fast-they-re-advancing-afghanistan-n1272236|title=Taliban forces rapidly gaining ground in Afghanistan as U.S. leaves|website=NBC News|date=25 June 2021 }}</ref><br />
<br />
==Origins and formation==<br />
Certain organisations that would later form the ''mujahideen'' had already existed, such as [[Jamiat-e Islami]] in 1972 and [[Hezbi Islami|Hezb-e Islami]] in 1976, as militias and paramilitary groups. The two organizations first took part in the [[1975 Panjshir Valley uprising|1975 Panjshir Valley]] and [[1975 Laghman uprising|Laghman uprisings]], and perpetrated acid attacks on women who were unveiled.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Haqqani |first=Husain |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nYppZ_dEjdIC&q=Jamiat-e+Islami+afghanistan&pg=PA171 |title=Pakistan: Between Mosque and Military |date=2010-03-10 |publisher=Carnegie Endowment |isbn=978-0-87003-285-1 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last1=Wahab |first1=Shaista |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=y20MTE0C9kwC |title=A Brief History of Afghanistan |last2=Youngerman |first2=Barry |date=2007 |publisher=Infobase Publishing |isbn=978-1-4381-0819-3 |language=en}}</ref><br />
<br />
Groups of resistance formed in parts of eastern Afghanistan by the fall of 1978, but it was in early 1979 that the situation rapidly escalated to open rebellion. As early as February 2, 1979, it was reported that Afghan dissidents were receiving guerilla training across the border in Pakistan.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://nsarchive2.gwu.edu/carterbrezhnev/docs_intervention_in_afghanistan_and_the_fall_of_detente/fall_of_detente_chron.pdf |title=The Intervention in Afghanistan and the Fall of Detente. A Chronology|website=nsarchive2.gwu.edu|access-date=31 March 2023}}</ref> The conflict reached a height during the [[1979 Herat uprising|Herat mutiny]] in March, in which a non-organized group of Afghan army mutineers from the 17th Division and the civilians rebelled and briefly overthrew the city garrison. The incident and subsequent air bombardment gave indications of a looming civil war. [[Sibghatullah Mojaddedi]], a leader of [[Islamic mysticism]] and a [[hazrat]], was one of the original leaders of an organized anti-government armed group. He created an organization named the Afghan National Liberation Front (''[[Jabha-i Nejat-i Milli]]'') and on May 25, 1979, appealed for support in New York City.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1979/05/26/archives/afghan-rebel-group-appeals-in-new-york-for-aid-for-its-forces-10.html|title=Afghan Rebel Group Appeals in New York For Aid for Its Forces|newspaper=The New York Times|date=26 May 1979}}</ref> [[Ahmed Gailani|Sayyed Ahmad Gailani]], a spiritual leader (''[[pir (Sufism)|pir]]''), also created a resistance organization during this time, called National Islamic Front (''Mahaz-e-Millie-Islami''). [[Mawlawi (Islamic title)|Mawlawi]] [[Mohammad Nabi Mohammadi]], a religious scholar and former member of parliament in the Kingdom, formed the Revolutionary Islamic Movement (Harakat-e-Inqilab-e-Islami); he was well known for assaulting prominent leftist [[Babrak Karmal]] inside the House of Representatives in 1966.<ref name="auto">{{Cite web|url=https://publishing.cdlib.org/ucpressebooks/view?docId=ft7b69p12h;chunk.id=0;doc.view=print|title=Afghanistan|website=publishing.cdlib.org}}</ref> On August 11, 1979, the Afghan National Liberation Front along with three others groups ([[Jamiat-i Islami]], [[Hezb-i Islami Khalis]], and Revolutionary Islamic Movement) formed a new organization based in [[Peshawar]], Pakistan, aiming to establish an [[Islamic Republic]]. Other rebel movements were also active throughout the country, including [[Hazaras|Hazara]] tribes that had some 5,000 men as of August 1979.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://web.stanford.edu/group/tomzgroup/pmwiki/uploads/3025-1979-10-12-KS-b-EYJ.pdf|title=Intensification of Warfare between Government Forces and Moslem Rebels - Government Changes - Alleged Involvement of Foreign Powers |website=stanford.edu|access-date=31 March 2023|date=12 October 1979|page=29878 }}</ref><br />
<br />
A broad mujahidin had existed as a ''de facto'' political bloc since May 1979, when the [[Government of Pakistan|Pakistani government]] decided to limit the flow of financial aid to the said seven organizations, thus cutting off monetary supply to nationalist and left-wing resistance groups.<ref>{{cite book|first=Thomas |last=Ruttig |title=Islamists, Leftists – and a Void in the Center. Afghanistan's Political Parties and where they come from (1902-2006) |publisher=Konrad Adenauer Stiftung |access-date=2009-03-27 |url=http://www.kas.de/db_files/dokumente/7_dokument_dok_pdf_9674_2.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130524194344/http://www.kas.de/db_files/dokumente/7_dokument_dok_pdf_9674_2.pdf |archive-date=2013-05-24 }}</ref><br />
<br />
The [[Operation Storm-333|Soviet operation of December 1979]] turned the civil war into a war of liberation, and the ''[[jihad]]'' was more forceful than previous Afghan empires had fought against the British and the Sikhs. Except for pockets of supporters of the DRA regime, almost every social, religious and ethnic group protested the Soviet action (despite their removal of the tyrannical [[Khalq]] regime), and even religious minorities of Afghan Sikhs and Hindus covertly assisted the mujahidin.<ref name="auto"/> Following the exodus of Afghans to Pakistan in 1980, as many as 84 different resistance groups were formed in Peshawar. A coalition of the resistance with a united front for military activities was demanded by Afghan refugees during meetings in Peshawar in 1980. They, including tribal and community elders, former members of parliament and mujahidin commanders, met in several ''[[loya jirga]]s'' (traditional grand assembly) to solidify the resistance, liberate Afghanistan from the Soviet Union, topple the Kabul regime, and create a single political bloc. Mojaddedi took part in these, and the first jirga passed a resolution on February 21, 1980. The last round of the jirga in May 1980 set up the Islamic National Revolutionary Council, headed by Mohammad Omar Babrakzay as acting president. It advocated for a national, Islamic, and democratic republic. The pressure persuaded leaders of the Islamic groups to make attempts to unite. A coalition of the three Islamist and three traditionalist organizations, the Islamic Union for the Liberation of Afghanistan, was formed, headed by [[Abdul Rasul Sayyaf]]. However, it did not last, as [[Gulbuddin Hekmatyar]]'s group (''[[Hizb-i Islami Gulbuddin]]'') and later the three traditionalist groups seceded from it. These three set up the Union of the Three. The Islamic Union later called the tribal Revolutionary Council an "enemy".<ref name="auto"/><br />
<br />
Because of disunity, elders from western Afghanistan attempted to hold a loya jirga, citing that [[party politics]] disunited the resisting Afghans. Political Islamists warned against people attending the jirga, but it was held safely in September 1981 in [[Pishin, Pakistan]], consisting of tribal elders, the Ulama, and military officers. Elders native from [[Nangarhar]] proposed that the former Afghan king, [[Mohammed Zahir Shah]], would be an ideal "National Leader" in any coalition. However, Pakistan, which preferred a divided Afghan resistance, was against the return of the former king to Afghanistan, seeing it as a symbol of Afghan nationalism.<ref name="auto"/><br />
<br />
==Groups==<br />
There were seven major mujahidin groups as recognized by Pakistan and its allies, based in [[Peshawar]] and sometimes called the ''Peshawar Seven''. They were often categorized into the fundamentalist and traditional; the fundamentalist factions were militarily stronger in the war.<ref name=auto1>{{cite web|url=https://www.ecoi.net/en/file/local/1154721/1226_1369733568_ppig1.pdf |title=Background Paper. Afghanistan: Political Parties and Insurgent Groups 1978-2001|website=Australian Refugee Review Tribunal|access-date=31 March 2023|date=7 March 2013}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.caspianpolicy.org/special-report-the-afghan-peace-process/|title=Special report: The Afghan Peace Process|access-date=31 March 2023}}{{Dead link|date=August 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref><br />
;Political Islamist<br />
* {{flagicon image|Flag of Jamiat-e Islami.svg}} [[Jamiat-i Islami]]<ref>(Pashto/Dari: جمعیت اسلامی)</ref> (''Islamic Society of Afghanistan''), a mostly [[Tajiks|Tajik]] faction headed by [[Burhanuddin Rabbani]], a former professor of theology at Kabul University, advocating for a semi-democratic Islamic revolutionary state - one of the most notable and strongest of the ''mujahideen'' factions<br />
* {{flagicon image|Flag of Hezbi Islami Gulbuddin.svg}} [[Hizb-i Islami Gulbuddin|Hizb-i Islami (Gulbuddin)]]<ref>(Pashto/Dari: حزب اسلامی گلبدین)</ref> (''Islamic Party''), a radical, oppositionist faction headed by [[Gulbuddin Hekmatyar]] who enjoyed the largest amount of ISI Pakistan funding, Saudi intelligence funding, and American CIA funding; traditionally strongest in [[Ghilzai]] Pashtun tribal regions in the south-east - aimed for a state similar to that founded and led by [[Ruhollah Khomeini|Khomeini]] in [[Iran]]<br />
* {{flagicon image|Logo of Hezb-e Islami Khalis.svg}} [[Hezb-i Islami Khalis]]<ref>(Pashto/Dari: حزب اسلامی خالص)</ref> (''Islamic Party''), a splinter faction headed by theologian [[Mohammad Yunus Khalis]], with its supporter base having been Ghilzai Pashtuns - favored cooperation with other factions<br />
* {{flagicon image|Black flag.svg}} [[Ittihad-i Islami]]<ref>(Pashto/Dari: اتحاد اسلامی برای آزادی افغانستان)</ref> (''Islamic Union (for the liberation of Afghanistan)''), a faction advocating for [[Wahhabism]], led by fundamentalist [[Abdul Rasul Sayyaf]] and funded by Saudi Arabia; smaller than the other parties, but influential in international recruitment for the jihad<ref>{{cite book|authorlink=Steve Coll|last=Coll|first=Steve|title=[[Ghost Wars|Ghost Wars: The Secret History of the CIA, Afghanistan, and Bin Laden, from the Soviet Invasion to September 10, 2001]]|publisher=[[Penguin Group]]|year=2004|isbn=9781594200076|page=201|quote=The CIA's Islamabad station estimated in a 1989 cable to Langley that there were probably about four thousand Arab volunteers in Afghanistan, mainly organized under Sayyaf's leadership. He was in turn heavily supported by Saudi intelligence and Gulf charities.}}</ref><br />
<br />
;Afghan traditionalist<br />
* [[Harakat-i Inqilab-i Islami]]<ref>(Pashto/Dari: حرکت انقلاب اسلامی افغانستان)</ref> (''Revolutionary Islamic Movement (of Afghanistan)''), a [[Pashtun]] faction led by [[Mohammad Nabi Mohammadi]], a religious figure and former member of parliament, and gaining support among Pashtun tribes in the south<br />
* [[Jabha-i Nejat-i Milli]]<ref>(Pashto/Dari: جبه نجات ملی)</ref> (''(Afghan) National Liberation Front''), headed by the [[Tariqa|Sufi order]] [[Sibghatullah Mojaddedi]], a [[monarchist]] faction that favored the return of Afghanistan's ousted King, [[Zahir Shah]], in a traditional Islamic state with a parliamentary democracy; it was said to be the weakest militarily, although with a respected leader<br />
* [[Mahaz-i Milli]]<ref>(Pashto/Dari: حمحاذ ملی اسلامی افغانستان)</ref> (''National (Islamic) Front''), the most secular, pro-Western and liberal of the mujahidin factions, rejecting both communism and Islamic fundamentalism, instead adhering to Pashtun nationalism, democracy and a return of the monarchy; led by [[Ahmed Gailani|Sayid Ahmad Gailani]], an Islamic mystical figure, and supported by a number of tribal leaders<br />
<br />
===Commanders===<br />
[[File:Wardak Amin 65.jpg|thumb|[[Amin Wardak]], a mujahidin commander of [[Maidan Wardak Province]]]]<br />
Some of the group leaders also acted as commanders, such as Khalis and Hekmatyar. The other notable mujahidin commanders were [[Ahmad Shah Massoud]] (Jamiat-i Islami), [[Abdul Haq (Afghan leader)|Abdul Haq]] (Hizb-i Islami Khalis), [[Ismail Khan]] (Jamiat-i Islami), [[Jalaluddin Haqqani]] (Hizb-i Islami Khalis), [[Amin Wardak]] (Mahaz-e Melli) and [[Mohammad Zabihullah]] (Jamiat-i Islami).<ref name="auto2">{{cite book| last=Amstutz| first=J. Bruce| publisher=Diane Publishing| isbn=978-0-7881-1111-2| url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_RUSNyMH1aFQC| title=Afghanistan: The First Five Years of Soviet Occupation| year=1994|oclc=948347893}}</ref><br />
<br />
===Ideologies and divisions===<br />
[[File:August 1985 Muja.jpg|thumb|Mujahidin guerillas in [[Kunar Province]], Afghanistan, 1985]]<br />
The Afghan ''mujahideen'' were not a united movement. The resistance parties remained deeply divided along ethnic, ideological and personal lines, despite internal and external pressures to unite. Dutch journalist Jere Van Dyk reported in 1981 that the guerillas were effectively fighting two civil wars: one against the regime and the Soviets, and another among themselves. [[Gulbuddin Hekmatyar]]'s [[Hizb-i Islami Gulbuddin|Hizb-i Islami]] was most cited as the initiator of cross-mujahidin clashes. Through the years, there were various efforts to create a united front, but all were either non-effective or failed in a short time. At least three different iterations of an "Islamic Unity of Afghan Mujahedin" (IUAM) were tried, none of which lasted. The formation of the Afghanistan Interim Government (AIG) in 1988 also failed to promote unity.<ref name=auto3>{{cite thesis|url=http://prr.hec.gov.pk/jspui/bitstream/123456789/1322/1/799S.pdf|title=The causes of the failure of the government of Afghanistan under Professor Burhanuddin Rabbani|location=University of Peshawar|date=December 2007|degree=PhD|author=Ahmad Noor}}</ref> Additionally, it only included the select Sunni Muslim groups approved by Pakistan; Shi'ite groups backed by Iran and pro-Chinese (anti-Soviet) leftist groups were excluded.<ref name="auto"/><br />
<br />
''Mujahideen'' leader [[Mohammad Yunus Khalis]] thought that the lack of trust among the various leaders was a factor for the many disunited organizations.<ref name="auto"/> Numerous ''mujahideen'' commanders additionally regarded schools and its teachers as legitimate targets for attacks, with their justification being that the [[People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan|PDPA]]’s [[Left-wing politics|leftist]] ideology was taught in educational institutions to students.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Urban |first=Mark |date=1990 |title=War in Afghanistan |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-20761-9 |doi=10.1007/978-1-349-20761-9|isbn=978-0-333-51478-8 }}</ref><br />
<br />
{{blockquote|text=The only party fighting the Soviets was the Harakat-i Inqilab-i Islami. The others were all fighting each other.|author=Eduard Lagourge, French aid worker in Afghanistan, 1988<ref name="auto3"/>}}<br />
<br />
The issue of the exiled king, [[Mohammed Zahir Shah]], also caused divisions. Zahir Shah enjoyed considerable popularity among the Afghan refugees in Pakistan. Both Hekmatyar and Khalis were strongly against the king, while Gailani, Mojaddedi and Mohammadi supported an interim coalition with him. Rabbani and Sayyaf were initially against a role for the king, later changing their minds.<ref name="auto3"/><ref name="auto1"/><br />
<br />
Although the Afghan mujahidin were praised for bravery in resisting a superpower, the lack of unity showed weaknesses in the guerillas, such as the lack of a clear political strategy.<ref name="auto3"/><br />
<br />
In an attempt to dissuade infighting and develop a ''de facto'' functioning [[proto state]], [[Ahmad Shah Massoud]] created the [[Shura-e Nazar]] in 1984, an offshoot of the Jamiat faction. Shura-e Nazar was created as a military–political combination and consisted of an organized structure dealing with health and education in the areas it operated in (northern and north-eastern Afghanistan).<br />
<br />
====Attempts at unity====<br />
{{Anchor|Union of the Seven|Islamic Unity of Afghan Mujahidin|Afghan Interim Government}}<br />
In 1981 the Islamist groups formed a broader alliance, the '''Union of the Seven''', made up of the three Islamist groups, the newly formed organization led by Sayyaf, and three splinter groups. But many differences remained between them. In 1985, under pressure from the king of Saudi Arabia – which was a major donor to the mujahidin – a more broad coalition was created, named '''Islamic Unity of Afghan Mujahidin''' (IUAM), comprising the four main Islamist and three moderate groups. It was also nicknamed the '''Seven Party Mujahidin Alliance''', the '''Peshawar Seven''', and the '''Seven Dwarves'''.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Wright|first=Lawrence|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/761224415|title=The Looming Tower: Al-Qaeda and the Road to 9/11|publisher=Vintage Books|year=2011|isbn=978-0-525-56436-2|edition=1|location=New York|pages=115|oclc=761224415}}</ref><br />
<br />
In 1989 under the patronage of Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, An '''Afghan Interim Government''' (AIG) was formed in Pakistan to coincide with the withdrawal of Soviet troops from Afghanistan. The Interim Government had been in exile in Pakistan since 1988.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Afghan Interim Rule: Rocky Road |work=Christian Science Monitor |url=https://www.csmonitor.com/1992/0513/13181.html |access-date=2023-09-02 |issn=0882-7729}}</ref><ref>[https://www.cia.gov/readingroom/docs/DOC_0000258646.pdf Middle East Brief] cia.gov</ref> The Interim Government was Headed by traditionalist [[Sibghatullah Mojaddedi]], with orthodox [[Abdul Rasul Sayyaf]] as prime minister, the AIG represented itself as a [[government in exile]] and a legitimate incoming state following the Soviet withdrawal.<ref name="auto"/> The two individuals proved popular, despite not being leaders of major groups, with Sayyaf said to have had exceptional ability in solving issues. However, the AIG was weak, as it only included the Peshawar Seven and not nationalists or tribal elders. After the Soviet withdrawal, the AIG attempted to establish itself within Afghan territory – the mujahidin and Pakistani forces attacked the city of [[Jalalabad]] in March 1989,<ref name="Abbas22">{{Cite news |last=Nasir |first=Abbas |date=18 August 2015 |title=The legacy of Pakistan's loved and loathed Hamid Gul |work=Al-Jazeera |url=http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2015/08/legacy-pakistan-loved-loathed-hamid-gul-150817114006616.html |access-date=4 January 2017 |quote=His commitment to jihad – to an Islamic revolution transcending national boundaries, was such that he dreamed one day the "green Islamic flag" would flutter not just over Pakistan and Afghanistan, but also over territories represented by the (former Soviet Union) Central Asian republics. After the Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan, as the director-general of the Pakistan's intelligence organisation, Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) directorate, an impatient Gul wanted to establish a government of the so-called Mujahideen on Afghan soil. He then ordered an assault using non-state actors on Jalalabad, the first major urban centre across the Khyber Pass from Pakistan, with the aim capturing it and declaring it as the seat of the new administration. This was the spring of 1989 and a furious prime minister, Benazir Bhutto – who was kept in the dark by ... Gul and ... Mirza Aslam Beg – demanded that Gul be removed from the ISI.}}</ref> visioning a final victory towards Kabul, but were disastrously defeated by the Afghan Army.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.refworld.org/docid/467bb4855.html|title=Human Rights Watch World Report 1989 - Afghanistan|publisher=United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees|website=Refworld}}</ref> The rivalry between Hekmatyar and the Jamiat-i Islami only increased, leading to Hekmatyar's resignation from the AIG. He eventually decided to go at the Kabul regime in a very different way: a coalition with [[Khalq]] communists of General [[Shahnawaz Tanai]], which caused many resignations in his party in protest. Together, they launched a [[1990 Afghan coup attempt|coup attempt in 1990]] to oust the Parchamite [[Mohammed Najibullah]], but failed.<ref name="auto"/><br />
<br />
===Other resistance groups===<br />
====Shi'ite groups====<br />
{{see also|Tehran Eight}}<br />
A number of [[Shia]] militia groups also operated, mainly in central Afghanistan populated by ethnic [[Hazaras]]. These groups were also, similarly, divided between themselves. [[Sayyid Ali Beheshti]]'s [[Revolutionary Council of Islamic Unity of Afghanistan|Shura-i Inqilab-i Ittifaq]], a traditionalist group, controlled the [[Hazarajat]] at first, but pro-Iran [[Khomeinism|Khomeinist]] groups challenged them and took control of the region from them. By the mid-1980s the strongest of these was [[Sazman-i Nasr]], while Shura-i Inqilab-i Ittifaq was prominent only in [[Maidan Wardak]].<ref>{{cite book |first=A. Z. |last=Hilali |title=US-Pakistan relationship: Soviet invasion of Afghanistan |year=2005 |isbn= 978-0-7546-4220-6 |page=125 |publisher=Ashgate Publishing, Ltd}}</ref> They united as the "[[Tehran Eight]]" in 1987 (so-called due to Iranian support). In 1989, most of these merged into one group, [[Hezb-e Wahdat]].<ref name="auto1"/><br />
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====Maoist groups====<br />
{{see also|Sino-Soviet split}}<br />
There were also [[Maoist]] militias that fought against the Soviets and the Afghan regime, as well as the Mujahidin. They were initially well organized and carried out attacks in Kabul; the [[KGB]] then had a policy of clearing Kabul of any pro-Chinese elements. A mild suspicion from [[KHAD]] was enough to put someone in prison by accusing them of being a pro-Chinese communist. The [[People's Republic of China]], which was a backer of the main Pakistan-based Mujahidin, was either unable or unwilling to help the Afghan Maoists. [[Majid Kalakani]], a prominent figure and leader of the [[Liberation Organization of the People of Afghanistan]] (SAMA), was executed by the Afghan regime in June 1980.<ref name="auto"/> Members of [[Shola-e Javid]] ("Eternal Flame") were involved in fighting the government and mujahidin (particularly [[Hezb-i Islami]]). The [[Babrak Karmal]] government arrested many of its members in June 1981.<ref name="auto1"/><br />
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====Smaller groups====<br />
Smaller mujahidin groups not connected to the main seven parties include the [[Sharafat Kuh Front]] in Farah Province and [[Harakat-e-Mulavi]]. Additionally a [[Baloch people|Baloch]] nationalist group operated called the [[Nimruz Front]].<br />
<br />
The [[Settam-e-Melli]] was a small long-time splinter faction of the PDPA based in [[Badakhshan Province]] that fought against the regime and other Mujahidin. They were driven out of [[Panjshir Valley]] by Massoud's mujahidin forces in 1981. By 1983 its resistance seemed to have ceased as it appeared to join the Karmal government.<ref name="auto2"/><br />
<br />
The moderate [[Afghan Millat Party|Afghan Social Democratic Party (Afghan Millat)]], formed in the 1960s, also resisted in the early days of the war. It was treated as a [[Outcast (person)|pariah]] by the recognized Peshawar-based mujahidin groups. Its guerilla band was heavily damaged in September 1980 following an attack by Hekmatyar's mujahidin forces. The regime in Kabul neutralized an Afghan Millat unit in the city in 1983.<ref name="auto2"/><br />
<br />
==Equipment==<br />
{{See also|List of military equipment used by mujahideen during Soviet–Afghan War}}<br />
Most of the Mujahidin's weapons were of Soviet design; this includes mostly those that were supplied by their funders and smaller numbers that were captured from the Soviet or Afghan militaries. It was disclosed in 1981 that [[recoilless rifle]]s (Chinese 83mm, Blo, 70mm) were being used by the resistance. Also in use were [[82-BM-37|Soviet 82 mm mortars]], British mortars and Chinese [[M2 mortar|Type 63]] mortars. Twin barrelled Chinese-built [[ZPU|Type 58]]s has been seen in smaller numbers. [[Lee–Enfield]] rifles, Egyptian made [[AKM]]s, and Chinese made [[SKS]]s have also been used by them.<ref>Resistance Movement in Afghanistan (1979-81), Mahfooz Ahmad, ''Pakistan Horizon''</ref><br />
<br />
Beginning in 1985, they began to receive heavy equipment like [[bazooka]]s and heavy machine guns, while also receiving better equipment for the cold winters, such as snow boots and ski tents. The raised fundings or assistance from the United States, China and Saudi Arabia all contributed to strengthening the Mujahidin movement by 1987.<ref name="auto"/><br />
<br />
The portable surface-to-air "[[FIM-92 Stinger|Stinger]]" missile was first used by Mujahedin in September 1986 and is considered by some to have been a turning point in the war.<ref>{{cite news|last=Phillips|first=Michael M.|url=https://www.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052970204138204576598851109446780|title="Launching the Missile That Made History," by Michael M. Phillips, Wall Street Journal, October 1, 2011|publisher=wsj.com|access-date=February 15, 2012|date=October 1, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150717205723/http://www.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052970204138204576598851109446780|archive-date=July 17, 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref> Some military analysts considered it a "game changer" coined the term "Stinger effect" to describe it.<ref>{{cite web|last=Schroeder|first=Matthew|url=https://foreignpolicy.com/articles/2010/07/28/The_Taliban_Doesn%E2%80%99t_Have_Stingers|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100731223411/http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2010/07/28/The_Taliban_Doesn%E2%80%99t_Have_Stingers|archive-date=July 31, 2010|title="Stop Panicking About the Stingers," by Matthew Schroeder, Foreign Policy, July 28, 2010|publisher=foreignpolicy.com|access-date=February 15, 2012}}</ref> However, these statistics are based on Mujahedin self-reporting, which is of unknown reliability. A Russian general however claimed the United States "greatly exaggerated" Soviet and Afghan aircraft losses during the war.<ref>{{cite book | last = Hammerich | first = Helmut | title = Die Grenzen des Militärischen | publisher = Hartmann, Miles-Verl | location = Berlin | year = 2010 | isbn = 9783937885308 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hWuwxZeYsZQC&pg=PA195 | page=195}}</ref><br />
<br />
==Allies and funding==<br />
[[File:AfghanGuerillainUS1986e.JPEG|thumb|Wounded Afghan guerillas having arrived at [[Norton Air Force Base]], the United States, for medical treatment, 1986]]<br />
The mujahidin were heavily backed by [[Pakistan]] (through the [[Inter-Services Intelligence]]) and the United States (through the [[Central Intelligence Agency]]), also receiving backing primarily from [[Saudi Arabia]] and the [[China|People's Republic of China]], while more covert support came from the [[United Kingdom]], [[Egypt]], and [[West Germany]] (through the [[Federal Intelligence Service]]). The [[Hezb-e Islami Gulbuddin|Hezb-i Islami Gulbuddin]] faction received the lion's share of weapons from the ISI and CIA.<ref name="auto1"/> While Ahmad Shah Massoud's group was supported by Britain's MI6 and trained and supplied by the [[Special Air Service|SAS]]. Britain's support to the Afghan resistance turned out to be [[Government of the United Kingdom|Whitehall]]'s most extensive covert operation since the [[Second World War]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Declassified files reveal Britain's secret support to Afghan Mujahideen |url=https://timesofislamabad.com/30-Jan-2018/declassified-files-reveal-britain-s-secret-support-to-afghan-mujahideen |access-date=12 March 2020 |agency=[[Times of Islamabad]] |date=30 January 2018 |ref=TOI}}</ref> The CIA's [[Operation Cyclone]] was said to be its "largest and 'most successful' covert operation ever."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://nsarchive2.gwu.edu/NSAEBB/NSAEBB57/essay.html|title=Afghanistan: Lessons from the Last War|website=nsarchive2.gwu.edu}}</ref> Pakistan controlled which rebels received assistance: the four "fundamentalist" factions received most of the funding.<ref name="Kepel">{{cite book |last=Kepel |first=Gilles |title=Jihad: The Trail of Political Islam |publisher=I.B. Tauris |year=2006 |isbn=978-1-84511-257-8 |pages=138–139, 142–144}}</ref> A large amount of funding also came from private donors and charities from the [[Arab states of the Persian Gulf]].<ref>{{cite book|author-link=Jason Burke|last=Burke|first=Jason|title=[[Al-Qaeda: Casting a Shadow of Terror]]|publisher=[[I.B. Tauris]]|year=2004|isbn=9781850436669|page=59}}</ref><br />
<br />
==Areas of activity==<br />
[[File:Afghanistan insurgency 1985.jpg|thumb|left|The areas where the different mujahidin forces operated as of 1985]]<br />
By May 1980, mujahidin controlled virtually all of rural Afghanistan, and these regions were cleared of [[Khalq]]ists and [[Parcham]]ites. With the exception of parts of the north near the Soviet border (under [[Abdul Rashid Dostum]]'s command), along with several cities, mujahidin guerillas were in control of most of the country as of 1987.<ref name="auto"/><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://users.erols.com/mwhite28/afghanis.htm|title=Map of the War in Afghanistan|website=users.erols.com}}</ref><br />
<br />
As of 1985, the Jamiat-i Islami held the most territory, stretching from [[Herat]] in the west through the north to [[Badakhshan]] in the north-east. Harakat-i Inqilab also held a large amount of territory in the southern provinces, stretching from [[Nimroz]] to [[Logar Province|Logar]]. Hizb-i Islami Khalis had its stronghold around [[Nangarhar]] and [[Paktia]], while Hizb-i Islami Gulbuddin held many pockets of territory throughout the country. The Mahaz-i-Milli was prominent in [[Loya Paktia]] but also had territory in other parts of the country.<br />
<br />
As Soviet forces withdrew in 1988–89, the Mujahidin captured several key districts, towns and provincial capitals, such as [[Taloqan]], [[Mahmud Raqi]], [[Asadabad, Afghanistan|Asadabad]], [[Bamyan]], [[Spin Boldak]], [[Dara-i-Suf District|Dara-i-Suf]] and [[Imam Sahib District|Imam Sahib]]. The cities of [[Kunduz]], [[Qalat, Zabul|Qalat]], and [[Maidan Shahr]] also fell to the Mujahidin in the summer of 1988, but were retaken by the government with Soviet bombardment and logistical support.<br />
<br />
By the time Soviet forces completed their withdrawal, the Afghan government held only sixty urban centers and the Mujahidin controlled six entire provinces. However, the Mujahidin were unable to seize the country's major cities for several years, due to the lack of coordination between the various groups and the lack of heavy firepower necessary for such actions. The Afghan Army beat back the Mujahidin's attempts to take the city of [[Jalalabad]] in March 1989, and the civil war settled into a stalemate for three years.<ref name="Dorronsoro">{{cite book |last=Dorronsoro|first=Gilles |title=Revolution Unending: Afghanistan 1979 to the Present |publisher=Hust & Company London |year=2005 |isbn=1850657033 |pages=227–229}}</ref><br />
<br />
==Role of women==<br />
Women also played a part in the Afghan mujahidin, often traveling with them to cook food or wash their clothes, but also taking part in weapons smuggling. There were many female sympathizers who encouraged their husbands, sons or other male family members to take part in the war against the invaders. However, women in Afghanistan were split between the two sides, with many also supporting the [[Democratic Republic of Afghanistan|Democratic Republic]] where they enjoyed social privileges.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.usip.org/sites/default/files/SR396-Afghan-Women-and-Violent-Extremism.pdf|title=Afghan Women and Violent Extremism|website=usip.org|date=November 2016|author1=Belquis Ahmadi<br />
|author2=Sadaf Lakhani}}</ref> Female refugees also created and recited [[Landay (poetry)|Landays]] (traditional Afghan poems) about the war.<ref>{{cite thesis|url=https://scholarworks.calstate.edu/downloads/1j92gb391|title=The Soviet-Afghan War: Female Perspective and Participation<br />
|degree=MA|location=California State University, Northridge|date=August 2012|author=Elva Madrigal}}</ref><br />
<br />
There is one recorded female mujahidin warlord, [[Bibi Ayesha]] (nicknamed ''Kaftar'', meaning "dove"), who operated in [[Baghlan Province]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://america.aljazeera.com/features/2014/4/commander-kaftarafemalewarlordinafghanistan.html|title=A woman's war: The rise and fall of Afghanistan's female warlord|website=america.aljazeera.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jul/07/armed-afghan-women-take-to-streets-in-show-of-defiance-against-taliban|title=Armed Afghan women take to streets in show of defiance against Taliban|date=7 July 2021|website=The Guardian}}</ref><br />
<br />
==Soviet withdrawal and civil war==<br />
{{see also|Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan|Afghan Civil War (1989–1992)|Gulf War}}<br />
On 14 April 1988, the governments of Afghanistan and Pakistan signed the [[Geneva Accords (1988)|Geneva Accords]], guaranteed by the United States and Soviet Union. This committed the Soviet Union to withdraw all its troops from Afghanistan by 15 February 1989. The withdrawal was conducted in two phases. The first half of the contingent was removed between 15 May and 16 August 1988, and the second half after 15 November 1988. As the Soviets withdrew, they left the Afghan army in fortified positions and even helped them conduct counteroffensives, in order to leave them in as strong a position as possible.<ref name="marshall">{{cite book|last=Marshall |first=A.|url=http://www.defac.ac.uk/colleges/csrc/document-listings/ca/06%2829%29AM.pdf |title=Phased Withdrawal, Conflict Resolution and State Reconstruction |date=2006 |publisher=Defence Academy of the United Kingdom, Conflict Studies Research Centre |access-date=2008-02-12 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071201033319/http://www.defac.ac.uk/colleges/csrc/document-listings/ca/06%2829%29AM.pdf |archive-date=2007-12-01 |isbn=1-905058-74-8 }}</ref> The withdrawal was completed on schedule, with commander [[Boris Gromov]] of the 40th Army being the last Soviet soldier to leave Afghanistan. After the Soviet withdrawal, most of the Afghan mujahidin continued its fight against the government of [[Mohammad Najibullah]], which continued to receive funding from Moscow, while similarly the Mujahidin was also still receiving funding from Washington and Islamabad.<br />
<br />
Despite initial estimates, the Mujahidin proved unable to topple Najibullah's regime immediately after the Soviet withdrawal. The government concentrated its forces in defense of key cities, while relying on vast amounts of military and humanitarian aid from the Soviet Union to stay afloat. Soviet military advisors were still present in Afghanistan, helping advise the war effort and even coordinate air strikes.<ref name="marshall"/> Soviet volunteers operated the [[Scud missiles]] which gave the government an advantage in firepower. The Afghan Air Force, supplied and maintained with Soviet support, proved to be a crucial asset in keeping the government in power.<ref name="nyt1">{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1989/04/13/world/the-lessons-of-jalalabad-afghan-guerrillas-see-weaknesses-exposed.html|title=The Lessons Of Jalalabad; Afghan Guerrillas See Weaknesses Exposed|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=13 April 1989|quote=Casualties have been high on both sides. Government troops have been reduced by heavy guerrilla shelling and rocketing from 12,000 to 9,000, Western diplomats say....The Afghan Air Force is said to be taking advantage of the fact that, probably for the first time in the war, guerrilla forces are concentrated in static positions, which make them easier bombing targets.}}</ref> As late as December 1991, Soviet pilots were recorded flying bombing missions against the Mujahidin.<ref name="nyt2">{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1991/12/29/magazine/in-afghanistan-peace-must-wait.html|title=In Afghanistan, Peace Must Wait|work=[[The New York Times]]| date=29 December 1991|quote=Later, at Jalalabad, we will eavesdrop on the shortwave radio and hear Soviet pilots making actual bombing runs on resistance positions.}}</ref><br />
<br />
The Mujahidin's divisions and factionalism hindered their war effort, and skirmishes between rival groups became common. Massoud was one of the most active elements in this time. In both 1990 and 1991 he staged spring offensives, capturing several cities and steadily expanding the territory under his influence.<ref name="Dorronsoro" /> The government meanwhile came to rely heavily on tribal militias to stay in power, primarily the Jowzjani militia of Abdul Rashid Dostum. After 1989, these were the only forces capable of offensives against the Mujahidin.<ref name="marshall"/><br />
<br />
By the summer of 1990, the Afghan government forces were on the defensive again, and by the beginning of 1991 the government controlled only 10 percent of Afghanistan. In March 1991, Mujahidin forces [[Siege of Khost|captured]] the city of [[Khost]] ending an eleven-year siege. After the [[1991 Soviet coup attempt|failed coup d'état attempt]] by hardliners in the Soviet Union in August 1991, Soviet support to Najibullah's government dried up. This effectively doomed it, as the Afghan Air Force could no longer fly due to fuel shortages. Consequently, the Army's desertion rate skyrocketed.<ref name="marshall"/> In March 1992, Dostum's militiamen defected to Massoud after negotiations, and Najibullah's regime fell shortly afterwards.<br />
<br />
In 1991, some factions of the Mujahidin were deployed in [[Kuwait]] to fight [[Ba'athist Iraq|Iraq]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://apps.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a234743.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190412060905/https://apps.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a234743.pdf|url-status=live|archive-date=12 April 2019|website=apps.dtic.mil|access-date=2018-12-18 |title=Desert Shield and Desert Storm – A Chronology and Troop List for the 1990–1991 Persian Gulf Crisis}}</ref> After Hekmatyar and Sayyaf publicly denounced the U.S. and the Saudi royal family for their role in the [[Gulf War]], U.S. and Saudi officials indicated that they would stop funding both commanders, but this did not happen. However, the CIA and Saudi intelligence pressured the ISI to send captured Iraqi tanks to Haqqani instead of Hekmatyar.<ref>{{cite book|author-link=Steve Coll|last=Coll|first=Steve|title=[[Ghost Wars|Ghost Wars: The Secret History of the CIA, Afghanistan, and Bin Laden, from the Soviet Invasion to September 10, 2001]]|publisher=[[Penguin Group]]|year=2004|isbn=9781594200076|pages=223–224, 226–227}}</ref> In 1993, it was reported that some Mujahidin were deployed in the Caucusus to fight the forces of [[Armenia]] in the [[First Nagorno-Karabakh War]].<ref>{{Cite news |date=1993-11-16 |title=Afghan Fighters Join Azeri-Armenian War |work=Christian Science Monitor |url=https://www.csmonitor.com/1993/1116/16071.html |access-date=2022-11-17 |issn=0882-7729}}</ref> Afghan mujahidin fighters have also been reportedly involved in the [[Tajikistani Civil War|civil war in Tajikistan]] during 1992–1993.<ref>{{Cite news |date=1992-09-24 |title=Afghan Arms and Mujahideen Slip Past Border Guards and Into Tajik Civil War |work=Christian Science Monitor |url=https://www.csmonitor.com/1992/0924/24013.html |access-date=2022-11-17 |issn=0882-7729}}</ref><br />
<br />
==After the War==<br />
{{see also|Peshawar Accord|Islamic State of Afghanistan}}<br />
[[File:War in Afghanistan (1992–2001).png|thumb|Progress of the continuing civil war, 1992–2001]]<br />
After Najibullah's government collapsed, the Mujahidin factions (apart from ''Hezb-i Islami Gulbuddin'') signed a power sharing agreement (the [[Peshawar Accord]]) and captured [[Kabul]] on April 28, 1992, celebrating their "[[Mujahideen Victory Day|Victory Day]]". However, the divisions between the various factions were still there and it was a catalyst that led to [[Afghan Civil War (1992-96)|another civil war]] between the new government and Mujahidin factions that rebelled against it. This meant that after 1992, various Mujahidin factions including the Shi'ite [[Hezb-i Wahdat]] continued to exist as militias rather than merely political parties, with many fighters being loyal to specific leaders.<br />
<br />
===Relationship with the Taliban===<br />
The [[Taliban]] is a puritanical movement that was formed in 1994, five years after the end of the [[Soviet–Afghan War]] and in the midst of anarchy in Afghanistan. Supported by Pakistan and recruited from religious students from [[madrasa]]s across the border, it won a highly effective military campaign against former Mujahidin factions in the civil war, gaining control and establishing the [[Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (1996–2001)|Islamic Emirate]] in 1996. Nearly all of the Taliban's original leadership fought in the Soviet–Afghan War for either the Hezb-i Islami Khalis or Harakat-i Inqilab-e Islami factions of the Mujahidin.<ref name="auto1" /><br />
<br />
Veteran mujahidin leaders who fought against the Soviets were divided regarding the Taliban. Yunus Khalis was a strong supporter of the Taliban<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/5211604.stm|title=Leader of Afghan mujahideen dies|date=24 July 2006|publisher=BBC News}}</ref> and Nabi Mohammadi also supported them, even dissolving his own organization in doing so. However, Rabbani and Sayyaf were against the Taliban and formed a new united opposition force called the [[Northern Alliance]], which also recruited [[Haji Abdul Qadeer|Abdul Qadeer]] (a commander who defected from Khalis's faction), prominent Shi'ite leaders such as [[Muhammad Mohaqiq]], and former DRA commander [[Abdul Rashid Dostum]]. This group was supported following the [[United States invasion of Afghanistan]] in 2001 that successfully drove out the Taliban and led to the rise of [[Hamid Karzai]].<ref name="auto1" /><br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
* [[Afghanistan–Pakistan relations]]<br />
* [[Pakistan–United States relations]]<br />
<br />
==References==<br />
{{reflist}}<br />
<br />
==Bibliography==<br />
* Kaplan, Robert D. ''Soldiers of God: With the Mujahidin in Afghanistan''. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1990. {{ISBN|0-395-52132-7}}<br />
* Weisman, Steven R. "Rebel Rivalry is Hampering Afghan Talks", ''The New York Times'', March 1, 1988.<br />
<br />
{{Soviet–Afghan War}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Anti-Soviet factions in the Soviet–Afghan War]]<br />
[[Category:Anti-communist resistance movements]]<br />
[[Category:Anti-communist guerrilla organizations]]<br />
[[Category:Islamist groups]]<br />
[[Category:Anti-Soviet resistance]]<br />
[[Category:Islamism in Afghanistan]]<br />
[[Category:Islamic Unity of Afghanistan Mujahideen| ]]<br />
[[Category:Rebel groups in Afghanistan]]<br />
[[Category:Defunct political party alliances in Afghanistan]]<br />
[[Category:History of Islam in Afghanistan]]<br />
[[Category:Mujahideen]]<br />
[[Category:Rebellions against the Soviet Union]]</div>Boackandwhitehttps://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=User_talk:TheTimesAreAChanging&diff=1263578244User talk:TheTimesAreAChanging2024-12-17T13:08:50Z<p>Boackandwhite: /* Mujaheddin */ new section</p>
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== Jan 2023 ==<br />
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@[[User:TheTimesAreAChanging|TheTimesAreAChanging]] Hello, its one thing to make valid criticism of an edit, its yet another to make adhominem attacks against other editors like you did here [https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ba%27athism&oldid=prev&diff=1136030617] with no regards to [[WP:AGF|Assumimg Good Faith]]. If you have doubts regarding my [[WP:NPOV]], you are welcome to discuss the edits with [[WP:CIV|Civility]] and by [[WP:FOC|focusing on the content]], so long as you stop making [[WP:PA|Personal attacks]].<br />
~~ [[User:shadowwarrior8|shadowwarrior8]] ([[User talk:shadowwarrior8|talk]]) 14:58 28 January 2023<br />
<br />
== Precious anniversary ==<br />
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== Dreamcast Sales Numbers ==<br />
<br />
Please actually check out the source I posted. Its from Sega of Japans offical Website. It isn't from a press release but from the Dreamcast page in their Hardware History section. They (the page doesn't have an author listed) state that the Dreamcast sold more than 10 million units. Just because someone else once falsly claimed that it sold 10.6 million units, which Sega doesn't even claim just that it sold more than 10 million units, doesn't mean that the 9.13 million sales number is written in stone. The source for the Playstation 2 sales numbers on Wikipedia is basically the same thing, a page from the offical Sony Website about their hardware history so I do not understand why this page couldn't be used as a source for the sales numbers of the Sega Dreamcast despite literally being from Sega themselve. [[Special:Contributions/178.27.108.243|178.27.108.243]] ([[User talk:178.27.108.243|talk]]) 09:46, 28 November 2024 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:Here is the relevant excerpt. The page was released on Novmeber 5, 2018 and is entirely in japanese:<br />
:セガ最後の家庭用ゲーム機『ドリームキャスト』は累計1,000万台あまりが世に送り出されました。<br />
:Which translates to:<br />
:Sega's last home video game console, the Dreamcast, sold a total of more than 10 million units.<br />
:Here is a link to the page as well as a link to an archive of the page from 3 days ago:<br />
:https://www.sega.jp/history/hard/column/column_06.html<br />
:https://web.archive.org/web/20241007020058/https://www.sega.jp/history/hard/column/column_06.html [[Special:Contributions/178.27.108.243|178.27.108.243]] ([[User talk:178.27.108.243|talk]]) 09:54, 28 November 2024 (UTC)<br />
::{{U|178.27.108.243}}, I reviewed the source that you provided; however, it appears to be close to a blog post, and not obviously more reliable than the 9.13 million CESA figure reported in Zackariasson ''et al.'' ([[Routledge]], 2012).<br />
::More broadly, what happens on the [[PlayStation 2]] article has no direct bearing on [[Dreamcast]]. You are now edit-warring against a prior talk page consensus, complete with a notice not to change the sales figure without consensus.<br />
::If you would like to discuss this further, it may be more productive to do so with the community at [[Talk:Dreamcast]], rather than on my user talk page.[[User:TheTimesAreAChanging|TheTimesAreAChanging]] ([[User talk:TheTimesAreAChanging#top|talk]]) 10:11, 28 November 2024 (UTC)<br />
::{{U|178.27.108.243}}, tangentially, [https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sega_Saturn&diff=prev&oldid=1259918115 this edit] fails [[WP:V|verification]] because the sources do not state that {{tq|"''[[Virtua Fighter 2]]'' is the best-selling Sega Saturn game."}} Regardless of the truth of the claim, you should be aware that Wikipedia has strict sourcing requirements that do not permit editors to engage in [[WP:OR|original]] [[WP:SYNTH|synthesis]] of reliable sources to reach conclusions not directly supported by the citations provided.[[User:TheTimesAreAChanging|TheTimesAreAChanging]] ([[User talk:TheTimesAreAChanging#top|talk]]) 10:28, 28 November 2024 (UTC)<br />
:::You should change the Wikipedia page for Virtua Fighter 2 as well since its state there that: the top-selling game worldwide for the Sega Saturn [is Virtua Fighter 2].<br />
:::Can I add Virtua Fighter 2 as the best selling game if I write that it was only the best selling in Japan?<br />
:::I wasn't aware of 10.6 million claim nor of the debate about its credibility that happened nearly a decaded ago.<br />
:::I however fail to see how that claim and debate means that the Dreamcast section of: ''The encyclopedia of Sega video game consoles'' from Sega of Japan's offical website which according to the banner on its index page (found here: https://www.sega.jp/history/hard/index.html) is: ''based on existing documents/materials at Sega'' (Original Text in Japanese: セガに現存する資料をもとに、歴代セガハードをご紹介) isn't a crediable source. I doubt that the japanese employee who created those pages used english internet discussions and rumors about console sales numbers as a source. <br />
:::Your claim about Sega maybe just rounded up the Saturns unit sales number to 6 million also is just your speculation since you don't provide any proof.<br />
:::In the case of the Mega Drive which sold about 3.58 million units according to Famitus the Megad Drive section of: ''The encyclopedia of Sega video game consoles'' states that: ''More than 3 million units of the “Mega Drive” were sold in Japan.'' (Original Text in Japanese: 『メガドライブ』は日本において300万台以上が販売されました。)<br />
:::This doesn't prove that Sega didn't round up the Sega Saturn unit sales number but is at least an example form the same source that shows that for one of their other consoles they definitly didn't just round up to the next higher number. [[Special:Contributions/178.27.108.243|178.27.108.243]] ([[User talk:178.27.108.243|talk]]) 12:53, 28 November 2024 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== Mujaheddin ==<br />
<br />
Hello i noticed that you eliminated my modification on the page mujaheddin that says that mujaheddin were NATO allies, they were allies due to intervention of mujaheddin in the gulf war against Saddam Hussein [[User:Boackandwhite|Boackandwhite]] ([[User talk:Boackandwhite|talk]]) 13:08, 17 December 2024 (UTC)</div>Boackandwhitehttps://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Afghan_mujahideen&diff=1263229841Afghan mujahideen2024-12-15T13:14:07Z<p>Boackandwhite: </p>
<hr />
<div>{{Short description|Islamist resistance groups}}<br />
{{Italic title|string=mujahideen}}<br />
{{Use Oxford spelling|date=August 2021}}<br />
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2021}}<br />
{{Infobox war faction<br />
| name = ''Mujahideen''<br />
| native_name = {{lang|ps|مجاهدين}}<br />
| native_name_lang = ps<br />
| image = Afghan mujahideen.jpg<br />
| image_size = 250px<br />
| caption = Mujahideen of the [[Yunus Khalis]] group, 1987<br />
| organizations = [[Islamic Unity of Afghanistan Mujahideen|Peshawar Seven]] (Sunni Groups)<br />
* {{flagicon image|Flag of Jamiat-e Islami.svg}} [[Jamiat-i Islami]]<br />
* {{flagicon image|Flag of Hezbi Islami Gulbuddin.svg}} [[Hezb-e Islami Gulbuddin]]<br />
*{{flagicon image|Logo of Hezb-e Islami Khalis.svg}} [[Hezb-i Islami Khalis]]<br />
* {{flagicon image|Black flag.svg}} [[Islamic Dawah Organisation of Afghanistan|Islamic Union for the Liberation of Afghanistan]]<br />
*[[Islamic and National Revolution Movement of Afghanistan|Islamic Revolutionary Movement of Afghanistan]] <br />
* {{flagicon image|Flag of the National Islamic Front of Afghanistan.svg}} [[National Islamic Front of Afghanistan]]<br />
*National Liberation Front<br />
[[Tehran Eight]] (Shia Groups)<br /> (All except the Islamic Movement and Hezbollah Merged into [[Hezbe Wahdat]])<br />
*[[Hezbollah Afghanistan]]<br />
* {{flagicon image|Emblem of the Nasr Party (Afghanistan).svg}}[[Sazman-i Nasr]] <br />
* {{flagicon image|Emblem of the Revolutionary Guards of Afghanistan.svg}} Corps of Islamic Revolution Guardians of Afghanistan<br />
*The [[Islamic Movement of Afghanistan]]<br />
*[[Revolutionary Council of Islamic Unity of Afghanistan]]<br />
*Islamic Revolution Movement<br />
*Union of Islamic Fighters<br />
*Raad ("Thunder") party<br />
Other Groups<br />
*[[Afghanistan Liberation Organization]]<br />
*[[Liberation Organization of the People of Afghanistan]]<br />
*[[Afghanistan Mujahedin Freedom Fighters Front]]<br />
*[[Islamic Union of the Northern Provinces]]<br />
*[[Sharafat Kuh Front]]<br />
*[[Partisans of National Liberation of Afghanistan]]<br />
*[[Harakat-e-Mulavi]]<br />
| flag = [[File:Flag of the Afghan interim government-in-exile (1988–1992).svg|100px]]<br />
| active = 1975–1992 (resistance phase)<br />1992–1996 (loyalist factions)<br />
| ideology = [[Islamism]]<br />[[Anti-communism]]<br />[[Anti-Sovietism]]<br />[[Afghan nationalism]]<br />
| motives = Combat the Soviet invasion of [[Afghanistan]] and overthrow the Soviet-backed [[Democratic Republic of Afghanistan|communist government]]<br />
| leaders = [[Burhanuddin Rabbani]] and [[Ahmad Shah Massoud]] (Jamiat)<br />[[Sibghatullah Mojaddedi]] (JNMA/AIG)<br />[[Gulbuddin Hekmatyar]] (HIG)<br />[[Mohammad Nabi Mohammadi]] (Harakat)<br />[[Abdul Ali Mazari]] (Wahdat)<br />
| area = {{flatlist| <br />
* Afghanistan<br />
* Pakistan}}<br />
| size = <br />
| allies = {{flag|Pakistan}}<br />{{flag|United States}}<br />{{flag|Saudi Arabia}}<br />{{flag|China}}<br/>{{flag|Turkey}}<br />{{flag|West Germany}}<br />{{flag|Iran}}<br /> ([[Tehran Eight]])<ref>{{cite news|last1=Renz|first1=Michael|title=Operation Sommerregen|url=https://www.welt.de/print/wams/politik/article120664012/Operation-Sommerregen.html|access-date=6 June 2015|agency=Die Welt|issue=40|newspaper=Die Welt|date=October 6, 2012|language=de}}</ref><ref name=":1" /><br />{{flag|United Kingdom}}<ref name=":1">{{cite book|surname1=Michael Pohly|title=Krieg und Widerstand in Afghanistan|pages=154|language=de}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{cite web|url=http://www.foia.cia.gov/sites/default/files/document_conversions/89801/DOC_0000284013.pdf|title=Use of toxins and other lethal agents in Southeast Asia and Afghanistan|date=2 February 1982|access-date=21 October 2014|publisher=CIA|archive-date=10 September 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140910213821/http://www.foia.cia.gov/sites/default/files/document_conversions/89801/DOC_0000284013.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref><br />{{flag|Egypt}}<ref>{{cite web|title=Das Engagement der arabischen Staaten in Afghanistan|url=http://www.bpb.de/apuz/32735/das-engagement-der-arabischen-staaten-in-afghanistan?p=all|access-date=2016-03-18|last=Inken Wiese| date=14 May 2010 |language=de}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{cite book |surname1=Conrad Schetter|title=Ethnizität und ethnische Konflikte in Afghanistan|pages=430|language=de}}</ref><br /><br />
{{flag|NATO}}<br />
| opponents = {{flag|Democratic Republic of Afghanistan}}<br />{{flag|Soviet Union}}<br/>{{Flagcountry|Ba'athist Iraq}} (1991)<br/><br />
| battles = [[1975 Panjshir Valley uprising]]{{Clear}}[[Soviet–Afghan War]] (1979–1989)<br />[[Afghan Civil War (1989–1992)|First Afghan Civil War]] (1989–1992)<br />[[Gulf War]] (1991)<br />
| successor = [[Northern Alliance]]{{Clear}}[[Taliban]]<br />
}}<br />
{{Campaignbox Soviet–Afghan War}}<br />
{{Campaignbox Afghan Civil War}}<br />
{{Covert United States involvement in regime change}}<br />
<br />
The '''Afghan ''mujahideen''''' ({{langx|ps|افغان مجاهدين|translit=}}; {{langx|prs|مجاهدین افغان|translit=}}) were [[Islamist]] militant groups that fought against the [[Democratic Republic of Afghanistan]] and the [[Soviet Union]] during the [[Soviet–Afghan War]] and the subsequent [[Afghan Civil War (1989–1992)|First Afghan Civil War]].<br />
<br />
The term ''[[mujahideen|mujahid]]'' (from {{Langx|ar|مجاهدين|link=no}}) is used in a religious context by [[Muslims]] to refer to those engaged in a struggle of any nature for the sake of [[Islam]], commonly referred to as ''[[jihad]]'' ({{Langx|ar|جهاد|label=none}}). The Afghan mujahidin consisted of numerous groups that differed from each other across ethnic and/or ideological lines, but were united by their [[Anti-communism|anti-communist]] and pro-Islamic goals. The coalition of [[anti-Soviet]] Muslim militias was also known as the "Afghan resistance",<ref>Sources:<br />
* {{Cite book |last=Arnold |first=Anthony |title=Afghanistan's two-party communism: Parcham and Khalq |publisher=Hoover University Press |year=1983 |isbn=0-8179-7792-9 |location=Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA |pages=109, 129, 133, 134}}<br />
* {{cite book| first= Andrew |last= Langley |year= 2007 |chapter= Introduction |title= The collapse of the Soviet Union: the end of an empire |isbn=978-0-7565-2009-0 | publisher= Compass Point Books|location= Minneapolis, MN |page=43}}<br />
* {{cite book|last=Amstutz|first=J. Bruce|title=Afghanistan: The First Five Years of Soviet Occupation|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RUSNyMH1aFQC|date=1 July 1994|publisher=DIANE Publishing|isbn=9780788111112|pages=133, 134}}<br />
* {{cite book| first1= Deigo |last1= Cordovez |last2= Harrison |first2= Selig S. | year= 1995 |title= Out of Afghanistan: The Inside Story of the Soviet Withdrawal |isbn=0-19-506294-9 |chapter=2: Soviet Occupation, Afghan Resistance, and the American Response | publisher= Oxford University Press|location= New York, USA |pages=57–59}}</ref> and the [[Western media|Western press]] widely referred to the [[Afghan people|Afghan]] [[guerrillas]] as "freedom fighters", or "Mountain Men".<br />
<br />
The militants of the Afghan mujahidin were recruited and organized immediately after the Soviet Union invaded [[Afghanistan]] in 1979, initially from the regular Afghan population and defectors from the [[Afghan Armed Forces#20th century|Afghan military]], with the aim of waging an armed struggle against both the [[Communism|communist]] government of the [[People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan]], which had taken power in the 1978 [[Saur Revolution]], and the Soviet Union, which had invaded the country in support of the former. There were many ideologically different factions among the mujahidin, with the most influential being the [[Jamiat-e Islami]] and [[Hezb-e Islami Gulbuddin]] parties. The Afghan mujahidin were generally divided into two distinct alliances: the larger and more significant [[Sunni Islam]]ic union collectively referred to as the "Peshawar Seven", based in [[Pakistan]], and the smaller [[Shia Islam]]ic union collectively referred to as the "[[Tehran Eight]]", based in [[Iran]]; as well as independent units that referred to themselves as "mujahidin". The "Peshawar Seven" alliance received heavy assistance from the [[United States]] ([[Operation Cyclone]]), [[Pakistan]], [[Saudi Arabia]], [[Turkey]], the [[United Kingdom]], as well as other countries and private international donors.<br />
<br />
The basic units of the mujahidin continued to reflect the highly decentralized nature of Afghan society and strong loci of competing [[Pashtun tribes|Pashtun tribal groups]], which had formed a union with other Afghan groups under intense American, Saudi Arabian and Pakistani pressure.<ref><br />
{{cite book<br />
| isbn=978-0-231-12692-2<br />
| url=https://archive.org/details/insidealqaedaglo00guna<br />
| url-access=registration<br />
| page=[https://archive.org/details/insidealqaedaglo00guna/page/254 254]<br />
| quote=Union of Mujahidin OR Union of Mujahideen.<br />
| title=Inside Al Qaeda: Global Network of Terror<br />
| author=Rohan Gunaratna<br />
| publisher=[[Columbia University Press]]<br />
| year=2002<br />
}}</ref><ref><br />
{{cite book<br />
| isbn=978-0-7546-3615-1<br />
| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=n1pKnc3RJGIC&q=%22Union+of+Mujahidin%22+OR+%22Union+of+Mujahideen%22&pg=PA138<br />
| title=A Bitter Harvest: US Foreign Policy and Afghanistan<br />
| author=Tom Lansford<br />
| publisher=[[Ashgate Publishing, Ltd.]]<br />
| year=2003<br />
| quote=Under pressure from the United States, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, the main mujahideen parties joined together to form the Islamic Union of Mujahideen of Afghanistan in May 1985. The alliance was led by a general council which included Hekmatyr, Rabbani, and [[Abd-ur-Rabb-ur-Rasul Sayyaf]], the leader of the [[Islamic Union for the Liberation of Afghanistan]] which was established and funded by the Saudis.}}</ref> The alliance sought to function as a united diplomatic front towards the international community, and sought representation in the [[United Nations]] and the [[Organisation of Islamic Cooperation|Organisation of the Islamic Conference]].<ref>{{cite journal |first=George W. |last=Collins |title=The War in Afghanistan |journal=Air University Review |date=March–April 1986 |url=http://www.airpower.au.af.mil/airchronicles/aureview/1986/mar-apr/collins.html |access-date=2009-03-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081003015504/http://www.airpower.au.af.mil/airchronicles/aureview/1986/mar-apr/collins.html |archive-date=2008-10-03 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The Afghan mujahidin also saw thousands of volunteers from various [[Muslim world|Muslim countries]] come to Afghanistan to aid the resistance. The majority of the international fighters came from the [[Arab world]], and later became known as [[Afghan Arabs]]; the most well-known [[Arabs|Arab]] financier and militant of the group during this period was [[Osama bin Laden]], who would later found [[al-Qaeda]] and mastermind the [[September 11 attacks]] on the United States. Other international fighters from the Indian subcontinent became involved in terrorist activities in [[Kashmir]] and against the states of [[Bangladesh]] and [[Myanmar]] during the 1990s.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Layekuzzaman |date=2021-09-02 |title=Will the Era of Afghan Mujahideen Return to Bangladesh Againh? |url=https://thedailyguardian.com/will-the-era-of-afghan-mujahideen-return-to-bangladesh-again/ |access-date=2022-11-17 |website=The Daily Guardian |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-02-03 |title=Ours Not To Question Why |url=https://www.outlookindia.com/website/story/ours-not-to-question-why/236926 |access-date=2022-11-17 |website=www.outlookindia.com/ |language=en}}</ref> The mujahidin guerrillas fought a long and costly war against the [[Soviet Armed Forces|Soviet military]], which suffered heavy losses and withdrew from the country in 1989, after which the rebels' war against the communist Afghan government continued. The loosely-aligned mujahidin took the capital city of [[Kabul]] in 1992 following the collapse of the [[Government of the Soviet Union|Moscow]]-backed government. However, the new mujahidin government that was formed by the [[Peshawar Accord]]s following these events was quickly fractured by rival factions and became severely dysfunctional. This unrest quickly escalated into [[Afghan Civil War (1992–1996)|a second civil war]], which saw the large-scale collapse of the united Afghan mujahidin and the victorious emergence of the [[Taliban]], which established the [[Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (1996–2001)|Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan]] shortly after taking most of the country in 1996. The Taliban groups were then ousted in 2001 during the [[War in Afghanistan (2001–2021)|War in Afghanistan]], but regrouped and [[2021 Taliban offensive|retook the country]] in 2021.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/national-security/even-taliban-are-surprised-how-fast-they-re-advancing-afghanistan-n1272236|title=Taliban forces rapidly gaining ground in Afghanistan as U.S. leaves|website=NBC News|date=25 June 2021 }}</ref><br />
<br />
==Origins and formation==<br />
Certain organisations that would later form the ''mujahideen'' had already existed, such as [[Jamiat-e Islami]] in 1972 and [[Hezbi Islami|Hezb-e Islami]] in 1976, as militias and paramilitary groups. The two organizations first took part in the [[1975 Panjshir Valley uprising|1975 Panjshir Valley]] and [[1975 Laghman uprising|Laghman uprisings]], and perpetrated acid attacks on women who were unveiled.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Haqqani |first=Husain |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nYppZ_dEjdIC&q=Jamiat-e+Islami+afghanistan&pg=PA171 |title=Pakistan: Between Mosque and Military |date=2010-03-10 |publisher=Carnegie Endowment |isbn=978-0-87003-285-1 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last1=Wahab |first1=Shaista |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=y20MTE0C9kwC |title=A Brief History of Afghanistan |last2=Youngerman |first2=Barry |date=2007 |publisher=Infobase Publishing |isbn=978-1-4381-0819-3 |language=en}}</ref><br />
<br />
Groups of resistance formed in parts of eastern Afghanistan by the fall of 1978, but it was in early 1979 that the situation rapidly escalated to open rebellion. As early as February 2, 1979, it was reported that Afghan dissidents were receiving guerilla training across the border in Pakistan.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://nsarchive2.gwu.edu/carterbrezhnev/docs_intervention_in_afghanistan_and_the_fall_of_detente/fall_of_detente_chron.pdf |title=The Intervention in Afghanistan and the Fall of Detente. A Chronology|website=nsarchive2.gwu.edu|access-date=31 March 2023}}</ref> The conflict reached a height during the [[1979 Herat uprising|Herat mutiny]] in March, in which a non-organized group of Afghan army mutineers from the 17th Division and the civilians rebelled and briefly overthrew the city garrison. The incident and subsequent air bombardment gave indications of a looming civil war. [[Sibghatullah Mojaddedi]], a leader of [[Islamic mysticism]] and a [[hazrat]], was one of the original leaders of an organized anti-government armed group. He created an organization named the Afghan National Liberation Front (''[[Jabha-i Nejat-i Milli]]'') and on May 25, 1979, appealed for support in New York City.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1979/05/26/archives/afghan-rebel-group-appeals-in-new-york-for-aid-for-its-forces-10.html|title=Afghan Rebel Group Appeals in New York For Aid for Its Forces|newspaper=The New York Times|date=26 May 1979}}</ref> [[Ahmed Gailani|Sayyed Ahmad Gailani]], a spiritual leader (''[[pir (Sufism)|pir]]''), also created a resistance organization during this time, called National Islamic Front (''Mahaz-e-Millie-Islami''). [[Mawlawi (Islamic title)|Mawlawi]] [[Mohammad Nabi Mohammadi]], a religious scholar and former member of parliament in the Kingdom, formed the Revolutionary Islamic Movement (Harakat-e-Inqilab-e-Islami); he was well known for assaulting prominent leftist [[Babrak Karmal]] inside the House of Representatives in 1966.<ref name="auto">{{Cite web|url=https://publishing.cdlib.org/ucpressebooks/view?docId=ft7b69p12h;chunk.id=0;doc.view=print|title=Afghanistan|website=publishing.cdlib.org}}</ref> On August 11, 1979, the Afghan National Liberation Front along with three others groups ([[Jamiat-i Islami]], [[Hezb-i Islami Khalis]], and Revolutionary Islamic Movement) formed a new organization based in [[Peshawar]], Pakistan, aiming to establish an [[Islamic Republic]]. Other rebel movements were also active throughout the country, including [[Hazaras|Hazara]] tribes that had some 5,000 men as of August 1979.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://web.stanford.edu/group/tomzgroup/pmwiki/uploads/3025-1979-10-12-KS-b-EYJ.pdf|title=Intensification of Warfare between Government Forces and Moslem Rebels - Government Changes - Alleged Involvement of Foreign Powers |website=stanford.edu|access-date=31 March 2023|date=12 October 1979|page=29878 }}</ref><br />
<br />
A broad mujahidin had existed as a ''de facto'' political bloc since May 1979, when the [[Government of Pakistan|Pakistani government]] decided to limit the flow of financial aid to the said seven organizations, thus cutting off monetary supply to nationalist and left-wing resistance groups.<ref>{{cite book|first=Thomas |last=Ruttig |title=Islamists, Leftists – and a Void in the Center. Afghanistan's Political Parties and where they come from (1902-2006) |publisher=Konrad Adenauer Stiftung |access-date=2009-03-27 |url=http://www.kas.de/db_files/dokumente/7_dokument_dok_pdf_9674_2.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130524194344/http://www.kas.de/db_files/dokumente/7_dokument_dok_pdf_9674_2.pdf |archive-date=2013-05-24 }}</ref><br />
<br />
The [[Operation Storm-333|Soviet operation of December 1979]] turned the civil war into a war of liberation, and the ''[[jihad]]'' was more forceful than previous Afghan empires had fought against the British and the Sikhs. Except for pockets of supporters of the DRA regime, almost every social, religious and ethnic group protested the Soviet action (despite their removal of the tyrannical [[Khalq]] regime), and even religious minorities of Afghan Sikhs and Hindus covertly assisted the mujahidin.<ref name="auto"/> Following the exodus of Afghans to Pakistan in 1980, as many as 84 different resistance groups were formed in Peshawar. A coalition of the resistance with a united front for military activities was demanded by Afghan refugees during meetings in Peshawar in 1980. They, including tribal and community elders, former members of parliament and mujahidin commanders, met in several ''[[loya jirga]]s'' (traditional grand assembly) to solidify the resistance, liberate Afghanistan from the Soviet Union, topple the Kabul regime, and create a single political bloc. Mojaddedi took part in these, and the first jirga passed a resolution on February 21, 1980. The last round of the jirga in May 1980 set up the Islamic National Revolutionary Council, headed by Mohammad Omar Babrakzay as acting president. It advocated for a national, Islamic, and democratic republic. The pressure persuaded leaders of the Islamic groups to make attempts to unite. A coalition of the three Islamist and three traditionalist organizations, the Islamic Union for the Liberation of Afghanistan, was formed, headed by [[Abdul Rasul Sayyaf]]. However, it did not last, as [[Gulbuddin Hekmatyar]]'s group (''[[Hizb-i Islami Gulbuddin]]'') and later the three traditionalist groups seceded from it. These three set up the Union of the Three. The Islamic Union later called the tribal Revolutionary Council an "enemy".<ref name="auto"/><br />
<br />
Because of disunity, elders from western Afghanistan attempted to hold a loya jirga, citing that [[party politics]] disunited the resisting Afghans. Political Islamists warned against people attending the jirga, but it was held safely in September 1981 in [[Pishin, Pakistan]], consisting of tribal elders, the Ulama, and military officers. Elders native from [[Nangarhar]] proposed that the former Afghan king, [[Mohammed Zahir Shah]], would be an ideal "National Leader" in any coalition. However, Pakistan, which preferred a divided Afghan resistance, was against the return of the former king to Afghanistan, seeing it as a symbol of Afghan nationalism.<ref name="auto"/><br />
<br />
==Groups==<br />
There were seven major mujahidin groups as recognized by Pakistan and its allies, based in [[Peshawar]] and sometimes called the ''Peshawar Seven''. They were often categorized into the fundamentalist and traditional; the fundamentalist factions were militarily stronger in the war.<ref name=auto1>{{cite web|url=https://www.ecoi.net/en/file/local/1154721/1226_1369733568_ppig1.pdf |title=Background Paper. Afghanistan: Political Parties and Insurgent Groups 1978-2001|website=Australian Refugee Review Tribunal|access-date=31 March 2023|date=7 March 2013}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.caspianpolicy.org/special-report-the-afghan-peace-process/|title=Special report: The Afghan Peace Process|access-date=31 March 2023}}{{Dead link|date=August 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref><br />
;Political Islamist<br />
* {{flagicon image|Flag of Jamiat-e Islami.svg}} [[Jamiat-i Islami]]<ref>(Pashto/Dari: جمعیت اسلامی)</ref> (''Islamic Society of Afghanistan''), a mostly [[Tajiks|Tajik]] faction headed by [[Burhanuddin Rabbani]], a former professor of theology at Kabul University, advocating for a semi-democratic Islamic revolutionary state - one of the most notable and strongest of the ''mujahideen'' factions<br />
* {{flagicon image|Flag of Hezbi Islami Gulbuddin.svg}} [[Hizb-i Islami Gulbuddin|Hizb-i Islami (Gulbuddin)]]<ref>(Pashto/Dari: حزب اسلامی گلبدین)</ref> (''Islamic Party''), a radical, oppositionist faction headed by [[Gulbuddin Hekmatyar]] who enjoyed the largest amount of ISI Pakistan funding, Saudi intelligence funding, and American CIA funding; traditionally strongest in [[Ghilzai]] Pashtun tribal regions in the south-east - aimed for a state similar to that founded and led by [[Ruhollah Khomeini|Khomeini]] in [[Iran]]<br />
* {{flagicon image|Logo of Hezb-e Islami Khalis.svg}} [[Hezb-i Islami Khalis]]<ref>(Pashto/Dari: حزب اسلامی خالص)</ref> (''Islamic Party''), a splinter faction headed by theologian [[Mohammad Yunus Khalis]], with its supporter base having been Ghilzai Pashtuns - favored cooperation with other factions<br />
* {{flagicon image|Black flag.svg}} [[Ittihad-i Islami]]<ref>(Pashto/Dari: اتحاد اسلامی برای آزادی افغانستان)</ref> (''Islamic Union (for the liberation of Afghanistan)''), a faction advocating for [[Wahhabism]], led by fundamentalist [[Abdul Rasul Sayyaf]] and funded by Saudi Arabia; smaller than the other parties, but influential in international recruitment for the jihad<ref>{{cite book|authorlink=Steve Coll|last=Coll|first=Steve|title=[[Ghost Wars|Ghost Wars: The Secret History of the CIA, Afghanistan, and Bin Laden, from the Soviet Invasion to September 10, 2001]]|publisher=[[Penguin Group]]|year=2004|isbn=9781594200076|page=201|quote=The CIA's Islamabad station estimated in a 1989 cable to Langley that there were probably about four thousand Arab volunteers in Afghanistan, mainly organized under Sayyaf's leadership. He was in turn heavily supported by Saudi intelligence and Gulf charities.}}</ref><br />
<br />
;Afghan traditionalist<br />
* [[Harakat-i Inqilab-i Islami]]<ref>(Pashto/Dari: حرکت انقلاب اسلامی افغانستان)</ref> (''Revolutionary Islamic Movement (of Afghanistan)''), a [[Pashtun]] faction led by [[Mohammad Nabi Mohammadi]], a religious figure and former member of parliament, and gaining support among Pashtun tribes in the south<br />
* [[Jabha-i Nejat-i Milli]]<ref>(Pashto/Dari: جبه نجات ملی)</ref> (''(Afghan) National Liberation Front''), headed by the [[Tariqa|Sufi order]] [[Sibghatullah Mojaddedi]], a [[monarchist]] faction that favored the return of Afghanistan's ousted King, [[Zahir Shah]], in a traditional Islamic state with a parliamentary democracy; it was said to be the weakest militarily, although with a respected leader<br />
* [[Mahaz-i Milli]]<ref>(Pashto/Dari: حمحاذ ملی اسلامی افغانستان)</ref> (''National (Islamic) Front''), the most secular, pro-Western and liberal of the mujahidin factions, rejecting both communism and Islamic fundamentalism, instead adhering to Pashtun nationalism, democracy and a return of the monarchy; led by [[Ahmed Gailani|Sayid Ahmad Gailani]], an Islamic mystical figure, and supported by a number of tribal leaders<br />
<br />
===Commanders===<br />
[[File:Wardak Amin 65.jpg|thumb|[[Amin Wardak]], a mujahidin commander of [[Maidan Wardak Province]]]]<br />
Some of the group leaders also acted as commanders, such as Khalis and Hekmatyar. The other notable mujahidin commanders were [[Ahmad Shah Massoud]] (Jamiat-i Islami), [[Abdul Haq (Afghan leader)|Abdul Haq]] (Hizb-i Islami Khalis), [[Ismail Khan]] (Jamiat-i Islami), [[Jalaluddin Haqqani]] (Hizb-i Islami Khalis), [[Amin Wardak]] (Mahaz-e Melli) and [[Mohammad Zabihullah]] (Jamiat-i Islami).<ref name="auto2">{{cite book| last=Amstutz| first=J. Bruce| publisher=Diane Publishing| isbn=978-0-7881-1111-2| url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_RUSNyMH1aFQC| title=Afghanistan: The First Five Years of Soviet Occupation| year=1994|oclc=948347893}}</ref><br />
<br />
===Ideologies and divisions===<br />
[[File:August 1985 Muja.jpg|thumb|Mujahidin guerillas in [[Kunar Province]], Afghanistan, 1985]]<br />
The Afghan ''mujahideen'' were not a united movement. The resistance parties remained deeply divided along ethnic, ideological and personal lines, despite internal and external pressures to unite. Dutch journalist Jere Van Dyk reported in 1981 that the guerillas were effectively fighting two civil wars: one against the regime and the Soviets, and another among themselves. [[Gulbuddin Hekmatyar]]'s [[Hizb-i Islami Gulbuddin|Hizb-i Islami]] was most cited as the initiator of cross-mujahidin clashes. Through the years, there were various efforts to create a united front, but all were either non-effective or failed in a short time. At least three different iterations of an "Islamic Unity of Afghan Mujahedin" (IUAM) were tried, none of which lasted. The formation of the Afghanistan Interim Government (AIG) in 1988 also failed to promote unity.<ref name=auto3>{{cite thesis|url=http://prr.hec.gov.pk/jspui/bitstream/123456789/1322/1/799S.pdf|title=The causes of the failure of the government of Afghanistan under Professor Burhanuddin Rabbani|location=University of Peshawar|date=December 2007|degree=PhD|author=Ahmad Noor}}</ref> Additionally, it only included the select Sunni Muslim groups approved by Pakistan; Shi'ite groups backed by Iran and pro-Chinese (anti-Soviet) leftist groups were excluded.<ref name="auto"/><br />
<br />
''Mujahideen'' leader [[Mohammad Yunus Khalis]] thought that the lack of trust among the various leaders was a factor for the many disunited organizations.<ref name="auto"/> Numerous ''mujahideen'' commanders additionally regarded schools and its teachers as legitimate targets for attacks, with their justification being that the [[People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan|PDPA]]’s [[Left-wing politics|leftist]] ideology was taught in educational institutions to students.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Urban |first=Mark |date=1990 |title=War in Afghanistan |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-20761-9 |doi=10.1007/978-1-349-20761-9|isbn=978-0-333-51478-8 }}</ref><br />
<br />
{{blockquote|text=The only party fighting the Soviets was the Harakat-i Inqilab-i Islami. The others were all fighting each other.|author=Eduard Lagourge, French aid worker in Afghanistan, 1988<ref name="auto3"/>}}<br />
<br />
The issue of the exiled king, [[Mohammed Zahir Shah]], also caused divisions. Zahir Shah enjoyed considerable popularity among the Afghan refugees in Pakistan. Both Hekmatyar and Khalis were strongly against the king, while Gailani, Mojaddedi and Mohammadi supported an interim coalition with him. Rabbani and Sayyaf were initially against a role for the king, later changing their minds.<ref name="auto3"/><ref name="auto1"/><br />
<br />
Although the Afghan mujahidin were praised for bravery in resisting a superpower, the lack of unity showed weaknesses in the guerillas, such as the lack of a clear political strategy.<ref name="auto3"/><br />
<br />
In an attempt to dissuade infighting and develop a ''de facto'' functioning [[proto state]], [[Ahmad Shah Massoud]] created the [[Shura-e Nazar]] in 1984, an offshoot of the Jamiat faction. Shura-e Nazar was created as a military–political combination and consisted of an organized structure dealing with health and education in the areas it operated in (northern and north-eastern Afghanistan).<br />
<br />
====Attempts at unity====<br />
{{Anchor|Union of the Seven|Islamic Unity of Afghan Mujahidin|Afghan Interim Government}}<br />
In 1981 the Islamist groups formed a broader alliance, the '''Union of the Seven''', made up of the three Islamist groups, the newly formed organization led by Sayyaf, and three splinter groups. But many differences remained between them. In 1985, under pressure from the king of Saudi Arabia – which was a major donor to the mujahidin – a more broad coalition was created, named '''Islamic Unity of Afghan Mujahidin''' (IUAM), comprising the four main Islamist and three moderate groups. It was also nicknamed the '''Seven Party Mujahidin Alliance''', the '''Peshawar Seven''', and the '''Seven Dwarves'''.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Wright|first=Lawrence|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/761224415|title=The Looming Tower: Al-Qaeda and the Road to 9/11|publisher=Vintage Books|year=2011|isbn=978-0-525-56436-2|edition=1|location=New York|pages=115|oclc=761224415}}</ref><br />
<br />
In 1989 under the patronage of Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, An '''Afghan Interim Government''' (AIG) was formed in Pakistan to coincide with the withdrawal of Soviet troops from Afghanistan. The Interim Government had been in exile in Pakistan since 1988.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Afghan Interim Rule: Rocky Road |work=Christian Science Monitor |url=https://www.csmonitor.com/1992/0513/13181.html |access-date=2023-09-02 |issn=0882-7729}}</ref><ref>[https://www.cia.gov/readingroom/docs/DOC_0000258646.pdf Middle East Brief] cia.gov</ref> The Interim Government was Headed by traditionalist [[Sibghatullah Mojaddedi]], with orthodox [[Abdul Rasul Sayyaf]] as prime minister, the AIG represented itself as a [[government in exile]] and a legitimate incoming state following the Soviet withdrawal.<ref name="auto"/> The two individuals proved popular, despite not being leaders of major groups, with Sayyaf said to have had exceptional ability in solving issues. However, the AIG was weak, as it only included the Peshawar Seven and not nationalists or tribal elders. After the Soviet withdrawal, the AIG attempted to establish itself within Afghan territory – the mujahidin and Pakistani forces attacked the city of [[Jalalabad]] in March 1989,<ref name="Abbas22">{{Cite news |last=Nasir |first=Abbas |date=18 August 2015 |title=The legacy of Pakistan's loved and loathed Hamid Gul |work=Al-Jazeera |url=http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2015/08/legacy-pakistan-loved-loathed-hamid-gul-150817114006616.html |access-date=4 January 2017 |quote=His commitment to jihad – to an Islamic revolution transcending national boundaries, was such that he dreamed one day the "green Islamic flag" would flutter not just over Pakistan and Afghanistan, but also over territories represented by the (former Soviet Union) Central Asian republics. After the Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan, as the director-general of the Pakistan's intelligence organisation, Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) directorate, an impatient Gul wanted to establish a government of the so-called Mujahideen on Afghan soil. He then ordered an assault using non-state actors on Jalalabad, the first major urban centre across the Khyber Pass from Pakistan, with the aim capturing it and declaring it as the seat of the new administration. This was the spring of 1989 and a furious prime minister, Benazir Bhutto – who was kept in the dark by ... Gul and ... Mirza Aslam Beg – demanded that Gul be removed from the ISI.}}</ref> visioning a final victory towards Kabul, but were disastrously defeated by the Afghan Army.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.refworld.org/docid/467bb4855.html|title=Human Rights Watch World Report 1989 - Afghanistan|publisher=United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees|website=Refworld}}</ref> The rivalry between Hekmatyar and the Jamiat-i Islami only increased, leading to Hekmatyar's resignation from the AIG. He eventually decided to go at the Kabul regime in a very different way: a coalition with [[Khalq]] communists of General [[Shahnawaz Tanai]], which caused many resignations in his party in protest. Together, they launched a [[1990 Afghan coup attempt|coup attempt in 1990]] to oust the Parchamite [[Mohammed Najibullah]], but failed.<ref name="auto"/><br />
<br />
===Other resistance groups===<br />
====Shi'ite groups====<br />
{{see also|Tehran Eight}}<br />
A number of [[Shia]] militia groups also operated, mainly in central Afghanistan populated by ethnic [[Hazaras]]. These groups were also, similarly, divided between themselves. [[Sayyid Ali Beheshti]]'s [[Revolutionary Council of Islamic Unity of Afghanistan|Shura-i Inqilab-i Ittifaq]], a traditionalist group, controlled the [[Hazarajat]] at first, but pro-Iran [[Khomeinism|Khomeinist]] groups challenged them and took control of the region from them. By the mid-1980s the strongest of these was [[Sazman-i Nasr]], while Shura-i Inqilab-i Ittifaq was prominent only in [[Maidan Wardak]].<ref>{{cite book |first=A. Z. |last=Hilali |title=US-Pakistan relationship: Soviet invasion of Afghanistan |year=2005 |isbn= 978-0-7546-4220-6 |page=125 |publisher=Ashgate Publishing, Ltd}}</ref> They united as the "[[Tehran Eight]]" in 1987 (so-called due to Iranian support). In 1989, most of these merged into one group, [[Hezb-e Wahdat]].<ref name="auto1"/><br />
<br />
====Maoist groups====<br />
{{see also|Sino-Soviet split}}<br />
There were also [[Maoist]] militias that fought against the Soviets and the Afghan regime, as well as the Mujahidin. They were initially well organized and carried out attacks in Kabul; the [[KGB]] then had a policy of clearing Kabul of any pro-Chinese elements. A mild suspicion from [[KHAD]] was enough to put someone in prison by accusing them of being a pro-Chinese communist. The [[People's Republic of China]], which was a backer of the main Pakistan-based Mujahidin, was either unable or unwilling to help the Afghan Maoists. [[Majid Kalakani]], a prominent figure and leader of the [[Liberation Organization of the People of Afghanistan]] (SAMA), was executed by the Afghan regime in June 1980.<ref name="auto"/> Members of [[Shola-e Javid]] ("Eternal Flame") were involved in fighting the government and mujahidin (particularly [[Hezb-i Islami]]). The [[Babrak Karmal]] government arrested many of its members in June 1981.<ref name="auto1"/><br />
<br />
====Smaller groups====<br />
Smaller mujahidin groups not connected to the main seven parties include the [[Sharafat Kuh Front]] in Farah Province and [[Harakat-e-Mulavi]]. Additionally a [[Baloch people|Baloch]] nationalist group operated called the [[Nimruz Front]].<br />
<br />
The [[Settam-e-Melli]] was a small long-time splinter faction of the PDPA based in [[Badakhshan Province]] that fought against the regime and other Mujahidin. They were driven out of [[Panjshir Valley]] by Massoud's mujahidin forces in 1981. By 1983 its resistance seemed to have ceased as it appeared to join the Karmal government.<ref name="auto2"/><br />
<br />
The moderate [[Afghan Millat Party|Afghan Social Democratic Party (Afghan Millat)]], formed in the 1960s, also resisted in the early days of the war. It was treated as a [[Outcast (person)|pariah]] by the recognized Peshawar-based mujahidin groups. Its guerilla band was heavily damaged in September 1980 following an attack by Hekmatyar's mujahidin forces. The regime in Kabul neutralized an Afghan Millat unit in the city in 1983.<ref name="auto2"/><br />
<br />
==Equipment==<br />
{{See also|List of military equipment used by mujahideen during Soviet–Afghan War}}<br />
Most of the Mujahidin's weapons were of Soviet design; this includes mostly those that were supplied by their funders and smaller numbers that were captured from the Soviet or Afghan militaries. It was disclosed in 1981 that [[recoilless rifle]]s (Chinese 83mm, Blo, 70mm) were being used by the resistance. Also in use were [[82-BM-37|Soviet 82 mm mortars]], British mortars and Chinese [[M2 mortar|Type 63]] mortars. Twin barrelled Chinese-built [[ZPU|Type 58]]s has been seen in smaller numbers. [[Lee–Enfield]] rifles, Egyptian made [[AKM]]s, and Chinese made [[SKS]]s have also been used by them.<ref>Resistance Movement in Afghanistan (1979-81), Mahfooz Ahmad, ''Pakistan Horizon''</ref><br />
<br />
Beginning in 1985, they began to receive heavy equipment like [[bazooka]]s and heavy machine guns, while also receiving better equipment for the cold winters, such as snow boots and ski tents. The raised fundings or assistance from the United States, China and Saudi Arabia all contributed to strengthening the Mujahidin movement by 1987.<ref name="auto"/><br />
<br />
The portable surface-to-air "[[FIM-92 Stinger|Stinger]]" missile was first used by Mujahedin in September 1986 and is considered by some to have been a turning point in the war.<ref>{{cite news|last=Phillips|first=Michael M.|url=https://www.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052970204138204576598851109446780|title="Launching the Missile That Made History," by Michael M. Phillips, Wall Street Journal, October 1, 2011|publisher=wsj.com|access-date=February 15, 2012|date=October 1, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150717205723/http://www.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052970204138204576598851109446780|archive-date=July 17, 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref> Some military analysts considered it a "game changer" coined the term "Stinger effect" to describe it.<ref>{{cite web|last=Schroeder|first=Matthew|url=https://foreignpolicy.com/articles/2010/07/28/The_Taliban_Doesn%E2%80%99t_Have_Stingers|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100731223411/http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2010/07/28/The_Taliban_Doesn%E2%80%99t_Have_Stingers|archive-date=July 31, 2010|title="Stop Panicking About the Stingers," by Matthew Schroeder, Foreign Policy, July 28, 2010|publisher=foreignpolicy.com|access-date=February 15, 2012}}</ref> However, these statistics are based on Mujahedin self-reporting, which is of unknown reliability. A Russian general however claimed the United States "greatly exaggerated" Soviet and Afghan aircraft losses during the war.<ref>{{cite book | last = Hammerich | first = Helmut | title = Die Grenzen des Militärischen | publisher = Hartmann, Miles-Verl | location = Berlin | year = 2010 | isbn = 9783937885308 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hWuwxZeYsZQC&pg=PA195 | page=195}}</ref><br />
<br />
==Allies and funding==<br />
[[File:AfghanGuerillainUS1986e.JPEG|thumb|Wounded Afghan guerillas having arrived at [[Norton Air Force Base]], the United States, for medical treatment, 1986]]<br />
The mujahidin were heavily backed by [[Pakistan]] (through the [[Inter-Services Intelligence]]) and the United States (through the [[Central Intelligence Agency]]), also receiving backing primarily from [[Saudi Arabia]] and the [[China|People's Republic of China]], while more covert support came from the [[United Kingdom]], [[Egypt]], and [[West Germany]] (through the [[Federal Intelligence Service]]). The [[Hezb-e Islami Gulbuddin|Hezb-i Islami Gulbuddin]] faction received the lion's share of weapons from the ISI and CIA.<ref name="auto1"/> While Ahmad Shah Massoud's group was supported by Britain's MI6 and trained and supplied by the [[Special Air Service|SAS]]. Britain's support to the Afghan resistance turned out to be [[Government of the United Kingdom|Whitehall]]'s most extensive covert operation since the [[Second World War]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Declassified files reveal Britain's secret support to Afghan Mujahideen |url=https://timesofislamabad.com/30-Jan-2018/declassified-files-reveal-britain-s-secret-support-to-afghan-mujahideen |access-date=12 March 2020 |agency=[[Times of Islamabad]] |date=30 January 2018 |ref=TOI}}</ref> The CIA's [[Operation Cyclone]] was said to be its "largest and 'most successful' covert operation ever."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://nsarchive2.gwu.edu/NSAEBB/NSAEBB57/essay.html|title=Afghanistan: Lessons from the Last War|website=nsarchive2.gwu.edu}}</ref> Pakistan controlled which rebels received assistance: the four "fundamentalist" factions received most of the funding.<ref name="Kepel">{{cite book |last=Kepel |first=Gilles |title=Jihad: The Trail of Political Islam |publisher=I.B. Tauris |year=2006 |isbn=978-1-84511-257-8 |pages=138–139, 142–144}}</ref> A large amount of funding also came from private donors and charities from the [[Arab states of the Persian Gulf]].<ref>{{cite book|author-link=Jason Burke|last=Burke|first=Jason|title=[[Al-Qaeda: Casting a Shadow of Terror]]|publisher=[[I.B. Tauris]]|year=2004|isbn=9781850436669|page=59}}</ref><br />
<br />
==Areas of activity==<br />
[[File:Afghanistan insurgency 1985.jpg|thumb|left|The areas where the different mujahidin forces operated as of 1985]]<br />
By May 1980, mujahidin controlled virtually all of rural Afghanistan, and these regions were cleared of [[Khalq]]ists and [[Parcham]]ites. With the exception of parts of the north near the Soviet border (under [[Abdul Rashid Dostum]]'s command), along with several cities, mujahidin guerillas were in control of most of the country as of 1987.<ref name="auto"/><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://users.erols.com/mwhite28/afghanis.htm|title=Map of the War in Afghanistan|website=users.erols.com}}</ref><br />
<br />
As of 1985, the Jamiat-i Islami held the most territory, stretching from [[Herat]] in the west through the north to [[Badakhshan]] in the north-east. Harakat-i Inqilab also held a large amount of territory in the southern provinces, stretching from [[Nimroz]] to [[Logar Province|Logar]]. Hizb-i Islami Khalis had its stronghold around [[Nangarhar]] and [[Paktia]], while Hizb-i Islami Gulbuddin held many pockets of territory throughout the country. The Mahaz-i-Milli was prominent in [[Loya Paktia]] but also had territory in other parts of the country.<br />
<br />
As Soviet forces withdrew in 1988–89, the Mujahidin captured several key districts, towns and provincial capitals, such as [[Taloqan]], [[Mahmud Raqi]], [[Asadabad, Afghanistan|Asadabad]], [[Bamyan]], [[Spin Boldak]], [[Dara-i-Suf District|Dara-i-Suf]] and [[Imam Sahib District|Imam Sahib]]. The cities of [[Kunduz]], [[Qalat, Zabul|Qalat]], and [[Maidan Shahr]] also fell to the Mujahidin in the summer of 1988, but were retaken by the government with Soviet bombardment and logistical support.<br />
<br />
By the time Soviet forces completed their withdrawal, the Afghan government held only sixty urban centers and the Mujahidin controlled six entire provinces. However, the Mujahidin were unable to seize the country's major cities for several years, due to the lack of coordination between the various groups and the lack of heavy firepower necessary for such actions. The Afghan Army beat back the Mujahidin's attempts to take the city of [[Jalalabad]] in March 1989, and the civil war settled into a stalemate for three years.<ref name="Dorronsoro">{{cite book |last=Dorronsoro|first=Gilles |title=Revolution Unending: Afghanistan 1979 to the Present |publisher=Hust & Company London |year=2005 |isbn=1850657033 |pages=227–229}}</ref><br />
<br />
==Role of women==<br />
Women also played a part in the Afghan mujahidin, often traveling with them to cook food or wash their clothes, but also taking part in weapons smuggling. There were many female sympathizers who encouraged their husbands, sons or other male family members to take part in the war against the invaders. However, women in Afghanistan were split between the two sides, with many also supporting the [[Democratic Republic of Afghanistan|Democratic Republic]] where they enjoyed social privileges.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.usip.org/sites/default/files/SR396-Afghan-Women-and-Violent-Extremism.pdf|title=Afghan Women and Violent Extremism|website=usip.org|date=November 2016|author1=Belquis Ahmadi<br />
|author2=Sadaf Lakhani}}</ref> Female refugees also created and recited [[Landay (poetry)|Landays]] (traditional Afghan poems) about the war.<ref>{{cite thesis|url=https://scholarworks.calstate.edu/downloads/1j92gb391|title=The Soviet-Afghan War: Female Perspective and Participation<br />
|degree=MA|location=California State University, Northridge|date=August 2012|author=Elva Madrigal}}</ref><br />
<br />
There is one recorded female mujahidin warlord, [[Bibi Ayesha]] (nicknamed ''Kaftar'', meaning "dove"), who operated in [[Baghlan Province]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://america.aljazeera.com/features/2014/4/commander-kaftarafemalewarlordinafghanistan.html|title=A woman's war: The rise and fall of Afghanistan's female warlord|website=america.aljazeera.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jul/07/armed-afghan-women-take-to-streets-in-show-of-defiance-against-taliban|title=Armed Afghan women take to streets in show of defiance against Taliban|date=7 July 2021|website=The Guardian}}</ref><br />
<br />
==Soviet withdrawal and civil war==<br />
{{see also|Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan|Afghan Civil War (1989–1992)|Gulf War}}<br />
On 14 April 1988, the governments of Afghanistan and Pakistan signed the [[Geneva Accords (1988)|Geneva Accords]], guaranteed by the United States and Soviet Union. This committed the Soviet Union to withdraw all its troops from Afghanistan by 15 February 1989. The withdrawal was conducted in two phases. The first half of the contingent was removed between 15 May and 16 August 1988, and the second half after 15 November 1988. As the Soviets withdrew, they left the Afghan army in fortified positions and even helped them conduct counteroffensives, in order to leave them in as strong a position as possible.<ref name="marshall">{{cite book|last=Marshall |first=A.|url=http://www.defac.ac.uk/colleges/csrc/document-listings/ca/06%2829%29AM.pdf |title=Phased Withdrawal, Conflict Resolution and State Reconstruction |date=2006 |publisher=Defence Academy of the United Kingdom, Conflict Studies Research Centre |access-date=2008-02-12 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071201033319/http://www.defac.ac.uk/colleges/csrc/document-listings/ca/06%2829%29AM.pdf |archive-date=2007-12-01 |isbn=1-905058-74-8 }}</ref> The withdrawal was completed on schedule, with commander [[Boris Gromov]] of the 40th Army being the last Soviet soldier to leave Afghanistan. After the Soviet withdrawal, most of the Afghan mujahidin continued its fight against the government of [[Mohammad Najibullah]], which continued to receive funding from Moscow, while similarly the Mujahidin was also still receiving funding from Washington and Islamabad.<br />
<br />
Despite initial estimates, the Mujahidin proved unable to topple Najibullah's regime immediately after the Soviet withdrawal. The government concentrated its forces in defense of key cities, while relying on vast amounts of military and humanitarian aid from the Soviet Union to stay afloat. Soviet military advisors were still present in Afghanistan, helping advise the war effort and even coordinate air strikes.<ref name="marshall"/> Soviet volunteers operated the [[Scud missiles]] which gave the government an advantage in firepower. The Afghan Air Force, supplied and maintained with Soviet support, proved to be a crucial asset in keeping the government in power.<ref name="nyt1">{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1989/04/13/world/the-lessons-of-jalalabad-afghan-guerrillas-see-weaknesses-exposed.html|title=The Lessons Of Jalalabad; Afghan Guerrillas See Weaknesses Exposed|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=13 April 1989|quote=Casualties have been high on both sides. Government troops have been reduced by heavy guerrilla shelling and rocketing from 12,000 to 9,000, Western diplomats say....The Afghan Air Force is said to be taking advantage of the fact that, probably for the first time in the war, guerrilla forces are concentrated in static positions, which make them easier bombing targets.}}</ref> As late as December 1991, Soviet pilots were recorded flying bombing missions against the Mujahidin.<ref name="nyt2">{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1991/12/29/magazine/in-afghanistan-peace-must-wait.html|title=In Afghanistan, Peace Must Wait|work=[[The New York Times]]| date=29 December 1991|quote=Later, at Jalalabad, we will eavesdrop on the shortwave radio and hear Soviet pilots making actual bombing runs on resistance positions.}}</ref><br />
<br />
The Mujahidin's divisions and factionalism hindered their war effort, and skirmishes between rival groups became common. Massoud was one of the most active elements in this time. In both 1990 and 1991 he staged spring offensives, capturing several cities and steadily expanding the territory under his influence.<ref name="Dorronsoro" /> The government meanwhile came to rely heavily on tribal militias to stay in power, primarily the Jowzjani militia of Abdul Rashid Dostum. After 1989, these were the only forces capable of offensives against the Mujahidin.<ref name="marshall"/><br />
<br />
By the summer of 1990, the Afghan government forces were on the defensive again, and by the beginning of 1991 the government controlled only 10 percent of Afghanistan. In March 1991, Mujahidin forces [[Siege of Khost|captured]] the city of [[Khost]] ending an eleven-year siege. After the [[1991 Soviet coup attempt|failed coup d'état attempt]] by hardliners in the Soviet Union in August 1991, Soviet support to Najibullah's government dried up. This effectively doomed it, as the Afghan Air Force could no longer fly due to fuel shortages. Consequently, the Army's desertion rate skyrocketed.<ref name="marshall"/> In March 1992, Dostum's militiamen defected to Massoud after negotiations, and Najibullah's regime fell shortly afterwards.<br />
<br />
In 1991, some factions of the Mujahidin were deployed in [[Kuwait]] to fight [[Ba'athist Iraq|Iraq]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://apps.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a234743.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190412060905/https://apps.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a234743.pdf|url-status=live|archive-date=12 April 2019|website=apps.dtic.mil|access-date=2018-12-18 |title=Desert Shield and Desert Storm – A Chronology and Troop List for the 1990–1991 Persian Gulf Crisis}}</ref> After Hekmatyar and Sayyaf publicly denounced the U.S. and the Saudi royal family for their role in the [[Gulf War]], U.S. and Saudi officials indicated that they would stop funding both commanders, but this did not happen. However, the CIA and Saudi intelligence pressured the ISI to send captured Iraqi tanks to Haqqani instead of Hekmatyar.<ref>{{cite book|author-link=Steve Coll|last=Coll|first=Steve|title=[[Ghost Wars|Ghost Wars: The Secret History of the CIA, Afghanistan, and Bin Laden, from the Soviet Invasion to September 10, 2001]]|publisher=[[Penguin Group]]|year=2004|isbn=9781594200076|pages=223–224, 226–227}}</ref> In 1993, it was reported that some Mujahidin were deployed in the Caucusus to fight the forces of [[Armenia]] in the [[First Nagorno-Karabakh War]].<ref>{{Cite news |date=1993-11-16 |title=Afghan Fighters Join Azeri-Armenian War |work=Christian Science Monitor |url=https://www.csmonitor.com/1993/1116/16071.html |access-date=2022-11-17 |issn=0882-7729}}</ref> Afghan mujahidin fighters have also been reportedly involved in the [[Tajikistani Civil War|civil war in Tajikistan]] during 1992–1993.<ref>{{Cite news |date=1992-09-24 |title=Afghan Arms and Mujahideen Slip Past Border Guards and Into Tajik Civil War |work=Christian Science Monitor |url=https://www.csmonitor.com/1992/0924/24013.html |access-date=2022-11-17 |issn=0882-7729}}</ref><br />
<br />
==After the War==<br />
{{see also|Peshawar Accord|Islamic State of Afghanistan}}<br />
[[File:War in Afghanistan (1992–2001).png|thumb|Progress of the continuing civil war, 1992–2001]]<br />
After Najibullah's government collapsed, the Mujahidin factions (apart from ''Hezb-i Islami Gulbuddin'') signed a power sharing agreement (the [[Peshawar Accord]]) and captured [[Kabul]] on April 28, 1992, celebrating their "[[Mujahideen Victory Day|Victory Day]]". However, the divisions between the various factions were still there and it was a catalyst that led to [[Afghan Civil War (1992-96)|another civil war]] between the new government and Mujahidin factions that rebelled against it. This meant that after 1992, various Mujahidin factions including the Shi'ite [[Hezb-i Wahdat]] continued to exist as militias rather than merely political parties, with many fighters being loyal to specific leaders.<br />
<br />
===Relationship with the Taliban===<br />
The [[Taliban]] is a puritanical movement that was formed in 1994, five years after the end of the [[Soviet–Afghan War]] and in the midst of anarchy in Afghanistan. Supported by Pakistan and recruited from religious students from [[madrasa]]s across the border, it won a highly effective military campaign against former Mujahidin factions in the civil war, gaining control and establishing the [[Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (1996–2001)|Islamic Emirate]] in 1996. Nearly all of the Taliban's original leadership fought in the Soviet–Afghan War for either the Hezb-i Islami Khalis or Harakat-i Inqilab-e Islami factions of the Mujahidin.<ref name="auto1" /><br />
<br />
Veteran mujahidin leaders who fought against the Soviets were divided regarding the Taliban. Yunus Khalis was a strong supporter of the Taliban<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/5211604.stm|title=Leader of Afghan mujahideen dies|date=24 July 2006|publisher=BBC News}}</ref> and Nabi Mohammadi also supported them, even dissolving his own organization in doing so. However, Rabbani and Sayyaf were against the Taliban and formed a new united opposition force called the [[Northern Alliance]], which also recruited [[Haji Abdul Qadeer|Abdul Qadeer]] (a commander who defected from Khalis's faction), prominent Shi'ite leaders such as [[Muhammad Mohaqiq]], and former DRA commander [[Abdul Rashid Dostum]]. This group was supported following the [[United States invasion of Afghanistan]] in 2001 that successfully drove out the Taliban and led to the rise of [[Hamid Karzai]].<ref name="auto1" /><br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
* [[Afghanistan–Pakistan relations]]<br />
* [[Pakistan–United States relations]]<br />
<br />
==References==<br />
{{reflist}}<br />
<br />
==Bibliography==<br />
* Kaplan, Robert D. ''Soldiers of God: With the Mujahidin in Afghanistan''. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1990. {{ISBN|0-395-52132-7}}<br />
* Weisman, Steven R. "Rebel Rivalry is Hampering Afghan Talks", ''The New York Times'', March 1, 1988.<br />
<br />
{{Soviet–Afghan War}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Anti-Soviet factions in the Soviet–Afghan War]]<br />
[[Category:Anti-communist resistance movements]]<br />
[[Category:Anti-communist guerrilla organizations]]<br />
[[Category:Islamist groups]]<br />
[[Category:Anti-Soviet resistance]]<br />
[[Category:Islamism in Afghanistan]]<br />
[[Category:Islamic Unity of Afghanistan Mujahideen| ]]<br />
[[Category:Rebel groups in Afghanistan]]<br />
[[Category:Defunct political party alliances in Afghanistan]]<br />
[[Category:History of Islam in Afghanistan]]<br />
[[Category:Mujahideen]]<br />
[[Category:Rebellions against the Soviet Union]]</div>Boackandwhitehttps://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Protests_against_responses_to_the_COVID-19_pandemic&diff=1262963483Protests against responses to the COVID-19 pandemic2024-12-13T22:45:17Z<p>Boackandwhite: </p>
<hr />
<div>{{Short description|Protests against restrictions introduced in response to the COVID-19 pandemic}}<br />
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2021}}<br />
<br />
{{EngvarB|date=April 2021}}<br />
{{Infobox civil conflict<br />
| title = Protests against responses to the COVID-19 pandemic<br />
| side1 = [[WHO]]<br />
| side3 = [[far right]]<br />
[[COVID-19 conspiracy theorists]]<br />
| partof = the [[COVID-19 pandemic]]<br />
| image = Canadian COVID-19 protesters (cropped).jpg<br />
| caption = An anti-[[COVID-19 lockdowns|lockdown]] protest at [[Queen's Park (Toronto)|Queen's Park]] in [[Toronto]], Canada, on 25 April 2020<br />
| date = 15 March 2020<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.poder360.com.br/governo/bolsonaro-compartilha-video-de-manifestacoes-veja-fotos-de-militantes/|title=Bolsonaro compartilha vídeo de manifestações; veja fotos de militantes|date=15 March 2020|website=Poder360|access-date=27 November 2020|archive-date=4 December 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201204175449/https://www.poder360.com.br/governo/bolsonaro-compartilha-video-de-manifestacoes-veja-fotos-de-militantes/|url-status=live}}</ref> – 5 December 2022<ref>{{cite news |last1=Yu |first1=Verna |title=Chinese students protest as university locks down over one Covid case |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/dec/06/beijing-drops-some-covid-tests-as-capital-readies-itself-for-life-again |access-date=7 December 2022 |work=The Guardian |date=6 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221206141914/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/dec/06/beijing-drops-some-covid-tests-as-capital-readies-itself-for-life-again |archive-date=6 December 2022}}</ref><br />({{age in years, months, weeks and days|month1=3|day1=15|year1=2020|month2=12|day2=5|year2=2022}})<br />
| place = Worldwide<br />
| coordinates = <br />
| causes = Local struggles or opposition to government responses to the COVID-19 pandemic<br />
| goals = * Revocation of [[COVID-19 lockdowns]], [[mask mandate]]s, or [[vaccine mandates]]<br />
| methods = {{plainlist|<br />
* [[Mass protest]]s<br />
* [[Civil unrest]]<br />
* [[Riot]]s<br />
* [[Vandalism]]<br />
* [[Occupation (protest)|Occupations]]}}<br />
}}<br />
{{COVID-19 pandemic sidebar}}<br />
<br />
Protests, demonstrations and strikes occurred around the world against [[National responses to the COVID-19 pandemic|national responses]] to the [[COVID-19 pandemic]] by governmental bodies. Some were driven by the financial hardship resulting from government measures to contain the virus, including restrictions on travel and entertainment, hitting related industries and workers hard. Protests also occurred in opposition to restrictions on people's movements, compulsory wearing of [[Face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic|face masks]], [[COVID-19 lockdowns|lockdowns]], [[COVID-19 vaccination|vaccinations]] and other measures. Some protests were driven by [[COVID-19 misinformation]], [[conspiracy theories]], [[Far-right politics|far-right]] and other extremist groups and individuals.<br />
<br />
This article lists and summarizes such activities in various countries around the world.<br />
<br />
==Background==<br />
{{Globalize|section|US|Australia|Europe|date=September 2021}}<br />
<br />
===Reasons===<br />
{{see also|COVID-19 lockdowns|Social distancing measures related to the COVID-19 pandemic|Face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic|Mask refusal|COVID-19 misinformation|COVID-19 vaccine misinformation and hesitancy}}<br />
[[File:Antivax protest in Dublin 1.jpg|thumb|Protest against the [[COVID-19 vaccine]] in [[Dublin]], [[Republic of Ireland|Ireland]].]]<br />
In order to prevent the spread of the [[SARS-CoV2]] virus which gave rise to the COVID-19 pandemic from 2019, governments brought in health measures at varying levels of strictness to restrict the movement of people and transmission of the virus. In response to these restrictions, protests have been organised at a number of locations around the world,<ref>{{Cite web|last=Haddad|first=Mohammed|title=Mapping coronavirus anti-lockdown protests around the world|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/2/2/mapping-coronavirus-anti-lockdown-protests-around-the-world|access-date=2021-08-03|website=[[Al Jazeera English|Al Jazeera]]|language=en|archive-date=6 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210806180523/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/2/2/mapping-coronavirus-anti-lockdown-protests-around-the-world/|url-status=live}}</ref> and [[Strikes during the COVID-19 pandemic|strikes have also occurred]]. Some of the protests have criticised governments for not acting effectively enough in their responses to the pandemic, while others have been opposed to [[COVID-19#Prevention|preventative measures]] and called for their revocation. According to analysis as part of the [[Global Peace Index]], {{as of|lc=yes| July 2021}}, there had been around 50,000 protests linked to the pandemic worldwide, 5,000 of which were violent.<ref>{{cite news| last1=Newey| first1=Sarah| last2=Gulland| first2=Anne| last3=Smith| first3=Nicola| date=2021-07-25| title=Plague and protests: how Covid has sparked a wave of unrest around the world| language=en-GB| work=[[The Daily Telegraph|The Telegraph]]| url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/global-health/terror-and-security/plague-protests-pandemic-has-sparked-wave-unrest-around-world/| access-date=2021-08-03| issn=0307-1235| archive-date=3 August 2021| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210803151200/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/global-health/terror-and-security/plague-protests-pandemic-has-sparked-wave-unrest-around-world/| url-status=live}}</ref> [[COVID-19 lockdowns]] have inspired protests in many territories, and from late 2020 [[deployment of COVID-19 vaccines]] also inspired protests.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Thousands Around Globe Protest COVID-19 Shots, Lockdowns {{!}} Voice of America - English|url=https://www.voanews.com/covid-19-pandemic/thousands-around-globe-protest-covid-19-shots-lockdowns|access-date=2021-08-03|website=www.voanews.com|date=24 July 2021 |language=en|archive-date=3 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210803151201/https://www.voanews.com/covid-19-pandemic/thousands-around-globe-protest-covid-19-shots-lockdowns|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Analysis {{!}} The pandemic leads to another summer of anger|language=en-US|newspaper=[[Washington Post]]|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2021/07/30/pandemic-leads-another-summer-anger/|access-date=2021-08-03|issn=0190-8286|archive-date=30 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210730070551/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2021/07/30/pandemic-leads-another-summer-anger/|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
The protests have varied in scale, motivations and type, with protesters drawn from a fairly wide range of backgrounds and inspired by a range of reasons. One of the main drivers has been the economic distress brought about by businesses having to close for long periods, leading to widespread unemployment, especially of casual workers in the hospitality industry. Uncertainty about the future and the feeling of lack of control has led to a predilection for believing in [[conspiracy theories]] (such as that COVID-19 is a hoax and that governments have deliberately created the crisis), [[anti-vaxxer]] beliefs, including that [[COVID-19 vaccination]]s and restriction of citizens' movements are part of a government plot to control people, [[Bill Gates]] is behind implanting [[microchip]]s into people via vaccinations.<ref name=ajfeb2021>{{cite web | last=Melimopoulos | first=Elizabeth | title=What's driving the COVID lockdown protests? | website=[[Al Jazeera English|Al Jazeera]] | date=7 February 2021 | url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/2/7/protests-over-new-covid-19-measures-whats-behind-them | access-date=28 August 2021 | archive-date=28 August 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210828004101/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/2/7/protests-over-new-covid-19-measures-whats-behind-them | url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | last=Dearden | first=Lizzie | title=Inside the UK's biggest anti-lockdown protest | website=The Independent | date=16 May 2020 | url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/coronavirus-lockdown-protests-uk-london-hyde-park-5g-conspiracy-theories-a9518506.html | access-date=28 August 2021 | archive-date=23 August 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210823110551/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/coronavirus-lockdown-protests-uk-london-hyde-park-5g-conspiracy-theories-a9518506.html | url-status=live }}</ref> The spread of [[COVID-19 misinformation]] has been a driving factor in some country's protest movements, with some organisers making money out of the protests.<ref>{{Cite web|title=How COVID-conspiracists and anti-vaxxers are getting organised and making money|url=https://news.sky.com/story/how-covid-conspiracists-and-anti-vaxxers-are-getting-organised-and-making-money-12206707|access-date=2021-08-03|website=[[Sky News]]|language=en|archive-date=27 February 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210227193203/https://news.sky.com/story/how-covid-conspiracists-and-anti-vaxxers-are-getting-organised-and-making-money-12206707|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
===Players===<br />
In the US, [[Donald Trump]] spread some potentially misleading information,<ref name=ajfeb2021/> and the [[Proud Boys]], American [[religious fundamentalist]]s and [[American militia movement#Active militia groups|various militia groups]] as well as [[Black Lives Matter of Greater New York]], have been active in protests;<ref>{{cite web | last=Wilson | first=Jason | title=The rightwing groups behind wave of protests against Covid-19 restrictions | website=[[The Guardian]] | date=17 April 2020 | url=http://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/17/far-right-coronavirus-protests-restrictions | access-date=28 August 2021 | archive-date=19 August 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210819134948/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/17/far-right-coronavirus-protests-restrictions | url-status=live }}</ref> across Europe, the extreme right has been active;<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.orfonline.org/expert-speak/fringe-mainstream-extreme-rightwing-europe-68848/| title=From fringe to mainstream: The extreme rightwing in Europe| first1=Kyler| last1=Ong| first2=Raffaello| last2=Pantucci| newspaper=Orf| access-date=28 August 2021| archive-date=28 August 2021| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210828012516/https://www.orfonline.org/expert-speak/fringe-mainstream-extreme-rightwing-europe-68848/| url-status=live}}</ref> in the UK, far-right [[hate group]]s have been involved in spreading misinformation, [[scapegoat]]ing minority groups and trying to organise lockdowns,<ref>{{cite report| title=COVID-19: How hateful extremists are exploiting the pandemic| url=https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/906724/CCE_Briefing_Note_001.pdf| author=[[Commission for Encountering Extremism]]| date=July 2020| publisher=UK Government| access-date=28 August 2021| archive-date=16 March 2021| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210316081503/https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/906724/CCE_Briefing_Note_001.pdf| url-status=live}}</ref> while former politicians such as [[Martin Daubney]] and journalists such as [[Julia Hartley-Brewer]] have either supported or joined protests;<ref>{{cite web | last=Loucaides | first=Darren | title=Inside the U.K.'s anti-lockdown media machine | website=Coda Story | date=9 August 2021 | url=https://www.codastory.com/disinformation/uk-anti-lockdown-media/ | access-date=28 August 2021 | archive-date=14 August 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210814221957/https://www.codastory.com/disinformation/uk-anti-lockdown-media/ | url-status=live }}</ref> in Australia, the Proud Boys,<ref>{{cite web | last=McGowan | first=Michael | title=Where 'freedom' meets the far right: the hate messages infiltrating Australian anti-lockdown protests | website=[[The Guardian]] | date=25 March 2021 | url=http://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/mar/26/where-freedom-meets-the-far-right-the-hate-messages-infiltrating-australian-anti-lockdown-protests | access-date=28 August 2021 | archive-date=24 August 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210824060353/https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/mar/26/where-freedom-meets-the-far-right-the-hate-messages-infiltrating-australian-anti-lockdown-protests | url-status=live }}</ref> the neo-Nazi [[National Socialist Network]]<ref name=ndaug2021>{{cite web | title=How neo-Nazis use anti-lockdown protests to recruit new members | first=Cait | last=Kelly | website=[[The New Daily]] | date=25 August 2021 | url=https://thenewdaily.com.au/news/national/2021/08/26/neo-nazi-anti-lockdown-recruit/ | access-date=28 August 2021 | archive-date=26 August 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210826175828/https://thenewdaily.com.au/news/national/2021/08/26/neo-nazi-anti-lockdown-recruit/ | url-status=live }}</ref> and a few politicians have become involved in spreading misinformation and stirring discontent.<ref>{{cite web | last=Bongiorno | author-link=Frank Bongiorno | first=Frank | title=Right out there: how the pandemic has given rise to extreme views and fractured conservative politics | website=[[The Conversation (website)|The Conversation]] | date=15 August 2021 | url=http://theconversation.com/right-out-there-how-the-pandemic-has-given-rise-to-extreme-views-and-fractured-conservative-politics-165448 | access-date=28 August 2021 | archive-date=27 August 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210827112241/https://theconversation.com/right-out-there-how-the-pandemic-has-given-rise-to-extreme-views-and-fractured-conservative-politics-165448 | url-status=live }}</ref><br />
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===Organisers and methods===<br />
<br />
The [[Telegram (software)|Telegram]] and [[Instagram]] apps are popular means for spreading messages about planned protests,<ref name=knaus2021/> and some events are also posted on [[Facebook]].<ref name=fbrally>{{cite web | title=World Wide Rally for Freedom, Peace & Human Rights III | website=Facebook | date=23 July 2021 | url=https://m.facebook.com/events/791497214885030 | access-date=31 August 2021 | archive-date=22 December 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211222175659/https://m.facebook.com/login.php?next=https%3A%2F%2Fm.facebook.com%2Fevents%2F791497214885030&refsrc=deprecated&_rdr | url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
{{anchor|wwrf}}<!---Worldwide Rally for Freedom, Free Citizens of Kassel, etc. target this anchor.---><br />
A German group called Worldwide Demonstration, operated out of the city of [[Kassel]] by individuals self-described as "Freie Bürger Kassel" (Free Citizens of Kassel),<ref name=knaus2021>{{cite web | last=Knaus | first=Christopher | title=Who's behind Australia's anti-lockdown protests? The German conspiracy group driving marches | website=the Guardian | date=27 July 2021 | url=http://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/jul/27/who-behind-australia-anti-covid-lockdown-protest-march-rallies-sydney-melbourne-far-right-and-german-conspiracy-groups-driving-protests | access-date=30 August 2021 | archive-date=30 August 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210830032414/https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/jul/27/who-behind-australia-anti-covid-lockdown-protest-march-rallies-sydney-melbourne-far-right-and-german-conspiracy-groups-driving-protests | url-status=live }}</ref> coordinated a series of 129 events around the world in March 2021, each one dubbed "World Wide Rally for Freedom", using the [[hashtag]] "#WewillALLbethere". Misinformation, [[QAnon]] beliefs, [[antisemitism]] and COVID-19 denial were prevalent in the groups' chats.<ref name=logically>{{cite web | last1=Backovic | first1=Nick | last2=Wildon | first2=Jordan | last3=Ondrak | first3=Joe | title=Exclusive: Worldwide Anti-Lockdown Protests Organized by German Cell | website=[[Logically (company)|Logically]] | date=14 May 2021 | url=https://www.logically.ai/articles/anti-lockdown-protests-organized-by-german-cell | access-date=30 August 2021 | archive-date=30 August 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210830032414/https://www.logically.ai/articles/anti-lockdown-protests-organized-by-german-cell | url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
== Africa ==<br />
=== Ivory Coast ===<br />
Protesters destroyed a coronavirus testing centre that was being built in [[Abidjan]], which they said was in a crowded residential area too close to their homes.<ref>{{cite news|date=6 April 2020|title=Coronavirus: Ivory Coast protesters target testing centre|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-52189144|access-date=3 May 2020|archive-date=1 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200501142544/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-52189144|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
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=== Kenya ===<br />
The Kenyan government has been accused of extreme measures, with protesters accusing the [[Kenya Police|Kenyan Police]] of killing at least six people within the first 10 days of the lockdown. Others protested against the forced quarantine of individuals failing to comply with regulations or returning home from abroad, claiming that they had been quarantined for longer than 14 days and made to pay the government for their care.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Kenyans held for weeks in quarantine were then told to pay to get out|url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/coronavirus/ct-nw-nyt-kenya-quarantine-centers-20200508-sguy6zocxvbnvpbrccilweiu6m-story.html|last=Dahir|first=Abdi Latif|date=8 May 2020|website=baltimoresun.com|access-date=9 May 2020|archive-date=13 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200513222022/https://www.baltimoresun.com/coronavirus/ct-nw-nyt-kenya-quarantine-centers-20200508-sguy6zocxvbnvpbrccilweiu6m-story.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Hundreds protested on 8 May 2020 when the government destroyed 7,000 homes and a market in [[Kariobangi]] in an effort to control the virus.<ref>{{cite web |title=Kenyans protest house demolitions amid virus restrictions |url=https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/kenyans-protest-house-demolitions-amid-virus-restrictions-70575939 |website=ABC News |access-date=9 May 2020 |language=en |archive-date=9 May 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200509001511/https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/kenyans-protest-house-demolitions-amid-virus-restrictions-70575939 |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
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=== Malawi ===<br />
A [[Malawi]] high court temporarily barred the government from implementing a 21-day lockdown after it was challenged by the Human Rights Defenders Coalition, after it was argued that more consultation was needed to prevent harm to the poorest and most vulnerable. Small protests had been staged prior to the ruling, in at least three major cities with some protesters stating it was better to contract the virus than die of hunger due to lack of work.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Malawi high court blocks coronavirus lockdown|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/04/malawi-high-court-blocks-coronavirus-lockdown-200417184430403.html|date=17 April 2020|website=www.aljazeera.com|access-date=9 May 2020|archive-date=8 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200508151024/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/04/malawi-high-court-blocks-coronavirus-lockdown-200417184430403.html|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Nigeria ===<br />
A group of at least twenty coronavirus patients forced their way out of an isolation facility to protest against alleged improper care and the government's actions which they believed to worsen their conditions.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Nigeria: COVID-19 patients protest over 'ill treatment'|url=https://www.aa.com.tr/en/africa/nigeria-covid-19-patients-protest-over-ill-treatment/1830966|date=6 May 2020|website=www.aa.com.tr|access-date=9 May 2020|archive-date=10 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200510190944/https://www.aa.com.tr/en/africa/nigeria-covid-19-patients-protest-over-ill-treatment/1830966|url-status=live}}</ref> Workers at a construction site rioted against lockdown measures that limited their ability to work on constructing an [[oil refinery]] for billionaire [[Aliko Dangote]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Nigerian workers riot over Covid-19 lockdown {{!}} New Straits Times|url=https://www.nst.com.my/world/world/2020/04/588042/nigerian-workers-riot-over-covid-19-lockdown|date=27 April 2020|website=NST Online|language=en|access-date=9 May 2020|archive-date=8 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200508213859/https://www.nst.com.my/world/world/2020/04/588042/nigerian-workers-riot-over-covid-19-lockdown|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
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=== Rwanda ===<br />
Refugees that had been relocated to the country from an overcrowded refugee camp in [[Libya]], protested against the lockdown from the refugee camp in the capital [[Kigali]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Refugees Protest Under Coronavirus Lockdown in Rwanda {{!}} Voice of America - English|url=https://www.voanews.com/covid-19-pandemic/refugees-protest-under-coronavirus-lockdown-rwanda|date=17 April 2020|website=www.voanews.com|language=en|access-date=9 May 2020|archive-date=3 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200503130323/https://www.voanews.com/covid-19-pandemic/refugees-protest-under-coronavirus-lockdown-rwanda|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
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=== South Africa ===<br />
Many residents protested against the policy that food parcel aid would only be going to households that earn below R3600, and demanded action from the South African Social Security Agency.<ref>{{Cite web|title="We are still waiting" – protesting under lockdown in South Africa|url=https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/beyond-trafficking-and-slavery/we-are-still-waiting-protesting-under-lockdown-in-south-africa/|last=Anciano|first=Fiona|date=24 April 2020|website=openDemocracy|language=en|access-date=9 May 2020|archive-date=9 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200509221138/https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/beyond-trafficking-and-slavery/we-are-still-waiting-protesting-under-lockdown-in-south-africa/|url-status=live}}</ref> Surfers have also protested to be allowed to surf during the lockdown, that allows exercise but not water activities.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Anti-lockdown protests around the world|url=https://www.reuters.com/news/picture/anti-lockdown-protests-around-the-world-idUSRTX7H61S|date=5 May 2020|website=www.reuters.com|access-date=9 May 2020|archive-date=8 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200508144737/https://www.reuters.com/news/picture/anti-lockdown-protests-around-the-world-idUSRTX7H61S|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
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=== Zimbabwe ===<br />
Three young, female opposition activists were reported missing following a protest in [[Harare]], Zimbabwe, over COVID-19 lockdown measures on 15 May 2020. They were later treated at a hospital after asserting they had been abducted and sexually abused by suspected state security agents.<ref>{{cite web |title=Zimbabwe police accused of assaulting young female activists |url=https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/zimbabwe-police-accused-assaulting-young-female-activists-70701508 |website=ABC News |access-date=5 June 2020 |language=en |archive-date=5 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200605190822/https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/zimbabwe-police-accused-assaulting-young-female-activists-70701508 |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
== Asia ==<br />
<br />
=== China (mainland) ===<br />
{{Main|2022 COVID-19 protests in China}}<br />
[[File:西南交通大学学生悼念乌鲁木齐火灾逝者 10.jpg|alt=Students at Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu, holding a candlelight vigil for victims of the fire. The candles are arranged in a heart shape. The faces of students are blurred to protect anonymity.|thumb|Students at [[Southwest Jiaotong University]], [[Chengdu]], holding a candlelight vigil for victims of the [[2022 Ürümqi fire|fire in Ürümqi]].]]<br />
<br />
Small shop owners protested the continuation of rent charges outside of the Grand Ocean Department Store in Wuhan, chanting "Exempt rental for a year, or refund the lease". Videos from the demonstration were posted in the social media platform [[Sina Weibo]] but quickly censored.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international/world-news/wuhan-rent-protest-shows-unrest-brewing-in-china-after-lockdown/articleshow/75080074.cms?from=mdr |title=covid 19: Wuhan rent protest shows unrest brewing in China after lockdown - The Economic Times |publisher=Economictimes.indiatimes.com |access-date=30 April 2020 |archive-date=10 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200910133541/https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international/world-news/wuhan-rent-protest-shows-unrest-brewing-in-china-after-lockdown/articleshow/75080074.cms?from=mdr |url-status=live }}</ref> A woman was arrested and facing criminal charges after attempting to rally about 100 people to protest the poor management and overpriced provisions during the lockdown. She was charged with "[[picking quarrels and provoking trouble]]", an offense normally used to detain dissidents and social activists.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Chinese woman charged with organising protests during coronavirus lockdown|url=https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3080590/coronavirus-lockdown-woman-charged-organising-protests-against|last=Huang|first=Kristin|date=19 April 2020|website=South China Morning Post|language=en|access-date=1 May 2020|archive-date=2 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200502204312/https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3080590/coronavirus-lockdown-woman-charged-organising-protests-against|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
In 2022, public protests and marches began in cities such as [[Ürümqi]] and [[Guangzhou]] in response to the continued zero-COVID policy of the [[Government of China|Chinese government]] under [[Xi Jinping Administration]].<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Chien |first1=Amy Chang |last2=Che |first2=Chang |last3=Liu |first3=John |last4=Mozur |first4=Paul |date=2022-11-25 |title=In a challenge to Beijing, unrest over COVID lockdowns spreads |url=https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2022/11/25/asia-pacific/china-covid-lockdown-unrest/ |access-date=2022-11-27 |website=The Japan Times |language=en-US}}</ref> In Shanghai, some protesters among hundreds had chanted "Step down, [[Xi Jinping]]! Step down, [[Chinese Communist Party|Communist Party]]!"<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-11-27 |title=Protests erupt across China in unprecedented challenge to Xi Jinping's zero-Covid policy |url=https://www.cnn.com/2022/11/26/china/china-protests-xinjiang-fire-shanghai-intl-hnk/index.html |access-date=2022-11-27 |website=[[CNN]] |language=en}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Hong Kong ===<br />
[[File:Protest against Designated Clinics in TSW North 20200215.png|thumb|Protest against plans to set up designated coronavirus clinics near residential areas in [[Hong Kong]] on 15 February 2020]]<br />
{{Main|2019–20 Hong Kong protests#COVID-19 crisis}}<br />
Pro-democratic movement's tactics were repurposed to pressure the government to take stronger actions to safeguard Hong Kong's [[public health]] in the face of the [[2020 coronavirus outbreak in Hong Kong|coronavirus outbreak in Hong Kong]]. Protesters demanded all travellers coming from China be banned from entering Hong Kong. From 3 to 7 February 2020, hospital staff launched a labour strike with the same goal. The strike was not successful as [[Carrie Lam]] rejected a full border closure.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://hongkongfp.com/2020/10/14/covid-19-hong-kong-hospital-authority-demands-answers-from-radiologists-after-unit-head-refuses-name-medics-who-went-on-strike/|title=Covid-19: Hong Kong Hospital Authority demands answers from radiologists after unit head refuses to name medics who went on strike|first=Kelly|last=Ho|work=[[Hong Kong Free Press]]|date=2020-10-14|access-date=2021-11-06|archive-date=6 September 2021|archive-url=https://archive.today/20210906153555/https://hongkongfp.com/2020/10/14/covid-19-hong-kong-hospital-authority-demands-answers-from-radiologists-after-unit-head-refuses-name-medics-who-went-on-strike/|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
People responded negatively to the government's attempt to set up quarantine and clinical centres in neighbourhoods close to residents and marched to express their discontent or blocked roads to thwart the government's plans across the territory.{{citation needed|date=August 2021}}<br />
<br />
=== India ===<br />
{{see also|Indian migrant workers during the COVID-19 pandemic}}<br />
After the televised announcement by Prime Minister [[Narendra Modi]] that the lockdown was to be extended until at least 3 May, police used batons to disperse protesting migrant workers in [[Mumbai]]. Thousands of jobless migrant workers had gathered at railway stations and were demanding to be allowed to break the lockdown to return home.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-southasia-idUSKCN21W0HI|title=India extends world's biggest lockdown, ignites protest by migrant workers|newspaper=Reuters|date=14 April 2020|via=reuters.com|last1=Jain|first1=Sanjeev Miglani|access-date=27 April 2020|archive-date=26 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200426093055/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-southasia-idUSKCN21W0HI|url-status=live}}</ref> Similar protests were seen in other parts of the country by the workers, and those who claimed that they received no aid which was promised by the government to provide them with during the lockdown period.<br />
<br />
In the state of [[Meghalaya]] anti mandatory vaccination protesters organised a rally in the capital city Shillong against the alleged mandatory inoculation drive by the state government.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Amid rising Covid cases, anti-vaccine protesters rally in Meghalaya |url=http://www.dtnext.in/amp/News/National/2022/01/23082638/1340071/Amid-rising-Covid-cases-antivaccine-protesters-rally-.vpf |access-date=2022-03-24 |website=dtNext.in |language=ta}}{{dead link|date=November 2022|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref><br />
<br />
In State of Maharashtra similar anti mandatory mask and anti mandatory mask protest were held.<ref>{{Citation |title=Worldwide Demonstration: People protest against mandatory vaccinations, lockdowns |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9V83n4_VIAI |language=en |access-date=2022-04-17}}</ref><br />
<br />
Several legal cases were filed in multiple [[high courts of India]] and the Supreme Court of India against mandatory masking and vaccinations.<ref>{{Cite news |agency=Press Trust of India |date=2022-03-02 |title='Unfortunate': HC on mandatory vaccine for Maharashtra public transport |work=Business Standard India |url=https://www.business-standard.com/article/current-affairs/unfortunate-hc-on-mandatory-vaccine-for-maharashtra-public-transport-122030200974_1.html |access-date=2022-04-17}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Roy |first=Debayan |title=[COVID-19] Supreme Court reserves verdict in plea challenging coercive vaccination |url=https://www.barandbench.com/news/covid-19-supreme-court-reserves-verdict-in-plea-against-coercive-vaccination |access-date=2022-04-17 |website=Bar and Bench - Indian Legal news |date=22 March 2022 |language=en}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Indonesia ===<br />
{{Main|Indonesia omnibus law protests}}<br />
[[File:Indonesia omnibus law protests Okt 2020 in Padang.jpg|thumb|Protest in [[Padang]] on 7 October 2020]]<br />
On 5 October 2020, Indonesia has passed a [[Omnibus Law on Job Creation|law on job creation]] that will weaken environmental protections and workers’ rights in an attempt to boost the economy hit hard by the [[COVID-19 pandemic|Wuhan pneumonia pandemic]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/world/breakingnews/3313101|title=國會通過爭議性法案 印尼各地發起罷工示威|work=Liberty Times|date=6 October 2020|access-date=6 October 2020|language=zh-tw|archive-date=9 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201009193945/https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/world/breakingnews/3313101|url-status=live}}</ref> On 6 October, thousands of Indonesians protest in industrial areas around Jakarta including Tangerang and Karawang and on [[Batam]]. A three-day national strike was started which unions expected to involve two million workers in protest against the law.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-indonesia-economy-law/thousands-of-indonesians-protest-against-passage-of-jobs-bill-idUSKBN26R0ZG|title=Thousands of Indonesians protest against passage of jobs bill|work=Reuters|date=6 October 2020|access-date=6 October 2020|archive-date=6 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201006164032/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-indonesia-economy-law/thousands-of-indonesians-protest-against-passage-of-jobs-bill-idUSKBN26R0ZG|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
Demonstrations in Bandung and Jakarta were held on 22 July and 24 July respectively in order to protest the extension of the government's "social activities restriction" (PPKM/CARE) measures.<ref>{{cite AV media |date=24 July 2021 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSLqONzbUmU |title=BERITA TERBARU ~DEMO PPKM DI JAKARTA~BERITA VIRAL HARI INI |publisher=KABAR MILITER |via=[[YouTube]] |access-date=7 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210724074608/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSLqONzbUmU |archive-date=24 July 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite AV media |date=21 July 2021 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jfSIwIX2zHY |title=Dinilai Merugikan, Warga Bandung Berunjuk Rasa Tolak PPKM Darurat {{!}} Fokus |publisher=[[Indosiar]] |via=[[YouTube]] |access-date=7 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210725025445/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jfSIwIX2zHY |archive-date=25 July 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite AV media |date=21 July 2021 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3gYGWz13weU |title=Demo Tolak PPKM Darurat Berakhir Ricuh |publisher=[[CNN Indonesia]] |via=[[YouTube]] |access-date=7 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210725235748/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3gYGWz13weU |archive-date=25 July 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite AV media |date=23 July 2021 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPP4PpT6Pnw |title=Demo Mahasiswa Tolak Kebijakan PPKM Darurat di Flyover Pasar Rebo Berujung Ricuh |publisher=KOMPASTV |via=[[YouTube]] |access-date=7 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210724074614/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPP4PpT6Pnw |archive-date=24 July 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite AV media |date=24 July 2021 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mqzlX1oLNNI |title=Demo Tolak PPKM hari ini dijakarta pusat |publisher=Echa mahkota |via=[[YouTube]] |access-date=7 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210725234934/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mqzlX1oLNNI |archive-date=25 July 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref>{{excessive citations inline|date=August 2021}}<br />
<br />
=== Israel ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 protests in Israel}}<br />
In April 2020, thousands of Israelis engaged in [[social distancing]] while gathering to protest against the perceived anti-democratic measures in the country by Prime Minister [[Benjamin Netanyahu]]. Many were involved in the Black Flag movement which had been allowed to protest by police if they stood six feet apart and all wore masks. An earlier protest had seen the protesters drive to [[Jerusalem]] to protest anti-democratic measures.<ref>{{cite web |last=Rosner |first=Elizabeth |url=https://nypost.com/2020/04/20/israelis-practice-social-distancing-at-tel-aviv-protest/ |title=Israelis maintain social distancing while protesting Netanyahu |date=20 April 2020 |publisher=Nypost.com |access-date=27 April 2020 |archive-date=24 April 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200424070815/https://nypost.com/2020/04/20/israelis-practice-social-distancing-at-tel-aviv-protest/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Other demonstrations have been seen in the ultra-[[Orthodox Judaism|Orthodox]] Jerusalem neighborhood of [[Mea Shearim]] with men and youths throwing rocks at police before being arrested.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Police clash with stone-throwing Haredi protesters in Jerusalem, 5 arrested|url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/police-clash-with-stone-throwing-haredi-protesters-in-jerusalem-5-arrested/|date=20 April 2020|website=www.timesofisrael.com|language=en-US|access-date=1 May 2020|archive-date=26 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200426143227/https://www.timesofisrael.com/police-clash-with-stone-throwing-haredi-protesters-in-jerusalem-5-arrested/|url-status=live}}</ref> Riots broke out in [[Bnei Brak]] with crowds vandalizing property and throwing rocks against police attempts to clear [[yeshiva]] classes and religious gatherings being held in violation of lockdown rules.<ref>{{Cite news|last1=Hendrix|first1=Steve|last2=Rubin|first2=Shira|date=26 January 2021|title=Violence erupts in Israel's ultra-Orthodox neighborhoods over coronavirus restrictions|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/ultra-orthodox-israel-police-covid/2021/01/25/2438e840-5ee3-11eb-a177-7765f29a9524_story.html|access-date=28 January 2021|newspaper=The Washington Post|archive-date=28 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210128111056/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/ultra-orthodox-israel-police-covid/2021/01/25/2438e840-5ee3-11eb-a177-7765f29a9524_story.html|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Iraq ===<br />
Protests against the lockdown have been coupled with the [[2019–2020 Iraqi protests|ongoing protests]] against the current government and female-targeting violence within the country.<ref>{{Cite web|title=The Iraq Report: Protest movement revives as coronavirus lockdown eased|url=https://english.alaraby.co.uk/english/indepth/2020/5/1/the-iraq-report-protest-movement-revives-as-lockdown-eased|website=alaraby|date=May 2020|language=en|access-date=1 May 2020|archive-date=4 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200504011957/https://english.alaraby.co.uk/english/indepth/2020/5/1/the-iraq-report-protest-movement-revives-as-lockdown-eased|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="WPProtests">{{cite web |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/coronavirus-protests-lebanon-india-iraq/2020/04/19/1581dde4-7e5f-11ea-84c2-0792d8591911_story.html |title=Coronavirus lockdowns prompt protests in India, Lebanon, Iraq |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=19 April 2020 |access-date=27 April 2020 |archive-date=25 April 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200425064157/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/coronavirus-protests-lebanon-india-iraq/2020/04/19/1581dde4-7e5f-11ea-84c2-0792d8591911_story.html |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Kazakhstan ===<br />
Following announcement of quarantine measures, videos of hospital staff in [[Atyrau]] protesting against new rules were spread on social media in April 2020, resulting in reporting journalists being detained.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-04-16|title=Казахстан: митинг в белых халатах|url=https://belsat.eu/ru/programs/kazahstan-miting-v-belyh-halatah/|url-status=live|access-date=2021-07-26|website=belsat.eu|language=ru|archive-date=27 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210727010145/https://belsat.eu/ru/programs/kazahstan-miting-v-belyh-halatah/}}</ref><br />
<br />
On 25 January 2021, a demonstration was held in city of [[Kokshetau]] where citizens expressed discontent with concept of compulsory vaccination against COVID-19 in which the deputy [[akim]] met with the crowd and assured them that decision whether to be vaccinated would be based on each individual's personal choice.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-01-25|title=Несколько десятков человек собрались на площади в Кокшетау|url=https://www.nur.kz/society/1895472-neskolko-desatkov-celovek-sobralis-na-plosadi-v-koksetau-foto/?|url-status=live|access-date=2021-07-27|website=www.nur.kz|language=ru|archive-date=27 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210727010148/https://www.nur.kz/society/1895472-neskolko-desatkov-celovek-sobralis-na-plosadi-v-koksetau-foto/}}</ref> in result of the government's [[COVID-19 vaccine]] mandate for all in-person employees, protests took place on 6 July 2021 in Kazakhstan where citizens demanded to stop the fines for businesspeople who refused to mandate for workers as well free [[COVID-19 testing|PCR testing]] for the unvaccinated.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Говоров|first=Георгий|date=2021-07-06|title=НГ: "Принудительной вакцинации нет" - аким Костаная встретился с участниками акции протеста|url=https://www.ng.kz/modules/news/article.php?storyid=42453#893571|url-status=live|access-date=2021-07-27|website=www.ng.kz|archive-date=27 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210727014138/https://www.ng.kz/modules/news/article.php?storyid=42453#893571}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-07-01|title=В Казахстане вводится режим обязательной вакцинации|url=https://inbusiness.kz/ru/news/v-kazahstane-vvoditsya-rezhim-obyazatelnoj-vakcinacii|url-status=live|access-date=2021-07-27|website=inbusiness.kz|language=ru|archive-date=27 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210727010147/https://inbusiness.kz/ru/news/v-kazahstane-vvoditsya-rezhim-obyazatelnoj-vakcinacii}}</ref> In [[Oral, Kazakhstan|Oral]], instructions were given out to crowd in avoiding the inoculation.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Левина|first=Мария|date=2021-07-06|title=В Уральске и Костанае прошли митинги против обязательной вакцинации|url=https://vlast.kz/novosti/45733-v-uralske-i-kostanae-prosli-mitingi-protiv-obazatelnoj-vakcinacii.html|url-status=live|access-date=2021-07-27|website=vlast.kz|language=ru|archive-date=27 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210727010148/https://vlast.kz/novosti/45733-v-uralske-i-kostanae-prosli-mitingi-protiv-obazatelnoj-vakcinacii.html}}</ref> Reports of detentions of people by the police occurred in [[Almaty]] and [[Aktobe]] that day.<ref>{{Cite news|date=2021-07-06|title=Несколько человек задержаны в Алматы и Актобе на месте анонсированных Аблязовым акций|url=https://rus.azattyq.org/a/31343878.html|url-status=live|access-date=2021-07-27|website=Радио Азаттык|language=ru|archive-date=27 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210727010146/https://rus.azattyq.org/a/31343878.html}}</ref> On 17 July, demonstrations occurred throughout the cities, where in [[Pavlodar]] hundred people gathered at the central square which was dispersed by security forces with detainees being pushed into police vans and some managing to flee the area.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-07-19|title=Митинги против обязательной вакцинации прошли в нескольких городах Казахстана|url=https://ust-kamenogorsk.city/novosti-kazakhstana/11695/|url-status=live|access-date=2021-07-27|website=ust-kamenogorsk.city|archive-date=27 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210727010147/https://ust-kamenogorsk.city/novosti-kazakhstana/11695/}}</ref> After the Kazakh government decided to raise fuel prices in the middle of the pandemic, many Kazakhs carried out [[2022 Kazakh unrest|the bloodiest riots since the collapse of the Soviet Union]].<br />
<br />
=== Lebanon ===<br />
{{See also|2019–2021 Lebanese protests}}<br />
Many protesters argued for monetary relief from the countries slumping economy after weeks of the lockdown.<ref name="WPProtests"/> At least one demonstrator died after soldiers used tear gas, batons, and live bullets to disperse a protesters in [[Tripoli, Lebanon|Tripoli]] who were throwing [[molotov cocktail]]s.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Osseiran|first1=Nazih|last2=Nissenbaum|first2=Dion|date=28 April 2020|title=Protesters in Lebanon Demand Economic Relief as Coronavirus Lockdown Eases|language=en-US|work=[[The Wall Street Journal]]|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/protesters-in-lebanon-demand-economic-relief-as-coronavirus-lockdown-eases-11588096707|access-date=1 May 2020|issn=0099-9660|archive-date=30 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200430221558/https://www.wsj.com/articles/protesters-in-lebanon-demand-economic-relief-as-coronavirus-lockdown-eases-11588096707|url-status=live}}</ref> Protesters also congregated in [[Beirut]] outside the central bank and threw rocks at the building, and took over major roads as they claimed there wasn't enough done to protect the economy and those that would suffer the most economically.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Hatoum|first1=Bassam|last2=Hussein|first2=Bilal|date=29 April 2020|title=Lockdown lifts in Lebanon, protests erupt over economic crises|work=[[The Christian Science Monitor]]|url=https://www.csmonitor.com/World/Middle-East/2020/0429/Lockdown-lifts-in-Lebanon-protests-erupt-over-economic-crises|access-date=1 May 2020|issn=0882-7729|archive-date=1 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200501054440/https://www.csmonitor.com/World/Middle-East/2020/0429/Lockdown-lifts-in-Lebanon-protests-erupt-over-economic-crises|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Malaysia ===<br />
<br />
On 31 July 2021, hundreds of protesters attempted to gather in [[Merdeka Square, Kuala Lumpur]], calling for the resignation of Prime Minister [[Muhyiddin Yassin]] over his and the Malaysian government's handling of the [[COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia|COVID-19 pandemic]].<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|title=Hundreds take to Kuala Lumpur's streets in anti-gov't protest|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/7/31/hundreds-take-to-streets-in-anti-government-protest-in-malaysia|access-date=2021-08-01|website=www.aljazeera.com|language=en|archive-date=1 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210801172936/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/7/31/hundreds-take-to-streets-in-anti-government-protest-in-malaysia|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite web|website=Deutsche Welle|title=Malaysian protesters demand PM Muhyiddin's resignation=|date=2021-07-31|url=https://www.dw.com/en/malaysian-protesters-demand-pm-muhyiddins-resignation/a-58713654|access-date=2021-08-01|language=en-GB|archive-date=1 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210801172936/https://www.dw.com/en/malaysian-protesters-demand-pm-muhyiddins-resignation/a-58713654|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Ramlan|first=Alyaa Alhadjri & Vivian Yap, Yasmin|date=2021-07-31|title=Hundreds of #Lawan protesters in KL demand PM's resignation|url=https://www.malaysiakini.com/news/585291|access-date=2021-08-01|website=Malaysiakini|language=en|archive-date=1 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210801172003/https://www.malaysiakini.com/news/585291|url-status=live}}</ref> The protests took place despite [[Malaysian movement control order|Movement Control Order (MCO)]] restrictions being in place, and Malaysian police blocking access to Merdeka Square itself.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Solhi|first=Farah|date=2021-07-31|title=#Lawan rally ends as protesters fail to get inside Dataran Merdeka {{!}} New Straits Times|url=https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2021/07/713474/lawan-rally-ends-protesters-fail-get-inside-dataran-merdeka|access-date=2021-08-01|website=NST Online|language=en|archive-date=1 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210801172004/https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2021/07/713474/lawan-rally-ends-protesters-fail-get-inside-dataran-merdeka|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Solhi|first=Farah|date=2021-07-31|title=#Lawan rally goes on despite police warning, risk of spreading Covid-19 [NSTTV] {{!}} New Straits Times|url=https://www.nst.com.my/news/crime-courts/2021/07/713455/lawan-rally-goes-despite-police-warning-risk-spreading-covid-19|access-date=2021-08-01|website=NST Online|language=en|archive-date=1 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210801173504/https://www.nst.com.my/news/crime-courts/2021/07/713455/lawan-rally-goes-despite-police-warning-risk-spreading-covid-19|url-status=live}}</ref> The anti-government protests took place following a [[2021 Malaysian state of emergency|state of emergency]] declaration, where parliament and elections were suspended, and amid an [[2020–21 Malaysian political crisis|ongoing political crisis]].<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2" /> On 2 August, including former Prime Minister [[Mahathir Mohamad]], opposition MPs held a protest in Merdeka Square after being blocked from entering Parliament by police.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-08-02|title=Police stop Malaysian opposition lawmakers from marching to Parliament|url=https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/heavy-police-presence-outside-malaysian-parliament|access-date=2021-08-02|website=The Straits Times|language=en|archive-date=2 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210802080101/https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/heavy-police-presence-outside-malaysian-parliament|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Malaysia opposition MPs gather at Merdeka Square after being blocked from entering parliament|url=https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asia/malaysia-opposition-dataran-merdeka-parliament-postponed-covid19-15360260|access-date=2021-08-02|website=CNA|language=en|archive-date=2 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210802080147/https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asia/malaysia-opposition-dataran-merdeka-parliament-postponed-covid19-15360260|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Nepal ===<br />
On 12 June 2020, hundreds of protesters gathering in the capital city [[Kathmandu]], demanding better quarantine facilities, more tests and transparency in the purchase of medical supplies to fight the crisis. Ten people have been arrested, including seven foreigners.<ref>{{cite web|author=Gopal Sharma|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-nepal/hundreds-protest-against-nepals-coronavirus-response-7-foreigners-arrested-idUSKBN23K087/|title=Hundreds protest against Nepal's coronavirus response; 7 foreigners arrested|work=Reuters|date=2020-06-13}}</ref><br />
[[File:尼泊尔最大反对党发起全国抗议活动.jpg|thumb|Protesters wave party flags of the [[Nepali Congress]] on 14 December 2020]]<br />
On 14 December 2020, the [[Nepali Congress]], Nepal's largest opposition party, launched a nationwide protest, claiming that one million people participated. This protest is mainly to criticize the government for not actively fighting the COVID-19 pandemic and for not actively preparing for holding the winter session of [[Federal Parliament of Nepal|federal parliament]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.chinanews.com/wap/detail/zw/gj/2020/12-14/9361978.shtml|title=尼泊尔最大反对党发起全国抗议活动|work=China News Service|date=2020-12-14|language=zh-cn}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Pakistan ===<br />
Dozens of doctors were arrested in [[Quetta]] after protesting the lack of safety equipment that they had been given to battle the spread of the disease.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/06/pakistan-arrests-doctors-protest-lack-coronavirus-safety-equipment |title=Pakistan arrests doctors protesting over lack of virus safety equipment &#124; World news |work=The Guardian |access-date=30 April 2020 |archive-date=7 April 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200407174034/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/06/pakistan-arrests-doctors-protest-lack-coronavirus-safety-equipment |url-status=live }}</ref> Hundreds of laborers protested against their forced layoffs due to the pandemic by gathering outside their old places of work throughout the city of Karachi.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Millions of Pakistani laborers struggle amid COVID-19 lockdown|url=https://www.aa.com.tr/en/asia-pacific/millions-of-pakistani-laborers-struggle-amid-covid-19-lockdown/1824231|last=Latif|first=Aamir|date=30 April 2020|website=www.aa.com.tr|access-date=1 May 2020|archive-date=6 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200506073132/https://www.aa.com.tr/en/asia-pacific/millions-of-pakistani-laborers-struggle-amid-covid-19-lockdown/1824231|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
Parents of students who had been studying abroad in the Chinese province of Hubei protested against the government's decision to leave the children in the area in February 2020.<ref>{{cite news|last=Raza Hassan|first=Syed|date=16 February 2020|title=Parents protest as Pakistani students stuck in China under coronavirus lockdown|language=en|work=Reuters|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-health-pakistan-idUSKBN20A0J9|access-date=1 May 2020|archive-date=25 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200525093543/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-health-pakistan-idUSKBN20A0J9|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Philippines ===<br />
{{See also|Protests against Rodrigo Duterte}}<br />
Spontaneous demonstrations were held on 1 April 2020 by a [[Quezon City]] urban poor community to protest lack of food and other assistance during the metropolitan-wide COVID-19 lockdown.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ellao |first=Janess Ann J. |date=1 April 2020 |title=Arrests in QC reveal lack of gov't support to lockdown-affected residents |url=https://www.bulatlat.com/2020/04/01/arrests-in-qc-urban-poor-reveal-lack-of-govt-support-to-lockdown-affected-residents/ |access-date=19 June 2020 |website=Bulatlat |language=en-US |archive-date=20 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200620224244/https://www.bulatlat.com/2020/04/01/arrests-in-qc-urban-poor-reveal-lack-of-govt-support-to-lockdown-affected-residents/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Police violently dispersed protesters and arrested 21 people.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=1 April 2020 |title=21 protesters demanding food aid arrested in Quezon City |url=https://www.cnnphilippines.com/news/2020/4/1/quezon-city-protesters-arrested-.html |access-date=19 June 2020 |website=CNN |language=en |archive-date=23 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200623053048/https://cnnphilippines.com/news/2020/4/1/quezon-city-protesters-arrested-.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> The city mayor and a Congress representative appealed to police to release those arrested.<ref name=":0" /><br />
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In May 2020, journalists and individuals protested [[ABS-CBN franchise renewal controversy|the cease and desist order that led to the shutdown of media giant ABS-CBN]], a move that jeopardized more than 11,000 jobs and prevented the broadcast of vital information about the pandemic. More protests were held after the House of Representatives junked ABS-CBN's application for a legislative franchise.{{citation needed|date=August 2021}}<br />
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Jeepney drivers rendered jobless by the COVID-19 emergency protested in Caloocan on 3 June 2020. Six protesters were arrested and jailed for a few days to one week.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Lalu |first=Gabriel Pabico |date=18 June 2020 |title=2 of jailed Piston 6 protesters test positive for COVID-19 |url=https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1293906/2-of-jailed-piston-6-protesters-test-positive-for-covid-19 |access-date=19 June 2020 |website=Inquirer |language=en |archive-date=18 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200618141148/https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1293906/2-of-jailed-piston-6-protesters-test-positive-for-covid-19 |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
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Several groups held protests nationwide to coincide with the commemoration of Philippine Independence on 12 June 2020.<ref>{{Cite web |date=11 June 2020 |title=LIST: 'Grand mañanita' and other Independence Day 2020 activities |url=http://www.rappler.com/move-ph/263498-list-mananita-other-activities-independence-day-2020 |access-date=19 June 2020 |website=Rappler |language=en |archive-date=13 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200613072615/https://www.rappler.com/move-ph/263498-list-mananita-other-activities-independence-day-2020 |url-status=live }}</ref> Among these was the "Grand Mañanita" protest at the [[University of the Philippines]] in Quezon City. The Grand Mañanita protested the [[Philippine government response to the COVID-19 pandemic|government's response to the COVID-19 crisis]] and Congress' passage of a controversial [[Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020|anti-terror bill]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Gonzales |first=Cathrine |date=12 June 2020 |title=Look: 'Grand mañanita' protest on Independence Day |url=https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1290437/look-grand-mananita-protest-on-independence-day |access-date=19 June 2020 |website=INQUIRER.net |language=en |archive-date=19 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200619173237/https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1290437/look-grand-mananita-protest-on-independence-day |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
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On 16 July 2021, health workers held a protest in front of the headquarters of [[Department of Health (Philippines)|Department of Health]] (DOH) where they threw tomatoes at the logo of the DOH.<ref>{{cite news |title=DOH, binato ng kamatis |url=https://web.facebook.com/News5Everywhere/videos/3941239406004582/ |access-date=23 September 2021 |work=News5 |date=July 16, 2021 |via=Facebook |archive-date=22 December 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211222175651/https://www.facebook.com/News5Everywhere/videos/3941239406004582/?_rdc=1&_rdr |url-status=live }}</ref> On 30 August, 1 September and 24 November 2021,<ref>{{cite news |title='Ginagawa kaming bobo': Health workers patuloy ang paghahabol sa benepisyo {{!}} TV Patrol |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9slZiNABZMA&ab_channel=ABS-CBNNews |access-date=28 November 2021 |work=ABS-CBN News |archive-date=28 November 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211128054313/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9slZiNABZMA&ab_channel=ABS-CBNNews |url-status=live }}</ref> health workers from various hospitals in Metro Manila held a protest at the DOH headquarters over nonpayment of their salaries and benefits and demanding Duque (and Duterte) to resign over the handling of the COVID-19 pandemic in the country.<ref>{{cite news |title='We have nothing to celebrate': Health workers protest as Duterte calls frontliners 'new breed of heroes' |url=https://www.cnnphilippines.com/news/2021/8/30/health-workers-protest-National-Heroes-Day.html |access-date=1 September 2021 |work=CNN Philippines |archive-date=1 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210901033613/https://www.cnnphilippines.com/news/2021/8/30/health-workers-protest-National-Heroes-Day.html |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=On Heroes' Day, health workers protest over unreleased benefits |url=https://www.rappler.com/nation/health-workers-protest-unreleased-benefit30-august-2021 |access-date=1 September 2021 |work=Rappler }}{{dead link|date=August 2023|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Underpaid health workers walk out, call for Duque resignation at mass protests |url=https://www.rappler.com/nation/health-workers-walk-out-jobs-mass-protests-duque-1-september-2021 |access-date=1 September 2021 |work=Rappler }}{{dead link|date=August 2023|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref><br />
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=== Thailand ===<br />
{{main|2020 Thai protests}}<br />
[[File:เยาวชนปลดแอก ประท้วง กรุงเทพ 18 กรกฎาคม 2563 Free Youth Protest at Bangkok 18 July 2020 (Night).jpg|thumb|Demonstrations at the [[Democracy Monument]], [[Bangkok]] at night]]<br />
On 18 July, Thailand saw the largest street demonstration since the [[2014 Thai coup d'état]] at the [[Democracy Monument]] in [[Bangkok]] with around 2,500 protesters. The protesters, organised under the name Free Youth ({{langx|th|เยาวชนปลดแอก}}; yaowachon plod aek), announced three demands: dissolution of the House, stop threatening the people and drafting of a new constitution. The event was triggered by the failed economy due to [[COVID-19 pandemic in Thailand|pandemic]], and unjustified implementation of the COVID-19 acts that were heavily criticised as being a tool against any possible protest. The situation erupted after two COVID-19 cases; an Egyptian soldier in [[Rayong Province]], and a Sudanese diplomat's daughter in [[Khet Watthana|Asok neighbourhood]] of [[Bangkok]], were tested positive earlier on 15 July. Both were excepted from COVID-19's travel restrictions and containment. Many criticised on both the government's failure to contain the disease from these VIPs, and its failure to boost the heavily affected tourism industry in [[Rayong Province]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=18 July 2020 |title=Thai protesters call for government to resign |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-thailand-protests/thai-protesters-call-for-government-to-resign-idUSKCN24J0HN |access-date=20 July 2020 |website=[[Reuters]] |language=en |archive-date=19 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200719182550/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-thailand-protests/thai-protesters-call-for-government-to-resign-idUSKCN24J0HN |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=18 July 2020 |url=https://www.bbc.com/thai/thailand-53456468 |title="เยาวชนปลดแอก" ยุติการชุมนุมก่อนเที่ยงคืน อ้างความปลอดภัย สรุปบรรยากาศจากเริ่มจนจบ |access-date=20 July 2020 |website=[[BBC]] Thai |language=th |archive-date=19 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201019153040/https://www.bbc.com/thai/thailand-53456468 |url-status=live }}</ref> The protesters demanded the government to accept within two weeks, or face larger demonstrations.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2020-07-18 |title=Thai protesters call for government to resign |language=en |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-thailand-protests-idUSKCN24J0HN |access-date=2022-08-04}}</ref><br />
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Later on 19 July, several protests erupted in [[Chiang Mai Province]] and [[Ubon Ratchathani Province]].<ref>{{Cite news |date=20 July 2020 |title=Chiang Mai, Ubon rally against Prayut, government |url=https://www.bangkokpost.com/learning/easy/1954343/chiang-mai-ubon-rally-against-prayut-government?cx_placement=related#cxrecs_s |access-date=20 July 2020 |website=[[Bangkok Post]] |language=en }}</ref><br />
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===Vietnam===<br />
There have been many protests broke out in some localities in Vietnam to protest against the anti-epidemic policy, as well as to call on the government to support people during the pandemic.<br />
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On August 22, 2021, workers at an isolation area in [[Binh Duong]] province conducted a riot, smashed, and prevented a pregnant woman from going to the emergency room.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.hosodanchu.com/2021/08/bao-loan-ap-pha-o-binh-duong-ke-cam.html | title=Bạo loạn, đập phá ở Bình Dương: Kẻ cầm tuýp sắt, người hôi của }}</ref><br />
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On August 27, some people in [[Ho Chi Minh City]] reacted because they had not received local support money and the clip of this incident was posted on social networks. The government has forced "hostile forces to plot to incite demonstrations and fight against social distancing".<ref>{{cite web | url=https://cand.com.vn/Chong-dien-bien-hoa-binh/canh-giac-muu-do-kich-dong-bieu-tinh-chong-pha-gian-cach-xa-hoi-i627958/ | title=Cảnh giác mưu đồ kích động biểu tình, chống phá giãn cách xã hội }}</ref><br />
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On October 1, 2021, people in Ho Chi Minh City protested, attacking police at a checkpoint on the outskirts of the city to open the door for people to return to their hometown. A day later, Vietnamese netizens spread images of police forces and militiamen using sticks to beat protesters in Binh Duong with the purpose of breaking the gate to return to their hometown. The local government then stated to verify the incident, at the same time accused people of rioting and attacking the police.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.bbc.com/vietnamese/vietnam-58775235 | title=Bình Dương: Muốn về quê, xô xát giữa dân và cảnh sát | newspaper=BBC News Tiếng Việt }}</ref><br />
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In mid-October, after the dogs of a household in [[Ca Mau]] province were culled due to suspicion of being infected with the COVID-19 virus, there were many online calls for people to protest against the anti pandemic policies from the government.<br />
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In November 2021, those present at the funeral of Mr. Duong Van Minh, a [[Hmong people|Hmong]] man, clashed with police after police and local medical staff asked those present at the funeral to disperse. due to fears of an outbreak. Mr. Duong Van Minh is the founder of the religious organization that bears his name, which is considered a [[heresy]] by Vietnamese authorities.<br />
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From October 2022, a year after the end of social distancing due to the pandemic, many customers of Sai Gon Joint Stock Commercial Bank (SCB), one of Vietnam's major banks, protested at the bank branch to request a refund of a customer's [[bond (finance)|bond]] purchase. The protests were considered to be motivated by the difficult economic and financial situation of the people after the pandemic.<br />
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== Europe ==<br />
[[File:Men In Black protest in Copenhagen.jpg|thumb|Anti-lockdown demonstration in [[Rådhuspladsen]], [[Copenhagen]], 27 March 2021]]<br />
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=== Austria ===<br />
The newly created [[MFG Austria – People Freedom Fundamental Rights|Fundamental Rights Party]] (MFG), has been planning recent anti-lockdown protests in Austria. The group compared Covid restrictions with "Nazi rule". The country's third largest political party, the [[Freedom Party of Austria]] (FPÖ), has also strongly condemned the Covid restrictions, and its new leader, [[Herbert Kickl]], has pushed misleading and false views of the virus, including claims that the vaccination programme is really a "genetic experiment".<ref>{{Cite news|date=2021-11-27|title=Covid: Conspiracy and untruths drive Europe's Covid protests|language=en-GB|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/59390968|access-date=2021-12-26}}</ref> Kickl urged a public crowd to reject compulsory vaccinations. Fifteen thousand people later rallied at the Heldenplatz square in Vienna to protest against the anti-Covid measures and were later joined by thousands more, with approximately 44,000 people taking part in the rally in total.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-12-12|title=Thousands protest against coronavirus measures in Vienna|url=https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3159367/thousands-austrians-take-streets-protest-against-coronavirus|access-date=2021-12-26|website=South China Morning Post|language=en}}</ref><br />
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=== Belgium ===<br />
On 31 January 2021, police in [[Brussels]] said they had arrested more than 400 people to prevent a banned protest of anti-COVID-19 measures.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.dw.com/en/coronavirus-digest-brussels-police-detain-hundreds-of-anti-lockdown-protesters/a-56394523|title=Coronavirus digest: Brussels police detain hundreds of anti-lockdown protesters &#124; DW &#124; 31.01.2021|website=DW.COM|access-date=18 July 2021|archive-date=8 June 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210608133756/https://www.dw.com/en/coronavirus-digest-brussels-police-detain-hundreds-of-anti-lockdown-protesters/a-56394523|url-status=live}}</ref> On 21 November 2021, about 35,000 people in the streets of [[Brussels]] took part in demonstration, which began peaceful before violence broke out. Waving nationalist flags of [[Flanders]] and banners against the more restrictive rules for the unvaccinated, several people hidden by hoods also attacked some police cars. At least two officers and one protester were injured. Protesters threw stones at police as they advanced with water cannon at the main junction in front of the European Union Commission headquarters. Protesters also threw smoke bombs and fireworks, the newspaper ''[[Le Soir]]'' reported. The situation calmed down later, police said.<ref>{{Cite news|url = https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/around-35000-protest-against-covid-restrictions-brussels-police-say-2021-11-21/|title = Clashes break out in Brussels in protests over coronavirus restrictions|newspaper = Reuters|date = 21 November 2021|access-date = 24 November 2021|archive-date = 24 November 2021|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20211124001253/https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/around-35000-protest-against-covid-restrictions-brussels-police-say-2021-11-21/|url-status = live}}</ref><br />
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* [[2022 Brussels protest|January 2022 Brussels protest]]<br />
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=== Belarus ===<br />
{{Main|2020-2021 Belarusian protests}}<br />
In May 2020, a lowered approval of [[authoritarianism|authoritarian]] president [[Alexander Lukashenko]] amid [[COVID-19 pandemic in Belarus|his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic]] led to street protests against his government. Mass protests erupted across Belarus following the August [[2020 Belarusian presidential election]] which was marred by allegations of widespread [[electoral fraud]].{{citation needed|date=August 2021}}<br />
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=== Bosnia and Herzegovina ===<br />
On 6 April 2021, anti-governmental protests "Fight for Life" were held by a group of citizens and activists in Bosnia and Herzegovina's capital [[Sarajevo]] in front of the [[Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina|Parliamentary Assembly]] and the [[Government of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina|Federal Government]], seeking resignations from [[Chairman of the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina|Chairman of the Council of Ministers]] [[Zoran Tegeltija]] and [[List of prime ministers of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina|Federal Prime Minister]] [[Fadil Novalić]], due to lack of leadership during the [[COVID-19 pandemic in Bosnia and Herzegovina]] and late procurement of [[COVID-19 vaccine]]s for the country.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.klix.ba/vijesti/bih/protesti-u-sarajevu-gradjani-ispred-vlade-fbih-skandiraju-ostavke-i-paraziti-napolje/210406028|title=Protesti u Sarajevu: Građani ispred Vlade FBiH skandiraju "Ostavke" i "Paraziti napolje"|date=6 April 2021|access-date=6 April 2021|language=bs|author=D. Be.|publisher=Klix.ba|archive-date=6 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210406110442/https://www.klix.ba/vijesti/bih/protesti-u-sarajevu-gradjani-ispred-vlade-fbih-skandiraju-ostavke-i-paraziti-napolje/210406028|url-status=live}}</ref> Further anti-governmental protests were held eleven days later, on 17 April as well.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.klix.ba/vijesti/bih/zavrseni-protesti-gradjana-u-sarajevu-na-potezu-su-parlamentarci-rok-je-1-maj/210417035|title=Završeni protesti građana u Sarajevu: Na potezu su parlamentarci, rok je 1. maj|date=17 April 2021|access-date=17 April 2021|language=bs|author=N.V.|publisher=Klix.ba|archive-date=17 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210417105301/https://www.klix.ba/vijesti/bih/zavrseni-protesti-gradjana-u-sarajevu-na-potezu-su-parlamentarci-rok-je-1-maj/210417035|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
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=== Bulgaria ===<br />
{{Main|2020–2021 Bulgarian protests}}<br />
On 30 March 2020 The Bulgarian Health Ministry issued an order that made not wearing a face mask in public punishable by law at a time when no masks were available for purchasing in the country. After strong public unrest, the order was recalled on the following day<ref>{{Cite web|title=Министър Ананиев отменя заповедта си за задължително носене на маски до постигане на консенсус|url=https://dariknews.bg/novini/bylgariia/vryshtat-maskite-na-zakrito-stavat-zadylzhitelni-v-magazina-i-v-ofisa-2230448|date=31 March 2020|access-date=8 October 2020|website=dariknews.bg|language=bg|archive-date=15 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210515043118/https://dariknews.bg/novini/bylgariia/vryshtat-maskite-na-zakrito-stavat-zadylzhitelni-v-magazina-i-v-ofisa-2230448|url-status=live}}</ref> and re-instated yet again later, with some modifications.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Връщат маските на закрито - стават задължителни в магазина и в офиса|url=https://dariknews.bg/novini/bylgariia/ananiev-otmeni-zapovedta-za-zadylzhitelnite-maski-2219522|date=22 June 2020|access-date=8 October 2020|website=dariknews.bg|language=bg|archive-date=9 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201009015757/https://dariknews.bg/novini/bylgariia/ananiev-otmeni-zapovedta-za-zadylzhitelnite-maski-2219522|url-status=live}}</ref> A small protest took place on 19 April 2020 in [[Sofia]] against the measures to combat the [[COVID-19 pandemic in Bulgaria|COVID-19 pandemic]], with many of the participants expressing concerns about their livelihoods.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Протест в София срещу мерките за ограничаване на коронавируса|url=https://www.mediapool.bg/protest-v-sofiya-sreshtu-merkite-za-ogranichavane-na-koronavirusa-news306375.html|date=19 April 2020|access-date=3 September 2020|website=mediapool.bg|language=bg|archive-date=21 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201021082108/https://www.mediapool.bg/protest-v-sofiya-sreshtu-merkite-za-ogranichavane-na-koronavirusa-news306375.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Protests with an [[Anti-vaccine activism|anti-vax]] slant that also demanded the resignation of the government, organized by the [[Revival (Bulgarian political party)|Vazrazhdane]] party,<ref>{{Cite web|title=8 арестувани на протеста в София (ВИДЕО+СНИМКИ)|url=https://nova.bg/news/view/2020/05/14/287916/8-%D0%B0%D1%80%D0%B5%D1%81%D1%82%D1%83%D0%B2%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%B8-%D0%BD%D0%B0-%D0%BF%D1%80%D0%BE%D1%82%D0%B5%D1%81%D1%82%D0%B0-%D0%B2-%D1%81%D0%BE%D1%84%D0%B8%D1%8F-%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE%D1%81%D0%BD%D0%B8%D0%BC%D0%BA%D0%B8/|date=14 May 2020|access-date=3 September 2020|website=nova.bg|language=bg|archive-date=24 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200524113735/https://nova.bg/news/view/2020/05/14/287916/8-%D0%B0%D1%80%D0%B5%D1%81%D1%82%D1%83%D0%B2%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%B8-%D0%BD%D0%B0-%D0%BF%D1%80%D0%BE%D1%82%D0%B5%D1%81%D1%82%D0%B0-%D0%B2-%D1%81%D0%BE%D1%84%D0%B8%D1%8F-%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE%D1%81%D0%BD%D0%B8%D0%BC%D0%BA%D0%B8/|url-status=live}}</ref> were held in May and June, resulting in a few arrests, but did not see a significant turnout.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Протест на антиваксъри в София|url=https://www.vesti.bg/bulgaria/protest-na-antivaksyri-v-sofiia-6110588|date=6 June 2020|access-date=3 September 2020|author=Kirov, Nikolay|website=vesti.bg|language=bg|archive-date=26 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200726135130/https://www.vesti.bg/bulgaria/protest-na-antivaksyri-v-sofiia-6110588|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
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Public disapproval grew during the pandemic and reached a spontaneous culmination on 9 July 2020 after a police raid on the Presidency of Bulgaria in what was perceived as an attack against President [[Rumen Radev]], a vocal critic of prime minister [[Boyko Borisov]], who has been in power since 2009,<ref>{{Cite web|date=9 July 2020|title=Raids Worsen Bulgarian President's Spat With Prosecutor|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-07-09/bulgarian-police-raid-president-radev-s-offices|access-date=15 July 2020|website=Bloomberg.com|archive-date=1 February 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210201190554/https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-07-09/bulgarian-police-raid-president-radev-s-offices|url-status=live}}</ref> and the long-standing grievances against endemic corruption and [[state capture]]. Daily demonstrations were held in the country's capital [[Sofia]] until April 2021, though the number of protesters dwindled during the autumn and winter months when the country was heavily affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.<ref>{{Cite web|title=88-а вечер на протести в София: Призоваха за атаки срещу офисите на управляващата коалиция (Снимки)|url=https://www.24chasa.bg/novini/article/9082543|date=4 October 2020|access-date=8 October 2020|website=24chasa.bg|language=bg|archive-date=22 December 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211222175752/https://www.24chasa.bg/novini/article/9082543|url-status=live}}</ref> On 12 January 2022, Vazrazhdane organized a large demonstration against the COVID green certificates for indoor spaces, during which protest participants attempted to make their way into the National Parliament.<ref name="VazrazhdaneProtestGreenCertificateJanuary2022">{{cite news | title=Поддръжници на "Възраждане" се опитаха да нахлуят в парламента| work=mediapool.bg |author= |language=Bulgarian|url=https://www.mediapool.bg/poddrazhnitsi-na-vazrazhdane-se-opitaha-da-nahluyat-v-parlamenta-news331009.html| date=12 January 2022|access-date=10 February 2022 }}</ref> On 23 February 2022, the party held another protest with the same focus.<ref name="VazrazhdaneFollowUpProtestGreenCertificateFebruary2022">{{cite news | title="Възраждане" приветства поетапното отпадане на зеления сертификат, протестът обаче остава| work=dariknews.bg |author= |language=Bulgarian|url=https://dariknews.bg/novini/bylgariia/vyzrazhdane-privetstva-poetapnoto-otpadane-na-zeleniia-sertifikat-protestyt-obache-ostava-2301183| date=21 February 2022|access-date=2 April 2022 }}</ref><br />
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=== Czechia ===<br />
In late 2020 and during 2021, many anti-responses protests occurred as the pandemic situation in country worsened and measures, often legally unsubstantiated, were prolonged. Protesters demanded revoking of the restrictions such as gathering limitations or pubs closure. Many of them also refused face-masks wearing, which gave them a nickname "anti-rouškaři", meaning "mask-refusers". The most violent incident occurred on 18 October in Prague, when group of radical protesters, including football hooligans, clashed with police forces after protest was dissolved due to violations of hygienic measures. 20 officers were injured as well as unknown number of protesters. 144 persons were arrested. This is in contrast with mostly peaceful protests which are typical in Czechia. Since then, police has changed a tactics to document offences rather than doing large maneuvers to disperse crowds.<br />
<ref>{{cite web|date=18 October 2020|title=Demonstrace proti vládním opatřením se změnila v potyčky s těžkooděnci. Policie zadržela přes 100 lidí|url=https://www.irozhlas.cz/zpravy-domov/praha-protesty-koronavirus-fotbalovy-fanousci-demonstrace-staromestske-namesti_2010181508_tkr|url-status=live|access-date=12 June 2021|archive-date=31 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201031010343/https://www.irozhlas.cz/zpravy-domov/praha-protesty-koronavirus-fotbalovy-fanousci-demonstrace-staromestske-namesti_2010181508_tkr}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|date=31 January 2021|title=Na Václavském náměstí demonstrovaly stovky lidí proti omezením|url=https://www.ceskenoviny.cz/zpravy/na-vaclavskem-namesti-demonstrovaly-stovky-lidi-proti-omezenim/1989855|url-status=live|access-date=12 June 2021|archive-date=8 October 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211008164748/https://www.ceskenoviny.cz/zpravy/na-vaclavskem-namesti-demonstrovaly-stovky-lidi-proti-omezenim/1989855}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Šplíchal|first=Pavel|date=25 February 2021|title=Antirouškaři jsou ti nejtrapnější disidenti. Jako poslední věří vládě|url=https://a2larm.cz/2021/02/antirouskari-jsou-ti-nejtrapnejsi-disidenti-jako-posledni-veri-vlade/|access-date=12 June 2021}}</ref><br />
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=== France ===<br />
{{Main|Yellow vests protests|French freedom convoy|2021–2022 social unrest in the French West Indies}}<br />
<br />
The [[Paris]] suburb [[Villeneuve-la-Garenne]] saw riots in April 2020, partly about the strains of the [[COVID-19 pandemic in France|coronavirus outbreak]] and lockdown on working-class families, often immigrants, who live in small apartments in crowded public housing buildings. Many have reported that in poorer neighbourhoods the policies are difficult to follow due to over crowding and cause the neighbourhoods to be impacted more than wealthier Parisians. The demonstrations have since been seen in the suburb [[Hauts-de-Seine]], and other French cities [[Toulouse]], [[Lyon]] and [[Strasbourg]].<ref>{{Cite news|last=McAuley|first=James|date=25 April 2020|title=Violent protests in Paris suburbs reflect tensions under lockdown|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/paris-suburbs-protests-villeneuve-la-garenne/2020/04/25/55f5a40c-85a1-11ea-81a3-9690c9881111_story.html|access-date=1 May 2020|newspaper=The Washington Post|language=en|archive-date=25 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200425112752/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/paris-suburbs-protests-villeneuve-la-garenne/2020/04/25/55f5a40c-85a1-11ea-81a3-9690c9881111_story.html|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
==== Vaccination obligation, sanitary pass ====<br />
The announcement of president [[Emmanuel Macron|Macron]] on 12 July 2021 of a [[COVID-19 vaccination in France|COVID-19 vaccination]] obligation for all health care workers by 15 September, as well as the obligation for people older than twelve to show a "[[COVID-19 vaccine card#France|sanitary pass]]" as of August for admittance to cafés, restaurants, cinemas, hospitals,<ref name=nrc,14jul>(Dutch) [https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2021/07/13/fransman-die-zich-niet-wil-laten-prikken-moet-maar-voelen-a4050923#/handelsblad/2021/07/14/#106 'Fransman die zich niet wil laten prikken moet maar voelen'] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210821205804/https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2021/07/13/fransman-die-zich-niet-wil-laten-prikken-moet-maar-voelen-a4050923#/handelsblad/2021/07/14/ |date=21 August 2021 }}. ''[[NRC Handelsblad]]'', 13 July 2021.</ref> senior citizens' homes, trains,<ref name=nrc,27jul>(Dutch) [https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2021/07/26/frans-parlement-stemt-in-met-nieuwe-covid-maatregelen-a4052430#/handelsblad/2021/07/27/#114 'Frans parlement stemt in met coronapaspoort en verplichte vaccinatie voor het zorgpersoneel'] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210821205804/https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2021/07/26/frans-parlement-stemt-in-met-nieuwe-covid-maatregelen-a4052430#/handelsblad/2021/07/27/ |date=21 August 2021 }}. ''[[NRC Handelsblad]]'', 26 July 2021.</ref> shopping malls,<ref>{{cite web |last1=De Fournas |first1=Marie |title=Coronavirus : Comment ça va se passer avec la fin des tests PCR et antigéniques gratuits ? |url=https://www.20minutes.fr/sante/3083303-20210713-coronavirus-comment-ca-va-passer-fin-tests-pcr-antigeniques-gratuits |website=20 Minutes |date=13 July 2021 |access-date=25 July 2021 |archive-date=25 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210725060050/https://www.20minutes.fr/sante/3083303-20210713-coronavirus-comment-ca-va-passer-fin-tests-pcr-antigeniques-gratuits |url-status=live }}</ref> and other public venues led to protests across France. The 'sanitary pass' should prove that someone is either vaccinated, has recently [[COVID-19 testing|tested negative]],<ref name=nrc,14jul/> or has recovered from [[COVID-19]].<ref name=nrc,11Aug>(Dutch) [https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2021/08/11/wij-houden-ons-hart-vast-voor-volgende-week-a4054487#/handelsblad/2021/08/12/#104 'Coronapaspoort in Frankrijk: 'Wij houden ons hart vast' '.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210821205802/https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2021/08/11/wij-houden-ons-hart-vast-voor-volgende-week-a4054487#/handelsblad/2021/08/12/ |date=21 August 2021 }} ''[[NRC Handelsblad]]'', 11 August 2021.</ref> Macron's motivation was: "We are in a new race against time", "Vaccination is the only way to protect yourself and others".<ref name=nrc,14jul/><br />
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[[Marine Le Pen]], challenger of Macron in the [[2022 French presidential election]], immediately condemned the vaccination obligation as "indecent insolence" attesting of "ingratitude" towards the health care workers.<ref name=nrc,14jul/> On Wednesday 14 July, the French [[National day]] called '[[Bastille Day]]', in [[Paris]] some 2,250 people protested against these new corona restrictions. Demonstrations were also held in Toulouse, Bordeaux, Montpellier, Nantes and 48 other places, totalling around 19,000 protesters. Slogans chanted were: "Down with dictatorship", "Down with the health pass". A demonstrator equated the health pass with "segregation". Objects and fireworks were thrown at the police, who answered with tear gas and arrests.<ref>{{cite web |title=French police fire tear gas as anti-vaccine protest turns violent |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/7/15/french-police-tear-gas-as-anti-vaccine-protest-turns-violent |website=Al Jazeera |access-date=24 July 2021 |date=15 July 2021 |archive-date=23 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210723121648/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/7/15/french-police-tear-gas-as-anti-vaccine-protest-turns-violent |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
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On Saturday 17 July, nationwide some 114,000 people protested against the two new measures.<ref name=nrc,1Aug/> On 24 July, some 160,000 people around France protested against the measures. Protesters chanted: "Liberty! Liberty!" Projectiles including a chair were thrown at the police in Paris, who reacted with tear gas and water cannons.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-07-24|title=French protesters reject virus passes, vaccine mandate|url=https://apnews.com/article/europe-health-coronavirus-pandemic-dc03061cb033cb4181ff5424acb9ed63|access-date=2021-07-25|website=AP NEWS|language=en|archive-date=25 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210725015129/https://apnews.com/article/europe-health-coronavirus-pandemic-dc03061cb033cb4181ff5424acb9ed63|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
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On 25 July, the [[Senate (France)|French Senate]] nevertheless agreed to the measures except the pass obligation for children under 18 years old.<ref>''[[Dagblad van het Noorden]]'', 26 July 2021.</ref><br />
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On 31 July, over 200,000 people nationwide protested against these plans. Thousands around [[Place de la Bastille]] in [[Paris]] chanted: ''"Liberté!"'' [Freedom!]. Signs accused Macron of being a dictator.<ref>[https://www.npr.org/2021/08/02/1023637209/protesters-say-frances-anti-virus-pass-is-a-threat-to-personal-freedoms 'Protesters Say France's Anti-Virus Pass Is A Threat To Personal Freedoms'] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210821205802/https://www.npr.org/2021/08/02/1023637209/protesters-say-frances-anti-virus-pass-is-a-threat-to-personal-freedoms |date=21 August 2021 }}. [[NPR|National Public Radio]], 2 August 2021. Retrieved 20 August 2021.</ref> A bus driver motivated his protest as: "I'm not an antivaxer (...) But this is going to fast, I want to wait and see". A hospital worker said: "These [[COVID-19 vaccine misinformation and hesitancy|vaccines are experimental]] ; there's no way I'm gonna take it".<ref name=nrc,1Aug>(Dutch) [https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2021/08/01/gele-hesjes-lopen-te-hoop-tegen-sanitaire-dictatuur-a4053244#/handelsblad/2021/08/02/#104 'Gele hesjes lopen te hoop tegen 'pasdictatuur' ' ('Yellow vests crowd together against 'pass dictatorship' ')] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210821205807/https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2021/08/01/gele-hesjes-lopen-te-hoop-tegen-sanitaire-dictatuur-a4053244#/handelsblad/2021/08/02/ |date=21 August 2021 }}. ''[[NRC Handelsblad]]'', 1 August 2021.</ref> A placard in [[Paris]] cited Macron: ' ''"Je ne rendrai pas la vaccination obligatoire", Emmanuel Macron, Novembre 2020'' ' ["I will not make vaccination obligatory", Macron, Nov. 2020]. Another: ' ''De la démocratie à la dictature il n'y a qu'un <<PASS>>'' ' [From democracy to dictatorship is only one step [or] one pass].<ref>''[[Dagblad van het Noorden]]'', 5 August 2021.</ref> Another: '<small>VACCINÉ A LA LIBERTÉ'</small> [<small>VACCINATED FOR FREEDOM</small>].<ref name=nrc,10Aug>(Dutch) [https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2021/08/10/gedwongen-vaccinatie-demonstraties-in-frankrijk-applaus-in-italie-a4054305#/handelsblad/2021/08/11/#114 'Gedwongen vaccinatie: demonstraties in Frankrijk, applaus in Italië' ('Enforced vaccination: demonstrations in France, applause in Italy')] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210821205806/https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2021/08/10/gedwongen-vaccinatie-demonstraties-in-frankrijk-applaus-in-italie-a4054305#/handelsblad/2021/08/11/ |date=21 August 2021 }}. ''[[NRC Handelsblad]]'', 10 August 2021.</ref><br />
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On Saturday 7 August, 237,000 people protested on 198 locations in France, the authorities reported. In Paris, [[Lyon]], [[Toulouse]], rioters pelted the police with all sorts of things, police reacted with tear gas and charges and arrests.<ref>''[[Dagblad van het Noorden]]'', 9 August 2021.</ref> The sanitary pass obligation came into effect on 9 August, civilians risk a fine of 135 euro for disobedience, business owners risk a 45,000 euro fine or one-year prison and the closure of their business.<ref name=nrc,11Aug /><br />
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On 14 August 2021, between 200,000 and 250,000 people according to the police and the organisers have again demonstrated, on more than 200 locations in France, against the ''pass sanitaire'' and the obligated vaccination of health care personnel. Placards compared the sanitary pass with '[[Apartheid]]', people chanted slogans about the "health dictatorship". Police in Lyon used pepper spray against rioters.<ref>(Dutch) [https://www.telegraaf.nl/nieuws/456452706/live-weer-massale-protesten-tegen-franse-gezondheidsdictatuur 'Weer massale protesten tegen Franse 'gezondheidsdictatuur' ' (Again massive protests against French 'health dictatorship')] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210821205803/https://www.telegraaf.nl/nieuws/456452706/live-weer-massale-protesten-tegen-franse-gezondheidsdictatuur |date=21 August 2021 }}. ''[[De Telegraaf]]'', 14 August 2021. Retrieved 18 August 2021.</ref><br />
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Since then, these protests grew smaller ; on Saturday, 18 September 2021, the demonstrators in France against the sanitary pass and obligated vaccination counted 80,000.<ref>''[[Dagblad van het Noorden]]'', 23 September 2021.</ref><br />
<br />
===Greece===<br />
{{See also|2021 Greek protests}}<br />
The 2021 Greek protests broke out in response to a proposed government bill that would allow police presence on university campuses for the first time in decades, for which opposition groups accused the government of taking advantage of the COVID-19 lockdown to impose increasingly authoritarian measures.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://apnews.com/article/bills-athens-higher-education-greece-25de0ce9e884adba145b474d07be57d6|title=Protest gets heated ahead of campus policing vote|date=10 February 2021|publisher=[[Associated Press]]|location=[[Athens]]|access-date=2 May 2021|archive-date=12 February 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210212142808/https://apnews.com/article/bills-athens-higher-education-greece-25de0ce9e884adba145b474d07be57d6|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
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=== Georgia ===<br />
On 5 December 2021 thousands demonstrated in Tbilisi against a COVID-19 passport system which has been implemented in Georgia since December 1, allowing only citizens and tourists with a QR-code proving vaccination or recovery from the virus or with a negative PCR test result to visit public places, restaurants, entertainment and shopping centers. Protesters marched with posters and Georgian flags, passing by the parliamentary building.{{citation needed|date=March 2022}}<br />
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=== Germany ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 protests in Germany}}<br />
[[File:Vicent-van-Volkmer-Bienen-Aktivist-Demo-29.08.2020 Berlin Covid-19 Pandemie.jpg|thumb|Protester with a "Free The Bee" placard during the COVID-19 protests in Berlin on 29 August 2020, near the [[Brandenburg Gate]]]]<br />
Since April 2020, in [[Germany]] numerous protests against government policies over the COVID-19 pandemic have been held in several cities.<br />
A protest in [[Berlin]] on 29 August was estimated by authorities to have drawn 38,000 participants.<ref name="rbb">In German: [https://www.rbb24.de/politik/thema/2020/coronavirus/beitraege_neu/2020/08/demonstrationen-samstag-corona-querdenken-gegendemos.html 'Fast 40.000 Menschen bei Corona-Demos – Sperren am Reichstag durchbrochen' (Almost 40,000 people by corona demos – fences at the ''Reichstag'' broken through)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200901090757/https://www.rbb24.de/politik/thema/2020/coronavirus/beitraege_neu/2020/08/demonstrationen-samstag-corona-querdenken-gegendemos.html |date=1 September 2020 }}. rbb24.de, 29 August 2020. Retrieved 19 September 2020.</ref><br />
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Several of the protests in Germany, like the one of 29 August, were organized by the group ''Querdenken 711'', based in [[Stuttgart]]. As per its homepage, it considers its main aims to support the fundamental rights enshrined in the German constitution, in particular the freedoms of opinion, expression, and assembly.<ref name="dw_20201106">{{cite web|url=https://www.dw.com/en/coronavirus-germany-braces-for-anti-lockdown-protests/a-55513848|title=Coronavirus: Germany braces for anti-lockdown protests|first=Ben|last=Knight|website=[[Deutsche Welle]]|agency=[[Deutsche Welle]]|date=6 November 2020|access-date=8 November 2021|archive-date=8 November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211108155543/https://www.dw.com/en/coronavirus-germany-braces-for-anti-lockdown-protests/a-55513848|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
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[[File:AnarchistCovidProtest.jpg|upright|thumb|left|[[Anarchist]] anti-conspiracy theory, anti-gentrification protest]]<br />
At the 29 August demonstration in Berlin, one of the invited orators was [[Robert F. Kennedy Jr.]], lawyer and conspiracy theorist and nephew of the assassinated U.S. President [[John F. Kennedy]]. He warned the crowd that the COVID-19 measures being deployed in many countries might lead to the implementation of a [[Mass surveillance#Surveillance state|surveillance state]]. A few hundred protesters attempted to storm the [[Reichstag building]], the seat of the German parliament;<ref name=rbb/><ref name="BBC30Aug">{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-53959552|title=Germany coronavirus: Hundreds arrested in German 'anti-corona' protests|work=BBC News|agency=[[BBC News]]|date=30 August 2020|access-date=15 September 2020|archive-date=4 September 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200904141636/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-53959552|url-status=live}}</ref> a few of them reached the stairs. A burst of media attention arose due to this incident. Later demonstrations tended to be smaller, and sometimes organized by allies of ''Querdenken''.<ref name="dw_20201106"/><br />
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[[Anarchists]], [[libertarian socialists]] and [[anti-fascists]] in Germany have been counterprotesting "Querdenken 711" and other demonstrations against public health mandates. Focusing on increasing [[gentrification]], [[wealth inequality]], [[evictions]], police measures and favoring of compulsory vaccination. Anarchists have seen increasing evictions of [[anarchist communities]] and squats.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.dw.com/en/berlin-police-clear-anarchist-occupied-house-liebig-34/a-55211590|title=Berlin police clear anarchist-occupied house Liebig 34 &#124; DW &#124; 09.10.2020|website=DW.COM|access-date=30 November 2020|archive-date=2 December 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201202154402/https://www.dw.com/en/berlin-police-clear-anarchist-occupied-house-liebig-34/a-55211590|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://crimethinc.com/2020/03/18/surviving-the-virus-an-anarchist-guide-capitalism-in-crisis-rising-totalitarianism-strategies-of-resistance|title=CrimethInc. : Surviving the Virus: An Anarchist Guide : Capitalism in Crisis—Rising Totalitarianism—Strategies of Resistance|website=CrimethInc.|date=18 March 2020 |access-date=30 November 2020|archive-date=2 December 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201202160836/https://crimethinc.com/2020/03/18/surviving-the-virus-an-anarchist-guide-capitalism-in-crisis-rising-totalitarianism-strategies-of-resistance|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://ent.siteintelgroup.com/Far-Right-/-Far-Left-Threat/german-company-targeted-in-anarchist-arson-attack-for-covid-19-repression.html|title=German Company Targeted in Anarchist Arson Attack for COVID-19 "Repression" &#124; Far-Right / Far-Left Threat &#124; Articles|website=ent.siteintelgroup.com|date=29 June 2020|access-date=30 November 2020|archive-date=29 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201129103231/https://ent.siteintelgroup.com/Far-Right-/-Far-Left-Threat/german-company-targeted-in-anarchist-arson-attack-for-covid-19-repression.html|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
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=== Hungary ===<br />
On 28 February 2021, around 3,000–5,000 protesters gathered in the capital city of [[Budapest]] at [[Hősök tere]] to protest the lockdown regulations, and the Constitution of 2012.{{citation needed|date=August 2021}}<br />
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The far-right [[Our Homeland Movement]] organised protests against lockdown measures on 15 March 2021,<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-04-20|title=Hungarian far-right party protests lockdown|url=https://apnews.com/article/hungary-budapest-coronavirus-pandemic-economy-ecd0b637126258601ca249f35b5b8743|access-date=2022-02-07|website=The Associated Press|language=en}}</ref> and against vaccine mandates (a "Covid Dictatorship") throughout December 2021 in various Hungarian cities.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-12-18|title=A "Covid-diktatúra" ellen tüntetett a Mi Hazánk Mozgalom|url=https://hvg.hu/itthon/20211218_Mi_Hazank_Mozgalom_Toroczkai_Laszlo_oltasellenesseg_tuntetes_kotelezo_oltas_Covid_diktatura|access-date=2022-02-07|website=hvg.hu|language=hu}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-12-06|title=Vidéken folytatja a kötelező oltás elleni tüntetéseket a Mi Hazánk|url=https://mihazank.hu/videken-folytatja-a-kotelezo-oltas-elleni-tunteteseket-a-mi-hazank/|access-date=2022-02-07|website=Mi Hazánk Mozgalom|language=hu}}</ref> On 16 January 2022 they held another anti-vaccine protest in Budapest, attracting thousands of people.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Imre|first=Patthy Loránd|date=2022-01-16|title="Nem tudnak lejönni a szerről az oltottak" – tüntetést tartott a Mi Hazánk Budapesten|url=https://index.hu/belfold/2022/01/16/oltasellenesseg-tuntetes-mi-hazank-novak-elod-pali-jeno-toroczkai-laszlo/|access-date=2022-02-07|website=index.hu|language=hu}}</ref><br />
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=== Ireland ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 protests in the Republic of Ireland}}<br />
On 24 July 2021, over ten thousand people attended an anti discrimination march in Dublin, in response to the Irish government's announcement that vaccine passports would be introduced.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/large-crowd-gathers-in-dublin-to-protest-vaccine-cert-system-1.4629890|title=Large crowd gathers in Dublin to protest vaccine cert system|first=Ellen|last=O'Riordan|newspaper=The Irish Times|access-date=12 October 2021|archive-date=28 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210728080317/https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/large-crowd-gathers-in-dublin-to-protest-vaccine-cert-system-1.4629890|url-status=live}}</ref> Said passports were to be used to prevent unvaccinated people availing of indoor dining services.<br />
[[File:PXL 20210724 152855881.LS exported 0.jpg|thumb|alt=Freedom March Dublin|July 24 Anti Discrimination March, Dublin]]<br />
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Hundreds attended an anti-lockdown, [[Mask refusal|anti-face mask]] protest in [[Dublin]] on 22 August 2020. The protest was organised by Health Freedom Ireland with support from Yellow Vest Ireland. Four people were arrested at the protest.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/four-arrested-in-clashes-at-anti-facemask-protest-in-dublin-1.4336794|title=Four arrested in clashes at anti-facemask protest in Dublin|newspaper=[[The Irish Times]]|first1=Conor|last1=Lally|first2=Sarah|last2=Burns|first3=Jennifer|last3=Cosgrove|date=22 August 2020|access-date=22 August 2020|archive-date=22 August 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200822185513/https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/four-arrested-in-clashes-at-anti-facemask-protest-in-dublin-1.4336794|url-status=live}}</ref> Another protest was organised by the same groups on 3 October, with up to a thousand protesters marching through the city centre before staging a sit-down protest in the main shopping area of Grafton Street.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Beresford |first1=Jack |title=Anti-mask demonstrators stage sit-in protest in Dublin |url=https://www.irishpost.com/news/anti-mask-demonstrators-stage-sit-in-protest-in-dublin-194384 |access-date=4 October 2020 |work=The Irish Post |date=3 October 2020 |archive-date=9 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201009000301/https://www.irishpost.com/news/anti-mask-demonstrators-stage-sit-in-protest-in-dublin-194384 |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
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On 27 February 2021, violent clashes between protesters and the ''[[Garda Síochána]]'' erupted during an anti-lockdown protest near [[St Stephen's Green]] in Dublin. Three Gardaí were injured and 23 people were arrested in the aftermath of the protest. The Taoiseach [[Micheál Martin]] condemned the demonstration as "an unacceptable risk to both the public and Gardaí".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/three-garda%C3%AD-injured-and-23-arrested-after-clashes-at-dublin-anti-lockdown-protest-1.4497218|title=Three gardaí injured and 23 arrested after clashes at Dublin anti-lockdown protest|newspaper=[[The Irish Times]]|first=Ronan|last=McGreevy|date=27 February 2021|access-date=2 March 2021|url-access=subscription|archive-date=2 March 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210302221822/https://www.irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/three-garda%C3%AD-injured-and-23-arrested-after-clashes-at-dublin-anti-lockdown-protest-1.4497218|url-status=live}}</ref> A non-violent anti-lockdown protest with approximately 450 people in attendance took place on 6 March in [[Cork (city)|Cork]]. The event was organised by The People's Convention.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/munster/arid-40238867.html|title=Cork anti-lockdown protest attracts hundreds into city centre|newspaper=[[Irish Examiner]]|first1=Noel|last1=Baker|first2=Cormac|last2=O'Keeffe|first3=Eoin|last3=English|date=6 March 2021|access-date=9 March 2021|archive-date=8 March 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210308012117/https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/munster/arid-40238867.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Six people were arrested on the day of the protest.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/munster/arid-40239296.html|title=Six arrested on day of Cork anti-lockdown protest|newspaper=[[Irish Examiner]]|first=Steve|last=Neville|date=6 March 2021|access-date=9 March 2021|archive-date=6 March 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210306173608/https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/munster/arid-40239296.html|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Italy ===<br />
{{Main|Protests over COVID-19 policies in Italy}}<br />
Since the month of March 2020, many people [[Protests over COVID-19 policies in Italy|started protesting over COVID-19]] and the rules imposed by the [[Government of Italy|Italian government]].<br />
<br />
=== Netherlands ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 protests in the Netherlands|2021 Dutch curfew riots}}<br />
On 24 January 2021, violent protests erupted as a reaction to the [[Dutch government]] decision to impose a [[curfew]] as a means to curb the spread of the [[COVID-19 pandemic in the Netherlands|COVID-19]].<ref name="FT 210126" /><ref name="Guardian 210126" /> The curfew, imposed between 9 PM to 4:30 AM, was the first of its kind to be enacted in the country since the [[Second World War]].<ref name="FT 210126">{{cite news |last1=Khan |first1=Mehreen |title=Dutch extend Covid curfew despite violent backlash |url=https://www.ft.com/content/351fa962-ee98-49d7-80c8-dfe73a466991 |access-date=27 January 2021 |work=Financial Times |date=26 January 2021 |archive-date=26 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210126225209/https://www.ft.com/content/351fa962-ee98-49d7-80c8-dfe73a466991 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="WaPo 210125">{{cite news |last1=Cunningham |first1=Erin |title=Riots explode across Netherlands over covid restrictions, with Dutch leader calling participants criminals |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/dutch-government-covid-curfew-unrest/2021/01/25/20fa8590-5ef1-11eb-a177-7765f29a9524_story.html |access-date=27 January 2021 |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=25 January 2021 |archive-date=26 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210126200353/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/dutch-government-covid-curfew-unrest/2021/01/25/20fa8590-5ef1-11eb-a177-7765f29a9524_story.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Protests took place in most major cities, including [[Amsterdam]] and [[Eindhoven]]. Police made hundreds of arrests and issued thousands of fines.<ref name="FT 210126" /><ref name="WSJ 210126">{{cite news |last1=Pop |first1=Valentina |title=Dutch Rioters Clash With Police for Third Night Over Covid-19 Curfew |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/dutch-rioters-clash-with-police-for-third-night-over-covid-19-curfew-11611664598?page=1 |access-date=27 January 2021 |work=The Wall Street Journal |date=26 January 2021 |archive-date=22 December 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211222175714/https://www.wsj.com/articles/dutch-rioters-clash-with-police-for-third-night-over-covid-19-curfew-11611664598?page=1 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Guardian 210126">{{cite news |last1=Henley |first1=John |title=Netherlands shaken by third night of riots over Covid curfew |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jan/26/netherlands-third-night-riots-covid-curfew-lockdown-protesters |access-date=27 January 2021 |work=The Guardian |date=26 January 2021 |archive-date=26 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210126225117/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jan/26/netherlands-third-night-riots-covid-curfew-lockdown-protesters |url-status=live }}</ref> The Dutch Police Association described the riots at the worst violence in Netherlands in the last 40 years.<ref name="FT 210126" /> The protests have been described as being composed of mostly young men.<ref name="FT 210126" /><ref name="WSJ 210126" /><br />
<br />
An opinion poll by public broadcaster [[Nederlandse Omroep Stichting|NOS]] indicated that the curfew was supported by seven out of 10 Dutch respondents (although the amounts of respondents is unknown), with just 18% of the population opposing it.<ref name="WSJ 210126" /> An online poll with over 28.000 respondents, done by Radio NPO1, a Dutch state radio station, showed that 89% of Dutch people wanted the curfew to be removed.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://degouda.nl/poll-van-npo1-meerderheid-wil-avondklok-weg-en-wat-vinden-gouwenaars-van-de-avondklok/|title=Poll van NPO1: Meerderheid wil avondklok weg en wat vinden Gouwenaars van de avondklok?|date=18 February 2021|access-date=4 November 2021|archive-date=4 November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211104160506/https://degouda.nl/poll-van-npo1-meerderheid-wil-avondklok-weg-en-wat-vinden-gouwenaars-van-de-avondklok/|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
After the Netherlands went into a partial lockdown on 12 November 2021 due to a sharp rise in COVID-19 cases, another series of protests and riots occurred over such measures. Rioting was especially concentrated in [[Rotterdam]], where [[National Police Corps (Netherlands)|police]] fired warning shots at rioters, injuring at least two.<ref>{{cite news|title= Rotterdam police clash with rioters as Covid protest turns violent|url= https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-59355950|access-date= 20 November 2021|work= BBC News|date= 20 November 2021|archive-date= 20 November 2021|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20211120001743/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-59355950|url-status= live}}</ref><br />
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=== Poland ===<br />
[[File:Protest against anti-pandemic measures in Warsaw (20.03.2021) (17).jpg|thumb|Protest against anti-pandemic measures in Warsaw]]<br />
Hundreds of protesters gathered in the Polish border town of [[Zgorzelec]] to protest the lockdown regulations, the protest was staged specifically on the foot bridge connecting Zgorzelec and the German town of [[Görlitz]] as many lived in Poland but worked in Germany. Many protested the inability to cross the borders of the countries as they lived in a different country from where they worked, and similar protests were seen in border towns along the Polish-German border and the Polish-[[Czech Republic|Czech]] border.<ref>{{cite news|agency=Reuters|date=25 April 2020|title=Hundreds Protest Against Lockdown at Polish-German Border|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2020/04/25/world/europe/25reuters-health-coronavirus-cross-border-workers.html|access-date=1 May 2020|issn=0362-4331|archive-date=26 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200426002608/https://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2020/04/25/world/europe/25reuters-health-coronavirus-cross-border-workers.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Freedom march (Marsz Wolności) happens every month, for example in Wrocław.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://gazetawroclawska.pl/marsz-wolnosci-we-wroclawiu-koronasceptycy-przyszli-tlumnie-interweniowala-policja-zdjecia/ar/c1-15453618|title=Marsz wolności we Wrocławiu. Koronasceptycy przyszli tłumnie, interweniowała policja [ZDJĘCIA]|language=Polish|date=20 February 2020|first=Jerzy|last=Wójcik|publisher=Gazeta Wrocławska|access-date=22 February 2021|archive-date=21 February 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210221083516/https://gazetawroclawska.pl/marsz-wolnosci-we-wroclawiu-koronasceptycy-przyszli-tlumnie-interweniowala-policja-zdjecia/ar/c1-15453618|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
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=== Russia ===<br />
Security forces broke up a crowd of about 2,000 individuals protesting against the lockdown in [[Vladikavkaz]], with some detained and the believed organizer arrested prior to the event.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Russian Police Break-Up Anti-Lockdown Protest|url=https://www.rferl.org/a/russian-police-break-up-anti-lockdown-protest/30568221.html|last=Furlong|first=Ray|date=21 April 2020|website=Radio Free Europe Radio Liberty|access-date=1 May 2020|archive-date=1 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200501054754/https://www.rferl.org/a/russian-police-break-up-anti-lockdown-protest/30568221.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Some protesters at the event used their social media to post videos about their demands against the lockdown, with one stating; "Today, under the pretext of the coronavirus, which doesn't exist, people are driven into slavery, they are trying to establish total control over us all."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-russia-protests-idUSKBN22225B|title=Hundreds protest in southern Russian against coronavirus curbs|date=20 April 2020|first1=Alexander|last1=Marrow|first2=Maria|last2=Tsvetkova|website=Reuters|access-date=30 April 2020|archive-date=29 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200429005016/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-russia-protests-idUSKBN22225B|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
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=== Serbia ===<br />
{{Main|2020–2021 Serbian protests}}<br />
On 7 July 2020, a riot began in [[Belgrade]] after the government's announcement of a [[curfew]] for the weekend. Protests began because of the government's continuous change in handling COVID-19 policy and alleged hiding of the number of COVID-19 cases in the country.{{citation needed|date=August 2021}}<br />
<br />
=== Slovakia ===<br />
In late 2020 and during 2021, several anti-COVID-restriction protests were held also in [[Slovakia]], mainly in the capital, [[Bratislava]] and also [[Košice|Kosice]].<br />
Many people are starting to disobey the rules: they go to bars even though they are not vaccinated, they don't wear FFP2 mask but only textile mask. There were even incidents of people without masks coming to a grocery store. These customers were then beaten by the police as they refused to put on their mask.<br />
<br />
=== Spain ===<br />
[[File:-LaRevoluciónDeLasMascarillas (49937665687).jpg|thumb|Protest in Spain on 26 May 2020]]<br />
Thousands of people, mostly supporters of the right-wing party [[Vox (political party)|Vox]], attended protests in [[Madrid]] and the country's regional capitals over the lockdown and its impact on the [[Economy of Spain|Spanish economy]]. The protesters drove in convoys to adhere to social distancing, with the Madrid protest led by a bus containing Vox leader [[Santiago Abascal]]. Abascal called for [[Sánchez II Government|the national government]] of [[Pedro Sánchez]] to resign over its handling of the virus.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-52783936|title=Coronavirus: Anti-lockdown car protest draws thousands|date=23 May 2020|website=BBC|access-date=23 May 2020|archive-date=23 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200523212612/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-52783936|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-05-12 |title=Vox llama a "recuperar la calle" contra el Gobierno y Abascal anuncia protestas diarias |url=https://www.europapress.es/nacional/noticia-vox-llama-recuperar-calle-contra-gobierno-abascal-anuncia-protestas-diarias-20200512112543.html |access-date=2022-10-31 |publisher=Europa Press}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Ponferrada |first=Diario de León {{!}} Noticias de León, Bierzo y |title=Vox llama a "recuperar la calle" el día 23 y Abascal anuncia caceroladas diarias y protestas constantes |url=https://www.diariodeleon.es/articulo/afondo/vox-llama-recuperar-calle-dia-23-abascal-anuncia-caceroladas-diarias-protestas-constantes/202005122242472011941.html |access-date=2022-10-31 |website=Diario de León {{!}} Noticias de León, Bierzo y Ponferrada |date=12 May 2020 |language=es}}</ref><br />
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On 20 September 2020, thousands of people went out in protest throughout the [[Community of Madrid]] demanding the resignation of the [[Díaz Ayuso government|regional government]] of [[Isabel Díaz Ayuso]], after the latter had announced two days earlier a partial lockdown affecting 850,000 people living in the region's poorest areas which was dubbed as "segregationist" and fostering "stigmatisation, exclusion and territorial discrimination".<ref>{{cite news |date=20 September 2020 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/sep/20/protests-madrid-coronavirus-lockdown-measures-spain |title=Protests in Madrid over coronavirus lockdown measures |newspaper=The Guardian |access-date=20 September 2020 |archive-date=20 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200920182802/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/sep/20/protests-madrid-coronavirus-lockdown-measures-spain |url-status=live }}</ref> The protests came amid growing criticism of Ayuso's handling of the virus as "ineffective" and of her coalition government having "floundered" in its attempt to antagonize with Sánchez's government, as the region became the most heavily hit area in all of Europe in the second wave of the pandemic with many neighborhoods being near or above 1,000 cases per 100,000 people.<ref>{{cite news |date=18 September 2020 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/sep/18/madrid-poor-spanish-capital-covid-19 |title=Lockdown measures and rising anger in Madrid as Covid-19 takes hold again |newspaper=The Guardian |access-date=20 September 2020 |archive-date=20 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200920031444/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/sep/18/madrid-poor-spanish-capital-covid-19 |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
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=== Sweden ===<br />
On 6 March 2021, an estimate of 300-500 people gathered at Medborgarplatsen in Stockholm to protest against COVID-19 measures. The Swedish police dispersed hundreds of protesters and stated that six of their officers had been injured in the process, with one needing to be hospitalized.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.svt.se/nyheter/inrikes/polisen-upploser-demonstration-mot-coronarestriktioner|title=Polisen upplöser demonstration mot coronarestriktioner|newspaper=SVT Nyheter|date=6 March 2021|via=www.svt.se|access-date=9 March 2021|archive-date=10 March 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210310032308/https://www.svt.se/nyheter/inrikes/polisen-upploser-demonstration-mot-coronarestriktioner|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=2021-03-07 |title=Swedish police break up coronavirus demonstration in Stockholm |language=en |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/swedish-police-break-up-coronavirus-demonstration-stockholm-2021-03-06/ |access-date=2023-08-07}}</ref><br />
[[File:Anti-Lock Down Protest London (51137271728).jpg|thumb|Anti-lockdown protest march in London, April 2021]]<br />
<br />
=== Switzerland ===<br />
[[Image:COVID19-20211108-Onex-sticker-opposition.jpg|thumb|Opposition to the Covid certificate in Switzerland, sticker at [[Canton of Geneva|Geneva]].]]<br />
On June 11, 2020, the member of the [[Zurich Cantonal Council]] Urs Hahn was expelled from his party, the Greens, for opposing the thesis of the seriousness of the pandemic.<ref>{{Cite news|language =de|author1=Daniel Fritzsche|author2=Stefan Hotz|url=https://www.nzz.ch/zuerich/urs-hans-gruene-in-zuerich-distanzieren-sich-von-ihrem-kantonsrat-ld.1555960?reduced=true|title="Abenteuerliche Thesen": Die Zürcher Grünen distanzieren sich von ihrem Kantonsrat Urs Hans, weil er Verschwörungstheorien zum Coronavirus verbeitet|periodical=[[Neue Zürcher Zeitung]]|date=2020-05-11}}</ref> On September 12, 2020, a demonstration against masks, containment measures or the supposed lies of the media brings together a thousand people in Geneva at the Place des Nations, in front of the [[United Nations Organization|United Nations]].<ref>{{Cite news|author=[[Swiss Telegraph Agency|ATS]]|url=https://www.letemps.ch/suisse/un-millier-dantimasques-manifestent-geneve|title=A thousand anti-masks demonstrate in Geneva|periodical=[[Le Temps (Swiss daily newspaper)|Le Temps]]|date=2020-09-12}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url= https://www.rts.ch/info/regions/geneve/11598989-un-rassemblement-antimasque-reunit-1000-personnes-a-geneve.html|title=An anti-mask rally brings together 1,000 people in Geneva|website=[[Swiss Radio and Television]]|date=2020-09-12}}</ref> The three major opposition figures [[Disinformation on the Covid-19 pandemic|coronasceptics]] in French-speaking Switzerland are the [[web videographers]] [[Chloé Frammery]], Ema Krusi and Christian Tal Schaller.<ref>{{Cite news|author=Laure Lugon|author2=Sylvia Revello|url=https://www.letemps.ch/suisse/complotistes-senflamment-autour-coronavirus|title=Les complotistes ignite around the coronavirus|periodical =[[Le Temps (Swiss daily newspaper)|Le Temps]]|date=2020-05-11}}</ref> Coronasceptics and opponents of measures to combat the spread of Covid-19 are increasingly occupying the Federal Office of Police (Fedpol). Threats against federal officials are on the rise.<ref>{{Cite web |language=en |title=In Switzerland, "coronasceptics" are increasingly occupying the police |url=https://www.rts.ch/info/suisse/11719150-in-switzerland-coronasceptics-occupy-more-and-more-the-police.html |website=[[Swiss Radio and Television]] |date=2020-11-01 |access-date =2021-03-26}}</ref><br />
<br />
In January 2021, the [[National Council (Switzerland)|national councilor]] [[Democratic Union of the Center|UDC]] [[Yves Nidegger]] opposed the “health dictatorship”.<ref>{{Cite web| author=Elio Sottas|url=https://www.lemanbleu.ch/fr/News/Yves-Nidegger-souhaite-reconstruire-Geneve-en-ruine.html|title=Yves Nidegger wishes to rebuild "Geneva in ruins"|website =[[Léman Bleu]]|date=2021-01-06}}.</ref> In Liestal, 8000 people demonstrate on March 20, 2021, against the anti-Covid measures in force while in Bern the police stop a demonstration for the same causes.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Anti-Covid demonstrations -sanitary measures in Liestal and Bern |url=https://www.swissinfo.ch/fre/manifestations-anti-mesures-sanitaires-%C3%A0-liestal-et-%C3%A0-berne/46465440 |website =[[Swissinfo]] |date=2021-03-20}}</ref> Following these demonstrations, the #NoLiestal movement is rising on digital networks to denounce and counter the agglomeration initiatives of coronasceptics in Switzerland.<ref>{{Cite web |language=fr |title=Forum (video) - The #NoLiestal movement, the counter-offensive against coronasceptics |url=https://www.rts.ch/play/tv/forum-video/video/le-mouvement-noliestal-la-contre-offensive-face-aux-coronasceptiques?urn=urn:rts:video:12075124 |website=[[Swiss Radio and Television]]|date=2021-03-25|access-date=2021-03-26}}.</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.watson.ch/fr/suisse/pand%C3%A9mie/674339869-noliestal-le-hashtag-qui-denonce-les-manifs-anti-restrictions|title=#NoLiestal, the hashtag that denounces anti-restrictions demonstrations|website=[[Watson (newspaper)|Watson]]|date=2021-03-25}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Ukraine ===<br />
On 14–20 February, protests against the placement of evacuated Ukrainian citizens (suspected of having coronavirus disease 2019) from the city of Wuhan (PRC) in Ukraine took place in Novi Sanzhary.<br />
<br />
In the summer and autumn of 2021, actions against obligatory vaccination against COVID-19 and restrictions for unvaccinated persons took place in various cities of Ukraine. In particular, on 27 July the "procession" against vaccination was organized by the [[Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate)|Moscow Patriarchate]]<ref>{{cite news<br />
| date = 27 July 2021<br />
| title = "Наша вакцина - це причастіє": хресна хода УПЦ МП у розпал пандемії. Як це було<br />
| url = https://www.bbc.com/ukrainian/media-57985963<br />
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20211105082542/https://www.bbc.com/ukrainian/media-57985963<br />
| archive-date = 5 November 2021<br />
| access-date = 5 November 2021<br />
}}</ref><br />
and on November 3 the protesters blocked the streets in Kyiv<ref>{{cite news<br />
| date = 5 November 2021<br />
| title = Мітинг антивакцинаторів у Києві: страх втратити роботу або стати роботами<br />
| url = https://p.dw.com/p/42XkY<br />
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20211105082112/https://www.dw.com/uk/mitynh-antyvaktsynatoriv-u-kyievi-strakh-vtratyty-robotu-abo-staty-robotamy/a-59711738<br />
| archive-date = 5 November 2021<br />
| access-date = 5 November 2021<br />
}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== United Kingdom ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 protests in the United Kingdom}}<br />
The first protests against the national mandatory lockdown in the United Kingdom took place in April&nbsp;2020, extending into the following month before abating as lockdown restrictions were slowly eased. As local area lockdown measures were reintroduced towards the end of summer, followed by stricter national lockdown measures, anti-lockdown protests resurged across the country beginning in September&nbsp;2020. More than 55 protesters have been arrested in these events as of October 2020. Some protesters have claimed that COVID-19 is a hoax, and many refused to wear [[Face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic|masks]] or practice [[social distancing]].<ref name="HuffPost Sept 2020">{{cite web | title=Revealed: The So-Called 'Top Class Doctors And Nurses' Backing Anti-Mask Protests | website=HuffPost | url=https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/these-are-the-so-called-top-class-doctors-and-nurses-backing-anti-mask-protests_uk_5f4e4531c5b697186e3b790d | date=5 September 2020 | access-date=15 October 2020 | archive-date=20 September 2020 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200920044007/https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/these-are-the-so-called-top-class-doctors-and-nurses-backing-anti-mask-protests_uk_5f4e4531c5b697186e3b790d | url-status=live }}</ref> Protests have occurred in [[Shrewsbury]],<ref>{{Cite web|last=Leather|first=Harry|title=Two arrested after anti-lockdown protesters in stand-off with police on roof of Shrewsbury College|url=https://www.shropshirestar.com/news/health/coronavirus-covid19/2020/04/20/anti-lockdown-protesters-in-stand-off-with-police-on-roof-of-shrewsbury-college/|access-date=10 July 2020|website=www.shropshirestar.com|date=20 April 2020 |language=en|archive-date=7 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201007010409/https://www.shropshirestar.com/news/health/coronavirus-covid19/2020/04/20/anti-lockdown-protesters-in-stand-off-with-police-on-roof-of-shrewsbury-college/|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Glastonbury]],<ref>{{Cite web|last=Mills|first=Richard|date=1 May 2020|title=Live updates as police attend protest against lockdown in Somerset|url=https://www.somersetlive.co.uk/news/somerset-news/lockdown-protest-glastonbury-corbyn-live-4096098|access-date=10 July 2020|website=somersetlive|language=en|archive-date=4 December 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201204235515/https://www.somersetlive.co.uk/news/somerset-news/lockdown-protest-glastonbury-corbyn-live-4096098|url-status=live}}</ref> [[London]], [[Manchester]], [[Glasgow]], [[Belfast]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://metro.co.uk/2020/05/16/19-arrested-anti-lockdown-protests-take-place-across-country-12715038/|title=19 arrested as anti-lockdown protests take place across country|first=Faye|last=Brown|date=16 May 2020|access-date=24 May 2020|archive-date=23 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200523160939/https://metro.co.uk/2020/05/16/19-arrested-anti-lockdown-protests-take-place-across-country-12715038/|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Hove]],<ref>{{Cite web|date=19 May 2020|title=Coronavirus lockdown prompts Hove seafront protest|url=https://www.brightonandhovenews.org/2020/05/19/coronavirus-lockdown-prompts-hove-seafront-protest/|access-date=10 July 2020|website=Brighton and Hove News|language=en-US|archive-date=15 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201015171929/https://www.brightonandhovenews.org/2020/05/19/coronavirus-lockdown-prompts-hove-seafront-protest/|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Birmingham]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/protests-birmingham-city-centre-over-18924302|title=Protests in Birmingham city centre over lockdown restrictions|first=Stephanie|last=Balloo|date=12 September 2020|website=BirminghamLive|access-date=12 September 2020|archive-date=13 September 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200913011210/https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/protests-birmingham-city-centre-over-18924302|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Liverpool]],<ref>{{cite web|title=Conspiracy theorist Piers Corbyn tells crowd of unmasked protesters 'covid is a hoax'|url=https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/conspiracy-theorist-piers-corbyn-tells-19125232|newspaper=Liverpool Echo|first=Jonathan|last=Humphries|date=18 October 2020|access-date=18 October 2020|archive-date=19 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201019060254/https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/conspiracy-theorist-piers-corbyn-tells-19125232|url-status=live}}</ref> as well as a few other cities.<br />
<br />
Protests over restrictions overlapped with [[anti-vaccine]] protests following the start of the UK's [[COVID-19 vaccination in the United Kingdom|COVID-19 vaccination programme]] in December 2020.<ref>{{cite news|date=2021-07-03|title=The anti-lockdown movement is still going strong|newspaper=The Economist|url=https://www.economist.com/britain/2021/07/03/the-anti-lockdown-movement-is-still-going-strong|access-date=2021-09-12|issn=0013-0613|archive-date=12 September 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210912213950/https://www.economist.com/britain/2021/07/03/the-anti-lockdown-movement-is-still-going-strong|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-07-19|title=Bottles thrown at police in anti-lockdown and anti-vaccination protest|url=https://www.itv.com/news/london/2021-07-19/bottles-thrown-at-police-in-anti-lockdown-and-anti-vaccination-protest|access-date=2021-09-12|website=ITV News|language=en|archive-date=13 September 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210913193143/https://www.itv.com/news/london/2021-07-19/bottles-thrown-at-police-in-anti-lockdown-and-anti-vaccination-protest|url-status=live}}</ref> On the weekend of 24–25 July 2021, protests broke out again in several major cities in the United Kingdom including [[London]],<ref>{{Cite web|title=Thousands protest amid global anger against COVID restrictions|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/7/24/protesters-against-covid-restrictions-clash-with-police-in-paris|access-date=2021-07-25|website=www.aljazeera.com|language=en|archive-date=25 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210725014050/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/7/24/protesters-against-covid-restrictions-clash-with-police-in-paris|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Leeds]],<ref>{{Cite web|last1=Norden|first1=Jasmine|date=2021-07-24|title='Freedom Rally' blocks Leeds roads as protestors accuse government of lies|url=https://www.leeds-live.co.uk/news/leeds-news/freedom-rally-blocks-leeds-roads-21137368|access-date=2021-07-25|website=LeedsLive|language=en|archive-date=25 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210725014059/https://www.leeds-live.co.uk/news/leeds-news/freedom-rally-blocks-leeds-roads-21137368|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Manchester]]<ref>{{Cite web|last1=Abbit|first1=Beth|date=2021-07-24|title=Protesters chant 'shame on you' at police during march through Manchester|url=https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/protesters-chant-shame-you-police-21137043|access-date=2021-07-25|website=Manchester Evening News|language=en|archive-date=25 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210725014059/https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/protesters-chant-shame-you-police-21137043|url-status=live}}</ref> and [[Birmingham]] due to people [[Vaccine hesitancy|opposing vaccines]] and [[COVID passports in the United Kingdom|proposed COVID passports]].<ref>{{Cite web|first=Nick|last=Horner|date=2021-07-24|title=Lockdown protests causing city centre road chaos|url=https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/live-anti-lockdown-protests-causing-21136037|access-date=2021-07-25|website=BirminghamLive|language=en|archive-date=25 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210725014049/https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/live-anti-lockdown-protests-causing-21136037|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
== North America ==<br />
<br />
=== Canada ===<br />
[[File:COVID-19 Vancouver's largest protest, April 26th 2020 (49823981297).jpg|thumb|Anti-lockdown protest in [[Vancouver]], British Columbia, on 26 April 2020]]<br />
{{main|COVID-19 protests in Canada}}<br />
In Canada, protests began on 19 April 2020 in [[Vancouver]].<ref name="Vancouver COVID-19 protests">{{cite news |last1=Carrigg |first1=David |title=COVID-19: Small group protests coronavirus restrictions in Vancouver |url=https://vancouversun.com/news/local-news/covid-19-vancouver-police-escort-small-group-protesting-government-restrictions/ |access-date=6 May 2020 |agency=Postmedia Network |publisher=Vancouver Sun |date=19 April 2020 |archive-date=12 May 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200512150249/https://vancouversun.com/news/local-news/covid-19-vancouver-police-escort-small-group-protesting-government-restrictions/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|date=26 April 2020|title=Protesters march against COVID-19 prevention measures in Vancouver &#124; CTV News|publisher=Bc.ctvnews.ca|url=https://bc.ctvnews.ca/protesters-march-against-covid-19-prevention-measures-in-vancouver-1.4912767|access-date=30 April 2020|archive-date=2 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200502004835/https://bc.ctvnews.ca/protesters-march-against-covid-19-prevention-measures-in-vancouver-1.4912767|url-status=live}}</ref> Protests also occurred in [[Toronto]], [[Edmonton]] and [[Ottawa]].<ref>{{cite news|title='A bunch of yahoos,' Ont. premier says of people protesting COVID-19 emergency measures &#124; CTV News|publisher=Toronto.ctvnews.ca|url=https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/a-bunch-of-yahoos-ont-premier-says-of-people-protesting-covid-19-emergency-measures-1.4911861|access-date=30 April 2020|archive-date=1 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200501172956/https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/a-bunch-of-yahoos-ont-premier-says-of-people-protesting-covid-19-emergency-measures-1.4911861|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Lauren |first1=Boothby |title=Hundreds flock to Alberta legislature to protest COVID-19 restrictions |url=https://edmontonjournal.com/news/local-news/hundreds-flock-to-alberta-legislature-to-protest-covid-19-restrictions/wcm/e93da949-89f6-4b77-8376-9a8ffbf5e340/ |access-date=5 May 2020 |work=Edmonton Journal |date=1 May 2020 |archive-date=6 May 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200506060124/https://edmontonjournal.com/news/local-news/hundreds-flock-to-alberta-legislature-to-protest-covid-19-restrictions/wcm/e93da949-89f6-4b77-8376-9a8ffbf5e340/ |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
On 21 April 2020 it was reported that prisoners at the [[Saskatchewan Penitentiary]] had been protesting against restrictions placed upon them in response to COVID-19, like being kept in their cells for 20 hours a day.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Bridges |first1=Alicia |title=Sask. Penitentiary inmates protest COVID-19 restrictions they say put them in cells 20 hours per day |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatoon/protests-covid-19-saskatchewan-penitentiary-1.5538728 |access-date=5 May 2020 |work=CBC News |date=21 April 2020 |archive-date=24 April 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200424090731/https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatoon/protests-covid-19-saskatchewan-penitentiary-1.5538728 |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
On 15 January 2021, [[Roman Baber]], [[Member of Provincial Parliament&nbsp;(Canada)|Member of Provincial Parliament]] for the [[Toronto]] riding of [[York Centre (provincial electoral district)|York Centre]], was removed from the caucus of the governing [[Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario]] after publishing an open letter to [[Premier of Ontario|Premier]] [[Doug Ford]] criticizing [[COVID-19 pandemic in Ontario|Ontario's lockdown restrictions]]. Baber continued his anti-lockdown advocacy as an [[independent politician|independent]] member of the legislative [[opposition (politics)|opposition]].<ref name="ts011521">{{cite news |last1=Benzie |first1=Robert |title=Premier Doug Ford turfs MPP Roman Baber from Tory caucus for opposing COVID-19 lockdown |url=https://www.thestar.com/politics/provincial/2021/01/15/tory-mpp-roman-baber-breaks-ranks-with-premier-doug-ford-urges-end-to-covid-19-lockdown.html |access-date=15 January 2021 |work=Toronto Star |publisher=Torstar |date=15 January 2021 |archive-date=15 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210115132729/https://www.thestar.com/politics/provincial/2021/01/15/tory-mpp-roman-baber-breaks-ranks-with-premier-doug-ford-urges-end-to-covid-19-lockdown.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/ontario-covid-19-january-15-2021-1.5874606| title=Ford ousts MPP from caucus over open letter pushing for end to COVID-19 lockdown| date=15 January 2021| website=cbc.ca| access-date=19 January 2021| archive-date=19 January 2021| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210119092609/https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/ontario-covid-19-january-15-2021-1.5874606| url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite tweet| user=Roman_Baber| number=1350089062800105473| title=I was removed from the @OntarioPCParty caucus. It's a regretful decision since many colleagues agree with me, incl @fordnation in large part. I don't regret speaking out for millions of lives & livelihoods decimated by Public Health, I serve the public. The Lockdown is grounded in false public health narrative, poor planning & bad data. While Doug only cares about re-election, Lockdowns are killing more than saving. I couldn't watch the suffering anymore. I hope I encouraged other professionals to speak out.| date=15 January 2021| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210115162937/https://twitter.com/Roman_Baber/status/1350089062800105473| archive-date= 15 January 2021| url-status =live}}</ref><br />
<br />
On 1 September 2021, thousands of people protested COVID-19 vaccine policies and mask mandates outside of [[Vancouver City Hall]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Protesters target B.C. hospitals disrupting patients, staff - NEWS 1130|url=https://www.citynews1130.com/2021/09/01/covid-protesters-bc-hospitals/|access-date=2021-09-03|website=www.citynews1130.com|archive-date=3 September 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210903030258/https://www.citynews1130.com/2021/09/01/covid-protesters-bc-hospitals/|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
[[File:Convoi de la liberté à Ottawa 01.jpg|thumb|Anti-mandate protest in [[Ottawa]], Canada's capital city, on 1 February 2022]]<br />
In January 2022, [[Freedom Convoy 2022]] began. Prime Minister [[Justin Trudeau]] invoked the [[Emergencies Act]] for the first time to quell the unrest from the occupation and harassment of Ottawa and its citizens by hundreds of trucks, their drivers and thousands of unruly protesters.<br />
<br />
====Alberta====<br />
A far-right group calling itself "Walk for Freedom" has been organizing anti-mask protests since at least April 2020.<ref name="CTV_20200429">{{cite news| title = Protest to 'End the Lockdown' attracts more than 100 people to Alberta legislature| work = CTV News Edmonton| access-date = 21 February 2021| date = 29 April 2020| url = https://edmonton.ctvnews.ca/protest-to-end-the-lockdown-attracts-more-than-100-people-to-alberta-legislature-1.4917828| archive-date = 9 March 2021| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210309035715/https://edmonton.ctvnews.ca/protest-to-end-the-lockdown-attracts-more-than-100-people-to-alberta-legislature-1.4917828| url-status = live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Anti-mask protesters take to the streets in Calgary to fight COVID-19 restrictions |url=https://calgary.ctvnews.ca/anti-mask-protesters-take-to-the-streets-in-calgary-to-fight-covid-19-restrictions-1.5228760 |first=Timm |last=Bruch |work=CTV News |date=12 December 2020 |access-date=21 February 2021 |archive-date=10 February 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210210223346/https://calgary.ctvnews.ca/anti-mask-protesters-take-to-the-streets-in-calgary-to-fight-covid-19-restrictions-1.5228760 |url-status=live }}</ref> Concerns were raised when several hundred protestors took part in a 20 February 2021 freedom convoy and Jericho Torch March at the Legislature organized by the "Walk for Freedom Alberta" and the "Freedom Unity Alliance".<ref name="global_Bench_20210221">{{cite news| last = Bench| first = Allison| title = Protesters gather from across the province at Alberta legislature to fight COVID-19 health measures| work = Global News| location = Edmonton, Alberta| access-date = 21 February 2021| date = 21 February 2021| url = https://globalnews.ca/news/7652604/feb-20-walk-for-freedom-covid-19/| archive-date = 22 February 2021| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210222015650/http://globalnews.ca/news/7652604/feb-20-walk-for-freedom-covid-19/| url-status = live}}</ref> Posters advertising the rally included an image of white nationalists marching through [[Charlottesville, Virginia|Charlottesville]] with [[Tiki torch]]es in the 2017 US [[Unite the Right rally]].<ref name="global_Bench_20210221"/><ref>{{Cite web| title = COVID Conspiracy Groups Are Using A Picture From Charlottesville Neo-Nazi Rally To Promote Their Upcoming 'Torch March'| work = Canadian Anti-Hate Network| access-date = February 22, 2021| date = February 16, 2021| url = https://www.antihate.ca/covid_conspiracy_groups_picture_charlottesville_neo_nazi_rally_promote_their_upcoming_torch_march |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210216201222/https://www.antihate.ca/covid_conspiracy_groups_picture_charlottesville_neo_nazi_rally_promote_their_upcoming_torch_march |archive-date=16 February 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web| work = Facebook| access-date = February 22, 2021| date = February 16, 2021| url = https://www.facebook.com/WALK108/photos/pcb.147482763873027/147482720539698/| author = WALK108| title = Poster for Walk for Freedom rallies| archive-date = 22 February 2021| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210222204047/https://www.facebook.com/WALK108/photos/pcb.147482763873027/147482720539698/| url-status = live}}</ref><ref name="660News_20210124">{{Cite web| title = Experts confused, concerned with anti-lockdown rally imagery| work = 660 NEWS| access-date = February 22, 2021| date = January 24, 2021| url = https://www.660citynews.com/2021/01/23/experts-confused-concerned-with-anti-lockdown-rally-imagery/| archive-date = 26 February 2021| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210226213959/https://www.660citynews.com/2021/01/23/experts-confused-concerned-with-anti-lockdown-rally-imagery/| url-status = live}}</ref> The group of hundreds of unmasked anti-lockdown protestors, carrying a Walk for Freedom banner included [[COVID-19 misinformation|COVID-19 deniers]].<ref name="CTV_20210221">{{cite news| title = Hatred, COVID-19 skepticism denounced after anti-lockdown rally at Alberta legislature| work = CTV Edmonton| access-date = February 21, 2021| date = February 21, 2021| url = https://edmonton.ctvnews.ca/hatred-covid-19-skepticism-denounced-after-anti-lockdown-rally-at-alta-legislature-1.5317502| archive-date = 22 February 2021| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210222045333/https://edmonton.ctvnews.ca/hatred-covid-19-skepticism-denounced-after-anti-lockdown-rally-at-alta-legislature-1.5317502| url-status = live}}</ref> Others were supporters of a pastor who was arrested for repeatedly refusing to comply to public health regulations, such as capping attendance, physical distancing and mask-wearing.<ref name="CBC_20210217">{{cite news| title = GraceLife pastor held in custody for refusing to comply with bail conditions| location = Edmonton, Alberta| access-date = February 21, 2021| date = February 17, 2021| url = https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/alberta-covid-coronavirus-grace-life-church-pastor-1.5917526| archive-date = 22 February 2021| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210222134044/https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/alberta-covid-coronavirus-grace-life-church-pastor-1.5917526| url-status = live}}</ref><ref name="thestar_20210221">{{cite news| title = Anti-lockdown rally at Alberta legislature voices support for jailed pastor| work = The Star| location = Edmonton, Alberta| access-date = February 21, 2021| date = February 21, 2021| url = https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2021/02/20/anti-lockdown-rally-at-alberta-legislature-voices-support-for-jailed-pastor.html| archive-date = 21 February 2021| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210221082455/https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2021/02/20/anti-lockdown-rally-at-alberta-legislature-voices-support-for-jailed-pastor.html| url-status = live}}</ref> The [[Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms]] (JCCF), representing the pastor, had launched a legal charter challenge against the Alberta government.<ref name="Griwkowsky_20201207">{{cite news| title = Justice centre launches legal challenge against Covid restrictions| work = Politics Today| url = https://www.politicstoday.news/alberta-today/justice-centre-launches-legal-challenge-against-covid-restrictions| first = Catherine| last = Griwkowsky| date = December 7, 2020| access-date = February 21, 2021| archive-date = 1 February 2021| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210201215035/https://www.politicstoday.news/alberta-today/justice-centre-launches-legal-challenge-against-covid-restrictions| url-status = live}}</ref> The Mayor of Edmonton said that the rally organizers were from outside Edmonton and that they "may be associated with known hate groups. Edmonton unequivocally condemns racism, misogyny and other forms of hate—such speech is not welcome in our community."<ref>{{cite news| title = Anti-restriction protesters gather at legislature, march in streets with tiki torches| work = 660 News| location = Edmonton, Alberta| access-date = February 21, 2021| date = February 20, 2021| url = https://www.660citynews.com/2021/02/20/large-anti-mask-and-anti-restriction-protest-underway-soon-in-edmonton/| archive-date = 21 February 2021| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210221182147/https://www.660citynews.com/2021/02/20/large-anti-mask-and-anti-restriction-protest-underway-soon-in-edmonton/| url-status = live}}</ref><ref name="CTV_20210221"/><ref>{{Cite AV media| title = Anti-lockdown protesters clash with media at "Walk for Freedom" rally |series=CTV News| access-date = February 21, 2021| date =February 21, 2021| url = https://edmonton.citynews.ca/video/2021/02/21/anti-lockdown-protesters-clash-with-media-at-walk-for-freedom-rally/}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Cuba ===<br />
{{Main|2021 Cuban protests}}<br />
A series of protests began on 11 July 2021, triggered by the shortage of food and medicine and the government's response to the resurgent [[COVID-19 pandemic in Cuba]].<ref>{{cite news|last=Robles|first=Frances|date=11 July 2021|title=Cubans Denounce 'Misery' in Biggest Protests in Decades|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/11/world/americas/cuba-crisis-protests.html|issn=0362-4331|archive-date=11 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210711212619/https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/11/world/americas/cuba-crisis-protests.html|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Mexico ===<br />
On 29 April, police in [[Yajalón]], [[Municipalities of Chiapas|Chiapas]], southern Mexico, opened fire on people who were protesting against a checkpoint that left their community isolated. Residents of neighbouring [[Tumbalá]] complained that the checkpoint made it impossible for them to access governmental and banking services and that it seemed to be related to a belief that Tumbalá had a high rate of coronavirus infection. Checkpoints have been installed in about 20% of Mexico's municipalities, which the federal government has declared illegal.<ref>{{cite news |title=México: Protesta contra retén por COVID termina en tiroteo |url=https://apnews.com/cfcb0c1a9718e9f62b05c1a67399398b |website=AP NEWS |access-date=5 June 2020 |date=30 April 2020 |archive-date=5 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200605181818/https://apnews.com/cfcb0c1a9718e9f62b05c1a67399398b |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
Hundreds of Mexicans participated in caravans on 30 May demanding the resignation of President [[Andrés Manuel López Obrador]] because of his handling of the [[COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico]] and the economy. The caravans, which took place in about a dozen cities across the country, consisted largely of luxury cars.<ref>{{cite web |title=Manifestaciones anti AMLO en varios estados - Estados - La Jornada |url=https://www.jornada.com.mx/ultimas/estados/2020/05/30/manifestaciones-anti-amlo-en-los-estados-6108.html |website=www.jornada.com.mx |access-date=5 June 2020 |language=es |date=30 May 2020 |archive-date=5 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200605182825/https://www.jornada.com.mx/ultimas/estados/2020/05/30/manifestaciones-anti-amlo-en-los-estados-6108.html |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
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Violence broke out on 4 June during [[George Floyd protests|demonstrations]] in [[Guadalajara]], [[Jalisco]] to demand justice after the [[death of Giovanni López]] in the town of [[Ixtlahuacán de los Membrillos]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Justicia para Giovanni: Protestan por el asesinato en Jalisco |url=https://www.milenio.com/estados/giovanni-lopez-protestas-asesinato-joven-jalisco |website=www.milenio.com |date=6 April 2020 |access-date=4 June 2020 |archive-date=5 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200605022951/https://www.milenio.com/estados/giovanni-lopez-protestas-asesinato-joven-jalisco |url-status=live }}</ref> López, a 30-year-old mason, had been arrested on 4 May for not wearing a [[COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico|facemask]] during a [[Stay-at-home order|lockdown]] and died the next day while in police custody.<ref>{{cite web |title=Así fue la detención de Giovanni López justo antes de su muerte |url=https://www.lavanguardia.com/internacional/20200605/481603972248/giovanni-lopez-muerte-policia-detencion-video-seo-ext.html |website=La Vanguardia |access-date=5 June 2020 |language=es |date=5 June 2020 |archive-date=5 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200605093708/https://www.lavanguardia.com/internacional/20200605/481603972248/giovanni-lopez-muerte-policia-detencion-video-seo-ext.html |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
=== United States ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 protests in the United States}}<br />
<br />
The United States' national response began in early January, originating with actions by the [[Centers for Disease Control and Prevention|Centers for Disease Control]] (CDC) and the [[White House]]. The [[COVID-19 pandemic in the United States|first U.S. case of COVID-19]] was recorded on 19 January 2020. In the United States, the [[U.S. state and local government responses to the COVID-19 pandemic|response was determined by state and local officials in coordination with the CDC and federal officials]]. On 9 February, governors were briefed by the [[White House Coronavirus Task Force]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=TIMELINE: The Trump Administration's Decisive Actions To Combat the Coronavirus|url=https://www.donaldjtrump.com/media/timeline-the-trump-administrations-decisive-actions-to-combat-the-coronavirus|access-date=10 July 2020|website=www.donaldjtrump.com|language=en|archive-date=11 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200711100629/https://www.donaldjtrump.com/media/timeline-the-trump-administrations-decisive-actions-to-combat-the-coronavirus|url-status=dead}}</ref> Beginning in mid-March, various [[Social distancing measures related to the COVID-19 pandemic|social distancing measures]] to limit spread of the virus were undertaken by state governors and in some cases counties or cities.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://abcnews.go.com/Health/wireStory/bay-area-counties-california-order-shelter-place-69627648|title=San Francisco Bay Area counties issue shelter-in-place order|last1=Rodriguez|first1=Olga R.|last2=Har|first2=Janie|date=16 March 2020|work=ABC News|access-date=9 May 2020|archive-date=25 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200525143041/https://abcnews.go.com/Health/wireStory/bay-area-counties-california-order-shelter-place-69627648|url-status=live}}</ref> Actions taken included [[stay-at-home order]]s ("quarantine"), school and business closures, and limitation on the size of gatherings. On 19 March 2020, [[Donald Trump|President Donald Trump]], and [[Mike Pence|Vice President Mike Pence]] met (via teleconference) with governors of most states to continue coordination and to assist states with their responses. [[Federal Emergency Management Agency|FEMA]] was brought into the effort around this time.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Remarks by President Trump and Vice President Pence in a Video Teleconference with Governors on COVID-19|url=https://trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov/briefings-statements/remarks-president-trump-vice-president-pence-video-teleconference-governors-covid-19/|access-date=10 July 2020|via=[[NARA|National Archives]]|work=[[whitehouse.gov]]|language=en-US|archive-date=20 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210120200339/https://trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov/briefings-statements/remarks-president-trump-vice-president-pence-video-teleconference-governors-covid-19/|url-status=live}}</ref> By 7 April 42 states had [[Lockdown#In epidemics and pandemics|lockdown orders]] in place.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://nationalpost.com/news/covid-19-people-have-to-be-responsible-for-themselves-eight-states-still-not-locked-down|title=COVID-19: 'People have to be responsible for themselves': Eight U.S. states still not locked down|last=Dittrich|first=Valerie|date=7 April 2020|work=National Post|access-date=9 May 2020}}</ref> The shutdowns had serious economic effects, including a steep rise in unemployment due to the shutdown of stores and workplaces.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2020/04/24/coronavirus-pandemics-impact-on-the-global-economy-in-7-charts.html|title=7 charts show how the coronavirus pandemic has hit the global economy|last=Lee|first=Yen Nee|date=24 April 2020|work=CNBC|access-date=9 May 2020|archive-date=4 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200504231204/https://www.cnbc.com/2020/04/24/coronavirus-pandemics-impact-on-the-global-economy-in-7-charts.html|url-status=live}}</ref> By 15 April protests and demonstrations had broken out in some states, demanding that the area be "re-opened" for normal business and personal activity. By 1 May there had been demonstrations in more than half of the states, and many governors began to take steps to lift the restrictions.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://thehill.com/homenews/sunday-talk-shows/495877-governors-experts-await-results-of-reopening-states-as-protests|title=Governors, experts await results of reopening states as protests continue|last=Budryk|first=Zack|date=3 May 2020|work=The Hill|access-date=9 May 2020|archive-date=10 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200510022802/https://thehill.com/homenews/sunday-talk-shows/495877-governors-experts-await-results-of-reopening-states-as-protests|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
{{multiple image<br />
| footer = Several hundred anti-lockdown protesters rallied at the [[Ohio Statehouse]] on 20 April.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Rouan |first1=Rick |title=Protesters at Statehouse demand state reopen as DeWine announces schools to remain closed |url=https://www.dispatch.com/news/20200420/protesters-at-statehouse-demand-state-reopen-as-dewine-announces-schools-to-remain-closed |access-date=3 May 2020 |work=[[The Columbus Dispatch]] |date=20 April 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200425004821/https://www.dispatch.com/news/20200420/protesters-at-statehouse-demand-state-reopen-as-dewine-announces-schools-to-remain-closed |archive-date=25 April 2020 |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
| image1 = Open Ohio Rally IMG 0910 (49799974031).jpg<br />
| alt1 = Ohio protesters, 18 April<br />
| image2 = CIMG 0355 (49799414598).jpg<br />
| alt2 = Ohio protesters, 20 April 20<br />
}}<br />
One of the first protests was in [[Michigan]] on 15 April 2020, organized by conservative groups which also encouraged groups in other states to copy their wording and templates.{{Citation needed|date=September 2021}} Protesters in numerous other states said they were inspired by Michigan, and they used Michigan's material on their own websites, Facebook groups, and [[Reddit]] pages to promote their protests.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/salvadorhernandez/coronavirus-quarantine-protests-facebook-groups|title=This Is How A Group Linked To Betsy DeVos Is Organizing Protests To End Social Distancing, Now With Trump's Support|website=BuzzFeed News|language=en|access-date=20 April 2020|archive-date=19 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200419180823/https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/salvadorhernandez/coronavirus-quarantine-protests-facebook-groups|url-status=live}}</ref> Subsequent protests were organized by [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] activists or party organizations,<ref name="reuters1">{{cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-trump-protests-idUSKCN2233ES|title=How Trump allies have organized and promoted anti-lockdown protests|date=22 April 2020|work=Reuters|access-date=23 April 2020|language=en|archive-date=23 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200423112936/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-trump-protests-idUSKCN2233ES|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bridgemi.com/michigan-government/meet-trump-loving-group-behind-protest-gov-whitmers-stay-home-order|title=Meet the Trump-loving group behind protest of Gov. Whitmer's stay-home order|date=22 April 2020|website=bridgemi.com|language=en|access-date=23 April 2020|archive-date=26 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200426174050/https://www.bridgemi.com/michigan-government/meet-trump-loving-group-behind-protest-gov-whitmers-stay-home-order|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="komonews">{{cite news|url=https://komonews.com/news/coronavirus/protest-against-state-closure-planned-for-tomorrow-in-olympia|title=Protest against state closure planned for tomorrow in Olympia|first=Cole |last=Miller|date=18 April 2020|website=KOMO|access-date=19 April 2020|archive-date=20 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200420003642/https://komonews.com/news/coronavirus/protest-against-state-closure-planned-for-tomorrow-in-olympia|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Tea Party movement|Tea Party activists]],<ref name=":8">{{cite news|url=https://www.politico.com/news/2020/04/21/trump-allies-help-organize-lockdown-protests-198426|title=Trump allies have their fingerprints on lockdown protests|website=POLITICO|language=en|access-date=23 April 2020|archive-date=22 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200422183744/https://www.politico.com/news/2020/04/21/trump-allies-help-organize-lockdown-protests-198426|url-status=live}}</ref> armed [[Patriot movement|militia movement]] supporters,<ref name="Grauniad-Right">{{cite news|last=Wilson|first=Jason|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/17/far-right-coronavirus-protests-restrictions|title=The rightwing groups behind wave of protests against Covid-19 restrictions|date=17 April 2020|work=The Guardian|access-date=18 April 2020|language=en-GB|issn=0261-3077|quote=...{{nbsp}}{{nbsp}}...|archive-date=18 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200418010447/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/17/far-right-coronavirus-protests-restrictions|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Gun laws in the United States by state|guns-rights]] activists,<ref>{{cite news|url=https://bringmethenews.com/minnesota-news/washington-post-links-minnesota-gun-group-to-anti-quarantine-protests|title=WaPo reveals Minnesota gun group link to anti-quarantine protests|last=Uren|first=Adam|website=Bring Me The News|language=en|access-date=20 April 2020|archive-date=24 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200424164209/https://bringmethenews.com/minnesota-news/washington-post-links-minnesota-gun-group-to-anti-quarantine-protests|url-status=live}}</ref> and "[[Anti-vaccine activism|anti-vaccination]]" advocates.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/02/us/anti-vaxxers-coronavirus-protests.html|title=Antivaccination Activists Are Growing Force at Virus Protests|last=Bogel-Burroughs|first=Nicholas|date=4 May 2020|work=The New York Times|access-date=4 May 2020|archive-date=3 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200503234419/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/02/us/anti-vaxxers-coronavirus-protests.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/anti-vaxxers-are-forming-an-unholy-alliance-with-shelter-in-place-protesters?source=articles&via=rss|title=Anti-Vaxxers and Lockdown Protesters Form an Unholy Alliance|last1=Sommer|first1=Will|last2=Kucinich|first2=Jackie|date=22 April 2020|work=Daily Beast|access-date=23 April 2020|archive-date=11 March 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210311021959/https://www.thedailybeast.com/anti-vaxxers-are-forming-an-unholy-alliance-with-shelter-in-place-protesters?source=articles&via=rss|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
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Protesters, many without [[Face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States|face masks]], opposed the shelter-in-place orders in their states for various reasons. Many said they wanted businesses reopened so they could go back to work. Many others displayed pro-[[Donald Trump|Trump]] banners, signs, and [[Make America Great Again|MAGA]] hats.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2020/04/16/michigan-whitmer-conservatives-protest/|title=Chanting 'lock her up,' Michigan protesters waving Trump flags mass against Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's coronavirus restrictions|last=Flynn|first=Meagan|date=16 April 2020|newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=22 April 2020|archive-date=22 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200422002103/https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2020/04/16/michigan-whitmer-conservatives-protest/|url-status=live}}</ref> Still others insisted the lockdowns were a violation of their constitutional rights. One militia leader told a reporter, "Re-open my state or we will re-open it ourselves."<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-52359100|title=Coronavirus lockdown protest: What's behind the US demonstrations?|date=21 April 2020|work=BBC News|access-date=22 April 2020|archive-date=21 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200421200027/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-52359100|url-status=live}}</ref> An opinion article in ''The New York Times'', and an article in ''The Washington Post'' claimed that the anger driving the protests was "both real and manufactured", blaming conservative groups for engaging in [[astroturfing]] via centralized organization backed by anonymous donors.<ref>{{cite news|last=Graves|first=Lisa|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/22/opinion/coronavirus-protests-astroturf.html|title=Opinion {{!}} Who's Behind the 'Reopen' Protests?|date=22 April 2020|work=The New York Times|access-date=24 April 2020|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331|archive-date=24 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200424001641/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/22/opinion/coronavirus-protests-astroturf.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/inside-the-conservative-networks-backing-anti-quarantine-protests/2020/04/22/da75c81e-83fe-11ea-a3eb-e9fc93160703_story.html|title=The anti-quarantine protests seem spontaneous. But behind the scenes, a powerful network is helping.|last1=Stanley-Becker|first1=Isaac|last2=Romm|first2=Tony|date=22 April 2020|newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=24 April 2020|archive-date=29 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200429032531/https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/inside-the-conservative-networks-backing-anti-quarantine-protests/2020/04/22/da75c81e-83fe-11ea-a3eb-e9fc93160703_story.html|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
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President Trump originally issued guidelines for how to phase out restrictions, saying that governors would decide how to reopen their own states and suggesting a cautious three-phase approach.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/16/politics/donald-trump-reopening-guidelines-coronavirus/index.html|title=Trump completes reversal, telling govs 'you are going to call your own shots' and distributes new guidelines|date=16 April 2020|work=CNN|access-date=23 April 2020|archive-date=22 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200422213330/https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/16/politics/donald-trump-reopening-guidelines-coronavirus/index.html|url-status=live}}</ref> However, the next day he reacted to the protests against social restrictions by encouraging the protests.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/17/us/politics/trump-coronavirus-governors.html|title=Trump Encourages Protest Against Governors Who Have Imposed Virus Restrictions|last1=Shear|first1=Michael D.|last2=Mervosh|first2=Sarah|date=17 April 2020|work=The New York Times|access-date=23 April 2020|archive-date=23 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200423000143/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/17/us/politics/trump-coronavirus-governors.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Itkowitz|first=Colby|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/04/17/liberate-trump-tweets-support-protesting-against-stay-at-home-orders/|title='Liberate': Trump Tweets Support of Protests Against Stay-at-Home Orders|date=17 April 2020|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|access-date=17 April 2020|archive-date=17 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200417233521/https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/04/17/liberate-trump-tweets-support-protesting-against-stay-at-home-orders/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/17/us/coronavirus-cases-news-update.html|title=Trump Foments Protests Against Governors; Experts Warn of Testing Shortages|date=17 April 2020|work=The New York Times|access-date=18 April 2020|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331|archive-date=18 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200418004100/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/17/us/coronavirus-cases-news-update.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|agency=Reuters/AP|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/video/2020/apr/18/they-seem-very-responsible-to-me-trump-defends-anti-lockdown-protesters-video|title='They seem very responsible to me': Trump defends anti-lockdown protesters - video|date=18 April 2020|work=The Guardian|access-date=19 April 2020|language=en-GB|issn=0261-3077|archive-date=19 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200419003522/https://www.theguardian.com/world/video/2020/apr/18/they-seem-very-responsible-to-me-trump-defends-anti-lockdown-protesters-video|url-status=live}}</ref> Governor [[Jay Inslee]] (D-WA) accused the president of "fomenting domestic rebellion" and said the president's call to ignore his own team's guidelines was "schizophrenic".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/04/trump-accused-fomenting-rebellion-liberate-tweets-200417223606672.html|title=Trump accused of 'fomenting rebellion' after 'LIBERATE' tweets|website=aljazeera.com|access-date=19 April 2020|archive-date=18 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200418213043/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/04/trump-accused-fomenting-rebellion-liberate-tweets-200417223606672.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2020/04/19/governors-decry-trump-call-liberate-states-coronavirus-restrictions/5162196002/|title=Governors slam Trump's call to 'liberate' states where protesters object to coronavirus restrictions|last=Cummings|first=William|website=USA TODAY|language=en-US|access-date=20 April 2020|archive-date=19 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200419233030/https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2020/04/19/governors-decry-trump-call-liberate-states-coronavirus-restrictions/5162196002/|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
[[File:OPEN our OHIO IMG 0144 (49790376873).jpg|thumb|An anti-lockdown protester in April 2020]]<br />
[[Facebook]] announced that it would block events and messages from anti-quarantine protest groups "when gatherings do not follow the health parameters established by the government and are therefore unlawful".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.politico.com/news/2020/04/20/facebook-shuts-down-anti-quarantine-protests-at-states-request-196143|title=Republicans attack Facebook as network shuts down anti-lockdown protests|last=Overly|first=Steven|website=POLITICO|language=en|access-date=21 April 2020|archive-date=21 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200421021301/https://www.politico.com/news/2020/04/20/facebook-shuts-down-anti-quarantine-protests-at-states-request-196143|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
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In California, [[Libertarian Party (United States)|Libertarian Party]] chapters in [[Santa Clara, California|Santa Clara]] and [[San Francisco]] counties condemned lockdown measures in the state with a resolution stating in part that, "these government impositions have already lasted for longer than could be justified by the purpose for which they were allegedly necessary, constituting a sort of "mission creep" that could potentially keep them in place with no definite end, and with economic and social damage continuing to accumulate and becoming more severe."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.scclp.org/resolution_regarding_government_pandemic_response|title=Resolution Regarding Government Pandemic Response|access-date=11 May 2020|archive-date=26 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200526033448/https://www.scclp.org/resolution_regarding_government_pandemic_response|url-status=live}}</ref> Such responses were compared to the [[Anti-Mask League of San Francisco]] movement that was seen during the [[Spanish flu|1918 Spanish flu pandemic]], where the efficacy of masks was debated during the second wave of flu in the city.<ref name="amlsf">{{cite news|last=Kane|first=Peter Lawrence|date=29 April 2020|title=The Anti-Mask League: lockdown protests draw parallels to 1918 pandemic|language=en-GB|work=The Guardian|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/29/coronavirus-pandemic-1918-protests-california|access-date=30 April 2020|issn=0261-3077|archive-date=30 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200430023846/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/29/coronavirus-pandemic-1918-protests-california|url-status=live}}</ref> The Anti-Mask League saw the medical advice on masks as unconstitutional, and contrary to the principles of a free society.<ref name="amlsf"/><br />
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Cell phone data from [[Digital contact tracing|digital-contact tracing]] software, captured from opt-in cellphone apps and the Firm VoteMap, then provided to The Guardian (publication) by progressive campaign group the Committee to Protect Medicare, suggests that cell phones present at anti-lockdown protests in [[2020 United States anti-lockdown protests|Colorado]], [[2020 United States anti-lockdown protests|Florida]], Illinois, [[2020 United States anti-lockdown protests|Michigan]] and North Carolina traveled long distances after leaving the protests. Dr. Rob Davidson, executive director of the Committee to Protect Medicare, said that although “it's hard to draw a straight line between devices, individuals at these protests, and cases”, the data suggests that the protests may be epidemiologically significant events." and that "The behavior we’re seeing at protests carries a high risk of infection."<ref>{{cite news|last=Wilson|first=Jason|date=18 May 2020|title=US lockdown protests may have spread virus widely, cellphone data suggests|language=en-GB|work=The Guardian|url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/may/18/lockdown-protests-spread-coronavirus-cellphone-data|access-date=23 May 2020|issn=0261-3077|archive-date=23 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200523061752/https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/may/18/lockdown-protests-spread-coronavirus-cellphone-data|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
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On 30 January 2021, dozens of "SCAMDEMIC" protesters blocked the entrance to the vaccination center at [[Dodger Stadium]] in [[Los Angeles]].<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-01-31|title=Dodger Stadium mass COVID-19 vaccination site temporarily shuts down after protesters block entrance|url=https://ktla.com/news/local-news/dodger-stadium-mass-coronavirus-vaccination-site-shut-down-after-protesters-block-entrance/|access-date=2021-01-31|website=KTLA|language=en-US|archive-date=31 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210131013546/https://ktla.com/news/local-news/dodger-stadium-mass-coronavirus-vaccination-site-shut-down-after-protesters-block-entrance/|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
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== Oceania ==<br />
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=== American Samoa ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 pandemic in American Samoa}}<br />
In July 2020, several people protested against the spending of COVID-19 funds in [[American Samoa]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/420676/protest-against-spending-of-covid-19-funds-in-american-samoa | title=Protest against spending of Covid-19 funds in American Samoa | website=[[Radio New Zealand]] | date=7 July 2020 }}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Australia ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 protests in Australia}}<br />
{{See also|Convoy to Canberra}}<br />
Throughout 2020 and 2021, numerous illegal protests of widely varying sizes against COVID-19 lockdown restrictions and the [[Australian Federal Government]]'s vaccination programme were held in several state capitals including [[Adelaide]], [[Brisbane]], [[Melbourne]], [[Perth]] and [[Sydney]].<ref>{{cite news|title='Incredibly disappointing': Ugly scenes at Melbourne coronavirus protests as violence erupts|url=https://7news.com.au/lifestyle/health-wellbeing/melbourne-protests-violent-scenes-in-melbournes-cbd-as-coronavirus-protesters-are-detained-c-1028327|date=10 May 2020|work=[[Seven News]]|language=en|access-date=10 May 2020|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200911032042/https://7news.com.au/lifestyle/health-wellbeing/melbourne-protests-violent-scenes-in-melbournes-cbd-as-coronavirus-protesters-are-detained-c-1028327|archive-date=11 September 2020}}</ref><ref name="9news-anti-vacc-rallys-20-feb">{{cite news |last1=Noble |first1=Freya |title=Anti-coronavirus vaccine protests held in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth |url=https://www.9news.com.au/national/coronavirus-protest-melbourne-brisbane-sydney-pete-evans/a328629b-4d7f-48b1-a13f-72fe42dd8c2b |access-date=21 February 2021 |work=[[Nine News|9 News]] |publisher=Nine Digital Pty Ltd |date=20 February 2021 |archive-date=20 February 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210220222329/https://www.9news.com.au/national/coronavirus-protest-melbourne-brisbane-sydney-pete-evans/a328629b-4d7f-48b1-a13f-72fe42dd8c2b |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="smh-pfizer-doses-start">{{cite news |last1=Dye |first1=Josh |last2=Clun |first2=Rachel |title=COVID-19 vaccines begin as Prime Minister receives Pfizer immunisation |url=https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/covid-19-vaccines-begin-as-prime-minister-receives-pfizer-immunisation-20210221-p574cw.html |access-date=21 February 2021 |work=[[The Sydney Morning Herald]] |date=21 February 2021 |archive-date=25 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210525075159/https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/covid-19-vaccines-begin-as-prime-minister-receives-pfizer-immunisation-20210221-p574cw.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Police responded to some of the protests by arresting demonstrators and issuing fines.<ref name="abc-melb-lockdown-protest-nov'20">{{cite news |title=Police arrest more than 400 demonstrators at Melbourne anti-lockdown protest |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-11-03/melbourne-anti-lockdown-protest-sees-over-400-protesters-arrest/12845120 |access-date=5 June 2021 |work=ABC News |publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation |date=3 November 2020 |archive-date=6 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210506082030/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-11-03/melbourne-anti-lockdown-protest-sees-over-400-protesters-arrest/12845120 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Australia: Scores arrested at anti-coronavirus lockdown protests |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/8/21/australia-scores-arrested-at-anti-coronavirus-lockdown-protests |access-date=22 August 2021 |work=[[Al Jazeera English|Al Jazeera]] |date=21 August 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210821171717/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/8/21/australia-scores-arrested-at-anti-coronavirus-lockdown-protests |archive-date=21 August 2021|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Anti-lockdown protesters clash with police in Australia |url=https://amp.rnz.co.nz/article/869c10d3-77f3-4f63-8d04-343e7cc5d109 |access-date=22 August 2021 |work=[[Radio New Zealand]] |date=21 August 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210821070733/https://amp.rnz.co.nz/article/869c10d3-77f3-4f63-8d04-343e7cc5d109 |archive-date=21 August 2021|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
In Melbourne, [[Victoria, Australia|Victoria]], from 20 to 24 September 2021, a series of protests occurred in the city's CBD. Protesters were predominantly tradesmen who were acting against lockdowns, the closure of the construction industry and [[vaccine mandate]]s. It is believed that several protesters were "fake tradies" who could be described as "professional protesters". Police responded with rubber bullets, batons and tear gas. Various media outlets were critical of the police's heavy-handed response to the protesters and bystander civilians.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Clench |first1=Sam |last2=Smith |first2=Rohan |title=Melbourne 'freedom' protest: Chaos erupts on CBD streets, West Gate Freeway over construction sector shutdown |url=https://www.news.com.au/national/melbourne-braces-for-more-chaos-as-workers-plan-another-freedom-rally/news-story/2b8d98e06b20dd42c51ef9960849f403 |access-date=21 September 2021 |work=News.com |publisher=Nationwide News Pty Ltd |date=20 September 2021 |language=en-AU |archive-date=21 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210921021456/https://www.news.com.au/national/melbourne-braces-for-more-chaos-as-workers-plan-another-freedom-rally/news-story/2b8d98e06b20dd42c51ef9960849f403 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Tuffiel |first1=Rhiannon |title=Tradie protest 'hijacked' by 'extreme organisations': CFMEU boss |url=https://www.news.com.au/national/victoria/politics/tradie-protest-hijacked-by-extreme-organisations-cfmeu-boss/news-story/11a24a98abf9f04ed67f5e50fced7c35 |access-date=21 September 2021 |work=News.com.au |agency=NCA NewsWire |publisher=Nationwide News Pty Ltd |date=20 September 2021 |language=en-AU |archive-date=20 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210920221215/https://www.news.com.au/national/victoria/politics/tradie-protest-hijacked-by-extreme-organisations-cfmeu-boss/news-story/11a24a98abf9f04ed67f5e50fced7c35 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Harley |first1=Kyle |title=More than 200 arrests made across Melbourne as police disperse anti-lockdown protesters |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-09-24/protests-condemned-rallies-enter-fifth-day/100488196 |access-date=24 September 2021 |work=ABC News |publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation |date=24 September 2021 |language=en-AU |archive-date=25 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210925012150/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-09-24/protests-condemned-rallies-enter-fifth-day/100488196 |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
The first major legal protest occurred in early 2022 in [[Canberra]], [[Australian Capital Territory]], which is also the most highly vaccinated jurisdiction in Australia. A "[[Convoy to Canberra]]", consisting of thousands of protesters in trailers, trucks, cars and campervans made their way in the national capital in January.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2022/02/03/canadas-freedom-convoy-is-inspiring-protests-in-other-countries.html| title=How Canada's 'Freedom Convoy' is inspiring protests in other countries| first1=Alex| last1=McKeen| first2=Lex| last2=Harvey| first3=Kieran| last3=Leavitt|date=February 3, 2022|work=[[Toronto Star]]}}</ref><ref name="The Guardian Occupy Canberra">{{cite news |last1=Butler |first1=Josh |title='Occupy Canberra': behind the anti-vaccine protests at Parliament House |url=https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/feb/04/occupy-canberra-behind-the-anti-vaccine-protests-at-parliament-house |access-date=7 February 2022 |work=[[The Guardian]] |date=4 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220206092405/https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/feb/04/occupy-canberra-behind-the-anti-vaccine-protests-at-parliament-house |archive-date=6 February 2022|url-status=live}}</ref> On 12 February, around 10,000 protesters converged on [[Parliament House, Canberra|Parliament House]] and [[Old Parliament House, Canberra|Old Parliament House]], and [[Lifeline (crisis support service)|Lifeline Canberra]] suspended its major fund-raising event due to safety concerns for customers.<ref name="News.com.au 13 Feb">{{cite news |last1=Consenza |first1=Emily |last2=Raphael |first2=Angie |title=Incredible scenes as anti-vaccine mandate protesters swarm Canberra streets |url=https://www.news.com.au/national/nsw-act/news/antivaccine-mandate-ralliers-potentially-target-vaccine-hub-hosting-childrens-event/news-story/9e98221eab0c5436f122209a38d56102 |access-date=13 February 2022 |work=[[News.com.au]] |publisher=[[News Corp Australia]] |date=12 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220212192032/https://www.news.com.au/national/nsw-act/news/antivaccine-mandate-ralliers-potentially-target-vaccine-hub-hosting-childrens-event/news-story/9e98221eab0c5436f122209a38d56102 |archive-date=12 February 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Federal government relaxes aged care COVID rule as protesters converge on Canberra |url=https://thenewdaily.com.au/news/coronavirus/2022/02/13/aged-care-covid-rule-canberra-protests/ |access-date=14 February 2022 |work=[[The New Daily]] |date=13 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220213120210/https://thenewdaily.com.au/news/coronavirus/2022/02/13/aged-care-covid-rule-canberra-protests/ |archive-date=13 February 2022|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Kelly |first1=Lidia |title=NZ, Australia vaccination mandates protests gain in number |url=https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/new-zealand-australia-vaccination-mandates-protests-gain-numbers-2022-02-12/ |access-date=14 February 2022 |work=[[Reuters]] |date=12 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220213163443/https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/new-zealand-australia-vaccination-mandates-protests-gain-numbers-2022-02-12/ |archive-date=13 February 2022|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Christmas Island ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 pandemic in Christmas Island}}<br />
Detainees at the [[Christmas Island Detention Centre]] rioted and set fire to buildings in a protest against the conditions of the detention centre.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/jan/06/christmas-island-detainees-riot-and-set-fire-to-buildings-in-protest-against-conditions | title=Christmas Island detainees riot and set fire to buildings in protest against conditions | website=[[TheGuardian.com]] | date=6 January 2021 }}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Fiji ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 pandemic in Fiji}}<br />
In June 2021, following lockdowns in Fiji, locals protested across the country for more government support.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-06-23/fiji-instability-covid-outbreak-unrest-restrictions-lockdown/100234180 | title='Frustration and anger are starting to build': Fears COVID outbreak leading to civil unrest in Fiji | newspaper=ABC News | date=22 June 2021 }}</ref><br />
<br />
=== French Polynesia ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 pandemic in French Polynesia#vaccination efforts}}<br />
In October 2021, several protests against a proposed law mandating COVID-19 vaccines were held throughout [[French Polynesia]] including [[Papeete]] in [[Tahiti]] and [[Hiva Oa]] in the [[Marquesas Islands]]. Notable groups and individuals involved included the "Don't Touch my Family" group, the pro-independence party [[Tavini Huiraatira]], and retired Dr. Jean-Paul Theron, who was locked in a dispute with health authorities over his methods of treating COVID-19 patients.<ref>{{cite news |title=Tahiti rally against vaccination regime |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/453364/tahiti-rally-against-vaccination-regime |access-date=6 November 2021 |work=[[Radio New Zealand]] |date=12 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211019053801/https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/453364/tahiti-rally-against-vaccination-regime |archive-date=19 October 2021|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Pro-independence party joins French Polynesia anti-vax march |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/454227/pro-independence-party-joins-french-polynesia-anti-vax-march |access-date=6 November 2021 |work=[[Radio New Zealand]] |date=25 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211027052722/https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/454227/pro-independence-party-joins-french-polynesia-anti-vax-march |archive-date=27 October 2021}}</ref> The proposed law requires anyone working in healthcare or with the public to get inoculated or be fined $US1,700.<ref>{{cite news |title=French Polynesian govt delays Covid-19 vaccination law |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/453809/french-polynesian-govt-delays-covid-19-vaccination-law |access-date=6 November 2021 |work=[[Radio New Zealand]] |date=19 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211019103922/https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/453809/french-polynesian-govt-delays-covid-19-vaccination-law |archive-date=19 October 2021|url-status=live}}</ref> In response to strong opposition from anti-vaccination protesters, unions, and employers, [[President of French Polynesia|President]] [[Édouard Fritch]] announced that the new law would be delayed until 23 December.<ref name="Vaccination law amended">{{cite news |title=French Polynesia vaccination law to be amended |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/453853/french-polynesia-vaccination-law-to-be-amended |access-date=6 November 2021 |work=[[Radio New Zealand]] |date=19 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211104115009/https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/453853/french-polynesia-vaccination-law-to-be-amended |archive-date=4 November 2021}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Guam ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 pandemic in Guam}}<br />
Members of the [[Guam Freedom Coalition]] protested vaccine mandates in [[Guam]] on 30 October 2021.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.guampdn.com/news/march-held-to-protest-vaccine-mandates/video_2f7ee160-28b4-5974-b83a-12485173f1a2.html | title=March held to protest vaccine mandates | date=30 October 2021 }}</ref><br />
<br />
=== New Caledonia ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 pandemic in New Caledonia}}<br />
An estimate of 1,000 people staged a protest in [[Nouméa]] against government policies regarding the pandemic, such as the introduction of health passes and vaccine mandates. The protest occurred a day after outdoor gatherings in [[New Caledonia]] were limited to 30 people, however police decided not to intervene due to the presence of children.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.cookislandsnews.com/regional/new-caledonia/protest-in-new-caledonia-against-govts-pandemic-policies/ | title=Protest in New Caledonia against govt's pandemic policies | date=10 January 2022 }}</ref><br />
<br />
=== New Zealand ===<br />
[[File:Convoy 2022 NZ (41).jpg|thumb|Protesters blocking a street at the Convoy 2022 NZ protest in Wellington]]<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 protests in New Zealand}}<br />
{{See also|2022 Wellington protests}}<br />
Between August and October 2021, several protests were held across New Zealand to protest official lockdown measures, vaccination, and spread disinformation about the COVID-19 pandemic. Key groups and individuals that were involved in these protests included FACTS NZ, Kotahitanga Movement Aotearoa, the NZ Liberty Movement and [[Jami-Lee Ross]] and [[Billy Te Kahika]]'s [[Advance New Zealand]] party.<ref>{{cite news|last=Pearse |first=Adam |work=[[The Northern Advocate]]|date=13 August 2020|title=Covid 19 coronavirus: Lockdown protest stops traffic in Whangārei|language=en-NZ| url= https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12356284|access-date=22 August 2020|issn=1170-0777|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200821030819/https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12356284|archive-date=21 August 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Anti-lockdown, vaccination and 1080 protesters take over Auckland's Aotea Square|language=en|work=[[Newshub]]|url= https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2020/08/anti-lockdown-vaccination-and-1080-protesters-take-over-auckland-s-aotea-square.html|access-date=22 August 2020|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200824232201/https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2020/08/anti-lockdown-vaccination-and-1080-protesters-take-over-auckland-s-aotea-square.html|archive-date=24 August 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Bayer |first1=Kurt |title=Covid 19 coronavirus: Hundreds turn out for anti-lockdown protests |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12362504 |access-date=5 September 2020 |work=[[The New Zealand Herald]] |date=5 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200905093331/https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12362504 |archive-date=5 September 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|date=2020-09-12|title=Advance Party and crowd rallies against Covid-19 restrictions and lockdowns|language=en-NZ|work=[[The New Zealand Herald]] |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12364413|access-date=2020-09-13|issn=1170-0777|archive-date=13 September 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200913195732/https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12364413|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
In January 2021, Te Kahika led a "freedom rally" outside the [[New Zealand Parliament]]; protestors opposed lockdown policies, while expressing support for US President [[Donald Trump]] and [[QAnon]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Walls |first1=Jason |title=Police keeping a close eye on controversial Billy TK 'freedom rally' outside Beehive |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/police-keeping-a-close-eye-on-controversial-billy-tk-freedom-rally-outside-beehive/4C2E3SYXDZPQZZA4CK2EC5T2MU/ |access-date=14 January 2021 |work=[[The New Zealand Herald]] |date=14 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210114104417/https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/police-keeping-a-close-eye-on-controversial-billy-tk-freedom-rally-outside-beehive/4C2E3SYXDZPQZZA4CK2EC5T2MU/ |archive-date=14 January 2021|url-status=live}}</ref> Following the reinstatement of lockdown restrictions in mid–August 2021 in response to a [[SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant|Delta variant]] community outbreak, anti-lockdown protests were staged in [[Auckland]], [[Tauranga]], [[Nelson, New Zealand|Nelson]], and [[Christchurch]]. Key participants included Te Kahika and far-right activist [[Kyle Chapman (New Zealand activist)|Kyle Champman]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Conspiracy theorist Billy TK arrested at anti-lockdown protest |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/449439/conspiracy-theorist-billy-tk-arrested-at-anti-lockdown-protest |access-date=18 August 2021 |work=[[Radio New Zealand]] |date=18 August 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210818053131/https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/449439/conspiracy-theorist-billy-tk-arrested-at-anti-lockdown-protest |archive-date=18 August 2021|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Lourens |first1=Marine |last2=Sherwood |first2=Sam |last3=McNeilly |first3=Hamish |title=Covid-19: Former far-Right leader to spend weekend behind bars after alleged lockdown breach |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/126131440/covid19-former-farright-leader-to-spend-weekend-behind-bars-after-alleged-lockdown-breach |access-date=20 August 2021 |work=[[Stuff (website)|Stuff]] |date=20 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210820040054/https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/126131440/covid19-former-farright-leader-to-spend-weekend-behind-bars-after-alleged-lockdown-breach|archive-date=20 August 2021|url-status=live}}</ref> In February 2022, [[Convoy 2022 New Zealand]] gathered outside parliament buildings and blocked streets in Wellington.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/461471/wellington-s-sky-stadium-offered-as-parking-to-free-up-parliament-streets-blocked-by-protesters |title=Wellington's Sky Stadium offered as parking to free up Parliament streets blocked by protesters |publisher=[[Radio New Zealand]] |date=14 February 2022 |accessdate=22 February 2022}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Papua New Guinea ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 pandemic in Papua New Guinea}}<br />
During the pandemic, attacks on health workers<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KbDVzLGCSGc | title=Violence against PNG health workers rises amid protests against COVID vaccinations &#124; ABC News | website=[[YouTube]] }}</ref> and vaccination teams<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/455215/mob-attacks-on-vaccination-teams-commonplace-in-png | title=Mob attacks on vaccination teams commonplace in PNG | website=[[Radio New Zealand]] | date=8 November 2021 }}</ref> in [[Papua New Guinea]] have occurred multiple times. Protests were banned nationwide due to the pandemic,<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.pngreport.com/covid-19/news/1420060/ban-on-png-protest-marches | title=Ban on PNG protest marches | date=22 October 2021 }}</ref> however they still occurred across the country, particularly in the capital, [[Port Moresby]],<ref>{{cite web | url=https://asiapacificreport.nz/2021/11/02/png-police-block-illegal-anti-vaxxer-rally-in-port-moresby-amid-fake-info/ | title=PNG police block illegal anti-vaxxer rally in Port Moresby amid fake info &#124; Asia Pacific Report | date=2 November 2021 }}</ref> as well as in [[Lae]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://crisis24.garda.com/alerts/2021/09/papua-new-guinea-additional-protests-possible-in-lae-through-at-least-mid-september-over-corporate-mandatory-vaccination-policies | title=Papua New Guinea: Additional protests possible in Lae through at least mid-September over corporate mandatory vaccination policies }}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Samoa ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 pandemic in Samoa}}<br />
On 8 May 2020, around 100 people protested new laws regarding COVID-19 in [[Samoa]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://monitor.civicus.org/updates/2020/05/21/protests-samoa-against-three-bills-could-undermine-judicial-independence-and-rule-law/ | title=Protests in Samoa against three bills that could undermine judicial independence and rule of law }}</ref> On 23 June 2022, more than 30 people protested vaccine mandates in Samoa.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.samoanews.com/protest-vaccine-mandate-demonstration | title=Protest the Vaccine Mandate" demonstration }}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Solomon Islands ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 pandemic in the Solomon Islands|2021 Solomon Islands unrest}}<br />
The [[2021 Solomon Islands unrest]] was partially caused by government mishandling of the pandemic.<br />
<br />
=== Vanuatu ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 pandemic in Vanuatu}}<br />
The [[Government of Vanuatu]] criticised a planned protest regarding COVID-19 involving church and youth groups. The protesters claimed that the [[Vanuatu Police Force|Police Commissioner]] had given them permission to protest, however the [[Deputy Prime Minister of Vanuatu|Deputy Prime Minister]] [[Ishmael Kalsakau]] said it could not go ahead as it was politically motivated. Protestors also claimed that at least two MPs (namely [[Andrew Napuat]] and [[John Salong]]) supported the protest.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/466907/vanuatu-govt-says-no-to-vaccine-protest-march | title=Vanuatu Govt says no to vaccine protest march | website=[[Radio New Zealand]] | date=11 May 2022 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://islandsbusiness.com/news-break/vanuatu-govt-halts-vaccine-protest-march/ | title=Vanuatu Govt halts vaccine protest march | date=12 May 2022 }}</ref><br />
<br />
== South America ==<br />
<br />
=== Argentina ===<br />
{{Main|2020–2021 Argentinian protests}}<br />
[[File:En busca de la libertad 01.jpg|thumb|180px|The [[17A]] protests on 17 August 2020]]<br />
On 25 May, during the [[First National Government|Anniversary of the First National Government]], protests erupted all over the country,<ref>{{Cite web|date=25 May 2020|title=Un reducido grupo de manifestantes protestó contra la cuarentena en la Plaza de Mayo|url=https://www.infobae.com/sociedad/2020/05/25/manifestantes-protestan-contra-la-cuarentena-en-la-plaza-de-mayo/|access-date=10 July 2020|website=infobae|language=es-ES|archive-date=4 June 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200604063409/https://www.infobae.com/sociedad/2020/05/25/manifestantes-protestan-contra-la-cuarentena-en-la-plaza-de-mayo/|url-status=live}}</ref> but predominantly in [[Buenos Aires]] and [[Córdoba, Argentina|Cordoba]]. The protest consisted mostly of small business owners demanding the local and national governments to be allowed to work, under a sanitary protocol. At this point, the stay-at-home order had been in place nationwide for 65 days.<br />
<br />
On 20 June, which is the country's [[Flag Day (Argentina)|National Flag Day]], the size of the protests had grown immensely compared to the previous ones held in late May.<ref>{{cite news|date=20 June 2020|title=En Twitter: cómo es el banderazo nacional contra la expropiación de Vicentin|url=https://www.lanacion.com.ar/politica/convocan-banderazo-nacional-republica-sabado-20-junio-nid2381945|access-date=10 July 2020|newspaper=La Nación|language=es|archive-date=6 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200706082841/https://www.lanacion.com.ar/politica/convocan-banderazo-nacional-republica-sabado-20-junio-nid2381945|url-status=live}}</ref> While business owners and workers were still calling for more workplaces to be allowed to operate, the government's attempt to expropriate Vicentín, a soy and wheat manufacturer and one of the largest exporting firms in the country, also sparked outrage and motivated protests in many provinces where agriculture plays a big role in their local economy, particularly in the [[Santa Fe Province]], where this business is located. Due to the huge backlash, president [[Alberto Fernández|Alberto Fernandez]] has decided to step down and not take over the company. Protests also took place in the city centre of most cities and at the gates of the [[Quinta de Olivos|presidential residence]]. While the lockdown had been lifted in most provinces and municipalities, it was still enforced in [[Greater Buenos Aires]], which represents around 60% of the Argentine economy. On this day, the stay-at-home order had been in place for 90 days, making it the longest mandatory quarantine in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.<ref>{{cite news|last=Goñi|first=Uki|date=17 June 2020|title=Argentina's president enters voluntary isolation amid coronavirus surge|language=en-GB|work=The Guardian|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jun/17/argentina-president-enters-voluntary-isolation-amid-coronavirus-surge|access-date=10 July 2020|issn=0261-3077|archive-date=10 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200710091442/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jun/17/argentina-president-enters-voluntary-isolation-amid-coronavirus-surge|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
On 9 July, the country's [[Argentine Declaration of Independence|Independence Day]], protests flared up once again.<ref>{{cite news|date=10 July 2020|title=Multitudinario banderazo contra el Gobierno en diferentes puntos del país|url=https://www.lanacion.com.ar/politica/comenzo-banderazo-federal-del-9-julio-nid2394297|access-date=10 July 2020|newspaper=La Nación|language=es|archive-date=9 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200709224416/https://www.lanacion.com.ar/politica/comenzo-banderazo-federal-del-9-julio-nid2394297|url-status=live}}</ref> In addition to workers and entrepreneurs asking to be allowed to work, many were angered by the fact that [[Lázaro Báez|Lazaro Baez]], who is serving jail time for money laundering and stealing from taxpayers' money and is associated with much of the government staff, could be eligible for parole. This incident, and the murder of Fabián Gutiérrez, who was ex-president [[Cristina Fernández de Kirchner|Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner]]'s secretary while she was in office, which many opposition affiliates believe was orchestrated by the administration and covered up as a "crime of passion" by two unknown men, also caused large outrage in some sectors of the population. This day marked 109 days since the lockdown was put in place in the Greater Buenos Aires area.{{citation needed|date=August 2021}}<br />
<br />
On 1 August, many opponents of Alberto Fernandez's government, and of [[Kirchnerism]] in general, took to the streets to rally against the judicial reform<br />
proposed by the administration. Many believe this is a way to absolve vice president Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner from her ongoing trials, and also a way to give [[Frente de Todos (2019 coalition)|the governing political party]] control over the [[Supreme Court of Argentina|judicial branch of government]], all disguised under the promise that this reform will make judges and trials fairer and less biased to certain ideologies or political parties. While the lockdown has not been completely lifted in Buenos Aires, many activities and businesses are now allowed to take place again since mid-July, and a re-opening scheme with various stages has been designed and put in place, although with no strict dates. However, many companies, such as restaurants or bars for instance, still cannot open and many business owners are uncertain of how much more they can endure with their doors closed.<br />
<br />
On 17 August, the General José de San Martín Memorial Day, a public holiday which commemorates Argentine liberator and army general [[José de San Martín]], protesters gathered once again on the city centres of the main Argentine cities for the same reasons as the previous one, 16 days prior. This manifestation was backed by many political figures from the [[Juntos por el Cambio]], [[Frente Despertar]], [[Fuerza Unidaria Argentina]], opposition forces, near liberal, libertarian and survivalist groups. Some, however, have decided to not publicly support the protests, most notably [[Horacio Rodríguez Larreta]], mayor of Buenos Aires.<br />
<br />
=== Brazil ===<br />
====2020====<br />
{{Main|2020 Brazilian protests}}<br />
On 18 March, Brazilians in [[São Paulo]] and [[Rio de Janeiro]] protested [[Jair Bolsonaro]]'s handling of the pandemic by [[banging pots and pans]] on their balconies and shouting "Bolsonaro out!"<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-51955679 |title=Coronavirus protest in Brazil sees millions bang pots from balconies |date=19 March 2020 |work=BBC |access-date=13 May 2020 |archive-date=22 March 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200322135850/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-51955679 |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
On 19 April, Brazil's [[Armed Forces Day]], Bolsonaro gathered with about 600 protesters in front of the Army's headquarters in [[Brasília|Brasilia]] to demand a "military intervention" into the handling of the coronavirus situation. Smaller protests calling for governors to resign occurred the previous day in [[Rio de Janeiro]], [[São Paulo]] and Brasilia.<ref>{{cite web|title=Brazil's Bolsonaro joins protest against coronavirus restrictions &#124; Coronavirus pandemic News|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/04/brazil-bolsonaro-joins-protest-coronavirus-curbs-200420042616860.html|date=20 April 2020|publisher=Al Jazeera|access-date=27 April 2020|archive-date=19 September 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200919230255/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/04/brazil-bolsonaro-joins-protest-coronavirus-curbs-200420042616860.html|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
====2021====<br />
{{Main|2021 Brazilian protests}}<br />
[[File:Fora Bolsonaro em Campinas 29.05.2021 01.jpg|thumb|Protest against the government of President Bolsonaro in [[Campinas]] on 29 May 2021]]<br />
[[File:Ato do Movimento Brasil Verde e Amarelo - 51181481168.jpg|thumb|Pro-government protest in [[Brasília]] on 15 May 2021]]<br />
[[File:Ato do Movimento Brasil Verde e Amarelo - 51180579797.jpg|thumb|Bolsonaro flies over protests in [[Brasília]] on 15 May 2021]]<br />
<br />
On 1 May, protest in favor of [[Jair Bolsonaro]] happened around the country. The protesters demanded the end of lockdowns, as well as a military intervention on the judicial and legislative branches of power. The protests happened in many Brazilian cities, occupying avenues such as [[Paulista Avenue|Avenida Paulista]]. Bolsonaro flew by helicopter over the protests in Brasilia, where there were also protests against his government.<ref>{{cite web|title=Fortaleza tem manifestação a favor de Bolsonaro neste 1º de maio; 17 são detidos|url=https://g1.globo.com/ce/ceara/noticia/2021/05/01/fortaleza-registra-manifestacao-a-favor-de-bolsonaro-neste-1ode-maio.ghtml#|date=1 May 2021|publisher=G1|access-date=3 May 2021|archive-date=3 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210503180447/https://g1.globo.com/ce/ceara/noticia/2021/05/01/fortaleza-registra-manifestacao-a-favor-de-bolsonaro-neste-1ode-maio.ghtml|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Bolsonaro sobrevoa de helicóptero manifestação a seu favor no DF|url=https://noticias.r7.com/distrito-federal/bolsonaro-sobrevoa-de-helicoptero-manifestacao-a-seu-favor-no-df-01052021#/foto/1|date=1 May 2021|publisher=R7|access-date=3 May 2021|archive-date=2 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210502160600/https://noticias.r7.com/distrito-federal/bolsonaro-sobrevoa-de-helicoptero-manifestacao-a-seu-favor-no-df-01052021#/foto/1|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Manifestações pró e contra Bolsonaro tomam conta da Esplanada|url=https://www.metropoles.com/brasil/manifestacoes-pro-e-contra-bolsonaro-tomam-conta-da-esplanada|date=1 May 2021|publisher=Metrópoles|access-date=3 May 2021|archive-date=3 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210503180449/https://www.metropoles.com/brasil/manifestacoes-pro-e-contra-bolsonaro-tomam-conta-da-esplanada|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Feriado do Dia do Trabalho tem manifestações em cidades do RS|url=https://g1.globo.com/rs/rio-grande-do-sul/noticia/2021/05/01/feriado-do-dia-do-trabalho-tem-manifestacoes-em-cidades-do-rs.ghtml|date=1 May 2021|publisher=G1|access-date=3 May 2021|archive-date=1 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210501233653/https://g1.globo.com/rs/rio-grande-do-sul/noticia/2021/05/01/feriado-do-dia-do-trabalho-tem-manifestacoes-em-cidades-do-rs.ghtml|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Cidades no Sul de MG registram manifestações a favor do governo Bolsonaro neste 1º de maio|url=https://g1.globo.com/mg/sul-de-minas/noticia/2021/05/01/cidades-registram-manifestacoes-a-favor-do-governo-bolsonaro-neste-1o-de-maio-no-sul-de-mg.ghtml|date=1 May 2021|publisher=G1|access-date=3 May 2021|archive-date=1 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210501161952/https://g1.globo.com/mg/sul-de-minas/noticia/2021/05/01/cidades-registram-manifestacoes-a-favor-do-governo-bolsonaro-neste-1o-de-maio-no-sul-de-mg.ghtml|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Brasil. Milhares de pessoas nas ruas para apoiar Bolsonaro no Dia do Trabalhador|url=https://www.rtp.pt/noticias/mundo/brasil-milhares-de-pessoas-nas-ruas-para-apoiar-bolsonaro-no-dia-do-trabalhador_v1316831|date=2 May 2021|publisher=RTP Notícias|access-date=4 May 2021|archive-date=3 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210503190106/https://www.rtp.pt/noticias/mundo/brasil-milhares-de-pessoas-nas-ruas-para-apoiar-bolsonaro-no-dia-do-trabalhador_v1316831|url-status=live}}</ref>{{citation needed|date=August 2021}}<br />
<br />
===Chile===<br />
{{Main|2019–2020 Chilean protests#2020 protests}}<br />
<br />
On 18 March, riots took place at the communes of [[El Bosque, Chile|El Bosque]], [[La Pintana]], and other communes in the [[Santiago Metropolitan Region]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.emol.com/noticias/Nacional/2020/05/18/986529/Protestas-incidentes-comuna-El-Bosque.html|title=Protestas en la comuna de El Bosque: Vecinos denuncian falta de alimentos en medio de cuarentena &#124; Emol.com|date=18 May 2020|website=Emol|access-date=24 May 2020|archive-date=25 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200525033923/https://www.emol.com/noticias/Nacional/2020/05/18/986529/Protestas-incidentes-comuna-El-Bosque.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Rioters are denouncing the [[hunger]] resulting from the partial and total lockdowns in the region. They claim that the lockdowns have left them without work and means of sustenance.<br />
<br />
=== Colombia ===<br />
{{Main|2021 Colombian protests}}<br />
[[File:Paro Nacional Colombia (51185625987).jpg|thumb|Protesters in [[Medellín]], Colombia on 1 May 2021]]<br />
In April 2021, President [[Iván Duque Márquez|Iván Duque]] proposed increased taxes at a time when the [[COVID-19 pandemic in Colombia]] was beginning to worsen as various healthcare systems were failing throughout the country. A series of protests began in [[Colombia]] on 28 April 2021 against increased taxes, corruption, and health care reform.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/more-subdued-second-day-colombia-tax-reform-protests-2021-04-29/ |title=More subdued second day of Colombia tax reform protests |last=Acosta |first=Luis |date=29 April 2021 |website=[[Reuters]] |url-status=live |archive-date=1 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210501195325/https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/more-subdued-second-day-colombia-tax-reform-protests-2021-04-29/ }}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Ecuador ===<br />
{{main|2020 Ecuadorian protests}}<br />
The 2020 demonstrations in Ecuador were a series of national mobilizations carried out in May 2020, after the announcement of economic measures by the government of [[Lenín Moreno]] adopted due to the serious health and economic crisis generated by the [[COVID-19 pandemic in Ecuador]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Coronavirus: Ecuador protests against cuts amid pandemic |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-52803400 |publisher=BBC News |date=26 May 2020 |access-date=16 July 2021 |archive-date=16 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210716083730/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-52803400 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Police Beat and Injure Ecuador's Covid-19 Protesters |url=https://www.hrw.org/news/2020/05/25/police-beat-and-injure-ecuadors-covid-19-protesters |work=Human Rights Watch |date=25 May 2020 |access-date=16 July 2021 |archive-date=16 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210716083730/https://www.hrw.org/news/2020/05/25/police-beat-and-injure-ecuadors-covid-19-protesters |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
===Paraguay===<br />
{{main|2021 Paraguayan protests}}<br />
<br />
On 5 March, protests broke out across Paraguay due to the lack of efficient government response against the [[COVID-19 pandemic in Paraguay|pandemic in the country]]. The protests gathered thousands of people, and left hundreds of injured. It culminated in the resignation of the then health minister [[Julio Mazzoleni]].<br />
<br />
== See also ==<br />
{{Commons category|Protests related to the COVID-19 pandemic}}<br />
* [[Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on politics]]<br />
* [[National responses to the COVID-19 pandemic]]<br />
* [[Strikes during the COVID-19 pandemic]]<br />
* [[Face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic]]<br />
** [[Face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States]]<br />
* [[Cholera Riots|Cholera riots]]<br />
{{clear}}<br />
<br />
== References ==<br />
{{reflist}}<br />
<br />
{{COVID-19 pandemic}}<br />
{{COVID-19 pandemic in the United States}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:2020 protests]]<br />
[[Category:2021 protests]]<br />
[[Category:2022 protests]]<br />
[[Category:Protests over responses to the COVID-19 pandemic| ]]<br />
[[Category:Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on politics]]</div>Boackandwhitehttps://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Third_Indochina_War&diff=1262691381Third Indochina War2024-12-12T18:08:09Z<p>Boackandwhite: </p>
<hr />
<div>{{Short description|Wars in Indochina following the American withdrawal from Vietnam}}<br />
{{Use American English|date=January 2019}}<br />
<br />
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2019}}{{Infobox military conflict<br />
| conflict = Third Indochina War<br />
| partof = the [[Indochina Wars]], the [[Cold War]], and the [[Sino-Soviet split]]<br />
| image = Indochina 1979 map de.svg<br />
| caption = <br />
| date = {{nowrap|1 May 1975{{spaced ndash}}23 October 1991}}<br />{{nowrap|({{Age in years, months, weeks and days|month1=05|day1=01|year1=1975|month2=10|day2=23|year2=1991}})}}<br />
<br />
Still continuing as Low Intensity Conflict in Laos from 2007<br />
| place = [[Vietnam]], [[Laos]], [[Cambodia]], [[Thailand]], [[China]]<br />
| result = [[1991 Paris Peace Accords]]<ref name="max">{{cite web |url=http://www.mpil.de/files/pdf2/mpunyb_keller_9_127_178.pdf |title= UNTAC in Cambodia – from Occupation, Civil War and Genocide to Peace - The Paris Peace Conference in 1989 |publisher=Max-Planck-Institut für ausländisches öffentliches Recht und Völkerrecht |author=Lucy Keller |access-date=March 31, 2018}}</ref><ref name="OHCHR">{{cite web |url=http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/Cambodia-20yearsonfromtheParisPeace.aspx |title= Cambodia - 20 years on from the Paris Peace Agreements |publisher=OHCHR |date=October 21, 2011 |access-date=March 31, 2018}}</ref><br />
* Removal of the [[Khmer Rouge]] from power<br />
* End of the [[Cambodian genocide]]<br />
* [[People's Republic of Kampuchea|Pro-Vietnamese]] government installed in Cambodia<br />
* China withdraws from Vietnam after [[Sino-Vietnamese War|27 days of fighting]]<br />
* [[Communist Party of Thailand]] abandons [[Communist insurgency in Thailand|armed struggle]]<br />
* Vietnam withdraws from Cambodia in 1989<br />
* 1990 Chengdu summit leads to the normalization of relations between China and Vietnam<br />
* Restoration of the [[House of Norodom]] in Cambodia<br />
* [[Insurgency in Laos]] ([[low-intensity conflict]])<br />
| combatant1 = {{flag|China}}<br />
<br>{{flagdeco|Cambodia|1975}} [[Democratic Kampuchea]] (until 1979/82)<br>{{flagdeco|Cambodia|1975}} [[Coalition Government of Democratic Kampuchea|CGDK]] (after 1982)<br />
* {{flagdeco|Cambodia|1975}} [[Khmer Rouge|PDK]]<br />
* {{flagdeco|Cambodia}} [[FUNCINPEC]]<br />
* {{flagdeco|Cambodia|1970}} [[Khmer People's National Liberation Front|KPNLF]]<br />
{{flagdeco|Laos|1952}} [[Royal Lao Government in Exile|Lao royalists]]<br>{{flagicon image|Hmong Flag (UNPO).svg}} [[Hmong people|Hmong insurgents]]<br>{{flagicon image|Flag of FULRO.svg}} [[United Front for the Liberation of Oppressed Races|FULRO]]<br>{{flag|Thailand}}<br />
'''Supported by:'''<br>{{flag|United Kingdom}}<br>{{flag|United States}}<br><br />
| combatant2 = {{Flag|Vietnam}}<br>{{flag|Laos}}<br>{{flag|People's Republic of Kampuchea}} (until 1989)<br>{{flag|State of Cambodia}} (from 1989)<br />
'''Supported by:'''<br>{{flag|People's Socialist Republic of Albania|name=Albania}}<ref>{{cite web |url=https://cambodiatokampuchea.files.wordpress.com/2015/08/1978_hands-off-vietnam0001.pdf |title=Outside Interference in Vietnamese Affairs Condemned |date=July 20, 1978 |website=www.cambodiatokampuchea.wordpress.com}}</ref><br>{{flag|Czechoslovak Socialist Republic|name=Czechoslovakia}}<br>{{flag|Soviet Union}}<br>{{flag|Cuba}}<br />
| combatant3 = {{flagicon image|Flag of the Communist Party of Thailand.svg}} [[Communist Party of Thailand]]<br />
* [[Pak Mai]]<br />
'''Supported by:'''<br>{{flagicon image|Flag of the Communist Party of Malaya.svg}} [[Malayan Communist Party]]<br />
| commander1 = {{plainlist|<br />
* {{flagdeco|China}} [[Hua Guofeng]]<br />([[Chairman of the Chinese Communist Party|CCP Chairman]], [[Premier of the People's Republic of China|Premier]])<br />
* {{flagdeco|China}} [[Deng Xiaoping]]<br />([[People's Liberation Army General Staff Department|PLA Chief of Staff]])<br />
* {{flagdeco|China}} [[Ye Jianying]]<br />([[Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress|National Congress Chairman]])<br />
* {{flagdeco|China}} [[Xu Xiangqian]]<br />([[Ministry of National Defense of the People's Republic of China|Defense Minister]])<br />
* {{flagdeco|China}} [[Yang Dezhi]]<br />(Commander of the [[Kunming Military Region]])<br />
* {{flagdeco|China}} [[Xu Shiyou]]<br />(Commander of the [[Guangzhou Military Region]])<br />
}}{{ubl|{{flagdeco|Cambodia|1975}} [[Pol Pot]]|{{flagdeco|Cambodia|1975}} [[Khieu Samphan]]|{{flagdeco|Cambodia|1975}} [[Ieng Sary]] | {{flagdeco|Cambodia|1970}} [[Son Sann]]|{{flagdeco|Cambodia|1970}} [[Dien Del]]|{{flagdeco|Cambodia}} [[Norodom Sihanouk]]}}|<br />
| commander2 = {{ubl|{{flagdeco|Vietnam}} [[Lê Duẩn]] |{{flagdeco|Vietnam}} [[Trường Chinh]] |{{flagdeco|Vietnam}} [[Nguyễn Văn Linh]] |{{flagdeco|Vietnam}} [[Võ Nguyên Giáp]] |{{flagdeco|Vietnam}} [[Văn Tiến Dũng]]|{{flagdeco|Vietnam}} [[Lê Đức Anh]]|{{flagdeco|Vietnam}} [[Vũ Lập]]| {{flagdeco|Vietnam}} [[Đàm Quang Trung]] | {{flagdeco|Cambodia|1979}} [[Heng Samrin]]| {{flagdeco|Cambodia|1979}} [[Hun Sen]]| {{flagdeco|Cambodia|1989}} [[Chea Sim]]| {{flagdeco|Cambodia|1979}} [[Pen Sovan]]| {{flagdeco|Cambodia|1979}} [[Chan Sy]]}}|<br />
| commander3 = Unknown<br />
| strength1 = ~800,000 military<br />
| strength2 = ~430,000 military<br />
| strength3 = Unknown<br />
| casualties1 = ~310,000 military deaths<br />
| casualties2 = '''Vietnam:'''<br>105,627 military deaths<ref>[http://datafile.chinhsachquandoi.gov.vn/Qu%E1%BA%A3n%20l%C3%BD%20ch%E1%BB%89%20%C4%91%E1%BA%A1o/Chuy%C3%AAn%20%C4%91%E1%BB%81%204.doc Chuyên đề 4 CÔNG TÁC TÌM KIẾM, QUY TẬP HÀI CỐT LIỆT SĨ TỪ NAY ĐẾN NĂM 2020 VÀ NHỮNG NĂM TIẾP THEO, datafile.chinhsachquandoi.gov.vn/Quản%20lý%20chỉ%20đạo/Chuyên%20đề%204.doc]</ref><br />
| casualties3 = Unknown<br />
| notes = <br />
| campaignbox = {{Campaignbox Indochina Wars}}<br />
}}<br />
<br />
The '''Third Indochina War''' was a series of interconnected armed conflicts, mainly among the various communist factions over strategic influence in [[Indochina]] after Communist victory in South Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia in 1975.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite book |last=Ang |first=Cheng Guan |url=https://books.google.com/books/about/The_Third_Indochina_War.html?id=uyXS0AEACAAJ&source=kp_book_description&redir_esc=y |title=The Third Indochina War: An International History |date=2024 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=978-1-009-56007-8 |language=en}}</ref> The conflict primarily started due to continued raids and incursions by the [[Khmer Rouge]] into Vietnamese territory that they sought to retake. These incursions would result in the [[Cambodian–Vietnamese War]] in which the newly unified Vietnam overthrew the [[Pol Pot]] regime and the Khmer Rouge, in turn ending the [[Cambodian genocide]]. Vietnam had installed a government led by many opponents of Pol Pot, most notably [[Hun Sen]], a former Khmer Rouge commander. This led to Vietnam's occupation of Cambodia for over a decade. The Vietnamese push to completely destroy the Khmer Rouge led to them conducting [[Vietnamese border raids in Thailand|border raids in Thailand]] against those who had provided sanctuary.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://opus.macmillan.yale.edu/workpaper/pdfs/GS24.pdf |title= Second Life, Second Death: The Khmer Rouge After 1978 |author=Kelvin Rowley |publisher= Swinburne University of Technology |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160216054030/http://opus.macmillan.yale.edu/workpaper/pdfs/GS24.pdf |access-date=March 11, 2018|archive-date= February 16, 2016 }}</ref><ref name="global">{{cite web| url=https://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/war/cambodia3-3.htm | title= 1978-1979 - Vietnamese Invasion of Cambodia | publisher=GlobalSecurity| access-date=March 11, 2018}}</ref><br />
<br />
China strongly objected to the invasion of Cambodia. Chinese armed forces launched a punitive operation ([[Sino-Vietnamese War]]) in February 1979 and attacked Vietnam's northern provinces, determined to contain Soviet/Vietnamese influence and prevent territorial gains in the region.<ref>{{cite journal|author=Bernard K. Gordon|date=September 1986|title=The Third Indochina Conflict|url=https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/asia/1986-09-01/third-indochina-conflict|journal=Foreign Affairs|volume=65 |issue=Fall 1986|access-date=March 11, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=The 1979 campaign|url=https://wss.apan.org/s/TRADOCTraining/TTC%20Materials/Class%20Readings/%28U%29%20Dowd%20%28UNK%29%20Overview%20Ch%204%20Chinese%20Military%20Strategy%20in%20the%20Third%20Indochina%20War%20-%20Edward%20O%27dowd.pdf|access-date=March 31, 2018|publisher=All Partners Access Network|archive-date=July 6, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200706051545/https://wss.apan.org/s/TRADOCTraining/TTC%20Materials/Class%20Readings/%28U%29%20Dowd%20%28UNK%29%20Overview%20Ch%204%20Chinese%20Military%20Strategy%20in%20the%20Third%20Indochina%20War%20-%20Edward%20O%27dowd.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref><br />
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In order to acquire full control over Cambodia the [[People's Army of Vietnam]] needed to dislodge the remaining Khmer Rouge leaders and units, which had retreated to the remote areas along the Thai-Cambodian border.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1696&dat=19850102&id=zhIbAAAAIBAJ&pg=6730,188774 |title= Viets shell Cambodian positions... |date=January 2, 1985 |access-date=March 11, 2018}}</ref> After the Paris Peace Conference in 1989, the [[People's Army of Vietnam|PAVN]] withdrew from Cambodian territory. Finally regular troop engagements in the region ended after the conclusion of the [[1991 Paris Peace Accords]].<ref name="max">{{cite web |url=http://www.mpil.de/files/pdf2/mpunyb_keller_9_127_178.pdf |title= UNTAC in Cambodia – from Occupation, Civil War and Genocide to Peace - The Paris Peace Conference in 1989 |publisher=Max-Planck-Institut für ausländisches öffentliches Recht und Völkerrecht |author=Lucy Keller |access-date=March 31, 2018}}</ref><ref name="OHCHR">{{cite web |url=http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/Cambodia-20yearsonfromtheParisPeace.aspx |title= Cambodia - 20 years on from the Paris Peace Agreements |publisher=OHCHR |date=October 21, 2011 |access-date=March 31, 2018}}</ref><br />
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In Laos, an [[insurgency in Laos|insurgency]] is still ongoing, though to a lesser extent since 2007, with the government being supported by both China and Vietnam.<br />
<br />
==Background==<br />
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===Soviet-Chinese discord===<br />
{{Main|Vietnam War|Sino-Soviet split}}<br />
After [[Joseph Stalin]]'s death in 1953,<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/joseph-stalin-dies|title=Joseph Stalin dies - Mar 05, 1953|work=HISTORY.com|access-date=2017-04-24}}</ref> [[Nikita Khrushchev]] became leader of the Soviet Union. His denouncement of Stalin and his purges, the [[Khrushchev Thaw|introduction of more moderate communist policies]] and foreign policy of [[peaceful coexistence]] with the West angered China's leadership. [[Mao Zedong]] had been following a strict [[Stalinism|Stalinistic]] course, that insisted on the cult of personality as a unifying force of the nation.<ref>{{cite web |last=Clines |first=Francis X. |title=Soviets, After 33 Years, Publish Khrushchev's Anti-Stalin Speech |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1989/04/06/world/soviets-after-33-years-publish-khrushchev-s-anti-stalin-speech.html |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=6 April 1989 |access-date=29 February 2016}}</ref> Disagreements over technical assistance for developing China's nuclear weapons and basic economic policies further alienated the Soviets and the Chinese as opposing forces of communist influence across the globe. As decolonization movements began to pick up speed in the 1960s and many such countries descended into violence, both of the communist powers competed for political control of the various nations or competing factions in ongoing civil war fights.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.marxists.org/history/erol/uk.ebbingtide/powell-china.htm |title= Chinese Communist Critiques of Soviet Society |author= Harry Powell | publisher= Encyclopedia of Anti-Revisionism |access-date=March 11, 2018}}</ref> Ever more diverging Chinese and Soviet strategic and political doctrines had increased the [[Sino-Soviet split]] of the mid-1950s.<br />
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===Political developments during the Vietnam War===<br />
<br />
<!-- EDITORIAL NOTE: Meanwhile in Indochina, since 1952 American Forces had been fighting against the communist [[Democratic Republic of Vietnam]], which was secured in the North of the country, while it supported the anti-communist [[Republic of Vietnam]]. This fighting often spilt over into Vietnam's neighbours, especially as the [[John F. Kennedy]]'s administration began U.S. involvement in the war proper, and as the [[Richard Nixon]]'s administration tried to escalate the war in its later stages. This escalation led to the destabilisation of Vietnamese neighbours. As the Vietnam War progressed, American involvement lessened, and by 1975 American troops had completely left the country. This allowed the communist Vietnamese to enter Saigon largely unopposed and declared themselves the sole government of Vietnam. While at first closer to the Chinese, due to assistance during the war and general closeness, the government soon drifted apart, due to ideological differences, and pressures from Russia. === Cambodia ===<br />
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After the 1954 [[Geneva Conference (1954)|Geneva Conference]], Cambodia restored its monarchy under the authoritarian and isolationist regime of Prince Norodom Sihanouk, who sought to be neutral as the region descended into violence.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://factsanddetails.com/southeast-asia/Cambodia/sub5_2a/entry-2847.html|title=CAMBODIA UNDER SIHANOUK, 1954-70 {{!}} Facts and Details|last=Hays|first=Jeffrey|website=factsanddetails.com|language=en|access-date=2017-04-24}}</ref> Cambodia, however, descended into political violence further in 1968 after a group of Maoist-influenced rebels rose up in the nation and began an insurgency against the royalist forces, led by [[Pol Pot]] and calling themselves the [[Khmer Rouge]]. During this time, Vietnamese forces, under attack by U.S. troops, fled into Cambodia, expanding the Ho Chi Minh Trail into the nation, and established camps to continue the war on a front with South Vietnam. Sihanouk saw these forces as equal threats against his rule and began a brutal campaign against all communist forces in the country, especially in the northeast.<br />
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The U.S. meanwhile began to view Sihanouk as more and more of a threat to the ongoing war efforts in the region. This is because during the opening stages of the Khmer Rouge insurgency Sihanouk had cut off diplomatic relations with America, and his movement into the northeast had caused [[ARVN]] advisors to begin fearing of a Cambodian invasion. As a result, America began a bombing campaign into Cambodia. The bombing, and the subsequent invasion by the U.S. military and destabilised the nation. In 1970, a U.S. backed coup ousted Sihanouk and established the Khmer Republic. Though initially liked by the elite of Cambodia, the republic became more and more dictatorial as the war against the Khmer Rouge continued.<br />
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During this time, America continued its bombing campaign against Cambodia, leading to huge amounts of civilian deaths. The Khmer Rouge used the campaign as recruiting material for the largely ignored and angry peasantry of Cambodia. The Khmer Rouge also started to centralise around [[Pol Pot]], who took power in 1962. Pot took the opportunity to purge the party, and the party became increasingly focused around the worship of Pol Pot. The Khmer Republic fell in April 1975, when the Khmer Rouge entered Phnom Penh, and ousted the Republican government, officially declaring allegiance to Pol Pot.--><br />
The [[Democratic Republic of Vietnam]] (North Vietnam), which had chosen to ally with the USSR, justified incursions into neighbouring Laos and Cambodia during the Second Indochinese War by reference to the international nature of communist revolution, where "Indochina is a single strategic unit, a single battlefield" and the [[Vietnam People's Army]]'s pivotal role in bringing this about.<ref name=Thay>{{cite web |url=https://www.scribd.com/document/24972227/Thayer-The-Sino-Vietnamese-Border-War-1986-87 |title= SECURITY ISSUES IN SOUTHEAST ASIA: THE THIRD INDOCHINA WAR |publisher=SCRIBD |author=Carlyle A. Thayer |access-date=March 31, 2018}}</ref> However, this internationalism was obstructed by complicated regional historical realities, such as the "timeless oppositions between the Chinese and the Vietnamese on the one hand and the Vietnamese and the Khmers on the other".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://cgoscha.uqam.ca/wp-content/uploads/sites/28/2016/09/Vietnam-the-third-indochina-war.pdf |title= Vietnam, the Third Indochina War and the meltdown of Asian internationalism, p. 161 |publisher=UQAM - Université du Québec à Montréal |author= Christopher E. Goscha|access-date=March 31, 2018}}</ref> North Vietnam intervened in the civil war between the Royal Lao Army and the communist Pathet Lao until the establishment of the [[Lao People's Democratic Republic]] and the "Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation" signed in July 1977. Permanently stationed North Vietnamese troops secured and maintained vital supply routes and strategic staging sites ([[Ho Chi Minh trail]]).<ref name=Thay/> From 1958 on, Northern and Southern Vietnamese combat troops also began to infiltrate the remote jungles of eastern Cambodia where they continued the Ho Chi Minh trail. The Cambodian communist insurgents had joined these sanctuaries during the late 1960s. Although co-operation took place, the Khmer communists did not adopt modern socialist doctrines and eventually allied with China.<ref>{{cite book| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1be-AAAAQBAJ&q=Second+Indochina+War+cambodia&pg=PA21 | title= The Second Indochina War: A Concise Political and Military History |author= William S. Turley | date= 2008-10-17| publisher= Rowman & Littlefield Publishers | access-date=March 31, 2018| isbn= 9780742557451 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h1888.html | title= America's Vietnam War in Indochina War in Cambodia | publisher=US History | access-date= March 31, 2018}}</ref><br />
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The complete American withdrawal instantaneously eliminated the principal and common adversary of all the communist powers.<ref name="jstor">{{Cite journal|author=William S. Turley, Jeffrey Race|year=1980|title=The Third Indochina War|journal=Foreign Policy|issue=38|pages=92–116|doi=10.2307/1148297|jstor=1148297|s2cid=158492536 }}</ref> The communist regimes of Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos pledged allegiance with one of these two opposing factions.<br />
<br />
==Cambodian-Vietnamese war==<br />
{{Main|Khmer Rouge–Vietnamese War|Cambodian Conflict (1979–1998)}}<br />
<!-- EDITORIAL NOTE: After the signing of the peace accords that ended the Second Indochina War North Vietnam spent two years rebuilding its military; South Vietnam was hamstrung in its responses by a fear the U.S. Congress would cut off all aid if it took military action against communist buildup. Its army lacked reserves, while the NVA was growing.--><br />
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[[File:Cheung Ek - Killing Fields Site - Cambodia - 01.JPG|thumb|The [[Khmer Rouge]] killed between 1.6 and 1.8 million Cambodians during the Cambodian Genocide. The Khmer Rouge also invaded Ba Chúc, Vietnam and massacred 3,157 Vietnamese civilians, which prompted Vietnam to invade Cambodia and overthrow the regime.]]<br />
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After the [[Fall of Saigon]] and [[Fall of Phnom Penh|Phnom Penh]] in April and May 1975 and the subsequent communist takeover in Laos five months later, Indochina was dominated by communist regimes. Armed border clashes between Cambodia and Vietnam soon flared up and escalated as Khmer Rouge forces advanced deep into Vietnamese territory and raided villages, killing hundreds of civilians. Vietnam counterattacked and in December 1978, NVA troops invaded Cambodia, reaching Phnom Penh in January 1979 and arriving at the Thai border in spring 1979.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-29106034 |title= Vietnam's forgotten Cambodian war |date= September 14, 2014|author=Kevin Doyle | publisher= BBC |access-date=March 31, 2018|work= BBC News }}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=http://www.historynet.com/vietnam-war|title=Vietnam War - Facts, information and articles about The Vietnam War |publisher=HistoryNet|language=en-US|access-date=March 31, 2018}}</ref><br />
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However, as China, the U.S. and the majority of the international community opposed the Vietnamese campaign, the remaining Khmer Rouge managed to permanently settle in the Thai-Cambodian border region. In a United Nations Security Council meeting, seven non-aligned members drafted a resolution for a ceasefire and Vietnamese withdrawal which failed due to opposition from the Soviet Union and Czechoslovakia.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Bangladesh, Bolivia, Gabon, Jamaica, Kuwait, Nigeria and Zambia: draft resolution |website=[[United Nations Digital Library]] |date=January 15, 1979 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231225120837/https://digitallibrary.un.org/nanna/record/1575/files/S_13027-EN.pdf?withWatermark=0&withMetadata=0&version=1&registerDownload=1 |archive-date=December 25, 2023 |url=https://digitallibrary.un.org/record/1575?ln=en&v=pdf}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=United Nations Security Council Official Records: Thirty-Fourth Year — 2112th Meeting: January 15, 1979 |website=[[United Nations]] Document System |date=May 4, 1982 |page=3 |url=https://documents.un.org/doc/undoc/gen/nl7/900/09/pdf/nl790009.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241001021403/https://documents.un.org/doc/undoc/gen/nl7/900/09/pdf/nl790009.pdf |archive-date=October 1, 2024}}</ref> Thailand tolerated the presence of the Khmer Rouge on its soil as they helped to contain the Vietnamese and Thai domestic guerillas. Over the course of the following decade, the Khmer Rouge received considerable support from Vietnam's enemies and served as a bargaining tool in the [[Realpolitik]] of Thailand, China, the [[Association of Southeast Asian Nations|ASEAN]] and the U.S.<ref>{{cite web|url = https://object.cato.org/sites/cato.org/files/pubs/pdf/pa074.pdf |title = U.S. Aid to Anti-Communist Rebels: The "Reagan Doctrine" and Its Pitfalls|author=Ted Galen Carpenter |publisher=Cato Institute |access-date =March 31, 2018}}</ref><ref name=max/><br />
<br />
===Vietnamese-Thailand conflict===<br />
{{main|Vietnamese border raids in Thailand}} <br />
Khmer Rouge forces operated from inside Thai territory attacking the pro-Hanoi People's Republic of Kampuchea's government. Similarly Vietnamese forces frequently attacked the Khmer Rouge bases inside Thailand. Eventually Thai and Vietnamese regular troops clashed on several occasions during the following decade.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1384&dat=19800625&id=QJcWAAAAIBAJ&pg=7061,5377431 |title=Vietnam, Thai clash continues |publisher=Star News |date=June 25, 1980 |access-date=March 31, 2018 |archive-date=March 8, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210308215214/https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1384&dat=19800625&id=QJcWAAAAIBAJ&pg=7061,5377431 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The situation escalated as Thailand's territorial sovereignty was violated on numerous occasions. Heavy fighting with many casualties resulted from direct confrontations between Vietnamese and Thai troops. Thailand increased troop strength, purchased new equipment and built a diplomatic front against Vietnam.<ref name="jstor" /><br />
<br />
==Sino-Vietnamese conflicts==<br />
{{Main|Sino-Vietnamese War|Sino-Vietnamese conflicts, 1979–1991}}<br />
<br />
China attacked Vietnam in response to Vietnam's occupation of Cambodia, entered northern Vietnam and captured several cities near the border. On March 6, 1979, China declared that their punitive mission had been successful and withdrew from Vietnam. However, both China and Vietnam claimed victory. The fact that Vietnamese forces continued to stay in Cambodia for another decade implies that China's campaign was a strategic failure. On the other hand, the conflict had proven that China had succeeded in preventing effective Soviet support for its Vietnamese ally.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/war/vietnam3.htm |title= The Third Indochina War | publisher= Global Security |access-date=March 11, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Elleman|first=Bruce A.|title=Modern Chinese Warfare, 1795-1989|url=https://archive.org/details/modernchinesewar00elle|url-access=limited|year=2001|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-0415214742|page=[https://archive.org/details/modernchinesewar00elle/page/n309 297]}}</ref><br />
<br />
As forces remained mobilized, the Vietnamese Army and the Chinese [[People's Liberation Army]] engaged in another decade-long series of border disputes and naval clashes that lasted until 1990. These mostly local engagements usually wore out in prolonged stand-offs, as neither side achieved any long-term military gains. By the late 1980s the Vietnamese Communist Party's (VCP) began to adopt its ''Doi Moi'' (renovation) policy and reconsider its China policy in particular. Prolonged hostile relations with China had been recognized as to be detrimental to economic reforms, national security and the regime's survival. A number of political concessions opened the way for the normalization process of 1991.<ref>{{Cite journal|title= Vietnam's Domestic–Foreign Policy Nexus: Doi Moi, Foreign Policy Reform, and Sino Vietnamese Normalization |journal= Asian Politics & Policy |volume= 5 |issue= 3 |pages= 387–406 |date= June 26, 2013 |author=Le Hong Hiep |doi= 10.1111/aspp.12035 }}</ref><br />
<br />
==Regional conflicts==<br />
* The [[Insurgency in Laos]]<br />
* The [[Communist insurgency in Thailand]]<br />
* The [[Thai–Laotian Border War]]<br />
* The [[Johnson South Reef Skirmish]]<br />
* The [[FULRO insurgency against Vietnam]]<br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
* [[First Indochina War]]<br />
* [[Sino-Soviet split]]<br />
* [[Vietnam War]]<br />
<br />
==References==<br />
{{Reflist}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Third Indochina War| ]]<br />
[[Category:1970s in Vietnam]]<br />
[[Category:1980s in Vietnam]]<br />
[[Category:1990s in Vietnam]]<br />
[[Category:20th-century conflicts|Indochina03]]<br />
[[Category:Cambodia–Vietnam relations|Indochina]]<br />
[[Category:China–Vietnam relations|Indochina]]<br />
[[Category:Cold War conflicts|Indochina03]]<br />
[[Category:Indochina Wars|#3]]<br />
[[Category:Laos–Thailand relations|Indochina]]<br />
[[Category:Thailand–Vietnam military relations|Indochina]]<br />
[[Category:Wars involving Cambodia|Indochina]]<br />
[[Category:Wars involving Laos|Indochina]]<br />
[[Category:Wars involving Thailand|Indochina]]<br />
[[Category:Wars involving the People's Republic of China|Indochina]]<br />
[[Category:Wars involving Vietnam|Indochina]]</div>Boackandwhitehttps://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Al-Qaeda%E2%80%93Islamic_State_conflict&diff=1262435681Al-Qaeda–Islamic State conflict2024-12-11T11:51:12Z<p>Boackandwhite: </p>
<hr />
<div>{{Short description|Conflict between Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State}}{{Infobox military conflict<br />
| conflict = Al-Qaeda–Islamic State conflict<br />
| place = Various regions across the world<br />
| commander1 = [[Ayman al-Zawahiri]]{{KIA}}<br>[[Saif al-Adel]]<br />
| commander2 = [[Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi]]{{KIA}}<br>[[Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurashi]]{{KIA}}<br>[[Abu al-Hasan al-Hashimi al-Qurashi]]{{KIA}}<br>[[Abu al-Hussein al-Husseini al-Qurashi]]{{KIA}}<br>[[Abu Hafs al-Hashimi al-Qurashi]]<br />
| combatant1 = {{flagicon image|Flag of Jihad.svg}} '''[[Al-Qaeda]]'''<br />
{{collapsible list|title={{-}}|<br />
* {{flagicon image|AQMI Flag asymmetric.svg}} [[Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula|AQAP]]<br />
* {{flagicon image|Flag of AQIS.svg}} [[al-Qaeda in the Indian subcontinent|AQIS]]<br />
* {{flagicon image|AQMI Flag asymmetric.svg}} [[al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb|AQIM]]<br />
* {{flagicon image|Flag of Tanzim Hurras al-Din.svg}} [[Hurras al-Din]]<br />
* {{flagicon image|Flag of the Al-Nusra Front.svg}} [[Al-Nusra Front]] (until 2017)<br />
* {{flagicon image|AQMI Flag asymmetric.svg}} [[Al-Shabaab (militant group)|Al-Shabaab]]<br />
* {{flagicon image|AQMI Flag asymmetric.svg}} [[Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin|JNIM]]<br />
* {{flagicon image|Flag of Jihad.svg}} [[Al-Qaeda in the Sinai Peninsula|AQSP]]<br>(until 2018)<br />
* {{flagicon image|Flag of Jihad.svg}} [[Imam Shamil Battalion|ISB]]<br />
<hr><br />
{{flagicon|Taliban}} [[Taliban]]<br>{{flagicon image|Flag of Jihad.svg}} [[Jemaah Islamiyah]] (until 2024)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://thediplomat.com/2018/10/jemaah-islamiyah-still-southeast-asias-greatest-terrorist-threat/|title=Jemaah Islamiyah: Still Southeast Asia’s Greatest Terrorist Threat|website=thediplomat.com}}</ref><br>{{flagicon image|Flag of Turkistan Islamic Party.svg}} [[Turkistan Islamic Party]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2016/06/turkistan-islamic-party-leader-remains-loyal-to-al-qaeda-criticizes-islamic-states-illegitimate-caliphate.php|title=Turkistan Islamic Party leader criticizes the Islamic State’s ‘illegitimate’ caliphate &#124; FDD's Long War Journal|first=Telh|last=says|website=www.longwarjournal.org}}</ref><br>{{flagicon image|Flag of Ansar al-Islam.svg}} [[Ansar al-Islam in Kurdistan]]<ref name="LWJ-2015-01">{{Cite web|url=https://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2015/01/al_qaeda_defector_fe.php|title=The Islamic State's curious cover story &#124; FDD's Long War Journal|date=January 5, 2015|website=www.longwarjournal.org|access-date=May 5, 2022|archive-date=July 7, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220707104749/https://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2015/01/al_qaeda_defector_fe.php|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=LWJ-2014-06>{{Cite web|url=https://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2014/06/_operating_in_iraq_w.php|title=Ansar al Islam claims attacks against Iraqi military, police &#124; FDD's Long War Journal|first=Jeff Logan|last=says|date=June 20, 2014|website=www.longwarjournal.org|access-date=May 5, 2022|archive-date=May 5, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220505040042/https://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2014/06/_operating_in_iraq_w.php|url-status=live}}</ref><br>{{flagicon image|Jamaat Ansarullah flag.svg}} [[Jamaat Ansarullah]]<br />
}}<br />
| combatant2 = {{flagicon image|AQMI Flag asymmetric.svg}} '''[[Islamic State]]'''<br />
{{collapsible list|title={{-}}|<br />
* [[Islamic State – Algeria Province|Algeria Province]]<br>(until 2020)<br />
* [[Islamic State – Bengal Province|Bengal Province]]<br>(until 2017)<br />
* [[Islamic State – Caucasus Province|Caucasus Province]]<br />
* [[Islamic State – Hind Province|Hind Province]]<br />
* [[Islamic State – Khorasan Province|Khorasan Province]]<br />
* [[Islamic State – Libya Province|Libya Province]]<br />
* [[Islamic State – Pakistan Province|Pakistan Province]]<br />
* [[Islamic State – Sahel Province|Sahel Province]]<br />
* [[Islamic State – Sinai Province|Sinai Province]]<br />
* [[Islamic State – Somalia Province|Somalia Province]]<br />
* [[Islamic State – West Africa Province|West Africa Province]]<br />
* [[Islamic State – Yemen Province|Yemen Province]]<br />
}}<br />
| status = [[List of ongoing armed conflicts|Ongoing]]<br />
| date = 2014–present<ref>{{Cite news |last=Sly |first=Liz |date=2023-05-17 |title=Al-Qaeda disavows any ties with radical Islamist ISIS group in Syria, Iraq |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/al-qaeda-disavows-any-ties-with-radical-islamist-isis-group-in-syria-iraq/2014/02/03/2c9afc3a-8cef-11e3-98ab-fe5228217bd1_story.html |access-date=2024-02-18 |work=Washington Post |language=en-US |issn=0190-8286}}</ref><br />
| casualties3 = 10,000+ killed<ref>{{cite web|title=al qaeda-isis clashes in Yemen|url=https://ucdp.uu.se/nonstate/15782}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=al qaeda-isis clashes in Somalia|url=https://ucdp.uu.se/nonstate/15798}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=al qaeda-isis clashes in the Maghreb|url=https://ucdp.uu.se/nonstate/16207}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=al qaeda-isis clashes in Niger and Nigeria|url=https://ucdp.uu.se/nonstate/15023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.libyaherald.com/2015/07/06/derna-mujahedeen-sentence-is-members-to-death/|title=Derna Mujahedeen sentence IS members to death|date=6 July 2015|access-date=6 July 2015|work=libyaherald.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150707172210/http://www.libyaherald.com/2015/07/06/derna-mujahedeen-sentence-is-members-to-death/|archive-date=2015-07-07|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2014/11/01/Libyans-pledge-allegiance-to-ISIS-chief-in-video.html|title=Scores of Libyans pledge loyalty to ISIS chief in video|agency=[[Reuters]]|publisher=[[Al Arabiya]]|date=1 November 2014|access-date=2015-01-09|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150128055337/http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2014/11/01/Libyans-pledge-allegiance-to-ISIS-chief-in-video.html|archive-date=2015-01-28|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=el-balad.com1>{{cite web|title=ISIS militants have army of 200,000, claims senior Kurdish leader|url=http://www.el-balad.com/1247637|website=el-balad.com|access-date=16 November 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141120081551/http://www.el-balad.com/1247637|archive-date=20 November 2014}}</ref><br />
| partof = [[Arab Spring]], [[Syrian Civil war]], [[Arab Winter]], and the [[Afghan conflict]]<br />
}}<br />
<br />
The '''Al-Qaeda–Islamic State conflict''' is an ongoing conflict between [[Al-Qaeda]] and its allied groups, and the [[Islamic State]].<br />
<br />
==Background==<br />
On 8 April 2013, [[Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi]], leader of the [[Islamic State of Iraq]], released an audio statement in which he claimed that the [[Islamic State of Iraq]], and [[Al-Nusra Front]], two Al-Qaeda affiliated groups, were merging into one group called the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.<ref name="memri">{{cite web |url=http://www.memri.org/report/en/0/0/0/0/0/0/7119.htm |title=ISI Confirms That Jabhat Al-Nusra Is Its Extension in Syria, Declares 'Islamic State of Iraq And Al-Sham' As New Name of Merged Group |website=MEMRI |publisher=Middle East Media Research Institute |date=8 April 2013 |access-date=10 April 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006085808/http://www.memri.org/report/en/0/0/0/0/0/0/7119.htm |archive-date=6 October 2014}}</ref> [[Abu Mohammad al-Julani]], the leader of al-Nusra Front, and [[Ayman al-Zawahiri]], the leader of Al-Qaeda, both rejected the merge. Al-Julani claimed that he and all the other al-Nusra leaders had never gave permission to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi to merge the groups.<ref name="naharnet">{{cite news |url=http://www.naharnet.com/stories/en/78961-al-nusra-commits-to-al-qaida-deny-iraq-branch-merger/ |title=Al-Nusra Commits to al-Qaida, Deny Iraq Branch 'Merger' |date=10 April 2013 |access-date=18 May 2013 |publisher=Naharnet |agency=Agence France-Presse}}</ref><br />
<br />
Ayman al-Zawahiri wrote a letter to both Al-Julani and al-Baghdadi, who were both under his command at the time, in which he stated that he does not permit them to merge.<ref name="aljazeera090613">{{cite news |last=Atassi |first=Basma |url=http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2013/06/2013699425657882.html |title=Qaeda chief annuls Syrian-Iraqi jihad merger |publisher=Al Jazeera |date=9 June 2013 |access-date=10 June 2013}}</ref> He also sent a diplomat to put an end to tensions. al-Baghdadi responded to al-Zawahiri's letter, and declared that he did not need al-Zawahiri's approval to do the merge, and that he was moving forward with the merge either way.<ref name="aljazeera150613">{{cite news |first=Basma |last=Atassi |url=http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2013/06/2013615172217827810.html |title=Iraqi al-Qaeda chief rejects Zawahiri orders |publisher=Al Jazeera |date=15 June 2013 |access-date=15 June 2013}}</ref> The merge happened, with the Islamic State of Iraq and some Al-Nusra fighters merging to form the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. Al-Nusra's leadership, as well as Al-Qaeda, both officially rejected the merge, in which the tension resulted in the newly founded ISIL being isolated from the global jihadist network, which was dominated by Al-Qaeda.<ref>{{Cite news |date=9 April 2013 |title=Al-Qaeda in Iraq confirms Syria's Nusra Front is part of its network |work=[[Al Arabiya]] |url=https://english.alarabiya.net/News/middle-east/2013/04/09/Al-Qaeda-in-Iraq-confirms-Syria-s-Nusra-Front-is-part-of-its-network |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221005221604/https://english.alarabiya.net/News/middle-east/2013/04/09/Al-Qaeda-in-Iraq-confirms-Syria-s-Nusra-Front-is-part-of-its-network |archive-date=5 October 2022}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Abouzeid |first=Rania |date=23 June 2014 |title=The Jihad Next Door: The Syrian roots of Iraq's newest civil war. |url=https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2014/06/al-qaeda-iraq-syria-108214/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230119010037/https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2014/06/al-qaeda-iraq-syria-108214/ |archive-date=19 January 2023 |website=[[Politico]]}}</ref><br />
<br />
In October 2013, months after the merge, al-Zawahiri gave al-Baghdadi a final chance to disband ISIL, and return the jihadist movement in Syria to al-Nusra, and revive the Islamic State of Iraq and let it take control of the jihadist movement in Iraq.<ref>{{cite news |title=Zawahiri disbands main Qaeda faction in Syria |url=http://dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2013/Nov-08/237219-zawahiri-disbands-main-qaeda-faction-in-syria-jazeera.ashx |access-date=8 November 2013 |work=The Daily Star |location=Beirut, Lebanon |date=8 November 2013 |archive-date=9 November 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131109021550/http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2013/Nov-08/237219-zawahiri-disbands-main-qaeda-faction-in-syria-jazeera.ashx |url-status=dead }}</ref> al-Baghdadi refused to comply with al-Zawahiri, and ISIL continued to operate in both Iraq and Syria.<ref name="aljazeera150613" /> In February 2014, after eight months of tension, in which ISIL constantly refused to comply with al-Qaeda's demands, al-Qaeda officially disavowed themself from ISIL, and cut all ties with them, beginning their enmity.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Sly |first=Liz |date=2023-05-17 |title=Al-Qaeda disavows any ties with radical Islamist ISIS group in Syria, Iraq |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/al-qaeda-disavows-any-ties-with-radical-islamist-isis-group-in-syria-iraq/2014/02/03/2c9afc3a-8cef-11e3-98ab-fe5228217bd1_story.html |access-date=2024-02-18 |work=Washington Post |language=en-US |issn=0190-8286}}</ref><br />
<br />
On 29 June 2014, ISIL changed its name to the "Islamic State", and declared its lands as a caliphate with Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi as the caliph.<ref name="worldwide1">{{cite news |last1=Lawrence |first1=Jessica |title=Iraq crisis: Could an ISIS caliphate ever govern the entire Muslim world? |url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-07-02/could-an-isis-caliphate-ever-govern-the-muslim-world/5559806 |publisher=ABC News (Australia) |access-date=22 November 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/isis-declares-new-islamic-state-in-middle-east-with-abu-bakr-albaghdadi-as-emir-removing-iraq-and-syria-from-its-name-9571374.html |last=Withnall |first=Adam |title=Iraq crisis: Isis changes name and declares its territories a new Islamic state with 'restoration of caliphate' in Middle East |date=29 June 2014 |work=The Independent |location=London}}</ref> As a "Caliphate", it claimed authority over all Muslims and Muslim lands worldwide.<ref>{{cite web |title=What does ISIS' declaration of a caliphate mean? |work=Al Akhbar English |url=http://english.al-akhbar.com/node/20378 |date=30 June 2014 |access-date=22 November 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190119080201/https://english.al-akhbar.com/node/20378 |archive-date=19 January 2019 |url-status=dead}} See also: {{cite book |chapter=Caliph, caliphate |first1=Wadad |last1=Kadi |first2=Aram A. |last2=Shahin |url={{Google books|q1I0pcrFFSUC|page=81|plainurl=y}} |editor-last=Bowering |year=2013|title=The Princeton Encyclopedia of Islamic Political Thought}}</ref> The Islamic State's claim of being a legitimate Islamic caliphate was rejected by many Muslims, and was also rejected by Al-Qaeda.<ref>{{cite news |last=Moore |first=Jack |date=2 July 2014 |title=Iraq Crisis: Senior Jordan Jihadist Slams Isis Caliphate |url=http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/iraq-crisis-senior-jordan-jihadist-slams-isis-caliphate-1455041 |work=International Business Times UK |access-date=2 July 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.un.org/en/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=S/RES/2178%20(2014) |title=United Nations Official Document |publisher=United Nations |access-date=13 October 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141028111035/http://www.un.org/en/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=S%2FRES%2F2178+%282014%29 |archive-date=28 October 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=David |last=Pugliese |url=https://ottawacitizen.com/news/national/defence-watch/details-about-the-canadian-governments-motion-about-going-to-war-against-isil |title=Details about the Canadian government's motion about going to war against ISIL |work=Ottawa Citizen |access-date=13 October 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2014/10/australia-says-ready-strike-isil-iraq-201410344429911502.html |title=Australia says ready to strike ISIL in Iraq |publisher=Al Jazeera |date=3 October 2014 |access-date=13 October 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/2014/09/10/statement-president-isil-1 |publisher=[[whitehouse.gov]] |title=Statement by the President on ISIL |date=10 September 2014 |via=[[NARA|National Archives]] |access-date=13 October 2014}}</ref><br />
<br />
The Islamic State was described as being "far more ruthless" than al-Qaeda.<ref name="birke3">{{cite magazine |last=Birke |first=Sarah |title=How al-Qaeda Changed the Syrian War |magazine=New York Review of Books |date=27 December 2013 |url=http://www.nybooks.com/blogs/nyrblog/2013/dec/27/how-al-qaeda-changed-syrian-war/}}</ref> For example, while Al-Qaeda considers Shia Muslims to be disbelievers, they have also condemned the Islamic State's killing sprees against Shias. [[Osama bin Laden]], despite his hatred for Shias, wanted to put the differences aside to establish a Sunni-Shia alliance to counter the supposed Jewish-Christian alliance which he claims was made to fight Islam. The Islamic State does not tolerate Shias at all.<ref>{{Cite web |title=ISIS vs. Al Qaeda: Jihadism’s global civil war |url=https://www.brookings.edu/articles/isis-vs-al-qaeda-jihadisms-global-civil-war/ |access-date=2024-02-18 |website=Brookings |language=en-US}}</ref><br />
<br />
==Conflict==<br />
Since its establishment, the Islamic State was hostile to Al-Qaeda and its allies, including the Taliban. The conflict between Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State conflict was also referred to as the "Jihadist civil war".<ref>{{Cite web |title=ISIS vs. Al Qaeda: Jihadism’s global civil war |url=https://www.brookings.edu/articles/isis-vs-al-qaeda-jihadisms-global-civil-war/ |access-date=2024-02-19 |website=Brookings |language=en-US}}</ref><br />
<br />
Also, since the establishment of the Islamic State, many Al-Qaeda affiliated groups became fractured, with certain factions of the groups pledging allegiance to the Islamic State, while the rest opposed the Islamic State. These groups include [[Ansar al-Islam in Kurdistan]],<ref name="LWJ-2015-01"/> [[Boko Haram]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2015/03/boko-haram-pledges-allegiance-islamic-state/387235/|title=Boko Haram Pledges Allegiance to the Islamic State|first=Adam|last=Chandler|date=March 9, 2015|website=The Atlantic}}</ref> the [[Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.rferl.org/a/imu-islamic-state/27174567.html|title=IMU Declares It Is Now Part Of The Islamic State|first=Merhat|last=Sharipzhan|date=August 6, 2015|via=www.rferl.org}}</ref> the [[Caucasus Emirate]],<ref name="peters">{{cite web|title=The Petersburg Jihadi Attack in Context: Recent Developments in Jihadism in Russia, 2014–2017|url=https://gordonhahn.com/2017/04/07/the-petersburg-jihadi-attack-in-context-recent-developments-in-jihadism-in-russia-2014-2017/|website=Russian and Eurasian Politics|access-date=9 April 2017|date=7 April 2017|archive-date=29 August 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230829140006/https://gordonhahn.com/2017/04/07/the-petersburg-jihadi-attack-in-context-recent-developments-in-jihadism-in-russia-2014-2017/|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Abu Sayyaf]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.rappler.com/nation/65199-abu-sayyaf-leader-oath-isis/|title=Senior Abu Sayyaf leader swears oath to ISIS|first=Maria|last=Ressa|date=August 4, 2014}}</ref> [[Ansar Bait al-Maqdis]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/11/world/middleeast/egyptian-militant-group-pledges-loyalty-to-isis.html|title=Militant Group in Egypt Vows Loyalty to ISIS|first=David D.|last=Kirkpatrick|date=November 10, 2014|via=NYTimes.com}}</ref> the [[Uqba ibn Nafi Brigade]], and [[Al-Shabaab (militant group)|Al-Shabaab]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2016/10/islamic-state-in-somalia-claims-capture-of-port-town.php|title=Islamic State in Somalia claims capture of port town &#124; FDD's Long War Journal|website=www.longwarjournal.org}}</ref><br />
<br />
The first instance of the conflict was during the rise of the Islamic State in northern and western [[Iraq]] in 2014. During that time, the vast majority of Kurdish jihadists belonged to either Ansar al-Islam, or the [[Kurdistan Brigades]] of [[Al-Qaeda]], which was closely allied to Ansar al-Islam. When the Islamic State expanded closer to Kurdistan, Ansar al-Islam considered it a challenge to their hegemony and began attacking Islamic State positions. The clashes continued for months, in which the Islamic State dominated. Some Ansar al-Islam militants and commanders later joined the Islamic State.<ref>{{Cite web |title=تساؤلات بعد "بيعة" أنصار الإسلام لتنظيم الدولة |url=https://www.aljazeera.net/news/2014/7/1/%d8%aa%d8%b3%d8%a7%d8%a4%d9%84%d8%a7%d8%aa-%d8%a8%d8%b9%d8%af-%d8%a8%d9%8a%d8%b9%d8%a9-%d8%a3%d9%86%d8%b5%d8%a7%d8%b1-%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%a5%d8%b3%d9%84%d8%a7%d9%85-%d9%84%d8%aa%d9%86%d8%b8%d9%8a%d9%85 |access-date=2024-02-18 |website=الجزيرة نت |language=ar}}</ref><ref name="isis">{{cite web |date=2014-09-02 |title=IS disciplines some emirs to avoid losing base – Al-Monitor: the Pulse of the Middle East |url=http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/security/2014/09/is-takfiri-caliphate.html# |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160308091757/http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/security/2014/09/is-takfiri-caliphate.html |archive-date=2016-03-08 |access-date=2014-09-07 |work=Al-Monitor}}</ref><ref name="isis1">{{cite web |date=29 August 2014 |title=Jihadist Group Swears Loyalty to Islamic State – Middle East – News |url=http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/184544#.VAxa5xagSSk |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140901053705/http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/184544#.VAxa5xagSSk |archive-date=1 September 2014 |access-date=7 November 2014 |work=Arutz Sheva}}</ref> Ansar al-Islam later drastically declined, although remained active and continued to fight the Islamic State.<ref>{{cite web |date=15 October 2018 |title=Military groups calling themselves "the finest factions of the Levant" form joint operations room |url=http://nedaa-sy.com/en/news/9078 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181017191057/http://nedaa-sy.com/en/news/9078 |archive-date=17 October 2018 |accessdate=16 October 2018 |publisher=Syria Call}}</ref><br />
<br />
Initially, [[Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula]] did not oppose the Islamic State, and many AQAP members actually supported the Islamic State and its establishment of a [[Territory of the Islamic State|caliphate in Iraq and Syria]]. [[Nasir al-Wuhayshi]], the former leader of AQAP, also intended to pledge allegiance to the Islamic State if they came to Yemen. However, when the [[Islamic State – Yemen Province]] was established in 2015, AQAP remained with al-Qaeda, and some AQAP members defected to ISYP. This brought the al-Qaeda–Islamic State conflict to Yemen.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |date=2021-09-29 |title=Al-Qaeda’s Decline in Yemen: An Abandonment of Ideology Amid a Crisis of Leadership |url=https://sanaacenter.org/publications/analysis/15138 |access-date=2024-07-03 |website=Sana'a Center For Strategic Studies |language=en}}</ref><ref name="ISIS gaining ground in Yemen, competing with al-Qaeda">{{cite news |date=21 January 2015 |title=ISIS gaining ground in Yemen, competing with al Qaeda |url=http://edition.cnn.com/2015/01/21/politics/isis-gaining-ground-in-yemen/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150122035602/http://edition.cnn.com/2015/01/21/politics/isis-gaining-ground-in-yemen/ |archive-date=22 January 2015 |access-date=21 January 2015 |publisher=[[CNN]]}}</ref> These two groups continued to clash throughout the [[Yemeni civil war (2014–present)|Yemeni civil war]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Todd |first=Brian |date=2015-01-21 |title=ISIS gaining ground in Yemen, competing with al Qaeda {{!}} CNN Politics |url=https://www.cnn.com/2015/01/21/politics/isis-gaining-ground-in-yemen/index.html |access-date=2024-02-18 |website=CNN |language=en}}</ref><br />
<br />
The [[Islamic State–Taliban conflict]] started in early February 2015, when the [[Islamic State – Khorasan Province]] came to Afghanistan, killing a [[Taliban]] commander in the process. The Taliban responded by killing or capturing over 65 Islamic State militants.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Shah |first=David Sterman, Neeli |date=2024-02-22 |title=ISIS Reportedly Kills Afghan Taliban Commander; Modi to Visit China; Pakistan Tests Cruise Missile |url=https://foreignpolicy.com/2015/02/02/isis-reportedly-kills-afghan-taliban-commander-modi-to-visit-china-pakistan-tests-cruise-missile/ |access-date=2024-02-18 |website=Foreign Policy |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2015-01-12 |title=ISIS active in south Afghanistan, officials confirm for first time - CBS News |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/isis-active-in-south-afghanistan-officials-confirm-for-first-time/ |access-date=2024-02-18 |website=www.cbsnews.com |language=en-US}}</ref><br />
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Al-Qaeda affiliates and the Islamic State [[Opposition–Islamic State conflict during the Syrian civil war|fight against each other]] in the [[Syrian civil war]], at the same time while fighting the [[Syrian opposition]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Jund al Aqsa leaders join Al Nusrah Front {{!}} FDD's Long War Journal |url=https://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2016/02/jund-al-aqsa-leaders-join-al-nusrah-front.php |access-date=2024-02-18 |website=www.longwarjournal.org |language=en-US}}</ref> Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State also fight on opposing sides in the [[Mali War]] and the [[Boko Haram insurgency]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Writer |first=Conor Gaffey Staff |date=2017-03-03 |title=African Jihadi Groups Unite in Troubled Sahel Region |url=https://www.newsweek.com/al-qaeda-groups-unite-sahel-563351 |access-date=2024-02-18 |website=Newsweek |language=en}}</ref><br />
<br />
During the [[Derna campaign (2014–2016)|Derna campaign]], pro-Al-Qaeda militants successfully broke the [[Islamic State in Libya]]'s siege on [[Derna, Libya|Derna]] and began fighting the Islamic State all around Libya.<ref name="clashes2">{{cite web |date=10 June 2015 |title=Al-Qaida-linked militants attack IS affiliate in Libya |url=https://news.yahoo.com/al-qaida-militants-clash-libya-leader-killed-090144601.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150610184053/http://news.yahoo.com/al-qaida-militants-clash-libya-leader-killed-090144601.html |archive-date=10 June 2015 |access-date=10 June 2015 |agency=[[Associated Press]]}}</ref><br />
<br />
In May 2021, the [[Islamic State's West Africa Province]] (ISWAP) launched an invasion of the [[Sambisa Forest]] in [[Borno State]], [[Nigeria]], which was serving as the main base of [[Boko Haram]], a rival [[Jihadism|jihadist]] rebel group. Following heavy fighting, ISWAP overran the Boko Haram troops, cornering their leader [[Abubakar Shekau]]. The two sides entered negotiations about Boko Haram's surrender during which Shekau committed suicide, possibly detonating himself with a [[suicide vest]]. Shekau's death was regarded as a major event by outside observers, as he had been one of the main driving forces in the [[Boko Haram insurgency|Islamist insurgency]] in Nigeria and neighboring countries since 2009.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/462774-boko-haram-leader-shekau-dead-as-iswap-fighters-capture-sambisa-forest-report.html|title=Boko Haram leader, Shekau, dead as ISWAP fighters capture Sambisa forest -- Report|date=20 May 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/may/20/boko-haram-leader-abubakar-shekau-nigeria-forest|title = Boko Haram leader tried to kill himself during clash with rivals, officials claim|website = [[TheGuardian.com]]|date = 20 May 2021}}</ref><br />
<br />
==References==<br />
{{Reflist}}<br />
<br />
== Further reading ==<br />
* {{cite book |last= Hashim |first= Ahmed S. |title= The Caliphate at War. Operational Realities and Innovations of the Islamic State |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |location=Oxford |year=2018 |isbn = 978-0-19-066848-8 |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=SXI8DwAAQBAJ }}<br />
* {{cite book|last=Lister|year=2015|first=Charles R.|title=The Syrian Jihad: Al-Qaeda, the Islamic State and the Evolution of an Insurgency|publisher=[[Oxford University Press]]|isbn=978-019046247-5|url={{Google books|S6eKCwAAQBAJ|plainurl=y}}}}<br />
* {{cite book |last1=Staffell |first1=Simon |last2=Awan |first2=Akil N. |title=Jihadism Transformed: Al-Qaeda and Islamic State's Global Battle of Ideas |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |location=Oxford |year=2016 |isbn = 978-0190650292 |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=x2hNDwAAQBAJ }}<br />
* {{cite book|last1 = Weiss|first1 = Michael|author-link1 = Michael Weiss (journalist)|last2 = Hassan|first2 = Hassan|author-link2 = Hassan Hassan|title= ISIS: Inside the Army of Terror|date= 2016|edition= Updated 2nd|orig-year= 2015|publisher= [[Phaidon Press]]|location= London; New York City|isbn= 978-1941393574|title-link = ISIS: Inside the Army of Terror}}<br />
<br />
{{Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant}}<br />
{{Al-Qaeda}}<br />
[[Category:Wars involving the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant]]<br />
[[Category:Al-Qaeda activities]]</div>Boackandwhitehttps://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Al-Qaeda%E2%80%93Islamic_State_conflict&diff=1262435463Al-Qaeda–Islamic State conflict2024-12-11T11:48:14Z<p>Boackandwhite: </p>
<hr />
<div>{{Short description|Conflict between Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State}}{{Infobox military conflict<br />
| conflict = Al-Qaeda–Islamic State conflict<br />
| place = Various regions across the world<br />
| commander1 = [[Ayman al-Zawahiri]]{{KIA}}<br>[[Saif al-Adel]]<br />
| commander2 = [[Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi]]{{KIA}}<br>[[Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurashi]]{{KIA}}<br>[[Abu al-Hasan al-Hashimi al-Qurashi]]{{KIA}}<br>[[Abu al-Hussein al-Husseini al-Qurashi]]{{KIA}}<br>[[Abu Hafs al-Hashimi al-Qurashi]]<br />
| combatant1 = {{flagicon image|Flag of Jihad.svg}} '''[[Al-Qaeda]]'''<br />
{{collapsible list|title={{-}}|<br />
* {{flagicon image|AQMI Flag asymmetric.svg}} [[Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula|AQAP]]<br />
* {{flagicon image|Flag of AQIS.svg}} [[al-Qaeda in the Indian subcontinent|AQIS]]<br />
* {{flagicon image|AQMI Flag asymmetric.svg}} [[al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb|AQIM]]<br />
* {{flagicon image|Flag of Tanzim Hurras al-Din.svg}} [[Hurras al-Din]]<br />
* {{flagicon image|Flag of the Al-Nusra Front.svg}} [[Al-Nusra Front]] (until 2017)<br />
* {{flagicon image|AQMI Flag asymmetric.svg}} [[Al-Shabaab (militant group)|Al-Shabaab]]<br />
* {{flagicon image|AQMI Flag asymmetric.svg}} [[Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin|JNIM]]<br />
* {{flagicon image|Flag of Jihad.svg}} [[Al-Qaeda in the Sinai Peninsula|AQSP]]<br>(until 2018)<br />
* {{flagicon image|Flag of Jihad.svg}} [[Imam Shamil Battalion|ISB]]<br />
<hr><br />
{{flagicon|Taliban}} [[Taliban]]<br>{{flagicon image|Flag of Jihad.svg}} [[Jemaah Islamiyah]] (until 2024)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://thediplomat.com/2018/10/jemaah-islamiyah-still-southeast-asias-greatest-terrorist-threat/|title=Jemaah Islamiyah: Still Southeast Asia’s Greatest Terrorist Threat|website=thediplomat.com}}</ref><br>{{flagicon image|Flag of Turkistan Islamic Party.svg}} [[Turkistan Islamic Party]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2016/06/turkistan-islamic-party-leader-remains-loyal-to-al-qaeda-criticizes-islamic-states-illegitimate-caliphate.php|title=Turkistan Islamic Party leader criticizes the Islamic State’s ‘illegitimate’ caliphate &#124; FDD's Long War Journal|first=Telh|last=says|website=www.longwarjournal.org}}</ref><br>{{flagicon image|Flag of Ansar al-Islam.svg}} [[Ansar al-Islam in Kurdistan]]<ref name="LWJ-2015-01">{{Cite web|url=https://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2015/01/al_qaeda_defector_fe.php|title=The Islamic State's curious cover story &#124; FDD's Long War Journal|date=January 5, 2015|website=www.longwarjournal.org|access-date=May 5, 2022|archive-date=July 7, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220707104749/https://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2015/01/al_qaeda_defector_fe.php|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=LWJ-2014-06>{{Cite web|url=https://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2014/06/_operating_in_iraq_w.php|title=Ansar al Islam claims attacks against Iraqi military, police &#124; FDD's Long War Journal|first=Jeff Logan|last=says|date=June 20, 2014|website=www.longwarjournal.org|access-date=May 5, 2022|archive-date=May 5, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220505040042/https://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2014/06/_operating_in_iraq_w.php|url-status=live}}</ref><br>{{flagicon image|Jamaat Ansarullah flag.svg}} [[Jamaat Ansarullah]]<br />
}}<br />
| combatant2 = {{flagicon image|AQMI Flag asymmetric.svg}} '''[[Islamic State]]'''<br />
{{collapsible list|title={{-}}|<br />
* [[Islamic State – Algeria Province|Algeria Province]]<br>(until 2020)<br />
* [[Islamic State – Bengal Province|Bengal Province]]<br>(until 2017)<br />
* [[Islamic State – Caucasus Province|Caucasus Province]]<br />
* [[Islamic State – Hind Province|Hind Province]]<br />
* [[Islamic State – Khorasan Province|Khorasan Province]]<br />
* [[Islamic State – Libya Province|Libya Province]]<br />
* [[Islamic State – Pakistan Province|Pakistan Province]]<br />
* [[Islamic State – Sahel Province|Sahel Province]]<br />
* [[Islamic State – Sinai Province|Sinai Province]]<br />
* [[Islamic State – Somalia Province|Somalia Province]]<br />
* [[Islamic State – West Africa Province|West Africa Province]]<br />
* [[Islamic State – Yemen Province|Yemen Province]]<br />
}}<br />
| status = [[List of ongoing armed conflicts|Ongoing]]<br />
| date = 2014–present<ref>{{Cite news |last=Sly |first=Liz |date=2023-05-17 |title=Al-Qaeda disavows any ties with radical Islamist ISIS group in Syria, Iraq |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/al-qaeda-disavows-any-ties-with-radical-islamist-isis-group-in-syria-iraq/2014/02/03/2c9afc3a-8cef-11e3-98ab-fe5228217bd1_story.html |access-date=2024-02-18 |work=Washington Post |language=en-US |issn=0190-8286}}</ref><br />
| casualties3 = 10,000+ killed<ref>{{cite web|title=al qaeda-isis clashes in Yemen|url=https://ucdp.uu.se/nonstate/15782}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=al qaeda-isis clashes in Somalia|url=https://ucdp.uu.se/nonstate/15798}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=al qaeda-isis clashes in the Maghreb|url=https://ucdp.uu.se/nonstate/16207}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=al qaeda-isis clashes in Niger and Nigeria|url=https://ucdp.uu.se/nonstate/15023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.libyaherald.com/2015/07/06/derna-mujahedeen-sentence-is-members-to-death/|title=Derna Mujahedeen sentence IS members to death|date=6 July 2015|access-date=6 July 2015|work=libyaherald.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150707172210/http://www.libyaherald.com/2015/07/06/derna-mujahedeen-sentence-is-members-to-death/|archive-date=2015-07-07|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2014/11/01/Libyans-pledge-allegiance-to-ISIS-chief-in-video.html|title=Scores of Libyans pledge loyalty to ISIS chief in video|agency=[[Reuters]]|publisher=[[Al Arabiya]]|date=1 November 2014|access-date=2015-01-09|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150128055337/http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2014/11/01/Libyans-pledge-allegiance-to-ISIS-chief-in-video.html|archive-date=2015-01-28|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=el-balad.com1>{{cite web|title=ISIS militants have army of 200,000, claims senior Kurdish leader|url=http://www.el-balad.com/1247637|website=el-balad.com|access-date=16 November 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141120081551/http://www.el-balad.com/1247637|archive-date=20 November 2014}}</ref><br />
| partof = [[Arab Spring]], [[Syrian Civil war]], [[Arab Winter]], [[Second Arab Spring]] and the [[Afghan conflict]]<br />
}}<br />
<br />
The '''Al-Qaeda–Islamic State conflict''' is an ongoing conflict between [[Al-Qaeda]] and its allied groups, and the [[Islamic State]].<br />
<br />
==Background==<br />
On 8 April 2013, [[Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi]], leader of the [[Islamic State of Iraq]], released an audio statement in which he claimed that the [[Islamic State of Iraq]], and [[Al-Nusra Front]], two Al-Qaeda affiliated groups, were merging into one group called the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.<ref name="memri">{{cite web |url=http://www.memri.org/report/en/0/0/0/0/0/0/7119.htm |title=ISI Confirms That Jabhat Al-Nusra Is Its Extension in Syria, Declares 'Islamic State of Iraq And Al-Sham' As New Name of Merged Group |website=MEMRI |publisher=Middle East Media Research Institute |date=8 April 2013 |access-date=10 April 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006085808/http://www.memri.org/report/en/0/0/0/0/0/0/7119.htm |archive-date=6 October 2014}}</ref> [[Abu Mohammad al-Julani]], the leader of al-Nusra Front, and [[Ayman al-Zawahiri]], the leader of Al-Qaeda, both rejected the merge. Al-Julani claimed that he and all the other al-Nusra leaders had never gave permission to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi to merge the groups.<ref name="naharnet">{{cite news |url=http://www.naharnet.com/stories/en/78961-al-nusra-commits-to-al-qaida-deny-iraq-branch-merger/ |title=Al-Nusra Commits to al-Qaida, Deny Iraq Branch 'Merger' |date=10 April 2013 |access-date=18 May 2013 |publisher=Naharnet |agency=Agence France-Presse}}</ref><br />
<br />
Ayman al-Zawahiri wrote a letter to both Al-Julani and al-Baghdadi, who were both under his command at the time, in which he stated that he does not permit them to merge.<ref name="aljazeera090613">{{cite news |last=Atassi |first=Basma |url=http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2013/06/2013699425657882.html |title=Qaeda chief annuls Syrian-Iraqi jihad merger |publisher=Al Jazeera |date=9 June 2013 |access-date=10 June 2013}}</ref> He also sent a diplomat to put an end to tensions. al-Baghdadi responded to al-Zawahiri's letter, and declared that he did not need al-Zawahiri's approval to do the merge, and that he was moving forward with the merge either way.<ref name="aljazeera150613">{{cite news |first=Basma |last=Atassi |url=http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2013/06/2013615172217827810.html |title=Iraqi al-Qaeda chief rejects Zawahiri orders |publisher=Al Jazeera |date=15 June 2013 |access-date=15 June 2013}}</ref> The merge happened, with the Islamic State of Iraq and some Al-Nusra fighters merging to form the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. Al-Nusra's leadership, as well as Al-Qaeda, both officially rejected the merge, in which the tension resulted in the newly founded ISIL being isolated from the global jihadist network, which was dominated by Al-Qaeda.<ref>{{Cite news |date=9 April 2013 |title=Al-Qaeda in Iraq confirms Syria's Nusra Front is part of its network |work=[[Al Arabiya]] |url=https://english.alarabiya.net/News/middle-east/2013/04/09/Al-Qaeda-in-Iraq-confirms-Syria-s-Nusra-Front-is-part-of-its-network |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221005221604/https://english.alarabiya.net/News/middle-east/2013/04/09/Al-Qaeda-in-Iraq-confirms-Syria-s-Nusra-Front-is-part-of-its-network |archive-date=5 October 2022}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Abouzeid |first=Rania |date=23 June 2014 |title=The Jihad Next Door: The Syrian roots of Iraq's newest civil war. |url=https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2014/06/al-qaeda-iraq-syria-108214/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230119010037/https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2014/06/al-qaeda-iraq-syria-108214/ |archive-date=19 January 2023 |website=[[Politico]]}}</ref><br />
<br />
In October 2013, months after the merge, al-Zawahiri gave al-Baghdadi a final chance to disband ISIL, and return the jihadist movement in Syria to al-Nusra, and revive the Islamic State of Iraq and let it take control of the jihadist movement in Iraq.<ref>{{cite news |title=Zawahiri disbands main Qaeda faction in Syria |url=http://dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2013/Nov-08/237219-zawahiri-disbands-main-qaeda-faction-in-syria-jazeera.ashx |access-date=8 November 2013 |work=The Daily Star |location=Beirut, Lebanon |date=8 November 2013 |archive-date=9 November 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131109021550/http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2013/Nov-08/237219-zawahiri-disbands-main-qaeda-faction-in-syria-jazeera.ashx |url-status=dead }}</ref> al-Baghdadi refused to comply with al-Zawahiri, and ISIL continued to operate in both Iraq and Syria.<ref name="aljazeera150613" /> In February 2014, after eight months of tension, in which ISIL constantly refused to comply with al-Qaeda's demands, al-Qaeda officially disavowed themself from ISIL, and cut all ties with them, beginning their enmity.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Sly |first=Liz |date=2023-05-17 |title=Al-Qaeda disavows any ties with radical Islamist ISIS group in Syria, Iraq |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/al-qaeda-disavows-any-ties-with-radical-islamist-isis-group-in-syria-iraq/2014/02/03/2c9afc3a-8cef-11e3-98ab-fe5228217bd1_story.html |access-date=2024-02-18 |work=Washington Post |language=en-US |issn=0190-8286}}</ref><br />
<br />
On 29 June 2014, ISIL changed its name to the "Islamic State", and declared its lands as a caliphate with Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi as the caliph.<ref name="worldwide1">{{cite news |last1=Lawrence |first1=Jessica |title=Iraq crisis: Could an ISIS caliphate ever govern the entire Muslim world? |url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-07-02/could-an-isis-caliphate-ever-govern-the-muslim-world/5559806 |publisher=ABC News (Australia) |access-date=22 November 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/isis-declares-new-islamic-state-in-middle-east-with-abu-bakr-albaghdadi-as-emir-removing-iraq-and-syria-from-its-name-9571374.html |last=Withnall |first=Adam |title=Iraq crisis: Isis changes name and declares its territories a new Islamic state with 'restoration of caliphate' in Middle East |date=29 June 2014 |work=The Independent |location=London}}</ref> As a "Caliphate", it claimed authority over all Muslims and Muslim lands worldwide.<ref>{{cite web |title=What does ISIS' declaration of a caliphate mean? |work=Al Akhbar English |url=http://english.al-akhbar.com/node/20378 |date=30 June 2014 |access-date=22 November 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190119080201/https://english.al-akhbar.com/node/20378 |archive-date=19 January 2019 |url-status=dead}} See also: {{cite book |chapter=Caliph, caliphate |first1=Wadad |last1=Kadi |first2=Aram A. |last2=Shahin |url={{Google books|q1I0pcrFFSUC|page=81|plainurl=y}} |editor-last=Bowering |year=2013|title=The Princeton Encyclopedia of Islamic Political Thought}}</ref> The Islamic State's claim of being a legitimate Islamic caliphate was rejected by many Muslims, and was also rejected by Al-Qaeda.<ref>{{cite news |last=Moore |first=Jack |date=2 July 2014 |title=Iraq Crisis: Senior Jordan Jihadist Slams Isis Caliphate |url=http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/iraq-crisis-senior-jordan-jihadist-slams-isis-caliphate-1455041 |work=International Business Times UK |access-date=2 July 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.un.org/en/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=S/RES/2178%20(2014) |title=United Nations Official Document |publisher=United Nations |access-date=13 October 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141028111035/http://www.un.org/en/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=S%2FRES%2F2178+%282014%29 |archive-date=28 October 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=David |last=Pugliese |url=https://ottawacitizen.com/news/national/defence-watch/details-about-the-canadian-governments-motion-about-going-to-war-against-isil |title=Details about the Canadian government's motion about going to war against ISIL |work=Ottawa Citizen |access-date=13 October 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2014/10/australia-says-ready-strike-isil-iraq-201410344429911502.html |title=Australia says ready to strike ISIL in Iraq |publisher=Al Jazeera |date=3 October 2014 |access-date=13 October 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/2014/09/10/statement-president-isil-1 |publisher=[[whitehouse.gov]] |title=Statement by the President on ISIL |date=10 September 2014 |via=[[NARA|National Archives]] |access-date=13 October 2014}}</ref><br />
<br />
The Islamic State was described as being "far more ruthless" than al-Qaeda.<ref name="birke3">{{cite magazine |last=Birke |first=Sarah |title=How al-Qaeda Changed the Syrian War |magazine=New York Review of Books |date=27 December 2013 |url=http://www.nybooks.com/blogs/nyrblog/2013/dec/27/how-al-qaeda-changed-syrian-war/}}</ref> For example, while Al-Qaeda considers Shia Muslims to be disbelievers, they have also condemned the Islamic State's killing sprees against Shias. [[Osama bin Laden]], despite his hatred for Shias, wanted to put the differences aside to establish a Sunni-Shia alliance to counter the supposed Jewish-Christian alliance which he claims was made to fight Islam. The Islamic State does not tolerate Shias at all.<ref>{{Cite web |title=ISIS vs. Al Qaeda: Jihadism’s global civil war |url=https://www.brookings.edu/articles/isis-vs-al-qaeda-jihadisms-global-civil-war/ |access-date=2024-02-18 |website=Brookings |language=en-US}}</ref><br />
<br />
==Conflict==<br />
Since its establishment, the Islamic State was hostile to Al-Qaeda and its allies, including the Taliban. The conflict between Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State conflict was also referred to as the "Jihadist civil war".<ref>{{Cite web |title=ISIS vs. Al Qaeda: Jihadism’s global civil war |url=https://www.brookings.edu/articles/isis-vs-al-qaeda-jihadisms-global-civil-war/ |access-date=2024-02-19 |website=Brookings |language=en-US}}</ref><br />
<br />
Also, since the establishment of the Islamic State, many Al-Qaeda affiliated groups became fractured, with certain factions of the groups pledging allegiance to the Islamic State, while the rest opposed the Islamic State. These groups include [[Ansar al-Islam in Kurdistan]],<ref name="LWJ-2015-01"/> [[Boko Haram]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2015/03/boko-haram-pledges-allegiance-islamic-state/387235/|title=Boko Haram Pledges Allegiance to the Islamic State|first=Adam|last=Chandler|date=March 9, 2015|website=The Atlantic}}</ref> the [[Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.rferl.org/a/imu-islamic-state/27174567.html|title=IMU Declares It Is Now Part Of The Islamic State|first=Merhat|last=Sharipzhan|date=August 6, 2015|via=www.rferl.org}}</ref> the [[Caucasus Emirate]],<ref name="peters">{{cite web|title=The Petersburg Jihadi Attack in Context: Recent Developments in Jihadism in Russia, 2014–2017|url=https://gordonhahn.com/2017/04/07/the-petersburg-jihadi-attack-in-context-recent-developments-in-jihadism-in-russia-2014-2017/|website=Russian and Eurasian Politics|access-date=9 April 2017|date=7 April 2017|archive-date=29 August 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230829140006/https://gordonhahn.com/2017/04/07/the-petersburg-jihadi-attack-in-context-recent-developments-in-jihadism-in-russia-2014-2017/|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Abu Sayyaf]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.rappler.com/nation/65199-abu-sayyaf-leader-oath-isis/|title=Senior Abu Sayyaf leader swears oath to ISIS|first=Maria|last=Ressa|date=August 4, 2014}}</ref> [[Ansar Bait al-Maqdis]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/11/world/middleeast/egyptian-militant-group-pledges-loyalty-to-isis.html|title=Militant Group in Egypt Vows Loyalty to ISIS|first=David D.|last=Kirkpatrick|date=November 10, 2014|via=NYTimes.com}}</ref> the [[Uqba ibn Nafi Brigade]], and [[Al-Shabaab (militant group)|Al-Shabaab]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2016/10/islamic-state-in-somalia-claims-capture-of-port-town.php|title=Islamic State in Somalia claims capture of port town &#124; FDD's Long War Journal|website=www.longwarjournal.org}}</ref><br />
<br />
The first instance of the conflict was during the rise of the Islamic State in northern and western [[Iraq]] in 2014. During that time, the vast majority of Kurdish jihadists belonged to either Ansar al-Islam, or the [[Kurdistan Brigades]] of [[Al-Qaeda]], which was closely allied to Ansar al-Islam. When the Islamic State expanded closer to Kurdistan, Ansar al-Islam considered it a challenge to their hegemony and began attacking Islamic State positions. The clashes continued for months, in which the Islamic State dominated. Some Ansar al-Islam militants and commanders later joined the Islamic State.<ref>{{Cite web |title=تساؤلات بعد "بيعة" أنصار الإسلام لتنظيم الدولة |url=https://www.aljazeera.net/news/2014/7/1/%d8%aa%d8%b3%d8%a7%d8%a4%d9%84%d8%a7%d8%aa-%d8%a8%d8%b9%d8%af-%d8%a8%d9%8a%d8%b9%d8%a9-%d8%a3%d9%86%d8%b5%d8%a7%d8%b1-%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%a5%d8%b3%d9%84%d8%a7%d9%85-%d9%84%d8%aa%d9%86%d8%b8%d9%8a%d9%85 |access-date=2024-02-18 |website=الجزيرة نت |language=ar}}</ref><ref name="isis">{{cite web |date=2014-09-02 |title=IS disciplines some emirs to avoid losing base – Al-Monitor: the Pulse of the Middle East |url=http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/security/2014/09/is-takfiri-caliphate.html# |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160308091757/http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/security/2014/09/is-takfiri-caliphate.html |archive-date=2016-03-08 |access-date=2014-09-07 |work=Al-Monitor}}</ref><ref name="isis1">{{cite web |date=29 August 2014 |title=Jihadist Group Swears Loyalty to Islamic State – Middle East – News |url=http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/184544#.VAxa5xagSSk |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140901053705/http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/184544#.VAxa5xagSSk |archive-date=1 September 2014 |access-date=7 November 2014 |work=Arutz Sheva}}</ref> Ansar al-Islam later drastically declined, although remained active and continued to fight the Islamic State.<ref>{{cite web |date=15 October 2018 |title=Military groups calling themselves "the finest factions of the Levant" form joint operations room |url=http://nedaa-sy.com/en/news/9078 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181017191057/http://nedaa-sy.com/en/news/9078 |archive-date=17 October 2018 |accessdate=16 October 2018 |publisher=Syria Call}}</ref><br />
<br />
Initially, [[Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula]] did not oppose the Islamic State, and many AQAP members actually supported the Islamic State and its establishment of a [[Territory of the Islamic State|caliphate in Iraq and Syria]]. [[Nasir al-Wuhayshi]], the former leader of AQAP, also intended to pledge allegiance to the Islamic State if they came to Yemen. However, when the [[Islamic State – Yemen Province]] was established in 2015, AQAP remained with al-Qaeda, and some AQAP members defected to ISYP. This brought the al-Qaeda–Islamic State conflict to Yemen.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |date=2021-09-29 |title=Al-Qaeda’s Decline in Yemen: An Abandonment of Ideology Amid a Crisis of Leadership |url=https://sanaacenter.org/publications/analysis/15138 |access-date=2024-07-03 |website=Sana'a Center For Strategic Studies |language=en}}</ref><ref name="ISIS gaining ground in Yemen, competing with al-Qaeda">{{cite news |date=21 January 2015 |title=ISIS gaining ground in Yemen, competing with al Qaeda |url=http://edition.cnn.com/2015/01/21/politics/isis-gaining-ground-in-yemen/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150122035602/http://edition.cnn.com/2015/01/21/politics/isis-gaining-ground-in-yemen/ |archive-date=22 January 2015 |access-date=21 January 2015 |publisher=[[CNN]]}}</ref> These two groups continued to clash throughout the [[Yemeni civil war (2014–present)|Yemeni civil war]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Todd |first=Brian |date=2015-01-21 |title=ISIS gaining ground in Yemen, competing with al Qaeda {{!}} CNN Politics |url=https://www.cnn.com/2015/01/21/politics/isis-gaining-ground-in-yemen/index.html |access-date=2024-02-18 |website=CNN |language=en}}</ref><br />
<br />
The [[Islamic State–Taliban conflict]] started in early February 2015, when the [[Islamic State – Khorasan Province]] came to Afghanistan, killing a [[Taliban]] commander in the process. The Taliban responded by killing or capturing over 65 Islamic State militants.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Shah |first=David Sterman, Neeli |date=2024-02-22 |title=ISIS Reportedly Kills Afghan Taliban Commander; Modi to Visit China; Pakistan Tests Cruise Missile |url=https://foreignpolicy.com/2015/02/02/isis-reportedly-kills-afghan-taliban-commander-modi-to-visit-china-pakistan-tests-cruise-missile/ |access-date=2024-02-18 |website=Foreign Policy |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2015-01-12 |title=ISIS active in south Afghanistan, officials confirm for first time - CBS News |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/isis-active-in-south-afghanistan-officials-confirm-for-first-time/ |access-date=2024-02-18 |website=www.cbsnews.com |language=en-US}}</ref><br />
<br />
Al-Qaeda affiliates and the Islamic State [[Opposition–Islamic State conflict during the Syrian civil war|fight against each other]] in the [[Syrian civil war]], at the same time while fighting the [[Syrian opposition]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Jund al Aqsa leaders join Al Nusrah Front {{!}} FDD's Long War Journal |url=https://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2016/02/jund-al-aqsa-leaders-join-al-nusrah-front.php |access-date=2024-02-18 |website=www.longwarjournal.org |language=en-US}}</ref> Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State also fight on opposing sides in the [[Mali War]] and the [[Boko Haram insurgency]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Writer |first=Conor Gaffey Staff |date=2017-03-03 |title=African Jihadi Groups Unite in Troubled Sahel Region |url=https://www.newsweek.com/al-qaeda-groups-unite-sahel-563351 |access-date=2024-02-18 |website=Newsweek |language=en}}</ref><br />
<br />
During the [[Derna campaign (2014–2016)|Derna campaign]], pro-Al-Qaeda militants successfully broke the [[Islamic State in Libya]]'s siege on [[Derna, Libya|Derna]] and began fighting the Islamic State all around Libya.<ref name="clashes2">{{cite web |date=10 June 2015 |title=Al-Qaida-linked militants attack IS affiliate in Libya |url=https://news.yahoo.com/al-qaida-militants-clash-libya-leader-killed-090144601.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150610184053/http://news.yahoo.com/al-qaida-militants-clash-libya-leader-killed-090144601.html |archive-date=10 June 2015 |access-date=10 June 2015 |agency=[[Associated Press]]}}</ref><br />
<br />
In May 2021, the [[Islamic State's West Africa Province]] (ISWAP) launched an invasion of the [[Sambisa Forest]] in [[Borno State]], [[Nigeria]], which was serving as the main base of [[Boko Haram]], a rival [[Jihadism|jihadist]] rebel group. Following heavy fighting, ISWAP overran the Boko Haram troops, cornering their leader [[Abubakar Shekau]]. The two sides entered negotiations about Boko Haram's surrender during which Shekau committed suicide, possibly detonating himself with a [[suicide vest]]. Shekau's death was regarded as a major event by outside observers, as he had been one of the main driving forces in the [[Boko Haram insurgency|Islamist insurgency]] in Nigeria and neighboring countries since 2009.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/462774-boko-haram-leader-shekau-dead-as-iswap-fighters-capture-sambisa-forest-report.html|title=Boko Haram leader, Shekau, dead as ISWAP fighters capture Sambisa forest -- Report|date=20 May 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/may/20/boko-haram-leader-abubakar-shekau-nigeria-forest|title = Boko Haram leader tried to kill himself during clash with rivals, officials claim|website = [[TheGuardian.com]]|date = 20 May 2021}}</ref><br />
<br />
==References==<br />
{{Reflist}}<br />
<br />
== Further reading ==<br />
* {{cite book |last= Hashim |first= Ahmed S. |title= The Caliphate at War. Operational Realities and Innovations of the Islamic State |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |location=Oxford |year=2018 |isbn = 978-0-19-066848-8 |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=SXI8DwAAQBAJ }}<br />
* {{cite book|last=Lister|year=2015|first=Charles R.|title=The Syrian Jihad: Al-Qaeda, the Islamic State and the Evolution of an Insurgency|publisher=[[Oxford University Press]]|isbn=978-019046247-5|url={{Google books|S6eKCwAAQBAJ|plainurl=y}}}}<br />
* {{cite book |last1=Staffell |first1=Simon |last2=Awan |first2=Akil N. |title=Jihadism Transformed: Al-Qaeda and Islamic State's Global Battle of Ideas |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |location=Oxford |year=2016 |isbn = 978-0190650292 |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=x2hNDwAAQBAJ }}<br />
* {{cite book|last1 = Weiss|first1 = Michael|author-link1 = Michael Weiss (journalist)|last2 = Hassan|first2 = Hassan|author-link2 = Hassan Hassan|title= ISIS: Inside the Army of Terror|date= 2016|edition= Updated 2nd|orig-year= 2015|publisher= [[Phaidon Press]]|location= London; New York City|isbn= 978-1941393574|title-link = ISIS: Inside the Army of Terror}}<br />
<br />
{{Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant}}<br />
{{Al-Qaeda}}<br />
[[Category:Wars involving the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant]]<br />
[[Category:Al-Qaeda activities]]</div>Boackandwhitehttps://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Gulf_War&diff=1262434651Gulf War2024-12-11T11:38:09Z<p>Boackandwhite: </p>
<hr />
<div>{{Short description|1990–1991 conflict between Iraq and a 42-country coalition}}<br />
{{About|the conflict against Iraq in 1990–1991|other conflicts with the same name|Gulf War (disambiguation)}}<br />
{{Redirect|Desert Storm}}<br />
{{pp|small=yes}}<br />
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2020}}<br />
{{Infobox military conflict<br />
| conflict = Gulf War<br />
| image = {{Multiple image<br />
| perrow = 1/2/2<br />
| total_width = 300<br />
| border=infobox<br />
| image1= <br />
USAF F-16A F-15C F-15E Desert Storm edit2.jpg<br />
| image2= Tank in Desert Storm.JPEG<br />
| image3= British_gulf_war_(cropped).jpg<br />
| image4= Demolished vehicles line Highway 80 on 18 Apr 1991.jpg<br />
| image6= Gulf war target cam.jpg<br />
| footer_align = <br />
| footer = <br />
}} '''From top to bottom, left to right''':{{flatlist|<br />
* U.S. Air Force [[McDonnell Douglas F-15E Strike Eagle|F-15Es]], [[General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon|F-16s]], and an [[McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle|F-15C]] flying over [[Kuwaiti oil fires|burning Kuwaiti oil wells]]<br />
* a U.S. Army [[M1 Abrams]] laying down a smokescreen<br />
* British troops from the [[Staffordshire Regiment]] practicing casualty evacuation<br />
* wrecked and abandoned vehicles on the [[Highway of Death]]<br />
* camera view from a [[Lockheed AC-130]]<br />
}}<br />
| date = [[Iraqi invasion of Kuwait|2 August 1990]]{{snd}}[[Gulf War air campaign|17 January 1991]]<br/>(''Operation Desert Shield'')<br/>[[Gulf War air campaign|17 January]]{{snd}}[[Liberation of Kuwait|28 February 1991]]<br/>(''Operation Desert Storm'')<br/>({{Age in years, months, weeks and days|month1=08|day1=02|year=1990|month2=02|day2=28|year2=1991}})<br />
| place = {{flatlist|<br />
* [[Ba'athist Iraq|Iraq]]<br />
* [[Kuwait]]<br />
* [[Saudi Arabia]]<br />
* [[Persian Gulf]]<br />
* [[Israel]]<br />
}}<br />
| result = [[Coalition of the Gulf War|Coalition]] victory<br />
| territory = * [[Kuwait|State of Kuwait]] resumes self-governance over all Kuwaiti sovereign territory<br />
* Establishment of a [[United Nations Security Council Resolution 689|demilitarized zone]] and construction of a [[border barrier|separation barrier]] along the [[Iraq–Kuwait border]]<br />
| combatant1 = {{plainlist|<br />
* {{Flag|United States}}<br />
* {{nowrap|{{Flag|United Kingdom}}}}<br />
* {{Flag|France|1974}}<br />
* {{Flag|Saudi Arabia}}<br />
* {{Flag|Egypt}}<br />
* {{Flag|Kuwait}}<br />
}}<!-- COUNTRIES THAT DID NOT DEPLOY ANY MILITARY UNITS SHOULD NOT BE INCLUDED. --><!-- DO NOT ADD ISRAEL. --><!-- DESCENDING SORTED BY THE NUMBER OF MILITARY PERSONNEL OF EACH COUNTRY Source are references listed in the "Coalition of the Gulf War" article in Wikipedia--><br />
----<br />
{{Collapsible list<br />
| title = {{flagicon|UN}} [[Coalition of the Gulf War|Coalition]]{{nobold|:}}<br />
| {{Flagicon image|Flag of the Afghan interim government-in-exile (1988–1992).svg}} [[Afghan mujahideen]]<ref name="auto7">{{cite web |url=https://apps.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a234743.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190412060905/https://apps.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a234743.pdf |url-status=live |archive-date=12 April 2019 |website=apps.dtic.mil |access-date=2018-12-18 |title=Desert Shield And Desert Storm: A Chronology And Troop List for the 1990–1991 Persian Gulf Crisis}}</ref><br />
| {{Flag|Argentina}}<br />
| {{Flag|Australia}}<br />
| {{Flagcountry|State of Bahrain}}<br />
| {{Flag|Bangladesh}}<br />
| {{Flag|Belgium}}<br />
| {{Flag|Canada}}<br />
| {{Flagdeco|Czechoslovakia}} [[Czech and Slovak Federative Republic|Czechoslovakia]]<br />
| {{Flag|Denmark}}<br />
| {{Flag|Germany}}<br />
| {{Flag|Greece}}<br />
| {{Flag|Honduras|1949}}<br />
| {{Flag|Hungary}}<br />
| {{Flag|Italy}}<br />
| {{Flag|Japan|1870}}<br />
| {{Flag|Luxembourg}}<br />
| {{Flag|Morocco}}<br />
| {{Flag|Netherlands}}<br />
| {{Flag|New Zealand}}<br />
| {{Flag|Niger}}<br />
| {{Flag|Norway}}<br />
| {{Flag|Oman|1970}}<br />
| {{Flag|Pakistan}}<br />
| {{Flag|Philippines|1936}}<br />
| {{Flag|Poland}}<br />
| {{Flag|Portugal}}<br />
| {{Flag|Qatar}}<br />
| {{Flag|Romania}}<br />
| {{Flag|Senegal}}<br />
| {{Flag|Sierra Leone}}<br />
| {{Flag|Singapore}}<br />
| {{Flag|South Korea|1984}}<br />
| {{Flag|Spain}}<br />
| {{Flag|Sweden}}<br />
| {{Flag|Syria}}<br />
| {{Flag|Turkey}}<br />
| {{nowrap|{{Flag|United Arab Emirates}}}}}}<br />
| combatant2 = {{Flagcountry|Ba'athist Iraq}}<br />
[[Republic of Kuwait]]<br />
| commander1 = {{plainlist|<br />
* {{flagdeco|United States}} [[George H. W. Bush]]<br />
* {{flagdeco|United States}} [[Dick Cheney]]<br />
* {{flagdeco|United States}} [[Colin Powell]]<br />
* {{flagdeco|United States}} [[Norman Schwarzkopf Jr.|Norman Schwarzkopf]]<br />
* {{flagdeco|United States}} [[Chuck Horner]]<br />
* {{flagdeco|United States}} [[John J. Yeosock]]<br />
* {{flagdeco|United States}} [[Walter E. Boomer]]<br />
* {{flagdeco|United States}} [[Stanley R. Arthur]]<br />
* {{flagdeco|United States}} [[Robert B. Johnston]]<br />
* {{flagdeco|United Kingdom}} [[Margaret Thatcher]]<br />
* {{flagdeco|United Kingdom}} [[John Major]]<br />
* {{flagdeco|United Kingdom}} [[Peter de la Billière]]<br />
* {{flagdeco|France}} [[François Mitterrand]]<br />
* {{flagdeco|France}} [[Michel Roquejeoffre]]<br />
* {{flagdeco|Kuwait}} [[Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah|Sheikh Jaber Al Ahmad]]<br />
* {{flagdeco|Kuwait}} [[Saad Al-Salim Al-Sabah|Sheikh Saad Al Abdullah]]<br />
* {{flagdeco|Saudi Arabia}} [[Fahd of Saudi Arabia|King Fahd]]<br />
* {{flagdeco|Saudi Arabia}} [[Abdullah of Saudi Arabia|Prince Abdullah]]<br />
* {{flagdeco|Saudi Arabia}} [[Sultan bin Abdulaziz|Prince Sultan]]<br />
* {{flagdeco|Saudi Arabia}} [[Saleh Al-Muhaya]]<br />
* {{flagdeco|Saudi Arabia}} [[Khalid bin Sultan Al Saud|Khalid bin Sultan]]<ref>''Persian Gulf War, the Sandhurst-trained Prince<br/>Khaled bin Sultan al-Saud was co-commander with General Norman Schwarzkopf'' [http://www.casi.org.uk/discuss/2002/msg01184.html www.casi.org.uk/discuss] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303195039/http://www.casi.org.uk/discuss/2002/msg01184.html |date=3 March 2016 }}</ref><ref>''General Khaled was Co-Commander, with US General Norman Schwarzkopf, of the allied coalition that liberated Kuwait'' [http://www.thefreelibrary.com/FEATURE+Gulf+War+commander+signs+publishing+agreement+with...-a016226901 www.thefreelibrary.com] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110430043714/http://www.thefreelibrary.com/FEATURE+Gulf+War+commander+signs+publishing+agreement+with...-a016226901 |date=30 April 2011 }}</ref><br />
* {{flagdeco|Saudi Arabia}} [[Nayef bin Abdulaziz|Prince Nayef]] <br />
* {{flagdeco|Saudi Arabia}} [[Badr bin Abdulaziz Al Saud|Prince Badr]]<br />
* {{flagdeco|Saudi Arabia}} [[Turki bin Faisal Al Saud|Prince Turki Al Faisal]]<br />
* {{flagdeco|Egypt}} [[Hosni Mubarak]]<br />
* {{flagdeco|Egypt}} [[Youssef Sabri Abu Taleb]]<br />
* {{flagdeco|Egypt}} [[Salah Halabi]]<br />
* {{flagdeco|Egypt}} [[Muhammad Tantawi]]<br />
}}<br />
| commander2 = {{plainlist|<br />
* {{flagdeco|Ba'athist Iraq}} [[Saddam Hussein]]<br />
* {{flagdeco|Ba'athist Iraq}} [[Tariq Aziz]]<br />
* {{flagdeco|Ba'athist Iraq}} [[Ali Hassan al-Majid]]<br />
* {{flagdeco|Ba'athist Iraq}} [[Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri]]<br />
* {{flagdeco|Ba'athist Iraq}} [[Iyad Futayyih]]<br />
* {{flagdeco|Ba'athist Iraq}} [[Hussein Kamel al-Majid]]<br />
* {{flagdeco|Ba'athist Iraq}} [[Abid Hamid Mahmud]]<br />
* {{flagdeco|Ba'athist Iraq}} [[Muzahim Saab Hassan]]<br />
* {{flagdeco|Ba'athist Iraq}} [[Salah Aboud Mahmoud]]<br />
}}<br />
| strength1 = Over 950,000 soldiers<br>3,113 tanks<br>1,800 aircraft<br>2,200 artillery pieces<br />
| page = https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-PEMD-96-10/pdf/GAOREPORTS-PEMD-96-10.pdf<br />
| strength2 = 1,000,000+ soldiers (~600,000 in Kuwait)<br>5,500 tanks<br>700+ aircraft<br>3,000 artillery systems<ref name="auto1">{{cite book |author=Knights, Michael |page=[https://books.google.com/books?id=FDJmjUUR9CUC&pg=PA20 20] |title=Cradle of Conflict: Iraq and the Birth of Modern U.S. Military Power |publisher=[[United States Naval Institute]] |year=2005 |isbn=978-1-59114-444-1 |url=https://archive.org/details/cradleofconflict00knig/page/20 }}</ref><br />
| casualties1 = '''Total:<br />13,488'''<hr><br />
'''Coalition:'''<br/>292 killed (147 killed by enemy action, 145 non-hostile deaths)<br/>776 wounded<ref name="ca.encarta.msn.com">{{cite web|title=Persian Gulf War |publisher=MSN Encarta |url=http://ca.encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761551555_2/Arabian_Gulf_War.html |archive-url=https://www.webcitation.org/5kwqMXGNZ?url=http://ca.encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761551555_2/Persian_Gulf_War.html |archive-date=1 November 2009 }}</ref> (467 wounded in action)<br/>31 tanks destroyed/disabled<ref>18 M1 Abrams, 11 M60, 2 AMX-30</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.checkpoint-online.ch/CheckPoint/Histoire/His0010-CombatTawakalna.html|title=Guerre du Golfe: le dernier combat de la division Tawakalna|first=Ludovic Monnerat |last=CheckPoint}}</ref><ref>Scales, Brig. Gen. Robert H.: ''Certain Victory''. Brassey's, 1994, p. 279.</ref><ref>Halberstadt 1991. p. 35</ref><br/><ref>Atkinson, Rick. ''Crusade, The untold story of the Persian Gulf War''. Houghton Mifflin Company, 1993. pp. 332–3</ref><ref>Captain Todd A. Buchs, B. Co. Commander, ''Knights in the Desert''. Publisher/Editor Unknown. p. 111.</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tanks.net/tank-history/tanks-during-the-first-gulf-war.html|title=Tanks During the First Gulf War{{snd}}Tank History|first=Marcia|last=Malory|access-date=5 July 2016|archive-date=3 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303220002/http://www.tanks.net/tank-history/tanks-during-the-first-gulf-war.html}}</ref><ref>M60 vs T-62 Cold War Combatants 1956–92 by Lon Nordeen & David Isby</ref><br/>28 Bradley IFVs destroyed/damaged<br/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gulflink.osd.mil/du_ii/du_ii_tabh.htm|title=TAB H{{snd}}Friendly-fire Incidents|access-date=5 July 2016|archive-date=1 June 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130601053948/http://www.gulflink.osd.mil/du_ii/du_ii_tabh.htm}}</ref><ref>[http://www.gao.gov/products/NSIAD-92-94 NSIAD-92-94, "Operation Desert Storm: Early Performance Assessment of Bradley and Abrams".] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140221225558/http://www.gao.gov/products/NSIAD-92-94 |date=21 February 2014 }} US General Accounting Office, 10 January 1992. Quote: "According to information provided by the Army's Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations and Plans, 20 Bradleys were destroyed during the Gulf war. Another 12 Bradleys were damaged, but four of these were quickly repaired. Friendly fire accounted for 17 of the destroyed Bradleys and three of the damaged ones</ref><br/>1 M113 APC destroyed<br/>2 British Warrior APCs destroyed<br/>1 artillery piece destroyed<br/>75 aircraft destroyed{{citation needed|date=February 2023}}<br/>'''Kuwait:'''<br/>420 killed<br/><br />
12,000 captured<br/><br />
≈200 tanks destroyed/captured<br/><br />
850+ other armored vehicles destroyed/captured<br/><br />
57 aircraft lost<br/><br />
8 aircraft captured (Mirage F1s)<br/><br />
17 ships sunk, 6 captured<ref name="airCombatInformationGroup">[http://www.acig.org/artman/publish/article_213.shtml Iraqi Invasion of Kuwait; 1990 (Air War)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006231817/http://www.acig.org/artman/publish/article_213.shtml |date=6 October 2014 }}. Acig.org. Retrieved on 12 June 2011</ref><br />
| casualties2 = '''Total:<br />175,000–300,000+'''<hr><br />
'''Iraqi:'''<br/>20,000–50,000 killed{{sfnp|Bourque|2001|p=455}}<ref>{{cite web|title=Appendix – Iraqi Death Toll {{!}} The Gulf War {{!}} FRONTLINE {{!}} PBS |url=https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/gulf/appendix/death.html|access-date=2021-07-24|website=www.pbs.org}}</ref><br/>75,000+ wounded<ref name="ca.encarta.msn.com"/> <!-- The source means "casualties" as killed, comparing these new estimates with the old ones of 10,000–100,000 killed; for all losses it uses "losses". --><br/>80,000–175,000 captured{{sfnp|Bourque|2001|p=455}}<ref name="google1990">{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=oNSwBAAAQBAJ&dq=gulf+war+175%2C000+pows&pg=PT204 |title=The Gulf War: Operation Desert Storm 1990–1991 |isbn=978-1-4738-3730-0 |access-date=22 April 2022 |archive-date=5 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221205102940/https://books.google.it/books?id=oNSwBAAAQBAJ&pg=PT204&lpg=PT204&dq=gulf+war+175,000+pows&source=bl&ots=b459KDbkKn&sig=ACfU3U3WjDztYFB8TFHeon0hnUwpxAkJIA&hl=it&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwi1nP7Myqj3AhXeR_EDHSOHA00Q6AF6BAgFEAM#v=onepage&q=gulf%20war%20175%2C000%20pows&f=false |url-status=live |last1=Tucker-Jones |first1=Anthony |date=31 May 2014 |publisher=Pen and Sword }}</ref><ref name="google1991">{{Cite web |url=https://www.hrw.org/reports/1991/IRAQ391.htm |title=Human Rights Watch |access-date=22 April 2022 |archive-date=22 April 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220422211557/https://www.hrw.org/reports/1991/IRAQ391.htm |url-status=live }}</ref><br/>3,300 tanks destroyed{{sfnp|Bourque|2001|p=455}}<br/>2,100 APCs destroyed{{sfnp|Bourque|2001|p=455}}<br/>2,200 artillery pieces destroyed{{sfnp|Bourque|2001|p=455}}<br/>110 aircraft destroyed{{citation needed|date=February 2023}}<br/>137 aircraft flown to Iran to escape destruction<ref>{{Cite web |title=Appendix A: Chronology – February 1991 |url=https://www.history.navy.mil/research/library/online-reading-room/title-list-alphabetically/u/us-navy-in-desert-shield-desert-storm/february-1991.html |access-date=2024-02-04 |website=[[Naval History and Heritage Command]] |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=10 August 2007 |title=Iraq air force wants Iran to give back its planes |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSCOL544157/ |work=[[Reuters]]}}</ref><br/>19 ships sunk, 6 damaged{{citation needed|date=February 2023}}<br />
| casualties3 = '''Kuwaiti civilian losses:'''<br/>Over 1,000 killed<ref name=useofterrorkuwait>{{cite web|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050124091425/http://www.jafi.org.il/education/actual/iraq/3.html |archive-date=24 January 2005|url=http://www.jafi.org.il/education/actual/iraq/3.html |title=The Use of Terror during Iraq's invasion of Kuwait|access-date=22 June 2010 |publisher=The Jewish Agency for Israel}}</ref><br/>600 [[missing people]]<ref>{{cite web |publisher=Red Cross |title=Kuwait: missing people: a step in the right direction |url=http://www.icrc.org/eng/resources/documents/misc/57jmjf.htm |access-date=5 March 2014 |archive-date=7 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160307210107/https://www.icrc.org/eng/resources/documents/misc/57jmjf.htm }}</ref><br/>'''Iraqi civilian losses:'''<br/>3,664 killed directly<ref name=Wagesofwar>{{cite web |url=http://www.comw.org/pda/0310rm8ap2.html#1.%20Iraqi%20civilian%20fatalities%20in%20the%201991%20Gulf |title=The Wages of War: Iraqi Combatant and Noncombatant Fatalities in the 2003 Conflict|access-date=9 May 2009 |publisher=Project on Defense Alternatives}}</ref><br/>'''Total Iraqi losses (including [[1991 Iraqi uprisings]]):'''<br/>142,500–206,000 deaths (According to [[Medact]]){{Efn|Including 100–120,000 military deaths, 3–15,000 civilian deaths during the war, 4–6,000 civilian deaths up to April 1991, and 35–65,000 civilian deaths from the [[1991 Iraqi uprisings|Iraqi uprisings]] after the end of the Gulf War.}}<ref name=":2" /><br/>'''Other civilian losses:'''<br/>75 killed in [[Iraqi rocket attacks on Israel|Israel]] and Saudi Arabia, 309 injured<br />
| campaignbox = {{Campaignbox Persian Gulf Wars}}<br />
{{Campaignbox Gulf War}}<br />
{{Ba'athism sidebar}}<br />
{{Saddam Hussein series}}<br />
{{George H. W. Bush series}}<br />
}}<br />
<br />
The '''Gulf War''' was an armed conflict between [[Ba'athist Iraq|Iraq]] and a [[Coalition of the Gulf War|42-country coalition]] led by the [[United States]]. The coalition's efforts against Iraq were carried out in two key phases: '''Operation Desert Shield''', which marked the military buildup from August 1990 to January 1991; and '''Operation Desert Storm''', which began with the [[Gulf War air campaign|aerial bombing campaign against Iraq]] on 17 January 1991 and came to a close with the American-led [[Liberation of Kuwait campaign|liberation of Kuwait]] on 28 February 1991.<br />
<br />
On 2 August 1990, Iraq, governed by [[Saddam Hussein]], [[Iraqi invasion of Kuwait|invaded]] neighboring [[State of Kuwait|Kuwait]] and fully occupied the country within two days. The invasion was primarily over disputes regarding Kuwait's alleged [[Directional drilling|slant drilling]] in Iraq's [[Rumaila oil field]], as well as to cancel Iraq's large debt to Kuwait from the recently ended [[Iran–Iraq War|Iran-Iraq War]]. After Iraq briefly occupied Kuwait under a rump puppet government known as the [[Republic of Kuwait]], it split Kuwait's sovereign territory into the [[Saddamiyat al-Mitla' District]] in the north, which was absorbed into Iraq's existing [[Basra Governorate]], and the [[Kuwait Governorate]] in the south, which became Iraq's 19th governorate. <br />
<br />
The invasion of Kuwait was met with immediate international condemnation, including the adoption of [[United Nations Security Council Resolution 660|UN Security Council Resolution 660]], which demanded Iraq's immediate withdrawal from Kuwait, and the imposition of comprehensive [[international sanctions against Iraq]] with the adoption of [[United Nations Security Council Resolution 661|UN Security Council Resolution 661]]. British prime minister [[Margaret Thatcher]] and U.S. president [[George H. W. Bush]] deployed troops and equipment into [[Saudi Arabia]] and urged other countries to send their own forces. Many countries joined the American-led coalition forming the largest military alliance since [[World War II]]. The bulk of the coalition's military power was from the [[United States]], with [[Saudi Arabia]], the [[United Kingdom]], and [[Egypt]] as the largest lead-up contributors, in that order. <br />
<br />
[[United Nations Security Council Resolution 678]], adopted on 29 November 1990, gave Iraq an ultimatum, expiring on 15 January 1991, to implement Resolution 660 and withdraw from Kuwait, with member-states empowered to use "all necessary means" to force Iraq's compliance. Initial efforts to dislodge the Iraqis from Kuwait began with aerial and naval bombardment of Iraq on 17 January, which continued for five weeks. As the Iraqi military struggled against the coalition attacks, [[1991 Iraqi missile attacks against Israel|Iraq fired missiles at Israel]] to provoke an Israeli military response, with the expectation that such a response would lead to the withdrawal of several Muslim-majority countries from the coalition. The provocation was unsuccessful; Israel did not retaliate and Iraq continued to remain at odds with most Muslim-majority countries. [[Iraqi ballistic missile attacks on Saudi Arabia|Iraqi missile barrages against coalition targets in Saudi Arabia]] were also largely unsuccessful, and on 24 February 1991, the coalition launched a major ground assault into Iraqi-occupied Kuwait. The offensive was a decisive victory for the coalition, who liberated Kuwait and promptly began to advance past the [[Iraq–Kuwait border]] into Iraqi territory. A hundred hours after the beginning of the ground campaign, the coalition ceased its advance into Iraq and declared a ceasefire. Aerial and ground combat was confined to Iraq, Kuwait, and areas straddling the [[Iraq–Saudi Arabia border]].<br />
<br />
The conflict marked the introduction of live news broadcasts from the front lines of the battle, principally by the American network [[CNN]]. It has also earned the nickname ''Video Game War'', after the daily broadcast of images from cameras onboard American military aircraft during Operation Desert Storm. The Gulf War has also gained fame for some of the largest tank battles in [[Military history of the United States|American military history]]: the [[Battle of Medina Ridge]], the [[Battle of Norfolk]], and the [[Battle of 73 Easting]].<br />
<br />
{{TOC limit|3}}<br />
<br />
==Names==<br />
The war is also known under other names, such as the '''Second Gulf War''' (not to be confused with the 2003 [[Iraq War]], also referred to as such<ref>{{Cite web |title=Research: Second Gulf War |url=https://veteranmuseum.net/research-second-gulf-war/ |access-date=2024-11-12 |website=Veterans Museum at Balboa Park |language=en-US}}</ref>), '''Persian Gulf War''', '''Kuwait War''', '''First Iraq War''', or '''Iraq War'''<ref name=FrontlineCron>{{cite web |url=https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/gulf/cron/ |title=Frontline Chronology |access-date=20 March 2007|publisher=Public Broadcasting Service}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |work=CNN |date=16 January 2001 |title=Tenth anniversary of the Gulf War: A look back |url=http://archives.cnn.com/2001/US/01/16/gulf.anniversary/index.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071022115600/http://archives.cnn.com/2001/US/01/16/gulf.anniversary/index.html |archive-date=2007-10-22 |access-date=6 June 2007 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="cfr.org">{{cite web |author=Kenneth Estes |url=http://www.cfr.org/publication/13865/isn.html |title=ISN: The Second Gulf War (1990–1991){{snd}}Council on Foreign Relations |publisher=Cfr.org |access-date=18 March 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110102171502/http://www.cfr.org/publication/13865/isn.html |archive-date=2 January 2011 }}</ref><ref group=lower-alpha name=numbering/> before the term "Iraq War" became identified with the 2003 Iraq War (also known in the US as "[[Operation Iraqi Freedom]]").<ref>[http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/natsec/RL34387.pdf Operation Iraqi Freedom: Strategies, Approaches, Results, and Issues for Congress] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171205184417/https://fas.org/sgp/crs/natsec/RL34387.pdf |date=5 December 2017 }}. (PDF). Retrieved on 2014-05-24.</ref> The war was named {{Transliteration|ar|Umm al-Ma'arik}} ("mother of all battles") by Iraqi officials.<ref>{{cite web |date=5 November 1991 |title=A 1991 Dossier on the Role of the Iraqi Air Force in the Gulf War |url=https://conflictrecords.files.wordpress.com/2013/06/sh-aadf-d-000-396_tf.pdf |id=SH-AADF-D-000-396}}</ref> After the [[US invasion of Iraq]] in 2003, the Gulf War of 1990–1991 is often known as the "'''First Iraq War'''".<ref>{{Cite book |last=Stoker |first=Donald |title=Purpose and Power |publisher=Cambridge University Press |year=2024 |isbn=978-1-009-25727-5 |location=Shaftesbury Road, Cambridge CB2 8EA, UK |pages=537–559 |chapter=16: The Gulf War, or First Iraq War, 1990-1991 |lccn=2022040999}}</ref><br />
<br />
The following names have been used to describe the conflict itself:<br />
''Gulf War'' and ''Persian Gulf War'' are the most common terms for the conflict used within [[Western world|western countries]], though it may also be called the ''First Gulf War'' (to distinguish it from the [[2003 invasion of Iraq]] and the subsequent Iraq War). Some authors have called it the ''Second Gulf War'' to distinguish it from the [[Iran–Iraq War]].<ref>''Iraq and the Second Gulf War: State Building and Regime Security'', Mohammad-Mahmoud Mohamedou, 1997</ref> ''[[Liberation of Kuwait campaign|Liberation of Kuwait]]'' ({{langx|ar|تحرير الكويت}}) (''taḥrīr al-kuwayt'') is the term used by Kuwait and most of the coalition's Arab states, including Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt, and the [[United Arab Emirates]]. Terms in other languages include {{langx|fr|la Guerre du Golfe}} and {{lang|fr|Guerre du Koweït}} (''War of Kuwait''); {{langx|de|Golfkrieg}} (''Gulf War'') and {{lang|de|Zweiter Golfkrieg}} (''Second Gulf War'').{{Citation needed|date=February 2023}}<br />
<br />
===Operational names===<br />
Most of the coalition states used various names for their operations and the war's operational phases. These are sometimes incorrectly used as the conflict's overall name, especially the US ''Desert Storm'':<br />
* ''Operation Desert Shield'' was the US operational name for the US buildup of forces and Saudi Arabia's defense from 2 August 1990 to 16 January 1991{{Citation needed|date=February 2023}}<br />
* ''Operation Desert Storm'' was the US name of the [[AirLand Battle|airland conflict]] from 17 January 1991 through 28 February 1991<ref>{{cite web|title=Operation DESERT STORM|website=U.S. Army Center of Military History|url=https://www.history.army.mil/html/bookshelves/resmat/desert-storm/index.html|access-date=20 November 2024}}</ref><br />
** ''Operation Desert Sabre'' (early name ''Operation Desert Sword'') was the US name for the air and land offensive against the Iraqi Army in the Kuwaiti Theater of Operations (the "100-hour war") from 24 to 28 February 1991, in itself, part of ''Operation Desert Storm''{{Citation needed|date=February 2023}}<br />
* [[Operation Desert Farewell]] was the name given to the return of US units and equipment to the US in 1991 after Kuwait's liberation, sometimes referred to as ''Operation Desert Calm''{{Citation needed|date=February 2023}}<br />
* [[Operativo Alfil]] was the Argentine name for Argentine military activities{{Citation needed|date=February 2023}}<br />
* [[Opération Daguet]] was the French name for French military activities in the conflict{{Citation needed|date=February 2023}}<br />
* [[Operation Friction]] was the name of the Canadian operations<ref>{{Cite web |last=Defence |first=National |date=2018-12-11 |title=Gulf War – FRICTION |url=https://www.canada.ca/en/department-national-defence/services/military-history/history-heritage/past-operations/middle-east/friction.html |access-date=2023-11-21 |website=www.canada.ca}}</ref><br />
* [[Operation Granby]] was the British name for British military activities during the operations and conflict<ref>{{Cite web |title=Gulf War – Op Granby {{!}} Royal Signals Museum |url=https://www.royalsignalsmuseum.co.uk/gulf-war-op-granby/ |access-date=2023-11-21 |language=en-GB}}</ref><br />
* [[Operazione Locusta]] (Italian for [[Locust]]) was the Italian name for the operations and conflict{{Citation needed|date=February 2023}}<br />
<br />
===Campaign names===<br />
The US divided the conflict into three major campaigns:<br />
* ''Defense of Saudi Arabian country'' for the period 2 August 1990, through 16 January 1991{{Citation needed|date=February 2023}}<br />
* ''Liberation and Defense of Kuwait'' for the period 17 January 1991, through 11 April 1991{{Citation needed|date=February 2023}}<br />
* ''Southwest Asia Cease-Fire'' for the period 12 April 1991, through 30 November 1995, including [[Operation Provide Comfort]]{{Citation needed|date=February 2023}}<br />
<br />
==Background==<br />
{{See also|Iran–United States relations after 1979|List of modern conflicts in the Middle East|Rationale for the Persian Gulf war}}<br />
<br />
Throughout the [[Cold War]], Iraq had been an ally of the [[Soviet Union]], and there was a history of friction between Iraq and the United States.<ref>{{cite book|author-link=Elaine Sciolino|last=Sciolino|first=Elaine|title=The Outlaw State: Saddam Hussein's Quest for Power and the Gulf Crisis|publisher=[[Wiley (publisher)|John Wiley & Sons]]|year=1991|isbn=978-0-471-54299-5|page=[https://archive.org/details/outlawstate00elai/page/160 160]}}</ref> The US was concerned with Iraq's position on Israeli–[[Palestinians|Palestinian]] politics. The US also disliked Iraqi support for [[Palestinian fedayeen|Palestinian militant]] groups, which led to Iraq's inclusion on the developing US list of [[State Sponsors of Terrorism (U.S. list)|State Sponsors of Terrorism]] in December 1979.<ref>{{cite book|author-link=Elaine Sciolino|last=Sciolino|first=Elaine|title=The Outlaw State: Saddam Hussein's Quest for Power and the Gulf Crisis|publisher=[[Wiley (publisher)|John Wiley & Sons]]|year=1991|isbn=978-0-471-54299-5|pages=[https://archive.org/details/outlawstate00elai/page/161 161]-[https://archive.org/details/outlawstate00elai/page/162 162]}}</ref><br />
<br />
[[File:Saddam rumsfeld.jpg|thumb|left|[[Donald Rumsfeld]], US special envoy to the Middle East, meets [[Saddam Hussein]] on 19–20 December 1983.]]<br />
<br />
The US remained officially neutral after Iraq's invasion of Iran in 1980, which became the Iran–Iraq War, although it provided resources, political support, and some "non-military" aircraft to Iraq.<ref name="stork">{{cite journal |title=Background to the Crisis: Why War? |first1=Joe |last1=Stork|first2=Ann M. |last2=Lesch |journal=Middle East Report |issue=167, November–December 1990 |pages=11–18 |publisher=Middle East Research and Information Project (MERIP)|jstor=3012998|year=1990 |doi=10.2307/3012998 | issn = 0899-2851 }} {{subscription required}}</ref> In March 1982, Iran began a successful [[counteroffensive]] ([[Operation Undeniable Victory]]), and the US [[United States support for Iraq during the Iran–Iraq war|increased its support for Iraq]] to prevent Iran from forcing a surrender. In a US bid to open full diplomatic relations with Iraq, the country was removed from the US list of State Sponsors of Terrorism.<ref>{{cite book|author-link=Elaine Sciolino|last=Sciolino|first=Elaine|title=The Outlaw State: Saddam Hussein's Quest for Power and the Gulf Crisis|publisher=[[Wiley (publisher)|John Wiley & Sons]]|year=1991 |isbn=978-0-471-54299-5|page=[https://archive.org/details/outlawstate00elai/page/163 163]}}</ref> Ostensibly, this was because of improvement in the regime's record, although former US Assistant Defense Secretary Noel Koch later stated: "No one had any doubts about [the Iraqis'] continued involvement in [[State-sponsored terrorism|terrorism]]&nbsp;... The real reason was to help them succeed in the war against Iran."<ref name="Borer">{{cite web |url=http://www.army.mil/professionalWriting/volumes/volume1/july_2003/7_03_2v2.html |title=Inverse Engagement: Lessons from U.S.-Iraq Relations, 1982–1990 |access-date=12 October 2006 |author=Douglas A. Borer |year=2003 |work=U.S. Army Professional Writing Collection |publisher=US Army |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061011195656/http://www.army.mil/professionalwriting/volumes/volume1/july_2003/7_03_2v2.html |archive-date=11 October 2006 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book|author-link=Elaine Sciolino|last=Sciolino|first=Elaine|title=The Outlaw State: Saddam Hussein's Quest for Power and the Gulf Crisis|publisher=[[Wiley (publisher)|John Wiley & Sons]]|year=1991 |isbn=978-0-471-54299-5|page=[https://archive.org/details/outlawstate00elai/page/164 164]}}</ref><br />
<br />
With Iraq's newfound success in the war, and the Iranian rebuff of a peace offer in July, [[International aid to combatants in the Iran–Iraq War|arms sales to Iraq]] reached a record spike in 1982. When Iraqi President [[Saddam Hussein]] expelled [[Abu Nidal]] to Syria at the US's request in November 1983, the [[Presidency of Ronald Reagan|Reagan administration]] sent [[Donald Rumsfeld]] to meet Saddam as a special envoy and to cultivate ties. By the time the [[Iran–Iraq War#1987–88: Towards a ceasefire|ceasefire with Iran]] was signed in August 1988, Iraq was heavily debt-ridden and tensions within society were rising.{{sfnp|Simons|2004|p=333}} Most of its [[Government debt|debt]] was owed to [[Saudi Arabia]] and Kuwait.{{sfnp|Simons|2004|pp=341–342}} Iraq's debts to Kuwait amounted to $14&nbsp;billion.<ref>{{cite news |title=On this day in 1990: The world decides to stop Saddam Hussein's forces marauding around Kuwait |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/11/30/day-world-decided-stop-saddam-husseins-forces-marauding-around/ |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220110/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/11/30/day-world-decided-stop-saddam-husseins-forces-marauding-around/ |archive-date=10 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |work=The Daily Telegraph |date=30 November 2017}}{{cbignore}}</ref> Iraq pressured both nations to forgive the debts, but they refused.{{sfnp|Simons|2004|pp=341–342}}<ref name="airCombatInformationGroup2">{{cite journal |last1=Cooper |first1=Tom |author-link1=Tom Cooper (author) |last2=Sadik |first2=Ahmad |date=6 August 2007 |title=Iraqi Invasion of Kuwait; 1990 |url=http://www.acig.info/CMS/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=68&Itemid=1 |url-status=live |journal=Air Combat Information Group Journal |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130706142817/http://www.acig.info/CMS/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=68&Itemid=47 |archive-date=6 July 2013 |access-date=27 October 2016}}</ref><br />
<br />
The Iraq–Kuwait border dispute involved Iraqi claims to Kuwaiti territory.<ref name="stork" /> Kuwait had been a part of the [[Ottoman Empire]]'s [[Basra Vilayet|province of Basra]], something that Iraq claimed made Kuwait rightful Iraqi territory.{{sfnp|Simons|2004|pp=343–344}} Kuwait's ruling dynasty, the [[House of Sabah|al-Sabah family]], had concluded a [[protectorate]] agreement in 1899 that assigned responsibility for Kuwait's foreign affairs to the United Kingdom. The UK drew the border between Kuwait and Iraq in 1922, making Iraq almost entirely landlocked.<ref name="stork" /> Kuwait rejected Iraqi attempts to secure further provisions in the region.{{sfnp|Simons|2004|pp=343–344}}<br />
<br />
Iraq also accused Kuwait of exceeding its [[OPEC]] quotas for oil production.<ref name="OPEC2">"OPEC pressures Kuwait to moderate quota demand", ''New Straits Times'', 7 June 1989</ref> In order for the cartel to maintain its desired price of $18 per barrel, discipline was required. The United Arab Emirates and Kuwait were consistently overproducing; the latter at least in part to repair losses caused by Iranian attacks in the Iran–Iraq War and to pay for the losses of an economic scandal. The result was a slump in the oil price{{snd}}as low as {{convert|10|$/oilbbl|$/m3}}{{snd}}with a resulting loss of $7&nbsp;billion a year to Iraq, equal to its 1989 [[balance of payments]] deficit.{{sfnp|Simons|2004|pp=339–340}} Resulting revenues struggled to support the government's basic costs, let alone repair Iraq's damaged infrastructure. [[Jordan]] and Iraq both looked for more discipline, with little success.{{sfnp|Simons|2004|p=341}} The Iraqi government described it as a form of economic warfare,{{sfnp|Simons|2004|p=341}} which it claimed was aggravated by Kuwait [[Directional drilling|slant-drilling]] across the border into Iraq's [[Rumaila oil field]].<ref>Cleveland, William L. ''A History of the Modern Middle East. 2nd Ed'' pg. 464</ref> According to oil workers in the area, Iraq's slant drilling claim was fabricated, as "oil flows easily from the Rumaila field without any need for these techniques."<ref name=hayes>{{cite news|last=Hayes |first=Thomas C.|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|date=3 September 1990|title=Confrontation in the Gulf; The Oilfield Lying Below the Iraq-Kuwait Dispute|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1990/09/03/world/confrontation-in-the-gulf-the-oilfield-lying-below-the-iraq-kuwait-dispute.html|quote=Oil formations frequently run beneath political boundaries, whether they involve unfriendly leaseholders in West Texas or neighboring Arab states, and procedures have existed for years to settle disputes that arise. Typically, participants in the same field share both production costs and revenues, using a formula that sets percentages of ownership. But Iraq refused to negotiate with Kuwait on such an agreement. So Kuwait produced oil from Rumaila without any agreement, and then adopted a policy of producing far more oil than it was allowed under the quota system of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries.&nbsp;... But during the [Iran–Iraq War] Iraq mined its giant share of the Rumaila field to keep it from falling into Iranian hands, Western political experts say. Kuwait stepped up its total oil production, capturing some of Iraq's customers and pumping millions of barrels from the Rumaila field.&nbsp;... Some Iraqi officials have accused Kuwait in the past of using advanced drilling techniques developed by American oilfield specialists to siphon oil from the Rumaila field, a charge that American drillers deny, noting that the oil flows easily from the Rumaila field without any need for these techniques.&nbsp;... W. C. Goins, senior vice president of OGE Drilling Inc., a Houston company that provided oilfield supervisors and workers for Kuwait in the same area, said he was 'positive' all of the wells his employees drilled and operated ran vertically down to the Rumaila pay zone. 'That field crosses the border in north Kuwait,' he added. 'Iraqis were drilling on one side, and Kuwaitis on the other side.'}}</ref> At the same time, Saddam looked for closer ties with those Arab states that had supported Iraq in the war. This move was supported by the US, who believed that Iraqi ties with pro-Western Gulf states would help bring and maintain Iraq inside the US' sphere of influence.{{sfnp|Simons|2004|p=334}}<br />
<br />
In 1989, it appeared that [[Iraq–Saudi Arabia relations|Saudi–Iraqi relations]], strong during the war, would be maintained. A pact of non-interference and non-aggression was signed between the countries, followed by a Kuwaiti-Iraqi deal for Iraq to supply Kuwait with water for drinking and irrigation, although a request for Kuwait to lease Iraq [[Umm Qasr]] was rejected.{{sfnp|Simons|2004|p=334}} Saudi-backed development projects were hampered by Iraq's large debts, even with the [[demobilization]] of 200,000 soldiers. Iraq also looked to increase arms production so as to become an exporter, although the success of these projects was also restrained by Iraq's obligations; in Iraq, resentment to OPEC's controls mounted.{{sfnp|Simons|2004|p=335}}<br />
<br />
Iraq's relations with its Arab neighbors, particularly Egypt, were degraded by mounting violence in Iraq against expatriate groups, who were well-employed during the war, by unemployed Iraqis, among them demobilized soldiers. These events drew little notice outside the Arab world because of fast-moving events directly related to the fall of Communism in Eastern Europe. However, the US did begin to condemn Iraq's human rights record, including the well-known use of torture.{{sfnp|Simons|2004|p=336}} The UK also condemned the execution of [[Farzad Bazoft]], a journalist working for the British newspaper ''[[The Observer]]''.<ref name="stork" /> Following Saddam's declaration that "binary chemical weapons" would be used on Israel if it used military force against Iraq, Washington halted part of its funding.{{sfnp|Simons|2004|pp=337–338}} A UN mission to the [[Israeli-occupied territories]], where riots had resulted in Palestinian deaths, was [[United Nations Security Council veto power|vetoed]] by the US, making Iraq deeply skeptical of US foreign policy aims in the region, combined with the reliance of the US on Middle Eastern energy reserves.{{sfnp|Simons|2004|p=338}}<br />
<br />
[[File:Ku-map.gif|thumb|left|Map of Kuwait]]<br />
<br />
In early July 1990, Iraq complained about Kuwait's behavior, such as not respecting their quota, and openly threatened to take military action. On the 23rd, the [[Central Intelligence Agency|CIA]] reported that Iraq had moved 30,000 troops to the Iraq-Kuwait border, and the US naval fleet in the [[Persian Gulf]] was placed on alert. Saddam believed an anti-Iraq conspiracy was developing{{snd}}Kuwait had begun talks with Iran, and Iraq's rival Syria had arranged a visit to Egypt.{{sfnp|Simons|2004|p=343}} On 15 July 1990, Saddam's government laid out its combined objections to the [[Arab League]], including that policy moves were costing Iraq $1&nbsp;billion a year, that Kuwait was still using the Rumaila oil field, and that loans made by the UAE and Kuwait could not be considered debts to its "Arab brothers".{{sfnp|Simons|2004|p=343}} He threatened force against Kuwait and the UAE, saying: "The policies of some Arab rulers are American&nbsp;... They are inspired by America to undermine Arab interests and security."<ref>Yousseff M. Ibrahim, [https://www.nytimes.com/1990/07/18/business/iraq-threatens-emirates-and-kuwait-on-oil-glut.html "Iraq Threatens Emirates And Kuwait on Oil Glut"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170630060909/http://www.nytimes.com/1990/07/18/business/iraq-threatens-emirates-and-kuwait-on-oil-glut.html |date=30 June 2017 }} ''New York Times'', 18 July 1990</ref> The US sent [[aerial refuelling]] planes and combat ships to the Persian Gulf in response to these threats.<ref>Michael R. Gordon, [https://www.nytimes.com/1990/07/25/world/us-deploys-air-and-sea-forces-after-iraq-threatens-2-neighbors.html "U.S. Deploys Air and Sea Forces After Iraq Threatens 2 Neighbors"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170630054533/http://www.nytimes.com/1990/07/25/world/us-deploys-air-and-sea-forces-after-iraq-threatens-2-neighbors.html |date=30 June 2017 }} ''New York Times'', 25 July 1990</ref> Discussions in [[Jeddah]], Saudi Arabia, mediated on the Arab League's behalf by Egyptian President [[Hosni Mubarak]], were held on 31 July and led Mubarak to believe that a peaceful course could be established.{{sfnp|Finlan|2003|pp=25–26}}<br />
<br />
During Saddam Hussein's 2003–2004 interrogation following his capture he claimed that in addition to economic disputes, an insulting exchange between the Kuwaiti [[emir]] [[Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah|Al Sabah]] and the Iraqi foreign minister – during which the emir stated his intention to turn "every Iraqi woman into a $10 prostitute" by bankrupting the country – was a decisive factor in triggering the Iraqi invasion.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/interrogator-shares-saddams-confessions/4/|title=Interrogator Shares Saddam's Confessions<br />
|website=cbsnews.com|date=24 January 2008<br />
}}</ref><br />
<br />
On the 25th, Saddam met with [[April Glaspie]], the [[United States Ambassador to Iraq|US Ambassador to Iraq]], in Baghdad. The Iraqi leader attacked American policy with regards to Kuwait and the UAE:<br />
<br />
{{blockquote|So what can it mean when America says it will now protect its friends? It can only mean prejudice against Iraq. This stance plus maneuvers and statements which have been made has encouraged the UAE and Kuwait to disregard Iraqi rights&nbsp;... If you use pressure, we will deploy pressure and force. We know that you can harm us although we do not threaten you. But we too can harm you. Everyone can cause harm according to their ability and their size. We cannot come all the way to you in the United States, but individual Arabs may reach you&nbsp;... We do not place America among the enemies. We place it where we want our friends to be and we try to be friends. But repeated American statements last year made it apparent that America did not regard us as friends.<ref name="nytimes.com">[https://www.nytimes.com/1990/09/23/world/confrontation-in-the-gulf-excerpts-from-iraqi-document-on-meeting-with-us-envoy.html "CONFRONTATION IN THE GULF; Excerpts From Iraqi Document on Meeting With U.S. Envoy"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170111062914/http://www.nytimes.com/1990/09/23/world/confrontation-in-the-gulf-excerpts-from-iraqi-document-on-meeting-with-us-envoy.html |date=11 January 2017 }} ''New York Times'', 23 September 1990</ref>}}<br />
<br />
Glaspie replied:<br />
<br />
{{blockquote|I know you need funds. We understand that and our opinion is that you should have the opportunity to rebuild your country. But we have no opinion on the Arab-Arab conflicts, like your border disagreement with Kuwait&nbsp;... Frankly, we can only see that you have deployed massive troops in the south. Normally that would not be any of our business. But when this happens in the context of what you said on your national day, then when we read the details in the two letters of the Foreign Minister, then when we see the Iraqi point of view that the measures taken by the UAE and Kuwait is, in the final analysis, parallel to military aggression against Iraq, then it would be reasonable for me to be concerned.<ref name="nytimes.com" />}}<br />
<br />
Saddam stated that he would attempt last-ditch negotiations with the Kuwaitis but Iraq "would not accept death."<ref name="nytimes.com" /><br />
<br />
According to Glaspie's own account, she stated in reference to the precise border between Kuwait and Iraq, "...&nbsp;that she had served in Kuwait 20 years before; 'then, as now, we took no position on these Arab affairs'."{{citation needed|date=November 2023}} Glaspie similarly believed that war was not imminent.{{sfnp|Finlan|2003|pp=25–26}}<br />
<br />
On 26 July 1990, only a few days before the Iraqi invasion, OPEC officials said that Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates had agreed to a proposal to limit their oil output to {{convert|1.5|e6oilbbl|m3}} per day, "down from the nearly 2 million barrels a day they had each been pumping," thus potentially settling differences over oil policy between Kuwait and Iraq.<ref name=NY>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1990/07/26/world/iraq-said-to-prevail-in-oil-dispute-with-kuwait-and-arab-emirates.html?pagewanted=1|work=The New York Times|first=Youssef M.|last=Ibrahim|title=Iraq Said to Prevail in Oil Dispute With Kuwait and Arab Emirates|date=26 July 1990}}</ref><br />
<br />
==Invasion of Kuwait==<br />
[[File:Iraqi T-72 tanks.jpg|thumb|[[Lion of Babylon (tank)|Lion of Babylon]] main battle tanks, common Iraqi battle tank used in the Gulf War by the [[Iraqi Armed Forces|Iraqi Army]].]]<br />
<br />
{{Main|Iraqi invasion of Kuwait|Timeline of Gulf War}}<br />
<br />
The result of the Jeddah talks was an Iraqi demand for $10&nbsp;billion<ref name="AFPS Timeline" /> to cover the lost revenues from Rumaila; Kuwait offered $500&nbsp;million.<ref name="AFPS Timeline" /> The Iraqi response was to immediately order an invasion,{{sfnp|Finlan|2003|p=26}} which started on 2 August 1990<ref name="s21423">{{cite news |last1=Abulhasan |first1=Mohammad A. |date=2 August 1990 |title=Letter dated 2 August 1990 from the Permanent Representative of Kuwait to the United Nations addressed to the President of the Security Council |work=S/21423 |publisher=United Nations OFFICIAL DOCUMENT SYSTEM |url=https://documents-dds-ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/N90/178/84/img/N9017884.pdf?OpenElement |access-date=7 March 2023 |archive-date=7 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230307153614/https://documents-dds-ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/N90/178/84/img/N9017884.pdf?OpenElement |url-status=dead }}</ref> with the bombing of Kuwait's capital, [[Kuwait City]].<br />
<br />
Before the invasion, the [[Military of Kuwait|Kuwaiti military]] was believed to have numbered 16,000 men, arranged into three armored, one mechanized infantry and one under-strength artillery brigade.<ref name="loccs">{{cite web |url=http://lcweb2.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?frd/cstdy:@field(DOCID+kw0058) |title=Kuwait: Organization and Mission of the Forces |publisher=Library of Congress Country Studies |access-date=14 April 2012}}</ref> The pre-war strength of the [[Kuwait Air Force]] was around 2,200 Kuwaiti personnel, with 80 fixed-wing aircraft and 40 helicopters.<ref name="loccs" /> In spite of Iraqi [[saber rattling]], Kuwait did not mobilize its force; the army had been stood-down on 19 July,{{sfnp|Finlan|2003|p=25}} and during the Iraqi invasion many Kuwaiti military personnel were on leave.{{Citation needed|date=February 2023}}<br />
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By 1988, at the end of the Iran–Iraq war, the Iraqi Army was the world's fourth largest army, consisting of 955,000 standing soldiers and 650,000 paramilitary forces in the Popular Army. According to John Childs and André Corvisier, a low estimate shows the Iraqi Army capable of fielding 4,500 tanks, 484 combat aircraft and 232 combat helicopters.<ref name="MilSize">{{cite book |author1=Childs, John |author2=Corvisier, André |page=[https://books.google.com/books?id=nEQ7FUAdmc8C&pg=PA403 403] |title=A Dictionary of Military History and the Art of War |publisher=[[Wiley-Blackwell]] |year=1994 |isbn=978-0-631-16848-5}}</ref> According to Michael Knights, a high estimate shows the Iraqi Army capable of fielding one million troops and 850,000 reservists, 5,500 tanks, 3,000 artillery pieces, 700 combat aircraft and helicopters; it held 53 divisions, 20 special-forces brigades, and several regional militias, and had a strong air defense.<ref name="auto1"/><br />
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[[File:Kuwaiti main battle tanks.JPEG|thumb|left|Kuwaiti Armed Forces [[M-84]] [[main battle tank]]s]]<br />
Iraqi commandos infiltrated the Kuwaiti border first to prepare for the major units, which began the attack at midnight. The Iraqi attack had two prongs, with the primary attack force driving south straight for Kuwait City down the main highway, and a supporting attack force entering Kuwait farther west, but then turning and driving east, cutting off Kuwait City from the country's southern half. The commander of a Kuwaiti armored battalion, 35th Armoured [[Brigade]], deployed them against the Iraqi attack and conducted a robust defense at the [[Battle of the Bridges]] near [[Al Jahra]], west of Kuwait City.<ref>{{cite web|author=Dan Vaught |url=http://users.lighthouse.net/danvaught/eyewitness01.html |title=Eyewitness, Col. Fred Hart 1 |publisher=Users.lighthouse.net |access-date=1 February 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090818141800/http://users.lighthouse.net/danvaught/eyewitness01.html |archive-date=18 August 2009 }}</ref><br />
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Kuwaiti aircraft [[scrambling (military)|scrambled]] to meet the invading force, but approximately 20% were lost or captured. A few combat sorties were flown against Iraqi ground forces.<ref name=autogenerated3>{{cite journal |last1=Cooper |first1=Tom |last2=Sadik |first2=Ahmad |title=Iraqi Invasion of Kuwait; 1990 |date=16 September 2003 |journal=Air Combat Information Group |url=http://www.acig.org/artman/publish/article_213.shtml |access-date=17 April 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006231817/http://www.acig.org/artman/publish/article_213.shtml |archive-date=6 October 2014 }}</ref><br />
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The main Iraqi thrust into Kuwait City was conducted by [[commando]]s deployed by helicopters and boats to attack the city from the sea, while other divisions seized the airports and two [[airbase]]s. The Iraqis [[Battle of Dasman Palace|attacked the Dasman Palace]], the Royal Residence of [[List of emirs of Kuwait|Kuwait's Emir]], [[Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah]], which was defended by the Emiri Guard supported with [[M-84]] tanks. In the process, the Iraqis killed [[Fahad Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah]], the Emir's youngest brother.{{Citation needed|date=February 2023}}<br />
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Within 12 hours, most resistance had ended within Kuwait, and the royal family had fled, allowing Iraq to control most of Kuwait.{{sfnp|Finlan|2003|p=26}} After two days of intense combat, most of the Kuwaiti military were either overrun by the [[Iraqi Republican Guard]], or had escaped to Saudi Arabia. The Emir and key ministers fled south along the highway for refuge in Saudi Arabia. Iraqi ground forces consolidated their control of Kuwait City, then headed south and redeployed along the Saudi border. After the decisive Iraqi victory, Saddam initially installed a puppet regime known as the "[[Republic of Kuwait|Provisional Government of Free Kuwait]]" before installing his cousin [[Ali Hassan al-Majid]] as Kuwait's governor on 8 August.{{Citation needed|date=February 2023}}<br />
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[[File:Iraqi Model 214ST SuperTransport helicopter, 1991.JPEG|thumb|An [[Iraqi Air Force]] [[Bell 214ST]] [[Military transport aircraft|transport helicopter]], after being captured by a US Marine Corps unit at the start of the ground phase of Operation Desert Storm]]<br />
After the invasion, the Iraqi military looted over $1 billion in banknotes from Kuwait's Central Bank.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.upi.com/Archives/1990/09/07/Iraqis-loot-Kuwaits-central-bank-of-gold-cash/4632652680000/|title=Iraqis loot Kuwait's central bank of gold, cash|website=UPI}}</ref> At the same time, Saddam Hussein made the Kuwaiti dinar equal to the Iraqi dinar, thereby lowering the Kuwaiti currency to one-twelfth of its original value. In response, Sheikh Jaber al-Ahmad al-Sabah ruled the banknotes as invalid and refused to reimburse stolen notes, which became worthless because of a UN embargo. After the conflict ended, many of the stolen banknotes made their way back into circulation. The stolen banknotes are a collectible for [[numismatist]]s.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.pmgnotes.com/news/article/6160/The-Stolen-Dinars-of-Kuwait/#fn1|title=The Stolen Dinars of Kuwait – PMG|website=www.pmgnotes.com}}</ref><br />
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===Kuwaiti resistance movement===<br />
Kuwaitis founded a local armed resistance movement following the Iraqi occupation of Kuwait.<ref name=sh>{{cite web|url=http://www.netanya.ac.il/ResearchCen/StrategicDialogue/AcademicPub/Documents/IRAN%20STUDY%20book-full.pdf|title=Iran, Israel and the Shi'ite Crescent|work=S. Daniel Abraham Center for Strategic Dialogue|pages=14–15|access-date=5 March 2014|archive-date=6 November 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141106055548/http://www.netanya.ac.il/ResearchCen/StrategicDialogue/AcademicPub/Documents/IRAN%20STUDY%20book-full.pdf}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |url=https://www.academia.edu/1022103 |title=Saddam's Security Apparatus During the Invasion of Kuwait and the Kuwaiti Resistance |journal=The Journal of Intelligence History |date=Winter 2003 |pages=74–75|last1=Al-Marashi |first1=Ibrahim |volume=3 |issue=2 |doi=10.1080/16161262.2003.10555087 |s2cid=157844796 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://theses.ncl.ac.uk/dspace/bitstream/10443/730/1/Taqi10.pdf |title=Two ethnicities, three generations: Phonological variation and change in Kuwait |work=Newcastle University |year=2010 |access-date=5 March 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131019130212/https://theses.ncl.ac.uk/dspace/bitstream/10443/730/1/Taqi10.pdf |archive-date=19 October 2013 }}</ref> The {{ill|Kuwaiti Resistance|lt=Kuwaiti resistance's|ar|المقاومة الكويتية}} casualty rate far exceeded that of the coalition military forces and Western hostages.<ref name=resist/> The resistance predominantly consisted of ordinary citizens who lacked any form of training and supervision.<ref name=resist>{{cite journal |url=http://www.meforum.org/238/the-kuwaiti-resistance |title=The Kuwaiti Resistance |journal=[[Middle East Forum]] |date=March 1995|last1=Levins |first1=John M. }}</ref><br />
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==Run-up to the war==<br />
===Diplomatic means===<br />
A key element of US political, military and energy economic planning occurred in early 1984. The Iran–Iraq war had been going on for five years by that time and both sides sustained significant casualties, reaching into the hundreds of thousands. Within President [[Ronald Reagan]]'s [[National Security Council (United States)|National Security Council]] concern was growing that the war could spread beyond the boundaries of the two belligerents. A National Security Planning Group meeting was formed, chaired by then Vice President [[George H. W. Bush]], to review US options. It was determined that the conflict would likely spread into Saudi Arabia and other Persian Gulf states, but that the United States had little capability to defend the region. Furthermore, it was determined that a prolonged war in the region would induce much higher oil prices and threaten the fragile recovery of the world economy, which was just beginning to gain momentum. On 22 May 1984, President Reagan was briefed on the project conclusions in the [[Oval Office]] by [[William Flynn Martin]] who had served as the head of the NSC staff that organized the study. (The full declassified presentation can be seen here:<ref>{{cite web|title=Presentation on Gulf Oil Disruption|date=22 May 1984 |url=http://www.wpainc.com/Archive/Reagan%20Administration/WFM%20Papers%20from%20Reagan%20Archives/Iran-Iraq/Presentation%20on%20Gulf%20Oil%20Disruption%205-22-84.pdf|website=wpainc.com|access-date=17 January 2017|archive-date=4 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304041513/http://www.wpainc.com/Archive/Reagan%20Administration/WFM%20Papers%20from%20Reagan%20Archives/Iran-Iraq/Presentation%20on%20Gulf%20Oil%20Disruption%205-22-84.pdf }}</ref>) The conclusions were threefold: first, oil stocks needed to be increased among members of the [[International Energy Agency]] and, if necessary, released early if the oil market was disrupted; second, the United States needed to beef up the security of friendly Arab states in the region; and third, an embargo should be placed on sales of military equipment to Iran and Iraq. The plan was approved by President Reagan and later affirmed by the [[G7]] leaders headed by the United Kingdom's Prime Minister, [[Margaret Thatcher]], in the [[10th G7 summit|London Summit of 1984]]. The plan was implemented and became the basis for US preparedness to respond to the Iraqi occupation of Kuwait in 1991.{{Citation needed|date=February 2023}}<br />
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[[File:Bush troops.jpg|thumb|President Bush visiting American troops in Saudi Arabia on Thanksgiving Day, 1990]]<br />
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Within hours of the invasion, Kuwait and US delegations requested a meeting of the [[United Nations Security Council|UN Security Council]], which passed [[United Nations Security Council Resolution 660|Resolution 660]], condemning the invasion and demanding a withdrawal of Iraqi troops.{{sfnp|Finlan|2003|p=29}}<ref name="s21425">{{cite news |date=2 August 1990 |title=DRAFT RESOLUTION /CANADA, COLOMBIA, CÔTE D'IVOIRE, ETHIOPIA, FINLAND, FRANCE, MALAYSIA, UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND AND UNITED STATES OF AMERICA |work=S/21425 |publisher=United Nations OFFICIAL DOCUMENT SYSTEM |url=https://documents-dds-ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/N90/178/72/img/N9017872.pdf?OpenElement |access-date=7 March 2023 |archive-date=7 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230307153615/https://documents-dds-ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/N90/178/72/img/N9017872.pdf?OpenElement |url-status=dead }}</ref>{{Clarify|reason=Is it page 29 or 13?|date=February 2023}}<ref name=UN>{{cite journal|title=Report of the Security Council: 16 June 1990{{snd}}15 June 1991|journal=Report of the Security Council|date=1993 |publisher=United Nations|location=New York|issn=0082-8238|page=30|type=digital document}}</ref> On 3 August 1990, the Arab League passed its own resolution, which called for a solution to the conflict from within the league, and warned against outside intervention. Iraq and Libya were the only two Arab League states that opposed the resolution for Iraq to withdraw from Kuwait; the [[Palestine Liberation Organization|Palestinian Liberation Organization]] (PLO){{efn| Since 1988 the PLO had assumed, for Arab League purposes, the seat for the [[State of Palestine]].}} opposed it as well.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |title=Myths & Facts{{snd}}The Gulf Wars |url=https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/myths/mf12.html |encyclopedia=Jewish Virtual Library |access-date=13 May 2011}}</ref> The Arab states of Yemen and Jordan{{snd}}a Western ally which bordered Iraq and relied on the country for economic support<ref name="lkjomzvc">{{cite journal |title=The 1991 Gulf War And Jordan's Economy |author1=Ziad Swaidan |author2=Mihai Nica |url=http://meria.idc.ac.il/journal/2002/issue2/jv6n2a7.html |archive-date=2002-08-04 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020804061624/http://meria.idc.ac.il/journal/2002/issue2/jv6n2a7.html |journal=Middle East Review of International Affairs |volume=6 |issue=2 |date=June 2002}}</ref>{{snd}}opposed military intervention from non-Arab states.<ref>{{cite journal |first=David A |last=Deese |title=Persian Gulf War, Desert Storm{{snd}}War with Iraqi |journal=The History Professor |publisher=Concord Learning Systems |url=http://www.laughtergenealogy.com/bin/histprof/misc/desertstorm.html |archive-date=2005-01-14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050114141303/http://www.laughtergenealogy.com/bin/histprof/misc/desertstorm.html}}</ref> Separately, Sudan, also an Arab League member, aligned itself with Saddam.<ref name="lkjomzvc"/><br />
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On 6 August, [[United Nations Security Council Resolution 661|Resolution 661]] placed [[economic sanctions]] on Iraq.<ref name=UN2>{{cite journal|title=Report of the Security Council: 16 June 1990{{snd}}15 June 1991|journal=Report of the Security Council|date=1993|publisher=United Nations|location=New York|issn=0082-8238|pages=33–35}}</ref>{{sfnp|Finlan|2003|p=29}}<ref>{{cite web |url=https://fas.org/news/un/iraq/sres/sres0661.htm |title=Resolution 661 (1990) |publisher=United Nations |access-date=13 April 2012}}</ref> [[United Nations Security Council Resolution 665|Resolution 665]]<ref name=UN/> followed soon after, which authorized a [[naval blockade]] to enforce the sanctions. It said the "use of measures commensurate to the specific circumstances as may be necessary&nbsp;... to halt all inward and outward maritime shipping in order to inspect and verify their cargoes and destinations and to ensure strict implementation of resolution 661."<ref name=UN3>{{cite journal|title=Report of the Security Council: 16 June 1990{{snd}}15 June 1991|journal=Report of the Security Council|date=1993|publisher=United Nations|location=New York|issn=0082-8238|pages=52–53}}</ref><ref>Lori Fisler Damrosch, ''International Law, Cases and Materials'', West Group, 2001</ref><br />
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The US administration had at first been indecisive with an "undertone ... of resignation to the invasion and even adaptation to it as a fait accompli" until the UK's prime minister Margaret Thatcher<ref name="margaretthatcher.org">{{cite web |title=George Bush (Sr) Library – Margaret Thatcher Foundation |url=http://www.margaretthatcher.org/archive/us-bush.asp |website=www.margaretthatcher.org}}</ref> played a powerful role, reminding the President that appeasement in the 1930s had led to war, that Saddam would have the whole Gulf at his mercy along with 65 percent of the world's oil supply, and famously urging President Bush "not to go wobbly".<ref name="margaretthatcher.org"/><br />
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Once persuaded, US officials insisted on a total Iraqi pullout from Kuwait, without any linkage to other Middle Eastern problems, accepting the British view that any concessions would strengthen Iraqi influence in the region for years to come.<ref name="hard line">{{cite news |last=Friedman |first=Thomas L. |title=Confrontation in the Gulf: Behind Bush's Hard Line; Washington Considers a Clear Iraqi Defeat To Be Necessary to Bolster Its Arab Allies |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |location=New York |pages=A1 |date=22 August 1990 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1990/08/22/world/confrontation-gulf-behind-bush-s-hard-line-washington-considers-clear-iraqi.html |access-date=16 September 2010 |author-link=Thomas Friedman}}</ref><br />
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[[File:Weapons training at Abu Hydra Range during Operation Desert Shield DM-ST-91-12003.jpg|thumb|Weapons training at Abu Hydra Range, 1990]]<br />
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On 12 August 1990, Saddam "propose[d] that all cases of occupation, and those cases that have been portrayed as occupation, in the region, be resolved simultaneously". Specifically, he called for Israel to withdraw from occupied territories in Palestine, Syria, and Lebanon, Syria to withdraw from Lebanon, and "mutual withdrawals by Iraq and Iran and arrangement for the situation in Kuwait." He also called for a replacement of US troops that mobilized in Saudi Arabia in response to Kuwait's invasion with "an Arab force", as long as that force did not involve Egypt. Additionally, he requested an "immediate freeze of all boycott and siege decisions" and a general normalization of relations with Iraq.<ref>{{cite news |title=Confrontation in the Gulf; Proposals by Iraqi President: Excerpts From His Address |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |location=New York |pages=A8 |date=13 August 1990 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1990/08/13/world/confrontation-in-the-gulf-proposals-by-iraqi-president-excerpts-from-his-address.html |access-date=17 October 2010}}</ref> From the beginning of the crisis, President Bush was strongly opposed to any "linkage" between Iraq's occupation of Kuwait and the Palestinian issue.<ref name=sam /><br />
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{{anchor|Stuart Lockwood}}On 23 August, Saddam appeared on state television with Western hostages to whom he had refused exit visas. In the video, he asks a young British boy, Stuart Lockwood, whether he is getting his milk, and goes on to say, through his interpreter, "We hope your presence as guests here will not be for too long. Your presence here, and in other places, is meant to prevent the scourge of war."<ref name="BBCOTD">BBC News. "[http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/august/23/newsid_2512000/2512289.stm 1990: Outrage at Iraqi TV hostage show] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080201022736/http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/august/23/newsid_2512000/2512289.stm |date=1 February 2008 }}". Retrieved 2 September 2007.</ref><br />
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Another Iraqi proposal communicated in August 1990 was delivered to US [[National Security Advisor (United States)|National Security Advisor]] [[Brent Scowcroft]] by an unidentified Iraqi official. The official communicated to the White House that Iraq would "withdraw from Kuwait and allow foreigners to leave" provided that the UN lifted sanctions, allowed "guaranteed access to the Persian Gulf through the Kuwaiti islands of Bubiyan and Warbah", and allowed Iraq to "gain full control of the Rumaila oil field that extends slightly into Kuwaiti territory". The proposal also "include[d] offers to negotiate an oil agreement with the United States 'satisfactory to both nations' national security interests,' develop a joint plan 'to alleviate Iraq's economical and financial problems' and 'jointly work on the stability of the gulf.'"<ref name="Secret Offer">{{cite news |last=Royce |first=Knut |title=MIDDLE EAST CRISIS Secret Offer Iraq Sent Pullout Deal to U.S |newspaper=[[Newsday]] |location=New York |date=29 August 1990 |url=https://www.scribd.com/doc/38969813/MIDDLE-EAST-CRISIS-Secret-Offer-Iraq-Sent-Pullout-Deal-to-U-S-ALL-EDITIONS |access-date=17 October 2010}}</ref><br />
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On 29 November 1990, the Security Council passed [[United Nations Security Council Resolution 678|Resolution 678]], which gave Iraq until 15 January 1991 to withdraw from Kuwait, and empowered states to use "all necessary means" to force Iraq out of Kuwait after the deadline.{{Citation needed|date=February 2023}}<br />
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[[File:Stinger Crew Operation Desert Shield.jpg|thumb|US Army soldiers from the [[11th Air Defense Artillery Brigade (United States)|11th Air Defense Artillery Brigade]] during the Gulf War]]<br />
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In December 1990, Iraq made a proposal to withdraw from Kuwait provided that foreign troops left the region and that an agreement was reached regarding the Palestinian problem and the dismantlement of both Israel's and Iraq's [[weapons of mass destruction]]. The White House rejected the proposal.<ref>{{cite news |last=Royce |first=Knut |title=Iraq Offers Deal to Quit Kuwait U.S. rejects it, but stays 'interested' |newspaper=[[Newsday]] Washington Bureau |date=3 January 1991|location=Long Island, N.Y |page=5 |url=https://www.scribd.com/doc/38969954/Iraq-Offers-Deal-to-Quit-Kuwait-U-S-rejects-it-but-stays-interested-NASSAU-AND-SUFFOLK-Edition |access-date=24 October 2010}}</ref> The PLO's [[Yasser Arafat]] expressed that neither he nor Saddam insisted that solving the Israel–Palestine issues should be a precondition to solving the issues in Kuwait, though he did acknowledge a "strong link" between these problems.<ref>{{cite news |last=Tyler |first=Patrick E. |title=CONFRONTATION IN THE GULF; Arafat Eases Stand on Kuwait-Palestine Link |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |location=New York |date=3 January 1991 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1991/01/03/world/confrontation-in-the-gulf-arafat-eases-stand-on-kuwait-palestine-link.html |access-date=17 October 2010}}</ref><br />
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Ultimately, the US and UK stuck to their position that there would be no negotiations until Iraq withdrew from Kuwait and that they should not grant Iraq concessions, lest they give the impression that Iraq benefited from its military campaign.<ref name="hard line" /> Also, when US Secretary of State [[James Baker]] met with [[Tariq Aziz]] in Geneva, Switzerland, for last minute peace talks in early 1991, Aziz reportedly made no concrete proposals and did not outline any hypothetical Iraqi moves.<ref>{{cite news|last=Friedman|first=Thomas L.|title=CONFRONTATION IN THE GULF; As U.S. Officials See It, Hands of Aziz Were Tied|newspaper=The New York Times|pages=A10|date=11 January 1991|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1991/01/11/world/confrontation-in-the-gulf-as-us-officials-see-it-hands-of-aziz-were-tied.html|access-date=30 September 2010}}</ref><br />
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On 14 January 1991, France proposed that the UN Security Council call for "a rapid and massive withdrawal" from Kuwait along with a statement to Iraq that Council members would bring their "active contribution" to a settlement of the region's other problems, "in particular, of the Arab–Israeli conflict and in particular to the Palestinian problem by convening, at an appropriate moment, an international conference" to assure "the security, stability and development of this region of the world." The French proposal was supported by Belgium (at the moment one of the rotating Council members), Germany, Spain, Italy, Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, and several non-aligned states. The US, the UK, and the Soviet Union rejected it; US Ambassador to the UN [[Thomas R. Pickering|Thomas Pickering]] stated that the French proposal was unacceptable, because it went beyond previous Council resolutions on the Iraqi invasion.<ref>See Paul Lewis, "Confrontation in the Gulf: The U.N.; France and 3 Arab States Issue an Appeal to Hussein," ''New York Times'', 15 January 1991, p. A12</ref><ref>Michael Kranish et al., "World waits on brink of war: Late effort at diplomacy in gulf fails," ''Boston Globe'', 16 January 1991, p. 1</ref><ref>Ellen Nimmons, A.P., "Last-ditch pitches for peace; But U.S. claims Iraqis hold key," ''Houston Chronicle'', 15 January 1991, p. 1</ref> France dropped this proposal when it found "no tangible sign of interest" from Baghdad.<ref>Alan Riding, [https://www.nytimes.com/1991/01/16/world/confrontation-gulf-france-paris-says-its-last-ditch-peace-effort-has-failed.html "CONFRONTATION IN THE GULF: France; Paris Says Its Last-Ditch Peace Effort Has Failed"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161026174110/http://www.nytimes.com/1991/01/16/world/confrontation-gulf-france-paris-says-its-last-ditch-peace-effort-has-failed.html |date=26 October 2016 }} ''New York Times'' 16 January 1991</ref><br />
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===Military means===<br />
{{Anchor|Operation Desert Shield}}<br />
{{Redirect|Operation Desert Shield|the 2006 operation by the Iraqi insurgency|Operation Desert Shield (Iraq)}}<br />
[[File:Multiple F-15E parked during Operation Desert Shield.jpg|thumb|American F-15Es parked in Saudi Arabia during Operation Desert Shield]]<br />
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One of the main concerns in the Western world was the significant threat Iraq posed to Saudi Arabia. Following Kuwait's conquest, the Iraqi Army was within easy striking distance of Saudi [[oil field]]s. Control of these fields, along with Kuwaiti and Iraqi reserves, would have given Saddam control over the majority of the world's oil reserves. Iraq also had a number of grievances with Saudi Arabia. The Saudis had lent Iraq 26&nbsp;billion dollars during its war with Iran. The Saudis had backed Iraq in that war, as they feared the influence of [[Shia Islam|Shia]] Iran's [[Iranian Revolution|Islamic revolution]] on its own Shia minority. After the war, Saddam felt he should not have to repay the loans due to the help he had given the Saudis by fighting Iran.{{Citation needed|date=February 2023}}<br />
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Soon after his conquest of Kuwait, Saddam began verbally attacking the Saudis. He argued that the US-supported Saudi state was an illegitimate and unworthy guardian of the holy cities of [[Mecca]] and [[Medina]]. He combined the language of the [[Islamism|Islamist]] groups that had recently fought in Afghanistan with the rhetoric Iran had long used to attack the Saudis.<ref>[[Gilles Kepel]] ''Jihad: The Trail of Political Islam.''</ref><br />
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Acting on the [[Carter Doctrine]] policy, and out of fear the Iraqi Army could launch an invasion of Saudi Arabia, US President George H. W. Bush quickly announced that the US would launch a "wholly defensive" mission to prevent Iraq from invading Saudi Arabia, under the codename Operation Desert Shield. The operation began on 7 August 1990, when US troops were sent to Saudi Arabia, due also to the request of its monarch, [[King Fahd]], who had earlier called for US military assistance.<ref name="AFPS Timeline">{{cite web|title=The Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm Timeline |url=http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Aug2000/n08082000_20008088.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080526135240/http://www.defenselink.mil/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=45404 |archive-date=26 May 2008 |access-date=30 June 2010}}</ref> This "wholly defensive" doctrine was quickly abandoned when, on 8 August, Iraq declared Kuwait to be Iraq's 19th province and Saddam named his cousin, Ali Hassan Al-Majid, as its military-governor.<ref name=AFPS15years>{{cite web|title=15 Years After Desert Storm, U.S. Commitment to Region Continues |url=http://www.defenselink.mil/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=14792 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110608084842/http://www.defense.gov/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=14792|archive-date=2011-06-08|access-date=29 March 2007}}</ref><br />
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[[File:M3 Bradley Operation Desert Shield.JPEG|thumb|right|M3 Bradleys of L Troop, 3rd ACR, stand in line at a holding area during the build-up to Operation Desert Shield.]]<br />
The [[United States Navy|US Navy]] dispatched two naval battle groups built around the [[aircraft carriers]] [[USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69)|USS ''Dwight D. Eisenhower'']] and [[USS Independence (CV-62)|USS ''Independence'']] to the Persian Gulf, where they were ready by 8 August. The US also sent the battleships [[USS Missouri (BB-63)|USS ''Missouri'']] and [[USS Wisconsin (BB-64)|USS ''Wisconsin'']] to the region. A total of 48 US Air Force F-15s from the [[1st Fighter Wing]] at [[Langley Air Force Base]], Virginia, landed in Saudi Arabia and immediately commenced round-the-clock air patrols of the Saudi–Kuwait–Iraq border to discourage further Iraqi military advances. They were joined by 36 F-15 A-Ds from the [[36th Wing|36th Tactical Fighter Wing]] at [[Bitburg, Germany]]. The Bitburg contingent was based at [[Al Kharj Air Base]], approximately an hour south east of Riyadh. The 36th TFW would be responsible for 11 confirmed Iraqi Air Force aircraft shot down during the war. Two Air National Guard units were stationed at Al Kharj Air Base, the [[South Carolina Air National Guard]]'s 169th Fighter Wing flew bombing missions with 24 F-16s flying 2,000 combat missions and dropping {{convert|4000000|lb|kg t|spell=in|abbr=off|sp=us}} of munitions, and the [[New York Air National Guard]]'s 174th Fighter Wing from [[Syracuse, New York|Syracuse]] flew 24 F-16s on bombing missions. Military buildup continued from there, eventually reaching 543,000 troops, twice the number used in the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Much of the material was airlifted or carried to the staging areas via [[Fast Sealift Ship|fast sealift ships]], allowing a quick buildup. As part of the buildup, amphibious exercises were carried out in the Gulf, including Operation Imminent Thunder, which involved the [[USS&nbsp;Midway&nbsp;(CV-41)|USS ''Midway'']] and 15 other ships, 1,100 aircraft, and a thousand Marines.<ref>{{cite web|title=U.S., Saudi Forces Start 'Imminent Thunder' Exercise in Gulf|url=https://apnews.com/article/b725461875b6227b7757a809c1ed4a3e|access-date=2021-05-20|website=AP NEWS}}</ref> In a press conference, General Schwarzkopf stated that these exercises were intended to deceive the Iraqi forces, forcing them to continue their defense of the Kuwaiti coastline.<ref>{{Cite AV media|title=Gen. Schwarzkopf's Famed News Conference| date=29 December 2012 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wKi3NwLFkX4|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210901232144/https://youtube.com/watch?v=wKi3NwLFkX4 | archive-date=2021-09-01 | via=[[YouTube]] |access-date=2021-05-20}}</ref><br />
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===Creating a coalition===<br />
[[File:Coalition of the Gulf War vs Iraq.svg|thumb|upright=1.3|Countries that deployed coalition forces or provided support<ref name="auto7"/> (On behalf of Afghanistan, 300 Mujaheddin joined the coalition on 11 February 1991. Niger contributed 480 troops to guard shrines in Mecca and Medina on 15 January 1991.)<ref name="auto7"/>]]<br />
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A [[List of United Nations Security Council resolutions concerning Iraq|series of UN Security Council resolutions]] and Arab League resolutions were passed regarding Iraq's invasion of Kuwait. Resolution 678, passed on 29 November 1990, gave Iraq a withdrawal deadline until 15 January 1991 and authorized "all necessary means to uphold and implement Resolution 660", and a diplomatic formulation authorizing the use of force if Iraq failed to comply.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cfr.org/publication/11205/un_security_council_resolution_678_iraq_kuwait.html?breadcrumb=%2Fregion%2F408%2Fkuwait |website=Council on Foreign Relations |title=UN Security Council Resolution 678, Iraq / Kuwait |date=29 November 1990 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090614131250/http://www.cfr.org/publication/11205/un_security_council_resolution_678_iraq_kuwait.html?breadcrumb=%2Fregion%2F408%2Fkuwait |archive-date=14 June 2009}}</ref><br />
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To ensure that the US received economic backing, James Baker went on an 11-day journey to nine countries in September 1990, which the press dubbed "The Tin Cup Trip". The first stop was Saudi Arabia, which a month before had already granted permission to the United States to use its facilities. However, Baker believed that Saudi Arabia should assume some of the cost of the military efforts to defend it. When Baker asked King Fahd for $15 billion, the King readily agreed, with the promise that Baker ask Kuwait for the same amount.{{citation needed|date=May 2020}}<br />
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The next day, 7 September, he did just that, and the [[Emir of Kuwait]], displaced in a Sheraton hotel outside his invaded country, easily agreed. Baker then moved to enter talks with Egypt, whose leadership he considered "the moderate voice of the Middle East". President Mubarak of Egypt was furious with Saddam for his invasion of Kuwait, and for the fact that Saddam had assured Mubarak that an invasion was not his intention. Egypt received approximately $7&nbsp;billion in debt forgiveness for its providing of support and troops for the US-led intervention.<ref>New York Times, 10 Apr. 1991, "[https://www.nytimes.com/1991/04/10/business/egypt-s-reward-forgiven-debt.html Egypt's 'Reward': Forgiven Debt] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181118035402/https://www.nytimes.com/1991/04/10/business/egypt-s-reward-forgiven-debt.html |date=18 November 2018 }}</ref><br />
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After stops in Helsinki and Moscow to smooth out Iraqi demands for a Middle-Eastern peace conference with the Soviet Union, Baker traveled to Syria to discuss its role in the crisis with its President [[Hafez al-Assad|Hafez Assad]]. Assad had a deep personal enmity towards Saddam, which was defined by the fact that "Saddam had been trying to kill him [Assad] for years." Harboring this animosity and impressed with Baker's diplomatic initiative to visit Damascus (relations had been severed since the [[1983 Beirut barracks bombings|1983 bombing of US Marine barracks]] in [[Beirut]]), Assad agreed to pledge up to 100,000 Syrian troops to the coalition effort. This was a vital step in ensuring Arab states were represented in the coalition. In exchange, Washington gave al-Assad the green light to wipe out forces opposing Syria's rule in [[Lebanon]] and arranged for weapons valued at a billion dollars to be provided to Syria, mostly through Gulf states.<ref name="newstatesman.com">''[[New Statesman]]'', 23 September 2002, "[https://www.newstatesman.com/node/192550 John Pilger Reveals How the Bushes Bribe the World, from Russia to Iran] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181118081556/https://www.newstatesman.com/node/192550 |date=18 November 2018 }}"</ref> In exchange for Iran's support for the US-led intervention, the US government promised the Iranian government to end US opposition to [[World Bank]] loans to Iran. On the day before the ground invasion began, the World Bank gave Iran the first loan of $250m.<ref name="newstatesman.com"/><br />
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Baker flew to Rome for a brief visit with the Italians in which he was promised the use of some military equipment, before journeying to Germany to meet with American ally [[Helmut Kohl|Chancellor Kohl]]. Although [[Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany|Germany's constitution]] (which was brokered essentially by the United States) prohibited military involvement outside Germany's borders, Kohl committed a two billion dollar contribution to the coalition's war effort, as well as further economic and military support of coalition ally Turkey, and the transportation of Egyptian soldiers and ships to the Persian Gulf.<ref>Baker, James Addison, and Thomas M. DeFrank. ''The Politics of Diplomacy: Revolution, War, and Peace, 1989–1992''. New York: Putnam, 1995.</ref><br />
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[[File:Bush saudi arabia.jpg|thumb|General [[Norman Schwarzkopf, Jr.]] and President [[George H. W. Bush]] visit US troops in Saudi Arabia on [[Thanksgiving (United States)|Thanksgiving Day]], 1990.]]<br />
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A coalition of forces opposing Iraq's aggression was formed, consisting of forces from 42 countries: Argentina, Australia, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belgium, Canada, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, Egypt, France, Germany, Greece, Honduras, Hungary, Italy, Japan, Kuwait, Luxembourg, Morocco, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Niger, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, the Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Syria, Turkey,<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Haberman |first1=Clyde |date=20 January 1991 |title=WAR IN THE GULF: Turkey; Turkey's Role in Air Assault Sets Off Fear of Retaliation (Published 1991) |newspaper=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1991/01/20/world/war-in-the-gulf-turkey-turkey-s-role-in-air-assault-sets-off-fear-of-retaliation.html}}</ref> the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom and the United States.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://edition.cnn.com/2013/09/15/world/meast/gulf-war-fast-facts/index.html|title=Gulf war fast facts|publisher=CNN Editorial Research|year=2020|access-date=15 December 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201112020744/https://edition.cnn.com/2013/09/15/world/meast/gulf-war-fast-facts/index.html |archive-date=12 November 2020}}</ref> It was the largest coalition since [[World War II]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2001/gulf.war/facts/gulfwar/|title=The Unfinished War: A Decade Since Desert Storm|publisher=CNN In-Depth Specials|year=2001|access-date=5 April 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080317110507/http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2001/gulf.war/facts/gulfwar/ |archive-date=17 March 2008}}</ref> A group of [[Afghan mujahidin|Afghan mujahideen]] soldiers also reportedly joined towards the end of the war.<ref name="auto72">{{cite web |title=DESERT SHIELD AND DESERT STORM A CHRONOLOGY AND TROOP LIST FOR THE 1990–1991 PERSIAN GULF CRISIS |url=https://apps.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a234743.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190412060905/https://apps.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a234743.pdf |archive-date=12 April 2019 |access-date=2018-12-18 |website=apps.dtic.mil}}</ref><br />
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US Army General [[Norman Schwarzkopf, Jr.]] was designated to be the commander of the coalition forces in the Persian Gulf area. The Soviet Union condemned Baghdad's aggression against Kuwait, but did not support the United States and allied intervention in Iraq and tried to avert it.<ref name="auto">{{cite news |title=The Gulf War: Moscow's role|publisher=CNN|year=2001|url=https://edition.cnn.com/2001/WORLD/europe/01/16/russia.iraq/index.html|access-date=18 October 2020}}</ref><br />
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Although they did not contribute any forces, Japan and Germany made financial contributions totaling $10&nbsp;billion and $6.6&nbsp;billion respectively. [[Luxembourg]] also provided financial support to the coalition.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Luxembourg (09/06) |url=https://2009-2017.state.gov/outofdate/bgn/luxembourg/74191.htm |access-date=2023-08-04 |website=U.S. Department of State}}</ref> US troops represented 73% of the coalition's 956,600 troops in Iraq.<ref>Freedman, Lawrence, and Efraim Karsh. ''The Gulf Conflict 1990–1991: Diplomacy and War in the New World Order''. Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press, 1993. Print.</ref><br />
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Many of the coalition countries were reluctant to commit military forces. Some felt that the war was an internal Arab affair or did not want to increase US influence in the Middle East. In the end, however, many governments were persuaded by Iraq's belligerence towards other Arab states, offers of economic aid or debt forgiveness, and threats to withhold aid.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/31/AR2006103101217.html |title=Security Council Seat Tied to Aid |newspaper=The Washington Post |access-date=18 March 2010 |first=Colum |last=Lynch |date=1 November 2006}}</ref><br />
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====Justification for intervention====<br />
The US and the UN gave several public justifications for involvement in the conflict, the most prominent being the Iraqi violation of Kuwaiti territorial integrity. In addition, the US moved to support its ally Saudi Arabia, whose importance in the region, and as a key supplier of oil, made it of considerable [[geopolitics|geopolitical]] importance. Shortly after the Iraqi invasion, US Defense Secretary [[Dick Cheney]] made the first of several visits to Saudi Arabia where King Fahd requested US military assistance. During a speech in a special joint session of the US Congress given on 11 September 1990, Bush summed up the reasons with the following remarks: "Within three days, 120,000 Iraqi troops with 850 tanks had poured into Kuwait and moved south to threaten Saudi Arabia. It was then that I decided to act to check that aggression."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://millercenter.org/scripps/archive/speeches/detail/3425|first=George H. W.|last=Bush|title=Address Before a Joint Session of Congress|publisher=Miller Center of Public Affairs|date=11 September 1990|access-date=1 February 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110116162710/http://millercenter.org/scripps/archive/speeches/detail/3425|archive-date=16 January 2011}}</ref><br />
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The Pentagon stated that satellite photos showing a buildup of Iraqi forces along the border were the source of this information, but this was later alleged to be false. A reporter for the ''[[St. Petersburg Times]]'' acquired two commercial Soviet satellite images made at the time, which showed nothing but empty desert.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/tampabay/access/50586247.html?dids=50586247:50586247&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Jan+6%252C+1991&author=JEAN+HELLER&pub=St.+Petersburg+Times&edition=&startpage=1.A&desc=Photos+don%2527t+show+buildup |title=Photos don't show buildup |work=St. Petersburg Times |date=6 January 1991 |access-date=13 January 2012 |first=Jean |last=Heller |archive-date=4 February 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130204014848/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/tampabay/access/50586247.html?dids=50586247:50586247&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Jan+6%252C+1991&author=JEAN+HELLER&pub=St.+Petersburg+Times&edition=&startpage=1.A&desc=Photos+don%2527t+show+buildup }}</ref><br />
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Other justifications for foreign involvement included Iraq's history of human rights [[Human rights in Saddam Hussein's Iraq|abuses under Saddam]]. Iraq was also known to possess [[biological warfare|biological weapons]] and [[chemical warfare|chemical weapons]], which Saddam had used against Iranian troops during the Iran–Iraq War and against his own country's [[Kurdish people|Kurdish]] population in the [[Al-Anfal campaign]]. Iraq was also known to have a [[nuclear weapon]]s program; the report about it from January 1991 was partially declassified by the CIA on 26 May 2001.<ref>[[Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists]], Volume 59, page 33, Educational Foundation for Nuclear Science (Chicago, Ill.), Atomic Scientists of Chicago, Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists (Organization), 2003.</ref><br />
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====Public relations campaign targeting the public====<br />
{{see also|Nayirah testimony}}<br />
[[File:Powell, Schwarzkopf, and Wolfowitz at Cheney press conference, February 1991.jpg|thumb|Gen. [[Colin Powell]] (left), Gen. [[Norman Schwarzkopf Jr.]], and [[Paul Wolfowitz]] (right) listen as Secretary of Defense Dick Cheney addresses reporters regarding the 1991 Gulf War.]]<br />
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Although the Iraqi military committed human rights abuses during the invasion, the alleged incidents that received the most publicity in the US were fabrications of the [[public relations]] firm hired by the government of Kuwait to persuade Americans to support military intervention.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Chardell |first=Daniel |date=29 June 2023 |title=The Origins of the Iraqi Invasion of Kuwait Reconsidered |url=https://tnsr.org/2023/06/the-origins-of-the-iraqi-invasion-of-kuwait-reconsidered/ |website=Texas National Security Review}}</ref> Shortly after Iraq's invasion of Kuwait, the organization ''[[Citizens for a Free Kuwait]]'' was formed in the US. It hired the public relations firm [[Hill & Knowlton]] for about $11&nbsp;million, paid by [[Government of Kuwait|Kuwait's government]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.prwatch.org/books/tsigfy10.html |title=How PR Sold the War in the Persian Gulf &#124; Center for Media and Democracy |publisher=Prwatch.org |access-date=1 February 2011|date=2004-10-28 }}</ref><br />
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Among many other means of influencing US opinion, such as distributing books on Iraqi atrocities to US soldiers deployed in the region, "Free Kuwait" T-shirts and speakers to college campuses, and dozens of video news releases to television stations, the firm arranged for an appearance before a group of members of the [[United States Congress|US Congress]] in which a young woman identifying herself as a [[Nayirah testimony|nurse working in the Kuwait City hospital]] described Iraqi soldiers pulling babies out of incubators and letting them die on the floor.<ref name=kuwaitgate /><br />
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The story helped tip both the public and Congress towards a war with Iraq: six Congressmen said the testimony was enough for them to support military action against Iraq and seven Senators referenced the testimony in debate. The Senate supported the military actions in a 52–47 vote. However, a year after the war, this allegation was revealed to be a fabrication. The young woman who had testified was found to be a member of Kuwait's royal family and the daughter of Kuwait's ambassador to the US.<ref name=kuwaitgate><!-- Rowse (1992) "Kuwaitgate – killing of Kuwaiti babies by Iraqi soldiers exaggerated", Washington Monthly-->{{cite Q|Q123698876}}</ref> She had not lived in Kuwait during the Iraqi invasion.{{Citation needed|date=February 2023}}<br />
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The details of the Hill & Knowlton public relations campaign, including the incubator testimony, were published in [[John R. MacArthur]]'s ''Second Front: Censorship and Propaganda in the Gulf War'',<ref>[[John R. MacArthur]], ''Second Front: Censorship and Propaganda in the Gulf War'' (Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 1992)</ref> and came to wide public attention when an [[Op-ed]] by MacArthur was published in ''[[The New York Times]]''. This prompted a reexamination by [[Amnesty International]], which had originally promoted an account alleging even greater numbers of babies torn from incubators than the original fake testimony. After finding no evidence to support it, the organization issued a retraction. President Bush then repeated the incubator allegations on television.{{Citation needed|date=February 2023}}<br />
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In reality, the Iraqi Army did commit various well-documented crimes during its occupation of Kuwait, such as the [[summary execution|summary execution without trial]] of three brothers, after which their bodies were stacked and left to decay in a public street.{{sfnp|Makiya|1993|p=40}} Iraqi troops also ransacked and looted private Kuwaiti homes; one residence was repeatedly defecated in.{{sfnp|Makiya|1993|pp=31–33}} A resident later commented: "The whole thing was violence for the sake of violence, destruction for the sake of destruction&nbsp;... Imagine a [[Surrealism|surrealistic]] painting by [[Salvador Dalí]]".{{sfnp|Makiya|1993|p=32}}<br />
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US President Bush repeatedly compared Saddam Hussein to [[Hitler]].<ref>New York Times, 24 Oct. 1990, "[https://www.nytimes.com/1990/10/24/world/mideast-tensions-no-compromise-on-kuwait-bush-says.html Mideast Tensions; No Compromise on Kuwait, Bush Says] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181112101338/https://www.nytimes.com/1990/10/24/world/mideast-tensions-no-compromise-on-kuwait-bush-says.html |date=12 November 2018 }}"</ref><br />
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==Early battles==<br />
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===Air campaign===<br />
{{Main|Gulf War air campaign}}<br />
[[File:F-117 Nighthawk Front.jpg|thumb|left|The [[USAF]] [[F-117 Nighthawk]], one of the key aircraft used in Operation Desert Storm]]<br />
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The Gulf War began with an extensive [[aerial bombing of cities|aerial bombing]] campaign on 16 January 1991. For 42 consecutive days and nights, the coalition forces subjected Iraq to one of the most intensive air bombardments in military history. The coalition flew over 100,000 [[sortie]]s, dropping 88,500 tonnes of bombs,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.clemson.edu/caah/history/FacultyPages/EdMoise/limit1.html |author=Edwin E. Moïse |title=Limited War: The Stereotypes |publisher=Clemson University |access-date=2 July 2010}}</ref> which widely destroyed military and civilian infrastructure.{{citation needed|date=February 2023}}<br />
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Iraqi anti-aircraft defenses, including [[man-portable air-defense systems]], were surprisingly ineffective against enemy aircraft, and the coalition suffered only 75 aircraft losses in over 100,000 sorties, 44 due to Iraqi action. Two of these losses are the result of aircraft colliding with the ground while evading Iraqi ground-fired weapons.<ref name=cnnstats>{{cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2001/gulf.war/facts/gulfwar |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080612131747/http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2001/gulf.war/facts/gulfwar/ |archive-date=12 June 2008 |title=CNN.com In-depth specials — Gulf War (via Internet Archive) |access-date=23 March 2008 |year=2001 |publisher=CNN}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.rjlee.org/aaloss.html |title=Fixed-Wing Combat Aircraft Attrition in Desert Storm |year=2002 |access-date=30 January 2012 |author=Lee, Robin J. |quote=Sources: Gulf War Airpower Survey, Vol. 5; Norman Friedman, Desert Victory; World Air Power Journal. Additionally, Mark Bovankovich and LT Chuck Chase offered corrections and several intriguing details on these incidents. All errors, however, remain entirely mine.}}</ref> One of these losses is a confirmed air-air victory.<ref>[[Rick Atkinson|Atkinson, Rick]] (1994). ''Crusade: The Untold Story of the Persian Gulf War''. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, p. 47. {{ISBN|978-0-395-71083-8}}</ref><br />
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===Iraqi Scud missile strikes on Israel and Saudi Arabia===<br />
{{main|Iraqi rocket attacks on Israel|Iraqi rocket attacks on Saudi Arabia}}<br />
[[File:scud TEL launch.jpg|left|thumb|upright|[[Scud]] Transporter Erector Launcher (TEL) with missile in upright position]]<br />
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Iraq's government made no secret that it would attack Israel if invaded. Prior to the war's start, in the aftermath of the failed US–Iraq peace talks in Geneva, Switzerland, a reporter asked Iraq's English-speaking Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Tariq Aziz: "Mr. Foreign Minister, if war starts&nbsp;... will you attack Israel?" His response was: "Yes, absolutely, yes."<ref>Lawrence Freedman and Efraim Karsh, ''The Gulf Conflict: Diplomacy and War in the New World Order'', 1990–1991 (Princeton, 1993), 332.</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.c-spanarchives.org/program/ID/176306&start=607&end=657 |title=Geneva Meeting on Persian Gulf Crisis |publisher=C-SPAN |date=9 January 1991 |access-date=18 March 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110501102548/http://www.c-spanarchives.org/program/ID/176306%26start%3D607%26end%3D657 |archive-date=1 May 2011}}</ref><br />
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Five hours after the first attacks, Iraq's state radio broadcast declared that "The dawn of victory nears as this great showdown begins." Iraq fired eight missiles the next day. These missile attacks were to continue throughout the war. Iraq fired 88 Scud missiles during the war's seven weeks.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.iraqwatch.org/government/US/Pentagon/dodscud.htm|title=Information Paper: Iraq's Scud Ballistic Missiles|first=Bernard|last=Rostker|year=2000|publisher=Wisconsin Project on Nuclear Arms Control from 2000 to 2006|access-date=21 May 2009|archive-date=14 May 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110514212635/http://www.iraqwatch.org/government/US/Pentagon/dodscud.htm}}</ref><br />
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Iraq hoped to provoke a military response from Israel. The Iraqi government hoped that many Arab states would withdraw from the Coalition, as they would be reluctant to fight alongside Israel.<ref name=sam>Waldman, Shmuel (2005). ''Beyond a Reasonable Doubt''. Feldheim Publishers, p. 179. {{ISBN|978-1-58330-806-6}}</ref> Following the first attacks, [[Israeli Air Force]] jets were deployed to patrol the northern airspace with Iraq. Israel prepared to militarily retaliate, as its policy for the previous 40 years had always been retaliation. However, President Bush pressured Israeli Prime Minister [[Yitzhak Shamir]] not to retaliate and withdraw Israeli jets, fearing that if Israel attacked Iraq, the other Arab states would either desert the coalition or join Iraq. It was also feared that if Israel used Syrian or Jordanian airspace to attack Iraq, they would intervene in the war on Iraq's side or attack Israel. The coalition promised to deploy [[MIM-104 Patriot|Patriot missiles]] to defend Israel if it refrained from responding to the Scud attacks.<ref>Lawrence Freedman and Efraim Karsh, ''The Gulf Conflict: Diplomacy and War in the New World Order'', 1990–1991 (Princeton, 1993), 331–41.</ref><ref>Thomas, Gordon, ''Gideon's Spies: The Secret History of the Mossad''</ref><br />
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The Scud missiles targeting Israel were relatively ineffective, as firing at extreme range resulted in a dramatic reduction in accuracy and payload. Two Israeli civilians died as a direct result of the missile attacks.<ref name="JPostCasualtyCount">{{cite news |title=The day Israel's wars changed forever |url=https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/the-day-israels-wars-changed-forever-655785 |access-date=2022-03-01 |newspaper=The Jerusalem Post &#124; Jpost.com |language=en-US}}</ref> Between 11 and 74 were killed from incorrect use of gas masks, heart attacks, and incorrect use of the anti-chemical weapons drug [[atropine]].<ref name="JPostCasualtyCount" /> Approximately 230 Israelis were injured.<ref name=autogenerated4>{{cite journal |last1=Fetter |first1=Steve |last2=Lewis |first2=George N. |last3=Gronlund |first3=Lisbeth|author3-link= Lisbeth Gronlund |title=Why were Casualties so low? |journal=[[Nature (journal)|Nature]] |volume=361 |pages=293–296 |publisher=[[Nature Publishing Group]] |location=London |date=28 January 1993 |url=http://drum.lib.umd.edu/bitstream/1903/4282/1/1993-Nature-Scud.pdf |doi=10.1038/361293a0 |issue=6410 |hdl=1903/4282 |s2cid=4343235 |hdl-access=free }}</ref> Extensive property damage was also caused, and, according to the Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs, "Damage to general property consisted of 1,302 houses, 6,142 apartments, 23 public buildings, 200 shops and 50 cars."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mfa.gov.il/mfa/aboutisrael/history/pages/the%20gulf%20war%20-%201991.aspx|title=The Gulf War (1991)|access-date=5 July 2016}}</ref> It was feared that Iraq would fire missiles filled with [[nerve agent]]s such as [[sarin]]. As a result, Israel's government issued [[conflict gas mask|gas mask]]s to its citizens. When the first Iraqi missiles hit Israel, some people injected themselves with an antidote for nerve gas. It has been suggested that the sturdy construction techniques used in Israeli cities, coupled with the fact that Scuds were only launched at night, played an important role in limiting the number of casualties from Scud attacks.<ref name="publicpolicy.umd.edu">{{cite journal |last1=Fetter |first1=Steve |last2=Lewis |first2=George N. |last3=Gronlund |first3=Lisbeth |title=Why were Casualties so low? |journal=[[Nature (journal)|Nature]] |volume=361|pages=293–296 |location=London |date=28 January 1993 |url=http://drum.lib.umd.edu/bitstream/1903/4282/1/1993-Nature-Scud.pdf |doi=10.1038/361293a0 |issue=6410 |hdl=1903/4282 |s2cid=4343235 |hdl-access=free }}</ref><br />
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In response to the threat of Scuds on Israel, the US rapidly sent a Patriot missile air defense artillery battalion to Israel along with two batteries of MIM-104 Patriot missiles for the protection of civilians.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://tech.mit.edu/V110/N60/war1.60n.html|title=Three Israelis killed as Scuds hit Tel Aviv|newspaper=[[The Tech (newspaper)|The Tech]]|year=1991|access-date=11 January 2009|archive-date=28 December 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081228034422/http://tech.mit.edu/V110/N60/war1.60n.html}}</ref> The [[Royal Netherlands Air Force]] also deployed a Patriot missile squadron to Israel and Turkey. The Dutch Defense Ministry later stated that the military use of the Patriot missile system was largely ineffective, but its psychological value for the affected populations was high.<ref name=nederland2009>{{cite web|url=http://www.defensie.nl/landmacht/onderwijs/werkstukken_basisvorming/golfoorlog/betrokkenheid_van_nederland|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110428093020/http://www.defensie.nl/landmacht/onderwijs/werkstukken_basisvorming/golfoorlog/betrokkenheid_van_nederland|archive-date=2011-04-28|title=Betrokkenheid van Nederland|publisher=[[Ministry of Defence (Netherlands)|Ministerie van Defensie]]|year=2009|access-date=11 January 2009|language=nl}}</ref><br />
<br />
Coalition air forces were also extensively exercised in "Scud hunts" in the Iraqi desert, trying to locate the camouflaged trucks before they fired their missiles at Israel or Saudi Arabia. On the ground, special operations forces also infiltrated Iraq, tasked with locating and destroying Scuds – including the ill-fated [[Bravo Two Zero]] patrol of the [[Special Air Service|SAS]]. Once special operations were combined with air patrols, the number of attacks fell sharply, then increased slightly as Iraqi forces adjusted to coalition tactics.{{Citation needed|date=February 2023}}<br />
<br />
As the Scud attacks continued, the Israelis grew increasingly impatient, and considered taking unilateral military action against Iraq. On 22 January 1991, a Scud missile hit the Israeli city of [[Ramat Gan]], after two coalition Patriots failed to intercept it. Three elderly people suffered fatal heart attacks, another 96 people were injured, and 20 apartment buildings were damaged.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Kifner|first1=John|title=WAR IN THE GULF: TEL AVIV; 3 DIE 96 ARE HURT IN ISRAELI SUBURB|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1991/01/23/world/war-in-the-gulf-tel-aviv-3-die-96-are-hurt-in-israeli-suburb.html|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=23 January 1991}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Atkinson|first1=Rick|last2=Balz|first2=Dan|title=Scud Hits Tel Aviv, Leaving 3 Dead, 96 Hurt|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/inatl/longterm/fogofwar/archive/post012291.htm|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|access-date=2 June 2013|date=23 January 1991}}</ref> After this attack, the Israelis warned that if the US failed to stop the attacks, they would. At one point, Israeli commandos boarded helicopters prepared to fly into Iraq, but the mission was called off after a phone call from US Defense Secretary Dick Cheney, reporting on the extent of coalition efforts to destroy Scuds and emphasizing that Israeli intervention could endanger US forces.<ref>Cheney, Richard: ''In My Time: A Personal and Political Memoir''</ref><br />
<br />
In addition to the attacks on Israel, [[Iraqi rocket attacks on Saudi Arabia|47 Scud missiles were fired into Saudi Arabia]], and one missile was fired at Bahrain and another at Qatar. The missiles were fired at both military and civilian targets. One Saudi civilian was killed, and 78 others were injured. No casualties were reported in Bahrain or Qatar. The Saudi government issued all its citizens and expatriates with gas masks in the event of Iraq using missiles with warheads containing chemical weapons.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Ottaway|first=David B.|date=1990-08-31|title=SAUDI KING FAHD ORDERS GAS MASKS FOR EVERYONE|language=en-US|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1990/08/31/saudi-king-fahd-orders-gas-masks-for-everyone/990b9314-d55f-4b60-bdc4-bb0f7b0d237a/|access-date=2021-03-25|issn=0190-8286}}</ref> The government broadcast alerts and 'all clear' messages over television to warn citizens during Scud attacks.{{Citation needed|date=February 2023}}<br />
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On 25 February 1991, a Scud missile hit a US Army barracks of the 14th Quartermaster Detachment, out of Greensburg, Pennsylvania, stationed in [[Dhahran]], Saudi Arabia, killing 28 soldiers and injuring over 100.<ref name="iraqwatch.org">{{cite web |url=http://www.iraqwatch.org/government/US/Pentagon/dodscud.htm |title=DOD: Information Paper- Iraq's Scud Ballistic Missiles |publisher=Iraqwatch.org |access-date=18 March 2010 |archive-date=14 May 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110514212635/http://www.iraqwatch.org/government/US/Pentagon/dodscud.htm }}</ref> A subsequent investigation found that the assigned Patriot missile battery had failed to engage due to the [[Loss of significance|loss of significance effect]] in the onboard computer's [[Floating-point arithmetic|floating point calculations]] compounding over 100 hours of consecutive use, shifting the range gate position far enough to lose contact with the Scud during tracking action.<ref>{{cite web|author=U. S. Government Accountability Office|title=Patriot Missile Defense: Software Problem Led to System Failure at Dhahran, Saudi Arabia|url=https://www.gao.gov/products/imtec-92-26|access-date=2022-01-25|website=www.gao.gov|language=en}}</ref><br />
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===Iraqi invasion of Saudi Arabia (Battle of Khafji)===<br />
{{Main|Battle of Khafji}}<br />
{{More citations needed|section|date=December 2018}}<br />
[[File:Battle of Khafji 1991.svg|thumb|Military operations during Khafji's liberation]]<br />
<br />
On 29 January, Iraqi forces attacked and occupied the lightly defended Saudi city of [[Khafji]] with tanks and infantry. The Battle of Khafji ended two days later when the Iraqis were driven back by the [[Saudi Arabian National Guard]], supported by Qatari forces and US Marines.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Washingtonpost.com: Fog of War – Post Archive|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|language=en-US|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/inatl/longterm/fogofwar/archive/post013091.htm|access-date=2021-03-25|issn=0190-8286}}</ref> The allied forces used extensive artillery fire.{{Citation needed|date=February 2023}}<br />
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Both sides suffered casualties, although Iraqi forces sustained substantially more dead and captured than the allied forces. Eleven Americans were killed in two separate [[friendly fire]] incidents, an additional 14 US airmen were killed when their [[AC-130]] gunship was shot down by an Iraqi surface-to-air missile,<ref>{{cite web|last=Wilkinson|first=Jeff|date=May 29, 2016|title=25 years ago, this University of South Carolina graduate gave his life in Desert Storm|url=https://www.thestate.com/news/local/article80667657.html|access-date=March 25, 2021|website=The State}}</ref> and two US soldiers were captured during the battle. Saudi and Qatari forces had a total of 18 dead. Iraqi forces in Khafji had 60–300 dead and 400 captured.{{Citation needed|date=February 2023}}<br />
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The Battle of Khafji was an example of how air power could single-handedly hinder the advance of enemy ground forces. Upon learning of Iraqi troop movements, 140 coalition aircraft were diverted to attack an advancing column consisting of two armored divisions in battalion-sized units. Precision stand-off attacks were conducted during the night and through to the next day. Iraqi vehicle losses included 357 tanks, 147 armored personnel carriers, and 89 mobile artillery pieces. Some crews simply abandoned their vehicles upon realizing that they could be destroyed by guided bombs, stopping the divisions from massing for an organized attack on the town. One Iraqi soldier, who had fought in the Iran–Iraq War, remarked that his brigade "had sustained more punishment from allied airpower in 30 minutes at Khafji than in eight years of fighting against Iran."<ref>[http://www.airforcemag.com/MagazineArchive/Pages/2014/February%202014/0214reversal.aspx AirLand Reversal] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140219160549/http://www.airforcemag.com/MagazineArchive/Pages/2014/February%202014/0214reversal.aspx |date=19 February 2014 }}. ''Air Force Magazine''. 1 February 2014.</ref><br />
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==Counter reconnaissance==<br />
{{Main|Battle of Norfolk}}<br />
{{See also|Task Force 1-41 Infantry}}<br />
[[File:Destroyed Iraqi tank TF-41.jpg|thumb|Iraqi tanks destroyed by [[Task Force 1-41 Infantry]], February 1991]]<br />
[[Task Force 1-41 Infantry]] was a [[US Army]] heavy battalion task force from the 2nd Armored Division (Forward). It was the spearhead of [[VII Corps (United States)|VII Corps]], consisting primarily of the 1st Battalion, [[41st Infantry Regiment (United States)|41st Infantry Regiment]], 3rd Battalion, [[66th Armor Regiment]], and the 4th Battalion, [[3rd Field Artillery Regiment (United States)|3rd Field Artillery Regiment]]. Task Force 1–41 was the first coalition force to breach the Saudi Arabian border on 15 February 1991, and to conduct ground combat operations in Iraq engaging in direct and indirect fire fights with the enemy on 17 February 1991.<ref name="VUA Citation"/> Shortly after arrival in theatre Task Force 1–41 Infantry received a counter-reconnaissance mission.{{sfnp|Hillman|1993|p=6}} 1–41 Infantry was assisted by the 1st Squadron, 4th Armored Cavalry Regiment. This joint effort would become known as Task Force Iron.{{sfnp|Bourque|2001|p=95}} Counter-reconnaissance generally includes destroying or repelling the enemy's reconnaissance elements and denying their commander any observation of friendly forces. On 15 February 1991 4th Battalion of the 3rd Field Artillery Regiment fired on a trailer and a few trucks in the Iraqi sector observing American forces.{{sfnp|Bourque|2001|p=96}}<br />
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On 16 February 1991 several groups of Iraqi vehicles appeared to be performing reconnaissance on the Task Force and were driven away by fire from 4–3 FA.{{sfnp|Bourque|2001|p=98}} Another enemy platoon, including six vehicles, was reported as being to the northeast of the Task Force. They were engaged with artillery fire from 4–3 FA.{{sfnp|Bourque|2001|p=99}} Later that evening another group of Iraqi vehicles was spotted moving towards the center of the Task Force. They appeared to be Iraqi Soviet-made [[BTR (vehicle)|BTRs]] and tanks. For the next hour the Task Force fought several small battles with Iraqi reconnaissance units. TF 1–41 IN fired [[BGM-71 TOW|TOW missiles]] at the Iraqi formation destroying one tank. The rest of the formation was destroyed or driven away by artillery fire from 4–3 FA.{{sfnp|Bourque|2001|p=99}} On 17 February 1991 the Task Force took enemy mortar fire, but the enemy forces managed to escape.{{sfnp|Bourque|2001|p=102}} Later that evening the Task Force received enemy artillery fire but suffered no casualties.{{sfnp|Bourque|2001|p=103}} That same evening the Task Force identified an Iraqi mortar position and engaged it with both direct and indirect fires.{{sfnp|Bourque|2001|p=159}} The Iraqis continued probing operations against the Task Force for approximately two hours.{{sfnp|Bourque|2001|p=159}} For the next two days the Task Force observed Iraqi wheeled vehicles and small units move in front of them. Several times Iraqi mortars fired on Task Force 1–41 Infantry positions.{{sfnp|Bourque|2001|p=159}} On 18 February Iraqi mortar positions continued to conduct fire missions against the Task Force. The Task Force returned fire on the Iraqi positions with artillery fire from 4–3 FA and 1st Infantry Division Artillery.{{sfnp|Bourque|2001|p=160}} During the Iraqi mortar attacks two American soldiers were wounded.{{sfnp|Bourque|2001|pp=159–160}} Iraqi reconnaissance elements continued to patrol the area between the Task Force and the 1st Cavalry Division.{{sfnp|Bourque|2001|p=160}} VII Corps air units and artillery conducted combat operations against Iraqi defensive positions.{{sfnp|Bourque|2001|p=160}}<br />
<br />
==Breach==<br />
[[File:C141Infantryds.jpg|thumb|Soldiers of 2nd Platoon, Company C, [[Task Force 1-41 Infantry|1st Battalion, 41st Infantry Regiment]] pose with a captured Iraqi tank, February 1991]]<br />
{{Main|Battle of Norfolk}}<br />
{{See also|Task Force 1-41 Infantry}}<br />
<br />
Task Force 1–41 Infantry was the first coalition force to breach the Saudi Arabian border on 15 February 1991 and conduct ground combat operations in Iraq engaging in direct and indirect fire fights with the enemy on 17 February 1991.<ref name="VUA Citation"/> Prior to this action the Task Force's primary fire support battalion, 4th Battalion of the 3rd Field Artillery Regiment, participated in a massive artillery preparation. Around 300 guns from multiple countries participated in the [[artillery barrage]]. Over 14,000 rounds were fired during these missions. [[M270 Multiple Launch Rocket System]]s contributed an additional 4,900 rockets fired at Iraqi targets.{{sfnp|Bourque|2001|p=164}} Iraq lost close to 22 artillery battalions during the initial stages of this barrage,{{sfnp|Bourque|2001|p=161}} including the destruction of approximately 396 Iraqi artillery pieces.{{sfnp|Bourque|2001|p=161}}<br />
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By the end of these raids Iraqi artillery assets had all but ceased to exist. One Iraqi unit that was totally destroyed during the preparation was the Iraqi 48th Infantry Division Artillery Group.<ref name="armyhistory.org">{{cite web|url=https://armyhistory.org/the-gulf-war-and-european-artillery/|title=The Gulf War and "European Artillery" – The Campaign for the National Museum of the United States Army|date=20 January 2015}}</ref> The group's commander stated his unit lost 83 of its 100 guns to the artillery preparation.<ref name="armyhistory.org"/> This artillery prep was supplemented by air attacks by [[Boeing B-52 Stratofortress|B-52 bombers]] and [[Lockheed AC-130]] fixed wing gunships.{{sfnp|Bourque|2001|p=163}} 1st Infantry Division [[Apache helicopter]]s and B-52 bombers conducted raids against Iraq's 110th Infantry Brigade.{{sfnp|Bourque|2001|p=201}} The 1st Engineer Battalion and 9th Engineer Battalion marked and proofed assault lanes under direct and indirect enemy fire to secure a foothold in enemy territory and pass the 1st Infantry Division and the [[1st (United Kingdom) Division|British 1st Armored Division]] forward.<ref name="VUA Citation"/>{{sfnp|Bourque|2001|pp=156–157}}<br />
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[[File:Destroyediraqitank4-3fa.jpg|thumb|An Iraqi [[Republican Guard (Iraq)|Republican Guard]] T-55 tank destroyed by Task Force 1–41 Infantry, February 1991]]<br />
On 24 February 1991 the 1st Cavalry Division conducted a couple artillery missions against Iraqi artillery units.{{sfnp|Bourque|2001|p=206}} One artillery mission struck a series of Iraqi bunkers, reinforced by Iraqi T-55 tanks, in the sector of the Iraqi 25th Infantry Division.{{sfnp|Bourque|2001|p=206}} The same day the 2nd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division with the 1st Battalion, 5th Cavalry, 1st Battalion, 32nd Armor, and the 1st Battalion, 8th Cavalry destroyed Iraqi bunkers and combat vehicles in the sector of the Iraqi 25th Infantry Division.{{sfnp|Bourque|2001|p=206}} On 24 February 2nd Brigade, 1st Infantry Division rolled through the breach in the Iraqi defense west of [[Wadi al-Batin]] and also cleared the northeastern sector of the breach site of enemy resistance.<ref name="VUA Citation"/> Task Force 3–37th Armor breached the Iraqi defense clearing four passage lanes and expanding the gap under direct enemy fire.<ref name="VUA Citation"/> Also on 24 February the 1st Infantry Division along with the 1st Cavalry Division destroyed Iraqi outposts and patrols belonging to the Iraqi 26th Infantry Division.{{sfnp|Bourque|2001|p=207}} The two divisions also began capturing prisoners.{{sfnp|Bourque|2001|p=207}} The 1st Infantry Division cleared a zone between Phase Line Vermont and Phase Line Kansas.{{sfnp|Bourque|2001|p=207}} Once the 1st Infantry Division's 3rd Battalion, 37th Armor reached the Iraqi rear defensive positions it destroyed an Iraqi [[122 mm howitzer 2A18 (D-30)|D-30]] artillery battery and many trucks and bunkers.{{sfnp|Bourque|2001|p=225}}<br />
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Task Force 1–41 Infantry was given the task of breaching Iraq's initial defensive positions along the Iraq–Saudi Arabia border.<ref name="VUA Citation"/> The 1st Squadron, 4th Armored Cavalry Regiment handled similar responsibilities in its sector of operations.<ref name="VUA Citation"/> The 1st Infantry Division's 5th Battalion, 16th Infantry also played a significant role clearing the trenches and captured 160 Iraqi soldiers in the process.{{sfnp|Bourque|2001|p=225}} Once into Iraqi territory Task Force 1–41 Infantry encountered multiple Iraqi defensive positions and bunkers. These defensive positions were occupied by a brigade-sized element.<ref name="VUA Citation"/> Task Force 1–41 Infantry elements dismounted and prepared to engage the enemy soldiers who occupied these well-prepared and heavily fortified bunkers.<ref name="VUA Citation"/> The Task Force found itself engaged in six hours of combat in order to clear the extensive [[bunker]] complex.<ref name="VUA Citation"/> The Iraqis engaged the Task Force with [[Small Arms and Light Weapons|small arms]] fire, [[Rocket-propelled grenade|RPGs]], [[Mortar (weapon)|mortar]] fire, and what was left of Iraqi [[artillery]] assets. A series of battles unfolded resulting in heavy Iraqi casualties and the Iraqis being removed from their defensive positions with many becoming prisoners of war. Some escaped to be killed or captured by other coalition forces.{{sfnp|Bourque|2001|pp=113–133}} In the process of clearing the bunkers, Task Force 1–41 captured two brigade command posts and the command post of the Iraqi 26th Infantry Division.{{sfnp|Bourque|2001|p=259}} The Task Force also captured a brigade commander, several battalion commanders, company commanders, and staff officers.{{sfnp|Bourque|2001|p=259}} As combat operations progressed Task Force 1–41 Infantry engaged at short range multiple dug in enemy tanks in ambush positions.<ref name="VUA Citation"/> For a few hours, bypassed Iraqi RPG-equipped anti-tank teams, [[T-54/T-55|T-55]] tanks, and dismounted Iraqi infantry fired at passing American vehicles, only to be destroyed by other US tanks and fighting vehicles following the initial forces.<ref name="usdefensewatch.com">{{cite web|url=http://usdefensewatch.com/2015/04/correcting-myths-about-the-persian-gulf-war-the-last-stand-of-the-tawakalna/|title=CORRECTING MYTHS ABOUT THE PERSIAN GULF WAR: THE LAST STAND OF THE TAWAKALNA|date=30 April 2015}}</ref><br />
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The 1st Infantry Division's Task Force 2–16 Infantry cleared four lanes simultaneously through an enemy fortified trench system while inflicting heavy casualties on Iraqi forces.<ref name="VUA Citation"/> Task Force 2–16 continued the attack clearing over {{convert|13|mi|km|order=flip|abbr=on}} of entrenched enemy positions resulting in the capture and destruction of numerous enemy vehicles, equipment, personnel and command bunkers.<ref name="VUA Citation"/><br />
<br />
==Ground campaign==<br />
[[File:DS1991.jpg|thumb| M109 howitzers belonging to 4th Battalion of the [[3rd Field Artillery Regiment (United States)|3rd Field Artillery Regiment]], 2nd Armored Division (FWD) conducts artillery strikes on Iraqi positions during the [[1st Gulf War]]. 4-3 FA was the primary fire support battalion for Task Force 1–41 during the [[1st Gulf War]], February 1991.]]<br />
{{See also|Battle of Al Busayyah|Battle of Phase Line Bullet|Battle of 73 Easting|Battle of Norfolk|Battle of Medina Ridge|Battle of Kuwait International Airport|Battle of Rumaila}}<br />
<br />
A 90,000 round artillery preparation fire on Iraqi defensive positions preceded the major ground assault, lasting 2.5 hours.{{sfnp|Bourque|2001|p=194}} 1st Infantry Division Artillery, which included 4-3 FA battalion, was decisive during artillery combat operations performing multiple raids and fire missions. These combat operations resulted in the destruction of 50 enemy tanks, 139 APCs, 30 air defense systems, 152 artillery pieces, 27 missile launchers, 108 mortars, and 548 wheeled vehicles, 61 trench lines and bunker positions, 92 dug in and open infantry targets, and 34 logistical sites.<ref>Lingamfelter P.190-191</ref> The ground campaign consisted of three or possibly four of the largest [[tank]] battles in American military history.<ref name="wearethemighty.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.wearethemighty.com/articles/6-massive-tank-battles-from-us-history|title=These were the 6 most massive tank battles in US history|date=24 March 2016}}</ref><ref name="auto6">{{cite book |title=Semper Fi: The Definitive Illustrated History of the U.S. Marines |last=Chenoweth |first=H. Avery |year=2005 |page=408}}</ref> The battles at 73 Easting, Norfolk, and Medina Ridge are well noted for their historical significance.<ref name="wearethemighty.com"/> Some consider the [[Battle of Medina Ridge]] the largest tank battle of the war.<ref name="VUA Citation"/><ref name="wearethemighty1">{{cite web |author=Logan Nye |date=2021-04-16 |title=These were the 6 most massive tank battles in US history |url=https://www.wearethemighty.com/mighty-history/6-massive-tank-battles-from-us-history/ |access-date=2021-11-20 |publisher=We Are The Mighty}}</ref> Other sources consider the [[Battle of Norfolk]] the largest tank battle of the war and the second largest tank battle in American history.<ref name="wearethemighty1"/> The U.S. Marine Corps also fought the biggest tank battle in its history at [[Kuwait International Airport]].<ref name="auto6"/> The U.S. 3rd Armored Division also fought a significant battle at Objective Dorset not far from where the Battle of Norfolk was taking place. The U.S. 3rd Armored Division destroyed approximately 300 enemy combat vehicles during this particular encounter with Iraqi forces.<ref name="VUA Citation"/><br />
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The U.S. VII Corps was the primary combat formation of the coalition forces.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/bs-xpm-1991-02-26-1991057001-story.html|title = VII Corps leads armored surge into Iraq WAR IN THE GULF| date=26 February 1991 }}</ref> It was a formidable fighting force consisting of 1,487 tanks, 1,384 infantry fighting vehicles, 568 artillery pieces, 132 MLRS, 8 missile launchers, and 242 attack helicopters.{{sfnp|Bourque|2001|p=90}} It had a total troop strength of 146,321 troops.{{sfnp|Bourque|2001|p=473}} Its primary full strength fighting formations were the [[1st Armored Division (United States)]], the [[3rd Armored Division (United States)]] and the [[1st Infantry Division (United States)]]. The [[2nd Armored Division (United States)|2nd Armored Division (Forward)]] was assigned to the 1st Infantry Division as its third maneuver brigade.{{sfnp|Dinackus|2000|p=4–10}} Its Task Force 1-41 Infantry would be the spearhead of VII Corps.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://history.army.mil/html/forcestruc/vua_citations.html | title=Operations DESERT SHIELD and DESERT STORM: Valorous Unit Award Citations &#124; Unit Award Orders & Citations &#124; U.S. Army Center of Military History }}</ref> In addition, the corps had the [[2nd Cavalry Regiment (United States)]] to act as a scouting and screening force, and two further heavy divisions, the [[1st Cavalry Division (United States)]] and the United Kingdom's 1st Armoured Division, as well as the U.S. [[11th Aviation Group (United States)|11th Aviation Group]].<ref name="VUA Citation"/>{{sfnp|Bourque|Burdan|2007|p=275}}{{sfnp|Bourque|Burdan|2007|p=377}} VII Corps fought a number of large battles against Iraqi forces. Some of them historical in scope and size. Three of the battles at Norfolk, Medina Ridge, and 73 Easting are considered among the largest tank battles in history.<ref>{{cite web|author=Logan Nye |url=https://www.wearethemighty.com/mighty-history/6-massive-tank-battles-from-us-history/ |title=These were the 6 most massive tank battles in US history |publisher=We Are The Mighty |date=2022-04-22 |access-date=2022-05-09}}</ref> By the end of combat operations on 28 February 1991, U.S. VII Corps had driven {{Convert|260|km}}, captured 22,000 Iraqi soldiers, and destroyed 1,350 Iraqi tanks, 1,224 armored personnel carriers, 285 artillery pieces, 105 air defense systems, and 1,229 trucks.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://armyhistory.org/jayhawk-goes-to-war-vii-corps-in-operation-desert-storm/ |title=Jayhawk Goes to War: VII Corps in Operation DESERT STORM – The Campaign for the National Museum of the United States Army |date=30 April 2016 |publisher=Armyhistory.org |access-date=2021-11-20}}</ref><br />
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[[File:An OH-58D Kiowa helicopter departs from a communications site in the desert during Operation Desert Shield.jpg|thumb|An OH-58D Kiowa helicopter departs from a communications site in the desert during Operation Desert Shield|left]]<br />
The primary combat vehicles of the American divisions were the [[M1A1 MBT|M1A1 Abrams]] tank and the [[Bradley Fighting Vehicle]].{{sfnp|Bourque|2001|pp=75, 92}} The primary American artillery system was the self propelled [[M109 howitzer]].{{sfnp|Bourque|2001|p=107}} The primary American attack helicopter was the [[Boeing AH-64 Apache]] (Army) with the [[Bell AH-1 Cobra]] (Army and Marines) also being in theatre.{{sfnp|Bourque|2001|p=107}} The U.S. [[A-10#|Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II]] ground attack aircraft would distinguish itself during the Gulf War aided by the [[OH-58D]] [[JAATT]] eyes in the sky. Together they inflicted significant damage on Iraqi ground forces.{{sfnp|Bourque|2001|p=244}} U.S. A-10 "Warthog" crews would destroy 900 Iraqi tanks, 2,000 other military vehicles and 1,200 artillery pieces during combat operations.{{Citation needed|date=February 2023}}<br />
<br />
The [[U.S. Marine Corps]] was represented by the [[1st Marine Division]] and the [[2nd Marine Division]].<ref name="marinesmil">{{cite magazine |author=Paul W. Westermeyer |title=The Battle of al-Khafji |magazine=U.S. Marines in Battle |date=28 January – 1 February 1991 |url=https://www.marines.mil/Portals/1/Publications/U.S.%20Marines%20in%20Battle%20Al-Khafji%20%20PCN%20106000400_1.pdf?ver=2012-10-11-164150-403}}</ref> They were supported by the U.S. Army's 2nd Armored Division's Tiger Brigade to provide the Marines with additional armor support.<ref name="marinesmil"/> Marine armor units mostly consisted of the older [[M60 tank|M-60]] tank.<ref name="marinesmil"/> The 1st Marine Division destroyed around 60 Iraqi tanks near the Burgan oil field without suffering any losses.<ref>Blitzkrieg in the Gulf by Yves Debay</ref> The [[1st Marine Division (United States)|1st Marine Division]] Task Force Ripper led the drive to the Kuwait International Airport on 27 February 1991. Marine Task Force Ripper destroyed about 100 Iraqi tanks and [[armored personnel carrier]]s, including [[T-72 tank|T-72]] tanks.<ref>U.S. Marines in the Persian Gulf, 1990–1991 With the 1st U.S. Marine Division in Desert Shield and Desert Storm. pp.92–93.</ref> The division commander Maj. Gen. J.M. Myatt said,{{sfnp|Nordeen|Isby|2010|p=66}} "During the first day of combat operations 1st Platoon, D Company, 3rd Tank Battalion destroyed 15 Iraqi tanks".{{sfnp|Nordeen|Isby|2010|p=73}} The Marines also destroyed 25 [[Armoured personnel carrier|APC]]s and took 300 [[Prisoner of war|prisoners of war]].<ref>U.S. Marines in the Persian Gulf, 1990–1991 With the 1st U.S. Marine Division in Desert Shield and Desert Storm Cureton P.94</ref> The U.S.M.C. would often encounter the Iraqi 3rd Armored Division in their theater of operations. Once the 1st Marine Division reached Kuwait International Airport they found what remained of the Iraqi 12th Armored Brigade, 3rd Armored Division defending it. The Marines destroyed 30 to 40 Iraqi T-72 tanks which had taken up defensive positions around the airport.{{sfnp|Nordeen|Isby|2010|p=73}} The Iraqi 3rd Armored Division losses included more than 250 T-55/62s and 70 T-72 tanks by the end of combat operations.{{sfnp|Nordeen|Isby|2010|p=73}} The Iraqi 3rd Armored Division would be totally destroyed. The 2nd Marine Division played a major role repelling the attempted Iraqi invasion of Saudi Arabia which is known as the [[Battle of Khafji]]. The 2nd Marine Division also faced heavy resistance during the [[Battle of Kuwait International Airport]]. The battle featured the "Reveille Engagement" which went on to become the largest tank battle in United States Marine Corps' entire history.<ref>Col H. Avery Chenoweth (2005) Semper Fi: The Definitive Illustrated History of the U.S. Marines</ref> Marine Reserve unit Bravo Company, 4th Tank Battalion, 4th Marine division was assigned to the 2nd Marine Division.<ref name="bravocompany4thtankbattalion.org">{{cite web |url=http://bravocompany4thtankbattalion.org |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160109120912/http://bravocompany4thtankbattalion.org/ |archive-date=9 January 2016 |title= History of Bravo Company, 4th Tank Battalion in Desert Storm 1991 |access-date=5 January 2019 }}</ref> Bravo Company destroyed a total of 119 enemy vehicles and took over 800 [[POW]]s by the end of combat operations.<ref name="bravocompany4thtankbattalion.org"/> The 1st Tank Battalion claimed 50 Iraqi T-55 and T-62 tanks and 25 APCs. The 3rd Battalion claimed 57 T-55s and T-62s along with 5 T-72s, 7 APCs, and 10 trucks. The 8th Battalion destroyed more than three dozen tanks and a number of other vehicles.<ref>M60 vs T-62 Cold War Combatants 1956–92, Nordeen & Isby, p.73</ref> U.S. Marine Corps armor units would destroy hundreds of Iraqi tanks by the end of combat operations.{{sfnp|Nordeen|Isby|2010|p=73}}<ref>{{cite web | url=https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/m60-old-tank-crushed-saddam-hussein-during-first-gulf-war-146816 | title=M60: This Old Tank Crushed Saddam Hussein During the First Gulf War | date=22 April 2020 }}</ref> U.S. Marine Corps tank losses would be light as they suffered the loss of ten M-60 tanks during combat operations.{{sfnp|Nordeen|Isby|2010|p=74}}<br />
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[[File:A Challenger 1 tank during the Gulf War.JPEG|thumb|British Challenger 1 tanks during the Gulf War. The British Challenger tank was the most efficient tank of the Gulf War, suffering no losses while destroying approximately 300 Iraqi tanks during combat operations.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://tanknutdave.com/the-british-challenger-1-main-battle-tank/|title = The British Challenger 1 Main Battle Tank}}</ref>]]<br />
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The United Kingdom was represented by its 1st Armoured Division known as the Desert Rats. The British 1st Armoured Division fielded approximately 176 [[Challenger 1]] tanks.<ref>Dunstan P.8</ref> British infantry rode into battle on the [[Warrior tracked armoured vehicle]]. It had reasonable armour protection and a 30mm gun. Modified versions of the vehicle included mortar carriers, [[MILAN]] antitank systems, and command and control vehicles; and the British possessed a variety of excellent light armoured vehicles built on their [[FV101 Scorpion]] chassis. British artillery was primarily American made M109 howitzers (155mm), [[M110 howitzer]]s (203mm), and [[M270 MLRS]] which were compatible with American systems. Their air support consisted of [[Gazelle helicopter]]s, used for reconnaissance, and the [[Lynx helicopter]] which was comparable to the American [[AH-1 Cobra]]. The British had their full contingent of engineer, logistics, and medical units.{{sfnp|Bourque|2001|p=260}}<br />
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The British 1st Armoured Division was responsible for protecting the right flank of VII Corps. It was assumed by the Corps' planners the Iraqi 52nd Armored Division would counterattack VII Corps once their penetration into Iraqi defenses was discovered. The British 1st Armoured Division had two brigades (the 4th and 7th) which participated in [[Operation Granby]], the name given to the British military operations during the 1991 Gulf War. The British 1st Armoured Division had traveled 217 miles in 97 hours. The British 1st Armored Division had captured or destroyed about 300 Iraqi tanks{{citation needed|date=February 2023}} and a very large number of armored personnel carriers, trucks, reconnaissance vehicles, etc.{{sfnp|Bourque|2001|p=275}}{{sfnp|Bourque|2001|p=377}} The Desert Rats also destroyed multiple Iraqi artillery positions.<ref name="Halberstadt P.117, 121">Halberstadt P.117, 121</ref> The division also took over 7,000 Iraqi prisoners of war including two division commanders and two other general officers.{{sfnp|Bourque|2001|p=319}} The British 1st Armoured Division destroyed or isolated four Iraqi infantry divisions (the 26th, 48th, 31st, and 25th) and overran the Iraqi 52nd Armored Division in several sharp engagements. The Iraqi 80th Armored Brigade would also fall victim to the British 1st Armoured Division.{{sfnp|Bourque|2001|p=265}}<br />
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Iraq was represented mostly by its own VII Corps and its Jihad Corps.{{sfnp|Bourque|2001|p=244}} Its most notable participants were its elite Republican Guard Divisions Tawakalna, Medina, Hammurabi, and Adnan.{{sfnp|Bourque|2001|p=43}}{{sfnp|Bourque|2001|p=350}} The first three of these had a strength of over 660 tanks, 660 infantry fighting vehicles, and thousands of antitank weapons, self propelled artillery, and other combat systems.{{sfnp|Bourque|2001|p=244}} The Tawakalna Republican Guard Division was Iraq's most powerful division which included approximately 14,000 soldiers, 220 [[T-72]] tanks, 284 [[infantry fighting vehicle]]s, 126 artillery pieces, and 18 MLRS.{{sfnp|Bourque|2001|p=324}} The Iraqi 52nd Armored Division was also a primary participant.{{sfnp|Bourque|2001|p=377}} It was a powerful division consisting of 245 tanks and 195 [[armored fighting vehicle]]s.{{sfnp|Bourque|2001|p=185}} The Iraqi 10th and [[12th Division (Iraq)|12th Armored Division]]s were also present. The two divisions formed the foundation of the Jihad Corps.{{sfnp|Bourque|2001|p=244}} The Iraqi [[10th Division (Iraq)|10th Armored Division]] was considered the best regular division in the Iraqi Army.{{sfnp|Bourque|2001|p=243}} It had more modern equipment than the other regular Iraqi units.{{sfnp|Bourque|2001|p=243}} It was equipped with T-72 and [[T-62]] tanks.{{sfnp|Bourque|2001|p=243}} The T-62 tank being its primary system.{{sfnp|Bourque|2001|p=243}} Overall the primary tank of the Iraqi forces was the [[T-55]] tank.{{sfnp|Bourque|2001|p=19}} The Iraqis fielded them in great numbers.{{sfnp|Bourque|2001|p=19}} The Iraqis also had elements of two other independent armored brigades in theatre, those being the 50th and 29th Armored Brigades.{{sfnp|Bourque|2001|pp=333–337}}<br />
Iraq would also field multiple Infantry Divisions.<ref>U.S. Marines in the Persian Gulf, 1990–1991 With the 1st U.S. Marine Division in Desert Shield and Desert Storm Cureton P.97</ref><br />
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The Iraqis suffered the loss of over 3,000 tanks and over 2,000 other combat vehicles during these battles against the American-led coalition.{{sfnp|Bourque|2001|p=455}} It is estimated that Iraqi forces suffered 20,000–50,000 troops killed during combat operations.{{sfnp|Bourque|2001|p=455}} It is also estimated that over 75,000 Iraqi soldiers were wounded.<ref>"Persian Gulf War". MSN Encarta. Archived from the original on 1 November 2009.</ref> Between 80,000 and 175,000 Iraqi troops were taken prisoner.{{sfnp|Bourque|2001|p=455}}<ref name="google1990"/><ref name="google1991"/> Iraqi forces inflicted very minimal damage on Coalition forces.{{sfnp|Bourque|2001|p=471}}<ref>Carhart, Tom (1994). Iron Soldiers: How America's 1st Armored Division Crushed Iraq's Elite Republican Guard. New York: Random House. p.323 {{ISBN|0671791656}}</ref><ref>Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 December 2016. Retrieved 28 October 2017.</ref><br />
<br />
===Liberation of Kuwait===<br />
{{Main|Liberation of Kuwait campaign}}<br />
{{See also|Order of battle of the Gulf War ground campaign}}<br />
[[File:3 AD Iraq.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.4|US [[M1A1 MBT|M1A1 Abrams]] tanks from the [[3rd Armored Division (United States)|3rd Armored Division]] along the Line of Departure]]<br />
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US decoy attacks by air attacks and naval gunfire the night before Kuwait's liberation were designed to make the Iraqis believe the main coalition ground attack would focus on central Kuwait.{{Citation needed|date=February 2023}} For months, American units in Saudi Arabia had been under almost constant Iraqi artillery fire, as well as threats from Scud missiles and chemical attacks. On 24 February 1991, the 1st and 2nd Marine Divisions and the 1st Light Armored Infantry Battalion crossed into Kuwait and headed toward Kuwait City. They encountered trenches, barbed wire, and minefields. However, these positions were poorly defended, and were overrun in the first few hours. Several tank battles took place, but otherwise coalition troops encountered minimal resistance, as most Iraqi troops surrendered. The general pattern was that the Iraqis would put up a short fight before surrendering. However, Iraqi air defenses shot down nine US aircraft. Meanwhile, forces from Arab states advanced into Kuwait from the east, encountering little resistance and suffering few casualties.{{citation needed|date=March 2017}}<br />
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Despite the successes of coalition forces, it was feared that the Iraqi Republican Guard would escape into Iraq before it could be destroyed. It was decided to send British armored forces into Kuwait 15 hours ahead of schedule, and to send US forces after the Republican Guard. The coalition advance was preceded by a heavy artillery and rocket barrage, after which 150,000 troops and 1,500 tanks began their advance. Iraqi forces in Kuwait counterattacked against US troops, acting on a direct order from Saddam Hussein himself. Despite the intense combat, the Americans repulsed the Iraqis and continued to advance towards Kuwait City.{{sfnp|Bourque|2001|p=375}}<br />
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Kuwaiti forces were tasked with liberating the city. Iraqi troops offered only light resistance. The Kuwaitis quickly liberated the city despite losing one soldier and having one plane shot down.{{Citation needed|date=February 2023}} On 27 February, {{Citation needed span|text=Saddam ordered a retreat from Kuwait,|date=February 2023}} and President Bush declared it liberated.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Rosenthal |first=Andrew |date=1991-02-28 |title=War in the Gulf: Bush Halts Offensive Combat; Kuwait Freed, Iraqis Crushed |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1991/02/28/world/war-in-the-gulf-bush-halts-offensive-combat-kuwait-freed-iraqis.html |access-date=2023-02-26 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> However, an Iraqi unit at Kuwait International Airport appeared not to have received the message and fiercely resisted. US Marines had to fight for hours before securing the airport, after which Kuwait was declared secure. After four days of fighting, Iraqi forces were expelled from Kuwait.{{Citation needed|date=February 2023}} As part of a [[scorched earth]] policy, they [[Kuwaiti oil fires|set fire to nearly 700 oil wells]] and placed land mines around the wells to make extinguishing the fires more difficult.<ref>{{cite web|last=International|first=Radio Canada|date=2015-11-06|title=History: November 6, 1991 Canadians cap the last oil fire in the Gulf War|url=https://www.rcinet.ca/en/2015/11/06/history-november-6-1991-canadians-cap-the-last-oil-fire-in-the-gulf-war/|access-date=2021-03-25|website=RCI {{!}} English}}</ref>{{Failed verification|date=February 2023}}<br />
<br />
===Initial moves into Iraq===<br />
[[File:DesertStormMap v2.svg|thumb|Ground troop movements 24–28 February 1991 during [[Operation Desert Storm]]]]<br />
The war's ground phase was officially designated Operation Desert Saber.{{citation needed|date=February 2023}} The first units to move into Iraq were three patrols of the British Special Air Service's B squadron, call signs Bravo One Zero, Bravo Two Zero, and Bravo Three Zero, in late January. These eight-man patrols landed behind Iraqi lines to gather intelligence on the movements of Scud mobile missile launchers, which could not be detected from the air, as they were hidden under bridges and camouflage netting during the day.{{sfnp|Riley|2010|p=207}} Other objectives included the destruction of the launchers and their fiber-optic communications arrays that lay in pipelines and relayed coordinates to the [[Transporter erector launcher|TEL]] operators launching attacks against Israel. The operations were designed to prevent any possible Israeli intervention. Due to lack of sufficient ground cover to carry out their assignment, One Zero and Three Zero abandoned their operations, while Two Zero remained, and was later compromised, with only Sergeant [[Chris Ryan]] escaping to Syria.{{Citation needed|date=February 2023}}<br />
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Elements of the 2nd Brigade, 1st Battalion [[5th Cavalry Regiment (United States)|5th Cavalry]] of the 1st Cavalry Division of the US Army performed a direct attack into Iraq on 15 February 1991, followed by one in force on 20 February that led directly through seven Iraqi divisions which were caught off guard.{{citation needed|date=February 2009}} On 17 January 1991 the 101st Airborne Division Aviation Regiment fired the first shots of the war when eight [[AH-64]] helicopters successfully destroyed two Iraqi early warning radar sites.<ref name="ReferenceA">Screaming Eagles 101st Airborne Division by Russ & Susan Bryant P.85</ref> From 15 to 20 February, the [[Battle of Wadi al-Batin]] took place inside Iraq; this was the first of two attacks by 1 Battalion 5th Cavalry of the 1st Cavalry Division. It was a feint attack, designed to make the Iraqis think that a coalition invasion would take place from the south. The Iraqis fiercely resisted, and the Americans eventually withdrew as planned back into the Wadi al-Batin. Three US soldiers were killed and nine wounded, with one M2 Bradley IFV turret destroyed, but they had taken 40 prisoners and destroyed five tanks, and successfully deceived the Iraqis. This attack led the way for the XVIII Airborne Corps to sweep around behind the 1st Cav and attack Iraqi forces to the west. On 22 February 1991, Iraq agreed to a Soviet-proposed ceasefire agreement. The agreement called for Iraq to withdraw troops to pre-invasion positions within six weeks following a total ceasefire, and called for monitoring of the ceasefire and withdrawal to be overseen by the UN Security Council.{{Citation needed|date=February 2023}}<br />
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The coalition rejected the proposal, but said that retreating Iraqi forces would not be attacked,{{citation needed|date=February 2009}} and gave 24 hours for Iraq to withdraw its forces. On 23 February, fighting resulted in the capture of 500 Iraqi soldiers. On 24 February, British and American armored forces crossed the Iraq–Kuwait border and entered Iraq in large numbers, taking hundreds of prisoners. Iraqi resistance was light, and four Americans were killed.<ref name="leyden.com">{{cite web|author=Andrew Leydon |url=http://www.leyden.com/gulfwar/week6.html |title=Carriers in the Persian Gulf War |publisher=Leyden.com |access-date=18 March 2010}}</ref><br />
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===Coalition forces enter Iraq===<br />
[[File:IrakDesertStorm1991.jpg|thumb|left|Aerial view of destroyed Iraqi [[T-72]] tank, [[BMP-1]] and [[Type 63 (armoured personnel carrier)|Type 63]] armored personnel carriers and trucks on Highway 8 in March 1991]]<br />
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Shortly afterwards, the US VII Corps, in full strength and spearheaded by the 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment, launched an armored attack into Iraq early on 24 February, just to the west of Kuwait, surprising Iraqi forces. Simultaneously, the [[XVIII Airborne Corps|US XVIII Airborne Corps]] launched a sweeping "left-hook" attack across southern Iraq's largely undefended desert, led by the US [[3d Armored Cavalry Regiment|3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment]] and the [[24th Infantry Division (United States)|24th Infantry Division (Mechanized)]]. This movement's left flank was protected by the French [[Division Daguet]]. The [[101st Airborne Division]] conducted a combat air assault into enemy territory.<ref name="ReferenceA" /> The 101st Airborne Division had struck {{convert|155|mi|km|order=flip|abbr=on}} behind enemy lines.<ref name="ReferenceA" /> It was the deepest air assault operation in history.<ref name="ReferenceA" /> Approximately 400 helicopters transported 2,000 soldiers into Iraq where they destroyed Iraqi columns trying to flee westward and prevented the escape of Iraqi forces.<ref>''Screaming Eagles: The 101st Airborne Division from D-Day to Desert Storm'' by Christopher J Anderson P.8</ref> The 101st Airborne Division travelled a further {{convert|50|to|60|mi|km|sigfig=1|order=flip|abbr=on}} into Iraq.<ref name="ReferenceA" /> By nightfall, the 101st cut off Highway 8 which was a vital supply line running between Basra and the Iraqi forces.<ref name="ReferenceA" /> The 101st had lost 16 soldiers in action during the 100-hour war and captured thousands of enemy prisoners of war.{{Citation needed|date=February 2023}}<br />
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The French force quickly overcame Iraq's 45th Infantry Division, suffering light casualties and taking a large number of prisoners, and took up blocking positions to prevent an Iraqi counterattack on the coalition's flank. The movement's right flank was protected by the United Kingdom's 1st Armoured Division. Once the allies had penetrated deep into Iraqi territory, they turned eastward, launching a flank attack against the elite Republican Guard before it could escape. The Iraqis resisted fiercely from dug-in positions and stationary vehicles, and even mounted armored charges.{{Citation needed|date=February 2023}}<br />
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Unlike many previous engagements, the destruction of the first Iraqi tanks did not result in a mass surrender. The Iraqis suffered massive losses and lost dozens of tanks and vehicles, while US casualties were comparatively low, with a single Bradley knocked out. Coalition forces pressed another {{Convert|10|km|abbr=on}} into Iraqi territory, and captured their objective within three hours. They took 500 prisoners and inflicted heavy losses, defeating Iraq's 26th Infantry Division. A US soldier was killed by an Iraqi land mine, another five by friendly fire, and 30 wounded during the battle. Meanwhile, British forces attacked Iraq's Medina Division and a major Republican Guard logistics base. In nearly two days of some of the war's most intense fighting, the British destroyed 40 enemy tanks and captured a division commander.{{Citation needed|date=February 2023}}<br />
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Meanwhile, US forces attacked the village of [[Muthanna Governorate|Al Busayyah]], meeting fierce resistance. The US force destroyed military hardware and took prisoners, while suffering no casualties.{{Citation needed|date=February 2023}}<br />
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On 25 February 1991, Iraqi forces fired a Scud missile at an American barracks in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. The missile attack killed 28 US military personnel.<ref>''Twentieth Century Battlefields'', "The Gulf War".</ref><br />
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The coalition's advance was much swifter than US generals had expected. On 26 February, Iraqi troops began retreating from Kuwait, after they had set 737 of its oil wells on fire. A long convoy of retreating Iraqi troops formed along the main Iraq–Kuwait highway. Although they were retreating, this convoy was bombed so extensively by coalition air forces that it came to be known as the [[Highway of Death]]. Thousands of Iraqi troops were killed. American, British, and French forces continued to pursue retreating Iraqi forces over the border and back into Iraq, eventually moving to within {{convert|150|mi|km|order=flip|abbr=on}} of Baghdad, before withdrawing back to Iraq's border with Kuwait and Saudi Arabia.<ref name="Holsti2011">{{cite book|last=Holsti|first=Ole R.|author-link=Ole R. Holsti|title=American Public Opinion on the Iraq War|page=20|chapter=The United States and Iraq before the Iraq War|date=2011-11-07|publisher=[[University of Michigan Press]]|isbn=978-0-472-03480-2|quote=Air attacks inflicted heavy casualties on retreatng forces along what became known as 'the highway of death.' American, British, and French units pursued the Iraqis to within 150 miles of Baghdad.}}</ref><br />
<br />
==End of active hostilities==<br />
{{Main|1991 Iraqi uprisings}}<br />
[[File:Gulf War Saudi Flag.JPEG|thumb|upright|left|Civilians and coalition military forces wave Kuwaiti and Saudi Arabian flags as they celebrate the retreat of Iraqi forces from Kuwait.]]<br />
In coalition-occupied Iraqi territory, a peace conference was held where a ceasefire agreement was negotiated and signed by both sides. At the conference, Iraq was authorized to fly armed helicopters on their side of the temporary border, ostensibly for government transit due to the damage done to civilian infrastructure. Soon after, these helicopters and much of Iraq's military were used to fight an [[1991 uprisings in Iraq|uprising in the south]]. On March 1, 1991, one day after the Gulf War ceasefire, a revolt broke out in [[Basra]] against the Iraqi government. The uprising spread within days to all of the largest Shia cities in southern Iraq: [[Najaf]], [[Amarah]], [[Diwaniya]], [[Hilla]], [[Karbala]], [[Kut]], [[Nasiriyah]] and [[Samawah]]. The rebellions were encouraged by an airing of "The Voice of Free Iraq" on 24 February 1991, which was broadcast from a CIA-run radio station out of Saudi Arabia. The Arabic service of the Voice of America supported the uprising by stating that the rebellion was well supported, and that they would soon be liberated from Saddam.<ref>[[Robert Fisk|Fisk, Robert]]. ''[[Robert Fisk#Works|The Great War for Civilisation]]'', Vintage (2007 reprint), at p. 646.</ref><br />
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In the North, Kurdish leaders took American statements that they would support an uprising to heart, and began fighting, hoping to trigger a [[coup d'état]]. However, when no US support came, Iraqi generals remained loyal to Saddam and brutally crushed the Kurdish uprising and the uprising in the south.<ref>{{Cite news|date=2007-08-21|title=Flashback: the 1991 Iraqi revolt|language=en-GB|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/2888989.stm|access-date=2021-03-25}}</ref> Millions of Kurds fled across the mountains to Turkey and Kurdish areas of Iran. On April 5, the Iraqi government announced "the complete crushing of acts of sedition, sabotage and rioting in all towns of Iraq." An estimated 25,000 to 100,000 Iraqis were killed in the uprisings.<ref name="ENDLESS">{{cite web |url=https://www.hrw.org/reports/1992/Iraq926.htm |title=ENDLESS TORMENT, The 1991 Uprising in Iraq And Its Aftermath |publisher=Hrw.org |access-date=2009-09-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100615171955/http://www.hrw.org/reports/1992/Iraq926.htm |archive-date=June 15, 2010 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author=United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees |url=http://www.unhcr.org/refworld/publisher,HRW,,KWT,467fca591e,0.html |title=Refworld &#124; Human Rights Watch World Report 1992 – Iraq and Occupied Kuwait |publisher=UNHCR |access-date=2013-08-14}}</ref> These events later resulted in [[no-fly zone]]s being established in northern and southern Iraq.{{Citation needed|date=February 2023}}<br />
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In Kuwait, the Emir was restored, and suspected Iraqi collaborators were repressed. Eventually, over 400,000 people were expelled from the country, including a large number of [[Palestinian people|Palestinians]], because of PLO support of Saddam. Yasser Arafat did not apologize for his support of Iraq, but after his death [[Mahmoud Abbas]] formally apologized in 2004 on behalf of the PLO. This came after the Kuwaiti government formally forgave the group.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4089961.stm |work=BBC News |title=Abbas apology to Kuwait over Iraq |date=12 December 2004}}</ref><br />
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There was some criticism of the Bush administration, as they chose to allow Saddam to remain in power instead of pushing on to capture Baghdad and overthrowing his government. In their co-written 1998 book, ''[[A World Transformed]]'', Bush and Brent Scowcroft argued that such a course would have fractured the alliance, and would have had many unnecessary political and human costs associated with it.{{Citation needed|date=February 2023}}<br />
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In 1992, the US Defense Secretary during the war, Dick Cheney, made the same point:<br />
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{{blockquote|I would guess if we had gone in there, we would still have forces in Baghdad today. We'd be running the country. We would not have been able to get everybody out and bring everybody home.<br />
<br />
And the final point that I think needs to be made is this question of casualties. I don't think you could have done all of that without significant additional US casualties, and while everybody was tremendously impressed with the low cost of the (1991) conflict, for the 146 Americans who were killed in action and for their families, it wasn't a cheap war.<br />
<br />
And the question in my mind is, how many additional American casualties is Saddam [Hussein] worth? And the answer is, not that damned many. So, I think we got it right, both when we decided to expel him from Kuwait, but also when the President made the decision that we'd achieved our objectives and we were not going to go get bogged down in the problems of trying to take over and govern Iraq.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.seattlepi.com/national/192908_cheney29.html|title="Cheney changed his view on Iraq", by Charles Pope, ''Seattle Post-Intelligencer'', 29 September 2004|date=28 September 2004|access-date=7 January 2005}}</ref>}}<br />
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On 10 March 1991, 540,000 US troops began moving out of the Persian Gulf.{{citation needed|date=December 2018}}<br />
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On 15 March 1991, [[Sheikh]] [[Jaber al-Ahmad al-Sabah]] returned to Kuwait, staying at the private home of a wealthy Kuwaiti as his own palace had been destroyed. He was met with a symbolic arrival with several dozens cars filled with people honking their horns and waving Kuwaiti flags who tried to follow the Emir's convoy. According to ''The New York Times'', he faced a population divided between those who stayed and those who fled, a government straining to reassert control and a rejuvenated opposition that is pressing for greater democracy and other postwar changes, including voting rights for women. Democracy advocates had been calling for restoration of Parliament that the Emir had suspended in 1986.<ref>New York Times, 15 Mar. 1991, "[https://www.nytimes.com/1991/03/15/world/after-war-kuwait-kuwaiti-emir-tired-tearful-returns-his-devastated-land.html After the War: Kuwait: Kuwaiti Emir, Tired and Tearful, Returns to His Devastated Land] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171012095410/http://www.nytimes.com/1991/03/15/world/after-war-kuwait-kuwaiti-emir-tired-tearful-returns-his-devastated-land.html |date=12 October 2017 }}"</ref><br />
<br />
==Coalition involvement==<br />
{{Main|Coalition of the Gulf War}}<br />
[[File:Various Arabic Troops during Operation Desert Storm.jpg|thumb|Coalition troops from Egypt, Syria, Oman, France, and Kuwait during Operation Desert Storm]]<br />
<br />
Coalition members included Argentina, Australia, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belgium, Canada, Czechoslovakia, Denmark,<ref>{{cite web |date=24 September 2010 |title=Den 1. Golfkrig |url=http://www.forsvaret.dk/SOK/Internationalt/Tidligere/Golf1/Pages/default.aspx |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110112215511/http://forsvaret.dk/SOK/Internationalt/Tidligere/Golf1/Pages/default.aspx |archive-date=12 January 2011 |access-date=1 February 2011 |publisher=Forsvaret.dk}}</ref> Egypt, France, Germany, Greece, Honduras, Hungary, Italy, Japan, Kuwait, Luxembourg, Morocco, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Niger, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, the Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania,<ref>{{cite book |author-last1=Alexandrescu |author-first1=Grigore |url=https://cssas.unap.ro/ro/pdf_studii/operatii_militare_expeditionare.pdf |title=Operații militare expediționare |author-last2=Băhnăreanu |author-first2=Cristian |date=2007 |publisher=Editura Universității Naționale de Apărare "Carol I" |isbn=978-973-663-499-4 |place=[[Bucharest]] |page=33 |language=ro}}</ref> Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Syria, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom and the United States.<ref name="Tread">{{Cite book|last=Crocker III|first=H. W.|title=Don't Tread on Me|publisher=Crown Forum|year=2006|location=New York|page=[https://archive.org/details/donttreadonme40000croc/page/384 384]|isbn=978-1-4000-5363-6|url=https://archive.org/details/donttreadonme40000croc/page/384}}</ref> The United States had 700,000 troops.<ref>Gulf War coalition forces (latest available) by country {{cite web |title=www.nationmaster.com |url=http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/mil_gul_war_coa_for-military-gulf-war-coalition-forces |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131105011128/http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/mil_gul_war_coa_for-military-gulf-war-coalition-forces |archive-date=5 November 2013 |access-date=2007-09-13}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Hersh |first=Seymour |title=Chain of Command |publisher=Penguin Books |year=2005 |page=181}}</ref><br />
<br />
Germany and Japan provided financial assistance<ref>{{cite web|title=Splitting the Check: When Allies Helped Pay for Middle East War|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/isis-terror/splitting-check-when-allies-helped-pay-middle-east-war-n203756|access-date=2021-03-25|website=NBC News|date=16 September 2014 |language=en}}</ref> and donated military hardware, although they did not send direct military assistance. This later became known as ''[[checkbook diplomacy]]''.{{Citation needed|date=February 2023}}<br />
<br />
===Australia===<br />
{{Main|Australian contribution to the 1991 Gulf War}}<br />
<br />
Australia contributed a Naval Task Group, which formed part of the multi-national fleet in the Persian Gulf and [[Gulf of Oman]], under Operation Damask. In addition, medical teams were deployed aboard a US [[hospital ship]], and a [[Clearance Diving Team (RAN)|naval clearance diving team]] took part in de-mining Kuwait's port facilities following the end of combat operations. Australian forces experienced a number of incidents in the first number of weeks of the Desert Storm Campaign including the detection of significant air threats from Iraq as a part of the outer perimeter of Battle Force Zulu; the detection of free sea floating mines and assistance to the aircraft carrier USS ''Midway''. The Australian Task Force was also placed at great risk with regard to the sea mine threat, with HMAS ''Brisbane'' narrowly avoiding a mine. The Australians played a significant role in enforcing the sanctions put in place against Iraq following Kuwait's invasion. Following the war's end, Australia deployed a medical unit on [[Operation Habitat]] to northern Iraq as part of [[Operation Provide Comfort]].<ref>Odgers 1999, pp. 356–371.</ref><br />
<br />
===Argentina===<br />
{{main|Operativo Alfil}}<br />
[[File:An Alouette III helicopter of the Argentine navy onboard USNS Comfort (T-AH-20) during Operation Desert Storm.JPEG|thumb|Argentine Navy [[Alouette III]] helicopter on board {{USNS|Comfort}}, February 1991]]<br />
<br />
Argentina was the only South American country to participate in the 1991 Gulf War. It sent a destroyer, [[ARA Almirante Brown (D-10)]], a corvette, [[ARA Spiro (P-43)]] (later replaced by another corvette, [[ARA Rosales (P-42)]]) and a supply ship, [[ARA Bahía San Blas (B-4)|ARA ''Bahía San Blas'' (B-4)]] to participate on the [[United Nations]] blockade and sea control effort of the Persian Gulf. The success of "Operación Alfil" (English: "Operation Bishop") with more than 700 interceptions and {{convert|25000|nmi|km}} sailed in the theatre of operations helped to overcome the so-called "[[Malvinas syndrome]]".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.fuerzasnavales.com/magazine/mekosgolfo.html|title=La Armada Argentina en el Golfo|trans-title=The Argentine Armed Forces in the Gulf|publisher=Fuerzas Navales Magazine|access-date=14 January 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180624194606/http://www.fuerzasnavales.com/magazine/mekosgolfo.html|archive-date=24 June 2018|language=es}}</ref><br />
<br />
Argentina was later classified by the US as a [[major non-NATO ally]] due to its contributions during the war.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://commdocs.house.gov/committees/intlrel/hfa44953.000/hfa44953_0.htm |title=Overview of U.S. Policy Toward South America and the President's Upcoming Trip to the Region|access-date=14 January 2020}}</ref><br />
<br />
===Canada===<br />
{{main|Operation Friction}}<br />
<br />
Canada was one of the first countries to condemn Iraq's invasion of Kuwait, and it quickly agreed to join the US-led coalition. In August 1990, Prime Minister [[Brian Mulroney]] committed the [[Canadian Forces]] to deploy a Naval Task Group. The destroyers {{HMCS|Terra Nova|DDE 259|6}} and {{HMCS|Athabaskan|DDG 282|6}} joined the maritime interdiction force supported by the supply ship {{HMCS|Protecteur|AOR 509|6}} in [[Operation Friction]]. The Canadian Task Group led the coalition's maritime logistics forces in the Persian Gulf. A fourth ship, {{HMCS|Huron|DDG 281|6}}, arrived in-theater after hostilities had ceased and was the first allied ship to visit Kuwait.{{Citation needed|date=February 2023}}<br />
<br />
Following the UN-authorized use of force against Iraq, the Canadian Forces deployed a [[McDonnell Douglas CF-18 Hornet|CF-18 Hornet]] and [[Sikorsky CH-124 Sea King|CH-124 Sea King]] squadron with support personnel, as well as a [[field hospital]] to deal with casualties from the ground war. When the air war began, the CF-18s were integrated into the coalition force and were tasked with providing air cover and attacking ground targets. This was the first time since the [[Korean War]] that Canada's military had participated in offensive combat operations. The only CF-18 Hornet to record an official victory during the conflict was an aircraft involved in the beginning of the [[Battle of Bubiyan]] against the Iraqi Navy.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Morin|last2=Gimblett|first1=Jean H.|first2=Richard Howard|title=Operation Friction, 1990–1991: The Canadian Forces in the Persian Gulf|url=https://archive.org/details/operationfrictio0000mori|url-access=registration|year=1997|publisher=Dundurn Press|isbn=978-1-55002-257-5|page=[https://archive.org/details/operationfrictio0000mori/page/170 170]}}<br />
The Canadian Commander in the Middle East was Commodore [[Kenneth J. Summers]].</ref><br />
<br />
===France===<br />
{{main|Opération Daguet}}<br />
[[File:Iraqi Type 69 destroyed by the French 6th Light Armored Division during the Gulf War.JPEG|thumb|French and American soldiers inspecting an Iraqi [[Type 69/79|Type 69]] tank destroyed by the French [[Division Daguet]] during Operation Desert Storm]]<br />
<br />
The second largest European contingent was from France, which committed 18,000 troops.<ref name="Tread"/> Operating on the left flank of the US XVIII Airborne Corps, the French Army force was the Division Daguet, including troops from the [[French Foreign Legion]]. Initially, the French operated independently under national command and control, but coordinated closely with the Americans (via CENTCOM) and Saudis. In January, the Division was placed under the tactical control of the XVIII Airborne Corps. France also deployed several combat aircraft and naval units. The French called their contribution [[Opération Daguet]].{{Citation needed|date=February 2023}}<br />
<br />
===Italy===<br />
{{main|Operazione Locusta}}<br />
<br />
Following the invasion and annexation of [[Kuwait]] by [[Iraq]], on September 25, 1990, the Italian Government sent eight multirole fighter bombers [[Panavia Tornado#Tornado IDS|Tornado IDS]] (plus two spare) in the Persian Gulf, belonging to the [[6th Stormo|6º]], [[36º Stormo|36º]] and [[50º Stormo]], which were deployed at the [[Al Dhafra Air Base]], near [[Abu Dhabi]], in the United Arab Emirates.<ref name="difesaonline.it">{{cite web |url=http://en.difesaonline.it/news-forze-armate/cielo/25-anni-dalloperazione-locusta|title=25 years from the &quot;Locust&quot; operation|date=25 September 2015}}</ref><ref name="difesa.it">{{cite web |url=http://www.aeronautica.difesa.it/missione/attivitaoperative/operazioni_concluse/opr_internazionali_concluse/Pagine/Iraq(1990).aspx|title=Iraq (1990)|work=Minestero Della Difesa| language=it-IT}}</ref><ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.aviation-report.com/celebrato-93-anniversario-aeronautica-militare/| title=Celebrato il 93° Anniversario dell'Aeronautica Militare – Aviation Report| access-date=2018-02-01| language=it-IT}}</ref> During the 42 days of war, Italian fighters made 226 sorties for a total of 589 flight hours. The Italian Air Force recorded the loss of a single aircraft in the Gulf War. The use of Italian aircraft as part of the Desert Storm operation represented the first operational employment in combat missions of Italian Air Force aircraft since the end of World War II.{{Citation needed|date=February 2023}}<br />
<br />
===United Kingdom===<br />
{{Main|Operation Granby}}<br />
[[File:British Army convoy during the Gulf War.JPEG|thumb|British Army convoy during the Gulf War]]<br />
<br />
The United Kingdom committed the largest contingent of any European state that participated in the war's combat operations. Operation Granby was the code name for the operations in the Persian Gulf. [[British Army]] regiments (mainly with the 1st Armoured Division), [[Royal Air Force]], [[Fleet Air Arm|Naval Air Squadrons]] and [[Royal Navy]] vessels were mobilized in the Persian Gulf. Both Royal Air Force and Naval Air Squadrons, using various aircraft, operated from [[Military airbase|airbases]] in Saudi Arabia and Naval Air Squadrons from various vessels in the Persian Gulf. The United Kingdom played a major role in the Battle of Norfolk, where its forces destroyed over 200 Iraqi tanks and a large quantity of other vehicles.{{sfnp|Bourque|2001|p=275}}{{sfnp|Bourque|2001|p=377}} After 48 hours of combat the British 1st Armoured Division destroyed or isolated four Iraqi infantry divisions (the 26th, 48th, 31st, and 25th) and overran the Iraqi 52nd Armored Division in several sharp engagements.{{sfnp|Bourque|2001|p=377}}<br />
<br />
Chief Royal Navy vessels deployed to the Persian Gulf included [[Type 22 frigate|''Broadsword''-class frigates]], and [[Type 42 destroyer|''Sheffield''-class destroyers]]; other R.N. and [[Royal Fleet Auxiliary|RFA]] ships were also deployed. The light aircraft carrier [[HMS Ark Royal (R07)|HMS ''Ark Royal'']] was deployed to the [[Mediterranean Sea]].{{Citation needed|date=February 2023}}<br />
<br />
Several SAS squadrons were deployed.{{Citation needed|date=February 2023}}<br />
<br />
A British Challenger 1 achieved the longest range confirmed tank kill of the war, destroying an Iraqi tank with an [[armour-piercing fin-stabilized discarding-sabot]] (APFSDS) round fired over {{convert|4700|m|mi}}—the longest tank-on-tank kill shot recorded.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://britisharmyblog.wordpress.com/2016/02/28/desert-storm-part-22-charge-of-the-heavy-brigade/ |title=Desert Storm Part 22: Charge of the Heavy Brigade |publisher=British Army Official Blog |date=28 February 2016 |access-date=27 December 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://britisharmyblog.wordpress.com/2016/03/11/desert-storm-part-24-back-to-germany/ |title=Desert Storm Part 24: Back to Germany |publisher=British Army Official Blog |date=11 March 2016 |access-date=27 December 2016}}</ref><br />
<br />
==Casualties==<br />
<br />
===Civilian===<br />
[[File:Kurdish refugees travel by truck, Turkey, 1991.jpeg|thumb|[[Iraqi Kurds]] fleeing to Turkey shortly after the war]]<br />
Over 1,000 Kuwaiti civilians were killed by Iraqis.<ref>{{cite web|title=The Use of Terror During Iraq's Invasion of Kuwait|url=http://www.jewishagency.org/news/content/28866|date=2007-08-22 |website=The Jewish Agency |access-date=2 May 2016|archive-date=20 September 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160920094524/http://www.jewishagency.org/news/content/28866}}</ref> More than 600 Kuwaitis went [[missing people|missing]] during Iraq's occupation,<ref>{{cite news|title=Iraq and Kuwait Discuss Fate of 600 Missing Since Gulf War |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2003-jan-09-fg-missing9-story.html |work=Los Angeles Times |date=9 January 2003 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171010152741/https://articles.latimes.com/2003/jan/09/world/fg-missing9 |archive-date= 10 October 2017 }}</ref> and approximately 375 remains were found in mass graves in Iraq. The increased importance of air attacks from both coalition [[warplanes]] and [[cruise missiles]] led to controversy over the number of civilian deaths caused during Desert Storm's initial stages. Within Desert Storm's first 24 hours, more than 1,000 sorties were flown, many against targets in Baghdad. The city was the target of heavy bombing, as it was the seat of power for Saddam and the Iraqi forces' [[Command and Control (Military)|command and control]]. This ultimately led to [[civilian casualties]].{{Citation needed|date=February 2023}}<br />
<br />
In one noted incident, two [[USAF]] stealth planes bombed [[Amiriyah shelter bombing|a bunker in Amiriyah]], causing the deaths of 408 Iraqi civilians in the shelter.<ref name=CSM2002>Scott Peterson, [http://www.csmonitor.com/2002/1022/p01s01-wosc.htm "'Smarter' bombs still hit civilians"], ''Christian Science Monitor'', 22 October 2002. {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090709205401/http://www.csmonitor.com/2002/1022/p01s01-wosc.htm |date=9 July 2009 }}.</ref> Scenes of burned and mutilated bodies were subsequently broadcast, and controversy arose over the bunker's status, with some stating that it was a civilian shelter, while others contended that it was a center of Iraqi military operations, and that the civilians had been deliberately moved there to act as [[human shield]]s.{{Citation needed|date=February 2023}}<br />
<br />
Saddam's government gave high civilian casualty to draw support from Islamic countries. The Iraqi government claimed that 2,300 civilians died during the air campaign.{{sfnp|Tucker|2010|p=265}} According to the Project on Defense Alternatives study, 3,664 Iraqi civilians were killed in the conflict.<ref name="POL">{{cite web|url=http://www.comw.org/pda/0310rm8ap2.html |date= 20 October 2003 |first1=Carl |last1=Conetta |title=Wages of War{{snd}}Appendix 2: Iraqi Combatant and Noncombatant Fatalities in the 1991 Gulf War |publisher=The Commonwealth Institute and the Project on Defense Alternatives |access-date=1 February 2011}}</ref><br />
<br />
During the nationwide [[1991 Iraqi uprisings|uprisings]] against the Ba'athist Iraqi government that directly followed the end of the Gulf War in March and April, an estimated 25,000 to 100,000 Iraqis were killed, overwhelmingly civilians.<ref name="ENDLESS"/><br />
<br />
A [[Harvard University]] study released in June 1991 predicted that there would be tens of thousands of additional Iraqi civilian deaths by the end of 1991 due to the "public health catastrophe" caused by the destruction of the country's electrical generating capacity. "Without electricity, hospitals cannot function, perishable medicines spoil, water cannot be purified and raw sewage cannot be processed,". The US government refused to release its own study of the effects of the Iraqi public health crisis.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Tyler |first=Patrick E. |date=1991-06-03 |title=U.S. Officials Believe Iraq Will Take Years to Rebuild |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1991/06/03/world/us-officials-believe-iraq-will-take-years-to-rebuild.html |issn=0362-4331 |url-access=subscription |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181118164729/https://www.nytimes.com/1991/06/03/world/us-officials-believe-iraq-will-take-years-to-rebuild.html |archive-date=18 November 2018 |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
An investigation in 1992 by Beth Osborne Daponte estimated about 13,000 civilians were directly killed in the war, while another 70,000 died indirectly from the war's other effects.<ref name="autogenerated1" /><ref>{{cite web|title=Toting the Casualties of War |url=http://www.businessweek.com/bwdaily/dnflash/feb2003/nf2003026_0167_db052.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030219033933/http://www.businessweek.com/bwdaily/dnflash/feb2003/nf2003026_0167_db052.htm |archive-date=19 February 2003 |work=Businessweek |date=6 February 2003}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Ford |first=Peter |title=Bid to stem civilian deaths tested |url=http://www.csmonitor.com/2003/0409/p06s01-woiq.html |work=Christian Science Monitor |date=9 April 2003}}</ref> According to a 1992 study published in [[The New England Journal of Medicine]] by researchers known as the International Study Team (IST), child mortality increased threefold as a result of the war, with 46,900 children under the age of 5 dying between January and August 1991.<ref>{{Cite journal|title=Effect of the Gulf War on infant and child mortality in Iraq |url=https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1513350/#:~:text=Conclusions%3A%20These%20results%20provide%20strong,between%20January%20and%20August%201991. |journal=The New England Journal of Medicine| date=1992 | pmid=1513350 | last1=Ascherio | first1=A. | last2=Chase | first2=R. | last3=Coté | first3=T. | last4=Dehaes | first4=G. | last5=Hoskins | first5=E. | last6=Laaouej | first6=J. | last7=Passey | first7=M. | last8=Qaderi | first8=S. | last9=Shuqaidef | first9=S. | last10=Smith | first10=M. C. | volume=327 | issue=13 | pages=931–936 | doi=10.1056/NEJM199209243271306 }}</ref> However, these figures have been challenged by a 2017 study published in [[The BMJ]], which stated that the "IST survey probably understated the level of child mortality that prevailed during 1985–1990 and overstated the level during 1991." According to this study, "there was no major rise in child mortality in Iraq after 1990".<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Dyson|first1=Tim|last2=Cetorelli|first2=Valeria|date=2017-07-01|title=Changing views on child mortality and economic sanctions in Iraq: a history of lies, damned lies and statistics|journal=BMJ Global Health|language=en|volume=2|issue=2|pages=e000311|doi=10.1136/bmjgh-2017-000311|pmid=29225933|issn=2059-7908|pmc=5717930}}</ref> A report published in 2002 by [[Medact]] estimated the total number of Iraqi deaths caused directly and indirectly by the Gulf War to be between 142,500 and 206,000, including 100,000–120,000 military deaths, and 20,000–35,000 civilian deaths in the [[1991 Iraqi uprisings|civil war]] and 15,000–30,000 refugee deaths after the end of the Gulf war.<ref name=":2">[https://www.ippnw.org/pdf/medact-iraq-2002.pdf Collateral damage: The health and environmental costs of war on Iraq] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200719070432/https://www.ippnw.org/pdf/medact-iraq-2002.pdf |date=19 July 2020 }}, ''[[Medact]]''</ref><br />
<br />
Iraq also launched numerous attacks on civilian targets in Israel and Saudi Arabia. A 1991 report by [[Middle East Watch]] said that at least one Saudi civilian was killed after they were hit by Iraqi shelling in [[Riyadh]].<ref>{{cite web |title=9 |url=https://www.hrw.org/reports/1991/gulfwar/CHAP9.htm |access-date=2022-05-06 |website=www.hrw.org}}</ref> A disputed number of people were also killed during the [[Iraqi rocket attacks on Israel]].{{Citation needed|date=February 2023}}<br />
<br />
===Iraqi===<br />
<br />
A United Nations report in March 1991 described the effect on Iraq of the US-led bombing campaign as "near apocalyptic", bringing back Iraq to the "pre-industrial age."<ref>''New York Times'', 22 March 1991 "[https://www.nytimes.com/1991/03/22/world/after-the-war-un-survey-calls-iraq-s-war-damage-near-apocalyptic.html After the War; U.N. Survey Calls Iraq's War Damage Near-Apocalyptic] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181118164833/https://www.nytimes.com/1991/03/22/world/after-the-war-un-survey-calls-iraq-s-war-damage-near-apocalyptic.html |date=18 November 2018 }}"</ref> The exact number of Iraqi combat casualties is unknown, but is believed to have been heavy. Some estimate that Iraq sustained between 20,000 and 35,000 fatalities.<ref name="autogenerated1">Robert Fisk, ''The Great War For Civilisation; The Conquest of the Middle East'' (Fourth Estate, 2005), p.853.</ref> A report commissioned by the US Air Force estimated 10,000–12,000 Iraqi combat deaths in the air campaign, and as many as 10,000 casualties in the ground war.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Keaney |first=Thomas |author2=Eliot A. Cohen |title=Gulf War Air Power Survey |publisher=United States Dept. of the Air Force |year=1993 |isbn=978-0-16-041950-8}}</ref> This analysis is based on Iraqi prisoner of war reports.{{Citation needed|date=February 2023}}<br />
<br />
According to the Project on Defense Alternatives study, between 20,000 and 26,000 Iraqi military personnel were killed in the conflict while 75,000 others were wounded.<ref name="POL" /><br />
<br />
According to [[Kanan Makiya]], "For the Iraqi people, the cost of enforcing the will of the United Nations has been grotesque."<ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.nybooks.com/articles/1991/04/11/iraq-and-its-future/|title=Iraq and Its Future &#124; by Samir al-Khalil &#124; The New York Review of Books|first=Samir|last=al-Khalil|website=www.nybooks.com |date=11 April 1991}}</ref> General Schwarzkopf talked about "a very, very large number of dead in these units, a very, very large number indeed."{{sfnp|al-Khalil|1991}} The chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, [[Les Aspin]], estimated that "at least 65,000 Iraqi soldiers were killed".{{sfnp|al-Khalil|1991}} A figure was supported by Israeli sources who speak of "one to two hundred thousand Iraqi casualties." Most of the killing "took place during the ground war. Fleeing soldiers were bombed with a device known as a 'fuel-air explosive.'"{{sfnp|al-Khalil|1991}}<br />
<br />
===Coalition===<br />
{|class="wikitable sortable floatright" style="text-align:right;"<br />
|+Coalition troops killed by country<br />
!Country<br />
!Total<br />
!Enemy<br/>action<br />
!Accident<br />
!Friendly<br/>fire<br />
!Ref<br />
|-<br />
|align=left|{{Flagu|United States}} || 148 || 113 || 35 || 35 ||<ref name=cnn/><br />
|-<br />
|align=left|{{Flagu|Senegal}} || 92 || || 92 || ||<ref>{{cite web|url=http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19910321-0|title=ASN Aircraft accident Lockheed C-130H Hercules 469 Rash Mishab|first=Harro|last=Ranter|access-date=5 July 2016}}</ref><br />
|-<br />
|align=left|{{Flagu|United Kingdom}}|| 47 || 38 || 1 || 9 ||<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.britains-smallwars.com/gulf/Roll.html |title=Roll of Honour |publisher=Britains-smallwars.com |access-date=13 May 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110501162112/http://www.britains-smallwars.com/gulf/Roll.html |archive-date=1 May 2011}}</ref><br />
|-<br />
|align=left|{{Flagu|Saudi Arabia}} || 24 || 18 || 6 || ||<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.country-data.com/cgi-bin/query/r-11661.html |title=Saudi Arabia{{snd}}Persian Gulf War, 1991 |publisher=Country-data.com |access-date=1 February 2011}}</ref><ref name="92-senegalese-soldiers-die" /><br />
|-<br />
|align=left|{{Flagu|Egypt}} || 11 || || 5 || ||<ref name="92-senegalese-soldiers-die">Schmitt, Eric (22 March 1991). [https://www.nytimes.com/1991/03/22/world/after-the-war-92-senegalese-soldiers-die-in-saudi-arabia-air-crash.html "After the War"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171020063210/http://www.nytimes.com/1991/03/22/world/after-the-war-92-senegalese-soldiers-die-in-saudi-arabia-air-crash.html |date=20 October 2017 }}. ''The New York Times''.</ref><ref>[https://apnews.com/6f675aabb4b07225fea68fa64e3f976c "Soldier Reported Dead Shows Up at Parents' Doorstep"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140203102032/http://www.apnewsarchive.com/1991/Soldier-Reported-Dead-Shows-Up-at-Parents-Doorstep/id-6f675aabb4b07225fea68fa64e3f976c |date=3 February 2014 }}. Associated Press. 22 March 1991.</ref><br />
|-<br />
|align=left|{{Flagu|France}} || 9 || 2 || || ||<ref name=cnn /><br />
|-<br />
|align=left|{{Flagu|United Arab Emirates}} || 6 || 6 || || ||<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.country-data.com/cgi-bin/query/r-14256.html |title=The Role of the United Arab Emirates in the Iran-Iraq War and the Persian Gulf War |publisher=Country-data.com |access-date=1 February 2011}}</ref><br />
|-<br />
|align=left|{{Flagu|Qatar}} || 3 || 3 || || ||<ref name=cnn /><br />
|-<br />
|align=left|{{Flagu|Syria}} || 2 || || || ||<ref name=nyt-syria-double>Miller, Judith. "Syria Plans to Double Gulf Force." ''The New York Times'', 27 March 1991.</ref><br />
|-<br />
|align=left|{{Flagu|Spain}} || 2 || || 2 || ||<ref>{{cite news |title=Muere en accidente de tráfico en Abu Dabi un cabo de la fragata 'Victoria' |trans-title=Corporal of the frigate "Victoria" dies in traffic accident in Abu Dhabi |url=https://elpais.com/diario/1991/03/15/espana/668991613_850215.html |website=El País |access-date=13 July 2022 |language=es |date=14 March 1991 }}</ref><br />
|-<br />
|align=left|{{Flagu|Kuwait}} || 1 || 1 || || ||<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.country-data.com/cgi-bin/query/r-14245.html |title=Role of Kuwaiti Armed Forces in the Persian Gulf War |publisher=Country-data.com |date=24 February 1991 |access-date=1 February 2011}}</ref><br />
|-<br />
|align=left|{{Flagu|Italy}} || 1 || || 1 || ||<ref>{{cite web |title=FESTA, LACRIME E AMAREZZA PER I MARO' RIENTRATI DAL GOLFO |url=https://ricerca.repubblica.it/repubblica/archivio/repubblica/1991/03/02/festa-lacrime-amarezza-per-maro-rientrati-dal.html |website=la Repubblica |access-date=13 July 2022 |location=[[Taranto]] |language=it |date=2 March 1991}}</ref><br />
|-<br />
|align=left|{{Flagu|Czechoslovakia}} || 1 || || 1|| ||<ref>{{cite web |title=podporučík in memoriam Petr ŠIMONKA {{!}} inmemoriam.army.cz |url=https://inmemoriam.army.cz/podporucik-memoriam-petr-simonka |access-date=2022-04-19 |website=inmemoriam.army.cz}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Sornas |first=Ladislav |date=2021-07-15 |title=Střelecká soutěž – Memoriál ppor. Petra Šimonky |url=https://www.svvcr.cz/strelecka-soutez-memorial-ppor-petra-simonky/ |access-date=2022-04-19 |website=Sdružení válečných veteránů ČR |language=cs-CZ}}</ref><br />
|}<br />
<br />
[[File:US Navy 090813-N-1522S-007 Members of a Navy honor guard carry the remains of Capt. Michael Scott Speicher to All Saints Chapel at Naval Air Station Jacksonville in Jacksonville, Fla.jpg|thumb|Sailors from a US Navy honor guard carry Navy pilot [[Scott Speicher]]'s remains.]]<br />
<br />
The [[United States Department of Defense|US Department of Defense]] reports that US forces suffered 148 battle-related deaths (35 to friendly fire{{sfnp|Tucker|2010|p=470}}), with [[Scott Speicher|one pilot]] listed as [[Missing in action|MIA]] (his remains were found and identified in August 2009). A further 145 Americans died in non-combat accidents.<ref name=cnn /> The UK suffered 47 deaths (nine to friendly fire, all by US forces), France nine,<ref name=cnn /> and the other countries, not including Kuwait, suffered 37 deaths (18 Saudis, one Egyptian, six UAE and three Qataris).<ref name=cnn>{{Cite news |url=http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2001/gulf.war/facts/gulfwar/ |title=In-Depth Specials – Gulf War |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070510125644/http://edition.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2001/gulf.war/facts/gulfwar/ |archive-date=2007-05-10 |year=2001 |work=CNN}}</ref> At least 605 Kuwaiti soldiers were still missing 10 years after their capture.<ref>{{cite journal|first=Nicholas|last=Blanford |url=http://www.csmonitor.com/2002/1223/p07s01-wome.html |title=Kuwait hopes for answers on its Gulf War POWs |journal=Christian Science Monitor |year=2001}}</ref><br />
<br />
The largest single loss of life among coalition forces happened on 25 February 1991, when an Iraqi [[Al Hussein (missile)|Al Hussein missile]] hit a US military barrack in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, killing 28 [[United States Army Reserve|US Army Reservists]] from [[Pennsylvania]]. In all, 190 coalition troops were killed by Iraqi fire during the war, 113 of whom were American, out of 358 coalition deaths. Another 44 soldiers were killed and 57 wounded by friendly fire. 145 soldiers died of exploding munitions or non-combat accidents.{{sfnp|Tucker|2010|p=264}}<br />
<br />
The largest accident among coalition forces happened on 21 March 1991, when a Royal Saudi Air Force C-130H crashed in heavy smoke on approach to Ras Al-Mishab Airport, Saudi Arabia. 92 Senegalese soldiers and six Saudi crew members were killed.<ref name="92-senegalese-soldiers-die" /><br />
<br />
The number of coalition wounded in combat was 776, including 458 Americans.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia|title=Persian Gulf War{{snd}}MSN Encarta |url=http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761551555_2/Arabian_Gulf_War.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091021004902/http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761551555_2/Persian_Gulf_War.html |archive-date=21 October 2009 }}</ref><br />
<br />
190 coalition troops were killed by Iraqi combatants, the rest of the 379 coalition deaths were from friendly fire or accidents. This number was much lower than expected. Among the American combat dead were four female soldiers.<ref>{{cite web|title=The Cost of Women in Combat|url=https://abcnews.go.com/International/story?id=79646&page=1|access-date=2021-03-25|website=ABC News|language=en}}</ref><br />
<br />
====Friendly fire====<br />
While the death toll among coalition forces engaging Iraqi combatants was very low, a substantial number of deaths were caused by accidental attacks from other Allied units. Of the 148 US troops who died in battle, 24% were killed by friendly fire, a total of 35 service personnel.{{sfnp|Tucker|2010|p=207}} A further 11 died in detonations of coalition munitions. Nine British military personnel were killed in a friendly fire incident when a USAF [[Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II|A-10 Thunderbolt II]] destroyed a group of two Warrior IFVs.{{Citation needed|date=February 2023}}<br />
<br />
==Aftermath==<br />
{{main|Aftermath of the Gulf War}}<br />
<br />
===Gulf War illness===<br />
{{Main|Gulf War syndrome}}<br />
Many returning coalition soldiers reported illnesses following their action in the war, a phenomenon known as [[Gulf War syndrome]] (GWS) or Gulf War illness (GWI). Common symptoms reported are chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, and gastrointestinal disorder.<ref>{{cite web|title=Gulf War Veterans' Medically Unexplained Illnesses |url=http://www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/gulfwar/medically-unexplained-illness.asp|publisher=U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs|access-date=25 February 2014}}</ref> There has been widespread speculation and disagreement about the causes of the illness and the possibly related birth defects. Researchers found that infants born to male veterans of the 1991 war had higher rates of two types of heart valve defects. Some children born after the war to Gulf War veterans had a certain kidney defect that was not found in Gulf War veterans' children born before the war. Researchers have said that they did not have enough information to link birth defects with exposure to toxic substances.<ref>{{cite journal |title=Gulf war syndrome; higher rates of specific birth defects in gulf war veterans' children|date=29 June 2003 |journal=Medical Letter on the CDC & FDA |page=14 |id={{ProQuest|211397084}}}}</ref><br />
<br />
In 1994, the US Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs with Respect to Export Administration published a report entitled, "U.S. Chemical and Biological Warfare-Related Dual Use Exports to Iraq and their Possible Impact on the Health Consequences of the Gulf War". This publication, called the [[Riegle Report]], summarized testimony this committee had received establishing that the U.S. had in the 1980s supplied Saddam Hussein with chemical and biological warfare technology, that Saddam had used such chemical weapons against Iran and his own native Kurds, and possibly against U.S. soldiers as well, plausibly contributing to the GWS.{{Citation needed|date=February 2023}}<br />
<br />
A 2022 study by Dr. Robert W. Haley of the [[University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center]], ''et al.'', of 1,016 U.S. Gulf War veterans found evidence of a [[Causality|causal]] link between GWS and exposure to low levels of the nerve agent sarin, which was released into the air by coalition bombing of Iraqi chemical weapons facilities. Significantly, the study found an increased incidence of GWS not only among veterans who recounted hearing nerve agent alarms, but also among veterans with the RR or QR (as opposed to the QQ) forms of the [[PON1]] gene, which produces an [[enzyme]] that deactivates [[organophosphate]]s (including sarin) through [[hydrolysis]]. By contrast, GWS was ''inversely'' associated with higher levels of the type Q [[isozyme]], which is more efficient at breaking down sarin than its type R counterpart. The authors "found that the PON1 [[genotype]] and hearing nerve agent alarms were independent and the findings robust to both measured and unmeasured [[confounding]], supporting a mechanistic [gene–environment] interaction.&nbsp;... Moreover, the change in the combined effect from one category to the next was significantly greater than the sum of the independent effects of the environmental exposure and the genotype".<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Haley|first1=Robert W.|last2=Kramer|first2=Gerald|last3=Xiao|first3=Junhui|last4=Dever|first4=Jill A.|last5=Teiber|first5=John F.|title=Evaluation of a Gene–Environment Interaction of PON1 and Low-Level Nerve Agent Exposure with Gulf War Illness: A Prevalence Case–Control Study Drawn from the U.S. Military Health Survey's National Population Sample|journal=[[Environmental Health Perspectives]]|volume=130|issue=5|date=11 May 2022|page=57001 |publisher=[[National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences]]|doi=10.1289/EHP9009|pmid=35543525 |pmc=9093163 |bibcode=2022EnvHP.130e7001H |s2cid=248694742 }} cf. {{cite web|url=https://www.utsouthwestern.edu/newsroom/articles/year-2022/sarin-nerve-gas-gulf-war-illness.html|title=UTSW genetic study confirms sarin nerve gas as cause of Gulf War illness|publisher=[[University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center]]|date=11 May 2022|access-date=11 May 2022|quote=For Gulf War veterans with the QQ genotype, hearing nerve agent alarms—a proxy for chemical exposure—raised their chance of developing GWI by 3.75 times. For those with the QR genotype, the alarms raised their chance of GWI by 4.43 times. And for those with two copies of the R gene, inefficient at breaking down sarin, the chance of GWI increased by 8.91 times. Those soldiers with both the RR genotype and low-level sarin exposure were over seven times more likely to get GWI due to the interaction per se, over and above the increase in risk from both risk factors acting alone. For genetic epidemiologists, this number leads to a high degree of confidence that sarin is a causative agent of GWI.}}</ref><br />
<br />
===Effects of depleted uranium===<br />
{{Main|Depleted uranium#Health considerations}}<br />
[[File:GWI DU map.gif|thumb|upright=1.35|Approximate area and major clashes in which DU rounds were used]]<br />
<br />
The US military used [[depleted uranium]] in tank kinetic energy penetrators and {{Convert|20-30|mm|abbr=on}} cannon [[Ammunition|ordnance]]. Significant controversy regarding the long term safety of depleted uranium exists, including claims of [[pyrophoricity|pyrophoric]], [[genotoxicity|genotoxic]], and [[teratogenicity|teratogenic]] [[heavy metals|heavy metal]] effects. Many have cited its use during the war as a contributing factor to a number of major health issues in veterans and in surrounding civilian populations, including in birth defects and child cancer rates. Scientific opinion on the risk is mixed.<!--<ref name=r1/>--><ref name="bostonglobe">Elizabeth Neuffer [http://www.commondreams.org/headlines03/0126-03.htm Iraqis Trace Surge in Cancer to US Bombings] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130902013328/http://www.commondreams.org/headlines03/0126-03.htm |date=2 September 2013 }} ''Boston Globe'' 26 January 2003, Page: A11 Section: National/Foreign</ref><ref>Larry Johnson [http://www.seattlepi.com/national/95178_du12.shtml Iraqi cancers, birth defects blamed on U.S. depleted uranium] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081120013734/http://www.seattlepi.com/national/95178_du12.shtml |date=20 November 2008 }} ''Seattle Post-Intelligencer'' 12 November 2002. Retrieved 25 January 2009.</ref><ref>{{cite news|author=Ron McKay |url=http://www.commondreams.org/views01/0114-01.htm |title=Depleted Uranium: The Horrific Legacy of Basra |newspaper=Sunday Herald |location=Scotland |date=14 January 2001 |access-date=15 February 2013 |archive-date=27 May 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130527015017/http://www.commondreams.org/views01/0114-01.htm}}</ref> In 2004, Iraq had the highest mortality rate due to [[leukemia]] of any country.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.who.int/entity/healthinfo/global_burden_disease/gbddeathdalycountryestimates2004.xls |title=WHO Data, 2004 |access-date=4 September 2013}}</ref><ref name="Doctor's Gulf War Studies Link Cancer to Depleted Uranium">{{cite news |title=Doctor's Gulf War Studies Link Cancer to Depleted Uranium |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2001/01/29/world/doctor-s-gulf-war-studies-link-cancer-to-depleted-uranium.html |website=[[The New York Times]] |date=29 January 2001}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |author=Hindin R. |year=2005 |title=Teratogenicity of depleted uranium aerosols: A review from an epidemiological perspective |journal=Environmental Health |volume=4 |issue=1 |page=17 |pmid=16124873 |doi=10.1186/1476-069X-4-17 |pmc=1242351 |display-authors=etal |doi-access=free |bibcode=2005EnvHe...4...17H }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Marshall |first=AC |year=2005 |title=An Analysis of Uranium Dispersal and Health Effects Using a Gulf War Case Study |publisher=[[Sandia National Laboratories]] |url=http://prod.sandia.gov/techlib/access-control.cgi/2005/054331.pdf |access-date=16 July 2012}}</ref><br />
<br />
Depleted uranium has 40% less radioactivity than natural uranium, but the negative effects should not be overlooked.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/depleted_uranium//|title=Depleted Uranium – Public Health|author=((US Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration)) |website=www.publichealth.va.gov}}</ref> Depleted uranium is not a significant health hazard unless it is taken into the body. External exposure to radiation from depleted uranium is generally not a major concern because the alpha particles emitted by its isotopes travel only a few centimeters in air or can be stopped by a sheet of paper. Also, the uranium-235 that remains in depleted uranium emits only a small amount of low-energy gamma radiation. However, if allowed to enter the body, depleted uranium, like natural uranium, has the potential for both chemical and radiological toxicity with the two important target organs being the kidneys and the lungs.<ref>{{cite web |title=Depleted Uranium Health Effects |url=http://web.ead.anl.gov/uranium/guide/depletedu/health/index.cfm |publisher=ead.anl.gov|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20130406015817/http://web.ead.anl.gov/uranium/guide/depletedu/health/index.cfm |archive-date=6 April 2013|access-date=2014-05-24}}</ref><br />
<br />
===Highway of Death===<br />
{{Main|Highway of Death}}<br />
[[File:Demolished vehicles line Highway 80 on 18 Apr 1991.jpg|thumb|Destroyed Iraqi civilian and military vehicles on the [[Highway of Death]]]]<br />
In the night of 26–27 February 1991, some Iraqi forces began leaving Kuwait on the main highway north of Al Jahra in a column of some 1,400 vehicles. A patrolling [[Northrop Grumman E-8 Joint STARS|E-8 Joint STARS]] aircraft observed the retreating forces and relayed the information to the DDM-8 air operations center in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.{{citation needed|date=February 2023}} These vehicles and the retreating soldiers were subsequently attacked by two A-10 aircraft, resulting in a {{convert|60|km|mi}} stretch of highway strewn with debris—the Highway of Death. ''New York Times'' reporter Maureen Dowd wrote, "With the Iraqi leader facing military defeat, Mr. Bush decided that he would rather gamble on a violent and potentially unpopular ground war than risk the alternative: an imperfect settlement hammered out by the Soviets and Iraqis that world opinion might accept as tolerable."<ref>{{cite web |last=Chediac |first=Joyce |title=The massacre of withdrawing Soldiers on the highway of death |url=http://deoxy.org/wc/wc-death.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140814211443/http://deoxy.org/wc/wc-death.htm |archive-date=14 August 2014}}</ref><br />
<br />
Chuck Horner, Commander of US and allied air operations, has written:<br />
<br />
{{blockquote|[By February 26], the Iraqis totally lost heart and started to evacuate occupied Kuwait, but airpower halted the caravan of Iraqi Army and plunderers fleeing toward Basra. This event was later called by the media "The Highway of Death." There were certainly a lot of dead vehicles, but not so many dead Iraqis. They'd already learned to scamper off into the desert when our aircraft started to attack. Nevertheless, some people back home wrongly chose to believe we were cruelly and unusually punishing our already whipped foes.<br />
...<br/><br />
By February 27, talk had turned toward terminating the hostilities. Kuwait was free. We were not interested in governing Iraq. So the question became "How do we stop the killing."<ref>{{Harvnb|Clancy|Horner|1999|pp=499–500}}.</ref>}}<br />
<br />
==={{anchor|Bulldozer assault}} Bulldozer assault===<br />
[[File:D7 armoured bulldozer on flatbed.jpg|thumb|An [[armored bulldozer]] similar to the ones used in the attack]]<br />
<br />
Another incident during the war highlighted the question of large-scale Iraqi combat deaths. This was the "[[bulldozer]] assault", wherein two brigades from the US 1st Infantry Division (Mechanized) were faced with a large and complex trench network, as part of the heavily fortified "Saddam Hussein Line". After some deliberation, they opted to use anti-mine [[plow]]s mounted on tanks and combat earthmovers to simply plow over and bury alive the defending Iraqi soldiers. Not a single American was killed during the attack. Reporters were banned from witnessing the attack, near the neutral zone that touches the border between Saudi Arabia and Iraq.<ref name=":0">Sloyan, Patrick. [https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/19910912/1305069/iraqis-buried-alive----us-attacked-with-bulldozers-during-gulf-war-ground-attack "Iraqis Buried Alive{{snd}}U.S. Attacked With Bulldozers During War Ground Attack"] . ''The Seattle Times''. 12 September 1991. Retrieved 4 March 2014.</ref> Every American in the assault was inside an armored vehicle.<ref name=":0" /><br />
<br />
Patrick Day Sloyan of ''[[Newsday]]'' reported, "Bradley Fighting Vehicles and Vulcan armored carriers straddled the trench lines and fired into the Iraqi soldiers as the tanks covered them with mounds of sand. 'I came through right after the lead company,' [Col. Anthony] Moreno said. 'What you saw was a bunch of buried trenches with peoples' arms and things sticking out of them.{{'"}}<ref name="Sloyan 1991-9-12">{{Citation |title=Buried Alive: U.S. Tanks Used Plows To Kill Thousands in Gulf War Trenches |newspaper=Newsday |place=New York |date=12 September 1991 |page=1 |first=Patrick Day |last=Sloyan}}</ref> However, after the war, the Iraqi government said that only 44 bodies were found.<ref>{{cite web|newspaper=Frontline |title=The gulf war: appendix: Iraqi death toll |url=https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/gulf/appendix/death.html |access-date=4 December 2005}}</ref> In his book ''The Wars Against Saddam'', [[John Simpson (journalist)|John Simpson]] alleges that US forces attempted to cover up the incident.<ref>{{Citation |first=John |last=Simpson |title=The Wars Against Saddam |publisher=MacMillan |place=Basingstoke |year=2003}}</ref> After the incident, the commander of the 1st Brigade said: "I know burying people like that sounds pretty nasty, but it would be even nastier if we had to put our troops in the trenches and clean them out with bayonets."<ref name="Sloyan 1991-9-12" /> Secretary of Defense Dick Cheney did not mention the First Division's tactics in an interim report to Congress on Operation Desert Storm.<ref name=":0" /> In the report, Cheney acknowledged that 457 enemy soldiers were buried during the ground war.<ref name=":0" /><br />
<br />
===Palestinian exodus from Kuwait===<br />
{{Main|Palestinian exodus from Kuwait (1990–91)}}<br />
<br />
A [[Palestinian exodus from Kuwait (1990–91)|Palestinian exodus from Kuwait]] took place during and after the Gulf War. During the Gulf War, more than 200,000 Palestinians fled Kuwait during the [[Invasion of Kuwait|Iraqi occupation of Kuwait]] due to harassment and intimidation by Iraqi security forces,<ref name="ir"/> in addition to getting fired from work by Iraqi authority figures in Kuwait.<ref name=ir>{{cite web|author=Shafeeq Ghabra|title=The PLO in Kuwait|url=http://www.greenleft.org.au/node/1457|date=8 May 1991|access-date=2 September 2013|archive-date=7 March 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230307074924/https://www.greenleft.org.au/node/1457|url-status=dead}}</ref> After the Gulf War, the Kuwaiti authorities forcibly pressured nearly 200,000 Palestinians to leave Kuwait in 1991.<ref name="ir"/> Kuwait's policy, which led to this exodus, was a response to alignment of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat and the PLO with Saddam Hussein.<br />
<br />
The Palestinians who fled Kuwait were [[Jordanian people|Jordanian citizens]].<ref name=jor>{{cite journal|author1=Yann Le Troquer |author2=Rozenn Hommery al-Oudat |title=From Kuwait to Jordan: The Palestinians' Third Exodus |journal=Journal of Palestine Studies|volume=28 |issue=3 |date=Spring 1999|pages=37–51|jstor=2538306 |doi=10.2307/2538306 }}</ref> In 2013, 280,000 Jordanian citizens of Palestinian origin lived in Kuwait.<ref name=mon>{{cite web |title=Jordanians of Kuwait |url=http://www.joshuaproject.net/countries.php?rog3=KU|work=[[Joshua Project]]|year=2013}}</ref> In 2012, 80,000 Palestinians (without Jordanian [[citizenship]]) lived in Kuwait.<ref name=monitor>{{cite news|url=http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2013/04/palestinians-open-kuwait-embassy.html|work=Al Monitor|title=Palestinians Open Kuwaiti Embassy|date=23 May 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130522150710/http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2013/04/palestinians-open-kuwait-embassy.html|archive-date=22 May 2013}}</ref><br />
<br />
Saudi Arabia expelled [[Yemen]]i workers after Yemen supported Saddam during the Gulf War.<ref>"[https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/yemen/8557546/Yemens-president-flees-for-medical-treatment-as-search-for-new-leader-begins.html Yemen's president flees for medical treatment as search for new leader begins] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180922211449/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/yemen/8557546/Yemens-president-flees-for-medical-treatment-as-search-for-new-leader-begins.html |date=22 September 2018 }}". ''The Daily Telegraph''. 5 June 2011</ref><br />
<br />
===Coalition bombing of Iraq's civilian infrastructure===<br />
In the 23 June 1991 edition of ''The Washington Post'', reporter Bart Gellman wrote: <br />
{{blockquote|Many of the targets were chosen only secondarily to contribute to the military defeat of Iraq&nbsp;... Military planners hoped the bombing would amplify the economic and psychological impact of international sanctions on Iraqi society&nbsp;... They deliberately did great harm to Iraq's ability to support itself as an industrial society&nbsp;...<ref>23 June 1991, Washington Post, Bart Gellman</ref>}}<br />
In the Jan/Feb 1995 edition of ''Foreign Affairs'', French diplomat Eric Rouleau wrote: <br />
{{blockquote|[T]he Iraqi people, who were not consulted about the invasion, have paid the price for their government's madness&nbsp;... Iraqis understood the legitimacy of a military action to drive their army from Kuwait, but they have had difficulty comprehending the Allied rationale for using air power to systematically destroy or cripple Iraqi infrastructure and industry: electric power stations (92 percent of installed capacity destroyed), refineries (80 percent of production capacity), petrochemical complexes, telecommunications centers (including 135 telephone networks), bridges (more than 100), roads, highways, railroads, hundreds of locomotives and boxcars full of goods, radio and television broadcasting stations, cement plants, and factories producing aluminum, textiles, electric cables, and medical supplies.<ref>"The View From France: America's Unyielding Policy toward Iraq," ''Foreign Affairs'', Vol. 74, No. 1, January/February 1995, pp.61–62</ref>}}<br />
However, the UN subsequently spent billions rebuilding hospitals, schools, and [[water purification]] facilities throughout the country.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Rubin |first=Michael |title=Sanctions on Iraq: A Valid Anti-American Grievance? |journal=[[Middle East Review of International Affairs]] |volume=5 |issue=4 |url=http://meria.idc.ac.il/journal/2001/issue4/mrubin.pdf |pages=100–115 |date=December 2001 |author-link=Michael Rubin (historian) |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060907153101/http://meria.idc.ac.il/journal/2001/issue4/mrubin.pdf |archive-date=7 September 2006 |access-date=24 May 2017}}</ref><br />
<br />
===Abuse of Coalition POWs===<br />
During the conflict, coalition aircrew shot down over Iraq were displayed as prisoners of war on TV, most with visible signs of abuse. Amongst several testimonies to poor treatment,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/gulf/war/ |title=Frontline: War Stories |publisher=Pbs.org |access-date=1 February 2011}}</ref> USAF Captain Richard Storr was allegedly tortured by Iraqis during the Persian Gulf War. Iraqi secret police broke his nose, dislocated his shoulder and punctured his eardrum.<ref>Patrice O'Shaughness. "Gulf War POW denounces abuse of Iraqi detainees". ''New York Daily News''. 12 May 2004.</ref> Royal Air Force [[Panavia Tornado|Tornado]] crew [[John Nichol (RAF officer)|John Nichol]] and [[John Peters (RAF)|John Peters]] have both alleged that they were tortured during this time.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.johnnichol.com/The%20Beginning.htm |title=The Flight That Changed My Life |publisher=Johnnichol.com |access-date=1 February 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110429013825/http://www.johnnichol.com/The%20Beginning.htm |archive-date=29 April 2011 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/gulf/war/4.html |title=War Story:John Peters |publisher=Pbs.org |access-date=1 February 2011}}</ref> Nichol and Peters were forced to make statements against the war on television. Members of British Special Air Service Bravo Two Zero were captured while providing information about an Iraqi supply line of Scud missiles to coalition forces. Only one, Chris Ryan, evaded capture while the group's other surviving members were violently tortured.<ref>''The One that Got Away'' by Chris Ryan & ''Bravo Two Zero'' by Andy McNab</ref> Flight surgeon (later General) [[Rhonda Cornum]] was sexually assaulted by one of her captors<ref name=Time>{{cite news |url=http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,438760,00.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030404061056/http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,438760,00.html |archive-date=4 April 2003 |title=A Woman's Burden |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |date=28 March 2003}}</ref> after the [[Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk|Black Hawk helicopter]] in which she was riding was shot down while searching for a downed [[General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon|F-16]] pilot.{{Citation needed|date=February 2023}}<br />
<br />
===Operation Southern Watch===<br />
{{Main|Operation Southern Watch}}<br />
Since the war, the US has had a continued presence of 5,000 troops stationed in Saudi Arabia{{snd}}a figure that rose to 10,000 during the 2003 conflict in Iraq.<ref name="bbc">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/2984547.stm|title=US pulls out of Saudi Arabia |access-date=29 November 2009 |work=BBC News |date=29 April 2003}}</ref> Operation Southern Watch enforced the [[Iraqi no-fly zones|no-fly zones]] over southern Iraq set up after 1991; oil exports through the Persian Gulf's shipping lanes were protected by the Bahrain-based [[United States Fifth Fleet|US Fifth Fleet]].{{Citation needed|date=February 2023}}<br />
<br />
Since Saudi Arabia houses Mecca and Medina, Islam's holiest sites, many Muslims were upset at the permanent military presence. The continued presence of U.S. troops in Saudi Arabia after the war was one of the stated motivations behind the [[September 11 attacks|11 September terrorist attacks]],<ref name="bbc"/> the [[Khobar Towers bombing]], and the date chosen for the [[1998 United States embassy bombings|1998 US embassy bombings]] (7 August), which was eight years to the day that US troops were sent to Saudi Arabia.<ref>Plotz, David (2001) [http://www.slate.com/default.aspx?id=115404 What Does Osama Bin Laden Want?] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110810171041/http://www.slate.com/default.aspx?id=115404 |date=10 August 2011 }}, Slate</ref> [[Osama bin Laden]] interpreted the Islamic prophet [[Muhammad]] as banning the "permanent presence of infidels in Arabia".<ref name="holywar-p3">{{cite book|author=Bergen, Peter L. |title=Holy War Inc. |publisher=Simon & Schuster |year=2001 |page=3}}</ref> In 1996, bin Laden issued a [[fatwa]], calling for US troops to leave Saudi Arabia. In a December 1999 interview with [[Rahimullah Yusufzai]], bin Laden said he felt that Americans were "too near to Mecca" and considered this a provocation to the entire Islamic world.<ref name="guardian-20010926">{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/g2/story/0,3604,558075,00.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080119011449/http://www.guardian.co.uk/g2/story/0%2C3604%2C558075%2C00.html |archive-date=19 January 2008 |title=Face to face with Osama |work=The Guardian |location=London |date=26 September 2001 |access-date=30 June 2010 |first=Rahimullah |last=Yusufzai }}</ref><br />
<br />
===Sanctions===<br />
{{Main|United Nations Security Council Resolution 661|Sanctions against Iraq}}<br />
{{Wikisource|United Nations Security Council Resolution 661}}<br />
On 6 August 1990, after Iraq's invasion of Kuwait, the UN Security Council adopted Resolution 661 which imposed economic sanctions on Iraq, providing for a full trade [[embargo]], excluding medical supplies, food and other items of humanitarian necessity, these to be determined by the council's sanctions committee. From 1991 until 2003, the effects of government policy and sanctions regime led to [[hyperinflation]], widespread poverty and malnutrition.{{Citation needed|date=February 2023}}<br />
<br />
During the late 1990s, the UN considered relaxing the sanctions imposed because of the hardships suffered by ordinary Iraqis. Studies dispute the number of people who died in south and central Iraq during the years of the sanctions.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.unicef.org/newsline/99pr29.htm |title=Iraq surveys show 'humanitarian emergency' |website=UNICEF |date=12 August 1999 |access-date=29 November 2009 |archive-date=6 August 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090806193122/http://www.unicef.org/newsline/99pr29.htm }}</ref><ref name=Spagat>{{cite magazine |url=http://personal.rhul.ac.uk/uhte/014/Truth%20and%20Death.pdf |title=Truth and death in Iraq under sanctions |first=Michael |last=Spagat |date=September 2010 |magazine=[[Significance (journal)|Significance]] |access-date=21 December 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180711190050/http://personal.rhul.ac.uk/uhte/014/Truth%20and%20Death.pdf |archive-date=11 July 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|last=Rubin |first=Michael |title=Sanctions on Iraq: A Valid Anti-American Grievance? |journal=[[Middle East Review of International Affairs]] |volume=5 |issue=4 |url=http://www.iraqwatch.org/perspectives/meria-rubin-sanctions-1201.htm |pages=100–115 |date=December 2001 |author-link=Michael Rubin (historian) |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121028003924/http://www.iraqwatch.org/perspectives/meria-rubin-sanctions-1201.htm |archive-date=28 October 2012}}</ref><ref name="Dyson & Cetorelli 2017">{{Cite journal|last1=Dyson|first1=Tim|last2=Cetorelli|first2=Valeria|date=2017-07-01|title=Changing views on child mortality and economic sanctions in Iraq: a history of lies, damned lies and statistics|journal=BMJ Global Health|language=en|volume=2|issue=2|pages=e000311|doi=10.1136/bmjgh-2017-000311|pmid=29225933|issn=2059-7908|pmc=5717930}}</ref><br />
<br />
===Draining of the Qurna Marshes===<br />
{{Main|Draining of the Mesopotamian Marshes}}<br />
The draining of the [[Qurna Marshes]] was an irrigation project in Iraq during and immediately after the war, to drain a large area of [[marshes]] in the [[Tigris–Euphrates river system]]. Formerly covering an area of around {{Convert|3000|km2|abbr=on}}, the large complex of [[wetlands]] were nearly emptied of water, and the local Shi'ite population relocated, following the war and 1991 uprisings. By 2000, the [[United Nations Environment Programme]] estimated that 90% of the marshlands had disappeared, causing [[desertification]] of over {{convert|7500|sqmi|km2}}.{{Citation needed|date=August 2010}}<br />
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The draining occurred in Iraq and to a smaller degree in Iran between the 1950s and 1990s to clear large areas of the marshes. Formerly covering an area of around {{Convert|20000|km2|abbr=on}}, the large complex of wetlands was 90% drained before the [[2003 Invasion of Iraq]]. The marshes are typically divided into three main sub-marshes, the [[Hawizeh Marshes|Hawizeh]], Central, and [[Hammar Marshes]] and all three were drained at different times for different reasons. Initial draining of the Central Marshes was intended to reclaim land for agriculture but later all three marshes would become a tool of war and revenge.<ref name=":1" /><br />
<br />
Many international organizations such as the [[United Nations Commission on Human Rights|UN Human Rights Commission]], the [[Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq]], the [[Wetlands International]], and Middle East Watch have described the project as a political attempt to force the [[Marsh Arabs]] out of the area through water diversion tactics.<ref name=":1">{{cite web |url=http://www1.american.edu/ted/marsh.htm |title=Marsh Arabs |access-date=1 August 2010 |publisher=[[American University School of International Service]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100627142037/http://www1.american.edu/ted/marsh.htm |archive-date=27 June 2010}}</ref><br />
<br />
===Oil spill===<br />
{{Main|Gulf War oil spill}}<br />
On 23 January, Iraq dumped {{convert|400|e6USgal|m3}} of [[crude oil]] into the Persian Gulf,{{#tag:Ref|Note: The cited supporting source<ref name=dukemag030403 /> uses the term ''Arabian Gulf'' to name this body of water. This article uses the proper name ''Persian Gulf''. For more information, see the [[Persian Gulf naming dispute]] article.}} causing the largest offshore [[oil spill]] in history at that time.<ref name=dukemag030403>{{cite web |url=http://www.dukemagazine.duke.edu/dukemag/issues/030403/oil1.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100613021006/http://www.dukemagazine.duke.edu/dukemag/issues/030403/oil1.html|archive-date=2010-06-13 |title=Duke Magazine-Oil Spill-After the Deluge |author=Jeffrey Pollack |date=Mar–Apr 2003 |work=Duke Magazine |access-date=1 February 2011}}</ref> It was reported as a deliberate natural resources attack to keep US Marines from coming ashore (''Missouri'' and ''Wisconsin'' had shelled [[Failaka Island]] during the war to reinforce the idea that there would be an amphibious assault attempt).<ref name="Desert Storm">{{cite web|title=V: "Thunder And Lightning"- The War With Iraq (Subsection:The War at Sea) |work=The United States Navy in "Desert Shield" / "Desert Storm" |url=http://www.history.navy.mil/wars/dstorm/ds5.htm |publisher=[[United States Navy]] |access-date=26 November 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061205022732/http://history.navy.mil/wars/dstorm/ds5.htm |archive-date=5 December 2006 }}</ref> About 30–40% of this came from allied raids on Iraqi coastal targets.<ref>{{cite book|author=Leckie, Robert |title=The Wars of America |url=https://archive.org/details/warsofamerica00robe |url-access=registration |publisher=Castle Books |year=1998|isbn=978-0-7858-0914-2 }}</ref><br />
<br />
===Kuwaiti oil fires===<br />
{{Main|Kuwaiti oil fires}}<br />
{{See also|Environmental impact of war}}<br />
[[File:Operation Desert Storm 22.jpg|thumb|Oil well fires rage outside Kuwait City in 1991.]]<br />
The Kuwaiti oil fires were caused by the [[Military of Iraq|Iraqi military]] setting fire to 700 oil wells as part of a scorched earth policy while retreating from Kuwait in 1991 after conquering the country but being driven out by coalition forces. The fires started in January and February 1991, and the last one was extinguished by November.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://earthshots.usgs.gov/Iraq/Iraqtext|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20021028200910/http://earthshots.usgs.gov/Iraq/Iraqtext|archive-date=2002-10-28|title="Iraq and Kuwait: 1972, 1990, 1991, 1997." Earthshots: Satellite Images of Environmental Change|last=Wellman|first=Robert Campbell|date=14 February 1999|publisher=U.S. Geological Survey|access-date=27 July 2010}}</ref><br />
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The resulting fires burned uncontrollably because of the dangers of sending in firefighting crews. [[Land mines]] had been placed in areas around the oil wells, and a military cleaning of the areas was necessary before the fires could be put out. Somewhere around {{convert|6|Moilbbl|m3|-4}} of oil were lost each day. Eventually, privately contracted crews extinguished the fires, at a total cost of US$1.5&nbsp;billion to Kuwait.<ref>{{cite book|last=Husain |first=T. |title=Kuwaiti Oil Fires: Regional Environmental Perspectives |year=1995 |publisher=BPC Wheatons Ltd |location=Oxford |page=68}}</ref> By that time, however, the fires had burned for approximately 10 months, causing widespread pollution.{{Citation needed|date=February 2023}}<br />
<br />
==Cost==<br />
[[File:United States Forces in the Gulf War 1991 GLF980.jpg|thumb|right|A sentry patrols along a line-up of OH-58 Kiowa helicopters]]<br />
The cost of the war to the United States was calculated by the US Congress in April 1992 to be $61.1&nbsp;billion<ref name="autogenerated2">{{cite web|url=http://people.psych.cornell.edu/~fhoran/gulf/GW_cost/GW_payments.html |title=How much did the Gulf War cost the US? |publisher=People.psych.cornell.edu |date=20 May 1997 |access-date=1 February 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100821200403/http://people.psych.cornell.edu/~fhoran/gulf/GW_cost/GW_payments.html |archive-date=21 August 2010}}</ref> (equivalent to ${{Format price|{{Inflation|US-GDP|61100000000|1992}}}} in {{Inflation-year|US-GDP}}).{{Inflation-fn|US-GDP}} About $52&nbsp;billion of that amount was paid by other countries: $36&nbsp;billion by Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and other Arab states of the Persian Gulf; $16&nbsp;billion by Germany and Japan (which sent no combat forces due to their constitutions). About 25% of Saudi Arabia's contribution was paid with in-kind services to the troops, such as food and transportation.<ref name="autogenerated2" /> US troops represented about 74% of the combined force, and the global cost was therefore higher.{{Citation needed|date=February 2023}}<br />
<br />
===Effect on developing countries===<br />
Apart from the impact on [[Arab States of the Persian Gulf]], the resulting economic disruptions after the crisis affected many states. The [[Overseas Development Institute]] (ODI) undertook a study in 1991 to assess the effects on developing states and the international community's response. A briefing paper finalized on the day that the conflict ended draws on their findings which had two main conclusions: Many developing states were severely affected and while there has been a considerable response to the crisis, the distribution of assistance was highly selective.<ref name="odi.org.uk">{{cite web|title=The Impact of the Gulf Crisis on Developing Countries|url=http://www.odi.org.uk/resources/details.asp?id=5466&title=gulf-crisis-impact-ldcs|work=ODI Briefing Paper|date=March 1991|access-date=29 June 2011|archive-date=3 August 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120803110221/http://www.odi.org.uk/resources/details.asp?id=5466&title=gulf-crisis-impact-ldcs}}</ref><br />
<br />
The ODI factored in elements of "cost" which included oil imports, remittance flows, re-settlement costs, loss of export earnings and tourism. For Egypt, the cost totaled $1&nbsp;billion, 3% of GDP. Yemen had a cost of $830&nbsp;million, 10% of GDP, while it cost Jordan $1.8&nbsp;billion, 32% of GDP.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Peters |first1=John E |url=https://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/monograph_reports/2007/MR629.pdf |title=Out of Area or Out of Reach? European Military Support for Operations in Southwest Asia |last2=Deshong |first2=Howard |publisher=[[RAND Corporation]] |year=1995 |isbn=978-0-8330-2329-2}}</ref>{{Citation needed|date=February 2023}}<br />
<br />
International response to the crisis on developing states came with the channeling of aid through The Gulf Crisis Financial Co-ordination Group. They were 24 states, comprising most of the OECD countries plus some Gulf states: Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Kuwait. The members of this group agreed to disperse $14&nbsp;billion in development assistance.{{Citation needed|date=February 2023}}<br />
<br />
The World Bank responded by speeding up the disbursement of existing project and adjustment loans. The [[International Monetary Fund]] adopted two lending facilities{{snd}}the Enhanced Structural Adjustment Facility (ESAF) and the Compensatory & Contingency Financing Facility (CCFF). The [[European Economic Community|European Community]] offered $2&nbsp;billion{{clarify|date=August 2011}} in assistance.<ref name="odi.org.uk" /><br />
<br />
==Media coverage==<br />
{{Main|Media coverage of the Gulf War}}<br />
{{Globalize|section|date=January 2010}}<br />
US policy regarding media freedom was much more restrictive than in the [[Vietnam War]].<ref>[http://www.iraquenewst55.jex.com.br/3+guerra+terrorismo/o+maior+bombardeio+da+historia Guerra/Terrorismo – O maior bombardeio da história] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120426005120/http://www.iraquenewst55.jex.com.br/3+guerra+terrorismo/o+maior+bombardeio+da+historia|date=26 April 2012}}, access on 27 November 2011.</ref> The policy had been spelled out in a Pentagon document entitled ''[[Annex Foxtrot]]''. Most of the press information came from briefings organized by the military. Only selected journalists were allowed to visit the front lines or conduct interviews with soldiers. Those visits were always conducted in the presence of officers, and were subject to both prior approval by the military and censorship afterward. This was ostensibly to protect sensitive information from being revealed to Iraq. This policy was heavily influenced by the military's experience with the Vietnam War, in which public opposition within the US grew throughout the war's course. It was not only the limitation of information in the Middle East; media were also restricting what was shown about the war with more graphic depictions like [[Ken Jarecke]]'s image of a burnt Iraqi soldier being pulled from the American AP wire whereas in Europe it was given extensive coverage.<ref name="AJR">{{cite web |year=2007 |url=http://www.ajr.org/article_printable.asp?id=3759 |title=Images of War |publisher=AJR |access-date=20 July 2007 |last=Lori Robertson |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130724001706/http://www.ajr.org/article_printable.asp?id=3759 |archive-date=24 July 2013}}</ref><ref name="BBC.4528745">{{cite news |date=9 May 2005|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4528745.stm|title=Picture power: Death of an Iraqi soldier|work=BBC News|access-date=14 October 2010 |last=Ken Jarecke's account to the BBC World Service programme}}</ref><ref name="FamousPictures">{{cite web |year=2007 |url=http://www.famouspictures.org/iraqi-soldier/|title=Famous Pictures Magazine{{snd}}Iraqi Soldier|publisher=Famous Pictures Magazine|access-date=23 May 2013 |last=Lucas, Dean}}</ref><br />
<br />
Two BBC journalists, John Simpson and [[Bob Simpson (journalist)|Bob Simpson]] (no relation), defied their editors and remained in Baghdad to report on the war's progress. They were responsible for a report which included an "infamous cruise missile that travelled down a street and turned left at a traffic light."<ref>{{cite news |author=Peter Ruff |date=31 July 2006 |title=Obituary: Bob Simpson |newspaper=The Guardian |location=London |url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2006/jul/31/broadcasting.guardianobituaries |access-date=4 September 2011}}</ref><br />
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Alternative media outlets provided views opposing the war.<ref>{{cite web |title=Memória Globo |url=http://memoriaglobo.globo.com/Memoriaglobo/0%2C27723%2CGYN0-5273-256436%2C00.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110725085143/http://memoriaglobo.globo.com/Memoriaglobo/0%2C27723%2CGYN0-5273-256436%2C00.html |archive-date=25 July 2011 |access-date=2017-03-26}}, access on 29 March 2011.</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Livraria da Folha{{snd}}Livro conta como Guerra do Golfo colocou a CNN no foco internacional{{snd}}08/09/2010 |url=http://www1.folha.uol.com.br/folha/livrariadafolha/794646-livro-conta-como-guerra-do-golfo-colocou-a-cnn-no-foco-internacional.shtml |access-date=13 May 2011 |publisher=.folha.uol.com.br}}</ref><ref>[http://www.colegioweb.com.br/historia/guerra-do-golfo.html A Guerra do Golfo] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130204020203/http://www.colegioweb.com.br/historia/guerra-do-golfo.html|date=4 February 2013}}, accessed on 29 March 2011</ref> Deep Dish Television compiled segments from independent producers in the US and abroad, and produced a 10-hour series that was distributed internationally, called The Gulf Crisis TV Project.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.deepdishtv.org/Series/Default.aspx?id=4 |title=Series (The Gulf Crisis TV Project) |date=11 July 2010 |access-date=17 January 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100711090755/http://www.deepdishtv.org/Series/Default.aspx?id=4 |archive-date=11 July 2010 }}</ref> The series' first program ''War, Oil and Power''<ref>{{cite web |url=https://archive.org/details/ddtv_50_war_oil_and_power|title=War, Oil and Power|access-date=17 January 2017|via=Internet Archive}}</ref> was compiled and released in 1990, before the war broke out. ''News World Order'' was the title of another program in the series; it focused on the media's complicity in promoting the war, as well as Americans' reactions to the media coverage.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://archive.org/details/ddtv_56_new_world_order|title=News World Order|access-date=17 January 2017|via=Internet Archive}}</ref><br />
<br />
[[Media watchdog]] group [[Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting]] (FAIR) critically analyzed media coverage during the war in various articles and books, such as the 1991 ''Gulf War Coverage: The Worst Censorship was at Home''.<ref name="fair.org.1518">{{cite web |date=April 1991 |url=https://fair.org/extra/gulf-war-coverage/|title=Gulf War Coverage: The Worst Censorship Was at Home|publisher=[[Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting]] (FAIR)|access-date=14 October 2010 |last=Naureckas|first=Jim |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160406043739/https://fair.org/extra/gulf-war-coverage/ |archive-date=2016-04-06 |url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
==Technology==<br />
{{Further|List of Gulf War military equipment}}<br />
[[File:Missouri missile BGM-109 Tomahawk.JPG|thumb|[[USS Missouri (BB-63)|USS ''Missouri'']] launching a [[Tomahawk (missile family)|Tomahawk missile]]. The Gulf War was the last conflict in which [[battleship]]s were deployed in a combat role.]]<br />
[[Precision-guided munition]]s were heralded as key in allowing military strikes to be made with a minimum of civilian casualties compared to previous wars, although they were not used as often as more traditional, less accurate bombs. Specific buildings in downtown Baghdad could be bombed while journalists in their hotels watched cruise missiles fly by.{{Citation needed|date=February 2023}}<br />
<br />
Precision-guided munitions amounted to approximately 7.4% of all bombs dropped by the coalition. Other bombs included [[cluster bomb]]s, which disperse numerous submunitions,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/dumb/cluster.htm |title=Dumb Bombs |publisher=Fas.org |access-date=18 March 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100328110957/http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/dumb/cluster.htm |archive-date=28 March 2010}}</ref> and [[BLU-82|daisy cutters]], 15,000-pound bombs which can disintegrate everything within hundreds of yards.{{Citation needed|date=February 2023}}<br />
<br />
[[Global Positioning System]] (GPS) units were relatively new at the time and were important in enabling coalition units to easily navigate across the desert. Since military GPS receivers were not available for most troops, many used commercially available units. To permit these to be used to best effect, the "selective availability" feature of the GPS system was turned off for the duration of Desert Storm, allowing these commercial receivers to provide the same precision as the military equipment.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=sVgf41ic6LgC&q=gulf%20war%20gps&pg=PR4|title=GPS for Dummies|first=Joel|last=McNamara|isbn=978-0-470-19923-7|year=2007|publisher=John Wiley & Sons }}</ref><br />
<br />
[[Airborne early warning and control|Airborne Warning and Control System]] (AWACS) and satellite communication systems were also important. Two examples of this are the US Navy's [[Grumman E-2 Hawkeye]] and the US Air Force's [[Boeing E-3 Sentry]]. Both were used in command and control area of operations. These systems provided essential communications links between air, ground, and naval forces. It is one of several reasons coalition forces dominated the air war.{{Citation needed|date=February 2023}}<br />
<br />
American-made color photocopiers were used to produce some of Iraq's battle plans. Some of the copiers contained concealed high-tech transmitters that revealed their positions to American [[electronic warfare aircraft]], leading to more precise bombings.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.economist.com/node/18527456 |title=Something wrong with our **** chips today |newspaper=The Economist |date=7 April 2011|access-date=13 June 2011}}</ref><br />
<br />
===Scud and Patriot missiles===<br />
[[File:Scud downed by Patriot missiles.JPEG|thumb|Military personnel examine the remains of a Scud.]]<br />
The role of Iraq's Scud missiles featured prominently in the war. Scud is a tactical [[ballistic missile]] that the Soviet Union developed and deployed among the forward deployed [[Soviet Army]] [[GSFG|divisions]] in [[East Germany]].{{Citation needed|date=February 2023}}<br />
<br />
Scud missiles utilize inertial guidance which operates for the duration that the engines operate. Iraq used Scud missiles, launching them into both Saudi Arabia and Israel. Some missiles caused extensive casualties, while others caused little damage.{{citation needed|date=March 2017}}<br />
<br />
The US Patriot missile was used in combat for the first time. The US military claimed a high effectiveness against Scuds at the time, but later analysis gives figures as low as 9%, with 45% of the 158 Patriot launches being against debris or false targets.<ref name="Cirincione"/> The [[Ministry of Defence (Netherlands)|Dutch Ministry of Defense]], which also sent Patriot missiles to protect civilians in Israel and Turkey, later disputed the higher claim.<ref name=nederland2009 /> Further, there is at least one incident of a software error causing a Patriot missile's failure to engage an incoming Scud, resulting in deaths.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ima.umn.edu/~arnold/disasters/patriot.html |title=The Patriot Missile Failure |publisher=Ima.umn.edu |access-date=1 February 2011}}</ref> Both the US Army and the missile manufacturers maintained the Patriot delivered a "miracle performance" in the Gulf War.<ref name="Cirincione">{{cite web |first=Joseph |last=Cirincione |author-link=Joseph Cirincione |title=The Performance of the Patriot Missile in the war |url=http://www.ceip.org/files/projects/npp/resources/georgetown/PatriotPaper.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20031223120310/http://www.ceip.org/files/projects/npp/resources/georgetown/PatriotPaper.pdf |publisher=[[Carnegie Endowment for International Peace]]|date=October 1992 |archive-date=23 December 2003 |access-date=4 December 2005}}</ref><br />
<br />
==Popular culture==<br />
The Gulf War has been the subject of several video games including ''[[Conflict: Desert Storm]]'', ''[[Conflict: Desert Storm II]]'', ''[[Gulf War: Operation Desert Hammer]]'', and ''[[Call of Duty: Black Ops 6]]''. There have also been numerous depictions in film including ''[[Jarhead (film)|Jarhead]]'' (2005), which is based on US Marine [[Anthony Swofford]]'s 2003 [[Jarhead (book)|memoir of the same name]].<ref>{{Cite news|issn = 0261-3077|last = Adams|first = Tim|title = Observer review: Jarhead by Anthony Swofford|work = The Guardian|access-date = 2018-06-13|date = 2003-03-23|url = https://www.theguardian.com/books/2003/mar/23/biography.writersoniraq}}</ref> The 2016 [[Bollywood]] movie [[Airlift (film)|''Airlift'']] is based on [[1990 airlift of Indians from Kuwait]], the evacuation of Indian citizens stranded in Kuwait during the Gulf War.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.wionews.com/photos/pics-from-kuwait-airlift-in-1990-to-operation-ganga-in-2022-here-are-a-few-evacuation-missions-by-india-457085#:~:text=Kuwait%20airlift%201990,the%20course%20of%20two%20months|title=Pics: From Kuwait airlift in 1990 to operation Ganga in 2022, here are a few evacuation missions by India|date=27 February 2022}}</ref><br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
{{div col|colwidth=27em}}<br />
* [[Operation Granby]]<br />
* [[1973 Samita border skirmish]]<br />
* [[United Nations Iraq–Kuwait Observation Mission]]<br />
* [[Iraq–Russia relations]]<br />
* [[SIPRI Arms Transfers Database, Iraq 1973–1990]]<br />
* [[Loss of Strength Gradient]]<br />
* [[Military history of the United States]]<br />
* [[Post–World War II air-to-air combat losses]]<br />
* [[Organization of United States Air Force Units in the Gulf War]]<br />
* [[The Gulf War Did Not Take Place]]<br />
{{div col end}}<br />
<br />
==Notes==<br />
{{reflist |group=lower-alpha |refs=<br />
<ref name=numbering><br />
The numbering of Persian Gulf conflicts depends on whether the [[Iran–Iraq War]] (1980–1988) is referred to as the First (Persian) Gulf War (English language sources prior to the start of the Kuwait war in 1990 usually called it the Gulf War), which would make the 1990 war the Second (Persian) Gulf War. Different sources may call the conflicts by different names. The name '[[Persian Gulf]]' is itself a subject of [[Persian Gulf naming dispute|dispute]]. The start date of the Kuwait War can also be seen as either August 1990 (when Iraq's [[Saddam Hussein]] invaded [[Kuwait]]) or as January 1991 (the start of Operation Desert Storm, when the US-led coalition forced Iraq out of Kuwait), so that the war is also often called the 1991 Gulf War, the 1990–1991 Gulf War, the 1990s Gulf War, etc ... This dating is also used to distinguish it from the other two 'Gulf Wars'.</ref><br />
}}<br />
<br />
==References==<br />
{{Reflist|24em|refs=<br />
<ref name="VUA Citation">Desert Storm/Shield Valorous Unit Award Citations.{{full citation needed|date=May 2022}}</ref><br />
}}<br />
<br />
===Works cited===<br />
{{Refbegin}}<br />
* {{cite book|first=Stephen A.|last=Bourque |title=Jayhawk! The 7th Corps in the Persian Gulf War |publisher=Center of Military History, United States Army|date=2001 |lccn=2001028533|oclc=51313637}}<br />
* {{cite book |first1=Stephen A. |last1=Bourque |first2=John |last2=Burdan |year=2007 |title=The road to Safwan the 1st Squadron, 4th Cavalry in the 1991 Persian Gulf War |publisher=University of North Texas Press |location=Denton, TX |isbn=978-1-57441-232-1}}<br />
*{{cite web |last1=Hillman |first1=James L. |title=Task Force 1-41 Infantry: The Fratricide Experience in Southwest Asia |url=http://apps.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a264134.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141226024546/http://www.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a264134.pdf |url-status=live |archive-date=December 26, 2014 |publisher=US Army War College |location=Carlisle Barracks, PA |access-date=26 December 2014 |date=1993 |oclc=28169776}}<br />
* ''Desert Storm: Ground War'' by Hans Halberstadt<br />
* Challenger Squadron by Simon Dunstan<br />
* Desert Rats:The British 4 and 7 Armoured Brigades, WW2 to Today by Hans Halberstadt<br />
*{{cite book|first=Thomas D.|last=Dinackus|title=Order of Battle: Allied Ground Forces of Operation Desert Storm|publisher= Hellgate Press|place=[[Central Point, Oregon|Central Point]], Oregon|date=2000|isbn=978-1-55571-493-2}}<br />
* Burton, James G. ''The Pentagon Wars: Reformers Challenge the Old Guard'', Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press, 1993. {{ISBN|978-1-55750-081-6}}.<br />
* Blitzkrieg in the Gulf: Armor of the 100 Hour war by Yves Debay<br />
*Desert Redleg: Artillery Warfare in the First Gulf War by Col. L. Scott Lingamfelter<br />
* {{cite book |last1=Nordeen |first1=Lon |last2=Isby |first2=David |year=2010 |title=M60 vs T-62: Cold War Combatants 1956–92 |series=Dual |others=Illustrated by Richard Chasemore |publisher=Osprey Publishing |location=Oxford, UK |isbn=978-1-84603-694-1 |lccn=2010525413 |oclc=495780787}}<br />
{{Refend}}<br />
<br />
==Bibliography==<br />
{{Refbegin|30em|indent=yes}}<br />
* {{cite news |last=Arbuthnot |first=Felicity |title=Allies Deliberately Poisoned Iraq Public Water Supply in Gulf War |url=http://www.commondreams.org/headlines/091700-01.htm |access-date=4 December 2005 |date=17 September 2000 |newspaper=Sunday Herald |location=Scotland |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051205094328/http://www.commondreams.org/headlines/091700-01.htm |archive-date=5 December 2005 }}<br />
* {{cite news |last=Atkinson |first=Rick |author2=Devroy, Ann |title=U.S. Claims Iraqi Nuclear Reactors Hit Hard |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/inatl/longterm/fogofwar/archive/post012091.htm |access-date=4 December 2005 |date=12 January 1991 |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] }}<br />
* {{cite web |last=Austvik |first=Ole Gunnar |title=The War Over the Price of Oil |url=http://www.kaldor.no/energy/glob9205.htm |year=1993 |publisher=International Journal of Global Energy Issues }}<br />
* {{cite encyclopedia |last=Bard |first=Mitchell |title=The Gulf War |url=https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/History/Gulf_War.html |access-date=25 May 2009 |encyclopedia=Jewish Virtual Library }}<br />
* {{cite book |last=Barzilai |first=Gad |editor1-link=Aaron Klieman |editor=Klieman, Aharon |editor2=Shidlo, Gil |title=The Gulf Crisis and Its Global Aftermath |year=1993 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-0-415-08002-6 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/gulfcrisisitsglo0000unse }}<br />
* {{cite book |last=Blum |first=William |title=Killing Hope: U.S. Military and CIA Interventions Since World War II |url=https://archive.org/details/killinghopeusmil00blum_0 |access-date=4 December 2005 |year=1995 |publisher=Common Courage Press |isbn=978-1-56751-052-2 }}<br />
* {{cite web |last=Bolkom |first=Christopher |author2=Pike, Jonathan |title=''Attack Aircraft Proliferation: Areas for Concern'' |url=https://fas.org/spp/aircraft/part08.htm |access-date=4 December 2005 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051227093110/http://www.fas.org/spp/aircraft/part08.htm |archive-date=27 December 2005 }}<br />
* {{Cite journal |last=Brands |first=H. W. |date=March 2004 |title=George Bush and the Gulf War of 1991 |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/27552567 |url-status=live |journal=Presidential Studies Quarterly |volume=34 |issue=1 |pages=113–131 |doi=10.1111/j.1741-5705.2004.00038.x |issn=0360-4918 |jstor=27552567 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190429203358/https://www.jstor.org/stable/27552567 |archive-date=29 April 2019}}<br />
* {{cite web |first=Miland |last=Brown |year=2005 |title=First Persian Gulf War |url=http://www.libraryreference.org/gulfwar.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070121233845/http://www.libraryreference.org/gulfwar.html |archive-date=21 January 2007 }}<br />
* {{cite book|last=Emering |first=Edward John|title=The Decorations and Medals of the Persian Gulf War (1990 to 1991)|location=Claymont, DE |publisher=Orders and Medals Society of America|year=2005| isbn=978-1-890974-18-3|oclc=62859116}}<br />
* {{cite book |last=Finlan |first=Alastair |title=The Gulf War 1991 |publisher=Osprey |year=2003 |isbn=978-1-84176-574-7 |url=https://archive.org/details/gulfwar199100finl }}<br />
* {{cite web |last=Forbes |first=Daniel |title=Gulf War crimes? |url=http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2000/05/15/hersh/ |access-date=4 December 2005 |date=15 May 2000 |publisher=Salon Magazine |archive-date=6 August 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110806072152/http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2000/05/15/hersh }}<br />
* {{cite book |first=T. M. |last=Hawley. |title=Against the Fires of Hell: The Environmental Disaster of the Gulf War |year=1992 |isbn=978-0-15-103969-2 |publisher=Harcourt Brace Jovanovich |location=New York u.a. |url=https://archive.org/details/againstfiresofhe00hawl }}<br />
* {{cite book |last=Hiro |first=Dilip |year=1992 |title=Desert Shield to Desert Storm: The Second Gulf War |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-0-415-90657-9 |url=https://archive.org/details/desertshieldtode00hiro }}<br />
* {{cite book |last1=Clancy |first1=Tom |last2=Horner |first2=Chuck |title=Every Man a Tiger: The Gulf War Air Campaign |publisher=Putnam |year=1999 |isbn=978-0-399-14493-6 |url=https://archive.org/details/everymantiger00clan |url-access=registration }}<br />
* {{cite web |first=Ronald Andrew |last=Hoskinson |author2=Jarvis, Norman |title=Gulf War Photo Gallery |url=http://www.hoskinson.net/gulfwar/ |access-date=4 December 2005 |year=1994 }}<br />
* {{Cite book |last=Kepel |first=Gilles |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tttzgNKFAI8C |title=Jihad: the trail of political Islam |publisher=[[Harvard University Press]] |year=2002 |isbn=978-0-674-01090-1 |location=Cambridge, Mass |chapter=From the Gulf War to the Taliban Jihad}}<br />
* {{cite book|first=Jon |last=Latimer |author-link=Jon Latimer|title=Deception in War |location=London |publisher=John Murray |year=2001 |isbn=978-0-7195-5605-0}}<br />
* {{cite news |first=Allan |last=Little |title=Iraq coming in from the cold? |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/world/from_our_own_correspondent/newsid_34000/34588.stm |access-date=4 December 2005 |date=1 December 1997 |work=BBC }}<br />
* {{cite web |first=Richard S |last=Lowry |title=The Gulf War Chronicles |publisher=iUniverse (2003 and 2008) |url=http://www.gwchronicles.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080415211818/http://www.gwchronicles.com/ |archive-date=15 April 2008 }}<br />
* {{cite web |first=John |last=MacArthur |date=October 7, 1993 |title=Independent Policy Forum Luncheon Honoring |url=http://www.whatreallyhappened.com/RANCHO/LIE/HK/HK_IRAQ.html |access-date=4 December 2005 }}<br />
* {{cite book |last=Makiya |first=Kanan |author-link=Kanan Makiya |title=Cruelty and Silence: War, Tyranny, Uprising, and the Arab World |publisher=W.W. Norton |year=1993 |isbn=978-0-393-03108-9 |url=https://archive.org/details/crueltysilencewa00maki }}<br />
* {{cite web |first=Edwin |last=Moise |title=Bibliography: The First U.S.{{snd}}Iraq War: Desert Shield and Desert Storm (1990–1991) |url=http://www.clemson.edu/caah/history/FacultyPages/EdMoise/iraqbib.html#first |access-date=21 March 2009 }}<br />
* {{cite book|first=Alan |last=Munro |title=Arab Storm: Politics and Diplomacy Behind the Gulf War |publisher=I.B. Tauris |year=2006 |isbn=978-1-84511-128-1}}<br />
* {{cite web |author=Naval Historical Center |title=The United States Navy in Desert Shield/Desert Storm |url=http://www.history.navy.mil/wars/dstorm/ |access-date=4 December 2005 |date=15 May 1991 |archive-date=2 December 2005 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051202183506/http://www.history.navy.mil/wars/dstorm/ }}<br />
* {{cite book|last=Wright |first=Steven |title=The United States and Persian Gulf Security: The Foundations of the War on Terror |publisher=Ithaca Press |year=2007 |isbn=978-0-86372-321-6}}<br />
* {{Cite web |last1=Niksch |first1=Larry A. |last2=Sutter |first2=Robert G. |date=23 May 1991 |title=Japan's Response to the Persian Gulf Crisis: Implications for U.S. -Japan Relations |url=https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metacrs8/ |access-date=4 December 2005 |website=UNT Digital Library |publisher=Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress |language=English}}<br />
* {{cite book |last=Odgers |first=George|year=1999|title=100 Years of Australians at War |publisher=Lansdowne |location=Sydney |isbn=978-1-86302-669-7}}<br />
* {{cite book|first=Jonathon|last=Riley|title=Decisive Battles: From Yorktown to Operation Desert Storm|publisher=Continuum|year=2010|isbn=978-1-84725-250-0|url=https://archive.org/details/decisivebattlesf0000rile|url-access=registration|page=[https://archive.org/details/decisivebattlesf0000rile/page/207 207]|quote=SAS first units ground January into iraq.}}<br />
* {{cite book |first=Paul William |last=Roberts |author-link=Paul William Roberts |title=The Demonic Comedy: Some Detours in the Baghdad of Saddam Hussein |isbn=978-0-374-13823-3 |year=1998 |publisher=Farrar, Straus and Giroux |location=New York |url=https://archive.org/details/demoniccomedysom00robe }}<br />
* {{cite book |first1=Micah |last1=Sifry |last2=Cerf |first2=Christopher |author-link2=Christopher Cerf (musician and television producer) |title=The Gulf War Reader |year=1991 |isbn=978-0-8129-1947-9 |publisher=Random House |location=New York, NY |url=https://archive.org/details/gulfwarreaderhis00mica }}<br />
* {{cite book |first=Geoff |last=Simons |title=Iraq: from Sumer to post-Saddam |year=2004 |edition=3rd |publisher=Palgrave Macmillan |isbn=978-1-4039-1770-6}}<br />
* {{cite book |first=Jean Edward |last=Smith |author-link=Jean Edward Smith |title=George Bush's War |location=New York |publisher=Henry Holt |year=1992 |isbn=978-0-8050-1388-7 |url=https://archive.org/details/georgebushswar00smit }}<br />
* {{cite book|first=Spencer|last=Tucker|title=The Encyclopedia of Middle East Wars: The United States in the Persian Gulf, Afghanistan, and Iraq Conflicts|publisher=ABC-Clio|year=2010|isbn=978-1-84725-250-0 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/decisivebattlesf0000rile}}<br />
* {{cite web |first=Peter |last=Turnley |title=The Unseen Gulf War (photo essay) |url=http://www.digitaljournalist.org/issue0212/pt_intro.html |access-date=4 December 2005 |date=December 2002 }}<br />
* {{Cite journal |last1=Walker |first1=Paul F. |last2=Stambler |first2=Eric |date=May 1991 |title=…And the Dirty Little Weapons |journal=Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists |language=en |volume=47 |issue=4 |pages=20–24 |doi=10.1080/00963402.1991.11459971 |bibcode=1991BuAtS..47d..20W |issn=0096-3402}}<br />
* {{cite book|last1=Victoria|first1=William L. Cleveland, late of Simon Fraser University, Martin Bunton, University of|title=A History of the Modern Middle East|date=2013|publisher=Westview Press |location=Boulder, CO|isbn=978-0-8133-4833-9|page=450|edition=5th|quote=Last paragraph: "On 16 January 1991 the air war against Iraq began}}<br />
* {{cite web |first=Andre Gunder |last=Frank |title=Third World War in the Gulf: A New World Order |url=http://rrojasdatabank.info/agfrank/gulf_war.html |access-date=4 December 2005 |date=20 May 1991 |work=Political Economy Notebooks for Study and Research, No. 14, pp. 5–34 }}<br />
* {{cite web |author=Frontline |title=The Gulf War: an in-depth examination of the 1990–1991 Persian Gulf crisis |website=[[PBS]] |url=https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/gulf/script_b.html |access-date=4 December 2005 }}<br />
* {{cite web|title=Report to Congress on the Conduct of the Persian Gulf War, Chapter 6 |url=http://es.rice.edu/projects/Poli378/Gulf/gwtxt_ch6.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190831094256/http://es.rice.edu/projects/Poli378/Gulf/gwtxt_ch6.html |archive-date=31 August 2019|access-date=18 Aug 2021}}<br />
* {{cite web|title=25 years since the "Locusta" Operation|date=25 September 2015|url=https://en.difesaonline.it/news-forze-armate/cielo/25-anni-dalloperazione-locusta}}<br />
* {{cite web|title=Iraq (1990)|work=Ministero Della Difesa|language=it |url=http://www.aeronautica.difesa.it/missione/attivitaoperative/operazioni_concluse/opr_internazionali_concluse/Pagine/Iraq(1990).aspx}}<br />
{{Refend}}<br />
<br />
===Films===<br />
{{refbegin|30em}}<br />
* ''[[Dawn of the World]]'' (2008)<br />
* ''[[Bravo Two Zero (film)|Bravo Two Zero]]'' (1999)<br />
* ''[[Courage Under Fire]]'' (1996)<br />
* ''[[The Finest Hour (1991 film)|The Finest Hour]]'' (1991)<br />
* ''[[The Heroes of Desert Storm]]'' (1991)<br />
* ''[[Lessons of Darkness]]'' (1992) (a documentary)<br />
* ''[[Live from Baghdad (film)|Live from Baghdad]]'' (2002)<br />
* ''[[Towelhead (film)|Towelhead]]'' (2007)<br />
* ''[[Three Kings (1999 film)|Three Kings]]'' (1999)<br />
* ''[[The Manchurian Candidate (2004 film)|The Manchurian Candidate]]'' (2004)<br />
* Used as a back drop for the film ''[[The Big Lebowski]]'' (1998). It is frequently discussed as well.<br />
* Used in [[retconned]] backstory for ''[[The Punisher (2004 film)|The Punisher]]'' (2004)<br />
* ''[[Airlift (film)|Airlift]]'' (2016){{snd}} A [[Bollywood]] film based on the true story of [[1990 airlift of Indians from Kuwait|the evacuation of 170,000 Indians stranded in the war zone]].<br />
{{refend}}<br />
<br />
===Novels===<br />
{{refbegin|30em}}<br />
* ''Braving the Fear{{snd}}The True Story of Rowdy US Marines in the Gulf War'' (by Douglas Foster) {{ISBN|978-1-4137-9902-6}}<br />
* ''Bravo Two Zero'' (by [[Andy McNab]]) {{ISBN|978-0-440-21880-7}}<br />
* ''[[The Fist of God]]'' (by [[Frederick Forsyth]]) {{ISBN|978-0-553-09126-7}}<br />
* ''Glass (Pray the Electrons Back to Sand)'' (by James Chapman)<br />
* ''Gulf in the War Story: A US Navy Personnel Manager Confides in You'' (diary from inside the real Top Gun, VF-1 "Wolfpack" by Bob Graham) {{ISBN|978-1-4751-4705-6}}<br />
* ''Hogs'' [[dime novel]] series by James Ferro<br />
* ''Jarhead'' (by Anthony Swofford) {{ISBN|978-0-7432-3535-8}}<br />
* ''Savant'' (by [[James Follett]])<br />
* ''Summer 1990'' (by Firyal AlShalabi)<br />
* ''Third Graders at War'' (by Felix G)<br />
* ''To Die in Babylon'' by [[Harold Livingston]]<br />
* '' M60 vs T-62 Cold War Combatants 1956–92'' (by Lon Nordeen & David Isby)<br />
{{refend}}<br />
<br />
==External links==<br />
{{sister project links|c=Category:Gulf War|d=yes|q=yes|n=no|b=no|v=no|voy=no|m=no|mw=no|wikt=no|s=no|species=no}}<br />
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dUAY4hwufkI Barbara Walters Interview with General Schwarzkopf, Coalition commander in the Persian Gulf War] (Video: ABC, 1991)<br />
* [//repository.library.georgetown.edu/handle/10822/552642 Gulf War Discussion] from the [//repository.library.georgetown.edu/handle/10822/552494/browse?type=title Dean Peter Krogh Foreign Affairs Digital Archives]<br />
* [//repository.library.georgetown.edu/handle/10822/552703 Historical Context] from the [//repository.library.georgetown.edu/handle/10822/552494/browse?type=title Dean Peter Krogh Foreign Affairs Digital Archives]<br />
* [http://archives.cbc.ca/IDD-1-71-593/conflict_war/gulf_war/ CBC Digital Archives{{snd}}The 1991 Gulf War]<br />
* [http://www.history.army.mil/reference/Finding%20Aids/DSMI.htm Master Index of Desert Storm Oral History Interviews] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101231231437/http://www.history.army.mil/reference/Finding%20Aids/DSMI.htm |date=31 December 2010 }} by the [[United States Army Center of Military History]]<br />
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20071212214924/http://www.history.army.mil/reference/gulfbib.htm Bibliography of the Desert Shield and Desert Storm] compiled by the [[United States Army Center of Military History]] {{link note|note=via Wayback Machine}}<br />
* [http://cdm16635.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/search/collection/p16635coll2!p16635coll25!p16635coll13!p16635coll18!p16635coll20!p16635coll15!p16635coll27!p16635coll3!p16635coll11!p16635coll8!p16635coll28!p16635coll23!p16635coll29!p16635coll10!p16635coll12!p16635coll5!p16635coll4!p16635coll14!p16635coll9!p16635coll21!p16635coll1!p16635coll22/searchterm/XVIII%20Airborne%20Corps%20History%20Office/field/all/mode/all/conn/and/order/nosort/ad/asc, Desert Shield/Desert Storm Photographs] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151017021409/http://cdm16635.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/search/collection/p16635coll2!p16635coll25!p16635coll13!p16635coll18!p16635coll20!p16635coll15!p16635coll27!p16635coll3!p16635coll11!p16635coll8!p16635coll28!p16635coll23!p16635coll29!p16635coll10!p16635coll12!p16635coll5!p16635coll4!p16635coll14!p16635coll9!p16635coll21!p16635coll1!p16635coll22/searchterm/XVIII%20Airborne%20Corps%20History%20Office/field/all/mode/all/conn/and/order/nosort/ad/asc, |date=17 October 2015 }} US Army Heritage and Education Center, Carlisle, Pennsylvania<br />
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20140505181504/http://www.history.com-archive.info/topics/persian-gulf-war Persian Gulf War]<br />
* [http://www.defensemedianetwork.com/stories/20th-anniversary-of-desert-storm-in-photos/ 20th Anniversary of Desert Storm in Photos]<br />
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20150714171711/http://waronline.org/mideast/iraq_airforce.htm Air Force and Air Defense of Iraq before the war (not translated) exact list of the technical details]<br />
* [https://purl.fdlp.gov/GPO/gpo52758 Liberating Kuwait] [[United States Marine Corps]]<br />
* [http://www.gulflink.osd.mil/du_ii/du_ii_tabh.htm Friendly-fire Incidents] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130601053948/http://www.gulflink.osd.mil/du_ii/du_ii_tabh.htm |date=1 June 2013 }}{{snd}}www.gulflink.osd.mil<br />
* [https://history.army.mil/html/forcestruc/vua_citations.html Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm: Valorous Unit Award Citations] by the [[United States Army Center of Military History]]<br />
<br />
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[[Category:Wars involving Germany]]</div>Boackandwhitehttps://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=User_talk:DannyS712&diff=1261771630User talk:DannyS7122024-12-07T22:10:16Z<p>Boackandwhite: /* Your Bot */ new section</p>
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== DannyS712 bot Task 14 ==<br />
<br />
DannyS712 bot Task 14 is removing the ending <code><nowiki>}}</nowiki></code> when it's on the same line.[https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Template:Canadian-navy-tugboat-stub&diff=prev&oldid=1208592796][https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Template:Louisiana-House-of-Representatives-stub&diff=prev&oldid=1208592797] [[User:PrimeHunter|PrimeHunter]] ([[User talk:PrimeHunter|talk]]) 12:02, 18 February 2024 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:@[[User:PrimeHunter|PrimeHunter]] thanks for letting me know. I should be able to sort it out in the next few days [[User:DannyS712|DannyS712]] ([[User talk:DannyS712#top|talk]]) 17:31, 18 February 2024 (UTC)<br />
:@[[User:PrimeHunter|PrimeHunter]] sorry for the delay, should be fixed now - https://github.com/DannyS712/bot/commit/b96b77533ec27e11c98e8bcf8f503584a0fc71aa --[[User:DannyS712|DannyS712]] ([[User talk:DannyS712#top|talk]]) 05:49, 12 June 2024 (UTC)<br />
::Now it duplicates the name.[https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Template:Brunei-stub&diff=prev&oldid=1228612169] I have reverted all six edits today. None of them had an incorrect name before. Task 14 is only for pages listed under E in [[:Category:Stub message templates needing attention]]. [[User:PrimeHunter|PrimeHunter]] ([[User talk:PrimeHunter|talk]]) 11:19, 12 June 2024 (UTC)<br />
:::@[[User:PrimeHunter|PrimeHunter]] unfortunately the bot can't tell what the sortkey of the category is (i.e. if it is under "E") - but the substitution is meant to have no change if the name was already correct. I have re-patched this with https://github.com/DannyS712/bot/commit/ed29eb994ca2dfe14d3e597e05c21e85840fa2cc and then https://github.com/DannyS712/bot/commit/1500718f9dbd5588e6e41047b4004857ca3fa647 (since after the first patch edits became [[Special:Diff/1228671069]] - an improvement but not a fix) which should properly fix it, sorry - I guess that is what I get for writing the first patch before coffee. I'll monitor the bot for the rest of the evening and then tomorrow --[[User:DannyS712|DannyS712]] ([[User talk:DannyS712#top|talk]]) 14:42, 12 June 2024 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== Tech News: 2024-08 ==<br />
<br />
<section begin="technews-2024-W08"/><div class="plainlinks"><br />
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/08|Translations]] are available.<br />
<br />
'''Recent changes'''<br />
* If you have the "{{int:Tog-enotifwatchlistpages}}" option enabled, edits by bot accounts no longer trigger notification emails. Previously, only minor edits would not trigger the notification emails. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T356984]<br />
* There are changes to how user and site scripts load for [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Skin:Vector/2022| Vector 2022]] on specific wikis. The changes impacted the following Wikis: all projects with [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Skin:Vector|Vector legacy]] as the default skin, Wikivoyage, and Wikibooks. Other wikis will be affected over the course of the next three months. Gadgets are not impacted. If you have been affected or want to minimize the impact on your project, see [[Phab:T357580| this ticket]]. Please coordinate and take action proactively.<br />
*Newly auto-created accounts (the accounts you get when you visit a new wiki) now have the same local notification preferences as users who freshly register on that wiki. It is effected in four notification types listed in the [[phab:T353225|task's description]].<br />
*The maximum file size when using [[c:Special:MyLanguage/Commons:Upload_Wizard|Upload Wizard]] is now 5 GiB. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T191804]<br />
<br />
'''Changes later this week'''<br />
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.42/wmf.19|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2024-02-20|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2024-02-21|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2024-02-22|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.42/Roadmap|calendar]]). [https://wikitech.wikimedia.org/wiki/Deployments/Train][https://wikitech.wikimedia.org/wiki/Deployments/Yearly_calendar]<br />
<br />
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Advanced item]] Selected tools on the grid engine have been [[wikitech:News/Toolforge_Grid_Engine_deprecation|stopped]] as we prepare to shut down the grid on March 14th, 2024. The tool's code and data have not been deleted. If you are a maintainer and you want your tool re-enabled reach out to the [[wikitech:Portal:Toolforge/About_Toolforge#Communication_and_support|team]]. Only tools that have asked for extension are still running on the grid.<br />
* The CSS <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code>[https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/CSS/filter filter]</code></bdi> property can now be used in HTML <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code>style</code></bdi> attributes in wikitext. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T308160]<br />
<br />
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]]&nbsp;• [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]]&nbsp;• [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/08|Translate]]&nbsp;• [[m:Tech|Get help]]&nbsp;• [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]]&nbsp;• [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''<br />
</div><section end="technews-2024-W08"/><br />
<br />
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 15:34, 19 February 2024 (UTC)<br />
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<br />
== Autopatrol redirects left by page movers ==<br />
<br />
Hi! I wanted to let you know I have closed {{section link|Wikipedia talk:New pages patrol/Reviewers#Idea to reduce redirect backlog}} as successful. Please feel free to file a BRFA to implement the results of the discussion. And another friendly reminder to complete [[Wikipedia talk:New pages patrol/Redirect autopatrol list#Protected edit request on 23 April 2022]] :) <b style="font-family:Courier New;">[[User:HouseBlaster|House]][[Special:Contributions/HouseBlaster|<span style="color:#7D066B;">Blaster</span>]]</b>&nbsp;([[User talk:HouseBlaster|talk]]&nbsp;·&nbsp;he/him) 01:32, 20 February 2024 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:@[[User:HouseBlaster|HouseBlaster]] thanks - I'll try to implement it soon but I'll be busy for the next few weeks [[User:DannyS712|DannyS712]] ([[User talk:DannyS712#top|talk]]) 03:50, 20 February 2024 (UTC)<br />
:Belatedly cross-linking [[Wikipedia:Bots/Requests for approval/DannyS712 bot III 74]] --[[User:DannyS712|DannyS712]] ([[User talk:DannyS712#top|talk]]) 03:59, 2 July 2024 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== Tech News: 2024-09 ==<br />
<br />
<section begin="technews-2024-W09"/><div class="plainlinks"><br />
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/09|Translations]] are available.<br />
<br />
'''Recent changes'''<br />
* The [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/VisualEditor_on_mobile|mobile visual editor]] is now the default editor for users who never edited before, at a small group of wikis. [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/VisualEditor_on_mobile/VE_mobile_default#A/B_test_results| Research ]] shows that users using this editor are slightly more successful publishing the edits they started, and slightly less successful publishing non-reverted edits. Users who defined the wikitext editor as their default on desktop will get the wikitext editor on mobile for their first edit on mobile as well. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T352127]<br />
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Advanced item]] The [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/ResourceLoader/Core modules#mw.config|mw.config]] value <code>wgGlobalGroups</code> now only contains groups that are active in the wiki. Scripts no longer have to check whether the group is active on the wiki via an API request. A code example of the above is: <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code>if (/globalgroupname/.test(mw.config.get("wgGlobalGroups")))</code></bdi>. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T356008]<br />
<br />
'''Changes later this week'''<br />
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.42/wmf.20|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2024-02-27|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2024-02-28|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2024-02-29|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.42/Roadmap|calendar]]). [https://wikitech.wikimedia.org/wiki/Deployments/Train][https://wikitech.wikimedia.org/wiki/Deployments/Yearly_calendar]<br />
<br />
'''Future changes'''<br />
* The right to change [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Manual:Tags|edit tags]] (<bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code>changetags</code></bdi>) will be removed from users in Wikimedia sites, keeping it by default for admins and bots only. Your community can ask to retain the old configuration on your wiki before this change happens. Please indicate in [[phab:T355639|this ticket]] to keep it for your community before the end of March 2024.<br />
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]]&nbsp;• [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]]&nbsp;• [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/09|Translate]]&nbsp;• [[m:Tech|Get help]]&nbsp;• [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]]&nbsp;• [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''<br />
</div><section end="technews-2024-W09"/><br />
<br />
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 19:21, 26 February 2024 (UTC)<br />
<!-- Message sent by User:UOzurumba (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=26294125 --><br />
<br />
== WikiCup 2024 March newsletter ==<br />
<br />
The first round of the 2024 WikiCup ended at 23:59 (UTC) on 27 February. Everyone with at least 30 points moved on to Round 2, the highest number of points required to advance to the second round since 2014. Due to a six-way tie for the 64th-place spot, 67 contestants have qualified for Round 2.<br />
<br />
The following scorers in Round 1 all scored more than 300 points: <br />
<br />
* {{Wikipedia:WikiCup/Participant15|Generalissima}}, who has 916 points mostly from one FA on [[John Littlejohn (preacher)]], 15 GAs, and 16 DYKs on a variety of topics including New Zealand coinage and Inuit figures, in addition to seven reviews<br />
* {{Wikipedia:WikiCup/Participant15|Vami IV}}, who has 790 points from two FAs on [[Felix M. Warburg House]] and [[Doom (2016 video game)]], two GAs, one DYK, and 11 reviews<br />
* {{Wikipedia:WikiCup/Participant15|AirshipJungleman29}}, who has 580 points from one FA on [[Hö'elün]], two GAs on Mongolia-related articles, two DYKs, and five reviews<br />
* {{Wikipedia:WikiCup/Participant15|Sammi Brie}}, who has 420 points mostly from nine GAs and seven DYKs on television and radio stations<br />
* {{Wikipedia:WikiCup/Participant15|MaranoFan}}, who has 351 points from one FA on [[Holidays (Meghan Trainor song)]], a nine-article FT on [[30 (album)]], and three DYKs<br />
* {{Wikipedia:WikiCup/Participant15|Skyshifter}}, who has 345 points from one FA on [[OneShot]], one DYK and two reviews<br />
<br />
In this newsletter, the judges would like to pay a special tribute to {{Wikipedia:WikiCup/Participant15|Vami IV}}, who unfortunately passed away this February. At the time of his death, he was the second-highest-scoring competitor. Outside the WikiCup, he had eight other featured articles, five [[Wikipedia:Content assessment/A-Class criteria|A-class]] articles, eight other good articles, and two [[Wikipedia:Four Award|Four Award]]s. Vami also wrote an essay on [[User:Vami_IV/Completionism|completionism]], a philosophy in which he deeply believed. If you can, please join us in honoring his memory by improving one of the articles on his [[User:Vami IV/My works|to-do list]].<br />
<br />
Remember that any content promoted after 27 February but before the start of Round 2 can be claimed in Round 2. Invitations for collaborative writing efforts or any other discussion of potentially interesting work is always welcome on the WikiCup talk page. Remember, if two or more WikiCup competitors have done significant work on an article, all can claim points. If you are concerned that your nomination—whether it is at good article candidates, a featured process, or anywhere else—will not receive the necessary reviews, please list it on [[Wikipedia:WikiCup/Reviews Needed]]. If you want to help out with the WikiCup, feel free to review one of the nominations listed on Wikipedia:WikiCup/Reviews Needed. Questions are welcome on [[Wikipedia talk:WikiCup]], and the judges are reachable on their talk pages. Good luck! <small>If you wish to start or stop receiving this newsletter, please feel free to add or remove your name from [[Wikipedia:WikiCup/Newsletter/Send]].</small> [[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]] ([[User talk:MediaWiki message delivery|talk]]) 00:40, 28 February 2024 (UTC)<br />
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<br />
== Scripts++ Newsletter – Issue 24 ==<br />
<br />
<div style="border-style:solid; border-color:#606060; background-color:#f8f8f8; border-width:2px; text-align:left; padding:7px; border-radius:1em; box-shadow:0.1em 0.1em 0.5em rgba(0,0,0,0.75);" class="plainlinks"><br />
Hello everyone, and welcome to the 24th issue of the Wikipedia [[Wikipedia:Scripts++|Scripts++ Newsletter]], covering all our favorite new and updated user scripts since {{#formatdate:2021-12-24|dmy}}. Uh-huh, we're finally covering the good ones among the rest! Aren't you excited? Remember to include a link in double brackets to the script's .js page when you install the script, so that we can see who uses the script in WhatLinksHere! The ScriptInstaller gadget automatically does this. [[User:Aaron Liu|<span style="color:#0645ad">Aaron Liu</span>]] ([[User talk:Aaron Liu#top|talk]]) 01:00, 1 March 2024 (UTC)<br />
<br />
[[File:Farm-Fresh scripts text.png|20px]] <small>Got anything good? Tell us about your new, improved, old, or messed-up script [[Wikipedia talk:Scripts++|here]]!</small><br />
<br />
{{columns-start|num=3}}<br />
===[[File:Cscr-featured.svg|20px]] Featured script===<br />
: '''[[User:SD0001/Making user scripts load faster|Making user scripts load faster]]''' by '''[[User:SD0001|SD0001]]''' is this month's featured script, which caches userscripts every day to eliminate the overhead caused by force-downloading the newest version of scripts every time you open a Wikipedia page. Despite being released in April 2021, our best script scouters have failed to locate it due to its omission from [[WP:US/L|the US of L]]. For security reasons, the script only supports loading JavaScript pages.<br />
<br />
===[[File:Farm-Fresh error go.png|20px]] Newly maintained scripts===<br />
After earthly attempts at improving the original have failed...<br />
* [[User:Aaron Liu|Aaron Liu]] has created [[m:User:Aaron Liu/What redirects here.js|What redirects here]] from [[User:Guarapiranga/WhatRedirectsHere.js|Guarapiranga/WhatRedirectsHere]]; {{their|Aaron Liu}} fork includes support for every MediaWiki wiki, corrected link positions, an access key, and some rudimentary translation.<br />
* [[User:Ahecht|Ahecht]] has created [[User:Ahecht/Scripts/TemplateSearch|a fork]] of [[User:SiBr4/TemplateSearch.js|SiBr4/TemplateSearch]], which adds the "TP:" shortcut for "Template:" in the search box, and updated it to be compatible with Vector 2022.<br />
* [[User:AquilaFasciata/goToTopFast.js|AquilaFasciata/goToTopFast]] is a much faster fork of the classic goToTop script that also adds compatibility for Minerva and Vector 2022.<br />
* [[User:Mesidast/Tidy citations|Mesidast/Tidy citations]] is a fork of [[User:Meteor sandwich yum/Tidy citations|Meteor sandwich yum/Tidy citations]] is a fork of [[User:Waldyrious/formatcitations|Waldyrious/formatcitations]]. It configurably harmonizes whitespace and cleans up parameters in citation templates, descriptive edit summary included.<br />
{{column}}<br />
<br/><br />
[[File:Impact of userscript-load-caching (before).png|frameless|Without caching. Each script takes 400–500ms. A particularly large script takes 1.11 s! Internet download speed is 50 Mbps.|centre]]<br />
[[File:Impact of userscript-load-caching (after).png|frameless|With caching enabled. Each script takes just 1-2 ms to load.|centre]]<br />
<br/><br />
[[File:Text-x-source.svg|frameless|upright=1.1|center]]<br />
{{column}}<br />
<br />
===[[File:Ambox important.svg|20px]] Improve a script===<br />
Unfortunately, this section has remained nearly identical. Help us out here!<br />
* Many of our favorite scripts such as [[User:Fred Gandt/userResourceManager|Fred Gandt/userResourceManager]], [[User:Guarapiranga/search-shortcuts|Guarapiranga/search-shortcuts]] and [[User:Bradv/Scripts/Superlinks|Bradv/Superlinks]] haven't been updated for Vector 2022. You could be the one to change that!<br />
* [[User:Elominius/gadget/media timer|Elominius/media timer]] works, but its UI looks alien. Someone could improve it...<br />
* To a lesser extent, the same goes for [[User:PrimeHunter/Search sort.js|PrimeHunter/Search sort]]. I wish someone would integrate the sorts into the sort menu instead of adding 11 portlet links.<br />
* We want...<br />
:* ...a mark-as-read button and watchlist notices support for [[User:Aaron Liu/Watchlyst Greybar Unsin|Aaron Liu/Watchlyst Greybar Unsin]]<br />
:* ...a tool to automatically fix [[CAT:BROKENREF]]s, preferably a fork/addition to [[User:TheJJJunk/ARA|TheJJJunk/ARA]]<br />
:* ...a fix/fork of [[User:DannyS712/SectionRemover.js|DannyS712/SectionRemover]] to make it work<br />
<br />
===[[File:Ambox clock yellow.svg|20px]] Requested scripts===<br />
* A simple script to second or archive [[WP:proposed deletion|proposed deletion]]s<br />
* A script to auto-expand V22 ToC sections like [[:File:Automatically expanding sections in the TOC (Vector 2022).webm|this demo]]<br />
* A [[WP:3O]] response tool that can automatically remove the relevant request from the 3O dashboard<br />
* A byte filter to be split from [[:pl:User:Nux/LongTableFilters.js|Nux/LongTableFilters]]<br />
* ...and many more, all available at [[Wikipedia:User scripts/Requests]]<br />
<br />
{{columns-end}}<br />
<br />
===[[File:Gnome-colors-list-add.svg|20px]] New scripts===<br />
<!--The current convention is to use the [[Example/ScriptName]] notation for scripts added by someone other than the script author and [[Example]]: [[SciptName]] for scripts the author adds themselves. Of course, you are always free to ignore all rules.--><br />
<br />
*[[User:DannyS712/AbuseFilterMessageLinks.js|DannyS712/AbuseFilterMessageLinks]] add links to the "warn" and "disallow" messages in [[wp:edit filter|edit filter]]s.<br />
*[[User:Diegodlh/Web2Cit/script|Diegodlh/Web2Cit/script]] adds an option to use [[m:Web2Cit]] (which [[WP:ProveIt]] also uses) instead of [[mw:Citoid]] to generate citations in the Visual Editor.<br />
*[[meta:User:Dragoniez/SuppressEnterInForm|Dragoniez/SuppressEnterInForm]] stops you from accidentally submitting anything due to pressing enter while in the smaller box, and works on almost anything... except the InputBox element itself, used in subscription lists and [[Wikipedia:Wikipedia Signpost/2023-12-24/Crossword|the Signpost Crossword]]! Oh, the humanity!<br />
*[[File:CopyVio detector, Adiutor.png|frameless|right]][[User:Doǵu/Adiutor|Doǵu/Adiutor]] ''(pictured)'' provides a nice, integrated interface to do some twinkley tasks such as copyvio detection, CSD tagging, and viewing the most recent diff.<br />
*[[File:Eejit43's redirect-helper script demo.png|right|frameless]][[User:Eejit43|Eejit43]] has quite the aesthetically pleasing scripts, all made in [[TypeScript]].<br />
**[[User:Eejit43/scripts/afcrc-helper|/afcrc-helper]] is a replacement for the unmaintained [[User:Enterprisey/AFCRHS|Enterprisey/AFCRHS]] and processes Redirects for Creation and Categories for Creation requests.<br />
**[[User:Eejit43/scripts/ajax-undo|/ajax-undo]] stops the "undo" button from taking you to another page while providing a text box to provide a reason for the revert.<br />
**[[User:Eejit43/scripts/redirect-helper|/redirect-helper]] ''(pictured)'' adds a much better interface for editing and redirects, including categorization, for which valid categories are dictated by [[User:Eejit43/scripts/redirect-helper.json|/redirect-helper.json]].<br />
**[[User:Eejit43/scripts/rmtr-helper|/rmtr-helper]] helps process technical requested moves without being able to actually move them.<br />
*[[File:User Info Popup screenshot 1.jpg|right|frameless]][[User:Guycn2/UserInfoPopup|Guycn2/UserInfoPopup]] ''(pictured)'' adds a flyout after the watchlist star on userspace pages that displays the common information you might use about a user.<br />
*[[User:Jeeputer/editCounter|Jeeputer/editCounter]], under userspace, adds a portlet link to count your edits by namespace, put them in a table, and put that table in a hardcoded subpage, all in the background.<br />
*[[User:Hilst/Scripts/sectionLinks|Hilst/Scripts/sectionLinks]] converts all section links to use the § sign, which are known to be preferred over the ugly # by 99% of the devils I've met.<br />
*[[User:Moonythedwarf/extra-unreliable|Moonythedwarf/extra-unreliable]] highlights phrases commonly used in spammed and POV'd paragraphs.<br />
*[[File:FormattedEditRequest-in-work.png|frameless|right]][[User:NguoiDungKhongDinhDanh/FormattedEditRequest|NguoiDungKhongDinhDanh/FormattedEditRequest]] ''(pictured)'' generates a wikitext-formatted diff view of any changes you've made that you can copy and paste anywhere.<br />
*[[User:PrimeHunter/Category source.js|PrimeHunter/Category source.js]] adds portlet links to tell you where a category for an article comes from and supports those from template transclusions.<br />
*[[User:Qwerfjkl/scripts/massCFD|Qwerfjkl/massCFD]] creates mass [[WP:CfD]] nominations.<br />
*[[User:Rublov/refspace|Rublov/refspace]] highlights footnote spacing errors in red.<br />
*[[User:Sophivorus|Sophivorus]]'s [[mw:MiniEdit|MiniEdit]] adds some nice, li'l buttons next to paragraphs to edit their wikitext with a minimal interface.<br />
<br />
====Edit-listings====<br />
*[[meta:User:Dragoniez/ToollinkTweaks|Dragoniez/ToollinkTweaks]] adds more and customizable links next to users in page history, logs, watchlist, recent changes, etc.<br />
*[[User:Firefly/more-block-info|Firefly/more-block-info]] optimizes the display of rangeblocks in contribution pages. Doesn't work outside the English locale of any wiki, unfortunately.<br />
*[[User:Ingenuity/AbuseFilterContribs|Ingenuity/AbuseFilterContribs]] adds the edit filters that an edit tripped (if any) to a user's contributions page.<br />
**[[User:Nardog/ExamineMore.js|Nardog/ExamineMore]] makes it so the paging at [[Special:AbuseFilter/examine]] actually works, pending a fix to {{Phab|T292764}}.<br />
*[[User:NguoiDungKhongDinhDanh/AjaxLoader.js|NguoiDungKhongDinhDanh/AjaxLoader]] makes paging links (e.g. older 50, 500, newest) load without refreshing and makes you realize how slow your internet actually is.<br />
<br />
====Appearance-ricing====<br />
*[[User:Ahecht|Ahecht/RedirectID]] adds the redirect target to all redirects. For all the [[WP:NAVPOPS]] haters. (Do these exist?)<br />
*[[meta:User:Dragoniez/MarkBLockedGlobal|Dragoniez/MarkBLockedGlobal]]: Remember the "strike blocked usernames" gadget? Now you can use a red, dotted line to highlight rangeblocks and global locks!<br />
*[[User:GhostInTheMachine/GraphicReplyLink|GhostInTheMachine/GraphicReplyLink]] replaces the [ {{preload|Template talk:Signpost/Crossword cell|reply|User:Aaron Liu/insomnium}} ] link with 💬, which is some sort of rainy cloud I guess?{{jokes}}<br />
*[[File:En.WP VPP Screen Shot 2024-01-13 with custom CSS.png|frameless|right]][[User:Jonesey95/common.css|Jonesey/common]] ''(pictured)'' has some styles to overhaul your Vector 2022 experience. It reduces padding everywhere, and makes the top bar animation faster.<br />
**[[m:User:Aaron Liu/v22.css|Aaron Liu/V22]] is a fork that narrows the sidebars instead of upheaving them, reverts the January 2024 dropdown changes, and restores the old page-link color for links that don't go outside the current wiki.<br />
*[[User:Nardog/SmartDiff|Nardog: SmartDiff]] is a spiritual successor to [[User:Enterprisey/fancy-diffs|Enterprisey/fancy-diffs]]. It makes the page title part of links in diffs clickable, along with template and parser function calls. Unnamed parameters can be configured per template to also be linked. All links are styled based on the normal CSS classes of rendered links.<br />
*[[User:Phlsph7/ClassicalTOC(Vector2022)|Phlsph7/ClassicalTOC (Vector 2022)]] reinserts the inline table of contents to pages under Vector 2022.<br />
*For the paranoid: [[User:Rublov/anonymize|Rublov/anonymize]] replaces your username at the top of the screen with the generic "User page" text. Remember, it is your duty to persuade everyone that [[WP:HOLIC|editing is an honor]].<br />
*[[User:Sideswipe9th/V22FloatingToolsMenu|Sideswipe9th/Vector 2022 Floating Tools Menu]] moves the Page Tools menu to the left and makes it float along with the table of contents.<br />
*[[User:Sm8ps/SectionEditing|Sm8ps/SectionEditing]] makes pressing {{key press|Tab}} toggle the visibility of the tiny [ {{preload|Template talk:Signpost/Crossword cell|edit|User:Aaron Liu/insomnium}} ] links next to section headings.. Not a great name, eh?<br />
*[[User:The wub/tocExpandAll.js|The wub/tocExpandAll]] adds a button on top of the floating ToC to expand or collapse subheadings.<br />
<br />
====Permissions required!====<br />
*[[User:Ahecht/Scripts/potd-helper|Ahecht/potd-helper]]: A script to <em>post</em> the picture of the day. A powerful upgrade for your mop.<br />
*[[File:Selective Rollback dialog.png|right|frameless]][[meta:User:Dragoniez|Dragoniez]]<br />
**[[meta:User:Dragoniez/AjaxBlock|/AjaxBlock]] provides a dialog box for easy input of reasons while blocking users.<br />
**[[meta:User:Dragoniez/Selective Rollback|/Selective Rollback]] ''(pictured)'' provides a dialog box to customize [[wp:rollback|rollback]] edit summaries and does them without reloading the page. Seriously, why doesn't MediaWiki already do this?<br />
*[[User:Theleekycauldron/DYK promoter|Theleekycauldron/DYK promoter]] automates (nearly) all the work needed to post a DYK hook.<br />
<br />
====QOL shortcuts====<br />
<br />
*[[User:BrandonXLF/SVGEditor|BrandonXLF/SVGEditor]] lets you edit any file that is an SVG, straight from the file page.<br />
*[[User:DanCherek/UAABotRemover|DanCherek/UAABotRemover]] adds a portlet link to enable a removal shortcut of faulty reports from [[Wikipedia:Usernames for administrator attention]].<br />
*[[User:DreamRimmer/BlankUserPage|DreamRimmer/BlankUserPage]] helps you destroy webhost-ers' hopes and dreams with a user-friendly dialog box.<br />
*[[meta:User:ESanders (WMF)/commentlinks.js|ESanders (WMF)/commentlinks.js]] adds a "link" button right after the "reply" button while the WMF struggles to reach feature parity with [[commons:Special:MyLanguage/User:Jack who built the house/Convenient Discussions|Convenient Discussions]].<br />
*[[User:Isaacl/script/copy-comment-link-to-clipboard|Isaacl/copy-comment-link-to-clipboard]] does exactly what you'd think it does, but in Wikitext.<br />
* [[User:FenrisAureus/SimpleStatus|FenrisAureus/SimpleStatus]] adds a shortcut at the top to edit your /Status subpage while providing a pre-made template.<br />
*[[User:Fred Gandt/addCloneClearButtonAboveScributoConsole.js|Fred Gandt/addCloneClearButtonAboveScributoConsole]]: What a mouthful! Yet all it does (no offense) is add another {{Button|Clear}} button on top of the Lua module debug console.<br />
* [[User:Guarapiranga/GlobalWatchlistLink|Guarapiranga/GlobalWatchlistLink]] adds a link to [[metawiki:Special:GlobalWatchlist]] next to the normal watchlist.<br />
*[[User:Nardog|Nardog]]<br />
**[[User:Nardog/PasteToCommons|PasteToCommons]] adds a paste handler to upload the pasted image to Wikimedia Commons.<br />
**[[User:Nardog/Unpipe.js|Unpipe]] tries to detect violations of [[WP:NOPIPE]] and fix them as much as possible.<br />
*[[User:Ohconfucius/script/tometricunits|Ohconfucius/tometricunits]] automatically adds unit conversions of [[United States customary units|imperial units]] in brackets after their uses per [[MOS:UNITS]].<br />
* [[User:Suntooooth|Suntooooth]]<br />
** [[User:Suntooooth/flickrsearch.js|/flickrsearch]] adds a portlet link to search for uploadable flickr images about the subject.<br />
** [[User:Suntooooth/randomincategory.js|/randomincategory]] adds a portlet link when on Category pages to go to a random page in the current category. <br />
* [[User:Vghfr/EasyTemplates/Easytemplates|Vghfr/EasyTemplates]] adds a portlet link to automatically insert some of the most common inline {{tl|fix}} templates.<br />
<br />
Yes, we're just doing 'em as we go now. Thanks for reading through this looong issue, if you did! I'm sure this'll send a record for the longest issue ev-ah. You may need to wait even longer for the last issue, as our reserve of old-y and goodie scripts have ran out... We encourage you to try and do some of the requests or improvement tasks. See you in Summer, hopefully! <br />
----<br />
{{center|{{flatlist|<br />
* [[Wikipedia:Scripts++|About the newsletter]]<br />
* [[Wikipedia:Scripts++/Archive|Archive]]<br />
* [[Wikipedia:Scripts++/Subscribe|Subscription options]]<br />
* [[Wikipedia talk:Scripts++/Issue 24|Discuss this issue]]<br />
}}}}<br />
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[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]] ([[User talk:MediaWiki message delivery|talk]]) 02:36, 1 March 2024 (UTC)<br />
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<br />
== Administrators' newsletter – March 2024 ==<br />
<br />
[[Wikipedia:Administrators' newsletter|News and updates for administrators]] from the past month (February 2024).<br />
<br />
{{Col-begin}}<br />
{{Col-2}}<br />
<br />
[[File:Wikipedia Administrator.svg|20px|alt=]] '''Administrator changes'''<br />
:[[File:Gnome-colors-list-add.svg|20px|alt=added|Added]] {{Hlist|class=inline<br />
|[[Wikipedia:Requests for adminship/Sdkb|Sdkb]]<br />
|[[Wikipedia:Requests for adminship/The Night Watch|The Night Watch]]<br />
}}<br />
:[[File:Gnome-colors-list-remove.svg|20px|alt=removed|Removed]] {{Hlist|class=inline<br />
|[[Special:Permalink/1201596272#Wikipedia:Inactive administrators/2024#February 2024|East718]]<br />
|[[Special:Permalink/1210532424#Desysop request (Isabelle Belato)|Isabelle Belato]]<br />
|[[Special:Permalink/1204281845#Arbitration motion regarding Mzajac|Mzajac]]<br />
|[[Special:Permalink/1201596272#Wikipedia:Inactive administrators/2024#February 2024|Staecker]]<br />
|[[Special:Permalink/1201923983#Desysop request (Stan Shebs)|Stan Shebs]]<br />
|[[Special:Permalink/1201596272#Wikipedia:Inactive administrators/2024#February 2024|Sugarfish]]<br />
|[[Special:Permalink/1208474988#Resignation (Tamzin)|Tamzin]]<br />
}}<br />
<br />
{{Col-2}}<br />
[[File:ANEWSicon.png|right|150px]]<br />
<br />
[[File:Wikipedia bureaucrat.svg|20px|alt=]] '''Bureaucrat changes'''<br />
:[[File:Gnome-colors-list-remove.svg|20px|alt=removed|Removed]] [[m:Special:Permalink/26246943#SilkTork@enwiki|SilkTork]]<br />
<br />
{{Col-end}}<br />
<br />
[[File:Green check.svg|20px|alt=]] '''Guideline and policy news'''<br />
* [[Wikipedia:Requests for adminship/2024 review/Phase I|Phase I]] of the 2024 [[Wikipedia:Requests for adminship/2024 review|RfA review]] is now open for participation. Editors are invited to review, comment on, and propose improvements to the [[WP:RFA|requests for adminship process]].<br />
* Following [[Special:Permalink/1210946192#RFC: Increase inactivity requirement|an RfC]], the inactivity requirement for the removal of the [[Wikipedia:Interface administrators|interface administrator]] right increased from 6 months to 12 months.<br />
<br />
[[File:Octicons-tools.svg|20px|alt=]] '''Technical news'''<br />
* The mobile site history pages now use the same HTML as the desktop history pages. ({{phab|T353388}})<br />
<br />
[[File:Info Simple bw.svg|20px|alt=]] '''Miscellaneous'''<br />
* The 2024 appointees for the [[:m:Ombuds commission|Ombuds commission]] are [[m:User:だ＊ぜ|だ＊ぜ]], [[m:User:AGK|AGK]], [[m:User:Ameisenigel|Ameisenigel]], [[m:User:Bennylin|Bennylin]], [[m:User:Daniuu|Daniuu]], [[m:User:Doǵu|Doǵu]], [[m:User:Emufarmers|Emufarmers]], [[m:User:Faendalimas|Faendalimas]], [[m:User:MdsShakil|MdsShakil]], [[m:User:Minorax|Minorax]], [[m:User:Nehaoua|Nehaoua]], [[m:User:Renvoy|Renvoy]] and [[m:User:RoySmith|RoySmith]] as members, with [[m:User:Vermont|Vermont]] serving as steward-observer.<br />
* Following the [[meta:Stewards/Elections 2024|2024 Steward Elections]], the following editors have been appointed as stewards: [[:meta:Stewards/Elections 2024/Statements/Ajraddatz|Ajraddatz]], [[:meta:Stewards/Elections 2024/Statements/Albertoleoncio|Albertoleoncio]], [[:meta:Stewards/Elections 2024/Statements/EPIC|EPIC]], [[:meta:Stewards/Elections 2024/Statements/JJMC89|JJMC89]], [[:meta:Stewards/Elections 2024/Statements/Johannnes89|Johannnes89]], [[:meta:Stewards/Elections 2024/Statements/Melos|Melos]] and [[:meta:Stewards/Elections 2024/Statements/Yahya|Yahya]].<br />
<br />
----<br />
{{center|{{flatlist|<br />
* [[Wikipedia talk:Administrators' newsletter|Discuss this newsletter]]<br />
* [[Wikipedia:Administrators' newsletter/Subscribe|Subscribe]]<br />
* [[Wikipedia:Administrators' newsletter/Archive|Archive]]<br />
}}}}<br />
<!--<br />
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== ''The Signpost'': 2 March 2024 ==<br />
<br />
<div lang="en" dir="ltr" class="mw-content-ltr"><div style="column-count:2;"> {{Wikipedia:Wikipedia Signpost/2024-03-02}} </div><!--Volume 20, Issue 4--> <div class="hlist" style="margin-top:10px; font-size:90%; padding-left:5px; font-family:Georgia, Palatino, Palatino Linotype, Times, Times New Roman, serif;"> * '''[[Wikipedia:Wikipedia Signpost|Read this Signpost in full]]''' * [[Wikipedia:Wikipedia Signpost/Single/2024-03-02|Single-page]] * [[Wikipedia:Wikipedia Signpost/Subscribe|Unsubscribe]] * [[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]] ([[User talk:MediaWiki message delivery|talk]]) 11:01, 2 March 2024 (UTC) <!-- Sent via script ([[User:JPxG/SPS]]) --></div></div><br />
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<br />
== Tech News: 2024-10 ==<br />
<br />
<section begin="technews-2024-W10"/><div class="plainlinks"><br />
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/10|Translations]] are available.<br />
<br />
'''Recent changes'''<br />
* The <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code>Special:Book</code></bdi> page (as well as the associated "Create a book" functionality) provided by the old [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:Collection|Collection extension]] has been removed from all Wikisource wikis, as it was broken. This does not affect the ability to download normal books, which is provided by the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:Wikisource|Wikisource extension]]. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T358437]<br />
* [[m:Wikitech|Wikitech]] now uses the next-generation [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Parsoid|Parsoid]] wikitext parser by default to generate all pages in the Talk namespace. Report any problems on the [[mw:Talk:Parsoid/Parser_Unification/Known_Issues|Known Issues discussion page]]. You can use the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:ParserMigration|ParserMigration]] extension to control the use of Parsoid; see the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Extension:ParserMigration|ParserMigration help documentation]] for more details.<br />
* Maintenance on [https://etherpad.wikimedia.org etherpad] is completed. If you encounter any issues, please indicate in [[phab:T316421|this ticket]].<br />
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|12px|link=|alt=| Advanced item]] [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:Gadgets|Gadgets]] allow interface admins to create custom features with CSS and JavaScript. The <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code>Gadget</code></bdi> and <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code>Gadget_definition</code></bdi> namespaces and <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code>gadgets-definition-edit</code></bdi> user right were reserved for an experiment in 2015, but were never used. These were visible on Special:Search and Special:ListGroupRights. The unused namespaces and user rights are now removed. No pages are moved, and no changes need to be made. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T31272]<br />
* A usability improvement to the "Add a citation" in Wikipedia workflow has been made, the insert button was moved to the popup header. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T354847]<br />
<br />
'''Changes later this week'''<br />
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.42/wmf.21|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2024-03-05|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2024-03-06|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2024-03-07|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.42/Roadmap|calendar]]). [https://wikitech.wikimedia.org/wiki/Deployments/Train][https://wikitech.wikimedia.org/wiki/Deployments/Yearly_calendar]<br />
<br />
'''Future changes'''<br />
* All wikis will be read-only for a few minutes on March 20. This is planned at 14:00 UTC. More information will be published in Tech News and will also be posted on individual wikis in the coming weeks. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T358233]<br />
* The HTML markup of headings and section edit links will be changed later this year to improve accessibility. See [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Heading_HTML_changes|Heading HTML changes]] for details. The new markup will be the same as in the new Parsoid wikitext parser. You can test your gadget or stylesheet with the new markup if you add <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code>?useparsoid=1</code></bdi> to your URL ([[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Extension:ParserMigration#Selecting_a_parser_using_a_URL_query_string|more info]]) or turn on Parsoid read views in your user options ([[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Extension:ParserMigration#Enabling_via_user_preference|more info]]).<br />
*<br />
<br />
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]]&nbsp;• [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]]&nbsp;• [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/10|Translate]]&nbsp;• [[m:Tech|Get help]]&nbsp;• [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]]&nbsp;• [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''<br />
</div><section end="technews-2024-W10"/><br />
<br />
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 19:45, 4 March 2024 (UTC)<br />
<!-- Message sent by User:UOzurumba (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=26329807 --><br />
<br />
== DannyS712 bot ==<br />
<br />
Hi one of the bot tasks is to create a list of non-orphaned articles that have the orphan tag. I’ve been manually removing the tags from the lists created by the bot on and off for several years and I’ve never once seen it make a mistake. Manual tag removal is easy but time consuming and I wonder whether there would be consensus now to get the bot to remove the tag automatically? [[User:Mccapra|Mccapra]] ([[User talk:Mccapra|talk]]) 05:28, 5 March 2024 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:@[[User:Mccapra|Mccapra]] there would have to be some consensus in favor of that, and I don't have the time to look into it at the moment, sorry --[[User:DannyS712|DannyS712]] ([[User talk:DannyS712#top|talk]]) 18:11, 6 March 2024 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== Tech News: 2024-11 ==<br />
<br />
<section begin="technews-2024-W11"/><div class="plainlinks"><br />
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/11|Translations]] are available.<br />
<br />
'''Changes later this week'''<br />
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.42/wmf.22|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2024-03-12|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2024-03-13|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2024-03-14|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.42/Roadmap|calendar]]). [https://wikitech.wikimedia.org/wiki/Deployments/Train][https://wikitech.wikimedia.org/wiki/Deployments/Yearly_calendar]<br />
* After consulting with various communities, the line height of the text on the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Skin:Minerva Neue|Minerva skin]] will be increased to its previous value of 1.65. Different options for typography can also be set using the options in the menu, as needed. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T358498]<br />
*The active link color in [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Skin:Minerva Neue|Minerva]] will be changed to provide more consistency with our other platforms and best practices. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T358516]<br />
* [[c:Special:MyLanguage/Commons:Structured data|Structured data on Commons]] will no longer ask whether you want to leave the page without saving. This will prevent the “information you’ve entered may not be saved” popups from appearing when no information have been entered. It will also make file pages on Commons load faster in certain cases. However, the popups will be hidden even if information has indeed been entered. If you accidentally close the page before saving the structured data you entered, that data will be lost. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T312315]<br />
<br />
'''Future changes'''<br />
* All wikis will be read-only for a few minutes on March 20. This is planned at 14:00 UTC. More information will be published in Tech News and will also be posted on individual wikis in the coming weeks. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T358233][https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Tech/Server_switch]<br />
<br />
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]]&nbsp;• [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]]&nbsp;• [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/11|Translate]]&nbsp;• [[m:Tech|Get help]]&nbsp;• [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]]&nbsp;• [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''<br />
</div><section end="technews-2024-W11"/><br />
<br />
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 23:02, 11 March 2024 (UTC)<br />
<!-- Message sent by User:UOzurumba (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=26374013 --><br />
<br />
== Guild of Copy Editors 2023 Annual Report ==<br />
<br />
{| style="position: relative; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 0.5em 1em; background-color: #dfeff3; border: 2px solid #bddff2; border-color: rgba( 109, 193, 240, 0.75 ); border-radius: 8px; box-shadow: 8px 8px 12px rgba( 0, 0, 0, 0.7 );"<br />
<br />
| <span style="font-size: 110%;">'''[[WP:GOCE|Guild of Copy Editors]] 2023 Annual Report'''</span><br />
<br />
<div style="float:right; width: 75px; height: 60px;"></div><br />
<div style="position: absolute; top: -20px; right: -12px;">[[File:Writing Magnifying.PNG|100px|link=]]</div><br />
<hr style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgba( 109, 193, 240, 0.75 );" /><br />
<br />
<div class="center" style="width:auto; margin-left:auto; margin-right:auto;">Our '''[[Wikipedia:WikiProject Guild of Copy Editors/Membership/News/2023_Annual_Report|2023 Annual Report]]''' is now ready for review.</div><br />
<br />
'''Highlights:'''<br />
*Introduction<br />
*Membership news, obituary and election results<br />
*Summary of Drives, Blitzes and the Requests page<br />
*Closing words<br />
<br />
<div class="center" style="width:auto; margin-left:auto; margin-right:auto;">– Your Guild coordinators: <br />
{{noping|Dhtwiki|Miniapolis|Wracking}}.</div><br />
{{center<br />
| <small> To discontinue receiving GOCE newsletters, please remove your name from [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Guild of Copy Editors/Mailing List|our mailing list]].</small><br />
}}<br />
|}<br />
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<br />
== Tech News: 2024-12 ==<br />
<br />
<section begin="technews-2024-W12"/><div class="plainlinks"><br />
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/12|Translations]] are available.<br />
<br />
'''Recent changes'''<br />
* The notice "Language links are at the top of the page" that appears in the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Skin:Vector/2022|Vector 2022 skin]] main menu has been removed now that users have learned the new location of the Language switcher. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T353619]<br />
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Advanced item]] [[m:Special:MyLanguage/IP_Editing:_Privacy_Enhancement_and_Abuse_Mitigation/IP_Info_feature|IP info feature]] displays data from Spur, an IP addresses database. Previously, the only data source for this feature was MaxMind. Now, IP info is more useful for patrollers. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T341395]<br />
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Advanced item]] The Toolforge Grid Engine services have been shut down after the final migration process from Grid Engine to Kubernetes. [https://wikitech.wikimedia.org/wiki/Obsolete:Toolforge/Grid][https://wikitech.wikimedia.org/wiki/News/Toolforge_Grid_Engine_deprecation][https://techblog.wikimedia.org/2022/03/14/toolforge-and-grid-engine/]<br />
* Communities can now customize the default reasons for undeleting a page by creating [[MediaWiki:Undelete-comment-dropdown]]. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T326746]<br />
<br />
'''Problems'''<br />
* [[m:Special:MyLanguage/WMDE_Technical_Wishes/RevisionSlider|RevisionSlider]] is an interface to interactively browse a page's history. Users in [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:RevisionSlider/Developing_a_RTL-accessible_feature_in_MediaWiki_-_what_we%27ve_learned_while_creating_the_RevisionSlider|right-to-left]] languages reported RevisionSlider reacting wrong to mouse clicks. This should be fixed now. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T352169]<br />
<br />
'''Changes later this week'''<br />
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.42/wmf.23|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2024-03-19|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2024-03-20|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2024-03-21|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.42/Roadmap|calendar]]). [https://wikitech.wikimedia.org/wiki/Deployments/Train][https://wikitech.wikimedia.org/wiki/Deployments/Yearly_calendar]<br />
* All wikis will be read-only for a few minutes on March 20. This is planned at [https://zonestamp.toolforge.org/1710943200 14:00 UTC]. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T358233][https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Tech/Server_switch]<br />
<br />
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]]&nbsp;• [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]]&nbsp;• [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/12|Translate]]&nbsp;• [[m:Tech|Get help]]&nbsp;• [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]]&nbsp;• [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''<br />
</div><section end="technews-2024-W12"/><br />
<br />
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 17:37, 18 March 2024 (UTC)<br />
<!-- Message sent by User:UOzurumba (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=26410165 --><br />
<br />
== Tech News: 2024-13 ==<br />
<br />
<section begin="technews-2024-W13"/><div class="plainlinks"><br />
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/13|Translations]] are available.<br />
<br />
'''Recent changes'''<br />
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Advanced item]] An update was made on March 18th 2024 to how various projects load site, user JavaScript and CSS in [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Skin:Vector/2022|Vector 2022 skin]]. A [[phab:T360384|checklist]] is provided for site admins to follow.<br />
<br />
'''Changes later this week'''<br />
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.42/wmf.24|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2024-03-26|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2024-03-27|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2024-03-28|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.42/Roadmap|calendar]]). [https://wikitech.wikimedia.org/wiki/Deployments/Train][https://wikitech.wikimedia.org/wiki/Deployments/Yearly_calendar]<br />
<br />
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]]&nbsp;• [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]]&nbsp;• [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/13|Translate]]&nbsp;• [[m:Tech|Get help]]&nbsp;• [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]]&nbsp;• [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''<br />
</div><section end="technews-2024-W13"/><br />
<br />
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 18:54, 25 March 2024 (UTC)<br />
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<br />
== Your live clock ==<br />
<br />
Hi, I am a user of the live clock gadget, and recently discovered [https://www.mediawiki.org/w/index.php?title=User:DannyS712/LiveClock.js&direction=next&oldid=3880443 your rewriting of it] which allows users to change the time zone as preferred. I'm a bit lost on how to install this (for use on the English Wikipedia) because, frankly, I'm coding illiterate. I was wondering if you had a push in the right direction for me. Thanks, [[User:Personhumanperson|Personhumanperson]] ([[User talk:Personhumanperson|talk]]) 13:11, 28 March 2024 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:@[[User:Personhumanperson|Personhumanperson]] on [[User:Personhumanperson/common.js]] you should be able to add <code><nowiki>mw.loader.load( '//www.mediawiki.org/w/index.php?title=MediaWiki:Gadget-UTCLiveClock.js&action=raw&ctype=text/javascript' );</nowiki></code> to load the latest version --[[User:DannyS712|DannyS712]] ([[User talk:DannyS712#top|talk]]) 05:33, 31 March 2024 (UTC)<br />
::@[[User:Neuropol|Neuropol]] (fix ping) --[[User:DannyS712|DannyS712]] ([[User talk:DannyS712#top|talk]]) 05:33, 31 March 2024 (UTC)<br />
:::How do I change the time zone? Thanks,<span style="font-family: Georgia; padding: 2px 3px 1px 3px;">[[User:Neuropol|<span style="color: steelblue">'''Neuropol'''</span>]][[User talk:Neuropol|<span style="color: goldenrod"><sup>'''Talk'''</sup></span>]]</span> 12:52, 1 April 2024 (UTC)<br />
::::@[[User:Neuropol|Neuropol]] add the line <code>window.LiveClockTimeZone = 'XXX';</code> to your common.js, replacing XXX with either "local" (for the browser timezone) or a value accepted by https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/JavaScript/Reference/Global_Objects/Intl/DateTimeFormat/DateTimeFormat#timezone --[[User:DannyS712|DannyS712]] ([[User talk:DannyS712#top|talk]]) 14:12, 1 April 2024 (UTC)<br />
:::::Thank you man, literal hero. Thanks,<span style="font-family: Georgia; padding: 2px 3px 1px 3px;">[[User:Neuropol|<span style="color: steelblue">'''Neuropol'''</span>]][[User talk:Neuropol|<span style="color: goldenrod"><sup>'''Talk'''</sup></span>]]</span> 15:00, 1 April 2024 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== [[User:DannyS712 bot III]] ==<br />
<br />
Hey, I realized that a batch of redirects from last night weren't getting reviewed and noticed that the bot hasn't edited in three days. Could you take a look? [[User:NotAGenious|NotAGenious]] ([[User talk:NotAGenious|talk]]) 07:25, 29 March 2024 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:@[[User:NotAGenious|NotAGenious]] figured out how to restart the job, should be working again --[[User:DannyS712|DannyS712]] ([[User talk:DannyS712#top|talk]]) 05:31, 31 March 2024 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== ''The Signpost'': 29 March 2024 ==<br />
<br />
<div lang="en" dir="ltr" class="mw-content-ltr"><div style="column-count:2;"> {{Wikipedia:Wikipedia Signpost/2024-03-29}} </div><!--Volume 20, Issue 5--> <div class="hlist" style="margin-top:10px; font-size:90%; padding-left:5px; font-family:Georgia, Palatino, Palatino Linotype, Times, Times New Roman, serif;"> * '''[[Wikipedia:Wikipedia Signpost|Read this Signpost in full]]''' * [[Wikipedia:Wikipedia Signpost/Single/2024-03-29|Single-page]] * [[Wikipedia:Wikipedia Signpost/Subscribe|Unsubscribe]] * [[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]] ([[User talk:MediaWiki message delivery|talk]]) 22:39, 29 March 2024 (UTC) <!-- Sent via script ([[User:JPxG/SPS]]) --></div></div><br />
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<br />
== Administrators' newsletter – April 2024 ==<br />
<br />
[[Wikipedia:Administrators' newsletter|News and updates for administrators]] from the past month (March 2024).<br />
<br />
[[File:ANEWSicon.png|right|150px]]<br />
<br />
[[File:Wikipedia Administrator.svg|20px|alt=]] '''Administrator changes'''<br />
:[[File:Gnome-colors-list-remove.svg|20px|alt=removed|Removed]] {{Hlist|class=inline<br />
|[[Special:Permalink/1211130465#Wikipedia:Inactive administrators/2024#March 2024|Kbdank71]]<br />
|[[Special:Permalink/1211130465#Wikipedia:Inactive administrators/2024#March 2024|Kosack]]<br />
|[[Special:Permalink/1212001446#Desysop request NrDg|NrDg]]<br />
|[[Special:Permalink/1211247911#Desysop request TLSuda|TLSuda]]<br />
}}<br />
<br />
[[File:Green check.svg|20px|alt=]] '''Guideline and policy news'''<br />
* An [[Wikipedia:Village pump (proposals)#RfC: Converting all current and future community discretionary sanctions to (community designated) contentious topics procedure|RfC]] is open to convert all current and future [[WP:OLDDS|community discretionary sanctions]] to (community designated) [[WP:CTOP|contentious topics procedure]].<br />
[[File:Octicons-tools.svg|20px|alt=]] '''Technical news'''<br />
* The Toolforge Grid Engine services have been shut down after the final migration process from Grid Engine to Kubernetes. ({{Phab|T313405}})<br />
[[File:Scale of justice 2.svg|20px|alt=]] '''Arbitration'''<br />
*An [[Wikipedia:Arbitration/Requests/Case/Conflict of interest management|arbitration case has been opened]] to look into "the intersection of managing conflict of interest editing with the harassment (outing) policy".<br />
[[File:Info Simple bw.svg|20px|alt=]] '''Miscellaneous'''<br />
* Editors are invited to '''[[Wikipedia:The Core Contest/Entries|sign up]]''' for [[WP:The Core Contest|The Core Contest]], an initiative running from April 15 to May 31, which aims to improve [[Wikipedia:Vital articles|vital]] and other core articles on Wikipedia.<br />
----<br />
{{center|{{flatlist|<br />
* [[Wikipedia talk:Administrators' newsletter|Discuss this newsletter]]<br />
* [[Wikipedia:Administrators' newsletter/Subscribe|Subscribe]]<br />
* [[Wikipedia:Administrators' newsletter/Archive|Archive]]<br />
}}}}<br />
<!--<br />
-->{{center|1=<small>Sent by [[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]] ([[User talk:MediaWiki message delivery|talk]]) 16:47, 1 April 2024 (UTC)</small>}}<br />
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<br />
== Tech News: 2024-14 ==<br />
<br />
<section begin="technews-2024-W14"/><div class="plainlinks"><br />
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/14|Translations]] are available.<br />
<br />
'''Recent changes'''<br />
* Users of the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Reading/Web/Accessibility_for_reading|reading accessibility]] beta feature will notice that the default line height for the standard and large text options has changed. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T359030]<br />
<br />
'''Changes later this week'''<br />
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.42/wmf.25|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2024-04-02|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2024-04-03|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2024-04-04|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.42/Roadmap|calendar]]). [https://wikitech.wikimedia.org/wiki/Deployments/Train][https://wikitech.wikimedia.org/wiki/Deployments/Yearly_calendar]<br />
<br />
'''Future changes'''<br />
* The Wikimedia Foundation has an annual plan. The annual plan decides what the Wikimedia Foundation will work on. You can now read [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia Foundation Annual Plan/2024-2025/Product & Technology OKRs#Draft Key Results|the draft key results]] for the Product and Technology department. They are suggestions for what results the Foundation wants from big technical changes from July 2024 to June 2025. You can [[m:Talk:Wikimedia Foundation Annual Plan/2024-2025/Product & Technology OKRs|comment on the talk page]].<br />
<br />
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]]&nbsp;• [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]]&nbsp;• [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/14|Translate]]&nbsp;• [[m:Tech|Get help]]&nbsp;• [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]]&nbsp;• [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''<br />
</div><section end="technews-2024-W14"/><br />
<br />
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 03:33, 2 April 2024 (UTC)<br />
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<br />
== New Pages Patrol newsletter April 2024 ==<br />
<br />
<div style="border:2px solid #90C0FF; background:#F0F0FF; width:99%; padding:4px"><br />
<!-- do not use ;Header to make bold headers per [[H:DL]], causes errors for screen readers --><br />
{| style="float: right; border: 1px solid #BBB; background: #FFFFFF;<br />
|}<br />
Hello {{BASEPAGENAME}},<br />
{| style="float: right;<br />
|- style="font-size: 86%;"<br />
|}<br />
[[File:NPP unreviewed article statistics as of April 2, 2024.svg|thumb|400px|New Page Review queue January to March 2024]]<br />
<br />
'''Backlog update:''' The October drive reduced the article backlog from 11,626 to 7,609 and the redirect backlog from 16,985 to 6,431! Congratulations to {{no ping|Schminnte}}, who led with over 2,300 points.<br />
<br />
Following that, New Page Patrol organized another backlog drive for articles in January 2024. The January drive started with 13,650 articles and reduced the backlog to 7,430 articles. Congratulations to {{no ping|JTtheOG}}, who achieved first place with 1,340 points in this drive.<br />
<br />
Looking at the graph, it seems like backlog drives are one of the only things keeping the backlog under control. Another backlog drive is being planned for May. Feel free to participate in the [[Wikipedia talk:New pages patrol/Reviewers#Next backlog drive|May backlog drive planning discussion]].<br />
<br />
It's worth noting that both queues are gradually increasing again and are nearing 14,034 articles and 22,540 redirects. We encourage you to keep contributing, even if it's just a single patrol per day. Your support is greatly appreciated!<br />
<br />
'''2023 Awards'''<br />
[[File:New page reviewer of the year cup.svg|74px|left]]<br />
{{no ping|Onel5969}} won the 2023 cup with 17,761 article reviews last year - that's an average of nearly 50/day. There was one Platinum Award (10,000+ reviews), 2 Gold Awards (5000+ reviews), 6 Silver (2000+), 8 Bronze (1000+), 30 Iron (360+) and 70 more for the 100+ barnstar. {{no ping|Hey man im josh}} led on redirect reviews by clearing 36,175 of them. For the full details, see the [[Wikipedia:New pages patrol/Awards|Awards page]] and the [[Wikipedia:New pages patrol/Awards#NPP Hall of Fame|Hall of Fame]]. Congratulations everyone for their efforts in reviewing!<br />
<br />
'''WMF work on PageTriage:''' The [[:mw:Moderator Tools|WMF Moderator Tools team]] and volunteer software developers [[gerrit:c/mediawiki/extensions/PageTriage/+/966286|deployed the rewritten NewPagesFeed in October]], and then [[gerrit:c/mediawiki/extensions/PageTriage/+/967661|gave the NewPagesFeed a slight visual facelift in November]]. This concludes most major work to [[Special:NewPagesFeed]], and most major work by the WMF Moderator Tools team, who [[Wikipedia:Page Curation/2023 Moderator Tools project#October 20, 2023: Final update!|wrapped up their major work on PageTriage in October]]. The WMF Moderator Tools team and volunteer software developers will continue small work on PageTriage as time permits.<br />
<br />
'''Recruitment:''' A couple of the coordinators have been inviting editors to become reviewers, via mass-messages to their talk pages. If you know someone who you'd think would make a good reviewer, then a personal invitation to them would be great. Additionally, if there are Wikiprojects that you are active on, then you can add a post there asking participants to join NPP. Please be careful not to double invite folks that have already been invited.<br />
<br />
'''Reviewing tip:''' Reviewers who prefer to patrol new pages within their most familiar subjects can use the regularly updated [https://nppbrowser.toolforge.org/ NPP Browser] tool.<br />
<br />
{{refbegin}}<br />
'''Reminders:'''<br />
* You can access live chat with patrollers on the [https://discordapp.com/invite/heF3xPu New Pages Patrol Discord].<br />
* Consider adding [[Wikipedia talk:New pages patrol/Reviewers|the project discussion page]] to your watchlist.<br />
* To opt out of future mailings, please remove yourself [[Wikipedia:New pages patrol/Reviewers/Newsletter list|here]].<br />
<br />
{{refend}}<br />
</div><br />
[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]] ([[User talk:MediaWiki message delivery|talk]]) 16:27, 2 April 2024 (UTC)<br />
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<br />
== Tech News: 2024-15 ==<br />
<br />
<section begin="technews-2024-W15"/><div class="plainlinks"><br />
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/15|Translations]] are available.<br />
<br />
'''Recent changes'''<br />
* Web browsers can use tools called [[:w:en:Browser extension|extensions]]. There is now a Chrome extension called [[m:Future Audiences/Experiment:Citation Needed|Citation Needed]] which you can use to see if an online statement is supported by a Wikipedia article. This is a small experiment to see if Wikipedia can be used this way. Because it is a small experiment, it can only be used in Chrome in English.<br />
* [[File:Octicons-gift.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Wishlist item]] A new [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Edit Recovery|Edit Recovery]] feature has been added to all wikis, available as a [[Special:Preferences#mw-prefsection-editing|user preference]]. Once you enable it, your in-progress edits will be stored in your web browser, and if you accidentally close an editing window or your browser or computer crashes, you will be prompted to recover the unpublished text. Please leave any feedback on the [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Talk:Community Wishlist Survey 2023/Edit-recovery feature|project talk page]]. This was the #8 wish in the 2023 Community Wishlist Survey.<br />
* Initial results of [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Edit check|Edit check]] experiments [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Edit_check#4_April_2024|have been published]]. Edit Check is now deployed as a default feature at [[phab:T342930#9538364|the wikis that tested it]]. [[mw:Talk:Edit check|Let us know]] if you want your wiki to be part of the next deployment of Edit check. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T342930][https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T361727]<br />
* Readers using the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Skin:Minerva Neue|Minerva skin]] on mobile will notice there has been an improvement in the line height across all typography settings. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T359029]<br />
<br />
'''Changes later this week'''<br />
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.42/wmf.26|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2024-04-09|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2024-04-10|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2024-04-11|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.42/Roadmap|calendar]]). [https://wikitech.wikimedia.org/wiki/Deployments/Train][https://wikitech.wikimedia.org/wiki/Deployments/Yearly_calendar]<br />
* New accounts and logged-out users will get the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/VisualEditor|visual editor]] as their default editor on mobile. This deployment is made at all wikis except for the English Wikipedia. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T361134]<br />
<br />
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]]&nbsp;• [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]]&nbsp;• [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/15|Translate]]&nbsp;• [[m:Tech|Get help]]&nbsp;• [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]]&nbsp;• [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''<br />
</div><section end="technews-2024-W15"/><br />
<br />
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 23:35, 8 April 2024 (UTC)<br />
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<br />
== Guild of Copy Editors April 2024 Newsletter ==<br />
<br />
{| style="position: relative; margin-left: 2em; margin-right: 2em; padding: 0.5em 1em; background-color: #dfeff3; border: 2px solid #bddff2; border-color: rgba( 109, 193, 240, 0.75 ); border-radius: 8px; box-shadow: 8px 8px 12px rgba( 0, 0, 0, 0.7 );"<br />
<br />
| <span style="font-size: 110%;">'''[[WP:GOCE|Guild of Copy Editors]] April 2024 Newsletter'''</span><br />
<br />
<div style="float:right; width: 75px; height: 60px;"></div><br />
<div style="position: absolute; top: -20px; right: -12px;">[[File:Writing Magnifying.PNG|100px|link=]]</div><br />
<hr style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgba( 109, 193, 240, 0.75 );" /><br />
[[File:Copyeditors progress.png|right|thumb]]<br />
<br />
Hello and welcome to the April 2024 newsletter, a quarterly digest of Guild activities since [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Guild of Copy Editors/Newsletters/December 2023|December]]. Don't forget you can unsubscribe at any time; see below. We extend a warm welcome to all of our new members. We wish you all happy copy-editing.<br />
<br />
'''[[Wikipedia:WikiProject Guild of Copy Editors/Coordinators/2024/1|Election results]]:''' In our December 2023 coordinator election, Zippybonzo stepped down as coordinator; we thank them for their service. Incumbents Dhtwiki and Miniapolis were reelected coordinators, and Wracking was newly elected coordinator, to serve through 30 June. Nominations for our mid-year [[Wikipedia:WikiProject_Guild_of_Copy_Editors/Coordinators#How_are_we_selected?|Election of Coordinators]] will open on 1 June (UTC).<br />
<br />
'''Drive:''' 46 editors signed up for our [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Guild of Copy Editors/Backlog elimination drives/January 2024|'''January Backlog Elimination Drive''']], 32 of whom claimed at least one copy-edit. Between them, they copy-edited 289 articles totaling 626,729 words. Barnstars awarded are [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Guild of Copy Editors/Backlog elimination drives/January 2024/Barnstars|'''here''']].<br />
<br />
'''Blitz:''' 23 editors signed up for our [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Guild of Copy Editors/Blitzes/February 2024|'''February Copy Editing Blitz''']]. 18 claimed at least one copy-edit and between them, they copy-edited 100,293 words in 32 articles. Barnstars awarded are [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Guild of Copy Editors/Blitzes/February 2024/Barnstars|'''here''']].<br />
<br />
'''Drive:''' 53 editors signed up for our [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Guild of Copy Editors/Backlog elimination drives/March 2024|'''March Backlog Elimination Drive''']], 34 of whom claimed at least one copy-edit. Between them, they copy-edited 300 articles totaling 587,828 words. Barnstars awarded are [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Guild of Copy Editors/Backlog elimination drives/March 2024/Barnstars|'''here''']].<br />
<br />
'''Blitz:''' Sign up for our [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Guild of Copy Editors/Blitzes/April 2024|'''April Copy Editing Blitz''']], which runs from 14 to 20 April. Barnstars will be awarded [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Guild of Copy Editors/Blitzes/April 2024/Barnstars|'''here''']].<br />
<br />
'''Progress report:''' As of 23:17, 11 April 2024 (UTC)<!-- ~~~~~ Upadate before sending-->, GOCE copyeditors have processed 109 requests since 1 January 2024, and the backlog stands at 2,480 articles.<br />
<br />
Thank you all again for your participation; we wouldn't be able to achieve what we have without you! Cheers from {{noping|Baffle gab1978}} and your GOCE coordinators {{noping|Dhtwiki|Miniapolis|Wracking}}.<br />
<br />
{{center<br />
| <small>To discontinue receiving GOCE newsletters, please remove your name from [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Guild of Copy Editors/Mailing List|our mailing list]].</small><br />
}}<br />
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<br />
== WikiCup 2024 April newsletter ==<br />
<br />
We are approaching the end of the 2024 WikiCup's second round, with a little over two weeks remaining. Currently, contestants must score at least 105 points to progress to the third round.<br />
<br />
Our current top scorers are as follows: <br />
<br />
* {{Wikipedia:WikiCup/Participant15|Sammi Brie}} with 642 points, mostly from 11 [[WP:GA|GA]]s about radio and television;<br />
* {{Wikipedia:WikiCup/Participant15|voorts}} with 530 points, mostly from two FAs ([[Well he would, wouldn't he?]] and [[Cora Agnes Benneson]]) and three GAs;<br />
* {{Wikipedia:WikiCup/Participant15|Generalissima}} with 523 points, mostly from 11 GAs about coinage and history;<br />
* {{Wikipedia:WikiCup/Participant15|SounderBruce}} with 497 points, mostly from a [[WP:FA|FA]] about the [[2020 Seattle Sounders FC season|2020 season of the soccer club Seattle Sounders FC]] and two GAs;<br />
* {{Wikipedia:WikiCup/Participant15|Tamzin}} with 410 points, mostly from a FA about the drink [[Capri-Sun]] and three GAs;<br />
* {{Wikipedia:WikiCup/Participant15|Kusma}} with 330 points, mostly from a FA about the English botanist [[Anna Blackburne]] and a GA.<br />
<br />
Competitors may submit work for the second round until the end of 28 April, and the third round starts 1 May. Remember that only competitors with the top 32 scores will make it through to the third round. If you are concerned that your nomination will not receive the necessary reviews, and you hope to get it promoted before the end of the round, please list it on [[Wikipedia:WikiCup/Reviews]]. Please remember to continue to offer reviews at GAN, FAC and all the other pages that require them to prevent any backlogs. As a reminder, competitors are strictly prohibited from [[WP:GAME|gaming Wikipedia policies or processes]] to receive more points. <br />
<br />
If you would like to learn more about rules and scoring for the 2024 WikiCup, please read [[Wikipedia:WikiCup/Scoring]]. Further questions are welcome on [[Wikipedia talk:WikiCup]] and the judges ({{User|Cwmhiraeth}}, {{User|Epicgenius}}, and {{User|Frostly}}) are reachable on their talk pages. Good luck! <small>If you wish to start or stop receiving this newsletter, please feel free to add or remove your name from [[Wikipedia:WikiCup/Newsletter/Send]].</small> [[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]] ([[User talk:MediaWiki message delivery|talk]]) 15:05, 12 April 2024 (UTC)<br />
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<br />
== Progress ==<br />
<br />
Hey DannyS712, I hope you're well. There's no pressure or rush, especially because all of the much appreciated work that you do is optional, but I was just curious if you made any progress on [[Wikipedia_talk:New_pages_patrol/Reviewers/Archive_51#Idea_to_reduce_redirect_backlog|this]]? To recap, the goal was to have your bot mark redirects left behind from page moves, by users with the page mover user permission, as patrolled. There was also a brief part of the discussion that included marking redirects created by administrators as patrolled, as all administrators are already included in [[WP:RAL]] and it would help to reduce the load time of the page when editing to add/remove users. [[User:Hey man im josh|Hey man im josh]] ([[User talk:Hey man im josh|talk]]) 12:45, 15 April 2024 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:@[[User:Hey man im josh|Hey man im josh]] BRFA filed, [[Wikipedia:Bots/Requests for approval/DannyS712 bot III 74]]. Sorry for the delay. As for patrolling all redirects from admins, happy to do that but I need an actual discussion with consensus --[[User:DannyS712|DannyS712]] ([[User talk:DannyS712#top|talk]]) 00:03, 9 May 2024 (UTC)<br />
::Nothing to apologize for when you work for free, I'm just super grateful that you're willing. I can't say enough how much I appreciate you and what you've done to help out in so many areas! [[User:Hey man im josh|Hey man im josh]] ([[User talk:Hey man im josh|talk]]) 00:09, 9 May 2024 (UTC)<br />
:::@[[User:Hey man im josh|Hey man im josh]] I mean if you look at xtools I've done *very* little recently (~1500 edits since 2022) but I'm glad to help when I can --[[User:DannyS712|DannyS712]] ([[User talk:DannyS712#top|talk]]) 00:11, 9 May 2024 (UTC)<br />
::::Modest too eh? You're just BEGGING for my adoration (and getting it). [[User:Hey man im josh|Hey man im josh]] ([[User talk:Hey man im josh|talk]]) 00:14, 9 May 2024 (UTC)<br />
:::::@[[User:Hey man im josh|Hey man im josh]] no I was being serious, but thanks anyway --[[User:DannyS712|DannyS712]] ([[User talk:DannyS712#top|talk]]) 00:15, 9 May 2024 (UTC)<br />
::@[[User:Hey man im josh|Hey man im josh]] [[Special:Contributions/165.228.241.68|165.228.241.68]] ([[User talk:165.228.241.68|talk]]) 06:32, 15 September 2024 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== Tech News: 2024-16 ==<br />
<br />
<section begin="technews-2024-W16"/><div class="plainlinks"><br />
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/16|Translations]] are available.<br />
<br />
'''Problems'''<br />
* Between 2 April and 8 April, on wikis using [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:FlaggedRevs|Flagged Revisions]], the "{{Int:tag-mw-reverted}}" tag was not applied to undone edits. In addition, page moves, protections and imports were not autoreviewed. This problem is now fixed. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T361918][https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T361940]<br />
<br />
'''Changes later this week'''<br />
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.43/wmf.1|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2024-04-16|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2024-04-17|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2024-04-18|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.43/Roadmap|calendar]]). [https://wikitech.wikimedia.org/wiki/Deployments/Train][https://wikitech.wikimedia.org/wiki/Deployments/Yearly_calendar]<br />
* [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Magic words#DEFAULTSORT|Default category sort keys]] will now affect categories added by templates placed in [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Cite|footnotes]]. Previously footnotes used the page title as the default sort key even if a different default sort key was specified (category-specific sort keys already worked). [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T40435]<br />
* A new variable <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code>page_last_edit_age</code></bdi> will be added to [[Special:AbuseFilter|abuse filters]]. It tells how many seconds ago the last edit to a page was made. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T269769]<br />
<br />
'''Future changes'''<br />
* Volunteer developers are kindly asked to update the code of their tools and features to handle [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Trust and Safety Product/Temporary Accounts|temporary accounts]]. [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Trust and Safety Product/Temporary Accounts/For developers/2024-04 CTA|Learn more]].<br />
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Advanced item]] Four database fields will be removed from database replicas (including [[quarry:|Quarry]]). This affects only the <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code>abuse_filter</code></bdi> and <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code>abuse_filter_history</code></bdi> tables. Some queries might need to be updated. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T361996]<br />
<br />
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]]&nbsp;• [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]]&nbsp;• [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/16|Translate]]&nbsp;• [[m:Tech|Get help]]&nbsp;• [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]]&nbsp;• [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''<br />
</div><section end="technews-2024-W16"/><br />
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<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 23:26, 15 April 2024 (UTC)<br />
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<br />
== New page patrol May 2024 Backlog drive ==<br />
<br />
{| style="border: 5px solid #ABCDEF ; background-color: #FFF; padding:10px 15px 0"<br />
|style="padding: 0; vertical-align: middle; height: 1.1em; font-size:130%" |'''[[Wikipedia:New Page Patrol|New Page Patrol]] |''' <span style="font-size:85%">May 2024 Articles Backlog Drive</span><br />
|rowspan=3|[[File:NPP Barnstar.png|right|80px]]<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
* On 1 May 2024, a one-month backlog drive for New Page Patrol will begin.<br />
* Barnstars will be awarded based on the number of articles patrolled. <br />
* Barnstars will also be granted for re-reviewing articles previously reviewed by other patrollers during the drive.<br />
* Each review will earn 1 point.<br />
* Interested in taking part? '''[[Wikipedia:New pages patrol/Backlog drives/May 2024/Participants|Sign up here]]'''.<br />
|-<br />
|colspan=2 style="font-size:85%; padding-top:15px;"|You're receiving this message because you are a new page patroller. To opt-out of future mailings, please remove yourself [[Wikipedia:New pages patrol/Reviewers/Newsletter list|here.]]<br />
|} [[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]] ([[User talk:MediaWiki message delivery|talk]]) 16:14, 17 April 2024 (UTC)<br />
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<br />
== Bot down ==<br />
<br />
Hi Danny. It looks like {{noping|DannyS712 bot III}} hasn't run since the 18th—maybe you could take a look? Thanks, [[User:Extraordinary Writ|Extraordinary Writ]] ([[User talk:Extraordinary Writ|talk]]) 07:23, 22 April 2024 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:@[[User:Extraordinary Writ|Extraordinary Writ]] thanks, this seems to be happening more frequently. For next time I need to find how to do this:<br />
:* https://k8s-status.toolforge.org/namespaces/tool-dannys712-bot/<br />
:* connect to tool server, <code>become dannys712-bot</code> and then <code>toolforge jobs restart redirect-patroller</code><br />
:I restarted the bot, and it is running again. At some point I'll probably need to rewrite all of the bot stuff and figure it out on a more permanent basis --[[User:DannyS712|DannyS712]] ([[User talk:DannyS712#top|talk]]) 08:32, 22 April 2024 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== Tech News: 2024-17 ==<br />
<br />
<section begin="technews-2024-W17"/><div class="plainlinks"><br />
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/17|Translations]] are available.<br />
<br />
'''Recent changes'''<br />
* Starting this week, newcomers editing Wikipedia [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Growth/Positive reinforcement#Leveling up 3|will be encouraged]] to try structured tasks. [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Growth/Feature summary#Newcomer tasks|Structured tasks]] have been shown to [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Growth/Personalized first day/Structured tasks/Add a link/Experiment analysis, December 2021|improve newcomer activation and retention]]. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T348086]<br />
* You can [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Coolest Tool Award|nominate your favorite tools]] for the fifth edition of the Coolest Tool Award. Nominations will be open until May 10. <br />
<br />
'''Changes later this week'''<br />
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.43/wmf.2|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2024-04-23|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2024-04-24|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2024-04-25|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.43/Roadmap|calendar]]). [https://wikitech.wikimedia.org/wiki/Deployments/Train][https://wikitech.wikimedia.org/wiki/Deployments/Yearly_calendar]<br />
<br />
'''Future changes'''<br />
* This is the last warning that by the end of May 2024 the Vector 2022 skin will no longer share site and user scripts/styles with old Vector. For user-scripts that you want to keep using on Vector 2022, copy the contents of [[{{#special:MyPage}}/vector.js]] to [[{{#special:MyPage}}/vector-2022.js]]. There are [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Reading/Web/Desktop Improvements/Features/Loading Vector 2010 scripts|more technical details]] available. Interface administrators who foresee this leading to lots of technical support questions may wish to send a mass message to your community, as was done on French Wikipedia. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T362701]<br />
<br />
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]]&nbsp;• [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]]&nbsp;• [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/17|Translate]]&nbsp;• [[m:Tech|Get help]]&nbsp;• [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]]&nbsp;• [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''<br />
</div><section end="technews-2024-W17"/><br />
<br />
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 20:25, 22 April 2024 (UTC)<br />
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== ''The Signpost'': 25 April 2024 ==<br />
<br />
<div lang="en" dir="ltr" class="mw-content-ltr"><div style="column-count:2;"> {{Wikipedia:Wikipedia Signpost/2024-04-25}} </div><!--Volume 20, Issue 6--> <div class="hlist" style="margin-top:10px; font-size:90%; padding-left:5px; font-family:Georgia, Palatino, Palatino Linotype, Times, Times New Roman, serif;"> * '''[[Wikipedia:Wikipedia Signpost|Read this Signpost in full]]''' * [[Wikipedia:Wikipedia Signpost/Single/2024-04-25|Single-page]] * [[Wikipedia:Wikipedia Signpost/Subscribe|Unsubscribe]] * [[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]] ([[User talk:MediaWiki message delivery|talk]]) 11:47, 25 April 2024 (UTC) <!-- Sent via script ([[User:JPxG/SPS]]) --></div></div><br />
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<br />
== WikiCup 2024 May newsletter ==<br />
<br />
The second round of the 2024 WikiCup ended on 28 April. This round was particularly competitive: each of the 32 contestants who advanced to Round 3 scored at least 141 points. This is the highest number of points required to advance to Round 3 since 2014.<br />
<br />
The following scorers in Round 2 all scored more than 500 points:<br />
* {{Wikipedia:WikiCup/Participant15|Sammi Brie}} with 707 points, mostly from 45 [[WP:GAN|good article nomination]] reviews and 12 [[WP:GA|good articles]]s about radio and television;<br />
* {{Wikipedia:WikiCup/Participant15|Generalissima}} with 600 points, mostly from 12 good articles and 12 [[WP:DYK|did you know]] nominations about coinage and history;<br />
* {{Wikipedia:WikiCup/Participant15|SounderBruce}} with 552 points, mostly from a [[WP:FA|featured article]] about the [[2020 Seattle Sounders FC season]], three [[WP:FL|featured lists]], and two good articles;<br />
* {{Wikipedia:WikiCup/Participant15|BennyOnTheLoose}} with 548 points, mostly from a featured article about the snooker player [[John Pulman]], two featured lists, and one good article;<br />
* {{Wikipedia:WikiCup/Participant15|voorts}} with 530 points, mostly from two featured articles ([[Well he would, wouldn't he?]] and [[Cora Agnes Benneson]]) and three good articles.<br />
<br />
The full scores for Round 2 can be seen [[Wikipedia:WikiCup/History/2024/Round 2|here]]. So far this year, competitors have gotten 18 featured articles, 22 featured lists, and 186 good articles, 76 [[WP:ITN|in the news]] credits and at least 200 [[WP:DYK|did you know]] credits. They have conducted 165 featured article reviews, as well as 399 good article reviews and peer reviews, and have added 21 articles to [[Wikipedia:featured topics|featured topics]] and [[Wikipedia:good topics|good topics]].<br />
<br />
Remember that any content promoted after 28 April but before the start of Round 3 can be claimed during Round 3, which starts on 1 May at 00:00 (UTC). Invitations for collaborative writing efforts or any other discussion of potentially interesting work is always welcome on the WikiCup talk page. Remember, if two or more WikiCup competitors have done significant work on an article, all can claim points. If you are concerned that your nomination—whether it is at good article candidates, a featured process, or anywhere else—will not receive the necessary reviews, please list it on [[Wikipedia:WikiCup/Reviews Needed]]. <br />
<br />
If you would like to learn more about rules and scoring for the 2024 WikiCup, please see [[Wikipedia:WikiCup/Scoring|this page]]. Further questions are welcome on [[Wikipedia talk:WikiCup]] and the judges ({{User|Cwmhiraeth}}, {{User|Epicgenius}}, and {{User|Frostly}}) are reachable on their talk pages. Good luck! <small>If you wish to start or stop receiving this newsletter, please feel free to add or remove your name from [[Wikipedia:WikiCup/Newsletter/Send]].</small> [[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]] ([[User talk:MediaWiki message delivery|talk]]) 13:37, 29 April 2024 (UTC)<br />
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<br />
== Tech News: 2024-18 ==<br />
<br />
<section begin="technews-2024-W18"/><div class="plainlinks"><br />
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/18|Translations]] are available.<br />
<br />
'''Recent changes'''<br />
<br />
[[File:Talk_pages_default_look_(April_2023).jpg|thumb|alt=Screenshot of the visual improvements made on talk pages|Example of a talk page with the new design, in French.]]<br />
* The appearance of talk pages changed for the following wikis: {{int:project-localized-name-azwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-bnwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-dewiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-fawiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-hewiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-hiwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-idwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-kowiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-nlwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-ptwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-rowiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-thwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-trwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-ukwiki/en}}{{int:comma-separator/en}}{{int:project-localized-name-viwiki/en}}. These wikis participated to a test, where 50% of users got the new design, for one year. As this test [[Mw:Special:MyLanguage/Talk pages project/Usability/Analysis|gave positive results]], the new design is deployed on these wikis as the default design. It is possible to opt-out these changes [[Special:Preferences#mw-prefsection-editing|in user preferences]] ("{{int:discussiontools-preference-visualenhancements}}"). The deployment will happen at all wikis in the coming weeks. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T341491]<br />
* Seven new wikis have been created: <br />
** a {{int:project-localized-name-group-wikipedia}} in [[d:Q33014|Betawi]] ([[w:bew:|<code>w:bew:</code>]]) [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T357866]<br />
** a {{int:project-localized-name-group-wikipedia}} in [[d:Q35708|Kusaal]] ([[w:kus:|<code>w:kus:</code>]]) [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T359757]<br />
** a {{int:project-localized-name-group-wikipedia}} in [[d:Q35513|Igala]] ([[w:igl:|<code>w:igl:</code>]]) [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T361644]<br />
** a {{int:project-localized-name-group-wiktionary}} in [[d:Q33541|Karakalpak]] ([[wikt:kaa:|<code>wikt:kaa:</code>]]) [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T362135]<br />
** a {{int:project-localized-name-group-wikisource}} in [[d:Q9228|Burmese]] ([[s:my:|<code>s:my:</code>]]) [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T361085]<br />
** a {{int:project-localized-name-group-wikisource}} in [[d:Q9237|Malay]] ([[s:ms:|<code>s:ms:</code>]]) [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T363039]<br />
** a {{int:project-localized-name-group-wikisource}} in [[d:Q8108|Georgian]] ([[s:ka:|<code>s:ka:</code>]]) [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T363085]<br />
* You can now [https://translatewiki.net/wiki/Support#Early_access:_Watch_Message_Groups_on_Translatewiki.net watch message groups/projects] on [[m:Special:MyLanguage/translatewiki.net|Translatewiki.net]]. Initially, this feature will notify you of added or deleted messages in these groups. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T348501]<br />
* Dark mode is now available on all wikis, on mobile web for logged-in users who opt into the [[Special:MobileOptions|advanced mode]]. This is the early release of the feature. Technical editors are invited to [https://night-mode-checker.wmcloud.org/ check for accessibility issues on wikis]. See [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Reading/Web/Accessibility for reading/Updates/2024-04|more detailed guidelines]].<br />
<br />
'''Problems'''<br />
* [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Extension:Kartographer|Kartographer]] maps can use an alternative visual style without labels, by using <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code><nowiki>mapstyle="osm"</nowiki></code></bdi>. This wasn't working in previews, creating the wrong impression that it wasn't supported. This has now been fixed. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T362531]<br />
<br />
'''Changes later this week'''<br />
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.43/wmf.3|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2024-04-30|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2024-05-01|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2024-05-02|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.43/Roadmap|calendar]]). [https://wikitech.wikimedia.org/wiki/Deployments/Train][https://wikitech.wikimedia.org/wiki/Deployments/Yearly_calendar]<br />
<br />
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]]&nbsp;• [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]]&nbsp;• [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/18|Translate]]&nbsp;• [[m:Tech|Get help]]&nbsp;• [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]]&nbsp;• [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''<br />
</div><section end="technews-2024-W18"/><br />
<br />
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 03:31, 30 April 2024 (UTC)<br />
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<br />
== Administrators' newsletter – May 2024 ==<br />
<br />
[[Wikipedia:Administrators' newsletter|News and updates for administrators]] from the past month (April 2024).<br />
<br />
<div style="display: flex; flex-wrap: wrap"><br />
<div style="flex: 1 0 20em"><br />
<br />
[[File:Wikipedia Administrator.svg|20px|alt=]] '''Administrator changes'''<br />
:[[File:Gnome-colors-view-refresh.svg|20px|alt=readded|Readded]] [[Special:Permalink/1220304714#Resysop request (Nyttend)|Nyttend]]<br />
:[[File:Gnome-colors-list-remove.svg|20px|alt=removed|Removed]] {{Hlist|class=inline<br />
|[[Special:Permalink/1216602202#Wikipedia:Inactive administrators/2024#April 2024|JohnOwens]]<br />
|[[Special:Permalink/1216602202#Wikipedia:Inactive administrators/2024#April 2024|Killiondude]]<br />
|[[Special:Permalink/1218467362#Handing in my mop|MelanieN]]<br />
|[[Special:Permalink/1218761294#Wikipedia:Arbitration/Requests/Case/Conflict of interest management closed|Nihonjoe]]<br />
}}<br />
<br />
[[File:Wikipedia bureaucrat.svg|20px|alt=]] '''Bureaucrat changes'''<br />
:[[File:Gnome-colors-list-remove.svg|20px|alt=removed|Removed]] [[Special:Permalink/1218761294#Wikipedia:Arbitration/Requests/Case/Conflict of interest management closed|Nihonjoe]]<br />
<br />
</div><br />
<div style="flex: 1 0 20em"><br />
[[File:ANEWSicon.png|right|150px]]<br />
<br />
[[File:Checkuser Logo.svg|20px|alt=]] '''CheckUser changes'''<br />
:[[File:Gnome-colors-view-refresh.svg|20px|alt=readded|Readded]] [[Special:PermanentLink/1219467786#Changes to the functionaries team, April 2024|Joe Roe]]<br />
<br />
[[File:Oversight logo.png|20px|alt=]] '''Oversight changes'''<br />
:[[File:Gnome-colors-list-remove.svg|20px|alt=removed|Removed]] [[Special:PermanentLink/1219467786#Changes to the functionaries team, April 2024|GeneralNotability]]<br />
<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
[[File:Green check.svg|20px|alt=]] '''Guideline and policy news'''<br />
* Phase I of the [[Wikipedia:Requests for adminship/2024 review|2024 requests for adminship review]] has concluded. Several proposals have passed outright and will proceed to implementation, including [[Wikipedia:Requests for adminship/2024 review/Phase I#Proposal 3b: Make the first two days discussion-only (trial)|creating a discussion-only period]] (3b) and [[Wikipedia:Requests for adminship/2024 review/Phase I#Proposal 13: Admin elections|administrator elections]] (13) on a trial basis. Other successful proposals, such as [[Wikipedia:Requests for adminship/2024 review/Phase I#Proposal 2: Add a reminder of civility norms at RfA|creating a reminder of civility norms]] (2), will undergo further refinement in Phase II. Proposals passed on a trial basis will be discussed in Phase II, after their trials conclude. Further details on specific proposals can be found in the [[Wikipedia:Requests for adminship/2024 review/Phase I|full report]].<br />
<br />
[[File:Octicons-tools.svg|20px|alt=]] '''Technical news'''<br />
* Partial action blocks are now in effect on the English Wikipedia. This means that administrators have the ability to restrict users from certain actions, including uploading files, moving pages and files, creating new pages, and sending thanks. [[phab:T280531|T280531]]<br />
<br />
[[File:Scale of justice 2.svg|20px|alt=]] '''Arbitration'''<br />
* The arbitration case ''[[Wikipedia:Arbitration/Requests/Case/Conflict of interest management|Conflict of interest management]]'' has been closed.<br />
<br />
[[File:Info Simple bw.svg|20px|alt=]] '''Miscellaneous'''<br />
* This may be a good time to reach out to potential nominees to ask if they would consider an RfA.<br />
* A [[Wikipedia:New pages patrol/Backlog drives/May 2024|'''New Pages Patrol backlog drive''']] is happening in May 2024 to reduce the number of unreviewed articles in the [[Special:NewPagesFeed|new pages feed]]. Currently, there is a backlog of over 15,000 articles awaiting review. [[Wikipedia:New pages patrol/Backlog drives/May 2024/Participants|'''Sign up here to participate!''']]<br />
* Voting for the [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Universal Code of Conduct/Coordinating Committee/Election/2024|Universal Code of Conduct Coordinating Committee (U4C)]] election is open until 9 May 2024. Read the [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Universal Code of Conduct/Coordinating Committee/Election/2024#Voting|voting page on Meta-Wiki]] and '''[[m:Special:SecurePoll/vote/396|cast your vote here!]]'''<br />
<br />
----<br />
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* [[Wikipedia talk:Administrators' newsletter|Discuss this newsletter]]<br />
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* [[Wikipedia:Administrators' newsletter/Archive|Archive]]<br />
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== Reminder to vote now to select members of the first U4C ==<br />
<br />
<section begin="announcement-content" /><br />
:''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Universal Code of Conduct/Coordinating Committee/Election/2024/Announcement – vote reminder|You can find this message translated into additional languages on Meta-wiki.]] [https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Translate&group=page-{{urlencode:Universal Code of Conduct/Coordinating Committee/Election/2024/Announcement – vote reminder}}&language=&action=page&filter= {{int:please-translate}}]''<br />
<br />
Dear Wikimedian,<br />
<br />
You are receiving this message because you previously participated in the UCoC process.<br />
<br />
This is a reminder that the voting period for the Universal Code of Conduct Coordinating Committee (U4C) ends on May 9, 2024. Read the information on the [[m:Universal Code of Conduct/Coordinating Committee/Election/2024|voting page on Meta-wiki]] to learn more about voting and voter eligibility.<br />
<br />
The Universal Code of Conduct Coordinating Committee (U4C) is a global group dedicated to providing an equitable and consistent implementation of the UCoC. Community members were invited to submit their applications for the U4C. For more information and the responsibilities of the U4C, please [[m:Universal Code of Conduct/Coordinating Committee/Charter|review the U4C Charter]].<br />
<br />
Please share this message with members of your community so they can participate as well.<br />
<br />
On behalf of the UCoC project team,<section end="announcement-content" /><br />
<br />
[[m:User:RamzyM (WMF)|RamzyM (WMF)]] 23:18, 2 May 2024 (UTC)<br />
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<br />
== Tech News: 2024-19 ==<br />
<br />
<section begin="technews-2024-W19"/><div class="plainlinks"><br />
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/19|Translations]] are available.<br />
<br />
'''Recent changes'''<br />
[[File:Talk_pages_default_look_(April_2023).jpg|thumb|alt=Screenshot of the visual improvements made on talk pages|Example of a talk page with the new design, in French.]]<br />
* The appearance of talk pages changed for all wikis, except for Commons, Wikidata and most Wikipedias ([[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/18|a few]] have already received this design change). You can read the detail of the changes [[diffblog:2024/05/02/making-talk-pages-better-for-everyone/|on ''Diff'']]. It is possible to opt-out these changes [[Special:Preferences#mw-prefsection-editing|in user preferences]] ("{{int:discussiontools-preference-visualenhancements}}"). The deployment will happen at remaining wikis in the coming weeks. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T352087][https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T319146]<br />
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Advanced item]] Interface admins now have greater control over the styling of article components on mobile with the introduction of the <code>SiteAdminHelper</code>. More information on how styles can be disabled can be found [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:WikimediaMessages#Site_admin_helper|at the extension's page]]. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T363932]<br />
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Advanced item]] [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia Enterprise|Wikimedia Enterprise]] has added article body sections in JSON format and a curated short description field to the existing parsed Infobox. This expansion to the API is also available via Wikimedia Cloud Services. [https://enterprise.wikimedia.com/blog/article-sections-and-description/]<br />
<br />
'''Changes later this week'''<br />
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.43/wmf.4|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2024-05-07|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2024-05-08|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2024-05-09|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.43/Roadmap|calendar]]). [https://wikitech.wikimedia.org/wiki/Deployments/Train][https://wikitech.wikimedia.org/wiki/Deployments/Yearly_calendar]<br />
* When you look at the Special:Log page, the first view is labelled "All public logs", but it only shows some logs. This label will now say "Main public logs". [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T237729]<br />
<br />
'''Future changes'''<br />
* A new service will be built to replace [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:Graph|Extension:Graph]]. Details can be found in [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:Graph/Plans|the latest update]] regarding this extension.<br />
* Starting May 21, English Wikipedia and German Wikipedia will get the possibility to activate "[[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Growth/Tools/Add a link|Add a link]]". This is part of the [[phab:T304110|progressive deployment of this tool to all Wikipedias]]. These communities can [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Growth/Community configuration|activate and configure the feature locally]]. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T308144]<br />
<br />
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]]&nbsp;• [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]]&nbsp;• [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/19|Translate]]&nbsp;• [[m:Tech|Get help]]&nbsp;• [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]]&nbsp;• [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''<br />
</div><section end="technews-2024-W19"/><br />
<br />
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 16:41, 6 May 2024 (UTC)<br />
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<br />
== Tech News: 2024-20 ==<br />
<br />
<section begin="technews-2024-W20"/><div class="plainlinks"><br />
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/20|Translations]] are available.<br />
<br />
'''Recent changes'''<br />
* On Wikisource there is a special page listing pages of works without corresponding scan images. Now you can use the new magic word <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code>__EXPECTWITHOUTSCANS__</code></bdi> to exclude certain pages (list of editions or translations of works) from that list. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T344214]<br />
* If you use the [[Special:Preferences#mw-prefsection-editing|user-preference]] "{{int:tog-uselivepreview}}", then the template-page feature "{{int:Templatesandbox-editform-legend}}" will now also work without reloading the page. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T136907]<br />
* [[mw:Special:Mylanguage/Extension:Kartographer|Kartographer]] maps can now specify an alternative text via the <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code><nowiki>alt=</nowiki></code></bdi> attribute. This is identical in usage to the <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code><nowiki>alt=</nowiki></code></bdi> attribute in the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Images#Syntax|image and gallery syntax]]. An exception for this feature is wikis like Wikivoyage where the miniature maps are interactive. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T328137]<br />
* The old [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:GuidedTour|Guided Tour]] for the "[[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Edit Review Improvements/New filters for edit review|New Filters for Edit Review]]" feature has been removed. It was created in 2017 to show people with older accounts how the interface had changed, and has now been seen by most of the intended people. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T217451]<br />
<br />
'''Changes later this week'''<br />
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.43/wmf.5|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2024-05-14|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2024-05-15|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2024-05-16|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.43/Roadmap|calendar]]). [https://wikitech.wikimedia.org/wiki/Deployments/Train][https://wikitech.wikimedia.org/wiki/Deployments/Yearly_calendar]<br />
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Advanced item]] The [[{{#special:search}}]] results page will now use CSS flex attributes, for better accessibility, instead of a table. If you have a gadget or script that adjusts search results, you should update your script to the new HTML structure. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T320295]<br />
<br />
'''Future changes'''<br />
* In the Vector 2022 skin, main pages will be displayed at full width (like special pages). The goal is to keep the number of characters per line large enough. This is related to the coming changes to typography in Vector 2022. [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Reading/Web/Accessibility for reading/Updates|Learn more]]. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T357706]<br />
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Advanced item]] Two columns of the <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code>[[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Manual:pagelinks table|pagelinks]]</code></bdi> database table (<bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code>pl_namespace</code></bdi> and <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code>pl_title</code></bdi>) are being dropped soon. Users must use two columns of the new <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code>[[mw:special:MyLanguage/Manual:linktarget table|linktarget]]</code></bdi> table instead (<bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code>lt_namespace</code></bdi> and <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code>lt_title</code></bdi>). In your existing SQL queries:<br />
*# Replace <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code>JOIN pagelinks</code></bdi> with <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code>JOIN linktarget</code></bdi> and <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code>pl_</code></bdi> with <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code>lt_</code></bdi> in the <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code>ON</code></bdi> statement<br />
*# Below that add <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code>JOIN pagelinks ON lt_id = pl_target_id</code></bdi><br />
** See <bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[phab:T222224]]</bdi> for technical reasoning. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T222224][https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T299947]<br />
<br />
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]]&nbsp;• [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]]&nbsp;• [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/20|Translate]]&nbsp;• [[m:Tech|Get help]]&nbsp;• [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]]&nbsp;• [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''<br />
</div><section end="technews-2024-W20"/><br />
<br />
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 23:56, 13 May 2024 (UTC)<br />
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== ''The Signpost'': 16 May 2024 ==<br />
<br />
<div lang="en" dir="ltr" class="mw-content-ltr"><div style="column-count:2;"> {{Wikipedia:Wikipedia Signpost/2024-05-16}} </div><!--Volume 20, Issue 7--> <div class="hlist" style="margin-top:10px; font-size:90%; padding-left:5px; font-family:Georgia, Palatino, Palatino Linotype, Times, Times New Roman, serif;"> * '''[[Wikipedia:Wikipedia Signpost|Read this Signpost in full]]''' * [[Wikipedia:Wikipedia Signpost/Single/2024-05-16|Single-page]] * [[Wikipedia:Wikipedia Signpost/Subscribe|Unsubscribe]] * [[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]] ([[User talk:MediaWiki message delivery|talk]]) 10:57, 16 May 2024 (UTC) <!-- Sent via script ([[User:JPxG/SPS]]) --></div></div><br />
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<br />
== Tech News: 2024-21 ==<br />
<br />
<section begin="technews-2024-W21"/><div class="plainlinks"><br />
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/21|Translations]] are available.<br />
<br />
'''Recent changes'''<br />
* The [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:Nuke|Nuke]] feature, which enables administrators to mass delete pages, will now correctly delete pages which were moved to another title. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T43351]<br />
* New changes have been made to the UploadWizard in Wikimedia Commons: the overall layout has been improved, by following new styling and spacing for the form and its fields; the headers and helper text for each of the fields was changed; the Caption field is now a required field, and there is an option for users to copy their caption into the media description. [https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Commons:WMF_support_for_Commons/Upload_Wizard_Improvements#Changes_to_%22Describe%22_workflow][https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T361049]<br />
<br />
'''Changes later this week'''<br />
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.43/wmf.6|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2024-05-21|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2024-05-22|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2024-05-23|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.43/Roadmap|calendar]]). [https://wikitech.wikimedia.org/wiki/Deployments/Train][https://wikitech.wikimedia.org/wiki/Deployments/Yearly_calendar]<br />
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Advanced item]] The HTML used to render all headings [[mw:Heading_HTML_changes|is being changed to improve accessibility]]. It will change on 22 May in some skins (Timeless, Modern, CologneBlue, Nostalgia, and Monobook). Please test gadgets on your wiki on these skins and [[phab:T13555|report any related problems]] so that they can be resolved before this change is made in all other skins. The developers are also considering the introduction of a [[phab:T337286|Gadget API for adding buttons to section titles]] if that would be helpful to tool creators, and would appreciate any input you have on that.<br />
<br />
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]]&nbsp;• [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]]&nbsp;• [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/21|Translate]]&nbsp;• [[m:Tech|Get help]]&nbsp;• [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]]&nbsp;• [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''<br />
</div><section end="technews-2024-W21"/><br />
<br />
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 23:02, 20 May 2024 (UTC)<br />
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<br />
== Tech News: 2024-22 ==<br />
<br />
<section begin="technews-2024-W22"/><div class="plainlinks"><br />
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/22|Translations]] are available.<br />
<br />
'''Recent changes'''<br />
* Several bugs related to the latest updates to the UploadWizard on Wikimedia Commons have been fixed. For more information, see [[:phab:T365107|T365107]] and [[:phab:T365119|T365119]].<br />
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Advanced item]] In March 2024 a new [[mw:ResourceLoader/Core_modules#addPortlet|addPortlet]] API was added to allow gadgets to create new portlets (menus) in the skin. In certain skins this can be used to create dropdowns. Gadget developers are invited to try it and [[phab:T361661|give feedback]].<br />
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Advanced item]] Some CSS in the Minerva skin has been removed to enable easier community configuration. Interface editors should check the rendering on mobile devices for aspects related to the classes: <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code>.collapsible</code></bdi>{{int:comma-separator/en}}<bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code>.multicol</code></bdi>{{int:comma-separator/en}}<bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code>.reflist</code></bdi>{{int:comma-separator/en}}<bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code>.coordinates</code></bdi>{{int:comma-separator/en}}<bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code>.topicon</code></bdi>. [[phab:T361659|Further details are available on replacement CSS]] if it is needed.<br />
<br />
'''Changes later this week'''<br />
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.43/wmf.7|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2024-05-28|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2024-05-29|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2024-05-30|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.43/Roadmap|calendar]]). [https://wikitech.wikimedia.org/wiki/Deployments/Train][https://wikitech.wikimedia.org/wiki/Deployments/Yearly_calendar]<br />
* When you visit a wiki where you don't yet have a local account, local rules such as edit filters can sometimes prevent your account from being created. Starting this week, MediaWiki takes your global rights into account when evaluating whether you can override such local rules. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T316303]<br />
<br />
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]]&nbsp;• [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]]&nbsp;• [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/22|Translate]]&nbsp;• [[m:Tech|Get help]]&nbsp;• [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]]&nbsp;• [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''<br />
</div><section end="technews-2024-W22"/><br />
<br />
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 00:13, 28 May 2024 (UTC)<br />
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<br />
== About DiscussionCloser ==<br />
<br />
Hey DannyS712! Thanks for creating this script. I wanted to let you know that the "close" links are no longer appearing on talk pages while using any non-Vector skins, most likely as a result of the [[mw:Heading HTML changes|new markup]] — you might want to take a look at that. Let me know if you have any questions! <span class="nowrap">—[[User:TechnoSquirrel69|<span style="color: #0b541f;">'''TechnoSquirrel69'''</span>]]</span> <small>([[User talk:TechnoSquirrel69|<span style="color: #0b541f;">'''sigh'''</span>]])</small> 07:30, 28 May 2024 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:@[[User:TechnoSquirrel69|TechnoSquirrel69]] I'll try to take a look when I have a chance --[[User:DannyS712|DannyS712]] ([[User talk:DannyS712#top|talk]]) 18:48, 29 May 2024 (UTC)<br />
::Can confirm, I spent over an hour troubleshooting because I thought it was a conflict with one of my other scripts. It looks like the issue is with the span.mw-headline and heading selector; [https://gerrit.wikimedia.org/r/c/mediawiki/extensions/VisualEditor/+/859139/12/modules/ve-mw/init/targets/ve.init.mw.ArticleTarget.js this] commit to VisualEditor might be a good example of how another script fixed it. I don't know Javascript, otherwise I'd try to come up with a patch myself to help you out. <span style="font-family:Papyrus, Courier New">[[User:The Wordsmith|'''The Wordsmith''']]</span><sup><span style="font-family:Papyrus"><small>''[[User talk:The Wordsmith|Talk to me]]''</small></span></sup> 02:22, 1 June 2024 (UTC)<br />
:::XFDCloser just fixed the issue too, [https://github.com/wikimedia-gadgets/xfdcloser/pull/47/files here] is their patch. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T13555 This] phabricator ticket seems like it also has some useful information. <span style="font-family:Papyrus, Courier New">[[User:The Wordsmith|'''The Wordsmith''']]</span><sup><span style="font-family:Papyrus"><small>''[[User talk:The Wordsmith|Talk to me]]''</small></span></sup> 18:57, 2 June 2024 (UTC)<br />
::::Someone please ping me when this is fixed. ''[[User:TarnishedPath|<b style="color:#ff0000;">Tar</b><b style="color:#ff7070;">nis</b><b style="color:#ffa0a0;">hed</b><b style="color:#420000;">Path</b>]]''<sup>[[User talk:TarnishedPath|<b style="color:#bd4004;">talk</b>]]</sup> 11:25, 15 August 2024 (UTC)<br />
:::::@[[User:TarnishedPath|TarnishedPath]]: DiscussionCloser has been forked; [[User:DaxServer/DiscussionCloser.js|this script]] is now the functional version. <span class="nowrap">—[[User:TechnoSquirrel69|<span style="color: #0b541f;">'''TechnoSquirrel69'''</span>]]</span> <small>([[User talk:TechnoSquirrel69|<span style="color: #0b541f;">'''sigh'''</span>]])</small> 14:47, 15 August 2024 (UTC)<br />
::::::@[[User:TechnoSquirrel69|TechnoSquirrel69]], much obliged. ''[[User:TarnishedPath|<b style="color:#ff0000;">Tar</b><b style="color:#ff7070;">nis</b><b style="color:#ffa0a0;">hed</b><b style="color:#420000;">Path</b>]]''<sup>[[User talk:TarnishedPath|<b style="color:#bd4004;">talk</b>]]</sup> 00:14, 16 August 2024 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== Tech News: 2024-23 ==<br />
<br />
<section begin="technews-2024-W23"/><div class="plainlinks"><br />
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/23|Translations]] are available.<br />
<br />
'''Recent changes'''<br />
* It is now possible for local administrators to add new links to the bottom of the site Tools menu without JavaScript. [[mw:Manual:Interface/Sidebar#Add or remove toolbox sections|Documentation is available]]. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T6086]<br />
* The message name for the definition of the tracking category of WikiHiero has changed from "<bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code>MediaWiki:Wikhiero-usage-tracking-category</code></bdi>" to "<bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code>MediaWiki:Wikihiero-usage-tracking-category</code></bdi>". [https://gerrit.wikimedia.org/r/c/mediawiki/extensions/wikihiero/+/1035855]<br />
* One new wiki has been created: a {{int:project-localized-name-group-wikipedia}} in [[d:Q5317225|Kadazandusun]] ([[w:dtp:|<code>w:dtp:</code>]]) [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T365220]<br />
<br />
'''Changes later this week'''<br />
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.43/wmf.8|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2024-06-04|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2024-06-05|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2024-06-06|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.43/Roadmap|calendar]]). [https://wikitech.wikimedia.org/wiki/Deployments/Train][https://wikitech.wikimedia.org/wiki/Deployments/Yearly_calendar]<br />
<br />
'''Future changes'''<br />
* Next week, on wikis with the Vector 2022 skin as the default, logged-out desktop users will be able to choose between different font sizes. The default font size will also be increased for them. This is to make Wikimedia projects easier to read. [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Reading/Web/Accessibility for reading/Updates/2024-06 deployments|Learn more]].<br />
<br />
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]]&nbsp;• [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]]&nbsp;• [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/23|Translate]]&nbsp;• [[m:Tech|Get help]]&nbsp;• [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]]&nbsp;• [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''<br />
</div><section end="technews-2024-W23"/><br />
<br />
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 22:32, 3 June 2024 (UTC)<br />
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=26844397 --><br />
<br />
== Administrators' newsletter – June 2024 ==<br />
<br />
[[Wikipedia:Administrators' newsletter|News and updates for administrators]] from the past month (May 2024).<br />
<br />
<div style="display: flex; flex-wrap: wrap"><br />
<div style="flex: 1 0 20em"><br />
<br />
[[File:Wikipedia Administrator.svg|20px|alt=]] '''Administrator changes'''<br />
:[[File:Gnome-colors-view-refresh.svg|20px|alt=readded|Readded]] [[Special:Permalink/1222103388#Resysop request (Graham Beards)|Graham Beards]]<br />
:[[File:Gnome-colors-list-remove.svg|20px|alt=removed|Removed]] {{Hlist|class=inline<br />
|[[Special:Permalink/1221623112#Wikipedia:Inactive administrators/2024#May 2024|Deskana]]<br />
|[[Special:Permalink/1221623112#Wikipedia:Inactive administrators/2024#May 2024|Mets501]]<br />
|[[Special:Permalink/1221692285#Desysop request Staxringold|Staxringold]]<br />
}}<br />
<br />
[[File:Wikipedia bureaucrat.svg|20px|alt=]] '''Bureaucrat changes'''<br />
:[[File:Gnome-colors-list-remove.svg|20px|alt=removed|Removed]] {{Hlist|class=inline<br />
|[[Special:Permalink/1221620229#Inactive bureaucrat (Deskana)|Deskana]]<br />
|[[Special:Permalink/1221956999#Standing down as bureaucrat (Warofdreams)| Warofdreams]]<br />
}}<br />
<br />
</div><br />
<div style="flex: 1 0 20em"><br />
[[File:ANEWSicon.png|right|150px]]<br />
<br />
[[File:Oversight logo.png|20px|alt=]] '''Oversight changes'''<br />
:[[File:Gnome-colors-list-remove.svg|20px|alt=removed|Removed]] [[Special:Permalink/1221703338#Changes to the functionaries team, May 2024|Dreamy Jazz]]<br />
<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
[[File:Green check.svg|20px|alt=]] '''Guideline and policy news'''<br />
* [[Wikipedia:Requests for adminship/2024 review/Phase II|Phase II]] of the [[Wikipedia:Requests for adminship/2024 review|2024 RfA review]] has commenced to improve and refine the proposals passed in [[Wikipedia:Requests for adminship/2024 review/Phase I|Phase I]].<br />
<br />
[[File:Octicons-tools.svg|20px|alt=]] '''Technical news'''<br />
* The [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:Nuke|Nuke]] feature, which enables administrators to mass delete pages, will now correctly delete pages which were moved to another title. [[Phab:T43351|T43351]]<br />
<br />
[[File:Scale of justice 2.svg|20px|alt=]] '''Arbitration'''<br />
* The arbitration case ''[[Wikipedia:Arbitration/Requests/Case/Venezuelan politics|Venezuelan politics]]'' has been closed.<br />
* The Committee is [[Special:Permalink/1225426349#Conflict of interest VRT queue and call for volunteers|seeking volunteers for various roles]], including access to the [[WP:COIVRT|conflict of interest VRT queue]].<br />
<br />
[[File:Info Simple bw.svg|20px|alt=]] '''Miscellaneous'''<br />
* WikiProject Reliability's [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Reliability/June 2024 Drive|unsourced statements drive]] is happening in June 2024 to replace {{tl|citation needed}} tags with references! '''[[Wikipedia:WikiProject Reliability/June 2024 Drive|Sign up here to participate!]]'''<br />
<br />
----<br />
{{center|{{flatlist|<br />
* [[Wikipedia talk:Administrators' newsletter|Discuss this newsletter]]<br />
* [[Wikipedia:Administrators' newsletter/Subscribe|Subscribe]]<br />
* [[Wikipedia:Administrators' newsletter/Archive|Archive]]<br />
}}}}<br />
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<br />
== Guild of Copy Editors June 2024 Newsletter ==<br />
<br />
{| style="position: relative; margin-left: 2em; margin-right: 2em; padding: 0.5em 1em; background-color: #dfeff3; border: 2px solid #bddff2; border-color: rgba( 109, 193, 240, 0.75 ); border-radius: 8px; box-shadow: 8px 8px 12px rgba( 0, 0, 0, 0.7 );"<br />
<br />
| <span style="font-size: 110%;">'''[[WP:GOCE|Guild of Copy Editors]] June 2024 Newsletter'''</span><br />
<br />
<div style="float:right; width: 75px; height: 60px;"></div><br />
<div style="position: absolute; top: -20px; right: -12px;">[[File:Writing Magnifying.PNG|100px|link=]]</div><br />
<hr style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgba( 109, 193, 240, 0.75 );" /><br />
[[File:Copyeditors progress.png|right|thumb]]<br />
<br />
Hello and welcome to the June 2024 newsletter, a quarterly-ish digest of Guild activities since April. Don't forget you can unsubscribe at any time; see below.<br />
<br />
'''Election news:''' Wanted: new Guild coordinators! If you value and enjoy the GOCE, why not help out behind the scenes? Nominations for our [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Guild of Copy Editors/Coordinators/2024/2|mid-year coordinator election]] are now open until 23:59 on 15 June (UTC). Self-nominations are welcome. Voting commences at 00:01 on 16 June and continues until 23:50 on 30 June. Results will be announced at the election page.<br />
<br />
'''Blitz:''' Nine of the fourteen editors who signed up for the [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Guild of Copy Editors/Blitzes/April_2024|'''April 2024 Copy Editing Blitz''']] copy edited at least one article. Between them, they copy edited 55,853 words comprising twenty articles. Barnstars awarded are available [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Guild of Copy Editors/Blitzes/April_2024/Barnstars|here''']].<br />
<br />
'''Drive:''' 58 editors signed up for our [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Guild of Copy Editors/Backlog elimination drives/May_2024|'''May 2024 Backlog Elimination Drive''']] and 33 of those completed at least one copy edit. 251 articles and 475,952 words were copy edited. Barnstars awarded are [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Guild of Copy Editors/Backlog elimination drives/May_2024/Barnstars|here''']].<br />
<br />
'''Blitz:''' Our [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Guild of Copy Editors/Blitzes/June_2024|'''June 2024 Copy Editing Blitz''']] will begin on 16 June and finish on 22 June. Barnstars awarded will be posted [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Guild of Copy Editors/Blitzes/June_2024/Barnstars|'''here''']].<br />
<br />
'''Progress report:''' As of 05:23, 8 June 2024 (UTC) <!-- ~~~~~ -->, GOCE copyeditors have completed 161 requests since 1 January and the backlog stands at 2,779 articles.<br />
<br />
Thank you all again for your participation; we wouldn't be able to achieve what we have without you! Cheers from {{noping|Baffle gab1978}} and your GOCE coordinators {{noping|Dhtwiki|Miniapolis|Wracking}}.<br />
<br />
{{center<br />
| <small>To discontinue receiving GOCE newsletters, please remove your name from [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Guild of Copy Editors/Mailing List|our mailing list]].</small><br />
}}<br />
|}<br />
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<br />
== ''The Signpost'': 8 June 2024 ==<br />
<br />
<div lang="en" dir="ltr" class="mw-content-ltr"><div style="column-count:2;"> {{Wikipedia:Wikipedia Signpost/2024-06-08}} </div><!--Volume 20, Issue 8--> <div class="hlist" style="margin-top:10px; font-size:90%; padding-left:5px; font-family:Georgia, Palatino, Palatino Linotype, Times, Times New Roman, serif;"> * '''[[Wikipedia:Wikipedia Signpost|Read this Signpost in full]]''' * [[Wikipedia:Wikipedia Signpost/Single/2024-06-08|Single-page]] * [[Wikipedia:Wikipedia Signpost/Subscribe|Unsubscribe]] * [[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]] ([[User talk:MediaWiki message delivery|talk]]) 12:25, 8 June 2024 (UTC) <!-- Sent via script ([[User:JPxG/SPS]]) --></div></div><br />
<!-- Message sent by User:JPxG@enwiki using the list at https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:Wikipedia_Signpost/Subscribe&oldid=1227557527 --><br />
<br />
== [[Wikipedia:Edit filter/False positives/Reports]] ==<br />
<br />
In regards to the file on Mhusek for editing on [[2023 IIHF World Championship Division II]]. The editor tried to use 'X' (twitter) as a source with only the url, no titles, no dates, nothing. The bot appropriately prompted the user to fix it, but I have removed it since it was not a reliable source anyway. Not a false positive. Needs no remedy. Did not know if I was allowed to contribute on the reports page.[[User:18abruce|18abruce]] ([[User talk:18abruce|talk]]) 14:00, 9 June 2024 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:@[[User:18abruce|18abruce]] you're allowed to contribute to that page, but that is not what the report was about - if you take a look at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:AbuseLog?wpSearchUser=Mhusek you'll see that the user was asking about some edits that were entirely disallowed by the system --[[User:DannyS712|DannyS712]] ([[User talk:DannyS712#top|talk]]) 14:03, 9 June 2024 (UTC)<br />
::Oh okay, sorry I see it now. I will stick to hockey.[[User:18abruce|18abruce]] ([[User talk:18abruce|talk]]) 14:46, 9 June 2024 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== Tech News: 2024-24 ==<br />
<br />
<section begin="technews-2024-W24"/><div class="plainlinks"><br />
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/24|Translations]] are available.<br />
<br />
'''Recent changes'''<br />
* The software used to render SVG files has been updated to a new version, fixing many longstanding bugs in SVG rendering. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T265549]<br />
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Advanced item]] The HTML used to render all headings [[mw:Heading HTML changes|is being changed to improve accessibility]]. It was changed last week in some skins (Vector legacy and Minerva). Please test gadgets on your wiki on these skins and [[phab:T13555|report any related problems]] so that they can be resolved before this change is made in Vector-2022. The developers are still considering the introduction of a [[phab:T337286|Gadget API for adding buttons to section titles]] if that would be helpful to tool creators, and would appreciate any input you have on that.<br />
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Advanced item]] The HTML markup used for citations by [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Parsoid|Parsoid]] changed last week. In places where Parsoid previously added the <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code>mw-reference-text</code></bdi> class, Parsoid now also adds the <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code>reference-text</code></bdi> class for better compatibility with the legacy parser. [[mw:Specs/HTML/2.8.0/Extensions/Cite/Announcement|More details are available]]. [https://gerrit.wikimedia.org/r/1036705]<br />
<br />
'''Problems'''<br />
* There was a bug with the Content Translation interface that caused the tools menus to appear in the wrong location. This has now been fixed. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T366374]<br />
<br />
'''Changes later this week'''<br />
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.43/wmf.9|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2024-06-11|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2024-06-12|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2024-06-13|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.43/Roadmap|calendar]]). [https://wikitech.wikimedia.org/wiki/Deployments/Train][https://wikitech.wikimedia.org/wiki/Deployments/Yearly_calendar]<br />
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Advanced item]] The new version of MediaWiki includes another change to the HTML markup used for citations: [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Parsoid|Parsoid]] will now generate a <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code><nowiki><span class="mw-cite-backlink"></nowiki></code></bdi> wrapper for both named and unnamed references for better compatibility with the legacy parser. Interface administrators should verify that gadgets that interact with citations are compatible with the new markup. [[mw:Specs/HTML/2.8.0/Extensions/Cite/Announcement|More details are available]]. [https://gerrit.wikimedia.org/r/1035809] <br />
* On multilingual wikis that use the <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code><nowiki><translate></nowiki></code></bdi> system, there is a feature that shows potentially-outdated translations with a pink background until they are updated or confirmed. From this week, confirming translations will be logged, and there is a new user-right that can be required for confirming translations if the community [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Requesting wiki configuration changes|requests it]]. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T49177]<br />
<br />
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]]&nbsp;• [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]]&nbsp;• [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/24|Translate]]&nbsp;• [[m:Tech|Get help]]&nbsp;• [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]]&nbsp;• [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''<br />
</div><section end="technews-2024-W24"/><br />
<br />
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 20:17, 10 June 2024 (UTC)<br />
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=26893898 --><br />
<br />
== [[Wikipedia:Database reports/Orphans with incoming links]] ==<br />
<br />
Hey. Just an FYI that [[Wikipedia:Database reports/Orphans with incoming links]] appears to be broken because [https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Tech/News/2024/20 pl_namespace and pl_title were dropped from pagelinks]. I believe the change would be<br />
<br />
<syntaxhighlight lang="SQL"><br />
INNER JOIN ${database}.pagelinks link ON p.page_title = link.pl_title<br />
AND p.page_namespace = link.pl_namespace<br />
</syntaxhighlight><br />
to<br />
<syntaxhighlight lang="SQL"><br />
INNER JOIN ${database}.linktarget ON p.page_title = lt_title<br />
AND p.page_namespace = lt_namespace<br />
INNER JOIN ${database}.pagelinks link ON lt_id = link.pl_target_id<br />
</syntaxhighlight><br />
<br />
Also [[Wikipedia:Database reports/Orphans with incoming links]] says 2 or more links but the query is actually 3 or more links as the condition is > 2 rather than >= 2.<br />
<br />
Cheers [[User:KylieTastic|KylieTastic]] ([[User talk:KylieTastic|talk]]) 08:43, 13 June 2024 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:Thanks for letting me know - I'll update the bot when I have a chance --[[User:DannyS712|DannyS712]] ([[User talk:DannyS712#top|talk]]) 07:00, 1 July 2024 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== Tech News: 2024-25 ==<br />
<br />
<section begin="technews-2024-W25"/><div class="plainlinks"><br />
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/25|Translations]] are available.<br />
<br />
'''Recent changes'''<br />
* People who attempt to add an external link in the visual editor will now receive immediate feedback if they attempt to link to a domain that a project has decided to block. Please see [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Edit_check#11_June_2024|Edit check]] for more details. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T366751]<br />
* The new [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:CommunityConfiguration|Community Configuration extension]] is available [[testwiki:Special:CommunityConfiguration|on Test Wikipedia]]. This extension allows communities to customize specific features to meet their local needs. Currently only Growth features are configurable, but the extension will support other [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Community_configuration#Use_cases|Community Configuration use cases]] in the future. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T323811][https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T360954]<br />
* The dark mode [[Special:Preferences#mw-prefsection-betafeatures|beta feature]] is now available on category and help pages, as well as more special pages. There may be contrast issues. Please report bugs on the [[mw:Talk:Reading/Web/Accessibility_for_reading|project talk page]]. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T366370]<br />
<br />
'''Problems'''<br />
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Advanced item]] Cloud Services tools were not available for 25 minutes last week. This was caused by a faulty hardware cable in the data center. [https://wikitech.wikimedia.org/wiki/Incidents/2024-06-11_WMCS_Ceph]<br />
* Last week, styling updates were made to the Vector 2022 skin. This caused unforeseen issues with templates, hatnotes, and images. Changes to templates and hatnotes were reverted. Most issues with images were fixed. If you still see any, [[phab:T367463|report them here]]. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T367480]<br />
<br />
'''Changes later this week'''<br />
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.43/wmf.10|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2024-06-18|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2024-06-19|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2024-06-20|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.43/Roadmap|calendar]]). [https://wikitech.wikimedia.org/wiki/Deployments/Train][https://wikitech.wikimedia.org/wiki/Deployments/Yearly_calendar]<br />
* Starting June 18, the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Edit check#ref|Reference Edit Check]] will be deployed to [[phab:T361843|a new set of Wikipedias]]. This feature is intended to help newcomers and to assist edit-patrollers by inviting people who are adding new content to a Wikipedia article to add a citation when they do not do so themselves. During [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Edit_check#Reference_Check_A/B_Test|a test at 11 wikis]], the number of citations added [https://diff.wikimedia.org/?p=127553 more than doubled] when Reference Check was shown to people. Reference Check is [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Edit check/Configuration|community configurable]]. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T361843]<!-- NOTE: THE DIFF BLOG WILL BE PUBLISHED ON MONDAY --><br />
* [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Mailing_lists|Mailing lists]] will be unavailable for roughly two hours on Tuesday 10:00–12:00 UTC. This is to enable migration to a new server and upgrade its software. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T367521]<br />
<br />
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]]&nbsp;• [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]]&nbsp;• [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/25|Translate]]&nbsp;• [[m:Tech|Get help]]&nbsp;• [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]]&nbsp;• [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''<br />
</div><section end="technews-2024-W25"/><br />
<br />
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 23:46, 17 June 2024 (UTC)<br />
<!-- Message sent by User:Quiddity (WMF)@metawiki using the list at https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors&oldid=26911987 --><br />
<br />
== Thanks for caring ==<br />
<br />
{| style="background-color: #fdffe7; border: 1px solid #fceb92;"<br />
|rowspan="2" style="vertical-align: middle; padding: 5px;" | [[File:Eyes to see everything (6160467919).jpg|100px]]<br />
|style="font-size: x-large; padding: 3px 3px 0 3px; height: 1.5em;" | '''Observer'''<br />
|-<br />
|style="vertical-align: middle; padding: 3px;" | I will actually fix [[User:Fred Gandt/sectionFooters.js|it]] tomorrow, like anyone but me cares ;) <code style="background:#DFF;white-space:pre">[[User:Fred Gandt|Fred Gandt]] · [[User talk:Fred Gandt|talk]] · [[Special:Contributions/Fred Gandt|contribs]]</code> 03:24, 22 June 2024 (UTC)<br />
|}<br />
<br />
:@[[User:Fred Gandt|Fred Gandt]] for some reason I had the page on my watchlist, and figured you might be interested to know that at least someone cares, though I don't think I have installed it and have no idea how I found it in the first place --[[User:DannyS712|DannyS712]] ([[User talk:DannyS712#top|talk]]) 11:09, 22 June 2024 (UTC)<br />
::Watchlists are mysterious :D I appreciated the gesture; it made me chuckle before heading to bed :) Have a jolly day :) <code style="background:#DFF;white-space:pre">[[User:Fred Gandt|Fred Gandt]] · [[User talk:Fred Gandt|talk]] · [[Special:Contributions/Fred Gandt|contribs]]</code> 13:53, 22 June 2024 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== Tech News: 2024-26 ==<br />
<br />
<section begin="technews-2024-W26"/><div class="plainlinks"><br />
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/26|Translations]] are available.<br />
<br />
'''Recent changes'''<br />
* Editors will notice that there have been some changes to the background color of text in the diff view, and the color of the byte-change numbers, last week. These changes are intended to make text more readable in both light mode and dark mode, and are part of a larger effort to increase accessibility. You can share your comments or questions [[mw:Talk:Reading/Web/Accessibility for reading|on the project talkpage]]. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T361717]<br />
* The text colors that are used for visited-links, hovered-links, and active-links, were also slightly changed last week to improve their accessibility in both light mode and dark mode. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T366515]<br />
<br />
'''Problems'''<br />
* You can [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:DiscussionTools#Talk pages permalinking|copy permanent links to talk page comments]] by clicking on a comment's timestamp. [[mw:Talk pages project/Permalinks|This feature]] did not always work when the topic title was very long and the link was used as a wikitext link. This has been fixed. Thanks to Lofhi for submitting the bug. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T356196]<br />
<br />
'''Changes later this week'''<br />
* [[File:Octicons-sync.svg|12px|link=|alt=|Recurrent item]] The [[mw:MediaWiki 1.43/wmf.11|new version]] of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from {{#time:j xg|2024-06-25|en}}. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from {{#time:j xg|2024-06-26|en}}. It will be on all wikis from {{#time:j xg|2024-06-27|en}} ([[mw:MediaWiki 1.43/Roadmap|calendar]]). [https://wikitech.wikimedia.org/wiki/Deployments/Train][https://wikitech.wikimedia.org/wiki/Deployments/Yearly_calendar]<br />
* Starting 26 June, all talk pages messages' timestamps will become a link at English Wikipedia, making this feature available for you to use at all wikis. This link is a permanent link to the comment. It allows users to find the comment they were linked to, even if this comment has since been moved elsewhere. You can read more about this feature [[DiffBlog:/2024/01/29/talk-page-permalinks-dont-lose-your-threads/|on Diff]] or [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:DiscussionTools#Talk pages permalinking|on Mediawiki.org]]. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T365974]<br />
<br />
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]]&nbsp;• [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]]&nbsp;• [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/26|Translate]]&nbsp;• [[m:Tech|Get help]]&nbsp;• [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]]&nbsp;• [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''<br />
</div><section end="technews-2024-W26"/><br />
<br />
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 22:30, 24 June 2024 (UTC)<br />
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<br />
== [[User:DannyS712/TagsManager]] question ==<br />
<br />
Hello, @[[User:DannyS712|DannyS712]]. I was wondering if there is a way to have tags already inserted on the page inserted into the <code><nowiki>{{multiple issues}}</nowiki></code> parameter? If not, that is fine as well. I like using this script and the de-stub script to help with content assessments. {{Smiley}} <span style="font-family:Arial;background-color:#fff;border:2px dashed#69c73e">[[User:Cowboygilbert|<span style="color:#3f6b39">'''Cowboygilbert'''</span>]] - [[User talk:Cowboygilbert|<span style="color:#d12667"> (talk) ♥</span>]]</span> 09:04, 27 June 2024 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:sorry, not sure how to do that - if you want to fork the script and add that feature I can redirect my version --[[User:DannyS712|DannyS712]] ([[User talk:DannyS712#top|talk]]) 06:58, 1 July 2024 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== Request ==<br />
<br />
Hello DannyS712, I hope you are doing well. I could really use your help with [[User talk:Replayful#February 2024 WikiProject Unreferenced articles backlog drive – award|this]]. If you are able to assist, I'd truly appreciate it. – [[User:DreamRimmer|<b style="color:black; font-family: Tahoma">DreamRimmer</b>]] ('''[[User talk:DreamRimmer|talk]]''') 17:30, 27 June 2024 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:Replied there --[[User:DannyS712|DannyS712]] ([[User talk:DannyS712#top|talk]]) 06:59, 1 July 2024 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== WikiCup 2024 July newsletter ==<br />
<br />
The third round of the 2024 WikiCup ended on 28 June. As with Round 2, this round was competitive: each of the 16 contestants who advanced to Round 4 scored at least 256 points.<br />
<br />
The following editors all scored more than 400 points in Round 3:<br />
<br />
* {{Wikipedia:WikiCup/Participant15|Generalissima}} with 1,059 points, mostly from 1 [[WP:FA|featured article]] on [[DeLancey W. Gill]], 11 [[WP:GA|good articles]], 18 [[WP:DYK|did you know]] nominations, and dozens of reviews;<br />
* {{Wikipedia:WikiCup/Participant15|Skyshifter}} with 673 points, mostly from 2 featured articles on [[Worlds (Porter Robinson album)]] and [[I'm God]], 5 good articles, and 2 did you know nominations;<br />
* {{Wikipedia:WikiCup/Participant15|Sammi Brie}} with 557 points, mostly from 1 featured article on [[KNXV-TV]], 5 good articles, and 8 did you know nominations; and<br />
* {{Wikipedia:WikiCup/Participant15|AryKun}} with 415 points, mostly from 1 featured article on [[Great cuckoo-dove]], with a high number of bonus points from that article.<br />
<br />
The full scores for round 3 can be seen [[Wikipedia:WikiCup/History/2024/Round 3|here]]. So far this year, competitors have gotten 28 featured articles, 38 featured lists, 240 good articles, 92 [[WP:ITN|in the news]] credits, and at least 285 [[WP:DYK|did you know]] credits. They have conducted 279 featured article reviews, as well as 492 good article reviews and peer reviews, and have added 22 articles to [[Wikipedia:featured topics|featured topics]] and [[Wikipedia:good topics|good topics]].<br />
<br />
Remember that any content promoted after 28 June but before the start of Round 4 can be claimed during Round 4, which starts on 1 July at 00:00 (UTC). Invitations for collaborative writing efforts or any other discussion of potentially interesting work is always welcome on the WikiCup talk page. Remember, if two or more WikiCup competitors have done significant work on an article, all can claim points. If you are concerned that your nomination—whether for a good article, featured content, or anything else—will not receive the necessary reviews, please list it on [[Wikipedia:WikiCup/Reviews Needed]].<br />
<br />
If you would like to learn more about rules and scoring for the 2024 WikiCup, please see [[Wikipedia:WikiCup/Scoring|this page]]. Further questions are welcome on [[Wikipedia talk:WikiCup]] and the judges ({{User|Cwmhiraeth}}, {{User|Epicgenius}}, and {{User|Frostly}}) are reachable on their talk pages. Good luck! <small>If you wish to start or stop receiving this newsletter, please feel free to add or remove your name from [[Wikipedia:WikiCup/Newsletter/Send]].</small> [[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]] ([[User talk:MediaWiki message delivery|talk]]) 21:30, 29 June 2024 (UTC)<br />
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<br />
== Tech News: 2024-27 ==<br />
<br />
<section begin="technews-2024-W27"/><div class="plainlinks"><br />
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/27|Translations]] are available.<br />
<br />
'''Recent changes'''<br />
* Over the next three weeks, dark mode will become available for all users, both logged-in and logged-out, starting with the mobile web version. This fulfils one of the [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Community_Wishlist_Survey_2023/Reading/Dark_mode|top-requested community wishes]], and improves low-contrast reading and usage in low-light settings. As part of these changes, dark mode will also work on User-pages and Portals. There is more information in [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Reading/Web/Accessibility_for_reading/Updates#June_2024:_Typography_and_dark_mode_deployments,_new_global_preferences|the latest Web team update]]. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T366364]<br />
* Logged-in users can now set [[m:Special:GlobalPreferences#mw-prefsection-rendering-skin-skin-prefs|global preferences for the text-size and dark-mode]], thanks to a combined effort across Foundation teams. This allows Wikimedians using multiple wikis to set up a consistent reading experience easily, for example by switching between light and dark mode only once for all wikis. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T341278] <br />
* If you use a very old web browser some features might not work on the Wikimedia wikis. This affects Internet Explorer 11 and versions of Chrome, Firefox and Safari older than 2016. This change makes it possible to use new [[d:Q46441|CSS]] features and to send less code to all readers. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T288287][https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Manual:How_to_make_a_MediaWiki_skin#Using_CSS_variables_for_supporting_different_themes_e.g._dark_mode]<br />
* Wikipedia Admins can customize local wiki configuration options easily using [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Community Configuration|Community Configuration]]. Community Configuration was created to allow communities to customize how some features work, because each language wiki has unique needs. At the moment, admins can configure [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Growth/Feature_summary|Growth features]] on their home wikis, in order to better recruit and retain new editors. More options will be provided in the coming months. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T366458]<br />
* Editors interested in language issues that are related to [[w:en:Unicode|Unicode standards]], can now discuss those topics at [[mw:Talk:WMF membership with Unicode Consortium|a new conversation space in MediaWiki.org]]. The Wikimedia Foundation is now a [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/WMF membership with Unicode Consortium|member of the Unicode Consortium]], and the coordination group can collaboratively review the issues discussed and, where appropriate, bring them to the attention of the Unicode Consortium.<br />
* One new wiki has been created: a {{int:project-localized-name-group-wikipedia}} in [[d:Q2891049|Mandailing]] ([[w:btm:|<code>w:btm:</code>]]) [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T368038] <br />
<br />
'''Problems'''<br />
* Editors can once again click on links within the visual editor's citation-preview, thanks to a bug fix by the Editing Team. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T368119]<br />
<br />
'''Future changes'''<br />
* Please [https://wikimediafoundation.limesurvey.net/758713?lang=en help us to improve Tech News by taking this short survey]. The goal is to better meet the needs of the various types of people who read Tech News. The survey will be open for 2 weeks. The survey is covered by [https://foundation.wikimedia.org/wiki/Legal:Tech_News_Survey_2024_Privacy_Statement this privacy statement]. Some translations are available.<br />
<br />
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]]&nbsp;• [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]]&nbsp;• [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/27|Translate]]&nbsp;• [[m:Tech|Get help]]&nbsp;• [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]]&nbsp;• [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''<br />
</div><section end="technews-2024-W27"/><br />
<br />
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 23:56, 1 July 2024 (UTC)<br />
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== ''The Signpost'': 4 July 2024 ==<br />
<br />
<div lang="en" dir="ltr" class="mw-content-ltr"><div style="column-count:2;"> {{Wikipedia:Wikipedia Signpost/2024-07-04}} </div><!--Volume 20, Issue 9--> <div class="hlist" style="margin-top:10px; font-size:90%; padding-left:5px; font-family:Georgia, Palatino, Palatino Linotype, Times, Times New Roman, serif;"> * '''[[Wikipedia:Wikipedia Signpost|Read this Signpost in full]]''' * [[Wikipedia:Wikipedia Signpost/Single/2024-07-04|Single-page]] * [[Wikipedia:Wikipedia Signpost/Subscribe|Unsubscribe]] * [[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]] ([[User talk:MediaWiki message delivery|talk]]) 13:38, 4 July 2024 (UTC) <!-- Sent via script ([[User:JPxG/SPS]]) --></div></div><br />
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<br />
== Administrators' newsletter – July 2024 ==<br />
<br />
[[Wikipedia:Administrators' newsletter|News and updates for administrators]] from the past month (June 2024).<br />
<br />
[[File:ANEWSicon.png|right|150px]]<br />
<br />
[[File:Wikipedia Administrator.svg|20px|alt=]] '''Administrator changes'''<br />
:[[File:Gnome-colors-list-add.svg|20px|alt=added|Added]] {{Hlist|class=inline<br />
|[[Wikipedia:Requests for adminship/Elli|Elli]]<br />
|[[Wikipedia:Requests for adminship/HouseBlaster|HouseBlaster]]<br />
|[[Wikipedia:Requests for adminship/Pickersgill-Cunliffe|Pickersgill-Cunliffe]]<br />
}}<br />
:[[File:Gnome-colors-list-remove.svg|20px|alt=removed|Removed]] {{Hlist|class=inline<br />
|[[Special:Permalink/1226644195#Wikipedia:Inactive administrators/2024#June 2024|Brianga]]<br />
|[[Special:Permalink/1226644195#Wikipedia:Inactive administrators/2024#June 2024|De728631]]<br />
|[[Special:Permalink/1226644195#Wikipedia:Inactive administrators/2024#June 2024|Georgewilliamherbert]]<br />
|[[Special:Permalink/1231804712#Deceased admin (Hyacinth)|Hyacinth]] ([[Wikipedia:Deceased Wikipedians/2023#Mikhail Lewis (Hyacinth)|deceased]])<br />
|[[Special:Permalink/1226644195#Wikipedia:Inactive administrators/2024#June 2024|ProveIt]]<br />
|[[Special:Permalink/1229769776#Desysop request (The Night Watch)| The Night Watch]]<br />
}}<br />
<br />
[[File:Octicons-tools.svg|20px|alt=]] '''Technical news'''<br />
* Local administrators can now add new links to the bottom of the site Tools menu without using JavaScript. [[mw:Manual:Interface/Sidebar|Documentation is available]] on MediaWiki. ({{phab|T6086}})<br />
<br />
[[File:Info Simple bw.svg|20px|alt=]] '''Miscellaneous'''<br />
* The [[:m:Community Wishlist Survey|Community Wishlist]] is re-opening on 15 July 2024. [[:m:Community_Wishlist_Survey/Future_Of_The_Wishlist/Preview_of_the_New_Wishlist#July_1,_2024:_The_Community_Wishlist_is_re-opening_Jul_15,_2024._Here's_what_to_expect,_and_how_to_prepare.|Read more]]<br />
<br />
----<br />
{{center|{{flatlist|<br />
* [[Wikipedia talk:Administrators' newsletter|Discuss this newsletter]]<br />
* [[Wikipedia:Administrators' newsletter/Subscribe|Subscribe]]<br />
* [[Wikipedia:Administrators' newsletter/Archive|Archive]]<br />
}}}}<br />
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<br />
== Tech News: 2024-28 ==<br />
<br />
<section begin="technews-2024-W28"/><div class="plainlinks"><br />
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/28|Translations]] are available.<br />
<br />
'''Recent changes'''<br />
* At the Wikimedia Foundation a new task force was formed to replace the disabled Graph with [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:Chart/Project|more secure, easy to use, and extensible Chart]]. You can [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Newsletter:Chart Project|subscribe to the newsletter]] to get notified about new project updates and other news about Chart.<br />
* The [[m:Special:MyLanguage/CampaignEvents|CampaignEvents]] extension is now available on Meta-wiki, Igbo Wikipedia, and Swahili Wikipedia, and can be requested on your wiki. This extension helps in managing and making events more visible, giving Event organizers the ability to use tools like the Event registration tool. To learn more about the deployment status and how to request this extension for your wiki, visit the [[m:Special:MyLanguage/CampaignEvents/Deployment_status|CampaignEvents page on Meta-wiki]]. <br />
* Editors using the iOS Wikipedia app who have more than 50 edits can now use the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia Apps/iOS Suggested edits#Add an image|Add an Image]] feature. This feature presents opportunities for small but useful contributions to Wikipedia.<br />
* Thank you to [[mw:MediaWiki Product Insights/Contributor retention and growth/Celebration|all of the authors]] who have contributed to MediaWiki Core. As a result of these contributions, the [[mw:MediaWiki Product Insights/Contributor retention and growth|percentage of authors contributing more than 5 patches has increased by 25% since last year]], which helps ensure the sustainability of the platform for the Wikimedia projects.<br />
<br />
'''Problems'''<br />
* A problem with the color of the talkpage tabs always showing as blue, even for non-existent pages which should have been red, affecting the Vector 2022 skin, [[phab:T367982|has been fixed]]. <br />
<br />
'''Future changes'''<br />
* The Trust and Safety Product team wants to introduce [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Trust and Safety Product/Temporary Accounts|temporary accounts]] with as little disruption to tools and workflows as possible. Volunteer developers, including gadget and user-script maintainers, are kindly asked to update the code of their tools and features to handle temporary accounts. The team has [[mw:Trust and Safety Product/Temporary Accounts/For developers|created documentation]] explaining how to do the update. [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Trust and Safety Product/Temporary Accounts/For developers/2024-04 CTA|Learn more]].<br />
<br />
'''Tech News survey'''<br />
* Please [https://wikimediafoundation.limesurvey.net/758713?lang=en help us to improve Tech News by taking this short survey]. The goal is to better meet the needs of the various types of people who read Tech News. The survey will be open for 1 more week. The survey is covered by [https://foundation.wikimedia.org/wiki/Legal:Tech_News_Survey_2024_Privacy_Statement this privacy statement]. Some translations are available.<br />
<br />
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]]&nbsp;• [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]]&nbsp;• [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/28|Translate]]&nbsp;• [[m:Tech|Get help]]&nbsp;• [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]]&nbsp;• [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''<br />
</div><section end="technews-2024-W28"/><br />
<br />
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 21:29, 8 July 2024 (UTC)<br />
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<br />
== Tech News: 2024-29 ==<br />
<br />
<section begin="technews-2024-W29"/><div class="plainlinks"><br />
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/29|Translations]] are available.<br />
<br />
'''Tech News survey'''<br />
* Please [https://wikimediafoundation.limesurvey.net/758713?lang=en help us to improve Tech News by taking this short survey]. The goal is to better meet the needs of the various types of people who read Tech News. The survey will be open for 3 more days. The survey is covered by [https://foundation.wikimedia.org/wiki/Legal:Tech_News_Survey_2024_Privacy_Statement this privacy statement]. Some translations are available.<br />
<br />
'''Recent changes'''<br />
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Advanced item]] Wikimedia developers can now officially continue to use both [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Gerrit|Gerrit]] and [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/GitLab|GitLab]], due to a June 24 decision by the Wikimedia Foundation to support software development on both platforms. Gerrit and GitLab are both code repositories used by developers to write, review, and deploy the software code that supports the MediaWiki software that the wiki projects are built on, as well as the tools used by editors to create and improve content. This decision will safeguard the productivity of our developers and prevent problems in code review from affecting our users. More details are available in the [[mw:GitLab/Migration status|Migration status]] page.<br />
* The Wikimedia Foundation seeks applicants for the [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Product and Technology Advisory Council/Proposal|Product and Technology Advisory Council]] (PTAC). This group will bring technical contributors and Wikimedia Foundation together to co-define a more resilient, future-proof technological platform. Council members will evaluate and consult on the movement's product and technical activities, so that we develop multi-generational projects. We are looking for a range of technical contributors across the globe, from a variety of Wikimedia projects. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Product and Technology Advisory Council/Proposal#Joining the PTAC as a technical volunteer|Please apply here by August 10]].<br />
* Editors with rollback user-rights who use the Wikipedia App for Android can use the new [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia Apps/Team/Android/Anti Vandalism|Edit Patrol]] features. These features include a new feed of Recent Changes, related links such as Undo and Rollback, and the ability to create and save a personal library of user talk messages to use while patrolling. If your wiki wants to make these features available to users who do not have rollback rights but have reached a certain edit threshold, [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia Apps/Team/Android#Contact us|you can contact the team]]. You can [[diffblog:2024/07/10/ِaddressing-vandalism-with-a-tap-the-journey-of-introducing-the-patrolling-feature-in-the-mobile-app/|read more about this project on Diff blog]].<br />
* Editors who have access to [[m:Special:MyLanguage/The_Wikipedia_Library|The Wikipedia Library]] can once again use non-open access content in SpringerLinks, after the Foundation [[phab:T368865|contacted]] them to restore access. You can read more about [[m:Tech/News/Recently_resolved_community_tasks|this and 21 other community-submitted tasks that were completed last week]]. <br />
<br />
'''Changes later this week'''<br />
* This week, [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Reading/Web/Accessibility for reading/Updates/2024-07 deployments|dark mode will be available on a number of Wikipedias]], both desktop and mobile, for logged-in and logged-out users. Interface admins and user script maintainers are encouraged to check gadgets and user scripts in the dark mode, to find any hard-coded colors and fix them. There are some [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Recommendations for night mode compatibility on Wikimedia wikis|recommendations for dark mode compatibility]] to help.<br />
<br />
'''Future changes'''<br />
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Advanced item]] Next week, functionaries, volunteers maintaining tools, and software development teams are invited to test the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Trust and Safety Product/Temporary Accounts|temporary accounts]] feature on testwiki. Temporary accounts is a feature that will help improve privacy on the wikis. No further temporary account deployments are scheduled yet. Please [[mw:Talk:Trust and Safety Product/Temporary Accounts|share your opinions and questions on the project talk page]]. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T348895]<br />
* Editors who upload files cross-wiki, or teach other people how to do so, may wish to join a Wikimedia Commons discussion. The Commons community is discussing limiting who can upload files through the cross-wiki upload/Upload dialog feature to users auto-confirmed on Wikimedia Commons. This is due to the large amount of copyright violations uploaded this way. There is a short summary at [[c:Special:MyLanguage/Commons:Cross-wiki upload|Commons:Cross-wiki upload]] and [[c:Commons:Village pump/Proposals#Deactivate cross-wiki uploads for new users|discussion at Commons:Village Pump]].<br />
<br />
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]]&nbsp;• [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]]&nbsp;• [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/29|Translate]]&nbsp;• [[m:Tech|Get help]]&nbsp;• [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]]&nbsp;• [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].'' You can also get other news from the [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia Foundation Bulletin|Wikimedia Foundation Bulletin]].<br />
</div><section end="technews-2024-W29"/><br />
<br />
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 01:28, 16 July 2024 (UTC)<br />
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<br />
== ''The Signpost'': 22 July 2024 ==<br />
<br />
<div lang="en" dir="ltr" class="mw-content-ltr"><div style="column-count:2;"> {{Wikipedia:Wikipedia Signpost/2024-07-22}} </div><!--Volume 20, Issue 10--> <div class="hlist" style="margin-top:10px; font-size:90%; padding-left:5px; font-family:Georgia, Palatino, Palatino Linotype, Times, Times New Roman, serif;"> * '''[[Wikipedia:Wikipedia Signpost|Read this Signpost in full]]''' * [[Wikipedia:Wikipedia Signpost/Single/2024-07-22|Single-page]] * [[Wikipedia:Wikipedia Signpost/Subscribe|Unsubscribe]] * [[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]] ([[User talk:MediaWiki message delivery|talk]]) 09:30, 22 July 2024 (UTC) <!-- Sent via script ([[User:JPxG/SPS]]) --></div></div><br />
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<br />
== Tech News: 2024-30 ==<br />
<br />
<section begin="technews-2024-W30"/><div class="plainlinks"><br />
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/30|Translations]] are available.<br />
<br />
'''Feature News'''<br />
* Stewards can now [[:m:Special:MyLanguage/Global_blocks|globally block]] accounts. Before [[phab:T17294|the change]] only IP addresses and IP ranges could be blocked globally. Global account blocks are useful when the blocked user should not be logged out. [[:m:Special:MyLanguage/Global_locks|Global locks]] (a similar tool logging the user out of their account) are unaffected by this change. The new global account block feature is related to the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Trust and Safety Product/Temporary Accounts|Temporary Accounts]] project, which is a new type of user account that replaces IP addresses of unregistered editors that are no longer made public.<br />
* Later this week, Wikimedia site users will notice that the Interface of [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:FlaggedRevs|FlaggedRevs]] (also known as "Pending Changes") is improved and consistent with the rest of the MediaWiki interface and [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Codex|Wikimedia's design system]]. The FlaggedRevs interface experience on mobile and [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Skin:MinervaNeue|Minerva skin]] was inconsistent before it was fixed and ported to [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Codex|Codex]] by the WMF Growth team and some volunteers. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T191156]<br />
* Wikimedia site users can now submit account vanishing requests via [[m:Special:GlobalVanishRequest|GlobalVanishRequest]]. This feature is used when a contributor wishes to stop editing forever. It helps you hide your past association and edit to protect your privacy. Once processed, the account will be locked and renamed. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T367329]<br />
* Have you tried monitoring and addressing vandalism in Wikipedia using your phone? [https://diff.wikimedia.org/2024/07/10/%d9%90addressing-vandalism-with-a-tap-the-journey-of-introducing-the-patrolling-feature-in-the-mobile-app/ A Diff blog post on Patrolling features in the Mobile App] highlights some of the new capabilities of the feature, including swiping through a feed of recent changes and a personal library of user talk messages for use when patrolling from your phone. <br />
* Wikimedia contributors and GLAM (galleries, libraries, archives, and museums) organisations can now learn and measure the impact Wikimedia Commons is having towards creating quality encyclopedic content using the [https://doc.wikimedia.org/generated-data-platform/aqs/analytics-api/reference/commons.html Commons Impact Metrics] analytics dashboard. The dashboard offers organizations analytics on things like monthly edits in a category, the most viewed files, and which Wikimedia articles are using Commons images. As a result of these new data dumps, GLAM organisation can more reliably measure their return on investment for programs bringing content into the digital Commons. [https://diff.wikimedia.org/2024/07/19/commons-impact-metrics-now-available-via-data-dumps-and-api/]<br />
<br />
'''Project Updates'''<br />
* Come share your ideas for improving the wikis on the newly reopened [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Community Wishlist|Community Wishlist]]. The Community Wishlist is Wikimedia’s forum for volunteers to share ideas (called wishes) to improve how the wikis work. The new version of the wishlist is always open, works with both wikitext and Visual Editor, and allows wishes in any language.<br />
<br />
'''Learn more'''<br />
* Have you ever wondered how Wikimedia software works across over 300 languages? This is 253 languages more than the Google Chrome interface, and it's no accident. The Language and Product Localization Team at the Wikimedia Foundation supports your work by adapting all the tools and interfaces in the MediaWiki software so that contributors in our movement who translate pages and strings can translate them and have the sites in all languages. Read more about the team and their upcoming work on [https://diff.wikimedia.org/2024/07/17/building-towards-a-robust-multilingual-knowledge-ecosystem-for-the-wikimedia-movement/ Diff]. <br />
* How can Wikimedia build innovative and experimental products while maintaining such heavily used websites? A recent [https://diff.wikimedia.org/2024/07/09/on-the-value-of-experimentation/ blog post] by WMF staff Johan Jönsson highlights the work of the [[m:Future Audiences#Objectives and Key Results|WMF Future Audience initiative]], where the goal is not to build polished products but test out new ideas, such as a [[m:Future_Audiences/Experiments: conversational/generative AI|ChatGPT plugin]] and [[m:Future_Audiences/Experiment:Add a Fact|Add a Fact]], to help take Wikimedia into the future. <br />
<br />
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]]&nbsp;• [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]]&nbsp;• [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/30|Translate]]&nbsp;• [[m:Tech|Get help]]&nbsp;• [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]]&nbsp;• [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].'' You can also get other news from the [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia Foundation Bulletin|Wikimedia Foundation Bulletin]].<br />
</div><section end="technews-2024-W30"/><br />
<br />
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 00:01, 23 July 2024 (UTC)<br />
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<br />
== Tech News: 2024-31 ==<br />
<br />
<section begin="technews-2024-W31"/><div class="plainlinks"><br />
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/31|Translations]] are available.<br />
<br />
'''Feature news'''<br />
* Editors using the Visual Editor in languages that use non-Latin characters for numbers, such as Hindi, Manipuri and Eastern Arabic, may notice some changes in the formatting of reference numbers. This is a side effect of preparing a new sub-referencing feature, and will also allow fixing some general numbering issues in Visual Editor. If you notice any related problems on your wiki, please share details at the [[m:Talk:WMDE Technical Wishes/Sub-referencing|project talkpage]].<br />
<br />
'''Bugs status'''<br />
* Some logged-in editors were briefly unable to edit or load pages last week. [[phab:T370304|These errors]] were mainly due to the addition of new [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Extension:Linter|linter]] rules which led to caching problems. Fixes have been applied and investigations are continuing.<br />
* Editors can use the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Trust and Safety Product/IP Info|IP Information tool]] to get information about IP addresses. This tool is available as a Beta Feature in your preferences. The tool was not available for a few days last week, but is now working again. Thank you to Shizhao for filing the bug report. You can read about that, and [[m:Tech/News/Recently resolved community tasks#2024-07-25|28 other community-submitted tasks]] that were resolved last week.<br />
<br />
'''Project updates'''<br />
* There are new features and improvements to Phabricator from the Release Engineering and Collaboration Services teams, and some volunteers, including: the search systems, the new task creation system, the login systems, the translation setup which has resulted in support for more languages (thanks to Pppery), and fixes for many edge-case errors. You can [[phab:phame/post/view/316/iterative_improvements/|read details about these and other improvements in this summary]].<br />
* There is an [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:Chart/Project/Updates|update on the Charts project]]. The team has decided which visualization library to use, which chart types to start focusing on, and where to store chart definitions.<br />
* One new wiki has been created: a {{int:project-localized-name-group-wikivoyage}} in [[d:Q9056|Czech]] ([[voy:cs:|<code>voy:cs:</code>]]) [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T370905] <br />
<br />
'''Learn more'''<br />
* There is a [[diffblog:2024/07/26/the-journey-to-open-our-first-data-center-in-south-america/|new Wikimedia Foundation data center]] in São Paulo, Brazil which helps to reduce load times.<br />
* There is new [[diffblog:2024/07/22/the-perplexing-process-of-uploading-images-to-wikipedia/|user research]] on problems with the process of uploading images.<br />
* Commons Impact Metrics are [[diffblog:2024/07/19/commons-impact-metrics-now-available-via-data-dumps-and-api/|now available]] via data dumps and API.<br />
* The latest quarterly [[mw:Technical Community Newsletter/2024/July|Technical Community Newsletter]] is now available.<br />
<br />
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]]&nbsp;• [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]]&nbsp;• [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/31|Translate]]&nbsp;• [[m:Tech|Get help]]&nbsp;• [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]]&nbsp;• [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''<br />
</div><section end="technews-2024-W31"/><br />
<br />
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 23:08, 29 July 2024 (UTC)<br />
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<br />
== Scripts++ Newsletter – Issue 25 ==<br />
<br />
<div style="border-style:solid; border-color:#606060; background-color:#f8f8f8; border-width:2px; text-align:left; padding:7px; border-radius:1em; box-shadow:0.1em 0.1em 0.5em rgba(0,0,0,0.75);" class="plainlinks"><br />
Hey there, welcome to the 25th issue of the Wikipedia [[Wikipedia:Scripts++|Scripts++ Newsletter]], covering all our favorite new and updated user scripts since {{#formatdate:2024-03-01|dmy}}. We've got a ton of wonderful editors taking back their pitchforks today. Don't worry, for they come in peace, to forcibly fix and extend existing scripts you use with sheer passion. There's so many, them forks have got what's basically their own column now! <small>gift us with some rows before it's too late</small> [[User:Aaron Liu|<span style="color:#0645ad">Aaron Liu</span>]] ([[User talk:Aaron Liu#top|talk]]) 04:00, 1 August 2024 (UTC)<br />
<br />
[[File:Farm-Fresh scripts text.png|20px]] <small>Got anything good? Tell us about your new, improved, old, or messed-up script [[Wikipedia talk:Scripts++|here]]!</small><br />
<br />
{{columns-start|num=3}}<br />
===[[File:Cscr-featured.svg|20px]] Featured script===<br />
: '''[[m:User:Ponor/inline-diff-inline-patrol|inline-diff-inline-patrol]]''' by '''[[m:User:Ponor|Ponor]]''' is this edition's featured script. By loading diffs inline on every page that shows a list of changes, it implements the 2023 community wish [[m:Community Wishlist Survey 2023/Admins and patrollers/Inline diffs and inline patrol]]. Hopefully we won't need this script anymore soon, with the WMF's [[m:Community Wishlist Survey/Wishlist Survey Audit 2023|focus on the backlog]]...<br />
<br />
===[[File:Ambox important.svg|20px]] Improve a script===<br />
* Many of our favorite scripts such as [[User:Fred Gandt/userResourceManager|Fred Gandt/userResourceManager]], [[User:Guarapiranga/search-shortcuts|Guarapiranga/search-shortcuts]] and [[User:Bradv/Scripts/Superlinks|Bradv/Superlinks]] haven't been updated for Vector 2022. You could be the one to change that!<br />
* [[User:Elominius/gadget/media timer|Elominius/media timer]] works, but its UI looks alien. Someone could improve it...<br />
* To a lesser extent, the same goes for [[User:PrimeHunter/Search sort.js|PrimeHunter/Search sort]]. I wish someone would integrate the sorts into the sort menu instead of adding 11 portlet links.<br />
* We want...<br />
:* ...watchlist notices support for [[User:Aaron Liu/Watchlyst Greybar Unsin|Aaron Liu/Watchlyst Greybar Unsin]]<br />
:* ...a tool to automatically fix [[CAT:BROKENREF]]s, preferably a fork/addition to [[User:TheJJJunk/ARA|TheJJJunk/ARA]]<br />
:* ...a fix/fork of [[User:DannyS712/SectionRemover|DannyS712/SectionRemover]] to make it work<br />
<br />
===[[File:Ambox clock yellow.svg|20px]] Requested scripts===<br />
* Automatically delink all duplicate links within the same section per [[MOS:LINKONCE]].<br />
* Collapsible parentheses in body text, which had [[Wikipedia:User scripts/Requests#Collapsible parentheses in body text|a ridiculously long original request title]] and was accidentally moved to [[WP:US/L]] by me. Oops!<br />
* An easily configurable script to add a link to the #p-vector-user-menu-overflow portlet with a name, target, and icon. This one should be a relatively easier one. I would do it myself, but I'm too busy rotting away on [[Celeste (video game)]].<br />
* [[Wikipedia:User scripts/Requests#Mobile edit preview|Preview an edit under the mobile viewport on desktop]], with perhaps [[MediaWiki:Gadget-mobile-sidebar.js]] used for inspiration. <br />
* ...and many more, all available at [[Wikipedia:User scripts/Requests]]. [[User:Jeeputer|Jeeputer]] and [[User:Nardog|Nardog]] have been the most active on the page in the past five months.<br />
<br />
{{column}}<br />
[[File:Inline diff inline patrol 3 2024-06-12 Recent Changes - expanded.png|frameless|center]]<br />
[[File:Text-x-source.svg|frameless|upright=1.1|center|Scripts++ Newsletter]]<br />
<br />
{{column}}<br />
===[[File:Gnome-colors-view-refresh.svg|20px]] Updated scripts===<br />
* After the <ruby>ＲＩＩＪ<rp>(</rp><rt>rewrite it in [[jQuery]]</rt><rp>)</rp></ruby> update, [[User:Aaron Liu|Aaron Liu]]: [[User:Aaron Liu/Watchlyst Greybar Unsin|Watchlyst Greybar Unsin]] has a dismiss button that allows you to mark an item as read in one click and cycle to the next Watchlist item.<br />
* [[User:Lordseriouspig/StatusChangerImproved|Lordseriouspig/StatusChangerImproved]] is just like Enterprisey's script, except you select your status from a dropdown instead of cycling through them with a button. The WMF operates out of car-centric infrastructure anyway. Shame!<br />
<br />
===[[File:Farm-Fresh error go.png|20px]] Newly maintained scripts===<br />
* [[User:Aaron Liu|Aaron Liu]] has created [[User:Aaron Liu/duplinks.js|Duplinks]] from [[User:Evad37/duplinks-alt|Evad37/duplinks-alt]]; {{their|Aaron Liu}} fork adds a config variable to automatically highlight duplicate links on the loading of any page where the portlet link would've appeared.<br />
* [[User:BilledMammal/Move+|BilledMammal/Move+]] expands the powers of [[User:TheTVExpert/rmCloser]] to include common procedures done with the art of moving pages.<br />
* On a holiday? Somewhere? Gotta learn ye ABCs? [[User:CanonNi/Scripts/StatusSetter|CanonNi/StatusSetter]] puts the fun into [[User:Enterprisey/StatusChanger|Enterprisey/StatusChanger]] with a quadruple more statuses. That starts with a C!<br />
* In our continuing trend(s?), [[User:DaxServer/DiscussionCloser|DaxServer/DiscussionCloser]] forks [[User:DannyS712/DiscussionCloser|DannyS712/DiscussionCloser]] to make it work. Sadly, this is the end of our lexicographic combo.<br />
* [[User:Andrybak|Andrybak]]:<br />
** [[User:Andrybak/Scripts/user-tabs-on-contribs|user-tabs-on-contribs]] is a fork of [[User:Enterprisey/user-tabs-on-contribs]] for [[Wikipedia:Vector 2022|Vector 2022]].<br />
** [[User:Andrybak/Scripts/Archiver|Archiver]] is a fork of [[User:Enterprisey/archiver]] with automatic calculation of the destination archive subpage and with support for non-Vector skins.<br />
* Quite coincidentally, [[User:Elli/OneClickArchiver|Elli/OneClickArchiver]] has been forked from [[User:Equazcion/OneClickArchiver]] to work with the [[mw:Heading HTML changes]].<br />
* [[User:FlightTime/OneClickArchiver|FlightTime/OneClickArchiver]] forks the same thing but also no longer nonsensically prepends {{tl|clear}} to page archives. <br />
** [[Wikipedia:One click archiving|There are now over 7 OneClickArchivers, legacy or not]].<br />
{{columns-end}}<br />
<br />
===[[File:Gnome-colors-list-add.svg|20px]] New scripts===<br />
<!--The current convention is to use the [[Example/ScriptName]] notation for scripts added by someone other than the script author and [[Example]]: [[SciptName]] for scripts the author adds themselves. Of course, you are always free to ignore all rules.--><br />
* [[File:Move-protection-shackle-broken-arrow-lime.svg|thumb|Padlock for semi−move protection−designed by [[User:Chaotic Enby]]]] [[User:Aaron Liu|Aaron Liu]]: [[User:Aaron Liu/MoveTop|MoveTop]] adds a different padlock topicon for each level of move-protection.<br />
* [[User:Andrybak/Scripts/Not around|Andrybak/Not around]] can help you mark talk pages of inactive users with {{tl|not around}}.<br />
* [[User:BrandonXLF/AddCopied|BrandonXLF/AddCopied]] automatically tags talk pages of pages you've copied between with {{tl|copied}}.<br />
* [[User:Bugghost/Scripts/UserRoleIndicator|Bugghost/UserRoleIndicator]] adds text labels (which default to emoji) to user links that label the user's usergroups. Wow, that's a mouthful<br />
* [[User:CanonNi/Scripts/AlertAssistant|CanonNi/AlertAssistant]] adds a Twinkle-style dialog for alerting users about contentious topics.<br />
* [[User:CFA/scripts/AttributeTranslation|CFA/AttributeTranslation]] automatically tags articles translated from other places with appropriate attribution.<br />
* In the defense of the 'pedia, the humble [[User:Jeeputer/defconIndicator|Jeeputer/defconIndicator]] adds the [[WP:WIKIDEFCON]] status to the toolbar.<br />
* Tired of staring at a bunch of filtering text and waiting for darn filter logs to load? [[m:User:Msz2001/AbuseFilter analyzer|Msz2001/AbuseFilter analyzer]] can parse abuse filters into a visual syntax tree and evaluate locally on-demand!<br />
* [[User:Polygnotus/DuplicateReferences|Polygnotus/DuplicateReferences]] finds references with the same link and displays the number of them along with a button to add the {{tl|duplicated citations}} tag under the references section. Being lazy has never been easier!<br />
* fastest gun on the net [[m:User:Ponor/really-quick-block|Ponor/really-quick-block]] really quick add to contribution lists three buttons awesome<br />
* [[User:TheTechie/Help Me Tool.js|TheTechie/Help Me Tool]] is a quick and easy way of responding to {{tl|help me}} requests.<br />
* Per [[MOS:CONFORM]], [[User:ZKang123/TitleCaseConverter|ZKang123/TitleCaseConverter]] converts all citation titles to... title case, unfortunately.<br />
<br />
----<br />
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* [[Wikipedia:Scripts++|About the newsletter]]<br />
* [[Wikipedia:Scripts++/Archive|Archive]]<br />
* [[Wikipedia:Scripts++/Subscribe|Subscription options]]<br />
* [[Wikipedia talk:Scripts++/Issue 25|Discuss this issue]]<br />
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<br />
== Tech News: 2024-32 ==<br />
<br />
<section begin="technews-2024-W32"/><div class="plainlinks"><br />
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/32|Translations]] are available.<br />
<br />
'''Feature news'''<br />
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Advanced item]] Two new parser functions will be available this week: <code><nowiki>{{</nowiki>[[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Magic_words#dir|#dir]]<nowiki>}}</nowiki></code> and <code><nowiki>{{</nowiki>[[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Magic_words#bcp47|#bcp47]]<nowiki>}}</nowiki></code>. These will reduce the need for <code>Template:Dir</code> and <code>Template:BCP47</code> on Commons and allow us to [[phab:T343131|drop 100 million rows]] from the "what links here" database. Editors at any wiki that use these templates, can help by replacing the templates with these new functions. The templates at Commons will be updated during the Hackathon at Wikimania. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T359761][https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T366623]<br />
* Communities can request the activation of the visual editor on entire namespaces where discussions sometimes happen (for instance ''Wikipedia:'' or ''Wikisource:'' namespaces) if they understand the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:VisualEditor/FAQ#WPNS|known limitations]]. For discussions, users can already use [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:DiscussionTools|DiscussionTools]] in these namespaces.<br />
* The tracking category "Pages using Timeline" has been renamed to "Pages using the EasyTimeline extension" [https://translatewiki.net/wiki/Special:Translations?message=MediaWiki%3ATimeline-tracking-category&namespace=8 in TranslateWiki]. Wikis that have created the category locally should rename their local creation to match.<br />
<br />
'''Project updates'''<br />
* Editors who help to organize WikiProjects and similar on-wiki collaborations, are invited to share ideas and examples of successful collaborations with the Campaigns and Programs teams. You can fill out [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Campaigns/WikiProjects|a brief survey]] or share your thoughts [[m:Talk:Campaigns/WikiProjects|on the talkpage]]. The teams are particularly looking for details about successful collaborations on non-English wikis.<br />
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Advanced item]] The new parser is being rolled out on {{int:project-localized-name-group-wikivoyage}} wikis over the next few months. The {{int:project-localized-name-enwikivoyage}} and {{int:project-localized-name-hewikivoyage}} were [[phab:T365367|switched]] to Parsoid last week. For more information, see [[mw:Parsoid/Parser_Unification|Parsoid/Parser Unification]].<br />
<br />
'''Learn more'''<br />
* There will be more than 200 sessions at Wikimania this week. Here is a summary of some of the [[diffblog:2024/08/05/interested-in-product-and-tech-here-are-some-wikimania-sessions-you-dont-want-to-miss/|key sessions related to the product and technology area]].<br />
* The latest [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia Foundation Bulletin/2024/07-02|Wikimedia Foundation Bulletin]] is available.<br />
* The latest quarterly [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia Language and Product Localization/Newsletter/2024/July|Language and Internationalization newsletter]] is available. It includes: New design previews for Translatable pages; Updates about MinT for Wiki Readers; the release of Translation dumps; and more.<br />
* The latest quarterly [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Growth/Newsletters/31|Growth newsletter]] is available.<br />
* The latest monthly [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/MediaWiki Product Insights/Reports/July 2024|MediaWiki Product Insights newsletter]] is available.<br />
<br />
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]]&nbsp;• [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]]&nbsp;• [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/32|Translate]]&nbsp;• [[m:Tech|Get help]]&nbsp;• [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]]&nbsp;• [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''<br />
</div><section end="technews-2024-W32"/><br />
<br />
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 20:41, 5 August 2024 (UTC)<br />
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<br />
== Administrators' newsletter – August 2024 ==<br />
<br />
[[Wikipedia:Administrators' newsletter|News and updates for administrators]] from the past month (July 2024).<br />
<div style="display: flex; flex-wrap: wrap"><br />
<div style="flex: 1 0 20em"><br />
<br />
[[File:Wikipedia Administrator.svg|20px|alt=]] '''Administrator changes'''<br />
:[[File:Gnome-colors-view-refresh.svg|20px|alt=readded|Readded]] [[Special:Permalink/1234583465#Resysop request (Isabelle Belato)|Isabelle Belato]]<br />
:[[File:Gnome-colors-list-remove.svg|20px|alt=removed|Removed]] {{Hlist|class=inline<br />
|[[Special:Permalink/1231919678#Wikipedia:Inactive administrators/2024#July 2024|Ian.thomson]]<br />
|[[Special:Permalink/1234739660#Desysop request (Modussiccandi)|Modussiccandi]]<br />
}}<br />
<br />
[[File:Wikipedia Interface administrator.svg|20px|alt=]] '''Interface administrator changes'''<br />
:[[File:Gnome-colors-view-refresh.svg|20px|alt=readded|Readded]] [[Special:Permalink/1235541419#Int admin (2) for Izno|Izno]]<br />
<br />
</div><br />
<div style="flex: 1 0 20em"><br />
<br />
[[File:ANEWSicon.png|right|150px]]<br />
<br />
[[File:Checkuser Logo.svg|20px|alt=]] '''CheckUser changes'''<br />
:[[File:Gnome-colors-list-remove.svg|20px|alt=removed|Removed]] [[meta:Special:Permalink/27134064#Barkeep49@enwiki|Barkeep49]]<br />
<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
[[File:Octicons-tools.svg|20px|alt=]] '''Technical news'''<br />
* [[:meta:Global blocks|Global blocks]] may now target accounts as well as IP's. Administrators may [[Special:GlobalBlockWhitelist|locally unblock]] when appropriate.<br />
* Users wishing to permanently leave may now request "vanishing" via [[Special:GlobalVanishRequest]]. Processed requests will result in the user being renamed, their recovery email being removed, and their account being globally locked.<br />
<br />
[[File:Scale of justice 2.svg|20px|alt=]] '''Arbitration'''<br />
* The Arbitration Committee [[Special:Permalink/1238795146#Conflict of interest VRT appointments, July 2024|appointed]] the following administrators to the [[Wikipedia:Arbitration Committee/Conflict of interest reports|conflict of interest volunteer response team]]: {{noping|Bilby}}, {{noping|Extraordinary Writ}}<br />
<br />
----<br />
{{center|{{flatlist|<br />
* [[Wikipedia talk:Administrators' newsletter|Discuss this newsletter]]<br />
* [[Wikipedia:Administrators' newsletter/Subscribe|Subscribe]]<br />
* [[Wikipedia:Administrators' newsletter/Archive|Archive]]<br />
}}}}<br />
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== Tech News: 2024-33 ==<br />
<br />
<section begin="technews-2024-W33"/><div class="plainlinks"><br />
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/33|Translations]] are available.<br />
<br />
'''Feature news'''<br />
* [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:AbuseFilter|AbuseFilter]] editors and maintainers can now [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:AbuseFilter/Actions#Show a CAPTCHA|make a CAPTCHA show if a filter matches an edit]]. This allows communities to quickly respond to spamming by automated bots. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T20110]<br />
* [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Stewards|Stewards]] can now specify if global blocks should prevent account creation. Before [[phab:T17273|this change]] by the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Trust and Safety Product|Trust and Safety Product]] Team, all global blocks would prevent account creation. This will allow stewards to reduce the unintended side-effects of global blocks on IP addresses.<br />
<br />
'''Project updates'''<br />
* [[wikitech:Help talk:Toolforge/Toolforge standards committee#August_2024_committee_nominations|Nominations are open on Wikitech]] for new members to refresh the [[wikitech:Help:Toolforge/Toolforge standards committee|Toolforge standards committee]]. The committee oversees the Toolforge [[wikitech:Help:Toolforge/Right to fork policy|Right to fork policy]] and [[wikitech:Help:Toolforge/Abandoned tool policy|Abandoned tool policy]] among other duties. Nominations will remain open until at least 2024-08-26.<br />
* One new wiki has been created: a {{int:project-localized-name-group-wikipedia}} in [[d:Q2880037|West Coast Bajau]] ([[w:bdr:|<code>w:bdr:</code>]]) [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T371757]<br />
<br />
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]]&nbsp;• [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]]&nbsp;• [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/33|Translate]]&nbsp;• [[m:Tech|Get help]]&nbsp;• [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]]&nbsp;• [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''<br />
</div><section end="technews-2024-W33"/><br />
<br />
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 23:19, 12 August 2024 (UTC)<br />
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<br />
== Julius Tonel to correct Consecrator ==<br />
<br />
Consecrated by: Most Rev. Fernando R. Capalla, DD [[Special:Contributions/180.94.80.74|180.94.80.74]] ([[User talk:180.94.80.74|talk]]) 21:40, 14 August 2024 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== ''The Signpost'': 14 August 2024 ==<br />
<br />
<div lang="en" dir="ltr" class="mw-content-ltr"><div style="column-count:2;"> {{Wikipedia:Wikipedia Signpost/2024-08-14}} </div><!--Volume 20, Issue 11--> <div class="hlist" style="margin-top:10px; font-size:90%; padding-left:5px; font-family:Georgia, Palatino, Palatino Linotype, Times, Times New Roman, serif;"> * '''[[Wikipedia:Wikipedia Signpost|Read this Signpost in full]]''' * [[Wikipedia:Wikipedia Signpost/Single/2024-08-14|Single-page]] * [[Wikipedia:Wikipedia Signpost/Subscribe|Unsubscribe]] * [[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]] ([[User talk:MediaWiki message delivery|talk]]) 22:47, 14 August 2024 (UTC) <!-- Sent via script ([[User:JPxG/SPS]]) --></div></div><br />
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<br />
== Tech News: 2024-34 ==<br />
<br />
<section begin="technews-2024-W34"/><div class="plainlinks"><br />
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/34|Translations]] are available.<br />
<br />
'''Feature news'''<br />
* Editors who want to re-use references but with different details such as page numbers, will be able to do so by the end of 2024, using a new [[m:Special:MyLanguage/WMDE Technical Wishes/Sub-referencing#Sub-referencing in a nutshell|sub-referencing]] feature. You can read more [[m:Special:MyLanguage/WMDE Technical Wishes/Sub-referencing|about the project]] and [[m:Special:MyLanguage/WMDE Technical Wishes/Sub-referencing#Test|how to test the prototype]].<br />
* Editors using tracking categories to identify which pages use specific extensions may notice that six of the categories have been renamed to make them more easily understood and consistent. These categories are automatically added to pages that use specialized MediaWiki extensions. The affected names are for: [https://translatewiki.net/wiki/Special:Translations?message=MediaWiki%3Aintersection-category&namespace=8 DynamicPageList], [https://translatewiki.net/wiki/Special:Translations?message=MediaWiki%3Akartographer-tracking-category&namespace=8 Kartographer], [https://translatewiki.net/wiki/Special:Translations?message=MediaWiki%3Aphonos-tracking-category&namespace=8 Phonos], [https://translatewiki.net/wiki/Special:Translations?message=MediaWiki%3Arss-tracking-category&namespace=8 RSS], [https://translatewiki.net/wiki/Special:Translations?message=MediaWiki%3Ascore-use-category&namespace=8 Score], [https://translatewiki.net/wiki/Special:Translations?message=MediaWiki%3Awikihiero-usage-tracking-category&namespace=8 WikiHiero]. Wikis that have created the category locally should rename their local creation to match. Thanks to Pppery for these improvements. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T347324]<br />
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Advanced item]] Technical volunteers who edit modules and want to get a list of the categories used on a page, can now do so using the <code><bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr">categories</bdi></code> property of <code><bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr">[[mediawikiwiki:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:Scribunto/Lua reference manual#Title objects|mw.title objects]]</bdi></code>. This enables wikis to configure workflows such as category-specific edit notices. Thanks to SD001 for these improvements. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T50175][https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T85372]<br />
<br />
'''Bugs status'''<br />
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Advanced item]] Your help is needed to check if any pages need to be moved or deleted. A maintenance script was run to clean up unreachable pages (due to Unicode issues or introduction of new namespaces/namespace aliases). The script tried to find appropriate names for the pages (e.g. by following the Unicode changes or by moving pages whose titles on Wikipedia start with <code>Talk:WP:</code> so that their titles start with <code>Wikipedia talk:</code>), but it may have failed for some pages, and moved them to <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr">[[Special:PrefixIndex/T195546/]]</bdi> instead. Your community should check if any pages are listed there, and move them to the correct titles, or delete them if they are no longer needed. A full log (including pages for which appropriate names could be found) is available in [[phab:P67388]].<br />
* Editors who volunteer as [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Growth/Mentorship|mentors]] to newcomers on their wiki are once again able to access lists of potential mentees who they can connect with to offer help and guidance. This functionality was restored thanks to [[phab:T372164|a bug fix]]. Thank you to Mbch331 for filing the bug report. You can read about that, and 18 other community-submitted tasks that were [[m:Tech/News/Recently resolved community tasks|resolved last week]].<br />
<br />
'''Project updates'''<br />
* The application deadline for the [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Product and Technology Advisory Council/Proposal|Product & Technology Advisory Council]] (PTAC) has been extended to September 16. Members will help by providing advice to Foundation Product and Technology leadership on short and long term plans, on complex strategic problems, and help to get feedback from more contributors and technical communities. Selected members should expect to spend roughly 5 hours per month for the Council, during the one year pilot. Please consider applying, and spread the word to volunteers you think would make a positive contribution to the committee.<br />
<br />
'''Learn more'''<br />
* The [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Coolest Tool Award#2024 Winners|2024 Coolest Tool Awards]] were awarded at Wikimania, in seven categories. For example, one award went to the ISA Tool, used for adding structured data to files on Commons, which was recently improved during the [[m:Event:Wiki Mentor Africa ISA Hackathon 2024|Wiki Mentor Africa Hackathon]]. You can see video demonstrations of each tool at the awards page. Congratulations to this year's recipients, and thank you to all tool creators and maintainers.<br />
* The latest [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia Foundation Bulletin/2024/08-01|Wikimedia Foundation Bulletin]] is available, and includes some highlights from Wikimania, an upcoming Language community meeting, and other news from the movement.<br />
<br />
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]]&nbsp;• [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]]&nbsp;• [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/34|Translate]]&nbsp;• [[m:Tech|Get help]]&nbsp;• [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]]&nbsp;• [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''<br />
</div><section end="technews-2024-W34"/><br />
<br />
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 00:50, 20 August 2024 (UTC)<br />
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<br />
== Section remover ==<br />
<br />
Your section remover script doesn't appear to be working. It appears as a tab on monobook. I can click on it, and the "remove" bar appears across the bottom of the screen, but there's no "remove" link at the section header. I've tried uninstalling and reinstalling it, and have also tried whitelisting Wikipedia on all my adblocking software. [[User:I dream of horses|I dream of horses]] [[Special:Contribs/I dream of horses|(Hoofprints)]] [[User talk:I dream of horses|(Neigh at me)]] 22:49, 20 August 2024 (UTC)<br />
:Came here to say I have the same problem. [[User:InfiniteNexus|InfiniteNexus]] ([[User talk:InfiniteNexus|talk]]) 22:00, 9 October 2024 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== New pages patrol September 2024 Backlog drive ==<br />
<br />
{| style="border: 5px solid #ABCDEF ; background-color: #FFF; color: #000; padding:10px 15px 0"<br />
|style="padding: 0; vertical-align: middle; height: 1.1em; font-size:130%" |'''[[Wikipedia:New pages patrol|New pages patrol]] |''' <span style="font-size:85%">[[Wikipedia:New pages patrol/Backlog drives/September 2024|September 2024 Backlog Drive]]</span><br />
|rowspan=3|[[File:NPP Barnstar.png|right|80px]]<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
* On 1 September 2024, a one-month backlog drive for new pages patrol will begin.<br />
* Barnstars will be awarded based on the number of articles and redirects patrolled. <br />
* Barnstars will also be granted for re-reviewing articles previously reviewed by other patrollers during the drive.<br />
* Each article review will earn 1 point, and each redirect review will earn 0.2 points.<br />
* Interested in taking part? '''[[Wikipedia:New pages patrol/Backlog drives/September 2024/Participants|Sign up here]]'''.<br />
|-<br />
|colspan=2 style="font-size:85%; padding-top:15px;"|You're receiving this message because you are a new page patroller. To opt-out of future mailings, please remove yourself [[Wikipedia:New pages patrol/Reviewers/Newsletter list|here.]]<br />
|}<br />
[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]] ([[User talk:MediaWiki message delivery|talk]]) 17:09, 26 August 2024 (UTC)<br />
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<br />
== Tech News: 2024-35 ==<br />
<br />
<section begin="technews-2024-W35"/><div class="plainlinks"><br />
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/35|Translations]] are available.<br />
<br />
'''Feature news'''<br />
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Advanced item]] Administrators can now test the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Trust and Safety Product/Temporary Accounts|temporary accounts]] feature on test2wiki. This was done to allow cross-wiki testing of temporary accounts, for when temporary accounts switch between projects. The feature was enabled on testwiki a few weeks ago. No further temporary account deployments are scheduled yet. Temporary Accounts is a project to create a new type of user account that replaces IP addresses of unregistered editors which are no longer made public. Please [[mw:Talk:Trust and Safety Product/Temporary Accounts|share your opinions and questions on the project talk page]].<br />
* Later this week, editors at wikis that use [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:FlaggedRevs|FlaggedRevs]] (also known as "Pending Changes") may notice that the indicators at the top of articles have changed. This change makes the system more consistent with the rest of the MediaWiki interface. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T191156]<br />
<br />
'''Bugs status'''<br />
* Editors who use the 2010 wikitext editor, and use the Character Insert buttons, will [[phab:T361465|no longer]] experience problems with the buttons adding content into the edit-summary instead of the edit-window. You can read more about that, and 26 other community-submitted tasks that were [[m:Tech/News/Recently resolved community tasks|resolved last week]].<br />
<br />
'''Project updates'''<br />
* [[File:Octicons-gift.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Wishlist item]] Please review and vote on [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Community Wishlist/Focus areas|Focus Areas]], which are groups of wishes that share a problem. Focus Areas were created for the newly reopened Community Wishlist, which is now open year-round for submissions. The first batch of focus areas are specific to moderator workflows, around welcoming newcomers, minimizing repetitive tasks, and prioritizing tasks. Once volunteers have reviewed and voted on focus areas, the Foundation will then review and select focus areas for prioritization.<br />
* Do you have a project and are willing to provide a three (3) month mentorship for an intern? [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Outreachy|Outreachy]] is a twice a year program for people to participate in a paid internship that will start in December 2024 and end in early March 2025, and they need mentors and projects to work on. Projects can be focused on coding or non-coding (design, documentation, translation, research). See the Outreachy page for more details, and a list of past projects since 2013.<br />
<br />
'''Learn more'''<br />
* If you're curious about the product and technology improvements made by the Wikimedia Foundation last year, read [[diffblog:2024/08/21/wikimedia-foundation-product-technology-improving-the-user-experience/|this recent highlights summary on Diff]].<br />
* To learn more about the technology behind the Wikimedia projects, you can now watch sessions from the technology track at Wikimania 2024 on Commons. This week, check out:<br />
** [[c:File:Wikimania 2024 - Ohrid - Day 2 - Community Configuration - Shaping On-Wiki Functionality Together.webm|Community Configuration - Shaping On-Wiki Functionality Together]] (55 mins) - about the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Community Configuration|Community Configuration]] project.<br />
** [[c:File:Wikimania 2024 - Belgrade - Day 1 - Future of MediaWiki. A sustainable platform to support a collaborative user base and billions of page views.webm|Future of MediaWiki. A sustainable platform to support a collaborative user base and billions of page views]] (30 mins) - an overview for both technical and non technical audiences, covering some of the challenges and open questions, related to the [[mw:MediaWiki Product Insights|platform evolution, stewardship and developer experiences]] research.<br />
<br />
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]]&nbsp;• [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]]&nbsp;• [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/35|Translate]]&nbsp;• [[m:Tech|Get help]]&nbsp;• [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]]&nbsp;• [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''<br />
</div><section end="technews-2024-W35"/><br />
<br />
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 20:29, 26 August 2024 (UTC)<br />
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<br />
== Bot down ==<br />
<br />
Hey Danny. I wanted to let you know that [[User:DannyS712 bot III]] hasn't run in about 4 and a half days. Pinging @[[User:Novem Linguae|Novem Linguae]] to also make them aware. [[User:Hey man im josh|Hey man im josh]] ([[User talk:Hey man im josh|talk]]) 14:26, 29 August 2024 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== WikiCup 2024 August newsletter ==<br />
<br />
The fourth round of the 2024 WikiCup ended on 29 August. Each of the 8 contestants who advanced to Round 4 scored at least 472 points, and the following contestants scored more than 700 points:<br />
<br />
* {{Wikipedia:WikiCup/Participant15|Generalissima}} with 1,150 points, mostly from 3 [[WP:FA|featured article]]s, 2 [[WP:FL|featured lists]], 7 [[WP:GA|good articles]], and 13 [[WP:DYK|did you know]] nominations;<br />
* {{Wikipedia:WikiCup/Participant15|Arconning}} with 791 points, mostly from 2 featured lists, 8 good articles, 4 did you know nominations, and plenty of reviews;<br />
* {{Wikipedia:WikiCup/Participant15|AirshipJungleman29}} with 718 points, mostly from a high-multiplier featured article on [[Genghis Khan]] and 2 good articles; and<br />
* {{Wikipedia:WikiCup/Participant15|BennyOnTheLoose}} with 714 points, mostly from 1 featured article on [[Susanna Hoffs]], 2 featured lists, and 3 good articles.<br />
<br />
Congratulations to our eight finalists and all who participated. Contestants put in extraordinary amounts of effort during this round, and their scores can be seen [[Wikipedia:WikiCup/History/2024/Round 4|here]]. So far this year, competitors have gotten 36 featured articles, 55 featured lists, 15 good articles, 93 [[WP:ITN|in the news]] credits, and at least 333 [[WP:DYK|did you know]] credits. They have conducted 357 featured content reviews, as well as 553 good article reviews and peer reviews, and have added 30 articles to [[Wikipedia:featured topics|featured topics]] and [[Wikipedia:good topics|good topics]].<br />
<br />
Any content promoted after 29 August but before the start of Round 5 can be claimed during Round 5, which starts on 1 September at 00:00 (UTC). Invitations for collaborative writing efforts or any other discussion of potentially interesting work is always welcome on the WikiCup talk page. If two or more WikiCup competitors have done significant work on an article, all can claim points. If you are concerned that your nomination—whether for a good article, featured content, or anything else—will not receive the necessary reviews, please list it on [[Wikipedia:WikiCup/Reviews Needed]]. Remember to claim your points within 14 days of earning them, and importantly, before the deadline on 31 October.<br />
<br />
If you would like to learn more about rules and scoring for the 2024 WikiCup, please see [[Wikipedia:WikiCup/Scoring|this page]]. Further questions are welcome on [[Wikipedia talk:WikiCup]] and the judges ({{User|Cwmhiraeth}}, {{User|Epicgenius}}, and {{User|Frostly}}) are reachable on their talk pages. Good luck! <small>If you wish to start or stop receiving this newsletter, please feel free to add or remove your name from [[Wikipedia:WikiCup/Newsletter/Send]].</small> [[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]] ([[User talk:MediaWiki message delivery|talk]]) 03:12, 30 August 2024 (UTC)<br />
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<br />
== Administrators' newsletter – September 2024 ==<br />
<br />
[[Wikipedia:Administrators' newsletter|News and updates for administrators]] from the past month (August 2024).<br />
<br />
<div style="display: flex; flex-wrap: wrap"><br />
<div style="flex: 1 0 20em"><br />
<br />
[[File:Wikipedia Administrator.svg|20px|alt=]] '''Administrator changes'''<br />
:[[File:Gnome-colors-list-remove.svg|20px|alt=removed|Removed]] [[Special:Permalink/1242104108#Desysop request (Pppery)|Pppery]]<br />
<br />
[[File:Wikipedia Interface administrator.svg|20px|alt=]] '''Interface administrator changes'''<br />
:[[File:Gnome-colors-list-remove.svg|20px|alt=removed|Removed]] [[Special:Permalink/1242104108#Desysop request (Pppery)|Pppery]]<br />
<br />
</div><br />
<div style="flex: 1 0 20em"><br />
<br />
[[File:ANEWSicon.png|right|150px]]<br />
<br />
[[File:Oversight logo.png|20px|alt=]] '''Oversighter changes'''<br />
:[[File:Gnome-colors-list-remove.svg|20px|alt=removed|Removed]] [[Special:Diff/1241023887#Changes to the functionaries team, August 2024|Wugapodes]]<br />
<br />
[[File:Checkuser Logo.svg|20px|alt=]] '''CheckUser changes'''<br />
:[[File:Gnome-colors-list-remove.svg|20px|alt=removed|Removed]] {{hlist|class=inline<br />
|[[Special:Diff/1241023887#Changes to the functionaries team, August 2024|Courcelles]]<br />
|[[Special:Diff/1241023887#Changes to the functionaries team, August 2024|GeneralNotability]]<br />
}}<br />
<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
[[File:Green check.svg|20px|alt=]] '''Guideline and policy news'''<br />
* Following an [[Special:Permalink/1241596410#RfC:_enacting_C4_(unused_maintenance_categories)|RfC]], there is a new [[WP:CSD|criterion for speedy deletion]]: [[WP:CSD#C4|C4]], which {{tq|applies to unused maintenance categories, such as empty dated maintenance categories for dates in the past}}.<br />
* A [[Wikipedia talk:Notability (species)#Proposal to adopt this guideline|request for comment]] is open to discuss whether [[Wikipedia:Notability (species)|Notability (species)]] should be adopted as a [[WP:SNG|subject-specific notability guideline]].<br />
<br />
[[File:Scale of justice 2.svg|20px|alt=]] '''Arbitration'''<br />
* Following a [[Special:Permalink/1239237654#Motion 2: World War II and the history of Jews in Poland|motion]], [[Wikipedia:Arbitration/Requests/Case/World War II and the history of Jews in Poland#My very best wishes bans|remedies 5.1 and 5.2 of ''World War II and the history of Jews in Poland'']] (the topic and interaction bans on [[User:My very best wishes|My very best wishes]], respectively) were repealed.<br />
* [[Wikipedia:Arbitration/Requests/Case/German war effort#Cinderella157 German history topic ban|Remedy 3C]] of the [[Wikipedia:Arbitration/Requests/Case/German war effort|''German war effort'' case]] ("{{noping|Cinderella157}} German history topic ban") was [[Special:Permalink/1243178496Motion: Cinderella157's topic ban suspended|suspended]] for a period of six months.<br />
* The arbitration case [[Wikipedia:Arbitration/Requests/Case/Historical elections|Historical Elections]] is currently open. Proposed decision is expected by 3 September 2024 for this case.<br />
<br />
[[File:Info Simple bw.svg|20px|alt=]] '''Miscellaneous'''<br />
* Editors can now enter into [[Wikipedia:Good article review circles|good article review circles]], an alternative for informal ''[[quid pro quo]]'' arrangements, to have a [[Wikipedia:Good article nominations|GAN]] reviewed in return for reviewing a different editor's nomination.<br />
* A [[Wikipedia:New pages patrol/Backlog drives/September 2024|'''New Pages Patrol backlog drive''']] is happening in September 2024 to reduce the number of unreviewed articles and redirects in the [[Special:NewPagesFeed|new pages feed]]. Currently, there is a backlog of over 13,900 articles and 26,200 redirects awaiting review. [[Wikipedia:New pages patrol/Backlog drives/September 2024/Participants|'''Sign up here to participate!''']]<br />
<br />
----<br />
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* [[Wikipedia talk:Administrators' newsletter|Discuss this newsletter]]<br />
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* [[Wikipedia:Administrators' newsletter/Archive|Archive]]<br />
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== Tech News: 2024-36 ==<br />
<br />
<section begin="technews-2024-W36"/><div class="plainlinks"><br />
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/36|Translations]] are available.<br />
<br />
'''Weekly highlight'''<br />
* Editors and volunteer developers interested in data visualisation can now test the new software for charts. Its early version is available on beta Commons and beta Wikipedia. This is an important milestone before making charts available on regular wikis. You can [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:Chart/Project/Updates|read more about this project update]] and help to test the charts.<br />
<br />
'''Feature news'''<br />
* Editors who use the [[{{#special:Unusedtemplates}}]] page can now filter out pages which are expected to be there permanently, such as sandboxes, test-cases, and templates that are always substituted. Editors can add the new magic word [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Magic words#EXPECTUNUSEDTEMPLATE|<code dir="ltr"><nowiki>__EXPECTUNUSEDTEMPLATE__</nowiki></code>]] to a template page to hide it from the listing. Thanks to Sophivorus and DannyS712 for these improvements. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T184633]<br />
* Editors who use the New Topic tool on discussion pages, will [[phab:T334163|now be reminded]] to add a section header, which should help reduce the quantity of newcomers who add sections without a header. You can read more about that, and {{formatnum:28}} other community-submitted tasks that were [[m:Tech/News/Recently resolved community tasks|resolved last week]].<br />
* Last week, some Toolforge tools had occasional connection problems. The cause is still being investigated, but the problems have been resolved for now. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T373243]<br />
* Translation administrators at multilingual wikis, when editing multiple translation units, can now easily mark which changes require updates to the translation. This is possible with the [[phab:T298852#10087288|new dropdown menu]].<br />
<br />
'''Project updates'''<br />
* A new draft text of a policy discussing the use of Wikimedia's APIs [[m:Special:MyLanguage/API Policy Update 2024|has been published on Meta-Wiki]]. The draft text does not reflect a change in policy around the APIs; instead, it is an attempt to codify existing API rules. Comments, questions, and suggestions are welcome on [[m:Talk:API Policy Update 2024|the proposed update’s talk page]] until September 13 or until those discussions have concluded.<br />
<br />
'''Learn more'''<br />
* To learn more about the technology behind the Wikimedia projects, you can now watch sessions from the technology track at Wikimania 2024 on Commons. This week, check out:<br />
** [[c:File:Wikimania 2024 - Ohrid - Day 2 - Charts, the successor of Graphs - A secure and extensible tool for data visualization.webm|Charts, the successor of Graphs - A secure and extensible tool for data visualization]] (25 mins) – about the above-mentioned Charts project.<br />
** [[c:File:Wikimania 2024 - Ohrid - Day 3 - State of Language Technology and Onboarding at Wikimedia.webm|State of Language Technology and Onboarding at Wikimedia]] (90 mins) – about some of the language tools that support Wikimedia sites, such as [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Content translation|Content]]/[[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Content translation/Section translation|Section Translation]], [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/MinT|MinT]], and LanguageConverter; also the current state and future of languages onboarding. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T368772]<br />
<br />
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]]&nbsp;• [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]]&nbsp;• [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/36|Translate]]&nbsp;• [[m:Tech|Get help]]&nbsp;• [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]]&nbsp;• [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''<br />
</div><section end="technews-2024-W36"/><br />
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<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 01:03, 3 September 2024 (UTC)<br />
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==Happy First Edit Day!==<br />
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== ''The Signpost'': 4 September 2024 ==<br />
<br />
<div lang="en" dir="ltr" class="mw-content-ltr"><div style="column-count:2;"> {{Wikipedia:Wikipedia Signpost/2024-09-04}} </div><!--Volume 20, Issue 12--> <div class="hlist" style="margin-top:10px; font-size:90%; padding-left:5px; font-family:Georgia, Palatino, Palatino Linotype, Times, Times New Roman, serif;"> * '''[[Wikipedia:Wikipedia Signpost|Read this Signpost in full]]''' * [[Wikipedia:Wikipedia Signpost/Single/2024-09-04|Single-page]] * [[Wikipedia:Wikipedia Signpost/Subscribe|Unsubscribe]] * [[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]] ([[User talk:MediaWiki message delivery|talk]]) 13:25, 4 September 2024 (UTC) <!-- Sent via script ([[User:JPxG/SPS]]) --></div></div><br />
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== Tech News: 2024-37 ==<br />
<br />
<section begin="technews-2024-W37"/><div class="plainlinks"><br />
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/37|Translations]] are available.<br />
<br />
'''Feature news'''<br />
* Starting this week, the standard [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:CodeMirror|syntax highlighter]] will receive new colors that make them compatible in dark mode. This is the first of many changes to come as part of a major upgrade to syntax highlighting. You can learn more about what's to come on the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Extension:CodeMirror|help page]]. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T365311][https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T259059]<br />
* Editors of wikis using Wikidata will now be notified of only relevant Wikidata changes in their watchlist. This is because the Lua functions <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code>entity:getSitelink()</code></bdi> and <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code>mw.wikibase.getSitelink(qid)</code></bdi> will have their logic unified for tracking different aspects of sitelinks to reduce junk notifications from [[m:Wikidata For Wikimedia Projects/Projects/Watchlist Wikidata Sitelinks Tracking|inconsistent sitelinks tracking]]. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T295356]<br />
<br />
'''Project updates'''<br />
* Users of all Wikis will have access to Wikimedia sites as read-only for a few minutes on September 25, starting at 15:00 UTC. This is a planned datacenter switchover for maintenance purposes. More information will be published in Tech News and will also be posted on individual wikis in the coming weeks. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T370962]<br />
* Contributors of [[phab:T363538#10123348|11 Wikipedias]], including English will have a new <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code>MOS</code></bdi> namespace added to their Wikipedias. This improvement ensures that links beginning with <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code>MOS:</code></bdi> (usually shortcuts to the [[w:en:Wikipedia:Manual of Style|Manual of Style]]) are not broken by [[w:en:Mooré|Mooré]] Wikipedia (language code <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code>mos</code></bdi>). [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T363538]<br />
<br />
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]]&nbsp;• [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]]&nbsp;• [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/37|Translate]]&nbsp;• [[m:Tech|Get help]]&nbsp;• [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]]&nbsp;• [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''<br />
</div><section end="technews-2024-W37"/><br />
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<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 18:48, 9 September 2024 (UTC)<br />
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== Administrator Elections: Updates & Schedule ==<br />
<br />
{| style="border: 5px solid #ABCDEF ; background-color: #FFF; padding:10px 15px 0"<br />
|style="padding: 0; vertical-align: middle; height: 1.1em; font-size:130%" |'''[[Wikipedia:Administrator elections|Administrator Elections]] |''' <span style="font-size:85%">Updates & Schedule</span><br />
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|-<br />
|<br />
* Administrator elections are in the WMF Trust & Safety SecurePoll calendar and are all set to proceed.<br />
* We plan to use the following schedule:<br />
** Oct 8 – Oct 14: Candidate sign-up<br />
** Oct 22 – Oct 24: Discussion phase<br />
** Oct 25 – Oct 31: SecurePoll voting phase<br />
* If you have any questions, concerns, or thoughts before we get started, please post at [[Wikipedia talk:Administrator elections]].<br />
* If you are interested in helping out, please post at {{slink|Wikipedia talk:Administrator elections#Ways to help}}. There are many redlinked subpages that can be created.<br />
|-<br />
|colspan=2 style="font-size:85%; padding-top:15px;"|You're receiving this message because you signed up for the mailing list. To opt-out of future mailings, please [[Wikipedia:Administrator elections/Newsletter list|remove yourself from the list]].<br />
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== Guild of Copy Editors September Newsletter ==<br />
<br />
{| style="position: relative; margin-left: 2em; margin-right: 2em; padding: 0.5em 1em; background-color: #dfeff3; text-color: #000000; border: 2px solid #bddff2; border-color: rgba( 109, 193, 240, 0.75 ); border-radius: 8px; box-shadow: 8px 8px 12px rgba( 0, 0, 0, 0.7 );"<br />
<br />
| <span style="font-size: 110%;">'''[[WP:GOCE|Guild of Copy Editors]] September Newsletter'''</span><br />
<div style="float:right; width: 75px; height: 60px;"></div><br />
<div style="position: absolute; top: -20px; right: -12px;">[[File:Writing Magnifying.PNG|100px|link=]]</div><br />
<hr style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgba( 109, 193, 240, 0.75 );" /><br />
[[File:Copyeditors progress.png|right|thumb]]<br />
<br />
Hello and welcome to the September newsletter, a quarterly digest of Guild activities since June. Don't forget you can unsubscribe at any time; see below.<br />
<br />
'''Election news:''' Project coordinators play an important role in our WikiProject. Following the [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Guild of Copy Editors/Coordinators/2024/2|mid-year Election of Coordinators]], we welcomed {{noping|Mox Eden}} to the coordinator team. {{noping|Dhtwiki}} remains as Lead Coordinator, and {{noping|Miniapolis|Wracking}} returned as assistant coordinators. If you'd like to help out behind the scenes, please consider taking part in our December election&nbsp;–&#32;watchlist our [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Guild of Copy Editors|ombox]] for updates. Information about the role of coordinators can be found [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Guild of Copy Editors/Coordinators|here]].<br />
<br />
'''Blitz:''' 13 of the 24 editors who signed up for the [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Guild of Copy Editors/Blitzes/June 2024|June 2024 Copy Editing Blitz]] copy edited at least one article. Between them, they copy edited 169,404 words comprising 41 articles. Barnstars awarded are [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Guild of Copy Editors/Blitzes/June 2024/Barnstars|here]].<br />
<br />
'''Drive:''' 38 of the 59 editors who signed up for the [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Guild of Copy Editors/Backlog elimination drives/July_2024|July 2024 Backlog Elimination Drive]] copy edited at least one article. Between them, they copy edited 482,133 words comprising 293 articles. Barnstars awarded are [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Guild of Copy Editors/Backlog elimination drives/July_2024/Barnstars|here]].<br />
<br />
'''Blitz:''' 10 of the 15 editors who signed up for the [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Guild of Copy Editors/Blitzes/August 2024|August 2024 Copy Editing Blitz]] copy edited at least one article. Between them, they copy edited 71,294 words comprising 31 articles. Barnstars awarded are [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Guild of Copy Editors/Blitzes/August 2024/Barnstars|here]].<br />
<br />
'''Drive:''' [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Guild of Copy Editors/Backlog elimination drives/September_2024#Signing_up|'''Sign up here''']] to earn barnstars in our month-long, in-progress September Backlog Elimination Drive.<br />
<br />
'''Progress report:''' As of 05:14, 11 September 2024 (UTC), GOCE copyeditors have processed 233 [[WP:GOCER|requests]] since 1 January, and the backlog of tagged articles stands at 2,824 articles.<br />
<br />
Thank you all again for your participation; we wouldn't be able to achieve what we do without you! Cheers from {{noping|Baffle gab1978}} and your GOCE coordinators {{noping|Dhtwiki|Miniapolis|Mox Eden|Wracking}}.<br />
{{center<br />
| <small>To discontinue receiving GOCE newsletters, please remove your name from [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Guild of Copy Editors/Mailing List|our mailing list]].</small><br />
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== Tech News: 2024-38 ==<br />
<br />
<section begin="technews-2024-W38"/><div class="plainlinks"><br />
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/38|Translations]] are available.<br />
<br />
'''Improvements and Maintenance'''<br />
* [[File:Octicons-gift.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Wishlist item]] Editors interested in templates can help by reading the latest Wishlist focus area, [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Community Wishlist/Focus areas/Template recall and discovery|Template recall and discovery]], and share your feedback on the talkpage. This input helps the Community Tech team to decide the right technical approach to build. Everyone is also encouraged to continue adding [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Community Wishlist|new wishes]].<br />
* The new automated [[{{#special:NamespaceInfo}}]] page helps editors understand which [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Namespaces|namespaces]] exist on each wiki, and some details about how they are configured. Thanks to DannyS712 for these improvements. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T263513]<br />
* [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Edit check#Reference check|References Check]] is a feature that encourages editors to add a citation when they add a new paragraph to a Wikipedia article. For a short time, the corresponding tag "Edit Check (references) activated" was erroneously being applied to some edits outside of the main namespace. This has been fixed. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T373692]<br />
* It is now possible for a wiki community to change the order in which a page’s categories are displayed on their wiki. By default, categories are displayed in the order they appear in the wikitext. Now, wikis with a consensus to do so can [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Requesting wiki configuration changes|request]] a configuration change to display them in alphabetical order. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T373480]<br />
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Advanced item]] Tool authors can now access ToolsDB's [[wikitech:Portal:Data Services#ToolsDB|public databases]] from both [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Research:Quarry|Quarry]] and [[wikitech:Superset|Superset]]. Those databases have always been accessible to every [[wikitech:Portal:Toolforge|Toolforge]] user, but they are now more broadly accessible, as Quarry can be accessed by anyone with a Wikimedia account. In addition, Quarry's internal database can now be [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Research:Quarry#Querying Quarry's own database|queried from Quarry itself]]. This database contains information about all queries that are being run and starred by users in Quarry. This information was already public through the web interface, but you can now query it using SQL. You can read more about that, and {{formatnum:20}} other community-submitted tasks that were [[m:Tech/News/Recently resolved community tasks|resolved last week]].<br />
* Any pages or tools that still use the very old CSS classes <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code>mw-message-box</code></bdi> need to be updated. These old classes will be removed next week or soon afterwards. Editors can use a [https://global-search.toolforge.org/?q=mw-message-box&regex=1&namespaces=&title= global-search] to determine what needs to be changed. It is possible to use the newer <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code>cdx-message</code></bdi> group of classes as a replacement (see [https://doc.wikimedia.org/codex/latest/components/demos/message.html#css-only-version the relevant Codex documentation], and [https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Tech/Header&diff=prev&oldid=27449042 an example update]), but using locally defined onwiki classes would be best. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T374499]<br />
<br />
'''Technical project updates'''<br />
* Next week, all Wikimedia wikis will be read-only for a few minutes. This will start on September 25 at [https://zonestamp.toolforge.org/1727276400 15:00 UTC]. This is a planned datacenter switchover for maintenance purposes. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/Server switch|This maintenance process also targets other services.]] The previous switchover took 3 minutes, and the Site Reliability Engineering teams use many tools to make sure that this essential maintenance work happens as quickly as possible. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T370962]<br />
<br />
'''Tech in depth'''<br />
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Advanced item]] The latest monthly [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/MediaWiki Product Insights/Reports/August 2024|MediaWiki Product Insights newsletter]] is available. This edition includes details about: research about [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Manual:Hooks|hook]] handlers to help simplify development, research about performance improvements, work to improve the REST API for end-users, and more.<br />
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Advanced item]] To learn more about the technology behind the Wikimedia projects, you can now watch sessions from the technology track at Wikimania 2024 on Commons. This week, check out: <br />
** [[c:File:Wikimania 2024 - Auditorium Kyiv - Day 4 - Hackathon Showcase.webm|Hackathon Showcase]] (45 mins) - 19 short presentations by some of the Hackathon participants, describing some of the projects they worked on, such as automated testing of maintenance scripts, a video-cutting command line tool, and interface improvements for various tools. There are [[phab:T369234|more details and links available]] in the Phabricator task.<br />
** [[c:File:Co-Creating a Sustainable Future for the Toolforge Ecosystem.webm|Co-Creating a Sustainable Future for the Toolforge Ecosystem]] (40 mins) - a roundtable discussion for tool-maintainers, users, and supporters of Toolforge about how to make the platform sustainable and how to evaluate the tools available there.<br />
<br />
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]]&nbsp;• [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]]&nbsp;• [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/38|Translate]]&nbsp;• [[m:Tech|Get help]]&nbsp;• [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]]&nbsp;• [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''<br />
</div><section end="technews-2024-W38"/><br />
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<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 23:58, 16 September 2024 (UTC)<br />
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== Tech News: 2024-39 ==<br />
<br />
<section begin="technews-2024-W39"/><div class="plainlinks"><br />
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/39|Translations]] are available.<br />
<br />
'''Weekly highlight'''<br />
* All wikis will be [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/Server switch|read-only]] for a few minutes on Wednesday September 25 at [https://zonestamp.toolforge.org/1727276400 15:00 UTC]. Reading the wikis will not be interrupted, but editing will be paused. These twice-yearly processes allow WMF's site reliability engineering teams to remain prepared to keep the wikis functioning even in the event of a major interruption to one of our data centers.<br />
<br />
'''Updates for editors'''<br />
[[File:Add alt text from a halfsheet, with the article behind.png|thumb|A screenshot of the interface for the Alt Text suggested-edit feature]]<br />
* Editors who use the iOS Wikipedia app in Spanish, Portuguese, French, or Chinese, may see the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia Apps/iOS Suggested edits project/Alt Text Experiment|Alt Text suggested-edit experiment]] after editing an article, or completing a suggested edit using "[[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia Apps/iOS Suggested edits project#Hypothesis 2 Add an Image Suggested Edit|Add an image]]". Alt-text helps people with visual impairments to read Wikipedia articles. The team aims to learn if adding alt-text to images is a task that editors can be successful with. Please share any feedback on [[mw:Talk:Wikimedia Apps/iOS Suggested edits project/Alt Text Experiment|the discussion page]].<br />
* The Codex color palette has been updated with new and revised colors for the MediaWiki user interfaces. The [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Design System Team/Color/Design documentation#Updates|most noticeable changes]] for editors include updates for: dark mode colors for Links and for quiet Buttons (progressive and destructive), visited Link colors for both light and dark modes, and background colors for system-messages in both light and dark modes.<br />
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Advanced item]] It is now possible to include clickable wikilinks and external links inside code blocks. This includes links that are used within <code><nowiki><syntaxhighlight></nowiki></code> tags and on code pages (JavaScript, CSS, Scribunto and Sanitized CSS). Uses of template syntax <code><nowiki>{{…}}</nowiki></code> are also linked to the template page. Thanks to SD0001 for these improvements. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T368166]<br />
* Two bugs were fixed in the [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Account vanishing|GlobalVanishRequest]] system by improving the logging and by removing an incorrect placeholder message. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T370595][https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T372223]<br />
* View all {{formatnum:25}} community-submitted {{PLURAL:25|task|tasks}} that were [[m:Tech/News/Recently resolved community tasks|resolved last week]].<br />
<br />
'''Updates for technical contributors'''<br />
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Advanced item]] From [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia Enterprise|Wikimedia Enterprise]]: <br />
** The API now enables 5,000 on-demand API requests per month and twice-monthly HTML snapshots freely (gratis and libre). More information on the updates and also improvements to the software development kits (SDK) are explained on [https://enterprise.wikimedia.com/blog/enhanced-free-api/ the project's blog post]. While Wikimedia Enterprise APIs are designed for high-volume commercial reusers, this change enables many more community use-cases to be built on the service too.<br />
** The Snapshot API (html dumps) have added beta Structured Contents endpoints ([https://enterprise.wikimedia.com/blog/structured-contents-snapshot-api/ blog post on that]) as well as released two beta datasets (English and French Wikipedia) from that endpoint to Hugging Face for public use and feedback ([https://enterprise.wikimedia.com/blog/hugging-face-dataset/ blog post on that]). These pre-parsed data sets enable new options for researchers, developers, and data scientists to use and study the content.<br />
<br />
'''In depth'''<br />
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Advanced item]] The Wikidata Query Service (WDQS) is used to get answers to questions using the Wikidata data set. As Wikidata grows, we had to make a major architectural change so that WDQS could remain performant. As part of the [[d:Special:MyLanguage/Wikidata:SPARQL query service/WDQS graph split|WDQS Graph Split project]], we have new SPARQL endpoints available for serving the "[https://query-scholarly.wikidata.org scholarly]" and "[https://query-main.wikidata.org main]" subgraphs of Wikidata. The [http://query.wikidata.org query.wikidata.org endpoint] will continue to serve the full Wikidata graph until March 2025. After this date, it will only serve the main graph. For more information, please see [[d:Special:MyLanguage/Wikidata:SPARQL query service/WDQS backend update/September 2024 scaling update|the announcement on Wikidata]].<br />
<br />
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]]&nbsp;• [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]]&nbsp;• [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/39|Translate]]&nbsp;• [[m:Tech|Get help]]&nbsp;• [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]]&nbsp;• [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''<br />
</div><section end="technews-2024-W39"/><br />
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<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 23:32, 23 September 2024 (UTC)<br />
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== ''The Signpost'': 26 September 2024 ==<br />
<br />
<div lang="en" dir="ltr" class="mw-content-ltr"><div style="column-count:2;"> {{Wikipedia:Wikipedia Signpost/2024-09-26}} </div><!--Volume 20, Issue 13--> <div class="hlist" style="margin-top:10px; font-size:90%; padding-left:5px; font-family:Georgia, Palatino, Palatino Linotype, Times, Times New Roman, serif;"> * '''[[Wikipedia:Wikipedia Signpost|Read this Signpost in full]]''' * [[Wikipedia:Wikipedia Signpost/Single/2024-09-26|Single-page]] * [[Wikipedia:Wikipedia Signpost/Subscribe|Unsubscribe]] * [[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]] ([[User talk:MediaWiki message delivery|talk]]) 20:08, 26 September 2024 (UTC) <!-- Sent via script ([[User:JPxG/SPS]]) --></div></div><br />
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== BAGBot: Your bot request DannyS712 bot III 74 ==<br />
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<br />
== Tech News: 2024-40 ==<br />
<br />
<section begin="technews-2024-W40"/><div class="plainlinks"><br />
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/40|Translations]] are available.<br />
<br />
'''Updates for editors'''<br />
* Readers of [[phab:T375401|42 more wikis]] can now use Dark Mode. If the option is not yet available for logged-out users of your wiki, this is likely because many templates do not yet display well in Dark Mode. Please use the [https://night-mode-checker.wmcloud.org/ night-mode-checker tool] if you are interested in helping to reduce the number of issues. The [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Recommendations for night mode compatibility on Wikimedia wikis|recommendations page]] provides guidance on this. Dark Mode is enabled on additional wikis once per month.<br />
* Editors using the 2010 wikitext editor as their default can access features from the 2017 wikitext editor by adding <code dir=ltr>?veaction=editsource</code> to the URL. If you would like to enable the 2017 wikitext editor as your default, it can be set in [[Special:Preferences#mw-input-wpvisualeditor-newwikitext|your preferences]]. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T239796]<br />
* For logged-out readers using the Vector 2022 skin, the "donate" link has been moved from a collapsible menu next to the content area into a more prominent top menu, next to "Create an account". This restores the link to the level of prominence it had in the Vector 2010 skin. [[mw:Readers/2024 Reader and Donor Experiences#Donor Experiences (Key Result WE 3.2 and the related hypotheses)|Learn more]] about the changes related to donor experiences. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T373585]<br />
* The CampaignEvents extension provides tools for organizers to more easily manage events, communicate with participants, and promote their events on the wikis. The extension has been [[m:Special:MyLanguage/CampaignEvents/Deployment status|enabled]] on Arabic Wikipedia, Igbo Wikipedia, Swahili Wikipedia, and Meta-Wiki. [[w:zh:Wikipedia:互助客栈/其他#引進CampaignEvents擴充功能|Chinese Wikipedia has decided]] to enable the extension, and discussions on the extension are in progress [[w:es:Wikipedia:Votaciones/2024/Sobre la política de Organizadores de Eventos|on Spanish Wikipedia]] and [[d:Wikidata:Project chat#Enabling the CampaignEvents Extention on Wikidata|on Wikidata]]. To learn how to enable the extension on your wiki, you can visit [[m:Special:MyLanguage/CampaignEvents|the CampaignEvents page on Meta-Wiki]].<br />
* View all {{formatnum:22}} community-submitted {{PLURAL:22|task|tasks}} that were [[m:Tech/News/Recently resolved community tasks|resolved last week]].<br />
<br />
'''Updates for technical contributors'''<br />
* Developers with an account on Wikitech-wiki should [[wikitech:Wikitech/SUL-migration|check if any action is required]] for their accounts. The wiki is being changed to use the single-user-login (SUL) system, and other configuration changes. This change will help reduce the overall complexity for the weekly software updates across all our wikis.<br />
<br />
'''In depth'''<br />
* The [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/Server switch|server switch]] was completed successfully last week with a read-only time of [[wikitech:Switch Datacenter#Past Switches|only 2 minutes 46 seconds]]. This periodic process makes sure that engineers can switch data centers and keep all of the wikis available for readers, even if there are major technical issues. It also gives engineers a chance to do maintenance and upgrades on systems that normally run 24 hours a day, and often helps to reveal weaknesses in the infrastructure. The process involves dozens of software services and hundreds of hardware servers, and requires multiple teams working together. Work over the past few years has reduced the time from 17 minutes down to 2–3 minutes. [https://lists.wikimedia.org/hyperkitty/list/wikitech-l@lists.wikimedia.org/thread/66ZW7B2MG63AESQVTXDIFQBDBS766JGW/]<br />
<br />
'''Meetings and events'''<br />
* October 4–6: [[m:Special:MyLanguage/WikiIndaba conference 2024|WikiIndaba Conference's Hackathon]] in Johannesburg, South Africa<br />
* November 4–6: [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/MediaWiki Users and Developers Conference Fall 2024|MediaWiki Users and Developers Conference Fall 2024]] in Vienna, Austria<br />
<br />
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]]&nbsp;• [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]]&nbsp;• [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/40|Translate]]&nbsp;• [[m:Tech|Get help]]&nbsp;• [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]]&nbsp;• [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''<br />
</div><section end="technews-2024-W40"/><br />
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<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 22:16, 30 September 2024 (UTC)<br />
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<br />
== Administrators' newsletter – October 2024 ==<br />
<br />
[[Wikipedia:Administrators' newsletter|News and updates for administrators]] from the past month (September 2024).<br />
<br />
[[File:ANEWSicon.png|right|150px]]<br />
<br />
[[File:Wikipedia Administrator.svg|20px|alt=]] '''Administrator changes'''<br />
:[[File:Gnome-colors-list-add.svg|20px|alt=added|Added]] {{hlist|class=inline<br />
|[[Wikipedia:Requests for adminship/Asilvering|Asilvering]]<br />
|[[Wikipedia:Requests for adminship/Significa liberdade|Significa liberdade]]<br />
}}<br />
:[[File:Gnome-colors-list-remove.svg|20px|alt=removed|Removed]] {{hlist|class=inline<br />
|[[Special:PermaLink/1243351441#Wikipedia:Inactive administrators/2024#September 2024|Good Olfactory]]<br />
|[[Special:PermaLink/1243351441#Wikipedia:Inactive administrators/2024#September 2024|Hesperian]]<br />
|[[Special:PermaLink/1243351441#Wikipedia:Inactive administrators/2024#September 2024|I JethroBT]]<br />
|[[Special:Permalink/1246173614#Lost password on admin account|TommyBoy]]<br />
|[[Special:Permalink/1244096990#Desysop request (Woody)|Woody]]<br />
}}<br />
<br />
[[File:Checkuser Logo.svg|20px|alt=]] '''CheckUser changes'''<br />
:[[File:Gnome-colors-view-refresh.svg|20px|alt=readded|Readded]] {{hlist|class=inline<br />
|[[Special:Permalink/1244158429#Change to the Functionary team|Barkeep49]]<br />
|[[Special:Permalink/1248114839#Changes to the CheckUser team, September 2024|Izno]]<br />
}}<br />
:[[File:Gnome-colors-list-remove.svg|20px|alt=removed|Removed]] {{hlist|class=inline<br />
|[[Special:Permalink/1245151768#Change to the Checkuser team|Doug Weller]]<br />
|[[m:Special:Permalink/27415814#Spicy@enwiki|Spicy]]<br />
}}<br />
<br />
[[File:Green check.svg|20px|alt=]] '''Guideline and policy news'''<br />
*[[Wikipedia:Administrator elections|Administrator elections]] are a proposed new process for selecting administrators, offering an alternative to [[WP:RFA|requests for adminship]] (RfA). The first trial election will take place in October 2024, with [[Wikipedia:Administrator elections/October 2024/Call for candidates|candidate sign-up]] from October 8 to 14, a [[Wikipedia:Administrator elections/October 2024/Discussion phase|discussion phase]] from October 22 to 24, and [[meta:SecurePoll|SecurePoll voting]] from October 25 to 31. For questions or to help out, please visit the talk page at [[Wikipedia talk:Administrator elections]].<br />
* Following [[Wikipedia talk:Criteria for speedy deletion#"File pages without a corresponding file"|a discussion]], the speedy deletion reason "File pages without a corresponding file" has been moved from criterion [[WP:CSD#G8|G8]] to [[WP:CSD#F2|F2]]. This does not change what can be speedily deleted.<br />
* A [[Wikipedia:Village pump (policy)#Administrator Recall|request for comment]] is open to discuss whether there is a consensus to have an [[Wikipedia:Administrator recall|administrator recall]] process.<br />
<br />
[[File:Scale of justice 2.svg|20px|alt=]] '''Arbitration'''<br />
* The arbitration case ''[[Special:Permalink/1245898405#Wikipedia:Arbitration/Requests/Case/Historical elections closed|Historical elections]]'' has been closed.<br />
* An arbitration case regarding [[Wikipedia:Arbitration/Requests/Case/Backlash to diversity and inclusion|Backlash to diversity and inclusion]] has been opened.<br />
* Editors are invited to '''[[Wikipedia:Requests for comment/Arbitration Committee Elections December 2024/Electoral Commission|nominate themselves]]''' to serve on the 2024 Arbitration Committee Electoral Commission until ''23:59 October 8, 2024 (UTC)''.<br />
<br />
[[File:Info Simple bw.svg|20px|alt=]] '''Miscellaneous'''<br />
* If you are interested in stopping spammers, please put [[MediaWiki talk:Spam-whitelist]] and [[MediaWiki talk:Spam-blacklist]] on your watchlist, and help out when you can.<br />
<br />
----<br />
{{center|{{flatlist|<br />
* [[Wikipedia talk:Administrators' newsletter|Discuss this newsletter]]<br />
* [[Wikipedia:Administrators' newsletter/Subscribe|Subscribe]]<br />
* [[Wikipedia:Administrators' newsletter/Archive|Archive]]<br />
}}}}<br />
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<br />
== Tech News: 2024-41 ==<br />
<br />
<section begin="technews-2024-W41"/><div class="plainlinks"><br />
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/41|Translations]] are available.<br />
<br />
'''Weekly highlight'''<br />
* Communities can now request installation of [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Moderator Tools/Automoderator|Automoderator]] on their wiki. Automoderator is an automated anti-vandalism tool that reverts bad edits based on scores from the new "Revert Risk" machine learning model. You can [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:AutoModerator/Deploying|read details about the necessary steps]] for installation and configuration. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T336934]<br />
<br />
'''Updates for editors'''<br />
* Translators in wikis where [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Content translation/Section translation#Try the tool|the mobile experience of Content Translation is available]], can now customize their articles suggestion list from 41 filtering options when using the tool. This topic-based article suggestion feature makes it easy for translators to self-discover relevant articles based on their area of interest and translate them. You can [https://test.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:ContentTranslation&active-list=suggestions try it with your mobile device]. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T368422]<br />
* View all {{formatnum:12}} community-submitted {{PLURAL:12|task|tasks}} that were [[m:Tech/News/Recently resolved community tasks|resolved last week]].<br />
<br />
'''Updates for technical contributors'''<br />
* It is now possible for <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code><nowiki><syntaxhighlight></nowiki></code></bdi> code blocks to offer readers a "Copy" button if the <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code><nowiki>copy=1</nowiki></code></bdi> attribute is [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:SyntaxHighlight#copy|set on the tag]]. Thanks to SD0001 for these improvements. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T40932]<br />
* Customized copyright footer messages on all wikis will be updated. The new versions will use wikitext markup instead of requiring editing raw HTML. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T375789]<br />
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Advanced item]] Later this month, [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Trust and Safety Product/Temporary Accounts|temporary accounts]] will be rolled out on several pilot wikis. The final list of the wikis will be published in the second half of the month. If you maintain any tools, bots, or gadgets on [[phab:T376499|these 11 wikis]], and your software is using data about IP addresses or is available for logged-out users, please check if it needs to be updated to work with temporary accounts. [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Trust and Safety Product/Temporary Accounts/For developers|Guidance on how to update the code is available]].<br />
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Advanced item]] Rate limiting has been enabled for the code review tools [[Wikitech:Gerrit|Gerrit]] and [[Wikitech:GitLab|GitLab]] to address ongoing issues caused by malicious traffic and scraping. Clients that open too many concurrent connections will be restricted for a few minutes. This rate limiting is managed through [[Wikitech:nftables|nftables]] firewall rules. For more details, see Wikitech's pages on [[Wikitech:Firewall#Throttling with nftables|Firewall]], [[Wikitech:GitLab/Abuse and rate limiting|GitLab limits]] and [[Wikitech:Gerrit/Operations#Throttling IPs|Gerrit operations]].<br />
* Five new wikis have been created: <br />
** a {{int:project-localized-name-group-wikipedia}} in [[d:Q49224|Komering]] ([[w:kge:|<code>w:kge:</code>]]) [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T374813]<br />
** a {{int:project-localized-name-group-wikipedia}} in [[d:Q36096|Mooré]] ([[m:mos:|<code>m:mos:</code>]]) [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T374641]<br />
** a {{int:project-localized-name-group-wiktionary}} in [[d:Q36213|Madurese]] ([[wikt:mad:|<code>wikt:mad:</code>]]) [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T374968]<br />
** a {{int:project-localized-name-group-wikiquote}} in [[d:Q2501174|Gorontalo]] ([[q:gor:|<code>q:gor:</code>]]) [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T375088]<br />
** a {{int:project-localized-name-group-wikinews}} in [[d:Q56482|Shan]] ([[n:shn:|<code>n:shn:</code>]]) [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T375430]<br />
<br />
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]]&nbsp;• [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]]&nbsp;• [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/41|Translate]]&nbsp;• [[m:Tech|Get help]]&nbsp;• [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]]&nbsp;• [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''<br />
</div><section end="technews-2024-W41"/><br />
<br />
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 23:38, 7 October 2024 (UTC)<br />
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<br />
== Administrator Elections: Call for Candidates ==<br />
<br />
<div style="border: 5px solid #ABCDEF; background-color: #FFF; padding:0.5em 1em"><br />
<h3 style="padding: 0 0 0.5em; vertical-align: middle; height: 1.1em; font-size:130%">[[Wikipedia:Administrator elections|Administrator Elections]] |''' <span style="font-size:85%">Call for Candidates</span>'''</h3><br />
<div style="display:flex; align-items:center;"><br />
<div><br />
The administrator elections process has officially started! Interested editors are encouraged to self-nominate or arrange to be nominated by reviewing the instructions at '''[[Wikipedia:Administrator elections/October 2024/Call for candidates]]'''.<br />
<br />
Here is the schedule:<br />
*October 8–14 - Candidate sign-up ('''we are here''')<br />
*October 22–24 - Discussion phase<br />
*October 25–31 - SecurePoll voting phase<br />
<br />
Please note the following:<br />
* The requirements to run are identical to [[Wikipedia:Requests for adminship|RFA]]—a prospective candidate must be [[Wikipedia:User access levels#Extended confirmed users|extended confirmed]]. <br />
* Prospective candidates are advised to become familar with the community's expectations of adminstrators, which are much higher than the minimum requirement of having extended confirmed status. This includes reviewing [[Wikipedia:Successful requests for adminship|successful]] and [[Wikipedia:Unsuccessful adminship candidacies (Chronological)|unsuccessful]] RFAs, reading the essay [[Wikipedia:Advice for RfA candidates]], and possibly requesting an [[Wikipedia:Requests for adminship/Optional RfA candidate poll|optional poll on their chances of passing]].<br />
* The process will have a one week call for candidates phase, a one week pause to set up [[mw:SecurePoll|SecurePoll]], a three-day period of public discussion, followed by 7 days of '''no public discussion''' and a private vote using SecurePoll.<br />
* The outcomes of this process are identical to making requests for adminship. There is '''no official difference''' between an administrator appointed through RFA or administrator elections.<br />
* Administrator elections are also a [[Wikipedia:Arbitration/Requests/Clarification_and_Amendment/Archive_128#Clarification request: Desysoppings|valid means of regaining adminship for de-sysopped editors]].<br />
<br />
Ask any questions about the process at the [[Wikipedia talk:Administrator elections|talk page]]. A separate user talk message will be sent to official candidates with additional information about the process.<br />
<br />
To avoid sending too many messages, this will be the last mass message sent about administrator elections. If you are interested in the process, please make sure to watchlist the appropriate pages. A watchlist notice will be added when the discussion phase opens, and again when the voting phase opens.<br />
</div><br />
<div>[[File:Ballot box icon color.svg|right|80px]]</div><br />
</div><br />
<div style="font-size:85%; padding-top:1em;">You're receiving this message because you signed up for the mailing list. To opt-out of future mailings, please [[Wikipedia:Administrator elections/Newsletter list|remove yourself from the list]].</div><br />
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[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]] ([[User talk:MediaWiki message delivery|talk]]) 02:35, 8 October 2024 (UTC)<br />
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== Tech News: 2024-42 ==<br />
<br />
<section begin="technews-2024-W42"/><div class="plainlinks"><br />
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/42|Translations]] are available.<br />
<br />
'''Updates for editors'''<br />
* The Structured Discussion extension (also known as Flow) is starting to be removed. This extension is unmaintained and causes issues. It will be replaced by [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:DiscussionTools|DiscussionTools]], which is used on any regular talk page. [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Structured Discussions/Deprecation#Deprecation timeline|A first set of wikis]] are being contacted. These wikis are invited to stop using Flow, and to move all Flow boards to sub-pages, as archives. At these wikis, a script will move all Flow pages that aren't a sub-page to a sub-page automatically, starting on 22 October 2024. On 28 October 2024, all Flow boards at these wikis will be set in read-only mode. [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Structured_Discussions/Deprecation][https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T370722]<br />
* WMF's Search Platform team is working on making it easier for readers to perform text searches in their language. A [[phab:T332342|change last week]] on over 30 languages makes it easier to find words with accents and other diacritics. This applies to both full-text search and to types of advanced search such as the <bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">''hastemplate''</bdi> and <bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">''incategory''</bdi> keywords. More technical details (including a few other minor search upgrades) are available. [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/User:TJones_%28WMF%29/Notes/Language_Analyzer_Harmonization_Notes#ASCII-folding/ICU-folding_%28T332342%29]<br />
* View all {{formatnum:20}} community-submitted {{PLURAL:20|task|tasks}} that were [[m:Tech/News/Recently resolved community tasks|resolved last week]]. For example, [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Edit check|EditCheck]] was installed at Russian Wikipedia, and fixes were made for some missing user interface styles.<br />
<br />
'''Updates for technical contributors'''<br />
* Editors who use the Toolforge tool [[toolforge:copyvios|Earwig's Copyright Violation Detector]] will now be required to log in with their Wikimedia account before running checks using the "search engine" option. This change is needed to help prevent external bots from misusing the system. Thanks to Chlod for these improvements. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia_talk:New_pages_patrol/Reviewers#Authentication_is_now_required_for_search_engine_checks_on_Earwig's_Copyvio_Tool]<br />
* [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Phabricator|Phabricator]] users can create tickets and add comments on existing tickets via Email again. [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Phabricator/Help#Using email|Sending email to Phabricator]] has been fixed. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T356077]<br />
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Advanced item]] Some HTML elements in the interface are now wrapped with a <code><nowiki><bdi></nowiki></code> element, to make our HTML output more aligned with Web standards. More changes like this will be coming in future weeks. This change might break some tools that rely on the previous HTML structure of the interface. Note that relying on the HTML structure of the interface is [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Stable interface policy/Frontend#What is not stable?|not recommended]] and might break at any time. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T375975]<br />
<br />
'''In depth'''<br />
* The latest monthly [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/MediaWiki Product Insights/Reports/September 2024|MediaWiki Product Insights newsletter]] is available. This edition includes: updates on Wikimedia's authentication system, research to simplify feature development in the MediaWiki platform, updates on Parser Unification and MathML rollout, and more.<br />
* The latest quarterly [[mw:Technical Community Newsletter/2024/October|Technical Community Newsletter]] is now available. This edition include: research about improving topic suggestions related to countries, improvements to PHPUnit tests, and more.<br />
<br />
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]]&nbsp;• [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]]&nbsp;• [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/42|Translate]]&nbsp;• [[m:Tech|Get help]]&nbsp;• [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]]&nbsp;• [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''<br />
</div><section end="technews-2024-W42"/><br />
<br />
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 21:17, 14 October 2024 (UTC)<br />
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== ''The Signpost'': 19 October 2024 ==<br />
<br />
<div lang="en" dir="ltr" class="mw-content-ltr"><div style="column-count:2;"> {{Wikipedia:Wikipedia Signpost/2024-10-19}} </div><!--Volume 20, Issue 14--> <div class="hlist" style="margin-top:10px; font-size:90%; padding-left:5px; font-family:Georgia, Palatino, Palatino Linotype, Times, Times New Roman, serif;"> * '''[[Wikipedia:Wikipedia Signpost|Read this Signpost in full]]''' * [[Wikipedia:Wikipedia Signpost/Single/2024-10-19|Single-page]] * [[Wikipedia:Wikipedia Signpost/Subscribe|Unsubscribe]] * [[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]] ([[User talk:MediaWiki message delivery|talk]]) 11:13, 19 October 2024 (UTC) <!-- Sent via script ([[User:JPxG/SPS]]) --></div></div><br />
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<br />
== Tech News: 2024-43 ==<br />
<br />
<section begin="technews-2024-W43"/><div class="plainlinks"><br />
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/43|Translations]] are available.<br />
<br />
'''Weekly highlight'''<br />
* The Mobile Apps team has released an [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia Apps/Team/iOS/Navigation Refresh#Phase 1: Creating a user Profile Menu (T373714)|update]] to the iOS app's navigation, and it is now available in the latest App store version. The team added a new Profile menu that allows for easy access to editor features like Notifications and Watchlist from the Article view, and brings the "Donate" button into a more accessible place for users who are reading an article. This is the first phase of a larger planned [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia Apps/Team/iOS/Navigation Refresh|navigation refresh]] to help the iOS app transition from a primarily reader-focused app, to an app that fully supports reading and editing. The Wikimedia Foundation has added more editing features and support for on-wiki communication based on volunteer requests in recent years.<br />
[[File:IOS App Navigation refresh first phase 05.png|thumb|iOS Wikipedia App's profile menu and contents]]<br />
<br />
'''Updates for editors'''<br />
* Wikipedia readers can now download a browser extension to experiment with some early ideas on potential features that recommend articles for further reading, automatically summarize articles, and improve search functionality. For more details and to stay updated, check out the Web team's [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Reading/Web/Content Discovery Experiments|Content Discovery Experiments page]] and [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Newsletter:Web team's projects|subscribe to their newsletter]].<br />
* Later this month, logged-out editors of [[phab:T376499|these 12 wikis]] will start to have [[mw:Special:Mylanguage/Trust and Safety Product/Temporary Accounts|temporary accounts]] created. The list may slightly change - some wikis may be removed but none will be added. Temporary account is a new [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/User account types|type of user account]]. It enhances the logged-out editors' privacy and makes it easier for community members to communicate with them. If you maintain any tools, bots, or gadgets on these 12 wikis, and your software is using data about IP addresses or is available for logged-out users, please check if it needs to be updated to work with temporary accounts. [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Trust and Safety Product/Temporary Accounts/For developers|Guidance on how to update the code is available]]. Read more about the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Trust and Safety Product/Temporary Accounts/Updates|deployment plan across all wikis]].<br />
* View all {{formatnum:33}} community-submitted {{PLURAL:33|task|tasks}} that were [[m:Tech/News/Recently resolved community tasks|resolved last week]]. For example, the [[w:nr:Main Page|South Ndebele]], [[w:rsk:Главни бок|Pannonian Rusyn]], [[w:ann:Uwu|Obolo]], [[w:iba:Lambar Keterubah|Iban]] and [[w:tdd:ᥞᥨᥝᥴ ᥘᥣᥲ ᥖᥥᥰ|Tai Nüa]] Wikipedia languages were created last week. [https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q36785][https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q35660][https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q36614][https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q33424][https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q36556]<br />
* It is now possible to create functions on Wikifunctions using Wikidata lexemes, through the new [[f:Z6005|Wikidata lexeme type]] launched last week. When you go to one of these functions, the user interface provides a lexeme selector that helps you pick a lexeme from Wikidata that matches the word you type. After hitting run, your selected lexeme is retrieved from Wikidata, transformed into a Wikidata lexeme type, and passed into the selected function. Read more about this in [[f:Special:MyLanguage/Wikifunctions:Status updates/2024-10-17#Function of the Week: select representation from lexeme|the latest Wikifunctions newsletter]].<br />
<br />
'''Updates for technical contributors'''<br />
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Advanced item]] Users of the Wikimedia sites can now format dates more easily in different languages with the new <code dir="ltr">{{[[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Extension:ParserFunctions##timef|#timef]]:…}}</code> parser function. For example, <code dir="ltr"><nowiki>{{#timef:now|date|en}}</nowiki></code> will show as "<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">{{#timef:now|date|en}}</bdi>". Previously, <code dir="ltr"><nowiki>{{#time:…}}</nowiki></code> could be used to format dates, but this required knowledge of the order of the time and date components and their intervening punctuation. <code dir="ltr">#timef</code> (or <code dir="ltr">#timefl</code> for local time) provides access to the standard date formats that MediaWiki uses in its user interface. This may help to simplify some templates on multi-lingual wikis like Commons and Meta. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T223772][https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Help:Extension:ParserFunctions##timef]<br />
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Advanced item]] Commons and Meta users can now efficiently [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Magic words#Localization|retrieve the user's language]] using <code dir="ltr"><nowiki>{{USERLANGUAGE}}</nowiki></code> instead of using <code dir="ltr"><nowiki>{{int:lang}}</nowiki></code>. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T4085]<br />
* The [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Product and Technology Advisory Council|Product and Tech Advisory Council]] (PTAC) now has its pilot members with representation across Africa, Asia, Europe, North America and South America. They will work to address the [[Special:MyLanguage/Movement Strategy/Initiatives/Technology Council|Movement Strategy's Technology Council]] initiative of having a co-defined and more resilient technological platform. [https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Movement_Strategy/Initiatives/Technology_Council]<br />
<br />
'''In depth'''<br />
* The latest quarterly [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Growth/Newsletters/32|Growth newsletter]] is available. It includes: an upcoming Newcomer Homepage Community Updates module, new Community Configuration options, and details on new projects.<br />
* The Wikimedia Foundation is [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia Security Team#CNA Partnership|now an official partner of the CVE program]], which is an international effort to catalog publicly disclosed cybersecurity vulnerabilities. This partnership will allow the Security Team to instantly publish [[w:en:Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures|common vulnerabilities and exposures]] (CVE) records that are affecting MediaWiki core, extensions, and skins, along with any other code the Foundation is a steward of.<br />
* The [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Community Wishlist|Community Wishlist]] is now [[m:Community Wishlist/Updates#October 16, 2024: Conversations Made Easier: Machine-Translated Wishes Are Here!|testing machine translations]] for Wishlist content. Volunteers can now read machine-translated versions of wishes and dive into discussions even before translators arrive to translate content.<br />
<br />
'''Meetings and events'''<br />
* 24 October - Wiki Education Speaker Series Webinar - [https://lists.wikimedia.org/hyperkitty/list/wikitech-l@lists.wikimedia.org/thread/N4XTB4G55BUY3M3PNGUAKQWJ7A4UOPAK/ Open Source Tech: Building the Wiki Education Dashboard], featuring Wikimedia interns and a Web developer in the panel.<br />
* 20–22 December 2024 - [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Indic Wikimedia Hackathon Bhubaneswar 2024|Indic Wikimedia Hackathon Bhubaneswar 2024]] in Odisha, India. A hackathon for community members, including developers, designers and content editors, to build technical solutions that improve contributors' experiences.<br />
<br />
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]]&nbsp;• [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]]&nbsp;• [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/43|Translate]]&nbsp;• [[m:Tech|Get help]]&nbsp;• [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]]&nbsp;• [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''<br />
</div><section end="technews-2024-W43"/><br />
<br />
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 20:49, 21 October 2024 (UTC)<br />
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<br />
== Administrator Elections: Discussion phase ==<br />
<br />
<div style="border: 5px solid #ABCDEF ; padding:10px 15px"><br />
<div style="padding: 0 0 0.5em; vertical-align: middle; font-size:130%"> '''[[Wikipedia:Administrator elections|Administrator Elections]] |''' <span style="font-size:85%">Discussion phase</span><br />
</div><br />
<div style="display:flex; align-items:center;"><br />
<div><br />
The discussion phase of the October 2024 administrator elections is officially open. As a reminder, the schedule of the election is:<br />
*October 22–24 - Discussion phase<br />
*October 25–31 - SecurePoll voting phase<br />
*November 1–? - Scrutineering phase<br />
<br />
During October 22–24, we will be in the discussion phase. The candidate subpages will open to questions and comments from everyone, in the same style as a [[Wikipedia:RFA|request for adminship]]. You may discuss the candidates at [[Wikipedia:Administrator elections/October 2024/Discussion phase|'''Wikipedia:Administrator elections/October 2024/Discussion phase''']].<br />
<br />
On October 25, we will start the voting phase. The candidate subpages will close again to public questions and discussion, and everyone will have a week to use the [[m:SecurePoll|SecurePoll]] software to vote, which uses a [[secret ballot]]. You can see who voted, but not who they voted for. Please note that the vote tallies cannot be made public until after voting has ended and as such, it will not be possible for you to see an individual candidate's tally during the election. The [[Wikipedia:Administrator elections#Who can vote|suffrage requirements]] are different from those at RFA.<br />
<br />
Once voting concludes, we will begin the scrutineering phase, which will last for an indeterminate amount of time, perhaps a week or two. Once everything is certified, the results will be posted on the [[Wikipedia:Administrator elections/October 2024|main election page]]. In order to be granted adminship, a candidate must have received at least 70.0% support, calculated as Support / (Support + Oppose). As this is a vote and not a consensus, there are no [[WP:Bureaucrat discussion|bureaucrat discussions]] ("crat chats").<br />
<br />
Any questions or issues can be asked on the [[Wikipedia talk:Administrator elections|election talk page]]. Thank you for your participation. Happy electing.<br />
</div><br />
<div>[[File:Ballot box icon color.svg|80px]]</div><br />
</div><br />
<div style="font-size:85%; padding-top:15px;"><br />
You're receiving this message because you signed up for the mailing list. To opt-out of future mailings, please [[Wikipedia:Administrator elections/Newsletter list|remove yourself from the list]].</div><br />
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[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]] ([[User talk:MediaWiki message delivery|talk]]) 00:23, 22 October 2024 (UTC)<br />
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==[[Wikipedia:Criteria for speedy deletion|Speedy deletion]] nomination of [[:LGBT in California (disambiguation)]]==<br />
[[File:Ambox warning pn.svg|48px|left|alt=|link=]]<br />
{{Quote box|quote=<p>If this is the first article that you have created, you may want to read [[WP:Your first article|the guide to writing your first article]].</p><p>You may want to consider using the [[Wikipedia:Article wizard|Article Wizard]] to help you create articles.</p>|width=20%|align=right}}<br />
A tag has been placed on [[:LGBT in California (disambiguation)]] requesting that it be speedily deleted from Wikipedia. This has been done under [[WP:CSD#G14|section G14 of the criteria for speedy deletion]], because it is a disambiguation page which either<br />
:::*disambiguates only one extant Wikipedia page and whose title ends in "(disambiguation)" (i.e., there is a [[Wikipedia:Disambiguation#Is there a primary topic?|primary topic]]);<br />
:::* disambiguates zero extant Wikipedia pages, regardless of its title; or<br />
:::*is an [[Wikipedia:Orphan|orphaned]] redirect with a title ending in "(disambiguation)" that does not target a disambiguation page or page that has a disambiguation-like function.<br />
Under the [[WP:CSD#Articles|criteria for speedy deletion]], such pages may be deleted at any time. Please [[Wikipedia:MOSDAB|see the disambiguation page guidelines for more information]]. <br />
<br />
If you think this page should not be deleted for this reason you may '''contest the nomination''' by [[:LGBT in California (disambiguation)|visiting the page]] and removing the speedy deletion tag. <!-- Template:Db-disambig-notice --> <!-- Template:Db-csd-notice-custom --> [[User:Jlwoodwa|jlwoodwa]] ([[User talk:Jlwoodwa|talk]]) 23:30, 22 October 2024 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== Invitation to participate in a research ==<br />
<br />
Hello,<br />
<br />
The Wikimedia Foundation is conducting a survey of Wikipedians to better understand what draws administrators to contribute to Wikipedia, and what affects administrator retention. We will use this research to improve experiences for Wikipedians, and address common problems and needs. We have identified you as a good candidate for this research, and would greatly appreciate your participation in this '''[https://wikimediafoundation.limesurvey.net/962595?lang=en anonymous survey]'''.<br />
<br />
You do not have to be an Administrator to participate.<br />
<br />
The survey should take around 10-15 minutes to complete. You may read more about the study on its [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Research:Wikipedia Administrator Recruitment, Retention, and Attrition|Meta page]] and view its [[wmf:Special:MyLanguage/Legal:Administrator Experiences 2024 Survey Privacy Statement|privacy statement]] .<br />
<br />
Please find our contact on the project Meta page if you have any questions or concerns.<br />
<br />
Kind Regards,<br />
<br />
[[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia Research|WMF Research Team]]<br />
<br />
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:BGerdemann (WMF)|BGerdemann (WMF)]] ([[User talk:BGerdemann (WMF)|talk]]) 19:27, 23 October 2024 (UTC) </bdi><br />
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<br />
== Administrator Elections: Voting phase ==<br />
<br />
<div style="border: 5px solid #ABCDEF ; padding:10px 15px"><br />
<div style="padding: 0 0 0.5em; vertical-align: middle; font-size:130%"> '''[[Wikipedia:Administrator elections|Administrator Elections]] | <span style="font-size:85%">Voting phase</span>'''<br />
</div><br />
<div style="display:flex; align-items:center;"><br />
<div><br />
The voting phase of the October 2024 administrator elections has started and continues until 23:59 31st October 2024 UTC. You can participate in the voting phase at [[Wikipedia:Administrator elections/October 2024/Voting phase|'''Wikipedia:Administrator elections/October 2024/Voting phase''']].<br />
<br />
As a reminder, the schedule of the election is:<br />
*October 25–31 - SecurePoll voting phase<br />
*November 1–? - Scrutineering phase<br />
<br />
In the voting phase, the candidate subpages will close to public questions and discussion, and everyone [[Wikipedia:Administrator elections#Who can vote|who qualifies for a vote]] will have a week to use the [[m:SecurePoll|SecurePoll]] software to vote, which uses a [[secret ballot]]. You can see who voted, but not who they voted for. Please note that the vote tallies cannot be made public until after voting has ended and as such, it will not be possible for you to see an individual candidate's tally during the election. The [[Wikipedia:Administrator elections#Who can vote|suffrage requirements]] are different from those at RFA.<br />
<br />
Once voting concludes, we will begin the scrutineering phase, which will last for an indeterminate amount of time, perhaps a week or two. Once everything is certified, the results will be posted on the [[Wikipedia:Administrator elections/October 2024|main election page]]. In order to be granted adminship, a candidate must have received at least 70.0% support, calculated as Support / (Support + Oppose). As this is a vote and not a consensus, there are no [[WP:Bureaucrat discussion|bureaucrat discussions]] ("crat chats").<br />
<br />
Any questions or issues can be asked on the [[Wikipedia talk:Administrator elections|election talk page]]. Thank you for your participation. Happy electing.<br />
</div><br />
<div>[[File:Ballot box icon color.svg|80px]]</div><br />
</div><br />
<div style="font-size:85%; padding-top:15px;"><br />
You're receiving this message because you signed up for the mailing list. To opt-out of future mailings, please [[Wikipedia:Administrator elections/Newsletter list|remove yourself from the list]].</div><br />
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[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]] ([[User talk:MediaWiki message delivery|talk]]) 00:30, 25 October 2024 (UTC)<br />
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<br />
== Tech News: 2024-44 ==<br />
<br />
<section begin="technews-2024-W44"/><div class="plainlinks"><br />
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/44|Translations]] are available.<br />
<br />
'''Updates for editors'''<br />
* Later in November, the Charts extension will be deployed to the test wikis in order to help identify and fix any issue. A security review is underway to then enable deployment to pilot wikis for broader testing. You can read [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:Chart/Project/Updates#October 2024: Working towards production deployment|the October project update]] and see the [https://en.wikipedia.beta.wmflabs.org/wiki/Charts latest documentation and examples on Beta Wikipedia].<br />
* View all {{formatnum:32}} community-submitted {{PLURAL:32|task|tasks}} that were [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Recently resolved community tasks|resolved last week]]. For example, [[w:en:PediaPress|Pediapress.com]], an external service that creates books from Wikipedia, can now use [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia Maps|Wikimedia Maps]] to include existing pre-rendered infobox map images in their printed books on Wikipedia. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T375761]<br />
<br />
'''Updates for technical contributors'''<br />
* Wikis can use [[:mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:GuidedTour|the Guided Tour extension]] to help newcomers understand how to edit. The Guided Tours extension now works with [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Manual:Dark mode|dark mode]]. Guided Tour maintainers can check their tours to see that nothing looks odd. They can also set <code>emitTransitionOnStep</code> to <code>true</code> to fix an old bug. They can use the new flag <code>allowAutomaticBack</code> to avoid back-buttons they don't want. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T73927#10241528]<br />
* Administrators in the Wikimedia projects who use the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Extension:Nuke|Nuke Extension]] will notice that mass deletions done with this tool have the "Nuke" tag. This change will make reviewing and analyzing deletions performed with the tool easier. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T366068]<br />
<br />
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]]&nbsp;• [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]]&nbsp;• [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/44|Translate]]&nbsp;• [[m:Tech|Get help]]&nbsp;• [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]]&nbsp;• [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''<br />
</div><section end="technews-2024-W44"/><br />
<br />
<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 20:53, 28 October 2024 (UTC)<br />
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<br />
== WikiCup 2024 November newsletter ==<br />
<br />
The 2024 WikiCup has come to an end, with the final round being a very tight race. Our new champion is {{Wikipedia:WikiCup/Participant15|AirshipJungleman29}}, who scored 2,283 points mainly through 3 high-multiplier FAs and 3 GAs on military history topics. By a 1% margin, Airship beat out last year's champion, {{Wikipedia:WikiCup/Participant15|BeanieFan11}}, who scored second with 2,264 points, mainly from an impressive 58 GAs about athletes. In third place, {{Wikipedia:WikiCup/Participant15|Generalissima}} scored 1,528 points, primarily from two FAs on U.S. Librarians of Congress and 20 GAs about various historical topics. Our other finalists are: {{Wikipedia:WikiCup/Participant15|Sammi Brie}} with 879 points, {{Wikipedia:WikiCup/Participant15|Hey man im josh}} with 533 points, {{Wikipedia:WikiCup/Participant15|BennyOnTheLoose}} with 432 points, {{Wikipedia:WikiCup/Participant15|Arconning}} with 244 points, and {{Wikipedia:WikiCup/Participant15|AryKun}} with 15 points. Congratulations to our finalists and all who participated!<br />
<br />
The final round was very productive, and contestants had 7 FAs, 9 FLs, 94 GAs, 73 FAC reviews, and 79 GAN reviews and peer reviews. Altogether, Wikipedia has benefited greatly from the activities of WikiCup competitors all through the contest. Well done everyone!<br />
<br />
All those who reached the final will receive awards and the following special awards will be made, based on high performance in particular areas of content creation. So that the finalists do not have an undue advantage, these prizes are awarded to the competitor who scored the highest in any particular field in a single round, or in the event of a tie, to the overall leader in this field.<br />
<br />
*{{Wikipedia:WikiCup/Participant15|Generalissima}} wins the featured article prize for 3 FAs in round 4, and 7 FAs overall.<br />
*{{Wikipedia:WikiCup/Participant15|Hey man im josh}} wins the featured list prize for 23 FLs overall.<br />
*{{Wikipedia:WikiCup/Participant15|MaranoFan}} wins the featured topic prize for 9 articles in featured topics in round 1.<br />
*{{Wikipedia:WikiCup/Participant15|Hey man im josh}} wins the featured content reviewer prize for 110 FA/FL reviews overall.<br />
*{{Wikipedia:WikiCup/Participant15|BeanieFan11}} wins the good article prize for 58 GAs in round 5, and 70 GAs overall.<br />
*{{Wikipedia:WikiCup/Participant15|Fritzmann}} wins the good topic prize for 6 articles in good topics in round 2.<br />
*{{Wikipedia:WikiCup/Participant15|Sammi Brie}} wins the good article reviewer prize for 45 GA reviews in round 2, and 78 GA reviews overall.<br />
*{{Wikipedia:WikiCup/Participant15|BeanieFan11}} wins the DYK prize, for 131 Did you know articles overall.<br />
*{{Wikipedia:WikiCup/Participant15|Muboshgu}} wins the ITN prize, for 15 In the news articles in round 1, and 36 overall.<br />
<br />
Next year's competition will begin on 1 January. You are invited to '''[[Wikipedia:WikiCup/2025 signups|sign up to participate]]'''; the WikiCup is open to all Wikipedians, both novices and experienced editors, and we hope to see you all in the 2025 competition. Until then, it only remains to once again congratulate our worthy winners, and thank all participants for their involvement!<br />
<br />
<small>If you wish to start or stop receiving this newsletter, please feel free to add or remove yourself from [[Wikipedia:WikiCup/Newsletter/Send]].</small> {{User|Cwmhiraeth}}, {{User|Epicgenius}}, and {{User|Frostly}}. [[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]] ([[User talk:MediaWiki message delivery|talk]]) 13:48, 1 November 2024 (UTC)<br />
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<br />
== Administrators' newsletter – November 2024 ==<br />
<br />
[[Wikipedia:Administrators' newsletter|News and updates for administrators]] from the past month (October 2024).<br />
<br />
[[File:ANEWSicon.png|right|150px]]<br />
<br />
[[File:Wikipedia Administrator.svg|20px|alt=]] '''Administrator changes'''<br />
:[[File:Gnome-colors-view-refresh.svg|20px|alt=readded|Readded]] {{hlist|class=inline<br />
|[[Special:Permalink/1248966496#Resysop request (Crisco 1492)|Crisco 1492]]<br />
}}<br />
:[[File:Gnome-colors-list-remove.svg|20px|alt=removed|Removed]] {{hlist|class=inline<br />
|[[Special:Permalink/1248791416#Inactive admins for October 2024|Babajobu]]<br />
|[[Special:Permalink/1254200257#Desysop request (Daniel)|Daniel]]<br />
|[[Special:Permalink/1248791416#Inactive admins for October 2024|Elf]]<br />
|[[Special:Permalink/1248791416#Inactive admins for October 2024|Jayron32]]<br />
|[[Special:Permalink/1249813284#De-adminship request for Thue|Thue]]<br />
|[[Special:Permalink/1248753311#Desysop request (Wugapodes)|Wugapodes]]<br />
}}<br />
<br />
[[File:Checkuser Logo.svg|20px|alt=]] '''CheckUser changes'''<br />
:[[File:Gnome-colors-list-remove.svg|20px|alt=removed|Removed]] [[meta:Special:Permalink/27564949#Maxim@en.wikipedia|Maxim]]<br />
<br />
[[File:Oversight logo.png|20px|alt=]] '''Oversighter changes'''<br />
:[[File:Gnome-colors-list-remove.svg|20px|alt=removed|Removed]] [[meta:Special:Permalink/27564949#Maxim@en.wikipedia|Maxim]]<br />
<br />
[[File:Green check.svg|20px|alt=]] '''Guideline and policy news'''<br />
* Following a [[Wikipedia:Requests for adminship/2024 review/Phase II/Discussion-only period#Structured discussion|discussion]], the [[Wikipedia:Requests for adminship/2024 review/Phase II/Discussion-only period|discussion-only period]] proposal that went for a trial to refine the [[WP:RFA|requests for adminship]] (RfA) process has been discontinued.<br />
* Following a [[Special:Permalink/1254983370#Administrator Recall|request for comment]], [[WP:RECALL|Administrator recall]] is adopted as a policy.<br />
<br />
[[File:Octicons-tools.svg|20px|alt=]] '''Technical news'''<br />
* Mass deletions done with the [[ Special:Nuke|Nuke]] tool now have the 'Nuke' tag. This change will make reviewing and analyzing deletions performed with the tool easier. {{phab|T366068}}<br />
<br />
[[File:Scale of justice 2.svg|20px|alt=]] '''Arbitration'''<br />
* {{noping|RoySmith}}, {{noping|Barkeep49}} and {{noping|Cyberpower678}} have been appointed to the [[Wikipedia:Requests for comment/Arbitration Committee Elections December 2024/Electoral Commission|Electoral Commission]] for the [[Wikipedia:Arbitration Committee Elections December 2024|2024 Arbitration Committee Elections]]. {{noping|ThadeusOfNazereth}} and {{noping|Dr vulpes}} are reserve commissioners.<br />
* Eligible editors are invited to self-nominate from 3 November 2024 until 12 November 2024 to stand in the [[Wikipedia:Arbitration Committee Elections December 2024|2024 Arbitration Committee elections]].<br />
* The Arbitration Committee is [[Special:Permalink/1249961616#Call for applications: clerks, COI queue, checkuser, and oversight|seeking volunteers]] for roles such as clerks, access to the COI queue, checkuser, and oversight.<br />
[[File:Info Simple bw.svg|20px|alt=]] '''Miscellaneous'''<br />
* An [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Unreferenced articles/Backlog drives/November 2024|unreferenced articles backlog drive]] is happening in November 2024 to reduce the backlog of articles tagged with {{tl|Unreferenced}}. You can help reduce the backlog by adding citations to these articles. [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Unreferenced articles/Backlog drives/November 2024/Participants|'''Sign up to participate!''']]<br />
<br />
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* [[Wikipedia talk:Administrators' newsletter|Discuss this newsletter]]<br />
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== Tech News: 2024-45 ==<br />
<br />
<section begin="technews-2024-W45"/><div class="plainlinks"><br />
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/45|Translations]] are available.<br />
<br />
'''Updates for editors'''<br />
* Stewards can now make [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Global blocks|global account blocks]] cause global [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Autoblock|autoblocks]]. This will assist stewards in preventing abuse from users who have been globally blocked. This includes preventing globally blocked temporary accounts from exiting their session or switching browsers to make subsequent edits for 24 hours. Previously, temporary accounts could exit their current session or switch browsers to continue editing. This is an anti-abuse tool improvement for the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Trust and Safety Product/Temporary Accounts|Temporary Accounts]] project. You can read more about the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Trust and Safety Product/Temporary Accounts/Updates|progress on key features for temporary accounts]]. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T368949]<br />
* Wikis that have the [[m:Special:MyLanguage/CampaignEvents/Deployment status|CampaignEvents extension enabled]] can now use the [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Campaigns/Foundation Product Team/Event list#October 29, 2024: Collaboration List launched|Collaboration List]] feature. This list provides a new, easy way for contributors to learn about WikiProjects on their wikis. Thanks to the Campaign team for this work that is part of [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia Foundation Annual Plan/2024-2025/Product %26 Technology OKRs#WE KRs|the 2024/25 annual plan]]. If you are interested in bringing the CampaignEvents extension to your wiki, you can [[m:Special:MyLanguage/CampaignEvents/Deployment status#How to Request the CampaignEvents Extension for your wiki|follow these steps]] or you can reach out to User:Udehb-WMF for help.<br />
* The text color for red links will be slightly changed later this week to improve their contrast in light mode. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T370446]<br />
* View all {{formatnum:32}} community-submitted {{PLURAL:32|task|tasks}} that were [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Recently resolved community tasks|resolved last week]]. For example, on multilingual wikis, users [[phab:T216368|can now]] hide translations from the WhatLinksHere special page.<br />
<br />
'''Updates for technical contributors'''<br />
* XML [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Data dumps|data dumps]] have been temporarily paused whilst a bug is investigated. [https://lists.wikimedia.org/hyperkitty/list/xmldatadumps-l@lists.wikimedia.org/message/BXWJDPO5QI2QMBCY7HO36ELDCRO6HRM4/]<br />
<br />
'''In depth'''<br />
* Temporary Accounts have been deployed to six wikis; thanks to the Trust and Safety Product team for [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Trust and Safety Product/Temporary Accounts|this work]], you can read about [[phab:T340001|the deployment plans]]. Beginning next week, Temporary Accounts will also be enabled on [[phab:T378336|seven other projects]]. If you are active on these wikis and need help migrating your tools, please reach out to [[m:User:Udehb-WMF|User:Udehb-WMF]] for assistance.<br />
* The latest quarterly [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia Language and Product Localization/Newsletter/2024/October|Language and Internationalization newsletter]] is available. It includes: New languages supported in translatewiki or in MediaWiki; New keyboard input methods for some languages; details about recent and upcoming meetings, and more.<br />
<br />
'''Meetings and events'''<br />
* [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/MediaWiki Users and Developers Conference Fall 2024|MediaWiki Users and Developers Conference Fall 2024]] is happening in Vienna, Austria and online from 4 to 6 November 2024. The conference will feature discussions around the usage of MediaWiki software by and within companies in different industries and will inspire and onboard new users.<br />
<br />
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]]&nbsp;• [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]]&nbsp;• [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/45|Translate]]&nbsp;• [[m:Tech|Get help]]&nbsp;• [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]]&nbsp;• [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''<br />
</div><section end="technews-2024-W45"/><br />
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<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 20:47, 4 November 2024 (UTC)<br />
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== ''The Signpost'': 6 November 2024 ==<br />
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<div lang="en" dir="ltr" class="mw-content-ltr"><div style="column-count:2;"> {{Wikipedia:Wikipedia Signpost/2024-11-06}} </div><!--Volume 20, Issue 15--> <div class="hlist" style="margin-top:10px; font-size:90%; padding-left:5px; font-family:Georgia, Palatino, Palatino Linotype, Times, Times New Roman, serif;"> * '''[[Wikipedia:Wikipedia Signpost|Read this Signpost in full]]''' * [[Wikipedia:Wikipedia Signpost/Single/2024-11-06|Single-page]] * [[Wikipedia:Wikipedia Signpost/Subscribe|Unsubscribe]] * [[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]] ([[User talk:MediaWiki message delivery|talk]]) 08:03, 6 November 2024 (UTC) <!-- Sent via script ([[User:JPxG/SPS]]) --></div></div><br />
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== "[[:Life Without Hope]]" listed at [[Wikipedia:Redirects for discussion|Redirects for discussion]] ==<br />
[[File:Information.svg|30px]]<br />
The redirect <span class="plainlinks">[//en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Life_Without_Hope&redirect=no Life Without Hope]</span> has been listed at [[Wikipedia:Redirects for discussion|redirects for discussion]] to determine whether its use and function meets the [[Wikipedia:Redirect|redirect guidelines]]. Anyone, including you, is welcome to comment on this redirect at '''{{slink|Wikipedia:Redirects for discussion/Log/2024 November 11#Life Without Hope}}''' until a consensus is reached. <!-- Template:RFDNote --> [[User:PARAKANYAA|PARAKANYAA]] ([[User talk:PARAKANYAA|talk]]) 11:33, 11 November 2024 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== Tech News: 2024-46 ==<br />
<br />
<section begin="technews-2024-W46"/><div class="plainlinks"><br />
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/46|Translations]] are available.<br />
<br />
'''Updates for editors'''<br />
* On wikis with the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Extension:Translate|Translate extension]] enabled, users will notice that the FuzzyBot will now automatically create translated versions of categories used on translated pages. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T285463]<br />
* View all {{formatnum:29}} community-submitted {{PLURAL:29|task|tasks}} that were [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Recently resolved community tasks|resolved last week]]. For example, the submitted task to use the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:SecurePoll|SecurePoll extension]] for English Wikipedia's special [[w:en:Wikipedia:Administrator elections|administrator election]] was resolved on time. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T371454] <br />
<br />
'''Updates for technical contributors'''<br />
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Advanced item]] In <code dir="ltr">[[mw:MediaWiki_1.44/wmf.2|1.44.0-wmf-2]]</code>, the logic of Wikibase function <code>getAllStatements</code> changed to behave like <code>getBestStatements</code>. Invoking the function now returns a copy of values which are immutable. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T270851]<br />
* [https://en.wikipedia.org/api/rest_v1/ Wikimedia REST API] users, such as bot operators and tool maintainers, may be affected by ongoing upgrades. The API will be rerouting some page content endpoints from RESTbase to the newer [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/API:REST API|MediaWiki REST API]] endpoints. The [[phab:T374683|impacted endpoints]] include getting page/revision metadata and rendered HTML content. These changes will be available on testwiki later this week, with other projects to follow. This change should not affect existing functionality, but active users of the impacted endpoints should verify behavior on testwiki, and raise any concerns on the related [[phab:T374683|Phabricator ticket]].<br />
<br />
'''In depth'''<br />
* Admins and users of the Wikimedia projects [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Moderator_Tools/Automoderator#Usage|where Automoderator is enabled]] can now monitor and evaluate important metrics related to Automoderator's actions. [https://superset.wmcloud.org/superset/dashboard/unified-automoderator-activity-dashboard/ This Superset dashboard] calculates and aggregates metrics about Automoderator's behaviour on the projects in which it is deployed. Thanks to the Moderator Tools team for this Dashboard; you can visit [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Moderator Tools/Automoderator/Unified Activity Dashboard|the documentation page]] for more information about this work. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T369488]<br />
<br />
'''Meetings and events'''<br />
* 21 November 2024 ([[m:Special:MyLanguage/Event:Commons community discussion - 21 November 2024 8:00 UTC|8:00 UTC]] & [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Event:Commons community discussion - 21 November 2024 16:00 UTC|16:00 UTC]]) - [[c:Commons:WMF support for Commons/Commons community calls|Community call]] with Wikimedia Commons volunteers and stakeholders to help prioritize support efforts for 2025-2026 Fiscal Year. The theme of this call is how content should be organised on Wikimedia Commons.<br />
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]]&nbsp;• [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]]&nbsp;• [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/46|Translate]]&nbsp;• [[m:Tech|Get help]]&nbsp;• [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]]&nbsp;• [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''<br />
</div><section end="technews-2024-W46"/><br />
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<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 00:04, 12 November 2024 (UTC)<br />
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== Reminder to participate in Wikipedia research ==<br />
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Hello,<br />
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I recently invited you to take a survey about administration on Wikipedia. If you haven’t yet had a chance, there is still time to participate– we’d truly appreciate your feedback. The survey is anonymous and should take about 10-15 minutes to complete. You may read more about the study on its [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Research:Wikipedia Administrator Recruitment, Retention, and Attrition|Meta page]] and view its [[wmf:Special:MyLanguage/Legal:Administrator Experiences 2024 Survey Privacy Statement|privacy statement]]. <br />
<br />
Take the survey '''[https://wikimediafoundation.limesurvey.net/962595?lang=en here]'''.<br />
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Kind Regards,<br />
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[[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia Research|WMF Research Team]]<br />
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<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:BGerdemann (WMF)|BGerdemann (WMF)]] ([[User talk:BGerdemann (WMF)|talk]]) 00:39, 13 November 2024 (UTC) </bdi><br />
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== ''The Signpost'': 18 November 2024 ==<br />
<br />
<div lang="en" dir="ltr" class="mw-content-ltr"><div style="column-count:2;"> {{Wikipedia:Wikipedia Signpost/2024-11-18}} </div><!--Volume 20, Issue 16--> <div class="hlist" style="margin-top:10px; font-size:90%; padding-left:5px; font-family:Georgia, Palatino, Palatino Linotype, Times, Times New Roman, serif;"> * '''[[Wikipedia:Wikipedia Signpost|Read this Signpost in full]]''' * [[Wikipedia:Wikipedia Signpost/Single/2024-11-18|Single-page]] * [[Wikipedia:Wikipedia Signpost/Subscribe|Unsubscribe]] * [[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]] ([[User talk:MediaWiki message delivery|talk]]) 23:41, 18 November 2024 (UTC) <!-- Sent via script ([[User:JPxG/SPS]]) --></div></div><br />
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== ArbCom 2024 Elections voter message ==<br />
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Hello! Voting in the '''[[WP:ACE2024|2024 Arbitration Committee elections]]''' is now open until 23:59 (UTC) on {{#time:l, j F Y|{{Arbitration Committee candidate/data|2024|end}}-1 day}}. All '''[[Wikipedia:Arbitration Committee Elections December 2024#Election timeline|eligible users]]''' are allowed to vote. Users with alternate accounts may only vote once.<br />
<br />
The [[WP:ARBCOM|Arbitration Committee]] is the panel of editors responsible for conducting the [[Wikipedia:Arbitration|Wikipedia arbitration process]]. It has the authority to impose binding solutions to disputes between editors, primarily for serious conduct disputes the community has been unable to resolve. This includes the authority to impose [[WP:BAN|site bans]], [[WP:TBAN|topic bans]], editing restrictions, and other measures needed to maintain our editing environment. The [[Wikipedia:Arbitration/Policy|arbitration policy]] describes the Committee's roles and responsibilities in greater detail.<br />
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If you wish to participate in the 2024 election, please review [[Wikipedia:Arbitration Committee Elections December 2024/Candidates|the candidates]] and submit your choices on the '''[[Special:SecurePoll/vote/{{Arbitration Committee candidate/data|2024|poll}}|voting page]]'''. If you no longer wish to receive these messages, you may add {{tlx|NoACEMM}} to your user talk page. <small>[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]] ([[User talk:MediaWiki message delivery|talk]]) 00:39, 19 November 2024 (UTC)</small><br />
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<br />
== Tech News: 2024-47 ==<br />
<br />
<section begin="technews-2024-W47"/><div class="plainlinks"><br />
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/47|Translations]] are available.<br />
<br />
'''Updates for editors'''<br />
* Users of Wikimedia sites will now be warned when they create a [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Redirects|redirect]] to a page that doesn't exist. This will reduce the number of broken redirects to red links in our projects. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T326057]<br />
* View all {{formatnum:42}} community-submitted {{PLURAL:42|task|tasks}} that were [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Recently resolved community tasks|resolved last week]]. For example, [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Manual:Pywikibot/Overview|Pywikibot]], which automates work on MediaWiki sites, was upgraded to 9.5.0 on Toolforge. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T378676]<br />
<br />
'''Updates for technical contributors'''<br />
* On wikis that use the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:FlaggedRevs|FlaggedRevs extension]], pages created or moved by users with the appropriate permissions are marked as flagged automatically. This feature has not been working recently, and changes fixing it should be deployed this week. Thanks to Daniel and Wargo for working on this. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T379218][https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T368380]<br />
<br />
'''In depth'''<br />
* There is a new [https://diff.wikimedia.org/2024/11/05/say-hi-to-temporary-accounts-easier-collaboration-with-logged-out-editors-with-better-privacy-protection Diff post] about Temporary Accounts, available in more than 15 languages. Read it to learn about what Temporary Accounts are, their impact on different groups of users, and the plan to introduce the change on all wikis.<br />
<br />
'''Meetings and events'''<br />
* Technical volunteers can now register for the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia Hackathon 2025|2025 Wikimedia Hackathon]], which will take place in Istanbul, Turkey. [https://pretix.eu/wikimedia/hackathon2025/ Application for travel and accommodation scholarships] is open from '''November 12 to December 10 2024'''. The registration for the event will close in mid-April 2025. The Wikimedia Hackathon is an annual gathering that unites the global technical community to collaborate on existing projects and explore new ideas.<br />
* Join the [[C:Special:MyLanguage/Commons:WMF%20support%20for%20Commons/Commons%20community%20calls|Wikimedia Commons community calls]] this week to help prioritize support for Commons which will be planned for 2025–2026. The theme will be how content should be organised on Wikimedia Commons. This is an opportunity for volunteers who work on different things to come together and talk about what matters for the future of the project. The calls will take place '''November 21, 2024, [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Event:Commons community discussion - 21 November 2024 8:00 UTC|8:00 UTC]] and [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Event:Commons community discussion - 21 November 2024 16:00 UTC|16:00 UTC]]'''.<br />
* A [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia_Language_and_Product_Localization/Community meetings#29 November 2024|Language community meeting]] will take place '''November 29, 16:00 UTC''' to discuss updates and technical problem-solving.<br />
<br />
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]]&nbsp;• [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]]&nbsp;• [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/47|Translate]]&nbsp;• [[m:Tech|Get help]]&nbsp;• [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]]&nbsp;• [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''<br />
</div><section end="technews-2024-W47"/><br />
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<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 01:57, 19 November 2024 (UTC)<br />
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== Tech News: 2024-48 ==<br />
<br />
<section begin="technews-2024-W48"/><div class="plainlinks"><br />
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/48|Translations]] are available.<br />
<br />
'''Updates for editors'''<br />
* [[File:Octicons-gift.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Wishlist item]] A new version of the standard wikitext editor-mode [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:CodeMirror|syntax highlighter]] will be available as a [[Special:Preferences#mw-prefsection-betafeatures|beta feature]] later this week. This brings many new features and bug fixes, including right-to-left support, [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Extension:CodeMirror#Template folding|template folding]], [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Extension:CodeMirror#Autocompletion|autocompletion]], and an improved search panel. You can learn more on the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Extension:CodeMirror|help page]].<br />
* The 2010 wikitext editor now supports common keyboard shortcuts such <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code>Ctrl</code>+<code>B</code></bdi> for bold and <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code>Ctrl</code>+<code>I</code></bdi> for italics. A full [[mw:Help:Extension:WikiEditor#Keyboard shortcuts|list of all six shortcuts]] is available. Thanks to SD0001 for this improvement. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T62928]<br />
* Starting November 28, Flow/Structured Discussions pages will be automatically archived and set to read-only at the following wikis: <bdi>bswiki</bdi>{{int:comma-separator/en}}<bdi>elwiki</bdi>{{int:comma-separator/en}}<bdi>euwiki</bdi>{{int:comma-separator/en}}<bdi>fawiki</bdi>{{int:comma-separator/en}}<bdi>fiwiki</bdi>{{int:comma-separator/en}}<bdi>frwikiquote</bdi>{{int:comma-separator/en}}<bdi>frwikisource</bdi>{{int:comma-separator/en}}<bdi>frwikiversity</bdi>{{int:comma-separator/en}}<bdi>frwikivoyage</bdi>{{int:comma-separator/en}}<bdi>idwiki</bdi>{{int:comma-separator/en}}<bdi>lvwiki</bdi>{{int:comma-separator/en}}<bdi>plwiki</bdi>{{int:comma-separator/en}}<bdi>ptwiki</bdi>{{int:comma-separator/en}}<bdi>urwiki</bdi>{{int:comma-separator/en}}<bdi>viwikisource</bdi>{{int:comma-separator/en}}<bdi>zhwikisource</bdi>. This is done as part of [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Structured_Discussions/Deprecation|StructuredDiscussions deprecation work]]. If you need any assistance to archive your page in advance, please contact [[m:User:Trizek (WMF)|Trizek (WMF)]]. <br />
* View all {{formatnum:25}} community-submitted {{PLURAL:25|task|tasks}} that were [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Recently resolved community tasks|resolved last week]]. For example, a user creating a new AbuseFilter can now only set the filter to "protected" [[phab:T377765|if it includes a protected variable]].<br />
<br />
'''Updates for technical contributors'''<br />
* The [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:CodeEditor|CodeEditor]], which can be used in JavaScript, CSS, JSON, and Lua pages, [[phab:T377663|now offers]] live autocompletion. Thanks to SD0001 for this improvement. The feature can be temporarily disabled on a page by pressing <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code>Ctrl</code>+<code>,</code></bdi> and un-selecting "<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">Live Autocompletion</bdi>".<br />
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Advanced item]] Tool-maintainers who use the Graphite system for tracking metrics, need to migrate to the newer Prometheus system. They can check [https://grafana.wikimedia.org/d/K6DEOo5Ik/grafana-graphite-datasource-utilization?orgId=1 this dashboard] and the list in the Description of the [[phab:T350592|task T350592]] to see if their tools are listed, and they should claim metrics and dashboards connected to their tools. They can then disable or migrate all existing metrics by following the instructions in the task. The Graphite service will become read-only in April. [https://lists.wikimedia.org/hyperkitty/list/wikitech-l@lists.wikimedia.org/thread/KLUV4IOLRYXPQFWD6WKKJUHMWE77BMSZ/]<br />
* [[File:Octicons-tools.svg|12px|link=|class=skin-invert|Advanced item]] The [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/NewPP parser report|New PreProcessor parser performance report]] has been fixed to give an accurate count for the number of Wikibase entities accessed. It had previously been resetting after 400 entities. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T279069]<br />
<br />
'''Meetings and events'''<br />
* A [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia_Language_and_Product_Localization/Community meetings#29 November 2024|Language community meeting]] will take place November 29 at [https://zonestamp.toolforge.org/1732896000 16:00 UTC]. There will be presentations on topics like developing language keyboards, the creation of the Mooré Wikipedia, the language support track at [[m:Wiki Indaba|Wiki Indaba]], and a report from the Wayuunaiki community on their experiences with the Incubator and as a new community over the last 3 years. This meeting will be in English and will also have Spanish interpretation.<br />
<br />
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]]&nbsp;• [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]]&nbsp;• [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/48|Translate]]&nbsp;• [[m:Tech|Get help]]&nbsp;• [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]]&nbsp;• [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''<br />
</div><section end="technews-2024-W48"/><br />
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<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 22:39, 25 November 2024 (UTC)<br />
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== A barnstar for you! ==<br />
<br />
{| style="background-color: #fdffe7; border: 1px solid #fceb92;"<br />
|rowspan="2" style="vertical-align: middle; padding: 5px;" | [[File:Editors Barnstar Hires.png|100px]]<br />
|style="font-size: x-large; padding: 3px 3px 0 3px; height: 1.5em;" | '''The Editor's Barnstar'''<br />
|-<br />
|style="vertical-align: middle; padding: 3px;" | You seem to make wise edits while editing. Congratulations! [[User:OneTrueKingLives|OneTrueKingLives]] ([[User talk:OneTrueKingLives|talk]]) 09:35, 26 November 2024 (UTC)<br />
|}<br />
<br />
== Tech News: 2024-49 ==<br />
<br />
<section begin="technews-2024-W49"/><div class="plainlinks"><br />
Latest '''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|tech news]]''' from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/49|Translations]] are available.<br />
<br />
'''Updates for editors'''<br />
* Two new parser functions were added this week. The <code dir="ltr"><nowiki>{{</nowiki>[[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Magic words#interwikilink|#interwikilink]]<nowiki>}}</nowiki></code> function adds an [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Links#Interwiki links|interwiki link]] and the <code dir="ltr"><nowiki>{{</nowiki>[[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Magic words#interlanguagelink|#interlanguagelink]]<nowiki>}}</nowiki></code> function adds an [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Links#Interlanguage links|interlanguage link]]. These parser functions are useful on wikis where namespaces conflict with interwiki prefixes. For example, links beginning with <bdi lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><code>MOS:</code></bdi> on English Wikipedia [[phab:T363538|conflict with the <code>mos</code> language code prefix of Mooré Wikipedia]].<br />
* Starting this week, Wikimedia wikis no longer support connections using old RSA-based HTTPS certificates, specifically rsa-2048. This change is to improve security for all users. Some older, unsupported browser or smartphone devices will be unable to connect; Instead, they will display a connectivity error. See the [[wikitech:HTTPS/Browser_Recommendations|HTTPS Browser Recommendations page]] for more-detailed information. All modern operating systems and browsers are always able to reach Wikimedia projects. [https://lists.wikimedia.org/hyperkitty/list/wikitech-l@lists.wikimedia.org/thread/CTYEHVNSXUD3NFAAMG3BLZVTVQWJXJAH/]<br />
* Starting December 16, Flow/Structured Discussions pages will be automatically archived and set to read-only at the following wikis: <bdi>arwiki</bdi>{{int:comma-separator/en}}<bdi>cawiki</bdi>{{int:comma-separator/en}}<bdi>frwiki</bdi>{{int:comma-separator/en}}<bdi>mediawikiwiki</bdi>{{int:comma-separator/en}}<bdi>orwiki</bdi>{{int:comma-separator/en}}<bdi>wawiki</bdi>{{int:comma-separator/en}}<bdi>wawiktionary</bdi>{{int:comma-separator/en}}<bdi>wikidatawiki</bdi>{{int:comma-separator/en}}<bdi>zhwiki</bdi>. This is done as part of [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Structured_Discussions/Deprecation|StructuredDiscussions deprecation work]]. If you need any assistance to archive your page in advance, please contact [[m:User:Trizek (WMF)|Trizek (WMF)]]. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T380910]<br />
* This month the Chart extension was deployed to production and is now available on Commons and Testwiki. With the security review complete, pilot wiki deployment is expected to start in the first week of December. You can see a working version [[testwiki:Charts|on Testwiki]] and read [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Extension:Chart/Project/Updates|the November project update]] for more details.<br />
* View all {{formatnum:23}} community-submitted {{PLURAL:23|task|tasks}} that were [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Recently resolved community tasks|resolved last week]]. For example, a bug with the "Download as PDF" system was fixed. [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T376438]<br />
<br />
'''Updates for technical contributors'''<br />
* In late February, temporary accounts will be rolled out on at least 10 large wikis. This deployment will have a significant effect on the community-maintained code. This is about Toolforge tools, bots, gadgets, and user scripts that use IP address data or that are available for logged-out users. The Trust and Safety Product team wants to identify this code, monitor it, and assist in updating it ahead of the deployment to minimize disruption to workflows. The team asks technical editors and volunteer developers to help identify such tools by adding them to [[mw:Trust and Safety Product/Temporary Accounts/For developers/Impacted tools|this list]]. In addition, review the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Trust and Safety Product/Temporary Accounts/For developers|updated documentation]] to learn how to adjust the tools. Join the discussions on the [[mw:Talk:Trust and Safety Product/Temporary Accounts|project talk page]] or in the [[discord:channels/221049808784326656/1227616742340034722|dedicated thread]] on the [[w:Wikipedia:Discord|Wikimedia Community Discord server (in English)]] for support and to share feedback. <br />
<br />
'''''[[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News|Tech news]]''' prepared by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers|Tech News writers]] and posted by [[m:Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki message delivery|bot]]&nbsp;• [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute|Contribute]]&nbsp;• [[m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2024/49|Translate]]&nbsp;• [[m:Tech|Get help]]&nbsp;• [[m:Talk:Tech/News|Give feedback]]&nbsp;• [[m:Global message delivery/Targets/Tech ambassadors|Subscribe or unsubscribe]].''<br />
</div><section end="technews-2024-W49"/><br />
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<bdi lang="en" dir="ltr">[[User:MediaWiki message delivery|MediaWiki message delivery]]</bdi> 22:20, 2 December 2024 (UTC)<br />
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<br />
== Administrators' newsletter – December 2024 ==<br />
<br />
[[Wikipedia:Administrators' newsletter|News and updates for administrators]] from the past month (November 2024).<br />
<br />
[[File:ANEWSicon.png|right|150px]]<br />
<br />
[[File:Wikipedia Administrator.svg|20px|alt=]] '''Administrator changes'''<br />
:[[File:Gnome-colors-list-add.svg|20px|alt=added|Added]] {{hlist|class=inline<br />
|[[Special:Permalink/1255448214#Admin election results - please enact|Ahecht]]<br />
|[[Special:Permalink/1255448214#Admin election results - please enact|DoubleGrazing]]<br />
|[[Special:Permalink/1255448214#Admin election results - please enact|Dr vulpes]]<br />
|[[Special:Permalink/1255448214#Admin election results - please enact|FOARP]]<br />
|[[Special:Permalink/1255448214#Admin election results - please enact|Peaceray]]<br />
|[[Special:Permalink/1255448214#Admin election results - please enact|Queen of Hearts]]<br />
|[[Special:Permalink/1255448214#Admin election results - please enact|Rsjaffe]]<br />
|[[Special:Permalink/1255448214#Admin election results - please enact|SD0001]]<br />
|[[Special:Permalink/1255448214#Admin election results - please enact|SilverLocust]]<br />
|[[Special:Permalink/1255448214#Admin election results - please enact|Sohom Datta]]<br />
|[[Special:Permalink/1255448214#Admin election results - please enact|ThadeusOfNazereth]]<br />
|[[Wikipedia:Requests for adminship/Voorts|Voorts]]<br />
}}<br />
:[[File:Gnome-colors-view-refresh.svg|20px|alt=readded|Readded]] {{hlist|class=inline<br />
|[[Special:Permalink/1255940614#Resysop request (Ajpolino)|Ajpolino]]<br />
|[[Special:Permalink/1255791525#Resysop request (Fathoms Below)|Fathoms Below]]<br />
|[[Special:Permalink/1256350964#Resysop request (Pppery)|Pppery]]<br />
|[[Special:Permalink/1258681482#Resysop request (Tamzin)|Tamzin]]<br />
|[[Wikipedia:Requests for adminship/Worm That Turned 2|Worm That Turned]]<br />
}}<br />
:[[File:Gnome-colors-list-remove.svg|20px|alt=removed|Removed]] {{hlist|class=inline<br />
|[[Special:Permalink/1254642984#Inactive admins for November 2024|Aervanath]]<br />
|[[Special:Permalink/1254642984#Inactive admins for November 2024|Christopher Sundita]]<br />
|[[Special:Permalink/1256554366#Desysop request (Dank)|Dank]]<br />
|[[Special:Permalink/1258747214#-sysop (Dennis Brown)|Dennis Brown]]<br />
|[[Special:Permalink/1254732881#Removal of enwiki Admin rights|Dragons flight]]<br />
|[[Special:Permalink/1258369062#Desysop request (Fastily)|Fastily]]<br />
|[[Special:Permalink/1258563026#Desysop request (Graham87)|Graham87]]<br />
|[[Special:Permalink/1254642984#Inactive admins for November 2024|JaGa]]<br />
|[[Special:Permalink/1254642984#Inactive admins for November 2024|Kbh3rd]]<br />
|[[Special:Permalink/1255999577#Desysop request (Marine 69-71)|Marine 69-71]]<br />
|[[Special:Permalink/1254642984#Inactive admins for November 2024|Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington]]<br />
|[[Special:Permalink/1254642984#Inactive admins for November 2024|Yamamoto Ichiro]]<br />
}}<br />
<br />
[[File:Wikipedia Interface administrator.svg|20px|alt=]] '''Interface administrator changes'''<br />
:[[File:Gnome-colors-list-add.svg|20px|alt=added|Added]] {{hlist|class=inline<br />
|[[Special:Permalink/1256544536#IAdmin request (SD0001)|SD0001]]<br />
|[[Special:Permalink/1256544536#Interface admin perm request (Sohom Datta)|Sohom Datta]]<br />
}}<br />
:[[File:Gnome-colors-view-refresh.svg|20px|alt=readded|Readded]] [[Special:Permalink/1256350964#Resysop request (Pppery)|Pppery]]<br />
<br />
[[File:Checkuser Logo.svg|20px|alt=]] '''CheckUser changes'''<br />
:[[File:Gnome-colors-view-refresh.svg|20px|alt=readded|Readded]] {{hlist|class=inline<br />
|[[Special:Permalink/1257592926#Change to the CheckUser team, November 2024|Spicy]]<br />
|[[Special:Permalink/1257061609#CheckUser and conflict of interest VRT appointments, November 2024|TheresNoTime]]<br />
}}<br />
<br />
[[File:Green check.svg|20px|alt=]] '''Guideline and policy news'''<br />
* Following [[Wikipedia talk:Administrators#RFC: Resysoppings after five years with no administrative actions|an RFC]], the [[Wikipedia:Administrators#Restoration of adminship|policy on restoration of adminship]] has been updated. All former administrators may now only regain the tools following a request at the [[Wikipedia:Bureaucrats' noticeboard]] within 5 years of their most recent admin action. Previously this applied only to administrators deysopped for inactivity.<br />
* Following a [[Wikipedia talk:Criteria for speedy deletion#RfC: Enacting T5 (unused template subpages)|request for comment]], a new speedy deletion criterion, [[WP:T5|T5]], has been enacted. This applies to template subpages that are no longer used.<br />
<br />
[[File:Octicons-tools.svg|20px|alt=]] '''Technical news'''<br />
* Technical volunteers can now register for the [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia Hackathon 2025|2025 Wikimedia Hackathon]], which will take place in Istanbul, Turkey. [https://pretix.eu/wikimedia/hackathon2025/ Application for travel and accommodation scholarships] is open from November 12 to December 10, 2024.<br />
<br />
[[File:Scale of justice 2.svg|20px|alt=]] '''Arbitration'''<br />
* The arbitration case ''[[Wikipedia:Arbitration/Requests/Case/Yasuke|Yasuke]]'' (formerly titled ''[[Wikipedia:Arbitration/Requests/Case/Backlash to diversity and inclusion|Backlash to diversity and inclusion]]'') has been closed.<br />
* An arbitration case titled ''[[Wikipedia:Arbitration/Requests/Case/Palestine-Israel articles 5|Palestine-Israel articles 5]]'' has been opened. Evidence submissions in this case will close on 14 December.<br />
<br />
----<br />
{{center|{{flatlist|<br />
* [[Wikipedia talk:Administrators' newsletter|Discuss this newsletter]]<br />
* [[Wikipedia:Administrators' newsletter/Subscribe|Subscribe]]<br />
* [[Wikipedia:Administrators' newsletter/Archive|Archive]]<br />
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<br />
== Your Bot ==<br />
<br />
Hey thank you very much, your bot helped me to fix a problem with the page Covid 19 conspiracy theorist i put in it a redirect message that says to go manually to the category but thanks to your bot now the page redirects automatically expecially because a chinese user opened an auto eliminating warning on it but now thank to your bot its fixed [[User:Boackandwhite|Boackandwhite]] ([[User talk:Boackandwhite|talk]]) 22:10, 7 December 2024 (UTC)</div>Boackandwhitehttps://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Matteo_Salvini&diff=1261744110Matteo Salvini2024-12-07T19:21:07Z<p>Boackandwhite: </p>
<hr />
<div>[[Category:COVID-19 conspiracy theorists]]<br />
{{Short description|Italian politician (born 1973)}}<br />
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2022}}<br />
{{Infobox officeholder<br />
| honorific-prefix = <br />
| name = Matteo Salvini<br />
| image = Matteo Salvini Viminale crop.jpg<br />
| caption = Matteo Salvini<br />
| office = [[Deputy Prime Minister of Italy]]<br />
| primeminister = [[Giorgia Meloni]]<br />
| alongside = [[Antonio Tajani]]<br />
| predecessor = Himself and<br>[[Luigi Di Maio]] (2019)<br />
| term_start = 22 October 2022<br />
| primeminister1 = [[Giuseppe Conte]]<br />
| alongside1 = Luigi Di Maio<br />
| term_start1 = 1 June 2018<br />
| term_end1 = 5 September 2019<br />
| predecessor1 = [[Angelino Alfano]] (2014)<br />
| successor1 = Antonio Tajani and<br>Himself (2022)<br />
| office2 = [[Minister of Infrastructure and Transport (Italy)|Minister of Infrastructure and Transport]]<br />
| primeminister2 = Giorgia Meloni<br />
| term_start2 = 22 October 2022<br />
| term_end2 = <br />
| predecessor2 = [[Enrico Giovannini]]<br />
| office3 = [[Minister of the Interior (Italy)|Minister of the Interior]]<br />
| primeminister3 = Giuseppe Conte<br />
| term_start3 = 1 June 2018<br />
| term_end3 = 5 September 2019<br />
| predecessor3 = [[Marco Minniti]]<br />
| successor3 = [[Luciana Lamorgese]]<br />
| office4 = [[List of Federal Secretaries of Lega Nord|Federal Secretary of the League]]<br />
| term_start4 = 15 December 2013<br />
| term_end4 = <br />
| predecessor4 = [[Roberto Maroni]]<br />
| successor4 =<br />
| office5 = [[Italian Senate|Member of the Senate of the Republic]]<br />
| term_start5 = 23 March 2018<br />
| term_end5 = <br />
| constituency5 = [[Lazio]] {{small|(2018–2019)}}<br />[[Calabria]] {{small|(2019–present)}}<br />
| office6 = [[Member of the European Parliament]]<br />
| term_start6 = 14 July 2009<br />
| term_end6 = 22 March 2018<br />
| constituency6 = [[North-West Italy (European Parliament constituency)|North-West Italy]]<br />
| term_start7 = 20 July 2004<br />
| term_end7 = 7 November 2006<br />
| constituency7 = [[North-West Italy (European Parliament constituency)|North-West Italy]]<br />
| office8 = [[Italian Chamber of Deputies|Member of the Chamber of Deputies]]<br />
| term_start8 = 6 March 2013<br />
| term_end8 = 15 March 2013<br />
| constituency8 = [[Lombardy|Lombardy 1]]<br />
| term_start9 = 29 April 2008<br />
| term_end9 = 13 July 2009<br />
| constituency9 = [[Lombardy|Lombardy 1]]<br />
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1973|3|9|df=y}}<br />
| birth_place = [[Milan]], Italy<br />
| party = [[Lega (political party)|Lega]] <br />
| otherparty = [[Lega Nord]]<br>[[Us with Salvini]] {{small|(2014–2017)}}<br />
| spouse = {{marriage|Fabrizia Ieluzzi|2001|2010|end=div}}<br />
| partner = Giulia Martinelli {{small|(2011–2014)}}<br>[[Elisa Isoardi]] {{small|(2015–2018)}}<br>Francesca Verdini {{small|(2019–present)}}<br />
| children = 2<br />
| alma_mater = <br />
| signature = Salvini signature.svg<br />
| website = {{URL|salvinipremier.it}}<br />
}}<br />
<br />
'''Matteo Salvini''' ({{IPA|it|matˈtɛːo salˈviːni}};<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.dizionario.rai.it/ |title=Dizionario italiano multimediale e multilingue d'ortografia e di pronunzia |last1=Migliorini |first1=Bruno |last2=Tagliavini |first2=Carlo |last3=Fiorelli |first3=Piero |editor=Tommaso Francesco Borri |website=dizionario.rai.it |publisher=Rai Eri |access-date=12 February 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.dipionline.it/dizionario/ |title=Dizionario di pronuncia italiana ''online'' |last1=Canepari |first1=Luciano |website=dipionline.it |access-date=12 February 2016}}</ref> born 9 March 1973) is an Italian politician who has been serving as [[Deputy Prime Minister of Italy]] and [[Italian Minister of Infrastructure and Transport|Minister of Infrastructure and Transport]] since 2022. He has been [[List of Federal Secretaries of Lega Nord|Federal Secretary]] of Italy's [[Lega (political party)|Lega]] party since December 2013 and an [[Italian Senate|Italian senator]] since March 2018. Salvini represented [[North-West Italy (European Parliament constituency)|Northwestern Italy]] in the [[Member of the European Parliament|European Parliament]] from 2004 to 2018.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ilfoglio.it/politica/2018/02/03/news/salvini-carriera-eurodeputato-176735/|title=Il "Matteo first" di Salvini in Europa|website=www.ilfoglio.it}}</ref><br />
<br />
Salvini has been considered a hardline [[Eurosceptic]] politician, holding a starkly critical view of the [[European Union]], especially of the [[euro]]. He opposes [[illegal immigration]] into Italy and the EU as well as the EU's management of [[asylum seeker]]s.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Hunt|first=Louise|title=Salvini's Crackdown on Migrants in Italy Is Creating a Crisis, Not Solving One|url=https://www.worldpoliticsreview.com/articles/28080/salvini-s-crackdown-on-migrants-in-italy-is-creating-a-crisis-not-solving-one|access-date=25 October 2021|website=www.worldpoliticsreview.com|date=30 July 2019 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Italy's Salvini dismisses EU asylum proposal|website=[[Associated Press]] |date=24 July 2018 |url=https://apnews.com/article/a843226450064da79d94a08bfa1f2582}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Fortuna|first=Gerardo|date=17 May 2019|title=Salvini fumes at EU court ruling on refugee returns|url=https://www.euractiv.com/section/justice-home-affairs/news/salvini-fumes-at-eu-court-ruling-on-refugee-returns/|access-date=25 October 2021|website=www.euractiv.com|language=en-GB}}</ref> He is also considered one of the main leaders of the [[populist]] wave in Europe during the 2010s and a member of the [[neo-nationalist]] movement, which is a rightist ideology that emphasizes [[de-globalization]], [[Nativism (politics)|nativist]] and [[protectionist]] stances.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Stephens|first1=Bret|author-link1=Bret Stephens|title=Trump's Neo-Nationalists|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/trumps-neo-nationalists-1479774129|work=[[The Wall Street Journal]]|date=21 November 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://metro.co.uk/2018/05/29/matteo-salvini-far-right-italian-politician-lega-leader-wants-copy-brexit-7584925/|title=Who is Matteo Salvini? Far-right Italian politician who wants to copy Brexit|date=29 May 2018}}</ref><br />
<br />
During his first stint as deputy prime minister, many international political commentators and newspapers, such as ''[[The Guardian]]'', ''[[The New York Times]]'', the ''[[Financial Times]]'', ''[[The Economist]]'', and ''[[The Huffington Post]]'', characterized him as a [[Strongman (politics)|strongman]] and the most influential politician in Italy after the 2018 elections.<ref name="FringeToStrongman">{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/jun/15/matteo-salvini-from-far-right-fringe-player-to-strongman-leader|title=Matteo Salvini: from far-right fringe player to strongman leader|first=Stephanie|last=Kirchgaessner|date=15 June 2018|website=the Guardian}}</ref><ref name="SalviniRomaNYT">{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/19/world/europe/italy-roma-matteo-salvini.html|title=Italian Minister Moves to Count and Expel Roma, Drawing Outrage|newspaper=The New York Times|date=19 June 2018|last1=Povoledo|first1=Elisabetta|last2=Pianigiani|first2=Gaia}}</ref><ref name="HuffPo">{{cite web|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.it/lucia-annunziata/salvini-premier-di-fatto_a_23456245/|title=Salvini premier di fatto|date=11 June 2018}}</ref><ref name="CombativeFT">{{cite news | last1=Politi | first1=James | title=Combative Salvini Seizes Control of Italy's Political Agenda | url=https://www.ft.com/content/c8de2064-7303-11e8-aa31-31da4279a601 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/JPCkg |archive-date=11 December 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live | date=19 June 2018 | newspaper=[[Financial Times]] | access-date=21 June 2018}}</ref><ref name="Dominating">{{cite news | title=How Matteo Salvini Is Dominating Italian Politics | newspaper=The Economist | url=https://www.economist.com/europe/2018/06/23/how-matteo-salvini-is-dominating-italian-politics | date=21 June 2018 | access-date=25 June 2018}}</ref> Salvini condemned the [[2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine]].<ref name="Euractiv">{{cite news |title=Italy's Salvini arrives in Poland to help with refugees |url=https://www.euractiv.com/section/politics/short_news/italys-salvini-arrives-in-poland-to-help-with-refugees/ |work=[[Euractiv]] |date=8 March 2022}}</ref> He was previously a strong supporter of Russia's president [[Vladimir Putin]], describing Putin in 2019 as "the best politician and statesman in the world".<ref>{{cite web | url=https://espresso.repubblica.it/politica/2022/02/25/news/politici_dichiarazioni_vladimir_putin-339199528/ | title=Quando Vladimir Putin era "un dono del signore": Dieci anni di dichiarazioni d'amore dei nostri politici | date=25 February 2022 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Amante |first=Angelo |date=8 March 2022 |title=Italy's Salvini challenged over Putin praise in Polish visit |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/changing-tune-italys-salvini-pledges-help-refugees-ukraine-2022-03-08/ |access-date=9 March 2022}}</ref><br />
<br />
==Early life==<br />
Matteo Salvini was born in [[Milan]] in 1973, the son of a business executive father and a homemaker mother.<ref name="ricerca.repubblica.it">{{Cite web|url=https://ricerca.repubblica.it/repubblica/archivio/repubblica/2004/05/27/il-ragazzaccio-del-carroccio-dai-boyscout-al.html|title=Il ragazzaccio del Carroccio dai boyscout al Leoncavallo – la Repubblica.it|website=Archivio – la Repubblica.it}}</ref> In 1985, at the age of 12, he took part in game show ''Doppio slalom'' (the Italian version of ''[[Blockbusters (U.S. game show)|Blockbusters]]''), hosted by Corrado Tedeschi on [[Canale 5]] and in 1993, at the age of 20, he participated on ''Il pranzo è servito'', hosted by [[Davide Mengacci]], which was broadcast by [[Rete 4]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://video.corriere.it/matteo-salvini-d-epoca-concorrente-de-pranzo-servito-sono-nullafacente/35bbbfbc-7154-11e4-b9c7-dbbe3ea603eb|title=Un Matteo Salvini d'epoca concorrente de Il pranzo è servito: "Sono un nullafacente"|website=video.corriere.it}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://archivio.corriere.it/Archivio/interface/landing.html|title=Archivio Corriere della Sera|website=archivio.corriere.it}}</ref><br />
<br />
Salvini studied at the [[Lyceum|Classical Lyceum]] "[[Alessandro Manzoni]]" in [[Milan]]. He later attended the [[University of Milan]] where he first studied [[political science]] before switching to history. However, he interrupted his studies to start his political career and never graduated.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.matteosalvini.eu/chi-sono|title=Matteo Salvini|website=www.matteosalvini.eu|access-date=27 April 2016|archive-url=https://archive.today/20131218224118/http://www.matteosalvini.eu/chi-sono|archive-date=18 December 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UZoZDAAAQBAJ&q=matteo+salvini+scienze++storiche&pg=PT43|title=Secondo Matteo|first1=Rodolfo|last1=Sala|first2=Matteo|last2=Salvini|date=5 May 2016|publisher=Rizzoli|via=Google Books|isbn=9788858684726}}</ref><br />
<br />
Salvini has said that, as a teenager, he used to visit the left-wing [[Self-managed social centres in Italy|self-managed social centre]] [[Centro Sociale Leoncavallo|Leoncavallo]].<ref>{{Cite news|author=Luigi Mastrodonato|url=https://thevision.com/politica/salvini-comunista-lega/|title=L'eterna transizione politica di Matteo Salvini|date=5 February 2018|access-date=29 September 2018|archive-url=https://archive.today/20180214012427/http://thevision.com/politica/salvini-comunista-lega/|archive-date=14 February 2018}}</ref> <br />
<br />
==Early political career==<br />
In 1990, Salvini became a member of the [[Lega Nord]], the regionalist and separatist movement founded by [[Umberto Bossi]] in 1989. He was an active member of [[Young Padanians Movement]], LN's youth faction, of which he became city coordinator for Milan in 1992 and city secretary in 1997.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.giovanipadani.leganord.org/salvini.asp|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130511220811/http://www.giovanipadani.leganord.org/salvini.asp|url-status=dead|archive-date=11 May 2013|title=Movimento Giovani Padani|date=11 May 2013}}</ref> In the same year, he started working as journalist for ''[[La Padania]]'', the official newspaper of Lega Nord.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lapadania.net/articoli/12045.php|title=ESISTE|website=www.lapadania.net|access-date=22 June 2018|archive-url=https://archive.today/20140110115238/http://www.lapadania.net/articoli/12045.php|archive-date=10 January 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref> In 1999 he also worked on Lega's radio broadcaster ''Radio Padania Libera'' and since July 2003 he has been registered as a journalist on the list of Italian professional journalists.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.odg.mi.it/newsite/albo/albo.php|title=Albo – Ordine dei Giornalisti|website=www.odg.mi.it}}</ref><br />
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In 1993 he was elected in the [[City Council]] of Milan, a post that he would hold until 2012.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://biografieonline.it/biografia.htm?BioID=3349&biografia=Matteo+Salvini|title=Matteo Salvini. La biografia.|date=14 June 2017}}</ref> While in 1997 he participated in the [[Lega Nord#1997 Padanian elections|Padanian elections]] and was elected within the list ''Comunisti Padani'' (Padanian Communists), which gained 5 seats out of 210. In the following year, he was elected provincial secretary of the League for Milan.<br />
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In 1999, during an official visit of Italian President [[Carlo Azeglio Ciampi]] in Milan, Salvini refused to shake his hand, stating that Ciampi did not represent him.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www1.adnkronos.com/Archivio/AdnAgenzia/1999/10/04/Politica/CIAMPI-CONSIGLIERE-LEGHISTA-NON-GLI-STRINGE-LA-MANO_132100.php|title=CIAMPI: CONSIGLIERE LEGHISTA NON GLI STRINGE LA MANO|website=www1.adnkronos.com|date=4 October 1999 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://ricerca.repubblica.it/repubblica/archivio/repubblica/1999/10/05/ciampi-sulla-criminalita-non-siamo-allo-sbando.html|title=Ciampi: Sulla criminalità non siamo allo sbando – la Repubblica.it|website=Archivio – la Repubblica.it}}</ref><br />
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===European Parliament and local leader===<br />
[[File:Matteo Salvini.jpg|thumb|left|Salvini during a [[Young Padanians Movement|Young Padanians]] rally in 2006]]<br />
{{Matteo Salvini sidebar}}<br />
Salvini was elected with 14,000 votes a [[Member of the European Parliament]] (MEP) for the [[European Parliament Election, 2004 (Italy)#Seats|North-West]] region in 2004 and participated in the European Parliament as a part of the [[Non-Inscrits]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.ilgiornale.it/news/interni/leterno-ragazzo-ha-osato-sfidare-capo-quando-ancora-974222.html|title=La scalata lampo di Salvini l'ultrà leghista fedele a Bobo|first=Paolo|last=Bracalini|website=ilGiornale.it|date=8 December 2013}}</ref> During the legislature he selected Franco Bossi, brother of the party's secretary Umberto, as his parliamentary assistant.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.corriere.it/Primo_Piano/Politica/2004/11_Novembre/11/bossi_stella_preview.shtml?reason=unauthenticated&cat=1&cid=jKWWeZXD&pids=FR&origin=http://www.corriere.it/Primo_Piano/Politica/2004/11_Novembre/11/bossi_stella.shtml|title=Sottoscrivi C+|date=April 2014}}</ref><br />
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In 2006, he lost his office as member of the [[European Parliament]] and was replaced by [[Gian Paolo Gobbo]]. Salvini was then re-elected city councilor in Milan, in the [[2006 Italian local elections|municipal election of that year]], with over 3,000 votes. In the same year, he became deputy secretary of the [[Lega Lombarda|Lombard League]], along with [[Marco Reguzzoni]], and the party leader in the city council.<br />
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He sat on the [[European Parliament]]'s [[Committee on Culture and Education]], and was a substitute for the [[European Parliament Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety|Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety]] and a member of the delegation to the EU–Chile Joint Parliamentary Committee. He stood down from the European Parliament in November 2006.<br />
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Salvini ran in the [[2008 Italian general election|2008 general election]] and was elected in the [[Italian Chamber of Deputies|Chamber of Deputies]] for the constituency [[List of Italian constituencies#Lombardy 1|Lombardy 1]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.corriere.it/Speciali/Politica/2008/elezioni08/elenco_eletti/cam_lombardia1_preview.shtml?reason=unauthenticated&cat=1&cid=iR8fSaPU&pids=FR&origin=http://www.corriere.it/Speciali/Politica/2008/elezioni08/elenco_eletti/cam_lombardia1.shtml|title=Sottoscrivi C+|date=April 2014}}</ref> However he resigned on 13 July 2009, after being elected once again in the European Parliament in the [[2009 European Parliament election in Italy|June election]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.corriere.it/politica/09_luglio_07/salvini_dimissioni_polemiche_video_2e3ff118-6b24-11de-a24c-00144f02aabc_preview.shtml?reason=unauthenticated&cat=1&cid=2Z85lgpY&pids=FR&origin=http://www.corriere.it/politica/09_luglio_07/salvini_dimissioni_polemiche_video_2e3ff118-6b24-11de-a24c-00144f02aabc.shtml|title=Sottoscrivi C+|date=April 2014}}</ref> In the Parliament, he sat in the [[Europe of Freedom and Democracy]] Group.<br />
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After he was re-elected in 2009 as an MEP, he sat on the [[Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection]] and was a member of the delegation for [[India–European Union relations|relations with]] India, and the delegation for relations with the Korean peninsula. He was a substitute on the [[Committee on International Trade]] and the delegation for [[South Africa–European Union relations|relations with]] South Africa.<ref name=Europa/><br />
On 2 June 2012, Salvini became the federal secretary of the Lombard League, defeating Cesarino Monti with 403 votes against 129.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rainews.it/it/news.php?newsid=165862|archive-url=https://archive.today/20131218233738/http://www.rainews.it/it/news.php?newsid=165862|url-status=dead|title=Matteo Salvini eletto segretario della Lega|date=18 December 2013|archive-date=18 December 2013}}</ref> Following the election, on 12 October he decided to leave the office of group leader and city councilor after 19 years. Salvini was later elected deputy in the [[2013 Italian general election|2013 general election]], but he renounced his mandate on the first day of the legislature, and was replaced by Marco Rondini; Salvini maintained the position of MEP.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.camera.it/leg17/29?tipoAttivita=&tipoVisAtt=&tipoPersona=&shadow_deputato=302741&idLegislatura=17|title=XVII Legislatura – XVII Legislatura – Deputati e Organi – Scheda deputato – SALVINI Matteo|website=www.camera.it}}</ref><br />
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After the [[2014 European Parliament election in Italy|2014 European election]], in which he was re-elected, he returned to the Non-Inscrits.<ref name="Europa">{{cite web|url=http://www.europarl.europa.eu/members/public/inOut/viewOutgoing.do?language=EN&id=28404|title=Your MEPs: Matteo SALVINI|work=[[Europa (web portal)|Europa]]|publisher=[[European Parliament]]|access-date=5 March 2011}}</ref> In June 2015, he was part of the creation of a new group, the [[Europe of Nations and Freedom]], which also included parties such as the French [[National Front (France)|National Front]] and the Dutch [[Party for Freedom]]; he was also the vice-president of the Italian delegation.<br />
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==Federal Secretary of Lega Nord==<br />
{{Main article|Leadership of Matteo Salvini}}<br />
[[File:Manifestazione Lega Nord, Torino 2013 51.JPG|thumb|upright|Matteo Salvini speaks during a Lega Nord rally, in 2013.]]<br />
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In September 2013, [[Roberto Maroni]], secretary of LN and Salvini's mentor, announced he would soon leave the party's leadership.<ref>{{cite news |first1=Anna |last1=Gandolfi |title=L'annuncio di Maroni: lascio la segreteria entro Natale |url=http://archiviostorico.corriere.it/2013/settembre/02/annuncio_Maroni_lascio_segreteria_entro_co_0_20130902_7b471db2-1393-11e3-b851-d970976d2918.shtml |newspaper=[[Corriere della Sera]] |location=Milan |date=2 September 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |author=Albertino |title=Maroni abdica. Tosi va verso la Balena Verde. La Lega non si sa |url=http://www.lintraprendente.it/2013/09/maroni-abdica-tosi-va-verso-la-balena-verde-la-lega-non-si-sa/ |newspaper=[[L'intraprendente]] |location=Milan |date=3 September 2013}}</ref> After a few weeks, Salvini announced his candidacy for the first Lega's [[2013 Lega Nord leadership election|leadership election]]. A congress was scheduled for mid-December and in accordance with the new rules set for the election five candidates filed their bid to become secretary: Umberto Bossi, Giacomo Stucchi, Manes Bernardini, Roberto Stefanazzi and Salvini.<ref>{{cite news |first1=Cesare |last1=Zapperi |title=Stucchi scende in campo per il fronte anti-Salvini |url=http://archiviostorico.corriere.it/2013/novembre/12/Stucchi_scende_campo_per_fronte_co_0_20131112_3bd7a334-4b62-11e3-94e1-503ecbe82dc7.shtml |newspaper=[[Corriere della Sera]] |location=Milan |date=12 November 2013}}</ref> Of these, only Bossi and Salvini gathered the 1,000 necessary signatures by party members to take part in the internal "primary", and Salvini collected four times the signatures gathered by Bossi.<ref>{{cite news |title=Segreteria Lega, in corsa Salvini e Bossi |url=http://www.lastampa.it/2013/11/28/italia/politica/segreteria-lega-in-corsa-salvini-e-bossi-YwZ8k8e7ft4OQE3wLMHSTO/pagina.html |newspaper=[[La Stampa]] |location=Turin |date=28 November 2013}}</ref><br />
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On 7 December 2013, Salvini, who counted on the support of [[Roberto Maroni]] and most of the party's senior figures (including [[Flavio Tosi]], who had renounced a bid of his own), defeated [[Umberto Bossi]] with 82% of the vote in the "primary".<ref>{{cite news |title=Lega: primarie, a Salvini l'81,66% dei voti a Bossi il 18,34% |url=http://www.adnkronos.com/IGN/News/Politica/Lega-primarie-a-Salvini-l8166-dei-voti-a-Bossi-il-1834_32965449296.html |publisher=[[Adnkronos]] |location=Rome |date=8 December 2013}}</ref> A week later, his election was ratified by the party's federal congress in [[Turin]].<ref>{{cite news |first1=Marco |last1=Cremonesi |title= Parte l'era di Salvini E Bossi difende l'euro |url=http://archiviostorico.corriere.it/2013/dicembre/16/Parte_era_Salvini_Bossi_difende_co_0_20131216_cee787e8-661a-11e3-9ab1-d0a8f0dc30ed.shtml |newspaper=[[Corriere della Sera]] |location=Milan |date=16 December 2013}}</ref> Under Salvini, the party embraced a strongly critical view of the [[European Union]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mattinonline.ch/matteo-salvini-basta-essere-succubi-dellunione-europea-e-di-roma/ |title=Matteo Salvini: "Basta essere succubi dell'Unione Europea e di Roma" Mattinonline |website=Mattinonline.ch |date=16 December 2013 |access-date=2 April 2016}}</ref> especially of the [[euro]], which he described a "crime against humanity".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ansa.it/web/notizie/rubriche/politica/2013/12/15/Lega-Salvini-contro-euro-Crimine-contro-umanita-_9781968.html|title=Lega, Salvini contro euro: 'Crimine contro l'umanità'|work=ANSA.it|access-date=9 June 2015}}</ref> Ahead of the [[2014 European Parliament election in Italy|2014 European Parliament election]], Salvini started to cooperate with [[Marine Le Pen]], leader of the French [[National Front (France)|National Front]], and [[Geert Wilders]], leader of the Dutch [[Party for Freedom]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ilsole24ore.com/art/notizie/2013-12-13/-europa-marine-pen-preferisce-salvini-e-lega-nord-beppe-grillo--210854.shtml?uuid=ABCNPxj|title=Europa, Marine Le Pen preferisce Salvini e la Lega Nord a Beppe Grillo|work=Il Sole 24 ORE|access-date=9 June 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.lindipendenza.com/salvini-al-congresso-della-lega-marine-le-pen-e-wilders/ |title=Salvini: "Al congresso della Lega Marine Le Pen e Wilders" &#124; L'Indipendenza Nuova |website=Lindipendenza.com |access-date=2 April 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131118180126/http://www.lindipendenza.com/salvini-al-congresso-della-lega-marine-le-pen-e-wilders/ |archive-date=18 November 2013 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tmnews.it/web/sezioni/top10/salvini-lega-ha-terreno-comune-con-le-pen-il-23-no-euro-day-20131114_085012.shtml|title=askanews|access-date=9 June 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131117090525/http://www.tmnews.it/web/sezioni/top10/salvini-lega-ha-terreno-comune-con-le-pen-il-23-no-euro-day-20131114_085012.shtml|archive-date=17 November 2013}}</ref> These moves were criticised by Bossi, who called attention to Salvini's left-wing roots,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.repubblica.it/politica/2014/04/03/news/umberto_bossi_il_blitz_del_ros_colpa_dei_servizi_la_gente_si_incazza-82617710/|title=Umberto Bossi: "Il blitz del Ros? Colpa dei Servizi, la gente si incazza"|author=di LAVINIA RIVARA|date=3 April 2014|work=Repubblica.it|access-date=9 June 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.lindipendenza.com/bossi-con-le-pen-alleanza-transitoria-boso-la-lega-non-e-di-destra/ |title=Bossi: con Le Pen alleanza transitoria. Boso: la Lega non è di destra &#124; L'Indipendenza Nuova |website=Lindipendenza.com |date=29 May 2014 |access-date=2 April 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160331194736/http://lindipendenza.com/bossi-con-le-pen-alleanza-transitoria-boso-la-lega-non-e-di-destra/ |archive-date=31 March 2016 }}</ref> and Tosi, who represented the party's pro-European wing and defended the euro.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ilsole24ore.com/art/notizie/2014-02-05/tosi-non-si-puo-uscire-euro-italia-sarebbe-preda-speculazioni-162427.shtml?uuid=ABm2Vfu|title=Tosi: non si può uscire dall'euro. L'Italia sarebbe preda di speculazioni|work=Il Sole 24 ORE|access-date=9 June 2015}}</ref><br />
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In April 2014, Salvini presented the party's logo for the European Parliament election, with ''Basta [[Euro]]'' ("No more Euro") replacing ''Padania'',<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ilfattoquotidiano.it/2014/03/31/lega-nuovo-simbolo-per-le-europee-via-scritta-padania-al-suo-posto-basta-euro/933161/|title=Europee 2014, nuovo simbolo Lega. Via scritta "Padania", al suo posto "Basta euro" – Il Fatto Quotidiano|author=RQuotidiano|work=Il Fatto Quotidiano|access-date=9 June 2015|date=31 March 2014}}</ref> to emphasize the party's [[Euroscepticism]] and desire to exit from the [[Eurozone]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rainews.it/dl/rainews/articoli/ContentItem-6842ea78-18ff-4644-9f74-94fe3384a6b3.html|title=Salvini: nuovo simbolo Lega per Europee|work=rainews|access-date=9 June 2015}}</ref> The party included in its slates candidates from other anti-euro and/or autonomist movements (hence ''Autonomie'', meanining "Autonomies"), notably comprising [[Die Freiheitlichen|The Freedomites]], a [[right-wing populist]] and separatist party active in [[South Tyrol]] (whose symbol was also included).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ansa.it/lombardia/notizie/2014/03/31/salvini-simbolo-lega-con-basta-euro_e1c158f9-4274-4f66-8156-0026e5a23811.html|title=Salvini: simbolo Lega con 'Basta euro'|work=ANSA.it|access-date=9 June 2015|date=31 March 2014}}</ref><br />
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In the European Parliament election, the party obtained 6.2% of the vote and 5 MEPs.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://elezioni.interno.it/europee/scrutini/20140525/index.html|title=[Scrutini] Europee – Elezioni del 25 maggio 2014 – Ministero dell'Interno|access-date=9 June 2015}}</ref> The result was far worse than the previous EP election in 2009 (a fall of 4.0%), but better than that of the 2013 general election (a gain of 2.1%). The LN were third with 15.2% in Veneto (although Tosi obtained many more votes than Salvini, a fact that demonstrated Tosi's popular support and that the party was far from united on the anti-euro stance),<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lintraprendente.it/2014/05/la-grande-vittoria-politica-di-tosi/|title=La grande vittoria (politica) di Tosi|access-date=9 June 2015|date=26 May 2014}}</ref> ahead of [[Forza Italia (2013)|Forza Italia]] (FI) and the other parties having emerged from the defunct [[People of Freedom]], and fourth in Lombardy with 14.6%. Despite the party having [[2014 Piedmontese regional election|lost Piedmont]] to the Democrats, after [[Roberto Cota]] had been forced to resign, Salvini was triumphant, with the success of [[Massimo Bitonci]] in being elected mayor of [[Padua]], a Democratic stronghold, adding to the successes.<br />
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The party's federal congress, summoned in Padua in July, approved Salvini's political stance, especially a plan for the introduction of a [[flat tax]] and the creation of a sister party in [[Central Italy|central]]-[[southern Italy]] and the [[Insular Italy|Isles]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://archiviostorico.corriere.it/2014/luglio/21/Salvini_avverte_nuova_Lega_corre_co_0_20140721_7fa8c8fe-1097-11e4-80f9-2e3c33391d10.shtml|title=Salvini avverte: la nuova Lega corre da sola|access-date=9 June 2015}}</ref> In November the [[2014 Emilia-Romagna regional election|Emilia-Romagna regional election]] represented a major step for Salvini's "national project": the Lega Nord, which won 19.4% of the vote, was the region's second-largest party, and far ahead of Forza Italia, helping paving the way for the Lega Nord to become the dominant centre-right party.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://archiviostorico.corriere.it/2014/novembre/24/Lega_doppia_Forza_Italia_urlo_co_0_20141124_68460c56-73a9-11e4-b779-766ff3003bac.shtml|title=La Lega doppia Forza Italia L?urlo di Salvini: "È storico"|access-date=9 June 2015}}</ref> In December the sister party for southern Italy, [[Us with Salvini]] (NcS), was launched.<br />
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[[File:Matteo Salvini - Cena di gala 30° anniversario Lega Nord Bergamo.jpg|thumb|left|Matteo Salvini in [[Bergamo]], 2015]]<br />
The party's growing popularity among voters was reflected also in a constant rise in opinion polls. A December 2014 [[Ipsos]] poll showed that Salvini's approval rating had increased by from 28% to 33%, "cementing his position as a rising political force in Italy".<ref name=ft>{{cite news|author1=Rachel Sanderson|author2=James Politi|title=Italy's new political star: Northern League leader Matteo Salvini|url=http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/6221b64a-79f8-11e4-9b34-00144feabdc0.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/8kcFg |archive-date=11 December 2022 |url-access=subscription|work=Financial Times|date=2 December 2014}}</ref><br />
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On 28 February 2015, Salvini led a rally in Rome protesting against illegal immigration.<ref>{{cite news | title=Italy Anti-Immigration Rally Draws Thousands in Rome | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-31674709 | date=28 February 2015 | work=[[BBC News]] | access-date=12 August 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title=Italy's Anti-Immigrant Movement Brings Protest Rally to Rome | url=https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/world/2015/02/28/italys-anti-immigrant-movement-brings-protest-rally-to-rome/24177177/ | date=28 February 2015 | publisher=[[The Arizona Republic]] (from the [[Associated Press]]) | access-date=12 August 2018}}</ref><br />
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In March 2015, after a long struggle between the two main Venetian party's leaders [[Flavio Tosi]] and [[Luca Zaia]], backed by Salvini, over the formation of the slates for the [[2015 Venetian regional election|upcoming regional election in Veneto]], Tosi was removed as national secretary of Liga Veneta and ejected from the federal party altogether.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://archiviostorico.corriere.it/2015/marzo/11/Salvini_rottura_nella_Lega_Tosi_co_0_20150311_19ef6226-c7bb-11e4-80a1-d57600bcc7ce.shtml|title=Salvini e la rottura nella Lega: Tosi non è più un militante del partito|access-date=9 June 2015}}</ref> Despite this in-fighting, the [[2015 Italian regional elections|2015 regional elections]] were another success for the LN, especially in Veneto, where [[Luca Zaia]] was re-elected with 50.1% of the vote and the combined score of the party's and Zaia's personal lists was 40.9%. The party also came second in [[2015 Ligurian regional election|Liguria]] with 22.3%, second in [[2015 Tuscan regional election|Tuscany]] with 16.2%, third in the [[Marche]] with 13.0% and third in [[Umbria]] with 14.0%. The LN had never polled so high in those five regions before.<br />
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After the [[2016 Italian local elections|2016 local elections]], in which the party ran below expectations in Lombardy (while doing well in Veneto—thanks to Zaia—as well as Emilia-Romagna and Tuscany) and the NcS performed badly,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lettera43.it/politica/il-fallimento-di-salvini-leader-del-centrodestra_43675250391.htm|title=Il fallimento di Salvini leader del centrodestra|date=20 June 2016|access-date=17 November 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160926103602/http://www.lettera43.it/politica/il-fallimento-di-salvini-leader-del-centrodestra_43675250391.htm|archive-date=26 September 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://formiche.net/2016/06/20/ecco-come-ballottaggi-ridimensionano-matteo-salvini/|title=Ecco come i ballottaggi ridimensionano Matteo Salvini|website=Formiche.net|date=20 June 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://corrieredelveneto.corriere.it/veneto/notizie/politica/2016/7-giugno-2016/lega-miete-consensi-comuni-pd-soffre-grillini-non-sfondano-240526451658.shtml|title=La Lega miete consensi nei Comuni Il Pd soffre, i grillini non sfondano|first=Marco|last=Bonet|date=7 June 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ilgiornaledivicenza.it/home/veneto/la-lega-di-zaia-vince-su-quella-di-salvini-1.4949687|title=La Lega di Zaia vince su quella di Salvini|first=Società Editrice Athesis|last=S.p.A.}}</ref> Salvini's political stance came under pressure from Bossi, Maroni, and especially the recently elected leader of Lega Lombarda, Paolo Grimoldi, who criticized the party's right-wing turn and its focus on the South, while reclaiming the federalist and autonomist identity of the LN.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.it/2016/06/21/matteo-salvini-flop-urne_n_10594850.html|title=Lega Nord, dopo le urne tramonta la pax salviniana: il segretario sul banco degli imputati per il flop al Sud e la linea lepenista|date=21 June 2016}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.ilgiornale.it/news/politica/nella-lega-allarme-salvini-sotto-accusa-cos-perdiamo-voti-1274061.html|title=Nella Lega in allarme Salvini è sotto accusa: "Così perdiamo voti"|first=Paolo|last=Bracalini|website=ilGiornale.it|date=21 June 2016}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.ilgiornale.it/news/politica/tutta-colpa-salvini-bossi-guida-fronte-contro-capo-leghista-1274517.html|title="Tutta colpa di Salvini". Bossi guida il fronte contro il capo leghista|first=Paolo|last=Bracalini|website=ilGiornale.it|date=22 June 2016}}</ref><br />
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In the run-up of the [[2017 Lega Nord leadership election|2017 leadership election]], Salvini focused on becoming the leader of the [[Centre-right in Italy|centre-right]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ansa.it/sito/notizie/speciali/referendum/2016/11/11/referendum-berlusconi-dopo-412-cambiare-italicum-e-votare_c30e6b23-8384-4167-8ed1-ea5c2bd88caf.html|title=Salvini: "Io candidato premier? Se chiedono ci sono. Col no si va a votare" – Referendum|date=11 November 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.corriere.it/politica/16_novembre_12/matteo-salvini-firenze-pronto-candidarmi-come-premier-8bf1731c-a8e9-11e6-b875-b27331f307f4.shtml|title=Matteo Salvini a Firenze: "Pronto a candidarmi come premier"|first=Annalisa|last=Grandi|year=2016}}</ref> and, possibly, changing the Northern League's name by ditching "Northern".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.corriere.it/politica/16_ottobre_25/lega-congresso-togliere-parola-nord-e56a6d54-9a25-11e6-939e-ec3a0eea054f.shtml|title=Lega, un congresso per togliere la parola Nord|first=Marco|last=Cremonesi|date=24 October 2016}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.ilgiornale.it/news/politica/salvini-vuole-togliere-nord-nome-lega-1323142.html|title=Salvini vuole togliere il "Nord" al nome della Lega|first=Ivan|last=Francese|website=ilGiornale.it|date=25 October 2016}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.liberoquotidiano.it/news/politica/12001736/lega-nord-cambia-nome-addio-nord.html|title=Clamoroso Salvini, addio Lega Nord. Mossa-terremoto, caos nel partito|website=www.liberoquotidiano.it|access-date=17 May 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180612140733/http://www.liberoquotidiano.it/news/politica/12001736/lega-nord-cambia-nome-addio-nord.html|archive-date=12 June 2018|url-status=dead}}</ref> Paolo Grimoldi, leader of [[Lega Lombarda]], chose not to run against Salvini (and Maroni maintained his neutrality),<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.linkiesta.it/it/article/2017/04/03/lega-salvini-convoca-il-congresso-e-cerca-il-plebiscito/33752|title=Lega, Salvini convoca il congresso e cerca il plebiscito|date=3 April 2017}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.lastampa.it/2017/04/04/italia/la-lega-il-congressolampo-e-la-fronda-anti-salvini-nel-nome-della-padania-THBO4Zx0V9xS92Q0OGDeFM/pagina.html|title=La Lega, il congresso-lampo e la fronda anti Salvini nel nome della Padania|website=LaStampa.it|date=4 April 2017}}</ref> but Gianni Fava, Lombard regional minister of Agriculture in the old social-democratic tradition, announced his bid aiming at representing the federalist / autonomist / separatist wings of the party. Fava, who was anti-[[prohibition of drugs]], pro-[[civil union]]s for [[same-sex relationship|same-sex couples]] and, like Bossi, anti-National Front ("[it] is one of the most centralist and conservative blocs in Europe, what does it have to do with us?"), recalled an old activist saying "let's hurry up in making Padania, then I want to return voting the left" and added "this was the League and it has to be like this anew".<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.lastampa.it/2017/04/11/italia/fava-sfido-salvini-perch-la-lega-non-perda-le-sue-radici-voglio-un-congresso-vero-mh6Emx5KmkMHKcMdHn10II/pagina.html|title=Fava: "Sfido Salvini perché la Lega non perda le sue radici. Voglio un congresso vero"|website=LaStampa.it|date=12 April 2017 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.repubblica.it/politica/2017/04/11/news/lega_spunta_l_anti-salvini_gianni_fava_giunta_maroni_sfida_il_segretario_al_congresso-162765692|title=Lega, spunta l'anti-Salvini. Gianni Fava (giunta Maroni) sfida il segretario al congresso|date=11 April 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.italiaoggi.it/giornali/dettaglio_giornali.asp?preview=false&accessMode=FA&id=2171078&codiciTestate=1&sez=giornali&titolo=Lega,+un+mantovano+lancia+la+sfida+a+Salvini|title=Lega, un mantovano lancia la sfida a Salvini|website=www.italiaoggi.it}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.rainews.it/dl/rainews/articoli/lega-simbolo-via-nord-Salvini-premier-a6ca9637-6154-45e2-a98c-f91fda0893ea.html |title=Lega. Ecco il simbolo, via Nord ma con Salvini premier|date=21 December 2017 |website= rainews.it|publisher=RAI News }}</ref><br />
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===2018 general election===<br />
[[File:Salvini Premier.jpg|thumb|The logo chosen by Salvini for the [[2018 Italian general election|2018 electoral campaign]], inspired by the campaign logo of Donald Trump's [[Donald Trump 2016 presidential campaign|2016 campaign for President]]]]<br />
{{See also|2018 Italian government formation}}<br />
On 21 December 2017, Salvini presented the new electoral logo of the Northern League for the [[2018 Italian general election|2018 general election]]; for the first time since its foundation the party ran in all the constituencies of the country, using a logo without the word "Northern".<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.rainews.it/dl/rainews/articoli/lega-simbolo-via-nord-Salvini-premier-a6ca9637-6154-45e2-a98c-f91fda0893ea.html|title=Lega. Ecco il simbolo, via Nord ma con Salvini premier|website=rainews}}</ref><br />
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The League obtained a resounding success, becoming the third largest party in Italy with 17.4% of the vote. The ticket won most of its votes in the North (including 32.2% in [[Veneto]], 28.0% in [[Lombardy]], 26.7% in [[Trentino]], 25.8% in [[Friuli-Venezia Giulia]] and 22.6% in [[Piedmont]]), but also made inroads in the rest of the country, especially in [[Central Italy]] (notably 20.2% in [[Umbria]]), the upper part of the South (13.8% in [[Abruzzo]]) and [[Sardinia]] (10.8%). The League became the party with the most votes in the [[Centre-right coalition (Italy)|centre-right coalition]] and thus Salvini was ''de facto'' chosen as coalition's leader; the centre-right won a [[Plurality (voting)|plurality]] of seats in the Chamber of Deputies and in the Senate; however, no political group or party won an outright majority, resulting in a [[hung parliament]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.repubblica.it/speciali/politica/elezioni2018/2018/03/04/news/risultati_elezioni_politiche_pd_centrodestra_m5s_fi_lega-190424815/?ref=RHPPTP-BL-I0-C12-P1-S1.12-T1|title=Elezioni politiche: vincono M5s e Lega. Crollo del Partito democratico. Centrodestra prima coalizione. Il Carroccio sorpassa Forza Italia|date=4 March 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.corriere.it/elezioni-2018/notizie/elezioni-2018-exit-poll-risultati-proiezioni-spoglio-eb21387e-1ff1-11e8-a09a-92b478235f6f.shtml|title=Elezioni 2018: M5S primo partito, nel centrodestra la Lega supera FI|first=Alessandro|last=Sala|newspaper=Corriere della Sera|year=2018}}</ref><br />
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After the election's results were known, both Salvini and the head of the [[Five Star Movement]], [[Luigi Di Maio]], stated that they deserved to receive from President [[Sergio Mattarella]] the mandate to form a new cabinet, because they led, respectively, the largest party and the largest coalition.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.ilsole24ore.com/art/notizie/2018-03-05/terremoto-pd-renzi-si-dimette-salvini-la-lega-ha-vinto-e-guidera-governo-maio-dato-storico-112905.shtml?uuid=AECXiKBE|title=Salvini: "La Lega guiderà governo". Di Maio: "Inizia Terza Repubblica"|website=Il Sole 24 ORE|date=5 March 2018 }}</ref> On 6 March, Salvini repeated his campaign message that his party would refuse any coalition with the Five Star Movement.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.faz.net/aktuell/politik/ausland/italien-das-sind-die-ziele-der-populisten-salvini-und-di-maio-15481130-p2.html|title=Was die Populisten wirklich wollen|date=6 March 2018|publisher=[[Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung]]|newspaper=Faz.net|last1=Rüb|first1=Matthias}}</ref><br />
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On 24 March, the centre-right coalition and the Five Star Movement agreed on the election of presidents of the Houses of Parliament, [[Roberto Fico]] of M5S for the Chamber and [[Maria Elisabetta Alberti Casellati]] of Forza Italia for the Senate.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.spiegel.de/politik/ausland/rom-italienische-wahlsieger-einigen-sich-auf-parlamentspraesidenten-a-1199763.html|title=Italienische Wahlsieger einigen sich auf Parlamentspräsidenten|date=24 March 2018|work=[[Der Spiegel]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.suedtirolnews.it/video/italienische-wahlsieger-einigen-sich-auf-parlamentspraesidenten|title=Italienische Wahlsieger einigen sich auf Parlamentspräsidenten [1:10]|date=25 March 2018|work=Südtirol News|access-date=5 April 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180330012252/https://www.suedtirolnews.it/video/italienische-wahlsieger-einigen-sich-auf-parlamentspraesidenten|archive-date=30 March 2018|url-status=dead}}</ref><br />
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On 7 May, President Mattarella held a third round of government formation talks, after which he formally confirmed the lack of any possible majority. The Five Star Movement was rejecting an alliance with the entire centre-right coalition, the [[Democratic Party (Italy)|Democratic Party]] was rejecting an alliance with both the Five Star Movement and the centre-right coalition, and the League refusing to enter a government with the Five Star Movement without [[Silvio Berlusconi]]'s Forza Italia party (yet whose presence in the government was explicitly vetoed by Luigi Di Maio).<br />
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Consequently, Mattarella announced his intention to soon appoint a "neutral government" (irrespective of M5S and League's refusal to support such an option). This would take over from the [[Gentiloni Cabinet]], which was considered unable to lead Italy into a second consecutive election as it was representing a majority from a past legislature, and offering an early election in July (on what would be the first ever summer general election in Italy) as a realistic option to take into consideration due to the deadlock situation.<ref>{{cite news |url= https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/may/07/sergio-mattarella-italian-president-neutral-government |newspaper= The Guardian |access-date= 9 May 2018 |date=7 May 2018 |title= Italian president says 'neutral' government should lead until end of year}}</ref> The Lega and M5S agreed to hold new elections on 8 July, an option that was however rejected by all other parties.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.zeit.de/politik/ausland/2018-05/italien-staatspraesident-erklaert-regierungsbildung-fuer-gescheitert|title=Staatspräsident erklärt Regierungsbildung für gescheitert|website=DIE ZEIT|date=7 May 2018}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.handelsblatt.com/politik/international/italien-regierungsbildung-ist-gescheitert-italien-steht-vor-neuwahlen/21253934.html|title=Regierungsbildung ist gescheitert – Italien steht vor Neuwahlen|website=Handelsblatt|date=7 May 2018}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-italy-politics/italy-repeat-election-looms-in-july-as-parties-still-far-apart-idUKKBN1I816S?il=0|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180508054430/https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-italy-politics/italy-repeat-election-looms-in-july-as-parties-still-far-apart-idUKKBN1I816S?il=0|url-status=dead|archive-date=8 May 2018|title=Italy repeat election looms in July as parties still far apart|last=Giorgio|first=Massimiliano Di|work=U.K.|access-date=7 May 2018}}</ref><br />
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On 9 May, after a day of rumours, both Salvini and Di Maio officially requested that President Mattarella give them 24 more hours to strike a government agreement between the two parties.<ref>{{cite news |url= https://www.ft.com/content/b253e5a4-53a0-11e8-b3ee-41e0209208ec |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/9SQfJ |archive-date=11 December 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |work=Financial Times |access-date= 9 May 2018 |date=9 May 2018 |title= Italy's populist parties given 24 hours to avert fresh elections}}</ref> That evening, Silvio Berlusconi publicly announced Forza Italia would not support a Five Star Movement – League government on a vote of confidence, but he would still maintain the centre-right alliance nonetheless, thus opening the door to a possible majority government between the two parties.<ref>{{cite news |work= Repubblica.it |url= http://www.repubblica.it/politica/2018/05/09/news/governo_salvini_ci_provero_fino_all_ultimo_-195890439/ |publisher= La Repubblica |access-date= 9 May 2018 |date=9 May 2018 |title= Governo M5S-Lega, Berlusconi: nessun veto all'intesa ma no alla fiducia |language= it}}</ref><br />
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On 13 May, the Five Star Movement and the League reached an agreement in principle on a government programme, likely clearing the way for the formation of a governing coalition between the two parties, but could not find an agreement regarding the members of a government cabinet, most importantly the prime minister. Five Star Movement and League leaders met with Mattarella on 14 May to guide the formation of a new government.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.marketwatch.com/story/italys-populist-5-star-league-parties-reach-deal-on-government-program-2018-05-13|website=MarketWatch|date=13 May 2018|title=Italy's populist 5 Star, League parties reach deal on government program}}</ref> On their meeting with President Mattarella, both parties asked for an additional week of negotiations to agree on a detailed government programme and a prime minister to lead the joint government. Both M5S and the League announced their intention to ask their respective members to vote on the government agreement by the weekend.<br />
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[[File:Salvini Centinaio Giorgetti.jpg|thumb|left|Salvini with League's delegation at the [[Quirinal Palace]] in April 2018]]<br />
On 21 May 2018, Di Maio and Salvini proposed the professor of private law [[Giuseppe Conte]] for the role of [[Prime Minister of Italy|Prime Minister]] in the [[2018 Italian government formation|2018]] [[Politics of Italy#Government|Italian government]],<ref>{{cite news|url=http://formiche.net/2018/02/giuseppe-conte-scelto-luigi-maio-la-squadra-governo/|title=Chi è Giuseppe Conte, scelto da Luigi Di Maio per la possibile squadra di governo|website=formiche.net|date=28 February 2018|language=it|access-date=2 June 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180612141200/http://formiche.net/2018/02/giuseppe-conte-scelto-luigi-maio-la-squadra-governo/|archive-date=12 June 2018|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-44197351|work=BBC News|title=Italy populist government pact: Candidate for prime minister named|date=21 May 2018|access-date=24 May 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/may/21/italy-populist-coalition-set-to-name-political-novice-as-pm-nominee|title=Italian president in talks as populist parties put forward novice for PM|newspaper=The Guardian}}</ref> despite reports in the Italian press suggesting that President Mattarella still had significant reservations about the direction of the new government.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/21/world/europe/italy-government-giuseppe-conte-di-maio.html|title=Italy's Populists Move Closer to Power, With Little-Known Pick for Prime Minister|newspaper=The New York Times|date=21 May 2018 |url-access=limited|last1=Horowitz |first1=Jason }}</ref> On 23 May 2018, Conte was invited to the [[Quirinal Palace]] to receive the presidential mandate to form a new cabinet.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/latest-populists-premier-presidential-mandate-55386036|title=The Latest: Premier-designate confirms Italy's place in EU|website=[[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]] |access-date=2 June 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180524005429/https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/latest-populists-premier-presidential-mandate-55386036|archive-date=24 May 2018|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.repubblica.it/politica/2018/05/23/news/governo_conte_torna_in_bilico_tempi_piu_lunghi_mattarella_vuole_riflettere-197118162/?ref=RHPPLF-BL-I0-C8-P1-S1.8-T1|title=Di Battista all'attacco di Mattarella: "Non si opponga agli italiani". La lunga giornata del Colle|date=23 May 2018|access-date=2 June 2018}}</ref> In the traditional statement after the appointment, Conte said that he would be the "defense lawyer of the Italian people".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tgcom24.mediaset.it/politica/governo-mattarella-conferisce-a-conte-l-incarico-saro-l-avvocato-difensore-degli-italiani-_3141680-201802a.shtml|title=Governo, Conte incaricato da Mattarella: "Sarò lʼavvocato difensore degli italiani" – Tgcom24|access-date=2 June 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180524081854/http://www.tgcom24.mediaset.it/politica/governo-mattarella-conferisce-a-conte-l-incarico-saro-l-avvocato-difensore-degli-italiani-_3141680-201802a.shtml|archive-date=24 May 2018|url-status=dead}}</ref><br />
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However, on 27 May, Conte renounced his office, due to conflicts between Salvini and President Mattarella. In fact, Salvini proposed the university professor [[Paolo Savona]] as [[Italian Minister of Economy and Finances|Minister of Economy and Finances]], but Mattarella strongly opposed him.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.repubblica.it/politica/2018/05/27/news/governo_conte_mattarella_savona-197450521/|title=Governo, il giorno della rinuncia di Conte. Ecco come è fallita la trattativa su Savona|date=27 May 2018|access-date=2 June 2018}}</ref> In his speech after Conte's resignation, Mattarella declared that the two parties wanted to bring Italy out of the [[Eurozone]], and as the guarantor of the Italian Constitution and the country's interest and stability he could not allow this. Moreover, in the same speech he affirmed that a possible abandonment of the euro had never been declared during the electoral campaign.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.it/2018/05/27/lora-piu-buia-di-mattarella-la-scelta-obbligata-di-difendere-linteresse-nazionale-dopo-il-no-dei-partiti-alla-soluzione-giorgetti-per-leconomia_a_23444708/|title=L'ora più buia di Mattarella: la scelta obbligata di difendere l'interesse nazionale dopo il no dei partiti alla soluzione Giorgetti per l'Economia|date=27 May 2018|access-date=2 June 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.repubblica.it/politica/2018/05/27/news/governo_dopo_le_minacce_di_impeachment_sui_social_parte_la_solidarieta_a_mattarella-197516727/|title=Governo, firme e tweet di solidarietà a Mattarella. Ma spuntano anche minacce di morte|date=27 May 2018|access-date=2 June 2018}}</ref><br />
<br />
On the following day, Mattarella gave [[Carlo Cottarelli]], a former director of the [[International Monetary Fund]], the task of forming a new government.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|url=http://www.repubblica.it/politica/2018/05/28/news/salvini_radio_capital_centrodestra-197543015/?ref=RHPPTP-BL-I0-C12-P1-S1.12-T1|title=Cottarelli accetta l'incarico: "Senza fiducia il Paese al voto dopo agosto"|date=28 May 2018|work=Repubblica.it|access-date=28 May 2018|language=it}}</ref> On 28 May 2018, the Democratic Party (PD) announced that it would abstain from voting for Cottarelli, while the Five Star Movement and the center-right parties [[Forza Italia (2013)|Forza Italia]] (FI), [[Brothers of Italy]] (FdI) and the League announced their vote against.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.repubblica.it/politica/2018/05/28/news/salvini_se_berlusconi_lo_vota_addio_alleanza_-197549039/?ref=RHPPTP-BH-I0-C12-P2-S1.12-T2|title=Berlusconi: "No alla fiducia e centrodestra unito al voto". Ma Salvini: "Alleanza con Fi? Ci penserò"|date=28 May 2018|work=Repubblica.it|access-date=29 May 2018|language=it}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.repubblica.it/politica/2018/05/28/news/franceschini_pd_renzi_martina-197570543/?ref=RHPPTP-BH-I0-C12-P2-S1.12-T1|title=Pd, Martina: "Fiducia a Cottarelli". Renzi: "Salviamo il Paese". E i dem: manifestazione nazionale a Roma il 1° giugno|date=28 May 2018|work=Repubblica.it|access-date=29 May 2018|language=it}}</ref><br />
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Cottarelli was expected to submit his list of ministers for approval to President Mattarella on 29 May. However, on 29 and 30 May he held only informal consultations with the President, waiting for the formation of a "political government".<ref name=":1">{{Cite news|url=https://roma.corriere.it/notizie/politica/18_maggio_30/governo-cottarelli-quirinale-mattarella-61982f12-63d6-11e8-9b4c-0d37dd8c9cfa.shtml|title=Incontro informale in corso tra Cottarelli e MattarellaI tre scenari possibili|last=Online|first=Redazione|work=Corriere della Sera|access-date=30 May 2018|language=it-IT}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite news|url=http://www.repubblica.it/politica/2018/05/30/news/trattativa_m5s_lega_cottarelli_colle-197707709/?ref=RHPPTP-BH-I0-C12-P2-S1.12-T1|title=Governo, Cottarelli vede Mattarella. Ora al lavoro alla Camera. Riparte la trattativa giallo-verde|date=30 May 2018|work=Repubblica.it|access-date=30 May 2018|language=it}}</ref> Meanwhile, Matteo Salvini and Luigi Di Maio announced their willingness to restart the negotiations to form a political government; [[Giorgia Meloni]], leader of FdI, gave her support to the initiative.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2" /><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.repubblica.it/politica/2018/05/29/news/di_maio_spero_voto_prima_possibile_ma_pronti_a_collaborare_con_mattarella_-197682177/?ref=RHPPTP-BH-I0-C12-P2-S1.12-T1|title=Di Maio: "Impeachment non più sul tavolo". E si riapre l'ipotesi di un governo Lega-M5s|date=29 May 2018|work=Repubblica.it|access-date=30 May 2018|language=it}}</ref> On 31 May, the Five Star Movement and the Lega Nord reached an agreement on the new government, without Paolo Savona as finance minister (who would become Minister of European Affairs instead), and with Giuseppe Conte at its head.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.repubblica.it/politica/2018/05/31/news/governo_m5s_lega-197794180/|title=Governo, Conte accetta l'incarico e presenta la lista: 18 ministri, 5 le donne. Tria all'Economia|date=31 May 2018|access-date=2 June 2018}}</ref><ref name="rainews">{{cite news |url=http://www.rainews.it/dl/rainews/articoli/Giuseppe-Conte-riceve-e-accetta-incarico-Presentata-a-Mattarella-la-lista-dei-ministri-1d8b9d38-c0c1-40c1-a6e9-44558da0fe1a.html |title=Nasce il governo Conte. Presentata a Mattarella la lista dei ministri. Di Maio e Salvini vicepremier |work=[[RaiNews]] |language=it |date=1 June 2018 |access-date= 1 June 2018}}</ref><br />
<br />
===Party's developments===<br />
[[File:Matteo Salvini datisenato 2018.jpg|thumb|Official portrait of Salvini for the [[Senate of the Republic (Italy)|Senate]]]]<br />
Along with the membership recruitment of the League in the Centre-North, in 2018 the party launched a parallel membership recruitment in the Centre-South under the name of "League for Salvini Premier" (LSP),<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tpi.it/2018/07/08/doppie-tessere-lega-salvini|title=Lo strano caso delle doppie tessere della Lega: così Salvini si è fatto due partiti – TPI|date=8 July 2018}}</ref> practically supplanting the [[Us with Salvini]] movement. The LSP, whose platform had been published in the ''[[Gazzetta Ufficiale]]'' in December 2017<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.gazzettaufficiale.it/atto/vediMenuHTML;jsessionid=zLkAYtiVQi8t+yqW+98Yfw__.ntc-as1-guri2a?atto.dataPubblicazioneGazzetta=2017-12-14&atto.codiceRedazionale=17A08410&tipoSerie=serie_generale&tipoVigenza=originarioStatuto|title=del movimento politico "Lega per Salvini Premier" iscritto nel registro dei partiti politici, ai sensi dell'articolo 4 del decreto-legge 28 dicembre 2013, n. 149, convertito, con modificazioni, dalla legge 21 febbraio 2014, n. 13}}</ref> and had been described as a "parallel party",<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.rainews.it/dl/rainews/articoli/centrodestra-salvini-seppellisce-il-vecchio-carroccio-e-fonda-un-altro-partito-dfa2c0d9-9f75-4983-95ae-110f83bbbb4b.html|title=Centrodestra. Salvini seppellisce il vecchio Carroccio e fonda un altro partito|website=rainews}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ilfattoquotidiano.it/in-edicola/articoli/2018/01/24/soldi-e-poltrone-salvini-schiera-il-partito-parallelo/4112100/|title=Lega, Salvini schiera il "partito parallelo" per seppellire il vecchio Carroccio su cui pendono sequestri e confische|website=Il Fatto Quotidiano}}</ref> might eventually replace both the LN and NcS, which would be merged into one. In the meantime, the parties' joint parliamentary groups were named "League–Salvini Premier" in the Chamber<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.camera.it/leg18/1083|title=XVIII Legislatura – Deputati e Organi – Modifiche intervenute|website=www.camera.it}}</ref> and "League–Salvini Premier–[[Sardinian Action Party]]" in the Senate.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.senato.it/Leg18/4839|title=senato.it – Senato della Repubblica senato.it – Variazioni dei Gruppi parlamentari|website=www.senato.it}}</ref> According to news sources, all this is closely related to the seizure by the judiciary of the bank accounts of the LN, after the conviction of Bossi and Belsito for fraud (see [[Lega Nord#From Bossi to Maroni]]). If the seizure is confirmed, extended to the bank accounts of the party's national sections or even involves any political entity featuring "Lega" in its name, Salvini might launch a brand-new party and absorb most of the centre-right parties into it.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://milano.corriere.it/notizie/politica/18_agosto_31/partito-unico-centrodestra-piano-salvini-il-5-settembre-3999f4ee-aca8-11e8-a56f-72aa622a097c.shtml|title=Il piano di Salvini dopo il 5 settembre: partito unico del centrodestra|first=Marco Cremonesi, inviato a|last=Venezia|date=31 August 2018}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.affaritaliani.it/politica/salvini-il-piano-segreto-per-un-partito-unico-del-centrodestra-a-settembre-557650.html|title=Salvini, il piano per un partito unico del centrodestra e Palazzo Chigi|website=Affaritaliani.it}}</ref><br />
<br />
On 22 February 2019, the Italian magazine ''[[L'espresso]]'' published an investigation revealing a 3 million euro funding scheme,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://espresso.repubblica.it/inchieste/2019/02/20/news/esclusivo-lega-milioni-russia-1.331835|title=Esclusivo – La trattativa segreta per finanziare con soldi russi la Lega di Matteo Salvini|date=21 February 2019|website=L'Espresso|language=it|access-date=23 February 2019}}</ref> paid for by Kremlin-linked entities and disguised as a diesel sale. The scheme involved the Russian state-owned oil company [[Rosneft]] selling 3 million dollars worth of diesel to an Italian company. Allegedly, the money was to be transferred from Rosneft to the League through a Russian subsidy of the Italian bank [[Banca Intesa]], in which League's federal council member Andrea Mascetti is a board member. The money was supposed to fund the coming [[2019 European Parliament election|European election]] campaign. Italian authorities are currently investigating the matter.<ref name=guardian_investigations /><br />
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The case obtained renewed attention in July 2019 when [[BuzzFeed]] made public the voice recordings and full transcripts of the meeting at the base of the investigation previously published by ''L'Espresso''. The recordings show Salvini's public relations officer Gianluca Savoini meeting with Russian agents close to [[Vladimir Putin]] in Moscow, at the same time when Salvini was also in Moscow on an official trip. The meeting centered around providing the Lega with $65&nbsp;million of illegal funding by the Russian state. The matter was made part of a larger investigation by Italian authorities into the League's finances.<ref name=guardian_investigations>{{Cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/jul/11/matteo-salvinis-party-under-investigation-for-alleged-russian-oil-deal |title=Italian prosecutors investigate League over alleged Russian oil deal claims |date=11 July 2019 |access-date=8 August 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/albertonardelli/salvini-russia-oil-deal-secret-recording |title=Revealed: The Explosive Secret Recording That Shows How Russia Tried To Funnel Millions To The "European Trump" |website=[[BuzzFeed News]] |date=10 July 2019 |access-date=8 August 2019}}</ref> The League has an official cooperation deal with Russia's governing party [[United Russia]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.ft.com/content/0d33d22c-0280-11e7-ace0-1ce02ef0def9 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221211/https://www.ft.com/content/0d33d22c-0280-11e7-ace0-1ce02ef0def9 |archive-date=11 December 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |title=Putin's party signs deal with Italy's far-right Lega Nord |first1=Max |last1=Seddon |first2=James |last2=Politi |work=Financial Times |date=6 March 2017 |access-date=9 August 2019}}</ref><br />
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In August 2019, in yet another funding scandal unrelated to the previously mentioned Russia investigations, [[Supreme Court of Cassation (Italy)|Italy's highest court]] sentenced Salvini's party to pay back 49 million euros ($54.83&nbsp;million) of illegally acquired taxpayer funding to the Italian state. Additionally, Belsito was given prison sentences.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-italy-politics-league-court/italys-top-court-upholds-seizure-of-league-funds-over-corruption-idUSKCN1UX0ZB |title=Italy's top court upholds seizure of League funds over corruption |date=7 August 2019 |access-date=8 August 2019}}</ref><br />
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In the summer of 2019, Salvini visited several public beaches to campaign, something unusual for an Italian politician.<ref>{{cite news | last1=Jones | first1=Gavin | last2=Amante | first2=Angelo | title=No beach bum: Salvini's populist seaside gambit stymies critics | url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-italy-politics-salvini-beach/no-beach-bum-salvinis-populist-seaside-gambit-stymies-critics-idUSKCN1UZ1ZJ | date=9 August 2019 | work=[[Reuters]] | access-date=9 August 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | last1=Sciorilli Borrelli | first1=Silvia | title=It's the Matteo Salvini summer roadshow | url=https://www.politico.eu/article/mc-matteo-hits-the-decks/ | date=6 August 2019 | publisher=[[Politico]] | access-date=9 August 2019}}</ref><br />
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In September 2022, numerous League committees expressed their desire to call for a Federal Congress and replace Salvini as Secretary. In October, the party founder [[Umberto Bossi]] announced the creation of the "Northern Committee" to re-gain trust from voters. Many politicians within the party joined this faction, which is openly challenging Salvini.<br />
<br />
===European politics===<br />
Leading up to the [[2019 European Parliament election]], Salvini worked to create a pan-European alliance of nationalist political parties,<ref>{{cite news | last1=Parodi | first1=Emilio | title=Nationalist EU parties plan to join forces after May elections | url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-eu-election-italy/nationalist-eu-parties-plan-to-join-forces-after-may-elections-idUSKCN1RK10F | date=8 April 2019 | work=[[Reuters]] | access-date=28 May 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | last1=Barry | first1=Colleen | title=Italy emerges as ground zero for European extremist populism | url=https://www.apnews.com/6ad43709411a4526a0e520869652158e | date=3 May 2019 | publisher=[[Associated Press]] | access-date=28 May 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | last1=Barry | first1=Colleen | title=Italy's Salvini stakes out post as Europe's populist leader | url=https://www.apnews.com/3376a808df2641cf9da01476bcf7a1e9 | date=19 May 2019 | publisher=[[Associated Press]] | access-date=28 May 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title=Salvini seeks European nationalist unity at Milan rally | url=https://www.france24.com/en/20190518-salvini-seeks-european-nationalist-unity-milan-rally | date=18 May 2019 | publisher=[[France 24]] | access-date=28 May 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | last1=Giuffrida | first1=Angela | title=Europe's far-right leaders unite with a vow to 'change history' | url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/may/18/europe-far-right-leaders-unite-milan-vow-to-change-history | date=18 May 2019 | newspaper=[[The Guardian]] | access-date=28 May 2019}}</ref> and he continued these efforts after the election.<ref>{{cite news | last1=Guarascio | first1=Francesco | title=Europe's rising far-right tries to bury differences to wield clout | url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-eu-election-right/europes-rising-far-right-tries-to-bury-differences-to-wield-clout-idUSKCN1SX1EP | date=27 May 2019 | work=[[Reuters]] | access-date=28 May 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | last1=Hinnant | first1=Lori | title=Macron vs. Salvini: Two leaders face off over EU's future | url=https://www.apnews.com/6152801851684d879999dbcdc62c1e0f | date=27 May 2019 | publisher=[[Associated Press]] | access-date=28 May 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | last1=Squires | first1=Nick | title=How a triumphant Matteo Salvini plans to build a new coalition of eurosceptics with Nigel Farage and Marine Le Pen | url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/05/27/matteo-salvini-triumphs-european-elections-taking-nearly-35/ | date=28 May 2019 | newspaper=[[The Daily Telegraph]] | access-date=28 May 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | last1=Barry | first1=Colleen | title=Salvini vows to unite EU populists yet lacks partners | url=https://www.apnews.com/f4c8b3c5e07e4924833ff072aed10783 | date=28 May 2019 | publisher=[[Associated Press]] | access-date=28 May 2019}}</ref> He founded the [[European Alliance of Peoples and Nations]] on 8 April 2019. In the [[2019 European Parliament election in Italy|European elections in Italy]], the League won a plurality of votes for the first time in a nationwide election,<ref>{{cite web | last1=Amaro | first1=Silvia | title=Italy's anti-immigration Lega party enjoys EU election triumph | url=https://www.cnbc.com/2019/05/27/italy-european-election-results.html | date=27 May 2019 | publisher=[[CNBC]] | access-date=28 May 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | last1=Castelfranco | first1=Sabina | title=In Italy, Anti-Migrant Populist Wins Big | url=https://www.voanews.com/a/in-italy-anti-migrant-populist-wins-big/4933943.html | date=27 May 2019 | publisher=[[Voice of America]] | access-date=28 May 2019}}</ref> gaining more than 34% of votes,<ref>{{cite news | last1=Balmer | first1=Crispian | last2=Amante | first2=Angelo | title=Italy's ruling League triumphs in EU vote as 5-Star slumps | url=https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-eu-election-italy/italys-ruling-league-triumphs-in-eu-vote-as-5-star-slumps-idUKKCN1SW0WZ | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190527030420/https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-eu-election-italy/italys-ruling-league-triumphs-in-eu-vote-as-5-star-slumps-idUKKCN1SW0WZ | url-status=dead | archive-date=27 May 2019 | date=26 May 2019 | work=[[Reuters]] | access-date=28 May 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | last1=Follain | first1=John | last2=Totaro | first2=Lorenzo | title=Salvini Pulls Rank After Trouncing Five Star in EU Vote | url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-05-26/salvini-s-league-set-to-surge-but-premiership-may-elude-him | date=26 May 2019 | publisher=[[Bloomberg News]] | access-date=28 May 2019}}</ref> something which strengthened Salvini's position in Italy.<ref>{{cite web | last1=Ritter | first1=Karl | last2=Barry | first2=Colleen | title=European victory gives Salvini more leverage in Italy | url=https://apnews.com/dfd4f5206e5b4152b7dcb337e5fa0356 | date=27 May 2019 | publisher=[[Associated Press]] | access-date=28 May 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | last1=Sciorilli Borrelli | first1=Silvia | last2=Barigazzi | first2=Jacopo | title=Salvini wins big — but only in Italy | url=https://www.politico.eu/article/european-parliament-election-2019-matteo-salvinis-wins-big-but-only-in-italy/ | date=27 May 2019 | publisher=[[Politico]] | access-date=28 May 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | last1=Galofaro | first1=Antonino | title=La double victoire de Matteo Salvini | url=https://www.letemps.ch/monde/double-victoire-matteo-salvini | date=27 May 2019 | newspaper=[[Le Temps]] | access-date=29 May 2019 | language=fr}}</ref> Overall, the European coalition [[Identity and Democracy]], which the Lega is part of, became the fifth-largest group in the newly elected [[European Parliament]].<br />
<br />
==Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister (2018–2019)==<br />
{{See also|Conte I Cabinet}}<br />
[[File:Vice President Pence Meets with Italian Deputy Prime Minister (48099761681).jpg|thumb|right|220px|Salvini with U.S. Vice President [[Mike Pence]], in 2019]]<br />
On 1 June 2018, Matteo Salvini was sworn in as [[Deputy Prime Minister of Italy|Deputy Prime Minister]] and [[Italian Minister of the Interior|Minister of the Interior]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ilfattoquotidiano.it/2018/05/31/governo-conte-ecco-chi-sono-veramente-ministri-dai-politici-come-di-maio-salvini-bonafede-agli-istituzionali-come-moavero-poi-il-prof-di-educazione-fisica-e-il-generale/4381994/|title=Governo Conte, chi sono i ministri: da Di Maio e Salvini (con i fedelissimi) agli "istituzionali" come Moavero. Poi il prof di educazione fisica e il generale che indagò su Terra dei Fuochi – Il Fatto Quotidiano|date=1 June 2018|access-date=2 June 2018}}</ref> He immediately stated that his main aim was to drastically reduce the [[Immigration to Italy|number of illegal immigrants]] to Italy.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lastampa.it/2018/06/01/italia/nasce-il-governo-legams-salvini-e-di-maio-vice-che-pesano-pi-del-premier-iWRvm6d4yZDNTGt1UQwpOO/pagina.html|title=Nasce il governo Lega-M5S: Salvini e Di Maio vice che pesano più del premier|date=June 2018 |access-date=2 June 2018}}</ref> Early in his tenure, numerous media outlets noted that despite Salvini's junior status in the governing coalition, he placed himself in a role even more dominant than Conte and appeared to set Italy's agenda.<ref name="FringeToStrongman"/><ref name="SalviniRomaNYT"/><ref name="HuffPo"/><ref name="CombativeFT"/><ref name="Dominating"/> The media also noted Salvini's "savvy social media presence."<ref>{{cite news | last1=Scherer | first1=Steve | title=Chestnuts, swagger and good grammar: how Italy's 'Captain' builds his brand | url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-italy-politics-salvini-socialmedia/chestnuts-swagger-and-good-grammar-how-italys-captain-builds-his-brand-idUSKCN1MS1S6 | date=18 October 2018 | work=[[Reuters]] | access-date=18 October 2018}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/04/world/europe/matteo-salvini-italy-social-media-nutella-barilla.html|title=Matteo Salvini Likes Nutella and Kittens. It's All Part of a Social Media Strategy.|first=Jason|last=Horowitz|date=4 January 2019|newspaper=The New York Times}}</ref><br />
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Days after taking his oath, the new Interior Minister created a [[International incident|diplomatic incident]] with [[Tunisia]], stating that the country sent Italy only convicts who came to Europe with the sole aim of committing crimes.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ansa.it/english/news/2018/06/04/tunisia-stunned-by-salvini-on-exporting-convicts-3_c4da5f18-e8c7-450a-aab8-49ff45b8a726.html|title=Tunisia 'stunned' by Salvini on 'exporting convicts' – English|date=4 June 2018}}</ref> The Tunisian government expressed "profound amazement at the remarks of the Italian interior minister regarding immigration."<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/06/04/italys-new-government-diplomatic-row-accusing-tunisia-sending/|title=Italy's new government in diplomatic row after accusing Tunisia of sending 'convicts' in migrant boats|first=Nick|last=Squires|date=4 June 2018|via=www.telegraph.co.uk|newspaper=The Telegraph}}</ref><br />
<br />
On 10 June 2018, Salvini announced the closure of Italian [[ports]], stating that "Everyone in Europe is doing their own business, now Italy is also raising its head. Let's stop the business of illegal immigration."<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.lastampa.it/2018/06/11/italia/migranti-litalia-sfida-malta-salvini-chiudiamo-i-porti-bVoFCfoAr11187cT5qJ4rL/pagina.html|title=Migranti, l'Italia sfida Malta. Salvini: chiudiamo i porti|website=LaStampa.it|date=11 June 2018 }}</ref> The vessel ''[[Aquarius (NGO ship)|Aquarius]]'', which is operated jointly by ''[[Médecins Sans Frontières]]'' and ''[[SOS Méditerranée]]'' and carried more than 600 migrants, was refused a port of disembarkation by the Italian authorities despite having been told to rescue the migrants by the same co-ordination centre. The Italian authority told the vessel to ask [[Malta]] to provide a disembarkation port, but Malta has also refused.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://news.sky.com/story/italy-shuts-ports-to-rescue-ship-carrying-over-600-migrants-11401125|title=Malta and Spain offer safe port to stranded migrant ship|website=Sky News}}</ref> On the following day, the new Spanish Prime Minister [[Pedro Sánchez (politician)|Pedro Sánchez]] accepted the disputed migrant ship.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-44441386|title=Spain to accept disputed migrant ship|date=12 June 2018|work=BBC News}}</ref><br />
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On 16 June 2018, Matteo Salvini said, "These people should know that Italy no longer wants to be any part of this business of clandestine immigration and they will have to look for other ports to go to", adding "As minister and as a father, I take this action for the benefit of all".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.france24.com/en/20180616-italy-bans-more-migrant-rescue-boats|title=Italy bans more migrant rescue boats|date=16 June 2018}}</ref><br />
<br />
On 18 June 2018, Salvini announced the government would conduct a census of [[Romani people]] in Italy for the purpose of deporting all who are not in the country legally.<ref name="SalviniRomaNYT" /><ref>{{cite news | title=Italy to Compile 'Register' of Roma People: Matteo Salvini | url=https://www.thelocal.it/20180618/italy-register-census-roma-people-matteo-salvini | date=18 June 2018 | website=[[The Local]] | access-date=18 June 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | last1=Kington | first1=Tom | title=Italian Populist Matteo Salvini Pledges Census of Gypsies | url=https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/italian-populist-matteo-salvini-pledges-census-of-gypsies-xb7dnrhds | date=18 June 2018 | work=[[The Times]] |location=London | access-date=18 June 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/jun/19/italy-coalition-rift-roma-register-matteo-salvini|title=Far-right Italy minister vows 'action' to expel thousands of Roma|first=Stephanie|last=Kirchgaessner|date=19 June 2018|work=The Guardian|location=London}}</ref> However, this measure was criticized as unconstitutional and was opposed by all the opposition parties and also by some members of the M5S.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.repubblica.it/politica/2018/06/18/news/salvini_rom_censimento-199319863/?ref=RHPPLF-BH-I0-C8-P2-S1.8-T1|title=Salvini shock: "Censimento sui rom, quelli italiani purtroppo ce li dobbiamo tenere". Scontro nel governo, Di Maio: "Incostituzionale"|date=18 June 2018}}</ref><br />
<br />
On 19 June 2018, Salvini announced his intention to conduct a compulsive racial census of Italians to register [[Romani people|Roma people]], while stating that Roma who are Italians could "unfortunately" not be deported. This caused an outcry in Italy since racial registration is forbidden by the Italian constitution. Italian Prime Minister [[Giuseppe Conte]] forced Salvini to drop the proposal. The opposition leader [[Matteo Orfini]] reacted by suggesting Salvini should rather do a "census of racists and fascists".<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.dw.com/en/italian-prime-minister-giuseppe-conte-dismisses-roma-census-proposal-as-unconstitutional/a-44302357 |title=Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte dismisses Roma census proposal as 'unconstitutional' |date=20 June 2018 |access-date=8 August 2019}}</ref><br />
[[File:Secretary Pompeo and Italian Deputy Prime Minister Salvini Deliver Statements to the Press (48079584451).jpg|thumb|right|Salvini with U.S. Secretary of State [[Mike Pompeo]], in 2019]]<br />
On 24 September 2018, the Council of Ministers approved the so-called "Salvini Decree", which contained a series of hardline measures that abolished key forms of protection for migrants and made it easier for them to be deported. The decree also suspended the refugee application process of those who were considered "socially dangerous" or who had been convicted of a crime.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/sep/24/italian-government-approves-bill-anti-migrant-measures-matteo-salvini|title=Italian government approves Salvini bill targeting migrants|first=Angela|last=Giuffrida|date=24 September 2018|website=the Guardian}}</ref><br />
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On 12 June 2019, the ''Sea Watch 3'' ship picked up 53 migrants in the Mediterranean off the Libyan coast. ''Sea Watch 3'' rejected an offer to dock at [[Tripoli, Libya|Tripoli]], which is considered unsafe by humanitarian organizations, and headed toward Lampedusa. According to a report by the ''[[Süddeutsche Zeitung]]'' and NGOs this was the nearest safe harbor per [[maritime law]]. On 14 June, Italy closed its ports to migrant rescue ships. Salvini refused to allow the ship to dock until other European nations had agreed to take the migrants. Ten of the migrants, including children, pregnant women, and those who were ill, were allowed to disembark. On 29 June, without authorization, ship's captain [[Carola Rackete]] decided to dock. The motivation for this was that according to her the passengers were exhausted. Rackete was arrested by the Italian authorities after docking. Matteo Salvini accused Rackete of trying to sink an Italian patrol boat that was attempting to intercept her, calling the incident an act of war and demanding the [[Netherlands]] government intervention. However, on 2 July, Rackete was released from house arrest after a court ruling that she had broken no laws and acted to protect passengers' safety.<ref name="EURONEWS3jul2019">{{cite web |title=Sea Watch captain Carola Rackete released, but controversy rages on |url=https://www.euronews.com/2019/07/03/sea-watch-captain-carola-rackete-released-but-controversy-rages-on |website=EuroNews |date=3 July 2019 |access-date=4 July 2019}}</ref><br />
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In August 2019, Salvini announced a motion of no confidence against Prime Minister Conte, after growing tensions within the majority.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.rainews.it/dl/rainews/articoli/Salvini-Subito-in-Aula-poi-le-elezioni-Conte-Dovra-spiegare-le-ragioni-della-crisi-648408f5-df6c-49f8-bf6d-a73532bd60ab.html|title=La Lega presenta al Senato una mozione di sfiducia a Conte. M5S attacca Salvini: "Giullare"|website=rainews|date=9 August 2019 }}</ref> Many political analysts saw the no confidence motion as a move by Salvini to force a call for snap elections where he could become the next Prime Minister of Italy.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/08/09/italys-league-files-no-confidence-motion-prime-minister-inbid/|title=Italy's League files no confidence motion in prime minister in bid to trigger election|first=Nick|last=Squires|newspaper=The Telegraph |date=9 August 2019|via=www.telegraph.co.uk}}</ref> On 20 August, following the parliamentary debate in which Conte harshly accused Salvini of being a political opportunist who "had triggered the political crisis only to serve his personal interest",<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/aug/20/italian-pm-expected-resign-giuseppe-conte|title=Italian PM resigns with attack on 'opportunist' Salvini &#124; World news &#124; The Guardian|website=[[TheGuardian.com]] |date=20 August 2019 }}</ref> the Prime Minister resigned his post to President Mattarella.<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/20/world/europe/italy-pm-giuseppe-conte-resign.html Italy's Prime Minister, Giuseppe Conte, Resigns, Turning Chaos Into Uncertainty]</ref> Salvini's alleged gambit failed, as Conte successfully negotiated the formation of a [[Conte II Cabinet|new cabinet]] with centre-left [[Democratic Party (Italy)|Democratic Party]].<br />
<br />
== Leader of the opposition (2019–2021)==<br />
{{expand section|date=May 2021}}<br />
After the formation of the [[Conte II Cabinet]], Salvini often criticized the new government for its views on immigration.<br />
<ref>{{cite news |title=Italian PM blasts immigration-'obsessive' Salvini as League's election bid falters|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-italy-politics-idUKKCN1V5176 |access-date=12 July 2023 |publisher=Reuters|date=15 August 2019}}</ref> During the [[COVID-19 pandemic in Italy|COVID-19 pandemic]], he criticized Conte's plans to use the [[European Stability Mechanism]] to boost the economy.<ref>{{cite news |title=Coronavirus: Absolutely no to ESM intervention-Salvini |url=https://www.ansa.it/english/news/2020/03/20/coronavirus-absolutely-no-to-esm-intervention-salvini_1bf5bc99-41dd-411d-baa3-2551079fef67.html |access-date=31 May 2021 |publisher=ANSA |date=20 March 2020}}</ref><br />
<br />
== Draghi government (2021–2022)==<br />
{{See also|Draghi Cabinet}}<br />
[[File:Matteo Salvini in 2022.13.jpg|thumb|upright|Salvini in 2022]]<br />
In February 2021, Salvini supported the League joining the [[Draghi Cabinet|national unity government]] of former [[European Central Bank]] president [[Mario Draghi]], together with the [[Democratic Party (Italy)|Democratic Party]], the [[Five Star Movement]], [[Forza Italia]] and other minor centre and centre-left parties.<ref>{{cite web | last1=Roberts | first1=Hannah | title=European League: Matteo Salvini's switch to Team EU | url=https://www.politico.eu/article/european-league-matteo-salvini-switches-to-team-eu/ | date=12 February 2021 | work=[[Politico]] | access-date=13 February 2021}}</ref> This came despite Draghi's vocally pro-Europe stance.<ref>{{cite web | last1=Roberts | first1=Hannah | title=Italy's Draghi to League: Learn to love the euro | url=https://www.politico.eu/article/mario-draghi-to-league-learn-to-love-the-euro-eu/ | date=17 February 2021 | work=[[Politico]] | access-date=19 February 2021}}</ref> The right-wing party [[Brothers of Italy]] led by [[Giorgia Meloni]], a partner of Salvini's League in the centre-right coalition, did not give its support to the Draghi government, making it the major opposition party.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/feb/12/mario-draghis-new-italian-government-to-be-sworn-in-on-saturday |title=Mario Draghi's new government to be sworn in on Saturday |last=Giuffrida |first=Angela |date=12 February 2021 |website=theguardian.com |publisher= |access-date=19 April 2021 |quote=}}</ref><br />
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On 22 October 2021, Salvini was recorded during a closed-door meeting saying that Giorgia Meloni's Brothers of Italy party "should remain the opposition without breaking our balls".<ref>{{Cite web|title=Salvini su Meloni: "Stia all'opposizione senza romperci i coglioni"|url=https://www.ilfoglio.it/politica/2021/10/21/video/salvini-su-meloni-stia-all-opposizione-senza-romperci-i-coglioni--3214606/|access-date=25 October 2021|website=www.ilfoglio.it|language=it}}</ref> He also admitted defeat in the [[2021 Italian local elections]], saying that "when you lose disgracefully, lagging by 30 points in some big cities, there is little to celebrate. The centre-right's split in two or three pieces certainly doesn't help."<ref name=":3" /> Salvini later claimed to have laughed about the recording in a WhatsApp exchange with Meloni.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web|date=22 October 2021|title=Italy's Matteo Salvini recorded calling far-right rival a 'pain in the ass'|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/oct/22/italy-matteo-salvini-recorded-calling-far-right-rival-pain-in-ass|access-date=25 October 2021|website=the Guardian|language=en}}</ref><br />
<br />
== Deputy Prime Minister and Infrastructure Minister (2022–present) ==<br />
{{See also|Meloni Cabinet}}<br />
On 22 October 2022, [[Giorgia Meloni]], the leader of [[Brothers of Italy]] party, was sworn in as Italy's first female prime minister. Lega leader Matteo Salvini became deputy prime minister in her government. The new government, Italy's most right-wing since World War II, included also centre-right party of ex-prime minister [[Silvio Berlusconi]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Italy Meloni: Far-right leader agrees to form government |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-63327290 |work=BBC News |date=21 October 2022}}</ref><br />
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In April 2024, a vote of no confidence was initiated against Salvini and did not pass.<ref>{{cite web |title=Italy's Matteo Salvini survives no-confidence vote |url=https://www.euronews.com/2024/04/04/italian-deputy-prime-minister-matteo-salvini-survives-no-confidence-vote |website=euronews |access-date=28 July 2024 |language=en |date=4 April 2024}}</ref><br />
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==Legal issues==<br />
In February 2020, the Senate formally authorized a trial against Salvini over the ''Gregoretti'' Italian coastguard ship case, in which – as Interior Minister at the time – he was accused of kidnapping the rescued migrants by forbidding the ship from docking the port of [[Augusta, Sicily]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Italy's far-right leader Salvini to face trial |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-51473239 |access-date=7 August 2020 |work=BBC News |date=12 February 2020}}</ref> A judge in [[Catania]] dismissed the case in May 2021, saying that no crime had been committed, the incident was not a kidnapping, and that Salvini's six-day block to allow for other EU countries to resettle the migrants was permissible by international law.<ref>{{cite news |title=Italian judge drops refugee 'kidnapping' case against Salvini |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/5/14/italy-judge-rules-against-salvini-trial-over-kidnapping-charge |access-date=31 May 2021 |publisher=Al Jazeera |date=14 May 2021}}</ref><br />
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On 30 July 2020, the Senate authorized (by 149 votes against 141) a second trial against Salvini over the [[Proactiva Open Arms|Open Arms]] case, where he also stands accused of kidnapping migrants after disposing the stop of the NGO's rescue ship off the coast of Sicily in August 2019.<ref>{{cite news |title=Senate authorizes trial for Salvini over Open Arms case|url=https://www.ansa.it/english/news/politics/2020/07/30/senate-authorizes-trial-for-salvini-over-open-arms-case_243aac4f-893c-470c-8d81-66e793d9e489.html |access-date=7 August 2020 |work=ANSA |date=30 July 2020 |language=en}}</ref> Salvini defended the claims, and said his actions only went as far as protecting Italy. "Defending Italy is not a crime. I am proud of it, I would do it again, and I will do it again," Salvini was quoted as saying.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-53592852|title=Italy's Salvini to face new trial over migrant ship blockade|work=BBC News |date=30 July 2020 |access-date=30 July 2020}}</ref><br />
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In May 2021, a preliminary investigations judge dismissed a charge of instigation against Salvini. He had been accused of urging violence against [[Carola Rackete]] for calling her a criminal.<ref>{{cite news |title=Salvini Rackete instigation charge dropped |url=https://www.ansa.it/english/news/politics/2021/05/17/salvini-rackete-instigation-charge-dropped_72698511-d53c-4330-86fc-4b885bc2ec05.html |access-date=31 May 2021 |publisher=ANSA |date=17 May 2021}}</ref> The investigation found that he was not responsible for her receiving death threats from others.<ref>{{cite news |title=Rackete case shelved |url=https://www.ansa.it/english/news/general_news/2021/05/19/rackete-case-shelved_1502b351-d691-428e-a2e1-dd5a33d14eb5.html |access-date=31 May 2021 |publisher=ANSA |date=19 May 2021}}</ref><br />
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Also in May 2021, Salvini sued media magnate [[Carlo De Benedetti]] for defamation in [[Cuneo]], Piedmont. De Benedetti, who is Jewish, had called Salvini an antisemite.<ref>{{cite news |title=De Benedetti on trial for calling Salvini an anti-semite |url=https://www.ansa.it/english/news/politics/2021/05/04/de-benedetti-on-trial-for-calling-salvini-an-anti-semite_e01e73eb-1950-4d8b-b9a5-15f66c562cc4.html |access-date=31 May 2021 |publisher=ANSA |date=4 May 2021}}</ref><br />
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In October 2021, Salvini's second trial on migrant kidnapping charges began in [[Palermo]], Sicily.<ref>{{Cite web|date=23 October 2021|title=Italy's former interior minister Salvini stands trial on migrant kidnapping charges|url=https://www.france24.com/en/europe/20211023-italy-s-former-interior-minister-salvini-stands-trial-on-migrant-kidnapping-charges|access-date=25 October 2021|website=France 24|language=en}}</ref> The American actor [[Richard Gere]] was called upon as a witness by Open Arms, since he had gone on board of their rescue boat in an act of solidarity with the crew and passengers.<ref>{{Cite web|date=23 October 2021|title=Matteo Salvini objects to Richard Gere as witness in kidnap trial|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/oct/23/matteo-salvini-goes-on-trial-for-kidnap-over-blocked-migrant-ship|access-date=25 October 2021|website=the Guardian|language=en}}</ref><br />
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In September 2024, prosecutors requested a six-year prison sentence for Salvini as part of the trial that began in July 2020. Salvini's defense is expected on October 18, preceding the first sentencing.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Zampano |first1=Giada |title=Italy's deputy premier Matteo Salvini faces a potential 6-year prison sentence in migration trial |url=https://apnews.com/article/italy-salvini-meloni-migration-open-arms-trial-d144a9c9fa0afb65879171d20a0059ae |website=AP News |access-date=17 September 2024 |language=en |date=15 September 2024}}</ref><br />
<br />
==Political views==<br />
{{Conservatism in Italy|Politicians}}<br />
===Domestic policy===<br />
Salvini has been described as [[hard euroscepticism|hard Eurosceptic]], holding a starkly critical view of the [[European Union]] (EU), especially of the [[euro]], which he once described as a "crime against humanity".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ansa.it/web/notizie/rubriche/politica/2013/12/15/Lega-Salvini-contro-euro-Crimine-contro-umanita-_9781968.html |title=Lega, Salvini contro euro: 'Crimine contro l'umanità' – Politica |website=ANSA.it |date=15 December 2013 |access-date=3 April 2016}}</ref> Though in October 2012, he said he supported euro for Northern Italy, whilst Southern Italy should not use it: "I in Milan want it, because here we are in Europe. The South, on the other hand, is like Greece and needs another currency. The euro cannot afford it."<ref>{{Cite web |date=2 October 2012 |title=I meridionali stiano "senza l'euro, non se lo meritano" |url=https://www.milanotoday.it/politica/salvini-euro-sud.html |access-date=2022-12-18 |website=MilanoToday |language=it}}</ref> Salvini is also opposed to [[Immigration to Italy|illegal immigration into Italy]] and the EU and the EU's management of asylum seekers.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ilgiornale.it/news/mondo/lasciate-immigrati-largo-e-scoppia-bufera-su-salvini-1094448.html |title="Lasciate gli immigrati al largo". E scoppia la bufera su Salvini |language=it |website=IlGiornale.it |date=15 February 2015 |access-date=3 April 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ilcittadino.it/Facet/ultimaOra/Uuid/b0d2dbde-bcdd-11e4-85a4-c5f22cb8376c/ |title=Il Cittadino di Lodi |website=Ilcittadino.it |date=25 February 2015 |access-date=3 April 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305222837/http://ilcittadino.it/facet/ultimaora/uuid/b0d2dbde-bcdd-11e4-85a4-c5f22cb8376c |archive-date=5 March 2016 }}</ref> In September 2018, he said: "I'm paid by citizens to help our young people start having children again the way they did a few years ago, and not to uproot the best of the African youth to replace Europeans who are not having children anymore".<ref>{{cite news |title=Italy's Salvini likens African immigrants to 'slaves' |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-europe-migrants-italy-luxembourg/italys-salvini-likens-african-immigrants-to-slaves-idUSKCN1LU1QR |work=Reuters |date=14 September 2018}}</ref> His political views have been described as on the far-right,<ref name="StilleAug2018">{{cite web | last1=Stille | first1=Alexander | title=How Matteo Salvini Pulled Italy to the Far Right | url=https://www.theguardian.com/news/2018/aug/09/how-matteo-salvini-pulled-italy-to-the-far-right | date=9 August 2018 | work=[[The Guardian]] | access-date=11 August 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.politico.eu/article/italys-other-matteo-salvini-northern-league-politicians-media-effettosalvini/|title=Italy's far right jolts back from dead|date=3 February 2016}}</ref> espousing policies such as, among others, collecting census data on and expelling members of the Roma community living illegally in Italy.<ref name="SalviniRomaNYT"/><br />
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On economic issues, he supports a [[flat tax]], [[tax cut]]s, [[fiscal federalism]], [[protectionism]],<ref>{{cite news|title=I 10 punti del programma ECONOMICO della Lega nero su bianco.|url=http://noiconsalvini.org/10-punti-del-programma-economico-della-lega-nero-su-bianco/|publisher=Libero Quotidiano|date=11 February 2015}}</ref> and, to some extent, [[agrarianism]].{{citation needed|date=August 2018}}<br />
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On social issues, Salvini opposes [[same-sex marriage]], [[civil union]]s and [[LGBT parenting|adoption]]<ref>{{cite web|title=Unioni civili, Salvini: "Sindaci della Lega Nord, disobbedite". Bitonci (Padova): "Io non celebrerò i matrimoni gay"|url=https://www.ilfattoquotidiano.it/2016/05/11/unioni-civili-salvini-sindaci-della-lega-nord-disobbedite-bitonci-padova-io-non-celebrero-i-matrimoni-gay/2719210/amp/|date=11 May 2016| access-date=13 September 2021|language=it}}</ref> as well as [[anti-discrimination law]]s,<ref>{{cite web|title="Gli omosessuali in Italia? Non sono discriminati": Meloni e Salvini in piazza contro la legge sull'omofobia minimizzano le aggressioni|url=https://www.ilfattoquotidiano.it/2020/07/16/gli-omosessuali-in-italia-non-sono-discriminati-meloni-e-salvini-in-piazza-contro-la-legge-sullomofobia-minimizzano-le-aggressioni/5870812/amp/|date=16 July 2020| access-date=13 September 2021|language=it}}</ref> while he supports the legalisation of [[brothel]]s.<ref>{{cite book|url= http://noiconsalvini.org/carta-dei-valori/|title= Carta dei Valori|publisher= Noi con Salvini|date= 2015}}</ref> He supports looser gun laws and has pushed that issue as interior minister.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/07/world/europe/italy-gun-laws-matteo-salvini.html|title=Italy Loosens Gun Laws as Matteo Salvini Polishes His Tough Guy Image|first=Emma|last=Johanningsmeier|date=7 November 2018|newspaper=The New York Times}}</ref> Salvini has criticized [[mandatory vaccination]] laws.<ref>{{cite news | last1=Politi | first1=James | title=Salvini Ramps Up Rhetoric with Attack on Mandatory Vaccines | url=https://www.ft.com/content/e513740e-761a-11e8-b326-75a27d27ea5f |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/uo7rM |archive-date=11 December 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live | date=22 June 2018 | newspaper=[[Financial Times]] | access-date=12 August 2018}}</ref><br />
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In 2016, a retweet posted from Salvini's Twitter account called for the shooting of "communist judges". Salvini disowned the retweet, claiming it was posted by a staffer by mistake.<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://www.ansa.it/english/news/politics/2016/03/11/salvini-disowns-shoot-judges-retweet_0930f3ef-9e95-4b5a-b4d9-d4e25c3fc73a.html |title=Salvini disowns 'shoot judges' retweet |date=11 March 2016 |access-date=8 August 2019}}</ref><br />
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===Foreign policy===<br />
[[File:Matteo Salvini Quirinale 2021.jpg|thumb|right|Matteo Salvini in 2021]]<br />
In foreign policy he opposed Turkey's [[Accession of Turkey to the European Union|accession to the European Union]],<ref>{{cite news |title=Cancel process for Turkey's EU accession – Salvini |url=http://www.ansa.it/english/news/2019/04/08/cancel-process-for-turkeys-eu-accession-salvini_6eedbd43-c1b7-42c0-90ee-eefea0048720.html |work=Ansa |date=8 April 2019}}</ref> criticized [[Saudi Arabia]] for its [[Women's rights in Saudi Arabia|treatment of women]],<ref name="saudi"/> opposed the [[International sanctions during the Ukrainian crisis|international embargo against Russia]] of 2014,<ref>{{cite news|title=Russia, Salvini: Ci batteremo per rimuovere sanzioni a Mosca|url=http://www.ilvelino.it/it/article/2015/06/09/russia-salvini-ci-batteremo-per-rimuovere-sanzioni-a-mosca/3de0bb12-ef42-4283-b904-90a3b6e79b3f/|publisher=il Velino|date=9 June 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Lega, Salvini in Russia alla Duma: "No alle sanzioni Ue". E la Padania lo celebra|url=http://www.ilfattoquotidiano.it/2014/10/15/lega-salvini-in-russia-no-alle-sanzioni-ue-e-la-padania-lo-celebra/1156830/|author=Anna Lesnevskaya|publisher=il Fatto Quotidiano|date=15 October 2014}}</ref> and supported an economic opening to North Korea.<ref>{{cite news|title=Salvini elogia la Corea del Nord|url=http://www.ilgiornale.it/news/politica/salvini-elogia-corea-nord-1048809.html|author=Luisa De Montis|publisher=il Giornale|date=3 September 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Salvini: la Corea del Nord? C'è uno splendido senso di comunità|url=http://www.corriere.it/cronache/14_settembre_03/salvini-corea-nord-c-splendido-senso-comunita-85754b60-3327-11e4-9d48-ef4163c6635c.shtml|author=Massimo Rebotti|newspaper=Corriere della Sera|date=3 September 2014}}</ref><br />
<br />
Salvini accused France of "stealing wealth" from former [[French colonial empire|African colonies]] and generating mass migration to Europe.<ref>{{cite news |title=Italy's Salvini slams France for migrant crisis: 'I don't take lessons on humanity and generosity from Macron' |url=https://www.foxnews.com/world/italys-salvini-slams-france-for-migrant-crisis-i-dont-take-lessons-on-humanity-and-generosity-from-macron |work=Fox News |date=22 January 2019}}</ref> He also said that "In [[Libya]] France has no interest in stabilising the situation because it has oil interests opposite to those of Italy."<ref>{{cite news |title=Matteo Salvini accuses France of 'stealing' Africa's wealth |url=https://www.ft.com/content/ebe797c0-1e2f-11e9-b2f7-97e4dbd3580d |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/dwATf |archive-date=11 December 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |work=Financial Times |date=22 January 2019}}</ref> In the wake of the [[Enrica Lexie case|MV ''Enrica Lexie'' case]], Salvini called for the expulsion of the Indian Ambassador to Italy and a military operation to extract the two detained Italian marines accused by India of the shooting.<ref>{{Cite news|work=[[Il Fatto Quotidiano]]|title=Marò, Salvini: "Bisogna cacciare l'ambasciatore indiano in Italia col primo aereo"|url=https://www.ilfattoquotidiano.it/2016/03/08/salvini-maro-bisogna-cacciare-lambasciatore-indiano-in-italia-col-primo-aereo/490863/|date=8 March 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|work=Free|title=Marò, Matteo Salvini's anger: "With me and Silvio Berlusconi the military would already be at home"|date=25 August 2015|url=https://www.liberoquotidiano.it/news/politica/11822034/Maro--la-rabbia-di-Matteo.html}}</ref> He later advocated for Italy purchasing Indian [[COVID-19]] vaccines in March 2021.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.giornalediplomatico.it/covid-salvini-vede-ambasciatore-india-per-acollaborazione-vaccinia.htm | title=Covid: Salvini vede ambasciatore India per "collaborazione vaccini" }}</ref><br />
<br />
Salvini supported the [[2017–19 Qatar diplomatic crisis|Saudi-led blockade of Qatar]] prior to taking office on the grounds that [[Qatar and state-sponsored terrorism|Qatar funded terrorism]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.ilpopulista.it/news/5-Giugno-2017/15125/sostiene-il-terrorismo-qatar-isolato-salvini-subito-controlli-anche-in-italia.html|title="Sostiene il terrorismo", Qatar isolato. Salvini: "Subito controlli anche in Italia"|website=www.ilpopulista.it|access-date=16 August 2018|archive-date=6 June 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190606082027/http://www.ilpopulista.it/news/5-Giugno-2017/15125/sostiene-il-terrorismo-qatar-isolato-salvini-subito-controlli-anche-in-italia.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> Upon becoming Deputy Prime Minister, he also praised Saudi Arabia as "an element of stability and reliability both in bilateral relations and as an actor in the more general Middle Eastern chessboard", and pledged to expand security, economic, commercial and cultural ties with the Kingdom.<ref>{{cite news|work=[[Arab News]]|title=Italy eyes closer ties with Saudi Arabia|date=19 July 2018|url=http://www.arabnews.com/node/1341786}}</ref> However, he later reversed his stance, praising Qatar for its "balance" as opposed to Saudi Arabian "extremism"<ref>{{cite news|work=La Presse|date=30 October 2018|title=Salvini: Qatar equilibrato non come Arabia Saudita estremista|url=https://www.lapresse.it/politica/salvini_qatar_equilibrato_non_come_arabia_saudita_estremista-773429/news/2018-10-30/}}</ref> and encouraged Qatari investment in Italy,<ref>{{cite news|work=[[la Repubblica]]|title=Salvini cambia opinione sul Qatar: da fomentatore del terrorismo a opportunità per le imprese italiane|url=https://www.repubblica.it/esteri/2018/10/30/foto/salvini_qatar-210416370/1/#1|date=30 October 2018}}</ref> while opposing Saudi investment proposals in Italy<ref name="saudi">{{cite news|work=[[Reuters]]|date=11 March 2019|title=Italy's Salvini urges La Scala to snub Saudi cash|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-italy-saudi-lascala/italys-salvini-urges-la-scala-to-snub-saudi-cash-idUSKBN1QS2EG}}</ref> and condemning the decision to host the [[Supercoppa Italiana]] final in Saudi Arabia as "disgusting".<ref>{{Cite news|work=[[CNN]]|date=3 January 2019|url=https://edition.cnn.com/2019/01/03/football/juventus-milan-supercup-saudi-arabia-matteo-salvini-scli-spt-intl/index.html|title=Italian Super Cup: Holding match in Saudi Arabia 'disgusting'}}</ref> Salvini has called for stronger Italian ties with Morocco, describing it as "the most stable country in the entire Mediterranean", and criticising an EU resolution that accused Morocco of using migration as political pressure towards Spain.<ref>{{cite news|work=Middle East Online|url=https://middle-east-online.com/en/salvini-says-morocco-most-stable-country-entire-mediterranean-region|title=Salvini says Morocco most stable country in entire Mediterranean region|date=18 June 2021}}</ref><br />
<br />
Salvini has been critical of Iranian policy towards Israel,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ilmetropolitano.it/2019/01/21/iran-salvini-minacce-gravissime-solidarieta-ad-israele/|title=Iran. Salvini: Minacce gravissime, solidarietà ad Israele|date=21 January 2019}}</ref> and expressed scepticism towards the [[Iran nuclear deal]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.ansa.it/sito/notizie/topnews/2015/07/20/isis-salviniobama-arruola-liran_e04e7eaf-a7a9-47ce-a378-3166459600e6.html|title=Isis: Salvini, Obama arruola l'Iran? – Ultima Ora|date=20 July 2015|website=ANSA.it}}</ref> However, he prefers dialogue over new [[Sanctions against Iran|sanctions]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://oltrelalinea.news/2018/07/16/salvini-contrario-alle-sanzioni-contro-russia-e-iran/|title=Salvini: "Contrario alle sanzioni contro Russia e Iran" • Oltre la Linea|date=16 July 2018|website=Oltre la Linea|access-date=20 April 2019|archive-date=20 April 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190420205612/https://oltrelalinea.news/2018/07/16/salvini-contrario-alle-sanzioni-contro-russia-e-iran/|url-status=dead}}</ref> He considers [[Hezbollah]] a terrorist organisation, contradicting the official stance of the Italian government.<ref>{{cite news|work=[[Reuters]]|date=12 December 2018|title=Italy's Salvini criticised by allies for calling Hezbollah "terrorists"|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-italy-salvini-hezbollah/italys-salvini-criticised-by-allies-for-calling-hezbollah-terrorists-idUKKBN1OB1GL}}</ref> He supported [[Status of Jerusalem|recognition of Jerusalem]] as the capital of Israel,<ref>{{cite news|work=[[Haaretz]]|date=23 July 2018|title=For Many Italian Jews, Far-right Parties No Longer Getting a Pass for Being pro-Israel|url=https://www.haaretz.com/world-news/europe/.premium-italian-jews-finally-take-stand-against-far-right-pro-israel-parties-1.6302183}}</ref> and in January 2020, he stated his support for moving Italy's embassy in Israel to the city.<ref>{{cite web | last1=Tercatin | first1=Rossella | title=Italy's Salvini to recognize Jerusalem as capital if elected | url=https://www.jpost.com/International/Italian-opposition-leader-vows-to-recognize-Jerusalem-as-capital-if-elected-614674 | date=20 January 2020 | work=[[The Jerusalem Post]] | access-date=21 January 2020}}</ref> On 12 December 2018, the Prime Minister of Israel, [[Benjamin Netanyahu]], hailed him as a "great friend of Israel".<ref>{{cite web | url = https://apnews.com/d4fc90ecaab24660bb359ab1c686d3ff | title = Netanyahu hails Italy's Salvini as 'great friend of Israel' | date = 12 December 2018 | publisher = Associated Press | location = Jerusalem | archive-url = https://archive.today/20200510124459/https://apnews.com/d4fc90ecaab24660bb359ab1c686d3ff | archive-date = 10 May 2020 | url-status = live | access-date = 16 May 2020 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news | first1 = Herb | last1 = Keinon | url = https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/netanyahu-stopping-hezbollah-is-responsibility-of-international-community-574129 | title = Netanyahu: Matteo Salvini is 'great friend of Israel' | date = 12 December 2018 | journal = The Jerusalem Post | archive-url = https://archive.today/20200510124540/https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/netanyahu-stopping-hezbollah-is-responsibility-of-international-community-574129 | archive-date = 10 May 2020 | url-status = live | access-date = 16 May 2020 }}</ref> Following the [[2023 Hamas attack on Israel|Hamas attacks]] in October 2023, Salvini accused the Italian branch of [[Amnesty International]] of "racism" for refusing to attend a [[Lucca Comics & Games|comic and games festival]], due to Israel's Embassy in Italy having sponsored the event.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-10-29 |title=Salvini in spat with Amnesty over Israel |url=https://www.ansa.it/english/news/politics/2023/10/29/salvini-in-spat-with-amnesty-over-israel_2a4115eb-d8b8-4521-97f5-518f0ae8e167.html |access-date=2023-11-08 |website=ANSA.it}}</ref> Salvini also condemned [[Recep Tayyip Erdoğan|Erdoğan's]] labeling of Hamas as "liberators", saying such claims "do not help de-escalation".<ref>{{cite web |title=Erdogan's praise of Hamas disgusting says Salvini |url=https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/erdogans-praise-of-hamas-disgusting-says-salvini/ar-AA1iOZLa |website=www.msn.com |access-date=9 November 2023}}</ref><br />
<br />
Salvini also endorsed the [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] candidate in the [[2016 United States presidential election|2016 U.S. presidential election]], [[Donald Trump]], whom he met in April 2016 in [[Philadelphia]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.corriere.it/politica/16_aprile_26/trump-incorona-salvini-1427cf18-0b7b-11e6-a8d3-4c904844517f.shtml|title=E Trump incorona Salvini:"Diventerai premier in Italia"|date=26 April 2016}}</ref> Multiple news agencies have compared him and his views to those of Trump.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/jun/22/matteo-salvini-a-political-chameleon-thriving-on-fears|title=Matteo Salvini: a political chameleon thriving on fears|first=Stephanie|last=Kirchgaessner|date=22 June 2018|website=the Guardian}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | last1=Scherer | first1=Steve | title=Echoes of Trump as Italy's Salvini Gets Tough on Migrants | url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-europe-migrants-italy-salvini/echoes-of-trump-as-italys-salvini-gets-tough-on-migrants-idUSKBN1JM24H | date=26 June 2018 | work=[[Reuters]] | access-date=26 June 2018}}</ref> In September 2018, Salvini pledged his support for [[The Movement (populist group)|The Movement]], a European populist group founded by Trump's former chief strategist, [[Steve Bannon]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/sep/08/italy-matteo-salvini-joins-steve-bannon-european-populist-group-movement|title=Italy's Matteo Salvini joins Bannon's European populist group|last=Tondo|first=Lorenzo|date=8 September 2018|website=The Guardian|access-date=9 September 2018}}</ref><br />
<br />
Salvini condemned the [[2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine]] and said he wanted to help [[2022 Ukrainian refugee crisis|Ukrainian refugees]] and support the countries that accepted them.<ref name="Euractiv"/> In the past, however, he praised Russian president [[Vladimir Putin]],<ref>{{cite news |title=Matteo Salvini prova a dimenticare il suo passato di fan di Putin. Glielo ricordiamo noi |url=https://espresso.repubblica.it/politica/2022/02/24/news/matteo_salvini_prova_a_dimenticare_il_suo_passato_di_fan_di_putin_glielo_ricordiamo_noi-339095906/ |work=[[L'Espresso]] |date=24 February 2022}}</ref> and took a picture of himself wearing a T-shirt with Putin's face in Moscow. In response to the criticism, he said he preferred Putin to the Italian President [[Sergio Mattarella]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Amante |first=Angelo |date=8 March 2022 |title=Changing tune, Italy's Salvini pledges to help refugees from Ukraine |language=en |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/changing-tune-italys-salvini-pledges-help-refugees-ukraine-2022-03-08/ |access-date=8 March 2022}}</ref> He was confronted for his past support of Putin by [[Wojciech Bakun]], the mayor of a Polish town [[Przemyśl]], while visiting its refugee center during the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Amante |first=Angelo |date=8 March 2022 |title=Friend of Putin Salvini confronted at the Border|language=en |agency=Reuters |url=https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/friend-putin-salvini-confronted-border-visit-83316500 |access-date=8 March 2022}}</ref><br />
<br />
In September 2018, Salvini endorsed conservative nationalist candidate [[Jair Bolsonaro]] in the [[2018 Brazilian general election|Brazilian presidential election]] that year.<ref>{{Cite news|work=[[Terra (company)|Terra]]|date=8 October 2018|url=https://www.terra.com.br/noticias/mundo/salvini-comemora-resultado-de-bolsonaro-novos-ares,32f9fd50050a7718bfdf57513905106atova37hu.html|title=Nacionalista italiano Salvini comemora vitória de Bolsonaro|language=pt-BR}}</ref> In May 2021, he spoke at the congress of the Portuguese nationalist party [[Chega (political party)|Chega]], saying that he wanted to unite Europe's populists, conservatives and identitarians against socialists and communists.<ref>{{cite news |title=Salvini sonha agregar na Europa populares, conservadores e identitários |url=https://www.publico.pt/2021/05/30/politica/noticia/salvini-sonha-agregar-europa-populares-conservadores-identitarios-1964665 |access-date=31 May 2021 |work=[[Público (Portugal)|Público]] |date=30 May 2021 |language=Portuguese}}</ref><br />
<br />
==Personal life==<br />
In 2001, Matteo Salvini married Fabrizia Ieluzzi, a journalist who worked for a private radio station, by whom he had one child in 2003.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.ilgiornale.it/news/interni/salvini-comunista-padano-che-milano-d-sangue-968284.html|title=Salvini, il comunista padano che per Milano dà il sangue|first=Giancarlo|last=Perna|website=ilGiornale.it|date=18 November 2013 }}</ref> After his divorce he had a daughter by his [[domestic partner]] Giulia Martinelli in 2012.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www1.adnkronos.com/IGN/News/Politica/Lega-Matteo-Salvini-e-il-nuovo-segretario-del-Carroccio-Scheda_32962945732.html|title=Adnkronos|website=www1.adnkronos.com}}</ref> He later became engaged to [[Elisa Isoardi]], a popular TV host.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://dilei.it/vip/elisa-isoardi-matteo-salvini-instagram/546863/|title="Muoio dalla voglia di rivederti": la dedica d'amore di Elisa Isoardi per Salvini|date=1 June 2018}}</ref> After a relationship of nearly three years, Isoardi announced their split in November 2018 via an Instagram post.<ref>{{cite news|title = Isoardi annuncia la rottura con Salvini: "Con Matteo è finita". Lui replica: "Peccato, qualcuno aveva altre priorità"|newspaper = [[La Repubblica]]|date =5 November 2018|url = https://www.repubblica.it/politica/2018/11/05/news/isoardi_salvini_rottura_finita_instagram-210819069/|access-date = 6 November 2018}}</ref> As of March 2019, Salvini is engaged to Francesca Verdini, daughter of the politician [[Denis Verdini]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.firenzetoday.it/attualita/chi-e-francesca-verdini-fidanzata-salvini.html|title=Francesca Verdini è la nuova fidanzata di Matteo Salvini|website=FirenzeToday}}</ref> Salvini is nicknamed "The Captain" (''Il Capitano'') by his supporters.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.lastampa.it/2018/03/06/italia/il-capitano-salvini-studia-da-premier-orgoglioso-di-essere-populista-q9Y7idqyf8yc3mPmttMdxJ/pagina.html|title=Il Capitano Salvini studia da premier: "Orgoglioso di essere populista"|website=LaStampa.it|date=6 March 2018 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.ilpopulista.it/news/18-Dicembre-2016/8332/il-capitano-a-palermo-salvini-uno-di-noi.html|title=Il Capitano a Palermo. "Salvini, uno di noi"|website=www.ilpopulista.it|access-date=18 May 2018|archive-date=11 December 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181211130842/http://www.ilpopulista.it/news/18-Dicembre-2016/8332/il-capitano-a-palermo-salvini-uno-di-noi.html|url-status=dead}}</ref><br />
<br />
Matteo Salvini is a [[Roman Catholic]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Italy plans MANDATORY crucifixes in public buildings – with a £890 fine for non-compliance|url=https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/994234/italy-news-crucifix-law-matteo-salvini-christian-news|website=express.co.uk|date=25 July 2018 }}</ref><br />
<br />
A long time resident of Milan, Salvini is an avid supporter of local football club [[AC Milan]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.matteosalvini.eu/rassegna-stampa/comunque-vada-ringrazio-dio-di-avermi-fatto-milanista.html|title=Matteo Salvini|website=www.matteosalvini.eu|access-date=27 April 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160221084201/http://www.matteosalvini.eu/rassegna-stampa/comunque-vada-ringrazio-dio-di-avermi-fatto-milanista.html|archive-date=21 February 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref><br />
<br />
==Electoral history==<br />
{|class=wikitable style="width:55%; border:1px #AAAAFF solid"<br />
|-<br />
! width=12%|Election<br />
! width=25%|House<br />
! width=25%|Constituency<br />
! width=5% colspan="2"|Party<br />
! width=12%|Votes<br />
! width=12%|Result<br />
|-<br />
! [[2004 European Parliament election in Italy|2004]]<br />
| [[European Parliament]]<br />
| [[North-West Italy (European Parliament constituency)|North-West Italy]]<br />
| bgcolor="{{party color|Lega Nord}}" |<br />
| [[Lega Nord|LN]]<br />
| 14,707<br />
| {{tick|15}} '''Elected'''<br />
|-<br />
! [[2008 Italian general election|2008]]<br />
| [[Chamber of Deputies (Italy)|Chamber of Deputies]]<br />
| [[Lombardy|Lombardy 1]]<br />
| bgcolor="{{party color|Lega Nord}}" |<br />
| [[Lega Nord|LN]]<br />
| –{{efn|name=fn1|Elected in a [[closed list]] proportional representation system.}}<br />
| {{tick|15}} '''Elected'''<br />
|-<br />
! [[2009 European Parliament election in Italy|2009]]<br />
| [[European Parliament]]<br />
| [[North-West Italy (European Parliament constituency)|North-West Italy]]<br />
| bgcolor="{{party color|Lega Nord}}" |<br />
| [[Lega Nord|LN]]<br />
| 69,989<br />
| {{tick|15}} '''Elected'''<br />
|-<br />
! [[2013 Italian general election|2013]]<br />
| [[Senate of the Republic (Italy)|Senate of the Republic]]<br />
| [[Lombardy|Lombardy 1]]<br />
| bgcolor="{{party color|Lega Nord}}" |<br />
| [[Lega Nord|LN]]<br />
| –{{efn|name=fn1}}<br />
| {{tick|15}} '''Elected'''<br />
|-<br />
! [[2014 European Parliament election in Italy|2014]]<br />
| [[European Parliament]]<br />
| [[North-West Italy (European Parliament constituency)|North-West Italy]]<br />
| bgcolor="{{party color|Lega Nord}}" |<br />
| [[Lega Nord|LN]]<br />
| 223,410<br />
| {{tick|15}} '''Elected'''<br />
|-<br />
! [[2018 Italian general election|2018]]<br />
| [[Senate of the Republic (Italy)|Senate of the Republic]]<br />
| [[Lazio]]<br />
| bgcolor="{{party color|Lega Nord}}" |<br />
| [[Lega (political party)|Lega]]<br />
| –{{efn|name=fn1}}<br />
| {{tick|15}} '''Elected'''<br />
|-<br />
! [[2022 Italian general election|2022]]<br />
| [[Senate of the Republic (Italy)|Senate of the Republic]]<br />
| [[Apulia]]<br />
| bgcolor="{{party color|Lega Nord}}" |<br />
| [[Lega (political party)|Lega]]<br />
| –{{efn|name=fn1}}<br />
| {{tick|15}} '''Elected'''<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
* [[Sardines movement]]<br />
<br />
==Notes==<br />
{{notelist}}<br />
<br />
==References==<br />
{{Reflist}}<br />
<br />
==External links==<br />
{{Commons category}}<br />
{{Wikiquote}}<br />
* {{MEP}}<br />
{{s-start}}<br />
{{s-ppo}}<br />
{{s-bef|before=[[Roberto Maroni]]}}<br />
{{s-ttl|title=[[List of Federal Secretaries of Lega Nord|Federal Secretary of the League]]|years=2013–present}}<br />
{{s-inc}}<br />
{{s-off}}<br />
|-<br />
{{s-vac|last=[[Angelino Alfano]]}}<br />
{{s-ttl|title=[[Deputy Prime Minister of Italy]]|years=2018–2019|alongside=[[Luigi Di Maio]]}}<br />
{{s-vac|next=[[Antonio Tajani]] & Himself}}<br />
{{s-bef|before=[[Marco Minniti]]}}<br />
{{s-ttl|title=[[Italian Minister of the Interior|Minister of the Interior]]|years=2018–2019}}<br />
{{s-aft|after=[[Luciana Lamorgese]]}}<br />
{{s-vac|last=Himself & [[Luigi Di Maio]]}}<br />
{{s-ttl|title=[[Deputy Prime Minister of Italy]]|years=2022–present|alongside=[[Antonio Tajani]]}}<br />
{{s-inc}}<br />
{{s-bef|before=[[Enrico Giovannini]]}}<br />
{{s-ttl|title=[[Italian Minister of Infrastructure and Transport|Minister of Infrastructure and Transport]]|years=2022–present}}<br />
{{s-inc}}<br />
{{s-end}}<br />
<br />
{{Matteo Salvini}}<br />
{{Deputy Prime Ministers of Italy}}<br />
{{Italian Ministers of the Interior}}<br />
{{Meloni Cabinet}}<br />
{{Conte I Cabinet}}<br />
{{Leaders of the North League}}<br />
{{Authority control}}<br />
<br />
{{DEFAULTSORT:Salvini, Matteo}}<br />
[[Category:Matteo Salvini| ]]<br />
[[Category:1973 births]]<br />
[[Category:Conservatism in Italy]]<br />
[[Category:Conte I Cabinet]]<br />
[[Category:Critics of Islamism]]<br />
[[Category:Deputies of Legislature XVI of Italy]]<br />
[[Category:Deputy prime ministers of Italy]]<br />
[[Category:Far-right politics in Italy]]<br />
[[Category:Italian anti-communists]]<br />
[[Category:Italian critics of Islam]]<br />
[[Category:Ministers of the interior of Italy]]<br />
[[Category:Italian political party founders]]<br />
[[Category:Italian Roman Catholics]]<br />
[[Category:Lega Nord MEPs]]<br />
[[Category:Living people]]<br />
[[Category:Meloni Cabinet]]<br />
[[Category:MEPs for Italy 2004–2009]]<br />
[[Category:MEPs for Italy 2009–2014]]<br />
[[Category:MEPs for Italy 2014–2019]]<br />
[[Category:Politicians from Milan]]<br />
[[Category:Senators of Legislature XVIII of Italy]]<br />
[[Category:Leaders of political parties in Italy]]</div>Boackandwhitehttps://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Protests_against_responses_to_the_COVID-19_pandemic&diff=1261743822Protests against responses to the COVID-19 pandemic2024-12-07T19:18:47Z<p>Boackandwhite: </p>
<hr />
<div>{{Short description|Protests against restrictions introduced in response to the COVID-19 pandemic}}<br />
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2021}}<br />
<br />
{{EngvarB|date=April 2021}}<br />
{{Infobox civil conflict<br />
| title = Protests against responses to the COVID-19 pandemic<br />
| side1 = [[WHO]]<br />
<br />
[[police]]<br />
<br />
[[Wikimedia]]<br />
| side2 = [[far right]]<br />
[[COVID-19 conspiracy theorists]]<br />
| leadfigures1 = [[Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus]]<br />
<br />
[[Zhang Jixian]]<br />
<br />
[[Li Wenliang]]<br />
| leadfigures2 = [[Category:COVID-19 misinformation{{!}}conspiracy theorists]]<br />
| arrests = 150+<ref>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Dt36h4jqdE</ref><br />
| partof = the [[COVID-19 pandemic]] and <br />
[[COVID-19 misinformation]] and [[COVID-19 misinformation by governments]]<br />
| image = Canadian COVID-19 protesters (cropped).jpg<br />
| caption = An anti-[[COVID-19 lockdowns|lockdown]] protest at [[Queen's Park (Toronto)|Queen's Park]] in [[Toronto]], Canada, on 25 April 2020<br />
| date = 15 March 2020<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.poder360.com.br/governo/bolsonaro-compartilha-video-de-manifestacoes-veja-fotos-de-militantes/|title=Bolsonaro compartilha vídeo de manifestações; veja fotos de militantes|date=15 March 2020|website=Poder360|access-date=27 November 2020|archive-date=4 December 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201204175449/https://www.poder360.com.br/governo/bolsonaro-compartilha-video-de-manifestacoes-veja-fotos-de-militantes/|url-status=live}}</ref> – 5 December 2022<ref>{{cite news |last1=Yu |first1=Verna |title=Chinese students protest as university locks down over one Covid case |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/dec/06/beijing-drops-some-covid-tests-as-capital-readies-itself-for-life-again |access-date=7 December 2022 |work=The Guardian |date=6 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221206141914/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/dec/06/beijing-drops-some-covid-tests-as-capital-readies-itself-for-life-again |archive-date=6 December 2022}}</ref><br />({{age in years, months, weeks and days|month1=3|day1=15|year1=2020|month2=12|day2=5|year2=2022}})<br />
| place = Worldwide<br />
| coordinates = <br />
| causes = Local struggles or opposition to government responses to the COVID-19 pandemic<br />
| goals = * Revocation of [[COVID-19 lockdowns]], [[mask mandate]]s, or [[vaccine mandates]]<br />
| methods = {{plainlist|<br />
* [[Mass protest]]s<br />
* [[Civil unrest]]<br />
* [[Riot]]s<br />
* [[Vandalism]]<br />
* [[Occupation (protest)|Occupations]]}}<br />
}}<br />
{{COVID-19 pandemic sidebar}}<br />
<br />
Protests, demonstrations and strikes occurred around the world against [[National responses to the COVID-19 pandemic|national responses]] to the [[COVID-19 pandemic]] by governmental bodies. Some were driven by the financial hardship resulting from government measures to contain the virus, including restrictions on travel and entertainment, hitting related industries and workers hard. Protests also occurred in opposition to restrictions on people's movements, compulsory wearing of [[Face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic|face masks]], [[COVID-19 lockdowns|lockdowns]], [[COVID-19 vaccination|vaccinations]] and other measures. Some protests were driven by [[COVID-19 misinformation]], [[conspiracy theories]], [[Far-right politics|far-right]] and other extremist groups and individuals.<br />
<br />
This article lists and summarizes such activities in various countries around the world.<br />
<br />
==Background==<br />
{{Globalize|section|US|Australia|Europe|date=September 2021}}<br />
<br />
===Reasons===<br />
{{see also|COVID-19 lockdowns|Social distancing measures related to the COVID-19 pandemic|Face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic|Mask refusal|COVID-19 misinformation|COVID-19 vaccine misinformation and hesitancy}}<br />
[[File:Antivax protest in Dublin 1.jpg|thumb|Protest against the [[COVID-19 vaccine]] in [[Dublin]], [[Republic of Ireland|Ireland]].]]<br />
In order to prevent the spread of the [[SARS-CoV2]] virus which gave rise to the COVID-19 pandemic from 2019, governments brought in health measures at varying levels of strictness to restrict the movement of people and transmission of the virus. In response to these restrictions, protests have been organised at a number of locations around the world,<ref>{{Cite web|last=Haddad|first=Mohammed|title=Mapping coronavirus anti-lockdown protests around the world|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/2/2/mapping-coronavirus-anti-lockdown-protests-around-the-world|access-date=2021-08-03|website=[[Al Jazeera English|Al Jazeera]]|language=en|archive-date=6 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210806180523/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/2/2/mapping-coronavirus-anti-lockdown-protests-around-the-world/|url-status=live}}</ref> and [[Strikes during the COVID-19 pandemic|strikes have also occurred]]. Some of the protests have criticised governments for not acting effectively enough in their responses to the pandemic, while others have been opposed to [[COVID-19#Prevention|preventative measures]] and called for their revocation. According to analysis as part of the [[Global Peace Index]], {{as of|lc=yes| July 2021}}, there had been around 50,000 protests linked to the pandemic worldwide, 5,000 of which were violent.<ref>{{cite news| last1=Newey| first1=Sarah| last2=Gulland| first2=Anne| last3=Smith| first3=Nicola| date=2021-07-25| title=Plague and protests: how Covid has sparked a wave of unrest around the world| language=en-GB| work=[[The Daily Telegraph|The Telegraph]]| url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/global-health/terror-and-security/plague-protests-pandemic-has-sparked-wave-unrest-around-world/| access-date=2021-08-03| issn=0307-1235| archive-date=3 August 2021| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210803151200/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/global-health/terror-and-security/plague-protests-pandemic-has-sparked-wave-unrest-around-world/| url-status=live}}</ref> [[COVID-19 lockdowns]] have inspired protests in many territories, and from late 2020 [[deployment of COVID-19 vaccines]] also inspired protests.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Thousands Around Globe Protest COVID-19 Shots, Lockdowns {{!}} Voice of America - English|url=https://www.voanews.com/covid-19-pandemic/thousands-around-globe-protest-covid-19-shots-lockdowns|access-date=2021-08-03|website=www.voanews.com|date=24 July 2021 |language=en|archive-date=3 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210803151201/https://www.voanews.com/covid-19-pandemic/thousands-around-globe-protest-covid-19-shots-lockdowns|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Analysis {{!}} The pandemic leads to another summer of anger|language=en-US|newspaper=[[Washington Post]]|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2021/07/30/pandemic-leads-another-summer-anger/|access-date=2021-08-03|issn=0190-8286|archive-date=30 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210730070551/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2021/07/30/pandemic-leads-another-summer-anger/|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
The protests have varied in scale, motivations and type, with protesters drawn from a fairly wide range of backgrounds and inspired by a range of reasons. One of the main drivers has been the economic distress brought about by businesses having to close for long periods, leading to widespread unemployment, especially of casual workers in the hospitality industry. Uncertainty about the future and the feeling of lack of control has led to a predilection for believing in [[conspiracy theories]] (such as that COVID-19 is a hoax and that governments have deliberately created the crisis), [[anti-vaxxer]] beliefs, including that [[COVID-19 vaccination]]s and restriction of citizens' movements are part of a government plot to control people, [[Bill Gates]] is behind implanting [[microchip]]s into people via vaccinations.<ref name=ajfeb2021>{{cite web | last=Melimopoulos | first=Elizabeth | title=What's driving the COVID lockdown protests? | website=[[Al Jazeera English|Al Jazeera]] | date=7 February 2021 | url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/2/7/protests-over-new-covid-19-measures-whats-behind-them | access-date=28 August 2021 | archive-date=28 August 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210828004101/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/2/7/protests-over-new-covid-19-measures-whats-behind-them | url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | last=Dearden | first=Lizzie | title=Inside the UK's biggest anti-lockdown protest | website=The Independent | date=16 May 2020 | url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/coronavirus-lockdown-protests-uk-london-hyde-park-5g-conspiracy-theories-a9518506.html | access-date=28 August 2021 | archive-date=23 August 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210823110551/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/coronavirus-lockdown-protests-uk-london-hyde-park-5g-conspiracy-theories-a9518506.html | url-status=live }}</ref> The spread of [[COVID-19 misinformation]] has been a driving factor in some country's protest movements, with some organisers making money out of the protests.<ref>{{Cite web|title=How COVID-conspiracists and anti-vaxxers are getting organised and making money|url=https://news.sky.com/story/how-covid-conspiracists-and-anti-vaxxers-are-getting-organised-and-making-money-12206707|access-date=2021-08-03|website=[[Sky News]]|language=en|archive-date=27 February 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210227193203/https://news.sky.com/story/how-covid-conspiracists-and-anti-vaxxers-are-getting-organised-and-making-money-12206707|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
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===Players===<br />
In the US, [[Donald Trump]] spread some potentially misleading information,<ref name=ajfeb2021/> and the [[Proud Boys]], American [[religious fundamentalist]]s and [[American militia movement#Active militia groups|various militia groups]] as well as [[Black Lives Matter of Greater New York]], have been active in protests;<ref>{{cite web | last=Wilson | first=Jason | title=The rightwing groups behind wave of protests against Covid-19 restrictions | website=[[The Guardian]] | date=17 April 2020 | url=http://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/17/far-right-coronavirus-protests-restrictions | access-date=28 August 2021 | archive-date=19 August 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210819134948/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/17/far-right-coronavirus-protests-restrictions | url-status=live }}</ref> across Europe, the extreme right has been active;<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.orfonline.org/expert-speak/fringe-mainstream-extreme-rightwing-europe-68848/| title=From fringe to mainstream: The extreme rightwing in Europe| first1=Kyler| last1=Ong| first2=Raffaello| last2=Pantucci| newspaper=Orf| access-date=28 August 2021| archive-date=28 August 2021| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210828012516/https://www.orfonline.org/expert-speak/fringe-mainstream-extreme-rightwing-europe-68848/| url-status=live}}</ref> in the UK, far-right [[hate group]]s have been involved in spreading misinformation, [[scapegoat]]ing minority groups and trying to organise lockdowns,<ref>{{cite report| title=COVID-19: How hateful extremists are exploiting the pandemic| url=https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/906724/CCE_Briefing_Note_001.pdf| author=[[Commission for Encountering Extremism]]| date=July 2020| publisher=UK Government| access-date=28 August 2021| archive-date=16 March 2021| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210316081503/https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/906724/CCE_Briefing_Note_001.pdf| url-status=live}}</ref> while former politicians such as [[Martin Daubney]] and journalists such as [[Julia Hartley-Brewer]] have either supported or joined protests;<ref>{{cite web | last=Loucaides | first=Darren | title=Inside the U.K.'s anti-lockdown media machine | website=Coda Story | date=9 August 2021 | url=https://www.codastory.com/disinformation/uk-anti-lockdown-media/ | access-date=28 August 2021 | archive-date=14 August 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210814221957/https://www.codastory.com/disinformation/uk-anti-lockdown-media/ | url-status=live }}</ref> in Australia, the Proud Boys,<ref>{{cite web | last=McGowan | first=Michael | title=Where 'freedom' meets the far right: the hate messages infiltrating Australian anti-lockdown protests | website=[[The Guardian]] | date=25 March 2021 | url=http://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/mar/26/where-freedom-meets-the-far-right-the-hate-messages-infiltrating-australian-anti-lockdown-protests | access-date=28 August 2021 | archive-date=24 August 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210824060353/https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/mar/26/where-freedom-meets-the-far-right-the-hate-messages-infiltrating-australian-anti-lockdown-protests | url-status=live }}</ref> the neo-Nazi [[National Socialist Network]]<ref name=ndaug2021>{{cite web | title=How neo-Nazis use anti-lockdown protests to recruit new members | first=Cait | last=Kelly | website=[[The New Daily]] | date=25 August 2021 | url=https://thenewdaily.com.au/news/national/2021/08/26/neo-nazi-anti-lockdown-recruit/ | access-date=28 August 2021 | archive-date=26 August 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210826175828/https://thenewdaily.com.au/news/national/2021/08/26/neo-nazi-anti-lockdown-recruit/ | url-status=live }}</ref> and a few politicians have become involved in spreading misinformation and stirring discontent.<ref>{{cite web | last=Bongiorno | author-link=Frank Bongiorno | first=Frank | title=Right out there: how the pandemic has given rise to extreme views and fractured conservative politics | website=[[The Conversation (website)|The Conversation]] | date=15 August 2021 | url=http://theconversation.com/right-out-there-how-the-pandemic-has-given-rise-to-extreme-views-and-fractured-conservative-politics-165448 | access-date=28 August 2021 | archive-date=27 August 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210827112241/https://theconversation.com/right-out-there-how-the-pandemic-has-given-rise-to-extreme-views-and-fractured-conservative-politics-165448 | url-status=live }}</ref><br />
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===Organisers and methods===<br />
<br />
The [[Telegram (software)|Telegram]] and [[Instagram]] apps are popular means for spreading messages about planned protests,<ref name=knaus2021/> and some events are also posted on [[Facebook]].<ref name=fbrally>{{cite web | title=World Wide Rally for Freedom, Peace & Human Rights III | website=Facebook | date=23 July 2021 | url=https://m.facebook.com/events/791497214885030 | access-date=31 August 2021 | archive-date=22 December 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211222175659/https://m.facebook.com/login.php?next=https%3A%2F%2Fm.facebook.com%2Fevents%2F791497214885030&refsrc=deprecated&_rdr | url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
{{anchor|wwrf}}<!---Worldwide Rally for Freedom, Free Citizens of Kassel, etc. target this anchor.---><br />
A German group called Worldwide Demonstration, operated out of the city of [[Kassel]] by individuals self-described as "Freie Bürger Kassel" (Free Citizens of Kassel),<ref name=knaus2021>{{cite web | last=Knaus | first=Christopher | title=Who's behind Australia's anti-lockdown protests? The German conspiracy group driving marches | website=the Guardian | date=27 July 2021 | url=http://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/jul/27/who-behind-australia-anti-covid-lockdown-protest-march-rallies-sydney-melbourne-far-right-and-german-conspiracy-groups-driving-protests | access-date=30 August 2021 | archive-date=30 August 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210830032414/https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/jul/27/who-behind-australia-anti-covid-lockdown-protest-march-rallies-sydney-melbourne-far-right-and-german-conspiracy-groups-driving-protests | url-status=live }}</ref> coordinated a series of 129 events around the world in March 2021, each one dubbed "World Wide Rally for Freedom", using the [[hashtag]] "#WewillALLbethere". Misinformation, [[QAnon]] beliefs, [[antisemitism]] and COVID-19 denial were prevalent in the groups' chats.<ref name=logically>{{cite web | last1=Backovic | first1=Nick | last2=Wildon | first2=Jordan | last3=Ondrak | first3=Joe | title=Exclusive: Worldwide Anti-Lockdown Protests Organized by German Cell | website=[[Logically (company)|Logically]] | date=14 May 2021 | url=https://www.logically.ai/articles/anti-lockdown-protests-organized-by-german-cell | access-date=30 August 2021 | archive-date=30 August 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210830032414/https://www.logically.ai/articles/anti-lockdown-protests-organized-by-german-cell | url-status=live }}</ref><br />
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== Africa ==<br />
=== Ivory Coast ===<br />
Protesters destroyed a coronavirus testing centre that was being built in [[Abidjan]], which they said was in a crowded residential area too close to their homes.<ref>{{cite news|date=6 April 2020|title=Coronavirus: Ivory Coast protesters target testing centre|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-52189144|access-date=3 May 2020|archive-date=1 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200501142544/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-52189144|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Kenya ===<br />
The Kenyan government has been accused of extreme measures, with protesters accusing the [[Kenya Police|Kenyan Police]] of killing at least six people within the first 10 days of the lockdown. Others protested against the forced quarantine of individuals failing to comply with regulations or returning home from abroad, claiming that they had been quarantined for longer than 14 days and made to pay the government for their care.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Kenyans held for weeks in quarantine were then told to pay to get out|url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/coronavirus/ct-nw-nyt-kenya-quarantine-centers-20200508-sguy6zocxvbnvpbrccilweiu6m-story.html|last=Dahir|first=Abdi Latif|date=8 May 2020|website=baltimoresun.com|access-date=9 May 2020|archive-date=13 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200513222022/https://www.baltimoresun.com/coronavirus/ct-nw-nyt-kenya-quarantine-centers-20200508-sguy6zocxvbnvpbrccilweiu6m-story.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Hundreds protested on 8 May 2020 when the government destroyed 7,000 homes and a market in [[Kariobangi]] in an effort to control the virus.<ref>{{cite web |title=Kenyans protest house demolitions amid virus restrictions |url=https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/kenyans-protest-house-demolitions-amid-virus-restrictions-70575939 |website=ABC News |access-date=9 May 2020 |language=en |archive-date=9 May 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200509001511/https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/kenyans-protest-house-demolitions-amid-virus-restrictions-70575939 |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
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=== Malawi ===<br />
A [[Malawi]] high court temporarily barred the government from implementing a 21-day lockdown after it was challenged by the Human Rights Defenders Coalition, after it was argued that more consultation was needed to prevent harm to the poorest and most vulnerable. Small protests had been staged prior to the ruling, in at least three major cities with some protesters stating it was better to contract the virus than die of hunger due to lack of work.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Malawi high court blocks coronavirus lockdown|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/04/malawi-high-court-blocks-coronavirus-lockdown-200417184430403.html|date=17 April 2020|website=www.aljazeera.com|access-date=9 May 2020|archive-date=8 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200508151024/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/04/malawi-high-court-blocks-coronavirus-lockdown-200417184430403.html|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
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=== Nigeria ===<br />
A group of at least twenty coronavirus patients forced their way out of an isolation facility to protest against alleged improper care and the government's actions which they believed to worsen their conditions.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Nigeria: COVID-19 patients protest over 'ill treatment'|url=https://www.aa.com.tr/en/africa/nigeria-covid-19-patients-protest-over-ill-treatment/1830966|date=6 May 2020|website=www.aa.com.tr|access-date=9 May 2020|archive-date=10 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200510190944/https://www.aa.com.tr/en/africa/nigeria-covid-19-patients-protest-over-ill-treatment/1830966|url-status=live}}</ref> Workers at a construction site rioted against lockdown measures that limited their ability to work on constructing an [[oil refinery]] for billionaire [[Aliko Dangote]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Nigerian workers riot over Covid-19 lockdown {{!}} New Straits Times|url=https://www.nst.com.my/world/world/2020/04/588042/nigerian-workers-riot-over-covid-19-lockdown|date=27 April 2020|website=NST Online|language=en|access-date=9 May 2020|archive-date=8 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200508213859/https://www.nst.com.my/world/world/2020/04/588042/nigerian-workers-riot-over-covid-19-lockdown|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
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=== Rwanda ===<br />
Refugees that had been relocated to the country from an overcrowded refugee camp in [[Libya]], protested against the lockdown from the refugee camp in the capital [[Kigali]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Refugees Protest Under Coronavirus Lockdown in Rwanda {{!}} Voice of America - English|url=https://www.voanews.com/covid-19-pandemic/refugees-protest-under-coronavirus-lockdown-rwanda|date=17 April 2020|website=www.voanews.com|language=en|access-date=9 May 2020|archive-date=3 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200503130323/https://www.voanews.com/covid-19-pandemic/refugees-protest-under-coronavirus-lockdown-rwanda|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
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=== South Africa ===<br />
Many residents protested against the policy that food parcel aid would only be going to households that earn below R3600, and demanded action from the South African Social Security Agency.<ref>{{Cite web|title="We are still waiting" – protesting under lockdown in South Africa|url=https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/beyond-trafficking-and-slavery/we-are-still-waiting-protesting-under-lockdown-in-south-africa/|last=Anciano|first=Fiona|date=24 April 2020|website=openDemocracy|language=en|access-date=9 May 2020|archive-date=9 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200509221138/https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/beyond-trafficking-and-slavery/we-are-still-waiting-protesting-under-lockdown-in-south-africa/|url-status=live}}</ref> Surfers have also protested to be allowed to surf during the lockdown, that allows exercise but not water activities.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Anti-lockdown protests around the world|url=https://www.reuters.com/news/picture/anti-lockdown-protests-around-the-world-idUSRTX7H61S|date=5 May 2020|website=www.reuters.com|access-date=9 May 2020|archive-date=8 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200508144737/https://www.reuters.com/news/picture/anti-lockdown-protests-around-the-world-idUSRTX7H61S|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
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=== Zimbabwe ===<br />
Three young, female opposition activists were reported missing following a protest in [[Harare]], Zimbabwe, over COVID-19 lockdown measures on 15 May 2020. They were later treated at a hospital after asserting they had been abducted and sexually abused by suspected state security agents.<ref>{{cite web |title=Zimbabwe police accused of assaulting young female activists |url=https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/zimbabwe-police-accused-assaulting-young-female-activists-70701508 |website=ABC News |access-date=5 June 2020 |language=en |archive-date=5 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200605190822/https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/zimbabwe-police-accused-assaulting-young-female-activists-70701508 |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
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== Asia ==<br />
<br />
=== China (mainland) ===<br />
{{Main|2022 COVID-19 protests in China}}<br />
[[File:西南交通大学学生悼念乌鲁木齐火灾逝者 10.jpg|alt=Students at Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu, holding a candlelight vigil for victims of the fire. The candles are arranged in a heart shape. The faces of students are blurred to protect anonymity.|thumb|Students at [[Southwest Jiaotong University]], [[Chengdu]], holding a candlelight vigil for victims of the [[2022 Ürümqi fire|fire in Ürümqi]].]]<br />
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Small shop owners protested the continuation of rent charges outside of the Grand Ocean Department Store in Wuhan, chanting "Exempt rental for a year, or refund the lease". Videos from the demonstration were posted in the social media platform [[Sina Weibo]] but quickly censored.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international/world-news/wuhan-rent-protest-shows-unrest-brewing-in-china-after-lockdown/articleshow/75080074.cms?from=mdr |title=covid 19: Wuhan rent protest shows unrest brewing in China after lockdown - The Economic Times |publisher=Economictimes.indiatimes.com |access-date=30 April 2020 |archive-date=10 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200910133541/https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international/world-news/wuhan-rent-protest-shows-unrest-brewing-in-china-after-lockdown/articleshow/75080074.cms?from=mdr |url-status=live }}</ref> A woman was arrested and facing criminal charges after attempting to rally about 100 people to protest the poor management and overpriced provisions during the lockdown. She was charged with "[[picking quarrels and provoking trouble]]", an offense normally used to detain dissidents and social activists.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Chinese woman charged with organising protests during coronavirus lockdown|url=https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3080590/coronavirus-lockdown-woman-charged-organising-protests-against|last=Huang|first=Kristin|date=19 April 2020|website=South China Morning Post|language=en|access-date=1 May 2020|archive-date=2 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200502204312/https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3080590/coronavirus-lockdown-woman-charged-organising-protests-against|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
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In 2022, public protests and marches began in cities such as [[Ürümqi]] and [[Guangzhou]] in response to the continued zero-COVID policy of the [[Government of China|Chinese government]] under [[Xi Jinping Administration]].<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Chien |first1=Amy Chang |last2=Che |first2=Chang |last3=Liu |first3=John |last4=Mozur |first4=Paul |date=2022-11-25 |title=In a challenge to Beijing, unrest over COVID lockdowns spreads |url=https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2022/11/25/asia-pacific/china-covid-lockdown-unrest/ |access-date=2022-11-27 |website=The Japan Times |language=en-US}}</ref> In Shanghai, some protesters among hundreds had chanted "Step down, [[Xi Jinping]]! Step down, [[Chinese Communist Party|Communist Party]]!"<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-11-27 |title=Protests erupt across China in unprecedented challenge to Xi Jinping's zero-Covid policy |url=https://www.cnn.com/2022/11/26/china/china-protests-xinjiang-fire-shanghai-intl-hnk/index.html |access-date=2022-11-27 |website=[[CNN]] |language=en}}</ref><br />
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=== Hong Kong ===<br />
[[File:Protest against Designated Clinics in TSW North 20200215.png|thumb|Protest against plans to set up designated coronavirus clinics near residential areas in [[Hong Kong]] on 15 February 2020]]<br />
{{Main|2019–20 Hong Kong protests#COVID-19 crisis}}<br />
Pro-democratic movement's tactics were repurposed to pressure the government to take stronger actions to safeguard Hong Kong's [[public health]] in the face of the [[2020 coronavirus outbreak in Hong Kong|coronavirus outbreak in Hong Kong]]. Protesters demanded all travellers coming from China be banned from entering Hong Kong. From 3 to 7 February 2020, hospital staff launched a labour strike with the same goal. The strike was not successful as [[Carrie Lam]] rejected a full border closure.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://hongkongfp.com/2020/10/14/covid-19-hong-kong-hospital-authority-demands-answers-from-radiologists-after-unit-head-refuses-name-medics-who-went-on-strike/|title=Covid-19: Hong Kong Hospital Authority demands answers from radiologists after unit head refuses to name medics who went on strike|first=Kelly|last=Ho|work=[[Hong Kong Free Press]]|date=2020-10-14|access-date=2021-11-06|archive-date=6 September 2021|archive-url=https://archive.today/20210906153555/https://hongkongfp.com/2020/10/14/covid-19-hong-kong-hospital-authority-demands-answers-from-radiologists-after-unit-head-refuses-name-medics-who-went-on-strike/|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
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People responded negatively to the government's attempt to set up quarantine and clinical centres in neighbourhoods close to residents and marched to express their discontent or blocked roads to thwart the government's plans across the territory.{{citation needed|date=August 2021}}<br />
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=== India ===<br />
{{see also|Indian migrant workers during the COVID-19 pandemic}}<br />
After the televised announcement by Prime Minister [[Narendra Modi]] that the lockdown was to be extended until at least 3 May, police used batons to disperse protesting migrant workers in [[Mumbai]]. Thousands of jobless migrant workers had gathered at railway stations and were demanding to be allowed to break the lockdown to return home.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-southasia-idUSKCN21W0HI|title=India extends world's biggest lockdown, ignites protest by migrant workers|newspaper=Reuters|date=14 April 2020|via=reuters.com|last1=Jain|first1=Sanjeev Miglani|access-date=27 April 2020|archive-date=26 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200426093055/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-southasia-idUSKCN21W0HI|url-status=live}}</ref> Similar protests were seen in other parts of the country by the workers, and those who claimed that they received no aid which was promised by the government to provide them with during the lockdown period.<br />
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In the state of [[Meghalaya]] anti mandatory vaccination protesters organised a rally in the capital city Shillong against the alleged mandatory inoculation drive by the state government.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Amid rising Covid cases, anti-vaccine protesters rally in Meghalaya |url=http://www.dtnext.in/amp/News/National/2022/01/23082638/1340071/Amid-rising-Covid-cases-antivaccine-protesters-rally-.vpf |access-date=2022-03-24 |website=dtNext.in |language=ta}}{{dead link|date=November 2022|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref><br />
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In State of Maharashtra similar anti mandatory mask and anti mandatory mask protest were held.<ref>{{Citation |title=Worldwide Demonstration: People protest against mandatory vaccinations, lockdowns |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9V83n4_VIAI |language=en |access-date=2022-04-17}}</ref><br />
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Several legal cases were filed in multiple [[high courts of India]] and the Supreme Court of India against mandatory masking and vaccinations.<ref>{{Cite news |agency=Press Trust of India |date=2022-03-02 |title='Unfortunate': HC on mandatory vaccine for Maharashtra public transport |work=Business Standard India |url=https://www.business-standard.com/article/current-affairs/unfortunate-hc-on-mandatory-vaccine-for-maharashtra-public-transport-122030200974_1.html |access-date=2022-04-17}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Roy |first=Debayan |title=[COVID-19] Supreme Court reserves verdict in plea challenging coercive vaccination |url=https://www.barandbench.com/news/covid-19-supreme-court-reserves-verdict-in-plea-against-coercive-vaccination |access-date=2022-04-17 |website=Bar and Bench - Indian Legal news |date=22 March 2022 |language=en}}</ref><br />
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=== Indonesia ===<br />
{{Main|Indonesia omnibus law protests}}<br />
[[File:Indonesia omnibus law protests Okt 2020 in Padang.jpg|thumb|Protest in [[Padang]] on 7 October 2020]]<br />
On 5 October 2020, Indonesia has passed a [[Omnibus Law on Job Creation|law on job creation]] that will weaken environmental protections and workers’ rights in an attempt to boost the economy hit hard by the [[COVID-19 pandemic|Wuhan pneumonia pandemic]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/world/breakingnews/3313101|title=國會通過爭議性法案 印尼各地發起罷工示威|work=Liberty Times|date=6 October 2020|access-date=6 October 2020|language=zh-tw|archive-date=9 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201009193945/https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/world/breakingnews/3313101|url-status=live}}</ref> On 6 October, thousands of Indonesians protest in industrial areas around Jakarta including Tangerang and Karawang and on [[Batam]]. A three-day national strike was started which unions expected to involve two million workers in protest against the law.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-indonesia-economy-law/thousands-of-indonesians-protest-against-passage-of-jobs-bill-idUSKBN26R0ZG|title=Thousands of Indonesians protest against passage of jobs bill|work=Reuters|date=6 October 2020|access-date=6 October 2020|archive-date=6 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201006164032/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-indonesia-economy-law/thousands-of-indonesians-protest-against-passage-of-jobs-bill-idUSKBN26R0ZG|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
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Demonstrations in Bandung and Jakarta were held on 22 July and 24 July respectively in order to protest the extension of the government's "social activities restriction" (PPKM/CARE) measures.<ref>{{cite AV media |date=24 July 2021 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSLqONzbUmU |title=BERITA TERBARU ~DEMO PPKM DI JAKARTA~BERITA VIRAL HARI INI |publisher=KABAR MILITER |via=[[YouTube]] |access-date=7 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210724074608/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSLqONzbUmU |archive-date=24 July 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite AV media |date=21 July 2021 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jfSIwIX2zHY |title=Dinilai Merugikan, Warga Bandung Berunjuk Rasa Tolak PPKM Darurat {{!}} Fokus |publisher=[[Indosiar]] |via=[[YouTube]] |access-date=7 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210725025445/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jfSIwIX2zHY |archive-date=25 July 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite AV media |date=21 July 2021 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3gYGWz13weU |title=Demo Tolak PPKM Darurat Berakhir Ricuh |publisher=[[CNN Indonesia]] |via=[[YouTube]] |access-date=7 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210725235748/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3gYGWz13weU |archive-date=25 July 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite AV media |date=23 July 2021 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPP4PpT6Pnw |title=Demo Mahasiswa Tolak Kebijakan PPKM Darurat di Flyover Pasar Rebo Berujung Ricuh |publisher=KOMPASTV |via=[[YouTube]] |access-date=7 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210724074614/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPP4PpT6Pnw |archive-date=24 July 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite AV media |date=24 July 2021 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mqzlX1oLNNI |title=Demo Tolak PPKM hari ini dijakarta pusat |publisher=Echa mahkota |via=[[YouTube]] |access-date=7 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210725234934/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mqzlX1oLNNI |archive-date=25 July 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref>{{excessive citations inline|date=August 2021}}<br />
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=== Israel ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 protests in Israel}}<br />
In April 2020, thousands of Israelis engaged in [[social distancing]] while gathering to protest against the perceived anti-democratic measures in the country by Prime Minister [[Benjamin Netanyahu]]. Many were involved in the Black Flag movement which had been allowed to protest by police if they stood six feet apart and all wore masks. An earlier protest had seen the protesters drive to [[Jerusalem]] to protest anti-democratic measures.<ref>{{cite web |last=Rosner |first=Elizabeth |url=https://nypost.com/2020/04/20/israelis-practice-social-distancing-at-tel-aviv-protest/ |title=Israelis maintain social distancing while protesting Netanyahu |date=20 April 2020 |publisher=Nypost.com |access-date=27 April 2020 |archive-date=24 April 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200424070815/https://nypost.com/2020/04/20/israelis-practice-social-distancing-at-tel-aviv-protest/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Other demonstrations have been seen in the ultra-[[Orthodox Judaism|Orthodox]] Jerusalem neighborhood of [[Mea Shearim]] with men and youths throwing rocks at police before being arrested.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Police clash with stone-throwing Haredi protesters in Jerusalem, 5 arrested|url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/police-clash-with-stone-throwing-haredi-protesters-in-jerusalem-5-arrested/|date=20 April 2020|website=www.timesofisrael.com|language=en-US|access-date=1 May 2020|archive-date=26 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200426143227/https://www.timesofisrael.com/police-clash-with-stone-throwing-haredi-protesters-in-jerusalem-5-arrested/|url-status=live}}</ref> Riots broke out in [[Bnei Brak]] with crowds vandalizing property and throwing rocks against police attempts to clear [[yeshiva]] classes and religious gatherings being held in violation of lockdown rules.<ref>{{Cite news|last1=Hendrix|first1=Steve|last2=Rubin|first2=Shira|date=26 January 2021|title=Violence erupts in Israel's ultra-Orthodox neighborhoods over coronavirus restrictions|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/ultra-orthodox-israel-police-covid/2021/01/25/2438e840-5ee3-11eb-a177-7765f29a9524_story.html|access-date=28 January 2021|newspaper=The Washington Post|archive-date=28 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210128111056/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/ultra-orthodox-israel-police-covid/2021/01/25/2438e840-5ee3-11eb-a177-7765f29a9524_story.html|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
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=== Iraq ===<br />
Protests against the lockdown have been coupled with the [[2019–2020 Iraqi protests|ongoing protests]] against the current government and female-targeting violence within the country.<ref>{{Cite web|title=The Iraq Report: Protest movement revives as coronavirus lockdown eased|url=https://english.alaraby.co.uk/english/indepth/2020/5/1/the-iraq-report-protest-movement-revives-as-lockdown-eased|website=alaraby|date=May 2020|language=en|access-date=1 May 2020|archive-date=4 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200504011957/https://english.alaraby.co.uk/english/indepth/2020/5/1/the-iraq-report-protest-movement-revives-as-lockdown-eased|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="WPProtests">{{cite web |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/coronavirus-protests-lebanon-india-iraq/2020/04/19/1581dde4-7e5f-11ea-84c2-0792d8591911_story.html |title=Coronavirus lockdowns prompt protests in India, Lebanon, Iraq |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=19 April 2020 |access-date=27 April 2020 |archive-date=25 April 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200425064157/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/coronavirus-protests-lebanon-india-iraq/2020/04/19/1581dde4-7e5f-11ea-84c2-0792d8591911_story.html |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
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=== Kazakhstan ===<br />
Following announcement of quarantine measures, videos of hospital staff in [[Atyrau]] protesting against new rules were spread on social media in April 2020, resulting in reporting journalists being detained.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-04-16|title=Казахстан: митинг в белых халатах|url=https://belsat.eu/ru/programs/kazahstan-miting-v-belyh-halatah/|url-status=live|access-date=2021-07-26|website=belsat.eu|language=ru|archive-date=27 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210727010145/https://belsat.eu/ru/programs/kazahstan-miting-v-belyh-halatah/}}</ref><br />
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On 25 January 2021, a demonstration was held in city of [[Kokshetau]] where citizens expressed discontent with concept of compulsory vaccination against COVID-19 in which the deputy [[akim]] met with the crowd and assured them that decision whether to be vaccinated would be based on each individual's personal choice.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-01-25|title=Несколько десятков человек собрались на площади в Кокшетау|url=https://www.nur.kz/society/1895472-neskolko-desatkov-celovek-sobralis-na-plosadi-v-koksetau-foto/?|url-status=live|access-date=2021-07-27|website=www.nur.kz|language=ru|archive-date=27 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210727010148/https://www.nur.kz/society/1895472-neskolko-desatkov-celovek-sobralis-na-plosadi-v-koksetau-foto/}}</ref> in result of the government's [[COVID-19 vaccine]] mandate for all in-person employees, protests took place on 6 July 2021 in Kazakhstan where citizens demanded to stop the fines for businesspeople who refused to mandate for workers as well free [[COVID-19 testing|PCR testing]] for the unvaccinated.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Говоров|first=Георгий|date=2021-07-06|title=НГ: "Принудительной вакцинации нет" - аким Костаная встретился с участниками акции протеста|url=https://www.ng.kz/modules/news/article.php?storyid=42453#893571|url-status=live|access-date=2021-07-27|website=www.ng.kz|archive-date=27 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210727014138/https://www.ng.kz/modules/news/article.php?storyid=42453#893571}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-07-01|title=В Казахстане вводится режим обязательной вакцинации|url=https://inbusiness.kz/ru/news/v-kazahstane-vvoditsya-rezhim-obyazatelnoj-vakcinacii|url-status=live|access-date=2021-07-27|website=inbusiness.kz|language=ru|archive-date=27 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210727010147/https://inbusiness.kz/ru/news/v-kazahstane-vvoditsya-rezhim-obyazatelnoj-vakcinacii}}</ref> In [[Oral, Kazakhstan|Oral]], instructions were given out to crowd in avoiding the inoculation.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Левина|first=Мария|date=2021-07-06|title=В Уральске и Костанае прошли митинги против обязательной вакцинации|url=https://vlast.kz/novosti/45733-v-uralske-i-kostanae-prosli-mitingi-protiv-obazatelnoj-vakcinacii.html|url-status=live|access-date=2021-07-27|website=vlast.kz|language=ru|archive-date=27 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210727010148/https://vlast.kz/novosti/45733-v-uralske-i-kostanae-prosli-mitingi-protiv-obazatelnoj-vakcinacii.html}}</ref> Reports of detentions of people by the police occurred in [[Almaty]] and [[Aktobe]] that day.<ref>{{Cite news|date=2021-07-06|title=Несколько человек задержаны в Алматы и Актобе на месте анонсированных Аблязовым акций|url=https://rus.azattyq.org/a/31343878.html|url-status=live|access-date=2021-07-27|website=Радио Азаттык|language=ru|archive-date=27 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210727010146/https://rus.azattyq.org/a/31343878.html}}</ref> On 17 July, demonstrations occurred throughout the cities, where in [[Pavlodar]] hundred people gathered at the central square which was dispersed by security forces with detainees being pushed into police vans and some managing to flee the area.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-07-19|title=Митинги против обязательной вакцинации прошли в нескольких городах Казахстана|url=https://ust-kamenogorsk.city/novosti-kazakhstana/11695/|url-status=live|access-date=2021-07-27|website=ust-kamenogorsk.city|archive-date=27 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210727010147/https://ust-kamenogorsk.city/novosti-kazakhstana/11695/}}</ref> After the Kazakh government decided to raise fuel prices in the middle of the pandemic, many Kazakhs carried out [[2022 Kazakh unrest|the bloodiest riots since the collapse of the Soviet Union]].<br />
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=== Lebanon ===<br />
{{See also|2019–2021 Lebanese protests}}<br />
Many protesters argued for monetary relief from the countries slumping economy after weeks of the lockdown.<ref name="WPProtests"/> At least one demonstrator died after soldiers used tear gas, batons, and live bullets to disperse a protesters in [[Tripoli, Lebanon|Tripoli]] who were throwing [[molotov cocktail]]s.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Osseiran|first1=Nazih|last2=Nissenbaum|first2=Dion|date=28 April 2020|title=Protesters in Lebanon Demand Economic Relief as Coronavirus Lockdown Eases|language=en-US|work=[[The Wall Street Journal]]|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/protesters-in-lebanon-demand-economic-relief-as-coronavirus-lockdown-eases-11588096707|access-date=1 May 2020|issn=0099-9660|archive-date=30 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200430221558/https://www.wsj.com/articles/protesters-in-lebanon-demand-economic-relief-as-coronavirus-lockdown-eases-11588096707|url-status=live}}</ref> Protesters also congregated in [[Beirut]] outside the central bank and threw rocks at the building, and took over major roads as they claimed there wasn't enough done to protect the economy and those that would suffer the most economically.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Hatoum|first1=Bassam|last2=Hussein|first2=Bilal|date=29 April 2020|title=Lockdown lifts in Lebanon, protests erupt over economic crises|work=[[The Christian Science Monitor]]|url=https://www.csmonitor.com/World/Middle-East/2020/0429/Lockdown-lifts-in-Lebanon-protests-erupt-over-economic-crises|access-date=1 May 2020|issn=0882-7729|archive-date=1 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200501054440/https://www.csmonitor.com/World/Middle-East/2020/0429/Lockdown-lifts-in-Lebanon-protests-erupt-over-economic-crises|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
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=== Malaysia ===<br />
<br />
On 31 July 2021, hundreds of protesters attempted to gather in [[Merdeka Square, Kuala Lumpur]], calling for the resignation of Prime Minister [[Muhyiddin Yassin]] over his and the Malaysian government's handling of the [[COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia|COVID-19 pandemic]].<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|title=Hundreds take to Kuala Lumpur's streets in anti-gov't protest|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/7/31/hundreds-take-to-streets-in-anti-government-protest-in-malaysia|access-date=2021-08-01|website=www.aljazeera.com|language=en|archive-date=1 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210801172936/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/7/31/hundreds-take-to-streets-in-anti-government-protest-in-malaysia|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite web|website=Deutsche Welle|title=Malaysian protesters demand PM Muhyiddin's resignation=|date=2021-07-31|url=https://www.dw.com/en/malaysian-protesters-demand-pm-muhyiddins-resignation/a-58713654|access-date=2021-08-01|language=en-GB|archive-date=1 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210801172936/https://www.dw.com/en/malaysian-protesters-demand-pm-muhyiddins-resignation/a-58713654|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Ramlan|first=Alyaa Alhadjri & Vivian Yap, Yasmin|date=2021-07-31|title=Hundreds of #Lawan protesters in KL demand PM's resignation|url=https://www.malaysiakini.com/news/585291|access-date=2021-08-01|website=Malaysiakini|language=en|archive-date=1 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210801172003/https://www.malaysiakini.com/news/585291|url-status=live}}</ref> The protests took place despite [[Malaysian movement control order|Movement Control Order (MCO)]] restrictions being in place, and Malaysian police blocking access to Merdeka Square itself.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Solhi|first=Farah|date=2021-07-31|title=#Lawan rally ends as protesters fail to get inside Dataran Merdeka {{!}} New Straits Times|url=https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2021/07/713474/lawan-rally-ends-protesters-fail-get-inside-dataran-merdeka|access-date=2021-08-01|website=NST Online|language=en|archive-date=1 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210801172004/https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2021/07/713474/lawan-rally-ends-protesters-fail-get-inside-dataran-merdeka|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Solhi|first=Farah|date=2021-07-31|title=#Lawan rally goes on despite police warning, risk of spreading Covid-19 [NSTTV] {{!}} New Straits Times|url=https://www.nst.com.my/news/crime-courts/2021/07/713455/lawan-rally-goes-despite-police-warning-risk-spreading-covid-19|access-date=2021-08-01|website=NST Online|language=en|archive-date=1 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210801173504/https://www.nst.com.my/news/crime-courts/2021/07/713455/lawan-rally-goes-despite-police-warning-risk-spreading-covid-19|url-status=live}}</ref> The anti-government protests took place following a [[2021 Malaysian state of emergency|state of emergency]] declaration, where parliament and elections were suspended, and amid an [[2020–21 Malaysian political crisis|ongoing political crisis]].<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2" /> On 2 August, including former Prime Minister [[Mahathir Mohamad]], opposition MPs held a protest in Merdeka Square after being blocked from entering Parliament by police.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-08-02|title=Police stop Malaysian opposition lawmakers from marching to Parliament|url=https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/heavy-police-presence-outside-malaysian-parliament|access-date=2021-08-02|website=The Straits Times|language=en|archive-date=2 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210802080101/https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/heavy-police-presence-outside-malaysian-parliament|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Malaysia opposition MPs gather at Merdeka Square after being blocked from entering parliament|url=https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asia/malaysia-opposition-dataran-merdeka-parliament-postponed-covid19-15360260|access-date=2021-08-02|website=CNA|language=en|archive-date=2 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210802080147/https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asia/malaysia-opposition-dataran-merdeka-parliament-postponed-covid19-15360260|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Nepal ===<br />
On 12 June 2020, hundreds of protesters gathering in the capital city [[Kathmandu]], demanding better quarantine facilities, more tests and transparency in the purchase of medical supplies to fight the crisis. Ten people have been arrested, including seven foreigners.<ref>{{cite web|author=Gopal Sharma|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-nepal/hundreds-protest-against-nepals-coronavirus-response-7-foreigners-arrested-idUSKBN23K087/|title=Hundreds protest against Nepal's coronavirus response; 7 foreigners arrested|work=Reuters|date=2020-06-13}}</ref><br />
[[File:尼泊尔最大反对党发起全国抗议活动.jpg|thumb|Protesters wave party flags of the [[Nepali Congress]] on 14 December 2020]]<br />
On 14 December 2020, the [[Nepali Congress]], Nepal's largest opposition party, launched a nationwide protest, claiming that one million people participated. This protest is mainly to criticize the government for not actively fighting the COVID-19 pandemic and for not actively preparing for holding the winter session of [[Federal Parliament of Nepal|federal parliament]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.chinanews.com/wap/detail/zw/gj/2020/12-14/9361978.shtml|title=尼泊尔最大反对党发起全国抗议活动|work=China News Service|date=2020-12-14|language=zh-cn}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Pakistan ===<br />
Dozens of doctors were arrested in [[Quetta]] after protesting the lack of safety equipment that they had been given to battle the spread of the disease.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/06/pakistan-arrests-doctors-protest-lack-coronavirus-safety-equipment |title=Pakistan arrests doctors protesting over lack of virus safety equipment &#124; World news |work=The Guardian |access-date=30 April 2020 |archive-date=7 April 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200407174034/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/06/pakistan-arrests-doctors-protest-lack-coronavirus-safety-equipment |url-status=live }}</ref> Hundreds of laborers protested against their forced layoffs due to the pandemic by gathering outside their old places of work throughout the city of Karachi.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Millions of Pakistani laborers struggle amid COVID-19 lockdown|url=https://www.aa.com.tr/en/asia-pacific/millions-of-pakistani-laborers-struggle-amid-covid-19-lockdown/1824231|last=Latif|first=Aamir|date=30 April 2020|website=www.aa.com.tr|access-date=1 May 2020|archive-date=6 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200506073132/https://www.aa.com.tr/en/asia-pacific/millions-of-pakistani-laborers-struggle-amid-covid-19-lockdown/1824231|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
Parents of students who had been studying abroad in the Chinese province of Hubei protested against the government's decision to leave the children in the area in February 2020.<ref>{{cite news|last=Raza Hassan|first=Syed|date=16 February 2020|title=Parents protest as Pakistani students stuck in China under coronavirus lockdown|language=en|work=Reuters|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-health-pakistan-idUSKBN20A0J9|access-date=1 May 2020|archive-date=25 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200525093543/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-health-pakistan-idUSKBN20A0J9|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Philippines ===<br />
{{See also|Protests against Rodrigo Duterte}}<br />
Spontaneous demonstrations were held on 1 April 2020 by a [[Quezon City]] urban poor community to protest lack of food and other assistance during the metropolitan-wide COVID-19 lockdown.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ellao |first=Janess Ann J. |date=1 April 2020 |title=Arrests in QC reveal lack of gov't support to lockdown-affected residents |url=https://www.bulatlat.com/2020/04/01/arrests-in-qc-urban-poor-reveal-lack-of-govt-support-to-lockdown-affected-residents/ |access-date=19 June 2020 |website=Bulatlat |language=en-US |archive-date=20 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200620224244/https://www.bulatlat.com/2020/04/01/arrests-in-qc-urban-poor-reveal-lack-of-govt-support-to-lockdown-affected-residents/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Police violently dispersed protesters and arrested 21 people.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=1 April 2020 |title=21 protesters demanding food aid arrested in Quezon City |url=https://www.cnnphilippines.com/news/2020/4/1/quezon-city-protesters-arrested-.html |access-date=19 June 2020 |website=CNN |language=en |archive-date=23 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200623053048/https://cnnphilippines.com/news/2020/4/1/quezon-city-protesters-arrested-.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> The city mayor and a Congress representative appealed to police to release those arrested.<ref name=":0" /><br />
<br />
In May 2020, journalists and individuals protested [[ABS-CBN franchise renewal controversy|the cease and desist order that led to the shutdown of media giant ABS-CBN]], a move that jeopardized more than 11,000 jobs and prevented the broadcast of vital information about the pandemic. More protests were held after the House of Representatives junked ABS-CBN's application for a legislative franchise.{{citation needed|date=August 2021}}<br />
<br />
Jeepney drivers rendered jobless by the COVID-19 emergency protested in Caloocan on 3 June 2020. Six protesters were arrested and jailed for a few days to one week.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Lalu |first=Gabriel Pabico |date=18 June 2020 |title=2 of jailed Piston 6 protesters test positive for COVID-19 |url=https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1293906/2-of-jailed-piston-6-protesters-test-positive-for-covid-19 |access-date=19 June 2020 |website=Inquirer |language=en |archive-date=18 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200618141148/https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1293906/2-of-jailed-piston-6-protesters-test-positive-for-covid-19 |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
Several groups held protests nationwide to coincide with the commemoration of Philippine Independence on 12 June 2020.<ref>{{Cite web |date=11 June 2020 |title=LIST: 'Grand mañanita' and other Independence Day 2020 activities |url=http://www.rappler.com/move-ph/263498-list-mananita-other-activities-independence-day-2020 |access-date=19 June 2020 |website=Rappler |language=en |archive-date=13 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200613072615/https://www.rappler.com/move-ph/263498-list-mananita-other-activities-independence-day-2020 |url-status=live }}</ref> Among these was the "Grand Mañanita" protest at the [[University of the Philippines]] in Quezon City. The Grand Mañanita protested the [[Philippine government response to the COVID-19 pandemic|government's response to the COVID-19 crisis]] and Congress' passage of a controversial [[Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020|anti-terror bill]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Gonzales |first=Cathrine |date=12 June 2020 |title=Look: 'Grand mañanita' protest on Independence Day |url=https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1290437/look-grand-mananita-protest-on-independence-day |access-date=19 June 2020 |website=INQUIRER.net |language=en |archive-date=19 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200619173237/https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1290437/look-grand-mananita-protest-on-independence-day |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
On 16 July 2021, health workers held a protest in front of the headquarters of [[Department of Health (Philippines)|Department of Health]] (DOH) where they threw tomatoes at the logo of the DOH.<ref>{{cite news |title=DOH, binato ng kamatis |url=https://web.facebook.com/News5Everywhere/videos/3941239406004582/ |access-date=23 September 2021 |work=News5 |date=July 16, 2021 |via=Facebook |archive-date=22 December 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211222175651/https://www.facebook.com/News5Everywhere/videos/3941239406004582/?_rdc=1&_rdr |url-status=live }}</ref> On 30 August, 1 September and 24 November 2021,<ref>{{cite news |title='Ginagawa kaming bobo': Health workers patuloy ang paghahabol sa benepisyo {{!}} TV Patrol |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9slZiNABZMA&ab_channel=ABS-CBNNews |access-date=28 November 2021 |work=ABS-CBN News |archive-date=28 November 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211128054313/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9slZiNABZMA&ab_channel=ABS-CBNNews |url-status=live }}</ref> health workers from various hospitals in Metro Manila held a protest at the DOH headquarters over nonpayment of their salaries and benefits and demanding Duque (and Duterte) to resign over the handling of the COVID-19 pandemic in the country.<ref>{{cite news |title='We have nothing to celebrate': Health workers protest as Duterte calls frontliners 'new breed of heroes' |url=https://www.cnnphilippines.com/news/2021/8/30/health-workers-protest-National-Heroes-Day.html |access-date=1 September 2021 |work=CNN Philippines |archive-date=1 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210901033613/https://www.cnnphilippines.com/news/2021/8/30/health-workers-protest-National-Heroes-Day.html |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=On Heroes' Day, health workers protest over unreleased benefits |url=https://www.rappler.com/nation/health-workers-protest-unreleased-benefit30-august-2021 |access-date=1 September 2021 |work=Rappler }}{{dead link|date=August 2023|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Underpaid health workers walk out, call for Duque resignation at mass protests |url=https://www.rappler.com/nation/health-workers-walk-out-jobs-mass-protests-duque-1-september-2021 |access-date=1 September 2021 |work=Rappler }}{{dead link|date=August 2023|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Thailand ===<br />
{{main|2020 Thai protests}}<br />
[[File:เยาวชนปลดแอก ประท้วง กรุงเทพ 18 กรกฎาคม 2563 Free Youth Protest at Bangkok 18 July 2020 (Night).jpg|thumb|Demonstrations at the [[Democracy Monument]], [[Bangkok]] at night]]<br />
On 18 July, Thailand saw the largest street demonstration since the [[2014 Thai coup d'état]] at the [[Democracy Monument]] in [[Bangkok]] with around 2,500 protesters. The protesters, organised under the name Free Youth ({{langx|th|เยาวชนปลดแอก}}; yaowachon plod aek), announced three demands: dissolution of the House, stop threatening the people and drafting of a new constitution. The event was triggered by the failed economy due to [[COVID-19 pandemic in Thailand|pandemic]], and unjustified implementation of the COVID-19 acts that were heavily criticised as being a tool against any possible protest. The situation erupted after two COVID-19 cases; an Egyptian soldier in [[Rayong Province]], and a Sudanese diplomat's daughter in [[Khet Watthana|Asok neighbourhood]] of [[Bangkok]], were tested positive earlier on 15 July. Both were excepted from COVID-19's travel restrictions and containment. Many criticised on both the government's failure to contain the disease from these VIPs, and its failure to boost the heavily affected tourism industry in [[Rayong Province]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=18 July 2020 |title=Thai protesters call for government to resign |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-thailand-protests/thai-protesters-call-for-government-to-resign-idUSKCN24J0HN |access-date=20 July 2020 |website=[[Reuters]] |language=en |archive-date=19 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200719182550/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-thailand-protests/thai-protesters-call-for-government-to-resign-idUSKCN24J0HN |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=18 July 2020 |url=https://www.bbc.com/thai/thailand-53456468 |title="เยาวชนปลดแอก" ยุติการชุมนุมก่อนเที่ยงคืน อ้างความปลอดภัย สรุปบรรยากาศจากเริ่มจนจบ |access-date=20 July 2020 |website=[[BBC]] Thai |language=th |archive-date=19 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201019153040/https://www.bbc.com/thai/thailand-53456468 |url-status=live }}</ref> The protesters demanded the government to accept within two weeks, or face larger demonstrations.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2020-07-18 |title=Thai protesters call for government to resign |language=en |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-thailand-protests-idUSKCN24J0HN |access-date=2022-08-04}}</ref><br />
<br />
Later on 19 July, several protests erupted in [[Chiang Mai Province]] and [[Ubon Ratchathani Province]].<ref>{{Cite news |date=20 July 2020 |title=Chiang Mai, Ubon rally against Prayut, government |url=https://www.bangkokpost.com/learning/easy/1954343/chiang-mai-ubon-rally-against-prayut-government?cx_placement=related#cxrecs_s |access-date=20 July 2020 |website=[[Bangkok Post]] |language=en }}</ref><br />
<br />
===Vietnam===<br />
There have been many protests broke out in some localities in Vietnam to protest against the anti-epidemic policy, as well as to call on the government to support people during the pandemic.<br />
<br />
On August 22, 2021, workers at an isolation area in [[Binh Duong]] province conducted a riot, smashed, and prevented a pregnant woman from going to the emergency room.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.hosodanchu.com/2021/08/bao-loan-ap-pha-o-binh-duong-ke-cam.html | title=Bạo loạn, đập phá ở Bình Dương: Kẻ cầm tuýp sắt, người hôi của }}</ref><br />
<br />
On August 27, some people in [[Ho Chi Minh City]] reacted because they had not received local support money and the clip of this incident was posted on social networks. The government has forced "hostile forces to plot to incite demonstrations and fight against social distancing".<ref>{{cite web | url=https://cand.com.vn/Chong-dien-bien-hoa-binh/canh-giac-muu-do-kich-dong-bieu-tinh-chong-pha-gian-cach-xa-hoi-i627958/ | title=Cảnh giác mưu đồ kích động biểu tình, chống phá giãn cách xã hội }}</ref><br />
<br />
On October 1, 2021, people in Ho Chi Minh City protested, attacking police at a checkpoint on the outskirts of the city to open the door for people to return to their hometown. A day later, Vietnamese netizens spread images of police forces and militiamen using sticks to beat protesters in Binh Duong with the purpose of breaking the gate to return to their hometown. The local government then stated to verify the incident, at the same time accused people of rioting and attacking the police.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.bbc.com/vietnamese/vietnam-58775235 | title=Bình Dương: Muốn về quê, xô xát giữa dân và cảnh sát | newspaper=BBC News Tiếng Việt }}</ref><br />
<br />
In mid-October, after the dogs of a household in [[Ca Mau]] province were culled due to suspicion of being infected with the COVID-19 virus, there were many online calls for people to protest against the anti pandemic policies from the government.<br />
<br />
In November 2021, those present at the funeral of Mr. Duong Van Minh, a [[Hmong people|Hmong]] man, clashed with police after police and local medical staff asked those present at the funeral to disperse. due to fears of an outbreak. Mr. Duong Van Minh is the founder of the religious organization that bears his name, which is considered a [[heresy]] by Vietnamese authorities.<br />
<br />
From October 2022, a year after the end of social distancing due to the pandemic, many customers of Sai Gon Joint Stock Commercial Bank (SCB), one of Vietnam's major banks, protested at the bank branch to request a refund of a customer's [[bond (finance)|bond]] purchase. The protests were considered to be motivated by the difficult economic and financial situation of the people after the pandemic.<br />
<br />
== Europe ==<br />
[[File:Men In Black protest in Copenhagen.jpg|thumb|Anti-lockdown demonstration in [[Rådhuspladsen]], [[Copenhagen]], 27 March 2021]]<br />
<br />
=== Austria ===<br />
The newly created [[MFG Austria – People Freedom Fundamental Rights|Fundamental Rights Party]] (MFG), has been planning recent anti-lockdown protests in Austria. The group compared Covid restrictions with "Nazi rule". The country's third largest political party, the [[Freedom Party of Austria]] (FPÖ), has also strongly condemned the Covid restrictions, and its new leader, [[Herbert Kickl]], has pushed misleading and false views of the virus, including claims that the vaccination programme is really a "genetic experiment".<ref>{{Cite news|date=2021-11-27|title=Covid: Conspiracy and untruths drive Europe's Covid protests|language=en-GB|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/59390968|access-date=2021-12-26}}</ref> Kickl urged a public crowd to reject compulsory vaccinations. Fifteen thousand people later rallied at the Heldenplatz square in Vienna to protest against the anti-Covid measures and were later joined by thousands more, with approximately 44,000 people taking part in the rally in total.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-12-12|title=Thousands protest against coronavirus measures in Vienna|url=https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3159367/thousands-austrians-take-streets-protest-against-coronavirus|access-date=2021-12-26|website=South China Morning Post|language=en}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Belgium ===<br />
On 31 January 2021, police in [[Brussels]] said they had arrested more than 400 people to prevent a banned protest of anti-COVID-19 measures.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.dw.com/en/coronavirus-digest-brussels-police-detain-hundreds-of-anti-lockdown-protesters/a-56394523|title=Coronavirus digest: Brussels police detain hundreds of anti-lockdown protesters &#124; DW &#124; 31.01.2021|website=DW.COM|access-date=18 July 2021|archive-date=8 June 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210608133756/https://www.dw.com/en/coronavirus-digest-brussels-police-detain-hundreds-of-anti-lockdown-protesters/a-56394523|url-status=live}}</ref> On 21 November 2021, about 35,000 people in the streets of [[Brussels]] took part in demonstration, which began peaceful before violence broke out. Waving nationalist flags of [[Flanders]] and banners against the more restrictive rules for the unvaccinated, several people hidden by hoods also attacked some police cars. At least two officers and one protester were injured. Protesters threw stones at police as they advanced with water cannon at the main junction in front of the European Union Commission headquarters. Protesters also threw smoke bombs and fireworks, the newspaper ''[[Le Soir]]'' reported. The situation calmed down later, police said.<ref>{{Cite news|url = https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/around-35000-protest-against-covid-restrictions-brussels-police-say-2021-11-21/|title = Clashes break out in Brussels in protests over coronavirus restrictions|newspaper = Reuters|date = 21 November 2021|access-date = 24 November 2021|archive-date = 24 November 2021|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20211124001253/https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/around-35000-protest-against-covid-restrictions-brussels-police-say-2021-11-21/|url-status = live}}</ref><br />
<br />
* [[2022 Brussels protest|January 2022 Brussels protest]]<br />
<br />
=== Belarus ===<br />
{{Main|2020-2021 Belarusian protests}}<br />
In May 2020, a lowered approval of [[authoritarianism|authoritarian]] president [[Alexander Lukashenko]] amid [[COVID-19 pandemic in Belarus|his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic]] led to street protests against his government. Mass protests erupted across Belarus following the August [[2020 Belarusian presidential election]] which was marred by allegations of widespread [[electoral fraud]].{{citation needed|date=August 2021}}<br />
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=== Bosnia and Herzegovina ===<br />
On 6 April 2021, anti-governmental protests "Fight for Life" were held by a group of citizens and activists in Bosnia and Herzegovina's capital [[Sarajevo]] in front of the [[Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina|Parliamentary Assembly]] and the [[Government of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina|Federal Government]], seeking resignations from [[Chairman of the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina|Chairman of the Council of Ministers]] [[Zoran Tegeltija]] and [[List of prime ministers of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina|Federal Prime Minister]] [[Fadil Novalić]], due to lack of leadership during the [[COVID-19 pandemic in Bosnia and Herzegovina]] and late procurement of [[COVID-19 vaccine]]s for the country.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.klix.ba/vijesti/bih/protesti-u-sarajevu-gradjani-ispred-vlade-fbih-skandiraju-ostavke-i-paraziti-napolje/210406028|title=Protesti u Sarajevu: Građani ispred Vlade FBiH skandiraju "Ostavke" i "Paraziti napolje"|date=6 April 2021|access-date=6 April 2021|language=bs|author=D. Be.|publisher=Klix.ba|archive-date=6 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210406110442/https://www.klix.ba/vijesti/bih/protesti-u-sarajevu-gradjani-ispred-vlade-fbih-skandiraju-ostavke-i-paraziti-napolje/210406028|url-status=live}}</ref> Further anti-governmental protests were held eleven days later, on 17 April as well.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.klix.ba/vijesti/bih/zavrseni-protesti-gradjana-u-sarajevu-na-potezu-su-parlamentarci-rok-je-1-maj/210417035|title=Završeni protesti građana u Sarajevu: Na potezu su parlamentarci, rok je 1. maj|date=17 April 2021|access-date=17 April 2021|language=bs|author=N.V.|publisher=Klix.ba|archive-date=17 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210417105301/https://www.klix.ba/vijesti/bih/zavrseni-protesti-gradjana-u-sarajevu-na-potezu-su-parlamentarci-rok-je-1-maj/210417035|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Bulgaria ===<br />
{{Main|2020–2021 Bulgarian protests}}<br />
On 30 March 2020 The Bulgarian Health Ministry issued an order that made not wearing a face mask in public punishable by law at a time when no masks were available for purchasing in the country. After strong public unrest, the order was recalled on the following day<ref>{{Cite web|title=Министър Ананиев отменя заповедта си за задължително носене на маски до постигане на консенсус|url=https://dariknews.bg/novini/bylgariia/vryshtat-maskite-na-zakrito-stavat-zadylzhitelni-v-magazina-i-v-ofisa-2230448|date=31 March 2020|access-date=8 October 2020|website=dariknews.bg|language=bg|archive-date=15 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210515043118/https://dariknews.bg/novini/bylgariia/vryshtat-maskite-na-zakrito-stavat-zadylzhitelni-v-magazina-i-v-ofisa-2230448|url-status=live}}</ref> and re-instated yet again later, with some modifications.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Връщат маските на закрито - стават задължителни в магазина и в офиса|url=https://dariknews.bg/novini/bylgariia/ananiev-otmeni-zapovedta-za-zadylzhitelnite-maski-2219522|date=22 June 2020|access-date=8 October 2020|website=dariknews.bg|language=bg|archive-date=9 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201009015757/https://dariknews.bg/novini/bylgariia/ananiev-otmeni-zapovedta-za-zadylzhitelnite-maski-2219522|url-status=live}}</ref> A small protest took place on 19 April 2020 in [[Sofia]] against the measures to combat the [[COVID-19 pandemic in Bulgaria|COVID-19 pandemic]], with many of the participants expressing concerns about their livelihoods.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Протест в София срещу мерките за ограничаване на коронавируса|url=https://www.mediapool.bg/protest-v-sofiya-sreshtu-merkite-za-ogranichavane-na-koronavirusa-news306375.html|date=19 April 2020|access-date=3 September 2020|website=mediapool.bg|language=bg|archive-date=21 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201021082108/https://www.mediapool.bg/protest-v-sofiya-sreshtu-merkite-za-ogranichavane-na-koronavirusa-news306375.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Protests with an [[Anti-vaccine activism|anti-vax]] slant that also demanded the resignation of the government, organized by the [[Revival (Bulgarian political party)|Vazrazhdane]] party,<ref>{{Cite web|title=8 арестувани на протеста в София (ВИДЕО+СНИМКИ)|url=https://nova.bg/news/view/2020/05/14/287916/8-%D0%B0%D1%80%D0%B5%D1%81%D1%82%D1%83%D0%B2%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%B8-%D0%BD%D0%B0-%D0%BF%D1%80%D0%BE%D1%82%D0%B5%D1%81%D1%82%D0%B0-%D0%B2-%D1%81%D0%BE%D1%84%D0%B8%D1%8F-%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE%D1%81%D0%BD%D0%B8%D0%BC%D0%BA%D0%B8/|date=14 May 2020|access-date=3 September 2020|website=nova.bg|language=bg|archive-date=24 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200524113735/https://nova.bg/news/view/2020/05/14/287916/8-%D0%B0%D1%80%D0%B5%D1%81%D1%82%D1%83%D0%B2%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%B8-%D0%BD%D0%B0-%D0%BF%D1%80%D0%BE%D1%82%D0%B5%D1%81%D1%82%D0%B0-%D0%B2-%D1%81%D0%BE%D1%84%D0%B8%D1%8F-%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE%D1%81%D0%BD%D0%B8%D0%BC%D0%BA%D0%B8/|url-status=live}}</ref> were held in May and June, resulting in a few arrests, but did not see a significant turnout.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Протест на антиваксъри в София|url=https://www.vesti.bg/bulgaria/protest-na-antivaksyri-v-sofiia-6110588|date=6 June 2020|access-date=3 September 2020|author=Kirov, Nikolay|website=vesti.bg|language=bg|archive-date=26 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200726135130/https://www.vesti.bg/bulgaria/protest-na-antivaksyri-v-sofiia-6110588|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
Public disapproval grew during the pandemic and reached a spontaneous culmination on 9 July 2020 after a police raid on the Presidency of Bulgaria in what was perceived as an attack against President [[Rumen Radev]], a vocal critic of prime minister [[Boyko Borisov]], who has been in power since 2009,<ref>{{Cite web|date=9 July 2020|title=Raids Worsen Bulgarian President's Spat With Prosecutor|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-07-09/bulgarian-police-raid-president-radev-s-offices|access-date=15 July 2020|website=Bloomberg.com|archive-date=1 February 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210201190554/https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-07-09/bulgarian-police-raid-president-radev-s-offices|url-status=live}}</ref> and the long-standing grievances against endemic corruption and [[state capture]]. Daily demonstrations were held in the country's capital [[Sofia]] until April 2021, though the number of protesters dwindled during the autumn and winter months when the country was heavily affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.<ref>{{Cite web|title=88-а вечер на протести в София: Призоваха за атаки срещу офисите на управляващата коалиция (Снимки)|url=https://www.24chasa.bg/novini/article/9082543|date=4 October 2020|access-date=8 October 2020|website=24chasa.bg|language=bg|archive-date=22 December 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211222175752/https://www.24chasa.bg/novini/article/9082543|url-status=live}}</ref> On 12 January 2022, Vazrazhdane organized a large demonstration against the COVID green certificates for indoor spaces, during which protest participants attempted to make their way into the National Parliament.<ref name="VazrazhdaneProtestGreenCertificateJanuary2022">{{cite news | title=Поддръжници на "Възраждане" се опитаха да нахлуят в парламента| work=mediapool.bg |author= |language=Bulgarian|url=https://www.mediapool.bg/poddrazhnitsi-na-vazrazhdane-se-opitaha-da-nahluyat-v-parlamenta-news331009.html| date=12 January 2022|access-date=10 February 2022 }}</ref> On 23 February 2022, the party held another protest with the same focus.<ref name="VazrazhdaneFollowUpProtestGreenCertificateFebruary2022">{{cite news | title="Възраждане" приветства поетапното отпадане на зеления сертификат, протестът обаче остава| work=dariknews.bg |author= |language=Bulgarian|url=https://dariknews.bg/novini/bylgariia/vyzrazhdane-privetstva-poetapnoto-otpadane-na-zeleniia-sertifikat-protestyt-obache-ostava-2301183| date=21 February 2022|access-date=2 April 2022 }}</ref><br />
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=== Czechia ===<br />
In late 2020 and during 2021, many anti-responses protests occurred as the pandemic situation in country worsened and measures, often legally unsubstantiated, were prolonged. Protesters demanded revoking of the restrictions such as gathering limitations or pubs closure. Many of them also refused face-masks wearing, which gave them a nickname "anti-rouškaři", meaning "mask-refusers". The most violent incident occurred on 18 October in Prague, when group of radical protesters, including football hooligans, clashed with police forces after protest was dissolved due to violations of hygienic measures. 20 officers were injured as well as unknown number of protesters. 144 persons were arrested. This is in contrast with mostly peaceful protests which are typical in Czechia. Since then, police has changed a tactics to document offences rather than doing large maneuvers to disperse crowds.<br />
<ref>{{cite web|date=18 October 2020|title=Demonstrace proti vládním opatřením se změnila v potyčky s těžkooděnci. Policie zadržela přes 100 lidí|url=https://www.irozhlas.cz/zpravy-domov/praha-protesty-koronavirus-fotbalovy-fanousci-demonstrace-staromestske-namesti_2010181508_tkr|url-status=live|access-date=12 June 2021|archive-date=31 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201031010343/https://www.irozhlas.cz/zpravy-domov/praha-protesty-koronavirus-fotbalovy-fanousci-demonstrace-staromestske-namesti_2010181508_tkr}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|date=31 January 2021|title=Na Václavském náměstí demonstrovaly stovky lidí proti omezením|url=https://www.ceskenoviny.cz/zpravy/na-vaclavskem-namesti-demonstrovaly-stovky-lidi-proti-omezenim/1989855|url-status=live|access-date=12 June 2021|archive-date=8 October 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211008164748/https://www.ceskenoviny.cz/zpravy/na-vaclavskem-namesti-demonstrovaly-stovky-lidi-proti-omezenim/1989855}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Šplíchal|first=Pavel|date=25 February 2021|title=Antirouškaři jsou ti nejtrapnější disidenti. Jako poslední věří vládě|url=https://a2larm.cz/2021/02/antirouskari-jsou-ti-nejtrapnejsi-disidenti-jako-posledni-veri-vlade/|access-date=12 June 2021}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== France ===<br />
{{Main|Yellow vests protests|French freedom convoy|2021–2022 social unrest in the French West Indies}}<br />
<br />
The [[Paris]] suburb [[Villeneuve-la-Garenne]] saw riots in April 2020, partly about the strains of the [[COVID-19 pandemic in France|coronavirus outbreak]] and lockdown on working-class families, often immigrants, who live in small apartments in crowded public housing buildings. Many have reported that in poorer neighbourhoods the policies are difficult to follow due to over crowding and cause the neighbourhoods to be impacted more than wealthier Parisians. The demonstrations have since been seen in the suburb [[Hauts-de-Seine]], and other French cities [[Toulouse]], [[Lyon]] and [[Strasbourg]].<ref>{{Cite news|last=McAuley|first=James|date=25 April 2020|title=Violent protests in Paris suburbs reflect tensions under lockdown|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/paris-suburbs-protests-villeneuve-la-garenne/2020/04/25/55f5a40c-85a1-11ea-81a3-9690c9881111_story.html|access-date=1 May 2020|newspaper=The Washington Post|language=en|archive-date=25 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200425112752/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/paris-suburbs-protests-villeneuve-la-garenne/2020/04/25/55f5a40c-85a1-11ea-81a3-9690c9881111_story.html|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
==== Vaccination obligation, sanitary pass ====<br />
The announcement of president [[Emmanuel Macron|Macron]] on 12 July 2021 of a [[COVID-19 vaccination in France|COVID-19 vaccination]] obligation for all health care workers by 15 September, as well as the obligation for people older than twelve to show a "[[COVID-19 vaccine card#France|sanitary pass]]" as of August for admittance to cafés, restaurants, cinemas, hospitals,<ref name=nrc,14jul>(Dutch) [https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2021/07/13/fransman-die-zich-niet-wil-laten-prikken-moet-maar-voelen-a4050923#/handelsblad/2021/07/14/#106 'Fransman die zich niet wil laten prikken moet maar voelen'] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210821205804/https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2021/07/13/fransman-die-zich-niet-wil-laten-prikken-moet-maar-voelen-a4050923#/handelsblad/2021/07/14/ |date=21 August 2021 }}. ''[[NRC Handelsblad]]'', 13 July 2021.</ref> senior citizens' homes, trains,<ref name=nrc,27jul>(Dutch) [https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2021/07/26/frans-parlement-stemt-in-met-nieuwe-covid-maatregelen-a4052430#/handelsblad/2021/07/27/#114 'Frans parlement stemt in met coronapaspoort en verplichte vaccinatie voor het zorgpersoneel'] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210821205804/https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2021/07/26/frans-parlement-stemt-in-met-nieuwe-covid-maatregelen-a4052430#/handelsblad/2021/07/27/ |date=21 August 2021 }}. ''[[NRC Handelsblad]]'', 26 July 2021.</ref> shopping malls,<ref>{{cite web |last1=De Fournas |first1=Marie |title=Coronavirus : Comment ça va se passer avec la fin des tests PCR et antigéniques gratuits ? |url=https://www.20minutes.fr/sante/3083303-20210713-coronavirus-comment-ca-va-passer-fin-tests-pcr-antigeniques-gratuits |website=20 Minutes |date=13 July 2021 |access-date=25 July 2021 |archive-date=25 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210725060050/https://www.20minutes.fr/sante/3083303-20210713-coronavirus-comment-ca-va-passer-fin-tests-pcr-antigeniques-gratuits |url-status=live }}</ref> and other public venues led to protests across France. The 'sanitary pass' should prove that someone is either vaccinated, has recently [[COVID-19 testing|tested negative]],<ref name=nrc,14jul/> or has recovered from [[COVID-19]].<ref name=nrc,11Aug>(Dutch) [https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2021/08/11/wij-houden-ons-hart-vast-voor-volgende-week-a4054487#/handelsblad/2021/08/12/#104 'Coronapaspoort in Frankrijk: 'Wij houden ons hart vast' '.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210821205802/https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2021/08/11/wij-houden-ons-hart-vast-voor-volgende-week-a4054487#/handelsblad/2021/08/12/ |date=21 August 2021 }} ''[[NRC Handelsblad]]'', 11 August 2021.</ref> Macron's motivation was: "We are in a new race against time", "Vaccination is the only way to protect yourself and others".<ref name=nrc,14jul/><br />
<br />
[[Marine Le Pen]], challenger of Macron in the [[2022 French presidential election]], immediately condemned the vaccination obligation as "indecent insolence" attesting of "ingratitude" towards the health care workers.<ref name=nrc,14jul/> On Wednesday 14 July, the French [[National day]] called '[[Bastille Day]]', in [[Paris]] some 2,250 people protested against these new corona restrictions. Demonstrations were also held in Toulouse, Bordeaux, Montpellier, Nantes and 48 other places, totalling around 19,000 protesters. Slogans chanted were: "Down with dictatorship", "Down with the health pass". A demonstrator equated the health pass with "segregation". Objects and fireworks were thrown at the police, who answered with tear gas and arrests.<ref>{{cite web |title=French police fire tear gas as anti-vaccine protest turns violent |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/7/15/french-police-tear-gas-as-anti-vaccine-protest-turns-violent |website=Al Jazeera |access-date=24 July 2021 |date=15 July 2021 |archive-date=23 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210723121648/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/7/15/french-police-tear-gas-as-anti-vaccine-protest-turns-violent |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
On Saturday 17 July, nationwide some 114,000 people protested against the two new measures.<ref name=nrc,1Aug/> On 24 July, some 160,000 people around France protested against the measures. Protesters chanted: "Liberty! Liberty!" Projectiles including a chair were thrown at the police in Paris, who reacted with tear gas and water cannons.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-07-24|title=French protesters reject virus passes, vaccine mandate|url=https://apnews.com/article/europe-health-coronavirus-pandemic-dc03061cb033cb4181ff5424acb9ed63|access-date=2021-07-25|website=AP NEWS|language=en|archive-date=25 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210725015129/https://apnews.com/article/europe-health-coronavirus-pandemic-dc03061cb033cb4181ff5424acb9ed63|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
On 25 July, the [[Senate (France)|French Senate]] nevertheless agreed to the measures except the pass obligation for children under 18 years old.<ref>''[[Dagblad van het Noorden]]'', 26 July 2021.</ref><br />
<br />
On 31 July, over 200,000 people nationwide protested against these plans. Thousands around [[Place de la Bastille]] in [[Paris]] chanted: ''"Liberté!"'' [Freedom!]. Signs accused Macron of being a dictator.<ref>[https://www.npr.org/2021/08/02/1023637209/protesters-say-frances-anti-virus-pass-is-a-threat-to-personal-freedoms 'Protesters Say France's Anti-Virus Pass Is A Threat To Personal Freedoms'] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210821205802/https://www.npr.org/2021/08/02/1023637209/protesters-say-frances-anti-virus-pass-is-a-threat-to-personal-freedoms |date=21 August 2021 }}. [[NPR|National Public Radio]], 2 August 2021. Retrieved 20 August 2021.</ref> A bus driver motivated his protest as: "I'm not an antivaxer (...) But this is going to fast, I want to wait and see". A hospital worker said: "These [[COVID-19 vaccine misinformation and hesitancy|vaccines are experimental]] ; there's no way I'm gonna take it".<ref name=nrc,1Aug>(Dutch) [https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2021/08/01/gele-hesjes-lopen-te-hoop-tegen-sanitaire-dictatuur-a4053244#/handelsblad/2021/08/02/#104 'Gele hesjes lopen te hoop tegen 'pasdictatuur' ' ('Yellow vests crowd together against 'pass dictatorship' ')] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210821205807/https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2021/08/01/gele-hesjes-lopen-te-hoop-tegen-sanitaire-dictatuur-a4053244#/handelsblad/2021/08/02/ |date=21 August 2021 }}. ''[[NRC Handelsblad]]'', 1 August 2021.</ref> A placard in [[Paris]] cited Macron: ' ''"Je ne rendrai pas la vaccination obligatoire", Emmanuel Macron, Novembre 2020'' ' ["I will not make vaccination obligatory", Macron, Nov. 2020]. Another: ' ''De la démocratie à la dictature il n'y a qu'un <<PASS>>'' ' [From democracy to dictatorship is only one step [or] one pass].<ref>''[[Dagblad van het Noorden]]'', 5 August 2021.</ref> Another: '<small>VACCINÉ A LA LIBERTÉ'</small> [<small>VACCINATED FOR FREEDOM</small>].<ref name=nrc,10Aug>(Dutch) [https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2021/08/10/gedwongen-vaccinatie-demonstraties-in-frankrijk-applaus-in-italie-a4054305#/handelsblad/2021/08/11/#114 'Gedwongen vaccinatie: demonstraties in Frankrijk, applaus in Italië' ('Enforced vaccination: demonstrations in France, applause in Italy')] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210821205806/https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2021/08/10/gedwongen-vaccinatie-demonstraties-in-frankrijk-applaus-in-italie-a4054305#/handelsblad/2021/08/11/ |date=21 August 2021 }}. ''[[NRC Handelsblad]]'', 10 August 2021.</ref><br />
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On Saturday 7 August, 237,000 people protested on 198 locations in France, the authorities reported. In Paris, [[Lyon]], [[Toulouse]], rioters pelted the police with all sorts of things, police reacted with tear gas and charges and arrests.<ref>''[[Dagblad van het Noorden]]'', 9 August 2021.</ref> The sanitary pass obligation came into effect on 9 August, civilians risk a fine of 135 euro for disobedience, business owners risk a 45,000 euro fine or one-year prison and the closure of their business.<ref name=nrc,11Aug /><br />
<br />
On 14 August 2021, between 200,000 and 250,000 people according to the police and the organisers have again demonstrated, on more than 200 locations in France, against the ''pass sanitaire'' and the obligated vaccination of health care personnel. Placards compared the sanitary pass with '[[Apartheid]]', people chanted slogans about the "health dictatorship". Police in Lyon used pepper spray against rioters.<ref>(Dutch) [https://www.telegraaf.nl/nieuws/456452706/live-weer-massale-protesten-tegen-franse-gezondheidsdictatuur 'Weer massale protesten tegen Franse 'gezondheidsdictatuur' ' (Again massive protests against French 'health dictatorship')] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210821205803/https://www.telegraaf.nl/nieuws/456452706/live-weer-massale-protesten-tegen-franse-gezondheidsdictatuur |date=21 August 2021 }}. ''[[De Telegraaf]]'', 14 August 2021. Retrieved 18 August 2021.</ref><br />
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Since then, these protests grew smaller ; on Saturday, 18 September 2021, the demonstrators in France against the sanitary pass and obligated vaccination counted 80,000.<ref>''[[Dagblad van het Noorden]]'', 23 September 2021.</ref><br />
<br />
===Greece===<br />
{{See also|2021 Greek protests}}<br />
The 2021 Greek protests broke out in response to a proposed government bill that would allow police presence on university campuses for the first time in decades, for which opposition groups accused the government of taking advantage of the COVID-19 lockdown to impose increasingly authoritarian measures.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://apnews.com/article/bills-athens-higher-education-greece-25de0ce9e884adba145b474d07be57d6|title=Protest gets heated ahead of campus policing vote|date=10 February 2021|publisher=[[Associated Press]]|location=[[Athens]]|access-date=2 May 2021|archive-date=12 February 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210212142808/https://apnews.com/article/bills-athens-higher-education-greece-25de0ce9e884adba145b474d07be57d6|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
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=== Georgia ===<br />
On 5 December 2021 thousands demonstrated in Tbilisi against a COVID-19 passport system which has been implemented in Georgia since December 1, allowing only citizens and tourists with a QR-code proving vaccination or recovery from the virus or with a negative PCR test result to visit public places, restaurants, entertainment and shopping centers. Protesters marched with posters and Georgian flags, passing by the parliamentary building.{{citation needed|date=March 2022}}<br />
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=== Germany ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 protests in Germany}}<br />
[[File:Vicent-van-Volkmer-Bienen-Aktivist-Demo-29.08.2020 Berlin Covid-19 Pandemie.jpg|thumb|Protester with a "Free The Bee" placard during the COVID-19 protests in Berlin on 29 August 2020, near the [[Brandenburg Gate]]]]<br />
Since April 2020, in [[Germany]] numerous protests against government policies over the COVID-19 pandemic have been held in several cities.<br />
A protest in [[Berlin]] on 29 August was estimated by authorities to have drawn 38,000 participants.<ref name="rbb">In German: [https://www.rbb24.de/politik/thema/2020/coronavirus/beitraege_neu/2020/08/demonstrationen-samstag-corona-querdenken-gegendemos.html 'Fast 40.000 Menschen bei Corona-Demos – Sperren am Reichstag durchbrochen' (Almost 40,000 people by corona demos – fences at the ''Reichstag'' broken through)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200901090757/https://www.rbb24.de/politik/thema/2020/coronavirus/beitraege_neu/2020/08/demonstrationen-samstag-corona-querdenken-gegendemos.html |date=1 September 2020 }}. rbb24.de, 29 August 2020. Retrieved 19 September 2020.</ref><br />
<br />
Several of the protests in Germany, like the one of 29 August, were organized by the group ''Querdenken 711'', based in [[Stuttgart]]. As per its homepage, it considers its main aims to support the fundamental rights enshrined in the German constitution, in particular the freedoms of opinion, expression, and assembly.<ref name="dw_20201106">{{cite web|url=https://www.dw.com/en/coronavirus-germany-braces-for-anti-lockdown-protests/a-55513848|title=Coronavirus: Germany braces for anti-lockdown protests|first=Ben|last=Knight|website=[[Deutsche Welle]]|agency=[[Deutsche Welle]]|date=6 November 2020|access-date=8 November 2021|archive-date=8 November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211108155543/https://www.dw.com/en/coronavirus-germany-braces-for-anti-lockdown-protests/a-55513848|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
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[[File:AnarchistCovidProtest.jpg|upright|thumb|left|[[Anarchist]] anti-conspiracy theory, anti-gentrification protest]]<br />
At the 29 August demonstration in Berlin, one of the invited orators was [[Robert F. Kennedy Jr.]], lawyer and conspiracy theorist and nephew of the assassinated U.S. President [[John F. Kennedy]]. He warned the crowd that the COVID-19 measures being deployed in many countries might lead to the implementation of a [[Mass surveillance#Surveillance state|surveillance state]]. A few hundred protesters attempted to storm the [[Reichstag building]], the seat of the German parliament;<ref name=rbb/><ref name="BBC30Aug">{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-53959552|title=Germany coronavirus: Hundreds arrested in German 'anti-corona' protests|work=BBC News|agency=[[BBC News]]|date=30 August 2020|access-date=15 September 2020|archive-date=4 September 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200904141636/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-53959552|url-status=live}}</ref> a few of them reached the stairs. A burst of media attention arose due to this incident. Later demonstrations tended to be smaller, and sometimes organized by allies of ''Querdenken''.<ref name="dw_20201106"/><br />
<br />
[[Anarchists]], [[libertarian socialists]] and [[anti-fascists]] in Germany have been counterprotesting "Querdenken 711" and other demonstrations against public health mandates. Focusing on increasing [[gentrification]], [[wealth inequality]], [[evictions]], police measures and favoring of compulsory vaccination. Anarchists have seen increasing evictions of [[anarchist communities]] and squats.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.dw.com/en/berlin-police-clear-anarchist-occupied-house-liebig-34/a-55211590|title=Berlin police clear anarchist-occupied house Liebig 34 &#124; DW &#124; 09.10.2020|website=DW.COM|access-date=30 November 2020|archive-date=2 December 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201202154402/https://www.dw.com/en/berlin-police-clear-anarchist-occupied-house-liebig-34/a-55211590|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://crimethinc.com/2020/03/18/surviving-the-virus-an-anarchist-guide-capitalism-in-crisis-rising-totalitarianism-strategies-of-resistance|title=CrimethInc. : Surviving the Virus: An Anarchist Guide : Capitalism in Crisis—Rising Totalitarianism—Strategies of Resistance|website=CrimethInc.|date=18 March 2020 |access-date=30 November 2020|archive-date=2 December 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201202160836/https://crimethinc.com/2020/03/18/surviving-the-virus-an-anarchist-guide-capitalism-in-crisis-rising-totalitarianism-strategies-of-resistance|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://ent.siteintelgroup.com/Far-Right-/-Far-Left-Threat/german-company-targeted-in-anarchist-arson-attack-for-covid-19-repression.html|title=German Company Targeted in Anarchist Arson Attack for COVID-19 "Repression" &#124; Far-Right / Far-Left Threat &#124; Articles|website=ent.siteintelgroup.com|date=29 June 2020|access-date=30 November 2020|archive-date=29 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201129103231/https://ent.siteintelgroup.com/Far-Right-/-Far-Left-Threat/german-company-targeted-in-anarchist-arson-attack-for-covid-19-repression.html|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
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=== Hungary ===<br />
On 28 February 2021, around 3,000–5,000 protesters gathered in the capital city of [[Budapest]] at [[Hősök tere]] to protest the lockdown regulations, and the Constitution of 2012.{{citation needed|date=August 2021}}<br />
<br />
The far-right [[Our Homeland Movement]] organised protests against lockdown measures on 15 March 2021,<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-04-20|title=Hungarian far-right party protests lockdown|url=https://apnews.com/article/hungary-budapest-coronavirus-pandemic-economy-ecd0b637126258601ca249f35b5b8743|access-date=2022-02-07|website=The Associated Press|language=en}}</ref> and against vaccine mandates (a "Covid Dictatorship") throughout December 2021 in various Hungarian cities.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-12-18|title=A "Covid-diktatúra" ellen tüntetett a Mi Hazánk Mozgalom|url=https://hvg.hu/itthon/20211218_Mi_Hazank_Mozgalom_Toroczkai_Laszlo_oltasellenesseg_tuntetes_kotelezo_oltas_Covid_diktatura|access-date=2022-02-07|website=hvg.hu|language=hu}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-12-06|title=Vidéken folytatja a kötelező oltás elleni tüntetéseket a Mi Hazánk|url=https://mihazank.hu/videken-folytatja-a-kotelezo-oltas-elleni-tunteteseket-a-mi-hazank/|access-date=2022-02-07|website=Mi Hazánk Mozgalom|language=hu}}</ref> On 16 January 2022 they held another anti-vaccine protest in Budapest, attracting thousands of people.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Imre|first=Patthy Loránd|date=2022-01-16|title="Nem tudnak lejönni a szerről az oltottak" – tüntetést tartott a Mi Hazánk Budapesten|url=https://index.hu/belfold/2022/01/16/oltasellenesseg-tuntetes-mi-hazank-novak-elod-pali-jeno-toroczkai-laszlo/|access-date=2022-02-07|website=index.hu|language=hu}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Ireland ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 protests in the Republic of Ireland}}<br />
On 24 July 2021, over ten thousand people attended an anti discrimination march in Dublin, in response to the Irish government's announcement that vaccine passports would be introduced.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/large-crowd-gathers-in-dublin-to-protest-vaccine-cert-system-1.4629890|title=Large crowd gathers in Dublin to protest vaccine cert system|first=Ellen|last=O'Riordan|newspaper=The Irish Times|access-date=12 October 2021|archive-date=28 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210728080317/https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/large-crowd-gathers-in-dublin-to-protest-vaccine-cert-system-1.4629890|url-status=live}}</ref> Said passports were to be used to prevent unvaccinated people availing of indoor dining services.<br />
[[File:PXL 20210724 152855881.LS exported 0.jpg|thumb|alt=Freedom March Dublin|July 24 Anti Discrimination March, Dublin]]<br />
<br />
Hundreds attended an anti-lockdown, [[Mask refusal|anti-face mask]] protest in [[Dublin]] on 22 August 2020. The protest was organised by Health Freedom Ireland with support from Yellow Vest Ireland. Four people were arrested at the protest.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/four-arrested-in-clashes-at-anti-facemask-protest-in-dublin-1.4336794|title=Four arrested in clashes at anti-facemask protest in Dublin|newspaper=[[The Irish Times]]|first1=Conor|last1=Lally|first2=Sarah|last2=Burns|first3=Jennifer|last3=Cosgrove|date=22 August 2020|access-date=22 August 2020|archive-date=22 August 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200822185513/https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/four-arrested-in-clashes-at-anti-facemask-protest-in-dublin-1.4336794|url-status=live}}</ref> Another protest was organised by the same groups on 3 October, with up to a thousand protesters marching through the city centre before staging a sit-down protest in the main shopping area of Grafton Street.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Beresford |first1=Jack |title=Anti-mask demonstrators stage sit-in protest in Dublin |url=https://www.irishpost.com/news/anti-mask-demonstrators-stage-sit-in-protest-in-dublin-194384 |access-date=4 October 2020 |work=The Irish Post |date=3 October 2020 |archive-date=9 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201009000301/https://www.irishpost.com/news/anti-mask-demonstrators-stage-sit-in-protest-in-dublin-194384 |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
On 27 February 2021, violent clashes between protesters and the ''[[Garda Síochána]]'' erupted during an anti-lockdown protest near [[St Stephen's Green]] in Dublin. Three Gardaí were injured and 23 people were arrested in the aftermath of the protest. The Taoiseach [[Micheál Martin]] condemned the demonstration as "an unacceptable risk to both the public and Gardaí".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/three-garda%C3%AD-injured-and-23-arrested-after-clashes-at-dublin-anti-lockdown-protest-1.4497218|title=Three gardaí injured and 23 arrested after clashes at Dublin anti-lockdown protest|newspaper=[[The Irish Times]]|first=Ronan|last=McGreevy|date=27 February 2021|access-date=2 March 2021|url-access=subscription|archive-date=2 March 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210302221822/https://www.irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/three-garda%C3%AD-injured-and-23-arrested-after-clashes-at-dublin-anti-lockdown-protest-1.4497218|url-status=live}}</ref> A non-violent anti-lockdown protest with approximately 450 people in attendance took place on 6 March in [[Cork (city)|Cork]]. The event was organised by The People's Convention.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/munster/arid-40238867.html|title=Cork anti-lockdown protest attracts hundreds into city centre|newspaper=[[Irish Examiner]]|first1=Noel|last1=Baker|first2=Cormac|last2=O'Keeffe|first3=Eoin|last3=English|date=6 March 2021|access-date=9 March 2021|archive-date=8 March 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210308012117/https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/munster/arid-40238867.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Six people were arrested on the day of the protest.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/munster/arid-40239296.html|title=Six arrested on day of Cork anti-lockdown protest|newspaper=[[Irish Examiner]]|first=Steve|last=Neville|date=6 March 2021|access-date=9 March 2021|archive-date=6 March 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210306173608/https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/munster/arid-40239296.html|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Italy ===<br />
{{Main|Protests over COVID-19 policies in Italy}}<br />
Since the month of March 2020, many people [[Protests over COVID-19 policies in Italy|started protesting over COVID-19]] and the rules imposed by the [[Government of Italy|Italian government]].<br />
<br />
=== Netherlands ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 protests in the Netherlands|2021 Dutch curfew riots}}<br />
On 24 January 2021, violent protests erupted as a reaction to the [[Dutch government]] decision to impose a [[curfew]] as a means to curb the spread of the [[COVID-19 pandemic in the Netherlands|COVID-19]].<ref name="FT 210126" /><ref name="Guardian 210126" /> The curfew, imposed between 9 PM to 4:30 AM, was the first of its kind to be enacted in the country since the [[Second World War]].<ref name="FT 210126">{{cite news |last1=Khan |first1=Mehreen |title=Dutch extend Covid curfew despite violent backlash |url=https://www.ft.com/content/351fa962-ee98-49d7-80c8-dfe73a466991 |access-date=27 January 2021 |work=Financial Times |date=26 January 2021 |archive-date=26 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210126225209/https://www.ft.com/content/351fa962-ee98-49d7-80c8-dfe73a466991 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="WaPo 210125">{{cite news |last1=Cunningham |first1=Erin |title=Riots explode across Netherlands over covid restrictions, with Dutch leader calling participants criminals |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/dutch-government-covid-curfew-unrest/2021/01/25/20fa8590-5ef1-11eb-a177-7765f29a9524_story.html |access-date=27 January 2021 |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=25 January 2021 |archive-date=26 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210126200353/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/dutch-government-covid-curfew-unrest/2021/01/25/20fa8590-5ef1-11eb-a177-7765f29a9524_story.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Protests took place in most major cities, including [[Amsterdam]] and [[Eindhoven]]. Police made hundreds of arrests and issued thousands of fines.<ref name="FT 210126" /><ref name="WSJ 210126">{{cite news |last1=Pop |first1=Valentina |title=Dutch Rioters Clash With Police for Third Night Over Covid-19 Curfew |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/dutch-rioters-clash-with-police-for-third-night-over-covid-19-curfew-11611664598?page=1 |access-date=27 January 2021 |work=The Wall Street Journal |date=26 January 2021 |archive-date=22 December 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211222175714/https://www.wsj.com/articles/dutch-rioters-clash-with-police-for-third-night-over-covid-19-curfew-11611664598?page=1 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Guardian 210126">{{cite news |last1=Henley |first1=John |title=Netherlands shaken by third night of riots over Covid curfew |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jan/26/netherlands-third-night-riots-covid-curfew-lockdown-protesters |access-date=27 January 2021 |work=The Guardian |date=26 January 2021 |archive-date=26 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210126225117/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jan/26/netherlands-third-night-riots-covid-curfew-lockdown-protesters |url-status=live }}</ref> The Dutch Police Association described the riots at the worst violence in Netherlands in the last 40 years.<ref name="FT 210126" /> The protests have been described as being composed of mostly young men.<ref name="FT 210126" /><ref name="WSJ 210126" /><br />
<br />
An opinion poll by public broadcaster [[Nederlandse Omroep Stichting|NOS]] indicated that the curfew was supported by seven out of 10 Dutch respondents (although the amounts of respondents is unknown), with just 18% of the population opposing it.<ref name="WSJ 210126" /> An online poll with over 28.000 respondents, done by Radio NPO1, a Dutch state radio station, showed that 89% of Dutch people wanted the curfew to be removed.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://degouda.nl/poll-van-npo1-meerderheid-wil-avondklok-weg-en-wat-vinden-gouwenaars-van-de-avondklok/|title=Poll van NPO1: Meerderheid wil avondklok weg en wat vinden Gouwenaars van de avondklok?|date=18 February 2021|access-date=4 November 2021|archive-date=4 November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211104160506/https://degouda.nl/poll-van-npo1-meerderheid-wil-avondklok-weg-en-wat-vinden-gouwenaars-van-de-avondklok/|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
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After the Netherlands went into a partial lockdown on 12 November 2021 due to a sharp rise in COVID-19 cases, another series of protests and riots occurred over such measures. Rioting was especially concentrated in [[Rotterdam]], where [[National Police Corps (Netherlands)|police]] fired warning shots at rioters, injuring at least two.<ref>{{cite news|title= Rotterdam police clash with rioters as Covid protest turns violent|url= https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-59355950|access-date= 20 November 2021|work= BBC News|date= 20 November 2021|archive-date= 20 November 2021|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20211120001743/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-59355950|url-status= live}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Poland ===<br />
[[File:Protest against anti-pandemic measures in Warsaw (20.03.2021) (17).jpg|thumb|Protest against anti-pandemic measures in Warsaw]]<br />
Hundreds of protesters gathered in the Polish border town of [[Zgorzelec]] to protest the lockdown regulations, the protest was staged specifically on the foot bridge connecting Zgorzelec and the German town of [[Görlitz]] as many lived in Poland but worked in Germany. Many protested the inability to cross the borders of the countries as they lived in a different country from where they worked, and similar protests were seen in border towns along the Polish-German border and the Polish-[[Czech Republic|Czech]] border.<ref>{{cite news|agency=Reuters|date=25 April 2020|title=Hundreds Protest Against Lockdown at Polish-German Border|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2020/04/25/world/europe/25reuters-health-coronavirus-cross-border-workers.html|access-date=1 May 2020|issn=0362-4331|archive-date=26 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200426002608/https://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2020/04/25/world/europe/25reuters-health-coronavirus-cross-border-workers.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Freedom march (Marsz Wolności) happens every month, for example in Wrocław.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://gazetawroclawska.pl/marsz-wolnosci-we-wroclawiu-koronasceptycy-przyszli-tlumnie-interweniowala-policja-zdjecia/ar/c1-15453618|title=Marsz wolności we Wrocławiu. Koronasceptycy przyszli tłumnie, interweniowała policja [ZDJĘCIA]|language=Polish|date=20 February 2020|first=Jerzy|last=Wójcik|publisher=Gazeta Wrocławska|access-date=22 February 2021|archive-date=21 February 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210221083516/https://gazetawroclawska.pl/marsz-wolnosci-we-wroclawiu-koronasceptycy-przyszli-tlumnie-interweniowala-policja-zdjecia/ar/c1-15453618|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
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=== Russia ===<br />
Security forces broke up a crowd of about 2,000 individuals protesting against the lockdown in [[Vladikavkaz]], with some detained and the believed organizer arrested prior to the event.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Russian Police Break-Up Anti-Lockdown Protest|url=https://www.rferl.org/a/russian-police-break-up-anti-lockdown-protest/30568221.html|last=Furlong|first=Ray|date=21 April 2020|website=Radio Free Europe Radio Liberty|access-date=1 May 2020|archive-date=1 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200501054754/https://www.rferl.org/a/russian-police-break-up-anti-lockdown-protest/30568221.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Some protesters at the event used their social media to post videos about their demands against the lockdown, with one stating; "Today, under the pretext of the coronavirus, which doesn't exist, people are driven into slavery, they are trying to establish total control over us all."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-russia-protests-idUSKBN22225B|title=Hundreds protest in southern Russian against coronavirus curbs|date=20 April 2020|first1=Alexander|last1=Marrow|first2=Maria|last2=Tsvetkova|website=Reuters|access-date=30 April 2020|archive-date=29 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200429005016/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-russia-protests-idUSKBN22225B|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
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=== Serbia ===<br />
{{Main|2020–2021 Serbian protests}}<br />
On 7 July 2020, a riot began in [[Belgrade]] after the government's announcement of a [[curfew]] for the weekend. Protests began because of the government's continuous change in handling COVID-19 policy and alleged hiding of the number of COVID-19 cases in the country.{{citation needed|date=August 2021}}<br />
<br />
=== Slovakia ===<br />
In late 2020 and during 2021, several anti-COVID-restriction protests were held also in [[Slovakia]], mainly in the capital, [[Bratislava]] and also [[Košice|Kosice]].<br />
Many people are starting to disobey the rules: they go to bars even though they are not vaccinated, they don't wear FFP2 mask but only textile mask. There were even incidents of people without masks coming to a grocery store. These customers were then beaten by the police as they refused to put on their mask.<br />
<br />
=== Spain ===<br />
[[File:-LaRevoluciónDeLasMascarillas (49937665687).jpg|thumb|Protest in Spain on 26 May 2020]]<br />
Thousands of people, mostly supporters of the right-wing party [[Vox (political party)|Vox]], attended protests in [[Madrid]] and the country's regional capitals over the lockdown and its impact on the [[Economy of Spain|Spanish economy]]. The protesters drove in convoys to adhere to social distancing, with the Madrid protest led by a bus containing Vox leader [[Santiago Abascal]]. Abascal called for [[Sánchez II Government|the national government]] of [[Pedro Sánchez]] to resign over its handling of the virus.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-52783936|title=Coronavirus: Anti-lockdown car protest draws thousands|date=23 May 2020|website=BBC|access-date=23 May 2020|archive-date=23 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200523212612/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-52783936|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-05-12 |title=Vox llama a "recuperar la calle" contra el Gobierno y Abascal anuncia protestas diarias |url=https://www.europapress.es/nacional/noticia-vox-llama-recuperar-calle-contra-gobierno-abascal-anuncia-protestas-diarias-20200512112543.html |access-date=2022-10-31 |publisher=Europa Press}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Ponferrada |first=Diario de León {{!}} Noticias de León, Bierzo y |title=Vox llama a "recuperar la calle" el día 23 y Abascal anuncia caceroladas diarias y protestas constantes |url=https://www.diariodeleon.es/articulo/afondo/vox-llama-recuperar-calle-dia-23-abascal-anuncia-caceroladas-diarias-protestas-constantes/202005122242472011941.html |access-date=2022-10-31 |website=Diario de León {{!}} Noticias de León, Bierzo y Ponferrada |date=12 May 2020 |language=es}}</ref><br />
<br />
On 20 September 2020, thousands of people went out in protest throughout the [[Community of Madrid]] demanding the resignation of the [[Díaz Ayuso government|regional government]] of [[Isabel Díaz Ayuso]], after the latter had announced two days earlier a partial lockdown affecting 850,000 people living in the region's poorest areas which was dubbed as "segregationist" and fostering "stigmatisation, exclusion and territorial discrimination".<ref>{{cite news |date=20 September 2020 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/sep/20/protests-madrid-coronavirus-lockdown-measures-spain |title=Protests in Madrid over coronavirus lockdown measures |newspaper=The Guardian |access-date=20 September 2020 |archive-date=20 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200920182802/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/sep/20/protests-madrid-coronavirus-lockdown-measures-spain |url-status=live }}</ref> The protests came amid growing criticism of Ayuso's handling of the virus as "ineffective" and of her coalition government having "floundered" in its attempt to antagonize with Sánchez's government, as the region became the most heavily hit area in all of Europe in the second wave of the pandemic with many neighborhoods being near or above 1,000 cases per 100,000 people.<ref>{{cite news |date=18 September 2020 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/sep/18/madrid-poor-spanish-capital-covid-19 |title=Lockdown measures and rising anger in Madrid as Covid-19 takes hold again |newspaper=The Guardian |access-date=20 September 2020 |archive-date=20 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200920031444/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/sep/18/madrid-poor-spanish-capital-covid-19 |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
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=== Sweden ===<br />
On 6 March 2021, an estimate of 300-500 people gathered at Medborgarplatsen in Stockholm to protest against COVID-19 measures. The Swedish police dispersed hundreds of protesters and stated that six of their officers had been injured in the process, with one needing to be hospitalized.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.svt.se/nyheter/inrikes/polisen-upploser-demonstration-mot-coronarestriktioner|title=Polisen upplöser demonstration mot coronarestriktioner|newspaper=SVT Nyheter|date=6 March 2021|via=www.svt.se|access-date=9 March 2021|archive-date=10 March 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210310032308/https://www.svt.se/nyheter/inrikes/polisen-upploser-demonstration-mot-coronarestriktioner|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=2021-03-07 |title=Swedish police break up coronavirus demonstration in Stockholm |language=en |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/swedish-police-break-up-coronavirus-demonstration-stockholm-2021-03-06/ |access-date=2023-08-07}}</ref><br />
[[File:Anti-Lock Down Protest London (51137271728).jpg|thumb|Anti-lockdown protest march in London, April 2021]]<br />
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=== Switzerland ===<br />
[[Image:COVID19-20211108-Onex-sticker-opposition.jpg|thumb|Opposition to the Covid certificate in Switzerland, sticker at [[Canton of Geneva|Geneva]].]]<br />
On June 11, 2020, the member of the [[Zurich Cantonal Council]] Urs Hahn was expelled from his party, the Greens, for opposing the thesis of the seriousness of the pandemic.<ref>{{Cite news|language =de|author1=Daniel Fritzsche|author2=Stefan Hotz|url=https://www.nzz.ch/zuerich/urs-hans-gruene-in-zuerich-distanzieren-sich-von-ihrem-kantonsrat-ld.1555960?reduced=true|title="Abenteuerliche Thesen": Die Zürcher Grünen distanzieren sich von ihrem Kantonsrat Urs Hans, weil er Verschwörungstheorien zum Coronavirus verbeitet|periodical=[[Neue Zürcher Zeitung]]|date=2020-05-11}}</ref> On September 12, 2020, a demonstration against masks, containment measures or the supposed lies of the media brings together a thousand people in Geneva at the Place des Nations, in front of the [[United Nations Organization|United Nations]].<ref>{{Cite news|author=[[Swiss Telegraph Agency|ATS]]|url=https://www.letemps.ch/suisse/un-millier-dantimasques-manifestent-geneve|title=A thousand anti-masks demonstrate in Geneva|periodical=[[Le Temps (Swiss daily newspaper)|Le Temps]]|date=2020-09-12}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url= https://www.rts.ch/info/regions/geneve/11598989-un-rassemblement-antimasque-reunit-1000-personnes-a-geneve.html|title=An anti-mask rally brings together 1,000 people in Geneva|website=[[Swiss Radio and Television]]|date=2020-09-12}}</ref> The three major opposition figures [[Disinformation on the Covid-19 pandemic|coronasceptics]] in French-speaking Switzerland are the [[web videographers]] [[Chloé Frammery]], Ema Krusi and Christian Tal Schaller.<ref>{{Cite news|author=Laure Lugon|author2=Sylvia Revello|url=https://www.letemps.ch/suisse/complotistes-senflamment-autour-coronavirus|title=Les complotistes ignite around the coronavirus|periodical =[[Le Temps (Swiss daily newspaper)|Le Temps]]|date=2020-05-11}}</ref> Coronasceptics and opponents of measures to combat the spread of Covid-19 are increasingly occupying the Federal Office of Police (Fedpol). Threats against federal officials are on the rise.<ref>{{Cite web |language=en |title=In Switzerland, "coronasceptics" are increasingly occupying the police |url=https://www.rts.ch/info/suisse/11719150-in-switzerland-coronasceptics-occupy-more-and-more-the-police.html |website=[[Swiss Radio and Television]] |date=2020-11-01 |access-date =2021-03-26}}</ref><br />
<br />
In January 2021, the [[National Council (Switzerland)|national councilor]] [[Democratic Union of the Center|UDC]] [[Yves Nidegger]] opposed the “health dictatorship”.<ref>{{Cite web| author=Elio Sottas|url=https://www.lemanbleu.ch/fr/News/Yves-Nidegger-souhaite-reconstruire-Geneve-en-ruine.html|title=Yves Nidegger wishes to rebuild "Geneva in ruins"|website =[[Léman Bleu]]|date=2021-01-06}}.</ref> In Liestal, 8000 people demonstrate on March 20, 2021, against the anti-Covid measures in force while in Bern the police stop a demonstration for the same causes.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Anti-Covid demonstrations -sanitary measures in Liestal and Bern |url=https://www.swissinfo.ch/fre/manifestations-anti-mesures-sanitaires-%C3%A0-liestal-et-%C3%A0-berne/46465440 |website =[[Swissinfo]] |date=2021-03-20}}</ref> Following these demonstrations, the #NoLiestal movement is rising on digital networks to denounce and counter the agglomeration initiatives of coronasceptics in Switzerland.<ref>{{Cite web |language=fr |title=Forum (video) - The #NoLiestal movement, the counter-offensive against coronasceptics |url=https://www.rts.ch/play/tv/forum-video/video/le-mouvement-noliestal-la-contre-offensive-face-aux-coronasceptiques?urn=urn:rts:video:12075124 |website=[[Swiss Radio and Television]]|date=2021-03-25|access-date=2021-03-26}}.</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.watson.ch/fr/suisse/pand%C3%A9mie/674339869-noliestal-le-hashtag-qui-denonce-les-manifs-anti-restrictions|title=#NoLiestal, the hashtag that denounces anti-restrictions demonstrations|website=[[Watson (newspaper)|Watson]]|date=2021-03-25}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Ukraine ===<br />
On 14–20 February, protests against the placement of evacuated Ukrainian citizens (suspected of having coronavirus disease 2019) from the city of Wuhan (PRC) in Ukraine took place in Novi Sanzhary.<br />
<br />
In the summer and autumn of 2021, actions against obligatory vaccination against COVID-19 and restrictions for unvaccinated persons took place in various cities of Ukraine. In particular, on 27 July the "procession" against vaccination was organized by the [[Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate)|Moscow Patriarchate]]<ref>{{cite news<br />
| date = 27 July 2021<br />
| title = "Наша вакцина - це причастіє": хресна хода УПЦ МП у розпал пандемії. Як це було<br />
| url = https://www.bbc.com/ukrainian/media-57985963<br />
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20211105082542/https://www.bbc.com/ukrainian/media-57985963<br />
| archive-date = 5 November 2021<br />
| access-date = 5 November 2021<br />
}}</ref><br />
and on November 3 the protesters blocked the streets in Kyiv<ref>{{cite news<br />
| date = 5 November 2021<br />
| title = Мітинг антивакцинаторів у Києві: страх втратити роботу або стати роботами<br />
| url = https://p.dw.com/p/42XkY<br />
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20211105082112/https://www.dw.com/uk/mitynh-antyvaktsynatoriv-u-kyievi-strakh-vtratyty-robotu-abo-staty-robotamy/a-59711738<br />
| archive-date = 5 November 2021<br />
| access-date = 5 November 2021<br />
}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== United Kingdom ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 protests in the United Kingdom}}<br />
The first protests against the national mandatory lockdown in the United Kingdom took place in April&nbsp;2020, extending into the following month before abating as lockdown restrictions were slowly eased. As local area lockdown measures were reintroduced towards the end of summer, followed by stricter national lockdown measures, anti-lockdown protests resurged across the country beginning in September&nbsp;2020. More than 55 protesters have been arrested in these events as of October 2020. Some protesters have claimed that COVID-19 is a hoax, and many refused to wear [[Face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic|masks]] or practice [[social distancing]].<ref name="HuffPost Sept 2020">{{cite web | title=Revealed: The So-Called 'Top Class Doctors And Nurses' Backing Anti-Mask Protests | website=HuffPost | url=https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/these-are-the-so-called-top-class-doctors-and-nurses-backing-anti-mask-protests_uk_5f4e4531c5b697186e3b790d | date=5 September 2020 | access-date=15 October 2020 | archive-date=20 September 2020 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200920044007/https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/these-are-the-so-called-top-class-doctors-and-nurses-backing-anti-mask-protests_uk_5f4e4531c5b697186e3b790d | url-status=live }}</ref> Protests have occurred in [[Shrewsbury]],<ref>{{Cite web|last=Leather|first=Harry|title=Two arrested after anti-lockdown protesters in stand-off with police on roof of Shrewsbury College|url=https://www.shropshirestar.com/news/health/coronavirus-covid19/2020/04/20/anti-lockdown-protesters-in-stand-off-with-police-on-roof-of-shrewsbury-college/|access-date=10 July 2020|website=www.shropshirestar.com|date=20 April 2020 |language=en|archive-date=7 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201007010409/https://www.shropshirestar.com/news/health/coronavirus-covid19/2020/04/20/anti-lockdown-protesters-in-stand-off-with-police-on-roof-of-shrewsbury-college/|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Glastonbury]],<ref>{{Cite web|last=Mills|first=Richard|date=1 May 2020|title=Live updates as police attend protest against lockdown in Somerset|url=https://www.somersetlive.co.uk/news/somerset-news/lockdown-protest-glastonbury-corbyn-live-4096098|access-date=10 July 2020|website=somersetlive|language=en|archive-date=4 December 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201204235515/https://www.somersetlive.co.uk/news/somerset-news/lockdown-protest-glastonbury-corbyn-live-4096098|url-status=live}}</ref> [[London]], [[Manchester]], [[Glasgow]], [[Belfast]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://metro.co.uk/2020/05/16/19-arrested-anti-lockdown-protests-take-place-across-country-12715038/|title=19 arrested as anti-lockdown protests take place across country|first=Faye|last=Brown|date=16 May 2020|access-date=24 May 2020|archive-date=23 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200523160939/https://metro.co.uk/2020/05/16/19-arrested-anti-lockdown-protests-take-place-across-country-12715038/|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Hove]],<ref>{{Cite web|date=19 May 2020|title=Coronavirus lockdown prompts Hove seafront protest|url=https://www.brightonandhovenews.org/2020/05/19/coronavirus-lockdown-prompts-hove-seafront-protest/|access-date=10 July 2020|website=Brighton and Hove News|language=en-US|archive-date=15 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201015171929/https://www.brightonandhovenews.org/2020/05/19/coronavirus-lockdown-prompts-hove-seafront-protest/|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Birmingham]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/protests-birmingham-city-centre-over-18924302|title=Protests in Birmingham city centre over lockdown restrictions|first=Stephanie|last=Balloo|date=12 September 2020|website=BirminghamLive|access-date=12 September 2020|archive-date=13 September 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200913011210/https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/protests-birmingham-city-centre-over-18924302|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Liverpool]],<ref>{{cite web|title=Conspiracy theorist Piers Corbyn tells crowd of unmasked protesters 'covid is a hoax'|url=https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/conspiracy-theorist-piers-corbyn-tells-19125232|newspaper=Liverpool Echo|first=Jonathan|last=Humphries|date=18 October 2020|access-date=18 October 2020|archive-date=19 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201019060254/https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/conspiracy-theorist-piers-corbyn-tells-19125232|url-status=live}}</ref> as well as a few other cities.<br />
<br />
Protests over restrictions overlapped with [[anti-vaccine]] protests following the start of the UK's [[COVID-19 vaccination in the United Kingdom|COVID-19 vaccination programme]] in December 2020.<ref>{{cite news|date=2021-07-03|title=The anti-lockdown movement is still going strong|newspaper=The Economist|url=https://www.economist.com/britain/2021/07/03/the-anti-lockdown-movement-is-still-going-strong|access-date=2021-09-12|issn=0013-0613|archive-date=12 September 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210912213950/https://www.economist.com/britain/2021/07/03/the-anti-lockdown-movement-is-still-going-strong|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-07-19|title=Bottles thrown at police in anti-lockdown and anti-vaccination protest|url=https://www.itv.com/news/london/2021-07-19/bottles-thrown-at-police-in-anti-lockdown-and-anti-vaccination-protest|access-date=2021-09-12|website=ITV News|language=en|archive-date=13 September 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210913193143/https://www.itv.com/news/london/2021-07-19/bottles-thrown-at-police-in-anti-lockdown-and-anti-vaccination-protest|url-status=live}}</ref> On the weekend of 24–25 July 2021, protests broke out again in several major cities in the United Kingdom including [[London]],<ref>{{Cite web|title=Thousands protest amid global anger against COVID restrictions|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/7/24/protesters-against-covid-restrictions-clash-with-police-in-paris|access-date=2021-07-25|website=www.aljazeera.com|language=en|archive-date=25 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210725014050/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/7/24/protesters-against-covid-restrictions-clash-with-police-in-paris|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Leeds]],<ref>{{Cite web|last1=Norden|first1=Jasmine|date=2021-07-24|title='Freedom Rally' blocks Leeds roads as protestors accuse government of lies|url=https://www.leeds-live.co.uk/news/leeds-news/freedom-rally-blocks-leeds-roads-21137368|access-date=2021-07-25|website=LeedsLive|language=en|archive-date=25 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210725014059/https://www.leeds-live.co.uk/news/leeds-news/freedom-rally-blocks-leeds-roads-21137368|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Manchester]]<ref>{{Cite web|last1=Abbit|first1=Beth|date=2021-07-24|title=Protesters chant 'shame on you' at police during march through Manchester|url=https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/protesters-chant-shame-you-police-21137043|access-date=2021-07-25|website=Manchester Evening News|language=en|archive-date=25 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210725014059/https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/protesters-chant-shame-you-police-21137043|url-status=live}}</ref> and [[Birmingham]] due to people [[Vaccine hesitancy|opposing vaccines]] and [[COVID passports in the United Kingdom|proposed COVID passports]].<ref>{{Cite web|first=Nick|last=Horner|date=2021-07-24|title=Lockdown protests causing city centre road chaos|url=https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/live-anti-lockdown-protests-causing-21136037|access-date=2021-07-25|website=BirminghamLive|language=en|archive-date=25 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210725014049/https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/live-anti-lockdown-protests-causing-21136037|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
== North America ==<br />
<br />
=== Canada ===<br />
[[File:COVID-19 Vancouver's largest protest, April 26th 2020 (49823981297).jpg|thumb|Anti-lockdown protest in [[Vancouver]], British Columbia, on 26 April 2020]]<br />
{{main|COVID-19 protests in Canada}}<br />
In Canada, protests began on 19 April 2020 in [[Vancouver]].<ref name="Vancouver COVID-19 protests">{{cite news |last1=Carrigg |first1=David |title=COVID-19: Small group protests coronavirus restrictions in Vancouver |url=https://vancouversun.com/news/local-news/covid-19-vancouver-police-escort-small-group-protesting-government-restrictions/ |access-date=6 May 2020 |agency=Postmedia Network |publisher=Vancouver Sun |date=19 April 2020 |archive-date=12 May 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200512150249/https://vancouversun.com/news/local-news/covid-19-vancouver-police-escort-small-group-protesting-government-restrictions/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|date=26 April 2020|title=Protesters march against COVID-19 prevention measures in Vancouver &#124; CTV News|publisher=Bc.ctvnews.ca|url=https://bc.ctvnews.ca/protesters-march-against-covid-19-prevention-measures-in-vancouver-1.4912767|access-date=30 April 2020|archive-date=2 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200502004835/https://bc.ctvnews.ca/protesters-march-against-covid-19-prevention-measures-in-vancouver-1.4912767|url-status=live}}</ref> Protests also occurred in [[Toronto]], [[Edmonton]] and [[Ottawa]].<ref>{{cite news|title='A bunch of yahoos,' Ont. premier says of people protesting COVID-19 emergency measures &#124; CTV News|publisher=Toronto.ctvnews.ca|url=https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/a-bunch-of-yahoos-ont-premier-says-of-people-protesting-covid-19-emergency-measures-1.4911861|access-date=30 April 2020|archive-date=1 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200501172956/https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/a-bunch-of-yahoos-ont-premier-says-of-people-protesting-covid-19-emergency-measures-1.4911861|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Lauren |first1=Boothby |title=Hundreds flock to Alberta legislature to protest COVID-19 restrictions |url=https://edmontonjournal.com/news/local-news/hundreds-flock-to-alberta-legislature-to-protest-covid-19-restrictions/wcm/e93da949-89f6-4b77-8376-9a8ffbf5e340/ |access-date=5 May 2020 |work=Edmonton Journal |date=1 May 2020 |archive-date=6 May 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200506060124/https://edmontonjournal.com/news/local-news/hundreds-flock-to-alberta-legislature-to-protest-covid-19-restrictions/wcm/e93da949-89f6-4b77-8376-9a8ffbf5e340/ |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
On 21 April 2020 it was reported that prisoners at the [[Saskatchewan Penitentiary]] had been protesting against restrictions placed upon them in response to COVID-19, like being kept in their cells for 20 hours a day.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Bridges |first1=Alicia |title=Sask. Penitentiary inmates protest COVID-19 restrictions they say put them in cells 20 hours per day |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatoon/protests-covid-19-saskatchewan-penitentiary-1.5538728 |access-date=5 May 2020 |work=CBC News |date=21 April 2020 |archive-date=24 April 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200424090731/https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatoon/protests-covid-19-saskatchewan-penitentiary-1.5538728 |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
On 15 January 2021, [[Roman Baber]], [[Member of Provincial Parliament&nbsp;(Canada)|Member of Provincial Parliament]] for the [[Toronto]] riding of [[York Centre (provincial electoral district)|York Centre]], was removed from the caucus of the governing [[Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario]] after publishing an open letter to [[Premier of Ontario|Premier]] [[Doug Ford]] criticizing [[COVID-19 pandemic in Ontario|Ontario's lockdown restrictions]]. Baber continued his anti-lockdown advocacy as an [[independent politician|independent]] member of the legislative [[opposition (politics)|opposition]].<ref name="ts011521">{{cite news |last1=Benzie |first1=Robert |title=Premier Doug Ford turfs MPP Roman Baber from Tory caucus for opposing COVID-19 lockdown |url=https://www.thestar.com/politics/provincial/2021/01/15/tory-mpp-roman-baber-breaks-ranks-with-premier-doug-ford-urges-end-to-covid-19-lockdown.html |access-date=15 January 2021 |work=Toronto Star |publisher=Torstar |date=15 January 2021 |archive-date=15 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210115132729/https://www.thestar.com/politics/provincial/2021/01/15/tory-mpp-roman-baber-breaks-ranks-with-premier-doug-ford-urges-end-to-covid-19-lockdown.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/ontario-covid-19-january-15-2021-1.5874606| title=Ford ousts MPP from caucus over open letter pushing for end to COVID-19 lockdown| date=15 January 2021| website=cbc.ca| access-date=19 January 2021| archive-date=19 January 2021| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210119092609/https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/ontario-covid-19-january-15-2021-1.5874606| url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite tweet| user=Roman_Baber| number=1350089062800105473| title=I was removed from the @OntarioPCParty caucus. It's a regretful decision since many colleagues agree with me, incl @fordnation in large part. I don't regret speaking out for millions of lives & livelihoods decimated by Public Health, I serve the public. The Lockdown is grounded in false public health narrative, poor planning & bad data. While Doug only cares about re-election, Lockdowns are killing more than saving. I couldn't watch the suffering anymore. I hope I encouraged other professionals to speak out.| date=15 January 2021| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210115162937/https://twitter.com/Roman_Baber/status/1350089062800105473| archive-date= 15 January 2021| url-status =live}}</ref><br />
<br />
On 1 September 2021, thousands of people protested COVID-19 vaccine policies and mask mandates outside of [[Vancouver City Hall]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Protesters target B.C. hospitals disrupting patients, staff - NEWS 1130|url=https://www.citynews1130.com/2021/09/01/covid-protesters-bc-hospitals/|access-date=2021-09-03|website=www.citynews1130.com|archive-date=3 September 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210903030258/https://www.citynews1130.com/2021/09/01/covid-protesters-bc-hospitals/|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
[[File:Convoi de la liberté à Ottawa 01.jpg|thumb|Anti-mandate protest in [[Ottawa]], Canada's capital city, on 1 February 2022]]<br />
In January 2022, [[Freedom Convoy 2022]] began. Prime Minister [[Justin Trudeau]] invoked the [[Emergencies Act]] for the first time to quell the unrest from the occupation and harassment of Ottawa and its citizens by hundreds of trucks, their drivers and thousands of unruly protesters.<br />
<br />
====Alberta====<br />
A far-right group calling itself "Walk for Freedom" has been organizing anti-mask protests since at least April 2020.<ref name="CTV_20200429">{{cite news| title = Protest to 'End the Lockdown' attracts more than 100 people to Alberta legislature| work = CTV News Edmonton| access-date = 21 February 2021| date = 29 April 2020| url = https://edmonton.ctvnews.ca/protest-to-end-the-lockdown-attracts-more-than-100-people-to-alberta-legislature-1.4917828| archive-date = 9 March 2021| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210309035715/https://edmonton.ctvnews.ca/protest-to-end-the-lockdown-attracts-more-than-100-people-to-alberta-legislature-1.4917828| url-status = live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Anti-mask protesters take to the streets in Calgary to fight COVID-19 restrictions |url=https://calgary.ctvnews.ca/anti-mask-protesters-take-to-the-streets-in-calgary-to-fight-covid-19-restrictions-1.5228760 |first=Timm |last=Bruch |work=CTV News |date=12 December 2020 |access-date=21 February 2021 |archive-date=10 February 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210210223346/https://calgary.ctvnews.ca/anti-mask-protesters-take-to-the-streets-in-calgary-to-fight-covid-19-restrictions-1.5228760 |url-status=live }}</ref> Concerns were raised when several hundred protestors took part in a 20 February 2021 freedom convoy and Jericho Torch March at the Legislature organized by the "Walk for Freedom Alberta" and the "Freedom Unity Alliance".<ref name="global_Bench_20210221">{{cite news| last = Bench| first = Allison| title = Protesters gather from across the province at Alberta legislature to fight COVID-19 health measures| work = Global News| location = Edmonton, Alberta| access-date = 21 February 2021| date = 21 February 2021| url = https://globalnews.ca/news/7652604/feb-20-walk-for-freedom-covid-19/| archive-date = 22 February 2021| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210222015650/http://globalnews.ca/news/7652604/feb-20-walk-for-freedom-covid-19/| url-status = live}}</ref> Posters advertising the rally included an image of white nationalists marching through [[Charlottesville, Virginia|Charlottesville]] with [[Tiki torch]]es in the 2017 US [[Unite the Right rally]].<ref name="global_Bench_20210221"/><ref>{{Cite web| title = COVID Conspiracy Groups Are Using A Picture From Charlottesville Neo-Nazi Rally To Promote Their Upcoming 'Torch March'| work = Canadian Anti-Hate Network| access-date = February 22, 2021| date = February 16, 2021| url = https://www.antihate.ca/covid_conspiracy_groups_picture_charlottesville_neo_nazi_rally_promote_their_upcoming_torch_march |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210216201222/https://www.antihate.ca/covid_conspiracy_groups_picture_charlottesville_neo_nazi_rally_promote_their_upcoming_torch_march |archive-date=16 February 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web| work = Facebook| access-date = February 22, 2021| date = February 16, 2021| url = https://www.facebook.com/WALK108/photos/pcb.147482763873027/147482720539698/| author = WALK108| title = Poster for Walk for Freedom rallies| archive-date = 22 February 2021| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210222204047/https://www.facebook.com/WALK108/photos/pcb.147482763873027/147482720539698/| url-status = live}}</ref><ref name="660News_20210124">{{Cite web| title = Experts confused, concerned with anti-lockdown rally imagery| work = 660 NEWS| access-date = February 22, 2021| date = January 24, 2021| url = https://www.660citynews.com/2021/01/23/experts-confused-concerned-with-anti-lockdown-rally-imagery/| archive-date = 26 February 2021| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210226213959/https://www.660citynews.com/2021/01/23/experts-confused-concerned-with-anti-lockdown-rally-imagery/| url-status = live}}</ref> The group of hundreds of unmasked anti-lockdown protestors, carrying a Walk for Freedom banner included [[COVID-19 misinformation|COVID-19 deniers]].<ref name="CTV_20210221">{{cite news| title = Hatred, COVID-19 skepticism denounced after anti-lockdown rally at Alberta legislature| work = CTV Edmonton| access-date = February 21, 2021| date = February 21, 2021| url = https://edmonton.ctvnews.ca/hatred-covid-19-skepticism-denounced-after-anti-lockdown-rally-at-alta-legislature-1.5317502| archive-date = 22 February 2021| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210222045333/https://edmonton.ctvnews.ca/hatred-covid-19-skepticism-denounced-after-anti-lockdown-rally-at-alta-legislature-1.5317502| url-status = live}}</ref> Others were supporters of a pastor who was arrested for repeatedly refusing to comply to public health regulations, such as capping attendance, physical distancing and mask-wearing.<ref name="CBC_20210217">{{cite news| title = GraceLife pastor held in custody for refusing to comply with bail conditions| location = Edmonton, Alberta| access-date = February 21, 2021| date = February 17, 2021| url = https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/alberta-covid-coronavirus-grace-life-church-pastor-1.5917526| archive-date = 22 February 2021| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210222134044/https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/alberta-covid-coronavirus-grace-life-church-pastor-1.5917526| url-status = live}}</ref><ref name="thestar_20210221">{{cite news| title = Anti-lockdown rally at Alberta legislature voices support for jailed pastor| work = The Star| location = Edmonton, Alberta| access-date = February 21, 2021| date = February 21, 2021| url = https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2021/02/20/anti-lockdown-rally-at-alberta-legislature-voices-support-for-jailed-pastor.html| archive-date = 21 February 2021| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210221082455/https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2021/02/20/anti-lockdown-rally-at-alberta-legislature-voices-support-for-jailed-pastor.html| url-status = live}}</ref> The [[Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms]] (JCCF), representing the pastor, had launched a legal charter challenge against the Alberta government.<ref name="Griwkowsky_20201207">{{cite news| title = Justice centre launches legal challenge against Covid restrictions| work = Politics Today| url = https://www.politicstoday.news/alberta-today/justice-centre-launches-legal-challenge-against-covid-restrictions| first = Catherine| last = Griwkowsky| date = December 7, 2020| access-date = February 21, 2021| archive-date = 1 February 2021| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210201215035/https://www.politicstoday.news/alberta-today/justice-centre-launches-legal-challenge-against-covid-restrictions| url-status = live}}</ref> The Mayor of Edmonton said that the rally organizers were from outside Edmonton and that they "may be associated with known hate groups. Edmonton unequivocally condemns racism, misogyny and other forms of hate—such speech is not welcome in our community."<ref>{{cite news| title = Anti-restriction protesters gather at legislature, march in streets with tiki torches| work = 660 News| location = Edmonton, Alberta| access-date = February 21, 2021| date = February 20, 2021| url = https://www.660citynews.com/2021/02/20/large-anti-mask-and-anti-restriction-protest-underway-soon-in-edmonton/| archive-date = 21 February 2021| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210221182147/https://www.660citynews.com/2021/02/20/large-anti-mask-and-anti-restriction-protest-underway-soon-in-edmonton/| url-status = live}}</ref><ref name="CTV_20210221"/><ref>{{Cite AV media| title = Anti-lockdown protesters clash with media at "Walk for Freedom" rally |series=CTV News| access-date = February 21, 2021| date =February 21, 2021| url = https://edmonton.citynews.ca/video/2021/02/21/anti-lockdown-protesters-clash-with-media-at-walk-for-freedom-rally/}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Cuba ===<br />
{{Main|2021 Cuban protests}}<br />
A series of protests began on 11 July 2021, triggered by the shortage of food and medicine and the government's response to the resurgent [[COVID-19 pandemic in Cuba]].<ref>{{cite news|last=Robles|first=Frances|date=11 July 2021|title=Cubans Denounce 'Misery' in Biggest Protests in Decades|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/11/world/americas/cuba-crisis-protests.html|issn=0362-4331|archive-date=11 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210711212619/https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/11/world/americas/cuba-crisis-protests.html|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Mexico ===<br />
On 29 April, police in [[Yajalón]], [[Municipalities of Chiapas|Chiapas]], southern Mexico, opened fire on people who were protesting against a checkpoint that left their community isolated. Residents of neighbouring [[Tumbalá]] complained that the checkpoint made it impossible for them to access governmental and banking services and that it seemed to be related to a belief that Tumbalá had a high rate of coronavirus infection. Checkpoints have been installed in about 20% of Mexico's municipalities, which the federal government has declared illegal.<ref>{{cite news |title=México: Protesta contra retén por COVID termina en tiroteo |url=https://apnews.com/cfcb0c1a9718e9f62b05c1a67399398b |website=AP NEWS |access-date=5 June 2020 |date=30 April 2020 |archive-date=5 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200605181818/https://apnews.com/cfcb0c1a9718e9f62b05c1a67399398b |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
Hundreds of Mexicans participated in caravans on 30 May demanding the resignation of President [[Andrés Manuel López Obrador]] because of his handling of the [[COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico]] and the economy. The caravans, which took place in about a dozen cities across the country, consisted largely of luxury cars.<ref>{{cite web |title=Manifestaciones anti AMLO en varios estados - Estados - La Jornada |url=https://www.jornada.com.mx/ultimas/estados/2020/05/30/manifestaciones-anti-amlo-en-los-estados-6108.html |website=www.jornada.com.mx |access-date=5 June 2020 |language=es |date=30 May 2020 |archive-date=5 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200605182825/https://www.jornada.com.mx/ultimas/estados/2020/05/30/manifestaciones-anti-amlo-en-los-estados-6108.html |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
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Violence broke out on 4 June during [[George Floyd protests|demonstrations]] in [[Guadalajara]], [[Jalisco]] to demand justice after the [[death of Giovanni López]] in the town of [[Ixtlahuacán de los Membrillos]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Justicia para Giovanni: Protestan por el asesinato en Jalisco |url=https://www.milenio.com/estados/giovanni-lopez-protestas-asesinato-joven-jalisco |website=www.milenio.com |date=6 April 2020 |access-date=4 June 2020 |archive-date=5 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200605022951/https://www.milenio.com/estados/giovanni-lopez-protestas-asesinato-joven-jalisco |url-status=live }}</ref> López, a 30-year-old mason, had been arrested on 4 May for not wearing a [[COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico|facemask]] during a [[Stay-at-home order|lockdown]] and died the next day while in police custody.<ref>{{cite web |title=Así fue la detención de Giovanni López justo antes de su muerte |url=https://www.lavanguardia.com/internacional/20200605/481603972248/giovanni-lopez-muerte-policia-detencion-video-seo-ext.html |website=La Vanguardia |access-date=5 June 2020 |language=es |date=5 June 2020 |archive-date=5 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200605093708/https://www.lavanguardia.com/internacional/20200605/481603972248/giovanni-lopez-muerte-policia-detencion-video-seo-ext.html |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
=== United States ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 protests in the United States}}<br />
<br />
The United States' national response began in early January, originating with actions by the [[Centers for Disease Control and Prevention|Centers for Disease Control]] (CDC) and the [[White House]]. The [[COVID-19 pandemic in the United States|first U.S. case of COVID-19]] was recorded on 19 January 2020. In the United States, the [[U.S. state and local government responses to the COVID-19 pandemic|response was determined by state and local officials in coordination with the CDC and federal officials]]. On 9 February, governors were briefed by the [[White House Coronavirus Task Force]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=TIMELINE: The Trump Administration's Decisive Actions To Combat the Coronavirus|url=https://www.donaldjtrump.com/media/timeline-the-trump-administrations-decisive-actions-to-combat-the-coronavirus|access-date=10 July 2020|website=www.donaldjtrump.com|language=en|archive-date=11 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200711100629/https://www.donaldjtrump.com/media/timeline-the-trump-administrations-decisive-actions-to-combat-the-coronavirus|url-status=dead}}</ref> Beginning in mid-March, various [[Social distancing measures related to the COVID-19 pandemic|social distancing measures]] to limit spread of the virus were undertaken by state governors and in some cases counties or cities.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://abcnews.go.com/Health/wireStory/bay-area-counties-california-order-shelter-place-69627648|title=San Francisco Bay Area counties issue shelter-in-place order|last1=Rodriguez|first1=Olga R.|last2=Har|first2=Janie|date=16 March 2020|work=ABC News|access-date=9 May 2020|archive-date=25 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200525143041/https://abcnews.go.com/Health/wireStory/bay-area-counties-california-order-shelter-place-69627648|url-status=live}}</ref> Actions taken included [[stay-at-home order]]s ("quarantine"), school and business closures, and limitation on the size of gatherings. On 19 March 2020, [[Donald Trump|President Donald Trump]], and [[Mike Pence|Vice President Mike Pence]] met (via teleconference) with governors of most states to continue coordination and to assist states with their responses. [[Federal Emergency Management Agency|FEMA]] was brought into the effort around this time.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Remarks by President Trump and Vice President Pence in a Video Teleconference with Governors on COVID-19|url=https://trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov/briefings-statements/remarks-president-trump-vice-president-pence-video-teleconference-governors-covid-19/|access-date=10 July 2020|via=[[NARA|National Archives]]|work=[[whitehouse.gov]]|language=en-US|archive-date=20 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210120200339/https://trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov/briefings-statements/remarks-president-trump-vice-president-pence-video-teleconference-governors-covid-19/|url-status=live}}</ref> By 7 April 42 states had [[Lockdown#In epidemics and pandemics|lockdown orders]] in place.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://nationalpost.com/news/covid-19-people-have-to-be-responsible-for-themselves-eight-states-still-not-locked-down|title=COVID-19: 'People have to be responsible for themselves': Eight U.S. states still not locked down|last=Dittrich|first=Valerie|date=7 April 2020|work=National Post|access-date=9 May 2020}}</ref> The shutdowns had serious economic effects, including a steep rise in unemployment due to the shutdown of stores and workplaces.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2020/04/24/coronavirus-pandemics-impact-on-the-global-economy-in-7-charts.html|title=7 charts show how the coronavirus pandemic has hit the global economy|last=Lee|first=Yen Nee|date=24 April 2020|work=CNBC|access-date=9 May 2020|archive-date=4 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200504231204/https://www.cnbc.com/2020/04/24/coronavirus-pandemics-impact-on-the-global-economy-in-7-charts.html|url-status=live}}</ref> By 15 April protests and demonstrations had broken out in some states, demanding that the area be "re-opened" for normal business and personal activity. By 1 May there had been demonstrations in more than half of the states, and many governors began to take steps to lift the restrictions.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://thehill.com/homenews/sunday-talk-shows/495877-governors-experts-await-results-of-reopening-states-as-protests|title=Governors, experts await results of reopening states as protests continue|last=Budryk|first=Zack|date=3 May 2020|work=The Hill|access-date=9 May 2020|archive-date=10 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200510022802/https://thehill.com/homenews/sunday-talk-shows/495877-governors-experts-await-results-of-reopening-states-as-protests|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
{{multiple image<br />
| footer = Several hundred anti-lockdown protesters rallied at the [[Ohio Statehouse]] on 20 April.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Rouan |first1=Rick |title=Protesters at Statehouse demand state reopen as DeWine announces schools to remain closed |url=https://www.dispatch.com/news/20200420/protesters-at-statehouse-demand-state-reopen-as-dewine-announces-schools-to-remain-closed |access-date=3 May 2020 |work=[[The Columbus Dispatch]] |date=20 April 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200425004821/https://www.dispatch.com/news/20200420/protesters-at-statehouse-demand-state-reopen-as-dewine-announces-schools-to-remain-closed |archive-date=25 April 2020 |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
| image1 = Open Ohio Rally IMG 0910 (49799974031).jpg<br />
| alt1 = Ohio protesters, 18 April<br />
| image2 = CIMG 0355 (49799414598).jpg<br />
| alt2 = Ohio protesters, 20 April 20<br />
}}<br />
One of the first protests was in [[Michigan]] on 15 April 2020, organized by conservative groups which also encouraged groups in other states to copy their wording and templates.{{Citation needed|date=September 2021}} Protesters in numerous other states said they were inspired by Michigan, and they used Michigan's material on their own websites, Facebook groups, and [[Reddit]] pages to promote their protests.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/salvadorhernandez/coronavirus-quarantine-protests-facebook-groups|title=This Is How A Group Linked To Betsy DeVos Is Organizing Protests To End Social Distancing, Now With Trump's Support|website=BuzzFeed News|language=en|access-date=20 April 2020|archive-date=19 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200419180823/https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/salvadorhernandez/coronavirus-quarantine-protests-facebook-groups|url-status=live}}</ref> Subsequent protests were organized by [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] activists or party organizations,<ref name="reuters1">{{cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-trump-protests-idUSKCN2233ES|title=How Trump allies have organized and promoted anti-lockdown protests|date=22 April 2020|work=Reuters|access-date=23 April 2020|language=en|archive-date=23 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200423112936/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-trump-protests-idUSKCN2233ES|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bridgemi.com/michigan-government/meet-trump-loving-group-behind-protest-gov-whitmers-stay-home-order|title=Meet the Trump-loving group behind protest of Gov. Whitmer's stay-home order|date=22 April 2020|website=bridgemi.com|language=en|access-date=23 April 2020|archive-date=26 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200426174050/https://www.bridgemi.com/michigan-government/meet-trump-loving-group-behind-protest-gov-whitmers-stay-home-order|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="komonews">{{cite news|url=https://komonews.com/news/coronavirus/protest-against-state-closure-planned-for-tomorrow-in-olympia|title=Protest against state closure planned for tomorrow in Olympia|first=Cole |last=Miller|date=18 April 2020|website=KOMO|access-date=19 April 2020|archive-date=20 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200420003642/https://komonews.com/news/coronavirus/protest-against-state-closure-planned-for-tomorrow-in-olympia|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Tea Party movement|Tea Party activists]],<ref name=":8">{{cite news|url=https://www.politico.com/news/2020/04/21/trump-allies-help-organize-lockdown-protests-198426|title=Trump allies have their fingerprints on lockdown protests|website=POLITICO|language=en|access-date=23 April 2020|archive-date=22 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200422183744/https://www.politico.com/news/2020/04/21/trump-allies-help-organize-lockdown-protests-198426|url-status=live}}</ref> armed [[Patriot movement|militia movement]] supporters,<ref name="Grauniad-Right">{{cite news|last=Wilson|first=Jason|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/17/far-right-coronavirus-protests-restrictions|title=The rightwing groups behind wave of protests against Covid-19 restrictions|date=17 April 2020|work=The Guardian|access-date=18 April 2020|language=en-GB|issn=0261-3077|quote=...{{nbsp}}{{nbsp}}...|archive-date=18 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200418010447/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/17/far-right-coronavirus-protests-restrictions|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Gun laws in the United States by state|guns-rights]] activists,<ref>{{cite news|url=https://bringmethenews.com/minnesota-news/washington-post-links-minnesota-gun-group-to-anti-quarantine-protests|title=WaPo reveals Minnesota gun group link to anti-quarantine protests|last=Uren|first=Adam|website=Bring Me The News|language=en|access-date=20 April 2020|archive-date=24 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200424164209/https://bringmethenews.com/minnesota-news/washington-post-links-minnesota-gun-group-to-anti-quarantine-protests|url-status=live}}</ref> and "[[Anti-vaccine activism|anti-vaccination]]" advocates.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/02/us/anti-vaxxers-coronavirus-protests.html|title=Antivaccination Activists Are Growing Force at Virus Protests|last=Bogel-Burroughs|first=Nicholas|date=4 May 2020|work=The New York Times|access-date=4 May 2020|archive-date=3 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200503234419/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/02/us/anti-vaxxers-coronavirus-protests.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/anti-vaxxers-are-forming-an-unholy-alliance-with-shelter-in-place-protesters?source=articles&via=rss|title=Anti-Vaxxers and Lockdown Protesters Form an Unholy Alliance|last1=Sommer|first1=Will|last2=Kucinich|first2=Jackie|date=22 April 2020|work=Daily Beast|access-date=23 April 2020|archive-date=11 March 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210311021959/https://www.thedailybeast.com/anti-vaxxers-are-forming-an-unholy-alliance-with-shelter-in-place-protesters?source=articles&via=rss|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
Protesters, many without [[Face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States|face masks]], opposed the shelter-in-place orders in their states for various reasons. Many said they wanted businesses reopened so they could go back to work. Many others displayed pro-[[Donald Trump|Trump]] banners, signs, and [[Make America Great Again|MAGA]] hats.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2020/04/16/michigan-whitmer-conservatives-protest/|title=Chanting 'lock her up,' Michigan protesters waving Trump flags mass against Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's coronavirus restrictions|last=Flynn|first=Meagan|date=16 April 2020|newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=22 April 2020|archive-date=22 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200422002103/https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2020/04/16/michigan-whitmer-conservatives-protest/|url-status=live}}</ref> Still others insisted the lockdowns were a violation of their constitutional rights. One militia leader told a reporter, "Re-open my state or we will re-open it ourselves."<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-52359100|title=Coronavirus lockdown protest: What's behind the US demonstrations?|date=21 April 2020|work=BBC News|access-date=22 April 2020|archive-date=21 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200421200027/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-52359100|url-status=live}}</ref> An opinion article in ''The New York Times'', and an article in ''The Washington Post'' claimed that the anger driving the protests was "both real and manufactured", blaming conservative groups for engaging in [[astroturfing]] via centralized organization backed by anonymous donors.<ref>{{cite news|last=Graves|first=Lisa|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/22/opinion/coronavirus-protests-astroturf.html|title=Opinion {{!}} Who's Behind the 'Reopen' Protests?|date=22 April 2020|work=The New York Times|access-date=24 April 2020|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331|archive-date=24 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200424001641/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/22/opinion/coronavirus-protests-astroturf.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/inside-the-conservative-networks-backing-anti-quarantine-protests/2020/04/22/da75c81e-83fe-11ea-a3eb-e9fc93160703_story.html|title=The anti-quarantine protests seem spontaneous. But behind the scenes, a powerful network is helping.|last1=Stanley-Becker|first1=Isaac|last2=Romm|first2=Tony|date=22 April 2020|newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=24 April 2020|archive-date=29 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200429032531/https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/inside-the-conservative-networks-backing-anti-quarantine-protests/2020/04/22/da75c81e-83fe-11ea-a3eb-e9fc93160703_story.html|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
President Trump originally issued guidelines for how to phase out restrictions, saying that governors would decide how to reopen their own states and suggesting a cautious three-phase approach.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/16/politics/donald-trump-reopening-guidelines-coronavirus/index.html|title=Trump completes reversal, telling govs 'you are going to call your own shots' and distributes new guidelines|date=16 April 2020|work=CNN|access-date=23 April 2020|archive-date=22 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200422213330/https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/16/politics/donald-trump-reopening-guidelines-coronavirus/index.html|url-status=live}}</ref> However, the next day he reacted to the protests against social restrictions by encouraging the protests.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/17/us/politics/trump-coronavirus-governors.html|title=Trump Encourages Protest Against Governors Who Have Imposed Virus Restrictions|last1=Shear|first1=Michael D.|last2=Mervosh|first2=Sarah|date=17 April 2020|work=The New York Times|access-date=23 April 2020|archive-date=23 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200423000143/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/17/us/politics/trump-coronavirus-governors.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Itkowitz|first=Colby|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/04/17/liberate-trump-tweets-support-protesting-against-stay-at-home-orders/|title='Liberate': Trump Tweets Support of Protests Against Stay-at-Home Orders|date=17 April 2020|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|access-date=17 April 2020|archive-date=17 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200417233521/https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/04/17/liberate-trump-tweets-support-protesting-against-stay-at-home-orders/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/17/us/coronavirus-cases-news-update.html|title=Trump Foments Protests Against Governors; Experts Warn of Testing Shortages|date=17 April 2020|work=The New York Times|access-date=18 April 2020|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331|archive-date=18 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200418004100/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/17/us/coronavirus-cases-news-update.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|agency=Reuters/AP|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/video/2020/apr/18/they-seem-very-responsible-to-me-trump-defends-anti-lockdown-protesters-video|title='They seem very responsible to me': Trump defends anti-lockdown protesters - video|date=18 April 2020|work=The Guardian|access-date=19 April 2020|language=en-GB|issn=0261-3077|archive-date=19 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200419003522/https://www.theguardian.com/world/video/2020/apr/18/they-seem-very-responsible-to-me-trump-defends-anti-lockdown-protesters-video|url-status=live}}</ref> Governor [[Jay Inslee]] (D-WA) accused the president of "fomenting domestic rebellion" and said the president's call to ignore his own team's guidelines was "schizophrenic".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/04/trump-accused-fomenting-rebellion-liberate-tweets-200417223606672.html|title=Trump accused of 'fomenting rebellion' after 'LIBERATE' tweets|website=aljazeera.com|access-date=19 April 2020|archive-date=18 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200418213043/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/04/trump-accused-fomenting-rebellion-liberate-tweets-200417223606672.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2020/04/19/governors-decry-trump-call-liberate-states-coronavirus-restrictions/5162196002/|title=Governors slam Trump's call to 'liberate' states where protesters object to coronavirus restrictions|last=Cummings|first=William|website=USA TODAY|language=en-US|access-date=20 April 2020|archive-date=19 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200419233030/https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2020/04/19/governors-decry-trump-call-liberate-states-coronavirus-restrictions/5162196002/|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
[[File:OPEN our OHIO IMG 0144 (49790376873).jpg|thumb|An anti-lockdown protester in April 2020]]<br />
[[Facebook]] announced that it would block events and messages from anti-quarantine protest groups "when gatherings do not follow the health parameters established by the government and are therefore unlawful".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.politico.com/news/2020/04/20/facebook-shuts-down-anti-quarantine-protests-at-states-request-196143|title=Republicans attack Facebook as network shuts down anti-lockdown protests|last=Overly|first=Steven|website=POLITICO|language=en|access-date=21 April 2020|archive-date=21 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200421021301/https://www.politico.com/news/2020/04/20/facebook-shuts-down-anti-quarantine-protests-at-states-request-196143|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
In California, [[Libertarian Party (United States)|Libertarian Party]] chapters in [[Santa Clara, California|Santa Clara]] and [[San Francisco]] counties condemned lockdown measures in the state with a resolution stating in part that, "these government impositions have already lasted for longer than could be justified by the purpose for which they were allegedly necessary, constituting a sort of "mission creep" that could potentially keep them in place with no definite end, and with economic and social damage continuing to accumulate and becoming more severe."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.scclp.org/resolution_regarding_government_pandemic_response|title=Resolution Regarding Government Pandemic Response|access-date=11 May 2020|archive-date=26 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200526033448/https://www.scclp.org/resolution_regarding_government_pandemic_response|url-status=live}}</ref> Such responses were compared to the [[Anti-Mask League of San Francisco]] movement that was seen during the [[Spanish flu|1918 Spanish flu pandemic]], where the efficacy of masks was debated during the second wave of flu in the city.<ref name="amlsf">{{cite news|last=Kane|first=Peter Lawrence|date=29 April 2020|title=The Anti-Mask League: lockdown protests draw parallels to 1918 pandemic|language=en-GB|work=The Guardian|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/29/coronavirus-pandemic-1918-protests-california|access-date=30 April 2020|issn=0261-3077|archive-date=30 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200430023846/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/29/coronavirus-pandemic-1918-protests-california|url-status=live}}</ref> The Anti-Mask League saw the medical advice on masks as unconstitutional, and contrary to the principles of a free society.<ref name="amlsf"/><br />
<br />
Cell phone data from [[Digital contact tracing|digital-contact tracing]] software, captured from opt-in cellphone apps and the Firm VoteMap, then provided to The Guardian (publication) by progressive campaign group the Committee to Protect Medicare, suggests that cell phones present at anti-lockdown protests in [[2020 United States anti-lockdown protests|Colorado]], [[2020 United States anti-lockdown protests|Florida]], Illinois, [[2020 United States anti-lockdown protests|Michigan]] and North Carolina traveled long distances after leaving the protests. Dr. Rob Davidson, executive director of the Committee to Protect Medicare, said that although “it's hard to draw a straight line between devices, individuals at these protests, and cases”, the data suggests that the protests may be epidemiologically significant events." and that "The behavior we’re seeing at protests carries a high risk of infection."<ref>{{cite news|last=Wilson|first=Jason|date=18 May 2020|title=US lockdown protests may have spread virus widely, cellphone data suggests|language=en-GB|work=The Guardian|url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/may/18/lockdown-protests-spread-coronavirus-cellphone-data|access-date=23 May 2020|issn=0261-3077|archive-date=23 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200523061752/https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/may/18/lockdown-protests-spread-coronavirus-cellphone-data|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
On 30 January 2021, dozens of "SCAMDEMIC" protesters blocked the entrance to the vaccination center at [[Dodger Stadium]] in [[Los Angeles]].<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-01-31|title=Dodger Stadium mass COVID-19 vaccination site temporarily shuts down after protesters block entrance|url=https://ktla.com/news/local-news/dodger-stadium-mass-coronavirus-vaccination-site-shut-down-after-protesters-block-entrance/|access-date=2021-01-31|website=KTLA|language=en-US|archive-date=31 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210131013546/https://ktla.com/news/local-news/dodger-stadium-mass-coronavirus-vaccination-site-shut-down-after-protesters-block-entrance/|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
== Oceania ==<br />
<br />
=== American Samoa ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 pandemic in American Samoa}}<br />
In July 2020, several people protested against the spending of COVID-19 funds in [[American Samoa]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/420676/protest-against-spending-of-covid-19-funds-in-american-samoa | title=Protest against spending of Covid-19 funds in American Samoa | website=[[Radio New Zealand]] | date=7 July 2020 }}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Australia ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 protests in Australia}}<br />
{{See also|Convoy to Canberra}}<br />
Throughout 2020 and 2021, numerous illegal protests of widely varying sizes against COVID-19 lockdown restrictions and the [[Australian Federal Government]]'s vaccination programme were held in several state capitals including [[Adelaide]], [[Brisbane]], [[Melbourne]], [[Perth]] and [[Sydney]].<ref>{{cite news|title='Incredibly disappointing': Ugly scenes at Melbourne coronavirus protests as violence erupts|url=https://7news.com.au/lifestyle/health-wellbeing/melbourne-protests-violent-scenes-in-melbournes-cbd-as-coronavirus-protesters-are-detained-c-1028327|date=10 May 2020|work=[[Seven News]]|language=en|access-date=10 May 2020|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200911032042/https://7news.com.au/lifestyle/health-wellbeing/melbourne-protests-violent-scenes-in-melbournes-cbd-as-coronavirus-protesters-are-detained-c-1028327|archive-date=11 September 2020}}</ref><ref name="9news-anti-vacc-rallys-20-feb">{{cite news |last1=Noble |first1=Freya |title=Anti-coronavirus vaccine protests held in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth |url=https://www.9news.com.au/national/coronavirus-protest-melbourne-brisbane-sydney-pete-evans/a328629b-4d7f-48b1-a13f-72fe42dd8c2b |access-date=21 February 2021 |work=[[Nine News|9 News]] |publisher=Nine Digital Pty Ltd |date=20 February 2021 |archive-date=20 February 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210220222329/https://www.9news.com.au/national/coronavirus-protest-melbourne-brisbane-sydney-pete-evans/a328629b-4d7f-48b1-a13f-72fe42dd8c2b |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="smh-pfizer-doses-start">{{cite news |last1=Dye |first1=Josh |last2=Clun |first2=Rachel |title=COVID-19 vaccines begin as Prime Minister receives Pfizer immunisation |url=https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/covid-19-vaccines-begin-as-prime-minister-receives-pfizer-immunisation-20210221-p574cw.html |access-date=21 February 2021 |work=[[The Sydney Morning Herald]] |date=21 February 2021 |archive-date=25 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210525075159/https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/covid-19-vaccines-begin-as-prime-minister-receives-pfizer-immunisation-20210221-p574cw.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Police responded to some of the protests by arresting demonstrators and issuing fines.<ref name="abc-melb-lockdown-protest-nov'20">{{cite news |title=Police arrest more than 400 demonstrators at Melbourne anti-lockdown protest |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-11-03/melbourne-anti-lockdown-protest-sees-over-400-protesters-arrest/12845120 |access-date=5 June 2021 |work=ABC News |publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation |date=3 November 2020 |archive-date=6 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210506082030/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-11-03/melbourne-anti-lockdown-protest-sees-over-400-protesters-arrest/12845120 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Australia: Scores arrested at anti-coronavirus lockdown protests |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/8/21/australia-scores-arrested-at-anti-coronavirus-lockdown-protests |access-date=22 August 2021 |work=[[Al Jazeera English|Al Jazeera]] |date=21 August 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210821171717/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/8/21/australia-scores-arrested-at-anti-coronavirus-lockdown-protests |archive-date=21 August 2021|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Anti-lockdown protesters clash with police in Australia |url=https://amp.rnz.co.nz/article/869c10d3-77f3-4f63-8d04-343e7cc5d109 |access-date=22 August 2021 |work=[[Radio New Zealand]] |date=21 August 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210821070733/https://amp.rnz.co.nz/article/869c10d3-77f3-4f63-8d04-343e7cc5d109 |archive-date=21 August 2021|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
In Melbourne, [[Victoria, Australia|Victoria]], from 20 to 24 September 2021, a series of protests occurred in the city's CBD. Protesters were predominantly tradesmen who were acting against lockdowns, the closure of the construction industry and [[vaccine mandate]]s. It is believed that several protesters were "fake tradies" who could be described as "professional protesters". Police responded with rubber bullets, batons and tear gas. Various media outlets were critical of the police's heavy-handed response to the protesters and bystander civilians.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Clench |first1=Sam |last2=Smith |first2=Rohan |title=Melbourne 'freedom' protest: Chaos erupts on CBD streets, West Gate Freeway over construction sector shutdown |url=https://www.news.com.au/national/melbourne-braces-for-more-chaos-as-workers-plan-another-freedom-rally/news-story/2b8d98e06b20dd42c51ef9960849f403 |access-date=21 September 2021 |work=News.com |publisher=Nationwide News Pty Ltd |date=20 September 2021 |language=en-AU |archive-date=21 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210921021456/https://www.news.com.au/national/melbourne-braces-for-more-chaos-as-workers-plan-another-freedom-rally/news-story/2b8d98e06b20dd42c51ef9960849f403 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Tuffiel |first1=Rhiannon |title=Tradie protest 'hijacked' by 'extreme organisations': CFMEU boss |url=https://www.news.com.au/national/victoria/politics/tradie-protest-hijacked-by-extreme-organisations-cfmeu-boss/news-story/11a24a98abf9f04ed67f5e50fced7c35 |access-date=21 September 2021 |work=News.com.au |agency=NCA NewsWire |publisher=Nationwide News Pty Ltd |date=20 September 2021 |language=en-AU |archive-date=20 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210920221215/https://www.news.com.au/national/victoria/politics/tradie-protest-hijacked-by-extreme-organisations-cfmeu-boss/news-story/11a24a98abf9f04ed67f5e50fced7c35 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Harley |first1=Kyle |title=More than 200 arrests made across Melbourne as police disperse anti-lockdown protesters |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-09-24/protests-condemned-rallies-enter-fifth-day/100488196 |access-date=24 September 2021 |work=ABC News |publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation |date=24 September 2021 |language=en-AU |archive-date=25 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210925012150/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-09-24/protests-condemned-rallies-enter-fifth-day/100488196 |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
The first major legal protest occurred in early 2022 in [[Canberra]], [[Australian Capital Territory]], which is also the most highly vaccinated jurisdiction in Australia. A "[[Convoy to Canberra]]", consisting of thousands of protesters in trailers, trucks, cars and campervans made their way in the national capital in January.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2022/02/03/canadas-freedom-convoy-is-inspiring-protests-in-other-countries.html| title=How Canada's 'Freedom Convoy' is inspiring protests in other countries| first1=Alex| last1=McKeen| first2=Lex| last2=Harvey| first3=Kieran| last3=Leavitt|date=February 3, 2022|work=[[Toronto Star]]}}</ref><ref name="The Guardian Occupy Canberra">{{cite news |last1=Butler |first1=Josh |title='Occupy Canberra': behind the anti-vaccine protests at Parliament House |url=https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/feb/04/occupy-canberra-behind-the-anti-vaccine-protests-at-parliament-house |access-date=7 February 2022 |work=[[The Guardian]] |date=4 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220206092405/https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/feb/04/occupy-canberra-behind-the-anti-vaccine-protests-at-parliament-house |archive-date=6 February 2022|url-status=live}}</ref> On 12 February, around 10,000 protesters converged on [[Parliament House, Canberra|Parliament House]] and [[Old Parliament House, Canberra|Old Parliament House]], and [[Lifeline (crisis support service)|Lifeline Canberra]] suspended its major fund-raising event due to safety concerns for customers.<ref name="News.com.au 13 Feb">{{cite news |last1=Consenza |first1=Emily |last2=Raphael |first2=Angie |title=Incredible scenes as anti-vaccine mandate protesters swarm Canberra streets |url=https://www.news.com.au/national/nsw-act/news/antivaccine-mandate-ralliers-potentially-target-vaccine-hub-hosting-childrens-event/news-story/9e98221eab0c5436f122209a38d56102 |access-date=13 February 2022 |work=[[News.com.au]] |publisher=[[News Corp Australia]] |date=12 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220212192032/https://www.news.com.au/national/nsw-act/news/antivaccine-mandate-ralliers-potentially-target-vaccine-hub-hosting-childrens-event/news-story/9e98221eab0c5436f122209a38d56102 |archive-date=12 February 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Federal government relaxes aged care COVID rule as protesters converge on Canberra |url=https://thenewdaily.com.au/news/coronavirus/2022/02/13/aged-care-covid-rule-canberra-protests/ |access-date=14 February 2022 |work=[[The New Daily]] |date=13 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220213120210/https://thenewdaily.com.au/news/coronavirus/2022/02/13/aged-care-covid-rule-canberra-protests/ |archive-date=13 February 2022|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Kelly |first1=Lidia |title=NZ, Australia vaccination mandates protests gain in number |url=https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/new-zealand-australia-vaccination-mandates-protests-gain-numbers-2022-02-12/ |access-date=14 February 2022 |work=[[Reuters]] |date=12 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220213163443/https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/new-zealand-australia-vaccination-mandates-protests-gain-numbers-2022-02-12/ |archive-date=13 February 2022|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Christmas Island ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 pandemic in Christmas Island}}<br />
Detainees at the [[Christmas Island Detention Centre]] rioted and set fire to buildings in a protest against the conditions of the detention centre.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/jan/06/christmas-island-detainees-riot-and-set-fire-to-buildings-in-protest-against-conditions | title=Christmas Island detainees riot and set fire to buildings in protest against conditions | website=[[TheGuardian.com]] | date=6 January 2021 }}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Fiji ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 pandemic in Fiji}}<br />
In June 2021, following lockdowns in Fiji, locals protested across the country for more government support.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-06-23/fiji-instability-covid-outbreak-unrest-restrictions-lockdown/100234180 | title='Frustration and anger are starting to build': Fears COVID outbreak leading to civil unrest in Fiji | newspaper=ABC News | date=22 June 2021 }}</ref><br />
<br />
=== French Polynesia ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 pandemic in French Polynesia#vaccination efforts}}<br />
In October 2021, several protests against a proposed law mandating COVID-19 vaccines were held throughout [[French Polynesia]] including [[Papeete]] in [[Tahiti]] and [[Hiva Oa]] in the [[Marquesas Islands]]. Notable groups and individuals involved included the "Don't Touch my Family" group, the pro-independence party [[Tavini Huiraatira]], and retired Dr. Jean-Paul Theron, who was locked in a dispute with health authorities over his methods of treating COVID-19 patients.<ref>{{cite news |title=Tahiti rally against vaccination regime |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/453364/tahiti-rally-against-vaccination-regime |access-date=6 November 2021 |work=[[Radio New Zealand]] |date=12 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211019053801/https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/453364/tahiti-rally-against-vaccination-regime |archive-date=19 October 2021|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Pro-independence party joins French Polynesia anti-vax march |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/454227/pro-independence-party-joins-french-polynesia-anti-vax-march |access-date=6 November 2021 |work=[[Radio New Zealand]] |date=25 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211027052722/https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/454227/pro-independence-party-joins-french-polynesia-anti-vax-march |archive-date=27 October 2021}}</ref> The proposed law requires anyone working in healthcare or with the public to get inoculated or be fined $US1,700.<ref>{{cite news |title=French Polynesian govt delays Covid-19 vaccination law |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/453809/french-polynesian-govt-delays-covid-19-vaccination-law |access-date=6 November 2021 |work=[[Radio New Zealand]] |date=19 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211019103922/https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/453809/french-polynesian-govt-delays-covid-19-vaccination-law |archive-date=19 October 2021|url-status=live}}</ref> In response to strong opposition from anti-vaccination protesters, unions, and employers, [[President of French Polynesia|President]] [[Édouard Fritch]] announced that the new law would be delayed until 23 December.<ref name="Vaccination law amended">{{cite news |title=French Polynesia vaccination law to be amended |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/453853/french-polynesia-vaccination-law-to-be-amended |access-date=6 November 2021 |work=[[Radio New Zealand]] |date=19 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211104115009/https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/453853/french-polynesia-vaccination-law-to-be-amended |archive-date=4 November 2021}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Guam ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 pandemic in Guam}}<br />
Members of the [[Guam Freedom Coalition]] protested vaccine mandates in [[Guam]] on 30 October 2021.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.guampdn.com/news/march-held-to-protest-vaccine-mandates/video_2f7ee160-28b4-5974-b83a-12485173f1a2.html | title=March held to protest vaccine mandates | date=30 October 2021 }}</ref><br />
<br />
=== New Caledonia ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 pandemic in New Caledonia}}<br />
An estimate of 1,000 people staged a protest in [[Nouméa]] against government policies regarding the pandemic, such as the introduction of health passes and vaccine mandates. The protest occurred a day after outdoor gatherings in [[New Caledonia]] were limited to 30 people, however police decided not to intervene due to the presence of children.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.cookislandsnews.com/regional/new-caledonia/protest-in-new-caledonia-against-govts-pandemic-policies/ | title=Protest in New Caledonia against govt's pandemic policies | date=10 January 2022 }}</ref><br />
<br />
=== New Zealand ===<br />
[[File:Convoy 2022 NZ (41).jpg|thumb|Protesters blocking a street at the Convoy 2022 NZ protest in Wellington]]<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 protests in New Zealand}}<br />
{{See also|2022 Wellington protests}}<br />
Between August and October 2021, several protests were held across New Zealand to protest official lockdown measures, vaccination, and spread disinformation about the COVID-19 pandemic. Key groups and individuals that were involved in these protests included FACTS NZ, Kotahitanga Movement Aotearoa, the NZ Liberty Movement and [[Jami-Lee Ross]] and [[Billy Te Kahika]]'s [[Advance New Zealand]] party.<ref>{{cite news|last=Pearse |first=Adam |work=[[The Northern Advocate]]|date=13 August 2020|title=Covid 19 coronavirus: Lockdown protest stops traffic in Whangārei|language=en-NZ| url= https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12356284|access-date=22 August 2020|issn=1170-0777|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200821030819/https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12356284|archive-date=21 August 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Anti-lockdown, vaccination and 1080 protesters take over Auckland's Aotea Square|language=en|work=[[Newshub]]|url= https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2020/08/anti-lockdown-vaccination-and-1080-protesters-take-over-auckland-s-aotea-square.html|access-date=22 August 2020|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200824232201/https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2020/08/anti-lockdown-vaccination-and-1080-protesters-take-over-auckland-s-aotea-square.html|archive-date=24 August 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Bayer |first1=Kurt |title=Covid 19 coronavirus: Hundreds turn out for anti-lockdown protests |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12362504 |access-date=5 September 2020 |work=[[The New Zealand Herald]] |date=5 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200905093331/https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12362504 |archive-date=5 September 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|date=2020-09-12|title=Advance Party and crowd rallies against Covid-19 restrictions and lockdowns|language=en-NZ|work=[[The New Zealand Herald]] |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12364413|access-date=2020-09-13|issn=1170-0777|archive-date=13 September 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200913195732/https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12364413|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
In January 2021, Te Kahika led a "freedom rally" outside the [[New Zealand Parliament]]; protestors opposed lockdown policies, while expressing support for US President [[Donald Trump]] and [[QAnon]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Walls |first1=Jason |title=Police keeping a close eye on controversial Billy TK 'freedom rally' outside Beehive |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/police-keeping-a-close-eye-on-controversial-billy-tk-freedom-rally-outside-beehive/4C2E3SYXDZPQZZA4CK2EC5T2MU/ |access-date=14 January 2021 |work=[[The New Zealand Herald]] |date=14 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210114104417/https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/police-keeping-a-close-eye-on-controversial-billy-tk-freedom-rally-outside-beehive/4C2E3SYXDZPQZZA4CK2EC5T2MU/ |archive-date=14 January 2021|url-status=live}}</ref> Following the reinstatement of lockdown restrictions in mid–August 2021 in response to a [[SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant|Delta variant]] community outbreak, anti-lockdown protests were staged in [[Auckland]], [[Tauranga]], [[Nelson, New Zealand|Nelson]], and [[Christchurch]]. Key participants included Te Kahika and far-right activist [[Kyle Chapman (New Zealand activist)|Kyle Champman]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Conspiracy theorist Billy TK arrested at anti-lockdown protest |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/449439/conspiracy-theorist-billy-tk-arrested-at-anti-lockdown-protest |access-date=18 August 2021 |work=[[Radio New Zealand]] |date=18 August 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210818053131/https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/449439/conspiracy-theorist-billy-tk-arrested-at-anti-lockdown-protest |archive-date=18 August 2021|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Lourens |first1=Marine |last2=Sherwood |first2=Sam |last3=McNeilly |first3=Hamish |title=Covid-19: Former far-Right leader to spend weekend behind bars after alleged lockdown breach |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/126131440/covid19-former-farright-leader-to-spend-weekend-behind-bars-after-alleged-lockdown-breach |access-date=20 August 2021 |work=[[Stuff (website)|Stuff]] |date=20 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210820040054/https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/126131440/covid19-former-farright-leader-to-spend-weekend-behind-bars-after-alleged-lockdown-breach|archive-date=20 August 2021|url-status=live}}</ref> In February 2022, [[Convoy 2022 New Zealand]] gathered outside parliament buildings and blocked streets in Wellington.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/461471/wellington-s-sky-stadium-offered-as-parking-to-free-up-parliament-streets-blocked-by-protesters |title=Wellington's Sky Stadium offered as parking to free up Parliament streets blocked by protesters |publisher=[[Radio New Zealand]] |date=14 February 2022 |accessdate=22 February 2022}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Papua New Guinea ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 pandemic in Papua New Guinea}}<br />
During the pandemic, attacks on health workers<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KbDVzLGCSGc | title=Violence against PNG health workers rises amid protests against COVID vaccinations &#124; ABC News | website=[[YouTube]] }}</ref> and vaccination teams<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/455215/mob-attacks-on-vaccination-teams-commonplace-in-png | title=Mob attacks on vaccination teams commonplace in PNG | website=[[Radio New Zealand]] | date=8 November 2021 }}</ref> in [[Papua New Guinea]] have occurred multiple times. Protests were banned nationwide due to the pandemic,<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.pngreport.com/covid-19/news/1420060/ban-on-png-protest-marches | title=Ban on PNG protest marches | date=22 October 2021 }}</ref> however they still occurred across the country, particularly in the capital, [[Port Moresby]],<ref>{{cite web | url=https://asiapacificreport.nz/2021/11/02/png-police-block-illegal-anti-vaxxer-rally-in-port-moresby-amid-fake-info/ | title=PNG police block illegal anti-vaxxer rally in Port Moresby amid fake info &#124; Asia Pacific Report | date=2 November 2021 }}</ref> as well as in [[Lae]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://crisis24.garda.com/alerts/2021/09/papua-new-guinea-additional-protests-possible-in-lae-through-at-least-mid-september-over-corporate-mandatory-vaccination-policies | title=Papua New Guinea: Additional protests possible in Lae through at least mid-September over corporate mandatory vaccination policies }}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Samoa ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 pandemic in Samoa}}<br />
On 8 May 2020, around 100 people protested new laws regarding COVID-19 in [[Samoa]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://monitor.civicus.org/updates/2020/05/21/protests-samoa-against-three-bills-could-undermine-judicial-independence-and-rule-law/ | title=Protests in Samoa against three bills that could undermine judicial independence and rule of law }}</ref> On 23 June 2022, more than 30 people protested vaccine mandates in Samoa.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.samoanews.com/protest-vaccine-mandate-demonstration | title=Protest the Vaccine Mandate" demonstration }}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Solomon Islands ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 pandemic in the Solomon Islands|2021 Solomon Islands unrest}}<br />
The [[2021 Solomon Islands unrest]] was partially caused by government mishandling of the pandemic.<br />
<br />
=== Vanuatu ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 pandemic in Vanuatu}}<br />
The [[Government of Vanuatu]] criticised a planned protest regarding COVID-19 involving church and youth groups. The protesters claimed that the [[Vanuatu Police Force|Police Commissioner]] had given them permission to protest, however the [[Deputy Prime Minister of Vanuatu|Deputy Prime Minister]] [[Ishmael Kalsakau]] said it could not go ahead as it was politically motivated. Protestors also claimed that at least two MPs (namely [[Andrew Napuat]] and [[John Salong]]) supported the protest.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/466907/vanuatu-govt-says-no-to-vaccine-protest-march | title=Vanuatu Govt says no to vaccine protest march | website=[[Radio New Zealand]] | date=11 May 2022 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://islandsbusiness.com/news-break/vanuatu-govt-halts-vaccine-protest-march/ | title=Vanuatu Govt halts vaccine protest march | date=12 May 2022 }}</ref><br />
<br />
== South America ==<br />
<br />
=== Argentina ===<br />
{{Main|2020–2021 Argentinian protests}}<br />
[[File:En busca de la libertad 01.jpg|thumb|180px|The [[17A]] protests on 17 August 2020]]<br />
On 25 May, during the [[First National Government|Anniversary of the First National Government]], protests erupted all over the country,<ref>{{Cite web|date=25 May 2020|title=Un reducido grupo de manifestantes protestó contra la cuarentena en la Plaza de Mayo|url=https://www.infobae.com/sociedad/2020/05/25/manifestantes-protestan-contra-la-cuarentena-en-la-plaza-de-mayo/|access-date=10 July 2020|website=infobae|language=es-ES|archive-date=4 June 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200604063409/https://www.infobae.com/sociedad/2020/05/25/manifestantes-protestan-contra-la-cuarentena-en-la-plaza-de-mayo/|url-status=live}}</ref> but predominantly in [[Buenos Aires]] and [[Córdoba, Argentina|Cordoba]]. The protest consisted mostly of small business owners demanding the local and national governments to be allowed to work, under a sanitary protocol. At this point, the stay-at-home order had been in place nationwide for 65 days.<br />
<br />
On 20 June, which is the country's [[Flag Day (Argentina)|National Flag Day]], the size of the protests had grown immensely compared to the previous ones held in late May.<ref>{{cite news|date=20 June 2020|title=En Twitter: cómo es el banderazo nacional contra la expropiación de Vicentin|url=https://www.lanacion.com.ar/politica/convocan-banderazo-nacional-republica-sabado-20-junio-nid2381945|access-date=10 July 2020|newspaper=La Nación|language=es|archive-date=6 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200706082841/https://www.lanacion.com.ar/politica/convocan-banderazo-nacional-republica-sabado-20-junio-nid2381945|url-status=live}}</ref> While business owners and workers were still calling for more workplaces to be allowed to operate, the government's attempt to expropriate Vicentín, a soy and wheat manufacturer and one of the largest exporting firms in the country, also sparked outrage and motivated protests in many provinces where agriculture plays a big role in their local economy, particularly in the [[Santa Fe Province]], where this business is located. Due to the huge backlash, president [[Alberto Fernández|Alberto Fernandez]] has decided to step down and not take over the company. Protests also took place in the city centre of most cities and at the gates of the [[Quinta de Olivos|presidential residence]]. While the lockdown had been lifted in most provinces and municipalities, it was still enforced in [[Greater Buenos Aires]], which represents around 60% of the Argentine economy. On this day, the stay-at-home order had been in place for 90 days, making it the longest mandatory quarantine in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.<ref>{{cite news|last=Goñi|first=Uki|date=17 June 2020|title=Argentina's president enters voluntary isolation amid coronavirus surge|language=en-GB|work=The Guardian|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jun/17/argentina-president-enters-voluntary-isolation-amid-coronavirus-surge|access-date=10 July 2020|issn=0261-3077|archive-date=10 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200710091442/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jun/17/argentina-president-enters-voluntary-isolation-amid-coronavirus-surge|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
On 9 July, the country's [[Argentine Declaration of Independence|Independence Day]], protests flared up once again.<ref>{{cite news|date=10 July 2020|title=Multitudinario banderazo contra el Gobierno en diferentes puntos del país|url=https://www.lanacion.com.ar/politica/comenzo-banderazo-federal-del-9-julio-nid2394297|access-date=10 July 2020|newspaper=La Nación|language=es|archive-date=9 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200709224416/https://www.lanacion.com.ar/politica/comenzo-banderazo-federal-del-9-julio-nid2394297|url-status=live}}</ref> In addition to workers and entrepreneurs asking to be allowed to work, many were angered by the fact that [[Lázaro Báez|Lazaro Baez]], who is serving jail time for money laundering and stealing from taxpayers' money and is associated with much of the government staff, could be eligible for parole. This incident, and the murder of Fabián Gutiérrez, who was ex-president [[Cristina Fernández de Kirchner|Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner]]'s secretary while she was in office, which many opposition affiliates believe was orchestrated by the administration and covered up as a "crime of passion" by two unknown men, also caused large outrage in some sectors of the population. This day marked 109 days since the lockdown was put in place in the Greater Buenos Aires area.{{citation needed|date=August 2021}}<br />
<br />
On 1 August, many opponents of Alberto Fernandez's government, and of [[Kirchnerism]] in general, took to the streets to rally against the judicial reform<br />
proposed by the administration. Many believe this is a way to absolve vice president Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner from her ongoing trials, and also a way to give [[Frente de Todos (2019 coalition)|the governing political party]] control over the [[Supreme Court of Argentina|judicial branch of government]], all disguised under the promise that this reform will make judges and trials fairer and less biased to certain ideologies or political parties. While the lockdown has not been completely lifted in Buenos Aires, many activities and businesses are now allowed to take place again since mid-July, and a re-opening scheme with various stages has been designed and put in place, although with no strict dates. However, many companies, such as restaurants or bars for instance, still cannot open and many business owners are uncertain of how much more they can endure with their doors closed.<br />
<br />
On 17 August, the General José de San Martín Memorial Day, a public holiday which commemorates Argentine liberator and army general [[José de San Martín]], protesters gathered once again on the city centres of the main Argentine cities for the same reasons as the previous one, 16 days prior. This manifestation was backed by many political figures from the [[Juntos por el Cambio]], [[Frente Despertar]], [[Fuerza Unidaria Argentina]], opposition forces, near liberal, libertarian and survivalist groups. Some, however, have decided to not publicly support the protests, most notably [[Horacio Rodríguez Larreta]], mayor of Buenos Aires.<br />
<br />
=== Brazil ===<br />
====2020====<br />
{{Main|2020 Brazilian protests}}<br />
On 18 March, Brazilians in [[São Paulo]] and [[Rio de Janeiro]] protested [[Jair Bolsonaro]]'s handling of the pandemic by [[banging pots and pans]] on their balconies and shouting "Bolsonaro out!"<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-51955679 |title=Coronavirus protest in Brazil sees millions bang pots from balconies |date=19 March 2020 |work=BBC |access-date=13 May 2020 |archive-date=22 March 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200322135850/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-51955679 |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
On 19 April, Brazil's [[Armed Forces Day]], Bolsonaro gathered with about 600 protesters in front of the Army's headquarters in [[Brasília|Brasilia]] to demand a "military intervention" into the handling of the coronavirus situation. Smaller protests calling for governors to resign occurred the previous day in [[Rio de Janeiro]], [[São Paulo]] and Brasilia.<ref>{{cite web|title=Brazil's Bolsonaro joins protest against coronavirus restrictions &#124; Coronavirus pandemic News|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/04/brazil-bolsonaro-joins-protest-coronavirus-curbs-200420042616860.html|date=20 April 2020|publisher=Al Jazeera|access-date=27 April 2020|archive-date=19 September 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200919230255/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/04/brazil-bolsonaro-joins-protest-coronavirus-curbs-200420042616860.html|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
====2021====<br />
{{Main|2021 Brazilian protests}}<br />
[[File:Fora Bolsonaro em Campinas 29.05.2021 01.jpg|thumb|Protest against the government of President Bolsonaro in [[Campinas]] on 29 May 2021]]<br />
[[File:Ato do Movimento Brasil Verde e Amarelo - 51181481168.jpg|thumb|Pro-government protest in [[Brasília]] on 15 May 2021]]<br />
[[File:Ato do Movimento Brasil Verde e Amarelo - 51180579797.jpg|thumb|Bolsonaro flies over protests in [[Brasília]] on 15 May 2021]]<br />
<br />
On 1 May, protest in favor of [[Jair Bolsonaro]] happened around the country. The protesters demanded the end of lockdowns, as well as a military intervention on the judicial and legislative branches of power. The protests happened in many Brazilian cities, occupying avenues such as [[Paulista Avenue|Avenida Paulista]]. Bolsonaro flew by helicopter over the protests in Brasilia, where there were also protests against his government.<ref>{{cite web|title=Fortaleza tem manifestação a favor de Bolsonaro neste 1º de maio; 17 são detidos|url=https://g1.globo.com/ce/ceara/noticia/2021/05/01/fortaleza-registra-manifestacao-a-favor-de-bolsonaro-neste-1ode-maio.ghtml#|date=1 May 2021|publisher=G1|access-date=3 May 2021|archive-date=3 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210503180447/https://g1.globo.com/ce/ceara/noticia/2021/05/01/fortaleza-registra-manifestacao-a-favor-de-bolsonaro-neste-1ode-maio.ghtml|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Bolsonaro sobrevoa de helicóptero manifestação a seu favor no DF|url=https://noticias.r7.com/distrito-federal/bolsonaro-sobrevoa-de-helicoptero-manifestacao-a-seu-favor-no-df-01052021#/foto/1|date=1 May 2021|publisher=R7|access-date=3 May 2021|archive-date=2 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210502160600/https://noticias.r7.com/distrito-federal/bolsonaro-sobrevoa-de-helicoptero-manifestacao-a-seu-favor-no-df-01052021#/foto/1|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Manifestações pró e contra Bolsonaro tomam conta da Esplanada|url=https://www.metropoles.com/brasil/manifestacoes-pro-e-contra-bolsonaro-tomam-conta-da-esplanada|date=1 May 2021|publisher=Metrópoles|access-date=3 May 2021|archive-date=3 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210503180449/https://www.metropoles.com/brasil/manifestacoes-pro-e-contra-bolsonaro-tomam-conta-da-esplanada|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Feriado do Dia do Trabalho tem manifestações em cidades do RS|url=https://g1.globo.com/rs/rio-grande-do-sul/noticia/2021/05/01/feriado-do-dia-do-trabalho-tem-manifestacoes-em-cidades-do-rs.ghtml|date=1 May 2021|publisher=G1|access-date=3 May 2021|archive-date=1 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210501233653/https://g1.globo.com/rs/rio-grande-do-sul/noticia/2021/05/01/feriado-do-dia-do-trabalho-tem-manifestacoes-em-cidades-do-rs.ghtml|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Cidades no Sul de MG registram manifestações a favor do governo Bolsonaro neste 1º de maio|url=https://g1.globo.com/mg/sul-de-minas/noticia/2021/05/01/cidades-registram-manifestacoes-a-favor-do-governo-bolsonaro-neste-1o-de-maio-no-sul-de-mg.ghtml|date=1 May 2021|publisher=G1|access-date=3 May 2021|archive-date=1 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210501161952/https://g1.globo.com/mg/sul-de-minas/noticia/2021/05/01/cidades-registram-manifestacoes-a-favor-do-governo-bolsonaro-neste-1o-de-maio-no-sul-de-mg.ghtml|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Brasil. Milhares de pessoas nas ruas para apoiar Bolsonaro no Dia do Trabalhador|url=https://www.rtp.pt/noticias/mundo/brasil-milhares-de-pessoas-nas-ruas-para-apoiar-bolsonaro-no-dia-do-trabalhador_v1316831|date=2 May 2021|publisher=RTP Notícias|access-date=4 May 2021|archive-date=3 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210503190106/https://www.rtp.pt/noticias/mundo/brasil-milhares-de-pessoas-nas-ruas-para-apoiar-bolsonaro-no-dia-do-trabalhador_v1316831|url-status=live}}</ref>{{citation needed|date=August 2021}}<br />
<br />
===Chile===<br />
{{Main|2019–2020 Chilean protests#2020 protests}}<br />
<br />
On 18 March, riots took place at the communes of [[El Bosque, Chile|El Bosque]], [[La Pintana]], and other communes in the [[Santiago Metropolitan Region]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.emol.com/noticias/Nacional/2020/05/18/986529/Protestas-incidentes-comuna-El-Bosque.html|title=Protestas en la comuna de El Bosque: Vecinos denuncian falta de alimentos en medio de cuarentena &#124; Emol.com|date=18 May 2020|website=Emol|access-date=24 May 2020|archive-date=25 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200525033923/https://www.emol.com/noticias/Nacional/2020/05/18/986529/Protestas-incidentes-comuna-El-Bosque.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Rioters are denouncing the [[hunger]] resulting from the partial and total lockdowns in the region. They claim that the lockdowns have left them without work and means of sustenance.<br />
<br />
=== Colombia ===<br />
{{Main|2021 Colombian protests}}<br />
[[File:Paro Nacional Colombia (51185625987).jpg|thumb|Protesters in [[Medellín]], Colombia on 1 May 2021]]<br />
In April 2021, President [[Iván Duque Márquez|Iván Duque]] proposed increased taxes at a time when the [[COVID-19 pandemic in Colombia]] was beginning to worsen as various healthcare systems were failing throughout the country. A series of protests began in [[Colombia]] on 28 April 2021 against increased taxes, corruption, and health care reform.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/more-subdued-second-day-colombia-tax-reform-protests-2021-04-29/ |title=More subdued second day of Colombia tax reform protests |last=Acosta |first=Luis |date=29 April 2021 |website=[[Reuters]] |url-status=live |archive-date=1 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210501195325/https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/more-subdued-second-day-colombia-tax-reform-protests-2021-04-29/ }}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Ecuador ===<br />
{{main|2020 Ecuadorian protests}}<br />
The 2020 demonstrations in Ecuador were a series of national mobilizations carried out in May 2020, after the announcement of economic measures by the government of [[Lenín Moreno]] adopted due to the serious health and economic crisis generated by the [[COVID-19 pandemic in Ecuador]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Coronavirus: Ecuador protests against cuts amid pandemic |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-52803400 |publisher=BBC News |date=26 May 2020 |access-date=16 July 2021 |archive-date=16 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210716083730/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-52803400 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Police Beat and Injure Ecuador's Covid-19 Protesters |url=https://www.hrw.org/news/2020/05/25/police-beat-and-injure-ecuadors-covid-19-protesters |work=Human Rights Watch |date=25 May 2020 |access-date=16 July 2021 |archive-date=16 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210716083730/https://www.hrw.org/news/2020/05/25/police-beat-and-injure-ecuadors-covid-19-protesters |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
===Paraguay===<br />
{{main|2021 Paraguayan protests}}<br />
<br />
On 5 March, protests broke out across Paraguay due to the lack of efficient government response against the [[COVID-19 pandemic in Paraguay|pandemic in the country]]. The protests gathered thousands of people, and left hundreds of injured. It culminated in the resignation of the then health minister [[Julio Mazzoleni]].<br />
<br />
== See also ==<br />
{{Commons category|Protests related to the COVID-19 pandemic}}<br />
* [[Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on politics]]<br />
* [[National responses to the COVID-19 pandemic]]<br />
* [[Strikes during the COVID-19 pandemic]]<br />
* [[Face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic]]<br />
** [[Face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States]]<br />
* [[Cholera Riots|Cholera riots]]<br />
{{clear}}<br />
<br />
== References ==<br />
{{reflist}}<br />
<br />
{{COVID-19 pandemic}}<br />
{{COVID-19 pandemic in the United States}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:2020 protests]]<br />
[[Category:2021 protests]]<br />
[[Category:2022 protests]]<br />
[[Category:Protests over responses to the COVID-19 pandemic| ]]<br />
[[Category:Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on politics]]</div>Boackandwhitehttps://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=COVID-19_conspiracy_theorists&diff=1261695706COVID-19 conspiracy theorists2024-12-07T13:38:36Z<p>Boackandwhite: </p>
<hr />
<div>This page redirect here:<br />
[[Category:COVID-19 conspiracy theorists]]</div>Boackandwhitehttps://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Protests_against_responses_to_the_COVID-19_pandemic&diff=1261695250Protests against responses to the COVID-19 pandemic2024-12-07T13:34:23Z<p>Boackandwhite: </p>
<hr />
<div>{{Short description|Protests against restrictions introduced in response to the COVID-19 pandemic}}<br />
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2021}}<br />
<br />
{{EngvarB|date=April 2021}}<br />
{{Infobox civil conflict<br />
| title = Protests against responses to the COVID-19 pandemic<br />
| side1 = [[WHO]]<br />
[[police]]<br />
[[Wikimedia]]<br />
| side2 = [[far right]]<br />
[[COVID-19 conspiracy theorists]]<br />
| leadfigures1 = [[Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus]]<br />
[[Zhang Jixian]] <br />
[[Li Wenliang]]<br />
| leadfigures2 = [[Category:COVID-19 misinformation{{!}}conspiracy theorists]]<br />
| arrests = 150+<ref>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Dt36h4jqdE</ref><br />
| partof = the [[COVID-19 pandemic]] and <br />
[[COVID-19 misinformation]] and [[COVID-19 misinformation by governments]]<br />
| image = Canadian COVID-19 protesters (cropped).jpg<br />
| caption = An anti-[[COVID-19 lockdowns|lockdown]] protest at [[Queen's Park (Toronto)|Queen's Park]] in [[Toronto]], Canada, on 25 April 2020<br />
| date = 15 March 2020<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.poder360.com.br/governo/bolsonaro-compartilha-video-de-manifestacoes-veja-fotos-de-militantes/|title=Bolsonaro compartilha vídeo de manifestações; veja fotos de militantes|date=15 March 2020|website=Poder360|access-date=27 November 2020|archive-date=4 December 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201204175449/https://www.poder360.com.br/governo/bolsonaro-compartilha-video-de-manifestacoes-veja-fotos-de-militantes/|url-status=live}}</ref> – 5 December 2022<ref>{{cite news |last1=Yu |first1=Verna |title=Chinese students protest as university locks down over one Covid case |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/dec/06/beijing-drops-some-covid-tests-as-capital-readies-itself-for-life-again |access-date=7 December 2022 |work=The Guardian |date=6 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221206141914/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/dec/06/beijing-drops-some-covid-tests-as-capital-readies-itself-for-life-again |archive-date=6 December 2022}}</ref><br />({{age in years, months, weeks and days|month1=3|day1=15|year1=2020|month2=12|day2=5|year2=2022}})<br />
| place = Worldwide<br />
| coordinates = <br />
| causes = Local struggles or opposition to government responses to the COVID-19 pandemic<br />
| goals = * Revocation of [[COVID-19 lockdowns]], [[mask mandate]]s, or [[vaccine mandates]]<br />
| methods = {{plainlist|<br />
* [[Mass protest]]s<br />
* [[Civil unrest]]<br />
* [[Riot]]s<br />
* [[Vandalism]]<br />
* [[Occupation (protest)|Occupations]]}}<br />
}}<br />
{{COVID-19 pandemic sidebar}}<br />
<br />
Protests, demonstrations and strikes occurred around the world against [[National responses to the COVID-19 pandemic|national responses]] to the [[COVID-19 pandemic]] by governmental bodies. Some were driven by the financial hardship resulting from government measures to contain the virus, including restrictions on travel and entertainment, hitting related industries and workers hard. Protests also occurred in opposition to restrictions on people's movements, compulsory wearing of [[Face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic|face masks]], [[COVID-19 lockdowns|lockdowns]], [[COVID-19 vaccination|vaccinations]] and other measures. Some protests were driven by [[COVID-19 misinformation]], [[conspiracy theories]], [[Far-right politics|far-right]] and other extremist groups and individuals.<br />
<br />
This article lists and summarizes such activities in various countries around the world.<br />
<br />
==Background==<br />
{{Globalize|section|US|Australia|Europe|date=September 2021}}<br />
<br />
===Reasons===<br />
{{see also|COVID-19 lockdowns|Social distancing measures related to the COVID-19 pandemic|Face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic|Mask refusal|COVID-19 misinformation|COVID-19 vaccine misinformation and hesitancy}}<br />
[[File:Antivax protest in Dublin 1.jpg|thumb|Protest against the [[COVID-19 vaccine]] in [[Dublin]], [[Republic of Ireland|Ireland]].]]<br />
In order to prevent the spread of the [[SARS-CoV2]] virus which gave rise to the COVID-19 pandemic from 2019, governments brought in health measures at varying levels of strictness to restrict the movement of people and transmission of the virus. In response to these restrictions, protests have been organised at a number of locations around the world,<ref>{{Cite web|last=Haddad|first=Mohammed|title=Mapping coronavirus anti-lockdown protests around the world|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/2/2/mapping-coronavirus-anti-lockdown-protests-around-the-world|access-date=2021-08-03|website=[[Al Jazeera English|Al Jazeera]]|language=en|archive-date=6 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210806180523/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/2/2/mapping-coronavirus-anti-lockdown-protests-around-the-world/|url-status=live}}</ref> and [[Strikes during the COVID-19 pandemic|strikes have also occurred]]. Some of the protests have criticised governments for not acting effectively enough in their responses to the pandemic, while others have been opposed to [[COVID-19#Prevention|preventative measures]] and called for their revocation. According to analysis as part of the [[Global Peace Index]], {{as of|lc=yes| July 2021}}, there had been around 50,000 protests linked to the pandemic worldwide, 5,000 of which were violent.<ref>{{cite news| last1=Newey| first1=Sarah| last2=Gulland| first2=Anne| last3=Smith| first3=Nicola| date=2021-07-25| title=Plague and protests: how Covid has sparked a wave of unrest around the world| language=en-GB| work=[[The Daily Telegraph|The Telegraph]]| url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/global-health/terror-and-security/plague-protests-pandemic-has-sparked-wave-unrest-around-world/| access-date=2021-08-03| issn=0307-1235| archive-date=3 August 2021| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210803151200/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/global-health/terror-and-security/plague-protests-pandemic-has-sparked-wave-unrest-around-world/| url-status=live}}</ref> [[COVID-19 lockdowns]] have inspired protests in many territories, and from late 2020 [[deployment of COVID-19 vaccines]] also inspired protests.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Thousands Around Globe Protest COVID-19 Shots, Lockdowns {{!}} Voice of America - English|url=https://www.voanews.com/covid-19-pandemic/thousands-around-globe-protest-covid-19-shots-lockdowns|access-date=2021-08-03|website=www.voanews.com|date=24 July 2021 |language=en|archive-date=3 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210803151201/https://www.voanews.com/covid-19-pandemic/thousands-around-globe-protest-covid-19-shots-lockdowns|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Analysis {{!}} The pandemic leads to another summer of anger|language=en-US|newspaper=[[Washington Post]]|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2021/07/30/pandemic-leads-another-summer-anger/|access-date=2021-08-03|issn=0190-8286|archive-date=30 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210730070551/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2021/07/30/pandemic-leads-another-summer-anger/|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
The protests have varied in scale, motivations and type, with protesters drawn from a fairly wide range of backgrounds and inspired by a range of reasons. One of the main drivers has been the economic distress brought about by businesses having to close for long periods, leading to widespread unemployment, especially of casual workers in the hospitality industry. Uncertainty about the future and the feeling of lack of control has led to a predilection for believing in [[conspiracy theories]] (such as that COVID-19 is a hoax and that governments have deliberately created the crisis), [[anti-vaxxer]] beliefs, including that [[COVID-19 vaccination]]s and restriction of citizens' movements are part of a government plot to control people, [[Bill Gates]] is behind implanting [[microchip]]s into people via vaccinations.<ref name=ajfeb2021>{{cite web | last=Melimopoulos | first=Elizabeth | title=What's driving the COVID lockdown protests? | website=[[Al Jazeera English|Al Jazeera]] | date=7 February 2021 | url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/2/7/protests-over-new-covid-19-measures-whats-behind-them | access-date=28 August 2021 | archive-date=28 August 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210828004101/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/2/7/protests-over-new-covid-19-measures-whats-behind-them | url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | last=Dearden | first=Lizzie | title=Inside the UK's biggest anti-lockdown protest | website=The Independent | date=16 May 2020 | url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/coronavirus-lockdown-protests-uk-london-hyde-park-5g-conspiracy-theories-a9518506.html | access-date=28 August 2021 | archive-date=23 August 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210823110551/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/coronavirus-lockdown-protests-uk-london-hyde-park-5g-conspiracy-theories-a9518506.html | url-status=live }}</ref> The spread of [[COVID-19 misinformation]] has been a driving factor in some country's protest movements, with some organisers making money out of the protests.<ref>{{Cite web|title=How COVID-conspiracists and anti-vaxxers are getting organised and making money|url=https://news.sky.com/story/how-covid-conspiracists-and-anti-vaxxers-are-getting-organised-and-making-money-12206707|access-date=2021-08-03|website=[[Sky News]]|language=en|archive-date=27 February 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210227193203/https://news.sky.com/story/how-covid-conspiracists-and-anti-vaxxers-are-getting-organised-and-making-money-12206707|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
===Players===<br />
In the US, [[Donald Trump]] spread some potentially misleading information,<ref name=ajfeb2021/> and the [[Proud Boys]], American [[religious fundamentalist]]s and [[American militia movement#Active militia groups|various militia groups]] as well as [[Black Lives Matter of Greater New York]], have been active in protests;<ref>{{cite web | last=Wilson | first=Jason | title=The rightwing groups behind wave of protests against Covid-19 restrictions | website=[[The Guardian]] | date=17 April 2020 | url=http://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/17/far-right-coronavirus-protests-restrictions | access-date=28 August 2021 | archive-date=19 August 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210819134948/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/17/far-right-coronavirus-protests-restrictions | url-status=live }}</ref> across Europe, the extreme right has been active;<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.orfonline.org/expert-speak/fringe-mainstream-extreme-rightwing-europe-68848/| title=From fringe to mainstream: The extreme rightwing in Europe| first1=Kyler| last1=Ong| first2=Raffaello| last2=Pantucci| newspaper=Orf| access-date=28 August 2021| archive-date=28 August 2021| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210828012516/https://www.orfonline.org/expert-speak/fringe-mainstream-extreme-rightwing-europe-68848/| url-status=live}}</ref> in the UK, far-right [[hate group]]s have been involved in spreading misinformation, [[scapegoat]]ing minority groups and trying to organise lockdowns,<ref>{{cite report| title=COVID-19: How hateful extremists are exploiting the pandemic| url=https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/906724/CCE_Briefing_Note_001.pdf| author=[[Commission for Encountering Extremism]]| date=July 2020| publisher=UK Government| access-date=28 August 2021| archive-date=16 March 2021| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210316081503/https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/906724/CCE_Briefing_Note_001.pdf| url-status=live}}</ref> while former politicians such as [[Martin Daubney]] and journalists such as [[Julia Hartley-Brewer]] have either supported or joined protests;<ref>{{cite web | last=Loucaides | first=Darren | title=Inside the U.K.'s anti-lockdown media machine | website=Coda Story | date=9 August 2021 | url=https://www.codastory.com/disinformation/uk-anti-lockdown-media/ | access-date=28 August 2021 | archive-date=14 August 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210814221957/https://www.codastory.com/disinformation/uk-anti-lockdown-media/ | url-status=live }}</ref> in Australia, the Proud Boys,<ref>{{cite web | last=McGowan | first=Michael | title=Where 'freedom' meets the far right: the hate messages infiltrating Australian anti-lockdown protests | website=[[The Guardian]] | date=25 March 2021 | url=http://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/mar/26/where-freedom-meets-the-far-right-the-hate-messages-infiltrating-australian-anti-lockdown-protests | access-date=28 August 2021 | archive-date=24 August 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210824060353/https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/mar/26/where-freedom-meets-the-far-right-the-hate-messages-infiltrating-australian-anti-lockdown-protests | url-status=live }}</ref> the neo-Nazi [[National Socialist Network]]<ref name=ndaug2021>{{cite web | title=How neo-Nazis use anti-lockdown protests to recruit new members | first=Cait | last=Kelly | website=[[The New Daily]] | date=25 August 2021 | url=https://thenewdaily.com.au/news/national/2021/08/26/neo-nazi-anti-lockdown-recruit/ | access-date=28 August 2021 | archive-date=26 August 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210826175828/https://thenewdaily.com.au/news/national/2021/08/26/neo-nazi-anti-lockdown-recruit/ | url-status=live }}</ref> and a few politicians have become involved in spreading misinformation and stirring discontent.<ref>{{cite web | last=Bongiorno | author-link=Frank Bongiorno | first=Frank | title=Right out there: how the pandemic has given rise to extreme views and fractured conservative politics | website=[[The Conversation (website)|The Conversation]] | date=15 August 2021 | url=http://theconversation.com/right-out-there-how-the-pandemic-has-given-rise-to-extreme-views-and-fractured-conservative-politics-165448 | access-date=28 August 2021 | archive-date=27 August 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210827112241/https://theconversation.com/right-out-there-how-the-pandemic-has-given-rise-to-extreme-views-and-fractured-conservative-politics-165448 | url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
===Organisers and methods===<br />
<br />
The [[Telegram (software)|Telegram]] and [[Instagram]] apps are popular means for spreading messages about planned protests,<ref name=knaus2021/> and some events are also posted on [[Facebook]].<ref name=fbrally>{{cite web | title=World Wide Rally for Freedom, Peace & Human Rights III | website=Facebook | date=23 July 2021 | url=https://m.facebook.com/events/791497214885030 | access-date=31 August 2021 | archive-date=22 December 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211222175659/https://m.facebook.com/login.php?next=https%3A%2F%2Fm.facebook.com%2Fevents%2F791497214885030&refsrc=deprecated&_rdr | url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
{{anchor|wwrf}}<!---Worldwide Rally for Freedom, Free Citizens of Kassel, etc. target this anchor.---><br />
A German group called Worldwide Demonstration, operated out of the city of [[Kassel]] by individuals self-described as "Freie Bürger Kassel" (Free Citizens of Kassel),<ref name=knaus2021>{{cite web | last=Knaus | first=Christopher | title=Who's behind Australia's anti-lockdown protests? The German conspiracy group driving marches | website=the Guardian | date=27 July 2021 | url=http://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/jul/27/who-behind-australia-anti-covid-lockdown-protest-march-rallies-sydney-melbourne-far-right-and-german-conspiracy-groups-driving-protests | access-date=30 August 2021 | archive-date=30 August 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210830032414/https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/jul/27/who-behind-australia-anti-covid-lockdown-protest-march-rallies-sydney-melbourne-far-right-and-german-conspiracy-groups-driving-protests | url-status=live }}</ref> coordinated a series of 129 events around the world in March 2021, each one dubbed "World Wide Rally for Freedom", using the [[hashtag]] "#WewillALLbethere". Misinformation, [[QAnon]] beliefs, [[antisemitism]] and COVID-19 denial were prevalent in the groups' chats.<ref name=logically>{{cite web | last1=Backovic | first1=Nick | last2=Wildon | first2=Jordan | last3=Ondrak | first3=Joe | title=Exclusive: Worldwide Anti-Lockdown Protests Organized by German Cell | website=[[Logically (company)|Logically]] | date=14 May 2021 | url=https://www.logically.ai/articles/anti-lockdown-protests-organized-by-german-cell | access-date=30 August 2021 | archive-date=30 August 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210830032414/https://www.logically.ai/articles/anti-lockdown-protests-organized-by-german-cell | url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
== Africa ==<br />
=== Ivory Coast ===<br />
Protesters destroyed a coronavirus testing centre that was being built in [[Abidjan]], which they said was in a crowded residential area too close to their homes.<ref>{{cite news|date=6 April 2020|title=Coronavirus: Ivory Coast protesters target testing centre|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-52189144|access-date=3 May 2020|archive-date=1 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200501142544/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-52189144|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Kenya ===<br />
The Kenyan government has been accused of extreme measures, with protesters accusing the [[Kenya Police|Kenyan Police]] of killing at least six people within the first 10 days of the lockdown. Others protested against the forced quarantine of individuals failing to comply with regulations or returning home from abroad, claiming that they had been quarantined for longer than 14 days and made to pay the government for their care.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Kenyans held for weeks in quarantine were then told to pay to get out|url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/coronavirus/ct-nw-nyt-kenya-quarantine-centers-20200508-sguy6zocxvbnvpbrccilweiu6m-story.html|last=Dahir|first=Abdi Latif|date=8 May 2020|website=baltimoresun.com|access-date=9 May 2020|archive-date=13 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200513222022/https://www.baltimoresun.com/coronavirus/ct-nw-nyt-kenya-quarantine-centers-20200508-sguy6zocxvbnvpbrccilweiu6m-story.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Hundreds protested on 8 May 2020 when the government destroyed 7,000 homes and a market in [[Kariobangi]] in an effort to control the virus.<ref>{{cite web |title=Kenyans protest house demolitions amid virus restrictions |url=https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/kenyans-protest-house-demolitions-amid-virus-restrictions-70575939 |website=ABC News |access-date=9 May 2020 |language=en |archive-date=9 May 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200509001511/https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/kenyans-protest-house-demolitions-amid-virus-restrictions-70575939 |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Malawi ===<br />
A [[Malawi]] high court temporarily barred the government from implementing a 21-day lockdown after it was challenged by the Human Rights Defenders Coalition, after it was argued that more consultation was needed to prevent harm to the poorest and most vulnerable. Small protests had been staged prior to the ruling, in at least three major cities with some protesters stating it was better to contract the virus than die of hunger due to lack of work.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Malawi high court blocks coronavirus lockdown|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/04/malawi-high-court-blocks-coronavirus-lockdown-200417184430403.html|date=17 April 2020|website=www.aljazeera.com|access-date=9 May 2020|archive-date=8 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200508151024/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/04/malawi-high-court-blocks-coronavirus-lockdown-200417184430403.html|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Nigeria ===<br />
A group of at least twenty coronavirus patients forced their way out of an isolation facility to protest against alleged improper care and the government's actions which they believed to worsen their conditions.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Nigeria: COVID-19 patients protest over 'ill treatment'|url=https://www.aa.com.tr/en/africa/nigeria-covid-19-patients-protest-over-ill-treatment/1830966|date=6 May 2020|website=www.aa.com.tr|access-date=9 May 2020|archive-date=10 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200510190944/https://www.aa.com.tr/en/africa/nigeria-covid-19-patients-protest-over-ill-treatment/1830966|url-status=live}}</ref> Workers at a construction site rioted against lockdown measures that limited their ability to work on constructing an [[oil refinery]] for billionaire [[Aliko Dangote]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Nigerian workers riot over Covid-19 lockdown {{!}} New Straits Times|url=https://www.nst.com.my/world/world/2020/04/588042/nigerian-workers-riot-over-covid-19-lockdown|date=27 April 2020|website=NST Online|language=en|access-date=9 May 2020|archive-date=8 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200508213859/https://www.nst.com.my/world/world/2020/04/588042/nigerian-workers-riot-over-covid-19-lockdown|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Rwanda ===<br />
Refugees that had been relocated to the country from an overcrowded refugee camp in [[Libya]], protested against the lockdown from the refugee camp in the capital [[Kigali]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Refugees Protest Under Coronavirus Lockdown in Rwanda {{!}} Voice of America - English|url=https://www.voanews.com/covid-19-pandemic/refugees-protest-under-coronavirus-lockdown-rwanda|date=17 April 2020|website=www.voanews.com|language=en|access-date=9 May 2020|archive-date=3 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200503130323/https://www.voanews.com/covid-19-pandemic/refugees-protest-under-coronavirus-lockdown-rwanda|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
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=== South Africa ===<br />
Many residents protested against the policy that food parcel aid would only be going to households that earn below R3600, and demanded action from the South African Social Security Agency.<ref>{{Cite web|title="We are still waiting" – protesting under lockdown in South Africa|url=https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/beyond-trafficking-and-slavery/we-are-still-waiting-protesting-under-lockdown-in-south-africa/|last=Anciano|first=Fiona|date=24 April 2020|website=openDemocracy|language=en|access-date=9 May 2020|archive-date=9 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200509221138/https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/beyond-trafficking-and-slavery/we-are-still-waiting-protesting-under-lockdown-in-south-africa/|url-status=live}}</ref> Surfers have also protested to be allowed to surf during the lockdown, that allows exercise but not water activities.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Anti-lockdown protests around the world|url=https://www.reuters.com/news/picture/anti-lockdown-protests-around-the-world-idUSRTX7H61S|date=5 May 2020|website=www.reuters.com|access-date=9 May 2020|archive-date=8 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200508144737/https://www.reuters.com/news/picture/anti-lockdown-protests-around-the-world-idUSRTX7H61S|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Zimbabwe ===<br />
Three young, female opposition activists were reported missing following a protest in [[Harare]], Zimbabwe, over COVID-19 lockdown measures on 15 May 2020. They were later treated at a hospital after asserting they had been abducted and sexually abused by suspected state security agents.<ref>{{cite web |title=Zimbabwe police accused of assaulting young female activists |url=https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/zimbabwe-police-accused-assaulting-young-female-activists-70701508 |website=ABC News |access-date=5 June 2020 |language=en |archive-date=5 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200605190822/https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/zimbabwe-police-accused-assaulting-young-female-activists-70701508 |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
== Asia ==<br />
<br />
=== China (mainland) ===<br />
{{Main|2022 COVID-19 protests in China}}<br />
[[File:西南交通大学学生悼念乌鲁木齐火灾逝者 10.jpg|alt=Students at Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu, holding a candlelight vigil for victims of the fire. The candles are arranged in a heart shape. The faces of students are blurred to protect anonymity.|thumb|Students at [[Southwest Jiaotong University]], [[Chengdu]], holding a candlelight vigil for victims of the [[2022 Ürümqi fire|fire in Ürümqi]].]]<br />
<br />
Small shop owners protested the continuation of rent charges outside of the Grand Ocean Department Store in Wuhan, chanting "Exempt rental for a year, or refund the lease". Videos from the demonstration were posted in the social media platform [[Sina Weibo]] but quickly censored.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international/world-news/wuhan-rent-protest-shows-unrest-brewing-in-china-after-lockdown/articleshow/75080074.cms?from=mdr |title=covid 19: Wuhan rent protest shows unrest brewing in China after lockdown - The Economic Times |publisher=Economictimes.indiatimes.com |access-date=30 April 2020 |archive-date=10 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200910133541/https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international/world-news/wuhan-rent-protest-shows-unrest-brewing-in-china-after-lockdown/articleshow/75080074.cms?from=mdr |url-status=live }}</ref> A woman was arrested and facing criminal charges after attempting to rally about 100 people to protest the poor management and overpriced provisions during the lockdown. She was charged with "[[picking quarrels and provoking trouble]]", an offense normally used to detain dissidents and social activists.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Chinese woman charged with organising protests during coronavirus lockdown|url=https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3080590/coronavirus-lockdown-woman-charged-organising-protests-against|last=Huang|first=Kristin|date=19 April 2020|website=South China Morning Post|language=en|access-date=1 May 2020|archive-date=2 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200502204312/https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3080590/coronavirus-lockdown-woman-charged-organising-protests-against|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
In 2022, public protests and marches began in cities such as [[Ürümqi]] and [[Guangzhou]] in response to the continued zero-COVID policy of the [[Government of China|Chinese government]] under [[Xi Jinping Administration]].<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Chien |first1=Amy Chang |last2=Che |first2=Chang |last3=Liu |first3=John |last4=Mozur |first4=Paul |date=2022-11-25 |title=In a challenge to Beijing, unrest over COVID lockdowns spreads |url=https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2022/11/25/asia-pacific/china-covid-lockdown-unrest/ |access-date=2022-11-27 |website=The Japan Times |language=en-US}}</ref> In Shanghai, some protesters among hundreds had chanted "Step down, [[Xi Jinping]]! Step down, [[Chinese Communist Party|Communist Party]]!"<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-11-27 |title=Protests erupt across China in unprecedented challenge to Xi Jinping's zero-Covid policy |url=https://www.cnn.com/2022/11/26/china/china-protests-xinjiang-fire-shanghai-intl-hnk/index.html |access-date=2022-11-27 |website=[[CNN]] |language=en}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Hong Kong ===<br />
[[File:Protest against Designated Clinics in TSW North 20200215.png|thumb|Protest against plans to set up designated coronavirus clinics near residential areas in [[Hong Kong]] on 15 February 2020]]<br />
{{Main|2019–20 Hong Kong protests#COVID-19 crisis}}<br />
Pro-democratic movement's tactics were repurposed to pressure the government to take stronger actions to safeguard Hong Kong's [[public health]] in the face of the [[2020 coronavirus outbreak in Hong Kong|coronavirus outbreak in Hong Kong]]. Protesters demanded all travellers coming from China be banned from entering Hong Kong. From 3 to 7 February 2020, hospital staff launched a labour strike with the same goal. The strike was not successful as [[Carrie Lam]] rejected a full border closure.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://hongkongfp.com/2020/10/14/covid-19-hong-kong-hospital-authority-demands-answers-from-radiologists-after-unit-head-refuses-name-medics-who-went-on-strike/|title=Covid-19: Hong Kong Hospital Authority demands answers from radiologists after unit head refuses to name medics who went on strike|first=Kelly|last=Ho|work=[[Hong Kong Free Press]]|date=2020-10-14|access-date=2021-11-06|archive-date=6 September 2021|archive-url=https://archive.today/20210906153555/https://hongkongfp.com/2020/10/14/covid-19-hong-kong-hospital-authority-demands-answers-from-radiologists-after-unit-head-refuses-name-medics-who-went-on-strike/|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
People responded negatively to the government's attempt to set up quarantine and clinical centres in neighbourhoods close to residents and marched to express their discontent or blocked roads to thwart the government's plans across the territory.{{citation needed|date=August 2021}}<br />
<br />
=== India ===<br />
{{see also|Indian migrant workers during the COVID-19 pandemic}}<br />
After the televised announcement by Prime Minister [[Narendra Modi]] that the lockdown was to be extended until at least 3 May, police used batons to disperse protesting migrant workers in [[Mumbai]]. Thousands of jobless migrant workers had gathered at railway stations and were demanding to be allowed to break the lockdown to return home.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-southasia-idUSKCN21W0HI|title=India extends world's biggest lockdown, ignites protest by migrant workers|newspaper=Reuters|date=14 April 2020|via=reuters.com|last1=Jain|first1=Sanjeev Miglani|access-date=27 April 2020|archive-date=26 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200426093055/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-southasia-idUSKCN21W0HI|url-status=live}}</ref> Similar protests were seen in other parts of the country by the workers, and those who claimed that they received no aid which was promised by the government to provide them with during the lockdown period.<br />
<br />
In the state of [[Meghalaya]] anti mandatory vaccination protesters organised a rally in the capital city Shillong against the alleged mandatory inoculation drive by the state government.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Amid rising Covid cases, anti-vaccine protesters rally in Meghalaya |url=http://www.dtnext.in/amp/News/National/2022/01/23082638/1340071/Amid-rising-Covid-cases-antivaccine-protesters-rally-.vpf |access-date=2022-03-24 |website=dtNext.in |language=ta}}{{dead link|date=November 2022|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref><br />
<br />
In State of Maharashtra similar anti mandatory mask and anti mandatory mask protest were held.<ref>{{Citation |title=Worldwide Demonstration: People protest against mandatory vaccinations, lockdowns |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9V83n4_VIAI |language=en |access-date=2022-04-17}}</ref><br />
<br />
Several legal cases were filed in multiple [[high courts of India]] and the Supreme Court of India against mandatory masking and vaccinations.<ref>{{Cite news |agency=Press Trust of India |date=2022-03-02 |title='Unfortunate': HC on mandatory vaccine for Maharashtra public transport |work=Business Standard India |url=https://www.business-standard.com/article/current-affairs/unfortunate-hc-on-mandatory-vaccine-for-maharashtra-public-transport-122030200974_1.html |access-date=2022-04-17}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Roy |first=Debayan |title=[COVID-19] Supreme Court reserves verdict in plea challenging coercive vaccination |url=https://www.barandbench.com/news/covid-19-supreme-court-reserves-verdict-in-plea-against-coercive-vaccination |access-date=2022-04-17 |website=Bar and Bench - Indian Legal news |date=22 March 2022 |language=en}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Indonesia ===<br />
{{Main|Indonesia omnibus law protests}}<br />
[[File:Indonesia omnibus law protests Okt 2020 in Padang.jpg|thumb|Protest in [[Padang]] on 7 October 2020]]<br />
On 5 October 2020, Indonesia has passed a [[Omnibus Law on Job Creation|law on job creation]] that will weaken environmental protections and workers’ rights in an attempt to boost the economy hit hard by the [[COVID-19 pandemic|Wuhan pneumonia pandemic]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/world/breakingnews/3313101|title=國會通過爭議性法案 印尼各地發起罷工示威|work=Liberty Times|date=6 October 2020|access-date=6 October 2020|language=zh-tw|archive-date=9 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201009193945/https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/world/breakingnews/3313101|url-status=live}}</ref> On 6 October, thousands of Indonesians protest in industrial areas around Jakarta including Tangerang and Karawang and on [[Batam]]. A three-day national strike was started which unions expected to involve two million workers in protest against the law.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-indonesia-economy-law/thousands-of-indonesians-protest-against-passage-of-jobs-bill-idUSKBN26R0ZG|title=Thousands of Indonesians protest against passage of jobs bill|work=Reuters|date=6 October 2020|access-date=6 October 2020|archive-date=6 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201006164032/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-indonesia-economy-law/thousands-of-indonesians-protest-against-passage-of-jobs-bill-idUSKBN26R0ZG|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
Demonstrations in Bandung and Jakarta were held on 22 July and 24 July respectively in order to protest the extension of the government's "social activities restriction" (PPKM/CARE) measures.<ref>{{cite AV media |date=24 July 2021 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSLqONzbUmU |title=BERITA TERBARU ~DEMO PPKM DI JAKARTA~BERITA VIRAL HARI INI |publisher=KABAR MILITER |via=[[YouTube]] |access-date=7 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210724074608/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSLqONzbUmU |archive-date=24 July 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite AV media |date=21 July 2021 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jfSIwIX2zHY |title=Dinilai Merugikan, Warga Bandung Berunjuk Rasa Tolak PPKM Darurat {{!}} Fokus |publisher=[[Indosiar]] |via=[[YouTube]] |access-date=7 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210725025445/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jfSIwIX2zHY |archive-date=25 July 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite AV media |date=21 July 2021 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3gYGWz13weU |title=Demo Tolak PPKM Darurat Berakhir Ricuh |publisher=[[CNN Indonesia]] |via=[[YouTube]] |access-date=7 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210725235748/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3gYGWz13weU |archive-date=25 July 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite AV media |date=23 July 2021 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPP4PpT6Pnw |title=Demo Mahasiswa Tolak Kebijakan PPKM Darurat di Flyover Pasar Rebo Berujung Ricuh |publisher=KOMPASTV |via=[[YouTube]] |access-date=7 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210724074614/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPP4PpT6Pnw |archive-date=24 July 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite AV media |date=24 July 2021 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mqzlX1oLNNI |title=Demo Tolak PPKM hari ini dijakarta pusat |publisher=Echa mahkota |via=[[YouTube]] |access-date=7 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210725234934/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mqzlX1oLNNI |archive-date=25 July 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref>{{excessive citations inline|date=August 2021}}<br />
<br />
=== Israel ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 protests in Israel}}<br />
In April 2020, thousands of Israelis engaged in [[social distancing]] while gathering to protest against the perceived anti-democratic measures in the country by Prime Minister [[Benjamin Netanyahu]]. Many were involved in the Black Flag movement which had been allowed to protest by police if they stood six feet apart and all wore masks. An earlier protest had seen the protesters drive to [[Jerusalem]] to protest anti-democratic measures.<ref>{{cite web |last=Rosner |first=Elizabeth |url=https://nypost.com/2020/04/20/israelis-practice-social-distancing-at-tel-aviv-protest/ |title=Israelis maintain social distancing while protesting Netanyahu |date=20 April 2020 |publisher=Nypost.com |access-date=27 April 2020 |archive-date=24 April 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200424070815/https://nypost.com/2020/04/20/israelis-practice-social-distancing-at-tel-aviv-protest/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Other demonstrations have been seen in the ultra-[[Orthodox Judaism|Orthodox]] Jerusalem neighborhood of [[Mea Shearim]] with men and youths throwing rocks at police before being arrested.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Police clash with stone-throwing Haredi protesters in Jerusalem, 5 arrested|url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/police-clash-with-stone-throwing-haredi-protesters-in-jerusalem-5-arrested/|date=20 April 2020|website=www.timesofisrael.com|language=en-US|access-date=1 May 2020|archive-date=26 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200426143227/https://www.timesofisrael.com/police-clash-with-stone-throwing-haredi-protesters-in-jerusalem-5-arrested/|url-status=live}}</ref> Riots broke out in [[Bnei Brak]] with crowds vandalizing property and throwing rocks against police attempts to clear [[yeshiva]] classes and religious gatherings being held in violation of lockdown rules.<ref>{{Cite news|last1=Hendrix|first1=Steve|last2=Rubin|first2=Shira|date=26 January 2021|title=Violence erupts in Israel's ultra-Orthodox neighborhoods over coronavirus restrictions|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/ultra-orthodox-israel-police-covid/2021/01/25/2438e840-5ee3-11eb-a177-7765f29a9524_story.html|access-date=28 January 2021|newspaper=The Washington Post|archive-date=28 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210128111056/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/ultra-orthodox-israel-police-covid/2021/01/25/2438e840-5ee3-11eb-a177-7765f29a9524_story.html|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Iraq ===<br />
Protests against the lockdown have been coupled with the [[2019–2020 Iraqi protests|ongoing protests]] against the current government and female-targeting violence within the country.<ref>{{Cite web|title=The Iraq Report: Protest movement revives as coronavirus lockdown eased|url=https://english.alaraby.co.uk/english/indepth/2020/5/1/the-iraq-report-protest-movement-revives-as-lockdown-eased|website=alaraby|date=May 2020|language=en|access-date=1 May 2020|archive-date=4 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200504011957/https://english.alaraby.co.uk/english/indepth/2020/5/1/the-iraq-report-protest-movement-revives-as-lockdown-eased|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="WPProtests">{{cite web |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/coronavirus-protests-lebanon-india-iraq/2020/04/19/1581dde4-7e5f-11ea-84c2-0792d8591911_story.html |title=Coronavirus lockdowns prompt protests in India, Lebanon, Iraq |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=19 April 2020 |access-date=27 April 2020 |archive-date=25 April 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200425064157/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/coronavirus-protests-lebanon-india-iraq/2020/04/19/1581dde4-7e5f-11ea-84c2-0792d8591911_story.html |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Kazakhstan ===<br />
Following announcement of quarantine measures, videos of hospital staff in [[Atyrau]] protesting against new rules were spread on social media in April 2020, resulting in reporting journalists being detained.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-04-16|title=Казахстан: митинг в белых халатах|url=https://belsat.eu/ru/programs/kazahstan-miting-v-belyh-halatah/|url-status=live|access-date=2021-07-26|website=belsat.eu|language=ru|archive-date=27 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210727010145/https://belsat.eu/ru/programs/kazahstan-miting-v-belyh-halatah/}}</ref><br />
<br />
On 25 January 2021, a demonstration was held in city of [[Kokshetau]] where citizens expressed discontent with concept of compulsory vaccination against COVID-19 in which the deputy [[akim]] met with the crowd and assured them that decision whether to be vaccinated would be based on each individual's personal choice.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-01-25|title=Несколько десятков человек собрались на площади в Кокшетау|url=https://www.nur.kz/society/1895472-neskolko-desatkov-celovek-sobralis-na-plosadi-v-koksetau-foto/?|url-status=live|access-date=2021-07-27|website=www.nur.kz|language=ru|archive-date=27 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210727010148/https://www.nur.kz/society/1895472-neskolko-desatkov-celovek-sobralis-na-plosadi-v-koksetau-foto/}}</ref> in result of the government's [[COVID-19 vaccine]] mandate for all in-person employees, protests took place on 6 July 2021 in Kazakhstan where citizens demanded to stop the fines for businesspeople who refused to mandate for workers as well free [[COVID-19 testing|PCR testing]] for the unvaccinated.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Говоров|first=Георгий|date=2021-07-06|title=НГ: "Принудительной вакцинации нет" - аким Костаная встретился с участниками акции протеста|url=https://www.ng.kz/modules/news/article.php?storyid=42453#893571|url-status=live|access-date=2021-07-27|website=www.ng.kz|archive-date=27 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210727014138/https://www.ng.kz/modules/news/article.php?storyid=42453#893571}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-07-01|title=В Казахстане вводится режим обязательной вакцинации|url=https://inbusiness.kz/ru/news/v-kazahstane-vvoditsya-rezhim-obyazatelnoj-vakcinacii|url-status=live|access-date=2021-07-27|website=inbusiness.kz|language=ru|archive-date=27 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210727010147/https://inbusiness.kz/ru/news/v-kazahstane-vvoditsya-rezhim-obyazatelnoj-vakcinacii}}</ref> In [[Oral, Kazakhstan|Oral]], instructions were given out to crowd in avoiding the inoculation.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Левина|first=Мария|date=2021-07-06|title=В Уральске и Костанае прошли митинги против обязательной вакцинации|url=https://vlast.kz/novosti/45733-v-uralske-i-kostanae-prosli-mitingi-protiv-obazatelnoj-vakcinacii.html|url-status=live|access-date=2021-07-27|website=vlast.kz|language=ru|archive-date=27 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210727010148/https://vlast.kz/novosti/45733-v-uralske-i-kostanae-prosli-mitingi-protiv-obazatelnoj-vakcinacii.html}}</ref> Reports of detentions of people by the police occurred in [[Almaty]] and [[Aktobe]] that day.<ref>{{Cite news|date=2021-07-06|title=Несколько человек задержаны в Алматы и Актобе на месте анонсированных Аблязовым акций|url=https://rus.azattyq.org/a/31343878.html|url-status=live|access-date=2021-07-27|website=Радио Азаттык|language=ru|archive-date=27 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210727010146/https://rus.azattyq.org/a/31343878.html}}</ref> On 17 July, demonstrations occurred throughout the cities, where in [[Pavlodar]] hundred people gathered at the central square which was dispersed by security forces with detainees being pushed into police vans and some managing to flee the area.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-07-19|title=Митинги против обязательной вакцинации прошли в нескольких городах Казахстана|url=https://ust-kamenogorsk.city/novosti-kazakhstana/11695/|url-status=live|access-date=2021-07-27|website=ust-kamenogorsk.city|archive-date=27 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210727010147/https://ust-kamenogorsk.city/novosti-kazakhstana/11695/}}</ref> After the Kazakh government decided to raise fuel prices in the middle of the pandemic, many Kazakhs carried out [[2022 Kazakh unrest|the bloodiest riots since the collapse of the Soviet Union]].<br />
<br />
=== Lebanon ===<br />
{{See also|2019–2021 Lebanese protests}}<br />
Many protesters argued for monetary relief from the countries slumping economy after weeks of the lockdown.<ref name="WPProtests"/> At least one demonstrator died after soldiers used tear gas, batons, and live bullets to disperse a protesters in [[Tripoli, Lebanon|Tripoli]] who were throwing [[molotov cocktail]]s.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Osseiran|first1=Nazih|last2=Nissenbaum|first2=Dion|date=28 April 2020|title=Protesters in Lebanon Demand Economic Relief as Coronavirus Lockdown Eases|language=en-US|work=[[The Wall Street Journal]]|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/protesters-in-lebanon-demand-economic-relief-as-coronavirus-lockdown-eases-11588096707|access-date=1 May 2020|issn=0099-9660|archive-date=30 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200430221558/https://www.wsj.com/articles/protesters-in-lebanon-demand-economic-relief-as-coronavirus-lockdown-eases-11588096707|url-status=live}}</ref> Protesters also congregated in [[Beirut]] outside the central bank and threw rocks at the building, and took over major roads as they claimed there wasn't enough done to protect the economy and those that would suffer the most economically.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Hatoum|first1=Bassam|last2=Hussein|first2=Bilal|date=29 April 2020|title=Lockdown lifts in Lebanon, protests erupt over economic crises|work=[[The Christian Science Monitor]]|url=https://www.csmonitor.com/World/Middle-East/2020/0429/Lockdown-lifts-in-Lebanon-protests-erupt-over-economic-crises|access-date=1 May 2020|issn=0882-7729|archive-date=1 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200501054440/https://www.csmonitor.com/World/Middle-East/2020/0429/Lockdown-lifts-in-Lebanon-protests-erupt-over-economic-crises|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Malaysia ===<br />
<br />
On 31 July 2021, hundreds of protesters attempted to gather in [[Merdeka Square, Kuala Lumpur]], calling for the resignation of Prime Minister [[Muhyiddin Yassin]] over his and the Malaysian government's handling of the [[COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia|COVID-19 pandemic]].<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|title=Hundreds take to Kuala Lumpur's streets in anti-gov't protest|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/7/31/hundreds-take-to-streets-in-anti-government-protest-in-malaysia|access-date=2021-08-01|website=www.aljazeera.com|language=en|archive-date=1 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210801172936/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/7/31/hundreds-take-to-streets-in-anti-government-protest-in-malaysia|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite web|website=Deutsche Welle|title=Malaysian protesters demand PM Muhyiddin's resignation=|date=2021-07-31|url=https://www.dw.com/en/malaysian-protesters-demand-pm-muhyiddins-resignation/a-58713654|access-date=2021-08-01|language=en-GB|archive-date=1 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210801172936/https://www.dw.com/en/malaysian-protesters-demand-pm-muhyiddins-resignation/a-58713654|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Ramlan|first=Alyaa Alhadjri & Vivian Yap, Yasmin|date=2021-07-31|title=Hundreds of #Lawan protesters in KL demand PM's resignation|url=https://www.malaysiakini.com/news/585291|access-date=2021-08-01|website=Malaysiakini|language=en|archive-date=1 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210801172003/https://www.malaysiakini.com/news/585291|url-status=live}}</ref> The protests took place despite [[Malaysian movement control order|Movement Control Order (MCO)]] restrictions being in place, and Malaysian police blocking access to Merdeka Square itself.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Solhi|first=Farah|date=2021-07-31|title=#Lawan rally ends as protesters fail to get inside Dataran Merdeka {{!}} New Straits Times|url=https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2021/07/713474/lawan-rally-ends-protesters-fail-get-inside-dataran-merdeka|access-date=2021-08-01|website=NST Online|language=en|archive-date=1 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210801172004/https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2021/07/713474/lawan-rally-ends-protesters-fail-get-inside-dataran-merdeka|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Solhi|first=Farah|date=2021-07-31|title=#Lawan rally goes on despite police warning, risk of spreading Covid-19 [NSTTV] {{!}} New Straits Times|url=https://www.nst.com.my/news/crime-courts/2021/07/713455/lawan-rally-goes-despite-police-warning-risk-spreading-covid-19|access-date=2021-08-01|website=NST Online|language=en|archive-date=1 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210801173504/https://www.nst.com.my/news/crime-courts/2021/07/713455/lawan-rally-goes-despite-police-warning-risk-spreading-covid-19|url-status=live}}</ref> The anti-government protests took place following a [[2021 Malaysian state of emergency|state of emergency]] declaration, where parliament and elections were suspended, and amid an [[2020–21 Malaysian political crisis|ongoing political crisis]].<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2" /> On 2 August, including former Prime Minister [[Mahathir Mohamad]], opposition MPs held a protest in Merdeka Square after being blocked from entering Parliament by police.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-08-02|title=Police stop Malaysian opposition lawmakers from marching to Parliament|url=https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/heavy-police-presence-outside-malaysian-parliament|access-date=2021-08-02|website=The Straits Times|language=en|archive-date=2 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210802080101/https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/heavy-police-presence-outside-malaysian-parliament|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Malaysia opposition MPs gather at Merdeka Square after being blocked from entering parliament|url=https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asia/malaysia-opposition-dataran-merdeka-parliament-postponed-covid19-15360260|access-date=2021-08-02|website=CNA|language=en|archive-date=2 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210802080147/https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asia/malaysia-opposition-dataran-merdeka-parliament-postponed-covid19-15360260|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Nepal ===<br />
On 12 June 2020, hundreds of protesters gathering in the capital city [[Kathmandu]], demanding better quarantine facilities, more tests and transparency in the purchase of medical supplies to fight the crisis. Ten people have been arrested, including seven foreigners.<ref>{{cite web|author=Gopal Sharma|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-nepal/hundreds-protest-against-nepals-coronavirus-response-7-foreigners-arrested-idUSKBN23K087/|title=Hundreds protest against Nepal's coronavirus response; 7 foreigners arrested|work=Reuters|date=2020-06-13}}</ref><br />
[[File:尼泊尔最大反对党发起全国抗议活动.jpg|thumb|Protesters wave party flags of the [[Nepali Congress]] on 14 December 2020]]<br />
On 14 December 2020, the [[Nepali Congress]], Nepal's largest opposition party, launched a nationwide protest, claiming that one million people participated. This protest is mainly to criticize the government for not actively fighting the COVID-19 pandemic and for not actively preparing for holding the winter session of [[Federal Parliament of Nepal|federal parliament]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.chinanews.com/wap/detail/zw/gj/2020/12-14/9361978.shtml|title=尼泊尔最大反对党发起全国抗议活动|work=China News Service|date=2020-12-14|language=zh-cn}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Pakistan ===<br />
Dozens of doctors were arrested in [[Quetta]] after protesting the lack of safety equipment that they had been given to battle the spread of the disease.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/06/pakistan-arrests-doctors-protest-lack-coronavirus-safety-equipment |title=Pakistan arrests doctors protesting over lack of virus safety equipment &#124; World news |work=The Guardian |access-date=30 April 2020 |archive-date=7 April 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200407174034/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/06/pakistan-arrests-doctors-protest-lack-coronavirus-safety-equipment |url-status=live }}</ref> Hundreds of laborers protested against their forced layoffs due to the pandemic by gathering outside their old places of work throughout the city of Karachi.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Millions of Pakistani laborers struggle amid COVID-19 lockdown|url=https://www.aa.com.tr/en/asia-pacific/millions-of-pakistani-laborers-struggle-amid-covid-19-lockdown/1824231|last=Latif|first=Aamir|date=30 April 2020|website=www.aa.com.tr|access-date=1 May 2020|archive-date=6 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200506073132/https://www.aa.com.tr/en/asia-pacific/millions-of-pakistani-laborers-struggle-amid-covid-19-lockdown/1824231|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
Parents of students who had been studying abroad in the Chinese province of Hubei protested against the government's decision to leave the children in the area in February 2020.<ref>{{cite news|last=Raza Hassan|first=Syed|date=16 February 2020|title=Parents protest as Pakistani students stuck in China under coronavirus lockdown|language=en|work=Reuters|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-health-pakistan-idUSKBN20A0J9|access-date=1 May 2020|archive-date=25 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200525093543/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-health-pakistan-idUSKBN20A0J9|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Philippines ===<br />
{{See also|Protests against Rodrigo Duterte}}<br />
Spontaneous demonstrations were held on 1 April 2020 by a [[Quezon City]] urban poor community to protest lack of food and other assistance during the metropolitan-wide COVID-19 lockdown.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ellao |first=Janess Ann J. |date=1 April 2020 |title=Arrests in QC reveal lack of gov't support to lockdown-affected residents |url=https://www.bulatlat.com/2020/04/01/arrests-in-qc-urban-poor-reveal-lack-of-govt-support-to-lockdown-affected-residents/ |access-date=19 June 2020 |website=Bulatlat |language=en-US |archive-date=20 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200620224244/https://www.bulatlat.com/2020/04/01/arrests-in-qc-urban-poor-reveal-lack-of-govt-support-to-lockdown-affected-residents/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Police violently dispersed protesters and arrested 21 people.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=1 April 2020 |title=21 protesters demanding food aid arrested in Quezon City |url=https://www.cnnphilippines.com/news/2020/4/1/quezon-city-protesters-arrested-.html |access-date=19 June 2020 |website=CNN |language=en |archive-date=23 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200623053048/https://cnnphilippines.com/news/2020/4/1/quezon-city-protesters-arrested-.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> The city mayor and a Congress representative appealed to police to release those arrested.<ref name=":0" /><br />
<br />
In May 2020, journalists and individuals protested [[ABS-CBN franchise renewal controversy|the cease and desist order that led to the shutdown of media giant ABS-CBN]], a move that jeopardized more than 11,000 jobs and prevented the broadcast of vital information about the pandemic. More protests were held after the House of Representatives junked ABS-CBN's application for a legislative franchise.{{citation needed|date=August 2021}}<br />
<br />
Jeepney drivers rendered jobless by the COVID-19 emergency protested in Caloocan on 3 June 2020. Six protesters were arrested and jailed for a few days to one week.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Lalu |first=Gabriel Pabico |date=18 June 2020 |title=2 of jailed Piston 6 protesters test positive for COVID-19 |url=https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1293906/2-of-jailed-piston-6-protesters-test-positive-for-covid-19 |access-date=19 June 2020 |website=Inquirer |language=en |archive-date=18 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200618141148/https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1293906/2-of-jailed-piston-6-protesters-test-positive-for-covid-19 |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
Several groups held protests nationwide to coincide with the commemoration of Philippine Independence on 12 June 2020.<ref>{{Cite web |date=11 June 2020 |title=LIST: 'Grand mañanita' and other Independence Day 2020 activities |url=http://www.rappler.com/move-ph/263498-list-mananita-other-activities-independence-day-2020 |access-date=19 June 2020 |website=Rappler |language=en |archive-date=13 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200613072615/https://www.rappler.com/move-ph/263498-list-mananita-other-activities-independence-day-2020 |url-status=live }}</ref> Among these was the "Grand Mañanita" protest at the [[University of the Philippines]] in Quezon City. The Grand Mañanita protested the [[Philippine government response to the COVID-19 pandemic|government's response to the COVID-19 crisis]] and Congress' passage of a controversial [[Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020|anti-terror bill]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Gonzales |first=Cathrine |date=12 June 2020 |title=Look: 'Grand mañanita' protest on Independence Day |url=https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1290437/look-grand-mananita-protest-on-independence-day |access-date=19 June 2020 |website=INQUIRER.net |language=en |archive-date=19 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200619173237/https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1290437/look-grand-mananita-protest-on-independence-day |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
On 16 July 2021, health workers held a protest in front of the headquarters of [[Department of Health (Philippines)|Department of Health]] (DOH) where they threw tomatoes at the logo of the DOH.<ref>{{cite news |title=DOH, binato ng kamatis |url=https://web.facebook.com/News5Everywhere/videos/3941239406004582/ |access-date=23 September 2021 |work=News5 |date=July 16, 2021 |via=Facebook |archive-date=22 December 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211222175651/https://www.facebook.com/News5Everywhere/videos/3941239406004582/?_rdc=1&_rdr |url-status=live }}</ref> On 30 August, 1 September and 24 November 2021,<ref>{{cite news |title='Ginagawa kaming bobo': Health workers patuloy ang paghahabol sa benepisyo {{!}} TV Patrol |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9slZiNABZMA&ab_channel=ABS-CBNNews |access-date=28 November 2021 |work=ABS-CBN News |archive-date=28 November 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211128054313/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9slZiNABZMA&ab_channel=ABS-CBNNews |url-status=live }}</ref> health workers from various hospitals in Metro Manila held a protest at the DOH headquarters over nonpayment of their salaries and benefits and demanding Duque (and Duterte) to resign over the handling of the COVID-19 pandemic in the country.<ref>{{cite news |title='We have nothing to celebrate': Health workers protest as Duterte calls frontliners 'new breed of heroes' |url=https://www.cnnphilippines.com/news/2021/8/30/health-workers-protest-National-Heroes-Day.html |access-date=1 September 2021 |work=CNN Philippines |archive-date=1 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210901033613/https://www.cnnphilippines.com/news/2021/8/30/health-workers-protest-National-Heroes-Day.html |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=On Heroes' Day, health workers protest over unreleased benefits |url=https://www.rappler.com/nation/health-workers-protest-unreleased-benefit30-august-2021 |access-date=1 September 2021 |work=Rappler }}{{dead link|date=August 2023|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Underpaid health workers walk out, call for Duque resignation at mass protests |url=https://www.rappler.com/nation/health-workers-walk-out-jobs-mass-protests-duque-1-september-2021 |access-date=1 September 2021 |work=Rappler }}{{dead link|date=August 2023|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Thailand ===<br />
{{main|2020 Thai protests}}<br />
[[File:เยาวชนปลดแอก ประท้วง กรุงเทพ 18 กรกฎาคม 2563 Free Youth Protest at Bangkok 18 July 2020 (Night).jpg|thumb|Demonstrations at the [[Democracy Monument]], [[Bangkok]] at night]]<br />
On 18 July, Thailand saw the largest street demonstration since the [[2014 Thai coup d'état]] at the [[Democracy Monument]] in [[Bangkok]] with around 2,500 protesters. The protesters, organised under the name Free Youth ({{langx|th|เยาวชนปลดแอก}}; yaowachon plod aek), announced three demands: dissolution of the House, stop threatening the people and drafting of a new constitution. The event was triggered by the failed economy due to [[COVID-19 pandemic in Thailand|pandemic]], and unjustified implementation of the COVID-19 acts that were heavily criticised as being a tool against any possible protest. The situation erupted after two COVID-19 cases; an Egyptian soldier in [[Rayong Province]], and a Sudanese diplomat's daughter in [[Khet Watthana|Asok neighbourhood]] of [[Bangkok]], were tested positive earlier on 15 July. Both were excepted from COVID-19's travel restrictions and containment. Many criticised on both the government's failure to contain the disease from these VIPs, and its failure to boost the heavily affected tourism industry in [[Rayong Province]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=18 July 2020 |title=Thai protesters call for government to resign |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-thailand-protests/thai-protesters-call-for-government-to-resign-idUSKCN24J0HN |access-date=20 July 2020 |website=[[Reuters]] |language=en |archive-date=19 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200719182550/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-thailand-protests/thai-protesters-call-for-government-to-resign-idUSKCN24J0HN |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=18 July 2020 |url=https://www.bbc.com/thai/thailand-53456468 |title="เยาวชนปลดแอก" ยุติการชุมนุมก่อนเที่ยงคืน อ้างความปลอดภัย สรุปบรรยากาศจากเริ่มจนจบ |access-date=20 July 2020 |website=[[BBC]] Thai |language=th |archive-date=19 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201019153040/https://www.bbc.com/thai/thailand-53456468 |url-status=live }}</ref> The protesters demanded the government to accept within two weeks, or face larger demonstrations.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2020-07-18 |title=Thai protesters call for government to resign |language=en |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-thailand-protests-idUSKCN24J0HN |access-date=2022-08-04}}</ref><br />
<br />
Later on 19 July, several protests erupted in [[Chiang Mai Province]] and [[Ubon Ratchathani Province]].<ref>{{Cite news |date=20 July 2020 |title=Chiang Mai, Ubon rally against Prayut, government |url=https://www.bangkokpost.com/learning/easy/1954343/chiang-mai-ubon-rally-against-prayut-government?cx_placement=related#cxrecs_s |access-date=20 July 2020 |website=[[Bangkok Post]] |language=en }}</ref><br />
<br />
===Vietnam===<br />
There have been many protests broke out in some localities in Vietnam to protest against the anti-epidemic policy, as well as to call on the government to support people during the pandemic.<br />
<br />
On August 22, 2021, workers at an isolation area in [[Binh Duong]] province conducted a riot, smashed, and prevented a pregnant woman from going to the emergency room.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.hosodanchu.com/2021/08/bao-loan-ap-pha-o-binh-duong-ke-cam.html | title=Bạo loạn, đập phá ở Bình Dương: Kẻ cầm tuýp sắt, người hôi của }}</ref><br />
<br />
On August 27, some people in [[Ho Chi Minh City]] reacted because they had not received local support money and the clip of this incident was posted on social networks. The government has forced "hostile forces to plot to incite demonstrations and fight against social distancing".<ref>{{cite web | url=https://cand.com.vn/Chong-dien-bien-hoa-binh/canh-giac-muu-do-kich-dong-bieu-tinh-chong-pha-gian-cach-xa-hoi-i627958/ | title=Cảnh giác mưu đồ kích động biểu tình, chống phá giãn cách xã hội }}</ref><br />
<br />
On October 1, 2021, people in Ho Chi Minh City protested, attacking police at a checkpoint on the outskirts of the city to open the door for people to return to their hometown. A day later, Vietnamese netizens spread images of police forces and militiamen using sticks to beat protesters in Binh Duong with the purpose of breaking the gate to return to their hometown. The local government then stated to verify the incident, at the same time accused people of rioting and attacking the police.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.bbc.com/vietnamese/vietnam-58775235 | title=Bình Dương: Muốn về quê, xô xát giữa dân và cảnh sát | newspaper=BBC News Tiếng Việt }}</ref><br />
<br />
In mid-October, after the dogs of a household in [[Ca Mau]] province were culled due to suspicion of being infected with the COVID-19 virus, there were many online calls for people to protest against the anti pandemic policies from the government.<br />
<br />
In November 2021, those present at the funeral of Mr. Duong Van Minh, a [[Hmong people|Hmong]] man, clashed with police after police and local medical staff asked those present at the funeral to disperse. due to fears of an outbreak. Mr. Duong Van Minh is the founder of the religious organization that bears his name, which is considered a [[heresy]] by Vietnamese authorities.<br />
<br />
From October 2022, a year after the end of social distancing due to the pandemic, many customers of Sai Gon Joint Stock Commercial Bank (SCB), one of Vietnam's major banks, protested at the bank branch to request a refund of a customer's [[bond (finance)|bond]] purchase. The protests were considered to be motivated by the difficult economic and financial situation of the people after the pandemic.<br />
<br />
== Europe ==<br />
[[File:Men In Black protest in Copenhagen.jpg|thumb|Anti-lockdown demonstration in [[Rådhuspladsen]], [[Copenhagen]], 27 March 2021]]<br />
<br />
=== Austria ===<br />
The newly created [[MFG Austria – People Freedom Fundamental Rights|Fundamental Rights Party]] (MFG), has been planning recent anti-lockdown protests in Austria. The group compared Covid restrictions with "Nazi rule". The country's third largest political party, the [[Freedom Party of Austria]] (FPÖ), has also strongly condemned the Covid restrictions, and its new leader, [[Herbert Kickl]], has pushed misleading and false views of the virus, including claims that the vaccination programme is really a "genetic experiment".<ref>{{Cite news|date=2021-11-27|title=Covid: Conspiracy and untruths drive Europe's Covid protests|language=en-GB|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/59390968|access-date=2021-12-26}}</ref> Kickl urged a public crowd to reject compulsory vaccinations. Fifteen thousand people later rallied at the Heldenplatz square in Vienna to protest against the anti-Covid measures and were later joined by thousands more, with approximately 44,000 people taking part in the rally in total.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-12-12|title=Thousands protest against coronavirus measures in Vienna|url=https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3159367/thousands-austrians-take-streets-protest-against-coronavirus|access-date=2021-12-26|website=South China Morning Post|language=en}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Belgium ===<br />
On 31 January 2021, police in [[Brussels]] said they had arrested more than 400 people to prevent a banned protest of anti-COVID-19 measures.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.dw.com/en/coronavirus-digest-brussels-police-detain-hundreds-of-anti-lockdown-protesters/a-56394523|title=Coronavirus digest: Brussels police detain hundreds of anti-lockdown protesters &#124; DW &#124; 31.01.2021|website=DW.COM|access-date=18 July 2021|archive-date=8 June 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210608133756/https://www.dw.com/en/coronavirus-digest-brussels-police-detain-hundreds-of-anti-lockdown-protesters/a-56394523|url-status=live}}</ref> On 21 November 2021, about 35,000 people in the streets of [[Brussels]] took part in demonstration, which began peaceful before violence broke out. Waving nationalist flags of [[Flanders]] and banners against the more restrictive rules for the unvaccinated, several people hidden by hoods also attacked some police cars. At least two officers and one protester were injured. Protesters threw stones at police as they advanced with water cannon at the main junction in front of the European Union Commission headquarters. Protesters also threw smoke bombs and fireworks, the newspaper ''[[Le Soir]]'' reported. The situation calmed down later, police said.<ref>{{Cite news|url = https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/around-35000-protest-against-covid-restrictions-brussels-police-say-2021-11-21/|title = Clashes break out in Brussels in protests over coronavirus restrictions|newspaper = Reuters|date = 21 November 2021|access-date = 24 November 2021|archive-date = 24 November 2021|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20211124001253/https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/around-35000-protest-against-covid-restrictions-brussels-police-say-2021-11-21/|url-status = live}}</ref><br />
<br />
* [[2022 Brussels protest|January 2022 Brussels protest]]<br />
<br />
=== Belarus ===<br />
{{Main|2020-2021 Belarusian protests}}<br />
In May 2020, a lowered approval of [[authoritarianism|authoritarian]] president [[Alexander Lukashenko]] amid [[COVID-19 pandemic in Belarus|his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic]] led to street protests against his government. Mass protests erupted across Belarus following the August [[2020 Belarusian presidential election]] which was marred by allegations of widespread [[electoral fraud]].{{citation needed|date=August 2021}}<br />
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=== Bosnia and Herzegovina ===<br />
On 6 April 2021, anti-governmental protests "Fight for Life" were held by a group of citizens and activists in Bosnia and Herzegovina's capital [[Sarajevo]] in front of the [[Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina|Parliamentary Assembly]] and the [[Government of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina|Federal Government]], seeking resignations from [[Chairman of the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina|Chairman of the Council of Ministers]] [[Zoran Tegeltija]] and [[List of prime ministers of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina|Federal Prime Minister]] [[Fadil Novalić]], due to lack of leadership during the [[COVID-19 pandemic in Bosnia and Herzegovina]] and late procurement of [[COVID-19 vaccine]]s for the country.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.klix.ba/vijesti/bih/protesti-u-sarajevu-gradjani-ispred-vlade-fbih-skandiraju-ostavke-i-paraziti-napolje/210406028|title=Protesti u Sarajevu: Građani ispred Vlade FBiH skandiraju "Ostavke" i "Paraziti napolje"|date=6 April 2021|access-date=6 April 2021|language=bs|author=D. Be.|publisher=Klix.ba|archive-date=6 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210406110442/https://www.klix.ba/vijesti/bih/protesti-u-sarajevu-gradjani-ispred-vlade-fbih-skandiraju-ostavke-i-paraziti-napolje/210406028|url-status=live}}</ref> Further anti-governmental protests were held eleven days later, on 17 April as well.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.klix.ba/vijesti/bih/zavrseni-protesti-gradjana-u-sarajevu-na-potezu-su-parlamentarci-rok-je-1-maj/210417035|title=Završeni protesti građana u Sarajevu: Na potezu su parlamentarci, rok je 1. maj|date=17 April 2021|access-date=17 April 2021|language=bs|author=N.V.|publisher=Klix.ba|archive-date=17 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210417105301/https://www.klix.ba/vijesti/bih/zavrseni-protesti-gradjana-u-sarajevu-na-potezu-su-parlamentarci-rok-je-1-maj/210417035|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Bulgaria ===<br />
{{Main|2020–2021 Bulgarian protests}}<br />
On 30 March 2020 The Bulgarian Health Ministry issued an order that made not wearing a face mask in public punishable by law at a time when no masks were available for purchasing in the country. After strong public unrest, the order was recalled on the following day<ref>{{Cite web|title=Министър Ананиев отменя заповедта си за задължително носене на маски до постигане на консенсус|url=https://dariknews.bg/novini/bylgariia/vryshtat-maskite-na-zakrito-stavat-zadylzhitelni-v-magazina-i-v-ofisa-2230448|date=31 March 2020|access-date=8 October 2020|website=dariknews.bg|language=bg|archive-date=15 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210515043118/https://dariknews.bg/novini/bylgariia/vryshtat-maskite-na-zakrito-stavat-zadylzhitelni-v-magazina-i-v-ofisa-2230448|url-status=live}}</ref> and re-instated yet again later, with some modifications.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Връщат маските на закрито - стават задължителни в магазина и в офиса|url=https://dariknews.bg/novini/bylgariia/ananiev-otmeni-zapovedta-za-zadylzhitelnite-maski-2219522|date=22 June 2020|access-date=8 October 2020|website=dariknews.bg|language=bg|archive-date=9 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201009015757/https://dariknews.bg/novini/bylgariia/ananiev-otmeni-zapovedta-za-zadylzhitelnite-maski-2219522|url-status=live}}</ref> A small protest took place on 19 April 2020 in [[Sofia]] against the measures to combat the [[COVID-19 pandemic in Bulgaria|COVID-19 pandemic]], with many of the participants expressing concerns about their livelihoods.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Протест в София срещу мерките за ограничаване на коронавируса|url=https://www.mediapool.bg/protest-v-sofiya-sreshtu-merkite-za-ogranichavane-na-koronavirusa-news306375.html|date=19 April 2020|access-date=3 September 2020|website=mediapool.bg|language=bg|archive-date=21 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201021082108/https://www.mediapool.bg/protest-v-sofiya-sreshtu-merkite-za-ogranichavane-na-koronavirusa-news306375.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Protests with an [[Anti-vaccine activism|anti-vax]] slant that also demanded the resignation of the government, organized by the [[Revival (Bulgarian political party)|Vazrazhdane]] party,<ref>{{Cite web|title=8 арестувани на протеста в София (ВИДЕО+СНИМКИ)|url=https://nova.bg/news/view/2020/05/14/287916/8-%D0%B0%D1%80%D0%B5%D1%81%D1%82%D1%83%D0%B2%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%B8-%D0%BD%D0%B0-%D0%BF%D1%80%D0%BE%D1%82%D0%B5%D1%81%D1%82%D0%B0-%D0%B2-%D1%81%D0%BE%D1%84%D0%B8%D1%8F-%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE%D1%81%D0%BD%D0%B8%D0%BC%D0%BA%D0%B8/|date=14 May 2020|access-date=3 September 2020|website=nova.bg|language=bg|archive-date=24 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200524113735/https://nova.bg/news/view/2020/05/14/287916/8-%D0%B0%D1%80%D0%B5%D1%81%D1%82%D1%83%D0%B2%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%B8-%D0%BD%D0%B0-%D0%BF%D1%80%D0%BE%D1%82%D0%B5%D1%81%D1%82%D0%B0-%D0%B2-%D1%81%D0%BE%D1%84%D0%B8%D1%8F-%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE%D1%81%D0%BD%D0%B8%D0%BC%D0%BA%D0%B8/|url-status=live}}</ref> were held in May and June, resulting in a few arrests, but did not see a significant turnout.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Протест на антиваксъри в София|url=https://www.vesti.bg/bulgaria/protest-na-antivaksyri-v-sofiia-6110588|date=6 June 2020|access-date=3 September 2020|author=Kirov, Nikolay|website=vesti.bg|language=bg|archive-date=26 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200726135130/https://www.vesti.bg/bulgaria/protest-na-antivaksyri-v-sofiia-6110588|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
Public disapproval grew during the pandemic and reached a spontaneous culmination on 9 July 2020 after a police raid on the Presidency of Bulgaria in what was perceived as an attack against President [[Rumen Radev]], a vocal critic of prime minister [[Boyko Borisov]], who has been in power since 2009,<ref>{{Cite web|date=9 July 2020|title=Raids Worsen Bulgarian President's Spat With Prosecutor|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-07-09/bulgarian-police-raid-president-radev-s-offices|access-date=15 July 2020|website=Bloomberg.com|archive-date=1 February 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210201190554/https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-07-09/bulgarian-police-raid-president-radev-s-offices|url-status=live}}</ref> and the long-standing grievances against endemic corruption and [[state capture]]. Daily demonstrations were held in the country's capital [[Sofia]] until April 2021, though the number of protesters dwindled during the autumn and winter months when the country was heavily affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.<ref>{{Cite web|title=88-а вечер на протести в София: Призоваха за атаки срещу офисите на управляващата коалиция (Снимки)|url=https://www.24chasa.bg/novini/article/9082543|date=4 October 2020|access-date=8 October 2020|website=24chasa.bg|language=bg|archive-date=22 December 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211222175752/https://www.24chasa.bg/novini/article/9082543|url-status=live}}</ref> On 12 January 2022, Vazrazhdane organized a large demonstration against the COVID green certificates for indoor spaces, during which protest participants attempted to make their way into the National Parliament.<ref name="VazrazhdaneProtestGreenCertificateJanuary2022">{{cite news | title=Поддръжници на "Възраждане" се опитаха да нахлуят в парламента| work=mediapool.bg |author= |language=Bulgarian|url=https://www.mediapool.bg/poddrazhnitsi-na-vazrazhdane-se-opitaha-da-nahluyat-v-parlamenta-news331009.html| date=12 January 2022|access-date=10 February 2022 }}</ref> On 23 February 2022, the party held another protest with the same focus.<ref name="VazrazhdaneFollowUpProtestGreenCertificateFebruary2022">{{cite news | title="Възраждане" приветства поетапното отпадане на зеления сертификат, протестът обаче остава| work=dariknews.bg |author= |language=Bulgarian|url=https://dariknews.bg/novini/bylgariia/vyzrazhdane-privetstva-poetapnoto-otpadane-na-zeleniia-sertifikat-protestyt-obache-ostava-2301183| date=21 February 2022|access-date=2 April 2022 }}</ref><br />
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=== Czechia ===<br />
In late 2020 and during 2021, many anti-responses protests occurred as the pandemic situation in country worsened and measures, often legally unsubstantiated, were prolonged. Protesters demanded revoking of the restrictions such as gathering limitations or pubs closure. Many of them also refused face-masks wearing, which gave them a nickname "anti-rouškaři", meaning "mask-refusers". The most violent incident occurred on 18 October in Prague, when group of radical protesters, including football hooligans, clashed with police forces after protest was dissolved due to violations of hygienic measures. 20 officers were injured as well as unknown number of protesters. 144 persons were arrested. This is in contrast with mostly peaceful protests which are typical in Czechia. Since then, police has changed a tactics to document offences rather than doing large maneuvers to disperse crowds.<br />
<ref>{{cite web|date=18 October 2020|title=Demonstrace proti vládním opatřením se změnila v potyčky s těžkooděnci. Policie zadržela přes 100 lidí|url=https://www.irozhlas.cz/zpravy-domov/praha-protesty-koronavirus-fotbalovy-fanousci-demonstrace-staromestske-namesti_2010181508_tkr|url-status=live|access-date=12 June 2021|archive-date=31 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201031010343/https://www.irozhlas.cz/zpravy-domov/praha-protesty-koronavirus-fotbalovy-fanousci-demonstrace-staromestske-namesti_2010181508_tkr}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|date=31 January 2021|title=Na Václavském náměstí demonstrovaly stovky lidí proti omezením|url=https://www.ceskenoviny.cz/zpravy/na-vaclavskem-namesti-demonstrovaly-stovky-lidi-proti-omezenim/1989855|url-status=live|access-date=12 June 2021|archive-date=8 October 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211008164748/https://www.ceskenoviny.cz/zpravy/na-vaclavskem-namesti-demonstrovaly-stovky-lidi-proti-omezenim/1989855}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Šplíchal|first=Pavel|date=25 February 2021|title=Antirouškaři jsou ti nejtrapnější disidenti. Jako poslední věří vládě|url=https://a2larm.cz/2021/02/antirouskari-jsou-ti-nejtrapnejsi-disidenti-jako-posledni-veri-vlade/|access-date=12 June 2021}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== France ===<br />
{{Main|Yellow vests protests|French freedom convoy|2021–2022 social unrest in the French West Indies}}<br />
<br />
The [[Paris]] suburb [[Villeneuve-la-Garenne]] saw riots in April 2020, partly about the strains of the [[COVID-19 pandemic in France|coronavirus outbreak]] and lockdown on working-class families, often immigrants, who live in small apartments in crowded public housing buildings. Many have reported that in poorer neighbourhoods the policies are difficult to follow due to over crowding and cause the neighbourhoods to be impacted more than wealthier Parisians. The demonstrations have since been seen in the suburb [[Hauts-de-Seine]], and other French cities [[Toulouse]], [[Lyon]] and [[Strasbourg]].<ref>{{Cite news|last=McAuley|first=James|date=25 April 2020|title=Violent protests in Paris suburbs reflect tensions under lockdown|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/paris-suburbs-protests-villeneuve-la-garenne/2020/04/25/55f5a40c-85a1-11ea-81a3-9690c9881111_story.html|access-date=1 May 2020|newspaper=The Washington Post|language=en|archive-date=25 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200425112752/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/paris-suburbs-protests-villeneuve-la-garenne/2020/04/25/55f5a40c-85a1-11ea-81a3-9690c9881111_story.html|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
==== Vaccination obligation, sanitary pass ====<br />
The announcement of president [[Emmanuel Macron|Macron]] on 12 July 2021 of a [[COVID-19 vaccination in France|COVID-19 vaccination]] obligation for all health care workers by 15 September, as well as the obligation for people older than twelve to show a "[[COVID-19 vaccine card#France|sanitary pass]]" as of August for admittance to cafés, restaurants, cinemas, hospitals,<ref name=nrc,14jul>(Dutch) [https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2021/07/13/fransman-die-zich-niet-wil-laten-prikken-moet-maar-voelen-a4050923#/handelsblad/2021/07/14/#106 'Fransman die zich niet wil laten prikken moet maar voelen'] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210821205804/https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2021/07/13/fransman-die-zich-niet-wil-laten-prikken-moet-maar-voelen-a4050923#/handelsblad/2021/07/14/ |date=21 August 2021 }}. ''[[NRC Handelsblad]]'', 13 July 2021.</ref> senior citizens' homes, trains,<ref name=nrc,27jul>(Dutch) [https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2021/07/26/frans-parlement-stemt-in-met-nieuwe-covid-maatregelen-a4052430#/handelsblad/2021/07/27/#114 'Frans parlement stemt in met coronapaspoort en verplichte vaccinatie voor het zorgpersoneel'] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210821205804/https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2021/07/26/frans-parlement-stemt-in-met-nieuwe-covid-maatregelen-a4052430#/handelsblad/2021/07/27/ |date=21 August 2021 }}. ''[[NRC Handelsblad]]'', 26 July 2021.</ref> shopping malls,<ref>{{cite web |last1=De Fournas |first1=Marie |title=Coronavirus : Comment ça va se passer avec la fin des tests PCR et antigéniques gratuits ? |url=https://www.20minutes.fr/sante/3083303-20210713-coronavirus-comment-ca-va-passer-fin-tests-pcr-antigeniques-gratuits |website=20 Minutes |date=13 July 2021 |access-date=25 July 2021 |archive-date=25 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210725060050/https://www.20minutes.fr/sante/3083303-20210713-coronavirus-comment-ca-va-passer-fin-tests-pcr-antigeniques-gratuits |url-status=live }}</ref> and other public venues led to protests across France. The 'sanitary pass' should prove that someone is either vaccinated, has recently [[COVID-19 testing|tested negative]],<ref name=nrc,14jul/> or has recovered from [[COVID-19]].<ref name=nrc,11Aug>(Dutch) [https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2021/08/11/wij-houden-ons-hart-vast-voor-volgende-week-a4054487#/handelsblad/2021/08/12/#104 'Coronapaspoort in Frankrijk: 'Wij houden ons hart vast' '.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210821205802/https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2021/08/11/wij-houden-ons-hart-vast-voor-volgende-week-a4054487#/handelsblad/2021/08/12/ |date=21 August 2021 }} ''[[NRC Handelsblad]]'', 11 August 2021.</ref> Macron's motivation was: "We are in a new race against time", "Vaccination is the only way to protect yourself and others".<ref name=nrc,14jul/><br />
<br />
[[Marine Le Pen]], challenger of Macron in the [[2022 French presidential election]], immediately condemned the vaccination obligation as "indecent insolence" attesting of "ingratitude" towards the health care workers.<ref name=nrc,14jul/> On Wednesday 14 July, the French [[National day]] called '[[Bastille Day]]', in [[Paris]] some 2,250 people protested against these new corona restrictions. Demonstrations were also held in Toulouse, Bordeaux, Montpellier, Nantes and 48 other places, totalling around 19,000 protesters. Slogans chanted were: "Down with dictatorship", "Down with the health pass". A demonstrator equated the health pass with "segregation". Objects and fireworks were thrown at the police, who answered with tear gas and arrests.<ref>{{cite web |title=French police fire tear gas as anti-vaccine protest turns violent |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/7/15/french-police-tear-gas-as-anti-vaccine-protest-turns-violent |website=Al Jazeera |access-date=24 July 2021 |date=15 July 2021 |archive-date=23 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210723121648/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/7/15/french-police-tear-gas-as-anti-vaccine-protest-turns-violent |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
On Saturday 17 July, nationwide some 114,000 people protested against the two new measures.<ref name=nrc,1Aug/> On 24 July, some 160,000 people around France protested against the measures. Protesters chanted: "Liberty! Liberty!" Projectiles including a chair were thrown at the police in Paris, who reacted with tear gas and water cannons.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-07-24|title=French protesters reject virus passes, vaccine mandate|url=https://apnews.com/article/europe-health-coronavirus-pandemic-dc03061cb033cb4181ff5424acb9ed63|access-date=2021-07-25|website=AP NEWS|language=en|archive-date=25 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210725015129/https://apnews.com/article/europe-health-coronavirus-pandemic-dc03061cb033cb4181ff5424acb9ed63|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
On 25 July, the [[Senate (France)|French Senate]] nevertheless agreed to the measures except the pass obligation for children under 18 years old.<ref>''[[Dagblad van het Noorden]]'', 26 July 2021.</ref><br />
<br />
On 31 July, over 200,000 people nationwide protested against these plans. Thousands around [[Place de la Bastille]] in [[Paris]] chanted: ''"Liberté!"'' [Freedom!]. Signs accused Macron of being a dictator.<ref>[https://www.npr.org/2021/08/02/1023637209/protesters-say-frances-anti-virus-pass-is-a-threat-to-personal-freedoms 'Protesters Say France's Anti-Virus Pass Is A Threat To Personal Freedoms'] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210821205802/https://www.npr.org/2021/08/02/1023637209/protesters-say-frances-anti-virus-pass-is-a-threat-to-personal-freedoms |date=21 August 2021 }}. [[NPR|National Public Radio]], 2 August 2021. Retrieved 20 August 2021.</ref> A bus driver motivated his protest as: "I'm not an antivaxer (...) But this is going to fast, I want to wait and see". A hospital worker said: "These [[COVID-19 vaccine misinformation and hesitancy|vaccines are experimental]] ; there's no way I'm gonna take it".<ref name=nrc,1Aug>(Dutch) [https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2021/08/01/gele-hesjes-lopen-te-hoop-tegen-sanitaire-dictatuur-a4053244#/handelsblad/2021/08/02/#104 'Gele hesjes lopen te hoop tegen 'pasdictatuur' ' ('Yellow vests crowd together against 'pass dictatorship' ')] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210821205807/https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2021/08/01/gele-hesjes-lopen-te-hoop-tegen-sanitaire-dictatuur-a4053244#/handelsblad/2021/08/02/ |date=21 August 2021 }}. ''[[NRC Handelsblad]]'', 1 August 2021.</ref> A placard in [[Paris]] cited Macron: ' ''"Je ne rendrai pas la vaccination obligatoire", Emmanuel Macron, Novembre 2020'' ' ["I will not make vaccination obligatory", Macron, Nov. 2020]. Another: ' ''De la démocratie à la dictature il n'y a qu'un <<PASS>>'' ' [From democracy to dictatorship is only one step [or] one pass].<ref>''[[Dagblad van het Noorden]]'', 5 August 2021.</ref> Another: '<small>VACCINÉ A LA LIBERTÉ'</small> [<small>VACCINATED FOR FREEDOM</small>].<ref name=nrc,10Aug>(Dutch) [https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2021/08/10/gedwongen-vaccinatie-demonstraties-in-frankrijk-applaus-in-italie-a4054305#/handelsblad/2021/08/11/#114 'Gedwongen vaccinatie: demonstraties in Frankrijk, applaus in Italië' ('Enforced vaccination: demonstrations in France, applause in Italy')] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210821205806/https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2021/08/10/gedwongen-vaccinatie-demonstraties-in-frankrijk-applaus-in-italie-a4054305#/handelsblad/2021/08/11/ |date=21 August 2021 }}. ''[[NRC Handelsblad]]'', 10 August 2021.</ref><br />
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On Saturday 7 August, 237,000 people protested on 198 locations in France, the authorities reported. In Paris, [[Lyon]], [[Toulouse]], rioters pelted the police with all sorts of things, police reacted with tear gas and charges and arrests.<ref>''[[Dagblad van het Noorden]]'', 9 August 2021.</ref> The sanitary pass obligation came into effect on 9 August, civilians risk a fine of 135 euro for disobedience, business owners risk a 45,000 euro fine or one-year prison and the closure of their business.<ref name=nrc,11Aug /><br />
<br />
On 14 August 2021, between 200,000 and 250,000 people according to the police and the organisers have again demonstrated, on more than 200 locations in France, against the ''pass sanitaire'' and the obligated vaccination of health care personnel. Placards compared the sanitary pass with '[[Apartheid]]', people chanted slogans about the "health dictatorship". Police in Lyon used pepper spray against rioters.<ref>(Dutch) [https://www.telegraaf.nl/nieuws/456452706/live-weer-massale-protesten-tegen-franse-gezondheidsdictatuur 'Weer massale protesten tegen Franse 'gezondheidsdictatuur' ' (Again massive protests against French 'health dictatorship')] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210821205803/https://www.telegraaf.nl/nieuws/456452706/live-weer-massale-protesten-tegen-franse-gezondheidsdictatuur |date=21 August 2021 }}. ''[[De Telegraaf]]'', 14 August 2021. Retrieved 18 August 2021.</ref><br />
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Since then, these protests grew smaller ; on Saturday, 18 September 2021, the demonstrators in France against the sanitary pass and obligated vaccination counted 80,000.<ref>''[[Dagblad van het Noorden]]'', 23 September 2021.</ref><br />
<br />
===Greece===<br />
{{See also|2021 Greek protests}}<br />
The 2021 Greek protests broke out in response to a proposed government bill that would allow police presence on university campuses for the first time in decades, for which opposition groups accused the government of taking advantage of the COVID-19 lockdown to impose increasingly authoritarian measures.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://apnews.com/article/bills-athens-higher-education-greece-25de0ce9e884adba145b474d07be57d6|title=Protest gets heated ahead of campus policing vote|date=10 February 2021|publisher=[[Associated Press]]|location=[[Athens]]|access-date=2 May 2021|archive-date=12 February 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210212142808/https://apnews.com/article/bills-athens-higher-education-greece-25de0ce9e884adba145b474d07be57d6|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
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=== Georgia ===<br />
On 5 December 2021 thousands demonstrated in Tbilisi against a COVID-19 passport system which has been implemented in Georgia since December 1, allowing only citizens and tourists with a QR-code proving vaccination or recovery from the virus or with a negative PCR test result to visit public places, restaurants, entertainment and shopping centers. Protesters marched with posters and Georgian flags, passing by the parliamentary building.{{citation needed|date=March 2022}}<br />
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=== Germany ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 protests in Germany}}<br />
[[File:Vicent-van-Volkmer-Bienen-Aktivist-Demo-29.08.2020 Berlin Covid-19 Pandemie.jpg|thumb|Protester with a "Free The Bee" placard during the COVID-19 protests in Berlin on 29 August 2020, near the [[Brandenburg Gate]]]]<br />
Since April 2020, in [[Germany]] numerous protests against government policies over the COVID-19 pandemic have been held in several cities.<br />
A protest in [[Berlin]] on 29 August was estimated by authorities to have drawn 38,000 participants.<ref name="rbb">In German: [https://www.rbb24.de/politik/thema/2020/coronavirus/beitraege_neu/2020/08/demonstrationen-samstag-corona-querdenken-gegendemos.html 'Fast 40.000 Menschen bei Corona-Demos – Sperren am Reichstag durchbrochen' (Almost 40,000 people by corona demos – fences at the ''Reichstag'' broken through)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200901090757/https://www.rbb24.de/politik/thema/2020/coronavirus/beitraege_neu/2020/08/demonstrationen-samstag-corona-querdenken-gegendemos.html |date=1 September 2020 }}. rbb24.de, 29 August 2020. Retrieved 19 September 2020.</ref><br />
<br />
Several of the protests in Germany, like the one of 29 August, were organized by the group ''Querdenken 711'', based in [[Stuttgart]]. As per its homepage, it considers its main aims to support the fundamental rights enshrined in the German constitution, in particular the freedoms of opinion, expression, and assembly.<ref name="dw_20201106">{{cite web|url=https://www.dw.com/en/coronavirus-germany-braces-for-anti-lockdown-protests/a-55513848|title=Coronavirus: Germany braces for anti-lockdown protests|first=Ben|last=Knight|website=[[Deutsche Welle]]|agency=[[Deutsche Welle]]|date=6 November 2020|access-date=8 November 2021|archive-date=8 November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211108155543/https://www.dw.com/en/coronavirus-germany-braces-for-anti-lockdown-protests/a-55513848|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
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[[File:AnarchistCovidProtest.jpg|upright|thumb|left|[[Anarchist]] anti-conspiracy theory, anti-gentrification protest]]<br />
At the 29 August demonstration in Berlin, one of the invited orators was [[Robert F. Kennedy Jr.]], lawyer and conspiracy theorist and nephew of the assassinated U.S. President [[John F. Kennedy]]. He warned the crowd that the COVID-19 measures being deployed in many countries might lead to the implementation of a [[Mass surveillance#Surveillance state|surveillance state]]. A few hundred protesters attempted to storm the [[Reichstag building]], the seat of the German parliament;<ref name=rbb/><ref name="BBC30Aug">{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-53959552|title=Germany coronavirus: Hundreds arrested in German 'anti-corona' protests|work=BBC News|agency=[[BBC News]]|date=30 August 2020|access-date=15 September 2020|archive-date=4 September 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200904141636/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-53959552|url-status=live}}</ref> a few of them reached the stairs. A burst of media attention arose due to this incident. Later demonstrations tended to be smaller, and sometimes organized by allies of ''Querdenken''.<ref name="dw_20201106"/><br />
<br />
[[Anarchists]], [[libertarian socialists]] and [[anti-fascists]] in Germany have been counterprotesting "Querdenken 711" and other demonstrations against public health mandates. Focusing on increasing [[gentrification]], [[wealth inequality]], [[evictions]], police measures and favoring of compulsory vaccination. Anarchists have seen increasing evictions of [[anarchist communities]] and squats.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.dw.com/en/berlin-police-clear-anarchist-occupied-house-liebig-34/a-55211590|title=Berlin police clear anarchist-occupied house Liebig 34 &#124; DW &#124; 09.10.2020|website=DW.COM|access-date=30 November 2020|archive-date=2 December 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201202154402/https://www.dw.com/en/berlin-police-clear-anarchist-occupied-house-liebig-34/a-55211590|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://crimethinc.com/2020/03/18/surviving-the-virus-an-anarchist-guide-capitalism-in-crisis-rising-totalitarianism-strategies-of-resistance|title=CrimethInc. : Surviving the Virus: An Anarchist Guide : Capitalism in Crisis—Rising Totalitarianism—Strategies of Resistance|website=CrimethInc.|date=18 March 2020 |access-date=30 November 2020|archive-date=2 December 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201202160836/https://crimethinc.com/2020/03/18/surviving-the-virus-an-anarchist-guide-capitalism-in-crisis-rising-totalitarianism-strategies-of-resistance|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://ent.siteintelgroup.com/Far-Right-/-Far-Left-Threat/german-company-targeted-in-anarchist-arson-attack-for-covid-19-repression.html|title=German Company Targeted in Anarchist Arson Attack for COVID-19 "Repression" &#124; Far-Right / Far-Left Threat &#124; Articles|website=ent.siteintelgroup.com|date=29 June 2020|access-date=30 November 2020|archive-date=29 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201129103231/https://ent.siteintelgroup.com/Far-Right-/-Far-Left-Threat/german-company-targeted-in-anarchist-arson-attack-for-covid-19-repression.html|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
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=== Hungary ===<br />
On 28 February 2021, around 3,000–5,000 protesters gathered in the capital city of [[Budapest]] at [[Hősök tere]] to protest the lockdown regulations, and the Constitution of 2012.{{citation needed|date=August 2021}}<br />
<br />
The far-right [[Our Homeland Movement]] organised protests against lockdown measures on 15 March 2021,<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-04-20|title=Hungarian far-right party protests lockdown|url=https://apnews.com/article/hungary-budapest-coronavirus-pandemic-economy-ecd0b637126258601ca249f35b5b8743|access-date=2022-02-07|website=The Associated Press|language=en}}</ref> and against vaccine mandates (a "Covid Dictatorship") throughout December 2021 in various Hungarian cities.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-12-18|title=A "Covid-diktatúra" ellen tüntetett a Mi Hazánk Mozgalom|url=https://hvg.hu/itthon/20211218_Mi_Hazank_Mozgalom_Toroczkai_Laszlo_oltasellenesseg_tuntetes_kotelezo_oltas_Covid_diktatura|access-date=2022-02-07|website=hvg.hu|language=hu}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-12-06|title=Vidéken folytatja a kötelező oltás elleni tüntetéseket a Mi Hazánk|url=https://mihazank.hu/videken-folytatja-a-kotelezo-oltas-elleni-tunteteseket-a-mi-hazank/|access-date=2022-02-07|website=Mi Hazánk Mozgalom|language=hu}}</ref> On 16 January 2022 they held another anti-vaccine protest in Budapest, attracting thousands of people.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Imre|first=Patthy Loránd|date=2022-01-16|title="Nem tudnak lejönni a szerről az oltottak" – tüntetést tartott a Mi Hazánk Budapesten|url=https://index.hu/belfold/2022/01/16/oltasellenesseg-tuntetes-mi-hazank-novak-elod-pali-jeno-toroczkai-laszlo/|access-date=2022-02-07|website=index.hu|language=hu}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Ireland ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 protests in the Republic of Ireland}}<br />
On 24 July 2021, over ten thousand people attended an anti discrimination march in Dublin, in response to the Irish government's announcement that vaccine passports would be introduced.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/large-crowd-gathers-in-dublin-to-protest-vaccine-cert-system-1.4629890|title=Large crowd gathers in Dublin to protest vaccine cert system|first=Ellen|last=O'Riordan|newspaper=The Irish Times|access-date=12 October 2021|archive-date=28 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210728080317/https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/large-crowd-gathers-in-dublin-to-protest-vaccine-cert-system-1.4629890|url-status=live}}</ref> Said passports were to be used to prevent unvaccinated people availing of indoor dining services.<br />
[[File:PXL 20210724 152855881.LS exported 0.jpg|thumb|alt=Freedom March Dublin|July 24 Anti Discrimination March, Dublin]]<br />
<br />
Hundreds attended an anti-lockdown, [[Mask refusal|anti-face mask]] protest in [[Dublin]] on 22 August 2020. The protest was organised by Health Freedom Ireland with support from Yellow Vest Ireland. Four people were arrested at the protest.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/four-arrested-in-clashes-at-anti-facemask-protest-in-dublin-1.4336794|title=Four arrested in clashes at anti-facemask protest in Dublin|newspaper=[[The Irish Times]]|first1=Conor|last1=Lally|first2=Sarah|last2=Burns|first3=Jennifer|last3=Cosgrove|date=22 August 2020|access-date=22 August 2020|archive-date=22 August 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200822185513/https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/four-arrested-in-clashes-at-anti-facemask-protest-in-dublin-1.4336794|url-status=live}}</ref> Another protest was organised by the same groups on 3 October, with up to a thousand protesters marching through the city centre before staging a sit-down protest in the main shopping area of Grafton Street.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Beresford |first1=Jack |title=Anti-mask demonstrators stage sit-in protest in Dublin |url=https://www.irishpost.com/news/anti-mask-demonstrators-stage-sit-in-protest-in-dublin-194384 |access-date=4 October 2020 |work=The Irish Post |date=3 October 2020 |archive-date=9 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201009000301/https://www.irishpost.com/news/anti-mask-demonstrators-stage-sit-in-protest-in-dublin-194384 |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
On 27 February 2021, violent clashes between protesters and the ''[[Garda Síochána]]'' erupted during an anti-lockdown protest near [[St Stephen's Green]] in Dublin. Three Gardaí were injured and 23 people were arrested in the aftermath of the protest. The Taoiseach [[Micheál Martin]] condemned the demonstration as "an unacceptable risk to both the public and Gardaí".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/three-garda%C3%AD-injured-and-23-arrested-after-clashes-at-dublin-anti-lockdown-protest-1.4497218|title=Three gardaí injured and 23 arrested after clashes at Dublin anti-lockdown protest|newspaper=[[The Irish Times]]|first=Ronan|last=McGreevy|date=27 February 2021|access-date=2 March 2021|url-access=subscription|archive-date=2 March 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210302221822/https://www.irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/three-garda%C3%AD-injured-and-23-arrested-after-clashes-at-dublin-anti-lockdown-protest-1.4497218|url-status=live}}</ref> A non-violent anti-lockdown protest with approximately 450 people in attendance took place on 6 March in [[Cork (city)|Cork]]. The event was organised by The People's Convention.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/munster/arid-40238867.html|title=Cork anti-lockdown protest attracts hundreds into city centre|newspaper=[[Irish Examiner]]|first1=Noel|last1=Baker|first2=Cormac|last2=O'Keeffe|first3=Eoin|last3=English|date=6 March 2021|access-date=9 March 2021|archive-date=8 March 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210308012117/https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/munster/arid-40238867.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Six people were arrested on the day of the protest.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/munster/arid-40239296.html|title=Six arrested on day of Cork anti-lockdown protest|newspaper=[[Irish Examiner]]|first=Steve|last=Neville|date=6 March 2021|access-date=9 March 2021|archive-date=6 March 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210306173608/https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/munster/arid-40239296.html|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Italy ===<br />
{{Main|Protests over COVID-19 policies in Italy}}<br />
Since the month of March 2020, many people [[Protests over COVID-19 policies in Italy|started protesting over COVID-19]] and the rules imposed by the [[Government of Italy|Italian government]].<br />
<br />
=== Netherlands ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 protests in the Netherlands|2021 Dutch curfew riots}}<br />
On 24 January 2021, violent protests erupted as a reaction to the [[Dutch government]] decision to impose a [[curfew]] as a means to curb the spread of the [[COVID-19 pandemic in the Netherlands|COVID-19]].<ref name="FT 210126" /><ref name="Guardian 210126" /> The curfew, imposed between 9 PM to 4:30 AM, was the first of its kind to be enacted in the country since the [[Second World War]].<ref name="FT 210126">{{cite news |last1=Khan |first1=Mehreen |title=Dutch extend Covid curfew despite violent backlash |url=https://www.ft.com/content/351fa962-ee98-49d7-80c8-dfe73a466991 |access-date=27 January 2021 |work=Financial Times |date=26 January 2021 |archive-date=26 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210126225209/https://www.ft.com/content/351fa962-ee98-49d7-80c8-dfe73a466991 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="WaPo 210125">{{cite news |last1=Cunningham |first1=Erin |title=Riots explode across Netherlands over covid restrictions, with Dutch leader calling participants criminals |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/dutch-government-covid-curfew-unrest/2021/01/25/20fa8590-5ef1-11eb-a177-7765f29a9524_story.html |access-date=27 January 2021 |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=25 January 2021 |archive-date=26 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210126200353/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/dutch-government-covid-curfew-unrest/2021/01/25/20fa8590-5ef1-11eb-a177-7765f29a9524_story.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Protests took place in most major cities, including [[Amsterdam]] and [[Eindhoven]]. Police made hundreds of arrests and issued thousands of fines.<ref name="FT 210126" /><ref name="WSJ 210126">{{cite news |last1=Pop |first1=Valentina |title=Dutch Rioters Clash With Police for Third Night Over Covid-19 Curfew |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/dutch-rioters-clash-with-police-for-third-night-over-covid-19-curfew-11611664598?page=1 |access-date=27 January 2021 |work=The Wall Street Journal |date=26 January 2021 |archive-date=22 December 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211222175714/https://www.wsj.com/articles/dutch-rioters-clash-with-police-for-third-night-over-covid-19-curfew-11611664598?page=1 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Guardian 210126">{{cite news |last1=Henley |first1=John |title=Netherlands shaken by third night of riots over Covid curfew |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jan/26/netherlands-third-night-riots-covid-curfew-lockdown-protesters |access-date=27 January 2021 |work=The Guardian |date=26 January 2021 |archive-date=26 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210126225117/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jan/26/netherlands-third-night-riots-covid-curfew-lockdown-protesters |url-status=live }}</ref> The Dutch Police Association described the riots at the worst violence in Netherlands in the last 40 years.<ref name="FT 210126" /> The protests have been described as being composed of mostly young men.<ref name="FT 210126" /><ref name="WSJ 210126" /><br />
<br />
An opinion poll by public broadcaster [[Nederlandse Omroep Stichting|NOS]] indicated that the curfew was supported by seven out of 10 Dutch respondents (although the amounts of respondents is unknown), with just 18% of the population opposing it.<ref name="WSJ 210126" /> An online poll with over 28.000 respondents, done by Radio NPO1, a Dutch state radio station, showed that 89% of Dutch people wanted the curfew to be removed.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://degouda.nl/poll-van-npo1-meerderheid-wil-avondklok-weg-en-wat-vinden-gouwenaars-van-de-avondklok/|title=Poll van NPO1: Meerderheid wil avondklok weg en wat vinden Gouwenaars van de avondklok?|date=18 February 2021|access-date=4 November 2021|archive-date=4 November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211104160506/https://degouda.nl/poll-van-npo1-meerderheid-wil-avondklok-weg-en-wat-vinden-gouwenaars-van-de-avondklok/|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
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After the Netherlands went into a partial lockdown on 12 November 2021 due to a sharp rise in COVID-19 cases, another series of protests and riots occurred over such measures. Rioting was especially concentrated in [[Rotterdam]], where [[National Police Corps (Netherlands)|police]] fired warning shots at rioters, injuring at least two.<ref>{{cite news|title= Rotterdam police clash with rioters as Covid protest turns violent|url= https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-59355950|access-date= 20 November 2021|work= BBC News|date= 20 November 2021|archive-date= 20 November 2021|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20211120001743/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-59355950|url-status= live}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Poland ===<br />
[[File:Protest against anti-pandemic measures in Warsaw (20.03.2021) (17).jpg|thumb|Protest against anti-pandemic measures in Warsaw]]<br />
Hundreds of protesters gathered in the Polish border town of [[Zgorzelec]] to protest the lockdown regulations, the protest was staged specifically on the foot bridge connecting Zgorzelec and the German town of [[Görlitz]] as many lived in Poland but worked in Germany. Many protested the inability to cross the borders of the countries as they lived in a different country from where they worked, and similar protests were seen in border towns along the Polish-German border and the Polish-[[Czech Republic|Czech]] border.<ref>{{cite news|agency=Reuters|date=25 April 2020|title=Hundreds Protest Against Lockdown at Polish-German Border|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2020/04/25/world/europe/25reuters-health-coronavirus-cross-border-workers.html|access-date=1 May 2020|issn=0362-4331|archive-date=26 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200426002608/https://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2020/04/25/world/europe/25reuters-health-coronavirus-cross-border-workers.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Freedom march (Marsz Wolności) happens every month, for example in Wrocław.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://gazetawroclawska.pl/marsz-wolnosci-we-wroclawiu-koronasceptycy-przyszli-tlumnie-interweniowala-policja-zdjecia/ar/c1-15453618|title=Marsz wolności we Wrocławiu. Koronasceptycy przyszli tłumnie, interweniowała policja [ZDJĘCIA]|language=Polish|date=20 February 2020|first=Jerzy|last=Wójcik|publisher=Gazeta Wrocławska|access-date=22 February 2021|archive-date=21 February 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210221083516/https://gazetawroclawska.pl/marsz-wolnosci-we-wroclawiu-koronasceptycy-przyszli-tlumnie-interweniowala-policja-zdjecia/ar/c1-15453618|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
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=== Russia ===<br />
Security forces broke up a crowd of about 2,000 individuals protesting against the lockdown in [[Vladikavkaz]], with some detained and the believed organizer arrested prior to the event.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Russian Police Break-Up Anti-Lockdown Protest|url=https://www.rferl.org/a/russian-police-break-up-anti-lockdown-protest/30568221.html|last=Furlong|first=Ray|date=21 April 2020|website=Radio Free Europe Radio Liberty|access-date=1 May 2020|archive-date=1 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200501054754/https://www.rferl.org/a/russian-police-break-up-anti-lockdown-protest/30568221.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Some protesters at the event used their social media to post videos about their demands against the lockdown, with one stating; "Today, under the pretext of the coronavirus, which doesn't exist, people are driven into slavery, they are trying to establish total control over us all."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-russia-protests-idUSKBN22225B|title=Hundreds protest in southern Russian against coronavirus curbs|date=20 April 2020|first1=Alexander|last1=Marrow|first2=Maria|last2=Tsvetkova|website=Reuters|access-date=30 April 2020|archive-date=29 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200429005016/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-russia-protests-idUSKBN22225B|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
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=== Serbia ===<br />
{{Main|2020–2021 Serbian protests}}<br />
On 7 July 2020, a riot began in [[Belgrade]] after the government's announcement of a [[curfew]] for the weekend. Protests began because of the government's continuous change in handling COVID-19 policy and alleged hiding of the number of COVID-19 cases in the country.{{citation needed|date=August 2021}}<br />
<br />
=== Slovakia ===<br />
In late 2020 and during 2021, several anti-COVID-restriction protests were held also in [[Slovakia]], mainly in the capital, [[Bratislava]] and also [[Košice|Kosice]].<br />
Many people are starting to disobey the rules: they go to bars even though they are not vaccinated, they don't wear FFP2 mask but only textile mask. There were even incidents of people without masks coming to a grocery store. These customers were then beaten by the police as they refused to put on their mask.<br />
<br />
=== Spain ===<br />
[[File:-LaRevoluciónDeLasMascarillas (49937665687).jpg|thumb|Protest in Spain on 26 May 2020]]<br />
Thousands of people, mostly supporters of the right-wing party [[Vox (political party)|Vox]], attended protests in [[Madrid]] and the country's regional capitals over the lockdown and its impact on the [[Economy of Spain|Spanish economy]]. The protesters drove in convoys to adhere to social distancing, with the Madrid protest led by a bus containing Vox leader [[Santiago Abascal]]. Abascal called for [[Sánchez II Government|the national government]] of [[Pedro Sánchez]] to resign over its handling of the virus.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-52783936|title=Coronavirus: Anti-lockdown car protest draws thousands|date=23 May 2020|website=BBC|access-date=23 May 2020|archive-date=23 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200523212612/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-52783936|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-05-12 |title=Vox llama a "recuperar la calle" contra el Gobierno y Abascal anuncia protestas diarias |url=https://www.europapress.es/nacional/noticia-vox-llama-recuperar-calle-contra-gobierno-abascal-anuncia-protestas-diarias-20200512112543.html |access-date=2022-10-31 |publisher=Europa Press}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Ponferrada |first=Diario de León {{!}} Noticias de León, Bierzo y |title=Vox llama a "recuperar la calle" el día 23 y Abascal anuncia caceroladas diarias y protestas constantes |url=https://www.diariodeleon.es/articulo/afondo/vox-llama-recuperar-calle-dia-23-abascal-anuncia-caceroladas-diarias-protestas-constantes/202005122242472011941.html |access-date=2022-10-31 |website=Diario de León {{!}} Noticias de León, Bierzo y Ponferrada |date=12 May 2020 |language=es}}</ref><br />
<br />
On 20 September 2020, thousands of people went out in protest throughout the [[Community of Madrid]] demanding the resignation of the [[Díaz Ayuso government|regional government]] of [[Isabel Díaz Ayuso]], after the latter had announced two days earlier a partial lockdown affecting 850,000 people living in the region's poorest areas which was dubbed as "segregationist" and fostering "stigmatisation, exclusion and territorial discrimination".<ref>{{cite news |date=20 September 2020 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/sep/20/protests-madrid-coronavirus-lockdown-measures-spain |title=Protests in Madrid over coronavirus lockdown measures |newspaper=The Guardian |access-date=20 September 2020 |archive-date=20 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200920182802/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/sep/20/protests-madrid-coronavirus-lockdown-measures-spain |url-status=live }}</ref> The protests came amid growing criticism of Ayuso's handling of the virus as "ineffective" and of her coalition government having "floundered" in its attempt to antagonize with Sánchez's government, as the region became the most heavily hit area in all of Europe in the second wave of the pandemic with many neighborhoods being near or above 1,000 cases per 100,000 people.<ref>{{cite news |date=18 September 2020 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/sep/18/madrid-poor-spanish-capital-covid-19 |title=Lockdown measures and rising anger in Madrid as Covid-19 takes hold again |newspaper=The Guardian |access-date=20 September 2020 |archive-date=20 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200920031444/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/sep/18/madrid-poor-spanish-capital-covid-19 |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
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=== Sweden ===<br />
On 6 March 2021, an estimate of 300-500 people gathered at Medborgarplatsen in Stockholm to protest against COVID-19 measures. The Swedish police dispersed hundreds of protesters and stated that six of their officers had been injured in the process, with one needing to be hospitalized.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.svt.se/nyheter/inrikes/polisen-upploser-demonstration-mot-coronarestriktioner|title=Polisen upplöser demonstration mot coronarestriktioner|newspaper=SVT Nyheter|date=6 March 2021|via=www.svt.se|access-date=9 March 2021|archive-date=10 March 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210310032308/https://www.svt.se/nyheter/inrikes/polisen-upploser-demonstration-mot-coronarestriktioner|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=2021-03-07 |title=Swedish police break up coronavirus demonstration in Stockholm |language=en |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/swedish-police-break-up-coronavirus-demonstration-stockholm-2021-03-06/ |access-date=2023-08-07}}</ref><br />
[[File:Anti-Lock Down Protest London (51137271728).jpg|thumb|Anti-lockdown protest march in London, April 2021]]<br />
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=== Switzerland ===<br />
[[Image:COVID19-20211108-Onex-sticker-opposition.jpg|thumb|Opposition to the Covid certificate in Switzerland, sticker at [[Canton of Geneva|Geneva]].]]<br />
On June 11, 2020, the member of the [[Zurich Cantonal Council]] Urs Hahn was expelled from his party, the Greens, for opposing the thesis of the seriousness of the pandemic.<ref>{{Cite news|language =de|author1=Daniel Fritzsche|author2=Stefan Hotz|url=https://www.nzz.ch/zuerich/urs-hans-gruene-in-zuerich-distanzieren-sich-von-ihrem-kantonsrat-ld.1555960?reduced=true|title="Abenteuerliche Thesen": Die Zürcher Grünen distanzieren sich von ihrem Kantonsrat Urs Hans, weil er Verschwörungstheorien zum Coronavirus verbeitet|periodical=[[Neue Zürcher Zeitung]]|date=2020-05-11}}</ref> On September 12, 2020, a demonstration against masks, containment measures or the supposed lies of the media brings together a thousand people in Geneva at the Place des Nations, in front of the [[United Nations Organization|United Nations]].<ref>{{Cite news|author=[[Swiss Telegraph Agency|ATS]]|url=https://www.letemps.ch/suisse/un-millier-dantimasques-manifestent-geneve|title=A thousand anti-masks demonstrate in Geneva|periodical=[[Le Temps (Swiss daily newspaper)|Le Temps]]|date=2020-09-12}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url= https://www.rts.ch/info/regions/geneve/11598989-un-rassemblement-antimasque-reunit-1000-personnes-a-geneve.html|title=An anti-mask rally brings together 1,000 people in Geneva|website=[[Swiss Radio and Television]]|date=2020-09-12}}</ref> The three major opposition figures [[Disinformation on the Covid-19 pandemic|coronasceptics]] in French-speaking Switzerland are the [[web videographers]] [[Chloé Frammery]], Ema Krusi and Christian Tal Schaller.<ref>{{Cite news|author=Laure Lugon|author2=Sylvia Revello|url=https://www.letemps.ch/suisse/complotistes-senflamment-autour-coronavirus|title=Les complotistes ignite around the coronavirus|periodical =[[Le Temps (Swiss daily newspaper)|Le Temps]]|date=2020-05-11}}</ref> Coronasceptics and opponents of measures to combat the spread of Covid-19 are increasingly occupying the Federal Office of Police (Fedpol). Threats against federal officials are on the rise.<ref>{{Cite web |language=en |title=In Switzerland, "coronasceptics" are increasingly occupying the police |url=https://www.rts.ch/info/suisse/11719150-in-switzerland-coronasceptics-occupy-more-and-more-the-police.html |website=[[Swiss Radio and Television]] |date=2020-11-01 |access-date =2021-03-26}}</ref><br />
<br />
In January 2021, the [[National Council (Switzerland)|national councilor]] [[Democratic Union of the Center|UDC]] [[Yves Nidegger]] opposed the “health dictatorship”.<ref>{{Cite web| author=Elio Sottas|url=https://www.lemanbleu.ch/fr/News/Yves-Nidegger-souhaite-reconstruire-Geneve-en-ruine.html|title=Yves Nidegger wishes to rebuild "Geneva in ruins"|website =[[Léman Bleu]]|date=2021-01-06}}.</ref> In Liestal, 8000 people demonstrate on March 20, 2021, against the anti-Covid measures in force while in Bern the police stop a demonstration for the same causes.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Anti-Covid demonstrations -sanitary measures in Liestal and Bern |url=https://www.swissinfo.ch/fre/manifestations-anti-mesures-sanitaires-%C3%A0-liestal-et-%C3%A0-berne/46465440 |website =[[Swissinfo]] |date=2021-03-20}}</ref> Following these demonstrations, the #NoLiestal movement is rising on digital networks to denounce and counter the agglomeration initiatives of coronasceptics in Switzerland.<ref>{{Cite web |language=fr |title=Forum (video) - The #NoLiestal movement, the counter-offensive against coronasceptics |url=https://www.rts.ch/play/tv/forum-video/video/le-mouvement-noliestal-la-contre-offensive-face-aux-coronasceptiques?urn=urn:rts:video:12075124 |website=[[Swiss Radio and Television]]|date=2021-03-25|access-date=2021-03-26}}.</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.watson.ch/fr/suisse/pand%C3%A9mie/674339869-noliestal-le-hashtag-qui-denonce-les-manifs-anti-restrictions|title=#NoLiestal, the hashtag that denounces anti-restrictions demonstrations|website=[[Watson (newspaper)|Watson]]|date=2021-03-25}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Ukraine ===<br />
On 14–20 February, protests against the placement of evacuated Ukrainian citizens (suspected of having coronavirus disease 2019) from the city of Wuhan (PRC) in Ukraine took place in Novi Sanzhary.<br />
<br />
In the summer and autumn of 2021, actions against obligatory vaccination against COVID-19 and restrictions for unvaccinated persons took place in various cities of Ukraine. In particular, on 27 July the "procession" against vaccination was organized by the [[Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate)|Moscow Patriarchate]]<ref>{{cite news<br />
| date = 27 July 2021<br />
| title = "Наша вакцина - це причастіє": хресна хода УПЦ МП у розпал пандемії. Як це було<br />
| url = https://www.bbc.com/ukrainian/media-57985963<br />
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20211105082542/https://www.bbc.com/ukrainian/media-57985963<br />
| archive-date = 5 November 2021<br />
| access-date = 5 November 2021<br />
}}</ref><br />
and on November 3 the protesters blocked the streets in Kyiv<ref>{{cite news<br />
| date = 5 November 2021<br />
| title = Мітинг антивакцинаторів у Києві: страх втратити роботу або стати роботами<br />
| url = https://p.dw.com/p/42XkY<br />
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20211105082112/https://www.dw.com/uk/mitynh-antyvaktsynatoriv-u-kyievi-strakh-vtratyty-robotu-abo-staty-robotamy/a-59711738<br />
| archive-date = 5 November 2021<br />
| access-date = 5 November 2021<br />
}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== United Kingdom ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 protests in the United Kingdom}}<br />
The first protests against the national mandatory lockdown in the United Kingdom took place in April&nbsp;2020, extending into the following month before abating as lockdown restrictions were slowly eased. As local area lockdown measures were reintroduced towards the end of summer, followed by stricter national lockdown measures, anti-lockdown protests resurged across the country beginning in September&nbsp;2020. More than 55 protesters have been arrested in these events as of October 2020. Some protesters have claimed that COVID-19 is a hoax, and many refused to wear [[Face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic|masks]] or practice [[social distancing]].<ref name="HuffPost Sept 2020">{{cite web | title=Revealed: The So-Called 'Top Class Doctors And Nurses' Backing Anti-Mask Protests | website=HuffPost | url=https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/these-are-the-so-called-top-class-doctors-and-nurses-backing-anti-mask-protests_uk_5f4e4531c5b697186e3b790d | date=5 September 2020 | access-date=15 October 2020 | archive-date=20 September 2020 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200920044007/https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/these-are-the-so-called-top-class-doctors-and-nurses-backing-anti-mask-protests_uk_5f4e4531c5b697186e3b790d | url-status=live }}</ref> Protests have occurred in [[Shrewsbury]],<ref>{{Cite web|last=Leather|first=Harry|title=Two arrested after anti-lockdown protesters in stand-off with police on roof of Shrewsbury College|url=https://www.shropshirestar.com/news/health/coronavirus-covid19/2020/04/20/anti-lockdown-protesters-in-stand-off-with-police-on-roof-of-shrewsbury-college/|access-date=10 July 2020|website=www.shropshirestar.com|date=20 April 2020 |language=en|archive-date=7 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201007010409/https://www.shropshirestar.com/news/health/coronavirus-covid19/2020/04/20/anti-lockdown-protesters-in-stand-off-with-police-on-roof-of-shrewsbury-college/|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Glastonbury]],<ref>{{Cite web|last=Mills|first=Richard|date=1 May 2020|title=Live updates as police attend protest against lockdown in Somerset|url=https://www.somersetlive.co.uk/news/somerset-news/lockdown-protest-glastonbury-corbyn-live-4096098|access-date=10 July 2020|website=somersetlive|language=en|archive-date=4 December 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201204235515/https://www.somersetlive.co.uk/news/somerset-news/lockdown-protest-glastonbury-corbyn-live-4096098|url-status=live}}</ref> [[London]], [[Manchester]], [[Glasgow]], [[Belfast]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://metro.co.uk/2020/05/16/19-arrested-anti-lockdown-protests-take-place-across-country-12715038/|title=19 arrested as anti-lockdown protests take place across country|first=Faye|last=Brown|date=16 May 2020|access-date=24 May 2020|archive-date=23 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200523160939/https://metro.co.uk/2020/05/16/19-arrested-anti-lockdown-protests-take-place-across-country-12715038/|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Hove]],<ref>{{Cite web|date=19 May 2020|title=Coronavirus lockdown prompts Hove seafront protest|url=https://www.brightonandhovenews.org/2020/05/19/coronavirus-lockdown-prompts-hove-seafront-protest/|access-date=10 July 2020|website=Brighton and Hove News|language=en-US|archive-date=15 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201015171929/https://www.brightonandhovenews.org/2020/05/19/coronavirus-lockdown-prompts-hove-seafront-protest/|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Birmingham]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/protests-birmingham-city-centre-over-18924302|title=Protests in Birmingham city centre over lockdown restrictions|first=Stephanie|last=Balloo|date=12 September 2020|website=BirminghamLive|access-date=12 September 2020|archive-date=13 September 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200913011210/https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/protests-birmingham-city-centre-over-18924302|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Liverpool]],<ref>{{cite web|title=Conspiracy theorist Piers Corbyn tells crowd of unmasked protesters 'covid is a hoax'|url=https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/conspiracy-theorist-piers-corbyn-tells-19125232|newspaper=Liverpool Echo|first=Jonathan|last=Humphries|date=18 October 2020|access-date=18 October 2020|archive-date=19 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201019060254/https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/conspiracy-theorist-piers-corbyn-tells-19125232|url-status=live}}</ref> as well as a few other cities.<br />
<br />
Protests over restrictions overlapped with [[anti-vaccine]] protests following the start of the UK's [[COVID-19 vaccination in the United Kingdom|COVID-19 vaccination programme]] in December 2020.<ref>{{cite news|date=2021-07-03|title=The anti-lockdown movement is still going strong|newspaper=The Economist|url=https://www.economist.com/britain/2021/07/03/the-anti-lockdown-movement-is-still-going-strong|access-date=2021-09-12|issn=0013-0613|archive-date=12 September 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210912213950/https://www.economist.com/britain/2021/07/03/the-anti-lockdown-movement-is-still-going-strong|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-07-19|title=Bottles thrown at police in anti-lockdown and anti-vaccination protest|url=https://www.itv.com/news/london/2021-07-19/bottles-thrown-at-police-in-anti-lockdown-and-anti-vaccination-protest|access-date=2021-09-12|website=ITV News|language=en|archive-date=13 September 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210913193143/https://www.itv.com/news/london/2021-07-19/bottles-thrown-at-police-in-anti-lockdown-and-anti-vaccination-protest|url-status=live}}</ref> On the weekend of 24–25 July 2021, protests broke out again in several major cities in the United Kingdom including [[London]],<ref>{{Cite web|title=Thousands protest amid global anger against COVID restrictions|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/7/24/protesters-against-covid-restrictions-clash-with-police-in-paris|access-date=2021-07-25|website=www.aljazeera.com|language=en|archive-date=25 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210725014050/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/7/24/protesters-against-covid-restrictions-clash-with-police-in-paris|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Leeds]],<ref>{{Cite web|last1=Norden|first1=Jasmine|date=2021-07-24|title='Freedom Rally' blocks Leeds roads as protestors accuse government of lies|url=https://www.leeds-live.co.uk/news/leeds-news/freedom-rally-blocks-leeds-roads-21137368|access-date=2021-07-25|website=LeedsLive|language=en|archive-date=25 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210725014059/https://www.leeds-live.co.uk/news/leeds-news/freedom-rally-blocks-leeds-roads-21137368|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Manchester]]<ref>{{Cite web|last1=Abbit|first1=Beth|date=2021-07-24|title=Protesters chant 'shame on you' at police during march through Manchester|url=https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/protesters-chant-shame-you-police-21137043|access-date=2021-07-25|website=Manchester Evening News|language=en|archive-date=25 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210725014059/https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/protesters-chant-shame-you-police-21137043|url-status=live}}</ref> and [[Birmingham]] due to people [[Vaccine hesitancy|opposing vaccines]] and [[COVID passports in the United Kingdom|proposed COVID passports]].<ref>{{Cite web|first=Nick|last=Horner|date=2021-07-24|title=Lockdown protests causing city centre road chaos|url=https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/live-anti-lockdown-protests-causing-21136037|access-date=2021-07-25|website=BirminghamLive|language=en|archive-date=25 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210725014049/https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/live-anti-lockdown-protests-causing-21136037|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
== North America ==<br />
<br />
=== Canada ===<br />
[[File:COVID-19 Vancouver's largest protest, April 26th 2020 (49823981297).jpg|thumb|Anti-lockdown protest in [[Vancouver]], British Columbia, on 26 April 2020]]<br />
{{main|COVID-19 protests in Canada}}<br />
In Canada, protests began on 19 April 2020 in [[Vancouver]].<ref name="Vancouver COVID-19 protests">{{cite news |last1=Carrigg |first1=David |title=COVID-19: Small group protests coronavirus restrictions in Vancouver |url=https://vancouversun.com/news/local-news/covid-19-vancouver-police-escort-small-group-protesting-government-restrictions/ |access-date=6 May 2020 |agency=Postmedia Network |publisher=Vancouver Sun |date=19 April 2020 |archive-date=12 May 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200512150249/https://vancouversun.com/news/local-news/covid-19-vancouver-police-escort-small-group-protesting-government-restrictions/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|date=26 April 2020|title=Protesters march against COVID-19 prevention measures in Vancouver &#124; CTV News|publisher=Bc.ctvnews.ca|url=https://bc.ctvnews.ca/protesters-march-against-covid-19-prevention-measures-in-vancouver-1.4912767|access-date=30 April 2020|archive-date=2 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200502004835/https://bc.ctvnews.ca/protesters-march-against-covid-19-prevention-measures-in-vancouver-1.4912767|url-status=live}}</ref> Protests also occurred in [[Toronto]], [[Edmonton]] and [[Ottawa]].<ref>{{cite news|title='A bunch of yahoos,' Ont. premier says of people protesting COVID-19 emergency measures &#124; CTV News|publisher=Toronto.ctvnews.ca|url=https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/a-bunch-of-yahoos-ont-premier-says-of-people-protesting-covid-19-emergency-measures-1.4911861|access-date=30 April 2020|archive-date=1 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200501172956/https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/a-bunch-of-yahoos-ont-premier-says-of-people-protesting-covid-19-emergency-measures-1.4911861|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Lauren |first1=Boothby |title=Hundreds flock to Alberta legislature to protest COVID-19 restrictions |url=https://edmontonjournal.com/news/local-news/hundreds-flock-to-alberta-legislature-to-protest-covid-19-restrictions/wcm/e93da949-89f6-4b77-8376-9a8ffbf5e340/ |access-date=5 May 2020 |work=Edmonton Journal |date=1 May 2020 |archive-date=6 May 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200506060124/https://edmontonjournal.com/news/local-news/hundreds-flock-to-alberta-legislature-to-protest-covid-19-restrictions/wcm/e93da949-89f6-4b77-8376-9a8ffbf5e340/ |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
On 21 April 2020 it was reported that prisoners at the [[Saskatchewan Penitentiary]] had been protesting against restrictions placed upon them in response to COVID-19, like being kept in their cells for 20 hours a day.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Bridges |first1=Alicia |title=Sask. Penitentiary inmates protest COVID-19 restrictions they say put them in cells 20 hours per day |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatoon/protests-covid-19-saskatchewan-penitentiary-1.5538728 |access-date=5 May 2020 |work=CBC News |date=21 April 2020 |archive-date=24 April 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200424090731/https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatoon/protests-covid-19-saskatchewan-penitentiary-1.5538728 |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
On 15 January 2021, [[Roman Baber]], [[Member of Provincial Parliament&nbsp;(Canada)|Member of Provincial Parliament]] for the [[Toronto]] riding of [[York Centre (provincial electoral district)|York Centre]], was removed from the caucus of the governing [[Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario]] after publishing an open letter to [[Premier of Ontario|Premier]] [[Doug Ford]] criticizing [[COVID-19 pandemic in Ontario|Ontario's lockdown restrictions]]. Baber continued his anti-lockdown advocacy as an [[independent politician|independent]] member of the legislative [[opposition (politics)|opposition]].<ref name="ts011521">{{cite news |last1=Benzie |first1=Robert |title=Premier Doug Ford turfs MPP Roman Baber from Tory caucus for opposing COVID-19 lockdown |url=https://www.thestar.com/politics/provincial/2021/01/15/tory-mpp-roman-baber-breaks-ranks-with-premier-doug-ford-urges-end-to-covid-19-lockdown.html |access-date=15 January 2021 |work=Toronto Star |publisher=Torstar |date=15 January 2021 |archive-date=15 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210115132729/https://www.thestar.com/politics/provincial/2021/01/15/tory-mpp-roman-baber-breaks-ranks-with-premier-doug-ford-urges-end-to-covid-19-lockdown.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/ontario-covid-19-january-15-2021-1.5874606| title=Ford ousts MPP from caucus over open letter pushing for end to COVID-19 lockdown| date=15 January 2021| website=cbc.ca| access-date=19 January 2021| archive-date=19 January 2021| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210119092609/https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/ontario-covid-19-january-15-2021-1.5874606| url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite tweet| user=Roman_Baber| number=1350089062800105473| title=I was removed from the @OntarioPCParty caucus. It's a regretful decision since many colleagues agree with me, incl @fordnation in large part. I don't regret speaking out for millions of lives & livelihoods decimated by Public Health, I serve the public. The Lockdown is grounded in false public health narrative, poor planning & bad data. While Doug only cares about re-election, Lockdowns are killing more than saving. I couldn't watch the suffering anymore. I hope I encouraged other professionals to speak out.| date=15 January 2021| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210115162937/https://twitter.com/Roman_Baber/status/1350089062800105473| archive-date= 15 January 2021| url-status =live}}</ref><br />
<br />
On 1 September 2021, thousands of people protested COVID-19 vaccine policies and mask mandates outside of [[Vancouver City Hall]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Protesters target B.C. hospitals disrupting patients, staff - NEWS 1130|url=https://www.citynews1130.com/2021/09/01/covid-protesters-bc-hospitals/|access-date=2021-09-03|website=www.citynews1130.com|archive-date=3 September 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210903030258/https://www.citynews1130.com/2021/09/01/covid-protesters-bc-hospitals/|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
[[File:Convoi de la liberté à Ottawa 01.jpg|thumb|Anti-mandate protest in [[Ottawa]], Canada's capital city, on 1 February 2022]]<br />
In January 2022, [[Freedom Convoy 2022]] began. Prime Minister [[Justin Trudeau]] invoked the [[Emergencies Act]] for the first time to quell the unrest from the occupation and harassment of Ottawa and its citizens by hundreds of trucks, their drivers and thousands of unruly protesters.<br />
<br />
====Alberta====<br />
A far-right group calling itself "Walk for Freedom" has been organizing anti-mask protests since at least April 2020.<ref name="CTV_20200429">{{cite news| title = Protest to 'End the Lockdown' attracts more than 100 people to Alberta legislature| work = CTV News Edmonton| access-date = 21 February 2021| date = 29 April 2020| url = https://edmonton.ctvnews.ca/protest-to-end-the-lockdown-attracts-more-than-100-people-to-alberta-legislature-1.4917828| archive-date = 9 March 2021| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210309035715/https://edmonton.ctvnews.ca/protest-to-end-the-lockdown-attracts-more-than-100-people-to-alberta-legislature-1.4917828| url-status = live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Anti-mask protesters take to the streets in Calgary to fight COVID-19 restrictions |url=https://calgary.ctvnews.ca/anti-mask-protesters-take-to-the-streets-in-calgary-to-fight-covid-19-restrictions-1.5228760 |first=Timm |last=Bruch |work=CTV News |date=12 December 2020 |access-date=21 February 2021 |archive-date=10 February 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210210223346/https://calgary.ctvnews.ca/anti-mask-protesters-take-to-the-streets-in-calgary-to-fight-covid-19-restrictions-1.5228760 |url-status=live }}</ref> Concerns were raised when several hundred protestors took part in a 20 February 2021 freedom convoy and Jericho Torch March at the Legislature organized by the "Walk for Freedom Alberta" and the "Freedom Unity Alliance".<ref name="global_Bench_20210221">{{cite news| last = Bench| first = Allison| title = Protesters gather from across the province at Alberta legislature to fight COVID-19 health measures| work = Global News| location = Edmonton, Alberta| access-date = 21 February 2021| date = 21 February 2021| url = https://globalnews.ca/news/7652604/feb-20-walk-for-freedom-covid-19/| archive-date = 22 February 2021| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210222015650/http://globalnews.ca/news/7652604/feb-20-walk-for-freedom-covid-19/| url-status = live}}</ref> Posters advertising the rally included an image of white nationalists marching through [[Charlottesville, Virginia|Charlottesville]] with [[Tiki torch]]es in the 2017 US [[Unite the Right rally]].<ref name="global_Bench_20210221"/><ref>{{Cite web| title = COVID Conspiracy Groups Are Using A Picture From Charlottesville Neo-Nazi Rally To Promote Their Upcoming 'Torch March'| work = Canadian Anti-Hate Network| access-date = February 22, 2021| date = February 16, 2021| url = https://www.antihate.ca/covid_conspiracy_groups_picture_charlottesville_neo_nazi_rally_promote_their_upcoming_torch_march |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210216201222/https://www.antihate.ca/covid_conspiracy_groups_picture_charlottesville_neo_nazi_rally_promote_their_upcoming_torch_march |archive-date=16 February 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web| work = Facebook| access-date = February 22, 2021| date = February 16, 2021| url = https://www.facebook.com/WALK108/photos/pcb.147482763873027/147482720539698/| author = WALK108| title = Poster for Walk for Freedom rallies| archive-date = 22 February 2021| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210222204047/https://www.facebook.com/WALK108/photos/pcb.147482763873027/147482720539698/| url-status = live}}</ref><ref name="660News_20210124">{{Cite web| title = Experts confused, concerned with anti-lockdown rally imagery| work = 660 NEWS| access-date = February 22, 2021| date = January 24, 2021| url = https://www.660citynews.com/2021/01/23/experts-confused-concerned-with-anti-lockdown-rally-imagery/| archive-date = 26 February 2021| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210226213959/https://www.660citynews.com/2021/01/23/experts-confused-concerned-with-anti-lockdown-rally-imagery/| url-status = live}}</ref> The group of hundreds of unmasked anti-lockdown protestors, carrying a Walk for Freedom banner included [[COVID-19 misinformation|COVID-19 deniers]].<ref name="CTV_20210221">{{cite news| title = Hatred, COVID-19 skepticism denounced after anti-lockdown rally at Alberta legislature| work = CTV Edmonton| access-date = February 21, 2021| date = February 21, 2021| url = https://edmonton.ctvnews.ca/hatred-covid-19-skepticism-denounced-after-anti-lockdown-rally-at-alta-legislature-1.5317502| archive-date = 22 February 2021| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210222045333/https://edmonton.ctvnews.ca/hatred-covid-19-skepticism-denounced-after-anti-lockdown-rally-at-alta-legislature-1.5317502| url-status = live}}</ref> Others were supporters of a pastor who was arrested for repeatedly refusing to comply to public health regulations, such as capping attendance, physical distancing and mask-wearing.<ref name="CBC_20210217">{{cite news| title = GraceLife pastor held in custody for refusing to comply with bail conditions| location = Edmonton, Alberta| access-date = February 21, 2021| date = February 17, 2021| url = https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/alberta-covid-coronavirus-grace-life-church-pastor-1.5917526| archive-date = 22 February 2021| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210222134044/https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/alberta-covid-coronavirus-grace-life-church-pastor-1.5917526| url-status = live}}</ref><ref name="thestar_20210221">{{cite news| title = Anti-lockdown rally at Alberta legislature voices support for jailed pastor| work = The Star| location = Edmonton, Alberta| access-date = February 21, 2021| date = February 21, 2021| url = https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2021/02/20/anti-lockdown-rally-at-alberta-legislature-voices-support-for-jailed-pastor.html| archive-date = 21 February 2021| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210221082455/https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2021/02/20/anti-lockdown-rally-at-alberta-legislature-voices-support-for-jailed-pastor.html| url-status = live}}</ref> The [[Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms]] (JCCF), representing the pastor, had launched a legal charter challenge against the Alberta government.<ref name="Griwkowsky_20201207">{{cite news| title = Justice centre launches legal challenge against Covid restrictions| work = Politics Today| url = https://www.politicstoday.news/alberta-today/justice-centre-launches-legal-challenge-against-covid-restrictions| first = Catherine| last = Griwkowsky| date = December 7, 2020| access-date = February 21, 2021| archive-date = 1 February 2021| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210201215035/https://www.politicstoday.news/alberta-today/justice-centre-launches-legal-challenge-against-covid-restrictions| url-status = live}}</ref> The Mayor of Edmonton said that the rally organizers were from outside Edmonton and that they "may be associated with known hate groups. Edmonton unequivocally condemns racism, misogyny and other forms of hate—such speech is not welcome in our community."<ref>{{cite news| title = Anti-restriction protesters gather at legislature, march in streets with tiki torches| work = 660 News| location = Edmonton, Alberta| access-date = February 21, 2021| date = February 20, 2021| url = https://www.660citynews.com/2021/02/20/large-anti-mask-and-anti-restriction-protest-underway-soon-in-edmonton/| archive-date = 21 February 2021| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210221182147/https://www.660citynews.com/2021/02/20/large-anti-mask-and-anti-restriction-protest-underway-soon-in-edmonton/| url-status = live}}</ref><ref name="CTV_20210221"/><ref>{{Cite AV media| title = Anti-lockdown protesters clash with media at "Walk for Freedom" rally |series=CTV News| access-date = February 21, 2021| date =February 21, 2021| url = https://edmonton.citynews.ca/video/2021/02/21/anti-lockdown-protesters-clash-with-media-at-walk-for-freedom-rally/}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Cuba ===<br />
{{Main|2021 Cuban protests}}<br />
A series of protests began on 11 July 2021, triggered by the shortage of food and medicine and the government's response to the resurgent [[COVID-19 pandemic in Cuba]].<ref>{{cite news|last=Robles|first=Frances|date=11 July 2021|title=Cubans Denounce 'Misery' in Biggest Protests in Decades|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/11/world/americas/cuba-crisis-protests.html|issn=0362-4331|archive-date=11 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210711212619/https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/11/world/americas/cuba-crisis-protests.html|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Mexico ===<br />
On 29 April, police in [[Yajalón]], [[Municipalities of Chiapas|Chiapas]], southern Mexico, opened fire on people who were protesting against a checkpoint that left their community isolated. Residents of neighbouring [[Tumbalá]] complained that the checkpoint made it impossible for them to access governmental and banking services and that it seemed to be related to a belief that Tumbalá had a high rate of coronavirus infection. Checkpoints have been installed in about 20% of Mexico's municipalities, which the federal government has declared illegal.<ref>{{cite news |title=México: Protesta contra retén por COVID termina en tiroteo |url=https://apnews.com/cfcb0c1a9718e9f62b05c1a67399398b |website=AP NEWS |access-date=5 June 2020 |date=30 April 2020 |archive-date=5 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200605181818/https://apnews.com/cfcb0c1a9718e9f62b05c1a67399398b |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
Hundreds of Mexicans participated in caravans on 30 May demanding the resignation of President [[Andrés Manuel López Obrador]] because of his handling of the [[COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico]] and the economy. The caravans, which took place in about a dozen cities across the country, consisted largely of luxury cars.<ref>{{cite web |title=Manifestaciones anti AMLO en varios estados - Estados - La Jornada |url=https://www.jornada.com.mx/ultimas/estados/2020/05/30/manifestaciones-anti-amlo-en-los-estados-6108.html |website=www.jornada.com.mx |access-date=5 June 2020 |language=es |date=30 May 2020 |archive-date=5 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200605182825/https://www.jornada.com.mx/ultimas/estados/2020/05/30/manifestaciones-anti-amlo-en-los-estados-6108.html |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
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Violence broke out on 4 June during [[George Floyd protests|demonstrations]] in [[Guadalajara]], [[Jalisco]] to demand justice after the [[death of Giovanni López]] in the town of [[Ixtlahuacán de los Membrillos]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Justicia para Giovanni: Protestan por el asesinato en Jalisco |url=https://www.milenio.com/estados/giovanni-lopez-protestas-asesinato-joven-jalisco |website=www.milenio.com |date=6 April 2020 |access-date=4 June 2020 |archive-date=5 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200605022951/https://www.milenio.com/estados/giovanni-lopez-protestas-asesinato-joven-jalisco |url-status=live }}</ref> López, a 30-year-old mason, had been arrested on 4 May for not wearing a [[COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico|facemask]] during a [[Stay-at-home order|lockdown]] and died the next day while in police custody.<ref>{{cite web |title=Así fue la detención de Giovanni López justo antes de su muerte |url=https://www.lavanguardia.com/internacional/20200605/481603972248/giovanni-lopez-muerte-policia-detencion-video-seo-ext.html |website=La Vanguardia |access-date=5 June 2020 |language=es |date=5 June 2020 |archive-date=5 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200605093708/https://www.lavanguardia.com/internacional/20200605/481603972248/giovanni-lopez-muerte-policia-detencion-video-seo-ext.html |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
=== United States ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 protests in the United States}}<br />
<br />
The United States' national response began in early January, originating with actions by the [[Centers for Disease Control and Prevention|Centers for Disease Control]] (CDC) and the [[White House]]. The [[COVID-19 pandemic in the United States|first U.S. case of COVID-19]] was recorded on 19 January 2020. In the United States, the [[U.S. state and local government responses to the COVID-19 pandemic|response was determined by state and local officials in coordination with the CDC and federal officials]]. On 9 February, governors were briefed by the [[White House Coronavirus Task Force]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=TIMELINE: The Trump Administration's Decisive Actions To Combat the Coronavirus|url=https://www.donaldjtrump.com/media/timeline-the-trump-administrations-decisive-actions-to-combat-the-coronavirus|access-date=10 July 2020|website=www.donaldjtrump.com|language=en|archive-date=11 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200711100629/https://www.donaldjtrump.com/media/timeline-the-trump-administrations-decisive-actions-to-combat-the-coronavirus|url-status=dead}}</ref> Beginning in mid-March, various [[Social distancing measures related to the COVID-19 pandemic|social distancing measures]] to limit spread of the virus were undertaken by state governors and in some cases counties or cities.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://abcnews.go.com/Health/wireStory/bay-area-counties-california-order-shelter-place-69627648|title=San Francisco Bay Area counties issue shelter-in-place order|last1=Rodriguez|first1=Olga R.|last2=Har|first2=Janie|date=16 March 2020|work=ABC News|access-date=9 May 2020|archive-date=25 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200525143041/https://abcnews.go.com/Health/wireStory/bay-area-counties-california-order-shelter-place-69627648|url-status=live}}</ref> Actions taken included [[stay-at-home order]]s ("quarantine"), school and business closures, and limitation on the size of gatherings. On 19 March 2020, [[Donald Trump|President Donald Trump]], and [[Mike Pence|Vice President Mike Pence]] met (via teleconference) with governors of most states to continue coordination and to assist states with their responses. [[Federal Emergency Management Agency|FEMA]] was brought into the effort around this time.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Remarks by President Trump and Vice President Pence in a Video Teleconference with Governors on COVID-19|url=https://trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov/briefings-statements/remarks-president-trump-vice-president-pence-video-teleconference-governors-covid-19/|access-date=10 July 2020|via=[[NARA|National Archives]]|work=[[whitehouse.gov]]|language=en-US|archive-date=20 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210120200339/https://trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov/briefings-statements/remarks-president-trump-vice-president-pence-video-teleconference-governors-covid-19/|url-status=live}}</ref> By 7 April 42 states had [[Lockdown#In epidemics and pandemics|lockdown orders]] in place.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://nationalpost.com/news/covid-19-people-have-to-be-responsible-for-themselves-eight-states-still-not-locked-down|title=COVID-19: 'People have to be responsible for themselves': Eight U.S. states still not locked down|last=Dittrich|first=Valerie|date=7 April 2020|work=National Post|access-date=9 May 2020}}</ref> The shutdowns had serious economic effects, including a steep rise in unemployment due to the shutdown of stores and workplaces.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2020/04/24/coronavirus-pandemics-impact-on-the-global-economy-in-7-charts.html|title=7 charts show how the coronavirus pandemic has hit the global economy|last=Lee|first=Yen Nee|date=24 April 2020|work=CNBC|access-date=9 May 2020|archive-date=4 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200504231204/https://www.cnbc.com/2020/04/24/coronavirus-pandemics-impact-on-the-global-economy-in-7-charts.html|url-status=live}}</ref> By 15 April protests and demonstrations had broken out in some states, demanding that the area be "re-opened" for normal business and personal activity. By 1 May there had been demonstrations in more than half of the states, and many governors began to take steps to lift the restrictions.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://thehill.com/homenews/sunday-talk-shows/495877-governors-experts-await-results-of-reopening-states-as-protests|title=Governors, experts await results of reopening states as protests continue|last=Budryk|first=Zack|date=3 May 2020|work=The Hill|access-date=9 May 2020|archive-date=10 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200510022802/https://thehill.com/homenews/sunday-talk-shows/495877-governors-experts-await-results-of-reopening-states-as-protests|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
{{multiple image<br />
| footer = Several hundred anti-lockdown protesters rallied at the [[Ohio Statehouse]] on 20 April.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Rouan |first1=Rick |title=Protesters at Statehouse demand state reopen as DeWine announces schools to remain closed |url=https://www.dispatch.com/news/20200420/protesters-at-statehouse-demand-state-reopen-as-dewine-announces-schools-to-remain-closed |access-date=3 May 2020 |work=[[The Columbus Dispatch]] |date=20 April 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200425004821/https://www.dispatch.com/news/20200420/protesters-at-statehouse-demand-state-reopen-as-dewine-announces-schools-to-remain-closed |archive-date=25 April 2020 |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
| image1 = Open Ohio Rally IMG 0910 (49799974031).jpg<br />
| alt1 = Ohio protesters, 18 April<br />
| image2 = CIMG 0355 (49799414598).jpg<br />
| alt2 = Ohio protesters, 20 April 20<br />
}}<br />
One of the first protests was in [[Michigan]] on 15 April 2020, organized by conservative groups which also encouraged groups in other states to copy their wording and templates.{{Citation needed|date=September 2021}} Protesters in numerous other states said they were inspired by Michigan, and they used Michigan's material on their own websites, Facebook groups, and [[Reddit]] pages to promote their protests.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/salvadorhernandez/coronavirus-quarantine-protests-facebook-groups|title=This Is How A Group Linked To Betsy DeVos Is Organizing Protests To End Social Distancing, Now With Trump's Support|website=BuzzFeed News|language=en|access-date=20 April 2020|archive-date=19 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200419180823/https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/salvadorhernandez/coronavirus-quarantine-protests-facebook-groups|url-status=live}}</ref> Subsequent protests were organized by [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] activists or party organizations,<ref name="reuters1">{{cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-trump-protests-idUSKCN2233ES|title=How Trump allies have organized and promoted anti-lockdown protests|date=22 April 2020|work=Reuters|access-date=23 April 2020|language=en|archive-date=23 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200423112936/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-trump-protests-idUSKCN2233ES|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bridgemi.com/michigan-government/meet-trump-loving-group-behind-protest-gov-whitmers-stay-home-order|title=Meet the Trump-loving group behind protest of Gov. Whitmer's stay-home order|date=22 April 2020|website=bridgemi.com|language=en|access-date=23 April 2020|archive-date=26 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200426174050/https://www.bridgemi.com/michigan-government/meet-trump-loving-group-behind-protest-gov-whitmers-stay-home-order|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="komonews">{{cite news|url=https://komonews.com/news/coronavirus/protest-against-state-closure-planned-for-tomorrow-in-olympia|title=Protest against state closure planned for tomorrow in Olympia|first=Cole |last=Miller|date=18 April 2020|website=KOMO|access-date=19 April 2020|archive-date=20 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200420003642/https://komonews.com/news/coronavirus/protest-against-state-closure-planned-for-tomorrow-in-olympia|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Tea Party movement|Tea Party activists]],<ref name=":8">{{cite news|url=https://www.politico.com/news/2020/04/21/trump-allies-help-organize-lockdown-protests-198426|title=Trump allies have their fingerprints on lockdown protests|website=POLITICO|language=en|access-date=23 April 2020|archive-date=22 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200422183744/https://www.politico.com/news/2020/04/21/trump-allies-help-organize-lockdown-protests-198426|url-status=live}}</ref> armed [[Patriot movement|militia movement]] supporters,<ref name="Grauniad-Right">{{cite news|last=Wilson|first=Jason|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/17/far-right-coronavirus-protests-restrictions|title=The rightwing groups behind wave of protests against Covid-19 restrictions|date=17 April 2020|work=The Guardian|access-date=18 April 2020|language=en-GB|issn=0261-3077|quote=...{{nbsp}}{{nbsp}}...|archive-date=18 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200418010447/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/17/far-right-coronavirus-protests-restrictions|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Gun laws in the United States by state|guns-rights]] activists,<ref>{{cite news|url=https://bringmethenews.com/minnesota-news/washington-post-links-minnesota-gun-group-to-anti-quarantine-protests|title=WaPo reveals Minnesota gun group link to anti-quarantine protests|last=Uren|first=Adam|website=Bring Me The News|language=en|access-date=20 April 2020|archive-date=24 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200424164209/https://bringmethenews.com/minnesota-news/washington-post-links-minnesota-gun-group-to-anti-quarantine-protests|url-status=live}}</ref> and "[[Anti-vaccine activism|anti-vaccination]]" advocates.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/02/us/anti-vaxxers-coronavirus-protests.html|title=Antivaccination Activists Are Growing Force at Virus Protests|last=Bogel-Burroughs|first=Nicholas|date=4 May 2020|work=The New York Times|access-date=4 May 2020|archive-date=3 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200503234419/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/02/us/anti-vaxxers-coronavirus-protests.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/anti-vaxxers-are-forming-an-unholy-alliance-with-shelter-in-place-protesters?source=articles&via=rss|title=Anti-Vaxxers and Lockdown Protesters Form an Unholy Alliance|last1=Sommer|first1=Will|last2=Kucinich|first2=Jackie|date=22 April 2020|work=Daily Beast|access-date=23 April 2020|archive-date=11 March 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210311021959/https://www.thedailybeast.com/anti-vaxxers-are-forming-an-unholy-alliance-with-shelter-in-place-protesters?source=articles&via=rss|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
Protesters, many without [[Face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States|face masks]], opposed the shelter-in-place orders in their states for various reasons. Many said they wanted businesses reopened so they could go back to work. Many others displayed pro-[[Donald Trump|Trump]] banners, signs, and [[Make America Great Again|MAGA]] hats.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2020/04/16/michigan-whitmer-conservatives-protest/|title=Chanting 'lock her up,' Michigan protesters waving Trump flags mass against Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's coronavirus restrictions|last=Flynn|first=Meagan|date=16 April 2020|newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=22 April 2020|archive-date=22 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200422002103/https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2020/04/16/michigan-whitmer-conservatives-protest/|url-status=live}}</ref> Still others insisted the lockdowns were a violation of their constitutional rights. One militia leader told a reporter, "Re-open my state or we will re-open it ourselves."<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-52359100|title=Coronavirus lockdown protest: What's behind the US demonstrations?|date=21 April 2020|work=BBC News|access-date=22 April 2020|archive-date=21 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200421200027/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-52359100|url-status=live}}</ref> An opinion article in ''The New York Times'', and an article in ''The Washington Post'' claimed that the anger driving the protests was "both real and manufactured", blaming conservative groups for engaging in [[astroturfing]] via centralized organization backed by anonymous donors.<ref>{{cite news|last=Graves|first=Lisa|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/22/opinion/coronavirus-protests-astroturf.html|title=Opinion {{!}} Who's Behind the 'Reopen' Protests?|date=22 April 2020|work=The New York Times|access-date=24 April 2020|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331|archive-date=24 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200424001641/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/22/opinion/coronavirus-protests-astroturf.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/inside-the-conservative-networks-backing-anti-quarantine-protests/2020/04/22/da75c81e-83fe-11ea-a3eb-e9fc93160703_story.html|title=The anti-quarantine protests seem spontaneous. But behind the scenes, a powerful network is helping.|last1=Stanley-Becker|first1=Isaac|last2=Romm|first2=Tony|date=22 April 2020|newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=24 April 2020|archive-date=29 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200429032531/https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/inside-the-conservative-networks-backing-anti-quarantine-protests/2020/04/22/da75c81e-83fe-11ea-a3eb-e9fc93160703_story.html|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
President Trump originally issued guidelines for how to phase out restrictions, saying that governors would decide how to reopen their own states and suggesting a cautious three-phase approach.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/16/politics/donald-trump-reopening-guidelines-coronavirus/index.html|title=Trump completes reversal, telling govs 'you are going to call your own shots' and distributes new guidelines|date=16 April 2020|work=CNN|access-date=23 April 2020|archive-date=22 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200422213330/https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/16/politics/donald-trump-reopening-guidelines-coronavirus/index.html|url-status=live}}</ref> However, the next day he reacted to the protests against social restrictions by encouraging the protests.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/17/us/politics/trump-coronavirus-governors.html|title=Trump Encourages Protest Against Governors Who Have Imposed Virus Restrictions|last1=Shear|first1=Michael D.|last2=Mervosh|first2=Sarah|date=17 April 2020|work=The New York Times|access-date=23 April 2020|archive-date=23 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200423000143/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/17/us/politics/trump-coronavirus-governors.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Itkowitz|first=Colby|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/04/17/liberate-trump-tweets-support-protesting-against-stay-at-home-orders/|title='Liberate': Trump Tweets Support of Protests Against Stay-at-Home Orders|date=17 April 2020|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|access-date=17 April 2020|archive-date=17 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200417233521/https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/04/17/liberate-trump-tweets-support-protesting-against-stay-at-home-orders/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/17/us/coronavirus-cases-news-update.html|title=Trump Foments Protests Against Governors; Experts Warn of Testing Shortages|date=17 April 2020|work=The New York Times|access-date=18 April 2020|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331|archive-date=18 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200418004100/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/17/us/coronavirus-cases-news-update.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|agency=Reuters/AP|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/video/2020/apr/18/they-seem-very-responsible-to-me-trump-defends-anti-lockdown-protesters-video|title='They seem very responsible to me': Trump defends anti-lockdown protesters - video|date=18 April 2020|work=The Guardian|access-date=19 April 2020|language=en-GB|issn=0261-3077|archive-date=19 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200419003522/https://www.theguardian.com/world/video/2020/apr/18/they-seem-very-responsible-to-me-trump-defends-anti-lockdown-protesters-video|url-status=live}}</ref> Governor [[Jay Inslee]] (D-WA) accused the president of "fomenting domestic rebellion" and said the president's call to ignore his own team's guidelines was "schizophrenic".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/04/trump-accused-fomenting-rebellion-liberate-tweets-200417223606672.html|title=Trump accused of 'fomenting rebellion' after 'LIBERATE' tweets|website=aljazeera.com|access-date=19 April 2020|archive-date=18 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200418213043/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/04/trump-accused-fomenting-rebellion-liberate-tweets-200417223606672.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2020/04/19/governors-decry-trump-call-liberate-states-coronavirus-restrictions/5162196002/|title=Governors slam Trump's call to 'liberate' states where protesters object to coronavirus restrictions|last=Cummings|first=William|website=USA TODAY|language=en-US|access-date=20 April 2020|archive-date=19 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200419233030/https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2020/04/19/governors-decry-trump-call-liberate-states-coronavirus-restrictions/5162196002/|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
[[File:OPEN our OHIO IMG 0144 (49790376873).jpg|thumb|An anti-lockdown protester in April 2020]]<br />
[[Facebook]] announced that it would block events and messages from anti-quarantine protest groups "when gatherings do not follow the health parameters established by the government and are therefore unlawful".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.politico.com/news/2020/04/20/facebook-shuts-down-anti-quarantine-protests-at-states-request-196143|title=Republicans attack Facebook as network shuts down anti-lockdown protests|last=Overly|first=Steven|website=POLITICO|language=en|access-date=21 April 2020|archive-date=21 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200421021301/https://www.politico.com/news/2020/04/20/facebook-shuts-down-anti-quarantine-protests-at-states-request-196143|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
In California, [[Libertarian Party (United States)|Libertarian Party]] chapters in [[Santa Clara, California|Santa Clara]] and [[San Francisco]] counties condemned lockdown measures in the state with a resolution stating in part that, "these government impositions have already lasted for longer than could be justified by the purpose for which they were allegedly necessary, constituting a sort of "mission creep" that could potentially keep them in place with no definite end, and with economic and social damage continuing to accumulate and becoming more severe."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.scclp.org/resolution_regarding_government_pandemic_response|title=Resolution Regarding Government Pandemic Response|access-date=11 May 2020|archive-date=26 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200526033448/https://www.scclp.org/resolution_regarding_government_pandemic_response|url-status=live}}</ref> Such responses were compared to the [[Anti-Mask League of San Francisco]] movement that was seen during the [[Spanish flu|1918 Spanish flu pandemic]], where the efficacy of masks was debated during the second wave of flu in the city.<ref name="amlsf">{{cite news|last=Kane|first=Peter Lawrence|date=29 April 2020|title=The Anti-Mask League: lockdown protests draw parallels to 1918 pandemic|language=en-GB|work=The Guardian|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/29/coronavirus-pandemic-1918-protests-california|access-date=30 April 2020|issn=0261-3077|archive-date=30 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200430023846/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/29/coronavirus-pandemic-1918-protests-california|url-status=live}}</ref> The Anti-Mask League saw the medical advice on masks as unconstitutional, and contrary to the principles of a free society.<ref name="amlsf"/><br />
<br />
Cell phone data from [[Digital contact tracing|digital-contact tracing]] software, captured from opt-in cellphone apps and the Firm VoteMap, then provided to The Guardian (publication) by progressive campaign group the Committee to Protect Medicare, suggests that cell phones present at anti-lockdown protests in [[2020 United States anti-lockdown protests|Colorado]], [[2020 United States anti-lockdown protests|Florida]], Illinois, [[2020 United States anti-lockdown protests|Michigan]] and North Carolina traveled long distances after leaving the protests. Dr. Rob Davidson, executive director of the Committee to Protect Medicare, said that although “it's hard to draw a straight line between devices, individuals at these protests, and cases”, the data suggests that the protests may be epidemiologically significant events." and that "The behavior we’re seeing at protests carries a high risk of infection."<ref>{{cite news|last=Wilson|first=Jason|date=18 May 2020|title=US lockdown protests may have spread virus widely, cellphone data suggests|language=en-GB|work=The Guardian|url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/may/18/lockdown-protests-spread-coronavirus-cellphone-data|access-date=23 May 2020|issn=0261-3077|archive-date=23 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200523061752/https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/may/18/lockdown-protests-spread-coronavirus-cellphone-data|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
On 30 January 2021, dozens of "SCAMDEMIC" protesters blocked the entrance to the vaccination center at [[Dodger Stadium]] in [[Los Angeles]].<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-01-31|title=Dodger Stadium mass COVID-19 vaccination site temporarily shuts down after protesters block entrance|url=https://ktla.com/news/local-news/dodger-stadium-mass-coronavirus-vaccination-site-shut-down-after-protesters-block-entrance/|access-date=2021-01-31|website=KTLA|language=en-US|archive-date=31 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210131013546/https://ktla.com/news/local-news/dodger-stadium-mass-coronavirus-vaccination-site-shut-down-after-protesters-block-entrance/|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
== Oceania ==<br />
<br />
=== American Samoa ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 pandemic in American Samoa}}<br />
In July 2020, several people protested against the spending of COVID-19 funds in [[American Samoa]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/420676/protest-against-spending-of-covid-19-funds-in-american-samoa | title=Protest against spending of Covid-19 funds in American Samoa | website=[[Radio New Zealand]] | date=7 July 2020 }}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Australia ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 protests in Australia}}<br />
{{See also|Convoy to Canberra}}<br />
Throughout 2020 and 2021, numerous illegal protests of widely varying sizes against COVID-19 lockdown restrictions and the [[Australian Federal Government]]'s vaccination programme were held in several state capitals including [[Adelaide]], [[Brisbane]], [[Melbourne]], [[Perth]] and [[Sydney]].<ref>{{cite news|title='Incredibly disappointing': Ugly scenes at Melbourne coronavirus protests as violence erupts|url=https://7news.com.au/lifestyle/health-wellbeing/melbourne-protests-violent-scenes-in-melbournes-cbd-as-coronavirus-protesters-are-detained-c-1028327|date=10 May 2020|work=[[Seven News]]|language=en|access-date=10 May 2020|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200911032042/https://7news.com.au/lifestyle/health-wellbeing/melbourne-protests-violent-scenes-in-melbournes-cbd-as-coronavirus-protesters-are-detained-c-1028327|archive-date=11 September 2020}}</ref><ref name="9news-anti-vacc-rallys-20-feb">{{cite news |last1=Noble |first1=Freya |title=Anti-coronavirus vaccine protests held in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth |url=https://www.9news.com.au/national/coronavirus-protest-melbourne-brisbane-sydney-pete-evans/a328629b-4d7f-48b1-a13f-72fe42dd8c2b |access-date=21 February 2021 |work=[[Nine News|9 News]] |publisher=Nine Digital Pty Ltd |date=20 February 2021 |archive-date=20 February 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210220222329/https://www.9news.com.au/national/coronavirus-protest-melbourne-brisbane-sydney-pete-evans/a328629b-4d7f-48b1-a13f-72fe42dd8c2b |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="smh-pfizer-doses-start">{{cite news |last1=Dye |first1=Josh |last2=Clun |first2=Rachel |title=COVID-19 vaccines begin as Prime Minister receives Pfizer immunisation |url=https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/covid-19-vaccines-begin-as-prime-minister-receives-pfizer-immunisation-20210221-p574cw.html |access-date=21 February 2021 |work=[[The Sydney Morning Herald]] |date=21 February 2021 |archive-date=25 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210525075159/https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/covid-19-vaccines-begin-as-prime-minister-receives-pfizer-immunisation-20210221-p574cw.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Police responded to some of the protests by arresting demonstrators and issuing fines.<ref name="abc-melb-lockdown-protest-nov'20">{{cite news |title=Police arrest more than 400 demonstrators at Melbourne anti-lockdown protest |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-11-03/melbourne-anti-lockdown-protest-sees-over-400-protesters-arrest/12845120 |access-date=5 June 2021 |work=ABC News |publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation |date=3 November 2020 |archive-date=6 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210506082030/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-11-03/melbourne-anti-lockdown-protest-sees-over-400-protesters-arrest/12845120 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Australia: Scores arrested at anti-coronavirus lockdown protests |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/8/21/australia-scores-arrested-at-anti-coronavirus-lockdown-protests |access-date=22 August 2021 |work=[[Al Jazeera English|Al Jazeera]] |date=21 August 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210821171717/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/8/21/australia-scores-arrested-at-anti-coronavirus-lockdown-protests |archive-date=21 August 2021|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Anti-lockdown protesters clash with police in Australia |url=https://amp.rnz.co.nz/article/869c10d3-77f3-4f63-8d04-343e7cc5d109 |access-date=22 August 2021 |work=[[Radio New Zealand]] |date=21 August 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210821070733/https://amp.rnz.co.nz/article/869c10d3-77f3-4f63-8d04-343e7cc5d109 |archive-date=21 August 2021|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
In Melbourne, [[Victoria, Australia|Victoria]], from 20 to 24 September 2021, a series of protests occurred in the city's CBD. Protesters were predominantly tradesmen who were acting against lockdowns, the closure of the construction industry and [[vaccine mandate]]s. It is believed that several protesters were "fake tradies" who could be described as "professional protesters". Police responded with rubber bullets, batons and tear gas. Various media outlets were critical of the police's heavy-handed response to the protesters and bystander civilians.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Clench |first1=Sam |last2=Smith |first2=Rohan |title=Melbourne 'freedom' protest: Chaos erupts on CBD streets, West Gate Freeway over construction sector shutdown |url=https://www.news.com.au/national/melbourne-braces-for-more-chaos-as-workers-plan-another-freedom-rally/news-story/2b8d98e06b20dd42c51ef9960849f403 |access-date=21 September 2021 |work=News.com |publisher=Nationwide News Pty Ltd |date=20 September 2021 |language=en-AU |archive-date=21 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210921021456/https://www.news.com.au/national/melbourne-braces-for-more-chaos-as-workers-plan-another-freedom-rally/news-story/2b8d98e06b20dd42c51ef9960849f403 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Tuffiel |first1=Rhiannon |title=Tradie protest 'hijacked' by 'extreme organisations': CFMEU boss |url=https://www.news.com.au/national/victoria/politics/tradie-protest-hijacked-by-extreme-organisations-cfmeu-boss/news-story/11a24a98abf9f04ed67f5e50fced7c35 |access-date=21 September 2021 |work=News.com.au |agency=NCA NewsWire |publisher=Nationwide News Pty Ltd |date=20 September 2021 |language=en-AU |archive-date=20 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210920221215/https://www.news.com.au/national/victoria/politics/tradie-protest-hijacked-by-extreme-organisations-cfmeu-boss/news-story/11a24a98abf9f04ed67f5e50fced7c35 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Harley |first1=Kyle |title=More than 200 arrests made across Melbourne as police disperse anti-lockdown protesters |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-09-24/protests-condemned-rallies-enter-fifth-day/100488196 |access-date=24 September 2021 |work=ABC News |publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation |date=24 September 2021 |language=en-AU |archive-date=25 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210925012150/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-09-24/protests-condemned-rallies-enter-fifth-day/100488196 |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
The first major legal protest occurred in early 2022 in [[Canberra]], [[Australian Capital Territory]], which is also the most highly vaccinated jurisdiction in Australia. A "[[Convoy to Canberra]]", consisting of thousands of protesters in trailers, trucks, cars and campervans made their way in the national capital in January.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2022/02/03/canadas-freedom-convoy-is-inspiring-protests-in-other-countries.html| title=How Canada's 'Freedom Convoy' is inspiring protests in other countries| first1=Alex| last1=McKeen| first2=Lex| last2=Harvey| first3=Kieran| last3=Leavitt|date=February 3, 2022|work=[[Toronto Star]]}}</ref><ref name="The Guardian Occupy Canberra">{{cite news |last1=Butler |first1=Josh |title='Occupy Canberra': behind the anti-vaccine protests at Parliament House |url=https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/feb/04/occupy-canberra-behind-the-anti-vaccine-protests-at-parliament-house |access-date=7 February 2022 |work=[[The Guardian]] |date=4 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220206092405/https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/feb/04/occupy-canberra-behind-the-anti-vaccine-protests-at-parliament-house |archive-date=6 February 2022|url-status=live}}</ref> On 12 February, around 10,000 protesters converged on [[Parliament House, Canberra|Parliament House]] and [[Old Parliament House, Canberra|Old Parliament House]], and [[Lifeline (crisis support service)|Lifeline Canberra]] suspended its major fund-raising event due to safety concerns for customers.<ref name="News.com.au 13 Feb">{{cite news |last1=Consenza |first1=Emily |last2=Raphael |first2=Angie |title=Incredible scenes as anti-vaccine mandate protesters swarm Canberra streets |url=https://www.news.com.au/national/nsw-act/news/antivaccine-mandate-ralliers-potentially-target-vaccine-hub-hosting-childrens-event/news-story/9e98221eab0c5436f122209a38d56102 |access-date=13 February 2022 |work=[[News.com.au]] |publisher=[[News Corp Australia]] |date=12 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220212192032/https://www.news.com.au/national/nsw-act/news/antivaccine-mandate-ralliers-potentially-target-vaccine-hub-hosting-childrens-event/news-story/9e98221eab0c5436f122209a38d56102 |archive-date=12 February 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Federal government relaxes aged care COVID rule as protesters converge on Canberra |url=https://thenewdaily.com.au/news/coronavirus/2022/02/13/aged-care-covid-rule-canberra-protests/ |access-date=14 February 2022 |work=[[The New Daily]] |date=13 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220213120210/https://thenewdaily.com.au/news/coronavirus/2022/02/13/aged-care-covid-rule-canberra-protests/ |archive-date=13 February 2022|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Kelly |first1=Lidia |title=NZ, Australia vaccination mandates protests gain in number |url=https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/new-zealand-australia-vaccination-mandates-protests-gain-numbers-2022-02-12/ |access-date=14 February 2022 |work=[[Reuters]] |date=12 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220213163443/https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/new-zealand-australia-vaccination-mandates-protests-gain-numbers-2022-02-12/ |archive-date=13 February 2022|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Christmas Island ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 pandemic in Christmas Island}}<br />
Detainees at the [[Christmas Island Detention Centre]] rioted and set fire to buildings in a protest against the conditions of the detention centre.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/jan/06/christmas-island-detainees-riot-and-set-fire-to-buildings-in-protest-against-conditions | title=Christmas Island detainees riot and set fire to buildings in protest against conditions | website=[[TheGuardian.com]] | date=6 January 2021 }}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Fiji ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 pandemic in Fiji}}<br />
In June 2021, following lockdowns in Fiji, locals protested across the country for more government support.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-06-23/fiji-instability-covid-outbreak-unrest-restrictions-lockdown/100234180 | title='Frustration and anger are starting to build': Fears COVID outbreak leading to civil unrest in Fiji | newspaper=ABC News | date=22 June 2021 }}</ref><br />
<br />
=== French Polynesia ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 pandemic in French Polynesia#vaccination efforts}}<br />
In October 2021, several protests against a proposed law mandating COVID-19 vaccines were held throughout [[French Polynesia]] including [[Papeete]] in [[Tahiti]] and [[Hiva Oa]] in the [[Marquesas Islands]]. Notable groups and individuals involved included the "Don't Touch my Family" group, the pro-independence party [[Tavini Huiraatira]], and retired Dr. Jean-Paul Theron, who was locked in a dispute with health authorities over his methods of treating COVID-19 patients.<ref>{{cite news |title=Tahiti rally against vaccination regime |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/453364/tahiti-rally-against-vaccination-regime |access-date=6 November 2021 |work=[[Radio New Zealand]] |date=12 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211019053801/https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/453364/tahiti-rally-against-vaccination-regime |archive-date=19 October 2021|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Pro-independence party joins French Polynesia anti-vax march |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/454227/pro-independence-party-joins-french-polynesia-anti-vax-march |access-date=6 November 2021 |work=[[Radio New Zealand]] |date=25 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211027052722/https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/454227/pro-independence-party-joins-french-polynesia-anti-vax-march |archive-date=27 October 2021}}</ref> The proposed law requires anyone working in healthcare or with the public to get inoculated or be fined $US1,700.<ref>{{cite news |title=French Polynesian govt delays Covid-19 vaccination law |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/453809/french-polynesian-govt-delays-covid-19-vaccination-law |access-date=6 November 2021 |work=[[Radio New Zealand]] |date=19 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211019103922/https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/453809/french-polynesian-govt-delays-covid-19-vaccination-law |archive-date=19 October 2021|url-status=live}}</ref> In response to strong opposition from anti-vaccination protesters, unions, and employers, [[President of French Polynesia|President]] [[Édouard Fritch]] announced that the new law would be delayed until 23 December.<ref name="Vaccination law amended">{{cite news |title=French Polynesia vaccination law to be amended |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/453853/french-polynesia-vaccination-law-to-be-amended |access-date=6 November 2021 |work=[[Radio New Zealand]] |date=19 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211104115009/https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/453853/french-polynesia-vaccination-law-to-be-amended |archive-date=4 November 2021}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Guam ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 pandemic in Guam}}<br />
Members of the [[Guam Freedom Coalition]] protested vaccine mandates in [[Guam]] on 30 October 2021.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.guampdn.com/news/march-held-to-protest-vaccine-mandates/video_2f7ee160-28b4-5974-b83a-12485173f1a2.html | title=March held to protest vaccine mandates | date=30 October 2021 }}</ref><br />
<br />
=== New Caledonia ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 pandemic in New Caledonia}}<br />
An estimate of 1,000 people staged a protest in [[Nouméa]] against government policies regarding the pandemic, such as the introduction of health passes and vaccine mandates. The protest occurred a day after outdoor gatherings in [[New Caledonia]] were limited to 30 people, however police decided not to intervene due to the presence of children.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.cookislandsnews.com/regional/new-caledonia/protest-in-new-caledonia-against-govts-pandemic-policies/ | title=Protest in New Caledonia against govt's pandemic policies | date=10 January 2022 }}</ref><br />
<br />
=== New Zealand ===<br />
[[File:Convoy 2022 NZ (41).jpg|thumb|Protesters blocking a street at the Convoy 2022 NZ protest in Wellington]]<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 protests in New Zealand}}<br />
{{See also|2022 Wellington protests}}<br />
Between August and October 2021, several protests were held across New Zealand to protest official lockdown measures, vaccination, and spread disinformation about the COVID-19 pandemic. Key groups and individuals that were involved in these protests included FACTS NZ, Kotahitanga Movement Aotearoa, the NZ Liberty Movement and [[Jami-Lee Ross]] and [[Billy Te Kahika]]'s [[Advance New Zealand]] party.<ref>{{cite news|last=Pearse |first=Adam |work=[[The Northern Advocate]]|date=13 August 2020|title=Covid 19 coronavirus: Lockdown protest stops traffic in Whangārei|language=en-NZ| url= https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12356284|access-date=22 August 2020|issn=1170-0777|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200821030819/https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12356284|archive-date=21 August 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Anti-lockdown, vaccination and 1080 protesters take over Auckland's Aotea Square|language=en|work=[[Newshub]]|url= https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2020/08/anti-lockdown-vaccination-and-1080-protesters-take-over-auckland-s-aotea-square.html|access-date=22 August 2020|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200824232201/https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2020/08/anti-lockdown-vaccination-and-1080-protesters-take-over-auckland-s-aotea-square.html|archive-date=24 August 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Bayer |first1=Kurt |title=Covid 19 coronavirus: Hundreds turn out for anti-lockdown protests |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12362504 |access-date=5 September 2020 |work=[[The New Zealand Herald]] |date=5 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200905093331/https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12362504 |archive-date=5 September 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|date=2020-09-12|title=Advance Party and crowd rallies against Covid-19 restrictions and lockdowns|language=en-NZ|work=[[The New Zealand Herald]] |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12364413|access-date=2020-09-13|issn=1170-0777|archive-date=13 September 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200913195732/https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12364413|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
In January 2021, Te Kahika led a "freedom rally" outside the [[New Zealand Parliament]]; protestors opposed lockdown policies, while expressing support for US President [[Donald Trump]] and [[QAnon]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Walls |first1=Jason |title=Police keeping a close eye on controversial Billy TK 'freedom rally' outside Beehive |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/police-keeping-a-close-eye-on-controversial-billy-tk-freedom-rally-outside-beehive/4C2E3SYXDZPQZZA4CK2EC5T2MU/ |access-date=14 January 2021 |work=[[The New Zealand Herald]] |date=14 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210114104417/https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/police-keeping-a-close-eye-on-controversial-billy-tk-freedom-rally-outside-beehive/4C2E3SYXDZPQZZA4CK2EC5T2MU/ |archive-date=14 January 2021|url-status=live}}</ref> Following the reinstatement of lockdown restrictions in mid–August 2021 in response to a [[SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant|Delta variant]] community outbreak, anti-lockdown protests were staged in [[Auckland]], [[Tauranga]], [[Nelson, New Zealand|Nelson]], and [[Christchurch]]. Key participants included Te Kahika and far-right activist [[Kyle Chapman (New Zealand activist)|Kyle Champman]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Conspiracy theorist Billy TK arrested at anti-lockdown protest |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/449439/conspiracy-theorist-billy-tk-arrested-at-anti-lockdown-protest |access-date=18 August 2021 |work=[[Radio New Zealand]] |date=18 August 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210818053131/https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/449439/conspiracy-theorist-billy-tk-arrested-at-anti-lockdown-protest |archive-date=18 August 2021|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Lourens |first1=Marine |last2=Sherwood |first2=Sam |last3=McNeilly |first3=Hamish |title=Covid-19: Former far-Right leader to spend weekend behind bars after alleged lockdown breach |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/126131440/covid19-former-farright-leader-to-spend-weekend-behind-bars-after-alleged-lockdown-breach |access-date=20 August 2021 |work=[[Stuff (website)|Stuff]] |date=20 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210820040054/https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/126131440/covid19-former-farright-leader-to-spend-weekend-behind-bars-after-alleged-lockdown-breach|archive-date=20 August 2021|url-status=live}}</ref> In February 2022, [[Convoy 2022 New Zealand]] gathered outside parliament buildings and blocked streets in Wellington.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/461471/wellington-s-sky-stadium-offered-as-parking-to-free-up-parliament-streets-blocked-by-protesters |title=Wellington's Sky Stadium offered as parking to free up Parliament streets blocked by protesters |publisher=[[Radio New Zealand]] |date=14 February 2022 |accessdate=22 February 2022}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Papua New Guinea ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 pandemic in Papua New Guinea}}<br />
During the pandemic, attacks on health workers<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KbDVzLGCSGc | title=Violence against PNG health workers rises amid protests against COVID vaccinations &#124; ABC News | website=[[YouTube]] }}</ref> and vaccination teams<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/455215/mob-attacks-on-vaccination-teams-commonplace-in-png | title=Mob attacks on vaccination teams commonplace in PNG | website=[[Radio New Zealand]] | date=8 November 2021 }}</ref> in [[Papua New Guinea]] have occurred multiple times. Protests were banned nationwide due to the pandemic,<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.pngreport.com/covid-19/news/1420060/ban-on-png-protest-marches | title=Ban on PNG protest marches | date=22 October 2021 }}</ref> however they still occurred across the country, particularly in the capital, [[Port Moresby]],<ref>{{cite web | url=https://asiapacificreport.nz/2021/11/02/png-police-block-illegal-anti-vaxxer-rally-in-port-moresby-amid-fake-info/ | title=PNG police block illegal anti-vaxxer rally in Port Moresby amid fake info &#124; Asia Pacific Report | date=2 November 2021 }}</ref> as well as in [[Lae]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://crisis24.garda.com/alerts/2021/09/papua-new-guinea-additional-protests-possible-in-lae-through-at-least-mid-september-over-corporate-mandatory-vaccination-policies | title=Papua New Guinea: Additional protests possible in Lae through at least mid-September over corporate mandatory vaccination policies }}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Samoa ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 pandemic in Samoa}}<br />
On 8 May 2020, around 100 people protested new laws regarding COVID-19 in [[Samoa]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://monitor.civicus.org/updates/2020/05/21/protests-samoa-against-three-bills-could-undermine-judicial-independence-and-rule-law/ | title=Protests in Samoa against three bills that could undermine judicial independence and rule of law }}</ref> On 23 June 2022, more than 30 people protested vaccine mandates in Samoa.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.samoanews.com/protest-vaccine-mandate-demonstration | title=Protest the Vaccine Mandate" demonstration }}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Solomon Islands ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 pandemic in the Solomon Islands|2021 Solomon Islands unrest}}<br />
The [[2021 Solomon Islands unrest]] was partially caused by government mishandling of the pandemic.<br />
<br />
=== Vanuatu ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 pandemic in Vanuatu}}<br />
The [[Government of Vanuatu]] criticised a planned protest regarding COVID-19 involving church and youth groups. The protesters claimed that the [[Vanuatu Police Force|Police Commissioner]] had given them permission to protest, however the [[Deputy Prime Minister of Vanuatu|Deputy Prime Minister]] [[Ishmael Kalsakau]] said it could not go ahead as it was politically motivated. Protestors also claimed that at least two MPs (namely [[Andrew Napuat]] and [[John Salong]]) supported the protest.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/466907/vanuatu-govt-says-no-to-vaccine-protest-march | title=Vanuatu Govt says no to vaccine protest march | website=[[Radio New Zealand]] | date=11 May 2022 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://islandsbusiness.com/news-break/vanuatu-govt-halts-vaccine-protest-march/ | title=Vanuatu Govt halts vaccine protest march | date=12 May 2022 }}</ref><br />
<br />
== South America ==<br />
<br />
=== Argentina ===<br />
{{Main|2020–2021 Argentinian protests}}<br />
[[File:En busca de la libertad 01.jpg|thumb|180px|The [[17A]] protests on 17 August 2020]]<br />
On 25 May, during the [[First National Government|Anniversary of the First National Government]], protests erupted all over the country,<ref>{{Cite web|date=25 May 2020|title=Un reducido grupo de manifestantes protestó contra la cuarentena en la Plaza de Mayo|url=https://www.infobae.com/sociedad/2020/05/25/manifestantes-protestan-contra-la-cuarentena-en-la-plaza-de-mayo/|access-date=10 July 2020|website=infobae|language=es-ES|archive-date=4 June 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200604063409/https://www.infobae.com/sociedad/2020/05/25/manifestantes-protestan-contra-la-cuarentena-en-la-plaza-de-mayo/|url-status=live}}</ref> but predominantly in [[Buenos Aires]] and [[Córdoba, Argentina|Cordoba]]. The protest consisted mostly of small business owners demanding the local and national governments to be allowed to work, under a sanitary protocol. At this point, the stay-at-home order had been in place nationwide for 65 days.<br />
<br />
On 20 June, which is the country's [[Flag Day (Argentina)|National Flag Day]], the size of the protests had grown immensely compared to the previous ones held in late May.<ref>{{cite news|date=20 June 2020|title=En Twitter: cómo es el banderazo nacional contra la expropiación de Vicentin|url=https://www.lanacion.com.ar/politica/convocan-banderazo-nacional-republica-sabado-20-junio-nid2381945|access-date=10 July 2020|newspaper=La Nación|language=es|archive-date=6 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200706082841/https://www.lanacion.com.ar/politica/convocan-banderazo-nacional-republica-sabado-20-junio-nid2381945|url-status=live}}</ref> While business owners and workers were still calling for more workplaces to be allowed to operate, the government's attempt to expropriate Vicentín, a soy and wheat manufacturer and one of the largest exporting firms in the country, also sparked outrage and motivated protests in many provinces where agriculture plays a big role in their local economy, particularly in the [[Santa Fe Province]], where this business is located. Due to the huge backlash, president [[Alberto Fernández|Alberto Fernandez]] has decided to step down and not take over the company. Protests also took place in the city centre of most cities and at the gates of the [[Quinta de Olivos|presidential residence]]. While the lockdown had been lifted in most provinces and municipalities, it was still enforced in [[Greater Buenos Aires]], which represents around 60% of the Argentine economy. On this day, the stay-at-home order had been in place for 90 days, making it the longest mandatory quarantine in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.<ref>{{cite news|last=Goñi|first=Uki|date=17 June 2020|title=Argentina's president enters voluntary isolation amid coronavirus surge|language=en-GB|work=The Guardian|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jun/17/argentina-president-enters-voluntary-isolation-amid-coronavirus-surge|access-date=10 July 2020|issn=0261-3077|archive-date=10 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200710091442/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jun/17/argentina-president-enters-voluntary-isolation-amid-coronavirus-surge|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
On 9 July, the country's [[Argentine Declaration of Independence|Independence Day]], protests flared up once again.<ref>{{cite news|date=10 July 2020|title=Multitudinario banderazo contra el Gobierno en diferentes puntos del país|url=https://www.lanacion.com.ar/politica/comenzo-banderazo-federal-del-9-julio-nid2394297|access-date=10 July 2020|newspaper=La Nación|language=es|archive-date=9 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200709224416/https://www.lanacion.com.ar/politica/comenzo-banderazo-federal-del-9-julio-nid2394297|url-status=live}}</ref> In addition to workers and entrepreneurs asking to be allowed to work, many were angered by the fact that [[Lázaro Báez|Lazaro Baez]], who is serving jail time for money laundering and stealing from taxpayers' money and is associated with much of the government staff, could be eligible for parole. This incident, and the murder of Fabián Gutiérrez, who was ex-president [[Cristina Fernández de Kirchner|Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner]]'s secretary while she was in office, which many opposition affiliates believe was orchestrated by the administration and covered up as a "crime of passion" by two unknown men, also caused large outrage in some sectors of the population. This day marked 109 days since the lockdown was put in place in the Greater Buenos Aires area.{{citation needed|date=August 2021}}<br />
<br />
On 1 August, many opponents of Alberto Fernandez's government, and of [[Kirchnerism]] in general, took to the streets to rally against the judicial reform<br />
proposed by the administration. Many believe this is a way to absolve vice president Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner from her ongoing trials, and also a way to give [[Frente de Todos (2019 coalition)|the governing political party]] control over the [[Supreme Court of Argentina|judicial branch of government]], all disguised under the promise that this reform will make judges and trials fairer and less biased to certain ideologies or political parties. While the lockdown has not been completely lifted in Buenos Aires, many activities and businesses are now allowed to take place again since mid-July, and a re-opening scheme with various stages has been designed and put in place, although with no strict dates. However, many companies, such as restaurants or bars for instance, still cannot open and many business owners are uncertain of how much more they can endure with their doors closed.<br />
<br />
On 17 August, the General José de San Martín Memorial Day, a public holiday which commemorates Argentine liberator and army general [[José de San Martín]], protesters gathered once again on the city centres of the main Argentine cities for the same reasons as the previous one, 16 days prior. This manifestation was backed by many political figures from the [[Juntos por el Cambio]], [[Frente Despertar]], [[Fuerza Unidaria Argentina]], opposition forces, near liberal, libertarian and survivalist groups. Some, however, have decided to not publicly support the protests, most notably [[Horacio Rodríguez Larreta]], mayor of Buenos Aires.<br />
<br />
=== Brazil ===<br />
====2020====<br />
{{Main|2020 Brazilian protests}}<br />
On 18 March, Brazilians in [[São Paulo]] and [[Rio de Janeiro]] protested [[Jair Bolsonaro]]'s handling of the pandemic by [[banging pots and pans]] on their balconies and shouting "Bolsonaro out!"<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-51955679 |title=Coronavirus protest in Brazil sees millions bang pots from balconies |date=19 March 2020 |work=BBC |access-date=13 May 2020 |archive-date=22 March 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200322135850/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-51955679 |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
On 19 April, Brazil's [[Armed Forces Day]], Bolsonaro gathered with about 600 protesters in front of the Army's headquarters in [[Brasília|Brasilia]] to demand a "military intervention" into the handling of the coronavirus situation. Smaller protests calling for governors to resign occurred the previous day in [[Rio de Janeiro]], [[São Paulo]] and Brasilia.<ref>{{cite web|title=Brazil's Bolsonaro joins protest against coronavirus restrictions &#124; Coronavirus pandemic News|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/04/brazil-bolsonaro-joins-protest-coronavirus-curbs-200420042616860.html|date=20 April 2020|publisher=Al Jazeera|access-date=27 April 2020|archive-date=19 September 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200919230255/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/04/brazil-bolsonaro-joins-protest-coronavirus-curbs-200420042616860.html|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
====2021====<br />
{{Main|2021 Brazilian protests}}<br />
[[File:Fora Bolsonaro em Campinas 29.05.2021 01.jpg|thumb|Protest against the government of President Bolsonaro in [[Campinas]] on 29 May 2021]]<br />
[[File:Ato do Movimento Brasil Verde e Amarelo - 51181481168.jpg|thumb|Pro-government protest in [[Brasília]] on 15 May 2021]]<br />
[[File:Ato do Movimento Brasil Verde e Amarelo - 51180579797.jpg|thumb|Bolsonaro flies over protests in [[Brasília]] on 15 May 2021]]<br />
<br />
On 1 May, protest in favor of [[Jair Bolsonaro]] happened around the country. The protesters demanded the end of lockdowns, as well as a military intervention on the judicial and legislative branches of power. The protests happened in many Brazilian cities, occupying avenues such as [[Paulista Avenue|Avenida Paulista]]. Bolsonaro flew by helicopter over the protests in Brasilia, where there were also protests against his government.<ref>{{cite web|title=Fortaleza tem manifestação a favor de Bolsonaro neste 1º de maio; 17 são detidos|url=https://g1.globo.com/ce/ceara/noticia/2021/05/01/fortaleza-registra-manifestacao-a-favor-de-bolsonaro-neste-1ode-maio.ghtml#|date=1 May 2021|publisher=G1|access-date=3 May 2021|archive-date=3 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210503180447/https://g1.globo.com/ce/ceara/noticia/2021/05/01/fortaleza-registra-manifestacao-a-favor-de-bolsonaro-neste-1ode-maio.ghtml|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Bolsonaro sobrevoa de helicóptero manifestação a seu favor no DF|url=https://noticias.r7.com/distrito-federal/bolsonaro-sobrevoa-de-helicoptero-manifestacao-a-seu-favor-no-df-01052021#/foto/1|date=1 May 2021|publisher=R7|access-date=3 May 2021|archive-date=2 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210502160600/https://noticias.r7.com/distrito-federal/bolsonaro-sobrevoa-de-helicoptero-manifestacao-a-seu-favor-no-df-01052021#/foto/1|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Manifestações pró e contra Bolsonaro tomam conta da Esplanada|url=https://www.metropoles.com/brasil/manifestacoes-pro-e-contra-bolsonaro-tomam-conta-da-esplanada|date=1 May 2021|publisher=Metrópoles|access-date=3 May 2021|archive-date=3 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210503180449/https://www.metropoles.com/brasil/manifestacoes-pro-e-contra-bolsonaro-tomam-conta-da-esplanada|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Feriado do Dia do Trabalho tem manifestações em cidades do RS|url=https://g1.globo.com/rs/rio-grande-do-sul/noticia/2021/05/01/feriado-do-dia-do-trabalho-tem-manifestacoes-em-cidades-do-rs.ghtml|date=1 May 2021|publisher=G1|access-date=3 May 2021|archive-date=1 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210501233653/https://g1.globo.com/rs/rio-grande-do-sul/noticia/2021/05/01/feriado-do-dia-do-trabalho-tem-manifestacoes-em-cidades-do-rs.ghtml|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Cidades no Sul de MG registram manifestações a favor do governo Bolsonaro neste 1º de maio|url=https://g1.globo.com/mg/sul-de-minas/noticia/2021/05/01/cidades-registram-manifestacoes-a-favor-do-governo-bolsonaro-neste-1o-de-maio-no-sul-de-mg.ghtml|date=1 May 2021|publisher=G1|access-date=3 May 2021|archive-date=1 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210501161952/https://g1.globo.com/mg/sul-de-minas/noticia/2021/05/01/cidades-registram-manifestacoes-a-favor-do-governo-bolsonaro-neste-1o-de-maio-no-sul-de-mg.ghtml|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Brasil. Milhares de pessoas nas ruas para apoiar Bolsonaro no Dia do Trabalhador|url=https://www.rtp.pt/noticias/mundo/brasil-milhares-de-pessoas-nas-ruas-para-apoiar-bolsonaro-no-dia-do-trabalhador_v1316831|date=2 May 2021|publisher=RTP Notícias|access-date=4 May 2021|archive-date=3 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210503190106/https://www.rtp.pt/noticias/mundo/brasil-milhares-de-pessoas-nas-ruas-para-apoiar-bolsonaro-no-dia-do-trabalhador_v1316831|url-status=live}}</ref>{{citation needed|date=August 2021}}<br />
<br />
===Chile===<br />
{{Main|2019–2020 Chilean protests#2020 protests}}<br />
<br />
On 18 March, riots took place at the communes of [[El Bosque, Chile|El Bosque]], [[La Pintana]], and other communes in the [[Santiago Metropolitan Region]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.emol.com/noticias/Nacional/2020/05/18/986529/Protestas-incidentes-comuna-El-Bosque.html|title=Protestas en la comuna de El Bosque: Vecinos denuncian falta de alimentos en medio de cuarentena &#124; Emol.com|date=18 May 2020|website=Emol|access-date=24 May 2020|archive-date=25 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200525033923/https://www.emol.com/noticias/Nacional/2020/05/18/986529/Protestas-incidentes-comuna-El-Bosque.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Rioters are denouncing the [[hunger]] resulting from the partial and total lockdowns in the region. They claim that the lockdowns have left them without work and means of sustenance.<br />
<br />
=== Colombia ===<br />
{{Main|2021 Colombian protests}}<br />
[[File:Paro Nacional Colombia (51185625987).jpg|thumb|Protesters in [[Medellín]], Colombia on 1 May 2021]]<br />
In April 2021, President [[Iván Duque Márquez|Iván Duque]] proposed increased taxes at a time when the [[COVID-19 pandemic in Colombia]] was beginning to worsen as various healthcare systems were failing throughout the country. A series of protests began in [[Colombia]] on 28 April 2021 against increased taxes, corruption, and health care reform.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/more-subdued-second-day-colombia-tax-reform-protests-2021-04-29/ |title=More subdued second day of Colombia tax reform protests |last=Acosta |first=Luis |date=29 April 2021 |website=[[Reuters]] |url-status=live |archive-date=1 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210501195325/https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/more-subdued-second-day-colombia-tax-reform-protests-2021-04-29/ }}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Ecuador ===<br />
{{main|2020 Ecuadorian protests}}<br />
The 2020 demonstrations in Ecuador were a series of national mobilizations carried out in May 2020, after the announcement of economic measures by the government of [[Lenín Moreno]] adopted due to the serious health and economic crisis generated by the [[COVID-19 pandemic in Ecuador]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Coronavirus: Ecuador protests against cuts amid pandemic |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-52803400 |publisher=BBC News |date=26 May 2020 |access-date=16 July 2021 |archive-date=16 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210716083730/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-52803400 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Police Beat and Injure Ecuador's Covid-19 Protesters |url=https://www.hrw.org/news/2020/05/25/police-beat-and-injure-ecuadors-covid-19-protesters |work=Human Rights Watch |date=25 May 2020 |access-date=16 July 2021 |archive-date=16 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210716083730/https://www.hrw.org/news/2020/05/25/police-beat-and-injure-ecuadors-covid-19-protesters |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
===Paraguay===<br />
{{main|2021 Paraguayan protests}}<br />
<br />
On 5 March, protests broke out across Paraguay due to the lack of efficient government response against the [[COVID-19 pandemic in Paraguay|pandemic in the country]]. The protests gathered thousands of people, and left hundreds of injured. It culminated in the resignation of the then health minister [[Julio Mazzoleni]].<br />
<br />
== See also ==<br />
{{Commons category|Protests related to the COVID-19 pandemic}}<br />
* [[Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on politics]]<br />
* [[National responses to the COVID-19 pandemic]]<br />
* [[Strikes during the COVID-19 pandemic]]<br />
* [[Face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic]]<br />
** [[Face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States]]<br />
* [[Cholera Riots|Cholera riots]]<br />
{{clear}}<br />
<br />
== References ==<br />
{{reflist}}<br />
<br />
{{COVID-19 pandemic}}<br />
{{COVID-19 pandemic in the United States}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:2020 protests]]<br />
[[Category:2021 protests]]<br />
[[Category:2022 protests]]<br />
[[Category:Protests over responses to the COVID-19 pandemic| ]]<br />
[[Category:Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on politics]]</div>Boackandwhitehttps://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Protests_against_responses_to_the_COVID-19_pandemic&diff=1261695178Protests against responses to the COVID-19 pandemic2024-12-07T13:33:42Z<p>Boackandwhite: </p>
<hr />
<div>{{Short description|Protests against restrictions introduced in response to the COVID-19 pandemic}}<br />
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2021}}<br />
<br />
{{EngvarB|date=April 2021}}<br />
{{Infobox civil conflict<br />
| title = Protests against responses to the COVID-19 pandemic<br />
| side1 = [[WHO]]<br />
[[police]]<br />
[[Wikimedia]]<br />
| side2 = [[far right]]<br />
[[Category:COVID-19 misinformation{{!}}conspiracy theorists]]<br />
| leadfigures1 = [[Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus]]<br />
[[Zhang Jixian]] <br />
[[Li Wenliang]]<br />
| leadfigures2 = [[Category:COVID-19 misinformation{{!}}conspiracy theorists]]<br />
| arrests = 150+<ref>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Dt36h4jqdE</ref><br />
| partof = the [[COVID-19 pandemic]] and <br />
[[COVID-19 misinformation]] and [[COVID-19 misinformation by governments]]<br />
| image = Canadian COVID-19 protesters (cropped).jpg<br />
| caption = An anti-[[COVID-19 lockdowns|lockdown]] protest at [[Queen's Park (Toronto)|Queen's Park]] in [[Toronto]], Canada, on 25 April 2020<br />
| date = 15 March 2020<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.poder360.com.br/governo/bolsonaro-compartilha-video-de-manifestacoes-veja-fotos-de-militantes/|title=Bolsonaro compartilha vídeo de manifestações; veja fotos de militantes|date=15 March 2020|website=Poder360|access-date=27 November 2020|archive-date=4 December 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201204175449/https://www.poder360.com.br/governo/bolsonaro-compartilha-video-de-manifestacoes-veja-fotos-de-militantes/|url-status=live}}</ref> – 5 December 2022<ref>{{cite news |last1=Yu |first1=Verna |title=Chinese students protest as university locks down over one Covid case |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/dec/06/beijing-drops-some-covid-tests-as-capital-readies-itself-for-life-again |access-date=7 December 2022 |work=The Guardian |date=6 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221206141914/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/dec/06/beijing-drops-some-covid-tests-as-capital-readies-itself-for-life-again |archive-date=6 December 2022}}</ref><br />({{age in years, months, weeks and days|month1=3|day1=15|year1=2020|month2=12|day2=5|year2=2022}})<br />
| place = Worldwide<br />
| coordinates = <br />
| causes = Local struggles or opposition to government responses to the COVID-19 pandemic<br />
| goals = * Revocation of [[COVID-19 lockdowns]], [[mask mandate]]s, or [[vaccine mandates]]<br />
| methods = {{plainlist|<br />
* [[Mass protest]]s<br />
* [[Civil unrest]]<br />
* [[Riot]]s<br />
* [[Vandalism]]<br />
* [[Occupation (protest)|Occupations]]}}<br />
}}<br />
{{COVID-19 pandemic sidebar}}<br />
<br />
Protests, demonstrations and strikes occurred around the world against [[National responses to the COVID-19 pandemic|national responses]] to the [[COVID-19 pandemic]] by governmental bodies. Some were driven by the financial hardship resulting from government measures to contain the virus, including restrictions on travel and entertainment, hitting related industries and workers hard. Protests also occurred in opposition to restrictions on people's movements, compulsory wearing of [[Face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic|face masks]], [[COVID-19 lockdowns|lockdowns]], [[COVID-19 vaccination|vaccinations]] and other measures. Some protests were driven by [[COVID-19 misinformation]], [[conspiracy theories]], [[Far-right politics|far-right]] and other extremist groups and individuals.<br />
<br />
This article lists and summarizes such activities in various countries around the world.<br />
<br />
==Background==<br />
{{Globalize|section|US|Australia|Europe|date=September 2021}}<br />
<br />
===Reasons===<br />
{{see also|COVID-19 lockdowns|Social distancing measures related to the COVID-19 pandemic|Face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic|Mask refusal|COVID-19 misinformation|COVID-19 vaccine misinformation and hesitancy}}<br />
[[File:Antivax protest in Dublin 1.jpg|thumb|Protest against the [[COVID-19 vaccine]] in [[Dublin]], [[Republic of Ireland|Ireland]].]]<br />
In order to prevent the spread of the [[SARS-CoV2]] virus which gave rise to the COVID-19 pandemic from 2019, governments brought in health measures at varying levels of strictness to restrict the movement of people and transmission of the virus. In response to these restrictions, protests have been organised at a number of locations around the world,<ref>{{Cite web|last=Haddad|first=Mohammed|title=Mapping coronavirus anti-lockdown protests around the world|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/2/2/mapping-coronavirus-anti-lockdown-protests-around-the-world|access-date=2021-08-03|website=[[Al Jazeera English|Al Jazeera]]|language=en|archive-date=6 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210806180523/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/2/2/mapping-coronavirus-anti-lockdown-protests-around-the-world/|url-status=live}}</ref> and [[Strikes during the COVID-19 pandemic|strikes have also occurred]]. Some of the protests have criticised governments for not acting effectively enough in their responses to the pandemic, while others have been opposed to [[COVID-19#Prevention|preventative measures]] and called for their revocation. According to analysis as part of the [[Global Peace Index]], {{as of|lc=yes| July 2021}}, there had been around 50,000 protests linked to the pandemic worldwide, 5,000 of which were violent.<ref>{{cite news| last1=Newey| first1=Sarah| last2=Gulland| first2=Anne| last3=Smith| first3=Nicola| date=2021-07-25| title=Plague and protests: how Covid has sparked a wave of unrest around the world| language=en-GB| work=[[The Daily Telegraph|The Telegraph]]| url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/global-health/terror-and-security/plague-protests-pandemic-has-sparked-wave-unrest-around-world/| access-date=2021-08-03| issn=0307-1235| archive-date=3 August 2021| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210803151200/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/global-health/terror-and-security/plague-protests-pandemic-has-sparked-wave-unrest-around-world/| url-status=live}}</ref> [[COVID-19 lockdowns]] have inspired protests in many territories, and from late 2020 [[deployment of COVID-19 vaccines]] also inspired protests.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Thousands Around Globe Protest COVID-19 Shots, Lockdowns {{!}} Voice of America - English|url=https://www.voanews.com/covid-19-pandemic/thousands-around-globe-protest-covid-19-shots-lockdowns|access-date=2021-08-03|website=www.voanews.com|date=24 July 2021 |language=en|archive-date=3 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210803151201/https://www.voanews.com/covid-19-pandemic/thousands-around-globe-protest-covid-19-shots-lockdowns|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Analysis {{!}} The pandemic leads to another summer of anger|language=en-US|newspaper=[[Washington Post]]|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2021/07/30/pandemic-leads-another-summer-anger/|access-date=2021-08-03|issn=0190-8286|archive-date=30 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210730070551/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2021/07/30/pandemic-leads-another-summer-anger/|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
The protests have varied in scale, motivations and type, with protesters drawn from a fairly wide range of backgrounds and inspired by a range of reasons. One of the main drivers has been the economic distress brought about by businesses having to close for long periods, leading to widespread unemployment, especially of casual workers in the hospitality industry. Uncertainty about the future and the feeling of lack of control has led to a predilection for believing in [[conspiracy theories]] (such as that COVID-19 is a hoax and that governments have deliberately created the crisis), [[anti-vaxxer]] beliefs, including that [[COVID-19 vaccination]]s and restriction of citizens' movements are part of a government plot to control people, [[Bill Gates]] is behind implanting [[microchip]]s into people via vaccinations.<ref name=ajfeb2021>{{cite web | last=Melimopoulos | first=Elizabeth | title=What's driving the COVID lockdown protests? | website=[[Al Jazeera English|Al Jazeera]] | date=7 February 2021 | url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/2/7/protests-over-new-covid-19-measures-whats-behind-them | access-date=28 August 2021 | archive-date=28 August 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210828004101/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/2/7/protests-over-new-covid-19-measures-whats-behind-them | url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | last=Dearden | first=Lizzie | title=Inside the UK's biggest anti-lockdown protest | website=The Independent | date=16 May 2020 | url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/coronavirus-lockdown-protests-uk-london-hyde-park-5g-conspiracy-theories-a9518506.html | access-date=28 August 2021 | archive-date=23 August 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210823110551/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/coronavirus-lockdown-protests-uk-london-hyde-park-5g-conspiracy-theories-a9518506.html | url-status=live }}</ref> The spread of [[COVID-19 misinformation]] has been a driving factor in some country's protest movements, with some organisers making money out of the protests.<ref>{{Cite web|title=How COVID-conspiracists and anti-vaxxers are getting organised and making money|url=https://news.sky.com/story/how-covid-conspiracists-and-anti-vaxxers-are-getting-organised-and-making-money-12206707|access-date=2021-08-03|website=[[Sky News]]|language=en|archive-date=27 February 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210227193203/https://news.sky.com/story/how-covid-conspiracists-and-anti-vaxxers-are-getting-organised-and-making-money-12206707|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
===Players===<br />
In the US, [[Donald Trump]] spread some potentially misleading information,<ref name=ajfeb2021/> and the [[Proud Boys]], American [[religious fundamentalist]]s and [[American militia movement#Active militia groups|various militia groups]] as well as [[Black Lives Matter of Greater New York]], have been active in protests;<ref>{{cite web | last=Wilson | first=Jason | title=The rightwing groups behind wave of protests against Covid-19 restrictions | website=[[The Guardian]] | date=17 April 2020 | url=http://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/17/far-right-coronavirus-protests-restrictions | access-date=28 August 2021 | archive-date=19 August 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210819134948/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/17/far-right-coronavirus-protests-restrictions | url-status=live }}</ref> across Europe, the extreme right has been active;<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.orfonline.org/expert-speak/fringe-mainstream-extreme-rightwing-europe-68848/| title=From fringe to mainstream: The extreme rightwing in Europe| first1=Kyler| last1=Ong| first2=Raffaello| last2=Pantucci| newspaper=Orf| access-date=28 August 2021| archive-date=28 August 2021| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210828012516/https://www.orfonline.org/expert-speak/fringe-mainstream-extreme-rightwing-europe-68848/| url-status=live}}</ref> in the UK, far-right [[hate group]]s have been involved in spreading misinformation, [[scapegoat]]ing minority groups and trying to organise lockdowns,<ref>{{cite report| title=COVID-19: How hateful extremists are exploiting the pandemic| url=https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/906724/CCE_Briefing_Note_001.pdf| author=[[Commission for Encountering Extremism]]| date=July 2020| publisher=UK Government| access-date=28 August 2021| archive-date=16 March 2021| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210316081503/https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/906724/CCE_Briefing_Note_001.pdf| url-status=live}}</ref> while former politicians such as [[Martin Daubney]] and journalists such as [[Julia Hartley-Brewer]] have either supported or joined protests;<ref>{{cite web | last=Loucaides | first=Darren | title=Inside the U.K.'s anti-lockdown media machine | website=Coda Story | date=9 August 2021 | url=https://www.codastory.com/disinformation/uk-anti-lockdown-media/ | access-date=28 August 2021 | archive-date=14 August 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210814221957/https://www.codastory.com/disinformation/uk-anti-lockdown-media/ | url-status=live }}</ref> in Australia, the Proud Boys,<ref>{{cite web | last=McGowan | first=Michael | title=Where 'freedom' meets the far right: the hate messages infiltrating Australian anti-lockdown protests | website=[[The Guardian]] | date=25 March 2021 | url=http://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/mar/26/where-freedom-meets-the-far-right-the-hate-messages-infiltrating-australian-anti-lockdown-protests | access-date=28 August 2021 | archive-date=24 August 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210824060353/https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/mar/26/where-freedom-meets-the-far-right-the-hate-messages-infiltrating-australian-anti-lockdown-protests | url-status=live }}</ref> the neo-Nazi [[National Socialist Network]]<ref name=ndaug2021>{{cite web | title=How neo-Nazis use anti-lockdown protests to recruit new members | first=Cait | last=Kelly | website=[[The New Daily]] | date=25 August 2021 | url=https://thenewdaily.com.au/news/national/2021/08/26/neo-nazi-anti-lockdown-recruit/ | access-date=28 August 2021 | archive-date=26 August 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210826175828/https://thenewdaily.com.au/news/national/2021/08/26/neo-nazi-anti-lockdown-recruit/ | url-status=live }}</ref> and a few politicians have become involved in spreading misinformation and stirring discontent.<ref>{{cite web | last=Bongiorno | author-link=Frank Bongiorno | first=Frank | title=Right out there: how the pandemic has given rise to extreme views and fractured conservative politics | website=[[The Conversation (website)|The Conversation]] | date=15 August 2021 | url=http://theconversation.com/right-out-there-how-the-pandemic-has-given-rise-to-extreme-views-and-fractured-conservative-politics-165448 | access-date=28 August 2021 | archive-date=27 August 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210827112241/https://theconversation.com/right-out-there-how-the-pandemic-has-given-rise-to-extreme-views-and-fractured-conservative-politics-165448 | url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
===Organisers and methods===<br />
<br />
The [[Telegram (software)|Telegram]] and [[Instagram]] apps are popular means for spreading messages about planned protests,<ref name=knaus2021/> and some events are also posted on [[Facebook]].<ref name=fbrally>{{cite web | title=World Wide Rally for Freedom, Peace & Human Rights III | website=Facebook | date=23 July 2021 | url=https://m.facebook.com/events/791497214885030 | access-date=31 August 2021 | archive-date=22 December 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211222175659/https://m.facebook.com/login.php?next=https%3A%2F%2Fm.facebook.com%2Fevents%2F791497214885030&refsrc=deprecated&_rdr | url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
{{anchor|wwrf}}<!---Worldwide Rally for Freedom, Free Citizens of Kassel, etc. target this anchor.---><br />
A German group called Worldwide Demonstration, operated out of the city of [[Kassel]] by individuals self-described as "Freie Bürger Kassel" (Free Citizens of Kassel),<ref name=knaus2021>{{cite web | last=Knaus | first=Christopher | title=Who's behind Australia's anti-lockdown protests? The German conspiracy group driving marches | website=the Guardian | date=27 July 2021 | url=http://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/jul/27/who-behind-australia-anti-covid-lockdown-protest-march-rallies-sydney-melbourne-far-right-and-german-conspiracy-groups-driving-protests | access-date=30 August 2021 | archive-date=30 August 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210830032414/https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/jul/27/who-behind-australia-anti-covid-lockdown-protest-march-rallies-sydney-melbourne-far-right-and-german-conspiracy-groups-driving-protests | url-status=live }}</ref> coordinated a series of 129 events around the world in March 2021, each one dubbed "World Wide Rally for Freedom", using the [[hashtag]] "#WewillALLbethere". Misinformation, [[QAnon]] beliefs, [[antisemitism]] and COVID-19 denial were prevalent in the groups' chats.<ref name=logically>{{cite web | last1=Backovic | first1=Nick | last2=Wildon | first2=Jordan | last3=Ondrak | first3=Joe | title=Exclusive: Worldwide Anti-Lockdown Protests Organized by German Cell | website=[[Logically (company)|Logically]] | date=14 May 2021 | url=https://www.logically.ai/articles/anti-lockdown-protests-organized-by-german-cell | access-date=30 August 2021 | archive-date=30 August 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210830032414/https://www.logically.ai/articles/anti-lockdown-protests-organized-by-german-cell | url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
== Africa ==<br />
=== Ivory Coast ===<br />
Protesters destroyed a coronavirus testing centre that was being built in [[Abidjan]], which they said was in a crowded residential area too close to their homes.<ref>{{cite news|date=6 April 2020|title=Coronavirus: Ivory Coast protesters target testing centre|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-52189144|access-date=3 May 2020|archive-date=1 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200501142544/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-52189144|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Kenya ===<br />
The Kenyan government has been accused of extreme measures, with protesters accusing the [[Kenya Police|Kenyan Police]] of killing at least six people within the first 10 days of the lockdown. Others protested against the forced quarantine of individuals failing to comply with regulations or returning home from abroad, claiming that they had been quarantined for longer than 14 days and made to pay the government for their care.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Kenyans held for weeks in quarantine were then told to pay to get out|url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/coronavirus/ct-nw-nyt-kenya-quarantine-centers-20200508-sguy6zocxvbnvpbrccilweiu6m-story.html|last=Dahir|first=Abdi Latif|date=8 May 2020|website=baltimoresun.com|access-date=9 May 2020|archive-date=13 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200513222022/https://www.baltimoresun.com/coronavirus/ct-nw-nyt-kenya-quarantine-centers-20200508-sguy6zocxvbnvpbrccilweiu6m-story.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Hundreds protested on 8 May 2020 when the government destroyed 7,000 homes and a market in [[Kariobangi]] in an effort to control the virus.<ref>{{cite web |title=Kenyans protest house demolitions amid virus restrictions |url=https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/kenyans-protest-house-demolitions-amid-virus-restrictions-70575939 |website=ABC News |access-date=9 May 2020 |language=en |archive-date=9 May 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200509001511/https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/kenyans-protest-house-demolitions-amid-virus-restrictions-70575939 |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Malawi ===<br />
A [[Malawi]] high court temporarily barred the government from implementing a 21-day lockdown after it was challenged by the Human Rights Defenders Coalition, after it was argued that more consultation was needed to prevent harm to the poorest and most vulnerable. Small protests had been staged prior to the ruling, in at least three major cities with some protesters stating it was better to contract the virus than die of hunger due to lack of work.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Malawi high court blocks coronavirus lockdown|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/04/malawi-high-court-blocks-coronavirus-lockdown-200417184430403.html|date=17 April 2020|website=www.aljazeera.com|access-date=9 May 2020|archive-date=8 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200508151024/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/04/malawi-high-court-blocks-coronavirus-lockdown-200417184430403.html|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Nigeria ===<br />
A group of at least twenty coronavirus patients forced their way out of an isolation facility to protest against alleged improper care and the government's actions which they believed to worsen their conditions.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Nigeria: COVID-19 patients protest over 'ill treatment'|url=https://www.aa.com.tr/en/africa/nigeria-covid-19-patients-protest-over-ill-treatment/1830966|date=6 May 2020|website=www.aa.com.tr|access-date=9 May 2020|archive-date=10 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200510190944/https://www.aa.com.tr/en/africa/nigeria-covid-19-patients-protest-over-ill-treatment/1830966|url-status=live}}</ref> Workers at a construction site rioted against lockdown measures that limited their ability to work on constructing an [[oil refinery]] for billionaire [[Aliko Dangote]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Nigerian workers riot over Covid-19 lockdown {{!}} New Straits Times|url=https://www.nst.com.my/world/world/2020/04/588042/nigerian-workers-riot-over-covid-19-lockdown|date=27 April 2020|website=NST Online|language=en|access-date=9 May 2020|archive-date=8 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200508213859/https://www.nst.com.my/world/world/2020/04/588042/nigerian-workers-riot-over-covid-19-lockdown|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Rwanda ===<br />
Refugees that had been relocated to the country from an overcrowded refugee camp in [[Libya]], protested against the lockdown from the refugee camp in the capital [[Kigali]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Refugees Protest Under Coronavirus Lockdown in Rwanda {{!}} Voice of America - English|url=https://www.voanews.com/covid-19-pandemic/refugees-protest-under-coronavirus-lockdown-rwanda|date=17 April 2020|website=www.voanews.com|language=en|access-date=9 May 2020|archive-date=3 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200503130323/https://www.voanews.com/covid-19-pandemic/refugees-protest-under-coronavirus-lockdown-rwanda|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== South Africa ===<br />
Many residents protested against the policy that food parcel aid would only be going to households that earn below R3600, and demanded action from the South African Social Security Agency.<ref>{{Cite web|title="We are still waiting" – protesting under lockdown in South Africa|url=https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/beyond-trafficking-and-slavery/we-are-still-waiting-protesting-under-lockdown-in-south-africa/|last=Anciano|first=Fiona|date=24 April 2020|website=openDemocracy|language=en|access-date=9 May 2020|archive-date=9 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200509221138/https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/beyond-trafficking-and-slavery/we-are-still-waiting-protesting-under-lockdown-in-south-africa/|url-status=live}}</ref> Surfers have also protested to be allowed to surf during the lockdown, that allows exercise but not water activities.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Anti-lockdown protests around the world|url=https://www.reuters.com/news/picture/anti-lockdown-protests-around-the-world-idUSRTX7H61S|date=5 May 2020|website=www.reuters.com|access-date=9 May 2020|archive-date=8 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200508144737/https://www.reuters.com/news/picture/anti-lockdown-protests-around-the-world-idUSRTX7H61S|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Zimbabwe ===<br />
Three young, female opposition activists were reported missing following a protest in [[Harare]], Zimbabwe, over COVID-19 lockdown measures on 15 May 2020. They were later treated at a hospital after asserting they had been abducted and sexually abused by suspected state security agents.<ref>{{cite web |title=Zimbabwe police accused of assaulting young female activists |url=https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/zimbabwe-police-accused-assaulting-young-female-activists-70701508 |website=ABC News |access-date=5 June 2020 |language=en |archive-date=5 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200605190822/https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/zimbabwe-police-accused-assaulting-young-female-activists-70701508 |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
== Asia ==<br />
<br />
=== China (mainland) ===<br />
{{Main|2022 COVID-19 protests in China}}<br />
[[File:西南交通大学学生悼念乌鲁木齐火灾逝者 10.jpg|alt=Students at Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu, holding a candlelight vigil for victims of the fire. The candles are arranged in a heart shape. The faces of students are blurred to protect anonymity.|thumb|Students at [[Southwest Jiaotong University]], [[Chengdu]], holding a candlelight vigil for victims of the [[2022 Ürümqi fire|fire in Ürümqi]].]]<br />
<br />
Small shop owners protested the continuation of rent charges outside of the Grand Ocean Department Store in Wuhan, chanting "Exempt rental for a year, or refund the lease". Videos from the demonstration were posted in the social media platform [[Sina Weibo]] but quickly censored.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international/world-news/wuhan-rent-protest-shows-unrest-brewing-in-china-after-lockdown/articleshow/75080074.cms?from=mdr |title=covid 19: Wuhan rent protest shows unrest brewing in China after lockdown - The Economic Times |publisher=Economictimes.indiatimes.com |access-date=30 April 2020 |archive-date=10 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200910133541/https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international/world-news/wuhan-rent-protest-shows-unrest-brewing-in-china-after-lockdown/articleshow/75080074.cms?from=mdr |url-status=live }}</ref> A woman was arrested and facing criminal charges after attempting to rally about 100 people to protest the poor management and overpriced provisions during the lockdown. She was charged with "[[picking quarrels and provoking trouble]]", an offense normally used to detain dissidents and social activists.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Chinese woman charged with organising protests during coronavirus lockdown|url=https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3080590/coronavirus-lockdown-woman-charged-organising-protests-against|last=Huang|first=Kristin|date=19 April 2020|website=South China Morning Post|language=en|access-date=1 May 2020|archive-date=2 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200502204312/https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3080590/coronavirus-lockdown-woman-charged-organising-protests-against|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
In 2022, public protests and marches began in cities such as [[Ürümqi]] and [[Guangzhou]] in response to the continued zero-COVID policy of the [[Government of China|Chinese government]] under [[Xi Jinping Administration]].<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Chien |first1=Amy Chang |last2=Che |first2=Chang |last3=Liu |first3=John |last4=Mozur |first4=Paul |date=2022-11-25 |title=In a challenge to Beijing, unrest over COVID lockdowns spreads |url=https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2022/11/25/asia-pacific/china-covid-lockdown-unrest/ |access-date=2022-11-27 |website=The Japan Times |language=en-US}}</ref> In Shanghai, some protesters among hundreds had chanted "Step down, [[Xi Jinping]]! Step down, [[Chinese Communist Party|Communist Party]]!"<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-11-27 |title=Protests erupt across China in unprecedented challenge to Xi Jinping's zero-Covid policy |url=https://www.cnn.com/2022/11/26/china/china-protests-xinjiang-fire-shanghai-intl-hnk/index.html |access-date=2022-11-27 |website=[[CNN]] |language=en}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Hong Kong ===<br />
[[File:Protest against Designated Clinics in TSW North 20200215.png|thumb|Protest against plans to set up designated coronavirus clinics near residential areas in [[Hong Kong]] on 15 February 2020]]<br />
{{Main|2019–20 Hong Kong protests#COVID-19 crisis}}<br />
Pro-democratic movement's tactics were repurposed to pressure the government to take stronger actions to safeguard Hong Kong's [[public health]] in the face of the [[2020 coronavirus outbreak in Hong Kong|coronavirus outbreak in Hong Kong]]. Protesters demanded all travellers coming from China be banned from entering Hong Kong. From 3 to 7 February 2020, hospital staff launched a labour strike with the same goal. The strike was not successful as [[Carrie Lam]] rejected a full border closure.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://hongkongfp.com/2020/10/14/covid-19-hong-kong-hospital-authority-demands-answers-from-radiologists-after-unit-head-refuses-name-medics-who-went-on-strike/|title=Covid-19: Hong Kong Hospital Authority demands answers from radiologists after unit head refuses to name medics who went on strike|first=Kelly|last=Ho|work=[[Hong Kong Free Press]]|date=2020-10-14|access-date=2021-11-06|archive-date=6 September 2021|archive-url=https://archive.today/20210906153555/https://hongkongfp.com/2020/10/14/covid-19-hong-kong-hospital-authority-demands-answers-from-radiologists-after-unit-head-refuses-name-medics-who-went-on-strike/|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
People responded negatively to the government's attempt to set up quarantine and clinical centres in neighbourhoods close to residents and marched to express their discontent or blocked roads to thwart the government's plans across the territory.{{citation needed|date=August 2021}}<br />
<br />
=== India ===<br />
{{see also|Indian migrant workers during the COVID-19 pandemic}}<br />
After the televised announcement by Prime Minister [[Narendra Modi]] that the lockdown was to be extended until at least 3 May, police used batons to disperse protesting migrant workers in [[Mumbai]]. Thousands of jobless migrant workers had gathered at railway stations and were demanding to be allowed to break the lockdown to return home.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-southasia-idUSKCN21W0HI|title=India extends world's biggest lockdown, ignites protest by migrant workers|newspaper=Reuters|date=14 April 2020|via=reuters.com|last1=Jain|first1=Sanjeev Miglani|access-date=27 April 2020|archive-date=26 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200426093055/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-southasia-idUSKCN21W0HI|url-status=live}}</ref> Similar protests were seen in other parts of the country by the workers, and those who claimed that they received no aid which was promised by the government to provide them with during the lockdown period.<br />
<br />
In the state of [[Meghalaya]] anti mandatory vaccination protesters organised a rally in the capital city Shillong against the alleged mandatory inoculation drive by the state government.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Amid rising Covid cases, anti-vaccine protesters rally in Meghalaya |url=http://www.dtnext.in/amp/News/National/2022/01/23082638/1340071/Amid-rising-Covid-cases-antivaccine-protesters-rally-.vpf |access-date=2022-03-24 |website=dtNext.in |language=ta}}{{dead link|date=November 2022|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref><br />
<br />
In State of Maharashtra similar anti mandatory mask and anti mandatory mask protest were held.<ref>{{Citation |title=Worldwide Demonstration: People protest against mandatory vaccinations, lockdowns |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9V83n4_VIAI |language=en |access-date=2022-04-17}}</ref><br />
<br />
Several legal cases were filed in multiple [[high courts of India]] and the Supreme Court of India against mandatory masking and vaccinations.<ref>{{Cite news |agency=Press Trust of India |date=2022-03-02 |title='Unfortunate': HC on mandatory vaccine for Maharashtra public transport |work=Business Standard India |url=https://www.business-standard.com/article/current-affairs/unfortunate-hc-on-mandatory-vaccine-for-maharashtra-public-transport-122030200974_1.html |access-date=2022-04-17}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Roy |first=Debayan |title=[COVID-19] Supreme Court reserves verdict in plea challenging coercive vaccination |url=https://www.barandbench.com/news/covid-19-supreme-court-reserves-verdict-in-plea-against-coercive-vaccination |access-date=2022-04-17 |website=Bar and Bench - Indian Legal news |date=22 March 2022 |language=en}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Indonesia ===<br />
{{Main|Indonesia omnibus law protests}}<br />
[[File:Indonesia omnibus law protests Okt 2020 in Padang.jpg|thumb|Protest in [[Padang]] on 7 October 2020]]<br />
On 5 October 2020, Indonesia has passed a [[Omnibus Law on Job Creation|law on job creation]] that will weaken environmental protections and workers’ rights in an attempt to boost the economy hit hard by the [[COVID-19 pandemic|Wuhan pneumonia pandemic]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/world/breakingnews/3313101|title=國會通過爭議性法案 印尼各地發起罷工示威|work=Liberty Times|date=6 October 2020|access-date=6 October 2020|language=zh-tw|archive-date=9 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201009193945/https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/world/breakingnews/3313101|url-status=live}}</ref> On 6 October, thousands of Indonesians protest in industrial areas around Jakarta including Tangerang and Karawang and on [[Batam]]. A three-day national strike was started which unions expected to involve two million workers in protest against the law.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-indonesia-economy-law/thousands-of-indonesians-protest-against-passage-of-jobs-bill-idUSKBN26R0ZG|title=Thousands of Indonesians protest against passage of jobs bill|work=Reuters|date=6 October 2020|access-date=6 October 2020|archive-date=6 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201006164032/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-indonesia-economy-law/thousands-of-indonesians-protest-against-passage-of-jobs-bill-idUSKBN26R0ZG|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
Demonstrations in Bandung and Jakarta were held on 22 July and 24 July respectively in order to protest the extension of the government's "social activities restriction" (PPKM/CARE) measures.<ref>{{cite AV media |date=24 July 2021 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSLqONzbUmU |title=BERITA TERBARU ~DEMO PPKM DI JAKARTA~BERITA VIRAL HARI INI |publisher=KABAR MILITER |via=[[YouTube]] |access-date=7 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210724074608/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSLqONzbUmU |archive-date=24 July 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite AV media |date=21 July 2021 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jfSIwIX2zHY |title=Dinilai Merugikan, Warga Bandung Berunjuk Rasa Tolak PPKM Darurat {{!}} Fokus |publisher=[[Indosiar]] |via=[[YouTube]] |access-date=7 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210725025445/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jfSIwIX2zHY |archive-date=25 July 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite AV media |date=21 July 2021 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3gYGWz13weU |title=Demo Tolak PPKM Darurat Berakhir Ricuh |publisher=[[CNN Indonesia]] |via=[[YouTube]] |access-date=7 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210725235748/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3gYGWz13weU |archive-date=25 July 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite AV media |date=23 July 2021 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPP4PpT6Pnw |title=Demo Mahasiswa Tolak Kebijakan PPKM Darurat di Flyover Pasar Rebo Berujung Ricuh |publisher=KOMPASTV |via=[[YouTube]] |access-date=7 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210724074614/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPP4PpT6Pnw |archive-date=24 July 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite AV media |date=24 July 2021 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mqzlX1oLNNI |title=Demo Tolak PPKM hari ini dijakarta pusat |publisher=Echa mahkota |via=[[YouTube]] |access-date=7 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210725234934/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mqzlX1oLNNI |archive-date=25 July 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref>{{excessive citations inline|date=August 2021}}<br />
<br />
=== Israel ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 protests in Israel}}<br />
In April 2020, thousands of Israelis engaged in [[social distancing]] while gathering to protest against the perceived anti-democratic measures in the country by Prime Minister [[Benjamin Netanyahu]]. Many were involved in the Black Flag movement which had been allowed to protest by police if they stood six feet apart and all wore masks. An earlier protest had seen the protesters drive to [[Jerusalem]] to protest anti-democratic measures.<ref>{{cite web |last=Rosner |first=Elizabeth |url=https://nypost.com/2020/04/20/israelis-practice-social-distancing-at-tel-aviv-protest/ |title=Israelis maintain social distancing while protesting Netanyahu |date=20 April 2020 |publisher=Nypost.com |access-date=27 April 2020 |archive-date=24 April 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200424070815/https://nypost.com/2020/04/20/israelis-practice-social-distancing-at-tel-aviv-protest/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Other demonstrations have been seen in the ultra-[[Orthodox Judaism|Orthodox]] Jerusalem neighborhood of [[Mea Shearim]] with men and youths throwing rocks at police before being arrested.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Police clash with stone-throwing Haredi protesters in Jerusalem, 5 arrested|url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/police-clash-with-stone-throwing-haredi-protesters-in-jerusalem-5-arrested/|date=20 April 2020|website=www.timesofisrael.com|language=en-US|access-date=1 May 2020|archive-date=26 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200426143227/https://www.timesofisrael.com/police-clash-with-stone-throwing-haredi-protesters-in-jerusalem-5-arrested/|url-status=live}}</ref> Riots broke out in [[Bnei Brak]] with crowds vandalizing property and throwing rocks against police attempts to clear [[yeshiva]] classes and religious gatherings being held in violation of lockdown rules.<ref>{{Cite news|last1=Hendrix|first1=Steve|last2=Rubin|first2=Shira|date=26 January 2021|title=Violence erupts in Israel's ultra-Orthodox neighborhoods over coronavirus restrictions|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/ultra-orthodox-israel-police-covid/2021/01/25/2438e840-5ee3-11eb-a177-7765f29a9524_story.html|access-date=28 January 2021|newspaper=The Washington Post|archive-date=28 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210128111056/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/ultra-orthodox-israel-police-covid/2021/01/25/2438e840-5ee3-11eb-a177-7765f29a9524_story.html|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Iraq ===<br />
Protests against the lockdown have been coupled with the [[2019–2020 Iraqi protests|ongoing protests]] against the current government and female-targeting violence within the country.<ref>{{Cite web|title=The Iraq Report: Protest movement revives as coronavirus lockdown eased|url=https://english.alaraby.co.uk/english/indepth/2020/5/1/the-iraq-report-protest-movement-revives-as-lockdown-eased|website=alaraby|date=May 2020|language=en|access-date=1 May 2020|archive-date=4 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200504011957/https://english.alaraby.co.uk/english/indepth/2020/5/1/the-iraq-report-protest-movement-revives-as-lockdown-eased|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="WPProtests">{{cite web |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/coronavirus-protests-lebanon-india-iraq/2020/04/19/1581dde4-7e5f-11ea-84c2-0792d8591911_story.html |title=Coronavirus lockdowns prompt protests in India, Lebanon, Iraq |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=19 April 2020 |access-date=27 April 2020 |archive-date=25 April 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200425064157/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/coronavirus-protests-lebanon-india-iraq/2020/04/19/1581dde4-7e5f-11ea-84c2-0792d8591911_story.html |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Kazakhstan ===<br />
Following announcement of quarantine measures, videos of hospital staff in [[Atyrau]] protesting against new rules were spread on social media in April 2020, resulting in reporting journalists being detained.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-04-16|title=Казахстан: митинг в белых халатах|url=https://belsat.eu/ru/programs/kazahstan-miting-v-belyh-halatah/|url-status=live|access-date=2021-07-26|website=belsat.eu|language=ru|archive-date=27 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210727010145/https://belsat.eu/ru/programs/kazahstan-miting-v-belyh-halatah/}}</ref><br />
<br />
On 25 January 2021, a demonstration was held in city of [[Kokshetau]] where citizens expressed discontent with concept of compulsory vaccination against COVID-19 in which the deputy [[akim]] met with the crowd and assured them that decision whether to be vaccinated would be based on each individual's personal choice.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-01-25|title=Несколько десятков человек собрались на площади в Кокшетау|url=https://www.nur.kz/society/1895472-neskolko-desatkov-celovek-sobralis-na-plosadi-v-koksetau-foto/?|url-status=live|access-date=2021-07-27|website=www.nur.kz|language=ru|archive-date=27 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210727010148/https://www.nur.kz/society/1895472-neskolko-desatkov-celovek-sobralis-na-plosadi-v-koksetau-foto/}}</ref> in result of the government's [[COVID-19 vaccine]] mandate for all in-person employees, protests took place on 6 July 2021 in Kazakhstan where citizens demanded to stop the fines for businesspeople who refused to mandate for workers as well free [[COVID-19 testing|PCR testing]] for the unvaccinated.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Говоров|first=Георгий|date=2021-07-06|title=НГ: "Принудительной вакцинации нет" - аким Костаная встретился с участниками акции протеста|url=https://www.ng.kz/modules/news/article.php?storyid=42453#893571|url-status=live|access-date=2021-07-27|website=www.ng.kz|archive-date=27 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210727014138/https://www.ng.kz/modules/news/article.php?storyid=42453#893571}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-07-01|title=В Казахстане вводится режим обязательной вакцинации|url=https://inbusiness.kz/ru/news/v-kazahstane-vvoditsya-rezhim-obyazatelnoj-vakcinacii|url-status=live|access-date=2021-07-27|website=inbusiness.kz|language=ru|archive-date=27 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210727010147/https://inbusiness.kz/ru/news/v-kazahstane-vvoditsya-rezhim-obyazatelnoj-vakcinacii}}</ref> In [[Oral, Kazakhstan|Oral]], instructions were given out to crowd in avoiding the inoculation.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Левина|first=Мария|date=2021-07-06|title=В Уральске и Костанае прошли митинги против обязательной вакцинации|url=https://vlast.kz/novosti/45733-v-uralske-i-kostanae-prosli-mitingi-protiv-obazatelnoj-vakcinacii.html|url-status=live|access-date=2021-07-27|website=vlast.kz|language=ru|archive-date=27 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210727010148/https://vlast.kz/novosti/45733-v-uralske-i-kostanae-prosli-mitingi-protiv-obazatelnoj-vakcinacii.html}}</ref> Reports of detentions of people by the police occurred in [[Almaty]] and [[Aktobe]] that day.<ref>{{Cite news|date=2021-07-06|title=Несколько человек задержаны в Алматы и Актобе на месте анонсированных Аблязовым акций|url=https://rus.azattyq.org/a/31343878.html|url-status=live|access-date=2021-07-27|website=Радио Азаттык|language=ru|archive-date=27 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210727010146/https://rus.azattyq.org/a/31343878.html}}</ref> On 17 July, demonstrations occurred throughout the cities, where in [[Pavlodar]] hundred people gathered at the central square which was dispersed by security forces with detainees being pushed into police vans and some managing to flee the area.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-07-19|title=Митинги против обязательной вакцинации прошли в нескольких городах Казахстана|url=https://ust-kamenogorsk.city/novosti-kazakhstana/11695/|url-status=live|access-date=2021-07-27|website=ust-kamenogorsk.city|archive-date=27 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210727010147/https://ust-kamenogorsk.city/novosti-kazakhstana/11695/}}</ref> After the Kazakh government decided to raise fuel prices in the middle of the pandemic, many Kazakhs carried out [[2022 Kazakh unrest|the bloodiest riots since the collapse of the Soviet Union]].<br />
<br />
=== Lebanon ===<br />
{{See also|2019–2021 Lebanese protests}}<br />
Many protesters argued for monetary relief from the countries slumping economy after weeks of the lockdown.<ref name="WPProtests"/> At least one demonstrator died after soldiers used tear gas, batons, and live bullets to disperse a protesters in [[Tripoli, Lebanon|Tripoli]] who were throwing [[molotov cocktail]]s.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Osseiran|first1=Nazih|last2=Nissenbaum|first2=Dion|date=28 April 2020|title=Protesters in Lebanon Demand Economic Relief as Coronavirus Lockdown Eases|language=en-US|work=[[The Wall Street Journal]]|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/protesters-in-lebanon-demand-economic-relief-as-coronavirus-lockdown-eases-11588096707|access-date=1 May 2020|issn=0099-9660|archive-date=30 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200430221558/https://www.wsj.com/articles/protesters-in-lebanon-demand-economic-relief-as-coronavirus-lockdown-eases-11588096707|url-status=live}}</ref> Protesters also congregated in [[Beirut]] outside the central bank and threw rocks at the building, and took over major roads as they claimed there wasn't enough done to protect the economy and those that would suffer the most economically.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Hatoum|first1=Bassam|last2=Hussein|first2=Bilal|date=29 April 2020|title=Lockdown lifts in Lebanon, protests erupt over economic crises|work=[[The Christian Science Monitor]]|url=https://www.csmonitor.com/World/Middle-East/2020/0429/Lockdown-lifts-in-Lebanon-protests-erupt-over-economic-crises|access-date=1 May 2020|issn=0882-7729|archive-date=1 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200501054440/https://www.csmonitor.com/World/Middle-East/2020/0429/Lockdown-lifts-in-Lebanon-protests-erupt-over-economic-crises|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Malaysia ===<br />
<br />
On 31 July 2021, hundreds of protesters attempted to gather in [[Merdeka Square, Kuala Lumpur]], calling for the resignation of Prime Minister [[Muhyiddin Yassin]] over his and the Malaysian government's handling of the [[COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia|COVID-19 pandemic]].<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|title=Hundreds take to Kuala Lumpur's streets in anti-gov't protest|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/7/31/hundreds-take-to-streets-in-anti-government-protest-in-malaysia|access-date=2021-08-01|website=www.aljazeera.com|language=en|archive-date=1 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210801172936/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/7/31/hundreds-take-to-streets-in-anti-government-protest-in-malaysia|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite web|website=Deutsche Welle|title=Malaysian protesters demand PM Muhyiddin's resignation=|date=2021-07-31|url=https://www.dw.com/en/malaysian-protesters-demand-pm-muhyiddins-resignation/a-58713654|access-date=2021-08-01|language=en-GB|archive-date=1 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210801172936/https://www.dw.com/en/malaysian-protesters-demand-pm-muhyiddins-resignation/a-58713654|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Ramlan|first=Alyaa Alhadjri & Vivian Yap, Yasmin|date=2021-07-31|title=Hundreds of #Lawan protesters in KL demand PM's resignation|url=https://www.malaysiakini.com/news/585291|access-date=2021-08-01|website=Malaysiakini|language=en|archive-date=1 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210801172003/https://www.malaysiakini.com/news/585291|url-status=live}}</ref> The protests took place despite [[Malaysian movement control order|Movement Control Order (MCO)]] restrictions being in place, and Malaysian police blocking access to Merdeka Square itself.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Solhi|first=Farah|date=2021-07-31|title=#Lawan rally ends as protesters fail to get inside Dataran Merdeka {{!}} New Straits Times|url=https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2021/07/713474/lawan-rally-ends-protesters-fail-get-inside-dataran-merdeka|access-date=2021-08-01|website=NST Online|language=en|archive-date=1 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210801172004/https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2021/07/713474/lawan-rally-ends-protesters-fail-get-inside-dataran-merdeka|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Solhi|first=Farah|date=2021-07-31|title=#Lawan rally goes on despite police warning, risk of spreading Covid-19 [NSTTV] {{!}} New Straits Times|url=https://www.nst.com.my/news/crime-courts/2021/07/713455/lawan-rally-goes-despite-police-warning-risk-spreading-covid-19|access-date=2021-08-01|website=NST Online|language=en|archive-date=1 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210801173504/https://www.nst.com.my/news/crime-courts/2021/07/713455/lawan-rally-goes-despite-police-warning-risk-spreading-covid-19|url-status=live}}</ref> The anti-government protests took place following a [[2021 Malaysian state of emergency|state of emergency]] declaration, where parliament and elections were suspended, and amid an [[2020–21 Malaysian political crisis|ongoing political crisis]].<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2" /> On 2 August, including former Prime Minister [[Mahathir Mohamad]], opposition MPs held a protest in Merdeka Square after being blocked from entering Parliament by police.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-08-02|title=Police stop Malaysian opposition lawmakers from marching to Parliament|url=https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/heavy-police-presence-outside-malaysian-parliament|access-date=2021-08-02|website=The Straits Times|language=en|archive-date=2 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210802080101/https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/heavy-police-presence-outside-malaysian-parliament|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Malaysia opposition MPs gather at Merdeka Square after being blocked from entering parliament|url=https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asia/malaysia-opposition-dataran-merdeka-parliament-postponed-covid19-15360260|access-date=2021-08-02|website=CNA|language=en|archive-date=2 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210802080147/https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asia/malaysia-opposition-dataran-merdeka-parliament-postponed-covid19-15360260|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Nepal ===<br />
On 12 June 2020, hundreds of protesters gathering in the capital city [[Kathmandu]], demanding better quarantine facilities, more tests and transparency in the purchase of medical supplies to fight the crisis. Ten people have been arrested, including seven foreigners.<ref>{{cite web|author=Gopal Sharma|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-nepal/hundreds-protest-against-nepals-coronavirus-response-7-foreigners-arrested-idUSKBN23K087/|title=Hundreds protest against Nepal's coronavirus response; 7 foreigners arrested|work=Reuters|date=2020-06-13}}</ref><br />
[[File:尼泊尔最大反对党发起全国抗议活动.jpg|thumb|Protesters wave party flags of the [[Nepali Congress]] on 14 December 2020]]<br />
On 14 December 2020, the [[Nepali Congress]], Nepal's largest opposition party, launched a nationwide protest, claiming that one million people participated. This protest is mainly to criticize the government for not actively fighting the COVID-19 pandemic and for not actively preparing for holding the winter session of [[Federal Parliament of Nepal|federal parliament]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.chinanews.com/wap/detail/zw/gj/2020/12-14/9361978.shtml|title=尼泊尔最大反对党发起全国抗议活动|work=China News Service|date=2020-12-14|language=zh-cn}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Pakistan ===<br />
Dozens of doctors were arrested in [[Quetta]] after protesting the lack of safety equipment that they had been given to battle the spread of the disease.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/06/pakistan-arrests-doctors-protest-lack-coronavirus-safety-equipment |title=Pakistan arrests doctors protesting over lack of virus safety equipment &#124; World news |work=The Guardian |access-date=30 April 2020 |archive-date=7 April 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200407174034/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/06/pakistan-arrests-doctors-protest-lack-coronavirus-safety-equipment |url-status=live }}</ref> Hundreds of laborers protested against their forced layoffs due to the pandemic by gathering outside their old places of work throughout the city of Karachi.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Millions of Pakistani laborers struggle amid COVID-19 lockdown|url=https://www.aa.com.tr/en/asia-pacific/millions-of-pakistani-laborers-struggle-amid-covid-19-lockdown/1824231|last=Latif|first=Aamir|date=30 April 2020|website=www.aa.com.tr|access-date=1 May 2020|archive-date=6 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200506073132/https://www.aa.com.tr/en/asia-pacific/millions-of-pakistani-laborers-struggle-amid-covid-19-lockdown/1824231|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
Parents of students who had been studying abroad in the Chinese province of Hubei protested against the government's decision to leave the children in the area in February 2020.<ref>{{cite news|last=Raza Hassan|first=Syed|date=16 February 2020|title=Parents protest as Pakistani students stuck in China under coronavirus lockdown|language=en|work=Reuters|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-health-pakistan-idUSKBN20A0J9|access-date=1 May 2020|archive-date=25 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200525093543/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-health-pakistan-idUSKBN20A0J9|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Philippines ===<br />
{{See also|Protests against Rodrigo Duterte}}<br />
Spontaneous demonstrations were held on 1 April 2020 by a [[Quezon City]] urban poor community to protest lack of food and other assistance during the metropolitan-wide COVID-19 lockdown.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ellao |first=Janess Ann J. |date=1 April 2020 |title=Arrests in QC reveal lack of gov't support to lockdown-affected residents |url=https://www.bulatlat.com/2020/04/01/arrests-in-qc-urban-poor-reveal-lack-of-govt-support-to-lockdown-affected-residents/ |access-date=19 June 2020 |website=Bulatlat |language=en-US |archive-date=20 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200620224244/https://www.bulatlat.com/2020/04/01/arrests-in-qc-urban-poor-reveal-lack-of-govt-support-to-lockdown-affected-residents/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Police violently dispersed protesters and arrested 21 people.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=1 April 2020 |title=21 protesters demanding food aid arrested in Quezon City |url=https://www.cnnphilippines.com/news/2020/4/1/quezon-city-protesters-arrested-.html |access-date=19 June 2020 |website=CNN |language=en |archive-date=23 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200623053048/https://cnnphilippines.com/news/2020/4/1/quezon-city-protesters-arrested-.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> The city mayor and a Congress representative appealed to police to release those arrested.<ref name=":0" /><br />
<br />
In May 2020, journalists and individuals protested [[ABS-CBN franchise renewal controversy|the cease and desist order that led to the shutdown of media giant ABS-CBN]], a move that jeopardized more than 11,000 jobs and prevented the broadcast of vital information about the pandemic. More protests were held after the House of Representatives junked ABS-CBN's application for a legislative franchise.{{citation needed|date=August 2021}}<br />
<br />
Jeepney drivers rendered jobless by the COVID-19 emergency protested in Caloocan on 3 June 2020. Six protesters were arrested and jailed for a few days to one week.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Lalu |first=Gabriel Pabico |date=18 June 2020 |title=2 of jailed Piston 6 protesters test positive for COVID-19 |url=https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1293906/2-of-jailed-piston-6-protesters-test-positive-for-covid-19 |access-date=19 June 2020 |website=Inquirer |language=en |archive-date=18 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200618141148/https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1293906/2-of-jailed-piston-6-protesters-test-positive-for-covid-19 |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
Several groups held protests nationwide to coincide with the commemoration of Philippine Independence on 12 June 2020.<ref>{{Cite web |date=11 June 2020 |title=LIST: 'Grand mañanita' and other Independence Day 2020 activities |url=http://www.rappler.com/move-ph/263498-list-mananita-other-activities-independence-day-2020 |access-date=19 June 2020 |website=Rappler |language=en |archive-date=13 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200613072615/https://www.rappler.com/move-ph/263498-list-mananita-other-activities-independence-day-2020 |url-status=live }}</ref> Among these was the "Grand Mañanita" protest at the [[University of the Philippines]] in Quezon City. The Grand Mañanita protested the [[Philippine government response to the COVID-19 pandemic|government's response to the COVID-19 crisis]] and Congress' passage of a controversial [[Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020|anti-terror bill]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Gonzales |first=Cathrine |date=12 June 2020 |title=Look: 'Grand mañanita' protest on Independence Day |url=https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1290437/look-grand-mananita-protest-on-independence-day |access-date=19 June 2020 |website=INQUIRER.net |language=en |archive-date=19 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200619173237/https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1290437/look-grand-mananita-protest-on-independence-day |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
On 16 July 2021, health workers held a protest in front of the headquarters of [[Department of Health (Philippines)|Department of Health]] (DOH) where they threw tomatoes at the logo of the DOH.<ref>{{cite news |title=DOH, binato ng kamatis |url=https://web.facebook.com/News5Everywhere/videos/3941239406004582/ |access-date=23 September 2021 |work=News5 |date=July 16, 2021 |via=Facebook |archive-date=22 December 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211222175651/https://www.facebook.com/News5Everywhere/videos/3941239406004582/?_rdc=1&_rdr |url-status=live }}</ref> On 30 August, 1 September and 24 November 2021,<ref>{{cite news |title='Ginagawa kaming bobo': Health workers patuloy ang paghahabol sa benepisyo {{!}} TV Patrol |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9slZiNABZMA&ab_channel=ABS-CBNNews |access-date=28 November 2021 |work=ABS-CBN News |archive-date=28 November 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211128054313/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9slZiNABZMA&ab_channel=ABS-CBNNews |url-status=live }}</ref> health workers from various hospitals in Metro Manila held a protest at the DOH headquarters over nonpayment of their salaries and benefits and demanding Duque (and Duterte) to resign over the handling of the COVID-19 pandemic in the country.<ref>{{cite news |title='We have nothing to celebrate': Health workers protest as Duterte calls frontliners 'new breed of heroes' |url=https://www.cnnphilippines.com/news/2021/8/30/health-workers-protest-National-Heroes-Day.html |access-date=1 September 2021 |work=CNN Philippines |archive-date=1 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210901033613/https://www.cnnphilippines.com/news/2021/8/30/health-workers-protest-National-Heroes-Day.html |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=On Heroes' Day, health workers protest over unreleased benefits |url=https://www.rappler.com/nation/health-workers-protest-unreleased-benefit30-august-2021 |access-date=1 September 2021 |work=Rappler }}{{dead link|date=August 2023|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Underpaid health workers walk out, call for Duque resignation at mass protests |url=https://www.rappler.com/nation/health-workers-walk-out-jobs-mass-protests-duque-1-september-2021 |access-date=1 September 2021 |work=Rappler }}{{dead link|date=August 2023|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Thailand ===<br />
{{main|2020 Thai protests}}<br />
[[File:เยาวชนปลดแอก ประท้วง กรุงเทพ 18 กรกฎาคม 2563 Free Youth Protest at Bangkok 18 July 2020 (Night).jpg|thumb|Demonstrations at the [[Democracy Monument]], [[Bangkok]] at night]]<br />
On 18 July, Thailand saw the largest street demonstration since the [[2014 Thai coup d'état]] at the [[Democracy Monument]] in [[Bangkok]] with around 2,500 protesters. The protesters, organised under the name Free Youth ({{langx|th|เยาวชนปลดแอก}}; yaowachon plod aek), announced three demands: dissolution of the House, stop threatening the people and drafting of a new constitution. The event was triggered by the failed economy due to [[COVID-19 pandemic in Thailand|pandemic]], and unjustified implementation of the COVID-19 acts that were heavily criticised as being a tool against any possible protest. The situation erupted after two COVID-19 cases; an Egyptian soldier in [[Rayong Province]], and a Sudanese diplomat's daughter in [[Khet Watthana|Asok neighbourhood]] of [[Bangkok]], were tested positive earlier on 15 July. Both were excepted from COVID-19's travel restrictions and containment. Many criticised on both the government's failure to contain the disease from these VIPs, and its failure to boost the heavily affected tourism industry in [[Rayong Province]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=18 July 2020 |title=Thai protesters call for government to resign |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-thailand-protests/thai-protesters-call-for-government-to-resign-idUSKCN24J0HN |access-date=20 July 2020 |website=[[Reuters]] |language=en |archive-date=19 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200719182550/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-thailand-protests/thai-protesters-call-for-government-to-resign-idUSKCN24J0HN |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=18 July 2020 |url=https://www.bbc.com/thai/thailand-53456468 |title="เยาวชนปลดแอก" ยุติการชุมนุมก่อนเที่ยงคืน อ้างความปลอดภัย สรุปบรรยากาศจากเริ่มจนจบ |access-date=20 July 2020 |website=[[BBC]] Thai |language=th |archive-date=19 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201019153040/https://www.bbc.com/thai/thailand-53456468 |url-status=live }}</ref> The protesters demanded the government to accept within two weeks, or face larger demonstrations.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2020-07-18 |title=Thai protesters call for government to resign |language=en |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-thailand-protests-idUSKCN24J0HN |access-date=2022-08-04}}</ref><br />
<br />
Later on 19 July, several protests erupted in [[Chiang Mai Province]] and [[Ubon Ratchathani Province]].<ref>{{Cite news |date=20 July 2020 |title=Chiang Mai, Ubon rally against Prayut, government |url=https://www.bangkokpost.com/learning/easy/1954343/chiang-mai-ubon-rally-against-prayut-government?cx_placement=related#cxrecs_s |access-date=20 July 2020 |website=[[Bangkok Post]] |language=en }}</ref><br />
<br />
===Vietnam===<br />
There have been many protests broke out in some localities in Vietnam to protest against the anti-epidemic policy, as well as to call on the government to support people during the pandemic.<br />
<br />
On August 22, 2021, workers at an isolation area in [[Binh Duong]] province conducted a riot, smashed, and prevented a pregnant woman from going to the emergency room.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.hosodanchu.com/2021/08/bao-loan-ap-pha-o-binh-duong-ke-cam.html | title=Bạo loạn, đập phá ở Bình Dương: Kẻ cầm tuýp sắt, người hôi của }}</ref><br />
<br />
On August 27, some people in [[Ho Chi Minh City]] reacted because they had not received local support money and the clip of this incident was posted on social networks. The government has forced "hostile forces to plot to incite demonstrations and fight against social distancing".<ref>{{cite web | url=https://cand.com.vn/Chong-dien-bien-hoa-binh/canh-giac-muu-do-kich-dong-bieu-tinh-chong-pha-gian-cach-xa-hoi-i627958/ | title=Cảnh giác mưu đồ kích động biểu tình, chống phá giãn cách xã hội }}</ref><br />
<br />
On October 1, 2021, people in Ho Chi Minh City protested, attacking police at a checkpoint on the outskirts of the city to open the door for people to return to their hometown. A day later, Vietnamese netizens spread images of police forces and militiamen using sticks to beat protesters in Binh Duong with the purpose of breaking the gate to return to their hometown. The local government then stated to verify the incident, at the same time accused people of rioting and attacking the police.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.bbc.com/vietnamese/vietnam-58775235 | title=Bình Dương: Muốn về quê, xô xát giữa dân và cảnh sát | newspaper=BBC News Tiếng Việt }}</ref><br />
<br />
In mid-October, after the dogs of a household in [[Ca Mau]] province were culled due to suspicion of being infected with the COVID-19 virus, there were many online calls for people to protest against the anti pandemic policies from the government.<br />
<br />
In November 2021, those present at the funeral of Mr. Duong Van Minh, a [[Hmong people|Hmong]] man, clashed with police after police and local medical staff asked those present at the funeral to disperse. due to fears of an outbreak. Mr. Duong Van Minh is the founder of the religious organization that bears his name, which is considered a [[heresy]] by Vietnamese authorities.<br />
<br />
From October 2022, a year after the end of social distancing due to the pandemic, many customers of Sai Gon Joint Stock Commercial Bank (SCB), one of Vietnam's major banks, protested at the bank branch to request a refund of a customer's [[bond (finance)|bond]] purchase. The protests were considered to be motivated by the difficult economic and financial situation of the people after the pandemic.<br />
<br />
== Europe ==<br />
[[File:Men In Black protest in Copenhagen.jpg|thumb|Anti-lockdown demonstration in [[Rådhuspladsen]], [[Copenhagen]], 27 March 2021]]<br />
<br />
=== Austria ===<br />
The newly created [[MFG Austria – People Freedom Fundamental Rights|Fundamental Rights Party]] (MFG), has been planning recent anti-lockdown protests in Austria. The group compared Covid restrictions with "Nazi rule". The country's third largest political party, the [[Freedom Party of Austria]] (FPÖ), has also strongly condemned the Covid restrictions, and its new leader, [[Herbert Kickl]], has pushed misleading and false views of the virus, including claims that the vaccination programme is really a "genetic experiment".<ref>{{Cite news|date=2021-11-27|title=Covid: Conspiracy and untruths drive Europe's Covid protests|language=en-GB|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/59390968|access-date=2021-12-26}}</ref> Kickl urged a public crowd to reject compulsory vaccinations. Fifteen thousand people later rallied at the Heldenplatz square in Vienna to protest against the anti-Covid measures and were later joined by thousands more, with approximately 44,000 people taking part in the rally in total.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-12-12|title=Thousands protest against coronavirus measures in Vienna|url=https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3159367/thousands-austrians-take-streets-protest-against-coronavirus|access-date=2021-12-26|website=South China Morning Post|language=en}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Belgium ===<br />
On 31 January 2021, police in [[Brussels]] said they had arrested more than 400 people to prevent a banned protest of anti-COVID-19 measures.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.dw.com/en/coronavirus-digest-brussels-police-detain-hundreds-of-anti-lockdown-protesters/a-56394523|title=Coronavirus digest: Brussels police detain hundreds of anti-lockdown protesters &#124; DW &#124; 31.01.2021|website=DW.COM|access-date=18 July 2021|archive-date=8 June 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210608133756/https://www.dw.com/en/coronavirus-digest-brussels-police-detain-hundreds-of-anti-lockdown-protesters/a-56394523|url-status=live}}</ref> On 21 November 2021, about 35,000 people in the streets of [[Brussels]] took part in demonstration, which began peaceful before violence broke out. Waving nationalist flags of [[Flanders]] and banners against the more restrictive rules for the unvaccinated, several people hidden by hoods also attacked some police cars. At least two officers and one protester were injured. Protesters threw stones at police as they advanced with water cannon at the main junction in front of the European Union Commission headquarters. Protesters also threw smoke bombs and fireworks, the newspaper ''[[Le Soir]]'' reported. The situation calmed down later, police said.<ref>{{Cite news|url = https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/around-35000-protest-against-covid-restrictions-brussels-police-say-2021-11-21/|title = Clashes break out in Brussels in protests over coronavirus restrictions|newspaper = Reuters|date = 21 November 2021|access-date = 24 November 2021|archive-date = 24 November 2021|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20211124001253/https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/around-35000-protest-against-covid-restrictions-brussels-police-say-2021-11-21/|url-status = live}}</ref><br />
<br />
* [[2022 Brussels protest|January 2022 Brussels protest]]<br />
<br />
=== Belarus ===<br />
{{Main|2020-2021 Belarusian protests}}<br />
In May 2020, a lowered approval of [[authoritarianism|authoritarian]] president [[Alexander Lukashenko]] amid [[COVID-19 pandemic in Belarus|his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic]] led to street protests against his government. Mass protests erupted across Belarus following the August [[2020 Belarusian presidential election]] which was marred by allegations of widespread [[electoral fraud]].{{citation needed|date=August 2021}}<br />
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=== Bosnia and Herzegovina ===<br />
On 6 April 2021, anti-governmental protests "Fight for Life" were held by a group of citizens and activists in Bosnia and Herzegovina's capital [[Sarajevo]] in front of the [[Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina|Parliamentary Assembly]] and the [[Government of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina|Federal Government]], seeking resignations from [[Chairman of the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina|Chairman of the Council of Ministers]] [[Zoran Tegeltija]] and [[List of prime ministers of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina|Federal Prime Minister]] [[Fadil Novalić]], due to lack of leadership during the [[COVID-19 pandemic in Bosnia and Herzegovina]] and late procurement of [[COVID-19 vaccine]]s for the country.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.klix.ba/vijesti/bih/protesti-u-sarajevu-gradjani-ispred-vlade-fbih-skandiraju-ostavke-i-paraziti-napolje/210406028|title=Protesti u Sarajevu: Građani ispred Vlade FBiH skandiraju "Ostavke" i "Paraziti napolje"|date=6 April 2021|access-date=6 April 2021|language=bs|author=D. Be.|publisher=Klix.ba|archive-date=6 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210406110442/https://www.klix.ba/vijesti/bih/protesti-u-sarajevu-gradjani-ispred-vlade-fbih-skandiraju-ostavke-i-paraziti-napolje/210406028|url-status=live}}</ref> Further anti-governmental protests were held eleven days later, on 17 April as well.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.klix.ba/vijesti/bih/zavrseni-protesti-gradjana-u-sarajevu-na-potezu-su-parlamentarci-rok-je-1-maj/210417035|title=Završeni protesti građana u Sarajevu: Na potezu su parlamentarci, rok je 1. maj|date=17 April 2021|access-date=17 April 2021|language=bs|author=N.V.|publisher=Klix.ba|archive-date=17 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210417105301/https://www.klix.ba/vijesti/bih/zavrseni-protesti-gradjana-u-sarajevu-na-potezu-su-parlamentarci-rok-je-1-maj/210417035|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Bulgaria ===<br />
{{Main|2020–2021 Bulgarian protests}}<br />
On 30 March 2020 The Bulgarian Health Ministry issued an order that made not wearing a face mask in public punishable by law at a time when no masks were available for purchasing in the country. After strong public unrest, the order was recalled on the following day<ref>{{Cite web|title=Министър Ананиев отменя заповедта си за задължително носене на маски до постигане на консенсус|url=https://dariknews.bg/novini/bylgariia/vryshtat-maskite-na-zakrito-stavat-zadylzhitelni-v-magazina-i-v-ofisa-2230448|date=31 March 2020|access-date=8 October 2020|website=dariknews.bg|language=bg|archive-date=15 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210515043118/https://dariknews.bg/novini/bylgariia/vryshtat-maskite-na-zakrito-stavat-zadylzhitelni-v-magazina-i-v-ofisa-2230448|url-status=live}}</ref> and re-instated yet again later, with some modifications.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Връщат маските на закрито - стават задължителни в магазина и в офиса|url=https://dariknews.bg/novini/bylgariia/ananiev-otmeni-zapovedta-za-zadylzhitelnite-maski-2219522|date=22 June 2020|access-date=8 October 2020|website=dariknews.bg|language=bg|archive-date=9 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201009015757/https://dariknews.bg/novini/bylgariia/ananiev-otmeni-zapovedta-za-zadylzhitelnite-maski-2219522|url-status=live}}</ref> A small protest took place on 19 April 2020 in [[Sofia]] against the measures to combat the [[COVID-19 pandemic in Bulgaria|COVID-19 pandemic]], with many of the participants expressing concerns about their livelihoods.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Протест в София срещу мерките за ограничаване на коронавируса|url=https://www.mediapool.bg/protest-v-sofiya-sreshtu-merkite-za-ogranichavane-na-koronavirusa-news306375.html|date=19 April 2020|access-date=3 September 2020|website=mediapool.bg|language=bg|archive-date=21 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201021082108/https://www.mediapool.bg/protest-v-sofiya-sreshtu-merkite-za-ogranichavane-na-koronavirusa-news306375.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Protests with an [[Anti-vaccine activism|anti-vax]] slant that also demanded the resignation of the government, organized by the [[Revival (Bulgarian political party)|Vazrazhdane]] party,<ref>{{Cite web|title=8 арестувани на протеста в София (ВИДЕО+СНИМКИ)|url=https://nova.bg/news/view/2020/05/14/287916/8-%D0%B0%D1%80%D0%B5%D1%81%D1%82%D1%83%D0%B2%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%B8-%D0%BD%D0%B0-%D0%BF%D1%80%D0%BE%D1%82%D0%B5%D1%81%D1%82%D0%B0-%D0%B2-%D1%81%D0%BE%D1%84%D0%B8%D1%8F-%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE%D1%81%D0%BD%D0%B8%D0%BC%D0%BA%D0%B8/|date=14 May 2020|access-date=3 September 2020|website=nova.bg|language=bg|archive-date=24 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200524113735/https://nova.bg/news/view/2020/05/14/287916/8-%D0%B0%D1%80%D0%B5%D1%81%D1%82%D1%83%D0%B2%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%B8-%D0%BD%D0%B0-%D0%BF%D1%80%D0%BE%D1%82%D0%B5%D1%81%D1%82%D0%B0-%D0%B2-%D1%81%D0%BE%D1%84%D0%B8%D1%8F-%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE%D1%81%D0%BD%D0%B8%D0%BC%D0%BA%D0%B8/|url-status=live}}</ref> were held in May and June, resulting in a few arrests, but did not see a significant turnout.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Протест на антиваксъри в София|url=https://www.vesti.bg/bulgaria/protest-na-antivaksyri-v-sofiia-6110588|date=6 June 2020|access-date=3 September 2020|author=Kirov, Nikolay|website=vesti.bg|language=bg|archive-date=26 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200726135130/https://www.vesti.bg/bulgaria/protest-na-antivaksyri-v-sofiia-6110588|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
Public disapproval grew during the pandemic and reached a spontaneous culmination on 9 July 2020 after a police raid on the Presidency of Bulgaria in what was perceived as an attack against President [[Rumen Radev]], a vocal critic of prime minister [[Boyko Borisov]], who has been in power since 2009,<ref>{{Cite web|date=9 July 2020|title=Raids Worsen Bulgarian President's Spat With Prosecutor|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-07-09/bulgarian-police-raid-president-radev-s-offices|access-date=15 July 2020|website=Bloomberg.com|archive-date=1 February 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210201190554/https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-07-09/bulgarian-police-raid-president-radev-s-offices|url-status=live}}</ref> and the long-standing grievances against endemic corruption and [[state capture]]. Daily demonstrations were held in the country's capital [[Sofia]] until April 2021, though the number of protesters dwindled during the autumn and winter months when the country was heavily affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.<ref>{{Cite web|title=88-а вечер на протести в София: Призоваха за атаки срещу офисите на управляващата коалиция (Снимки)|url=https://www.24chasa.bg/novini/article/9082543|date=4 October 2020|access-date=8 October 2020|website=24chasa.bg|language=bg|archive-date=22 December 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211222175752/https://www.24chasa.bg/novini/article/9082543|url-status=live}}</ref> On 12 January 2022, Vazrazhdane organized a large demonstration against the COVID green certificates for indoor spaces, during which protest participants attempted to make their way into the National Parliament.<ref name="VazrazhdaneProtestGreenCertificateJanuary2022">{{cite news | title=Поддръжници на "Възраждане" се опитаха да нахлуят в парламента| work=mediapool.bg |author= |language=Bulgarian|url=https://www.mediapool.bg/poddrazhnitsi-na-vazrazhdane-se-opitaha-da-nahluyat-v-parlamenta-news331009.html| date=12 January 2022|access-date=10 February 2022 }}</ref> On 23 February 2022, the party held another protest with the same focus.<ref name="VazrazhdaneFollowUpProtestGreenCertificateFebruary2022">{{cite news | title="Възраждане" приветства поетапното отпадане на зеления сертификат, протестът обаче остава| work=dariknews.bg |author= |language=Bulgarian|url=https://dariknews.bg/novini/bylgariia/vyzrazhdane-privetstva-poetapnoto-otpadane-na-zeleniia-sertifikat-protestyt-obache-ostava-2301183| date=21 February 2022|access-date=2 April 2022 }}</ref><br />
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=== Czechia ===<br />
In late 2020 and during 2021, many anti-responses protests occurred as the pandemic situation in country worsened and measures, often legally unsubstantiated, were prolonged. Protesters demanded revoking of the restrictions such as gathering limitations or pubs closure. Many of them also refused face-masks wearing, which gave them a nickname "anti-rouškaři", meaning "mask-refusers". The most violent incident occurred on 18 October in Prague, when group of radical protesters, including football hooligans, clashed with police forces after protest was dissolved due to violations of hygienic measures. 20 officers were injured as well as unknown number of protesters. 144 persons were arrested. This is in contrast with mostly peaceful protests which are typical in Czechia. Since then, police has changed a tactics to document offences rather than doing large maneuvers to disperse crowds.<br />
<ref>{{cite web|date=18 October 2020|title=Demonstrace proti vládním opatřením se změnila v potyčky s těžkooděnci. Policie zadržela přes 100 lidí|url=https://www.irozhlas.cz/zpravy-domov/praha-protesty-koronavirus-fotbalovy-fanousci-demonstrace-staromestske-namesti_2010181508_tkr|url-status=live|access-date=12 June 2021|archive-date=31 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201031010343/https://www.irozhlas.cz/zpravy-domov/praha-protesty-koronavirus-fotbalovy-fanousci-demonstrace-staromestske-namesti_2010181508_tkr}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|date=31 January 2021|title=Na Václavském náměstí demonstrovaly stovky lidí proti omezením|url=https://www.ceskenoviny.cz/zpravy/na-vaclavskem-namesti-demonstrovaly-stovky-lidi-proti-omezenim/1989855|url-status=live|access-date=12 June 2021|archive-date=8 October 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211008164748/https://www.ceskenoviny.cz/zpravy/na-vaclavskem-namesti-demonstrovaly-stovky-lidi-proti-omezenim/1989855}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Šplíchal|first=Pavel|date=25 February 2021|title=Antirouškaři jsou ti nejtrapnější disidenti. Jako poslední věří vládě|url=https://a2larm.cz/2021/02/antirouskari-jsou-ti-nejtrapnejsi-disidenti-jako-posledni-veri-vlade/|access-date=12 June 2021}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== France ===<br />
{{Main|Yellow vests protests|French freedom convoy|2021–2022 social unrest in the French West Indies}}<br />
<br />
The [[Paris]] suburb [[Villeneuve-la-Garenne]] saw riots in April 2020, partly about the strains of the [[COVID-19 pandemic in France|coronavirus outbreak]] and lockdown on working-class families, often immigrants, who live in small apartments in crowded public housing buildings. Many have reported that in poorer neighbourhoods the policies are difficult to follow due to over crowding and cause the neighbourhoods to be impacted more than wealthier Parisians. The demonstrations have since been seen in the suburb [[Hauts-de-Seine]], and other French cities [[Toulouse]], [[Lyon]] and [[Strasbourg]].<ref>{{Cite news|last=McAuley|first=James|date=25 April 2020|title=Violent protests in Paris suburbs reflect tensions under lockdown|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/paris-suburbs-protests-villeneuve-la-garenne/2020/04/25/55f5a40c-85a1-11ea-81a3-9690c9881111_story.html|access-date=1 May 2020|newspaper=The Washington Post|language=en|archive-date=25 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200425112752/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/paris-suburbs-protests-villeneuve-la-garenne/2020/04/25/55f5a40c-85a1-11ea-81a3-9690c9881111_story.html|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
==== Vaccination obligation, sanitary pass ====<br />
The announcement of president [[Emmanuel Macron|Macron]] on 12 July 2021 of a [[COVID-19 vaccination in France|COVID-19 vaccination]] obligation for all health care workers by 15 September, as well as the obligation for people older than twelve to show a "[[COVID-19 vaccine card#France|sanitary pass]]" as of August for admittance to cafés, restaurants, cinemas, hospitals,<ref name=nrc,14jul>(Dutch) [https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2021/07/13/fransman-die-zich-niet-wil-laten-prikken-moet-maar-voelen-a4050923#/handelsblad/2021/07/14/#106 'Fransman die zich niet wil laten prikken moet maar voelen'] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210821205804/https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2021/07/13/fransman-die-zich-niet-wil-laten-prikken-moet-maar-voelen-a4050923#/handelsblad/2021/07/14/ |date=21 August 2021 }}. ''[[NRC Handelsblad]]'', 13 July 2021.</ref> senior citizens' homes, trains,<ref name=nrc,27jul>(Dutch) [https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2021/07/26/frans-parlement-stemt-in-met-nieuwe-covid-maatregelen-a4052430#/handelsblad/2021/07/27/#114 'Frans parlement stemt in met coronapaspoort en verplichte vaccinatie voor het zorgpersoneel'] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210821205804/https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2021/07/26/frans-parlement-stemt-in-met-nieuwe-covid-maatregelen-a4052430#/handelsblad/2021/07/27/ |date=21 August 2021 }}. ''[[NRC Handelsblad]]'', 26 July 2021.</ref> shopping malls,<ref>{{cite web |last1=De Fournas |first1=Marie |title=Coronavirus : Comment ça va se passer avec la fin des tests PCR et antigéniques gratuits ? |url=https://www.20minutes.fr/sante/3083303-20210713-coronavirus-comment-ca-va-passer-fin-tests-pcr-antigeniques-gratuits |website=20 Minutes |date=13 July 2021 |access-date=25 July 2021 |archive-date=25 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210725060050/https://www.20minutes.fr/sante/3083303-20210713-coronavirus-comment-ca-va-passer-fin-tests-pcr-antigeniques-gratuits |url-status=live }}</ref> and other public venues led to protests across France. The 'sanitary pass' should prove that someone is either vaccinated, has recently [[COVID-19 testing|tested negative]],<ref name=nrc,14jul/> or has recovered from [[COVID-19]].<ref name=nrc,11Aug>(Dutch) [https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2021/08/11/wij-houden-ons-hart-vast-voor-volgende-week-a4054487#/handelsblad/2021/08/12/#104 'Coronapaspoort in Frankrijk: 'Wij houden ons hart vast' '.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210821205802/https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2021/08/11/wij-houden-ons-hart-vast-voor-volgende-week-a4054487#/handelsblad/2021/08/12/ |date=21 August 2021 }} ''[[NRC Handelsblad]]'', 11 August 2021.</ref> Macron's motivation was: "We are in a new race against time", "Vaccination is the only way to protect yourself and others".<ref name=nrc,14jul/><br />
<br />
[[Marine Le Pen]], challenger of Macron in the [[2022 French presidential election]], immediately condemned the vaccination obligation as "indecent insolence" attesting of "ingratitude" towards the health care workers.<ref name=nrc,14jul/> On Wednesday 14 July, the French [[National day]] called '[[Bastille Day]]', in [[Paris]] some 2,250 people protested against these new corona restrictions. Demonstrations were also held in Toulouse, Bordeaux, Montpellier, Nantes and 48 other places, totalling around 19,000 protesters. Slogans chanted were: "Down with dictatorship", "Down with the health pass". A demonstrator equated the health pass with "segregation". Objects and fireworks were thrown at the police, who answered with tear gas and arrests.<ref>{{cite web |title=French police fire tear gas as anti-vaccine protest turns violent |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/7/15/french-police-tear-gas-as-anti-vaccine-protest-turns-violent |website=Al Jazeera |access-date=24 July 2021 |date=15 July 2021 |archive-date=23 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210723121648/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/7/15/french-police-tear-gas-as-anti-vaccine-protest-turns-violent |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
On Saturday 17 July, nationwide some 114,000 people protested against the two new measures.<ref name=nrc,1Aug/> On 24 July, some 160,000 people around France protested against the measures. Protesters chanted: "Liberty! Liberty!" Projectiles including a chair were thrown at the police in Paris, who reacted with tear gas and water cannons.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-07-24|title=French protesters reject virus passes, vaccine mandate|url=https://apnews.com/article/europe-health-coronavirus-pandemic-dc03061cb033cb4181ff5424acb9ed63|access-date=2021-07-25|website=AP NEWS|language=en|archive-date=25 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210725015129/https://apnews.com/article/europe-health-coronavirus-pandemic-dc03061cb033cb4181ff5424acb9ed63|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
On 25 July, the [[Senate (France)|French Senate]] nevertheless agreed to the measures except the pass obligation for children under 18 years old.<ref>''[[Dagblad van het Noorden]]'', 26 July 2021.</ref><br />
<br />
On 31 July, over 200,000 people nationwide protested against these plans. Thousands around [[Place de la Bastille]] in [[Paris]] chanted: ''"Liberté!"'' [Freedom!]. Signs accused Macron of being a dictator.<ref>[https://www.npr.org/2021/08/02/1023637209/protesters-say-frances-anti-virus-pass-is-a-threat-to-personal-freedoms 'Protesters Say France's Anti-Virus Pass Is A Threat To Personal Freedoms'] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210821205802/https://www.npr.org/2021/08/02/1023637209/protesters-say-frances-anti-virus-pass-is-a-threat-to-personal-freedoms |date=21 August 2021 }}. [[NPR|National Public Radio]], 2 August 2021. Retrieved 20 August 2021.</ref> A bus driver motivated his protest as: "I'm not an antivaxer (...) But this is going to fast, I want to wait and see". A hospital worker said: "These [[COVID-19 vaccine misinformation and hesitancy|vaccines are experimental]] ; there's no way I'm gonna take it".<ref name=nrc,1Aug>(Dutch) [https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2021/08/01/gele-hesjes-lopen-te-hoop-tegen-sanitaire-dictatuur-a4053244#/handelsblad/2021/08/02/#104 'Gele hesjes lopen te hoop tegen 'pasdictatuur' ' ('Yellow vests crowd together against 'pass dictatorship' ')] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210821205807/https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2021/08/01/gele-hesjes-lopen-te-hoop-tegen-sanitaire-dictatuur-a4053244#/handelsblad/2021/08/02/ |date=21 August 2021 }}. ''[[NRC Handelsblad]]'', 1 August 2021.</ref> A placard in [[Paris]] cited Macron: ' ''"Je ne rendrai pas la vaccination obligatoire", Emmanuel Macron, Novembre 2020'' ' ["I will not make vaccination obligatory", Macron, Nov. 2020]. Another: ' ''De la démocratie à la dictature il n'y a qu'un <<PASS>>'' ' [From democracy to dictatorship is only one step [or] one pass].<ref>''[[Dagblad van het Noorden]]'', 5 August 2021.</ref> Another: '<small>VACCINÉ A LA LIBERTÉ'</small> [<small>VACCINATED FOR FREEDOM</small>].<ref name=nrc,10Aug>(Dutch) [https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2021/08/10/gedwongen-vaccinatie-demonstraties-in-frankrijk-applaus-in-italie-a4054305#/handelsblad/2021/08/11/#114 'Gedwongen vaccinatie: demonstraties in Frankrijk, applaus in Italië' ('Enforced vaccination: demonstrations in France, applause in Italy')] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210821205806/https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2021/08/10/gedwongen-vaccinatie-demonstraties-in-frankrijk-applaus-in-italie-a4054305#/handelsblad/2021/08/11/ |date=21 August 2021 }}. ''[[NRC Handelsblad]]'', 10 August 2021.</ref><br />
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On Saturday 7 August, 237,000 people protested on 198 locations in France, the authorities reported. In Paris, [[Lyon]], [[Toulouse]], rioters pelted the police with all sorts of things, police reacted with tear gas and charges and arrests.<ref>''[[Dagblad van het Noorden]]'', 9 August 2021.</ref> The sanitary pass obligation came into effect on 9 August, civilians risk a fine of 135 euro for disobedience, business owners risk a 45,000 euro fine or one-year prison and the closure of their business.<ref name=nrc,11Aug /><br />
<br />
On 14 August 2021, between 200,000 and 250,000 people according to the police and the organisers have again demonstrated, on more than 200 locations in France, against the ''pass sanitaire'' and the obligated vaccination of health care personnel. Placards compared the sanitary pass with '[[Apartheid]]', people chanted slogans about the "health dictatorship". Police in Lyon used pepper spray against rioters.<ref>(Dutch) [https://www.telegraaf.nl/nieuws/456452706/live-weer-massale-protesten-tegen-franse-gezondheidsdictatuur 'Weer massale protesten tegen Franse 'gezondheidsdictatuur' ' (Again massive protests against French 'health dictatorship')] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210821205803/https://www.telegraaf.nl/nieuws/456452706/live-weer-massale-protesten-tegen-franse-gezondheidsdictatuur |date=21 August 2021 }}. ''[[De Telegraaf]]'', 14 August 2021. Retrieved 18 August 2021.</ref><br />
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Since then, these protests grew smaller ; on Saturday, 18 September 2021, the demonstrators in France against the sanitary pass and obligated vaccination counted 80,000.<ref>''[[Dagblad van het Noorden]]'', 23 September 2021.</ref><br />
<br />
===Greece===<br />
{{See also|2021 Greek protests}}<br />
The 2021 Greek protests broke out in response to a proposed government bill that would allow police presence on university campuses for the first time in decades, for which opposition groups accused the government of taking advantage of the COVID-19 lockdown to impose increasingly authoritarian measures.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://apnews.com/article/bills-athens-higher-education-greece-25de0ce9e884adba145b474d07be57d6|title=Protest gets heated ahead of campus policing vote|date=10 February 2021|publisher=[[Associated Press]]|location=[[Athens]]|access-date=2 May 2021|archive-date=12 February 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210212142808/https://apnews.com/article/bills-athens-higher-education-greece-25de0ce9e884adba145b474d07be57d6|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
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=== Georgia ===<br />
On 5 December 2021 thousands demonstrated in Tbilisi against a COVID-19 passport system which has been implemented in Georgia since December 1, allowing only citizens and tourists with a QR-code proving vaccination or recovery from the virus or with a negative PCR test result to visit public places, restaurants, entertainment and shopping centers. Protesters marched with posters and Georgian flags, passing by the parliamentary building.{{citation needed|date=March 2022}}<br />
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=== Germany ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 protests in Germany}}<br />
[[File:Vicent-van-Volkmer-Bienen-Aktivist-Demo-29.08.2020 Berlin Covid-19 Pandemie.jpg|thumb|Protester with a "Free The Bee" placard during the COVID-19 protests in Berlin on 29 August 2020, near the [[Brandenburg Gate]]]]<br />
Since April 2020, in [[Germany]] numerous protests against government policies over the COVID-19 pandemic have been held in several cities.<br />
A protest in [[Berlin]] on 29 August was estimated by authorities to have drawn 38,000 participants.<ref name="rbb">In German: [https://www.rbb24.de/politik/thema/2020/coronavirus/beitraege_neu/2020/08/demonstrationen-samstag-corona-querdenken-gegendemos.html 'Fast 40.000 Menschen bei Corona-Demos – Sperren am Reichstag durchbrochen' (Almost 40,000 people by corona demos – fences at the ''Reichstag'' broken through)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200901090757/https://www.rbb24.de/politik/thema/2020/coronavirus/beitraege_neu/2020/08/demonstrationen-samstag-corona-querdenken-gegendemos.html |date=1 September 2020 }}. rbb24.de, 29 August 2020. Retrieved 19 September 2020.</ref><br />
<br />
Several of the protests in Germany, like the one of 29 August, were organized by the group ''Querdenken 711'', based in [[Stuttgart]]. As per its homepage, it considers its main aims to support the fundamental rights enshrined in the German constitution, in particular the freedoms of opinion, expression, and assembly.<ref name="dw_20201106">{{cite web|url=https://www.dw.com/en/coronavirus-germany-braces-for-anti-lockdown-protests/a-55513848|title=Coronavirus: Germany braces for anti-lockdown protests|first=Ben|last=Knight|website=[[Deutsche Welle]]|agency=[[Deutsche Welle]]|date=6 November 2020|access-date=8 November 2021|archive-date=8 November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211108155543/https://www.dw.com/en/coronavirus-germany-braces-for-anti-lockdown-protests/a-55513848|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
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[[File:AnarchistCovidProtest.jpg|upright|thumb|left|[[Anarchist]] anti-conspiracy theory, anti-gentrification protest]]<br />
At the 29 August demonstration in Berlin, one of the invited orators was [[Robert F. Kennedy Jr.]], lawyer and conspiracy theorist and nephew of the assassinated U.S. President [[John F. Kennedy]]. He warned the crowd that the COVID-19 measures being deployed in many countries might lead to the implementation of a [[Mass surveillance#Surveillance state|surveillance state]]. A few hundred protesters attempted to storm the [[Reichstag building]], the seat of the German parliament;<ref name=rbb/><ref name="BBC30Aug">{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-53959552|title=Germany coronavirus: Hundreds arrested in German 'anti-corona' protests|work=BBC News|agency=[[BBC News]]|date=30 August 2020|access-date=15 September 2020|archive-date=4 September 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200904141636/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-53959552|url-status=live}}</ref> a few of them reached the stairs. A burst of media attention arose due to this incident. Later demonstrations tended to be smaller, and sometimes organized by allies of ''Querdenken''.<ref name="dw_20201106"/><br />
<br />
[[Anarchists]], [[libertarian socialists]] and [[anti-fascists]] in Germany have been counterprotesting "Querdenken 711" and other demonstrations against public health mandates. Focusing on increasing [[gentrification]], [[wealth inequality]], [[evictions]], police measures and favoring of compulsory vaccination. Anarchists have seen increasing evictions of [[anarchist communities]] and squats.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.dw.com/en/berlin-police-clear-anarchist-occupied-house-liebig-34/a-55211590|title=Berlin police clear anarchist-occupied house Liebig 34 &#124; DW &#124; 09.10.2020|website=DW.COM|access-date=30 November 2020|archive-date=2 December 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201202154402/https://www.dw.com/en/berlin-police-clear-anarchist-occupied-house-liebig-34/a-55211590|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://crimethinc.com/2020/03/18/surviving-the-virus-an-anarchist-guide-capitalism-in-crisis-rising-totalitarianism-strategies-of-resistance|title=CrimethInc. : Surviving the Virus: An Anarchist Guide : Capitalism in Crisis—Rising Totalitarianism—Strategies of Resistance|website=CrimethInc.|date=18 March 2020 |access-date=30 November 2020|archive-date=2 December 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201202160836/https://crimethinc.com/2020/03/18/surviving-the-virus-an-anarchist-guide-capitalism-in-crisis-rising-totalitarianism-strategies-of-resistance|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://ent.siteintelgroup.com/Far-Right-/-Far-Left-Threat/german-company-targeted-in-anarchist-arson-attack-for-covid-19-repression.html|title=German Company Targeted in Anarchist Arson Attack for COVID-19 "Repression" &#124; Far-Right / Far-Left Threat &#124; Articles|website=ent.siteintelgroup.com|date=29 June 2020|access-date=30 November 2020|archive-date=29 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201129103231/https://ent.siteintelgroup.com/Far-Right-/-Far-Left-Threat/german-company-targeted-in-anarchist-arson-attack-for-covid-19-repression.html|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
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=== Hungary ===<br />
On 28 February 2021, around 3,000–5,000 protesters gathered in the capital city of [[Budapest]] at [[Hősök tere]] to protest the lockdown regulations, and the Constitution of 2012.{{citation needed|date=August 2021}}<br />
<br />
The far-right [[Our Homeland Movement]] organised protests against lockdown measures on 15 March 2021,<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-04-20|title=Hungarian far-right party protests lockdown|url=https://apnews.com/article/hungary-budapest-coronavirus-pandemic-economy-ecd0b637126258601ca249f35b5b8743|access-date=2022-02-07|website=The Associated Press|language=en}}</ref> and against vaccine mandates (a "Covid Dictatorship") throughout December 2021 in various Hungarian cities.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-12-18|title=A "Covid-diktatúra" ellen tüntetett a Mi Hazánk Mozgalom|url=https://hvg.hu/itthon/20211218_Mi_Hazank_Mozgalom_Toroczkai_Laszlo_oltasellenesseg_tuntetes_kotelezo_oltas_Covid_diktatura|access-date=2022-02-07|website=hvg.hu|language=hu}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-12-06|title=Vidéken folytatja a kötelező oltás elleni tüntetéseket a Mi Hazánk|url=https://mihazank.hu/videken-folytatja-a-kotelezo-oltas-elleni-tunteteseket-a-mi-hazank/|access-date=2022-02-07|website=Mi Hazánk Mozgalom|language=hu}}</ref> On 16 January 2022 they held another anti-vaccine protest in Budapest, attracting thousands of people.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Imre|first=Patthy Loránd|date=2022-01-16|title="Nem tudnak lejönni a szerről az oltottak" – tüntetést tartott a Mi Hazánk Budapesten|url=https://index.hu/belfold/2022/01/16/oltasellenesseg-tuntetes-mi-hazank-novak-elod-pali-jeno-toroczkai-laszlo/|access-date=2022-02-07|website=index.hu|language=hu}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Ireland ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 protests in the Republic of Ireland}}<br />
On 24 July 2021, over ten thousand people attended an anti discrimination march in Dublin, in response to the Irish government's announcement that vaccine passports would be introduced.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/large-crowd-gathers-in-dublin-to-protest-vaccine-cert-system-1.4629890|title=Large crowd gathers in Dublin to protest vaccine cert system|first=Ellen|last=O'Riordan|newspaper=The Irish Times|access-date=12 October 2021|archive-date=28 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210728080317/https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/large-crowd-gathers-in-dublin-to-protest-vaccine-cert-system-1.4629890|url-status=live}}</ref> Said passports were to be used to prevent unvaccinated people availing of indoor dining services.<br />
[[File:PXL 20210724 152855881.LS exported 0.jpg|thumb|alt=Freedom March Dublin|July 24 Anti Discrimination March, Dublin]]<br />
<br />
Hundreds attended an anti-lockdown, [[Mask refusal|anti-face mask]] protest in [[Dublin]] on 22 August 2020. The protest was organised by Health Freedom Ireland with support from Yellow Vest Ireland. Four people were arrested at the protest.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/four-arrested-in-clashes-at-anti-facemask-protest-in-dublin-1.4336794|title=Four arrested in clashes at anti-facemask protest in Dublin|newspaper=[[The Irish Times]]|first1=Conor|last1=Lally|first2=Sarah|last2=Burns|first3=Jennifer|last3=Cosgrove|date=22 August 2020|access-date=22 August 2020|archive-date=22 August 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200822185513/https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/four-arrested-in-clashes-at-anti-facemask-protest-in-dublin-1.4336794|url-status=live}}</ref> Another protest was organised by the same groups on 3 October, with up to a thousand protesters marching through the city centre before staging a sit-down protest in the main shopping area of Grafton Street.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Beresford |first1=Jack |title=Anti-mask demonstrators stage sit-in protest in Dublin |url=https://www.irishpost.com/news/anti-mask-demonstrators-stage-sit-in-protest-in-dublin-194384 |access-date=4 October 2020 |work=The Irish Post |date=3 October 2020 |archive-date=9 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201009000301/https://www.irishpost.com/news/anti-mask-demonstrators-stage-sit-in-protest-in-dublin-194384 |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
On 27 February 2021, violent clashes between protesters and the ''[[Garda Síochána]]'' erupted during an anti-lockdown protest near [[St Stephen's Green]] in Dublin. Three Gardaí were injured and 23 people were arrested in the aftermath of the protest. The Taoiseach [[Micheál Martin]] condemned the demonstration as "an unacceptable risk to both the public and Gardaí".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/three-garda%C3%AD-injured-and-23-arrested-after-clashes-at-dublin-anti-lockdown-protest-1.4497218|title=Three gardaí injured and 23 arrested after clashes at Dublin anti-lockdown protest|newspaper=[[The Irish Times]]|first=Ronan|last=McGreevy|date=27 February 2021|access-date=2 March 2021|url-access=subscription|archive-date=2 March 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210302221822/https://www.irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/three-garda%C3%AD-injured-and-23-arrested-after-clashes-at-dublin-anti-lockdown-protest-1.4497218|url-status=live}}</ref> A non-violent anti-lockdown protest with approximately 450 people in attendance took place on 6 March in [[Cork (city)|Cork]]. The event was organised by The People's Convention.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/munster/arid-40238867.html|title=Cork anti-lockdown protest attracts hundreds into city centre|newspaper=[[Irish Examiner]]|first1=Noel|last1=Baker|first2=Cormac|last2=O'Keeffe|first3=Eoin|last3=English|date=6 March 2021|access-date=9 March 2021|archive-date=8 March 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210308012117/https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/munster/arid-40238867.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Six people were arrested on the day of the protest.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/munster/arid-40239296.html|title=Six arrested on day of Cork anti-lockdown protest|newspaper=[[Irish Examiner]]|first=Steve|last=Neville|date=6 March 2021|access-date=9 March 2021|archive-date=6 March 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210306173608/https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/munster/arid-40239296.html|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Italy ===<br />
{{Main|Protests over COVID-19 policies in Italy}}<br />
Since the month of March 2020, many people [[Protests over COVID-19 policies in Italy|started protesting over COVID-19]] and the rules imposed by the [[Government of Italy|Italian government]].<br />
<br />
=== Netherlands ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 protests in the Netherlands|2021 Dutch curfew riots}}<br />
On 24 January 2021, violent protests erupted as a reaction to the [[Dutch government]] decision to impose a [[curfew]] as a means to curb the spread of the [[COVID-19 pandemic in the Netherlands|COVID-19]].<ref name="FT 210126" /><ref name="Guardian 210126" /> The curfew, imposed between 9 PM to 4:30 AM, was the first of its kind to be enacted in the country since the [[Second World War]].<ref name="FT 210126">{{cite news |last1=Khan |first1=Mehreen |title=Dutch extend Covid curfew despite violent backlash |url=https://www.ft.com/content/351fa962-ee98-49d7-80c8-dfe73a466991 |access-date=27 January 2021 |work=Financial Times |date=26 January 2021 |archive-date=26 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210126225209/https://www.ft.com/content/351fa962-ee98-49d7-80c8-dfe73a466991 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="WaPo 210125">{{cite news |last1=Cunningham |first1=Erin |title=Riots explode across Netherlands over covid restrictions, with Dutch leader calling participants criminals |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/dutch-government-covid-curfew-unrest/2021/01/25/20fa8590-5ef1-11eb-a177-7765f29a9524_story.html |access-date=27 January 2021 |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=25 January 2021 |archive-date=26 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210126200353/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/dutch-government-covid-curfew-unrest/2021/01/25/20fa8590-5ef1-11eb-a177-7765f29a9524_story.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Protests took place in most major cities, including [[Amsterdam]] and [[Eindhoven]]. Police made hundreds of arrests and issued thousands of fines.<ref name="FT 210126" /><ref name="WSJ 210126">{{cite news |last1=Pop |first1=Valentina |title=Dutch Rioters Clash With Police for Third Night Over Covid-19 Curfew |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/dutch-rioters-clash-with-police-for-third-night-over-covid-19-curfew-11611664598?page=1 |access-date=27 January 2021 |work=The Wall Street Journal |date=26 January 2021 |archive-date=22 December 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211222175714/https://www.wsj.com/articles/dutch-rioters-clash-with-police-for-third-night-over-covid-19-curfew-11611664598?page=1 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Guardian 210126">{{cite news |last1=Henley |first1=John |title=Netherlands shaken by third night of riots over Covid curfew |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jan/26/netherlands-third-night-riots-covid-curfew-lockdown-protesters |access-date=27 January 2021 |work=The Guardian |date=26 January 2021 |archive-date=26 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210126225117/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jan/26/netherlands-third-night-riots-covid-curfew-lockdown-protesters |url-status=live }}</ref> The Dutch Police Association described the riots at the worst violence in Netherlands in the last 40 years.<ref name="FT 210126" /> The protests have been described as being composed of mostly young men.<ref name="FT 210126" /><ref name="WSJ 210126" /><br />
<br />
An opinion poll by public broadcaster [[Nederlandse Omroep Stichting|NOS]] indicated that the curfew was supported by seven out of 10 Dutch respondents (although the amounts of respondents is unknown), with just 18% of the population opposing it.<ref name="WSJ 210126" /> An online poll with over 28.000 respondents, done by Radio NPO1, a Dutch state radio station, showed that 89% of Dutch people wanted the curfew to be removed.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://degouda.nl/poll-van-npo1-meerderheid-wil-avondklok-weg-en-wat-vinden-gouwenaars-van-de-avondklok/|title=Poll van NPO1: Meerderheid wil avondklok weg en wat vinden Gouwenaars van de avondklok?|date=18 February 2021|access-date=4 November 2021|archive-date=4 November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211104160506/https://degouda.nl/poll-van-npo1-meerderheid-wil-avondklok-weg-en-wat-vinden-gouwenaars-van-de-avondklok/|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
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After the Netherlands went into a partial lockdown on 12 November 2021 due to a sharp rise in COVID-19 cases, another series of protests and riots occurred over such measures. Rioting was especially concentrated in [[Rotterdam]], where [[National Police Corps (Netherlands)|police]] fired warning shots at rioters, injuring at least two.<ref>{{cite news|title= Rotterdam police clash with rioters as Covid protest turns violent|url= https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-59355950|access-date= 20 November 2021|work= BBC News|date= 20 November 2021|archive-date= 20 November 2021|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20211120001743/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-59355950|url-status= live}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Poland ===<br />
[[File:Protest against anti-pandemic measures in Warsaw (20.03.2021) (17).jpg|thumb|Protest against anti-pandemic measures in Warsaw]]<br />
Hundreds of protesters gathered in the Polish border town of [[Zgorzelec]] to protest the lockdown regulations, the protest was staged specifically on the foot bridge connecting Zgorzelec and the German town of [[Görlitz]] as many lived in Poland but worked in Germany. Many protested the inability to cross the borders of the countries as they lived in a different country from where they worked, and similar protests were seen in border towns along the Polish-German border and the Polish-[[Czech Republic|Czech]] border.<ref>{{cite news|agency=Reuters|date=25 April 2020|title=Hundreds Protest Against Lockdown at Polish-German Border|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2020/04/25/world/europe/25reuters-health-coronavirus-cross-border-workers.html|access-date=1 May 2020|issn=0362-4331|archive-date=26 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200426002608/https://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2020/04/25/world/europe/25reuters-health-coronavirus-cross-border-workers.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Freedom march (Marsz Wolności) happens every month, for example in Wrocław.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://gazetawroclawska.pl/marsz-wolnosci-we-wroclawiu-koronasceptycy-przyszli-tlumnie-interweniowala-policja-zdjecia/ar/c1-15453618|title=Marsz wolności we Wrocławiu. Koronasceptycy przyszli tłumnie, interweniowała policja [ZDJĘCIA]|language=Polish|date=20 February 2020|first=Jerzy|last=Wójcik|publisher=Gazeta Wrocławska|access-date=22 February 2021|archive-date=21 February 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210221083516/https://gazetawroclawska.pl/marsz-wolnosci-we-wroclawiu-koronasceptycy-przyszli-tlumnie-interweniowala-policja-zdjecia/ar/c1-15453618|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
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=== Russia ===<br />
Security forces broke up a crowd of about 2,000 individuals protesting against the lockdown in [[Vladikavkaz]], with some detained and the believed organizer arrested prior to the event.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Russian Police Break-Up Anti-Lockdown Protest|url=https://www.rferl.org/a/russian-police-break-up-anti-lockdown-protest/30568221.html|last=Furlong|first=Ray|date=21 April 2020|website=Radio Free Europe Radio Liberty|access-date=1 May 2020|archive-date=1 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200501054754/https://www.rferl.org/a/russian-police-break-up-anti-lockdown-protest/30568221.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Some protesters at the event used their social media to post videos about their demands against the lockdown, with one stating; "Today, under the pretext of the coronavirus, which doesn't exist, people are driven into slavery, they are trying to establish total control over us all."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-russia-protests-idUSKBN22225B|title=Hundreds protest in southern Russian against coronavirus curbs|date=20 April 2020|first1=Alexander|last1=Marrow|first2=Maria|last2=Tsvetkova|website=Reuters|access-date=30 April 2020|archive-date=29 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200429005016/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-russia-protests-idUSKBN22225B|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
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=== Serbia ===<br />
{{Main|2020–2021 Serbian protests}}<br />
On 7 July 2020, a riot began in [[Belgrade]] after the government's announcement of a [[curfew]] for the weekend. Protests began because of the government's continuous change in handling COVID-19 policy and alleged hiding of the number of COVID-19 cases in the country.{{citation needed|date=August 2021}}<br />
<br />
=== Slovakia ===<br />
In late 2020 and during 2021, several anti-COVID-restriction protests were held also in [[Slovakia]], mainly in the capital, [[Bratislava]] and also [[Košice|Kosice]].<br />
Many people are starting to disobey the rules: they go to bars even though they are not vaccinated, they don't wear FFP2 mask but only textile mask. There were even incidents of people without masks coming to a grocery store. These customers were then beaten by the police as they refused to put on their mask.<br />
<br />
=== Spain ===<br />
[[File:-LaRevoluciónDeLasMascarillas (49937665687).jpg|thumb|Protest in Spain on 26 May 2020]]<br />
Thousands of people, mostly supporters of the right-wing party [[Vox (political party)|Vox]], attended protests in [[Madrid]] and the country's regional capitals over the lockdown and its impact on the [[Economy of Spain|Spanish economy]]. The protesters drove in convoys to adhere to social distancing, with the Madrid protest led by a bus containing Vox leader [[Santiago Abascal]]. Abascal called for [[Sánchez II Government|the national government]] of [[Pedro Sánchez]] to resign over its handling of the virus.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-52783936|title=Coronavirus: Anti-lockdown car protest draws thousands|date=23 May 2020|website=BBC|access-date=23 May 2020|archive-date=23 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200523212612/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-52783936|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-05-12 |title=Vox llama a "recuperar la calle" contra el Gobierno y Abascal anuncia protestas diarias |url=https://www.europapress.es/nacional/noticia-vox-llama-recuperar-calle-contra-gobierno-abascal-anuncia-protestas-diarias-20200512112543.html |access-date=2022-10-31 |publisher=Europa Press}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Ponferrada |first=Diario de León {{!}} Noticias de León, Bierzo y |title=Vox llama a "recuperar la calle" el día 23 y Abascal anuncia caceroladas diarias y protestas constantes |url=https://www.diariodeleon.es/articulo/afondo/vox-llama-recuperar-calle-dia-23-abascal-anuncia-caceroladas-diarias-protestas-constantes/202005122242472011941.html |access-date=2022-10-31 |website=Diario de León {{!}} Noticias de León, Bierzo y Ponferrada |date=12 May 2020 |language=es}}</ref><br />
<br />
On 20 September 2020, thousands of people went out in protest throughout the [[Community of Madrid]] demanding the resignation of the [[Díaz Ayuso government|regional government]] of [[Isabel Díaz Ayuso]], after the latter had announced two days earlier a partial lockdown affecting 850,000 people living in the region's poorest areas which was dubbed as "segregationist" and fostering "stigmatisation, exclusion and territorial discrimination".<ref>{{cite news |date=20 September 2020 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/sep/20/protests-madrid-coronavirus-lockdown-measures-spain |title=Protests in Madrid over coronavirus lockdown measures |newspaper=The Guardian |access-date=20 September 2020 |archive-date=20 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200920182802/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/sep/20/protests-madrid-coronavirus-lockdown-measures-spain |url-status=live }}</ref> The protests came amid growing criticism of Ayuso's handling of the virus as "ineffective" and of her coalition government having "floundered" in its attempt to antagonize with Sánchez's government, as the region became the most heavily hit area in all of Europe in the second wave of the pandemic with many neighborhoods being near or above 1,000 cases per 100,000 people.<ref>{{cite news |date=18 September 2020 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/sep/18/madrid-poor-spanish-capital-covid-19 |title=Lockdown measures and rising anger in Madrid as Covid-19 takes hold again |newspaper=The Guardian |access-date=20 September 2020 |archive-date=20 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200920031444/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/sep/18/madrid-poor-spanish-capital-covid-19 |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
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=== Sweden ===<br />
On 6 March 2021, an estimate of 300-500 people gathered at Medborgarplatsen in Stockholm to protest against COVID-19 measures. The Swedish police dispersed hundreds of protesters and stated that six of their officers had been injured in the process, with one needing to be hospitalized.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.svt.se/nyheter/inrikes/polisen-upploser-demonstration-mot-coronarestriktioner|title=Polisen upplöser demonstration mot coronarestriktioner|newspaper=SVT Nyheter|date=6 March 2021|via=www.svt.se|access-date=9 March 2021|archive-date=10 March 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210310032308/https://www.svt.se/nyheter/inrikes/polisen-upploser-demonstration-mot-coronarestriktioner|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=2021-03-07 |title=Swedish police break up coronavirus demonstration in Stockholm |language=en |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/swedish-police-break-up-coronavirus-demonstration-stockholm-2021-03-06/ |access-date=2023-08-07}}</ref><br />
[[File:Anti-Lock Down Protest London (51137271728).jpg|thumb|Anti-lockdown protest march in London, April 2021]]<br />
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=== Switzerland ===<br />
[[Image:COVID19-20211108-Onex-sticker-opposition.jpg|thumb|Opposition to the Covid certificate in Switzerland, sticker at [[Canton of Geneva|Geneva]].]]<br />
On June 11, 2020, the member of the [[Zurich Cantonal Council]] Urs Hahn was expelled from his party, the Greens, for opposing the thesis of the seriousness of the pandemic.<ref>{{Cite news|language =de|author1=Daniel Fritzsche|author2=Stefan Hotz|url=https://www.nzz.ch/zuerich/urs-hans-gruene-in-zuerich-distanzieren-sich-von-ihrem-kantonsrat-ld.1555960?reduced=true|title="Abenteuerliche Thesen": Die Zürcher Grünen distanzieren sich von ihrem Kantonsrat Urs Hans, weil er Verschwörungstheorien zum Coronavirus verbeitet|periodical=[[Neue Zürcher Zeitung]]|date=2020-05-11}}</ref> On September 12, 2020, a demonstration against masks, containment measures or the supposed lies of the media brings together a thousand people in Geneva at the Place des Nations, in front of the [[United Nations Organization|United Nations]].<ref>{{Cite news|author=[[Swiss Telegraph Agency|ATS]]|url=https://www.letemps.ch/suisse/un-millier-dantimasques-manifestent-geneve|title=A thousand anti-masks demonstrate in Geneva|periodical=[[Le Temps (Swiss daily newspaper)|Le Temps]]|date=2020-09-12}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url= https://www.rts.ch/info/regions/geneve/11598989-un-rassemblement-antimasque-reunit-1000-personnes-a-geneve.html|title=An anti-mask rally brings together 1,000 people in Geneva|website=[[Swiss Radio and Television]]|date=2020-09-12}}</ref> The three major opposition figures [[Disinformation on the Covid-19 pandemic|coronasceptics]] in French-speaking Switzerland are the [[web videographers]] [[Chloé Frammery]], Ema Krusi and Christian Tal Schaller.<ref>{{Cite news|author=Laure Lugon|author2=Sylvia Revello|url=https://www.letemps.ch/suisse/complotistes-senflamment-autour-coronavirus|title=Les complotistes ignite around the coronavirus|periodical =[[Le Temps (Swiss daily newspaper)|Le Temps]]|date=2020-05-11}}</ref> Coronasceptics and opponents of measures to combat the spread of Covid-19 are increasingly occupying the Federal Office of Police (Fedpol). Threats against federal officials are on the rise.<ref>{{Cite web |language=en |title=In Switzerland, "coronasceptics" are increasingly occupying the police |url=https://www.rts.ch/info/suisse/11719150-in-switzerland-coronasceptics-occupy-more-and-more-the-police.html |website=[[Swiss Radio and Television]] |date=2020-11-01 |access-date =2021-03-26}}</ref><br />
<br />
In January 2021, the [[National Council (Switzerland)|national councilor]] [[Democratic Union of the Center|UDC]] [[Yves Nidegger]] opposed the “health dictatorship”.<ref>{{Cite web| author=Elio Sottas|url=https://www.lemanbleu.ch/fr/News/Yves-Nidegger-souhaite-reconstruire-Geneve-en-ruine.html|title=Yves Nidegger wishes to rebuild "Geneva in ruins"|website =[[Léman Bleu]]|date=2021-01-06}}.</ref> In Liestal, 8000 people demonstrate on March 20, 2021, against the anti-Covid measures in force while in Bern the police stop a demonstration for the same causes.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Anti-Covid demonstrations -sanitary measures in Liestal and Bern |url=https://www.swissinfo.ch/fre/manifestations-anti-mesures-sanitaires-%C3%A0-liestal-et-%C3%A0-berne/46465440 |website =[[Swissinfo]] |date=2021-03-20}}</ref> Following these demonstrations, the #NoLiestal movement is rising on digital networks to denounce and counter the agglomeration initiatives of coronasceptics in Switzerland.<ref>{{Cite web |language=fr |title=Forum (video) - The #NoLiestal movement, the counter-offensive against coronasceptics |url=https://www.rts.ch/play/tv/forum-video/video/le-mouvement-noliestal-la-contre-offensive-face-aux-coronasceptiques?urn=urn:rts:video:12075124 |website=[[Swiss Radio and Television]]|date=2021-03-25|access-date=2021-03-26}}.</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.watson.ch/fr/suisse/pand%C3%A9mie/674339869-noliestal-le-hashtag-qui-denonce-les-manifs-anti-restrictions|title=#NoLiestal, the hashtag that denounces anti-restrictions demonstrations|website=[[Watson (newspaper)|Watson]]|date=2021-03-25}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Ukraine ===<br />
On 14–20 February, protests against the placement of evacuated Ukrainian citizens (suspected of having coronavirus disease 2019) from the city of Wuhan (PRC) in Ukraine took place in Novi Sanzhary.<br />
<br />
In the summer and autumn of 2021, actions against obligatory vaccination against COVID-19 and restrictions for unvaccinated persons took place in various cities of Ukraine. In particular, on 27 July the "procession" against vaccination was organized by the [[Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate)|Moscow Patriarchate]]<ref>{{cite news<br />
| date = 27 July 2021<br />
| title = "Наша вакцина - це причастіє": хресна хода УПЦ МП у розпал пандемії. Як це було<br />
| url = https://www.bbc.com/ukrainian/media-57985963<br />
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20211105082542/https://www.bbc.com/ukrainian/media-57985963<br />
| archive-date = 5 November 2021<br />
| access-date = 5 November 2021<br />
}}</ref><br />
and on November 3 the protesters blocked the streets in Kyiv<ref>{{cite news<br />
| date = 5 November 2021<br />
| title = Мітинг антивакцинаторів у Києві: страх втратити роботу або стати роботами<br />
| url = https://p.dw.com/p/42XkY<br />
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20211105082112/https://www.dw.com/uk/mitynh-antyvaktsynatoriv-u-kyievi-strakh-vtratyty-robotu-abo-staty-robotamy/a-59711738<br />
| archive-date = 5 November 2021<br />
| access-date = 5 November 2021<br />
}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== United Kingdom ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 protests in the United Kingdom}}<br />
The first protests against the national mandatory lockdown in the United Kingdom took place in April&nbsp;2020, extending into the following month before abating as lockdown restrictions were slowly eased. As local area lockdown measures were reintroduced towards the end of summer, followed by stricter national lockdown measures, anti-lockdown protests resurged across the country beginning in September&nbsp;2020. More than 55 protesters have been arrested in these events as of October 2020. Some protesters have claimed that COVID-19 is a hoax, and many refused to wear [[Face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic|masks]] or practice [[social distancing]].<ref name="HuffPost Sept 2020">{{cite web | title=Revealed: The So-Called 'Top Class Doctors And Nurses' Backing Anti-Mask Protests | website=HuffPost | url=https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/these-are-the-so-called-top-class-doctors-and-nurses-backing-anti-mask-protests_uk_5f4e4531c5b697186e3b790d | date=5 September 2020 | access-date=15 October 2020 | archive-date=20 September 2020 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200920044007/https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/these-are-the-so-called-top-class-doctors-and-nurses-backing-anti-mask-protests_uk_5f4e4531c5b697186e3b790d | url-status=live }}</ref> Protests have occurred in [[Shrewsbury]],<ref>{{Cite web|last=Leather|first=Harry|title=Two arrested after anti-lockdown protesters in stand-off with police on roof of Shrewsbury College|url=https://www.shropshirestar.com/news/health/coronavirus-covid19/2020/04/20/anti-lockdown-protesters-in-stand-off-with-police-on-roof-of-shrewsbury-college/|access-date=10 July 2020|website=www.shropshirestar.com|date=20 April 2020 |language=en|archive-date=7 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201007010409/https://www.shropshirestar.com/news/health/coronavirus-covid19/2020/04/20/anti-lockdown-protesters-in-stand-off-with-police-on-roof-of-shrewsbury-college/|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Glastonbury]],<ref>{{Cite web|last=Mills|first=Richard|date=1 May 2020|title=Live updates as police attend protest against lockdown in Somerset|url=https://www.somersetlive.co.uk/news/somerset-news/lockdown-protest-glastonbury-corbyn-live-4096098|access-date=10 July 2020|website=somersetlive|language=en|archive-date=4 December 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201204235515/https://www.somersetlive.co.uk/news/somerset-news/lockdown-protest-glastonbury-corbyn-live-4096098|url-status=live}}</ref> [[London]], [[Manchester]], [[Glasgow]], [[Belfast]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://metro.co.uk/2020/05/16/19-arrested-anti-lockdown-protests-take-place-across-country-12715038/|title=19 arrested as anti-lockdown protests take place across country|first=Faye|last=Brown|date=16 May 2020|access-date=24 May 2020|archive-date=23 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200523160939/https://metro.co.uk/2020/05/16/19-arrested-anti-lockdown-protests-take-place-across-country-12715038/|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Hove]],<ref>{{Cite web|date=19 May 2020|title=Coronavirus lockdown prompts Hove seafront protest|url=https://www.brightonandhovenews.org/2020/05/19/coronavirus-lockdown-prompts-hove-seafront-protest/|access-date=10 July 2020|website=Brighton and Hove News|language=en-US|archive-date=15 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201015171929/https://www.brightonandhovenews.org/2020/05/19/coronavirus-lockdown-prompts-hove-seafront-protest/|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Birmingham]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/protests-birmingham-city-centre-over-18924302|title=Protests in Birmingham city centre over lockdown restrictions|first=Stephanie|last=Balloo|date=12 September 2020|website=BirminghamLive|access-date=12 September 2020|archive-date=13 September 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200913011210/https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/protests-birmingham-city-centre-over-18924302|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Liverpool]],<ref>{{cite web|title=Conspiracy theorist Piers Corbyn tells crowd of unmasked protesters 'covid is a hoax'|url=https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/conspiracy-theorist-piers-corbyn-tells-19125232|newspaper=Liverpool Echo|first=Jonathan|last=Humphries|date=18 October 2020|access-date=18 October 2020|archive-date=19 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201019060254/https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/conspiracy-theorist-piers-corbyn-tells-19125232|url-status=live}}</ref> as well as a few other cities.<br />
<br />
Protests over restrictions overlapped with [[anti-vaccine]] protests following the start of the UK's [[COVID-19 vaccination in the United Kingdom|COVID-19 vaccination programme]] in December 2020.<ref>{{cite news|date=2021-07-03|title=The anti-lockdown movement is still going strong|newspaper=The Economist|url=https://www.economist.com/britain/2021/07/03/the-anti-lockdown-movement-is-still-going-strong|access-date=2021-09-12|issn=0013-0613|archive-date=12 September 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210912213950/https://www.economist.com/britain/2021/07/03/the-anti-lockdown-movement-is-still-going-strong|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-07-19|title=Bottles thrown at police in anti-lockdown and anti-vaccination protest|url=https://www.itv.com/news/london/2021-07-19/bottles-thrown-at-police-in-anti-lockdown-and-anti-vaccination-protest|access-date=2021-09-12|website=ITV News|language=en|archive-date=13 September 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210913193143/https://www.itv.com/news/london/2021-07-19/bottles-thrown-at-police-in-anti-lockdown-and-anti-vaccination-protest|url-status=live}}</ref> On the weekend of 24–25 July 2021, protests broke out again in several major cities in the United Kingdom including [[London]],<ref>{{Cite web|title=Thousands protest amid global anger against COVID restrictions|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/7/24/protesters-against-covid-restrictions-clash-with-police-in-paris|access-date=2021-07-25|website=www.aljazeera.com|language=en|archive-date=25 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210725014050/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/7/24/protesters-against-covid-restrictions-clash-with-police-in-paris|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Leeds]],<ref>{{Cite web|last1=Norden|first1=Jasmine|date=2021-07-24|title='Freedom Rally' blocks Leeds roads as protestors accuse government of lies|url=https://www.leeds-live.co.uk/news/leeds-news/freedom-rally-blocks-leeds-roads-21137368|access-date=2021-07-25|website=LeedsLive|language=en|archive-date=25 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210725014059/https://www.leeds-live.co.uk/news/leeds-news/freedom-rally-blocks-leeds-roads-21137368|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Manchester]]<ref>{{Cite web|last1=Abbit|first1=Beth|date=2021-07-24|title=Protesters chant 'shame on you' at police during march through Manchester|url=https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/protesters-chant-shame-you-police-21137043|access-date=2021-07-25|website=Manchester Evening News|language=en|archive-date=25 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210725014059/https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/protesters-chant-shame-you-police-21137043|url-status=live}}</ref> and [[Birmingham]] due to people [[Vaccine hesitancy|opposing vaccines]] and [[COVID passports in the United Kingdom|proposed COVID passports]].<ref>{{Cite web|first=Nick|last=Horner|date=2021-07-24|title=Lockdown protests causing city centre road chaos|url=https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/live-anti-lockdown-protests-causing-21136037|access-date=2021-07-25|website=BirminghamLive|language=en|archive-date=25 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210725014049/https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/live-anti-lockdown-protests-causing-21136037|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
== North America ==<br />
<br />
=== Canada ===<br />
[[File:COVID-19 Vancouver's largest protest, April 26th 2020 (49823981297).jpg|thumb|Anti-lockdown protest in [[Vancouver]], British Columbia, on 26 April 2020]]<br />
{{main|COVID-19 protests in Canada}}<br />
In Canada, protests began on 19 April 2020 in [[Vancouver]].<ref name="Vancouver COVID-19 protests">{{cite news |last1=Carrigg |first1=David |title=COVID-19: Small group protests coronavirus restrictions in Vancouver |url=https://vancouversun.com/news/local-news/covid-19-vancouver-police-escort-small-group-protesting-government-restrictions/ |access-date=6 May 2020 |agency=Postmedia Network |publisher=Vancouver Sun |date=19 April 2020 |archive-date=12 May 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200512150249/https://vancouversun.com/news/local-news/covid-19-vancouver-police-escort-small-group-protesting-government-restrictions/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|date=26 April 2020|title=Protesters march against COVID-19 prevention measures in Vancouver &#124; CTV News|publisher=Bc.ctvnews.ca|url=https://bc.ctvnews.ca/protesters-march-against-covid-19-prevention-measures-in-vancouver-1.4912767|access-date=30 April 2020|archive-date=2 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200502004835/https://bc.ctvnews.ca/protesters-march-against-covid-19-prevention-measures-in-vancouver-1.4912767|url-status=live}}</ref> Protests also occurred in [[Toronto]], [[Edmonton]] and [[Ottawa]].<ref>{{cite news|title='A bunch of yahoos,' Ont. premier says of people protesting COVID-19 emergency measures &#124; CTV News|publisher=Toronto.ctvnews.ca|url=https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/a-bunch-of-yahoos-ont-premier-says-of-people-protesting-covid-19-emergency-measures-1.4911861|access-date=30 April 2020|archive-date=1 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200501172956/https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/a-bunch-of-yahoos-ont-premier-says-of-people-protesting-covid-19-emergency-measures-1.4911861|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Lauren |first1=Boothby |title=Hundreds flock to Alberta legislature to protest COVID-19 restrictions |url=https://edmontonjournal.com/news/local-news/hundreds-flock-to-alberta-legislature-to-protest-covid-19-restrictions/wcm/e93da949-89f6-4b77-8376-9a8ffbf5e340/ |access-date=5 May 2020 |work=Edmonton Journal |date=1 May 2020 |archive-date=6 May 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200506060124/https://edmontonjournal.com/news/local-news/hundreds-flock-to-alberta-legislature-to-protest-covid-19-restrictions/wcm/e93da949-89f6-4b77-8376-9a8ffbf5e340/ |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
On 21 April 2020 it was reported that prisoners at the [[Saskatchewan Penitentiary]] had been protesting against restrictions placed upon them in response to COVID-19, like being kept in their cells for 20 hours a day.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Bridges |first1=Alicia |title=Sask. Penitentiary inmates protest COVID-19 restrictions they say put them in cells 20 hours per day |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatoon/protests-covid-19-saskatchewan-penitentiary-1.5538728 |access-date=5 May 2020 |work=CBC News |date=21 April 2020 |archive-date=24 April 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200424090731/https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatoon/protests-covid-19-saskatchewan-penitentiary-1.5538728 |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
On 15 January 2021, [[Roman Baber]], [[Member of Provincial Parliament&nbsp;(Canada)|Member of Provincial Parliament]] for the [[Toronto]] riding of [[York Centre (provincial electoral district)|York Centre]], was removed from the caucus of the governing [[Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario]] after publishing an open letter to [[Premier of Ontario|Premier]] [[Doug Ford]] criticizing [[COVID-19 pandemic in Ontario|Ontario's lockdown restrictions]]. Baber continued his anti-lockdown advocacy as an [[independent politician|independent]] member of the legislative [[opposition (politics)|opposition]].<ref name="ts011521">{{cite news |last1=Benzie |first1=Robert |title=Premier Doug Ford turfs MPP Roman Baber from Tory caucus for opposing COVID-19 lockdown |url=https://www.thestar.com/politics/provincial/2021/01/15/tory-mpp-roman-baber-breaks-ranks-with-premier-doug-ford-urges-end-to-covid-19-lockdown.html |access-date=15 January 2021 |work=Toronto Star |publisher=Torstar |date=15 January 2021 |archive-date=15 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210115132729/https://www.thestar.com/politics/provincial/2021/01/15/tory-mpp-roman-baber-breaks-ranks-with-premier-doug-ford-urges-end-to-covid-19-lockdown.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/ontario-covid-19-january-15-2021-1.5874606| title=Ford ousts MPP from caucus over open letter pushing for end to COVID-19 lockdown| date=15 January 2021| website=cbc.ca| access-date=19 January 2021| archive-date=19 January 2021| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210119092609/https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/ontario-covid-19-january-15-2021-1.5874606| url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite tweet| user=Roman_Baber| number=1350089062800105473| title=I was removed from the @OntarioPCParty caucus. It's a regretful decision since many colleagues agree with me, incl @fordnation in large part. I don't regret speaking out for millions of lives & livelihoods decimated by Public Health, I serve the public. The Lockdown is grounded in false public health narrative, poor planning & bad data. While Doug only cares about re-election, Lockdowns are killing more than saving. I couldn't watch the suffering anymore. I hope I encouraged other professionals to speak out.| date=15 January 2021| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210115162937/https://twitter.com/Roman_Baber/status/1350089062800105473| archive-date= 15 January 2021| url-status =live}}</ref><br />
<br />
On 1 September 2021, thousands of people protested COVID-19 vaccine policies and mask mandates outside of [[Vancouver City Hall]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Protesters target B.C. hospitals disrupting patients, staff - NEWS 1130|url=https://www.citynews1130.com/2021/09/01/covid-protesters-bc-hospitals/|access-date=2021-09-03|website=www.citynews1130.com|archive-date=3 September 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210903030258/https://www.citynews1130.com/2021/09/01/covid-protesters-bc-hospitals/|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
[[File:Convoi de la liberté à Ottawa 01.jpg|thumb|Anti-mandate protest in [[Ottawa]], Canada's capital city, on 1 February 2022]]<br />
In January 2022, [[Freedom Convoy 2022]] began. Prime Minister [[Justin Trudeau]] invoked the [[Emergencies Act]] for the first time to quell the unrest from the occupation and harassment of Ottawa and its citizens by hundreds of trucks, their drivers and thousands of unruly protesters.<br />
<br />
====Alberta====<br />
A far-right group calling itself "Walk for Freedom" has been organizing anti-mask protests since at least April 2020.<ref name="CTV_20200429">{{cite news| title = Protest to 'End the Lockdown' attracts more than 100 people to Alberta legislature| work = CTV News Edmonton| access-date = 21 February 2021| date = 29 April 2020| url = https://edmonton.ctvnews.ca/protest-to-end-the-lockdown-attracts-more-than-100-people-to-alberta-legislature-1.4917828| archive-date = 9 March 2021| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210309035715/https://edmonton.ctvnews.ca/protest-to-end-the-lockdown-attracts-more-than-100-people-to-alberta-legislature-1.4917828| url-status = live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Anti-mask protesters take to the streets in Calgary to fight COVID-19 restrictions |url=https://calgary.ctvnews.ca/anti-mask-protesters-take-to-the-streets-in-calgary-to-fight-covid-19-restrictions-1.5228760 |first=Timm |last=Bruch |work=CTV News |date=12 December 2020 |access-date=21 February 2021 |archive-date=10 February 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210210223346/https://calgary.ctvnews.ca/anti-mask-protesters-take-to-the-streets-in-calgary-to-fight-covid-19-restrictions-1.5228760 |url-status=live }}</ref> Concerns were raised when several hundred protestors took part in a 20 February 2021 freedom convoy and Jericho Torch March at the Legislature organized by the "Walk for Freedom Alberta" and the "Freedom Unity Alliance".<ref name="global_Bench_20210221">{{cite news| last = Bench| first = Allison| title = Protesters gather from across the province at Alberta legislature to fight COVID-19 health measures| work = Global News| location = Edmonton, Alberta| access-date = 21 February 2021| date = 21 February 2021| url = https://globalnews.ca/news/7652604/feb-20-walk-for-freedom-covid-19/| archive-date = 22 February 2021| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210222015650/http://globalnews.ca/news/7652604/feb-20-walk-for-freedom-covid-19/| url-status = live}}</ref> Posters advertising the rally included an image of white nationalists marching through [[Charlottesville, Virginia|Charlottesville]] with [[Tiki torch]]es in the 2017 US [[Unite the Right rally]].<ref name="global_Bench_20210221"/><ref>{{Cite web| title = COVID Conspiracy Groups Are Using A Picture From Charlottesville Neo-Nazi Rally To Promote Their Upcoming 'Torch March'| work = Canadian Anti-Hate Network| access-date = February 22, 2021| date = February 16, 2021| url = https://www.antihate.ca/covid_conspiracy_groups_picture_charlottesville_neo_nazi_rally_promote_their_upcoming_torch_march |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210216201222/https://www.antihate.ca/covid_conspiracy_groups_picture_charlottesville_neo_nazi_rally_promote_their_upcoming_torch_march |archive-date=16 February 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web| work = Facebook| access-date = February 22, 2021| date = February 16, 2021| url = https://www.facebook.com/WALK108/photos/pcb.147482763873027/147482720539698/| author = WALK108| title = Poster for Walk for Freedom rallies| archive-date = 22 February 2021| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210222204047/https://www.facebook.com/WALK108/photos/pcb.147482763873027/147482720539698/| url-status = live}}</ref><ref name="660News_20210124">{{Cite web| title = Experts confused, concerned with anti-lockdown rally imagery| work = 660 NEWS| access-date = February 22, 2021| date = January 24, 2021| url = https://www.660citynews.com/2021/01/23/experts-confused-concerned-with-anti-lockdown-rally-imagery/| archive-date = 26 February 2021| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210226213959/https://www.660citynews.com/2021/01/23/experts-confused-concerned-with-anti-lockdown-rally-imagery/| url-status = live}}</ref> The group of hundreds of unmasked anti-lockdown protestors, carrying a Walk for Freedom banner included [[COVID-19 misinformation|COVID-19 deniers]].<ref name="CTV_20210221">{{cite news| title = Hatred, COVID-19 skepticism denounced after anti-lockdown rally at Alberta legislature| work = CTV Edmonton| access-date = February 21, 2021| date = February 21, 2021| url = https://edmonton.ctvnews.ca/hatred-covid-19-skepticism-denounced-after-anti-lockdown-rally-at-alta-legislature-1.5317502| archive-date = 22 February 2021| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210222045333/https://edmonton.ctvnews.ca/hatred-covid-19-skepticism-denounced-after-anti-lockdown-rally-at-alta-legislature-1.5317502| url-status = live}}</ref> Others were supporters of a pastor who was arrested for repeatedly refusing to comply to public health regulations, such as capping attendance, physical distancing and mask-wearing.<ref name="CBC_20210217">{{cite news| title = GraceLife pastor held in custody for refusing to comply with bail conditions| location = Edmonton, Alberta| access-date = February 21, 2021| date = February 17, 2021| url = https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/alberta-covid-coronavirus-grace-life-church-pastor-1.5917526| archive-date = 22 February 2021| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210222134044/https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/alberta-covid-coronavirus-grace-life-church-pastor-1.5917526| url-status = live}}</ref><ref name="thestar_20210221">{{cite news| title = Anti-lockdown rally at Alberta legislature voices support for jailed pastor| work = The Star| location = Edmonton, Alberta| access-date = February 21, 2021| date = February 21, 2021| url = https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2021/02/20/anti-lockdown-rally-at-alberta-legislature-voices-support-for-jailed-pastor.html| archive-date = 21 February 2021| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210221082455/https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2021/02/20/anti-lockdown-rally-at-alberta-legislature-voices-support-for-jailed-pastor.html| url-status = live}}</ref> The [[Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms]] (JCCF), representing the pastor, had launched a legal charter challenge against the Alberta government.<ref name="Griwkowsky_20201207">{{cite news| title = Justice centre launches legal challenge against Covid restrictions| work = Politics Today| url = https://www.politicstoday.news/alberta-today/justice-centre-launches-legal-challenge-against-covid-restrictions| first = Catherine| last = Griwkowsky| date = December 7, 2020| access-date = February 21, 2021| archive-date = 1 February 2021| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210201215035/https://www.politicstoday.news/alberta-today/justice-centre-launches-legal-challenge-against-covid-restrictions| url-status = live}}</ref> The Mayor of Edmonton said that the rally organizers were from outside Edmonton and that they "may be associated with known hate groups. Edmonton unequivocally condemns racism, misogyny and other forms of hate—such speech is not welcome in our community."<ref>{{cite news| title = Anti-restriction protesters gather at legislature, march in streets with tiki torches| work = 660 News| location = Edmonton, Alberta| access-date = February 21, 2021| date = February 20, 2021| url = https://www.660citynews.com/2021/02/20/large-anti-mask-and-anti-restriction-protest-underway-soon-in-edmonton/| archive-date = 21 February 2021| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210221182147/https://www.660citynews.com/2021/02/20/large-anti-mask-and-anti-restriction-protest-underway-soon-in-edmonton/| url-status = live}}</ref><ref name="CTV_20210221"/><ref>{{Cite AV media| title = Anti-lockdown protesters clash with media at "Walk for Freedom" rally |series=CTV News| access-date = February 21, 2021| date =February 21, 2021| url = https://edmonton.citynews.ca/video/2021/02/21/anti-lockdown-protesters-clash-with-media-at-walk-for-freedom-rally/}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Cuba ===<br />
{{Main|2021 Cuban protests}}<br />
A series of protests began on 11 July 2021, triggered by the shortage of food and medicine and the government's response to the resurgent [[COVID-19 pandemic in Cuba]].<ref>{{cite news|last=Robles|first=Frances|date=11 July 2021|title=Cubans Denounce 'Misery' in Biggest Protests in Decades|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/11/world/americas/cuba-crisis-protests.html|issn=0362-4331|archive-date=11 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210711212619/https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/11/world/americas/cuba-crisis-protests.html|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Mexico ===<br />
On 29 April, police in [[Yajalón]], [[Municipalities of Chiapas|Chiapas]], southern Mexico, opened fire on people who were protesting against a checkpoint that left their community isolated. Residents of neighbouring [[Tumbalá]] complained that the checkpoint made it impossible for them to access governmental and banking services and that it seemed to be related to a belief that Tumbalá had a high rate of coronavirus infection. Checkpoints have been installed in about 20% of Mexico's municipalities, which the federal government has declared illegal.<ref>{{cite news |title=México: Protesta contra retén por COVID termina en tiroteo |url=https://apnews.com/cfcb0c1a9718e9f62b05c1a67399398b |website=AP NEWS |access-date=5 June 2020 |date=30 April 2020 |archive-date=5 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200605181818/https://apnews.com/cfcb0c1a9718e9f62b05c1a67399398b |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
Hundreds of Mexicans participated in caravans on 30 May demanding the resignation of President [[Andrés Manuel López Obrador]] because of his handling of the [[COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico]] and the economy. The caravans, which took place in about a dozen cities across the country, consisted largely of luxury cars.<ref>{{cite web |title=Manifestaciones anti AMLO en varios estados - Estados - La Jornada |url=https://www.jornada.com.mx/ultimas/estados/2020/05/30/manifestaciones-anti-amlo-en-los-estados-6108.html |website=www.jornada.com.mx |access-date=5 June 2020 |language=es |date=30 May 2020 |archive-date=5 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200605182825/https://www.jornada.com.mx/ultimas/estados/2020/05/30/manifestaciones-anti-amlo-en-los-estados-6108.html |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
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Violence broke out on 4 June during [[George Floyd protests|demonstrations]] in [[Guadalajara]], [[Jalisco]] to demand justice after the [[death of Giovanni López]] in the town of [[Ixtlahuacán de los Membrillos]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Justicia para Giovanni: Protestan por el asesinato en Jalisco |url=https://www.milenio.com/estados/giovanni-lopez-protestas-asesinato-joven-jalisco |website=www.milenio.com |date=6 April 2020 |access-date=4 June 2020 |archive-date=5 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200605022951/https://www.milenio.com/estados/giovanni-lopez-protestas-asesinato-joven-jalisco |url-status=live }}</ref> López, a 30-year-old mason, had been arrested on 4 May for not wearing a [[COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico|facemask]] during a [[Stay-at-home order|lockdown]] and died the next day while in police custody.<ref>{{cite web |title=Así fue la detención de Giovanni López justo antes de su muerte |url=https://www.lavanguardia.com/internacional/20200605/481603972248/giovanni-lopez-muerte-policia-detencion-video-seo-ext.html |website=La Vanguardia |access-date=5 June 2020 |language=es |date=5 June 2020 |archive-date=5 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200605093708/https://www.lavanguardia.com/internacional/20200605/481603972248/giovanni-lopez-muerte-policia-detencion-video-seo-ext.html |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
=== United States ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 protests in the United States}}<br />
<br />
The United States' national response began in early January, originating with actions by the [[Centers for Disease Control and Prevention|Centers for Disease Control]] (CDC) and the [[White House]]. The [[COVID-19 pandemic in the United States|first U.S. case of COVID-19]] was recorded on 19 January 2020. In the United States, the [[U.S. state and local government responses to the COVID-19 pandemic|response was determined by state and local officials in coordination with the CDC and federal officials]]. On 9 February, governors were briefed by the [[White House Coronavirus Task Force]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=TIMELINE: The Trump Administration's Decisive Actions To Combat the Coronavirus|url=https://www.donaldjtrump.com/media/timeline-the-trump-administrations-decisive-actions-to-combat-the-coronavirus|access-date=10 July 2020|website=www.donaldjtrump.com|language=en|archive-date=11 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200711100629/https://www.donaldjtrump.com/media/timeline-the-trump-administrations-decisive-actions-to-combat-the-coronavirus|url-status=dead}}</ref> Beginning in mid-March, various [[Social distancing measures related to the COVID-19 pandemic|social distancing measures]] to limit spread of the virus were undertaken by state governors and in some cases counties or cities.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://abcnews.go.com/Health/wireStory/bay-area-counties-california-order-shelter-place-69627648|title=San Francisco Bay Area counties issue shelter-in-place order|last1=Rodriguez|first1=Olga R.|last2=Har|first2=Janie|date=16 March 2020|work=ABC News|access-date=9 May 2020|archive-date=25 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200525143041/https://abcnews.go.com/Health/wireStory/bay-area-counties-california-order-shelter-place-69627648|url-status=live}}</ref> Actions taken included [[stay-at-home order]]s ("quarantine"), school and business closures, and limitation on the size of gatherings. On 19 March 2020, [[Donald Trump|President Donald Trump]], and [[Mike Pence|Vice President Mike Pence]] met (via teleconference) with governors of most states to continue coordination and to assist states with their responses. [[Federal Emergency Management Agency|FEMA]] was brought into the effort around this time.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Remarks by President Trump and Vice President Pence in a Video Teleconference with Governors on COVID-19|url=https://trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov/briefings-statements/remarks-president-trump-vice-president-pence-video-teleconference-governors-covid-19/|access-date=10 July 2020|via=[[NARA|National Archives]]|work=[[whitehouse.gov]]|language=en-US|archive-date=20 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210120200339/https://trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov/briefings-statements/remarks-president-trump-vice-president-pence-video-teleconference-governors-covid-19/|url-status=live}}</ref> By 7 April 42 states had [[Lockdown#In epidemics and pandemics|lockdown orders]] in place.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://nationalpost.com/news/covid-19-people-have-to-be-responsible-for-themselves-eight-states-still-not-locked-down|title=COVID-19: 'People have to be responsible for themselves': Eight U.S. states still not locked down|last=Dittrich|first=Valerie|date=7 April 2020|work=National Post|access-date=9 May 2020}}</ref> The shutdowns had serious economic effects, including a steep rise in unemployment due to the shutdown of stores and workplaces.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2020/04/24/coronavirus-pandemics-impact-on-the-global-economy-in-7-charts.html|title=7 charts show how the coronavirus pandemic has hit the global economy|last=Lee|first=Yen Nee|date=24 April 2020|work=CNBC|access-date=9 May 2020|archive-date=4 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200504231204/https://www.cnbc.com/2020/04/24/coronavirus-pandemics-impact-on-the-global-economy-in-7-charts.html|url-status=live}}</ref> By 15 April protests and demonstrations had broken out in some states, demanding that the area be "re-opened" for normal business and personal activity. By 1 May there had been demonstrations in more than half of the states, and many governors began to take steps to lift the restrictions.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://thehill.com/homenews/sunday-talk-shows/495877-governors-experts-await-results-of-reopening-states-as-protests|title=Governors, experts await results of reopening states as protests continue|last=Budryk|first=Zack|date=3 May 2020|work=The Hill|access-date=9 May 2020|archive-date=10 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200510022802/https://thehill.com/homenews/sunday-talk-shows/495877-governors-experts-await-results-of-reopening-states-as-protests|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
{{multiple image<br />
| footer = Several hundred anti-lockdown protesters rallied at the [[Ohio Statehouse]] on 20 April.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Rouan |first1=Rick |title=Protesters at Statehouse demand state reopen as DeWine announces schools to remain closed |url=https://www.dispatch.com/news/20200420/protesters-at-statehouse-demand-state-reopen-as-dewine-announces-schools-to-remain-closed |access-date=3 May 2020 |work=[[The Columbus Dispatch]] |date=20 April 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200425004821/https://www.dispatch.com/news/20200420/protesters-at-statehouse-demand-state-reopen-as-dewine-announces-schools-to-remain-closed |archive-date=25 April 2020 |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
| image1 = Open Ohio Rally IMG 0910 (49799974031).jpg<br />
| alt1 = Ohio protesters, 18 April<br />
| image2 = CIMG 0355 (49799414598).jpg<br />
| alt2 = Ohio protesters, 20 April 20<br />
}}<br />
One of the first protests was in [[Michigan]] on 15 April 2020, organized by conservative groups which also encouraged groups in other states to copy their wording and templates.{{Citation needed|date=September 2021}} Protesters in numerous other states said they were inspired by Michigan, and they used Michigan's material on their own websites, Facebook groups, and [[Reddit]] pages to promote their protests.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/salvadorhernandez/coronavirus-quarantine-protests-facebook-groups|title=This Is How A Group Linked To Betsy DeVos Is Organizing Protests To End Social Distancing, Now With Trump's Support|website=BuzzFeed News|language=en|access-date=20 April 2020|archive-date=19 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200419180823/https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/salvadorhernandez/coronavirus-quarantine-protests-facebook-groups|url-status=live}}</ref> Subsequent protests were organized by [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] activists or party organizations,<ref name="reuters1">{{cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-trump-protests-idUSKCN2233ES|title=How Trump allies have organized and promoted anti-lockdown protests|date=22 April 2020|work=Reuters|access-date=23 April 2020|language=en|archive-date=23 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200423112936/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-trump-protests-idUSKCN2233ES|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bridgemi.com/michigan-government/meet-trump-loving-group-behind-protest-gov-whitmers-stay-home-order|title=Meet the Trump-loving group behind protest of Gov. Whitmer's stay-home order|date=22 April 2020|website=bridgemi.com|language=en|access-date=23 April 2020|archive-date=26 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200426174050/https://www.bridgemi.com/michigan-government/meet-trump-loving-group-behind-protest-gov-whitmers-stay-home-order|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="komonews">{{cite news|url=https://komonews.com/news/coronavirus/protest-against-state-closure-planned-for-tomorrow-in-olympia|title=Protest against state closure planned for tomorrow in Olympia|first=Cole |last=Miller|date=18 April 2020|website=KOMO|access-date=19 April 2020|archive-date=20 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200420003642/https://komonews.com/news/coronavirus/protest-against-state-closure-planned-for-tomorrow-in-olympia|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Tea Party movement|Tea Party activists]],<ref name=":8">{{cite news|url=https://www.politico.com/news/2020/04/21/trump-allies-help-organize-lockdown-protests-198426|title=Trump allies have their fingerprints on lockdown protests|website=POLITICO|language=en|access-date=23 April 2020|archive-date=22 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200422183744/https://www.politico.com/news/2020/04/21/trump-allies-help-organize-lockdown-protests-198426|url-status=live}}</ref> armed [[Patriot movement|militia movement]] supporters,<ref name="Grauniad-Right">{{cite news|last=Wilson|first=Jason|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/17/far-right-coronavirus-protests-restrictions|title=The rightwing groups behind wave of protests against Covid-19 restrictions|date=17 April 2020|work=The Guardian|access-date=18 April 2020|language=en-GB|issn=0261-3077|quote=...{{nbsp}}{{nbsp}}...|archive-date=18 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200418010447/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/17/far-right-coronavirus-protests-restrictions|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Gun laws in the United States by state|guns-rights]] activists,<ref>{{cite news|url=https://bringmethenews.com/minnesota-news/washington-post-links-minnesota-gun-group-to-anti-quarantine-protests|title=WaPo reveals Minnesota gun group link to anti-quarantine protests|last=Uren|first=Adam|website=Bring Me The News|language=en|access-date=20 April 2020|archive-date=24 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200424164209/https://bringmethenews.com/minnesota-news/washington-post-links-minnesota-gun-group-to-anti-quarantine-protests|url-status=live}}</ref> and "[[Anti-vaccine activism|anti-vaccination]]" advocates.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/02/us/anti-vaxxers-coronavirus-protests.html|title=Antivaccination Activists Are Growing Force at Virus Protests|last=Bogel-Burroughs|first=Nicholas|date=4 May 2020|work=The New York Times|access-date=4 May 2020|archive-date=3 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200503234419/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/02/us/anti-vaxxers-coronavirus-protests.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/anti-vaxxers-are-forming-an-unholy-alliance-with-shelter-in-place-protesters?source=articles&via=rss|title=Anti-Vaxxers and Lockdown Protesters Form an Unholy Alliance|last1=Sommer|first1=Will|last2=Kucinich|first2=Jackie|date=22 April 2020|work=Daily Beast|access-date=23 April 2020|archive-date=11 March 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210311021959/https://www.thedailybeast.com/anti-vaxxers-are-forming-an-unholy-alliance-with-shelter-in-place-protesters?source=articles&via=rss|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
Protesters, many without [[Face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States|face masks]], opposed the shelter-in-place orders in their states for various reasons. Many said they wanted businesses reopened so they could go back to work. Many others displayed pro-[[Donald Trump|Trump]] banners, signs, and [[Make America Great Again|MAGA]] hats.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2020/04/16/michigan-whitmer-conservatives-protest/|title=Chanting 'lock her up,' Michigan protesters waving Trump flags mass against Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's coronavirus restrictions|last=Flynn|first=Meagan|date=16 April 2020|newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=22 April 2020|archive-date=22 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200422002103/https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2020/04/16/michigan-whitmer-conservatives-protest/|url-status=live}}</ref> Still others insisted the lockdowns were a violation of their constitutional rights. One militia leader told a reporter, "Re-open my state or we will re-open it ourselves."<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-52359100|title=Coronavirus lockdown protest: What's behind the US demonstrations?|date=21 April 2020|work=BBC News|access-date=22 April 2020|archive-date=21 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200421200027/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-52359100|url-status=live}}</ref> An opinion article in ''The New York Times'', and an article in ''The Washington Post'' claimed that the anger driving the protests was "both real and manufactured", blaming conservative groups for engaging in [[astroturfing]] via centralized organization backed by anonymous donors.<ref>{{cite news|last=Graves|first=Lisa|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/22/opinion/coronavirus-protests-astroturf.html|title=Opinion {{!}} Who's Behind the 'Reopen' Protests?|date=22 April 2020|work=The New York Times|access-date=24 April 2020|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331|archive-date=24 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200424001641/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/22/opinion/coronavirus-protests-astroturf.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/inside-the-conservative-networks-backing-anti-quarantine-protests/2020/04/22/da75c81e-83fe-11ea-a3eb-e9fc93160703_story.html|title=The anti-quarantine protests seem spontaneous. But behind the scenes, a powerful network is helping.|last1=Stanley-Becker|first1=Isaac|last2=Romm|first2=Tony|date=22 April 2020|newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=24 April 2020|archive-date=29 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200429032531/https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/inside-the-conservative-networks-backing-anti-quarantine-protests/2020/04/22/da75c81e-83fe-11ea-a3eb-e9fc93160703_story.html|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
President Trump originally issued guidelines for how to phase out restrictions, saying that governors would decide how to reopen their own states and suggesting a cautious three-phase approach.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/16/politics/donald-trump-reopening-guidelines-coronavirus/index.html|title=Trump completes reversal, telling govs 'you are going to call your own shots' and distributes new guidelines|date=16 April 2020|work=CNN|access-date=23 April 2020|archive-date=22 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200422213330/https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/16/politics/donald-trump-reopening-guidelines-coronavirus/index.html|url-status=live}}</ref> However, the next day he reacted to the protests against social restrictions by encouraging the protests.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/17/us/politics/trump-coronavirus-governors.html|title=Trump Encourages Protest Against Governors Who Have Imposed Virus Restrictions|last1=Shear|first1=Michael D.|last2=Mervosh|first2=Sarah|date=17 April 2020|work=The New York Times|access-date=23 April 2020|archive-date=23 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200423000143/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/17/us/politics/trump-coronavirus-governors.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Itkowitz|first=Colby|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/04/17/liberate-trump-tweets-support-protesting-against-stay-at-home-orders/|title='Liberate': Trump Tweets Support of Protests Against Stay-at-Home Orders|date=17 April 2020|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|access-date=17 April 2020|archive-date=17 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200417233521/https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/04/17/liberate-trump-tweets-support-protesting-against-stay-at-home-orders/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/17/us/coronavirus-cases-news-update.html|title=Trump Foments Protests Against Governors; Experts Warn of Testing Shortages|date=17 April 2020|work=The New York Times|access-date=18 April 2020|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331|archive-date=18 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200418004100/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/17/us/coronavirus-cases-news-update.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|agency=Reuters/AP|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/video/2020/apr/18/they-seem-very-responsible-to-me-trump-defends-anti-lockdown-protesters-video|title='They seem very responsible to me': Trump defends anti-lockdown protesters - video|date=18 April 2020|work=The Guardian|access-date=19 April 2020|language=en-GB|issn=0261-3077|archive-date=19 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200419003522/https://www.theguardian.com/world/video/2020/apr/18/they-seem-very-responsible-to-me-trump-defends-anti-lockdown-protesters-video|url-status=live}}</ref> Governor [[Jay Inslee]] (D-WA) accused the president of "fomenting domestic rebellion" and said the president's call to ignore his own team's guidelines was "schizophrenic".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/04/trump-accused-fomenting-rebellion-liberate-tweets-200417223606672.html|title=Trump accused of 'fomenting rebellion' after 'LIBERATE' tweets|website=aljazeera.com|access-date=19 April 2020|archive-date=18 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200418213043/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/04/trump-accused-fomenting-rebellion-liberate-tweets-200417223606672.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2020/04/19/governors-decry-trump-call-liberate-states-coronavirus-restrictions/5162196002/|title=Governors slam Trump's call to 'liberate' states where protesters object to coronavirus restrictions|last=Cummings|first=William|website=USA TODAY|language=en-US|access-date=20 April 2020|archive-date=19 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200419233030/https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2020/04/19/governors-decry-trump-call-liberate-states-coronavirus-restrictions/5162196002/|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
[[File:OPEN our OHIO IMG 0144 (49790376873).jpg|thumb|An anti-lockdown protester in April 2020]]<br />
[[Facebook]] announced that it would block events and messages from anti-quarantine protest groups "when gatherings do not follow the health parameters established by the government and are therefore unlawful".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.politico.com/news/2020/04/20/facebook-shuts-down-anti-quarantine-protests-at-states-request-196143|title=Republicans attack Facebook as network shuts down anti-lockdown protests|last=Overly|first=Steven|website=POLITICO|language=en|access-date=21 April 2020|archive-date=21 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200421021301/https://www.politico.com/news/2020/04/20/facebook-shuts-down-anti-quarantine-protests-at-states-request-196143|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
In California, [[Libertarian Party (United States)|Libertarian Party]] chapters in [[Santa Clara, California|Santa Clara]] and [[San Francisco]] counties condemned lockdown measures in the state with a resolution stating in part that, "these government impositions have already lasted for longer than could be justified by the purpose for which they were allegedly necessary, constituting a sort of "mission creep" that could potentially keep them in place with no definite end, and with economic and social damage continuing to accumulate and becoming more severe."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.scclp.org/resolution_regarding_government_pandemic_response|title=Resolution Regarding Government Pandemic Response|access-date=11 May 2020|archive-date=26 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200526033448/https://www.scclp.org/resolution_regarding_government_pandemic_response|url-status=live}}</ref> Such responses were compared to the [[Anti-Mask League of San Francisco]] movement that was seen during the [[Spanish flu|1918 Spanish flu pandemic]], where the efficacy of masks was debated during the second wave of flu in the city.<ref name="amlsf">{{cite news|last=Kane|first=Peter Lawrence|date=29 April 2020|title=The Anti-Mask League: lockdown protests draw parallels to 1918 pandemic|language=en-GB|work=The Guardian|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/29/coronavirus-pandemic-1918-protests-california|access-date=30 April 2020|issn=0261-3077|archive-date=30 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200430023846/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/29/coronavirus-pandemic-1918-protests-california|url-status=live}}</ref> The Anti-Mask League saw the medical advice on masks as unconstitutional, and contrary to the principles of a free society.<ref name="amlsf"/><br />
<br />
Cell phone data from [[Digital contact tracing|digital-contact tracing]] software, captured from opt-in cellphone apps and the Firm VoteMap, then provided to The Guardian (publication) by progressive campaign group the Committee to Protect Medicare, suggests that cell phones present at anti-lockdown protests in [[2020 United States anti-lockdown protests|Colorado]], [[2020 United States anti-lockdown protests|Florida]], Illinois, [[2020 United States anti-lockdown protests|Michigan]] and North Carolina traveled long distances after leaving the protests. Dr. Rob Davidson, executive director of the Committee to Protect Medicare, said that although “it's hard to draw a straight line between devices, individuals at these protests, and cases”, the data suggests that the protests may be epidemiologically significant events." and that "The behavior we’re seeing at protests carries a high risk of infection."<ref>{{cite news|last=Wilson|first=Jason|date=18 May 2020|title=US lockdown protests may have spread virus widely, cellphone data suggests|language=en-GB|work=The Guardian|url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/may/18/lockdown-protests-spread-coronavirus-cellphone-data|access-date=23 May 2020|issn=0261-3077|archive-date=23 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200523061752/https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/may/18/lockdown-protests-spread-coronavirus-cellphone-data|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
On 30 January 2021, dozens of "SCAMDEMIC" protesters blocked the entrance to the vaccination center at [[Dodger Stadium]] in [[Los Angeles]].<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-01-31|title=Dodger Stadium mass COVID-19 vaccination site temporarily shuts down after protesters block entrance|url=https://ktla.com/news/local-news/dodger-stadium-mass-coronavirus-vaccination-site-shut-down-after-protesters-block-entrance/|access-date=2021-01-31|website=KTLA|language=en-US|archive-date=31 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210131013546/https://ktla.com/news/local-news/dodger-stadium-mass-coronavirus-vaccination-site-shut-down-after-protesters-block-entrance/|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
== Oceania ==<br />
<br />
=== American Samoa ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 pandemic in American Samoa}}<br />
In July 2020, several people protested against the spending of COVID-19 funds in [[American Samoa]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/420676/protest-against-spending-of-covid-19-funds-in-american-samoa | title=Protest against spending of Covid-19 funds in American Samoa | website=[[Radio New Zealand]] | date=7 July 2020 }}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Australia ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 protests in Australia}}<br />
{{See also|Convoy to Canberra}}<br />
Throughout 2020 and 2021, numerous illegal protests of widely varying sizes against COVID-19 lockdown restrictions and the [[Australian Federal Government]]'s vaccination programme were held in several state capitals including [[Adelaide]], [[Brisbane]], [[Melbourne]], [[Perth]] and [[Sydney]].<ref>{{cite news|title='Incredibly disappointing': Ugly scenes at Melbourne coronavirus protests as violence erupts|url=https://7news.com.au/lifestyle/health-wellbeing/melbourne-protests-violent-scenes-in-melbournes-cbd-as-coronavirus-protesters-are-detained-c-1028327|date=10 May 2020|work=[[Seven News]]|language=en|access-date=10 May 2020|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200911032042/https://7news.com.au/lifestyle/health-wellbeing/melbourne-protests-violent-scenes-in-melbournes-cbd-as-coronavirus-protesters-are-detained-c-1028327|archive-date=11 September 2020}}</ref><ref name="9news-anti-vacc-rallys-20-feb">{{cite news |last1=Noble |first1=Freya |title=Anti-coronavirus vaccine protests held in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth |url=https://www.9news.com.au/national/coronavirus-protest-melbourne-brisbane-sydney-pete-evans/a328629b-4d7f-48b1-a13f-72fe42dd8c2b |access-date=21 February 2021 |work=[[Nine News|9 News]] |publisher=Nine Digital Pty Ltd |date=20 February 2021 |archive-date=20 February 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210220222329/https://www.9news.com.au/national/coronavirus-protest-melbourne-brisbane-sydney-pete-evans/a328629b-4d7f-48b1-a13f-72fe42dd8c2b |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="smh-pfizer-doses-start">{{cite news |last1=Dye |first1=Josh |last2=Clun |first2=Rachel |title=COVID-19 vaccines begin as Prime Minister receives Pfizer immunisation |url=https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/covid-19-vaccines-begin-as-prime-minister-receives-pfizer-immunisation-20210221-p574cw.html |access-date=21 February 2021 |work=[[The Sydney Morning Herald]] |date=21 February 2021 |archive-date=25 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210525075159/https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/covid-19-vaccines-begin-as-prime-minister-receives-pfizer-immunisation-20210221-p574cw.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Police responded to some of the protests by arresting demonstrators and issuing fines.<ref name="abc-melb-lockdown-protest-nov'20">{{cite news |title=Police arrest more than 400 demonstrators at Melbourne anti-lockdown protest |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-11-03/melbourne-anti-lockdown-protest-sees-over-400-protesters-arrest/12845120 |access-date=5 June 2021 |work=ABC News |publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation |date=3 November 2020 |archive-date=6 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210506082030/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-11-03/melbourne-anti-lockdown-protest-sees-over-400-protesters-arrest/12845120 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Australia: Scores arrested at anti-coronavirus lockdown protests |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/8/21/australia-scores-arrested-at-anti-coronavirus-lockdown-protests |access-date=22 August 2021 |work=[[Al Jazeera English|Al Jazeera]] |date=21 August 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210821171717/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/8/21/australia-scores-arrested-at-anti-coronavirus-lockdown-protests |archive-date=21 August 2021|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Anti-lockdown protesters clash with police in Australia |url=https://amp.rnz.co.nz/article/869c10d3-77f3-4f63-8d04-343e7cc5d109 |access-date=22 August 2021 |work=[[Radio New Zealand]] |date=21 August 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210821070733/https://amp.rnz.co.nz/article/869c10d3-77f3-4f63-8d04-343e7cc5d109 |archive-date=21 August 2021|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
In Melbourne, [[Victoria, Australia|Victoria]], from 20 to 24 September 2021, a series of protests occurred in the city's CBD. Protesters were predominantly tradesmen who were acting against lockdowns, the closure of the construction industry and [[vaccine mandate]]s. It is believed that several protesters were "fake tradies" who could be described as "professional protesters". Police responded with rubber bullets, batons and tear gas. Various media outlets were critical of the police's heavy-handed response to the protesters and bystander civilians.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Clench |first1=Sam |last2=Smith |first2=Rohan |title=Melbourne 'freedom' protest: Chaos erupts on CBD streets, West Gate Freeway over construction sector shutdown |url=https://www.news.com.au/national/melbourne-braces-for-more-chaos-as-workers-plan-another-freedom-rally/news-story/2b8d98e06b20dd42c51ef9960849f403 |access-date=21 September 2021 |work=News.com |publisher=Nationwide News Pty Ltd |date=20 September 2021 |language=en-AU |archive-date=21 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210921021456/https://www.news.com.au/national/melbourne-braces-for-more-chaos-as-workers-plan-another-freedom-rally/news-story/2b8d98e06b20dd42c51ef9960849f403 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Tuffiel |first1=Rhiannon |title=Tradie protest 'hijacked' by 'extreme organisations': CFMEU boss |url=https://www.news.com.au/national/victoria/politics/tradie-protest-hijacked-by-extreme-organisations-cfmeu-boss/news-story/11a24a98abf9f04ed67f5e50fced7c35 |access-date=21 September 2021 |work=News.com.au |agency=NCA NewsWire |publisher=Nationwide News Pty Ltd |date=20 September 2021 |language=en-AU |archive-date=20 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210920221215/https://www.news.com.au/national/victoria/politics/tradie-protest-hijacked-by-extreme-organisations-cfmeu-boss/news-story/11a24a98abf9f04ed67f5e50fced7c35 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Harley |first1=Kyle |title=More than 200 arrests made across Melbourne as police disperse anti-lockdown protesters |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-09-24/protests-condemned-rallies-enter-fifth-day/100488196 |access-date=24 September 2021 |work=ABC News |publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation |date=24 September 2021 |language=en-AU |archive-date=25 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210925012150/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-09-24/protests-condemned-rallies-enter-fifth-day/100488196 |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
The first major legal protest occurred in early 2022 in [[Canberra]], [[Australian Capital Territory]], which is also the most highly vaccinated jurisdiction in Australia. A "[[Convoy to Canberra]]", consisting of thousands of protesters in trailers, trucks, cars and campervans made their way in the national capital in January.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2022/02/03/canadas-freedom-convoy-is-inspiring-protests-in-other-countries.html| title=How Canada's 'Freedom Convoy' is inspiring protests in other countries| first1=Alex| last1=McKeen| first2=Lex| last2=Harvey| first3=Kieran| last3=Leavitt|date=February 3, 2022|work=[[Toronto Star]]}}</ref><ref name="The Guardian Occupy Canberra">{{cite news |last1=Butler |first1=Josh |title='Occupy Canberra': behind the anti-vaccine protests at Parliament House |url=https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/feb/04/occupy-canberra-behind-the-anti-vaccine-protests-at-parliament-house |access-date=7 February 2022 |work=[[The Guardian]] |date=4 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220206092405/https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/feb/04/occupy-canberra-behind-the-anti-vaccine-protests-at-parliament-house |archive-date=6 February 2022|url-status=live}}</ref> On 12 February, around 10,000 protesters converged on [[Parliament House, Canberra|Parliament House]] and [[Old Parliament House, Canberra|Old Parliament House]], and [[Lifeline (crisis support service)|Lifeline Canberra]] suspended its major fund-raising event due to safety concerns for customers.<ref name="News.com.au 13 Feb">{{cite news |last1=Consenza |first1=Emily |last2=Raphael |first2=Angie |title=Incredible scenes as anti-vaccine mandate protesters swarm Canberra streets |url=https://www.news.com.au/national/nsw-act/news/antivaccine-mandate-ralliers-potentially-target-vaccine-hub-hosting-childrens-event/news-story/9e98221eab0c5436f122209a38d56102 |access-date=13 February 2022 |work=[[News.com.au]] |publisher=[[News Corp Australia]] |date=12 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220212192032/https://www.news.com.au/national/nsw-act/news/antivaccine-mandate-ralliers-potentially-target-vaccine-hub-hosting-childrens-event/news-story/9e98221eab0c5436f122209a38d56102 |archive-date=12 February 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Federal government relaxes aged care COVID rule as protesters converge on Canberra |url=https://thenewdaily.com.au/news/coronavirus/2022/02/13/aged-care-covid-rule-canberra-protests/ |access-date=14 February 2022 |work=[[The New Daily]] |date=13 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220213120210/https://thenewdaily.com.au/news/coronavirus/2022/02/13/aged-care-covid-rule-canberra-protests/ |archive-date=13 February 2022|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Kelly |first1=Lidia |title=NZ, Australia vaccination mandates protests gain in number |url=https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/new-zealand-australia-vaccination-mandates-protests-gain-numbers-2022-02-12/ |access-date=14 February 2022 |work=[[Reuters]] |date=12 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220213163443/https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/new-zealand-australia-vaccination-mandates-protests-gain-numbers-2022-02-12/ |archive-date=13 February 2022|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Christmas Island ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 pandemic in Christmas Island}}<br />
Detainees at the [[Christmas Island Detention Centre]] rioted and set fire to buildings in a protest against the conditions of the detention centre.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/jan/06/christmas-island-detainees-riot-and-set-fire-to-buildings-in-protest-against-conditions | title=Christmas Island detainees riot and set fire to buildings in protest against conditions | website=[[TheGuardian.com]] | date=6 January 2021 }}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Fiji ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 pandemic in Fiji}}<br />
In June 2021, following lockdowns in Fiji, locals protested across the country for more government support.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-06-23/fiji-instability-covid-outbreak-unrest-restrictions-lockdown/100234180 | title='Frustration and anger are starting to build': Fears COVID outbreak leading to civil unrest in Fiji | newspaper=ABC News | date=22 June 2021 }}</ref><br />
<br />
=== French Polynesia ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 pandemic in French Polynesia#vaccination efforts}}<br />
In October 2021, several protests against a proposed law mandating COVID-19 vaccines were held throughout [[French Polynesia]] including [[Papeete]] in [[Tahiti]] and [[Hiva Oa]] in the [[Marquesas Islands]]. Notable groups and individuals involved included the "Don't Touch my Family" group, the pro-independence party [[Tavini Huiraatira]], and retired Dr. Jean-Paul Theron, who was locked in a dispute with health authorities over his methods of treating COVID-19 patients.<ref>{{cite news |title=Tahiti rally against vaccination regime |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/453364/tahiti-rally-against-vaccination-regime |access-date=6 November 2021 |work=[[Radio New Zealand]] |date=12 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211019053801/https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/453364/tahiti-rally-against-vaccination-regime |archive-date=19 October 2021|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Pro-independence party joins French Polynesia anti-vax march |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/454227/pro-independence-party-joins-french-polynesia-anti-vax-march |access-date=6 November 2021 |work=[[Radio New Zealand]] |date=25 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211027052722/https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/454227/pro-independence-party-joins-french-polynesia-anti-vax-march |archive-date=27 October 2021}}</ref> The proposed law requires anyone working in healthcare or with the public to get inoculated or be fined $US1,700.<ref>{{cite news |title=French Polynesian govt delays Covid-19 vaccination law |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/453809/french-polynesian-govt-delays-covid-19-vaccination-law |access-date=6 November 2021 |work=[[Radio New Zealand]] |date=19 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211019103922/https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/453809/french-polynesian-govt-delays-covid-19-vaccination-law |archive-date=19 October 2021|url-status=live}}</ref> In response to strong opposition from anti-vaccination protesters, unions, and employers, [[President of French Polynesia|President]] [[Édouard Fritch]] announced that the new law would be delayed until 23 December.<ref name="Vaccination law amended">{{cite news |title=French Polynesia vaccination law to be amended |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/453853/french-polynesia-vaccination-law-to-be-amended |access-date=6 November 2021 |work=[[Radio New Zealand]] |date=19 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211104115009/https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/453853/french-polynesia-vaccination-law-to-be-amended |archive-date=4 November 2021}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Guam ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 pandemic in Guam}}<br />
Members of the [[Guam Freedom Coalition]] protested vaccine mandates in [[Guam]] on 30 October 2021.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.guampdn.com/news/march-held-to-protest-vaccine-mandates/video_2f7ee160-28b4-5974-b83a-12485173f1a2.html | title=March held to protest vaccine mandates | date=30 October 2021 }}</ref><br />
<br />
=== New Caledonia ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 pandemic in New Caledonia}}<br />
An estimate of 1,000 people staged a protest in [[Nouméa]] against government policies regarding the pandemic, such as the introduction of health passes and vaccine mandates. The protest occurred a day after outdoor gatherings in [[New Caledonia]] were limited to 30 people, however police decided not to intervene due to the presence of children.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.cookislandsnews.com/regional/new-caledonia/protest-in-new-caledonia-against-govts-pandemic-policies/ | title=Protest in New Caledonia against govt's pandemic policies | date=10 January 2022 }}</ref><br />
<br />
=== New Zealand ===<br />
[[File:Convoy 2022 NZ (41).jpg|thumb|Protesters blocking a street at the Convoy 2022 NZ protest in Wellington]]<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 protests in New Zealand}}<br />
{{See also|2022 Wellington protests}}<br />
Between August and October 2021, several protests were held across New Zealand to protest official lockdown measures, vaccination, and spread disinformation about the COVID-19 pandemic. Key groups and individuals that were involved in these protests included FACTS NZ, Kotahitanga Movement Aotearoa, the NZ Liberty Movement and [[Jami-Lee Ross]] and [[Billy Te Kahika]]'s [[Advance New Zealand]] party.<ref>{{cite news|last=Pearse |first=Adam |work=[[The Northern Advocate]]|date=13 August 2020|title=Covid 19 coronavirus: Lockdown protest stops traffic in Whangārei|language=en-NZ| url= https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12356284|access-date=22 August 2020|issn=1170-0777|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200821030819/https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12356284|archive-date=21 August 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Anti-lockdown, vaccination and 1080 protesters take over Auckland's Aotea Square|language=en|work=[[Newshub]]|url= https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2020/08/anti-lockdown-vaccination-and-1080-protesters-take-over-auckland-s-aotea-square.html|access-date=22 August 2020|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200824232201/https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2020/08/anti-lockdown-vaccination-and-1080-protesters-take-over-auckland-s-aotea-square.html|archive-date=24 August 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Bayer |first1=Kurt |title=Covid 19 coronavirus: Hundreds turn out for anti-lockdown protests |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12362504 |access-date=5 September 2020 |work=[[The New Zealand Herald]] |date=5 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200905093331/https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12362504 |archive-date=5 September 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|date=2020-09-12|title=Advance Party and crowd rallies against Covid-19 restrictions and lockdowns|language=en-NZ|work=[[The New Zealand Herald]] |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12364413|access-date=2020-09-13|issn=1170-0777|archive-date=13 September 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200913195732/https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12364413|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
In January 2021, Te Kahika led a "freedom rally" outside the [[New Zealand Parliament]]; protestors opposed lockdown policies, while expressing support for US President [[Donald Trump]] and [[QAnon]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Walls |first1=Jason |title=Police keeping a close eye on controversial Billy TK 'freedom rally' outside Beehive |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/police-keeping-a-close-eye-on-controversial-billy-tk-freedom-rally-outside-beehive/4C2E3SYXDZPQZZA4CK2EC5T2MU/ |access-date=14 January 2021 |work=[[The New Zealand Herald]] |date=14 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210114104417/https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/police-keeping-a-close-eye-on-controversial-billy-tk-freedom-rally-outside-beehive/4C2E3SYXDZPQZZA4CK2EC5T2MU/ |archive-date=14 January 2021|url-status=live}}</ref> Following the reinstatement of lockdown restrictions in mid–August 2021 in response to a [[SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant|Delta variant]] community outbreak, anti-lockdown protests were staged in [[Auckland]], [[Tauranga]], [[Nelson, New Zealand|Nelson]], and [[Christchurch]]. Key participants included Te Kahika and far-right activist [[Kyle Chapman (New Zealand activist)|Kyle Champman]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Conspiracy theorist Billy TK arrested at anti-lockdown protest |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/449439/conspiracy-theorist-billy-tk-arrested-at-anti-lockdown-protest |access-date=18 August 2021 |work=[[Radio New Zealand]] |date=18 August 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210818053131/https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/449439/conspiracy-theorist-billy-tk-arrested-at-anti-lockdown-protest |archive-date=18 August 2021|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Lourens |first1=Marine |last2=Sherwood |first2=Sam |last3=McNeilly |first3=Hamish |title=Covid-19: Former far-Right leader to spend weekend behind bars after alleged lockdown breach |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/126131440/covid19-former-farright-leader-to-spend-weekend-behind-bars-after-alleged-lockdown-breach |access-date=20 August 2021 |work=[[Stuff (website)|Stuff]] |date=20 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210820040054/https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/126131440/covid19-former-farright-leader-to-spend-weekend-behind-bars-after-alleged-lockdown-breach|archive-date=20 August 2021|url-status=live}}</ref> In February 2022, [[Convoy 2022 New Zealand]] gathered outside parliament buildings and blocked streets in Wellington.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/461471/wellington-s-sky-stadium-offered-as-parking-to-free-up-parliament-streets-blocked-by-protesters |title=Wellington's Sky Stadium offered as parking to free up Parliament streets blocked by protesters |publisher=[[Radio New Zealand]] |date=14 February 2022 |accessdate=22 February 2022}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Papua New Guinea ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 pandemic in Papua New Guinea}}<br />
During the pandemic, attacks on health workers<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KbDVzLGCSGc | title=Violence against PNG health workers rises amid protests against COVID vaccinations &#124; ABC News | website=[[YouTube]] }}</ref> and vaccination teams<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/455215/mob-attacks-on-vaccination-teams-commonplace-in-png | title=Mob attacks on vaccination teams commonplace in PNG | website=[[Radio New Zealand]] | date=8 November 2021 }}</ref> in [[Papua New Guinea]] have occurred multiple times. Protests were banned nationwide due to the pandemic,<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.pngreport.com/covid-19/news/1420060/ban-on-png-protest-marches | title=Ban on PNG protest marches | date=22 October 2021 }}</ref> however they still occurred across the country, particularly in the capital, [[Port Moresby]],<ref>{{cite web | url=https://asiapacificreport.nz/2021/11/02/png-police-block-illegal-anti-vaxxer-rally-in-port-moresby-amid-fake-info/ | title=PNG police block illegal anti-vaxxer rally in Port Moresby amid fake info &#124; Asia Pacific Report | date=2 November 2021 }}</ref> as well as in [[Lae]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://crisis24.garda.com/alerts/2021/09/papua-new-guinea-additional-protests-possible-in-lae-through-at-least-mid-september-over-corporate-mandatory-vaccination-policies | title=Papua New Guinea: Additional protests possible in Lae through at least mid-September over corporate mandatory vaccination policies }}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Samoa ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 pandemic in Samoa}}<br />
On 8 May 2020, around 100 people protested new laws regarding COVID-19 in [[Samoa]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://monitor.civicus.org/updates/2020/05/21/protests-samoa-against-three-bills-could-undermine-judicial-independence-and-rule-law/ | title=Protests in Samoa against three bills that could undermine judicial independence and rule of law }}</ref> On 23 June 2022, more than 30 people protested vaccine mandates in Samoa.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.samoanews.com/protest-vaccine-mandate-demonstration | title=Protest the Vaccine Mandate" demonstration }}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Solomon Islands ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 pandemic in the Solomon Islands|2021 Solomon Islands unrest}}<br />
The [[2021 Solomon Islands unrest]] was partially caused by government mishandling of the pandemic.<br />
<br />
=== Vanuatu ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 pandemic in Vanuatu}}<br />
The [[Government of Vanuatu]] criticised a planned protest regarding COVID-19 involving church and youth groups. The protesters claimed that the [[Vanuatu Police Force|Police Commissioner]] had given them permission to protest, however the [[Deputy Prime Minister of Vanuatu|Deputy Prime Minister]] [[Ishmael Kalsakau]] said it could not go ahead as it was politically motivated. Protestors also claimed that at least two MPs (namely [[Andrew Napuat]] and [[John Salong]]) supported the protest.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/466907/vanuatu-govt-says-no-to-vaccine-protest-march | title=Vanuatu Govt says no to vaccine protest march | website=[[Radio New Zealand]] | date=11 May 2022 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://islandsbusiness.com/news-break/vanuatu-govt-halts-vaccine-protest-march/ | title=Vanuatu Govt halts vaccine protest march | date=12 May 2022 }}</ref><br />
<br />
== South America ==<br />
<br />
=== Argentina ===<br />
{{Main|2020–2021 Argentinian protests}}<br />
[[File:En busca de la libertad 01.jpg|thumb|180px|The [[17A]] protests on 17 August 2020]]<br />
On 25 May, during the [[First National Government|Anniversary of the First National Government]], protests erupted all over the country,<ref>{{Cite web|date=25 May 2020|title=Un reducido grupo de manifestantes protestó contra la cuarentena en la Plaza de Mayo|url=https://www.infobae.com/sociedad/2020/05/25/manifestantes-protestan-contra-la-cuarentena-en-la-plaza-de-mayo/|access-date=10 July 2020|website=infobae|language=es-ES|archive-date=4 June 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200604063409/https://www.infobae.com/sociedad/2020/05/25/manifestantes-protestan-contra-la-cuarentena-en-la-plaza-de-mayo/|url-status=live}}</ref> but predominantly in [[Buenos Aires]] and [[Córdoba, Argentina|Cordoba]]. The protest consisted mostly of small business owners demanding the local and national governments to be allowed to work, under a sanitary protocol. At this point, the stay-at-home order had been in place nationwide for 65 days.<br />
<br />
On 20 June, which is the country's [[Flag Day (Argentina)|National Flag Day]], the size of the protests had grown immensely compared to the previous ones held in late May.<ref>{{cite news|date=20 June 2020|title=En Twitter: cómo es el banderazo nacional contra la expropiación de Vicentin|url=https://www.lanacion.com.ar/politica/convocan-banderazo-nacional-republica-sabado-20-junio-nid2381945|access-date=10 July 2020|newspaper=La Nación|language=es|archive-date=6 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200706082841/https://www.lanacion.com.ar/politica/convocan-banderazo-nacional-republica-sabado-20-junio-nid2381945|url-status=live}}</ref> While business owners and workers were still calling for more workplaces to be allowed to operate, the government's attempt to expropriate Vicentín, a soy and wheat manufacturer and one of the largest exporting firms in the country, also sparked outrage and motivated protests in many provinces where agriculture plays a big role in their local economy, particularly in the [[Santa Fe Province]], where this business is located. Due to the huge backlash, president [[Alberto Fernández|Alberto Fernandez]] has decided to step down and not take over the company. Protests also took place in the city centre of most cities and at the gates of the [[Quinta de Olivos|presidential residence]]. While the lockdown had been lifted in most provinces and municipalities, it was still enforced in [[Greater Buenos Aires]], which represents around 60% of the Argentine economy. On this day, the stay-at-home order had been in place for 90 days, making it the longest mandatory quarantine in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.<ref>{{cite news|last=Goñi|first=Uki|date=17 June 2020|title=Argentina's president enters voluntary isolation amid coronavirus surge|language=en-GB|work=The Guardian|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jun/17/argentina-president-enters-voluntary-isolation-amid-coronavirus-surge|access-date=10 July 2020|issn=0261-3077|archive-date=10 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200710091442/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jun/17/argentina-president-enters-voluntary-isolation-amid-coronavirus-surge|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
On 9 July, the country's [[Argentine Declaration of Independence|Independence Day]], protests flared up once again.<ref>{{cite news|date=10 July 2020|title=Multitudinario banderazo contra el Gobierno en diferentes puntos del país|url=https://www.lanacion.com.ar/politica/comenzo-banderazo-federal-del-9-julio-nid2394297|access-date=10 July 2020|newspaper=La Nación|language=es|archive-date=9 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200709224416/https://www.lanacion.com.ar/politica/comenzo-banderazo-federal-del-9-julio-nid2394297|url-status=live}}</ref> In addition to workers and entrepreneurs asking to be allowed to work, many were angered by the fact that [[Lázaro Báez|Lazaro Baez]], who is serving jail time for money laundering and stealing from taxpayers' money and is associated with much of the government staff, could be eligible for parole. This incident, and the murder of Fabián Gutiérrez, who was ex-president [[Cristina Fernández de Kirchner|Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner]]'s secretary while she was in office, which many opposition affiliates believe was orchestrated by the administration and covered up as a "crime of passion" by two unknown men, also caused large outrage in some sectors of the population. This day marked 109 days since the lockdown was put in place in the Greater Buenos Aires area.{{citation needed|date=August 2021}}<br />
<br />
On 1 August, many opponents of Alberto Fernandez's government, and of [[Kirchnerism]] in general, took to the streets to rally against the judicial reform<br />
proposed by the administration. Many believe this is a way to absolve vice president Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner from her ongoing trials, and also a way to give [[Frente de Todos (2019 coalition)|the governing political party]] control over the [[Supreme Court of Argentina|judicial branch of government]], all disguised under the promise that this reform will make judges and trials fairer and less biased to certain ideologies or political parties. While the lockdown has not been completely lifted in Buenos Aires, many activities and businesses are now allowed to take place again since mid-July, and a re-opening scheme with various stages has been designed and put in place, although with no strict dates. However, many companies, such as restaurants or bars for instance, still cannot open and many business owners are uncertain of how much more they can endure with their doors closed.<br />
<br />
On 17 August, the General José de San Martín Memorial Day, a public holiday which commemorates Argentine liberator and army general [[José de San Martín]], protesters gathered once again on the city centres of the main Argentine cities for the same reasons as the previous one, 16 days prior. This manifestation was backed by many political figures from the [[Juntos por el Cambio]], [[Frente Despertar]], [[Fuerza Unidaria Argentina]], opposition forces, near liberal, libertarian and survivalist groups. Some, however, have decided to not publicly support the protests, most notably [[Horacio Rodríguez Larreta]], mayor of Buenos Aires.<br />
<br />
=== Brazil ===<br />
====2020====<br />
{{Main|2020 Brazilian protests}}<br />
On 18 March, Brazilians in [[São Paulo]] and [[Rio de Janeiro]] protested [[Jair Bolsonaro]]'s handling of the pandemic by [[banging pots and pans]] on their balconies and shouting "Bolsonaro out!"<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-51955679 |title=Coronavirus protest in Brazil sees millions bang pots from balconies |date=19 March 2020 |work=BBC |access-date=13 May 2020 |archive-date=22 March 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200322135850/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-51955679 |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
On 19 April, Brazil's [[Armed Forces Day]], Bolsonaro gathered with about 600 protesters in front of the Army's headquarters in [[Brasília|Brasilia]] to demand a "military intervention" into the handling of the coronavirus situation. Smaller protests calling for governors to resign occurred the previous day in [[Rio de Janeiro]], [[São Paulo]] and Brasilia.<ref>{{cite web|title=Brazil's Bolsonaro joins protest against coronavirus restrictions &#124; Coronavirus pandemic News|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/04/brazil-bolsonaro-joins-protest-coronavirus-curbs-200420042616860.html|date=20 April 2020|publisher=Al Jazeera|access-date=27 April 2020|archive-date=19 September 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200919230255/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/04/brazil-bolsonaro-joins-protest-coronavirus-curbs-200420042616860.html|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
====2021====<br />
{{Main|2021 Brazilian protests}}<br />
[[File:Fora Bolsonaro em Campinas 29.05.2021 01.jpg|thumb|Protest against the government of President Bolsonaro in [[Campinas]] on 29 May 2021]]<br />
[[File:Ato do Movimento Brasil Verde e Amarelo - 51181481168.jpg|thumb|Pro-government protest in [[Brasília]] on 15 May 2021]]<br />
[[File:Ato do Movimento Brasil Verde e Amarelo - 51180579797.jpg|thumb|Bolsonaro flies over protests in [[Brasília]] on 15 May 2021]]<br />
<br />
On 1 May, protest in favor of [[Jair Bolsonaro]] happened around the country. The protesters demanded the end of lockdowns, as well as a military intervention on the judicial and legislative branches of power. The protests happened in many Brazilian cities, occupying avenues such as [[Paulista Avenue|Avenida Paulista]]. Bolsonaro flew by helicopter over the protests in Brasilia, where there were also protests against his government.<ref>{{cite web|title=Fortaleza tem manifestação a favor de Bolsonaro neste 1º de maio; 17 são detidos|url=https://g1.globo.com/ce/ceara/noticia/2021/05/01/fortaleza-registra-manifestacao-a-favor-de-bolsonaro-neste-1ode-maio.ghtml#|date=1 May 2021|publisher=G1|access-date=3 May 2021|archive-date=3 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210503180447/https://g1.globo.com/ce/ceara/noticia/2021/05/01/fortaleza-registra-manifestacao-a-favor-de-bolsonaro-neste-1ode-maio.ghtml|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Bolsonaro sobrevoa de helicóptero manifestação a seu favor no DF|url=https://noticias.r7.com/distrito-federal/bolsonaro-sobrevoa-de-helicoptero-manifestacao-a-seu-favor-no-df-01052021#/foto/1|date=1 May 2021|publisher=R7|access-date=3 May 2021|archive-date=2 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210502160600/https://noticias.r7.com/distrito-federal/bolsonaro-sobrevoa-de-helicoptero-manifestacao-a-seu-favor-no-df-01052021#/foto/1|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Manifestações pró e contra Bolsonaro tomam conta da Esplanada|url=https://www.metropoles.com/brasil/manifestacoes-pro-e-contra-bolsonaro-tomam-conta-da-esplanada|date=1 May 2021|publisher=Metrópoles|access-date=3 May 2021|archive-date=3 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210503180449/https://www.metropoles.com/brasil/manifestacoes-pro-e-contra-bolsonaro-tomam-conta-da-esplanada|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Feriado do Dia do Trabalho tem manifestações em cidades do RS|url=https://g1.globo.com/rs/rio-grande-do-sul/noticia/2021/05/01/feriado-do-dia-do-trabalho-tem-manifestacoes-em-cidades-do-rs.ghtml|date=1 May 2021|publisher=G1|access-date=3 May 2021|archive-date=1 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210501233653/https://g1.globo.com/rs/rio-grande-do-sul/noticia/2021/05/01/feriado-do-dia-do-trabalho-tem-manifestacoes-em-cidades-do-rs.ghtml|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Cidades no Sul de MG registram manifestações a favor do governo Bolsonaro neste 1º de maio|url=https://g1.globo.com/mg/sul-de-minas/noticia/2021/05/01/cidades-registram-manifestacoes-a-favor-do-governo-bolsonaro-neste-1o-de-maio-no-sul-de-mg.ghtml|date=1 May 2021|publisher=G1|access-date=3 May 2021|archive-date=1 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210501161952/https://g1.globo.com/mg/sul-de-minas/noticia/2021/05/01/cidades-registram-manifestacoes-a-favor-do-governo-bolsonaro-neste-1o-de-maio-no-sul-de-mg.ghtml|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Brasil. Milhares de pessoas nas ruas para apoiar Bolsonaro no Dia do Trabalhador|url=https://www.rtp.pt/noticias/mundo/brasil-milhares-de-pessoas-nas-ruas-para-apoiar-bolsonaro-no-dia-do-trabalhador_v1316831|date=2 May 2021|publisher=RTP Notícias|access-date=4 May 2021|archive-date=3 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210503190106/https://www.rtp.pt/noticias/mundo/brasil-milhares-de-pessoas-nas-ruas-para-apoiar-bolsonaro-no-dia-do-trabalhador_v1316831|url-status=live}}</ref>{{citation needed|date=August 2021}}<br />
<br />
===Chile===<br />
{{Main|2019–2020 Chilean protests#2020 protests}}<br />
<br />
On 18 March, riots took place at the communes of [[El Bosque, Chile|El Bosque]], [[La Pintana]], and other communes in the [[Santiago Metropolitan Region]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.emol.com/noticias/Nacional/2020/05/18/986529/Protestas-incidentes-comuna-El-Bosque.html|title=Protestas en la comuna de El Bosque: Vecinos denuncian falta de alimentos en medio de cuarentena &#124; Emol.com|date=18 May 2020|website=Emol|access-date=24 May 2020|archive-date=25 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200525033923/https://www.emol.com/noticias/Nacional/2020/05/18/986529/Protestas-incidentes-comuna-El-Bosque.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Rioters are denouncing the [[hunger]] resulting from the partial and total lockdowns in the region. They claim that the lockdowns have left them without work and means of sustenance.<br />
<br />
=== Colombia ===<br />
{{Main|2021 Colombian protests}}<br />
[[File:Paro Nacional Colombia (51185625987).jpg|thumb|Protesters in [[Medellín]], Colombia on 1 May 2021]]<br />
In April 2021, President [[Iván Duque Márquez|Iván Duque]] proposed increased taxes at a time when the [[COVID-19 pandemic in Colombia]] was beginning to worsen as various healthcare systems were failing throughout the country. A series of protests began in [[Colombia]] on 28 April 2021 against increased taxes, corruption, and health care reform.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/more-subdued-second-day-colombia-tax-reform-protests-2021-04-29/ |title=More subdued second day of Colombia tax reform protests |last=Acosta |first=Luis |date=29 April 2021 |website=[[Reuters]] |url-status=live |archive-date=1 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210501195325/https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/more-subdued-second-day-colombia-tax-reform-protests-2021-04-29/ }}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Ecuador ===<br />
{{main|2020 Ecuadorian protests}}<br />
The 2020 demonstrations in Ecuador were a series of national mobilizations carried out in May 2020, after the announcement of economic measures by the government of [[Lenín Moreno]] adopted due to the serious health and economic crisis generated by the [[COVID-19 pandemic in Ecuador]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Coronavirus: Ecuador protests against cuts amid pandemic |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-52803400 |publisher=BBC News |date=26 May 2020 |access-date=16 July 2021 |archive-date=16 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210716083730/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-52803400 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Police Beat and Injure Ecuador's Covid-19 Protesters |url=https://www.hrw.org/news/2020/05/25/police-beat-and-injure-ecuadors-covid-19-protesters |work=Human Rights Watch |date=25 May 2020 |access-date=16 July 2021 |archive-date=16 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210716083730/https://www.hrw.org/news/2020/05/25/police-beat-and-injure-ecuadors-covid-19-protesters |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
===Paraguay===<br />
{{main|2021 Paraguayan protests}}<br />
<br />
On 5 March, protests broke out across Paraguay due to the lack of efficient government response against the [[COVID-19 pandemic in Paraguay|pandemic in the country]]. The protests gathered thousands of people, and left hundreds of injured. It culminated in the resignation of the then health minister [[Julio Mazzoleni]].<br />
<br />
== See also ==<br />
{{Commons category|Protests related to the COVID-19 pandemic}}<br />
* [[Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on politics]]<br />
* [[National responses to the COVID-19 pandemic]]<br />
* [[Strikes during the COVID-19 pandemic]]<br />
* [[Face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic]]<br />
** [[Face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States]]<br />
* [[Cholera Riots|Cholera riots]]<br />
{{clear}}<br />
<br />
== References ==<br />
{{reflist}}<br />
<br />
{{COVID-19 pandemic}}<br />
{{COVID-19 pandemic in the United States}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:2020 protests]]<br />
[[Category:2021 protests]]<br />
[[Category:2022 protests]]<br />
[[Category:Protests over responses to the COVID-19 pandemic| ]]<br />
[[Category:Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on politics]]</div>Boackandwhitehttps://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Afghan_conflict&diff=1261687901Afghan conflict2024-12-07T12:28:34Z<p>Boackandwhite: </p>
<hr />
<div>{{Short description|Near-continuous series of wars in Afghanistan}}<br />
{{use dmy dates|date=August 2021}}<br />
{{for|a list of specific armed conflicts in Afghanistan since the 19th century|War in Afghanistan}}<br />
{{Infobox military conflict<br />
| conflict = Afghan conflict<br />
| partof = the [[Cold War]] (1978–1992) and the [[War on terror|Global War on Terrorism]] (2001–present) and the [[War on Drug]]<br />
| image = [[File:War in Afghanistan (1992–2001).png|frameless|upright=1.35]]<br />
| caption = Development of the Afghan Civil War from the [[Peshawar Accord]] in April 1992 to the [[Battle of Tora Bora]] in December 2001<br />
| place = [[Afghanistan]] (spillover into [[Insurgency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa|Pakistan]])<br />
| date = 27 April 1978 – present<br />({{Age in years, months, weeks and days|month1=04|day1=27|year1=1978}})<br />
| territory = The [[Taliban]] controls all of Afghanistan's territory under the re-established [[Afghanistan|Islamic Emirate]] since September 2021<ref name="pancap">{{cite news |last1=Pannett |first1=Rachel |last2=Khan |first2=Haq Nawaz |last3=Mehrdad |first3=Ezzatullah |last4=O'Grady |first4=Siobhán |title=Panjshir Valley, last resistance holdout in Afghanistan, falls to the Taliban |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2021/09/06/afghanistan-kabul-taliban-updates/ |access-date=6 September 2021 |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=6 September 2021}}</ref><ref name="pancap2">{{cite web |last1=Roggio |first1=Bill |title=Taliban completes conquest of Afghanistan after seizing Panjshir |url=https://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2021/09/taliban-completes-conquest-of-afghanistan-after-seizing-panjshir.php |access-date=6 September 2021 |website=[[Foundation for Defense of Democracies|FDD]]'s Long War Journal |date=6 September 2021 |archive-date=6 September 2021 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210906141609/https://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2021/09/taliban-completes-conquest-of-afghanistan-after-seizing-panjshir.php }}</ref><br />
| result = <br />
| status = Ongoing [[Low-intensity conflict|low-level]] conflict:<ref>{{Cite news |last=Bezhan |first=Frud |date=2023-06-30 |title=The Azadi Briefing: Violence 'Widespread' In Afghanistan, Despite Conflict Subsiding |url=https://www.rferl.org/a/azadi-briefing-afghanistan-widespread-violence-taliban-wesa/32483532.html |access-date=2024-03-25 |work=Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-12-30 |title=Taliban's Reversion to Sharia-Based Public Punishments Dominated |url=https://www.voanews.com/a/taliban-s-reversion-to-sharia-based-public-punishments-dominated-/6879367.html |access-date=2024-03-25 |website=Voice of America |language=en}}</ref><br />
*[[Islamic State–Taliban conflict|ISIS–Taliban conflict]] since 2015<br />
*[[Republican insurgency in Afghanistan|Republican insurgency]] since 2021<br />
| casualties3 = 1,405,111–2,584,468 (1978–2013){{Update inline|date=September 2021}}<ref name="osprey russia afghanistan">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=k86jifnA3oYC&q=osprey+russia+afghanistan&pg=PA5|title=Russia's War in Afghanistan|access-date=18 October 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150406011623/http://books.google.com/books?id=k86jifnA3oYC&pg=PA5&dq=osprey+russia+afghanistan&hl=en|archive-date=6 April 2015|url-status=dead|isbn=9780850456912|last1=Isby|first1=David C.|date=15 June 1986|publisher=Bloomsbury USA }}</ref><ref name="War, Politics and Society in Afghanistan, 1978-1992">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Hz5NzJtg48kC&q=soviet+afghan+war+safronov&pg=PA115|title=War, Politics and Society in Afghanistan, 1978–1992|access-date=18 October 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140718181827/http://books.google.com/books?id=Hz5NzJtg48kC&pg=PA115&dq=soviet+afghan+war+safronov&hl=en|archive-date=18 July 2014|url-status=live|isbn=9781850653967|last1=Giustozzi|first1=Antonio|year=2000|publisher=Hurst }}</ref><ref name="Consequences 78-87">{{cite web|url=http://www.nonel.pu.ru/erdferkel/khalidi.pdf|title=Afghanistan: Demographic Consequences of War : 1978–1987|publisher=Nonel.pu.ru|access-date=19 October 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171010130229/http://www.nonel.pu.ru/erdferkel/khalidi.pdf|archive-date=10 October 2017|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Life under Taliban cuts two ways - CSMonitor.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.csmonitor.com/2001/0920/p1s3-wosc.htm|title=Life under Taliban cuts two ways|date=20 September 2001|work=The Christian Science Monitor|access-date=18 October 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060614053525/http://csmonitor.com/2001/0920/p1s3-wosc.htm|archive-date=14 June 2006|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Costs of war 2001-13">{{cite web|url=http://costsofwar.org/sites/default/files/HMCHART_2.pdf|title=Human Costs of War: Direct War Death in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Pakistan: October 2001 – February 2013|publisher=Costsofwar.org|access-date=19 October 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130430155253/http://costsofwar.org/sites/default/files/HMCHART_2.pdf|archive-date=30 April 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref><!-- {{ntsh|8398}} 8,398+<ref name="Susan G. Chesser">{{cite report|url=https://fas.org/sgp/crs/natsec/R41084.pdf|title=Afghanistan Casualties: Military Forces and Civilians|first=Susan G. |last=Chesser|date=6 December 2012|publisher=U.S. Congressional Research Service|access-date=13 December 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160109043850/http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/natsec/R41084.pdf|archive-date=9 January 2016|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="icasualties1">{{cite web |url=http://icasualties.org/OEF/index.aspx |access-date=24 March 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151016021930/http://icasualties.org/OEF/Index.aspx |archive-date=16 October 2015 |url-status=live}}</ref> --><br />
| notes = <br />
| campaignbox = {{Campaignbox Afghanistan}}<br />
}}<br />
{{history of Afghanistan}}<br />
<br />
The '''Afghan conflict''' ({{langx|ps|دافغانستان جنګونه}}; {{langx|fa|درگیری افغانستان}})<ref>{{Citation |last=Najibullah |first=Heela |title=Different Layers of the Afghan Conflict |date=2020 |url=https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-11795-5_132-1 |encyclopedia=The Palgrave Encyclopedia of Peace and Conflict Studies |pages=1–6 |access-date=2023-04-23 |place=Cham |publisher=Springer International Publishing |language=en |doi=10.1007/978-3-030-11795-5_132-1 |isbn=978-3-030-11795-5|s2cid=243361032 }}</ref> is a term that refers to the series of events that have kept [[Afghanistan]] in a near-continuous state of armed conflict since the 1970s.<ref>{{Cite news |date=August 31, 2021 |title=A Look At Afghanistan's 40 Years Of Crisis — From The Soviet War To Taliban Recapture |work=NPR |url=https://www.npr.org/2021/08/19/1028472005/afghanistan-conflict-timeline}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Instability in Afghanistan |url=https://cfr.org/global-conflict-tracker/conflict/war-afghanistan |access-date=2023-04-23 |website=Global Conflict Tracker |language=en}}</ref> Early instability followed the collapse of the [[Kingdom of Afghanistan]] in the largely non-violent [[1973 Afghan coup d'état|1973 coup d'état]], which deposed Afghan monarch [[Mohammad Zahir Shah]] {{Langx|la|in absentia|label=none}}, ending his 40-year-long reign. With the concurrent establishment of the [[Republic of Afghanistan (1973–1978)|Republic of Afghanistan]], headed by [[Mohammad Daoud Khan]], the country's relatively peaceful and stable period in modern history came to an end. However, all-out fighting did not erupt until after 1978, when the [[Saur Revolution]] violently overthrew Khan's government and established the [[Democratic Republic of Afghanistan]]. Subsequent unrest over the radical reforms that were being pushed by the then-ruling [[People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan]] (PDPA) led to unprecedented violence, prompting a large-scale pro-PDPA military intervention by the [[Soviet Union]] in 1979. In the ensuing [[Soviet–Afghan War]], the anti-Soviet [[Afghan mujahidin|Afghan mujahideen]] received extensive support from [[Pakistan]], the [[United States]], and [[Saudi Arabia]] in a joint covert effort that was dubbed [[Operation Cyclone]].<br />
<br />
Although the [[Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan|Soviets withdrew from Afghanistan]] in 1989, the various mujahideen factions [[Afghan Civil War (1989–1992)|continued to fight against the PDPA government]], which collapsed in the face of the [[Peshawar Accord]] in 1992. However, the Peshawar Accord failed to remain intact in light of the mujahideen's representatives' inability to reach an agreement on a power-sharing coalition for the new government, triggering a [[Afghan Civil War (1992–1996)|multi-sided civil war between them]]. By 1996, the [[Taliban]], supported by Pakistan's [[Inter-Services Intelligence]], had seized the capital city of [[Kabul]] in addition to approximately 90% of the country, while northern Afghanistan remained under the authority of the anti-Taliban [[Northern Alliance]]. During this time, the Northern Alliance's [[Islamic State of Afghanistan]] enjoyed widespread international recognition and was represented at the [[United Nations]], as opposed to the Taliban's [[Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (1996–2001)|Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan]] which only received diplomatic recognition from three nations. Despite the fall of Kabul to the Taliban, the Northern Alliance continued to resist in [[Afghan Civil War (1996–2001)|another civil war for the next five years]].<br />
<br />
After the [[September 11 attacks]] were carried out by [[al-Qaeda]] against the United States in 2001, the Taliban granted Saudi-born jihadist [[Osama bin Laden]] political asylum in the Islamic Emirate's territory. The group's subsequent non-compliance with the demand by the [[Presidency of George W. Bush|Bush administration]] to extradite him prompted the [[United States invasion of Afghanistan|American-led invasion of Taliban-controlled Afghanistan]], which bolstered the Northern Alliance by toppling the Islamic Emirate and installing the [[Transitional Islamic State of Afghanistan|Afghan Transitional Authority]] in 2002. The invasion triggered the 20-year-long [[War in Afghanistan (2001–2021)|War in Afghanistan]], in which [[NATO]] and NATO-allied countries fought alongside the nascent [[Islamic Republic of Afghanistan]] to combat the [[Taliban insurgency]]. During the [[Battle of Tora Bora]], the American-led military coalition failed to capture bin Laden, who subsequently relocated to Pakistan and remained there until he was [[Killing of Osama bin Laden|killed by U.S. SEAL Team Six in Abbottabad in 2011]]. Nonetheless, the fighting in Afghanistan continued, eventually leading to the [[2020–2021 US troop withdrawal from Afghanistan|2020–2021 American withdrawal]] and ultimately ending with the [[2021 Taliban offensive]], which led to the re-establishment of the [[Afghanistan|present-day Islamic Emirate]]. Though the country-wide war ended in 2021, clashes and unrest currently persist in some parts of Afghanistan<ref>{{Cite web |title=One year later, Austin acknowledges lasting questions over Afghanistan war's end |url=https://www.stripes.com/theaters/us/2022-08-30/lasting-questions-afghanistan-withdrawal-7156882.html |access-date=2022-10-01 |website=Stars and Stripes |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-03-09 |title=Karzai says while the war has ended, unity has not yet been achieved {{!}} Ariana News |url=https://www.ariananews.af/karzai-says-while-the-war-has-ended-unity-has-not-yet-been-achieved/ |access-date=2022-10-01 |website=www.ariananews.af |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-01-26 |title=Briefing by Special Representative Deborah Lyons to the Security Council |url=https://unama.unmissions.org/briefing-special-representative-deborah-lyons-security-council-10 |access-date=2022-10-01 |website=UNAMA |language=en}}</ref> due to the [[Islamic State–Taliban conflict|ISIS–Taliban conflict]] and the anti-Taliban [[Republican insurgency in Afghanistan|Republican insurgency]]. {{As of|2024}}, the collapsed Islamic Republic of Afghanistan remains the internationally recognized government of the country.<br />
<br />
== List of major events ==<br />
<br />
=== Cold War era ===<br />
* [[Saur Revolution]] (1978): Overthrow of the [[Republic of Afghanistan (1973–1978)|Republic of Afghanistan]] and President [[Mohammad Daoud Khan]] by the [[People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan]] (PDPA). Establishment of the [[Democratic Republic of Afghanistan]], a [[socialist state]] aligned with the [[Soviet Union]].<br />
* [[Soviet–Afghan War]] (1979–1989): Military intervention by the [[Soviet Armed Forces]] in support of the PDPA against large-scale rebellions. Fighting primarily occurred between the Soviet–Afghan alliance and the [[Afghan mujahideen]], who were backed by the [[United States]], the [[United Kingdom]], [[Pakistan]], [[Saudi Arabia]], [[China]], and [[Iran]], among others. Ended with the [[Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan]] in 1989.<br />
* [[Afghan Civil War (1989–1992)]]: Continuation of the conflict between the Afghan government and the Afghan mujahideen but without the involvement of Soviet forces. The Soviet Union continued to financially support the Afghan government in its fight and, likewise, mujahideen factions continued to receive support from the United States and Pakistan. The Democratic Republic of Afghanistan survived until the [[Battle of Kabul (1992–1996)|Battle of Kabul]], during which the mujahideen established the [[Islamic State of Afghanistan]] (ISA).<br />
* [[Afghan Civil War (1992–1996)]]: Began when various mujahideen groups withdrew support from and began fighting against the ISA, including [[Hezb-e Islami Gulbuddin]], later largely replaced by the [[Taliban]] and [[al-Qaeda]] (all of whom were supported by Pakistan), [[Hezbe Wahdat|Hezb-e Wahdat]] (who were supported by Iran), and [[National Islamic Movement of Afghanistan|Junbish-i Milli Islami]] (who were supported by [[Uzbekistan]]). Mujahideen loyal to the Islamic State of Afghanistan received support from Saudi Arabia. Ended with the Taliban seizing control of [[Kabul]] and most of the country in 1996, establishing the first [[Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (1996–2001)|Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan]] (IEA).<br />
* [[Afghan Civil War (1996–2001)]]: Continuation of the previous phase of the war between militias loyal to either the ISA or the Taliban-ruled IEA. ISA loyalists reorganized into the [[Northern Alliance]], including Hezb-e Wahdat and Junbish-i Milli Islami, who previously opposed the ISA. During the war, [[al-Qaeda]] stepped up its terrorist attacks against the United States, culminating in the [[September 11 attacks]], after which the IEA lost almost all international support and diplomatic recognition from Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and the [[United Arab Emirates]].<br />
<br />
=== Post-9/11 era ===<br />
* [[War in Afghanistan (2001–2021)]]: Began with the [[United States invasion of Afghanistan|United States' invasion of Afghanistan]] on 7 October 2001. Overthrow of the Taliban and eventual establishment of the internationally recognized [[Islamic Republic of Afghanistan]]. The war turned into a protracted [[Taliban insurgency]], with Afghan government and [[NATO]]-led coalition troops fighting the reorganized Taliban and sporadically other Islamist militant groups such as al-Qaeda, the [[Haqqani network]], Hezb-e Islami Gulbuddin, and the [[Islamic State – Khorasan Province]]. Bilateral negotiations between the Taliban and the United States led to an agreement whereby [[Withdrawal of United States troops from Afghanistan (2020–2021)|American and NATO troops withdrew]] amidst the [[2021 Taliban offensive]], in which the Islamic Republic fell, and the Taliban established the second Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.<br />
* [[Islamic State–Taliban conflict]] (2015–present): Began in 2015, during the post-9/11 war, as Taliban dissident groups organized into the local branch of the [[Islamic State]] (not to be confused with the former Islamic State of Afghanistan). The group attacked the Taliban as well as NATO troops, but primarily targeted civilians. The insurgency is ongoing.<br />
* [[Republican insurgency in Afghanistan]] (2021–present): Began in 2021 when the remaining forces loyal to the fallen Islamic Republic reorganized into the [[National Resistance Front of Afghanistan]] in the [[Panjshir Valley]]. Despite having international recognition as the legitimate government of Afghanistan, the National Resistance Front has received no foreign support. Taliban forces captured the Panjshir Valley in September 2021, and leaders of the National Resistance Front fled to [[Tajikistan]]. Fighting is ongoing between the newly organized military of the Taliban and the small, scattered holdouts of the National Resistance Front in [[Panjshir Province]] and [[Baghlan Province]].<br />
<br />
By 2014, adding different estimates of casualties for some of these individual conflicts together, 1,405,111 to 2,084,468 people had been killed over the duration of the Afghanistan conflict.<ref name="osprey russia afghanistan" /><ref name="War, Politics and Society in Afghanistan, 1978-1992" /><ref name="Consequences 78-87" /><ref name="Life under Taliban cuts two ways - CSMonitor.com" /><ref name="Costs of war 2001-13" />{{Disputed inline|date=May 2023}}<br />
<br />
== Prelude ==<br />
<br />
=== Kingdom of Afghanistan ===<br />
From 1933 to 1973, the [[Kingdom of Afghanistan]] experienced a lengthy period of peace and relative stability.<ref name="NYT">{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/24/world/asia/24shah.html|title=Mohammad Zahir Shah, Last Afghan King, Dies at 92|last=Bearak|first=Barry|date=24 July 2007 |work=The New York Times |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170611223330/http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/24/world/asia/24shah.html |archive-date=11 June 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> It was ruled as a monarchy by King [[Mohammad Zahir Shah|Zahir Shah]], who belonged to the Afghan [[Musahiban]] [[Barakzai dynasty]].<ref name="NYT" /><ref name="Judah">{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2001/sep/23/terrorism.afghanistan1|title=Profile: Mohamed Zahir Shah|last=Judah|first=Tim|date=23 September 2001|work=The Guardian|access-date=18 March 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130825154007/http://www.theguardian.com/world/2001/sep/23/terrorism.afghanistan1|archive-date=25 August 2013|url-status=live}}</ref> In the 1960s, Afghanistan as a [[constitutional monarchy]] held limited parliamentary elections.<ref name="FAS">{{cite news|url=https://fas.org/sgp/crs/row/RS21922.pdf|title=Afghanistan: Politics, Elections, and Government Performance|last=Katzman|first=Kenneth|date=30 March 2012|publisher=Congressional Research Service|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924135712/http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/row/RS21922.pdf|archive-date=24 September 2015|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Republic of Afghanistan ===<br />
[[1973 Afghan coup d'état|Shah was overthrown]] by his cousin [[Mohammad Daoud Khan]] in July 1973, after discontent with the monarchy grew in the urban areas of Afghanistan.<ref name="NYT" /> The country had experienced several droughts, and charges of corruption and poor economic policies were leveled against the ruling dynasty. Khan abolished the monarchy and declared the Republic of Afghanistan, and he became the first [[President of Afghanistan]]. He was supported by a faction of the [[People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan]] (PDPA), Afghanistan's [[communist party]], which was founded in 1965 and enjoyed a strong relationship with the Soviet Union. In ''The Rise of the Taliban in Afghanistan: Mass Mobilization, Civil War, and the Future of the Region'', Neamatollah Nojumi writes: "The establishment of the Republic of Afghanistan increased the Soviet investment in Afghanistan and the PDPA influence in the government's military and civil bodies."<ref name="Neamatollah Nojumi">{{Cite book| last =Neamatollah Nojumi | title =The Rise of the Taliban in Afghanistan: Mass Mobilization, Civil War, and the Future of the Region| year =2002 | url =https://archive.org/details/riseoftalibani00neam | url-access =registration |edition= 2002 1st |pages=[https://archive.org/details/riseoftalibani00neam/page/38 38]–42| location = Palgrave, New York}}</ref><br />
<br />
In 1976, alarmed by the growing power of the PDPA and the party's strong affiliation with the Soviet Union, Khan tried to scale back the PDPA's influence.<ref name="autogenerated7">{{Cite book| last =Neamatollah Nojumi | title =The Rise of the Taliban in Afghanistan: Mass Mobilization, Civil War, and the Future of the Region| year =2002 | url =https://archive.org/details/riseoftalibani00neam | url-access =registration |edition= 2002 1st |page=[https://archive.org/details/riseoftalibani00neam/page/39 39]| publisher = Palgrave, New York}}</ref> He dismissed PDPA members from their government posts, appointed conservative elements instead and finally announced the dissolution of the PDPA, arresting senior party members.<ref name="Neamatollah Nojumi" /> <br />
<br />
=== Democratic Republic of Afghanistan ===<br />
On 27 April 1978, the PDPA and military units loyal to the PDPA revolted and killed Khan, his immediate family and bodyguards in a violent coup during the battle to seize control of the capital, Kabul, in the [[Saur Revolution]].<ref name="autogenerated8">{{Cite book| last =Neamatollah Nojumi | title =The Rise of the Taliban in Afghanistan: Mass Mobilization, Civil War, and the Future of the Region| year =2002 | url =https://archive.org/details/riseoftalibani00neam | url-access =registration |edition= 2002 1st |page=[https://archive.org/details/riseoftalibani00neam/page/41 41]| publisher = Palgrave, New York}}</ref> As the PDPA had chosen a weekend holiday to conduct the coup, when many government employees were having a day off, Khan was not able to fully activate the well-trained armed forces which remained loyal to him to counter the coup.<ref name="autogenerated8" /><br />
<br />
== The PDPA's Democratic Republic ==<br />
{{Main|History of Afghanistan (1978–1992)|||}}<br />
<br />
=== Khalqists vs. Parchamites ===<br />
The PDPA formed a new government through a 'revolutionary council', which attempted to balance the two major competing factions within itself—the more radical and revolutionary [[Khalq]] and the more moderate and reformist [[Parcham]]. The Khalqist wing, led by the charismatic [[Nur Muhammad Taraki]], who became the new chairman, gained supremacy in the aftermath of the revolution and adopted a program of land reform, abolition of feudal and tribal structures and equality for women. The council also prefixed the term "Democratic" to the country's Daoud-era name, making it the "Democratic Republic of Afghanistan." Though these reforms were supported by the army and city-dwelling population, they opposed the very traditional, religious and tribal customs of rural Afghanistan, which in turn led to strong rural and clerical opposition to the government and various anti-government uprisings.<ref name=autogenerated2>{{Cite book |last=Neamatollah Nojumi |title=The Rise of the Taliban in Afghanistan: Mass Mobilization, Civil War, and the Future of the Region|year=2002 |url=https://archive.org/details/riseoftalibani00neam |url-access=registration |edition= 2002 1st |page=[https://archive.org/details/riseoftalibani00neam/page/42 42]|location=Palgrave, New York}}</ref> Around this time, the party came to be influenced by [[Hafizullah Amin]], who undermined Taraki despite being a fellow Khalqist, purged Parchamites from the party and began ruthlessly cracking down on political opposition. Therefore, a hostile doctrine against any political dissent was adopted, whether inside or outside the party.<ref name="Neamatollah Nojumi" /> Taraki, who had ruled for only about a year, was assassinated by Amin, who took over formal leadership of the country.<ref name="AFG">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/83854.stm|title=World: Analysis Afghanistan: 20 years of bloodshed|date=26 April 1998|work=BBC News|access-date=13 March 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091016010648/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/83854.stm|archive-date=16 October 2009|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
==== Mass executions ====<br />
Amin was known for his independent and nationalist inclinations and was also seen by many as a ruthless leader. He has been accused of killing tens of thousands of Afghan civilians at [[Pul-e-Charkhi prison|Pul-e-Charkhi]] and other national prisons while cracking down on both the opposition and the Parchamites: 27,000 politically motivated executions reportedly took place at [[Pul-e-Charkhi prison]] alone.<ref>''[https://books.google.com/books?id=-4oHrInacy8C&q=Pul-i-Charki Soldiers of God: With Islamic Warriors in Afghanistan and Pakistan] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160131053917/https://books.google.com/books?ei=EEY4TZ2GGsXTrQfdsZmZCA&ct=result&id=-4oHrInacy8C&dq=%27%27Soldiers+of+God%3A+With+Islamic+Warriors+in+Afghanistan+and+Pakistan%27%27&q=Pul-i-Charki |date=31 January 2016}}'' by Robert D. Kaplan. Vintage, 2001. {{ISBN|1-4000-3025-0}} p.115</ref><ref name=":0">{{cite web|title=The Intervention in Afghanistan and the Fall of Detente, A Chronology|url=https://nsarchive2.gwu.edu/carterbrezhnev/docs_intervention_in_afghanistan_and_the_fall_of_detente/fall_of_detente_chron.pdf|website=National Security Archive}}</ref> Afghans generally held Amin personally responsible for most of the repression, while the Soviet Union considered his government illegitimate, discredited and doomed to collapse in a civil war.<ref>{{cite web|title=Library of Congress / Federal Research Division / Country Studies / Area Handbook Series / Afghanistan|url=http://www.country-data.com/frd/cs/afghanistan/afghanistan.html|website=country-data.com|quote=Yet many Afghans held Amin responsible for the regime's harshest measures and the Soviets, worried about their huge investment in Afghanistan might be jeopardized, increased the number of 'advisers' in Afghanistan. Amin become the target of several assassination attempts in early and mid-December 1979.}}</ref><ref name=":0" /><br />
<br />
==== Soviet pro-Parchamite intervention ====<br />
The Soviet Union secured an alliance with the more moderate [[Babrak Karmal]] and his Parchamite faction, invading Afghanistan on 24 December 1979 and originally meeting only limited resistance.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/soviet-tanks-roll-into-afghanistan|title=Soviet Union invades Afghanistan|publisher=History|language=English|access-date=30 August 2021}}</ref> Amin was deposed from power almost immediately, as he and 200 of his guards were killed during [[Operation Storm-333]] on 27 December by [[Soviet Army]] [[Spetsnaz]], replaced by Karmal. After deployment into Afghanistan, Soviet forces, whom the locals dubbed [[Shuravi]], along with government forces would begin to engage in a protracted [[counterinsurgency]] war against a wide coalition of various anti-government insurgent forces, who in turn styled themselves as [[Afghan mujahideen|mujahideen]]—Islamic holy warriors.<ref name=":2" /><br />
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=== Soviet–Afghan War ===<br />
<br />
==== Leadership of Babrak Karmal ====<br />
Karmal declared a [[Amnesty|general amnesty]] for people imprisoned during Taraki and Amin's rule and restored the Afghan national symbols in place of the Khalqist red flag. He also granted several concessions to religious leaders and at least partially restored property seized during the original Khalqist land reform.<ref name=":2">{{Cite book|last=Kakar|first=Mohammed|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QyTmFj5tUGsC|title=Afghanistan: The Soviet Invasion and the Afghan Response, 1979-1982|date=1995-08-01|publisher=University of California Press|isbn=978-0-520-91914-3|language=en}}</ref> However, this did not satisfy the opposition, as they considered his ascension to power during the Soviet intervention to be a mark that he would rule as a "Soviet puppet", thus continuing their insurgency against the government.<ref>{{Cite book|last1=Borer|first1=Douglas A.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Z54rBgAAQBAJ&pg=PA174|title=Superpowers Defeated: Vietnam and Afghanistan Compared|date=February 2013|publisher=Routledge |isbn=9781136316579}}</ref><br />
<br />
[[File:RIAN archive 24609 Troop withdrawal from Afghanistan.jpg|thumb|left|Soviet troops returning home from Afghanistan during the Soviet–Afghan War in October 1986]]<br />
The [[Government of the Soviet Union|Soviet government]] realized that a military solution to the conflict would require far more troops. Because of this they discussed troop withdrawals and searched for a political and peaceful solution as early as 1980, but they never took any serious steps in that direction until 1988. Early Soviet military reports confirm the difficulties the Soviet army had while fighting on the mountainous terrain, for which the Soviet army had no training. Parallels with the [[Vietnam War]] were frequently referred to by Soviet army officers.<ref name="kgb">{{cite web|author=Svetlana Savranskaya |url=http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB57/soviet.html |title=Volume II: Afghanistan: Lessons from the Last War |publisher=The National Security Archive |access-date=15 March 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090312032535/http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB57/soviet.html |archive-date= 12 March 2009 |url-status=live}}</ref><br />
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==== Leadership of Mohammad Najibullah ====<br />
Policy failures and the stalemate that ensued after the Soviet intervention led the Soviet leadership to become highly critical of Karmal's leadership. Under [[Mikhail Gorbachev]], the Soviet Union was able to depose Karmal and replace him with [[Mohammad Najibullah]]. Karmal's leadership was seen as a failure by the Soviet Union because of the rise of violence and crime during his administration. Najibullah, another Parchamite, attempted to end the insurgency through a policy of accommodation and power sharing known as the [[National Reconciliation (Afghanistan)|National Reconciliation]]. He reversed several of his predecessor's unpopular reforms, abolished the one-party system, reinstated Islam as the state religion (though still maintaining a fairly secular legal and political setup),<ref name="IslamicState">{{cite book|author=Otto, Jan Michiel|title=Sharia Incorporated: A Comparative Overview of the Legal Systems of Twelve Muslim Countries in Past and Present|publisher=[[Amsterdam University Press]]|year=2010|isbn=978-90-8728-057-4|page=[https://books.google.com/books?id=8ep7cX3ma0sC&pg=PA289 289]}}</ref> replaced the Revolutionary Council with a republican presidency and [[Bicameralism|bicameral]] parliament, removed communist symbols deemed "provocative" to the opposition from the country's national emblem, dropped the "Democratic" prefix from the country's name, offered amnesty to mujahideen fighters and called for a six-month [[ceasefire]] in which fighting would stop in exchange for political negotiations intended to create a [[coalition government]] between the PDPA and various rebel groups in an attempt to end the country's crisis.<br />
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The talks did not succeed in reconciling the government and the mujahideen, though it was noted that they increased the government's popularity among urban areas, stabilized the armed forces and led to a round of defections from disillusioned mujahideen fighters to government militias.<ref name="MNPP">{{cite book|author=Amtstutz, J. Bruce|title=Afghanistan: Past and Present|publisher=Diane Publishing|year=1994|isbn=0-7881-1111-6|page=[https://books.google.com/books?id=a0Mp1AHpp0gC&pg=PA152 152]-[https://books.google.com/books?id=a0Mp1AHpp0gC&pg=PA153 153]}}</ref> Despite this, the only insurgent group to fully reconcile with the government was the [[Shia Islam|Shia]]-dominated [[Hezbollah Afghanistan|Afghan Hizbullah]]. A mujahideen boycott of the [[1988 Afghan parliamentary election|1988 elections]], which were the first-ever Afghan elections to allow competing political parties, foiled Najibullah's attempt to reconstruct the nation's parliament, who in turn ordered 50 seats be left vacant to offer to the mujahideen if they decided to reconcile at a later date. Moreover, though Najibullah presented himself personally as a pious Muslim and restored the legal status of Islam, his government was unable to acquire the same Islamic credentials that the mujahideen forces wielded, which in turn meant that many of his reforms were not nearly as successful at convincing the devout, conservative rural and tribal population as Najibullah had hoped.<ref>{{cite book|last=Riaz|first=Ali|title=Religion and politics in South Asia|publisher=[[Taylor & Francis]]|year=2010|isbn=978-0-415-77800-8|page=[https://books.google.com/books?id=vzI8e-zJf5YC&pg=PA34 34]|author-link=Ali Riaz}}</ref> Most importantly, Najibullah oversaw the withdrawal of Soviet forces from Afghanistan. The withdrawal was to be done according to the [[Geneva Accords (1988)|Geneva Accords]], which entailed a full removal of Soviet forces from Afghanistan in exchange for the end of American and Pakistan support to the mujahideen.<ref name="peacekeeping.un.org">{{cite web|title=UNGOMAP: United Nations Good Offices Mission in Afghanistan and Pakistan - Background|url=https://peacekeeping.un.org/sites/default/files/past/ungomap/background.html|access-date=2021-09-03|website=peacekeeping.un.org}}</ref><br />
<br />
==== Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan ====<br />
[[File:Evstafiev-spetsnaz-prepare-for-mission.jpg|thumb|A [[Soviet Army|Soviet]] [[Spetsnaz]] group prepares for a mission in 1988]]<br />
Throughout the Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan, troop convoys came under attack by Afghan rebel fighters. In all, 523 Soviet soldiers were killed during the withdrawal. The total withdrawal of all Soviet troops from Afghanistan was completed in February 1989.<ref name="AFGHA">{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/graphic/2007/07/17/GR2007071700070.html|title=How Not to End a War|date=17 July 2007|newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=13 March 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120623035606/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/graphic/2007/07/17/GR2007071700070.html|archive-date=23 June 2012|url-status=live}}</ref> The last Soviet soldier to leave was Lieutenant General [[Boris Gromov]], leader of the Soviet military operations in Afghanistan at the time of the Soviet invasion.<ref name="last">{{cite web|url=http://english.aljazeera.net/news/asia/2009/02/20092158556204114.html |title=Russia marks Afghanistan retreat |publisher=Al Jazeera |access-date=15 March 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090309204618/http://english.aljazeera.net/news/asia/2009/02/20092158556204114.html|archive-date=9 March 2009 |url-status=live}}</ref> In total, 14,453 Soviet soldiers died during the Soviet–Afghan War. Though the Soviet forces did withdraw, the mujahideen refused to abide by the accords since they were not party to the negotiations. Furthermore, the United States reneged on its agreement and continued funding the insurgent groups even after the Soviet withdrawal.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Garthoff|first1=Raymond L.|title=The Great Transition: American-Soviet Relations and the End of the Cold War|date=1994|publisher=Brookings Institution|isbn=0-8157-3060-8|location=Washington, D.C.|page=737}}</ref> Najibullah's government further complained to the UN that Pakistan had also continued supplying, training and arming the rebel forces fighting against his government.<ref name="peacekeeping.un.org"/><br />
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The Soviet war had a damaging impact on Afghanistan. The death of up to 2 million Afghans in the war has been described as a "[[genocide]]" by a number of sources.<ref name=":1">{{Cite book|url=http://publishing.cdlib.org/ucpressebooks/view?docId=ft7b69p12h;brand=ucpress|title=The Soviet Invasion and the Afghan Response, 1979–1982|last=Kakar|first=Mohammed|publisher=University of California Press|isbn=978-0-520-20893-3|quote=The Afghans are among the latest victims of genocide by a superpower. Large numbers of Afghans were killed to suppress resistance to the army of the Soviet Union, which wished to vindicate its client regime and realize its goal in Afghanistan.|access-date=7 January 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170106175142/http://publishing.cdlib.org/ucpressebooks/view?docId=ft7b69p12h;brand=ucpress|archive-date=6 January 2017|url-status=live|date=3 March 1997}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=I2chrSJCW54C&q=2+million+afghans+killed+soviet&pg=PA129|title=The Widening Circle of Genocide|last=Klass|first=Rosanne|publisher=Transaction Publishers|year=1994|isbn=978-1-4128-3965-5|page=129|quote=During the intervening fourteen years of Communist rule, an estimated 1.5 to 2 million Afghan civilians were killed by Soviet forces and their proxies- the four Communist regimes in Kabul, and the East Germans, Bulgarians, Czechs, Cubans, Palestinians, Indians and others who assisted them. These were not battle casualties or the unavoidable civilian victims of warfare. Soviet and local Communist forces seldom attacked the scattered guerilla bands of the Afghan Resistance except, in a few strategic locales like the Panjsher valley. Instead they deliberately targeted the civilian population, primarily in the rural areas.}}</ref><ref name=":22">{{cite web|url=http://www.paulbogdanor.com/left/afghan/genocide.pdf|title=Genocide and the Soviet Occupation of Afghanistan|last1=Reisman|first1=W. Michael|last2=Norchi|first2=Charles H.|access-date=7 January 2017|quote=According to widely reported accounts, substantial programmes of depopulation have been conducted in these Afghan provinces: Ghazni, Nagarhar, Lagham, Qandahar, Zabul, Badakhshan, Lowgar, Paktia, Paktika and Kunar...There is considerable evidence that genocide has been committed against the Afghan people by the combined forces of the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan and the Soviet Union.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161026182528/http://www.paulbogdanor.com/left/afghan/genocide.pdf|archive-date=26 October 2016|url-status=live}}</ref> Five to ten million Afghans fled to Pakistan and Iran, amounting to 1/3 of the prewar population of the country, and another 2 million were displaced within the country. Pakistan's [[Khyber Pakhtunkhwa|North-West Frontier Province]] functioned as an organisational and networking base for the anti-Soviet Afghan resistance, with the province's influential [[Deobandi]] ulama playing a major supporting role in promoting the jihad.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Haroon|first=Sana|year=2008|title=The Rise of Deobandi Islam in the North-West Frontier Province and Its Implications in Colonial India and Pakistan 1914–1996|jstor=27755911|journal=Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society|volume=18|issue=1|pages=66–67}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Fall of the PDPA ===<br />
{{Main|Afghan Civil War (1989–1992)}}<br />
After the Soviet withdrawal, the Republic of Afghanistan under Najibullah continued to face resistance from the various mujahideen forces and instituted a [[state of emergency]] as he prepared to fend off the armed opposition on his own. Nevertheless, Najibullah received funding and arms from the Soviet Union until 1991 when the Soviet Union collapsed.<ref name="AFGSOV">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/april/14/newsid_4419000/4419833.stm |title=1988: USSR pledges to leave Afghanistan|date=14 April 1988|work=BBC News|access-date=15 March 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090417090326/http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/april/14/newsid_4419000/4419833.stm|archive-date=17 April 2009 |url-status=live}}</ref> For several years the [[Afghan army]] had actually increased their effectiveness past levels ever achieved during the Soviet military presence. The Afghan army was able to prove itself in combat during the [[Afghan Civil War (1989–1992)#Battle of Jalalabad (1989)|Battle of Jalalabad]] in 1989, where it defeated a major assault on the city by mujahideen forces with U.S. and Pakistani backing, inflicting on them greater than 3,000 losses. Moreover, it was actually able to go on the offensive, forestalling several more attacks and preventing the governmental collapse that both American and Pakistani policymakers expected. This greatly increased army morale and demoralized the rebel groups, who had hoped for a quick post-withdrawal victory.<ref name="NotMN">{{cite book|author=[[Rodric Braithwaite|Braithwaite, Rodric]]|title=Afgantsy: The Russians in Afghanistan, 1979–1989|publisher=Indo-European Publishing|year=2007|isbn=978-1-60444-002-7|page=[https://books.google.com/books?id=guQQKejG3qUC&pg=PA296 296]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|date=1989-08-29|title=Rebels without a cause|publisher=[[Public Broadcasting Service|PBS]]|url=https://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/asia/afghanistan/segment_8-29-89.html|access-date=2007-07-27|archive-date=10 November 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121110210639/http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/asia/afghanistan/segment_8-29-89.html|url-status=dead}}</ref><br />
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==== PDPA reforms and attempted coup d'état ====<br />
In 1990, Najibullah reformed the PDPA into the ''Watan'' (Homeland) Party, which rejected [[Marxism–Leninism]] in favour of [[Left-wing nationalism|leftist]] [[Afghan nationalism]]. This did not necessarily have the desired effect, as it did not lead to significant drop in opposition, but did enrage several of his party members, not only Khalqists but also pro-Karmal Parchamites, who accused him of conceding too much of the Saur Revolution's gains to the mujahideen. Najibullah rejected the accusations, stating that his actions had been done in an attempt to preserve and protect the gains of the revolution, not sacrifice them. Regardless, these reforms caused further rifts within the ruling party.<ref>{{cite book|author=Giustozzi, Antonio|title=War, Politics and Society in Afghanistan, 1978–1992|publisher=[[C. Hurst & Co.|C. Hurst & Co. Publishers]]|year=2000|isbn=978-1-85065-396-7|page=[https://books.google.com/books?id=Hz5NzJtg48kC&pg=PA157 157]}}</ref> These tensions boiled over in the [[1990 Afghan coup d'état attempt]], in which a group of disillusioned Khalqists, led by Defence Minister [[Shahnawaz Tanai]], attempted to overthrow Najibullah with the aid of [[Hezb-e Islami Gulbuddin]] and external support from Pakistan. The coup failed but led to many pro-Khalqist officers either fleeing the country or being sacked by Najibullah, considerably weakening the Afghan armed forces.<ref>{{Cite news|agency=Reuters|date=1990-03-08|title=Afghan Leader Says Plotters Have Fled|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1990/03/08/world/afghan-leader-says-plotters-have-fled.html|access-date=2021-09-03|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> The resulting instability led to a defeat in the [[Siege of Khost]] a year later to the hands of Pakistan-backed mujahideen forces after ten years of heavy fighting.<ref>Tomsen, Peter. ''The Wars of Afghanistan: Messianic Terrorism, Tribal Conflicts, and the Failure of Great Powers''. 2011</ref><br />
<br />
==== Dissolution of the Soviet Union ====<br />
Another blow was dealt to his government in late 1991, as the [[dissolution of the Soviet Union]] signalled the end of foreign aid for Najibullah's Afghanistan, as Russian President [[Boris Yeltsin]] had neither the resources nor the desire to aid the Afghan government.<ref name="lastdays">{{cite book|author=[[Rodric Braithwaite|Braithwaite, Rodric]]|title=Afgantsy: The Russians in Afghanistan, 1979–1989|publisher=Indo-European Publishing|year=2007|isbn=978-1-60444-002-7|page=[https://books.google.com/books?id=guQQKejG3qUC&pg=PA299 299]}}</ref> Because of this and with Afghanistan being [[Landlocked country|landlocked]] and not having a fuel supply of its own, the relatively modern and formidable [[Afghan Air Force]] essentially became grounded by a lack of fuel, which in turn made it all the more difficult to supply the army and various pro-government militias spread across Afghanistan's harsh geography, consequently causing a considerable increase in desertion.<ref name="marshall">{{cite book|last=Marshall|first=A.|date=2006|title=Phased Withdrawal, Conflict Resolution and State Reconstruction|publisher=Defence Academy of the United Kingdom, Conflict Studies Research Centre |url=http://www.defac.ac.uk/colleges/csrc/document-listings/ca/06%2829%29AM.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071201033319/http://www.defac.ac.uk/colleges/csrc/document-listings/ca/06%2829%29AM.pdf|archive-date=2007-12-01|access-date=2008-02-12|isbn=1-905058-74-8}}</ref> A few months later and with the war still continuing, Najibullah offered his entire government's resignation and voiced his support for a [[United Nations]] plan for a transitional administration including both Watan and all mujahideen groups in the country. This announcement led to the desertion of many of his own supporters, who feared the end of his government.<ref>{{Cite book|last1=Halim Tanwir|first1=Dr. M.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=oyQDAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA471|title=AFGHANISTAN: History, Diplomacy and Journalism Volume 1|date=February 2013|publisher=Xlibris Corporation |isbn=9781479760909}}</ref><br />
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In these circumstances, [[Abdul Rashid Dostum]], a leading army general, created an alliance with the [[Shura-e Nazar]] of [[Ahmad Shah Massoud]] and turned against Najibullah, taking with him over 40,000 previously pro-government soldiers. Najibullah sent a high-ranking army general to talk to Dostum and attempt to salvage the situation, only to learn that the general had also defected, alongside his own foreign minister.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://publishing.cdlib.org/ucpressebooks/view?docId=ft7b69p12h;chunk.id=0;doc.view=print|title=Afghanistan|website=publishing.cdlib.org}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://qz.com/india/1114676/najibullahs-failed-escape-how-india-and-the-un-mucked-up-completely-in-afghanistan/|title=Murder of a president: How India and the UN mucked up completely in Afghanistan|first=Avinash|last=Paliwal|website=Quartz|date=30 October 2017 }}</ref> These defections devastated the Afghan Armed Forces' morale, and large parts of the Afghan government and armed forces capitulated to the forces of Massoud in early 1992. By April, Najibullah stated that he would be handing power to a seven-member transitional council and resigning immediately. Mujahideen forces loyal to Massoud and Dostum entered and captured Kabul shortly, thereafter, leading to the definitive end of PDPA/Watan rule in Afghanistan.<ref>{{cite book|title=Regional Surveys of the World: Far East and Australasia 2003|publisher=[[Routledge]]|year=2002|isbn=978-1-85743-133-9|page=[https://books.google.com/books?id=e5Az1lGCJwQC&pg=PA66 66]}}</ref><br />
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Najibullah was granted safety by the UN office in Kabul. He had obtained [[Right of asylum|political asylum]] in [[India]] but was unable to leave as he was prevented from doing so by forces loyal to Massoud, Dostum and Hekmatyar. Because of this, he was forced to remain in the UN building until he was captured, dragged from a truck, castrated and executed by the Taliban several years later.<ref name="GG2-H-23">{{cite web|last=Latifi|first=Ali M.|date=22 June 2012|title=Executed Afghan president stages 'comeback'|url=http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2012/06/2012618134838393817.html|access-date=23 August 2012|publisher=aljazeera.com}}</ref> After the Soviet defeat, ''[[The Wall Street Journal]]'' named Massoud "the Afghan who won the Cold War".<ref name="Charlie Rose">{{cite web|year=2001 |url=http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=2911290068493351924# |title=Charlie Rose March 26, 2001 |work=[[CBS]] |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110417165736/http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=2911290068493351924 |archive-date=17 April 2011}}</ref> He had defeated the Soviet forces nine times in his home region of the [[Panjshir Valley]] in northeastern Afghanistan.<ref name="CNN">{{cite news|url=http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/asiapcf/05/27/massoud.afghanistan/|title=He would have found Bin Laden|date=27 May 2009|publisher=CNN|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110628202851/http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/asiapcf/05/27/massoud.afghanistan/|archive-date=28 June 2011|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
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==== Increased Pakistani interference ====<br />
Pakistan tried to install [[Gulbuddin Hekmatyar]] in power in Afghanistan despite the opposition of all other mujahideen commanders and factions.<ref name="Tomsen">{{cite book |last=Tomsen|first=Peter|title=Wars of Afghanistan|year=2011|publisher=PublicAffairs|isbn=978-1-58648-763-8|pages=405–408}}</ref> As early as October 1990, the [[Inter-Services Intelligence]] had devised a plan for Hekmatyar to conduct a mass bombardment of the Afghan capital Kabul with possible Pakistani troop enforcements.<ref name="Tomsen" /> This unilateral ISI-Hekmatyar plan came although the thirty most important mujahideen commanders had agreed on holding a conference inclusive of all Afghan groups to decide on a common future strategy.<ref name="Tomsen" /> [[Peter Tomsen]] reports that the protest by the other mujahideen commanders was like a "firestorm". [[Ahmad Zia Massoud]], the brother of Ahmad Shah Massoud, said that his faction strongly opposed the plan and like other factions would take measures if any "Pakistani troops reinforced Hekmatyar". [[Abdul Haq (Afghan leader)|Abdul Haq]] was reportedly so angry about the ISI plan that he was "red in the face".<ref name="Tomsen" /> And Nabi Mohammad, another commander, pointed out that "Kabul's 2 million could not escape Hekmatyar's rocket bombardment—there would be a massacre."<ref name="Tomsen" /> Representatives for Massoud, Haq and Wardak said that "Hekmatyar's rocketing of Kabul ... would produce a civilian bloodbath."<ref name="Tomsen" /> The United States finally put pressure on Pakistan to stop the 1990 plan, which was subsequently called off until 1992.<ref name="Tomsen" /><br />
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== Peshawar Accord and Afghan Civil War ==<br />
{{Further|Afghan Civil War (1992–1996)}}<br />
[[File:Hezbi Islami.svg|thumb|right|Flag of Hezb-e Islami. All of the Afghan political parties were unified under the [[Islamic State of Afghanistan]] in April 1992 except for Hezb-e Islami led by [[Gulbuddin Hekmatyar]]. Hezb-e Islami, supported by Pakistan, started a massive bombardment campaign against the Islamic State of Afghanistan.]]<br />
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=== Pakistan's objectives ===<br />
After the fall of Najibullah's government in 1992, the Afghan political parties agreed on a power-sharing agreement, the [[Peshawar Accord]]. The Peshawar Accord created the [[Islamic State of Afghanistan]] and appointed an [[Provisional government|interim government]] for a transitional period to be followed by general democratic elections. [[Human Rights Watch]] said: "The sovereignty of Afghanistan was vested formally in the Islamic State of Afghanistan, an entity created in April 1992, after the fall of the [[Soviet Union|Soviet]]-backed Najibullah government. ... With the exception of Gulbuddin Hekmatyar's [[Hezb-e Islami Gulbuddin|Hezb-e Islami]], all of the parties ... were ostensibly unified under this government in April 1992. ... Hekmatyar's Hezb-e Islami, for its part, refused to recognize the government for most of the period discussed in this report and launched attacks against government forces and Kabul generally. ... Shells and rockets fell everywhere."<ref name="Human Rights Watch (4)" /><br />
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Hekmatyar received operational, financial and military support from Pakistan.<ref name=autogenerated5>{{Cite book| last =Neamatollah Nojumi | title =The Rise of the Taliban in Afghanistan: Mass Mobilization, Civil War, and the Future of the Region| year =2002 | url =https://archive.org/details/riseoftalibani00neam | url-access =registration |edition= 2002 1st | location = Palgrave, New York}}</ref> On ''Modern Afghanistan: A History of Struggle and Survival'', Afghanistan expert [[Amin Saikal]] says that "Pakistan was keen to gear up for a breakthrough in [[Central Asia]]. ... [[Islamabad]] could not possibly expect the new Islamic government leaders ... to subordinate their own nationalist objectives in order to help Pakistan realize its regional ambitions. ... Had it not been for the ISI's logistic support and supply of a large number of rockets, Hekmatyar's forces would not have been able to target and destroy half of Kabul.<ref name="Amin Saikal" /><br />
<br />
=== Iran–Saudi Arabia proxy conflict ===<br />
In addition, [[Saudi Arabia]] and [[Iran]]—as competitors for regional [[hegemony]]—supported Afghan militias hostile towards each other.<ref name="Amin Saikal">{{Cite book|last=Amin Saikal |author-link=Amin Saikal|title =Modern Afghanistan: A History of Struggle and Survival|edition= 2006 1st |page=352|publisher=I.B. Tauris & Co Ltd., London New York |isbn=1-85043-437-9|date=13 November 2004}}</ref> According to Human Rights Watch, Iran was assisting the Shia [[Hazaras|Hazara]] [[Hezbe Wahdat|Hezb-i Wahdat]] forces of [[Abdul Ali Mazari]], as Iran was attempting to maximize Wahdat's military power and influence.<ref name="Human Rights Watch (4)">{{cite web|url=https://www.hrw.org/en/reports/2005/07/06/blood-stained-hands|title=Blood-Stained Hands, Past Atrocities in Kabul and Afghanistan's Legacy of Impunity|date=6 July 2005|publisher=[[Human Rights Watch]]|access-date=4 December 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090314003407/http://www.hrw.org/en/reports/2005/07/06/blood-stained-hands|archive-date=14 March 2009|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Amin Saikal" /><ref name="Roy Gutman">GUTMAN, Roy (2008): How We Missed the Story: Osama Bin Laden, the Taliban and the Hijacking of Afghanistan, Endowment of the United States Institute of Peace, 1st ed., Washington D.C.</ref> Saudi Arabia supported the [[Wahhabism|Wahhabite]] [[Abdul Rasul Sayyaf]] and his [[Islamic Dawah Organisation of Afghanistan|Ittihad-i Islami]] faction.<ref name="Human Rights Watch (4)" /><ref name="Amin Saikal" /> Conflict between the two militias soon escalated into a full-scale war. A publication by the [[George Washington University]] describes the situation: "[O]utside forces saw instability in Afghanistan as an opportunity to press their own security and political agendas."<ref name="The National Security Archive">{{cite web|year=2003|url=http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB97/|title=The September 11 Sourcebooks Volume VII: The Taliban File|publisher=[[George Washington University]]|access-date=2010-08-30|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131031042857/http://www2.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB97/|archive-date=2013-10-31|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
Owing to the sudden initiation of the war, working government departments, police units or a system of justice and accountability for the newly created Islamic State of Afghanistan did not have time to form. Atrocities were committed by individuals of the different armed factions while Kabul descended into lawlessness and chaos as described in reports by Human Rights Watch and the Afghanistan Justice Project.<ref name="Human Rights Watch (4)" /><ref name="Afghanistan Justice Project">{{cite web|year=2005|url=http://www.afghanistanjusticeproject.org/warcrimesandcrimesagainsthumanity19782001.pdf|title=Casting Shadows: War Crimes and Crimes against Humanity: 1978–2001|publisher=Afghanistan Justice Project|access-date=23 March 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131004221455/http://www.afghanistanjusticeproject.org/warcrimesandcrimesagainsthumanity19782001.pdf|archive-date=4 October 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref> Because of the chaos, some leaders increasingly had only nominal control over their (sub-)commanders.<ref name="Human Rights Watch (5)">{{cite web|url=https://www.hrw.org/reports98/afghan/Afrepor0-01.htm#P81_13959|title=II. BACKGROUND|publisher=Human Rights Watch|access-date=4 December 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081102042606/http://www.hrw.org/reports98/afghan/Afrepor0-01.htm#P81_13959|archive-date=2 November 2008|url-status=live}}</ref> For civilians there was little security from murder, rape and extortion.<ref name="Human Rights Watch (5)" /> An estimated 25,000 people died during the most intense period of bombardment by Hekmatyar's Hezb-i Islami and the [[National Islamic Movement of Afghanistan|Junbish-i Milli]] forces of Dostum, who had created an alliance with Hekmatyar in 1994.<ref name="Afghanistan Justice Project" /> Half a million people fled Afghanistan.<ref name="Human Rights Watch (5)" /> Human Rights Watch writes: "Rare ceasefires, usually negotiated by representatives of Ahmad Shah Massoud, [[Sibghatullah Mojaddedi]] or [[Burhanuddin Rabbani]] [the interim government], or officials from the [[International Committee of the Red Cross]], commonly collapsed within days."<ref name="Human Rights Watch (4)" /><br />
<br />
=== Rise of the Taliban government ===<br />
{{Main|Taliban|History of the Taliban}}<br />
Southern Afghanistan was not under the control of foreign-backed militias nor was it under the control of the government in Kabul; instead, it was ruled by local leaders such as [[Gul Agha Sherzai]] and their militias. In 1994, the [[Taliban]] (a movement which originated in [[Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam]] religious schools for [[Afghan refugees]] in [[Afghans in Pakistan|Pakistan]]) also developed as a political-religious force in Afghanistan, reportedly in opposition to the tyranny of the local governor.<ref name="Matinuddin, Kamal 1999 pp.25">Matinuddin, Kamal, ''The Taliban Phenomenon, Afghanistan 1994–1997'', [[Oxford University Press]], (1999), pp.25–6</ref> [[Mullah Omar]] founded his movement with less than 50 armed [[Madrasa|madrassah]] students in his home town of [[Kandahar]].<ref name="Matinuddin, Kamal 1999 pp.25" /> When the Taliban took control of the city in 1994, they forced dozens of local Pashtun leaders who had presided over a situation of complete lawlessness and atrocities to surrender.<ref name="Human Rights Watch (5)" /> In 1994, the Taliban took power in several provinces in southern and central Afghanistan.<br />
<br />
[[File:Kabul during civil war of fundamentalists 1993.jpg|thumb|Ruins in Kabul in 1993]]<br />
In late 1994, most of the militia factions (Hezb-i Islami, Junbish-i Milli and Hezb-i Wahdat) which had been fighting in the battle for control of Kabul were defeated militarily by forces of the Islamic State's [[Defence minister|Secretary of Defense]] Massoud. Bombardment of the capital came to a halt.<ref name="Afghanistan Justice Project" /><ref name="amnesty.org">{{cite web|url=https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/asa11/015/1995/en/|title=Document – Afghanistan: Further information on fear for safety and new concern: deliberate and arbitrary killings: Civilians in Kabul – Amnesty International|date=16 November 1995 |publisher=Amnesty.org|access-date=18 October 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150403163212/https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/ASA11/015/1995/en/|archive-date=3 April 2015|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="International Committee of the Red Cross">{{cite web|year=1995|url=http://www.icrc.org/eng/resources/documents/misc/57jly2.htm|title=Afghanistan: escalation of indiscriminate shelling in Kabul|publisher=International Committee of the Red Cross|access-date=22 December 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110510012006/http://www.icrc.org/eng/resources/documents/misc/57jly2.htm|archive-date=10 May 2011|url-status=live}}</ref> Massoud tried to initiate a nationwide political process with the goal of national [[Democratic consolidation|consolidation]] and democratic elections, also inviting the Taliban to join the process.<ref name="Webster University Press Book">{{cite book |last=Marcela Grad |title=Massoud: An Intimate Portrait of the Legendary Afghan Leader|edition= 1 March 2009 |page=310 |publisher=Webster University Press}}</ref> Massoud had united political and cultural personalities, governors, commanders, clergymen and representatives to reach a lasting agreement. Massoud, like most people in Afghanistan, saw this conference as a small hope for democracy and for free elections. His favourite for candidacy to the presidency was Dr. [[Mohammad Yusuf (politician)|Mohammad Yusuf]], the first democratic prime minister under Zahir Shah, the former king. In the first meeting representatives from 15 different Afghan provinces met, in the second meeting there were already 25 provinces participating. Massoud went unarmed to talk to several Taliban leaders in Maidan Shar, but the Taliban declined to join this political process.<ref name="Webster University Press Book" /> When Massoud returned safely, the Taliban leader who had received him as his guest paid with his life: he was killed by other senior Taliban for failing to execute Massoud while the possibility was there.<br />
<br />
==== Founding of the Islamic Emirate ====<br />
The Taliban started to shell Kabul in early 1995 but they were defeated by the forces of the Islamic State government under Massoud.<ref name="amnesty.org" /> [[Amnesty International]], referring to the Taliban offensive, wrote in a 1995 report: "This is the first time in several months that Kabul civilians have become the targets of rocket attacks and shelling aimed at residential areas in the city."<ref name="amnesty.org"/> The Taliban's early victories in 1994 were followed by a series of defeats that resulted in heavy losses.<ref name="Human Rights Watch (5)" /> Pakistan provided strong support to the Taliban.<ref name="Amin Saikal" /><ref name="George Washington University">{{cite web |year=2007 |url=http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB227/index.htm#17 |title=Documents Detail Years of Pakistani Support for Taliban, Extremists |publisher=[[George Washington University]] |access-date=22 December 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080708224453/http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB227/index.htm#17 |archive-date=8 July 2008 |url-status=live}}</ref> Many analysts like [[Amin Saikal]] describe the Taliban as developing into a [[Proxy war|proxy]] force for Pakistan's regional interests which the Taliban deny.<ref name="Amin Saikal" /> On 26 September 1996, as the Taliban, with military support from Pakistan and financial support from Saudi Arabia, prepared for another major offensive, Massoud ordered a full retreat from Kabul.<ref>Coll, ''Ghost Wars'' (New York: Penguin, 2005), 14.</ref> The Taliban seized Kabul on 27 September 1996 and established the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.<br />
<br />
== Taliban vs. Northern Alliance ==<br />
{{Main|Afghan Civil War (1996–2001)|Northern Alliance|Taliban}}<br />
<br />
=== Taliban offensives ===<br />
[[File:1996afghan (1).png|thumb|Map of the situation in Afghanistan in 1996: Ahmad Shah Massoud (red), Abdul Rashid Dostum (green) and Taliban (yellow) territories]]<br />
The Taliban imposed on the parts of Afghanistan under their control their interpretation of Islam. The [[Physicians for Human Rights]] (PHR) stated: "To PHR's knowledge, no other regime in the world has methodically and violently forced half of its population into virtual [[house arrest]], prohibiting them on pain of physical punishment."<ref name="Physicians for Human Rights">{{cite web |year=1998 |url=http://physiciansforhumanrights.org/library/documents/reports/talibans-war-on-women.pdf |title=The Taliban's War on Women. A Health and Human Rights Crisis in Afghanistan |publisher=[[Physicians for Human Rights]] |access-date=2010-12-22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070702234326/http://physiciansforhumanrights.org/library/documents/reports/talibans-war-on-women.pdf |archive-date=2007-07-02 |url-status=dead}}</ref> Women were required to wear the all-covering ''[[burqa]]'', they were banned from public life and denied access to health care and education, windows needed to be covered so that women could not be seen from the outside, and they were not allowed to laugh in a manner that could be heard by others.<ref name="Physicians for Human Rights" /> The Taliban, without any real court or hearing, cut people's hands or arms off when they were accused of stealing.<ref name="Physicians for Human Rights" /> Taliban hit-squads watched the streets, conducting arbitrary brutal public beatings.<ref name="Physicians for Human Rights" /><br />
<br />
The Taliban began preparing offensives against the remaining areas controlled by Massoud and Dostum. The former foes responded by allying to form the [[United Islamic Front for the Salvation of Afghanistan|United Front]] ([[Northern Alliance]]) against the Taliban.<ref>{{YouTube|EvYglyjbHkI}}</ref> In addition to the dominantly [[Tajiks|Tajik]] forces of Massoud and the [[Uzbeks|Uzbek]] forces of Dostum, the United Front included [[Hazaras|Hazara]] factions and [[Pashtuns|Pashtun]] forces under the leadership of commanders such as [[Abdul Haq (Afghan leader)|Abdul Haq]] or [[Haji Abdul Qadeer|Haji Abdul Qadir]]. Prominent politicians of the United Front were Afghan Prime Minister [[Abdul Rahim Ghafoorzai]] and the United Front's foreign minister [[Abdullah Abdullah]]. From the Taliban conquest in 1996 until November 2001 the United Front controlled roughly 30% of Afghanistan's population in provinces such as [[Badakhshan Province|Badakhshan]], [[Kapisa Province|Kapisa]], [[Takhar Province|Takhar]] and parts of [[Parwan Province|Parwan]], [[Kunar Province|Kunar]], [[Nuristan Province|Nuristan]], [[Laghman Province|Laghman]], [[Samangan Province|Samangan]], [[Kunduz Province|Kunduz]], [[Ghōr Province|Ghōr]] and [[Bamyan Province|Bamyan]].<br />
<br />
==== Atrocities by Arab jihadists ====<br />
[[File:Taliban-Torkham-2001.jpg|thumb|right|upright|Taliban border guard in 2001]]<br />
According to a 55-page report by the United Nations, the Taliban, while trying to consolidate control over northern and western Afghanistan, committed systematic massacres against civilians.<ref name="Newsday 2001">{{cite news|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/2001/10/12/taliban-massacres-outlined-for-un/|title=Taliban massacres outlined for UN|author=Newsday|date=October 2001|publisher=Chicago Tribune|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110916074935/http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2001-10-12/news/0110120312_1_taliban-fighters-massacres-in-recent-years-mullah-mohammed-omar|archive-date=16 September 2011|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="papillonsartpalace.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.papillonsartpalace.com/massacre.htm |title=Confidential UN report details mass killings of civilian villagers |access-date=12 October 2001 |author=Newsday |year=2001 |publisher=newsday.org |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20021118162327/http://www.papillonsartpalace.com/massacre.htm |archive-date=18 November 2002}}</ref> UN officials stated that there had been "15 massacres" between 1996 and 2001.<ref name="Newsday 2001" /><ref name="papillonsartpalace.com" /> They also said "these have been highly systematic and they all lead back to the [Taliban] Ministry of Defense or to [[Mullah Omar]] himself."<ref name="Newsday 2001" /><ref name="papillonsartpalace.com" /> In a major effort to retake the Shomali plains, the Taliban indiscriminately killed civilians, while uprooting and expelling the population. Kamal Hossein, a special reporter for the [[UN]], reported on these and other [[war crimes]]. Upon taking [[Mazar-i-Sharif]] in 1998, about 4,000 civilians were executed by the Taliban and many more reported tortured.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.unhcr.org/refworld/country,,IRBC,,AFG,,3ae6aab050,0.html|title=Afghanistan: Situation in, or around, Aqcha (Jawzjan province) including predominant tribal/ethnic group and who is currently in control|date=February 1999|publisher=[[UNHCR]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110510011619/http://www.unhcr.org/refworld/country%2C%2CIRBC%2C%2CAFG%2C%2C3ae6aab050%2C0.html|archive-date=10 May 2011|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.hrw.org/reports98/afghan/Afrepor0-03.htm#P186_38364 |title=INCITEMENT OF VIOLENCE AGAINST HAZARAS BY GOVERNOR NIAZI |access-date=27 December 2007 |author= Human Rights Watch|author-link= Human Rights Watch|date=November 1998|work=AFGHANISTAN: THE MASSACRE IN MAZAR-I SHARIF |publisher= hrw.org| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20071215095339/http://www.hrw.org/reports98/afghan/Afrepor0-03.htm|archive-date=15 December 2007 |url-status=live}}</ref> The Taliban especially targeted people of Shia religious or Hazara ethnic background.<ref name="Newsday 2001" /><ref name="papillonsartpalace.com" /> Among those killed in Mazari-i-Sharif [[1998 killing of Iranian diplomats in Afghanistan|were several Iranian diplomats]]. Others were kidnapped by the Taliban, touching off a hostage crisis that nearly escalated to a full-scale war, with 150,000 Iranian soldiers massed on the Afghan border at one time.<ref>{{cite news|title=Iranian military exercises draw warning from Afghanistan |date=31 August 1997 |publisher=CNN News |url=http://www.cnn.com/WORLD/meast/9808/31/iran.games/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081211123252/http://www.cnn.com/WORLD/meast/9808/31/iran.games/ |archive-date=11 December 2008}}</ref> It was later admitted that the diplomats were killed by the Taliban, and their bodies were returned to Iran.<ref>{{cite news|title=Taliban threatens retaliation if Iran strikes|date=15 September 1997|publisher=CNN|url=http://www.cnn.com/WORLD/meast/9809/15/iran.afghan.tensions.02/index.html|access-date=14 March 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090423161849/http://www.cnn.com/WORLD/meast/9809/15/iran.afghan.tensions.02/index.html|archive-date=23 April 2009|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
The documents also reveal the role of Arab and Pakistani support troops in these killings.<ref name="Newsday 2001" /><ref name="papillonsartpalace.com" /> [[Osama bin Laden|Osama Bin Laden]]'s so-called [[055 Brigade]] was responsible for mass killings of Afghan civilians.<ref name="Ahmed Rashid/The Telegraph">{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/afghanistan/1340244/Afghanistan-resistance-leader-feared-dead-in-blast.html|title=Afghanistan resistance leader feared dead in blast|author=Ahmed Rashid|work=Telegraph|location=London|date=11 September 2001|access-date=5 April 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131108225950/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/afghanistan/1340244/Afghanistan-resistance-leader-feared-dead-in-blast.html|archive-date=8 November 2013|url-status=live}}</ref> The report by the United Nations quotes eyewitnesses in many villages describing Arab fighters carrying long knives used for slitting throats and skinning people.<ref name="Newsday 2001" /><ref name="papillonsartpalace.com" /><br />
<br />
==== Role of Pakistan's ISI ====<br />
Pakistan's ISI wanted the mujahideen to establish a government in Afghanistan. The director-general of the ISI, [[Hamid Gul]], was interested in an Islamic revolution which would transcend national borders, not just in Afghanistan and Pakistan but also in [[Central Asia]]. To set up the proposed mujahideen government, Gul ordered an assault on [[Jalalabad]] with the intent on using it as the capital for the new government Pakistan was interested in establishing in Afghanistan.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2015/08/legacy-pakistan-loved-loathed-hamid-gul-150817114006616.html|title=The legacy of Pakistan's loved and loathed Hamid Gul|last=Nasir|first=Abbas|date=18 August 2015|publisher=Al Jazeera|quote=His commitment to jihad – to an Islamic revolution transcending national boundaries, was such that he dreamed one day the "green Islamic flag" would flutter not just over Pakistan and Afghanistan, but also over territories represented by the (former Soviet Union) Central Asian republics. After the Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan, as the director-general of the Pakistan's intelligence organisation, Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) directorate, an impatient Gul wanted to establish a government of the so-called Mujahideen on Afghan soil. He then ordered an assault using non-state actors on Jalalabad, the first major urban centre across the Khyber Pass from Pakistan, with the aim capturing it and declaring it as the seat of the new administration.|access-date=4 January 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170103194942/http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2015/08/legacy-pakistan-loved-loathed-hamid-gul-150817114006616.html|archive-date=3 January 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> The Taliban were largely funded by ISI in 1994.<ref name="Shaffer">{{cite book|last=Shaffer|first=Brenda|title=The Limits of Culture: Islam and Foreign Policy|url=https://archive.org/details/limitscultureisl00shaf|url-access=limited|year=2006|publisher=MIT Press|isbn=978-0-262-69321-9|page=[https://archive.org/details/limitscultureisl00shaf/page/n289 267]|quote=Pakistani involvement in creating the movement is seen as central}}</ref><ref name="Forsythe3">{{cite book|last=Forsythe|first=David P.|title=Encyclopedia of human rights|year=2009|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=978-0-19-533402-9|page=2|edition= Volume 1|quote=In 1994 the Taliban was created, funded and inspired by Pakistan}}</ref><ref name="[[Hall Gardner]]">{{cite book|last=Gardner|first=Hall|title=American global strategy and the 'war on terrorism'|url=https://archive.org/details/americanglobalst00gard|url-access=limited|year=2007|publisher=Ashgate|isbn=978-0-7546-7094-0|page=[https://archive.org/details/americanglobalst00gard/page/n67 59]}}</ref><ref name="Jones">{{cite book|last=Jones|first=Owen Bennett|title=Pakistan: eye of the storm|url=https://archive.org/details/pakistaneyestorm00jone|url-access=limited|year=2003|publisher=Yale University Press|isbn=978-0-300-15475-7|page=[https://archive.org/details/pakistaneyestorm00jone/page/n260 240]|quote=The ISI's undemocratic tendencies are not restricted to its interference in the electoral process. The organisation also played a major role in creating the Taliban movement.}}</ref><ref name="Randal">{{cite book|last=Randal|first=Jonathan|title=Osama: The Making of a Terrorist|year=2005|publisher=I.B.Tauris|isbn=978-1-84511-117-5|page=26|quote=Pakistan had all but invented the Taliban, the so-called Koranic students}}</ref><ref name="Peiman">{{cite book|last=Peiman|first=Hooman|title=Falling Terrorism and Rising Conflicts|year=2003|publisher=Greenwood|isbn=978-0-275-97857-0|page=14|quote=Pakistan was the main supporter of the Taliban since its military intelligence, the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) formed the group in 1994}}</ref><ref name="Hilali">{{cite book|last=Hilali|first=A. Z.|title=US-Pakistan relationship: Soviet invasion of Afghanistan|year=2005|publisher=Ashgate|isbn=978-0-7546-4220-6|page=248}}</ref><ref name="Rumer">{{cite book|last=Rumer|first=Boris Z.|title=Central Asia: a gathering storm?|year=2002|publisher=M.E. Sharpe|isbn=978-0-7656-0866-6|page=103}}</ref> The ISI used the Taliban to establish a regime in Afghanistan which would be favorable to Pakistan, as they were trying to gain [[strategic depth]].<ref name="Pape">{{cite book|last=Pape|first=Robert A|title=Cutting the Fuse: The Explosion of Global Suicide Terrorism and How to Stop It|url=https://archive.org/details/cuttingfuseexplo00pape|url-access=limited|year=2010|publisher=University of Chicago Press|isbn=978-0-226-64560-5|pages=[https://archive.org/details/cuttingfuseexplo00pape/page/n150 140]–141}}</ref><ref name="Harf">{{cite book|last=Harf|first=James E.|title=The Unfolding Legacy of 9/11|year=2004|publisher=University Press of America|isbn=978-0-7618-3009-2|page=122|author2=Mark Owen Lombard}}</ref><ref name="Hinnells">{{cite book|last=Hinnells|first=John R.|title=Religion and violence in South Asia: theory and practice|url=https://archive.org/details/religionviolence00hinn|url-access=limited|year=2006|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-0-415-37290-9|page=[https://archive.org/details/religionviolence00hinn/page/n163 154]}}</ref><ref name="Boase">{{cite book|last=Boase|first=Roger|title=Islam and Global Dialogue: Religious Pluralism and the Pursuit of Peace|year=2010|publisher=Ashgate|isbn=978-1-4094-0344-9|page=85|quote=Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence agency used the students from these madrassas, the Taliban, to create a favourable regime in Afghanistan}}</ref> Since the creation of the Taliban, the ISI and the Pakistani military have given financial, logistical and military support.<ref name="Armajani">{{cite book|last=Armajani|first=Jon|title=Modern Islamist Movements: History, Religion, and Politics|url=https://archive.org/details/modernislamistmo00arma|url-access=limited|year=2012|publisher=Wiley-Blackwell|isbn=978-1-4051-1742-5|page=[https://archive.org/details/modernislamistmo00arma/page/n63 48]}}</ref><ref name="Bayo">{{cite book|last=Bayo|first=Ronald H.|title=Multicultural America: An Encyclopedia of the Newest Americans|year=2011|publisher=Greenwood|isbn=978-0-313-35786-2|page=8}}</ref><ref name="Goodson">{{cite book|last=Goodson|first=Larry P.|title=Afghanistan's Endless War: State Failure, Regional Politics and the Rise of the Taliban|url=https://archive.org/details/afghanistansendl0000good|url-access=registration|year=2002|publisher=University of Washington Press|isbn=978-0-295-98111-6|page=[https://archive.org/details/afghanistansendl0000good/page/111 111]|quote =Pakistani support for the Taliban included direct and indirect military involvement, logistical support}}</ref><br />
<br />
According to Pakistani Afghanistan expert [[Ahmed Rashid]], "between 1994 and 1999, an estimated 80,000 to 100,000 Pakistanis trained and fought in Afghanistan" on the side of the Taliban.<ref name="Maley">{{cite book|last=Maley|first=William|title=The Afghanistan wars|year=2009|publisher=Palgrave Macmillan|isbn=978-0-230-21313-5|page=288}}</ref> [[Peter Tomsen]] stated that Pakistani military and ISI officers along with thousands of regular Pakistani Armed Forces personnel had been involved in the fighting in Afghanistan.<ref name="autogenerated4">{{cite book|last=Tomsen|first=Peter|title=Wars of Afghanistan|year=2011|publisher=PublicAffairs|isbn=978-1-58648-763-8|page=322}}</ref> In 2001 alone, according to several international sources, 28,000–30,000 Pakistani nationals, 14,000–15,000 Afghan Taliban and 2,000–3,000 Al Qaeda militants were fighting against anti-Taliban forces in Afghanistan as a roughly 45,000-strong military force.<ref name="Webster University Press Book" /><ref name="Ahmed Rashid/The Telegraph" /><ref name="Edward Girardet">{{cite book | last = Edward Girardet| title =Killing the Cranes: A Reporter's Journey Through Three Decades of War in Afghanistan |edition= 3 August 2011 |page=416 | publisher = Chelsea Green Publishing}}</ref><ref name="Rashid 2000 91">{{cite book|author-link=Ahmed Rashid|last=Rashid|first=Ahmed|title=[[Taliban: Militant Islam, Oil and Fundamentalism in Central Asia]]|publisher=[[Yale University Press]]|year=2000|isbn=9780300083408|page=91}}</ref> Pakistani President [[Pervez Musharraf]]&nbsp;– then as Chief of Army Staff&nbsp;– was responsible for sending thousands of Pakistanis to fight alongside the Taliban and Bin Laden against the forces of Massoud.<ref name="Webster University Press Book" /><ref name="George Washington University" /><ref name="National Geographic">{{cite web | year = 2007 | url = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xpQI6HKV-ZY | title = Inside the Taliban | publisher = [[National Geographic Society]] | access-date = 13 December 2015 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20151216030829/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xpQI6HKV-ZY | archive-date = 16 December 2015 | url-status = live}}</ref> Of the estimated 28,000 Pakistani nationals fighting in Afghanistan, 8,000 were militants recruited in madrassas filling regular Taliban ranks.<ref name="Ahmed Rashid/The Telegraph" /> A 1998 document by the [[United States Department of State|U.S. State Department]] confirms that "20–40 percent of [regular] Taliban soldiers are Pakistani."<ref name="George Washington University" /> The document further states that the parents of those Pakistani nationals "know nothing regarding their child's military involvement with the Taliban until their bodies are brought back to Pakistan."<ref name="George Washington University" /> According to the U.S. State Department report and reports by Human Rights Watch, the other Pakistani nationals fighting in Afghanistan were regular Pakistani soldiers especially from the [[Frontier Corps]] but also from the Pakistani Army providing direct combat support.<ref name="George Washington University" /><ref name="Human Rights Watch">{{cite news| url =https://www.hrw.org/reports/2001/afghan2/Afghan0701-02.htm| title =Pakistan's support of the taliban| publisher =Human Rights Watch| year =2000| archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20100615184800/http://www.hrw.org/reports/2001/afghan2/Afghan0701-02.htm| archive-date =15 June 2010| url-status =live}}</ref><br />
<br />
[[File:Pervez Musharraf - World Economic Forum Annual Meeting Davos 2008 number3.jpg|thumb|Former Pakistani President [[Pervez Musharraf]] sent more troops against the United Front of [[Ahmad Shah Massoud]] than the Afghan Taliban]]<br />
In 2000, Human Rights Watch wrote: "Of all the foreign powers involved in efforts to sustain and manipulate the ongoing fighting [in Afghanistan], Pakistan is distinguished both by the sweep of its objectives and the scale of its efforts, which include soliciting funding for the Taliban, bankrolling Taliban operations, providing diplomatic support as the Taliban's virtual emissaries abroad, arranging training for Taliban fighters, recruiting skilled and unskilled manpower to serve in Taliban armies, planning and directing offensives, providing and facilitating shipments of ammunition and fuel, and ... directly providing combat support.<ref name="Human Rights Watch"/><br />
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On 1 August 1997, the Taliban launched an attack on [[Sheberghan]], the main military base of Dostum. Dostum has said the reason the attack was successful was that 1,500 Pakistani commandos took part and that the Pakistani Air Force also gave support.<ref name=Clements2>{{cite book|last=Clements|first=Frank|title=Conflict in Afghanistan: a historical encyclopedia|url=https://archive.org/details/conflictafghanis00clem|url-access=limited|year=2003|publisher=ABC-CLIO|isbn=978-1-85109-402-8|page=[https://archive.org/details/conflictafghanis00clem/page/n92 54]}}</ref> In 1998, Iran accused Pakistani troops of war crimes at [[Bamyan|Bamiyan]] and claimed that Pakistani warplanes had, in support of the Taliban, bombarded Afghanistan's last Shia stronghold.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/1998/09/14/iran-raises-anti-pakistan-outcry/|title=Iran Raises Anti-pakistan Outcry|last=Schmetzer|first=Uli|date=14 September 1998|work=Chicago Tribune|quote=Karachi, Pakistan — Iran, which has amassed 200,000 troops on the border with Afghanistan, accused Pakistan on Sunday of sending warplanes to strafe and bombard Afghanistan's last Shiite stronghold, which fell hours earlier to the Taliban, the Sunni militia now controlling the central Asian country.|access-date=5 January 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170105180518/http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1998-09-14/news/9809140197_1_shiite-taliban-sunni|archive-date=5 January 2017|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1998/09/16/afghanistan-arena-for-a-new-rivalry/eeedba2f-03b7-4ed6-ba97-91e51e633e96/|title=Afghanistan: Arena For a New Rivalry |last=Constable |first=Pamela |author-link=Pamela Constable |date=16 September 1998 |newspaper=The Washington Post |quote=Taliban officials accused Iran of providing military support to the opposition forces; Tehran radio accused Pakistan of sending its air force to bomb the city in support of the Taliban's advance and said Iran was holding Pakistan responsible for what it termed war crimes at Bamiyan. Pakistan has denied that accusation and previous allegations of direct involvement in the Afghan conflict. Also fueling the volatile situation are ethnic and religious rivalries between the Taliban, who are Sunni Muslims of Afghanistan's dominant Pashtun ethnic group, and the opposition factions, many of which represent other ethnic groups or include Shiite Muslims. Iran, a Shiite Muslim state, has a strong interest in promoting that sect; Pakistan, one of the Taliban's few international allies, is about 80 percent Sunni.|access-date=5 January 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170205181352/https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1998/09/16/afghanistan-arena-for-a-new-rivalry/eeedba2f-03b7-4ed6-ba97-91e51e633e96/|archive-date=5 February 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> The same year Russia said, Pakistan was responsible for the "military expansion" of the Taliban in northern Afghanistan by sending large numbers of Pakistani troops some of whom had subsequently been taken as prisoners by the anti-Taliban United Front.<ref name="Press Trust of India">{{cite news| url =http://www.expressindia.com/ie/daily/19980812/22450054.html| title =Pak involved in Taliban offensive&nbsp;– Russia| publisher =Express India| year =1998| archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20050128030041/http://www.expressindia.com/ie/daily/19980812/22450054.html| archive-date =28 January 2005| url-status =dead}}</ref><br />
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In 2000, the UN Security Council imposed an arms embargo against military support to the Taliban, with UN officials explicitly singling out Pakistan. The UN secretary-general implicitly criticized Pakistan for its military support, and the Security Council "expressed deep distress over reports of involvement in the fighting, on the Taliban side, of thousands of non-Afghan nationals, some of whom were below the age of 14."<ref name="UN">{{cite news| url =https://www.un.org/News/dh/latest/afghan/un-afghan-history.shtml| title =Afghanistan & the United Nations| publisher =[[United Nations]]| year =2012| archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20131031084259/http://www.un.org/News/dh/latest/afghan/un-afghan-history.shtml| archive-date =31 October 2013| url-status =live}}</ref> In July 2001, several countries including the United States, accused Pakistan of being "in violation of UN sanctions because of its military aid to the Taliban."<ref name="Washington Times (2)">{{cite news| url =http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=WT&p_theme=wt&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0ED02FA7F968789D&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM| title =U.S. presses for bin Laden's ejection| work=[[The Washington Times]]| year =2001| archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20130511185904/http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=WT&p_theme=wt&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0ED02FA7F968789D&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM| archive-date =11 May 2013| url-status =live}}</ref> The Taliban also obtained financial resources from Pakistan. In 1997 alone, after the [[Battle of Kabul (1992–1996)|capture of Kabul]] by the Taliban, Pakistan gave $30 million in aid and a further $10 million for government wages.<ref name="Byman">{{cite book|last=Byman|first=Daniel|title=Deadly connections: states that sponsor terrorism|url=https://archive.org/details/deadlyconnection00byma|url-access=limited|year=2005|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=978-0-521-83973-0|page=[https://archive.org/details/deadlyconnection00byma/page/n208 195]}}</ref><br />
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In 2000, [[MI6|British Intelligence]] reported that the ISI was taking an active role in several Al Qaeda training camps.<ref name="Atkins">{{cite book|last=Atkins|first=Stephen E.|title=The 9/11 Encyclopedia|year=2011|publisher=ABC-CLIO|isbn=978-1-59884-921-9|page=540}}</ref> The ISI helped with the construction of training camps for both the Taliban and Al Qaeda.<ref name="Atkins" /><ref name="Litwak">{{cite book|last=Litwak|first=Robert|title=Regime change: U.S. strategy through the prism of 9/11|url=https://archive.org/details/regimechange00robe|url-access=registration|year=2007|publisher=Johns Hopkins University Press|isbn=978-0-8018-8642-3|page=[https://archive.org/details/regimechange00robe/page/309 309]}}</ref><ref name="McGrath">{{cite book|last=McGrath|first=Kevin|title=Confronting Al-Qaeda|year=2011|publisher=Naval Institute Press|isbn=978-1-59114-503-5|page=138|quote =the Pakistani military's Inter-services Intelligence Directorate (IsI) provided assistance to the Taliban, to include its military and al Qaeda–related terrorist training camps}}</ref> From 1996 to 2001 the Al Qaeda of Osama Bin Laden and [[Ayman al-Zawahiri]] became a state within the Taliban state.<ref name="Daily Times">{{cite web|year=2008 |url=http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2008\08\31\story_31-8-2008_pg3_4 |title=Book review: The inside track on Afghan wars by Khaled Ahmed |publisher=[[Daily Times (Pakistan)|Daily Times]] |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131022195043/http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2008%5C08%5C31%5Cstory_31-8-2008_pg3_4 |archive-date=22 October 2013}}</ref> Bin Laden sent Arab and Central Asian Al-Qaeda militants to join the fight against the United Front, among them his 055 Brigade.<ref name="Daily Times" /><ref name="autogenerated3">{{cite web |url =https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Grugy2txSvc&feature=search |title =Brigade 055 |publisher =CNN |access-date =13 December 2015 |archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20150719190619/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Grugy2txSvc&feature=search |archive-date =19 July 2015 |url-status =live}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Anti-Taliban resistance ===<br />
[[File:Ahmad Zia Massoud 1.jpg|thumb|right|[[Ahmad Zia Massoud]] (left), the brother of anti-Taliban leader Ahmad Shah Massoud]]<br />
Dostum and his forces were defeated by the Taliban in 1998. Dostum subsequently went into exile. Massoud became the only leader to remain in Afghanistan and who was able to defend vast parts of his area against the Taliban. In the areas under his control, Massoud set up democratic institutions and signed the Women's Rights Declaration.<ref name=autogenerated32>{{Cite book| last = Marcela Grad| author-link = Marcela Grad| title = Massoud: An Intimate Portrait of the Legendary Afghan Leader|edition= 1 March 2009 |page=310 | publisher = Webster University Press}}</ref> In the area of Massoud, women and girls did not have to wear the Afghan burqa. They were allowed to work and to go to school. In at least two known instances, Massoud personally intervened against cases of forced marriage.<ref name="Webster University Press Book" /> To Massoud there was reportedly nothing worse than treating a person like an object.<ref name="Webster University Press Book" /> He stated: "It is our conviction and we believe that both men and women are created by the Almighty. Both have equal rights. Women can pursue an education, women can pursue a career, and women can play a role in society — just like men."<ref name="Webster University Press Book"/><br />
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In ''Massoud: From Warrior to Statesman'', author Pepe Escobar writes "Massoud is adamant that in Afghanistan women have suffered oppression for generations. He says that 'the cultural environment of the country suffocates women. But the Taliban exacerbate this with oppression.' His most ambitious project is to shatter this cultural prejudice and so give more space, freedom and equality to women — they would have the same rights as men."<ref name="Webster University Press Book"/> While it was Massoud's stated conviction that men and women are equal and should enjoy the same rights, he also had to deal with Afghan traditions which he said would need a generation or more to overcome. In his opinion that could only be achieved through education.<ref name="Webster University Press Book" /> Humayun Tandar, who took part as an Afghan diplomat in the 2001 [[International Conference on Afghanistan, Bonn (2001)|International Conference on Afghanistan]] in Bonn, said that "strictures of language, ethnicity, region were [also] stifling for Massoud. That is why ... he wanted to create a unity which could surpass the situation in which we found ourselves and still find ourselves to this day."<ref name="Webster University Press Book" /> This applied also to strictures of religion. Jean-José Puig describes how Massoud often led prayers before a meal or at times asked his fellow Muslims to lead the prayer but also did not hesitate to ask a Christian friend Jean-José Puig or the Jewish [[Princeton University]] Professor Michael Barry: "Jean-José, we believe in the same God. Please, tell us the prayer before lunch or dinner in your own language."<ref name="Webster University Press Book" /><br />
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Human Rights Watch cites no human rights crimes for the forces under direct control of Massoud for the period from October 1996 until the assassination of Massoud in September 2001.<ref name=autogenerated9>{{cite web|year=2001|url=https://www.hrw.org/backgrounder/asia/afghan-bck1005.htm#uf|title=Human Rights Watch Backgrounder, October 2001|publisher=[[Human Rights Watch]]|access-date=4 December 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101019172324/http://www.hrw.org/backgrounder/asia/afghan-bck1005.htm#uf|archive-date=19 October 2010|url-status=live}}</ref> One million people fled the Taliban, many to the area of Massoud.<ref name=autogenerated6>{{cite web|year=2007|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xpQI6HKV-ZY|title=Inside the Taliban|website=[[National Geographic]]|access-date=13 December 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151216030829/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xpQI6HKV-ZY|archive-date=16 December 2015|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|year=2007 |url=http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/episode/inside-the-taliban-3274/Overview |title=Inside the Taliban |website=[[National Geographic]] |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080929130330/http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/episode/inside-the-taliban-3274/Overview |archive-date=29 September 2008}}</ref> In its ''Inside the Taliban'' documentary, ''[[National Geographic]]'' states: "The only thing standing in the way of future Taliban massacres is Ahmad Shah Massoud."<ref name="National Geographic" /> The Taliban repeatedly offered Massoud a position of power to make him stop his resistance, but Massoud declined. He explained in one interview: "The Taliban say: 'Come and accept the post of prime minister and be with us', and they would keep the highest office in the country, the presidentship. But for what price?! The difference between us concerns mainly our way of thinking about the very principles of the society and the state. We can not accept their conditions of compromise, or else we would have to give up the principles of modern democracy. We are fundamentally against the system called "the Emirate of Afghanistan."<ref name="Interview">{{cite web |year=2001 |url=http://www.orient.uw.edu.pl/balcerowicz/texts/Ahmad_Shah_Masood_en.htm |title =The Last Interview with Ahmad Shah Massoud |publisher=Piotr Balcerowicz |access-date=2013-11-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060925043421/http://www.orient.uw.edu.pl/balcerowicz/texts/Ahmad_Shah_Masood_en.htm |archive-date =2006-09-25 |url-status =dead}}</ref> In another interview, he was quoted as saying: "There should be an Afghanistan where every Afghan finds himself or herself happy. And I think that can only be assured by democracy based on consensus."<ref name="St. Petersburg Times" /> With his proposals for peace,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.peace-initiatives.com/frame.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020607220754/http://www.peace-initiatives.com/frame.htm|archive-date=7 June 2002|url-status=dead|title=Framework for Peace for the People of Afghanistan|access-date=31 August 2021|via=Peace Initiatives}}</ref> Massoud wanted to convince the Taliban to join a political process leading towards nationwide democratic elections in a foreseeable future.<ref name="Interview"/> Massoud stated: "The Taliban are not a force to be considered invincible. They are distanced from the people now. They are weaker than in the past. There is only the assistance given by Pakistan, Osama bin Laden and other extremist groups that keep the Taliban on their feet. With a halt to that assistance, it is extremely difficult to survive."<ref name="St. Petersburg Times">{{cite web|year=2002|url=http://www.sptimes.com/2002/09/09/911/The_man_who_would_hav.shtml|title=The man who would have led Afghanistan|publisher=[[St. Petersburg Times]]|access-date=2010-08-30|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100813021010/http://www.sptimes.com/2002/09/09/911/The_man_who_would_hav.shtml|archive-date=2010-08-13|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
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In early 2001, Massoud employed a new strategy of local military pressure and global political appeals.<ref name="Steve Coll: Ghost Wars">{{cite book | last = Steve Coll| author-link = Steve Coll| title =Ghost Wars: The Secret History of the CIA, Afghanistan, and Bin Laden, from the Soviet Invasion to September 10, 2001 | year = 2005| url = https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780141020808| url-access = registration|edition= 23 February 2004 |page=[https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780141020808/page/n739 720]| publisher =Penguin Press HC }}</ref> Resentment was increasingly gathering against Taliban rule from the bottom of Afghan society including the Pashtun areas.<ref name="Steve Coll: Ghost Wars" /> Massoud publicized their cause of "popular consensus, general elections and democracy" worldwide. At the same time he was very wary not to revive the failed Kabul government of the early 1990s.<ref name="Steve Coll: Ghost Wars" /> In 1999, he began training police forces specifically to keep order and protect the civilian population, in case the United Front was successful.<ref name="Webster University Press Book" /> Massoud also addressed the [[European Parliament]] in [[Brussels]] asking the international community to provide humanitarian help to the people of Afghanistan.<ref name="EU Parliament (2)">{{cite web|year=2001|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t78N6Q5VD60|title=Massoud in the European Parliament 2001|publisher=EU media|access-date=5 April 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140225002506/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t78N6Q5VD60|archive-date=25 February 2014|url-status=live}} {{YouTube|id=t78N6Q5VD60&t=4m34s}}.</ref> He stated that the Taliban and Al Qaeda had introduced "a very wrong perception of Islam" and that without the support of Pakistan and Bin Laden the Taliban would not be able to sustain their military campaign for up to a year.<ref name="EU Parliament">{{cite web|year=2001|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t78N6Q5VD60&t=4m34s|title=Massoud in the European Parliament 2001|publisher=EU media|access-date=5 April 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150712180700/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t78N6Q5VD60&t=4m34s|archive-date=12 July 2015|url-status=live}}</ref> On this visit to Europe, he also warned that his intelligence had gathered information about a large-scale attack on U.S. soil being imminent.<ref name="gwu.edu">{{cite web|url=http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB97/tal32.pdf|title=Secret document|publisher=Gwu.edu|access-date=19 October 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140617045854/http://www2.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB97/tal32.pdf|archive-date=17 June 2014|url-status=live}}</ref>{{failed verification|date=March 2012}}<ref name="nineeleven">{{cite news|last=Boettcher|first=Mike|url=https://www.cnn.com/2003/US/11/06/massoud.cable/index.html|title=How much did Afghan leader know?|publisher=CNN.com|date=6 November 2003|access-date=12 March 2012|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100916032857/http://articles.cnn.com/2003-11-06/us/massoud.cable_1_bin-qaeda-sheikh-osama?_s=PM:US|archive-date=16 September 2010}}</ref> The president of the European Parliament, [[Nicole Fontaine]], called him the "pole of liberty in Afghanistan".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t78N6Q5VD60&t=4m34s |title=Ahmad Shah Massoud: Lion of Afghanistan, Lion of Islam (5/7) |publisher=Youtube.com |date=5 March 2001 |access-date=31 October 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150712180700/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t78N6Q5VD60&t=4m34s |archive-date=12 July 2015 |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
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On 9 September 2001, Massoud was the target of a [[suicide attack]] by two Arabs posing as journalists at Khwaja Bahauddin in the [[Takhar Province]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2001/09/10/world/taliban-foe-hurt-and-aide-killed-by-bomb.html |title=Taliban Foe Hurt and Aide Killed by Bomb |location=Afghanistan |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=10 September 2001 |access-date=27 August 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130205235141/http://www.nytimes.com/2001/09/10/world/taliban-foe-hurt-and-aide-killed-by-bomb.html |archive-date=5 February 2013 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Burns |first=John F. |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2002/09/09/world/threats-responses-assassination-afghans-too-mark-day-disaster-hero-was-lost.html |title=Threats and Responses: Assassination; Afghans, Too, Mark a Day of Disaster: A Hero Was Lost |location=Afghanistan |work=The New York Times |date=9 September 2002 |access-date=27 August 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110217015213/http://www.nytimes.com/2002/09/09/world/threats-responses-assassination-afghans-too-mark-day-disaster-hero-was-lost.html |archive-date=17 February 2011 |url-status=live }}</ref> Massoud died in a helicopter taking him to a hospital. The funeral, though in a rather rural area, was attended by hundreds of thousands of mourning people.<ref>{{YouTube|Aq-zqA1DMWs|Ahmad Shah Massoud Sad Day Part 2}}</ref> The assassination was not the first time Al-Qaeda, the Taliban, the Pakistani [[Inter-Services Intelligence|ISI]]—and before them the Soviet [[KGB]], the Afghan Communist [[KHAD]] and [[Hekmatyar]]—had tried to assassinate Massoud. He survived countless assassination attempts over a period of 26 years. The first attempt on Massoud's life was carried out by Hekmatyar and two Pakistani ISI agents in 1975, when Massoud was only 22 years old.<ref name="Roy Gutman" /> In early 2001, Al-Qaeda would-be assassins were captured by Massoud's forces while trying to enter his territory.<ref name="Steve Coll: Ghost Wars"/><br />
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=== 9/11 attacks and American involvement ===<br />
The assassination of Massoud is believed to have a strong connection to the [[September 11 attacks|September 11, 2001, attacks]] on the United States, which killed nearly 3,000 people and appeared to be the terrorist attack that Massoud had warned the European Parliament about when he made his speech in the presence of it several months earlier.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/2003/US/11/06/massoud.cable/|title=How much did Afghan leader know? - Nov. 6, 2003|author1=Mike Boettcher |author2=Henry Schuster|website=www.cnn.com|access-date=20 May 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141223054812/http://www.cnn.com/2003/US/11/06/massoud.cable/|archive-date=23 December 2014|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
[[John P. O'Neill]] was a counter-terrorism expert and the assistant director of the [[FBI]] until late 2001. He retired from the FBI and was offered the position of director of security at the [[World Trade Center (1973–2001)|World Trade Center]] (WTC). He took the job at the WTC two weeks before 9/11. On 10 September 2001, O'Neill allegedly told two of his friends, "We're due. And we're due for something big.... Some things have happened in Afghanistan (referring to the assassination of Massoud). I don't like the way things are lining up in Afghanistan...I sense a shift, and I think things are going to happen...soon."<ref name="PBS">{{cite web |year=2002 |url=https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/knew/etc/script.html |title=The Man Who Knew |publisher=[[Public Broadcasting Service|PBS]] |access-date=18 September 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170903210940/https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/knew/etc/script.html |archive-date=3 September 2017 |url-status=live}}</ref> O'Neill died when the [[World Trade Center (1973–2001)|South Tower]] collapsed.<ref name="PBS" /><br />
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After the terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001, Massoud's United Front troops, with American air support, ousted the Taliban from power in Kabul in [[Operation Enduring Freedom]]. In November and December 2001, the United Front gained control of much of the country and played a crucial role in establishing the post-Taliban interim government of [[Hamid Karzai]] in late 2001.<ref>{{Cite book|title=The Far East and Australasia 2003.|publisher=Europa|year=2002|isbn=1-85743-133-2|edition= 34th |location=London|pages=xix|oclc=59468141}}</ref><br />
<br />
== NATO-led invasion and Taliban insurgency ==<br />
{{Main|Presidency of Hamid Karzai|War in Afghanistan (2001–2021)|Taliban insurgency|}}<br />
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<br />
=== Afghan Transitional Authority ===<br />
[[File:Hamid Karzai and US Special Forces.jpg|thumb|U.S. Special Forces [[Operational Detachment Alpha 574|ODA 574]] with [[Hamid Karzai]] during the [[United States invasion of Afghanistan|U.S. invasion of Afghanistan]] in October 2001.]]<br />
[[File:US Navy 040602-M-8096M-016 U.S. Marines assigned to Battalion Landing Team 1st Bn., 6th Marines wait for the word to move toward a mountain.jpg|thumb|U.S. Marines of [[1st Battalion, 6th Marines]] and an allied fighter near [[Siah Chub Kalay]] during [[Operation Asbury Park]] in 2004.]]<br />
The U.S.-led war in Afghanistan began on 7 October 2001, as [[Operation Enduring Freedom]]. It was designed to capture or kill Osama bin Laden and al-Qaeda militants, as well as replace the Taliban with a U.S.-friendly government. The [[Bush Doctrine]] stated that, [[Foreign policy of the George W. Bush administration|as policy]], it would not distinguish between al-Qaeda and nations that harbor them. Several Afghan leaders were invited to [[Germany]] in December 2001 for the UN sponsored [[Bonn Agreement (Afghanistan)|Bonn Agreement]], which was to restore stability and governance in their country. In the first step, the [[Transitional Islamic State of Afghanistan|Afghan Transitional Administration]] was formed and was installed on 22 December.<ref name="UNations">{{cite web |url=http://www.unama-afg.org/news/_parelection/_factsheets/_english/JEMBS%20PO%20BG%20General%20BG%20final%202005-4-1%20eng.pdf |title=UN factsheet on Bonn Agreement |publisher=United Nations |access-date=15 March 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090305155438/http://www.unama-afg.org/news/_parelection/_factsheets/_english/JEMBS%20PO%20BG%20General%20BG%20final%202005-4-1%20eng.pdf |archive-date=5 March 2009 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Chaired by Hamid Karzai, it numbered 30 leaders and included a [[Supreme Court of Afghanistan|Supreme Court]], an Interim Administration, and a Special Independent Commission.<br />
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==== Founding of the Islamic Republic ====<br />
[[File:GW Bush and Hamid Karzai in Kabul 2006-03-01.jpg|thumb|right|U.S. President [[George W. Bush]] and [[Hamid Karzai]] at the Presidential Palace in [[Kabul]], Afghanistan.]]<br />
[[File:Afghan soldiers.jpg|thumb|Soldiers of the [[Afghan National Army]], including the [[ANA Commando Brigade]] standing in the front.]]<br />
A loya [[jirga]] (grand assembly) was convened in June 2002 by former King Zahir Shah, who returned from exile after 29 years. Karzai was elected president for the two years in the jirga, in which the Afghan Interim Authority was also replaced with the Transitional Islamic State of Afghanistan (TISA). A constitutional loya jirga was held in December 2003, adopting the [[2004 Constitution of Afghanistan|2004 constitution]], with a presidential form of government and a bicameral legislature.<ref name="BBCNews">{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4540756.stm |title=Afghan MPs hold landmark session |work=BBC News |access-date=15 March 2009 |date=19 December 2005 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090103021003/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4540756.stm |archive-date=3 January 2009 |url-status=live}}</ref> Karzai was elected in the [[2004 Afghan presidential election|2004 presidential election]] followed by winning a second term in the [[2009 Afghan presidential election|2009 presidential election]]. Both the [[2005 Afghan parliamentary election|2005]] and the [[2010 Afghan parliamentary election|2010 parliamentary elections]] were also successful.<br />
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{{anchor|Reconstruction in Afghanistan}}<br />
In the meantime, the reconstruction process of Afghanistan began in 2002. There were more than 14,000 reconstruction projects, such as the [[Kajaki Dam]] and the [[Afghan-India Friendship Dam|Salma Dam]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.rferl.org/featuresarticle/2007/03/642FF16A-41C2-4AF2-B314-1D7BAEDDFAE6.html|title=Afghanistan: NATO Pleased With Offensive, But Goals Still Unmet|work=RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty|access-date=18 October 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080709034355/http://www.rferl.org/featuresarticle/2007/03/642ff16a-41c2-4af2-b314-1d7baeddfae6.html|archive-date=9 July 2008|url-status=live |last1=Synovitz |first1=Ron }}</ref> Many of these projects were supervised by the [[Provincial Reconstruction Team]]s. The World Bank Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund was set up in 2002, which was financed by 24 international donor countries and spent more than $1.37 billion as of 2007.<ref name="AFGReco">{{cite web|url=http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/COUNTRIES/SOUTHASIAEXT/AFGHANISTANEXTN/0,,contentMDK:20152008~pagePK:141137~piPK:217854~theSitePK:305985,00.html |title=Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund |publisher=World Bank | access-date=13 March 2009| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090202093827/http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/COUNTRIES/SOUTHASIAEXT/AFGHANISTANEXTN/0,,contentMDK:20152008~pagePK:141137~piPK:217854~theSitePK:305985,00.html| archive-date= 2 February 2009 | url-status= live}}</ref> Approximately 30 billion dollars were provided by the international community for the reconstruction of Afghanistan, most of it from the United States. In 2002, the world community allocated $4 billion at the Tokyo conference followed by another $4 billion in 2004. In February 2006, $10.5 billion were committed for Afghanistan at the [[International Conference on Afghanistan, London (2006)|London Conference]]<ref name="AFGR">{{cite web |url=http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=51510&SelectRegion=Asia&SelectCountry=AFGHANISTAN |title=Government to have greater control over aid pledged in London |publisher=IRIN Asia |access-date=13 March 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061129015837/http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=51510&SelectRegion=Asia&SelectCountry=AFGHANISTAN |archive-date=29 November 2006 |url-status=live |date=27 September 2004}}</ref> and $11 billion from the United States in early 2007. Despite these vast investments by the international community, the reconstruction effort's results were mixed. Implementation of development projects was frequently marred by lack of coordination, knowledge of local conditions, and sound planning on the side of international donors as well as by corruption and inefficiency on the side of Afghan government officials. On the provincial and national level, projects such as the National Solidarity Programme, inter-provincial road construction, and the U.S.-led revamping of rural health services met with more success.<br />
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=== Nation-building in Afghanistan ===<br />
[[File:US Navy 100628-N-0475R-287 Seabees, Marines, Soldiers and members of the Afghan National Army take a tour of an area surrounding a newly completed Mabey-Johnson Bridge project.jpg|right|thumb|U.S. and Afghan troops in 2010.]]<br />
[[File:2PARA Gold 50.jpg|thumb|Afghan Tiger Team special forces night movement in January of 2011]][[File:2PARA Gold 71.jpg|thumb|On patrol in January 2011]]<br />
NATO and Afghan troops led many offensives against the Taliban in this period. By 2009, a Taliban-led shadow government began to form, complete with their own version of mediation court.<ref>{{Cite news | url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/07/AR2009120704127.html | newspaper=The Washington Post | access-date=30 March 2010 | title=Taliban shadow officials offer concrete alternative | first=Griff | last=Witte | date=8 December 2009 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110516090753/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/07/AR2009120704127.html | archive-date=16 May 2011 | url-status=live}}</ref> In 2010, U.S. President [[Barack Obama]] deployed an additional 30,000 soldiers over a period of six months and proposed that he would begin troop withdrawals by 2012. At the [[International Conference on Afghanistan, London (2010)|2010 International Conference on Afghanistan]] in London, Karzai said he intended to reach out to the Taliban leadership (including [[Mullah Omar]], [[Sirajuddin Haqqani]] and [[Gulbuddin Hekmatyar]]). Supported by senior U.S. officials Karzai called on the group's leadership to take part in a loya jirga meeting to initiate peace talks. According to ''The Wall Street Journal'', these steps were initially reciprocated with an intensification of bombings, assassinations and ambushes.<ref name="online.wsj.com">{{Cite news| url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052748703720004575476913015061570| work=The "Wall Street Journal"| access-date=11 September 2010 | title=Karzai Divides Afghanistan in Reaching Out to Taliban | first=Yaroslav| last=Trofimov| date=11 September 2010| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20100912162856/http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703720004575476913015061570.html| archive-date= 12 September 2010 | url-status= live}}</ref><br />
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Many Afghan groups (including the former intelligence chief [[Amrullah Saleh]] and opposition leader Dr. [[Abdullah Abdullah]]) believed that Karzai's plan aimed to appease the insurgents' senior leadership at the cost of the democratic constitution, the democratic process and progress in the field of human rights, especially women's rights.<ref name="The Scotsman">{{Cite news| url=http://news.scotsman.com/world/Karzai39s-Taleban-talks-raise-spectre.6557817.jp| work=The Scotsman| title=Karzai's Taleban talks raise spectre of civil war warns former spy chief| date=30 September 2010| location=Edinburgh| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101203030945/http://news.scotsman.com/world/Karzai39s-Taleban-talks-raise-spectre.6557817.jp| archive-date=3 December 2010| url-status=live}}</ref> Abdullah stated: "I should say that Taliban are not fighting in order to be accommodated. They are fighting in order to bring the state down. So it's a futile exercise, and it's just misleading. ... There are groups that will fight to the death. Whether we like to talk to them or we don't like to talk to them, they will continue to fight. So, for them, I don't think that we have a way forward with talks or negotiations or contacts or anything as such. Then we have to be prepared to tackle and deal with them militarily. In terms of the Taliban on the ground, there are lots of possibilities and opportunities that with the help of the people in different parts of the country, we can attract them to the peace process; provided, we create a favorable environment on this side of the line. At the moment, the people are leaving support for the government because of corruption. So that expectation is also not realistic at this stage."<ref name="National Public Radio (NPR)">{{Cite news| url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=130757482| work=National Public Radio (NPR)| title=Abdullah Abdullah: Talks With Taliban Futile| date=2010-10-22| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180921134702/https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=130757482| archive-date=2018-09-21| url-status=live}}</ref><br />
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According to a report by the United Nations, the Taliban were responsible for 76% of civilian casualties in 2009.<ref name="The Weekly Standard">{{Cite news| url=http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/taliban-responsible-76-deaths-afghanistan-un| work=The Weekly Standard| title=UN: Taliban Responsible for 76% of Deaths in Afghanistan| date=10 August 2010| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110102054938/http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/taliban-responsible-76-deaths-afghanistan-un| archive-date=2 January 2011| url-status=dead}}</ref> Afghanistan was struggling to rebuild itself while dealing with the results of 30 years of war, corruption among high-level politicians and the ongoing [[Taliban insurgency]] which according to different scientific institutes such as the [[London School of Economics]], senior international officials, such as former United States Chairman of the Joint Chief of Staff Admrial [[Michael Mullen]], believed the Taliban was backed by the ISI.<ref>{{Cite news| url=https://abcnews.go.com/Video/video?id=5484891&tab=9482931&section=8865284&page=1| work=[[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]]| access-date=28 September 2010| title=Pakistan Accused of Helping Taliban| date=31 July 2008| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131221050959/http://abcnews.go.com/Video/video?id=5484891&tab=9482931&section=8865284&page=1| archive-date=21 December 2013| url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news| url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/afghanistan/7910687/Wikileaks-Pakistan-accused-of-helping-Taliban-in-Afghanistan-attacks.html| publisher=U.K. Telegraph| access-date=28 September 2010| title=Wikileaks: Pakistan accused of helping Taliban in Afghanistan attacks| date=26 July 2010| location=London| first1=Rob| last1=Crilly| first2=Alex| last2=Spillius| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140129073942/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/afghanistan/7910687/Wikileaks-Pakistan-accused-of-helping-Taliban-in-Afghanistan-attacks.html| archive-date=29 January 2014| url-status=live| df=dmy-all}}</ref><br />
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At the end of July 2010, the Netherlands became the first NATO ally to end its combat mission in Afghanistan after 4 years military deployment including the most intense period of hostilities. They withdrew 1,900 troops. The Atlantic Council described the decision as "politically significant because it comes at a time of rising casualties and growing doubts about the war."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.acus.org/natosource/dutch-become-1st-nato-member-quit-afghanistan |title=Dutch become 1st NATO member to quit Afghanistan |work=Atlantic Council |date=1 August 2010 |access-date=12 March 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111224065417/http://www.acus.org/natosource/dutch-become-1st-nato-member-quit-afghanistan |archive-date=24 December 2011}}</ref> Canada withdrew troops in 2011, but about 900 were left to train Afghani soldiers.<ref>Theophilos Argitis: [https://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-05-30/harper-makes-surprise-afghanistan-visit-to-troops-to-mark-end-of-mission.html Canada’s Harper Makes Afghanistan Stop to Mark End of Military Mission] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140222145200/http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-05-30/harper-makes-surprise-afghanistan-visit-to-troops-to-mark-end-of-mission.html |date=22 February 2014}} [[Bloomberg.com]], 31 May 2011</ref><ref>Brian Stewart:[https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/let-s-be-clear-canada-is-still-at-war-in-afghanistan-1.1020153 Let's be clear, Canada is still at war in Afghanistan] CBC News, 2 November 2011</ref><br />
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In February 2012, a small number of American service members [[2012 Afghanistan Quran burning protests|burned several copies]] of the [[Quran]]. Some Afghans responded by staging massive demonstrations and riots in Kabul and other areas. Assailants killed several American military personnel, including two officers in the Interior Ministry building following this event. On 11 March 2012, an American soldier, [[Robert Bales]], killed 16 civilians in the [[Kandahar massacre]].<br />
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According to [[ISAF]] there were about 120,000 NATO-led troops in Afghanistan per December 2012, of which 66,000 were US troops and 9,000 British. The rest were from 48 countries. A process of handing over power to local forces had started and according to plans a majority of international troops would leave in 2014.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-11371138|title=BBC News – Q&A: Foreign forces in Afghanistan|work=BBC News|date=20 September 2010 |access-date=18 October 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141014224140/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-11371138|archive-date=14 October 2014|url-status=live}}</ref> On 24 November 2013, Karzai held a loya jirga and imposed a ban on NATO house raids. This ban was put in place, and NATO soldiers were instructed to adhere to it. In December 2013, a house raid in Zabul Province was exceptionally carried out by two NATO soldiers. Karzai condemned this in a highly publicised speech. On 3 January 2014 a bomb blast was heard by NATO soldiers in a base in Kabul; there were no reported casualties or injuries. The day after, a bomb hit a U.S. military base in Kabul and killed one U.S. citizen. The bomb was planted by the Taliban, and the American service member was the first combat casualty in Afghanistan in that year. The Taliban immediately claimed responsibility for the attack.<br />
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=== Peace negotiations in Qatar ===<br />
On 1 May 2015 the media reported a scheduled meeting in [[Qatar]] between Taliban insurgents and peacemakers, including the Karzai, about ending the war.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-afghanistan-taliban-idUKKBN0NM3TP20150501 |title=Afghan delegation to meet with Taliban in Qatar – officials |date=1 May 2015 |author=Rafiq Sharzad |publisher=Reuters |access-date=3 September 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150823065746/http://uk.reuters.com/article/2015/05/01/uk-afghanistan-taliban-idUKKBN0NM3TP20150501 |archive-date=23 August 2015 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/may/01/afghan-delegation-qatar-talks-taliban-pakistan-conflict-afghanistan |title=Afghan delegation heads to Qatar for talks with the Taliban |newspaper=The Guardian |date=2 May 2015 |access-date=3 September 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150807225223/http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/may/01/afghan-delegation-qatar-talks-taliban-pakistan-conflict-afghanistan |archive-date=7 August 2015 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.arabnews.com/world/news/740551 |title=Afghan delegation to meet with Taleban in Qatar |newspaper=Arab News |date=2 May 2015 |access-date=2 May 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150502125624/http://www.arabnews.com/world/news/740551 |archive-date=2 May 2015 |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2016, the government signed a peace deal with Hekmatyar's Hezb-e Islami, which was at the time the second largest anti-government insurgent after the Taliban.<ref>{{cite news|title=Afghan government signs peace deal with armed group|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/9/22/afghanistan-hezb-i-islami-armed-group-signs-peace-deal|website=www.aljazeera.com|language=en}}</ref> The deal proved controversial, and several sectors of Afghan society protested against it because of the Hekmatyar's alleged war crimes.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Nordland|first1=Rod|date=September 22, 2016|title=Afghanistan Signs Draft Peace Deal With Faction Led by Gulbuddin Hekmatyar (Published 2016)|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/23/world/asia/afghanistan-peace-deal-hezb-i-islami.html|website=The New York Times}}</ref><br />
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Tensions between the U.S. and Pakistan worsened as U.S. President [[Donald Trump]] accused Pakistan of harboring the Taliban.<ref>{{Cite web|date=August 23, 2017|title=U.S. puts more pressure on Pakistan to help with Afghan war|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-afghanistan-idUSKCN1B109Q|publisher=[[Reuters]]}}</ref> Afghan President [[Ashraf Ghani]] offered unconditional peace talks to the Taliban, offering them legal status as a regular political party, alongside the release of Taliban prisoners. Over 20 nations and organizations backed the deal, but it was rejected by the Taliban who refused to negotiate with the Afghan government. The Taliban insisted on only negotiating directly with the United States and only upon a full U.S. withdrawal from the country—a demand the U.S. rejected.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Tashkent Conference Backs Afghan Government's Peace Offer|url=https://www.rferl.org/a/uzbekistan-offers-host-talks-taliban-afghanistan/29127849.html|access-date=2021-09-05|newspaper=Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty|date=27 March 2018 |language=en}}</ref><br />
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An unprecedented three-day ceasefire was negotiated in 2018 around the [[Eid al-Fitr]] celebrations, with Taliban members openly approaching and talking to civilians and government forces. The ceasefire was widely celebrated, and Ghani announced it would be extended by ten days, with some societal leaders calling for it to be made permanent. The Taliban, however, rejected the extension and relaunched their military campaign against the government at the end of the original three-day period.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Afghanistan: Taliban resume fighting as Eid ceasefire ends|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/06/afghanistan-taliban-resume-fighting-eid-ceasefire-ends-180618044536196.html|publisher=[[Al Jazeera Arabic|Al Jazeera]]}}</ref><br />
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[[File:Taliban insurgency in Afghanistan (2015–present).svg|thumb|Map showing the war as of January 2019<br />
{{legend|#ebc0b3|Under control of the [[:en:Politics of Afghanistan|Afghan Government]], [[:en:Resolute Support Mission|NATO]], and [[:en:War in Afghanistan (2015–present)#Allied militias|Allies]]}}{{legend|#ffffff|Under control of the [[:en:Taliban|Taliban]], [[:en:Al-Qaeda|Al-Qaeda]], and [[:en:Islamic Jihad Union|Allies]]}}{{legend|#b3b2ae|Under control of the [[:en:Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant|Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant]] (ISIL) and [[:en:Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan|Allies]]}}{{legend|#76e56a|Under control of the [[:en:Pakistani Army|Pakistani Army]]}}<br />
]]<br />
As the Afghan government had fallen into a major dispute over the [[2019 Afghan presidential election]], in which both Ghani and his rival Abdullah Abdullah claimed victory, a power-sharing deal between the two men was signed, which assigned responsibility for the peace negotiations to the latter.<ref>{{Cite news|date=May 17, 2020|title=Rival Afghan leaders sign power-sharing deal|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-52699158|access-date=May 18, 2020}}</ref><br />
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==== Taliban–United States agreement ====<br />
[[File:Secretary Pompeo Participates in a Signing Ceremony in Doha (49601220548).jpg|thumb|US representative [[Zalmay Khalilzad]] (left) and Taliban representative [[Abdul Ghani Baradar]] (right) sign the [[Doha Agreement (2020)|Doha Agreement]] in [[Qatar]] in 2020.]]<br />
Eventually and after several years of back-and-forth negotiations, the U.S. [[First presidency of Donald Trump|Trump Administration]] struck a major deal with the Taliban in 2020, known as the [[Doha Agreement (2020)|Doha Agreement]]. The deal provided for a full but staggered U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in exchange for a Taliban pledge not to allow Al-Queda to reestablish itself in the country and commit itself to talks with the Afghan government (which was not a party to the agreement).<ref>{{Cite news|last=Qazi|first=Shereena|date=February 29, 2020|title=Afghanistan's Taliban, US sign agreement aimed at ending war|publisher=[[Al Jazeera Arabic|Al-Jazeera]]|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/02/afghanistan-taliban-sign-deal-america-longest-war-200213063412531.html|access-date=March 6, 2020}}</ref> The deal also required the Afghan president to release 5,000 Taliban prisoners in exchange for a Taliban release of 1,000 captive Afghan soldiers. Ghani, having never agreed to the deal, rejected the prisoner release, stating that it was not a U.S. prerogative and adding that he would reject any other releases as a prerequisite to Taliban-Afghan government talks.<ref name="guardian">{{Cite news|last1=Graham-Harrison|first1=Emma|last2=Sabbagh|first2=Dan|last3=Makoii|first3=Akhtar Mohammad|last4=Borger|first4=Julian|date=February 29, 2020|title=US and Taliban sign deal to withdraw American troops from Afghanistan|work=[[The Guardian]]|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/feb/29/us-taliban-sign-peace-agreement-afghanistan-war|access-date=March 6, 2020|issn=0029-7712}}</ref> The Taliban replied by reiterating that they would not start any talks with the Afghan government until the 5,000 prisoners were released.<ref>{{cite news|last=Sediqi|first=Abdul Qadir|date=March 2, 2020|title=Taliban rule out taking part in Afghan talks until prisoners freed|work=Reuters|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-afghanistan-taliban/taliban-rule-out-taking-part-in-afghan-talks-until-prisoners-freed-idUSKBN20P1FZ|access-date=March 6, 2020}}</ref><br />
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The situation led to an increase in Taliban attacks, with the group having launched more than 4,500 attacks on government forces during the 45-day period following the signing of the Doha Agreement—a 70% increase compared to the same period during the previous year.<ref name="re12">{{Cite news|date=May 1, 2020|title=Taliban step up attacks on Afghan forces since signing U.S. deal: data|newspaper=Reuters|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-afghanistan-taliba/taliban-step-up-attacks-on-afghan-forces-since-signing-u-s-deal-data-idUSKBN22D5S7|via=www.reuters.com}}</ref> As the U.S. had stopped conducting airstrikes on Taliban targets as part of the agreement (in exchange for a halting of Taliban attacks on U.S. forces), Taliban casualties dropped by about two thirds during this period.<ref name="re12" /> Following what was described as some of the bloodiest fighting in 19 years, the U.S. conducted several airstrikes against the group in early March 2020.<ref>{{cite news|date=March 4, 2020|title=U.S. carries out first airstrike on Taliban since Doha deal|work=[[NBC News]]|agency=Reuters|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/u-s-carries-out-first-airstrike-taliban-doha-deal-n1149331|access-date=March 6, 2020}}</ref> Ghani agreed on releasing 1,500 Taliban prisoners, so long as those prisoners signed a pledge not to return to combat once released.<ref name="ghanidecree">{{cite news|last=Shalizi|first=Hamid|date=March 10, 2020|title=Exclusive: Afghan government to release 1,500 Taliban prisoners from jails – decree|publisher=Reuters|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-afghanistan-taliban-prisoners-decree/exclusive-afghan-government-to-release-1500-taliban-prisoners-from-jails-decree-idUSKBN20X30W|access-date=March 10, 2020}}</ref> The Taliban rejected this move, insisting on the full and unconditional release of the full 5,000 prisoner list.<ref name="voareject">{{cite news|last=Gul|first=Ayaz|date=March 11, 2020|title=Taliban Reject Afghan Government's Prisoner Release Plan|publisher=Voice of America|url=https://www.voanews.com/south-central-asia/taliban-reject-afghan-governments-prisoner-release-plan|access-date=March 12, 2020}}</ref> By August, the government agreed to free the 5,000 Taliban captives but stated that it could not release 400 of them, as they had been accused of serious crimes against civilians, calling a loya jirga to decide their fate. It ruled in favor of release, and all of the prisoners were freed.<ref name="torelease">{{cite web|author=Ehsan Qaane|date=August 7, 2020|title=To Release, Or Not To Release? Legal questions around Ghani's consultative loya jirga on Taleban prisoners|url=https://www.afghanistan-analysts.org/en/reports/war-and-peace/to-release-or-not-to-release-legal-questions-around-ghanis-consultative-loya-jirga-on-taleban-prisoners/|access-date=August 9, 2020|publisher=Afghanistan Analysts}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|date=August 9, 2020|title=Loya Jirga Approves Release of 400 Taliban Prisoners|url=https://tolonews.com/afghanistan/loya-jirga-approves-release-400-taliban-prisoners|access-date=August 10, 2020|publisher=TOLO News}}</ref> Following these developments, the first intra-Afghan talks between the Taliban and Afghan government were held in Qatar.<ref>{{cite news|date=September 10, 2020|title=Qatar to host long-awaited intra-Afghan talks from Saturday|work=Al Jazeera|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/09/qatar-host-long-awaited-intra-afghan-talks-saturday-200910172323910.html}}</ref><br />
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=== American withdrawal and 2021 Taliban offensive ===<br />
{{Main|2020–2021 U.S. troop withdrawal from Afghanistan|2021 Taliban offensive}}<br />
[[File:Afghanistan map taliban advances.webp|thumb|left|Taliban control of Afghanistan during the [[2021 Taliban offensive]] and [[Fall of Kabul (2021)|capture of Kabul]].]]<br />
In April 2021, the newly inaugurated U.S. President [[Joe Biden]] announced that all U.S. troops would withdraw from the country by 11 September 2021, the 20-year anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.<ref name="Time 2021">{{cite magazine|last=Satia|first=Priya|date=27 April 2021|editor-last=Felsenthal|editor-first=Edward|editor-link=Edward Felsenthal|title=History's Warning for the U.S. Withdrawal From Afghanistan|url=https://time.com/5959073/afghanistan-withdrawal-empire-history/|url-status=live|magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]]|location=[[New York City]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210427194916/https://time.com/5959073/afghanistan-withdrawal-empire-history/|archive-date=27 April 2021|access-date=27 April 2021}}</ref> He later brought this date forward to 31 August.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web|date=2021-08-18|title=Misread warnings helped lead to chaotic Afghan evacuation|url=https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-evacuations-32bb6a22846f649b626a3130f8c5dffb|access-date=2021-09-05|website=AP NEWS|language=en}}</ref> As U.S. forces started to withdraw in May, the Taliban stepped up attacks on the Afghan government.<ref>{{cite news|date=4 May 2021|title=Taliban launches major Afghan offensive after deadline for U.S. pullout|work=Reuters|url=https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/taliban-launches-huge-afghan-offensive-after-deadline-us-pullout-2021-05-04/}}</ref> The group began by first capturing the countryside to surround regional capitals, then taking those capitals without facing any major resistance. The [[United States Intelligence Community]] warned in July that the Afghan government was likely to collapse 6–12 months after the U.S. withdrawal.<ref>{{cite news|date=23 July 2021|title=Intel analysis: Afghan government could collapse six months after US troops withdraw|work=The Hill|url=https://thehill.com/policy/defense/559894-intel-analysis-afghan-government-could-collapse-six-months-after-us-troops}}</ref> Biden stated that he would not cease or delay the withdrawal, regardless of the situation.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-07-08|title=Remarks by President Biden on the Drawdown of U.S. Forces in Afghanistan|url=https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/speeches-remarks/2021/07/08/remarks-by-president-biden-on-the-drawdown-of-u-s-forces-in-afghanistan/|access-date=2021-09-05|website=The White House|language=en-US}}</ref><br />
<br />
==== Collapse of the Islamic Republic ====<br />
{{See also|Fall of Kabul (2021)}}<br />
By 15 August, almost the entire country was under the control of the Taliban, who had already encircled and were preparing to enter the nation's capital. Ghani fled the country to [[Tajikistan]], and [[Fall of Kabul (2021)|Kabul was captured]] that same day, with the entire political and military apparatus of the Islamic Republic having collapsed.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-08-16|title=The Fall of Kabul: Beginning of Taliban 2.0|url=https://www.financialexpress.com/defence/the-fall-of-kabul-beginning-of-taliban-2-0/2311839/|access-date=2021-09-05|website=The Financial Express|language=en-US}}</ref><ref name=":3" /> The remainder of the NATO forces in the country occupied the [[Kabul International Airport|Hamid Karzai International Airport]] in Kabul, [[2021 Kabul airlift|evacuating hundreds of thousands of servicemen and civilians]]. In their last act while in Afghanistan, coalition forces destroyed or damaged most of what was left behind in the airport to prevent it from being used by the Taliban, totalling 75 aircraft and over 100 vehicles and other equipment, alongside the airport's [[Anti-aircraft warfare|anti-air defences]], before definitively leaving the country on 30 August, thus meeting Biden's withdrawal deadline.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Inside the Final Hours at Kabul Airport|url=https://www.govexec.com/defense/2021/08/inside-final-hours-kabul-airport/184979/|access-date=2021-09-05|website=Government Executive|date=31 August 2021 |language=en}}</ref><br />
<br />
Biden defended his decision, stating that he did not wish to prolong the "forever war" and blamed the Afghan authorities for not having found a political settlement and fleeing the country for the collapse of the country's government, adding that the collapse had nevertheless "unfolded more quickly than anticipated". According to Biden, the American mission in the country had never been [[nation-building]], but instead a pre-emption of attacks on the U.S. homeland, which he considered to have been a success.<ref>{{Cite web|author=Kevin Liptak, Jeff Zeleny, Kaitlan Collins, Jennifer Hansler and Maegan Vazquez|title=Biden admits Afghanistan's collapse 'did unfold more quickly than we had anticipated'|url=https://www.cnn.com/2021/08/16/politics/biden-afghanistan-speech/index.html|access-date=2021-09-05|website=CNN|date=16 August 2021 }}</ref> Following the coalition's withdrawal, Taliban forces captured the airport and announced they would form a new government shortly thereafter.<ref>{{Cite news|date=2021-08-31|title=After U.S. withdrawal, Taliban shift focus to governin amid deepening economic crisis|work=CBC News|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/taliban-airport-seize-1.6159272|access-date=2021-08-31}}</ref><br />
<br />
Despite the call to have some refugees admitted to the U.S. after the withdrawal of NATO troops, only a tiny percentage of vulnerable Afghans seeking to move to the United States under a refugee resettlement program were admitted to the U.S. Refugees admitted through the P-2 criteria by the State Department's pre-existing Priority 1 program had the only option to be referred to the [[United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees|U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees]] or a designated [[Non-governmental organization|NGO]].<ref>[https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/hundreds-of-afghans-denied-humanitarian-entry-into-u-s "Hundreds of Afghans denied humanitarian entry into U.S."] pbs.org. Retrieved 20 January 2021.</ref><br />
<br />
== Return of the Taliban government ==<br />
<br />
=== Re-establishment of the Islamic Emirate ===<br />
{{Further|Government of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan}}<br />
As the Taliban took over Kabul, a Coordination Council was formed to transfer power to the Taliban, consisting of former mujahideen and Hezb-e Islami commander Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, former President Hamid Karzai and political leader Abdullah Abdullah.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-08-15|title='Coordination council to oversee peaceful transfer of power'|url=http://tribune.com.pk/story/2315763/coordination-council-to-oversee-peaceful-transfer-of-power-in-afghanistan-karzai|access-date=2021-09-05|website=The Express Tribune|language=en}}</ref> The latter two then met with Taliban representatives with the stated goal of ensuring safety and returning normalcy to the capital.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Karzai, Abdullah Meet Taliban Political Office Members in Kabul|url=https://tolonews.com/afghanistan-174343|access-date=2021-09-05|website=TOLOnews|language=en}}</ref> However, it was reported that the two would likely not be a part of the future Taliban government.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Former Afghan leader Hamid Karzai unlikely to be part of Taliban-led government|url=https://www.ft.com/content/874ff094-3baf-4e48-9aa7-245f3e5d5bf2|access-date=2021-09-05|newspaper=Financial Times|date=September 2021|last1=Findlay|first1=Stephanie}}</ref> [[The New York Times]] reported that Karzai had been forced out of his home after the Taliban disarmed his guards and took over security at his residence, instead moving in to live in Abdullah's house.<ref>{{Cite news|last1=Gall|first1=Carlotta|last2=Ramzy|first2=Austin|last3=Hassan|first3=Sharif|date=2021-08-23|title=Forced to leave his home, former President Hamid Karzai remains in Kabul despite the risks.|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/23/world/asia/hamid-karzai-home-kabul.html|access-date=2021-09-05|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> According to a source cited by the CNN, both had effectively been placed under [[house arrest]], with their security details removed and at the mercy of the Taliban.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Walsh|first=Nick Paton|date=2021-08-26|title=With 36 hours left to evacuate and gates now closed, an estimated 150 Americans need to get to Kabul airport – source|url=https://edition.cnn.com/world/live-news/afghanistan-news-taliban-refugees-08-26-21-intl/h_ff5624d84cb5b1bca8f6e75e2cbc9600|access-date=2021-09-05|website=CNN|language=en}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Anti-Taliban uprisings ===<br />
{{Main|Republican insurgency in Afghanistan}}<br />
Following the Taliban's victory across Afghanistan, the Islamic Republic's vice president and long-time opponent of the Taliban, [[Amrullah Saleh]], cited provisions in the [[2004 Constitution of Afghanistan]] which would make him acting president of the country. In doing so, he appealed to a sense of continuity of the Islamic Republic, which would lend him political legitimacy. As Kabul, alongside the vast majority of Afghanistan, was under Taliban control, he joined forces with [[Ahmad Massoud]], son of former mujahideen commander Ahmad Shah Massoud, in declaring the [[National Resistance Front of Afghanistan]] (also known as the ''Panjshir Resistance''), an anti-Taliban coalition based in the Panjshir Valley. In turn, he was recognized as president by Massoud, as well as Defence Minister [[Bismillah Khan Mohammadi]].<ref name="tribaug">{{cite news|date=August 17, 2021|title=Panjshir flies flag of resistance again; Amrullah says he is President of Afghanistan|work=Tribune India|url=https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/world/panjshir-flies-flag-of-resistance-again-amrullah-says-he-is-president-of-afghanistan-298553|access-date=August 17, 2021}}</ref> A small-scale uprising led by the group in August 2021 succeeded in ousting the Taliban from three districts, establishing its own control in the valley.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Rosenberg|first=Matthew|date=2021-08-21|title=Resistance fighters drive Taliban from 3 districts in the mountains north of Kabul.|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/21/world/asia/resistance-fighters-taliban-afghanistan.html|access-date=2021-09-05|issn=0362-4331}}</ref><br />
<br />
The front, often compared to the Northern Alliance, reached a ceasefire with the Taliban shortly thereafter.<ref name="GEOC">{{cite web|title=Taliban, Northern Alliance agree not to attack each other: sources|url=https://www.geo.tv/latest/367157-taliban-northern-alliance-enter-into-peace-agreement-sources|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210826073602/https://www.geo.tv/latest/367157-taliban-northern-alliance-enter-into-peace-agreement-sources|archive-date=26 August 2021|access-date=26 August 2021|website=www.geo.tv|language=en}}</ref> The ceasefire did not last long and by the start of September the Taliban had launched an assault against the Panjshir resistance.<ref>{{Cite web|date=1 September 2021|title=Fighting Breaks Out Between Taliban, Panjshiri Resistance After Failed Talks|url=https://www.voanews.com/south-central-asia/fighting-breaks-out-between-taliban-panjshiri-resistance-after-failed-talks|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210901193923/https://www.voanews.com/south-central-asia/fighting-breaks-out-between-taliban-panjshiri-resistance-after-failed-talks|archive-date=1 September 2021|access-date=1 September 2021|website=Voice of America}}</ref> By 3 September, the Taliban claimed to have defeated the resistance, establishing Taliban control over the entirety of Afghanistan for the first time in the country's history. These claims were dismissed as lies by resistance forces, which in turn claimed they were still in control of much of their positions and were actively fighting the Taliban.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-09-03|title=The Afghan Resistance Says Reports Of Its Defeat In Panjshir Are Taliban Propaganda|url=https://www.npr.org/2021/09/03/1033966153/afghanistan-taliban-panjshir-resistance?t=1630709474162|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210903232813/https://www.npr.org/2021/09/03/1033966153/afghanistan-taliban-panjshir-resistance?t=1630709474162|archive-date=3 September 2021|access-date=2021-09-03|website=NPR|language=en}}</ref> Fighting continued into the following day, and [[Mark Milley]], Chairman of the U.S. [[Joint Chiefs of Staff]], warned that the situation could develop into a full-scale civil war.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-09-05|title=Taliban, opposition fight for Afghan holdout province, top U.S. general warns of civil war|url=https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/taliban-opposition-vie-control-panjshir-pakistan-spy-chief-flies-kabul-2021-09-04/|access-date=2021-09-05|website=Reuters|language=en}}</ref><br />
<br />
At the same time, notable regional leaders Tajik [[Atta Muhammad Nur]] and Uzbek Abdul Rashid Dostum (the PDPA-era commander who turned on Najibullah in 1991 and formed his own Uzbek-dominated and relatively left-secular political movement [[National Islamic Movement of Afghanistan|Junbish]]) fled the country to avoid what they dubbed conspiracy as [[Mazar-i-Sharif]] fell to the Taliban. The two had been bitter political rivals but joined forces in the face of the Taliban advance. According to Nur, the local equipment of the armed forces had been handed over to the Taliban in a "cowardly plot" intended to entrap him and Dostum, which led to the fall of the city.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-08-14|title=Afghan militia leaders Atta Noor, Dostum escape 'conspiracy'|url=https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/afghan-militia-leaders-atta-noor-dostum-escape-conspiracy-2021-08-14/|access-date=2021-09-05|website=Reuters|language=en}}</ref> The two joined with other regional strongmen and politicians in creating a front for negotiations with the Taliban, in which they would hope to achieve concessions from the predominantly Pashtun group for their respective local movements and ethnicities. The two stated that they would never accept a surrender and were preparing for armed anti-Taliban resistance should the talks fail,<ref>{{Cite web|title=Veteran Afghan strongmen to form new front for negotiating with Taliban|url=https://news.yahoo.com/veteran-afghan-strongmen-form-front-062226949.html|access-date=2021-09-05|website=news.yahoo.com|date=29 August 2021 |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Veteran Afghan Strongmen to Form New Front for Negotiating With Taliban {{!}} Voice of America - English|url=https://www.voanews.com/us-afghanistan-troop-withdrawal/veteran-afghan-strongmen-form-new-front-negotiating-taliban|access-date=2021-09-05|website=www.voanews.com|date=29 August 2021 |language=en}}</ref> prior to the ultimate fall of the Panjshir Valley to the Taliban the following day. Both Saleh and Massoud fled the Panjshiri capital but remained in the province.<ref name="cnn">{{cite news|url=https://www.cnn.com/2021/09/06/asia/afghanistan-monday-intl-hnk/index.html|title=Taliban claims victory in Panjshir, but resistance forces say they still control strategic position in the valley|work=[[CNN]]|last1=Robertson|first1=Nic|last2=Kohzad|first2=Nilly|last3=Lister|first3=Tim|last4=Regan|first4=Helen|date=6 September 2021|access-date=6 September 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Pannett |first1=Rachel |title=Panjshir Valley, last resistance holdout in Afghanistan, falls to the Taliban |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2021/09/06/afghanistan-kabul-taliban-updates/ |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=6 September 2021|access-date=6 September 2021}}</ref><br />
<br />
===Afghanistan–Iran border clashes===<br />
[[2021 Afghanistan–Iran clashes|Afghan–Iranian clashes]] occurred in December 2021, overlapping with the [[Republican insurgency in Afghanistan]], between the restored Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan and Iran in [[Nimruz Province|Nimruz]] over [[border checkpoint]]s. It resulted in a ''de facto'' Taliban victory, with the Islamic Emirate capturing various border checkpoints. However, the Taliban later withdrew from the checkpoints and things returned to [[status quo ante bellum]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Clashes over Iran-Afghanistan's 'border misunderstanding' ended |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/clashes-over-iran-afghanistans-border-misunderstanding-ended-2021-12-01/ |access-date=1 December 2021 |publisher=Reuters |date=1 December 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=طالبان تسيطر على مواقع ونقاط حراسة ايرانية على الحدود المشتركة |url=https://www.albawaba.com/ar/%D8%A3%D8%AE%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%B1/%D9%85%D8%B9%D8%A7%D8%B1%D9%83-%D8%B6%D8%A7%D8%B1%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D8%A8%D9%8A%D9%86-%D8%B7%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A8%D8%A7%D9%86-%D9%88%D8%AD%D8%B1%D8%B3-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AD%D8%AF%D9%88%D8%AF-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%8A%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%86%D9%8A-1457282 |access-date=1 December 2021 |publisher=Al Bawaba |date=1 December 2021}}</ref><br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
{{Portal|Afghanistan}}<br />
*[[Afghan refugees]]<br />
*[[Human rights in Afghanistan]]<br />
**[[Freedom of religion in Afghanistan]]<br />
**[[Women in Afghanistan]]<br />
***[[Treatment of women by the Taliban]]<br />
*[[Afghan peace process|Afghanistan peace process]]<br />
**[[Reconstruction in Afghanistan]]<br />
*[[Environmental impacts of war in Afghanistan|Environmental impacts of the Afghan conflict]]<br />
<br />
== References ==<br />
{{reflist|30em}}<br />
<br />
== Bibliography ==<br />
* {{citation |first=Carole |last=Hillenbrand|year=2015 |title=Islam: A New Historical Introduction|location=London |publisher=Thames & Hudson Ltd|isbn=978-0-500-11027-0 |author-link=Carole Hillenbrand}}<br />
* {{cite book |last=Maley |first=William |date=2021 |title=The Afghanistan Wars |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PpJKEAAAQBAJ&pg=PR7 |edition=3rd |location=London |publisher=Red Globe Press |isbn=978-1-352-01100-5}}<br />
<br />
== Further reading ==<br />
* {{cite book |last=Collins |first=Joseph J. |date=2011 |title=Understanding War in Afghanistan |url=http://ndupress.ndu.edu/Portals/68/Documents/Books/understanding-war-in-afghan.pdf |location=Washington, D.C. |publisher=National Defense University Press |isbn=978-1-78039-924-9}}<br />
* {{cite web |url=https://www.stratfor.com/weekly/20100628_30_year_war_afghanistan |title=The 30-Year War in Afghanistan |author=George Friedman |date=29 June 2010 |website=Geopolitical Weekly |publisher=[[Stratfor]]|author-link=George Friedman}}<br />
* Chiovenda, Andrea, and Melissa Chiovenda. "The specter of the “arrivant”: hauntology of an interethnic conflict in Afghanistan." Asian Anthropology 17.3 (2018): 165–184.<br />
<br />
== External links ==<br />
* [https://www.hrw.org/backgrounder/asia/afghan-bck1023.htm Backgrounder on Afghanistan: History of the War October 2001]<br />
* [https://www.rand.org/pubs/testimonies/2007/RAND_CT271.pdf Ending Afghanistan’s Civil by James Dobbins, The RAND Corporation, Testimony presented before the House Armed Services Committee on January 30, 2007]<br />
* [https://www.hrw.org/backgrounder/asia/afghanistan/afghbk.htm Fueling Afghanistan's War-Press Backgrounder]<br />
* [http://www.csis.org/isp/pcr/ More information on Post-Conflict Reconstruction from the Center for Strategic and International Studies] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090610082115/http://www.csis.org/isp/pcr/ |date=10 June 2009 }}<br />
<br />
{{Afghanistan topics}}<br />
{{ongoing military conflicts}}<br />
{{post-Cold War Asian conflicts}}<br />
{{Military history of Pakistan}}<br />
<br />
{{DEFAULTSORT:War in Afghanistan (1978-present)}}<br />
[[Category:Afghanistan conflict (1978–present)| ]]<br />
[[Category:Anti-communism in Afghanistan]]<br />
[[Category:Wars involving Afghanistan]]<br />
[[Category:Cold War military history of the Soviet Union]]<br />
[[Category:Cold War rebellions]]<br />
[[Category:Religion-based civil wars]]<br />
[[Category:Revolution-based civil wars]]<br />
[[Category:Warlordism]]<br />
[[Category:Wars involving the Taliban]]</div>Boackandwhitehttps://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=War_on_drugs&diff=1261687027War on drugs2024-12-07T12:19:54Z<p>Boackandwhite: </p>
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<div>{{Short description|Campaign against illegal drug use and trade}}<br />
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{{Other uses}}<br />
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{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2016}}<br />
{{Infobox military conflict<br />
| conflict = War on drugs<br />
| width = <br />
| partof = [[War on terror]] (in [[Afghanistan]] and [[Middle east]])<br />
| image = Just say no (4647883256).jpg<br />
| image_size = <br />
| alt = <br />
| caption = A U.S. government [[Public service announcement|PSA]] from the [[Alcohol, Drug Abuse, and Mental Health Administration]] with a photo image of two [[marijuana]] cigarettes and a "[[Just Say No]]" slogan<br />
| date = June 17, 1971 – present<br />({{Age in months, weeks and days|year1= 1971 |month1= 6|day1= 17}})<br />
| place = Global<br />
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| territory = <br />
| result = <br />
| status = Ongoing, widely viewed as a policy failure<ref>{{Cite web |last=Mann |first=Brian |date=June 17, 2021 |title=After 50 Years Of The War On Drugs, 'What Good Is It Doing For Us?' |website=[[NPR]] |url=https://www.npr.org/2021/06/17/1006495476/after-50-years-of-the-war-on-drugs-what-good-is-it-doing-for-us }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Lopez |first=German |date=2017-01-30 |title=How the war on drugs has made drug traffickers more ruthless and efficient |url=https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2017/1/30/14346766/drug-war-failure-evolution |access-date=2024-02-17 |website=Vox |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Scherlen |first=Renee |date=4 January 2012 |title=The Never-Ending Drug War: Obstacles to Drug War Policy Termination |url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/ps-political-science-and-politics/article/abs/neverending-drug-war-obstacles-to-drug-war-policy-termination/36E26DB84414E6EFE80CF3F96F55703F |journal=PS: Political Science & Politics |volume=45 |pages=67–73 |doi=10.1017/S1049096511001739 |s2cid=153399320 |via=Cambridge Core}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Doward |first=Jamie |date=2016-04-02 |title=The UN's war on drugs is a failure. Is it time for a different approach? |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/apr/02/un-war-on-drugs-failure-prohibition-united-nations |access-date=2024-02-17 |work=The Observer |language=en-GB |issn=0029-7712}}</ref><br />
| combatants_header = <br />
| combatant1 = {{flag|United States}}<br />
* [[Law enforcement in the United States|US law enforcement]]<br />
* [[US Armed Forces]]<br />
[[Foreign relations of the United States|Allies of the United States]]<br />
<p>{{flag|United Nations}}</p><br />
* [[United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime]]<br />
| combatant2 = [[Drug traffickers]]<br />
* [[Drug cartels]]<br />
<p>[[Recreational drug use|Drug users]]{{refn|As a party to the United Nations [[Convention Against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances]], the US is required to "criminalize possession for personal consumption"; only use for medical and scientific purposes is permitted<ref name="Haase" /> (the treaty wording also provides significant latitude in interpreting personal use criminalization by individual countries).|group=note}}</p><br />
| combatant3 = <br />
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| campaignbox = {{Campaignbox Operations in the War on drugs}}<br />
}}<br />
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The '''war on drugs''' is the policy of a [[Globalization|global campaign]],<ref name="War on Drugs">{{Cite web |date=June 2011 |title=War on Drugs: Report of the Global Commission on Drug Policy |url=https://www.globalcommissionondrugs.org/reports/the-war-on-drugs |access-date=Feb 21, 2024 |website=[[Global Commission on Drug Policy]] |quote=The global war on drugs has failed. When the United Nations Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs came into being 50 years ago, and when President Nixon launched the US government's war on drugs 40 years ago, policymakers believed that harsh law enforcement action against those involved in drug production, distribution and use would lead to an ever-diminishing market in controlled drugs such as heroin, cocaine and cannabis, and the eventual achievement of a 'drug free world'. In practice, the global scale of illegal drug markets – largely controlled by organized crime – has grown dramatically over this period.}}</ref> led by the [[United States federal government]], of [[prohibition of drugs|drug prohibition]], [[Aid|foreign assistance]], and [[military intervention]], with the aim of reducing the [[illegal drug trade in the United States|illegal drug trade in the US]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.npr.org/2016/03/27/472023148/legalize-all-drugs-the-risks-are-tremendous-without-defining-the-problem|title=Legalize All Drugs? The 'Risks Are Tremendous' Without Defining The Problem|first=Writer Dan|last=Baum|website=NPR.org|access-date=April 3, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180115184433/https://www.npr.org/2016/03/27/472023148/legalize-all-drugs-the-risks-are-tremendous-without-defining-the-problem|archive-date=January 15, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="whiteout-chapter-14">Cockburn and St. Clair, 1998: Chapter 14</ref><ref name="Bullington 1990 39–55">{{Cite journal|last1 = Bullington |first1 = Bruce |first2=Alan A. |last2=Block |date=March 1990 |title = A Trojan horse: Anti-communism and the war on drugs |journal = Crime, Law and Social Change |volume = 14 |issue = 1 |pages = 39–55 |issn = 1573-0751 |doi = 10.1007/BF00728225 |s2cid = 144145710 }}</ref> The initiative includes a set of drug policies that are intended to discourage the production, distribution, and consumption of [[psychoactive drugs]] that the participating governments, through [[International drug control conventions|United Nations treaties]], have made illegal.<br />
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The term "war on drugs" was popularized by the media after a press conference, given on June 17, 1971, during which [[President of the United States|President]] [[Richard Nixon]] declared drug abuse "public enemy number one".<ref name=":1" /> He stated, "In order to fight and defeat this enemy, it is necessary to wage a new, all-out offensive.{{spaces}}... This will be a worldwide offensive.{{spaces}}... It will be government-wide{{spaces}}... and it will be nationwide." Earlier that day, Nixon had presented a special message to the [[United States Congress|US Congress]] on "Drug Abuse Prevention and Control", which included text about devoting more federal resources to the "prevention of new addicts, and the rehabilitation of those who are addicted"; that aspect did not receive the same media attention as the term "war on drugs".<ref name=":16">{{cite web|url=https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/240245|title=Richard Nixon: Special Message to the Congress on Drug Abuse Prevention and Control|access-date=December 8, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131212201341/http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/?pid=3048|archive-date=December 12, 2013|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Mann |first=Brian |date=Jun 17, 2021 |title=After 50 Years Of The War On Drugs, 'What Good Is It Doing For Us?' |url=https://www.npr.org/2021/06/17/1006495476/after-50-years-of-the-war-on-drugs-what-good-is-it-doing-for-us |access-date=Dec 8, 2023 |website=[[NPR]]}}</ref><ref name="Nixon Calls War on Drugs">{{Cite web |date=June 18, 1971 |title=Nixon Calls War on Drugs |url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/129670863/ |access-date=Dec 8, 2023 |website=[[Palm Beach Post]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Dufton|first=Emily|title=The War on Drugs: How President Nixon Tied Addiction to Crime|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2012/03/the-war-on-drugs-how-president-nixon-tied-addiction-to-crime/254319/|access-date=October 13, 2012|newspaper=The Atlantic|date=March 26, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121105093614/http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2012/03/the-war-on-drugs-how-president-nixon-tied-addiction-to-crime/254319/|archive-date=November 5, 2012|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
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In the years since, presidential administrations and Congress have generally maintained or expanded Nixon's original initiatives, with the emphasis on law enforcement and interdiction over public health and treatment. [[Cannabis (drug)|Cannabis]] presents a special case; it came under federal restriction in the 1930s, and since 1970 has been [[Controlled Substances Act#Schedule I|classified]] as having a high potential for abuse and no medical value, with the same level of prohibition as heroin. Multiple mainstream studies and findings since the 1930s have recommended against such a severe classification. Beginning in the 1990s, cannabis has been [[Legality of cannabis by U.S. jurisdiction|legalized for medical use in 38 states, and also for recreational use in 24]], creating a policy gap with federal law and non-compliance with the UN drug treaties.<br />
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In June 2011, the [[Global Commission on Drug Policy]] released a critical report, declaring: "The global war on drugs has failed, with devastating consequences for individuals and societies around the world."<ref name="War on Drugs" /> In 2023, the [[UN High Commissioner for Human Rights|UN high commissioner for Human Rights]] stated that "decades of punitive, 'war on drugs' strategies had failed to prevent an increasing range and quantity of substances from being produced and consumed."<ref name=":18" /> That year, the annual US federal drug war budget reached $39 billion, with cumulative spending since 1971 estimated at $1 trillion.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Chinni |first=Dante |date=July 2, 2023 |title=Costs in the war on drugs continue to soar |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/meet-the-press/data-download/costs-war-drugs-continue-soar-rcna92032 |access-date=May 10, 2024 |website=[[NBC News]]}}</ref><br />
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{{As of|2024}}, the war on drugs continues, with a focus on [[fentanyl]] and other [[synthetic drug]]s.<br />
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== History ==<br />
{{See also|History of United States drug prohibition|Legal history of cannabis in the United States}}Drugs in the US were largely unregulated until the early 20th century. Opium had been used to relieve pain since the [[American Revolutionary War|Revolutionary War]] (1775–1783), particularly in the treatment of soldiers during wartime. In the 1800s, the international opium trade was large-scale and lucrative: Britain, and to a lesser degree the other [[Colonialism|European colonial powers]] and the US, gained immense profits from selling opium in China and southeast Asia; two [[Opium Wars|opium wars]] were fought mid-century by Britain against China to ensure the trade continued to serve millions of Chinese opium users.<ref name=":110">{{Cite web |title=A Century of International Drug Control |url=https://www.unodc.org/documents/wdr/WDR_2008/WDR2008_100years_drug_control_origins.pdf |access-date=May 28, 2024 |website=[[UN Office on Drugs and Crime]]}}</ref> At the same time in America, the use of [[opiate]]s in the civilian population began to increase dramatically,<ref name="Trickey">{{cite web |last=Trickey |first=Erick |date=Jan 4, 2018 |title=Inside the Story of America's 19th-Century Opiate Addiction |url=https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/inside-story-americas-19th-century-opiate-addiction-180967673/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190105045835/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/inside-story-americas-19th-century-opiate-addiction-180967673/ |archive-date=January 5, 2019 |access-date=Dec 25, 2023 |website=[[The Smithsonian]]}}</ref> and [[cocaine]] use became prevalent.<ref name=":5">{{Cite journal |last=Das |first=G |date=April 1993 |title=Cocaine abuse in North America: a milestone in history |url=https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8473543/ |journal=Journal of Clinical Pharmacology |volume=33 |issue=4 |pages=296–310 |doi=10.1002/j.1552-4604.1993.tb04661.x |pmid=8473543 |s2cid=9120504 |via=[[PubMed]]}}</ref><ref name=":6">{{Cite web |date=Aug 21, 2018 |title=Cocaine |url=https://www.history.com/topics/crime/history-of-cocaine |access-date=Dec 15, 2023 |website=[[History.com]]}}</ref> [[Alcoholic beverage|Alcohol]] consumption steadily grew, as did the [[Temperance movement in the United States|temperance movement]], well-supported by the middle class, promoting moderation or [[abstinence]].<ref name="Rorabaugh">{{cite book |last=Rorabaugh |first=W.J. |title=The Alcohol Republic: An American Tradition |publisher=Oxford University Press |year=1981 |isbn=978-0-1950-2990-1 |pages=20–21}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last1=Aaron |first1=Paul |last2=Musto |first2=David |date=1981 |title=Temperance and Prohibition in America: A Historical Overview |url=https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK216414/ |access-date=Feb 11, 2024 |via=[[National Library of Medicine]]|publisher=National Academies Press (US) }}</ref> The practice of smoking [[cannabis]] began to be noticed in the early 1900s.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Marijuana Timeline |url=https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/dope/etc/cron.html |access-date=Dec 15, 2023 |website=[[PBS Frontline]]}}</ref> Under the [[Constitution of the United States|US Constitution]], the authority to control dangerous drugs exists separately at both the federal and state level.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Braun |first=Richard L. |date=January 1991 |title=Uniform Controlled Substances Act of 1990 |url=https://scholarship.law.campbell.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?referer=&httpsredir=1&article=1222&context=clr |journal=Campbell Law Review |volume=13 |issue=3 |page=366}}</ref> State and local governments began enacting drug laws in the mid-1800s, while federal drug legislation arrived after the turn of the century.<br />
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=== Mid-1800s–1909: Proliferation of unregulated drug use ===<br />
[[File:Drug_store_sign_for_products_Heroin_and_Aspirin_before_US_Heroin_ban_1924.jpg|thumb|Advertising sign from Bayer for use in US drug stores, dating from before the federal prohibition of heroin by the [[Anti-Heroin Act of 1924]].]]<br />
The latter half of the 19th century saw a ramping up of opiate use in America. Early in the century, [[morphine]] had been isolated from [[opium]], decades later, [[heroin]] was created from morphine, each more potent than the previous form.<ref name="morphine isolated">{{cite web |date=June 10, 2019 |title=Heroin, Morphine and Opiates |url=https://www.history.com/topics/crime/history-of-heroin-morphine-and-opiates |accessdate=March 28, 2021 |publisher=history.com}}</ref><ref name="Court2009">{{cite book |last1=Courtwright |first1=David T. |author-link1=:de:David Todd Courtwright |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GHqV3elHYvMC&pg=PA36 |title=Forces of habit drugs and the making of the modern world |date=2009 |publisher=Harvard University Press |isbn=978-0674029903 |edition= |location=Cambridge, MA |pages=36–37 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170908135509/https://books.google.com/books?id=GHqV3elHYvMC&pg=PA36 |archive-date=8 September 2017 |url-status=live |name-list-style=vanc |df=dmy-all}}</ref> With the invention of the [[Syringe|hypodermic syringe]], introduced in America mid-century, opiates were easily administered and became a preferred medical treatment. During the [[American Civil War|Civil War]] (1861–1865), millions of doses of opiates were distributed to sick and wounded soldiers, addicting some;<ref name="Trickey" /> domestic poppy fields were planted in an attempt to meet shortages (the crops proved to be of poor quality).<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Lewy |first=Jonathan |date=2014 |title=The Army Disease: Drug Addiction and the Civil War |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/26098368 |journal=War in History |volume=21 |issue=1 |pages=102–119 |issn=0968-3445 |quote=The Union, having access to world trade and poppies grown abroad, suffered from very little shortage in either opium or morphine. The Federal Army consumed approximately 10 million opium pills and over 80 tons of opium powder and tinctures. ... The Confederacy, in comparison, attempted to grow poppy fields to supply its armies, but the crops proved inferior, with very little morphine content. Consequently, the South relied on smugglers from the North and blockade-runners to replenish medical stores.}}</ref> In the civilian population, physicians treated opiates like a wonder drug, prescribing them widely, for chronic pain, irritable babies, asthma, bronchitis, insomnia, "nervous conditions", hysteria, menstrual cramps, morning sickness, gastrointestinal disease, "vapors", and on.<ref name="Trickey" /><ref name="The Editorial Board">{{cite news |author=The Editorial Board |date=April 21, 2018 |title=Opinion – An Opioid Crisis Foretold |newspaper=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/21/opinion/an-opioid-crisis-foretold.html |url-status=live |access-date=January 21, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190122044505/https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/21/opinion/an-opioid-crisis-foretold.html |archive-date=January 22, 2019}}</ref><ref name="The United States War on Drugs">{{cite web |title=The United States War on Drugs |url=https://web.stanford.edu/class/e297c/poverty_prejudice/paradox/htele.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190106162025/https://web.stanford.edu/class/e297c/poverty_prejudice/paradox/htele.html |archive-date=January 6, 2019 |access-date=January 21, 2019 |website=web.stanford.edu}}</ref><br />
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Drugs were also sold [[Over-the-counter drug|over-the-counter]] as home remedies, and in refreshments. [[Laudanum]], a powdered opium solution, was commonly found in the home medicine cabinet.<ref name="The Editorial Board" /><ref name="The United States War on Drugs" /> Heroin was available as a cough syrup.<ref name="white">{{cite book |last=Cockburn |first=Alexander |url=https://archive.org/details/whiteoutciadrugs00cock |title=Whiteout: The CIA, Drugs and the Press |author2=Jeffrey St. Clair |publisher=Verso |year=1998 |isbn=1-85984-139-2 |url-access=registration}}</ref><ref name="Johnston 2013">{{cite web |last=Johnston |first=Ann Dowsett |date=15 November 2013 |title='Drink' and 'Her Best-Kept Secret' |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/17/books/review/drink-and-her-best-kept-secret.html |access-date=9 August 2023 |website=The New York Times |quote=In 1897, the Sears, Roebuck catalog offered a kit with a syringe, two needles, two vials of heroin and a handy carrying case for $1.50.}}</ref><ref name="The Atlantic 2019">{{Cite web |last=McKendry |first=Joe |date=March 2019 |title=Sears Once Sold Heroin |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2019/03/sears-roebuck-bayer-heroin/580441/ |access-date=Dec 25, 2023 |work=[[The Atlantic]] |quote=For $1.50, Americans around the turn of the century could place an order through a Sears, Roebuck catalog and receive a syringe, two needles, and two vials of Bayer Heroin, all in a handsome carrying case.}}</ref> Cocaine was introduced as a surgical [[anesthetic]], and more popularly as a pick-me-up,<ref name=":5" /><ref name=":6" /> found in soft drinks, cigarettes, blended with wine, in snuff, and other forms.<ref name=":5" /><ref name=":6" /> Brand names appeared: [[Coca-Cola]] contained cocaine until 1903;<ref>{{Cite web |last=Lee |first=Ella |date=July 25, 2021 |title=Fact check: Cocaine in Coke? Soda once contained drug but likely much less than post claims |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/factcheck/2021/07/25/fact-check-coke-once-contained-cocaine-but-likely-less-than-claimed/8008325002/ |access-date=May 30, 2024 |website=[[USA Today]]}}</ref> [[Bayer]] created the trademark name "Heroin" for their [[Heroin|diamorphine]] product.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Felix Hoffmann |url=https://www.sciencehistory.org/education/scientific-biographies/felix-hoffmann/ |access-date=May 30, 2024 |website=[[Science History Institute]]}}</ref> In the 1890s, the [[Sears|Sears & Roebuck]] catalog, distributed to millions of American homes, offered a syringe and a small amount of heroin for $1.50.<ref name="The Atlantic 2019" /><ref name="white" /><ref name="Johnston 2013" /><br />
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==== America's "first opioid crisis" ====<br />
The 1880s saw opiate addiction surge among among housewives, doctors, and Civil War veterans,<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Golub |first1=Andrew |last2=Bennett |first2=Alex S. |last3=Elliott |first3=Luther |date=Mar 30, 2015 |title=Beyond America's War on Drugs: Developing Public Policy to Navigate the Prevailing Pharmacological Revolution |journal=Aims Public Health |volume=2 |issue=1 |pages=142–160 |doi=10.3934/publichealth.2015.1.142 |pmid=25893215 |pmc=4398966 }}</ref> creating America's "first opioid crisis."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Little |first=Becky |date=Sep 13, 2023 |title=How Civil War Medicine Led to America's First Opioid Crisis |url=https://www.history.com/news/civil-war-medicine-opioid-addiction |access-date=Feb 27, 2024 |website=[[History.com]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Ruane |first=Michael E. |date=December 1, 2021 |title=America's first opioid crisis grew out of the carnage of the Civil War |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/history/2021/12/01/opioid-crisis-civil-war-addiction/ |access-date=Feb 27, 2024 |newspaper=[[Washington Post]]}}</ref> By the end of the century, an estimated one in 200 Americans were addicted to opiates, 60% of them women, typically white and middle- to upper-class.<ref name="Trickey" /> Medical journals of the later 1800s were replete with warnings against [[Overmedication|overprescription]]. As medical advances like the [[X-ray spectroscopy|x-ray]], [[vaccine]]s, and [[Germ theory of disease|germ theory]] presented better treatment options, prescribed opiate use began to decline. Meanwhile, opium smoking remained popular among Chinese immigrant laborers, thousands of whom had arrived during the [[California gold rush]]; [[opium den]]s were established in [[Chinatown]]s in cities and towns across America. The public face of opiate use began to change, from affluent white Americans, to "Chinese, gamblers, and prostitutes."<ref name="Trickey" /><ref name=":19">{{Cite web |last=Chasin |first=Alexandra |date=Apr 14, 2017 |title=The Man Who Declared War On Drugs |url=https://www.wnyc.org/story/man-who-declared-war-drugs/ |access-date=May 15, 2024 |website=[[WNYC]] |quote=From the late 19th century into the 20th, most opiate addicts were middle-aged middle and upper class women but, as would happen ever after, the new drug laws were far more about race than drugs. So as itinerant workers and urban African Americans became another visible group of drug users, the laws grew harsher.}}</ref><br />
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During this period, states and municipalities began enacting laws banning or regulating certain drugs.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=May 31, 2017 |title=War on Drugs |url=https://www.history.com/topics/crime/the-war-on-drugs |access-date=Dec 8, 2023 |website=[[History.com]]}}</ref> In [[Pennsylvania]], an anti-morphine law was passed in 1860.<ref name=":9">Whitford and Yates. ''Presidential Rhetoric and the Public Agenda 36''</ref> In 1875, [[San Francisco]] enacted an anti-opium ordinance, vigorously enforced, imposing stiff fines and jail for visiting opium dens. The rationale held that "many women and young girls, as well as young men of a respectable family, were being induced to visit the Chinese opium-smoking dens, where they were ruined morally and otherwise." The law catered to resentment towards the Chinese laborer population who were being accused of taking jobs; other uses of opiates or other drugs were unaffected. Similar laws were enacted in other states and cities. The federal government became involved, selectively raising the import tariff on the smoking grade of opium. None of these measures proved effective in significantly reducing opium use<ref>{{Cite web |last=Brecher |first=Edward M. |date=1972 |title=Licit and Illicit Drugs: The Consumers' Union Report on Narcotics, Stimulants, Depressants, Inhalants, Hallucinogens, and Marijuana – Including Caffeine, Nicotine, and Alcohol |url=https://www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/library/studies/cu/cu6.htm |access-date=Feb 10, 2024 |website=[[Consumers Union]]}}</ref> (the anti-Chinese fervor led to Congress halting Chinese laborer immigration for 10 years with the [[Chinese Exclusion Act]] of 1882<ref name="Lee2002">{{Cite journal |last=Lee |first=Erika |date=2002 |title=The Chinese Exclusion Example: Race, Immigration, and American Gatekeeping, 1882–1924 |journal=Journal of American Ethnic History |volume=21 |issue=3 |pages=36–62 |doi=10.2307/27502847 |jstor=27502847 |s2cid=157999472}}</ref>). In the following years, opioids, cocaine, and cannabis were associated with various ethnic minorities and targeted in other local jurisdictions.<ref name=":19" /><ref name=":9" /><br />
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In 1906, the [[Pure Food and Drug Act]], also known as the Wiley Act, addressed problems with tainted and adulterated food in the growing industrial food system, and with drug quality, by mandating ingredient labels and prohibiting false or misleading labeling. For drugs, a listing of active ingredients was required; a set of drugs deemed addictive or dangerous, that included opium, morphine, cocaine, caffeine, and cannabis, was specified. Oversight of the act was assigned to the [[United States Department of Agriculture|US Department of Agriculture]]'s Bureau of Chemistry, which evolved into the [[Food and Drug Administration]] in 1930.<ref>{{cite web |author=Swann, John P. |date=April 24, 2019 |title=The 1906 Food and Drugs Act and Its Enforcement |url=https://www.fda.gov/about-fda/changes-science-law-and-regulatory-authorities/part-i-1906-food-and-drugs-act-and-its-enforcement |access-date=May 23, 2023 |series=FDA History – Part I |publisher=U.S. Food and Drug Administration}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Powers |first=Kristin |date=September 14, 2022 |title=A History of Research: 1906 Pure Food & Drug Act – The Birth of the FDA |url=https://obgyn.wustl.edu/a-history-of-research-1906-pure-food-drug-act-the-birth-of-the-fda/ |access-date=May 3, 2024 |website=[[Washington University School of Medicine]]}}</ref><br />
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=== 1909–1971: Rise of federal drug prohibition ===<br />
[[File:PSM V88 D092 Police destroying illegal drugs in Los Angeles 1916.png|thumb|Police destroying illegal drugs in [[Los Angeles]], 1916]]<br />
On February 9, 1909, the Smoking Opium Exclusion Act, "to prohibit the importation and use of opium for other than medicinal purposes", became the first US federal law to ban the non-medical use of a substance.<ref name=":0" /><ref name="February 9, 1909. SIXTIETH CONGRESS. SEss. II. CHS. 100,101. 1909. CHAP. 100.-An Act To prohibit the importation and use of opium for other than medicinal purposes.">{{cite web |title=Opium prohibition law in library of congress |url=https://www.loc.gov/law/help/statutes-at-large/60th-congress/session-2/c60s2ch100.pdf |access-date=14 May 2019 |website=[[Library of Congress]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Opium and Narcotic Laws |url=https://ojp.gov/ncjrs/virtual-library/abstracts/opium-and-narcotic-laws |access-date=Dec 8, 2023 |website=[[Office of Justice Programs]]}}</ref> This was soon followed by the [[Harrison Narcotics Tax Act]] of 1914, that regulated and taxed the production, importation, and distribution of [[opiate]]s and [[coca]] products.<ref>{{cite web |title=Opium Throughout History |url=https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/heroin/etc/history.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060923053042/http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/heroin/etc/history.html |archive-date=September 23, 2006 |access-date=October 8, 2010 |publisher=PBS Frontline}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Harrison Narcotics Tax Act, 1914 |url=http://www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/history/e1910/harrisonact.htm |access-date=2013-11-18 |publisher=Drug Reform Coordination Network}}</ref> Amending the Smoking Opium Exclusion Act, the [[Anti-Heroin Act of 1924]] specifically outlawed the manufacture, importation and sale of heroin.<ref name="morphine isolated" /><br />
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During [[World War I]] (1914–1918), soldiers were commonly treated with morphine, giving rise to addiction among veterans.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kamieński |first=Łukasz |date=March 7, 2019 |title=Drugs |url=https://encyclopedia.1914-1918-online.net/article/drugs |access-date=Mar 25, 2024 |website=International Encyclopedia of the First World}}</ref> An international wartime focus on military use of opiates and cocaine for medical treatment and performance enhancement, and concern over potential abuse, lead to the post-war adoption among nations of the [[International Opium Convention|1912 Hague International Opium Convention of 1912]], with oversight by the newly established [[League of Nations]]. This became the basis of current international drug control policy,<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Berridge |first=Virginia |date=November 22, 2014 |title=Drugs, alcohol, and the First World War |url=https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736%2814%2962234-0/fulltext |access-date=Mar 13, 2024 |journal=[[The Lancet]] |volume=384 |issue=9957 |pages=1840–1841 |doi=10.1016/s0140-6736(14)62234-0 |pmid=25478609 |quote=International drug control had been discussed before the war, but a global system was unlikely. ... The [[Hague Convention of 1912]] was the product of this expanded geographical concern. The decision at the Hague that opium, morphine, and cocaine and their use should be confined to "legitimate medical purposes" was central to future international drug control. ... The German Government ... insisted that all 34 participating powers had to ratify the Hague Convention before it could come into force. The convention thus had an "all or nothing" aspect that had not been initially intended. ... The war changed the situation. ... Article 295 of the peace settlement enacted through the [[Treaty of Versailles]] in 1919 brought the Hague Convention into operation and gave the newly established [[League of Nations]] general supervision over international narcotics agreements.}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2009 |title=A Century of International Drug Control |url=https://www.unodc.org/documents/data-and-analysis/Studies/100_Years_of_Drug_Control.pdf |access-date=Mar 26, 2024 |website=[[United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime]] |page=7}}</ref> initially concerned with regulating the free trade of drugs, without affecting production or use. The US, one of the most prohibitionist countries, felt these provisions did not go far enough in restricting drugs.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Armenta |first1=Amira |last2=Jelsma |first2=Martin |date=Oct 8, 2015 |title=The UN Drug Control Conventions – A Primer |url=https://www.tni.org/en/publication/the-un-drug-control-conventions |access-date=May 21, 2024 |website=[[Transnational Institute]]}}</ref><br />
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In 1919, the US passed the [[Eighteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution|18th Amendment]], prohibiting the sale, manufacture, and transportation of [[ethanol|alcohol]], with exceptions for religious and medical use, and the [[National Prohibition Act]], also known as the Volstead Act, to carry out the provisions of the 18th Amendment. By the 1930s, the policy was seen as a failure: production and consumption of alcohol did not decrease, organized crime flourished in the alcohol [[black market]], and tax revenue, particularly needed after the start of the [[Great Depression in the United States|Great Depression]] in 1929, was lost. [[Prohibition in the United States|Prohibition]] was repealed by passage of the [[Twenty-first Amendment to the United States Constitution|21st Amendment]] in 1933, with President [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]] (1933–1945) asking Americans not to abuse "this return to personal freedom."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Klein |first=Christopher |date=Mar 28, 2023 |title=The Night Prohibition Ended |url=https://www.history.com/news/the-night-prohibition-ended |access-date=Mar 11, 2024 |website=[[History.com]]}}</ref><br />
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In 1922, the [[Narcotic Drugs Import and Export Act]] broadened federal regulation of opiates and coca products by prohibiting import and export for non-medical use,<ref name="uslegal">{{cite web |title=Narcotic Drug Import and Export Act Law & Legal Definition |url=http://definitions.uslegal.com/n/narcotic-drug-import-and-export-act/ |accessdate=9 November 2012 |publisher=definitions.uslegal.com}}</ref> and established the [[Federal Bureau of Narcotics|Federal Narcotics Control Board]] (FNCB) to act as overseer.<ref name="umsl">{{cite web |title=Drugs, The Law, and The Future |url=http://www.umsl.edu/~keelr/180/law.html |accessdate=9 November 2012 |publisher=www.umsl.edu}}</ref><br />
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==== Anslinger era begins ====<br />
[[File:Closer_U.S.-Canada_Marihuana_(Marijuana)_control_discussed._Washington,_D.C.,_March_24._Closer_cooperation_in_the_control_of_the_use_of_marihuana_weed_is_expected_to_be_the_outcome_of_a_LCCN2016873283.jpg|thumb|Anslinger (center) discussing cannabis control with Canadian narcotics chief [[Charles Henry Ludovic Sharman]] and [[United States Assistant Secretary of the Treasury|Assistant Secretary of the Treasury]] Stephen B. Gibbons (1938)|alt=Harry Anslinger discussing cannabis control with Canadian narcotics chief Charles Henry Ludovic Sharman and Assistant Secretary of the Treasury Stephen B. Gibbons (1938)]]<br />
The [[Federal Bureau of Narcotics]] (FBN) was established as an agency of the [[United States Department of the Treasury|US Department of the Treasury]] by an act of June 14, 1930,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.archives.gov/research/guide-fed-records/groups/170.html#170.3 |title=Records of the Drug Enforcement Administration DEA |publisher=Archives.gov |access-date=March 27, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110521222056/http://www.archives.gov/research/guide-fed-records/groups/170.html#170.3 |archive-date=May 21, 2011 |url-status=live }}</ref> with [[Harry J. Anslinger]] appointed as commissioner, a position he held for 32 years, until 1962.<ref>{{cite book |last=Filan |first=Kenaz |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vDL9JQr_cCMC&q=Harry%20J.%20Anslinger&pg=PA64 |title=The Power of the Poppy: Harnessing Nature's Most Dangerous Plant Ally |date= 2011 |publisher=Park Street Press |isbn=978-1-59477-399-0 |location=Rochester, Vt. |page=64}}</ref> Anslinger supported Prohibition and the criminalization of all drugs, and spearheaded anti-drug policy campaigns.<ref name="obit">{{cite news |last=Krebs |first=Albin |date=18 November 1975 |title=Harry J. Anslinger Dies at 83; Hard-Hitting Foe of Narcotics |volume=CXXIV |page=40 |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |issue=236 |editor1-last=Sulzberger Sr. |editor1-first=Arthur Ochs |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1975/11/18/archives/harry-j-anslinger-dies-at-83-hardhitting-foe-of-narcotics-us.html |access-date=10 September 2021 |quote=Harry J. Anslinger, an implacable, hard-hitting foe of drug pushers and users during the 32 years he was the Treasury Department's Commissioner of Narcotics, died Friday in Hollidaysburg, Pa. His age was 83. |editor1-link=Punch Sulzberger}}</ref> He did not support a public health and treatment approach, instead urging courts to "jail offenders, then throw away the key." He has been characterized as the first architect of the punitive war on drugs.<ref name=":11">{{Cite web |last=Adams |first=Cydney |date=November 17, 2016 |title=The man behind the marijuana ban for all the wrong reasons |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/harry-anslinger-the-man-behind-the-marijuana-ban/ |access-date=Mar 17, 2024 |website=[[CBS News]]}}</ref><ref name=":12">{{cite book |last=Chasin |first=Alexandra |author-link=Alexandra Chasin |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=imUpDQAAQBAJ |title=Assassin of Youth: A Kaleidoscopic History of Harry J. Anslinger's War on Drugs |date=2016 |publisher=[[University of Chicago Press]] |isbn=9780226276977 |publication-place=[[Chicago]] |doi=10.7208/chicago/9780226277028.001.0001 |lccn=2016011027 |access-date=10 September 2021 |via=[[Google Books]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine |last1=Halpern |first1=John H. |last2=Blistein |first2=David |date=Aug 12, 2019 |title=America's War on Drugs Has Treated People Unequally Since Its Beginning |url=https://time.com/5638316/war-on-drugs-opium-history/ |access-date=March 16, 2024 |magazine=[[TIME]] |quote=Between 1930 and 1962, Anslinger established the standards that continue to serve as basic tools of the trade for America's drug enforcement, such as dramatic drug busts, harsh penalties and questionable data. There remains serious disagreement in scholarly as well as political circles about how successful Anslinger really was in reducing drug sales and use in America, though he achieved several significant legislative victories, including the Uniform State Narcotic Drug Act, which fostered collaboration between federal agents and police in different states (each of which had its own specific laws).}}</ref> According to a report prepared for the [[Senate of Canada]], Anslinger was "utterly devoted to prohibition and the control of drug supplies at the source" and is "widely recognized as having had one of the more powerful impacts on the development of US drug policy, and, by extension, international drug control into the early 1970s."<ref name=":20">{{Cite web |last=Sinha |first=Jay |date=21 February 2001 |title=The History and Development of the Leading International Drug Control Conventions |url=https://sencanada.ca/en/content/sen/committee/371/ille/library/history-e#G.%20The%201946%20Lake%20Success%20Protocol |access-date=May 15, 2024 |website=[[Senate of Canada]]}}</ref><br />
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During his three decades heading the FBN, Anslinger zealously and effectively pursued harsh drug penalties, with a particular focus on cannabis. He used his stature as the head of a federal agency to draft legislation, discredit critics, discount medical opinion and scientific findings, and convince lawmakers. Publicly, he used the media and speaking engagements to introduce hyperbolic messages about the evils of drug use.<ref name=":11" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Moynihan |first=Colin |date=August 10, 2020 |title=An Exhibition Tells the Story of a Drug War Leader, but Not All of It |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/10/arts/design/Anslinger-drug-czar-exhibition.html |url-access=subscription |access-date=Mar 17, 2024 |website=[[New York Times]]}}</ref> In the 1930s, he referred to a collection of news reports of horrific crimes, making unsubstantiated claims attributing them to drugs, particularly cannabis. He announced that youth become "slaves" to cannabis, "continuing addiction until they deteriorate mentally, become insane, turn to violent crime and murder." He promoted a racialized view of drug use, saying that blacks and Latinos were the primary abusers.<ref name=":11" /> In Congressional testimony, he declared "of all the offenses committed against the laws of this country, the narcotic addict is the most frequent offender."<ref>{{Cite web |date=April 7, 2022 |title=The Evolution of Marijuana as a Controlled Substance and the Federal-State Policy Gap |url=https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/R/R44782/6 |access-date=Apr 17, 2024 |website=[[Congressional Research Service]] |page=2}}</ref> He was also an effective administrator and diplomat, attending international drug conferences and steadily expanding the FBN's influence.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Smith |first=Benjamin T. |date=June 2021 |title=Why we should remember Richard Nixon's war on drugs |url=https://www.historyextra.com/period/20th-century/why-remember-nixon-war-drugs/ |access-date=Jan 6, 2024 |website=[[History Extra]]}}</ref><br />
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In 1935, the ''[[The New York Times|New York Times]]'' reported on President Roosevelt's public support of the [[Uniform State Narcotic Drug Act]] under the headline, "Roosevelt Asks Narcotic War Aid".<ref name=":15">{{cite web |url=http://www.druglibrary.net/schaffer/History/e1930/rooseveltasks.htm |title=Roosvelt Asks Narcotics War Aid, 1935 |publisher=Druglibrary.net |access-date=March 27, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110723103650/http://www.druglibrary.net/schaffer/History/e1930/rooseveltasks.htm |archive-date=July 23, 2011 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/208464 |title=Letter to the World Narcotic Defense Association. March 21, 1935 |publisher=Presidency.ucsb.edu |access-date=March 27, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120203072730/http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=15024 |archive-date=February 3, 2012 |url-status=live }}</ref> The [[Uniform Law Commission]] developed the act to address the 1914 Harrison Act's lack of state-level enforcement provisions, creating a model law reflecting the Harrison Act that states could adopt to replace the existing patchwork of state laws.<ref name=":15" /> Anslinger and the FBN were centrally involved in drafting the act, and in convincing states to adopt it.<ref>{{Cite web |date=1972 |title=Marihuana – A Signal of Misunderstanding (First Report of the National Commission on Marihuana and Drug Abuse) |url=https://www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/library/studies/nc/ncmenu.htm |access-date=Mar 16, 2024 |website=Schaffer Library of Drug Policy |at=[https://www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/library/studies/nc/nc2_4.htm Drafting the Uniform Act] |ref=signal}}</ref><br />
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==== Cannabis effectively outlawed, prescription drugs ====<br />
With the passage of the [[Marihuana Tax Act of 1937]],<ref>For repeal, see section 1101(b)(3), Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act of 1970, Pub. L. No. 91-513, 84 Stat. 1236, 1292 (Oct. 27, 1970) (repealing the Marihuana Tax Act which had been codified in Subchapter A of Chapter 39 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954).</ref> federal law reflected state law{{snd}}by 1936, the non-medical use of cannabis had been banned in every state.<ref name="Booth history">{{cite book |last1=Booth |first1=Martin |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=O7AoY6ljSygC |title=Cannabis: A History |date=2005 |publisher=St. Martin's Press |isbn=978-0-312-42494-7 |location=New York}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Galliher |first1=John F. |last2=Walker |first2=Allynn |date=1977 |title=The Puzzle of the Social Origins of the Marihuana Tax Act of 1937 |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/800089 |journal=[[Social Problems]] |volume=24 |issue=3 |pages=367–376 |doi=10.2307/800089 |jstor=800089 }}</ref> That year, the first two arrests for tax non-payment under the act, for possession of a quarter-ounce (7g), and trafficking of four pounds (1.8&nbsp;kg), resulted in sentences of nearly 18 months and four years respectively.<ref name="Leafly">{{cite web |author=Glick, Daniel |date=December 6, 2016 |title=80 Years Ago This Week, Marijuana Prohibition Began With These Arrests |url=https://www.leafly.com/news/politics/drug-war-prisoners-1-2-true-story-moses-sam-two-denver-drifters-became-cannabis-pioneers |accessdate= |work=[[Leafly]]}}</ref> The [[American Medical Association]] (AMA) had opposed the tax act on grounds that it unduly affected the medical use of cannabis. The AMA's legislative counsel, a physician, testified that the claims about cannabis addiction, violence and overdoses were not supported by evidence.<ref name="Woodward">{{cite web |title=Statement of Dr. William C. Woodward, Legislative Counsel, American Medical Association |url=http://www.druglibrary.org/Schaffer/hemp/taxact/woodward.htm |access-date=2006-03-25}}</ref><ref name="ReferenceA2">Committee on Finance, U.S. Senate, 75c 2s. HR6906. Library of Congress transcript. July 12, 1937</ref> Scholars have posited that the act was orchestrated by powerful business interests – [[Andrew Mellon]], [[William Randolph Hearst|Randolph Hearst]], and the [[Du Pont family]] – to head off cheap competition to [[Pulp (paper)|pulp]] and [[Lumber|timber]] and plastics from the hemp industry.{{Refn|Various sources discussed this claim. <ref name="nafta-neocolonialism-129">{{Cite book |last1=French |first1=Laurence |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4ozF1Yg-c4MC&pg=PA129 |title=NAFTA & neocolonialism: comparative criminal, human & social justice |last2=Manzanárez |first2=Magdaleno |publisher=University Press of America |year=2004 |isbn=978-0-7618-2890-7 |page=129 |access-date=May 7, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191228064135/https://books.google.com/books?id=4ozF1Yg-c4MC&pg=PA129 |archive-date=December 28, 2019 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>Earlywine, 2005: [https://books.google.com/books?id=r9wPbxMAG8cC&pg=PA24 p. 24] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160110080209/https://books.google.com/books?id=r9wPbxMAG8cC&pg=PA24|date=January 10, 2016}}</ref><ref name="under-influence-55">Peet, 2004: [https://books.google.com/books?id=uC0_YznYjScC&pg=PA55 p. 55]</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Evans |first=Sterling |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_wFkZgyuGFAC&pg=PA27 |title=Bound in twine: the history and ecology of the henequen-wheat complex for Mexico and the American and Canadian Plains, 1880–1950 |publisher=Texas A&M University Press |year=2007 |isbn=978-1-58544-596-7 |page=27 |access-date=March 6, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160424191430/https://books.google.com/books?id=_wFkZgyuGFAC&pg=PA27 |archive-date=April 24, 2016 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/borderlandsofame00ster |title=The borderlands of the American and Canadian Wests: essays on regional history of the forty-ninth parallel |publisher=University of Nebraska Press |year=2006 |isbn=978-0-8032-1826-0 |editor=Evans, Sterling |page=[https://archive.org/details/borderlandsofame00ster/page/199 199] |url-access=registration}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |author=Gerber, Rudolph Joseph |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WMOdI9pC-gEC&pg=PA7 |title=Legalizing marijuana: drug policy reform and prohibition politics |publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group |year=2004 |isbn=978-0-275-97448-0 |page=7 |access-date=March 6, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160108200703/https://books.google.com/books?id=WMOdI9pC-gEC&pg=PA7 |archive-date=January 8, 2016 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |author=Earleywine, Mitchell |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=r9wPbxMAG8cC&pg=PA231 |title=Understanding marijuana: a new look at the scientific evidence |publisher=Oxford University Press |year=2005 |isbn=978-0-19-518295-8 |page=231 |access-date=March 6, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160108200703/https://books.google.com/books?id=r9wPbxMAG8cC&pg=PA231 |archive-date=January 8, 2016 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |author1=Robinson, Matthew B. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dwGpsNjv_1kC&pg=PA12 |title=Lies, damned lies, and drug war statistics: a critical analysis of claims made by the office of National Drug Control Policy |author2=Scherlen, Renee G. |publisher=SUNY Press |year=2007 |isbn=978-0-7914-6975-0 |page=12 |access-date=March 6, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160108200703/https://books.google.com/books?id=dwGpsNjv_1kC&pg=PA12 |archive-date=January 8, 2016 |url-status=live |name-list-style=amp}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |author=Rowe, Thomas C. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=v1tz6nP6fdwC&pg=PA26 |title=Federal narcotics laws and the war on drugs: money down a rat hole |publisher=Psychology Press |year=2006 |isbn=978-0789028082 |page=26 |access-date=March 6, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160108200703/https://books.google.com/books?id=v1tz6nP6fdwC&pg=PA26 |archive-date=January 8, 2016 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FtgYAAAAIAAJ&q=hearst+hemp |title=Encyclopedia of Law Enforcement: Federal |publisher=Sage |year=2005 |isbn=978-0761926498 |editor=Sullivan, Larry E. |page=747 |access-date=March 6, 2016 |display-editors=etal |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160108200703/https://books.google.com/books?id=FtgYAAAAIAAJ&q=hearst+hemp&dq=hearst+hemp |archive-date=January 8, 2016 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |author=Lusane, Clarence |author-link=Clarence Lusane |url=https://archive.org/details/pipedreambluesra00lusa |title=Pipe dream blues: racism and the war on drugs |publisher=South End Press |year=1991 |isbn=978-0896084100 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/pipedreambluesra00lusa/page/37 37]–38 |url-access=registration}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Was there a conspiracy to outlaw hemp because it was a threat to theDuPonts and other industrial interests? |url=http://druglibrary.org/schaffer/library/hemp_conspiracy.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402154536/http://druglibrary.org/schaffer/library/hemp_conspiracy.htm |archive-date=April 2, 2015 |access-date=March 17, 2015}}</ref><br />
Despite media reports at the time touting hemp as the new wonder fiber, harvesting and processing technology weren't sufficiently developed to compete commercially.<ref name="Dew">{{cite web |last=LH |first=Dewey |date=1943 |title=Fiber production in the western hemisphere |url=https://archive.org/stream/fiberproductioni518dewe#page/66/mode/2up |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160313011333/https://archive.org/stream/fiberproductioni518dewe#page/66/mode/2up |archive-date=March 13, 2016 |access-date=February 25, 2015 |publisher=United States Printing Office, Washington, DC |page=67}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Fortenbery |first1=T. Randall |last2=Bennett |first2=Michael |date=July 2001 |title=Is Industrial Hemp Worth Further Study in the US? A Survey of the Literature |url=http://www.aae.wisc.edu/pubs/sps/pdf/stpap443.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304041408/http://www.aae.wisc.edu/pubs/sps/pdf/stpap443.pdf |archive-date=March 4, 2016 |access-date=June 25, 2014 |website=Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics, [[University of Wisconsin-Madison]] |page=25}}</ref>|group=note}} After the act, cannabis research and medical testing became rare.<ref>{{Cite web |date=Dec 20, 2019 |title=Did You Know... Marijuana Was Once a Legal Cross-Border Import? |url=https://www.cbp.gov/about/history/did-you-know/marijuana |access-date=May 1, 2024 |website=[[US Customs and Border Protection]]}}</ref><br />
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In 1939, [[New York City|New York]] Mayor [[Fiorello LaGuardia|Fiorello La Guardia]], an opponent of the Marihuana Tax Act, formed the [[LaGuardia Committee]] to conduct the first US in-depth study of cannabis use. The report, produced by the [[New York Academy of Medicine]] and released in 1944, systematically contradicted government claims, finding that cannabis is not physically addictive, and its use does not lead to using other drugs or to crime.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Downs |first=David |date=April 19, 2016 |title=The Science behind the DEA's Long War on Marijuana |url=https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-science-behind-the-dea-s-long-war-on-marijuana/ |access-date=Jan 31, 2024 |website=[[Scientific American]]}}</ref><ref name="druglibrary.net">[http://www.druglibrary.net/schaffer/History/murd3.htm HARRY J. ANSLINGER: The Murderers THE STORY OF THE NARCOTIC GANGS, 1962]</ref> The FBN's Anslinger branded the study "unscientific", denounced all involved, and disrupted other cannabis studies at the time.<ref>[[Jack Herer]]. 1985. ''[[The Emperor Wears No Clothes]]''. Ah Ha Publishing, Van Nuys, CA.</ref><br />
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In the late 1930s, questions emerged from League of Nations' Opium Advisory Committee concerning the focus on drug prohibition over public health measures such as mental health treatment, drug dispensaries and education. Anslinger, backed by his Canadian counterpart and policy ally, [[Charles Henry Ludovic Sharman]], successfully argued against this view, and kept the focus on increasing global prohibition and supply control measures.<ref name=":20" /><br />
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While narcotics were under the jurisdiction of the FBN, the [[Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act of 1938|Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act]] of 1938 required the FDA to ensure that non-narcotic drugs were labeled for safe use. The act determined that certain drugs, including [[amphetamine]]s, commercialized in the later 1930s, and [[barbiturate]]s, were unsafe to use without medical supervision and could only be obtained by doctor's prescription. This marked the beginning of the federal distinction between over-the-counter and prescription drugs (clarified in the [[Durham–Humphrey Amendment|Durham-Humphrey Amendment]] of 1951).<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Swann |first=J.P. |date=Jan–Feb 1997 |title=Drug abuse control under FDA, 1938–1968. |url=https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/64508 |journal=[[Public Health Reports]] |volume=112 |issue=1 |pages=82–86 |pmid=9018295 |pmc=1381845 |via=[[Centers for Disease Control and Prevention]]}}</ref><br />
[[File:Syrette.jpg|alt=WWII US Army first aid manual illustration for injecting morphine using a syrette.|thumb|"For the relief of severe pain": WWII US Army first aid manual illustrating self-injection of morphine using a [[syrette]].]]<br />
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==== Amphetamines, harsher penalties, international obligations ====<br />
During [[World War II]] (1939-1945), in addition to the widespread use of morphine, [[amphetamine]]s entered military use to combat fatigue and improve morale. In the US, the Benzedrine brand was widely used in the military, and quickly became popular in the public for a variety of medical and recreational applications. Beginning in 1943, American soldiers could buy Benzedrine directly from the army on demand.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Racine |first=Nicholas |date=Spring 2019 |title=Blood, Meth, and Tears: The Super Soldiers of World War II |url=https://commons.lib.jmu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1127&context=madrush |access-date=Apr 7, 2024 |website=[[James Madison University]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Holland |first=James |date=Jun 25, 2019 |title=World War Speed |url=https://www.pbs.org/wnet/secrets/preview-world-war-speed/4337/ |access-date=Apr 7, 2024 |website=[[PBS]]}}</ref> Post-war, amphetamines were promoted as mood elevators and diet pills to great success; by 1945, an estimated 750 million tablets a year were being produced in the US, enough to provide a million people with a daily supply, a trend that grew during the 1950s and 1960s.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hicks |first=Jesse |date=Apr 15, 2012 |title=Fast Times: The Life, Death, and Rebirth of Amphetamine |url=https://www.sciencehistory.org/stories/magazine/fast-times-the-life-death-and-rebirth-of-amphetamine/ |access-date=Apr 7, 2024 |website=[[Science History Institute]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Blakemore |first=Erin |date=October 27, 2017 |title=A Speedy History of America's Addiction to Amphetamine |url=https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/speedy-history-americas-addiction-amphetamine-180966989/ |access-date=Apr 7, 2024 |website=[[Smithsonian Magazine]]}}</ref><br />
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Having failed to preserve world peace, the League of Nations ended post-war, transferring responsibilities to its successor, the United Nations. Anslinger, supported by Sharman, successfully campaigned to ensure that law enforcement and the prohibitionist view remained central to international drug policy. With the [[1946 Lake Success Protocol]], he helped to make sure that law enforcement was represented on the UN's new drug policy Supervisory Body (today's [[International Narcotics Control Board]]), and that it did not fall under a public health-oriented agency like the WHO.<ref name=":20" /><br />
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In the early 1950s, responding to "white suburban grassroots movements" concerned about dealers preying on teenagers, liberal politicians at state level cracked down on drugs. California, Illinois, and New York passed the first mandatory minimum sentences for drug offenses; Congress followed with the [[Boggs Act of 1951]], creating the first federal mandatory minimums for drugs.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Lassiter |first=Matthew D. |date=Dec 7, 2023 |title=America's War on Drugs Has Always Been Bipartisan{{snd}}and Unwinnable |url=https://time.com/6340590/drug-war-politics-history/ |access-date=Dec 21, 2023 |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |quote=The modern drug war began in the 1950s, with liberals{{snd}}not conservatives{{snd}}leading the charge. In California, the epicenter of the early war on narcotics, white suburban grassroots movements prodded liberal politicians like Governor Pat Brown into action. They blamed "pushers," usually perceived and depicted as people of color, and demanded that elected officials crack down on the drug supply. Legislators in California, Illinois, and New York responded by passing the nation's first mandatory-minimum sentencing laws in an effort to save teenagers from these traffickers.}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Courtwright |first=David T. |author-link=:de:David Todd Courtwright |date=1992 |title=A Century of American Narcotic Policy |url=https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK234755/ |access-date=Mar 13, 2024 |publisher=[[National Academies Press]]}}</ref> The act unified penalties for the Narcotic Drugs Import and Export Act and the Marihuana Tax Act, effectively criminalizing cannabis. Anslinger testified in favor of the inclusion of cannabis, describing a "[[Gateway drug effect|stepping-stone]]" path leading from cannabis to harder drugs and crime.<ref>{{Cite web |date=March 1972 |title=Marihuana: A Signal of Misunderstanding |url=https://www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/library/studies/nc/nc2_7.htm |access-date=May 1, 2024 |website=Shaffer Drug Library}}</ref> First-offense possession of cannabis carried a 2–10 year minimum and a fine of up to $20,000.<ref>{{cite news |title=Marijuana timeline |url=https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/dope/etc/cron.html |access-date=2014-07-31 |work=[[PBS]]}}</ref> This marked a change in Congress's approach to mandatory minimums, increasing their number, severity, and the crimes they covered. According to the [[United States Sentencing Commission]], reporting in 2012: "Before 1951, mandatory minimum penalties typically punished offenses concerning treason, murder, piracy, rape, slave trafficking, internal revenue collection, and counterfeiting. Today, the majority of convictions under statutes carrying mandatory minimum penalties relate to controlled substances, firearms, [[identity theft]], and child sex offenses.".<ref>{{Cite journal |last=United States Sentencing Commission |date=2012 |title=Report to Congress: Mandatory Minimum Penalties in the Federal Criminal Justice System |url=https://www.ussc.gov/sites/default/files/pdf/news/congressional-testimony-and-reports/mandatory-minimum-penalties/20111031-rtc-pdf/Chapter_02.pdf |journal=[[Federal Sentencing Reporter]] |volume=24 |issue=3 |page=28 |quote=As detailed herein, beginning in 1951, Congress changed how it used mandatory minimum penalties in three significant ways. First, Congress enacted more mandatory minimum penalties. Second, Congress expanded its use of mandatory minimum penalties to offenses not traditionally covered by such penalties. Before 1951, mandatory minimum penalties typically punished offenses concerning treason, murder, piracy, rape, slave trafficking, internal revenue collection, and counterfeiting. Today, the majority of convictions under statutes carrying mandatory minimum penalties relate to controlled substances, firearms, identity theft, and child sex offenses. Third, the mandatory minimum penalties most commonly used today are generally lengthier than mandatory minimum penalties in earlier eras.}}</ref><br />
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In 1961, the [[Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs]] became the first of [[United Nations drug control conventions|three UN treaties]] that together form the legal framework for international drug control, and require that domestic drug laws in member countries comply with the conventions.<ref name="Haase" /> The Single Convention unified existing international drug agreements,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hilotin-Lee, J.D. |first=Lyle Therese A. |date=October 20, 2023 |title=The Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs |url=https://www.findlaw.com/criminal/criminal-charges/the-single-convention-on-narcotic-drugs.html |access-date=Dec 15, 2023 |website=[[FindLaw]]}}</ref> and limited possession and use of opiates, cannabis and cocaine to "medicinal and scientific purposes", prohibiting recreational use. Sixty-four countries initially joined; it was ratified and came into force in the US in 1967. The [[Convention on Psychotropic Substances|Convention on Psychotropic Substances of 1971]] added synthetic, prescription and hallucinogenic drugs. The [[United Nations Convention Against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances|Convention against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances of 1988]] addressed international drug trafficking and "criminalized the entire drug market chain, from cultivation/production to shipment, sale, and possession."<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Lines |first1=Rick |last2=Elliott |first2=Richard |last3=Julie |first3=Hannah |last4=Rebecca |first4=Schleifer |last5=Tenu |first5=Avafia |last6=Damon |first6=Barrett |date=June 2017 |title=The Case for International Guidelines on Human Rights and Drug Control |journal=[[Health and Human Rights]] |volume=19 |issue=1 |pages=231–236 |pmc=5473052 |pmid=28630555 |quote=Over time, the punitive nature of the international drug control system also expanded and intensified, with criminal law being used to suppress drug use and drug markets. The third UN drug treaty, the 1988 Convention against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances, criminalized the entire drug market chain, from cultivation/production to shipment, sale, and possession (although this last obligation is subject to significant caveats, giving states leeway to refrain from criminalizing possession of scheduled substances for personal use).}}</ref><ref name="Haase">{{Cite web |last1=Haase |first1=Heather J. |last2=Eyle |first2=Nicolas Edward |last3=Schrimpf |first3=Joshua Raymond |date=August 2012 |title=The International Drug Control Treaties: How Important Are They to U.S. Drug Reform? |url=https://www2.nycbar.org/pdf/InternationalDrugControlTreatiesArticle.pdf |access-date=Apr 24, 2024 |publisher=[[New York City Bar Association]] (Committee on Drugs & the Law)}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Treaties |url=https://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/treaties/index.html |access-date=Dec 15, 2023 |website=[[United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Conventions |url=https://www.undrugcontrol.info/en/un-drug-control/conventions |access-date=Dec 15, 2023 |website=[[Transnational Institute]]}}</ref><br />
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In 1968, President [[Lyndon B. Johnson]] (1963–69) decided that the government needed to make an effort to curtail the [[Counterculture of the 1960s|social unrest]] that blanketed the country at the time. He focused on illegal drug use, an approach that was in line with expert opinion on the subject at the time. In the 1960s, it was believed that at least half of the crime in the US was drug-related, and this estimate grew as high as 90% in the next decade.<ref>James Inciardi, ''The War on Drugs'' IV, ed. 4. (Delaware: Pearson Allyn and Bacon, 2008), 286.</ref> He created the Reorganization Plan of 1968 which merged the Bureau of Narcotics and the [[Bureau of Drug Abuse Control]] to form the [[Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs]] within the [[United States Department of Justice|Department of Justice]].<ref>Andrew B. Whitford and Jeffrey Yates, ''Presidential Rhetoric and the Public Agenda'' (Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2009), 40.</ref><br />
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==== Federal drug schedule system introduced ====<br />
The [[Richard Nixon]] presidency (1969–74) incorporated his predecessor's anti-drug initiative in a [[Law and order (politics)|tough-on-crime]] platform. In his 1968 presidential nomination acceptance speech, Nixon promised, "Our new Attorney General will ... launch a war against organized crime in this country. ... will be an active belligerent against the loan sharks and the numbers racketeers that rob the urban poor. ... will open a new front against the filth peddlers and the narcotics peddlers who are corrupting the lives of the children of this country."<ref>{{Cite web |date=Aug 30, 2008 |title="Law and Order" in Richard Nixon 1968 Presidential acceptance speech |url=https://www.c-span.org/video/?c4612766/law-order-richard-nixon-1968-presidential-acceptance-speech |access-date=Jan 8, 2024 |website=[[C-SPAN]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Newell |first=Walker |date=26 April 2013 |title=The Legacy of Nixon, Reagan, and Horton: How The Tough On Crime Movement Enabled A New Regime Of Race Influenced Employment Discrimination |url=https://lawcat.berkeley.edu/record/1125583/files/fulltext.pdf |access-date=Feb 8, 2024 |website=Berkeley Journal of African-American Law & Policy}}</ref> In a 1969 special message to Congress, he identified drug abuse as "a serious national threat".<ref name=":42">{{Cite web |date=April 2, 2007 |title=Timeline: America's War on Drugs |url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=9252490 |access-date=Dec 5, 2023 |website=[[NPR]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last1=Payan |first1=Tony |title=A War that Can't Be Won |last2=Staudt |first2=Kathleen |last3=Kruszewski |first3=Z. Anthony |publisher=[[University of Arizona Press]] |year=2013 |page=180}}</ref><br />
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On October 27, 1970, Nixon signed into law the [[Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act of 1970]], establishing his approach to drug control. The act largely repealed mandatory minimum sentences:<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Gill |first=Molly M. |date=Oct 2008 |title=Correcting Course: Lessons from the 1970 Repeal of Mandatory Minimums |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.1525/fsr.2008.21.1.55 |journal=[[Federal Sentencing Reporter]] |volume=21 |issue=1 |pages=55–67 |doi=10.1525/fsr.2008.21.1.55 |jstor=10.1525/fsr.2008.21.1.55 }}</ref> simple possession was reduced from a felony to a misdemeanor, the first offense carried a maximum of one year in prison, and judges had the latitude to assign probation, parole or dismissal. Penalties for trafficking were increased, up to life depending on the quantity and type of drug. Funding was authorized for the Department of Health, Education and Welfare to provide treatment, rehabilitation and education. Additional federal drug agents were provided, and a "no-knock" power was instituted, that allowed entry into homes without warning to prevent evidence from being destroyed. Licensing and stricter reporting and record-keeping for pharmaceutical manufacturers and distributors occurred under the act.<ref>{{Cite web |agency=Associated Press |date=October 28, 1970 |title=Nixon Signs Drug Abuse Control Bill |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1970/10/28/archives/nixon-signs-drug-abuse-control-bill.html |access-date=Dec 13, 2023 |website=[[New York Times]]}}</ref> Title II of Act, the [[Controlled Substances Act]] (CSA), helped align US law with the UN Single Convention, with "many of the provisions of the CSA ... enacted by Congress for the specific purpose of ensuring U.S. compliance with the treaty." The CSA's five drug Schedules, an implementation of the Single Convention's four schedule system, categorized drugs based on medical value and potential for abuse.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Preliminary Note Regarding Treaty Considerations |url=https://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/schedules/marijuana/Preliminary_Note_Regarding_Treaty_Considerations.pdf |access-date=May 28, 2024 |website=[[US Department of Justice]]}}</ref><ref name="frontline">[https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/drugs/cron/ Thirty Years of America's Drug War, a Chronology] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110224054034/http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/drugs/cron/|date=February 24, 2011}}. [[Frontline (U.S. TV series)]].</ref><br />
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Under the new drug schedules, cannabis was provisionally placed by the administration in the most restrictive Schedule I, "until the completion of certain studies now underway to resolve the issue."<ref>{{cite web |author=Aggarwal, Sunil |date=2010 |title=Cannabis: A Commonwealth Medicinal Plant, Long Suppressed, Now at Risk of Monopolization |url=http://www.cannabinologist.org/Documents/Aggarwal-Macroed1.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151222161017/http://www.cannabinologist.org/Documents/Aggarwal-Macroed1.pdf |archive-date=December 22, 2015 |access-date=13 December 2015 |work=Denver University Law Review |quote=Since there is still a considerable void in our knowledge of the plant and effects of the active drug contained in it, our recommendation is that marihuana be retained within schedule I at least until the completion of certain studies now underway to resolve the issue. If those studies make it appropriate for the Attorney General to change the placement of marihuana to a different schedule, he may do so in accordance with the authority provided under section 201 of the bill.}}</ref> As mandated by the CSA, Nixon appointed the [[Shafer Commission|National Commission on Marijuana and Drug Abuse]], known as the Shafer Commission, to investigate.<br />
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=== 1971–present: The "War on Drugs" ===<br />
On May 27, 1971, after a trip to Vietnam, two congressmen, Morgan F. Murphy (Democrat) and Robert H. Steele (Republican), released a report describing a "rapid increase in heroin addiction within the United States military forces in South Vietnam". They estimated that "as many as 10 to 15 percent of our servicemen are addicted to heroin in one form or another."<ref>{{Cite report |last1=Murphy |first1=Morgan F. |last2=Steele |first2=Robert H. |date=May 27, 1971 |title=The World Heroin Problem |url=https://www.cia.gov/readingroom/document/cia-rdp73b00296r000300060002-1 |access-date=Dec 14, 2023 |via=[[Central Intelligence Agency]]}}</ref><ref name="frontline" /><ref name="dupoint">[https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/drugs/interviews/dupont.html WGBH educational foundation. Interview with Dr. Robert Dupoint] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170905012229/http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/drugs/interviews/dupont.html|date=September 5, 2017}}. Pbs.org (February 18, 1970).</ref><ref name="npr">[https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=9252490 Timeline: America's War on Drugs] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180329060119/https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=9252490|date=March 29, 2018}}. April 2, 2007. [[National Public Radio|NPR]].</ref> On June 6, a ''New York Times'' article, "It's Always A Dead End on 'Scag Alley{{'"}}, cited the Murphy-Steele report in a discussion of heroin addiction. The article stated that, in the US, "the number of addicts is estimated at 200,000 to 250,000, only about one‐tenth of 1 per cent of the population but troublesome out of all proportion." It also noted, "Heroin is not the only drug problem in the United States. 'Speed' pills{{snd}}among them, amphetamines{{snd}}are another problem, and not least in the suburbs where they are taken by the housewife (to cure her of the daily 'blues') and by her husband (to keep his weight down)."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Buckley |first=Tom |date=June 6, 1971 |title=It's Always A Dead End on 'Scag Alley' |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1971/06/06/archives/its-always-a-dead-end-on-scag-alley-u-s-and-heroin.html |access-date=Dec 14, 2023 |website=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref><br />
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On June 17, 1971, Nixon presented to Congress a plan for expanded anti-drug abuse measures. He painted a dire picture: "Present efforts to control drug abuse are not sufficient in themselves. The problem has assumed the dimensions of a national emergency. ... If we cannot destroy the drug menace in America, then it will surely in time destroy us." His strategy involved both treatment and interdiction: "I am proposing the appropriation of additional funds to meet the cost of rehabilitating drug users, and I will ask for additional funds to increase our enforcement efforts to further tighten the noose around the necks of drug peddlers, and thereby loosen the noose around the necks of drug users." He singled out heroin and broadened the scope beyond the US: "To wage an effective war against heroin addiction, we must have international cooperation. In order to secure such cooperation, I am initiating a worldwide escalation in our existing programs for the control of narcotics traffic."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Nixon |first=Richard |date=June 17, 1971 |title=Special Message to the Congress on Drug Abuse Prevention and Control. |url=https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/special-message-the-congress-drug-abuse-prevention-and-control |access-date=Dec 13, 2023 |publisher=[[UC Santa Barbara]] – The American Presidency Project}}</ref><br />
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Later the same day, Nixon held a news conference at the White House, where he described drug abuse as "America's public enemy number one." He announced, "In order to fight and defeat this enemy, it is necessary to wage a new, all-out offensive. ... This will be a worldwide offensive dealing with the problems of sources of supply ... It will be government wide, pulling together the nine different fragmented areas within the government in which this problem is now being handled, and it will be nationwide in terms of a new educational program." Nixon also stated that the problem wouldn't end with the addiction of soldiers in the Vietnam War.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Nixon |first=Richard |date=June 17, 1971 |title=Remarks About an Intensified Program for Drug Abuse Prevention and Control |url=https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/remarks-about-intensified-program-for-drug-abuse-prevention-and-control |access-date=Feb 22, 2024 |publisher=[[UC Santa Barbara]] – The American Presidency Project}}</ref> He pledged to ask Congress for a minimum of $350 million for the anti-drug effort (when he took office in 1969, the federal drug budget was $81 million).<ref>{{Cite news |last=Farber |first=David |date=June 17, 2021 |title=The War on Drugs turns 50 today. It's time to make peace. |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2021/06/17/war-drugs-turns-50-today-its-time-make-peace/ |access-date=Dec 12, 2023 |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]}}</ref><br />
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The news media focused on Nixon's militaristic tone, describing his announcement with variations of the phrase "war on drugs". The day after Nixon's press conference, the ''[[Chicago Tribune]]'' proclaimed, "Nixon Declares War on Narcotics Use in US". In England, ''[[The Guardian]]'' headlined, "Nixon declares war on drug addicts." The US anti-drug campaign came to be commonly referred to as the war on drugs;<ref>{{Cite book |last=Rosino |first=Michael |title=Debating the Drug War: Race, Politics, and the Media |publisher=[[Routledge]] |year=2021 |isbn=9781315295176 |publication-date=March 17, 2021 |page=4}}</ref> the term also became used to refer to any government's prosecution of a US-style prohibition-based drug policy.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Ricordeau |first=Gwenola |title=The Palgrave Encyclopedia of Global Security Studies |publisher=Palgrave Macmillan |year=2023 |chapter=War on Drugs |quote=The War on drugs is a prohibition-based policy that combats the production, the trade and consumption of illegal drugs. ... The expression first strictly referred to the United States antidrug policy that began in the 1970s ... But the expression "War on drugs" has also been used in other countries that followed the USA's stance.}}</ref><br />
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Facing reelection, with drug control as a campaign centerpiece, Nixon formed the [[Office of Drug Abuse Law Enforcement]] (ODALE) in late 1971. ODALE, armed with new federal enforcement powers, began orchestrating drug raids nationwide to improve the administration's watchdog reputation. In a private conversation while helicoptering over [[Brooklyn]], Nixon was reported to have commented, "You and I care about treatment. But those people down there, they want those criminals off the streets." From 1972 to 1973, ODALE performed 6,000 drug arrests in 18 months, the majority of the arrested black.<ref>Whitford and Yates. ''Presidential Rhetoric and the Public Agenda'' 47</ref><br />
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In 1972, the Shafer Commission released its report, "Marihuana: A Signal of Misunderstanding", comprising a review of the medical literature and a national drug survey. It recommended decriminalization for personal possession and use of small amounts of cannabis, and prohibition only of supply. The conclusion was not acted on by Nixon or by Congress.<ref>{{Cite web |date=February 1, 2019 |title=National Commission on Marijuana and Drug Abuse 1971 Poll |url=https://ropercenter.cornell.edu/national-commission-marijuana-and-drug-abuse-1971-poll |access-date=Apr 16, 2024 |publisher=[[Roper Center]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Downs |first=David |date=Apr 19, 2016 |title=The Science behind the DEA's Long War on Marijuana |url=https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-science-behind-the-dea-s-long-war-on-marijuana/ |access-date=Apr 16, 2024 |website=[[Scientific American]]}}</ref> Citing the Shafer report, a lobbying campaign from 1973 to 1978, spearheaded by the [[National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws]] (NORML), convinced 11 states to decriminalize cannabis for personal use.<ref name="Heddleston">{{cite thesis |last1=Heddleston |first1=Thomas R. |title=From the Frontlines to the Bottom Line: Medical Marijuana, the War on Drugs, and the Drug Policy Reform Movement |date=June 2012 |publisher=UC Santa Cruz Electronic Theses and Dissertations |url=http://escholarship.org/uc/item/1t7220hj |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151019053506/http://escholarship.org/uc/item/1t7220hj |archive-date=October 19, 2015 |url-status=live}} [[iarchive:MedicalMarijuanaTheWarOnDrugsAndTheDrugPolicyReformMovement|Alt URL]]</ref><br />
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In 1973, Nixon created the [[Drug Enforcement Administration]] (DEA) by an [[executive order]] accepted by Congress, to "establish a single unified command to combat an all-out global war on the drug menace."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Esquivel-Suárez |first=Fernando |date=August 23, 2018 |title=The Global War on Drugs |url=https://globalsouthstudies.as.virginia.edu/key-issues/global-war-drugs |access-date=Feb 22, 2024 |website=[[University of Virginia]]}}</ref> The agency was charged with enforcing US controlled substances laws and regulations nationally and internationally, coordinating with federal, state and local agencies and foreign governments, and overseeing legally-produced controlled substances.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Drug Enforcement Administration |url=https://www.justice.gov/doj/organization-mission-and-functions-manual-drug-enforcement-administration |access-date=Apr 19, 2024 |website=[[United States Department of Justice]]|date=December 6, 2022 }}</ref> The DEA absorbed the Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs, ODALE, and other drug-related federal agencies or personnel from them.<ref name="frontline" /><br />
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==== Nixon's role reviewed ====<br />
Decades later, a controversial quote attributed to [[John Ehrlichman]], Nixon's domestic policy advisor, claimed that the war on drugs was fabricated to undermine the anti-war movement and African-Americans. In a 2016 [[Harper's Magazine|''Harper's'']] cover story, Ehrlichman, who died in 1999,<ref>{{Cite web |date=February 15, 1999 |title=John D. Ehrlichman Dead At 73 |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/john-d-ehrlichman-dead-at-73/ |access-date=Jan 6, 2024 |publisher=[[CBS News]]}}</ref> was quoted from journalist [[Dan Baum]]'s 1994 interview notes: "... by getting the public to associate the hippies with marijuana and blacks with heroin, and then criminalizing both heavily, we could disrupt those communities. We could arrest their leaders, raid their homes, break up their meetings, and vilify them night after night on the evening news. Did we know we were lying about the drugs? Of course we did."<ref>{{cite web |last=Baum |first=Dan |date=Apr 2016 |title=Legalize It All |url=https://harpers.org/archive/2016/04/legalize-it-all/ |url-status=live |archive-url= |archive-date= |access-date=Nov 18, 2024 |work=Harper's Magazine |quote=The Nixon campaign in 1968, and the Nixon White House after that, had two enemies: the antiwar left and black people. You understand what I'm saying? We knew we couldn't make it illegal to be either against the war or black, but by getting the public to associate the hippies with marijuana and blacks with heroin, and then criminalizing both heavily, we could disrupt those communities. We could arrest their leaders, raid their homes, break up their meetings, and vilify them night after night on the evening news. Did we know we were lying about the drugs? Of course we did.}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Home – Dan Baum Writer |url=http://www.danbaum.com/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170126153541/http://www.danbaum.com/ |archive-date=January 26, 2017 |access-date=February 7, 2017 |website=www.danbaum.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Linkins |first=Jason |date=June 8, 2009 |title=Dan Baum, Fired by New Yorker, Recounting His Story on Twitter |url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/05/08/dan-baum-fired-by-inew-yo_n_200457.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190219184511/https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/05/08/dan-baum-fired-by-inew-yo_n_200457.html |archive-date=February 19, 2019 |work=HuffPost |access-date=February 20, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Lopez |first=German |date=March 22, 2016 |title=Nixon official: real reason for the drug war was to criminalize black people and hippies |url=https://www.vox.com/2016/3/22/11278760/war-on-drugs-racism-nixon |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170530191049/https://www.vox.com/2016/3/22/11278760/war-on-drugs-racism-nixon |archive-date=May 30, 2017 |access-date=June 13, 2017 |website=Vox}}</ref> The veracity of the quote was challenged by Ehrlichman's children,<ref>{{Cite web |last=LoBianco |first=Tom |date=March 24, 2016 |title=Report: Aide says Nixon's war on drugs targeted blacks, hippies |url=https://www.cnn.com/2016/03/23/politics/john-ehrlichman-richard-nixon-drug-war-blacks-hippie/index.html |access-date=Dec 19, 2023 |website=[[CNN]] |quote=Ehrlichman died in 1999, but his five children in questioned the veracity of the account. ... 'The 1994 alleged 'quote' we saw repeated in social media for the first time today does not square with what we know of our father. And collectively, that spans over 185 years of time with him. ... We do not subscribe to the alleged racist point of view that this writer now implies 22 years following the so-called interview of John and 16 years following our father's death, when Dad can no longer respond.'}}</ref> and Nixon-era officials.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hanson |first=Hilary |date=Mar 25, 2016 |title=Nixon Aides Suggest Colleague Was Kidding About Drug War Being Designed To Target Black People |url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/richard-nixon-drug-war-john-ehrlichman_n_56f58be6e4b0a3721819ec61 |access-date=Dec 19, 2023 |website=[[HuffPost]] |quote=[T]hree former Nixon aides say the quote just doesn't sound like Ehrlichman, and if he did say it, he was mistaken. ... 'The comments being attributed to John Ehrlichman in recent news coverage about the Nixon administration's efforts to combat the drug crisis of the 1960's and 70's reflect neither our memory of John nor the administration's approach to that problem,' wrote Jeffrey Donfeld, Jerome H. Jaffe and Robert DuPont in a joint statement ...}}</ref> In the end, the increasingly punitive reshaping of US drug policy by later administrations was most responsible for creating some of the conditions Ehrlichman described.<ref name="Lopez2">{{Cite web |last=Lopez |first=German |date=Mar 29, 2016b |title=Was Nixon's war on drugs a racially motivated crusade? It's a bit more complicated. |url=https://www.vox.com/2016/3/29/11325750/nixon-war-on-drugs |access-date=2024-01-06 |website=Vox |language=en |quote=Ehrlichman's claim is likely an oversimplification, according to historians who have studied the period and Nixon's drug policies in particular. There's no doubt Nixon was racist, and ... race could have played one role in Nixon's drug war. ... he [also] personally despised drugs{{snd}}to the point that it's not surprising he would want to rid the world of them. And there's evidence that Ehrlichman felt bitter and betrayed by Nixon after he spent time in prison over the Watergate scandal, so he may have lied. ... More importantly, Nixon's drug policies did not focus on the kind of criminalization that Ehrlichman described. Instead, Nixon's drug war was largely a public health crusade{{snd}}one that would be reshaped into the modern, punitive drug war we know today by later administrations, particularly President Ronald Reagan.}}</ref><br />
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In a 2011 commentary, [[Robert DuPont]], Nixon's [[drug czar]], argued that the Comprehensive Drug Abuse Act had represented a degree of [[Drug liberalization|drug reform]]. He noted that the act had rolled back mandatory minimum sentencing and balanced the "long-dominant law enforcement approach to drug policy, known as 'supply reduction'" with an "entirely new and massive commitment to prevention, intervention and treatment, known as 'demand reduction'". Thus, Nixon was not in fact the originator of what came to be called the "war on drugs".<ref name="dup2">[http://www.ibhinc.org/pdfs/IBHCommentaryonGlobalCommissionReport71211.pdf Global Commission on Drug Policy Offers Reckless, Vague Drug Legalization Proposal, Institute for Behavior and Health, Inc, July 12, 2011] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110726165232/http://ibhinc.org/pdfs/IBHCommentaryonGlobalCommissionReport71211.pdf|date=July 26, 2011}}. (PDF).</ref> During Nixon's term, some 70% of federal anti-drug money was spent on demand-side public health measures, and 30% on supply-side interdiction and punishment, a funding ratio not repeated under subsequent administrations.{{Sfn|Lopez|2016b|ps="According to the federal government's budget numbers for anti-drug programs, the 'demand' side of the war on drugs (treatment, education, and prevention) consistently got more funding during Nixon's time in office (1969 to 1974) than the 'supply' side (law enforcement and interdiction). ... Historically, this is a commitment for treating drugs as a public health issue that the federal government has not replicated since the 1970s. (Although President Barack Obama's budget proposal would, for the first time in decades, put a majority of anti-drug spending on the demand side once again.)"}}<ref>{{Cite web |last=The Editorial Board |date=Feb 22, 2023 |title=America Has Lost the War On Drugs. What Now? |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/22/opinion/harm-reduction-public-health.html |website=[[New York Times]]}}</ref><br />
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The war on drugs under the next two presidents, [[Gerald Ford]] (1974–77) and [[Jimmy Carter]] (1977–81), was essentially a continuation of their predecessors' policies. Carter's campaign platform included decriminalization of cannabis and an end to federal penalties for possession of up to one ounce.<ref name=":42"/> In a 1977 "Drug Abuse Message to the Congress", Carter stated, "Penalties against possession of a drug should not be more damaging to an individual than the use of the drug itself." None of his advocacy was translated into law.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sullum |first=Jacob |date=Jun 17, 2011 |title=Did Jimmy Carter End the War on Drugs? |url=https://reason.com/2011/06/17/did-jimmy-carter-end-the-war-o/ |access-date=Dec 19, 2023 |website=[[Reason (magazine)|Reason]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Carter |first=Jimmy |date=August 2, 1977 |title=Drug Abuse Message to the Congress |url=https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/drug-abuse-message-the-congress#axzz1PSLOq2Hj |access-date=Dec 19, 2023 |website=The American Presidency Project – [[UC Santa Barbara]]}}</ref><br />
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==== Reagan escalation, militarization, and "Just Say No" ====<br />
The [[presidency of Ronald Reagan]] (1981–89) saw an increase in federal focus on interdiction and prosecution. Shortly after his inauguration, Reagan announced, "We're taking down the surrender flag that has flown over so many drug efforts; we're running up a battle flag."<ref>Whitford and Yates. ''Presidential Rhetoric and the Public Agenda'', 58.</ref> From 1980 to 1984, the annual budget of the [[Federal Bureau of Investigation]] (FBI) drug enforcement units went from $8 million to $95 million.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Beckett |first1=Katherine |title=Making Crime Pay: Law and Order in Contemporary American Politics |date=1997 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=0195136268 |edition=1999 Revised |location=London |pages=52–53, 167}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |author=((98th Congress, 1st Session)) |title=Federal Budget of United States Government, 1984 |publisher=Federal Reserve of Saint Louis |page=451}}</ref> In 1982, Vice President [[George H. W. Bush]] and his aides began pushing for the involvement of the [[Central Intelligence Agency]] (CIA) and the US military in drug interdiction efforts.<ref>Scott and Marshall, 1991: p. 2</ref><br />
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Early in the Reagan term, [[First Lady of the United States|First Lady]] [[Nancy Reagan]], with the help of an advertising agency, began her youth-oriented "[[Just Say No]]" anti-drug campaign. Propelled by the First Lady's tireless promotional efforts through the 1980s, "Just Say No" entered the American [[vernacular]]. Later research found that the campaign had little or no impact on youth drug use.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Stuart |first=Tessa |date=Mar 7, 2016 |title=Pop-Culture Legacy of Nancy Reagan's 'Just Say No' Campaign |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/pop-culture-legacy-of-nancy-reagans-just-say-no-campaign-224749/ |access-date=Dec 29, 2023 |website=[[Rolling Stone (magazine)|Rolling Stone]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last1=Lilienfeld |first1=Scott O. |last2=Arkowitz |first2=Hal |date=Jan 1, 2014 |title=Why "Just Say No" Doesn't Work |url=https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-just-say-no-doesnt-work/ |access-date=Dec 29, 2023 |website=[[Scientific American]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=Aug 21, 2018 |title=Just Say No |url=https://www.history.com/topics/1980s/just-say-no |access-date=Dec 29, 2023 |website=[[History.com]]}}</ref> One striking change attributed to the effort: public perception of drug abuse as America's most serious problem, in the 2-6% range in 1985, rose to 64% in 1989.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Tarricone |first=Jackson |date=Sep 10, 2020 |title=Richard Nixon and the Origins of the War on Drugs |url=https://www.bostonpoliticalreview.org/post/richard-nixon-and-the-origins-of-the-war-on-drugs |access-date=Jan 17, 2024 |website=[[Boston Political Review]]}}</ref><br />
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In January 1982, Reagan established the [[Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force#History|South Florida Task Force]], chaired by Bush, targeting a surge of cocaine and cannabis entering through the [[Miami]] region, and the sharp rise in related crime. The project involved the DEA, the [[Customs|Customs Service]], the FBI and other agencies, and [[United States Armed Forces|Armed Forces]] ships and planes. It was called the "most ambitious and expensive drug enforcement operation" in US history; critics called it an election year political stunt. By 1986, the task force had made over 15,000 arrests and seized over six million pounds of cannabis and 100,000 pounds of cocaine, doubling cocaine seizures annually{{snd}}administration officials called it Reagan's biggest drug enforcement success. However, law enforcement agents at the time said their impact was minimal; cocaine imports had increased by 10%, to an estimated 75-80% of America's supply. According to the head of the task force's investigative unit, "Law enforcement just can't stop the drugs from coming in." A Bush spokesperson emphasized disrupting smuggling routes rather than seizure quantities as the measure of success."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Brinkley |first=Joel |date=Sep 4, 1986 |title=4-Year Fight in Florida 'Just Can't Stop Drugs' |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1986/09/04/us/4-year-fight-in-florida-just-can-t-stop-drugs.html |access-date=Apr 24, 2024 |website=[[New York Times]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Pincus |first=Walter |date=October 7, 1982 |title=War on Florida Drug Smugglers Is Costly, Political, Makes a Dent |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1982/10/08/war-on-florida-drug-smugglers-is-costly-political-makes-a-dent/11fcc04d-c20b-4176-bed7-06547f1d8675/ |access-date=Apr 24, 2024 |newspaper=[[Washington Post]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=President's Commission on Organized Crime |date=1986 |title=America's Habit: Drug Abuse, Drug Trafficking, & Organized Crime{{snd}}Chapter V Drug Enforcement, Policy, and Reducing Drug Demand |url=https://www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/govpubs/amhab/amhabc5.htm |access-date=Apr 24, 2024 |website=Shaffer Library of Drug Policy}}</ref><br />
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In 1984, Reagan signed the [[Comprehensive Crime Control Act of 1984|Comprehensive Crime Control Act]], which included harsher penalties for cannabis cultivation, possession, and distribution. It also established [[equitable sharing]], a new [[Civil forfeiture in the United States|civil asset forfeiture]] program that allowed state and local law enforcement to share the proceeds from asset seizures made in collaboration with federal agencies.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Thurmond |first1=Strom |title=S.1762 – 98th Congress (1983–1984): Comprehensive Crime Control Act of 1984 |url=https://www.congress.gov/bill/98th-congress/senate-bill/1762 |website=www.congress.gov |access-date=26 June 2019 |date=25 September 1984 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190627002729/https://www.congress.gov/bill/98th-congress/senate-bill/1762 |archive-date=June 27, 2019 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="twsLATimes122">{{cite web |author=JOHN ENDERS (ASSOCIATED PRESS) |date=April 18, 1993 |title=Forfeiture Law Casts a Shadow on Presumption of Innocence : Legal system: Government uses the statute to seize money and property believed to be linked to narcotics trafficking. But critics say it short-circuits the Constitution. |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1993-04-18-me-24209-story.html |access-date=October 11, 2014 |work=Los Angeles Times |quote=....Prosecutors and law enforcement officials insist the program, included in the Comprehensive Crime Control Act of 1984, is helping them fight the drug war. ... seizures hurt dealers where it counts--in the pocketbook....}}</ref> Under the controversial program, up to 80% of seizure proceeds can go to local law enforcement, expanding their budgets. {{As of|2019|pre=By|bare=yes}}, $36.5 billion worth of assets had been seized, much of it drug-related, much of it distributed to state and local agencies.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Freivogel |first=William |date=Feb 18, 2019 |title=No Drugs, No Crime and Just Pennies for School: How Police Use Civil Asset Forfeiture |url=https://pulitzercenter.org/stories/no-drugs-no-crime-and-just-pennies-school-how-police-use-civil-asset-forfeiture |access-date=Feb 13, 2024 |website=[[Pulitzer Center]]}}</ref><br />
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==== Crackdown on crack ====<br />
As the media focused on the [[Crack epidemic in the United States|emergence of crack cocaine]] in the early 1980s, the Reagan administration shored up negative public opinion, encouraging the DEA to emphasize the harmful effects of the drug. Stories of "crack whores" and "crack babies" became commonplace.<ref name=":2">Michelle Alexander. ''[[The New Jim Crow]]: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness''. (New York: The New Press, 2010), 51.</ref> In the summer of 1986, crack dominated the news. ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' declared crack the issue of the year.<ref name=":2" /> ''[[Newsweek]]'' compared the magnitude of the crack story to Vietnam and [[Watergate scandal|Watergate]].<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |last=Gelber |first=Jonathan |date=29 Jun 2021 |title=How Len Bias's death helped launch the US's unjust war on drugs |url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2021/jun/29/len-bias-death-basketball-war-on-drugs |access-date=Dec 18, 2023 |website=[[The Guardian]]}}</ref> The cocaine overdose deaths of rising basketball star [[Len Bias]], and young NFL football player [[Don Rogers (safety)|Don Rogers]],<ref>[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=xbhaAAAAIBAJ&sjid=8VkDAAAAIBAJ&pg=3461,3972101&dq=don+rogers+died&hl=en Rogers' death is a second warning]</ref> both in June, received wide coverage.<ref name=":3" /> Riding the wave of public fervor, that October Reagan signed into law much harsher sentencing for crack through the [[Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1986|Anti-Drug Abuse Act]], commonly known as the Len Bias law.<ref name=":3" /><ref>Whitford and Yates. ''Presidential Rhetoric and the Public Agenda'', 61.</ref> According to historian [[Elizabeth Hinton]], "[Reagan] led [[United States Congress|Congress]] in criminalizing drug users, especially African American drug users, by concentrating and stiffening penalties for the possession of the crystalline rock form of cocaine, known as 'crack', rather than the crystallized [[methamphetamine]] that White House officials recognized was as much of a problem among low-income white Americans".<ref name="Hinton">Hinton, Elizabeth. "From the War on Crime to the War on Drugs". From the War on Poverty to the War on Crime: the Making of Mass Incarceration in America, by Elizabeth Hinton, Harvard University Press, 2017, pp. 307–332.</ref><br />
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The Anti-Drug Abuse Act appropriated an additional $1.7 billion to drug war funding, and established 29 new mandatory minimum sentences for drug offenses (until then, the American legal system had seen 55 minimum sentences in total).<ref>Jesse Ventura. ''American Conspiracies'' (New York: Skyshore Publishing, 2010), 117.</ref> Of particular note, the act made sentences for larger amounts of cocaine 100 times more severe for crack than for the powder form.<ref name=":14" /> With the 100:1 ratio, conviction in federal court for possession of 5 grams of crack would receive the same 5-year mandatory minimum as possession of 500 grams of powder cocaine.<ref name="celling-america-246-247" /><ref name="gates-of-injustice">{{Cite book |last=Elsner |first=Alan |url=https://archive.org/details/gatesofinjustice00elsn/page/20 |title=Gates of Injustice: The Crisis in America's Prisons |publisher=Financial Times Prentice Hall |year=2004 |isbn=978-0-13-142791-4 |location=Saddle River, New Jersey |page=[https://archive.org/details/gatesofinjustice00elsn/page/20 20]}}</ref> Debate at the time considered whether crack, generally used by blacks, was more addictive than the powder form, generally used by whites,<ref name=":2" /> comparing the effects of snorting powder cocaine with the briefer, more intense high from smoking crack;<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Hatsukami |first1=D.K. |last2=Fischman |first2=M.W. |date=Nov 20, 1996 |title=Crack cocaine and cocaine hydrochloride. Are the differences myth or reality? JAMA. 1996 Nov 20;276(19):1580-8. PMID: 8918856. |url=https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8918856/ |journal=[[JAMA]] |volume=276 |issue=19 |pages=1580–1588 |doi=10.1001/jama.1996.03540190052029 |pmid=8918856 |access-date=Jan 29, 2024 |quote=Cocaine hydrochloride is readily converted to base prior to use. The physiological and psychoactive effects of cocaine are similar regardless of whether it is in the form of cocaine hydrochloride or crack cocaine (cocaine base). However, evidence exists showing a greater abuse liability, greater propensity for dependence, and more severe consequences when cocaine is smoked (cocaine-base) or injected intravenously (cocaine hydrochloride) compared with intranasal use (cocaine hydrochloride). The crucial variables appear to be the immediacy, duration, and magnitude of cocaine's effect, as well as the frequency and amount of cocaine used rather than the form of the cocaine. Furthermore, cocaine hydrochloride used intranasally may be a gateway drug or behavior to using crack cocaine.}}</ref> pharmacologically, there is no difference between the two.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Cocaine and crack drug profile |url=https://www.emcdda.europa.eu/publications/drug-profiles/cocaine_en#pharmacology |access-date=Jan 29, 2024 |website=[[European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction]]}}</ref> According to the DEA, at first crack "was not fully appreciated as a major threat because it was primarily being consumed by middle class users who were not associated with cocaine addicts ... However, partly because crack sold for as little as $5 a rock, it ultimately spread to less affluent neighborhoods."<ref name="CrackDEA85">{{Cite web |date=2006-08-23 |title=DEA History Book, 1985–1990 |url=https://www.dea.gov/sites/default/files/2021-04/1985-1990_p_58-67.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060823024931/http://www.usdoj.gov/dea/pubs/history/1985-1990.html |archive-date=August 23, 2006 |access-date=2024-01-29 |website=[[Drug Enforcement Administration]]}}</ref><br />
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Support for Reagan's drug crime legislation was [[Bipartisanship|bipartisan]]. According to historian Hinton, [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democrats]] supported drug legislation as they had since the [[Presidency of Lyndon B. Johnson|Johnson administration]],<ref name="Hinton" /> though Reagan was a [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]].<br />
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Internationally, the Reagan term saw a huge increase in US military anti-drug activity in other countries. The [[United States Department of Defense|Department of Defense]] budget for interdiction increased from $4.9 million in 1982 to $397 million by 1987. The DEA also expanded its foreign presence. Countries were encouraged to adopt the same type of punitive drug approach that was in place in the US, with the threat of economic sanctions for non-compliance. The UN Single Convention provided a legal framework, and in 1988, the Convention against Illicit Traffic expanded that framework, working the US-style punitive approach into international law.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Buxton |first1=Julia |title=The Impact of Global Drug Policy on Women: Shifting the Needle |last2=Burger |first2=Lona |publisher=[[Emerald Publishing]] |year=2020 |isbn=978-1-83982-885-0 |pages=9–22 |chapter=International Drug Policy in Context |doi=10.1108/978-1-83982-882-920200003}}</ref><br />
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By the end of Reagan's presidency in 1989, illicit drugs were more readily available and cheaper than at the start of his first term in 1981.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Foldvary |first=Fred E. |date=Jul 15, 2013 |title=The Foreign Economic Effect of the U.S. War on Drugs |url=https://scholarsbank.uoregon.edu/xmlui/bitstream/handle/1794/13606/Foldvary.pdf |access-date=Aug 7, 2024 |website=[[Oregon Law Review]]}}</ref><br />
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==== Hard line maintained and a new opioid crisis ====<br />
[[File:George_H._W._Bush_holds_up_a_bag_of_crack_cocaine_during_his_Address_to_the_Nation_on_National_Drug_Control_Strategy.jpg|thumb|upright |President [[George H. W. Bush]] holds up a bag of [[crack cocaine]] during his Address to the Nation on National Drug Control Strategy on September 5, 1989.]]<br />
Next to occupy the [[Oval Office]], Reagan protégé and former VP George H. W. Bush (1989–93) maintained the hard line drawn by his predecessor and former boss. In his first [[Prime time|prime-time]] address to the nation, Bush held up a plastic bag of crack "seized a few days ago in a park across the street from the White House" (turned out that DEA agents had to lure the seller to [[Lafayette Park (Washington, D.C.)|Lafayette Park]] to make the requested arrest).<ref>{{Cite news |last=Isikoff |first=Michael |date=Sep 22, 1989 |title=Drug Buy Set Up For Bush Speech |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/local/longterm/tours/scandal/bushdrug.htm |access-date=Dec 12, 2023 |newspaper=[[Washington Post]]}}</ref> The administration increased narcotics regulation in the first National Drug Control Strategy, issued by the [[Office of National Drug Control Policy]] (ONDCP) in 1989.<ref>Tonry. ''Malign Neglect – Race, Crime and Punishment in America'', 91.</ref> The director of ONDCP became commonly known as the US drug czar.<ref name="frontline" /> In the [[National Defense Authorization Act]] for 1990–91, Congress included Section 1208{{snd}}the 1208 Program, expanded into the [[Law Enforcement Support Office|1033 Program]] in 1996{{snd}}authorizing the Department of Defense to transfer surplus military equipment that the DoD determined to be "suitable for use in counter-drug activities", to local law enforcement agencies.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Wofford |first=Taylor |date=Feb 25, 2016 |title=How America's Police Became an Army: The 1033 Program |url=https://www.newsweek.com/how-americas-police-became-army-1033-program-264537 |access-date=May 14, 2024 |website=[[Newsweek]]}}</ref><br />
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As president, [[Bill Clinton]] (1993–2001), seeking to reposition the [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party]] as tough on crime,<ref>{{Cite book |last=From |first=Al |title=The New Democrats and the Return to Power |date=2013 |publisher=St. Martin's Publishing Group |isbn=978-1-137-40144-1 |page=198}}</ref> dramatically raised the stakes for drug felonies with his signing of the [[Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act|Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994]]. The act introduced the federal "[[Three-strikes law|three-strikes]]" provision that mandated life imprisonment for violent offenders with two prior convictions for violent crimes or drugs, and provided billions of dollars in funding for states to expand their prison systems and increase law enforcement.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Farley |first=Robert |date=April 12, 2016 |title=Bill Clinton and the 1994 Crime Bill |url=https://www.factcheck.org/2016/04/bill-clinton-and-the-1994-crime-bill/ |access-date=Dec 21, 2023 |website=[[FactCheck.org]]}}</ref> During this period, state and local governments initiated controversial drug policies that demonstrated racial biases, such as the [[Stop-and-frisk in New York City|stop-and-frisk]] police practice in New York City, and state-level "three strikes" felony laws, which began with California in 1994.<ref>Michelle Alexander. ''The New Jim Crow – Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness'', 92</ref><br />
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During the 1990s, opioid use in the US dramatically rose, leading to the ongoing situation commonly called the [[Opioid epidemic in the United States|opioid epidemic]]. A loose consensus of observers describe three main phases to date: [[Overmedication|overprescription]] of legal opioids beginning in the early to mid-1990s; a rise in heroin use in the later 2000s as prescription opioids became more difficult to obtain; and the rise of more powerful [[fentanyl]] and other synthetic opioids around the mid-2010s.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Pembleton |first1=Matthew R. |last2=Weimer |first2=Daniel |title=US Foreign Relations and the New Drug History |url=https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/full/10.1086/702690 |journal=[[The Social History of Alcohol and Drugs]] |date=2019 |publisher=[[University of Chicago Press]] |volume=33 |issue=1|pages=4–12 |doi=10.1086/702690 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=January 2020 |title=Fentanyl Flow to the United States |url=https://www.dea.gov/sites/default/files/2020-03/DEA_GOV_DIR-008-20%20Fentanyl%20Flow%20in%20the%20United%20States_0.pdf |access-date=Jun 2, 2024 |website=[[Drug Enforcement Administration]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite report |url=http://www.nber.org/papers/w29983.pdf |title=The Opioid Crisis, Health, Healthcare, and Crime: A Review Of Quasi-Experimental Economic Studies |last1=Maclean |first1=Johanna Catherine |last2=Mallatt |first2=Justine |date=Apr 2022 |publisher=National Bureau of Economic Research |issue=w29983 |doi=10.3386/w29983 |location=Cambridge, MA |language=en |last3=Ruhm |first3=Christopher |last4=Simon |first4=Kosali}}</ref> Prior to 1990s, the use of opioids to treat chronic pain in the US was limited; some scholars suggest there was hesitation to prescribe opioids due to historical problems with addiction dating back to the 1800s. A critical point in the development of the epidemic is often seen as the release in 1996 of OxyContin ([[Oxycodone|oxicodone]]) by [[Purdue Pharma]], and the subsequent aggressive and deceptive opioid marketing efforts by Purdue and other pharma companies, conducted without sufficient official oversight.{{Sfn|Maclean|2022|p=4}} Thus the problem emerged from within the healthcare system: the DEA initially targeted doctors, pharmacists, [[pill mill]]s, and pharmaceutical companies. As law enforcement cracked down on the pharmaceutical supply, illicit drug trafficking in opioids grew to meet demand.<ref>{{Citation |last1=National Academies of Sciences |first1=Engineering |title=Evidence on Strategies for Addressing the Opioid Epidemic |date=2017-07-13 |work=Pain Management and the Opioid Epidemic: Balancing Societal and Individual Benefits and Risks of Prescription Opioid Use |url=https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK458653/ |access-date=2024-10-13 |publisher=National Academies Press (US) |language=en |last2=Division |first2=Health and Medicine |last3=Policy |first3=Board on Health Sciences |last4=Abuse |first4=Committee on Pain Management and Regulatory Strategies to Address Prescription Opioid |last5=Phillips |first5=Jonathan K. |last6=Ford |first6=Morgan A. |last7=Bonnie |first7=Richard J.}}</ref><br />
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The [[George W. Bush]] (2001–2009) administration maintained the hard line approach.<ref>Whitford and Yates. Presidential Rhetoric and the Public Agenda. 72</ref> In a TV interview in February 2001, Bush's new attorney general, [[John Ashcroft]], said about the war on drugs, "I want to renew it. I want to refresh it, relaunch it if you will."<ref name="Boyd" /> In 2001, after [[September 11 attacks|9/11]] and the [[Patriot Act]], the DEA began highlighting the tie between drug trafficking and international terrorism, gaining the agency expanded funding to increase its global presence.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Beith |first=Malcolm |date=August 29, 2016 |title=The DEA's war on narco-terrorism just got more complicated |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/59e88n/the-dea-war-on-narco-terrorism-just-got-more-complicated |access-date=Feb 13, 2024 |website=[[Vice (magazine)|Vice]]}}</ref><br />
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==== Growing dissent ====<br />
[[File:World prison population 2008.svg|thumb|upright=1.15|The US incarceration rate peaked in 2008. The US rate was the highest in the world in 2008. Chart is for prisoners per 100,000 population of all ages.<ref name=icps8>Walmsley, Roy (30 Jan 2009). [http://www.prisonstudies.org/sites/default/files/resources/downloads/wppl-8th_41.pdf World Prison Population List (8th Edition)]. From [http://www.prisonstudies.org/research-publications?shs_term_node_tid_depth=27 World Prison Population Lists]. By [[World Prison Brief]]. "The information is the latest available in early December 2008. ... Most figures relate to dates between the beginning of 2006 and the end of November 2008." According to the summary on page one there were 2.29 million U.S. inmates and 9.8 million inmates worldwide. The U.S. held 23.4% of the world's inmates. The U.S. total in this report is for December 31, 2007 (see p. 3), and does not include inmates in juvenile detention facilities.</ref><ref name=cpusa2016>[https://www.bjs.gov/index.cfm?ty=pbdetail&iid=6226 Correctional Populations in the United States, 2016] (NCJ 251211). Published April 2018 by [[U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics]] (BJS). By Danielle Kaeble and Mary Cowhig, ''BJS statisticians.'' See [https://www.bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/cpus16.pdf PDF]. Appendix table 1 on p. 11 has rates and counts by state. See p. 1 "highlights" section for the "1 in ..." numbers. See table 4 on page 4 for a timeline of nationwide incarceration rates. See appendix table 3 on p. 13, for "Persons held in custody in state or federal prisons or in local jails, 2000, 2010, and 2015–2016". That table also has incarceration rates. See appendix, table 2, p. 12 for the number or persons incarcerated in territorial prisons, military facilities, and jails in Indian country.</ref>]]<br />
[[File:US timeline graphs of number of people incarcerated in jails and prisons.png|thumb|upright=1.15|US timeline graphs of number of people incarcerated in jails and prisons<ref name=Vera>Jacob Kang-Brown, Chase Montagnet, and Jasmine Heiss. [https://www.vera.org/publications/people-in-jail-and-prison-in-spring-2021 People in Jail and Prison in Spring 2021]. New York: [[Vera Institute of Justice]], 2021.</ref>]]<br />
[[File:No More Drug War - 6316413344.jpg|thumb|Anti-war on drugs protest in Los Angeles, 2011.|alt=Holding up signs at an anti-war on drugs protest in Los Angeles, 2011.]]<br />
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In the summer of 2001, a report by the [[American Civil Liberties Union]] (ACLU), "The Drug War is the New [[Jim Crow laws|Jim Crow]]", tied the vastly disproportionate rate of African American incarceration to the range of rights lost once convicted. It stated that, while "whites and blacks use drugs at almost exactly the same rates ... African-Americans are admitted to state prisons at a rate that is 13.4 times greater than whites, a disparity driven largely by the grossly racial targeting of drug laws." Between federal and state laws, those convicted of even simple possession could lose the right to vote, eligibility for educational assistance including loans and work-study programs, custody of their children, and personal property including homes. The report concluded that the cumulative effect of the war on drugs amounted to "the US apartheid, the new Jim Crow".<ref name="Boyd">{{cite web |last=Boyd |first=Graham |year=2001 |title=The Drug War Is the New Jim Cro |url=http://www.aclu.org/other/drug-war-new-jim-crow |work=[[American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)]]}}</ref> This view was further developed by lawyer and civil rights advocate [[Michelle Alexander]] in her 2010 book, ''[[The New Jim Crow|The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness]]''.<ref>{{cite news|last=Remnick|first= David|title=Ten Years After 'The New Jim Crow.'|newspaper= [[The New Yorker]]|date= 17 January 2020|url= http://www.newyorker.com/news/the-new-yorker-interview/ten-years-after-the-new-jim-crow}}</ref><br />
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In the year 2000, the US drug-control budget reached $18.4 billion,<ref name="Alter, Jonathan 2001, pp. 37-43">Alter, Jonathan. "The War on Addiction". ''Newsweek'', February 12, 2001, pp. 37–43</ref> nearly half of which was spent financing law enforcement while only one-sixth was spent on treatment. In the year 2003, 53% of the requested drug control budget was for enforcement, 29% for treatment, and 18% for prevention.<ref>''How Goes the "War on Drugs": An Assessment of U.S. Drug Problems and Policy''. RAND Corporation Drug Policy Research Center, 2005</ref><br />
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During his presidency, [[Barack Obama]] (2009-2017) implemented his "tough but smart" approach to the war on drugs. While he claimed that his method differed from those of previous presidents, in reality, his practices were similar.<ref name="Lassiter">Lassiter, Matthew. "'Tough and Smart' The Resilience of the War on Drugs During the Obama Administration." The Presidency of Barack Obama: A First Historical Assessment, edited by Julian E. Zelizer, Princeton University Press, 2018, pp. 162–178.</ref> In May 2009, [[Gil Kerlikowske]], Director of the ONDCP{{snd}}Obama's drug czar{{snd}}indicated that the [[Barack Obama administration|Obama administration]] did not plan to significantly alter drug enforcement policy, but that it would not use the term "war on drugs", considering it to be "counter-productive".<ref name="WSJCZAR">{{Cite news |last=Fields |first=Gary |date=May 14, 2009 |title=White House Czar Calls for End to 'War on Drugs' |work=The Wall Street Journal |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB124225891527617397 |url-status=live |access-date=May 14, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150101124834/http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB124225891527617397 |archive-date=January 1, 2015}}</ref> In August 2010, Obama signed the [[Fair Sentencing Act]] into law, reducing the 100:1 sentencing disparity between crack and powder cocaine to 18:1 for pending and future cases.<ref name=":14">{{Cite web |last=Lampe |first=Joanna R. |date=January 19, 2023 |title=The Controlled Substances Act (CSA): A Legal Overview for the 118th Congress |url=https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/r/r45948 |access-date=Mar 28, 2024 |website=[[Congressional Research Service]] |page=43}}</ref><ref name="WashPost2">[https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/08/02/AR2010080204360.html "The Fair Sentencing Act corrects a long-time wrong in cocaine cases"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171120014727/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/08/02/AR2010080204360.html|date=November 20, 2017}}, ''[[The Washington Post]]'', August 3, 2010. Retrieved September 30, 2010.</ref><ref name="thomas.loc.gov">[http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d111:SN01789:@@@L&summ2=m& Bill Summary & Status – 111th Congress (2009–2010) – S.1789 – All Information – THOMAS (Library of Congress)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140922214716/http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d111:SN01789:@@@L&summ2=m&|date=September 22, 2014}}. Thomas.loc.gov.</ref> In 2013, Obama's Justice Department issued a policy memorandum known as the [[Cole Memorandum|Cole Memo]], stating that it would defer to state laws that authorize the production, distribution and possession of cannabis, "based on assurances that those states will impose an appropriately strict regulatory system."<ref name=":17">{{Cite web |last=Avery |first=Dan |date=May 31, 2023 |title=Where Is Marijuana Legal? Cannabis Laws in Every State |url=https://www.cnet.com/news/politics/marijuana-laws-by-state-where-is-weed-legal/ |access-date=Apr 21, 2024 |website=[[CNET]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=August 29, 2013 |title=Justice Department Announces Update to Marijuana Enforcement Policy |url=https://www.justice.gov/iso/opa/resources/3052013829132756857467.pdf |access-date=Apr 21, 2024 |website=[[US Department of Justice]]}}</ref><br />
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In 2011, the [[Global Commission on Drug Policy]], an international non-governmental group composed primarily of former [[Head of state|heads of state and government]], and leaders from various sectors, released a report that stated, "The global war on drugs has failed." It recommended a paradigm shift, to a public health focus, with decriminalization for possession and personal use.<ref>{{Cite web |title=War on Drugs: Report of the Global Commission on Drug Policy |url=https://www.globalcommissionondrugs.org/wp-content/themes/gcdp_v1/pdf/Global_Commission_Report_English.pdf}}</ref> Obama's ONDCP did not support the report, stating: "Drug addiction is a disease that can be successfully prevented and treated. Making drugs more available ... will make it harder to keep our communities healthy and safe."<ref name="dup2" /><br />
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==== International divisions, state-level changes ====<br />
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[[File:Attorney General Harris Tours U.S.-Mexico Border N2063 border 3 0.jpg|thumb|California Attorney General [[Kamala Harris]] visiting the [[Mexico–United States border|U.S.–Mexico border]] on March 24, 2011, to discuss strategies to combat [[drug cartel]]s]]<br />
In May 2012, the ONDCP published "Principles of Modern Drug Policy", broadly focusing on public health, human rights, and criminal justice reform, while targeting drug traffickers.<ref>[https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/ondcp/policy-and-research/principles-of-modern-drug-policy Principles of Modern Drug Policy] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170123192527/https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/ondcp/policy-and-research/principles-of-modern-drug-policy |date=January 23, 2017 }}. Whitehouse.gov.</ref> According to ONDCP director Kerlikowske, drug legalization is not the "silver bullet" solution to drug control, and success is not measured by the number of arrests made or prisons built.<ref>[https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/ondcp/news-releases-remarks/principles-of-modern-drug-policy-directors-remarks-at-the-world-federation-against-drugs Statement of the Government of the United States of America World Federation Against Drugs 3rd World Forum, May 21, 2012, Stockholm, Sweden] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170123192355/https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/ondcp/news-releases-remarks/principles-of-modern-drug-policy-directors-remarks-at-the-world-federation-against-drugs |date=January 23, 2017 }}. Whitehouse.gov (September 21, 2012).</ref> That month, a joint statement, "For a humane and balanced drug policy", was signed by [[Italy]], [[Russia]], [[Sweden]], the [[United Kingdom]] and the US, promoting a combination of "enforcement to restrict the supply of drugs, with efforts to reduce demand and build recovery."<ref>[http://www.wfad.se/images/articles/Final_statement_WFAD.pdf Joint statement For a humane and balanced drug policy, Stockholm 20 May 2012] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160109132326/http://www.wfad.se/images/articles/Final_statement_WFAD.pdf |date=January 9, 2016 }}</ref> Meanwhile, at the state level, 2012 saw Colorado and Washington become the first two states to legalize the recreational use of cannabis with the passage of [[Colorado Amendment 64|Amendment 64]] and [[Washington Initiative 502|Initiative 502]] respectively.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Coffman |first1=Keith |last2=Neroulias |first2=Nicole |date=November 6, 2012 |title=Colorado, Washington first states to legalize recreational pot |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-marijuana-legalization/colorado-washington-first-states-to-legalize-recreational-pot-idUSBRE8A602D20121107 |access-date=February 9, 2018}}</ref><br />
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A 2013 ACLU report declared the anti-marijuana crusade a "war on people of color". The report found that "African Americans [were] 3.73 times more likely than whites to be apprehended despite nearly identical usage rates, and marijuana violations accounting for more than half of drug arrests nationwide during the previous decade". Under Obama's policies, nonwhite drug offenders received less excessive criminal sanctions, but by examining criminals as strictly violent or nonviolent, mass incarceration persisted.<ref name="Lassiter"/><br />
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In March 2016, the [[International Narcotics Control Board]] stated that the UN's international drug treaties do not mandate a "war on drugs" and that the choice is not between "'militarized' drug law enforcement on one hand and the legalization of non-medical use of drugs on the other", health and welfare should be the focus of drug policy.<ref>[http://www.unis.unvienna.org/unis/en/pressrels/2016/unisnar1264.html INCB Report 2015 ] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170426031831/http://www.unis.unvienna.org/unis/en/pressrels/2016/unisnar1264.html |date=April 26, 2017 }} United Nations Information Service 2.3.2016.</ref> That April, the [[United Nations General Assembly|UN General Assembly]] [[United Nations General Assembly#Special sessions|Special Session (UNGASS)]] on the "World Drug Problem" was held.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2016 |title=30th Special Session of the General Assembly on the World Drug Problem, 19-21 April 2016, New York |url=https://www.un.org/en/conferences/drug/newyork2016 |access-date=Apr 9, 2024 |website=[[United Nations]]}}</ref> The [[The Wall Street Journal|''Wall Street'' ''Journal'']] assessed the attendees' positions as "somewhat" in two camps: "Some European and South American countries as well as the U.S. favored softer approaches. Eastern countries such as China and Russia and most Muslim nations like Iran, Indonesia and Pakistan remained staunchly opposed."<ref>Fassihi, Farnaz, [https://www.wsj.com/articles/u-n-conference-on-drugs-ends-without-shift-in-policy-1461299583 "U.N. Conference on Drugs Ends Without Shift in Policy"], Wall Street ''Journal'', April 22, 2016. Retrieved 2016-04-25.</ref> The outcome document recommended treatment, prevention and other public health measures, and committed to "intensifying our efforts to prevent and counter" drug production and trafficking, through, "inter alia, more effective drug-related crime prevention and law enforcement measures."<ref>{{Cite web |date=2016 |title=Outcome Document of the 2016 United Nations General Assembly Special Session on the World Drug Problem |url=https://www.unodc.org/documents/postungass2016/outcome/V1603301-E.pdf |access-date=Apr 9, 2024 |website=[[United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime]]}}</ref><ref>[http://enewspf.com/2016/04/21/public-statement-by-the-global-commission-on-drug-policy-on-ungass-2016 "Public Statement by the Global Commission on Drug Policy on UNGASS 2016"], Press release, April 21, 2016. Retrieved 2016-04-25.</ref><br />
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Under President [[Donald Trump]] (2017-2021), Attorney General [[Jeff Sessions]] reversed the previous Justice Department's cannabis policies, rescinding the Cole Memo that deferred federal enforcement in states where cannabis had been legalized<ref name=":17" /><ref>{{citation |author=Laura Jarrett |title=Sessions to nix Obama-era rules leaving states alone that legalize pot |date=January 4, 2018 |url=http://www.cnn.com/2018/01/04/politics/jeff-sessions-cole-memo/index.html |publisher=[[CNN]]}}</ref> He instructed federal prosecutors to "charge and pursue the most serious, readily provable offense" in drug cases, regardless of whether mandatory minimum sentences applied, which could trigger mandatory minimums for lower-level charges.<ref>{{Cite web |date=May 12, 2017 |title=Jeff Sessions enacts harsher sentencing and charges in criminal justice overhaul |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/may/12/jeff-sessions-prison-sentences-obama-criminal-justice |access-date=Apr 21, 2024 |website=[[The Guardian]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Beckett |first=Lois |date=Aug 21, 2017 |title=How Jeff Sessions and Donald Trump have restarted the war on drugs |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/aug/21/donald-trump-jeff-sessions-war-on-drugs |access-date=Jan 14, 2024 |website=[[The Guardian]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Laslo |first=Matt |date=January 19, 2018 |title=Pot Showdown: How Congress Is Uniting to Stop Jeff Sessions' War on Drugs |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-features/pot-showdown-how-congress-is-uniting-to-stop-jeff-sessions-war-on-drugs-203859/ |access-date=Jan 14, 2024 |magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]}}</ref> With cannabis legalized to some degree in over 30 states, Sessions' directive was seen by both Democrats and Republicans as a rogue throwback action, and there was a bipartisan outcry. Trump fired Sessions in 2018 over other issues.<ref>{{Cite web |date=November 8, 2018 |title=Trump fires Attorney General Jeff Sessions |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-46132348 |access-date=Jan 14, 2024 |website=[[BBC]]}}</ref><br />
==== Some policy reversal attempts and successes ====<br />
In 2018, Trump signed into law the [[First Step Act]] which, among other federal prison reforms, made the 2010 Fair Sentencing Act retroactive. A US Supreme Court decision in 2021 determined that retroactivity applied to cases where mandatory minimum penalties had been imposed.{{Sfn|Lampe|2023|p=44}}<br />
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In 2020, both the ACLU and ''The New York Times'' reported that Republicans and Democrats were in agreement that it was time to end the war on drugs. While on the [[Joe Biden 2020 presidential campaign|presidential campaign trail]], President [[Joe Biden]] (2021–present) stated that he would take the steps to alleviate the war on drugs and end the [[opioid epidemic]].<ref name="Ofer">{{cite web |last=Ofer |first=Udi |date=6 January 2021 |title=50 Years Into the War on Drugs, Biden-Harris Can Fix the Harm It Created |url=http://www.aclu.org/news/criminal-law-reform/50-years-into-the-war-on-drugs-biden-harris-can-fix-the-harm-it-created/ |publisher=[[American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Nicholas |last=Kristof |date=2020-11-07 |title=Republicans and Democrats Agree: End the War on Drugs |work=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/07/opinion/sunday/election-marijuana-legalization.html |url-status=live |url-access=subscription |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210628181409/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/07/opinion/sunday/election-marijuana-legalization.html |archive-date=2021-06-28}}</ref><br />
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On December 4, 2020, during the Trump administration, the [[United States House of Representatives|House of Representatives]] passed the [[Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act]] (MORE Act), which would decriminalize cannabis at the federal level by removing it from the list of scheduled substances, expunge past convictions and arrests, and tax cannabis to "reinvest in communities targeted by the war on drugs".<ref name="Ofer"/><ref>{{Cite web |date=Apr 1, 2022 |title=Summary: H.R.3617{{snd}}117th Congress (2021–2022) |url=https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/3617 |access-date=Jan 28, 2024 |website=[[Congress.gov]]}}</ref> The MORE Act was received in the Senate in December 2020 where it remained.<ref>Nadler, Jerrold. [https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/3884 "H.R.3884 – 116th Congress (2019–2020): MORE Act of 2020"]; {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210210093633/https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/3884 |date=February 10, 2021 }} Congress.gov, 7 Dec. 2020.</ref> In April 2022, the act was again passed by the House, and awaits Senate action.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Adams |first=Benjamin M. |date=Apr 1, 2022 |title=U.S. House Passes MORE Act To Decriminalize Cannabis at the Federal Level |url=https://hightimes.com/news/u-s-house-passes-more-act-to-decriminalize-cannabis-at-the-federal-level/ |access-date=Mar 17, 2024 |website=[[High Times]]}}</ref><br />
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Over time, states in the US have approached [[Drug liberalization#United States|drug liberalization]] at a varying pace. Initially, in the 1930s, the states were ahead of the federal government in prohibiting cannabis; in recent decades, the trend has reversed. Beginning with cannabis for medical use in California in 1996, states began to legalize cannabis. {{As of|2023}}, 38 states, four [[Territories of the United States|US territories]], and the [[Washington, D.C.|District of Columbia]] (DC) had [[Medical cannabis in the United States|legalized cannabis for medical use]];<ref name="ncsl states">{{cite web |date=June 27, 2018 |title=State Medical Marijuana Laws |url=http://www.ncsl.org/research/health/state-medical-marijuana-laws.aspx |access-date=July 3, 2018 |website=National Conference of State Legislatures}}</ref> for [[Legalization of non-medical cannabis in the United States|non-medical use]], 24 of the states, three territories, and DC, had legalized it, and seven states decriminalized.<ref name="ncsl">{{cite web |title=MARIJUANA OVERVIEW |url=http://www.ncsl.org/research/civil-and-criminal-justice/marijuana-overview.aspx |access-date=January 23, 2018 |website=National Conference of State Legislatures}}</ref> Decriminalization in this context usually refers to first-time offenses and small quantities, such as, in the case of cannabis, under an ounce (28g).<ref>{{Cite web |date=September 23, 2020 |title=Decriminalization of marijuana in the United States |url=https://www.leafly.com/learn/legalization/decriminalized-states |access-date=Dec 21, 2023 |website=[[Leafly]]}}</ref> In November 2020, Oregon became the [[2020 Oregon Ballot Measure 110|first state to decriminalize a number of drugs]], including heroin, methamphetamine, [[Phencyclidine|PCP]], [[LSD]] and [[oxycodone]], shifting from a criminal approach to a public health approach;<ref name="Selsky2">{{cite news |last=Selsky |first=Andrew |date=November 4, 2020 |title=Oregon leads the way in decriminalizing hard drugs |url=https://apnews.com/article/oregon-first-decriminalizing-hard-drugs-01edca37c776c9ea8bfd4afdd7a7a33e |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201122074111/https://apnews.com/article/oregon-first-decriminalizing-hard-drugs-01edca37c776c9ea8bfd4afdd7a7a33e |archive-date=November 22, 2020 |access-date=December 1, 2020 |work=Associated Press News |location=Salem, Oregon}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=3 November 2020 |title=Oregon Measure 110 Election Results: Decriminalize Some Drugs and Provide Treatment |url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/11/03/us/elections/results-oregon-measure-110-decriminalize-some-drugs-and-provide-treatment.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210202072131/https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/11/03/us/elections/results-oregon-measure-110-decriminalize-some-drugs-and-provide-treatment.html |archive-date=2 February 2021 |access-date=4 November 2020 |newspaper=The New York Times}}</ref><ref name="Ofer" /> portions of that policy were reversed in April 2024.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Campbell |first=Josh |date=April 1, 2024 |title=Oregon governor signs drug re-criminalization bill, reversing voter ballot measure |url=https://www.cnn.com/2024/04/01/politics/oregon-governor-drug-re-criminalization-bill/index.html |access-date=Apr 19, 2024 |website=[[CNN]]}}</ref><br />
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In 2022, Biden signed into law the [[Medical Marijuana and Cannabidiol Research Expansion Act]], to allow cannabis to be more easily researched for medical purposes. It is the first standalone cannabis reform bill enacted at the federal level.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Wadman |first1=Meredith |date=December 2, 2022 |title=New U.S. law promises to light up marijuana research |work=Science Magazine |url=https://www.science.org/content/article/new-u-s-law-promises-light-marijuana-research |access-date=December 3, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Jaeger |first1=Kyle |date=December 2, 2022 |title=Biden Signs Marijuana Research Bill, A Historic First For Federal Cannabis Reform |work=Marijuana Moment |url=https://www.marijuanamoment.net/biden-signs-marijuana-research-bill-a-historic-first-for-federal-cannabis-reform/ |access-date=December 3, 2022}}</ref><ref name="Fertig20221116">{{cite news |first=Natalie |last=Fertig |date=November 16, 2022 |title=Congress sends first weed bill to Biden |newspaper=Politico |url=https://www.politico.com/amp/news/2022/11/16/congress-sends-first-weed-bill-to-biden-00068082 |quote=Passage of the legislation signaled a new era in federal cannabis policy: It's the first standalone marijuana-related bill approved by both chambers of Congress.}}</ref> That October, Biden stated on social media, "We classify marijuana at the same level as heroin – and more serious than fentanyl. It makes no sense," and pledged to start a review by the Attorney General on how cannabis is classified.<ref name=":10">{{Cite web |last=Sinclair |first=Sarah |date=Jan 18, 2024 |title=DEA Considers Rescheduling Cannabis: What This Means For U.S. And Global Policy |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/sarahsinclair/2024/01/18/dea-considers-rescheduling-cannabis-what-this-means-for-us-and-global-reform/?sh=656879b3743f |access-date=Mar 16, 2024 |website=[[Forbes]]}}</ref> On October 6, he pardoned all those with federal convictions for simple cannabis possession (to a degree symbolic, as none of those affected were imprisoned at the time), and urged the states, where the large majority of convictions rest, to do the same. His action affected 6,500 people convicted from 1992 to 2021, and thousands convicted in the District of Columbia.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Hutzler |first1=Alexandra |last2=Gomez |first2=Justin |date=October 6, 2022 |title=Biden announces pardons for thousands convicted of federal marijuana possession |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/biden-announces-pardons-thousands-convicted-federal-marijuana-possession/story?id=91122888 |access-date=Apr 10, 2024 |website=[[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]]}}</ref><br />
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==== The War continues, focus on fentanyl ====<br />
In 2023, the [[US State Department]] announced plans to launch a "global coalition to address synthetic drug threats", with more than 80 countries expected to join.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Paun |first1=Carmen |last2=Schumaker |first2=Erin |last3=Leonard |first3=Ben |title=Wanted: A united front against opioids |url=https://www.politico.com/newsletters/future-pulse/2023/07/06/can-the-world-unite-to-fight-opioids-00104840 |website=Politico |language=en |date=6 July 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Wilkinson |first1=Tracy |title=Biden administration to launch global coalition to fight fentanyl |url=https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2023-07-07/us-coalition-fighting-fentanyl |website=Los Angeles Times |date=7 July 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Assistant Secretary for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Todd D. Robinson On the Secretary's Participation in a Virtual Ministerial to Launch the Global Coalition to Address Synthetic Drug Threats |url=https://www.state.gov/briefing-with-assistant-secretary-todd-d-robinson-on-the-secretarys-participation-in-a-virtual-ministerial-to-launch-the-global-coalition-to-address-synthetic-drug-threats/ |website=www.state.gov}}</ref> That April, [[Anne Milgram]], head of the DEA since 2021, stated to Congress that two Mexican drug cartels posed "the greatest criminal threat the United States has ever faced." Supporting a DEA budget request of $3.7 billion for 2024, Milgram cited fentanyl in the "most devastating drug crisis in our nation's history."<ref>{{Cite web |last=MND Staff |date=April 28, 2023 |title=DEA: 2 Mexican cartels pose 'greatest criminal threat' ever faced by the US |url=https://mexiconewsdaily.com/news/dea-2-mexican-cartels-pose-greatest-criminal-threat-ever-faced-by-the-us/ |access-date=Dec 21, 2023 |website=[[Mexico News Daily]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Milgram |first=Anne |date=Apr 27, 2023 |title=Fiscal Year 2024 Request for the Drug Enforcement Administration |url=https://www.dea.gov/sites/default/files/2023-04/HHRG-118-AP19-Wstate-MilgramA-20230427.pdf |access-date=Dec 21, 2023 |website=[[Drug Enforcement Administration]]}}</ref><br />
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In January 2024, the DEA confirmed that it was reviewing the classification of cannabis as a Schedule I narcotic. Days later, documents were released from the [[United States Department of Health and Human Services|Department of Health and Human Services]] stating that cannabis has "a currently accepted medical use" in the US and a "potential for abuse less than the drugs or other substances in Schedules I and II."<ref name=":10" /> On April 30, indicating a DEA decision, the Justice Department announced, "Today, the Attorney General circulated a proposal to reclassify marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III. Once published by the Federal Register, it will initiate a formal rulemaking process as prescribed by Congress in the Controlled Substances Act."<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Miller |first1=Zeke |last2=Goodman |first2=Joshua |last3=Mustian |first3=Jim |last4=Whitehurst |first4=Lindsay |date=April 30, 2024 |title=US poised to ease restrictions on marijuana in historic shift, but it'll remain controlled substance |url=https://apnews.com/article/marijuana-biden-dea-criminal-justice-pot-f833a8dae6ceb31a8658a5d65832a3b8 |access-date=May 11, 2024 |website=[[Associated Press]]}}</ref> Schedule III drugs, considered to have moderate to low potential for dependence, include [[ketamine]], [[anabolic steroid]]s, [[Testosterone (medication)|testosterone]], and [[Paracetamol|Tylenol with codeine]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Drug Scheduling |url=https://www.dea.gov/drug-information/drug-scheduling |access-date=May 11, 2024 |website=[[Drug Enforcement Administration]]}}</ref><br />
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In the DEA's "National Drug Threat Assessment 2024", director Milgram outlined the "most dangerous and deadly crisis", involving synthetic drugs including fentanyl and methamphetamine. She singled out the [[Sinaloa Cartel|Sinaloa]] and [[Jalisco New Generation Cartel|Jalisco]] cartels in Mexico, which manufacture the synthetics in Mexican labs supplied with precursor chemicals and machinery from China, sell through "vast distribution networks" in the US, and use Chinese money laundering operations to return the proceeds to Mexico. Milgram states, "As the lead law enforcement agency in the Administration's whole-of-government response to defeat the Cartels and combat the drug poisoning epidemic in our communities, DEA will continue to collaborate on strategic counterdrug initiatives with our law enforcement partners across the United States and the world."<ref name=":24">{{Cite web |date=2024 |title=National Drug Threat Assessment 2024 |url=https://www.dea.gov/sites/default/files/2024-05/NDTA_2024.pdf |access-date=Jul 31, 2024 |publisher=[[Drug Enforcement Administration]]}}</ref><br />
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==Foreign involvement==<br />
[[File:Colpolwpowell.png|thumb|[[Colin Powell]], then the [[United States Secretary of State|United States secretary of state]], visiting Colombia in the early 2000s as part of the United States' support of [[Plan Colombia]].<br /><ref>{{cite web |title=Colombia Program At-A-Glance |url=https://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/Colombia%20Country%20Fact%20Sheet%20Augst%202013_USAID_at_a_Glance.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160109132325/https://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/Colombia%20Country%20Fact%20Sheet%20Augst%202013_USAID_at_a_Glance.pdf |archive-date=January 9, 2016 |access-date=October 20, 2015 |url-status=live |website=usaid.gov |publisher=United States Agency for International Development}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Bennett |first=Brian |date=June 9, 2011 |title=U.S. can't justify its drug war spending, reports say |work=Los Angeles Times |url=https://www.latimes.com/world/la-xpm-2011-jun-09-la-fg-narco-contract-20110609-story.html |url-status=live |access-date=February 20, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180912225040/http://articles.latimes.com/2011/jun/09/world/la-fg-narco-contract-20110609 |archive-date=September 12, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Drug War Clock |url=http://www.drugsense.org/cms/wodclock |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110810163837/http://www.drugsense.org/cms/wodclock |archive-date=10 August 2011 |access-date=29 November 2021 |publisher=DrugSense}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Vulliamy |first=Ed |date=April 3, 2011 |title=How a big US bank laundered billions from Mexico's murderous drug gangs |work=The Guardian |location=London |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2011/apr/03/us-bank-mexico-drug-gangs |url-status=live |access-date=December 18, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161222155445/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2011/apr/03/us-bank-mexico-drug-gangs |archive-date=December 22, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Spak |first1=Kevin |date=9 June 2011 |title=Congress: US Wasting Billions in War on Drugs |agency=[[Newser]] |url=http://www.newser.com/story/120578/congress-us-wasting-billions-in-war-on-drugs.html |access-date=29 November 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130514084709/http://www.newser.com/story/120578/congress-us-wasting-billions-in-war-on-drugs.html |archive-date=14 May 2013}}</ref>]]<br />
US international involvement in drug control rests on the premise that assisting foreign governments in their anti-drug efforts reduces drug supply within the US.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Rosen |first=Liana W. |date=March 16, 2015 |title=International Drug Control Policy: Background and U.S. Responses |url=https://sgp.fas.org/crs/row/RL34543.pdf |access-date=May 5, 2024 |website=[[Congressional Research Service]] |page=12}}</ref><br />
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Scholars have claimed that the war on drugs, a [[War as metaphor|metaphorical war]], is propaganda cloaking an extension of earlier military or paramilitary operations.<ref name="Bullington 1990 39–55" /> Others have argued that large amounts anti-drug foreign aid money, training, and equipment actually goes to fighting leftist insurgencies and is often provided to groups who themselves are involved in large-scale [[narco-trafficking]], such as corrupt members of the Colombian military.<ref name="whiteout-chapter-14" /><br />
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=== UN treaties and US influence ===<br />
The [[United Nations drug control conventions|three UN drug control conventions]], adopted by over 180 countries, provide a legal framework for cooperation between countries. Each state is obligated to incorporate the treaty provisions in their domestic laws. While there is a degree of interpretative flexibility, "each of the treaties encourages – and often requires – that member countries put in place strong domestic penal provisions" to deal with illicit drugs; punitive policies have been the common approach.<ref name=":20" /> The US, emerging as the dominant power after WWII, exerted considerable influence over how the conventions were adopted by other nations, promoting a prohibitionist and criminalizing view.<ref>{{Harvnb|Armenta|Jelsma|2015}} "Emerging from the Second World War as the dominant political, economic and military power, the United States was then in a position to forge a new drug control regime (the 1946 Lake Success Protocol) and apply the necessary pressure to impose it on other countries in the setting of the United Nations. The political climate enabled the globalisation of prohibitionist anti-drug ideals."</ref> Historically, the US has been "the key player in most multilateral negotiations" and the prohibitionist approach "derives largely from U.S. policy – the various forms, past and present, of the U.S. 'war on drugs'".<ref name=":20" /><br />
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US economic power is focused on the war on drugs through the [[Foreign Assistance Act]] (FAA). Enacted in 1961, the FAA integrated various federal foreign aid initiatives under the new [[United States Agency for International Development|US Agency for International Development]] (USAID), and has remained the core legislation governing foreign financial assistance. In 1972, reacting to concerns over illicit drugs from foreign sources, Congress added an "International Narcotics Control" chapter to the FAA, which allowed the president to enter into agreements and provide assistance for counternarcotic activities in foreign countries. It also made US economic and military aid, including arms sales, dependent on countries aligning with US anti-drug policies. Later, the terms "major illicit drug-producing country" and "major drug-transit country" were defined in the act; as of 1986, the president has been required to annually determine which countries fit those definitions. Those not adequately cooperating with counter-drug efforts would not be eligible to receive US financial aid, although the president could and has provided waivers to individual countries. The so-called "majors list" has influenced how US assistance money is used internationally in the war on drugs, although in recent years, it has remained relatively static and lost a degree of relevancy.<ref>{{Cite web |date=Feb 25, 2021 |title=The U.S. "Majors List" of Illicit Drug-Producing and Drug-Transit Countries |url=https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/R/R46695 |access-date=Aug 7, 2024 |website=[[Congressional Research Service]] |quote=For nearly four decades, the statutory process for identifying the world's major illicit drug producing and drug-transit countries has shaped how the United States engages foreign governments on illicit drug control matters. ... Despite some changes over time, including significant modifications in 2002 and 2006, some in Congress have questioned whether the current process remains relevant.}}</ref><br />
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Foreign anti-drug initiatives initially focused on Latin America, and expanded globally over time. Since the 1970s, billions of US aid dollars have been directed to anti-drug activity in Latin America. The US initially treated drug control as a law enforcement issue in foreign countries, providing assistance to police forces. In the 1980s, the US increasingly involved the military and private security firms, to provide training and support to armed forces in drug-producing and transit countries.<ref>{{Cite web |date=June 2023 |title=Militarization and privatization of security: From the War on Drugs to the fight against organized crime in Latin America |url=https://international-review.icrc.org/articles/militarization-and-privatization-of-security-923#footnote3_zckdbw1 |access-date=Dec 31, 2023 |website=[[International Review of the Red Cross]]}}</ref> {{As of|2024}}, the DEA has, in addition to 241 domestic offices, 93 foreign offices in 69 countries.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024 |title=Divisions |url=https://www.dea.gov/divisions |access-date=Feb 21, 2024 |website=[[Drug Enforcement Administration]]}}</ref> In addition to numerous cooperative law enforcement actions worldwide against drug trafficking and [[money laundering]], the DEA and other agencies, and the US military, have been involved in multi-year foreign drug campaigns, including in Colombia, Mexico and Afghanistan.<br />
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=== Latin America ===<br />
In 2021, [[Gustavo Gorriti]], journalist and founder of corruption-focused ''[[IDL-Reporteros]]'' news media, wrote a sharply critical editorial in the [[The Washington Post|''Washington Post'']] on the impact of 50 years of the war on drugs on Latin America. He described the flow of drugs to the US as an "unstoppable industry" that triggered an economic revolution throughout the region, where the illegal drug trade with its high profit margins far exceeded the potential of legitimate businesses. Corruption among politicians and anti-drug forces soared, even as those in charge were "cultivating close relationships with U.S. enforcement and intelligence agencies." An underclass of poor farmers became economic hostages, depending on drug crops for their survival. The big winners were "the systems built to wage a fight that they soon realized would have no end. ... [The war on drugs] became a source for endless resources, inflated budgets, contracts, purchase orders, power, influence – new economies battling drug trafficking but also dependent on it."<ref>{{Cite news |last=Gorriti |first=Gustavo |date=June 14, 2021 |title=It's time to end five decades of strategic fallacy |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/06/14/peru-war-on-drugs-violence-strategic-failure/ |access-date=Jan 6, 2024 |newspaper=[[Washington Post]] |quote=When, 50 years ago, President Richard M. Nixon declared drug abuse 'America's public enemy number one' and called for 'an all-out offensive' to defeat it, he mobilized an army of disparate bureaucracies that quickly became ensnared in an inadequate and ineffective metaphor (defeat the 'enemy'). ... The war narrative prevailed, and the biggest winners were the systems built to wage a fight that they soon realized would have no end – but this was a good thing: It became a source for endless resources, inflated budgets, contracts, purchase orders, power, influence – new economies battling drug trafficking but also dependent on it. ... The booming market of potentially dangerous substances flowing from Latin America to the United States became an unstoppable industry. Starting in the mid-1970s, it triggered an economic revolution in the region. ... became a growth sector that put all export industries to shame. ... pioneered a capitalist revolution ... triggering vast inequality and violence. ... The clandestine nature of the industry and its high profit margins elevated political corruption to new heights. There are many examples across the region of those charged with fighting drug trafficking who ended up profiting from it, all while cultivating close relationships with U.S. enforcement and intelligence agencies. ... Beneath ... lies a vast foundation: the cocaine proletariat, farmers from Peru, Bolivia, Colombia, who depend on the crops for survival. Poverty binds them to an industry that offers liquidity and consistent returns, but that also devalues their rights and lives.}}</ref><br />
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At a meeting in Guatemala in 2012, three former presidents from Guatemala, Mexico and Colombia said that the war on drugs had failed and that they would propose a discussion on alternatives, including decriminalization, at the [[Summit of the Americas]] in April of that year.<ref>{{cite news |date=March 31, 2012 |title=Politics this week |newspaper=The Economist |url=http://www.economist.com/node/21551550 |url-status=live |access-date=April 2, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120402040340/http://www.economist.com/node/21551550 |archive-date=April 2, 2012}}</ref> Guatemalan President [[Otto Pérez Molina]] said that the war on drugs was exacting too high a price on the lives of Central Americans and that it was time to "end the [[taboo]] on discussing decriminalization".<ref>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-17502417 BBC News – Guatemala's president urges debate on drug legalisation] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190706154837/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-17502417|date=July 6, 2019}}. Bbc.co.uk (March 25, 2012).</ref> At the summit, the government of Colombia pushed for far-reaching changes to drugs policy, citing the catastrophic effects of the war on drugs in Colombia.<ref name="EdVu 15Apr2012">{{cite news |last=Vulliamy |first=Ed |date=April 15, 2012 |title=Colombia calls for global drugs taskforce |newspaper=The Observer |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/apr/15/colombia-global-drugs-taskforce |url-status=live |access-date=April 15, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131016010720/http://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/apr/15/colombia-global-drugs-taskforce |archive-date=October 16, 2013}}</ref><br />
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==== Colombia ====<br />
{{Main|Plan Colombia|Paramilitarism in Colombia}}{{US involvement in Colombia}}<br />
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Historically, the iillicit drug trade in Colombia had important connections to revolutionary groups like the leftist [[Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia]] (FARC) and right-wing [[United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia|United Self-Defenders of Colombia]] (AUC), thus US anti-drug efforts in the country overlapped with support for counterinsurgency efforts.<ref>{{Cite web |date=May 3, 2002 |editor-last=Evans |editor-first=Michael |title=War in Colombia: Guerrillas, Drugs and Human Rights in U.S.-Colombia Policy, 1988-2002 |url=https://nsarchive2.gwu.edu/NSAEBB/NSAEBB69/part2.html |access-date=Oct 9, 2024 |website=[[National Security Archive]] |quote=The Bush administration's proposal to provide direct support against Colombian insurgent groups as part of an intensified strike on international terrorism and drug trafficking is the latest step in a series of policy decisions over the last decade that have steadily increased the scope of U.S. involvement in Colombia's civil conflict. While U.S. support activities have been nominally limited to the counternarcotics mission, in practice these operations often bring Colombian security forces into conflict with guerrillas and other armed groups. ... many U.S. policymakers [complained] that the aid is often used in pure counterguerrilla operations, sometimes with no measurable benefit against drug trafficking. ... The U.S. Embassy complained publicly that the military had been using U.S. counterdrug aid to fight guerrillas.}}</ref> In the late 1960s, when drug smuggling to the US from Mexico rose to a major scale,<ref>{{Cite book |last=Vulliamy |first=Ed |title=Amexica: war along the borderline |date=2010 |publisher=Bodley Head |isbn=978-1-84792-128-4 |location=London}}</ref> the two governments cooperated in the launch of the [[Mexican drug war|Mexican war on drugs]]; the market disruption gave Columbian traffickers an opportunity to fill US demand for cannabis. <br />
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Until the 1970s, Columbia "had played no major role in the production and circulation of illegal drugs in the hemisphere".<ref name=":02">{{Citation |last=Britto |first=Lina |title=The Drug Wars in Colombia |date=2020-09-28 |url=https://oxfordre.com/latinamericanhistory/display/10.1093/acrefore/9780199366439.001.0001/acrefore-9780199366439-e-504 |access-date=2024-10-08 |language=en |doi=10.1093/acrefore/9780199366439.013.504 |isbn=978-0-19-936643-9 |encyclopedia=Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Latin American History}}</ref> After a military coup in Chile in 1973 and the spread of political repression through the [[Southern Cone]] countries disrupted cocaine smuggling from Peru and Bolivia, Colombia stepped in to fill the demand for cocaine. Pressed by the US, the Colombian government, under president [[Misael Pastrana Borrero|Misael Pastrana]] (1970–1974), worked with the newly formed DEA to establish the future path for the country's war on drugs.<ref name=":02" /><br />
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During the 1970s, the "marijuana boom" dominated Colombia's drug trade, peaking mid-decade. That soon gave way to cocaine and the rise of the infamous [[Medellín Cartel|Medellin]] and [[Cali Cartel|Cali cartels]] that grew through the 1980s and early 1990s to dominate the global cocaine market.<ref name=":02" /> By the end of the century, the brutal anti-drug war left the security situation in Colombia in critical condition. Through the [[Plan Colombia]] program, between 2000 and 2015, the US provided Colombia with $10 billion in funding,<ref>{{cite news |last=Rampton |first=Roberta |date=4 February 2016 |title=Obama pledges more than $450 million aid to help Colombia peace plan |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-colombia-idUSKCN0VD2XM |access-date=8 April 2018 |website=[[Reuters]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Lee |first=Brendon |date=Jan 9, 2020 |title=Not-So-Grand Strategy: America's Failed War on Drugs in Colombia |url=https://hir.harvard.edu/americas-failed-war-on-drugs-in-colombia/ |access-date=Jan 17, 2024 |website=[[Harvard International Review]]}}</ref> primarily for [[military aid]], training, and equipment,<ref name="house-colombia-appropriations">{{cite web |year=2010 |title=Summary : FY 2010 State and Foreign Operations Appropriations |url=http://Fappropriations.house.gov/pdf/FY10_SFOPS_Conference_Summary.pdf |access-date=February 2, 2010 |website=U.S. House of Representatives}}{{Dead link|date=May 2020|bot=InternetArchiveBot|fix-attempted=yes}}</ref> to fight both drugs and left-wing guerrillas such as FARC (which had been accused of participation in drug trafficking).<ref>Weiser, Benjamin. (September 5, 2012) [http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/organizations/r/revolutionary_armed_forces_of_colombia/index.html FARC – Revolutionary Armed forces of Colombia"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120527125840/http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/organizations/r/revolutionary_armed_forces_of_colombia/index.html|date=May 27, 2012}} ''The New York Times''.</ref><br />
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The Clinton administration initially waived all but one of the human rights conditions attached to Plan Colombia, considering such aid as crucial to national security at the time.<ref name="doug">{{Cite book |last=Stokes |first=Doug |url=http://bailey83221.livejournal.com/54324.html |title=America's Other War: Terrorizing Colombia |publisher=Zed Books |year=2005 |isbn=978-1-84277-547-9 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160109132325/http://bailey83221.livejournal.com/54324.html |archive-date=January 9, 2016 |url-status=dead |df=mdy-all}} p.&nbsp;99</ref> Private US military contractors, including the former [[DynCorp]], were contracted by the State and Defense Departments, to carry out anti-drug initiatives as part of Plan Colombia.<ref>''[http://www.colectivodeabogados.org/article.php3?id_article=1253 Private Security Transnational Enterprises in Colombia] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080417203427/http://www.colectivodeabogados.org/article.php3?id_article=1253|date=April 17, 2008}}'' José Alvear Restrepo Lawyers' Collective February 2008.</ref> Colombian military personnel received extensive [[counterinsurgency]] training from US military and law enforcement agencies, including the [[School of Americas]] (SOA). US-trained officers have been accused of being directly or indirectly involved in multiple massacres during the 1990s, including the [[Massacre of Trujillo|Trujillo Massacre]] and the 1997 [[Mapiripán Massacre]].{{Citation needed|date=February 2024}}<br />
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The efforts of the US and Colombian governments have been criticized for focusing on fighting leftist guerrillas in southern regions without applying enough pressure on right-wing paramilitaries and continuing drug smuggling operations in the north of the country.<ref name="soa-gill-180">{{Cite book |last=Gill |first=Leslie |url=https://archive.org/details/schoolofamericas00lesl |title=The School of the Americas: military training and political violence in the Americas |publisher=Duke University Press |year=2004 |isbn=978-0-8223-3392-0 |page=[https://archive.org/details/schoolofamericas00lesl/page/180 180] |url-access=registration}}</ref><ref name="under-influence-61">Peet, 2004: [https://books.google.com/books?id=uC0_YznYjScC&pg=PA61 p. 61]</ref> Human Rights Watch, congressional committees and other entities have documented connections between members of the Colombian military and the [[United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia|AUC]], which the US government has listed as a terrorist group, and that Colombian military personnel have committed human rights abuses which would make them ineligible for US aid under current laws.{{Citation needed|date=August 2010}}<br />
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Coca eradication by [[Plan Colombia#Fumigation strategy and criticisms|aerial spraying]] of [[herbicide]]s such as [[glyphosate]] was a controversial element of Plan Colombia. Environmental consequences resulting from spraying have been criticized as detrimental to some of the world's most fragile ecosystems;<ref>{{cite journal |last=Bowe |first=Rebecca |date=October 27, 2004 |year=2004 |title=The drug war on the Amazon |url=https://emagazine.com/the-drug-war-on-the-amazon/ |journal=E: The Environmental Magazine |issue=Nov–Dec}}</ref> the same spraying practices are further credited with causing health problems in local populations.<ref name="ReferenceA">{{cite news |last=Rohter |first=Larry |date=May 1, 2000 |title=To Colombians, Drug War is a Toxic Foe |newspaper=The New York Times}}</ref><br />
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A report by the [[RAND Corporation]], examining the Colombian experience for insights applicable to the Mexican drug war, noted that "Plan Colombia has been widely hailed as a success, and some analysts believe that, by 2010, Colombian security forces had finally gained the upper hand once and for all." The report cited dramatic reductions in kidnappings and terrorist acts, and the recapture of territory, attributed to "a reinforced military and reinvigorated police force." It also found that, as of 2010, "Colombia is still a major source country for illicit narcotics. Moreover, the state continues to share sovereignty with a range of violent nonstate actors, including rebel groups and rightwing paramilitaries allied with drug traffickers and wealthy landowners."<ref>{{cite web |title=Mexico Is Not Colombia |url=https://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/research_reports/RR500/RR548z2/RAND_RR548z2.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304073123/http://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/research_reports/RR500/RR548z2/RAND_RR548z2.pdf |archive-date=March 4, 2016 |access-date=October 20, 2015 |website=rand.org |publisher=RAND Corporation National Security Research Division}}</ref> The [[Washington Office on Latin America]] concluded in 2010 that both Plan Colombia and the Colombian government's security strategy "came at a high cost in lives and resources, only did part of the job, are yielding diminishing returns and have left important institutions weaker."<ref>Washington Office on Latin America [http://www.wola.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=viewp&id=1134&Itemid=2 "Colombia: Don't Call it a Model"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100804065237/https://www.wola.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=viewp&id=1134&Itemid=2|date=August 4, 2010}}, July 13, 2010 Retrieved on May 8, 2010</ref><br />
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==== Mexico ====<br />
{{Main|Mexican drug war}}<br />
[[File:Fuerza del Estado Michoacán.jpg|thumb|right|Mexican troops during a gun battle in [[Michoacán]], 2007. [[Mexican Drug War|Mexico's drug war]] claims nearly 50,000 lives each year.{{citation needed|date=August 2023}}]]One of the first anti-drug efforts in the realm of foreign policy was Nixon's [[Operation Intercept]], announced in September 1969, aiming to severely reduce the amount of cannabis entering the US from Mexico,<ref name=":22" /> by government estimates the source of 80% of the US supply.<ref name=":23" /> The effort began with an intense inspection crackdown that resulted in a near shutdown of cross-border traffic.<ref name=":22">{{cite web |title=Operation Intercept: The perils of unilateralism |url=http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB86/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090424224527/http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB86/ |archive-date=April 24, 2009 |access-date=May 14, 2009}}</ref> The US Air Force and Navy were also on alert to pursue traffickers in the air and at sea. The burden on border crossings was controversial in border states; the effort lasted only 20 days.<ref name=":23">{{cite web |title=Consumers Union Report on Licit and Illicit Drugs |url=http://www.druglibrary.org/Schaffer/library/studies/cu/CU59.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110514191129/http://www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/library/studies/cu/CU59.html |archive-date=May 14, 2011 |access-date=March 27, 2011 |publisher=Druglibrary.org}}</ref><br />
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The [[Mérida Initiative]], launched in 2008, was a security cooperation program between the US and Mexico, aimed at combating drug trafficking and [[transnational crime]]. From 2008 to 2021, the US provided $3.5 billion in funding. The initial focus was anti-drug and rule-of-law measures, later broadened to include US-Mexico border activities. Components included military and law enforcement training and equipment, and technical advice and training to strengthen the national justice systems. In 2021, it was replaced by the [[Bicentennial Framework for Security, Public Health, and Safe Communities]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ribando Seelke |first=Clare |date=Oct 9, 2023 |title=U.S.–Mexico Security Cooperation: From the Mérida Initiative to the Bicentennial Framework |url=https://sgp.fas.org/crs/row/IF10578.pdf |access-date=Jan 17, 2024 |website=[[Congressional Research Service]]}}</ref><br />
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In 2013, a Pew Research Center poll found that 85% of Mexican citizens supported using the Mexican army against drug cartels, 74% supported US training assistance for their police and military, 55% supported the US supplying of weapons and financial aid, and 59% were against deploying US troops on Mexican soil.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Mexican public favors military use, U.S. aid to fight drug cartels |url=http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2013/07/16/mexican-public-favors-military-use-u-s-aid-to-fight-drug-cartels/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181112223531/http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2013/07/16/mexican-public-favors-military-use-u-s-aid-to-fight-drug-cartels/ |archive-date=November 12, 2018 |access-date=2018-10-23 |work=Pew Research Center |language=en-US}}</ref> Anti-drug efforts were seen as making progress by 37%, losing ground by 29%, and staying the same by 30%; 56% believed that the US and Mexico are both to blame for drug violence in Mexico.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2013-04-29 |title=U.S. Image Rebounds in Mexico |url=http://www.pewglobal.org/2013/04/29/u-s-image-rebounds-in-mexico/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181110154912/http://www.pewglobal.org/2013/04/29/u-s-image-rebounds-in-mexico/ |archive-date=November 10, 2018 |access-date=2018-11-01 |work=Pew Research Center's Global Attitudes Project |language=en-US}}</ref><br />
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{{As of|2024}}, the DEA considers the [[Sinaloa Cartel|Sinaloa]] and [[Jalisco New Generation Cartel|Jalisco]] cartels, tied to materials and services from China, as the major source of synthetic drugs like fentanyl and methamphetamine, posing the biggest threat to the US.<ref name=":24" /><br />
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==== Central America ====<br />
The countries of Central America – [[Belize]], [[Costa Rica]], [[El Salvador]], [[Guatemala]], [[Honduras]], [[Nicaragua]], and [[Panama]] – are major transit and storage points for drugs headed to Mexico and the US<ref>{{Cite web |title=North and Central America |url=https://www.dea.gov/foreign-offices/north-and-central-america |access-date=July 17, 2024 |website=[[Drug Enforcement Administration]]}}</ref> that annually appear on the American "majors list".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Rosen |first=Liana W. |date=February 25, 2021 |title=The U.S. "Majors List" of Illicit Drug-Producing and Drug-Transit Countries |url=https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/R/R46695 |access-date=July 17, 2024 |website=[[Congressional Research Service]]}}</ref> The US has had varying levels of direct anti-drug involvement in each of these countries, particularly since the late 2000s when concern over trafficking activity increased. Beginning in 2008, the [[Central America Regional Security Initiative]] (CARSI) has provided the seven countries with equipment, training, and technical support for law enforcement efforts, and the US has advised taking an [[Strategic intelligence|intelligence-based]] approach.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Meyer |first1=Peter J. |last2=Ribando Seelke |first2=Clare |date=Dec 17, 2015 |title=Central America Regional Security Initiative: Background and Policy Issues for Congress |url=https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/R/R41731 |access-date=Aug 9, 2024 |website=[[Congressional Research Service]]}}</ref><br />
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During the [[Nicaraguan Revolution|1980s civil war]] in [[Nicaragua]], the drug situation was intertwined with the US backing of the anti-leftist rebel force known as the [[Contras]]. [[US Senate|Senator]] [[John Kerry]]'s 1988 [[U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations|Senate Committee on Foreign Relations]] report on [[CIA involvement in Contra cocaine trafficking|Contra drug links]] concluded that members of the State Department "who provided support for the Contras are involved in drug trafficking ... and elements of the Contras themselves knowingly receive financial and material assistance from drug traffickers."<ref>Cockburn and St. Clair, 1998: {{Page needed|date=September 2010}}</ref> The involvement included payments to drug traffickers from funds authorized by the Congress for humanitarian assistance to the Contras, in some cases after the traffickers had been indicted by federal law enforcement agencies on drug charges, in others while traffickers were under active investigation by these same agencies."{{Citation needed|date=July 2024}}<br />
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[[File:Panama clashes 1989.JPEG|thumb|right|The [[U.S. Military|U.S. military]] [[United States invasion of Panama|invasion of Panama]] in 1989]]<br />
On December 20, 1989, the [[United States invasion of Panama|US invaded Panama]] with 25,000 American troops in [[United States invasion of Panama|Operation Just Cause]], to depose and arrest the Panamanian head of government, [[Manuel Noriega]]. Noriega had been providing military assistance to Contra groups in Nicaragua at the request of the US, which in turn paid him and tolerated his drug trafficking activities, known since the 1960s.<ref name="whiteout-noriega">Cockburn and St. Clair, 1998: pp. 287–290</ref><ref name="panama-buckley">{{Cite book |last=Buckley |first=Kevin |url=https://archive.org/details/panamawholestory00buck |title=Panama: The Whole Story |publisher=Simon and Schuster |year=1991 |isbn=978-0-671-72794-9 |url-access=registration}}</ref> Relations with the US deteriorated in the mid-1980s, and his dealings with the US government were exposed in the US news media. The killing of a US soldier in Panama was the final act leading to the invasion. Noriega surrendered to US soldiers on January 3, 1990.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Baker |first=Russell |date=January 3, 1990 |title=Observer; Is This Justice Necessary? |url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C0CE5DF123FF930A35752C0A966958260 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080616105410/http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C0CE5DF123FF930A35752C0A966958260 |archive-date=June 16, 2008 |access-date=March 5, 2010 |work=The New York Times Company}}</ref> He was indicted by the DEA and sentenced by a US court to 45 years in prison for [[racketeering]], drug smuggling, and money laundering.<ref name="whiteout-noriega" /><ref name="verdict">{{Cite news |last=Rohter |first=Larry |date=April 10, 1992 |title=The Noriega Verdict; U.S. Jury Convicts Noriega of Drug-Trafficking Role as the Leader of Panama |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1992/04/10/us/noriega-verdict-us-jury-convicts-noriega-drug-trafficking-role-leader-panama.html |access-date=September 28, 2017 |work=The New York Times |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> The [[United Nations General Assembly|UN General Assembly]] resolved that the invasion was a "flagrant violation of international law."<ref>United Nations General Assembly, A/RES/44/240, 88th Plenary Meeting, December 29, 1989 [http://www.un.org/documents/ga/res/44/a44r240.htm]</ref><br />
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[[Ecuador]], located between the world's two largest cocaine-producing countries, Colombia and Peru,has long been a major drug transit point.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Goette-Luciak |first=CD |date=Jan 11, 2024 |title=Cocaine, cartels, and corruption: The crisis in Ecuador, explained |url=https://www.vox.com/world-politics/2024/1/11/24034891/ecuador-drugs-cocaine-cartels-violence-murder-daniel-naboa-columbia-crime |access-date=Mar 22, 2024 |website=[[Vox (website)|Vox]]}}</ref> From 1999, the [[Manta, Ecuador|Manta]] air base was the US military's most prominent South American presence, originating some 100 drug surveillance flights monthly. In 2009, citing unwanted internal influence by the CIA, Ecuador declined to renew the base's lease, ending official US military presence.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Romero |first=Simon |date=April 21, 2008 |title=Ecuador's Leader Purges Military and Moves to Expel American Base |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/21/world/americas/21ecuador.html |access-date=Mar 22, 2024 |website=[[New York Times]]}}</ref><ref name=":13">{{Cite web |date=January 24, 2024 |title=Ecuador: Country Overview and U.S. Relations |url=https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/IF/IF11218 |access-date=Mar 22, 2024 |website=[[Congressional Research Service]]}}</ref> Since 2018, drug activity and [[War on drugs in Ecuador|anti-drug efforts in Ecuador]] have dramatically intensified.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Collyns |first=Dan |date=2023-09-12 |title='We should treat it as a war': Ecuador's descent into drug gang violence |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/sep/12/ecuador-violence-bloody-drug-war |access-date=2024-02-09 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref> In 2023, the US-Ecuador Defense Bilateral Working Group was formed to address the Ecuadorian situation, and a memorandum of agreement to help strengthen the Ecuadorian military was signed.<ref name=":13" /> A drug-related [[2024 Ecuadorian conflict|wider conflict]] broke out in 2024.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Saviano |first=Roberto |date=2024-02-09 |title=The world is hungry for cocaine and happy to buy it. But think of the ravaged countries that pay the price |url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/feb/09/cocaine-ravaged-countries-ecuador-drug-coup-complicit |access-date=2024-02-09 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref><br />
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In 2012, the US sent DEA agents to [[Honduras]] to assist security forces in counternarcotic operations. Honduras has been a major stop for drug traffickers, who use small planes and landing strips hidden throughout the country to transport drugs. The DEA, working with other US agencies such as the State Department, the CBP, and Joint Task Force-Bravo, assisted Honduran troops in conducting raids on traffickers' sites of operation.<ref>{{cite news |date=May 31, 2012 |title=A New Front Line in the U.S. Drug War |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/01/world/americas/honduran-drug-raid-deaths-wont-alter-us-policy.html?pagewanted=all |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121129131648/http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/01/world/americas/honduran-drug-raid-deaths-wont-alter-us-policy.html?pagewanted=all |archive-date=November 29, 2012 |access-date=October 13, 2012 |newspaper=New York Times}}</ref><br />
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[[File:MilitaresMichoacán.jpg|thumb|[[Mexico]] is scheduled to receive US$1.6 billion in equipment and strategic support from the [[United States]] through the [[Mérida Initiative]].]]<br />
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==== Impact on growers ====<br />
The US-supported coca eradication policy has been criticized for its negative impact on the livelihood of South American coca growers, in a region where the coca leaf has traditionally been chewed and used in tea and for religious, medicinal and nutritional purposes by locals<ref name="wa-times-bolivian-coca-growers-fight">{{Cite news |last=Lindsay |first=Reed |date=March 25, 2003 |title=Bolivian Coca Growers Fight Eradication |url=http://www.globalpolicy.org/component/content/article/211-development/44365.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090910174116/http://www.globalpolicy.org/component/content/article/211-development/44365.html |archive-date=September 10, 2009 |access-date=February 3, 2010 |work=Washington Times}}</ref> Making traditional coca cultivation illegal is viewed as unjust. In areas where forced eradication also destroyed other food or market crops, without providing an alternative, farmers were left starving and destitute.<ref name="wa-times-bolivian-coca-growers-fight" /><br />
<!--<br />
Section on poppy eradication in Afghanistan removed because it was not relevant to the War on Drugs and it was factually inaccurate and directly contradicted sourced facts on [[Opium production in Afghanistan#Rise of the Taliban (1994–2001)]] and [[Taliban#Opium]]--><br />
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=== Afghanistan ===<br />
{{See also|Opium production in Afghanistan|War in Afghanistan (2001-2021)}}<br />
In 2001, a US-led military coalition [[United States invasion of Afghanistan|invaded Afghanistan]] and toppled the ruling [[Taliban]] as part of the [[war on terror]] response to [[September 11 attacks|9/11]]. For generations, Afghanistan had been producing opium; the Taliban, in power since 1996, banned opium in 2000, reducing domestic production by 90% within a year, cutting the world opium supply by an estimated 65%. With the invasion, poppy cultivation and opium manufacture resumed, and the war on drugs became an element of the US presence.<ref name=":21" /><br />
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Initially, "everyone did their own thing, not thinking how it fit in with the larger effort. [[United States Department of State|State]] was trying to eradicate, [[United States Agency for International Development|USAID]] was marginally trying to do livelihoods, and DEA was going after bad guys," a senior Department of Defense official stated in a later report. In 2004, opium production dramatically increased and eradication became the focus. The DEA operating budget in Afghanistan grew from $3.7 million in 2004 to $40.6 million in 2008. In 2009, eradication was halted{{snd}}a senior US official called it "the least effective program ever"{{snd}}in favor of an "alternative livelihoods" approach that encouraged farmers to grow other crops. In 2017, eradication once again became the main initiative; the US military launched an aerial campaign involving [[Boeing B-52 Stratofortress|B-52]] bombers and [[Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor|F-22]] fighters striking a network of drug labs that turned out to be mostly empty compounds, though there were significant civilian casualties.<ref name=":21" /><br />
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Undermining US efforts, the prohibitionist policies encouraged a flourishing opium black market, which in turn incentivized widespread, systemic corruption in the Afghan government.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hall |first=Abigail |date=July 20, 2015 |title=The Drug War Failed in Afghanistan Too |url=https://www.usnews.com/opinion/economic-intelligence/2015/07/20/war-on-drugs-failed-in-afghanistan-helped-the-taliban |access-date=May 5, 2024 |website=[[US News and World Report]]}}</ref> In 2018, the US [[Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction]] called the counternarcotics operation to date "a total failure".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Woody |first=Christopher |date=Dec 5, 2019 |title=The war on drugs in Afghanistan 'has just been a total failure,' the US's top watchdog there says |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/sigar-chief-us-war-on-drugs-afghanistan-a-total-failure-2019-12?op=1 |access-date=May 5, 2024 |website=[[Business Insider]]}}</ref> As the US military presence neared an end in 2020, Afghanistan was producing an estimated 85% of the world's opium. Having spent some $9 billion in the 20-year anti-drug campaign, US forces left Afghanistan in 2021, and the Taliban returned to power.<ref name=":21">{{Cite web |last=Fox |first=Kara |date=September 29, 2021 |title=Afghanistan is the world's opium king. Can the Taliban afford to kill off their 'un-Islamic' cash cow? |url=https://www.cnn.com/2021/09/29/asia/taliban-afghanistan-opium-drug-economy-cmd-intl/index.html |access-date=May 5, 2024 |website=[[CNN]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=June 2018 |title=Counternarcotics: Lessons from the U.S. Experience in Afghanistan |url=https://www.sigar.mil/pdf/lessonslearned/SIGAR-18-52-LL-Executive-Summary.pdf |access-date=July 24, 2024 |website=[[Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction]]}}</ref><br />
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== Domestic impact ==<br />
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The social consequences of the drug war have been widely criticized by such organizations as the ACLU as being racially biased against minorities and disproportionately responsible for the exploding [[Incarceration in the United States|United States prison population]]. Critics have compared the wholesale incarceration of the dissenting minority of drug users to the wholesale incarceration of other minorities in history.{{Citation needed|date=March 2024}} Psychiatrist [[Thomas Szasz]] wrote in 1997, "Over the past thirty years, we have replaced the medical-political persecution of illegal sex users ('perverts' and 'psychopaths') with the even more ferocious medical-political persecution of illegal drug users."<ref>''The Manufacture of Madness: A Comparative Study of the Inquisition and the Mental Health Movement'' (1997), p. xi</ref> Assessing from a health perspective, a study in the ''[[Annals of Medicine]]'' noted: "The U.S. war on drugs has subjected millions to criminalisation, incarceration, and lifelong criminal records, disrupting or altogether eliminating their access to adequate resources and supports to live healthy lives."<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Cohen |first1=A |last2=Vakharia |first2=SP |last3=Netherland |first3=J |last4=Frederique |first4=K |date=Dec 2022 |title=How the war on drugs impacts social determinants of health beyond the criminal legal system |journal=[[Annals of Medicine]] |volume=54 |issue=1 |pages=2024–2038 |doi=10.1080/07853890.2022.2100926 |pmid=35852299 |pmc=9302017 }}</ref><br />
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=== Arrest and incarceration ===<br />
{{see also|Incarceration in the United States}}<br />
The war on drugs caused soaring arrest rates in the US that [[Race and the War on Drugs#African American Communities|disproportionately targeted African Americans]] due to various factors.<ref name="HRW">{{cite web |url=https://www.hrw.org/legacy/reports/2000/usa/Rcedrg00-05.htm |title=The Impact of the War on Drugs on U.S. Incarceration |date=May 2000 |access-date=June 10, 2007 |publisher=Human Rights Watch |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081128173127/http://www.hrw.org/legacy/reports/2000/usa/Rcedrg00-05.htm |archive-date=November 28, 2008 |url-status=live }}</ref> Anti-drug and tough-on-crime policies from the 1970s through the 1990s created a situation where the US, with less than 5% of the world population, houses nearly 25% of the world's prisoners. Increased demand lead to the development of privatization and the [[Incarceration in the United States#Privatization|for-profit prison industry]].<ref>[[Private prison#Development 3|Development of private prisons in the United States]]</ref> {{As of|2015}}, the US prison population rate was 716 per 100,000 people, the highest in the world, six times higher than Canada and six to nine times higher than Western European countries.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Ye Hee Lee |first=Michelle |date=April 30, 2015 |title=Does the United States really have 5 percent of the world's population and one quarter of the world's prisoners? |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/fact-checker/wp/2015/04/30/does-the-united-states-really-have-five-percent-of-worlds-population-and-one-quarter-of-the-worlds-prisoners/ |access-date=Dec 30, 2023 |newspaper=[[Washington Post]]}}</ref><br />
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[[File:US incarceration rate timeline.gif|thumb|upright=1.35|Graph demonstrating increases in [[United States incarceration rate]]]]<br />
In the 1980s, while the number of arrests for all crimes had risen by 28%, the number of arrests for drug offenses rose 126%.<ref>Austin J, McVey AD. The 1989 NCCD prison population forecast: the impact of the war on drugs. San Francisco: National Council on Crime and Delinquency, 1989.</ref> In 1994, the ''[[New England Journal of Medicine]]'' reported that the war on drugs resulted in the incarceration of one million Americans each year.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Grinspoon |first1=Lester |author-link1=Lester Grinspoon |last2=Bakalar |first2=James B. |date=February 3, 1994 |title=The War on Drugs – A Peace Proposal |journal=[[New England Journal of Medicine]] |volume=330 |issue=5 |pages=357–360 |doi=10.1056/NEJM199402033300513 |pmid=8043062}}</ref> In 2008, ''[[The Washington Post]]'' reported that of 1.5 million Americans arrested each year for drug offenses, half a million would be incarcerated, and one in five black Americans would spend time behind bars due to drug laws.<ref name="WaPo">{{cite news |first=George F. |last=Will |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/28/AR2009102803801.html |title=A reality check on drug use |author-link=George Will |date=October 29, 2009 |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |page=A19 |access-date=September 18, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171008145041/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/28/AR2009102803801.html |archive-date=October 8, 2017 |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2019, the FBI estimated about 1.5 million drug arrests nationally, 32.1% for cannabis and 31% for "other dangerous nonnarcotic drugs".<ref>{{Cite web |date=2019 |title=Crime in the United States 2019 |url=https://ucr.fbi.gov/crime-in-the-u.s/2019/crime-in-the-u.s.-2019/topic-pages/persons-arrested |access-date=June 28, 2024 |website=[[Federal Bureau of Investigation]]}}</ref><!---quoting the March 2009 Economist---><br />
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Federal and state policies also impose [[Collateral consequences of criminal charges|collateral consequences]] on those convicted of drug offenses, separate from fines and prison time, that are not applicable to other types of crime.<ref name="collateral">Gabriel J. Chin, [https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=390109 "Race, The War on Drugs, and the Collateral Consequences of Criminal Conviction"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080421195145/https://ssrn.com/abstract=390109 |date=April 21, 2008 }}, v. 6 ''Journal of Gender, Race, Justice'' p. 253 (2002)</ref> In order to comply with a federal law known as the [[Solomon–Lautenberg amendment]], a number of states require a six-months driver's license suspension for anyone convicted of a drug offense.<ref>{{cite news|title=States Are Pressed to Suspend Driver Licenses of Drug Users|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1990/11/16/us/states-are-pressed-to-suspend-driver-licenses-of-drug-users.html|access-date=May 29, 2018|work=The New York Times|agency=Associated Press|date=November 16, 1990|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180704093811/https://www.nytimes.com/1990/11/16/us/states-are-pressed-to-suspend-driver-licenses-of-drug-users.html|archive-date=July 4, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{citation |last1=Aiken |first1=Joshua |title=Reinstating Common Sense: How driver's license suspensions for drug offenses unrelated to driving are falling out of favor |url=https://www.prisonpolicy.org/driving/national.html |access-date=May 29, 2018 |publisher=Prison Policy Initiative |date=December 12, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{citation |title="Possess a Joint, Lose Your License": July 1995 Status Report |url=http://www.mpp.org/site/c.glKZLeMQIsG/b.1087547/k.33C1/Possess_a_Joint_Lose_Your_License.htm |publisher=Marijuana Policy Project |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071008235035/http://www.mpp.org/site/c.glKZLeMQIsG/b.1087547/k.33C1/Possess_a_Joint_Lose_Your_License.htm |archive-date=October 8, 2007 |url-status=dead}}</ref> Other examples of collateral consequences for drug offenses, or for [[felony]] offenses in general, include loss of [[Licensure|professional license]], loss of ability to [[Gun law in the United States|purchase a firearm]], loss of eligibility for [[Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program|food stamps]], loss of eligibility for [[Federal Student Aid]], loss of eligibility to live in [[Subsidized housing in the United States|public housing]], [[Felony disenfranchisement in the United States|loss of ability to vote]], and [[deportation]],<ref name="collateral" /> a total of over 460 benefits at risk at the federal level alone.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Schlosser |first=Eric |date=August 1994 |title=Reefer Madness |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/1994/08/reefer-madness/303476/ |access-date=May 15, 2024 |website=[[The Atlantic]]}}</ref> The US provides for the deportation of non-citizens convicted of drug offenses.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Yates |first1=Jeff |last2=Collins |first2=Todd |last3=Chin |first3=Gabriel J. |year=1995 |title=A War on Drugs or a War on Immigrants? Expanding the Definition of 'Drug Trafficking' in Determining Aggravated Felon Status for Non-Citizens |url=https://ssrn.com/abstract=774866 |journal=Maryland Law Review |volume=64 |page=875 |access-date=February 28, 2021}}</ref><br />
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==== Prison overcrowding ====<br />
One consequence of the war on drugs policy has been the overcrowding of American prisons. The policy's approach to prosecuting drug-related crimes led to a surge in incarcerated individuals for nonviolent drug offenses. As a result, many prisons have become overburdened, often operating at capacities far beyond their intended limits. Overcrowding strains the prison system and raises questions about the effectiveness of incarceration as a solution to drug-related issues.<ref>{{cite web |date=June 2013 |title=The War on Marijuana in Black and White |url=https://www.aclu.org/press-releases/war-marijuana-black-and-white-billions-dollars-wasted-racially-biased-arrests |website=[[American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)]] |publisher=}}</ref> Resources that could be allocated to address the root causes of drug abuse, provide rehabilitation and treatment programs, or support communities affected by drug-related issues, are instead used to manage the considerable prison population. Critics argue that focusing solely on incarceration fails to address the underlying social factors contributing to drug abuse and perpetuates a cycle of criminality without offering pathways to recovery and reintegration into society.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Human Rights Impact of Over-Incarceration in the U.S. |date= May 2015 |url=https://www.ohchr.org/sites/default/files/Documents/Issues/RuleOfLaw/OverIncarceration/ACLU.pdf |publisher=Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)}}</ref><br />
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==== Racial disparities in sentencing ====<br />
{{Main|Race and the War on Drugs}}<br />
Racial disparities have been a prominent and contentious aspect of the war on drugs in the US. In 1957, a belief at the time about drug use was summarized by journalist [[Max Lerner]] in his work, ''America as a Civilization'': "As a case in point we may take the known fact of the prevalence of reefer and dope addiction in Negro areas. This is essentially explained in terms of poverty, slum living, and broken families, yet it would be easy to show the lack of drug addiction among other ethnic groups where the same conditions apply."<ref>{{Cite book |last=Inciardi |first=James A |title=The War on Drugs IV: The Continuing Saga of the Mysteries and Miseries of Intoxication, Addiction, Crime, and Public Policy |publisher=[[Allyn and Bacon]] |year=2008 |page=248}}</ref><br />
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The Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1986 created a 100:1 sentencing disparity in the US for the trafficking or possession of [[crack cocaine|crack]] when compared to penalties for trafficking of [[cocaine|powder cocaine]].<ref name="wa-post-dispar-2010">{{Cite news|title=Congress passes bill to reduce disparity in crack, powder cocaine sentencing|last=Abrams|first=Jim|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|date=July 29, 2010|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/07/28/AR2010072802969.html|access-date=September 18, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170905174012/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/07/28/AR2010072802969.html|archive-date=September 5, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="celling-america-246-247">Burton-Rose (ed.), 1998: pp. 246–247</ref><ref name="gates-of-injustice" /><ref>{{cite web| author = United States Sentencing Commission | title = Cocaine and Federal Sentencing Policy | year = 2002 | page = 6 | url = http://www.ussc.gov/r_congress/02crack/2002crackrpt.pdf | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070715212213/http://www.ussc.gov/r_congress/02crack/2002crackrpt.pdf | archive-date = July 15, 2007 | access-date=August 24, 2010 | quote = As a result of the 1986 Act ... penalties for a first-time cocaine trafficking offense: 5 grams or more of crack cocaine = five-year mandatory minimum penalty}}</ref> The bill had been widely criticized as discriminatory against minorities, mostly blacks, who were more likely to use crack than powder cocaine.<ref name="WashPost">[https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/08/02/AR2010080204360.html "The Fair Sentencing Act corrects a long-time wrong in cocaine cases"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171120014727/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/08/02/AR2010080204360.html |date=November 20, 2017 }}, ''[[The Washington Post]]'', August 3, 2010. Retrieved September 30, 2010.</ref> In 1994, studying the effects of the 100:1 sentencing ratio, the [[United States Sentencing Commission]] (USSC) found that nearly two-thirds of crack users were white or Hispanic, while nearly 85% of those convicted for possession were black, with similar numbers for trafficking. Powder cocaine offenders were more equally divided across race. The USSC noted that these disparities resulted in African Americans serving longer prison sentences than other ethnicities. In a 1995 report to Congress, the USSC recommended against the 100:1 sentencing ratio.<ref>{{Cite web |title=A Social History of America's Most Popular Drugs |url=https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/drugs/buyers/socialhistory.html?scrlybr |access-date=Dec 13, 2023 |website=[[PBS Frontline]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=United States Sentencing Commission |date=Feb 1995 |title=Special Report to the Congress: Cocaine and Federal Sentencing Policy |url=https://www.ussc.gov/sites/default/files/pdf/news/congressional-testimony-and-reports/drug-topics/199502-rtc-cocaine-sentencing-policy/1995-Crack-Report_Full.pdf |access-date=Dec 13, 2023 |website=[[United States Sentencing Commission]]}}</ref> In 2010, the 100:1 sentencing ratio was reduced to 18:1.<ref name="WashPost" /><ref name="thomas.loc.gov"/><br />
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Other studies indicated similarly dramatic racial differences in enforcement and sentencing. Statistics from 1998 show that there were wide racial disparities in arrests, prosecutions, sentencing and deaths. African-American drug users made up for 35% of drug arrests, 55% of convictions, and 74% of people sent to prison for drug possession crimes.<ref name="celling-america-246-247" /> Nationwide African-Americans were sent to state prisons for drug offenses 13 times more often than other races,<ref name="hrw-race-key-findings">{{cite web |title=Key Findings at a Glance |url=https://www.hrw.org/legacy/campaigns/drugs/war/key-facts.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140816062935/http://www.hrw.org/legacy/campaigns/drugs/war/key-facts.htm |archive-date=August 16, 2014 |access-date=February 3, 2010 |website=Racial Disparities in the War on Drugs |publisher=Human Rights Watch}}</ref> even though they supposedly constituted only 13% of regular drug users.<ref name="celling-america-246-247" /> Human Rights Watch's report, "Race and the Drug War" (2000), provided extensive documentation of racial disparities, citing statistics and case studies highlighting the unequal treatment of racial and ethnic groups by law enforcement agencies, particularly in drug arrests.<ref name="Human Rights Watch 2000">{{cite web |author=Human Rights Watch |date=2000 |title=Race and the Drug War |url=https://www.hrw.org/legacy/reports/2000/usa/Rcedrg00-04.htm}}</ref> According to the report, in the US in 1999, compared to non-minorities, African Americans were far more likely to be arrested for drug crimes, and received much stiffer penalties and sentences.<ref name="hrw-race-summary-recommendations">{{cite web |year=2000 |title=I. Summary and Recommendations |url=https://www.hrw.org/legacy/reports/2000/usa/Rcedrg00.htm#P54_1086 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100207063858/http://www.hrw.org/legacy/reports/2000/usa/Rcedrg00.htm#P54_1086 |archive-date=February 7, 2010 |access-date=February 3, 2010 |website=Punishment and Prejudice: Racial Disparities in the War on Drugs |publisher=Human Rights Watch}}</ref><br />
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Reporting on the effects of state initiatives, the Department of Justice found that, from 1990 through 2000, "the increasing number of drug offenses accounted for 27% of the total growth among black inmates, 7% of the total growth among Hispanic inmates, and 15% of the growth among white inmates."{{Citation needed|date=May 2024}}<br />
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In ''Malign Neglect – Race Crime and Punishment in America'' (1995), criminologist [[Michael Tonry]] wrote, "The War on Drugs foreseeably and unnecessarily blighted the lives of hundreds and thousands of young disadvantaged black Americans and undermined decades of effort to improve the life chances of members of the urban black underclass."<ref>Michael Tonry, Malign Neglect – Race Crime and Punishment in America (London: Oxford University Press, 1995), 82.</ref><br />
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==== Permanent underclass creation ====<br />
[[File:Utah State Prison Wasatch Facility.jpg|thumb|Approximately 1 million people are [[United States incarceration rate|incarcerated every year in the United States]] for drug law violations.]]<br />
Penalties for drug crimes among American youth almost always involve permanent or semi-permanent removal from opportunities for education, [[Felony disenfranchisement|strip them of voting rights]], and later involve creation of criminal records which make employment more difficult. One-fifth of the US prison population are incarcerated for a drug offence.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Plant |first1=Michael |last2=Singer |first2=Peter |date=2021-05-04 |title=Why drugs should be not only decriminalised, but fully legalised |url=https://www.newstatesman.com/international/2021/05/why-drugs-should-be-not-only-decriminalised-fully-legalised |access-date=2021-05-22 |website=www.newstatesman.com |language=en}}</ref> Thus, some authors maintain that the War on Drugs has resulted in the creation of a permanent underclass of people who have few educational or job opportunities, often as a result of being punished for drug offenses which in turn have resulted from attempts to earn a living in spite of having no education or job opportunities.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Blumenson |first1=Eric |last2=Nilsen |first2=Eva S. |date=May 16, 2002 |title=How to construct an underclass, ''or'' how the War on Drugs became a war on education |url=http://blogs.law.columbia.edu/4cs/files/2008/11/blumenson-and-nilsenlawrev.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100622164812/http://blogs.law.columbia.edu/4cs/files/2008/11/blumenson-and-nilsenlawrev.pdf |archive-date=June 22, 2010 |access-date=August 7, 2011 |publisher=Drug Policy Forum of Massachusetts}}</ref><ref name="HuffPost">{{Cite web |last=Newman |first=Tony |date=Jan 3, 2013 |title=Connecting the Dots: 10 Disastrous Consequences of the Drug War |url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/drug-war-consequences_b_2404347 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190623232618/https://www.huffpost.com/entry/drug-war-consequences_b_2404347 |archive-date=June 23, 2019 |access-date=July 5, 2019 |work=HuffPost}}</ref><br />
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In her 2010 book, ''The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness'', Michelle Alexander argues that the war on drugs has effectively perpetuated a racial caste system, with African American and Hispanic individuals experiencing disproportionately high rates of arrest, conviction, and incarceration for drug-related offenses. This system functions as a modern form of racial control, stripping individuals of their rights and opportunities, and reinforcing societal inequalities. According to Alexander, the consequences extend beyond criminal justice, affecting economic opportunities, access to education, and overall social mobility for affected individuals and communities.<ref name="Michelle Alexander 2010">{{cite book |last=Alexander |first=Michelle |title=The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness |publisher=The New Press |year=2010 |isbn=978-1595581037}}</ref><br />
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[[File:Marion_Barry_smoking_crack.gif|right|thumb|[[D.C. Mayor|D.C. mayor]] [[Marion Barry]] captured on a surveillance camera smoking [[crack cocaine]] during a sting operation by the [[FBI]] and [[D.C. Police]]]]<br />
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=== Drug testing in the workplace ===<br />
Workplace [[drug test]]ing has been widespread and controversial in the US since the late 1980s: there is no clear measure of its effectiveness in improving safety and productivity, and testing affects significantly more non-whites than whites. Testing is more prevalent in the US than elsewhere in the world.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |last=Engber |first=Daniel |date=Dec 27, 2015 |title=Why Do Employers Still Routinely Drug-Test Workers? |url=https://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/cover_story/2015/12/workplace_drug_testing_is_widespread_but_ineffective.html |access-date=Jan 24, 2024 |website=[[Slate (magazine)|Slate]]}}</ref> Most common is urine analysis for amphetamines, cocaine, marijuana, opioids and PCP;<ref>{{Cite web |date= November 21, 2023|title=Drug Testing |url=https://nida.nih.gov/research-topics/drug-testing#detect |access-date=Jan 24, 2024 |website=[[National Institutes of Health]]}}</ref> usually with no practical discrimination between the effects of the different drugs.<ref name=":4" /> Workplace testing rapidly gained popularity after the Reagan administration made it mandatory for federal workers, peaking in 1996, with 81% of companies reporting drug screening, up from 21% in 1987.<ref name=":8">{{Cite news |last=DePillis |first=Lydia |date=March 10, 2015 |title=Companies drug test a lot less than they used to – because it doesn't really work |newspaper=[[Washington Post]] |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2015/03/10/companies-drug-test-a-lot-less-than-they-used-to-because-it-doesnt-really-work/ |access-date=Jan 24, 2024}}</ref><ref name=":4" /><br />
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In the 1980s, testing had been promoted to business as a way to reclaim what were said to be huge losses in productivity caused by drug use. Studies released in the 1990s refuted these claims; a 1994 report from the [[National Academy of Sciences]], "Under the Influence? Drugs and the American Work Force", concluded that "the data... do not provide clear evidence of the deleterious effects of drugs other than alcohol on safety and other job performance indicators." By 2004, workplace testing was down to 62% of companies,<ref name=":8" /> in 2015, it was reported as below 50%. Drug use continues to be blamed for productivity losses, and testing remains common.<ref name=":4" /><br />
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In 2021, some companies began to reduce drug testing in order to improve hiring prospects in a tight labor market. [[Amazon (company)|Amazon]], America's second largest employer, eliminated cannabis testing in job pre-screening, where not required by government regulations, stating, "Pre-employment marijuana testing has disproportionately affected communities of color by stalling job placement." In a survey of 45,000 companies worldwide, 9% reported the elimination of testing in order to improve hiring.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=McCluskey |first=Megan |date=Oct 20, 2021 |title=Amid a Labor Shortage, Companies Are Eliminating Drug Tests. It's a Trend That Could Create More Equitable Workplaces |url=https://time.com/6103798/workplace-drug-testing/ |access-date=Jan 24, 2024 |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|TIME]]}}</ref> In 2022, thousands of US truck drivers were taken off the road after testing positive for cannabis, contributing to a severe driver shortage; a conflict between the majority of states with some form of cannabis legalization, and the federal [[United States Department of Transportation|Department of Transportation]]'s zero-tolerance cannabis policy, even for medical use, is cited as an issue.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Davis |first=Leesa |date=May 18, 2022 |title=Marijuana violations have taken over 10,000 truck drivers off the road this year, adding more supply chain disruptions |url=https://stacker.com/society/marijuana-violations-have-taken-over-10000-truck-drivers-road-year-adding-more-supply-chain |access-date=Feb 17, 2024 |website=[[Stacker]]}}</ref><br />
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=== Public opinion ===<br />
{{further|Arguments for and against drug prohibition}}<br />
[[File:ONDCP_Pothead.gif|thumb|upright|A US government domestic public interest poster {{circa}} 2000 concerning [[cannabis in the United States]]]]<br />
In the 21st century, according to polling, a majority of Americans have been skeptical about the methods and effectiveness of the war on drugs. In 2014, a [[Pew Research Center]] poll found found that 67% of Americans feel that a movement towards treatment for drugs like cocaine and heroin is better versus 26% who feel that prosecution is the better route. Moving away from mandatory prison terms for drug crimes was favored by two-thirds of the population, a substantial shift from a fifty-fifty split in 2001. A large majority saw alcohol as a greater danger to health (69%) and society (63%) than cannabis.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2014-04-02 |title=America's New Drug Policy Landscape {{!}} Pew Research Center |url=http://www.people-press.org/2014/04/02/americas-new-drug-policy-landscape/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181029091742/http://www.people-press.org/2014/04/02/americas-new-drug-policy-landscape/ |archive-date=October 29, 2018 |access-date=2018-10-23 |work=Pew Research Center for the People and the Press |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2014-04-01 |title=New Pew Poll Confirms Americans Ready to End War on Drugs |url=https://drugpolicy.org/news/new-pew-poll-confirms-americans-ready-end-war-drugs/ |access-date=2018-10-22 |website=Drug Policy Alliance |language=en}}</ref> In [[Gallup, Inc.|Gallup]] polls on whether cannabis should be legal, 15% of Americans agreed in March 1972, rising to 28% in April 1977, where it roughly stayed until 2000, when it began rising again, to 68% in October 2021.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Qamar |first=Zoha |date=Oct 14, 2022 |title=Five Decades Into The War On Drugs, Decriminalizing Marijuana Has High Bipartisan Support |url=https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/five-decades-into-the-war-on-drugs-decriminalizing-marijuana-has-high-bipartisan-support/ |access-date=Apr 11, 2024 |website=[[FiveThirtyEight]]}}</ref> In May 2021, a Bully Pulpit Interactive/ACLU poll found that 83% of Americans, across party lines, considered the war on drugs a failure, and 12% considered it a success.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Slisco |first=Aila |date=Jun 10, 2021 |title=Two-Thirds of American Voters Support Decriminalizing All Drugs: Poll |url=https://www.newsweek.com/two-thirds-american-voters-support-decriminalizing-all-drugs-poll-1599645 |access-date=Apr 11, 2024 |website=[[Newsweek]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=June 9, 2021 |title=Poll Results on American Attitudes Toward War on Drugs |url=https://www.aclu.org/documents/poll-results-american-attitudes-toward-war-drugs |access-date=Apr 11, 2024 |website=[[American Civil Liberties Union]]}}</ref><br />
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=== Legality ===<br />
{{Main|Legality of the War on Drugs}}<br />
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The legality of drug prohibition within the US has been challenged on various grounds. One argument holds that drug prohibition, as presently implemented, violates the [[substantive due process]] doctrine in that its benefits do not justify the encroachments on rights that are supposed to be guaranteed by the [[Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution|Fifth]] and [[Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution|Fourteenth]] Amendments to the U.S. Constitution.<ref>{{cite web |last=Redlich |first=Warren |authorlink=Warren Redlich |date=2005-02-05 |title=A Substantive Due Process Challenge to the War on Drugs |url=http://www.redlichlaw.com/crim/substantive-due-process-drug-war.pdf |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150217035034/http://www.redlichlaw.com/crim/substantive-due-process-drug-war.pdf |archivedate=2015-02-17 |quote=It is true that the approach suggested in this paper would limit police power. Constitutional protection of individual rights exists for that very purpose. We face coercive government action, carried out in a corrupt and racist manner, with military and paramilitary assaults on our homes, leading to mass incarceration and innocent deaths. We can never forget the tyranny of a government unrestrained by an independent judiciary. Our courts must end the War on Drugs.}}</ref><ref>[http://www.boalt.org/bjcl/v8/v8tennenprint.htm Is the Constitution in Harm's Way? Substantive Due Process and Criminal Law] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110703081522/http://www.boalt.org/bjcl/v8/v8tennenprint.htm|date=2011-07-03}} Eric Tennen</ref> Another argument interprets the [[Commerce Clause]] to mean that drugs should be regulated in state law not federal law.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Shapiro |first=Ilya |date=Summer 2020 |title=This is Your Constitution on Drugs |url=https://www.nationalaffairs.com/publications/detail/this-is-your-constitution-on-drugs |access-date=May 2, 2024 |website=[[National Affairs]]}}</ref> A third argument states that the reverse [[Legal burden of proof|burden of proof]] in drug-possession cases is incompatible with the [[rule of law]], in that the power to convict is effectively taken from the courts and given to those who are willing to plant evidence.<ref>{{cite web |last=Anon |title=The universally unconstitutional war on drugs (3rd Ed.) |url=http://atlanta.indymedia.org/local/universally-unconstitutional-war-drugs-3rd-ed |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120707011613/http://atlanta.indymedia.org/local/universally-unconstitutional-war-drugs-3rd-ed |archive-date=2012-07-07 |access-date=2011-07-31}}</ref><br />
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{{anchor|Efficacy}}<br />
<br />
== Efficacy ==<br />
There is no clear measure of the effectiveness of the war on drugs, and it has been widely called a [[Governance failure|policy failure]].<ref name="War on Drugs" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Chalabi |first=Mona |date=Apr 16, 2016 |title=The 'war on drugs' in numbers: a systematic failure of policy |website=[[TheGuardian.com]] |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/apr/19/war-on-drugs-statistics-systematic-policy-failure-united-nations |access-date=Feb 21, 2024 |quote=Since Richard Nixon declared the war on drugs in 1971, it seems as though people rather than products have been most directly affected. But lack of data makes it hard to understand the impact: like most illicit activities, drug production, trade and use is hard to measure accurately. And without knowing baseline values, it's hard to understand the effect of any given policy – let alone comparing the impact of various policies. However, where long-term data is available, it does point to systematic failures in drug policies.}}</ref>{{Refn|News media, scholarly studies, government officials and leaders, and a variety of NGOs have determined the war on drugs to be a policy failure<ref>{{cite magazine |title=End the Drug War |url=https://foreignpolicy.com/2012/03/20/end-the-drug-war/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170913015602/http://foreignpolicy.com/2012/03/20/end-the-drug-war/ |archive-date=September 13, 2017 |access-date=12 July 2017 |magazine=Foreign Policy}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Friesendorf |first1=Cornelius |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Vxx9AgAAQBAJ&pg=PA19 |title=US Foreign Policy and the War on Drugs: Displacing the Cocaine and Heroin Industry |date=2007 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=9781134123940 |language=en |access-date=12 July 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Peter |first1=Andreas |author-link=Peter Andreas |date=22 June 2003 |title=A Tale of Two Borders: The U.S.–Mexico and U.S.–Canada Lines After 9/11 |url=https://escholarship.org/uc/item/6d09j0n2 |url-status=live |journal=Center for Comparative Immigration Studies |language=en |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180827075426/https://escholarship.org/uc/item/6d09j0n2 |archive-date=August 27, 2018 |access-date=12 July 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite thesis |last=Westhoff |first=Lotte Berendje Rozemarijn |date=2013 |title=Ronald Reagan's War on Drugs: A Policy Failure But A Political Success |type=MA |publisher=Leiden University |hdl=1887/21802 |url=https://hdl.handle.net/1887/21802 |access-date=29 November 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Bagley |first1=Bruce Michael |date=1988 |title=US Foreign Policy and the War on Drugs: Analysis of a Policy Failure |journal=Journal of Interamerican Studies and World Affairs |volume=30 |issue=2/3 |pages=189–212 |doi=10.2307/165986 |jstor=165986}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Mitchell |first=Ojmarrh |date=2009-01-01 |title=Ineffectiveness, Financial Waste, and Unfairness: The Legacy of the War on Drugs |url=https://doi.org/10.1080/0735648X.2009.9721268 |journal=Journal of Crime and Justice |volume=32 |issue=2 |pages=1–19 |doi=10.1080/0735648X.2009.9721268 |issn=0735-648X |s2cid=144508042}}</ref>|group=note}} Thirty years into the campaign, a [[United States National Research Council|National Research Council]] report, "Informing America's Policy on Illegal Drugs" (2001), found that "existing drug-use monitoring systems are strikingly inadequate to support the full range of policy decisions that the nation must make." The report noted that studies of efforts to address drug usage and smuggling, from US military operations to eradicate coca fields in Colombia, to domestic drug treatment centers, had all been inconclusive, if the programs had been evaluated at all: It concluded, "It is unconscionable for this country to continue to carry out a public policy of this magnitude and cost without any way of knowing whether and to what extent it is having the desired effect."<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20081205024427/http://www.dpeg.org/dpeg_2001_spg.pdf Drug Policy News], Drug Policy Education Group, Vol. 2 No. 1, Spring/Summer 2001, p. 5</ref><ref>{{Cite book |date=2001 |editor-last=Manski |editor-first=Charles F. |editor2-last=Pepper |editor2-first=John V. |editor3-last=Petrie |editor3-first=Carol V. |title=Informing America's Policy on Illegal Drugs: What We Don't Know Keeps Hurting Us |url=https://nap.nationalacademies.org/read/10021/chapter/1 |access-date=Feb 3, 2024 |publisher=[[National Academies of Sciences]] |doi=10.17226/10021 |isbn=978-0-309-07273-1 }}</ref><br />
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Writing in the ''[[New Statesman|New Statesmen]]'' in 2021, journalist [[James Bloodworth (journalist)|James Bloodworth]] stated, "The war on drugs is a failure. We know this. We've long known it. In fact, there is such an abundance of evidence for its failure that we have more certainty here than in most areas of policy. ... According to the [[International Drug Policy Consortium]] there was a 31 per cent global increase in drug taking between 2011 and 2016. ... It is impossible to suppress the demand for drugs." He quoted [[Helen Clark]], former prime minister of [[New Zealand]] and head of the Global Commission on Drug Policy: "The total elimination of drugs? Dream on, there's never been a time in human history where human beings haven't resorted to some kind of substances that will take them out of their current reality for whatever reason."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bloodworth |first=James |date=Dec 7, 2021 |title=The government is tripping if it thinks this renewed war on drugs won't backfire |url=https://www.newstatesman.com/politics/health/2021/12/the-government-is-tripping-if-it-thinks-this-renewed-war-on-drugs-wont-backfire |access-date=Apr 9, 2024 |website=[[New Statesman]]}}</ref><br />
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=== Interdiction ===<br />
{{See also|Supply reduction|Illegal drug trade}}<br />
[[File:Rentz vs Narcotics Smugglers.jpg|thumb|upright=1.35|right|{{USS|Rentz|FFG-46}} attempts to put out a fire set by drug smugglers trying to escape and destroy evidence.]]<br />
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{{External media | width = 210px | float = right | headerimage= | video1 =[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xWY79JCfhjw A Conversation with President Obama and David Simon] (''The Wire'' creator), discussing ''[[The Wire]]'' and the War on Drugs, The [[White House]]<ref name="Pres">{{cite web | title =The President Interviews the Creator of "The Wire" About the War on Drugs | date =March 26, 2015 | url =https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/blog/2015/03/26/watch-president-sits-down-creator-wire-talk-about-war-drugs | access-date =March 28, 2015 | archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20170130023411/https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/blog/2015/03/26/watch-president-sits-down-creator-wire-talk-about-war-drugs | archive-date =January 30, 2017 | via =[[NARA|National Archives]] | work =[[whitehouse.gov]] | url-status =live }}</ref> }}<br />
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In 1988, the [[RAND Corporation]] released a [[United States Department of Defense|Department of Defense]]-funded two-year study, ''Sealing the Borders: The Effects of Increased Military Participation in Drug Interdiction''. It concluded that the use of the armed forces to interdict drugs coming into the US would have little or no effect on cocaine traffic and might, in fact, raise the profits of cocaine cartels and manufacturers. It noted that seven prior studies, including one by the Center for Naval Research and the [[Office of Technology Assessment]], had come to similar conclusions.<ref>Peter H. Reuter, ''Sealing the borders: the effects of increased military participation in drug interdiction'' (RAND 1988); Robert E. Kessler, "Study: Military Can't Curb Drugs", ''Newsday'', May 23, 1988 at 23; "Military support would have little effect on drug smuggling, study says", United Press International, March 4, 1988.</ref><br />
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[[File:MOJO-July-August-Cover200x262.jpg|thumb|upright|2009 ''[[Mother Jones (magazine)|Mother Jones]]'' magazine cover]]<br />
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In mid-1995, the US government tried to reduce the supply of [[methamphetamine]] precursors to disrupt the market of this drug. According to a 2009 study, this effort was successful, but its effects were largely temporary.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Dobkin |first1=Carlos |last2=Nicosia |first2=Nancy |title=The War on Drugs: Methamphetamine, Public Health, and Crime |journal=American Economic Review |date=February 2009 |volume=99 |issue=1 |pages=324–349 |doi=10.1257/aer.99.1.324 |pmid=20543969 |pmc=2883188}}</ref><br />
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In the six years from 2000 to 2006, the U.S. spent $4.7 billion on [[Plan Colombia]], an effort to eradicate coca production in Colombia. The main result of this effort was to shift coca production into more remote areas and force other forms of adaptation. The overall acreage cultivated for coca in Colombia at the end of the six years was found to be the same, after the US Drug Czar's office announced a change in measuring methodology in 2005 and included new areas in its surveys.<ref name = "est">{{cite web| date =April 14, 2006 | url =http://www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov/news/press06/041406.html | title =2005 Coca Estimates for Colombia | publisher =Office of National Drug Control Policy |access-date=October 4, 2007 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070927234649/http://www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov/news/press06/041406.html <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archive-date = September 27, 2007}}</ref> Cultivation in the neighboring countries of Peru and Bolivia increased, some would describe this effect like squeezing a balloon.<ref>Juan Forero, "Colombia's Coca Survives U.S. plan to uproot it", ''The New York Times'', August 19, 2006</ref><br />
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[[Richard Davenport-Hines]], in his book ''The Pursuit of Oblivion'', criticized the efficacy of the war on drugs by pointing out that "10–15% of illicit heroin and 30% of illicit cocaine is intercepted. Drug traffickers have gross profit margins of up to 300%. At least 75% of illicit drug shipments would have to be intercepted before the traffickers' profits were hurt."<ref>{{cite book |last1=Davenport-Hines |first1=Richard Peter Treadwell |url=https://archive.org/details/pursuitofoblivio00dave |title=The Pursuit of Oblivion: A Global History of Narcotics |publisher=W. W. Norton |year=2002 |isbn=978-0-393-05189-6 |location=New York |oclc=301684673 |author-link1=Richard Davenport-Hines}}</ref><br />
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[[Alberto Fujimori]], president of Peru from 1990 to 2000, described US foreign drug policy as "failed": "For 10 years, there has been a considerable sum invested by the Peruvian government and another sum on the part of the American government, and this has not led to a reduction in the supply of coca leaf offered for sale. Rather, in the 10 years from 1980 to 1990, it grew 10-fold."<ref>Don Podesta and Douglas Farah, "Drug Policy in Andes Called Failure", ''[[The Washington Post]]'', March 27, 1993</ref><br />
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According to a report commissioned by the [[Drug Policy Alliance]], and released in March 2006 by the Justice Policy Institute, harsher sentences for drug offenses committed in [[drug-free school zone]]s are ineffective at keeping youths away from drugs, and instead create strong racial disparities in the judicial system.<ref name="justice">{{cite web |title=How drug-free zone laws impact racial disparity–and fail to protect youth |url=http://www.justicepolicy.org/article.php?id=575 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060718134920/http://www.justicepolicy.org/article.php?id=575 |archive-date=July 18, 2006 |accessdate=July 27, 2006 |publisher=Justice Policy Institute |df=mdy}}</ref><br />
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According to data collected by the [[Federal Bureau of Prisons]] 45.3% of all criminal charges were drug related and 25.5% of sentences for all charges last 5–10 years. Furthermore, non-whites make up 41.4% of the federal prison system's population and over half are under the age of 40.<ref>{{Cite web |title=BOP Statistics: Inmate Race |url=https://www.bop.gov/about/statistics/statistics_inmate_race.jsp |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190730093024/https://www.bop.gov/about/statistics/statistics_inmate_race.jsp |archive-date=July 30, 2019 |access-date=2019-08-15 |website=www.bop.gov}}</ref> The Bureau of Justice Statistics states that over 80% of all drug related charges are for possession rather than the sale or manufacture of drugs.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Crime & Justice Electronic Data Abstracts, Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) |url=https://www.bjs.gov/content/dcf/tables/salespos.cfm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190815133306/https://www.bjs.gov/content/dcf/tables/salespos.cfm |archive-date=August 15, 2019 |access-date=2019-08-15 |website=www.bjs.gov}}</ref><br />
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=== Drug use ===<br />
In 2005, the federally funded [[Monitoring the Future]] annual survey reported about 85% of high school seniors found marijuana "easy to obtain", virtually unchanged since 1975, never dropping below 82.7% in three decades of national surveys.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.monitoringthefuture.org/data/05data/pr05t13.pdf |title=Table 13: Trends in Availability of Drugs as Perceived by Twelfth Graders |last1=Johnston |first1=L. D. |last2=O'Malley |first2=P. M. |last3=Bachman |first3=J. G. |last4=Schulenberg |first4=J. E. |date=November 30, 2005 |website=Teen drug use down but progress halts among youngest teens |publisher=Monitoring the Future |access-date=August 23, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110724223128/http://www.monitoringthefuture.org/data/05data/pr05t13.pdf |archive-date=July 24, 2011 |url-status=live }}</ref> The DEA stated that the number of users of cannabis in the US declined between 2000 and 2005, even with many states passing new [[medical cannabis]] laws, making access easier,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.justice.gov/dea/marijuana_position.html#lobby|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100710025900/http://www.justice.gov/dea/marijuana_position.html#lobby|url-status=dead|title=The DEA Position On Marijuana|archivedate=July 10, 2010}}</ref> though usage rates remain higher than they were in the 1990s according to the [[National Survey on Drug Use and Health]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.briancbennett.com/charts/nsduh/past-month-percent.htm|title=truth: the Anti-drugwar NSDUH Trends in Past Month Substance Use (1979–2008) by Percentage of Population 1 of 2|access-date=February 3, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110708093137/http://www.briancbennett.com/charts/nsduh/past-month-percent.htm|archive-date=July 8, 2011|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
[[File:US timeline. Drugs involved in overdose deaths.jpg|thumb|upright=1.35|[[US]] yearly overdose deaths, and the drugs involved. There were around [[United States drug overdose death rates and totals over time|110,500 drug overdose deaths overall in 2022 in the US]].<ref name="NIDA-deaths">[http://www.drugabuse.gov/related-topics/trends-statistics/overdose-death-rates Drug Overdose Death Rates] By [[National Institute on Drug Abuse]] (NIDA).</ref>]]<br />
The [[ONDCP]] stated in April 2011 that there had been a 46% drop in cocaine use among young adults over the previous five years, and a 65% drop in the rate of people testing positive for cocaine in the workplace since 2006.<ref name="ker">[http://www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov/news/press11/032111.html White House Drug Policy Director Kerlikowske Meets with Swedish Counterdrug Officials, ONDCP, March 21, 2011] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221227081043/https://www.whitehouse.gov/ondcp/ |date=December 27, 2022 }}. Whitehousedrugpolicy.gov.</ref> At the same time, a 2007 study found that up to 35% of college undergraduates used stimulants not prescribed to them.<ref>[http://www.jaacap.com/article/S0890-8567%2809%2962081-5/abstract Elsevier] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221227081055/https://www.jaacap.org/article/S0890-8567%2809%2962081-5/fulltext |date=December 27, 2022 }}. Jaacap.com.</ref><br />
<br />
A 2013 study found that prices of [[heroin]], [[cocaine]] and [[cannabis (drug)|cannabis]] had decreased from 1990 to 2007, while the purity of these drugs had increased.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Werb |first1=D. |last2=Kerr |first2=T. |last3=Nosyk |first3=B. |last4=Strathdee |first4=S. |last5=Montaner |first5=J. |last6=Wood |first6=E. |title=The temporal relationship between drug supply indicators: an audit of international government surveillance systems |journal=BMJ Open |date=September 30, 2013 |volume=3 |issue=9 |page=e003077 |doi=10.1136/bmjopen-2013-003077 |pmid=24080093 |pmc=3787412}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |url=https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/sites/default/files/ondcp/about-content/fy_2015_budget_highlights_-_final.pdf |title=National Drug and Control Budget |date=March 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170606172558/https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/sites/default/files/ondcp/about-content/fy_2015_budget_highlights_-_final.pdf |archive-date=June 6, 2017 |via=[[NARA|National Archives]] |publisher=[[Office of National Drug Control Policy]] |url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
The [[National Survey on Drug Use and Health]] for 2019 found that 1.7% of US adults over 25 had used cocaine in the previous 12 months, compared to 1.8% in 2002, and cannabis use went from 7% in 2002 to 15.2%. The DEA's 2021 National Drug Threat Assessment stated that "a steady supply of cocaine was available throughout domestic markets" in 2019 and 2020.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Raisbeck |first1=Daniel |last2=Vásquez |first2=Ian |date=2022 |title=Cato Handbook for Policymakers: The International War on Drugs |url=https://www.cato.org/cato-handbook-policymakers/cato-handbook-policymakers-9th-edition-2022/international-war-drugs |access-date=Mar 28, 2024 |website=[[Cato Institute]]}}</ref><br />
<br />
According to the [[Centers for Disease Control and Prevention|Centers for Disease Control]] (CDC), drug abuse fatalities in 2021 reached an all-time high of 108,000 deaths,<ref name="Reason.com">{{cite web |url=https://reason.com/2022/05/13/a-record-number-of-drug-related-deaths-shows-the-drug-war-is-remarkably-effective-at-killing-people/ |title=A Record Number of Drug-Related Deaths Shows the Drug War Is Remarkably Effective at Killing People |publisher=Reason.com |date=May 13, 2022}}</ref> a 15% increase from 2020 (93,000)<ref>{{cite web |url=https://reason.com/2021/07/15/a-record-number-of-drug-related-deaths-illustrates-the-lethal-consequences-of-prohibition/|title=A Record Number of Drug-Related Deaths Illustrates the Lethal Consequences of Prohibition|publisher=Reason.com |date=July 15, 2021}}</ref> which, at the time, was the highest number of deaths and a 30% increase from 2019, .<ref name="Reason.com" /><br />
<br />
During [[Prohibition in the United States|alcohol prohibition]], from 1920 to 1933, alcohol use initially fell but began to increase as early as 1922. It has been extrapolated that even if prohibition had not been repealed in 1933, alcohol consumption would have surpassed pre-prohibition levels. One argument against the war on drugs is that it uses similar measures as Prohibition and is no more effective.<ref>{{cite web |date=July 17, 1991 |title=Alcohol Prohibition Was a Failure |url=http://www.cato.org/pubs/pas/pa-157.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131229232307/http://www.cato.org/pubs/pas/pa-157.html |archive-date=December 29, 2013 |access-date=March 27, 2011 |publisher=Cato.org |df=mdy-all}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Government efficiency ===<br />
In 1997, ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' published a comprehensive snapshot of the US government's implementation of the war on drugs, spanning 44 federal agencies and hundreds of thousands of government workers, and without unified management, oversight, or cohesive strategy. Among the agencies there were over a dozen separate drug intelligence operations. The White House's Office of National Drug Control Policy, home of the drug czar and ostensibly the coordinating agency, had a staff of 150, and a $36 million dollar budget; the overall federal drug war budget for 1998 was $16 billion. Most of the agencies involved did not report to the ONDCP, instead to one of 13 congressional appropriations subcommittees. The largest single share of the budget, $2 billion, went to the Bureau of Prisons. Federal agencies also passed on billions of anti-drug dollars to the states, with little oversight or accountability.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Dreyfuss |first=Bob |date=Dec 11, 1997 |title=The Drug War: Where the Money Goes |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/the-drug-war-where-the-money-goes-100201/ |access-date=Apr 29, 2024 |magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] |quote=The War on Drugs is a vast enterprise. Virtually every agency of the U.S. government has a piece of it, from the Pentagon and the Coast Guard to the National Park Service and the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Yet unlike a real war, the crusade against drugs has no central command, no coordinated intelligence effort and very little accountability.}}</ref> In 2024, the ONDCP requested $461 million of a $46 billion federal budget allocated across some 50 federal agencies.<ref>{{Cite web |date=March 2023 |title=National Drug Control Budget: FY 2024 Funding Highlights |url=https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/FY-2024-Budget-Highlights.pdf |access-date=May 14, 2024 |website=[[Office of National Drug Control Policy]]}}</ref><br />
<br />
==Alternatives==<br />
{{See also|Responsible drug use}}<br />
Alternatives to the predominantly punitive, law enforcement approach to the war on drugs in the US fall under two broad categories: a public health orientation built around education, prevention and treatment, and decriminalization or legalization with regulation similar to the handling of alcohol. [[Jefferson Fish]] has edited scholarly collections of articles offering a wide variety of public health-based and rights-based alternative drug policies.<ref>Fish, J. M. (Ed.) (1998). ''How to legalize drugs''. Northvale, New Jersey: Jason Aronson.</ref><ref>Fish, J. M. (Ed.) (2000). "Is our drug policy effective? Are there alternatives?" New York City, New York: ''Fordham Urban Law Journal''. (Proceedings of the March 17 & 18, 2000 joint conference of the New York Academy of Sciences, New York Academy of Medicine, and Association of the Bar of the City of New York. Vol. 23, No. 1, pp. 3–262.)</ref><ref>Fish, J. M. (Ed.) (2006). ''Drugs and society: U. S. public policy''. Lanham, Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield.</ref><br />
<br />
=== A public-health approach ===<br />
A common critical view holds that the war on drugs has been costly and ineffective largely because US federal and state governments have chosen the wrong methods, focusing on interdiction and punishment rather than regulation and treatment of drug abuse and addiction.<ref name=":7">{{Cite web |last=Pearl |first=Betsy |date=Jun 27, 2018 |title=Ending the War on Drugs: By the Numbers |url=https://www.americanprogress.org/article/ending-war-drugs-numbers/ |access-date=Mar 20, 2024 |website=[[Center for American Progress]]}}</ref> In the US, current public health-oriented interventions include [[Harm reduction in the United States|harm reduction]], [[Drug courts in the United States|drug courts]], and [[Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion]] (LEAD) programs which give police treatment or social services options rather than arrest with minor drug offenses. Harm reduction approaches include provision of sterile syringes, medically [[supervised injection site]]s (SIF), and availability of the opioid overdose-countering drug [[naloxone]].<ref name=":7" /><br />
<br />
As an alternative to imprisonment, drug courts in the US identify substance-abusing offenders and place them under strict court monitoring and community supervision, as well as provide them with long-term treatment services.<ref name="whitehouse-policy-2004">[http://whitehousedrugpolicy.gov/publications/policy/ndcs04/index.html The President's National Drug Control Strategy], ''White House'', 2004. {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090213091104/http://whitehousedrugpolicy.gov/publications/policy/ndcs04/index.html|date=February 13, 2009}}</ref> According to a [[National Drug Court Institute]] report, 16.4% of the nation's drug court graduates are rearrested and charged with a felony within one year of completing the program; overall 44.1% of released prisoners end up back in prison within one year. The drug court program is also significantly cheaper than imprisonment.<ref name="ReferenceB">Huddleston, C. West III, et al. ''Painting the Current Picture: A National Report Card on Drug Courts and Other Problem Solving Court Programs in the United States'', Vol. 1, Num. 1, May 2004</ref> Annual per offender cost is $20,000–$50,000 for imprisonment, and $2,500–$4,000 in the drug court system.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Drug Courts as an Alternative to Incarceration |url=https://addictionpolicy.stanford.edu/drug-courts-alternative-incarceration |access-date=Apr 29, 2024 |website=[[Stanford University]]}}</ref><br />
<br />
A survey by the [[Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration]] (SAMHSA) found that substance abusers who remain in treatment longer are less likely to resume their former drug habits. Of the people studied, 66% were cocaine users. After experiencing long-term in-patient treatment, only 22% returned to the use of cocaine.<ref name="Alter, Jonathan 2001, pp. 37-43" /><br />
<br />
During the 1990s, the [[Clinton administration]] commissioned a major cocaine policy study by the RAND Drug Policy Research Center. The report recommended that $3 billion be switched from federal and local law enforcement to treatment, concluding that treatment is the cheapest way to cut drug use, and twenty-three times more effective than the supply-side war on drugs.<ref>C. Peter Rydell, ''Controlling Cocaine: Supply Versus Demand Programs'' (Rand Drug Policy Research Center 1994).</ref><br />
<br />
=== Decriminalization and legalization ===<br />
In a 2023 UN report, the [[UN High Commissioner for Human Rights|UN high commissioner for Human Rights]] stated that "decades of punitive, 'war on drugs' strategies had failed to prevent an increasing range and quantity of substances from being produced and consumed", described punitive drug policies as a failure, and called for an approach "based on health and human rights, including through the legal regulation of drugs."<ref name=":18">{{Cite web |last=Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights |date=August 15, 2023 |title=Human rights challenges in addressing and countering all aspects of the world drug problem |url=https://www.ohchr.org/en/calls-for-input/2023/call-inputs-ohchrs-report-human-rights-challenges-addressing-and-countering |access-date=Apr 20, 2024 |website=[[United Nations]] |page=6}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=jstaff |date=2023-09-20 |title=The International Community Must Act on UN Human Rights Chief's Ground-Breaking Call for Systemic Drug Policy Reform |url=https://www.wola.org/2023/09/international-community-must-act-systemic-drug-reform/ |access-date=2023-10-01 |website=WOLA |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=134 NGOs sign collective statement urging the international community to act on UN human rights chief's ground-breaking call for systemic drug policy reform |url=https://idpc.net/news/2023/09/133-ngos-sign-collective-statement-urging-the-international-community-to-act-on-un-human-rights |access-date=2023-10-01 |website=IDPC |language=en}}</ref><br />
<br />
Considering outright legalization of recreational drugs, ''New York Times'' columnist Eduardo Porter noted: <blockquote>Jeffrey Miron, an economist at Harvard who studies drug policy closely, has suggested that legalizing all illicit drugs would produce net benefits to the United States of some $65 billion a year, mostly by cutting public spending on enforcement as well as through reduced crime and corruption. A study by analysts at the RAND Corporation, a California research organization, suggested that if marijuana were legalized in California and the drug spilled from there to other states, Mexican drug cartels would lose about a fifth of their annual income of some $6.5 billion from illegal exports to the United States.<ref>{{cite news |last=Porter |first=Eduardo |date=July 3, 2012 |title=Numbers Tell of Failure in Drug War |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/04/business/in-rethinking-the-war-on-drugs-start-with-the-numbers.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170129051604/http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/04/business/in-rethinking-the-war-on-drugs-start-with-the-numbers.html |archive-date=January 29, 2017 |access-date=4 July 2012 |work=The New York Times}}</ref></blockquote><br />
<br />
In 2007, "An Open Letter to the President, Congress, Governors, and State Legislatures" signed by over 550 economists, including [[Nobel Laureate|Nobel laureate]]s [[Milton Friedman]], [[George Akerlof]] and [[Vernon L. Smith]], endorsed the findings of a 2006 paper, "The Budgetary Implications of Marijuana Prohibition," by [[Harvard]] economist [[Jeffrey A. Miron]]. Comparing the cost of prohibition to the tax revenue if cannabis was taxed as regular consumer good, or similarly to alcohol, the letter stated that the budgetary impact, considered alongside evidence that "suggests prohibition has minimal benefits and may itself cause substantial harm", favors "a regime in which marijuana is legal but taxed and regulated like other goods."<ref>{{cite web |title=An open letter |url=http://www.prohibitioncosts.org/endorsers.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071017021537/http://prohibitioncosts.org/endorsers.html |archive-date=October 17, 2007 |access-date=February 20, 2008 |publisher=Prohibition Costs}}</ref> According to a 2010 report on co-authored by Miron, the annual savings on enforcement and incarceration costs from the legalization of drugs would amount to roughly $41.3 billion, with $25.7 billion being saved among the states and over $15.6 billion accrued for the federal government. Miron further estimated at least $46.7 billion in tax revenue based on rates comparable to those on [[tobacco]] and [[alcohol (drug)|alcohol]]: $8.7 billion from [[marijuana]], $32.6 billion from [[cocaine]] and [[heroin]], and $5.4 billion from other drugs.<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Miron |first1=Jeffrey A. |last2=Waldock |first2=Katherine |name-list-style=amp |year=2010 |title=The Budgetary Impact of Ending Drug Prohibition |url=http://www.cato.org/sites/cato.org/files/pubs/pdf/DrugProhibitionWP.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130512134045/http://www.cato.org/sites/cato.org/files/pubs/pdf/DrugProhibitionWP.pdf |archive-date=May 12, 2013 |access-date=May 15, 2013 |publisher=CATO.org}}</ref><br />
<br />
Regarding economic arguments for legalization that make a comparison with alcohol, a 2013 study noted that the $14.6 billion in annual alcohol tax collected at the US federal and state levels represented less than 10% of the estimated $185 billion of alcohol-related health care, criminal justice and lost productivity costs.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Paterson |first1=Pat |last2=Robinson |first2=Katy |date=July 2014 |title=Measuring Success in the War on Drugs |url=https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GOVPUB-D5-PURL-gpo120008/pdf/GOVPUB-D5-PURL-gpo120008.pdf |access-date=May 17, 2024 |website=[[William J. Perry Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies]] |page=19}}</ref><br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
{{Div col|colwidth=30em}}<br />
* [[Baker (military code-name)|Baker]], a series of counter-narcotics training exercises conducted by the United States Army and several Asian countries<br />
* [[Cartoon All-Stars to the Rescue]]<br />
* ''[[Chasing the Scream]]''<br />
* [[Class conflict|Class war]]<br />
* [[Cognitive liberty]]<br />
* [[Drugs in the United States]]<br />
* [[Latin American drug legalization]]<br />
* [[Law Enforcement Action Partnership]]<br />
* [[November Coalition]]<br />
* [[Philippine drug war]]<br />
* [[Prison-industrial complex]]<br />
* [[Race war]]<br />
* [[Recreational use of drugs]]<br />
* ''[[Smoke and Mirrors: The War on Drugs and the Politics of Failure]]''<br />
* [[Victimless crime]]<br />
* [[War on gangs]]<br />
<br />
'''Covert activities and foreign policy'''<br />
* [[Allegations of CIA drug trafficking]]<br />
* [[Golden Crescent]]<br />
* [[Golden Triangle (Southeast Asia)|Golden Triangle]]<br />
* [[Military Cooperation with Civilian Law Enforcement Agencies Act]]<br />
* [[CIA transnational anti-crime and anti-drug activities]]<br />
* [[UMOPAR]]<br />
* [[Air Bridge Denial Program]]<br />
<br />
''Government agencies and laws''<br />
* [[Continuing Criminal Enterprise]]<br />
* [[Marijuana Control, Regulation, and Education Act]]<br />
* [[United Nations Drug Control Programme]]<br />
{{div col end}}<br />
<br />
==Notes==<br />
{{reflist|group=note}}<br />
<br />
==References==<br />
{{Reflist}}<br />
<br />
==Further reading==<br />
{{Library resources box}}<br />
* {{cite book|last=Hari|first=Johann|title=Chasing the Scream: The First and Last Days of the War on Drugs|location=London; New York|year=2015|publisher= Bloomsbury|isbn=978-1620408902|title-link=Chasing the Scream}}<br />
* {{Cite journal|last1=Blanchard|first1=Michael|first2=Gabriel J.|last2=Chin|ssrn=1128945|title=Identifying the Enemy in the War on Drugs: A Critique of the Developing Rule Permitting Visual Identification of Indescript White Powders in Narcotics Prosecutions|journal=American University Law Review|issue=47|page=557|year=1998}}<br />
* Daniel Burton-Rose, ''The Celling of America: An Inside Look at the U.S. Prison Industry.'' Common Courage Press, 1998.<br />
* Stephanie R. Bush-Baskette, "The War on Drugs as a War on Black Women," in Meda Chesney-Lind and Lisa Pasko (eds.), ''Girls, Women, and Crime: Selected Readings.'' Sage, 2004.<br />
* {{Cite journal|last=Chin|first=Gabriel|ssrn=390109|title=Race, the War on Drugs and the Collateral Consequences of Criminal Conviction|journal=Gender, Race & Justice|issue=6|page=253|year=2002}}<br />
* Alexander Cockburn and Jeffrey St. Clair, ''Whiteout: The CIA, Drugs and the Press.'' New York: Verso, 1998.<br />
* Mitchell Earlywine, ''Understanding Marijuana: A New Look at the Scientific Evidence.'' New York: Oxford University Press, 2005.<br />
* Kathleen J. Frydl, ''The Drug Wars in America, 1940–1973.'' New York: Cambridge University Press, 2013.<br />
* {{Cite journal|first=Kenneth B.|last=Nunn|url=http://heinonline.org/HOL/LandingPage?collection=journals&handle=hein.journals/jgrj6&div=19&id=&page=|title=Race, Crime and the Pool of Surplus Criminality: Or Why the War on Drugs Was a War on Blacks|journal=Gender, Race & Justice|volume = 6|issue=6|page=381|year=2002}}<br />
* Tony Payan, "A War that Can't Be Won." Tucson: The University of Arizona Press, 2013.<br />
* Preston Peet, ''Under the Influence: The Disinformation Guide to Drugs.'' The Disinformation Company, 2004.<br />
* Thomas C. Rowe, ''Federal Narcotics Laws and the War on Drugs: Money Down a Rat Hole.'' Binghamton, NY: Haworn Press, 2006.<br />
* Eric Schneider, [http://www.berfrois.com/2011/11/eric-schneider-smack-demand/ "The Drug War Revisited,"] ''Berfrois,'' November 2, 2011.<br />
* Peter Dale Scott and Jonathan Marshall, ''Cocaine Politics: Drugs, Armies, and the CIA in Central America.'' Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 1911.<br />
* Dominic Streatfeild, ''Cocaine: An Unauthorized Biography.'' Macmillan, 2003.<br />
* Douglas Valentine, ''The Strength of the Wolf: The Secret History of America's War on Drugs.'' New York: Verso, 2004.<br />
<br />
===Government and NGO reports===<br />
* [https://www.justice.gov/ndic/pubs31/31379/index.htm National Drug Threat Assessment 2009] from the [[United States Department of Justice]]<br />
* [https://fpc.state.gov/documents/organization/19493.pdf War On Drugs: Legislation in the 108th Congress and Related Developments], a 2003 report from the [[Congressional Research Service]] via the [[United States Department of State|State Department]] website<br />
* [http://www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/Library/studies/ledain/ldctoc.html The Report of the Canadian Government Commission of Inquiry into the Non-Medical Use of Drugs – 1972]<br />
* {{citation |author=Drug Enforcement Administration |year=2017 |title=Drugs of abuse: A DEA resource guide |edition=2017 |location=Washington, D.C. |publisher=Author |url=https://www.dea.gov/pr/multimedia-library/publications/drug_of_abuse.pdf |access-date=January 23, 2018 |archive-date=December 3, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161203195836/https://www.dea.gov/pr/multimedia-library/publications/drug_of_abuse.pdf |url-status=dead }}<br />
* [https://www.healthpovertyaction.org/news-events/revealing-the-missing-link-to-climate-justice-drug-policy/ Revealing the missing link to Climate Justice: Drug Policy], a 2023 report from the International Coalition on Drug Policy Reform and Environmental Justice<br />
<br />
==External links==<br />
{{commons category}}<br />
* [http://www.narconews.com/ Narco News] – news site focusing on drug war in Latin America<br />
* [https://www.drugpolicyfacts.org/ Drug Policy Facts]<br />
* [https://www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/library/studies/studies.htm Major Studies of Drugs and Drug Policy] Full text of major government commission reports on the drug laws from around the world over the last 100 years<br />
* [https://www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/history/history.htm Historical Research on the Drug War] Full text of numerous full histories of the drug war and thousands of original historical documents<br />
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20080705105743/http://cato.org/current/drug-war/index.html Cato Institute Drug Prohibition Research]<br />
<br />
{{drug use}}<br />
{{United States topics}}<br />
{{Colombia conflict}}<br />
{{Mexican Drug War}}<br />
{{Internal conflict in Peru}}<br />
{{Presidency of Richard Nixon}}<br />
{{Presidency of Gerald Ford}}<br />
{{Presidency of Jimmy Carter}}<br />
{{Presidency of Ronald Reagan}}<br />
{{Presidency of George H. W. Bush}}<br />
{{Presidency of Bill Clinton}}<br />
{{Presidency of George W. Bush}}<br />
{{Presidency of Barack Obama}}<br />
{{First presidency of Donald Trump}}<br />
{{Joe Biden}}<br />
{{Second presidency of Donald Trump}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Drug policy of the United States]]<br />
[[Category:History of drug control in the United States]]<br />
[[Category:Illegal drug trade in the United States]]<br />
[[Category:Law enforcement operations in the United States]]<br />
[[Category:Mexican drug war]]<br />
[[Category:Organized crime events]]<br />
[[Category:Organized crime conflicts]]<br />
[[Category:Presidency of Richard Nixon]]<br />
[[Category:Presidency of Gerald Ford]]<br />
[[Category:Presidency of Jimmy Carter]]<br />
[[Category:Presidency of Ronald Reagan]]<br />
[[Category:Presidency of George H. W. Bush]]<br />
[[Category:Presidency of Bill Clinton]]<br />
[[Category:Presidency of George W. Bush]]<br />
[[Category:Presidency of Barack Obama]]<br />
[[Category:First presidency of Donald Trump]]<br />
[[Category:Presidency of Joe Biden]]<br />
[[Category:Drug control law in the United States]]<br />
[[Category:United States–Asian relations]]<br />
[[Category:United States–Central American relations]]<br />
[[Category:United States–South American relations]]<br />
[[Category:1970s neologisms]]<br />
[[Category:United States federal policy]]<br />
[[Category:Metaphors referring to war and violence]]<br />
[[Category:Moral panic]]</div>Boackandwhitehttps://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=COVID-19_protests_in_the_United_States&diff=1261685652COVID-19 protests in the United States2024-12-07T12:04:52Z<p>Boackandwhite: </p>
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| photo3b = 29 End the Lockdown (49842905337).jpg<br />
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| caption = Montage of anti-lockdown protests<br />
| date = April 15, 2020 – December 25, 2021<br />({{Age in years, months, weeks and days |2020|04|15|2021|12|26}})<br />
| leadfigures1 = [[Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus]]<br />
| leadfigures2 = [[Donald Trump]]<br />
[[COVID-19 conspiracy theorists]]<br />
| injuries = <br />
| place = [[United States]]<br />
| causes = [[U.S. state and local government responses to the COVID-19 pandemic|Government-imposed lockdowns]]<br />
| methods = [[Protest]]s, [[Demonstration (people)|demonstration]]s<br />
| status = Concluded<br />
| side1 = [[WHO]]<br />
[[Law enforcement in the United States]]<br />
| side2 = [[COVID-19 conspiracy theorists]]<br />
[[Qanon]]<br />
[[far right]]<br />
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}}<br />
{{COVID-19 pandemic sidebar|expanded=international}}<br />
Beginning in early April 2020, there were [[Protests over responses to the COVID-19 pandemic|protests]] in several [[U.S. state]]s against [[U.S. state and local government responses to the COVID-19 pandemic|government-imposed lockdowns]] in response to the [[COVID-19 pandemic in the United States]].<ref>"Coronavirus: Anti-Lockdown Protests Grow Across US". BBC News. 17 April 2020. [https://web.archive.org/web/20200417172715/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-52330531 Archived] from the original on 17 April 2020. Retrieved 17 April 2020.</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Andone|first=Dakin|url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/16/us/protests-coronavirus-stay-home-orders/index.html|title=Protests Are Popping Up Across the US over Stay-at-Home Restrictions|date=April 17, 2020|publisher=[[CNN]]|access-date=May 3, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200502123444/https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/16/us/protests-coronavirus-stay-home-orders/index.html|archive-date=May 2, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref> The protests, mostly organized by [[Conservatism in the United States|conservative]] groups and individuals,<ref name="reuters">{{Cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-trump-protests-idUSKCN2233ES|title=How Trump allies have organized and promoted anti-lockdown protests|date=April 22, 2020|work=[[Reuters]]|access-date=April 23, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200423112936/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-trump-protests-idUSKCN2233ES|archive-date=April 23, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Grauniad-Right">{{Cite news|last=Wilson|first=Jason|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/17/far-right-coronavirus-protests-restrictions|title=The rightwing groups behind wave of protests against Covid-19 restrictions|date=April 17, 2020|work=[[The Guardian]]|access-date=April 18, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200418010447/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/17/far-right-coronavirus-protests-restrictions|archive-date=April 18, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref> decried the [[economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic#United States|economic]] and [[social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic|social impact]] of [[COVID-19 lockdowns|stay-at-home orders]], business closures, and restricted personal movement and association, and demanded that their respective states be "re-opened" for normal business and personal activity.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.npr.org/2020/04/18/837776218/across-america-frustrated-protesters-rally-to-reopen-the-economy|title=Across America, Frustrated Protesters Rally To Reopen The Economy|last=Siegler|first=Kirk|date=April 18, 2020|work=[[NPR]]|access-date=April 23, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200422232217/https://www.npr.org/2020/04/18/837776218/across-america-frustrated-protesters-rally-to-reopen-the-economy|archive-date=April 22, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
The protests made international news<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-52330531|title=Coronavirus: Anti-Lockdown Protests Grow Across US|date=April 17, 2020|access-date=April 17, 2020|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200417172715/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-52330531|archive-date=April 17, 2020|work=[[BBC News]]|department=US & Canada}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last1=Vogel|first1=Kenneth P.|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/21/us/politics/coronavirus-protests-trump.html|title=The Quiet Hand of Conservative Groups in the Anti-Lockdown Protests|date=April 21, 2020|work=[[The New York Times]]|access-date=April 23, 2020|last2=Rutenberg|first2=Jim|last3=Lerer|first3=Lisa|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200422235920/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/21/us/politics/coronavirus-protests-trump.html|archive-date=April 22, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref> and were widely condemned as unsafe and ill-advised,<ref name="Armed Protest">{{cite news |title=Michigan Militia Puts Armed Protest in the Spotlight |url=https://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2020/05/02/us/politics/ap-us-outbreak-protests.html |access-date=3 May 2020 |work=[[The New York Times]] |agency=[[Associated Press]] |date=2 May 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200505023314/https://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2020/05/02/us/politics/ap-us-outbreak-protests.html |archive-date=5 May 2020}}</ref> although some political figures expressed support for the protests.<ref name="TrumpSupport" /><ref name=":0" /> They ranged in size from a few hundred people to a few thousand, and spread on [[Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on social media|social media]] with encouragement from former U.S. President [[Donald Trump]].<ref name="TrumpSupport">{{cite news |last1=Gearan |first1=Anne |last2=Wagner |first2=John |title=Trump expresses support for angry anti-shutdown protesters as more states lift coronavirus lockdowns |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-expresses-support-for-angry-anti-shutdown-protesters-as-more-states-lift-coronavirus-lockdowns/2020/05/01/25570dbe-8b9f-11ea-8ac1-bfb250876b7a_story.html |access-date=3 May 2020 |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=1 May 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200502203059/https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-expresses-support-for-angry-anti-shutdown-protesters-as-more-states-lift-coronavirus-lockdowns/2020/05/01/25570dbe-8b9f-11ea-8ac1-bfb250876b7a_story.html |archive-date=May 2, 2020 |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
By May 1, 2020, there had been demonstrations in more than half of the states; many governors began to take steps to lift the restrictions as daily new infections began decreasing due to [[social distancing]] measures.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://thehill.com/homenews/sunday-talk-shows/495877-governors-experts-await-results-of-reopening-states-as-protests|title=Governors, experts await results of reopening states as protests continue|last=Budryk|first=Zack|date=May 3, 2020|work=[[The Hill (newspaper)|The Hill]]|access-date=9 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200510022802/https://thehill.com/homenews/sunday-talk-shows/495877-governors-experts-await-results-of-reopening-states-as-protests|archive-date=May 10, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
==Background==<br />
The anti-lockdown protests were first spawned with a nationwide call in mid-March by an online Facebook page by the name of "American Revolution 2.0" and a meme that went viral. The page quickly grew to over 100,000 users in less than a week and then was removed from Facebook for violations of terms of service. The group then set up 53 Facebook groups named "AR2" to run protests at the capitol of every state (as well as Los Angeles and Chicago). This page and the many groups were led by Naperville, Illinois native Josh Ellis. On April 30, 2020, at 11:00 pm CST all 53 groups were deleted simultaneously from Facebook for violating terms and conditions. Due to the widespread notoriety and media coverage of the May 1 planned protest, many other groups started smaller protests prior to the date.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |title=Activists plan march on state capitals to reopen for May 1 |url=https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2020/apr/22/activists-plan-march-state-capitals-reopen-may-1/ |access-date=2023-07-14 |website=The Washington Times |language=en-US}}</ref><br />
<br />
One of the first protests to take place was in [[Michigan]] on April 15, 2020. It was organized via a [[Facebook]] group called "Operation Gridlock", which was created by the Michigan Conservative Coalition. A spokesman for the Michigan Conservative Coalition encouraged groups in other states to copy the Operation Gridlock wording and templates. Protesters in numerous other states said they were inspired by Michigan, and they used Michigan's material on their own websites, Facebook groups, and [[Reddit]] pages to promote their protests. Michigan Governor [[Gretchen Whitmer]] falsely claimed that the Michigan Freedom Fund was a party to this event and that it was funded in part by the DeVos family, but a spokesman said the family had nothing to do with the protests.<ref>{{cite web|last=Hernandez|first=Salvador |url=https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/salvadorhernandez/coronavirus-quarantine-protests-facebook-groups|title=This Is How A Group Linked To Betsy DeVos Is Organizing Protests To End Social Distancing, Now With Trump's Support|website=[[BuzzFeed News]]|date=April 17, 2020|access-date=April 20, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200419180823/https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/salvadorhernandez/coronavirus-quarantine-protests-facebook-groups|archive-date=April 19, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
The [[Donald Trump 2020 presidential campaign|Trump campaign]] declined to answer whether it was directly involved with organizing the protest in Michigan, but key protest organizers who did identify themselves were Meshawn Maddock, the wife of Republican [[Michigan Legislature|state representative]] [[Matt Maddock]] and a member of the national advisory board for [[Women for Trump]], and Marian Sheridan, who serves as a vice chair on the [[Michigan Republican Party]], both founding members of Michigan Conservative Coalition.<ref name="reuters" /><ref>{{cite web|last=Oosting|first=Jonathan |url=https://www.bridgemi.com/michigan-government/meet-trump-loving-group-behind-protest-gov-whitmers-stay-home-order|title=Meet the Trump-loving group behind protest of Gov. Whitmer's stay-home order|date=April 22, 2020|website=bridgemi.com|publisher=Bridge Magazine|access-date=April 23, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200426174050/https://www.bridgemi.com/michigan-government/meet-trump-loving-group-behind-protest-gov-whitmers-stay-home-order|archive-date=April 26, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref> The protest in Washington State was organized by a county [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican Party]], and speakers included three Republican state legislators.<ref name="komonews" /> [[FreedomWorks]], a conservative advocacy group associated with the [[Tea Party movement]], published a "#ReOpenAmerica Planning Guide".<ref name="Kumar">{{cite web|last=Kumar|first=Anita |url=https://www.politico.com/news/2020/04/21/trump-allies-help-organize-lockdown-protests-198426|title=Trump allies have their fingerprints on lockdown protests|website=[[Politico]]|date=April 21, 2020|access-date=April 23, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200422183744/https://www.politico.com/news/2020/04/21/trump-allies-help-organize-lockdown-protests-198426|archive-date=April 22, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
Protesters opposed the shelter-in-place orders in their states for various reasons. Many said they wanted businesses reopened so they could go back to work. Many others displayed pro-Trump banners, signs, and [[Make America Great Again|MAGA]] hats.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2020/04/16/michigan-whitmer-conservatives-protest/|title=Chanting 'lock her up,' Michigan protesters waving Trump flags mass against Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's coronavirus restrictions|last=Flynn|first=Meagan|date=April 16, 2020|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|access-date=April 22, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200422002103/https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2020/04/16/michigan-whitmer-conservatives-protest/|archive-date=April 22, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref> Still others insisted the lockdowns were a violation of their constitutional rights. One militia leader told a reporter, "Re-open my state or we will re-open it ourselves."<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-52359100|title=Coronavirus lockdown protest: What's behind the US demonstrations?|date=April 21, 2020|work=[[BBC News]]|access-date=April 22, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200421200027/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-52359100|archive-date=April 21, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref> The anger driving the protests was called "both real and manufactured", with conservative groups engaging in [[astroturfing]] via centralized organization backed by anonymous donors.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Graves|first=Lisa|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/22/opinion/coronavirus-protests-astroturf.html|title=Opinion {{!}} Who's Behind the 'Reopen' Protests?|date=April 22, 2020|work=[[The New York Times]]|access-date=April 24, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200424001641/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/22/opinion/coronavirus-protests-astroturf.html|archive-date=April 24, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/inside-the-conservative-networks-backing-anti-quarantine-protests/2020/04/22/da75c81e-83fe-11ea-a3eb-e9fc93160703_story.html|title=The anti-quarantine protests seem spontaneous. But behind the scenes, a powerful network is helping.|last1=Stanley-Becker|first1=Isaac|last2=Romm|first2=Tony|date=April 22, 2020|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|access-date=24 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200429032531/https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/inside-the-conservative-networks-backing-anti-quarantine-protests/2020/04/22/da75c81e-83fe-11ea-a3eb-e9fc93160703_story.html|archive-date=April 29, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
The reopen protests were generally small, with protester numbers ranging from a few dozen to the low hundreds; the first protest in Michigan drew twenty thousand protestors, as estimated by the state police.<ref name="vox20200416">{{cite news|url=https://www.vox.com/2020/4/16/21222471/michigan-protests-coronavirus-stay-at-home-extension|title=Thousands of Michiganders took to the streets to protest the governor's stay-at-home order|last1=Coaston|first1=Jane|last2=Rupar|first2=Aaron|date=April 16, 2020|work=[[Vox (website)|Vox]]|access-date=April 23, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200422203439/https://www.vox.com/2020/4/16/21222471/michigan-protests-coronavirus-stay-at-home-extension|archive-date=April 22, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref> Protesters included mainstream Republicans,<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2020/04/trump-supporters-protest-coronavirus-orders|title=Trump Supporters Are Staging Armed Protests to Stick It to Coronavirus|last=Ecarma|first=Caleb|magazine=Vanity Fair|date=April 16, 2020|access-date=May 3, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200419095121/https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2020/04/trump-supporters-protest-coronavirus-orders|archive-date=April 19, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref> but also far-right groups including [[Proud Boys]] and armed [[Patriot movement|militia movement]] supporters.<ref name="Grauniad-Right" /> A large number of "[[Anti-vaccine activism|anti-vax]]" advocates have attended, and some have been the organizers of local protests.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/02/us/anti-vaxxers-coronavirus-protests.html|title=Antivaccination Activists Are Growing Force at Virus Protests|last=Bogel-Burroughs|first=Nicholas|date=May 4, 2020|work=[[The New York Times]]|access-date=4 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200521115311/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/02/us/anti-vaxxers-coronavirus-protests.html?campaign_id=49&emc=edit_ca_20200504&instance_id=18206&nl=california-today&regi_id=16153474&segment_id=26565&te=1&user_id=e9848bda5d7546386411f6e2fbdaf95e|archive-date=May 21, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/anti-vaxxers-are-forming-an-unholy-alliance-with-shelter-in-place-protesters|title=Anti-Vaxxers and Lockdown Protesters Form an Unholy Alliance|last1=Sommer|first1=Will|last2=Kucinich|first2=Jackie|date=April 22, 2020|work=[[The Daily Beast]]|access-date=April 23, 2020}}</ref> Ben, Chris and Aaron Dorr, three [[Gun laws in the United States by state|guns-rights]] activist brothers, are the organizers of protests in several [[Midwestern United States|Midwestern states]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://bringmethenews.com/minnesota-news/washington-post-links-minnesota-gun-group-to-anti-quarantine-protests|title=WaPo reveals Minnesota gun group link to anti-quarantine protests|last=Uren|first=Adam|website=Bring Me the News|date=April 20, 2020|access-date=April 20, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200424164209/https://bringmethenews.com/minnesota-news/washington-post-links-minnesota-gun-group-to-anti-quarantine-protests|archive-date=April 24, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Gruber-Miller|first=Stephen|url=https://usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2020/04/23/coronavirus-iowa-family-behind-reopen-covid-19-protests/3010862001|title=This Iowa family is behind the 'Reopen' protests popping up across the country|work=[[USA Today]]|date=April 23, 2020|access-date=2020-05-13|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200504144128/https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2020/04/23/coronavirus-iowa-family-behind-reopen-covid-19-protests/3010862001/|archive-date=May 4, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
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Historians have noted that the protests are similar to those who grew tired of restrictions from the [[1918 pandemic]].<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Bristow |first1=Nancy |title=Loosening Public-Health Restrictions Too Early Can Cost Lives. Just Look What Happened During the 1918 Flu Pandemic |url=https://time.com/5830265/1918-flu-reopening-coronavirus |access-date=2020-05-04 |magazine=Time |date=2020-05-01 |quote=On Jan. 25, 1919, nearly 2,000 San Franciscans showed up at [[Dreamland Rink]] for a public meeting of the Anti-Mask League. |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200504142912/https://time.com/5830265/1918-flu-reopening-coronavirus/ |archive-date=May 4, 2020 |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
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The [[ReAwaken America Tour]] began in the spring of 2021 as Health and Freedom rallies to protest COVID-19 restrictions. The events would later be renamed and sponsored by [[Charismatic Christianity|Charismatic Christian]] magazine ''[[Charisma News]]'' and expand to include themes of [[COVID-19 misinformation]], [[QAnon]], [[Election denial movement in the United States|election denialism]], and [[spiritual warfare]]. {{As of|2024}}, dozens of events have been held around the country.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Wire |first1=Sarah D. |date=October 12, 2023 |title=At far-right roadshow, Trump is God's 'anointed one,' QAnon is king, and 'everything you believe is right' |url=https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2023-10-12/reawaken-america-trump-maga-qanon-christian-nationalism |access-date=September 15, 2024 |work=[[Los Angeles Times]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Hagen |first=Lisa |date=November 3, 2022 |title=The ReAwaken America Tour unites conservative Christians and conspiracy theorists |url=https://www.npr.org/2022/11/02/1133477897/reawaken-america-brings-together-some-of-the-u-s-most-prolific-conspiracy-theori |access-date=September 15, 2024 |work=[[NPR]]}}</ref><br />
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After the [[Murder of George Floyd|murder]] of [[George Floyd]] on May 25, many of the Facebook groups created to organize protests over COVID-19 expanded their focus to attack the [[George Floyd protests|protests]] organized by [[Black Lives Matter]].<ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-07-05|title=Facebook groups pivot to attacks on Black Lives Matter|url=https://apnews.com/ca8c15794c65b1ae8e176deb9be5d718|access-date=2020-07-05|website=[[Associated Press|AP News]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200705164740/https://apnews.com/ca8c15794c65b1ae8e176deb9be5d718|archive-date=July 5, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
==By state==<br />
===Midwest===<br />
<br />
====Illinois====<br />
{{Further|COVID-19 pandemic in Illinois}}<br />
On May 1, thousands of anti-lockdown protesters displaying the [[Flags of the Confederate States of America|Confederate Flag]], a sign written in German that read "[[work will set you free]]", [[Nazi symbolism|Nazi symbols]]<ref>{{cite web |last1=Kaplan Sommer |first1=Allison |title='Arbeit Macht Frei': Nazi Slogans Show Up at Illinois Rally Protesting Coronavirus Lockdown |url=https://www.haaretz.com/jewish/.premium-arbeit-macht-frei-nazi-slogans-at-illinois-rally-against-coronovirus-lockdown-1.8815257 |access-date=3 June 2020 |work=Haaretz |date=4 May 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200603185613/https://www.haaretz.com/jewish/.premium-arbeit-macht-frei-nazi-slogans-at-illinois-rally-against-coronovirus-lockdown-1.8815257 |archive-date=June 3, 2020 |url-status=live }}</ref> and signs with slogans like "Give me liberty or give me COVID-19" gathered for a Re-open Illinois rally in [[Springfield, Illinois|Springfield]] organized by American Revolution 2.0. Protesters and counter-protesters met in [[Chicago]] and [[Springfield, Illinois|Springfield]] where two arrests were made for disorderly conduct.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Reopen Illinois rally draws hundreds to Loop, Springfield|url=https://chicago.suntimes.com/politics/2020/5/1/21244518/reopen-illinois-rally-thompson-center-coronavirus-covid-19-stay-at-home-order|last=Charles|first=Sam|date=2020-05-01|website=Chicago Sun-Times|access-date=2020-05-02|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200502033901/https://chicago.suntimes.com/politics/2020/5/1/21244518/reopen-illinois-rally-thompson-center-coronavirus-covid-19-stay-at-home-order|archive-date=May 2, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Protesters statewide demand Governor Pritzker reopen Illinois|url=https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/protesters-statewide-demand-governor-pritzker-reopen-illinois|last=Placko|first=Dane|date=2020-05-01|website=FOX 32 Chicago|access-date=2020-05-02|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200502043721/https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/protesters-statewide-demand-governor-pritzker-reopen-illinois|archive-date=May 2, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Protesters in Illinois Call for Stay-at-Home Order to be Canceled |url=https://news.wttw.com/2020/04/20/protesters-illinois-call-stay-home-order-be-canceled |access-date=2023-07-14 |website=WTTW News |language=en}}</ref><br />
<br />
====Indiana====<br />
{{Further|COVID-19 pandemic in Indiana}}<br />
Approximately 250 people gathered in front of the Governor's Mansion in [[Indianapolis]] on April 18, 2020, to protest Governor [[Eric Holcomb]]'s stay-at-home order.<ref name="IndyStar">{{cite news |last1=Pak-Harvey |first1=Amelia |title=Protesters rally outside Governor's Residence to say Holcomb's orders go too far |url=https://www.indystar.com/story/news/local/marion-county/2020/04/18/indiana-coronavirus-protesters-say-gov-holcombs-orders-go-too-far/5148983002/ |access-date=April 19, 2020 |work=Indianapolis Star |agency=Ganett |date=April 18, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200419032939/https://www.indystar.com/story/news/local/marion-county/2020/04/18/indiana-coronavirus-protesters-say-gov-holcombs-orders-go-too-far/5148983002/ |archive-date=April 19, 2020 |url-status=live }}</ref> The protesters did not follow social distancing guidelines, although some wore [[Face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic|face masks]]. The protesters called for the governor to appear and explain himself, and said they were willing to be arrested if necessary.<ref name="Indiana">{{cite news |last1=Staff Report |title=Dozens protest Indiana 'stay at home' order outside governor's mansion |url=https://www.wishtv.com/news/indiana-news/dozens-protest-indiana-stay-at-home-order-outside-governors-mansion/ |access-date=April 19, 2020 |work=WISH TV |date=April 18, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200422154732/https://www.wishtv.com/news/indiana-news/dozens-protest-indiana-stay-at-home-order-outside-governors-mansion/ |archive-date=April 22, 2020 |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
====Michigan====<br />
{{Further|COVID-19 pandemic in Michigan#Protests}}<br />
[[File:COVID-19 Anti-Lockdown Yard Signs in Michigan.jpg|thumb|Yard signs for anti-lockdown organization Stand Up Michigan and its petition drive, Unlock Michigan, in [[Twin Lake, Michigan]], on August 1, 2020.]]<br />
Michigan was the site of the largest of the "re-open" protests. The first confirmed case of coronavirus was recognized in Michigan on March 10, 2020.<ref name="whitmer">{{cite web |last = Whitmer |first = Gretchen |date = March 10, 2020 |url = http://www.legislature.mi.gov/documents/2019-2020/executiveorder/pdf/2020-EO-04.pdf |title = Executive Order No. 2020-04: Declaration of State of Emergency |publisher = State of Michigan |access-date=2020-05-13}}</ref><ref name="emergency">{{cite web |url = https://www.wxyz.com/news/coronavirus/first-cases-of-coronavirus-confirmed-in-michigan-one-each-in-oakland-and-wayne-counties |title = First cases of coronavirus confirmed in Michigan. One each in Oakland and Wayne counties |date = March 10, 2020 |location = Detroit |publisher = [[WXYZ-TV]] |access-date = March 10, 2020 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200311025008/https://www.wxyz.com/news/coronavirus/first-cases-of-coronavirus-confirmed-in-michigan-one-each-in-oakland-and-wayne-counties |archive-date = March 11, 2020 |url-status = live }}</ref> On April 15, the day of the protest, Michigan had at least 28,059 confirmed cases—the third highest number of cases in the United States—and 1,921 deaths had been attributed to the disease in the state.<ref>{{Cite news |first1 = Sergio |last1 = Hernandez |first2 = Sean |last2 = O'Key |first3 = Amanda |last3 = Watts |first4 = Byron |last4 = Manley |first5 = Henrik |last5 = Pettersson |date = April 17, 2020 |url = https://www.cnn.com/interactive/2020/health/coronavirus-us-maps-and-cases |title = Tracking Covid-19 Cases in the US |publisher = CNN |access-date = April 17, 2020 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200329002021/https://www.cnn.com/interactive/2020/health/coronavirus-us-maps-and-cases/ |archive-date = March 29, 2020 |url-status = live }}</ref> [[Metropolitan Detroit]] had been pronounced a "hot spot".<ref>{{cite news |first = Gus |last = Burns |date = March 30, 2020 |url = https://www.mlive.com/public-interest/2020/03/coronavirus-hot-spot-in-detroit-expected-to-grow-with-increased-testing-mayor-says.html |title = Coronavirus 'Hot Spot' in Detroit Expected to Grow with Increased Testing, Mayor Says |website = MLive |access-date = May 3, 2020 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200418092018/https://www.mlive.com/public-interest/2020/03/coronavirus-hot-spot-in-detroit-expected-to-grow-with-increased-testing-mayor-says.html |archive-date = April 18, 2020 |url-status = live }}</ref> Initial state actions to limit spread of the virus included closure of all K-12 schools, closure of bars, restaurants, and entertainment venues, and a ban on gatherings of more than 50 people.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.npr.org/2020/03/18/817642254/states-need-bold-action-against-coronavirus-michigan-governor-says|title=States Need Bold Action Against Coronavirus, Michigan Governor Says|date=March 18, 2020|work=[[NPR]]|access-date=April 23, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200419135144/https://www.npr.org/2020/03/18/817642254/states-need-bold-action-against-coronavirus-michigan-governor-says|archive-date=April 19, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref> On March 24 a statewide stay-at-home order was issued which limited non-essential travel and ordered all non-essential business services and operations to close.<ref name="freep15apr20">{{cite news |last1=Egan |first1=Paul |last2=Gray |first2=Kathleen |title=Gov. Whitmer says Capitol protesters put others at risk, may have worsened pandemic |url=https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/detroit/2020/04/15/gretchen-whitmer-protest-michigan-capitol-coronavirus/5136070002/ |access-date=April 17, 2020 |work=[[Detroit Free Press]] |date=April 15, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200416161413/https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/detroit/2020/04/15/gretchen-whitmer-protest-michigan-capitol-coronavirus/5136070002/ |archive-date=April 16, 2020 |url-status=live }}</ref> The order was extended in early April with additional restrictions included.<ref name="news15apr20">{{cite news |last1=LeBlanc |first1=Beth |last2=Mauger |first2=Craig |title=Whitmer to protesters: Rally will 'come at cost to people's health' |url=https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/politics/2020/04/15/stay-home-protest-michigan-capitol-opposition-whitmer-order-coronavirus/2989230001/ |access-date=April 17, 2020 |work=[[The Detroit News]] |date=April 15, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200416221301/https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/politics/2020/04/15/stay-home-protest-michigan-capitol-opposition-whitmer-order-coronavirus/2989230001/ |archive-date=April 16, 2020 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="nbc14apr20">{{cite news|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/michigan-gov-whitmer-faces-fierce-backlash-over-strict-stay-home-n1182711|title=Michigan Gov. Whitmer faces fierce backlash over strict stay-at-home order|first1=Allan|last1=Smith|first2=Erin|last2=Einhorn|work=[[NBC News]]|date=April 14, 2020|access-date=April 23, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200423122239/https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/michigan-gov-whitmer-faces-fierce-backlash-over-strict-stay-home-n1182711|archive-date=April 23, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
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On April 15, 2020, as estimated by the state police, 20,000 people took part in a protest they called Operation Gridlock in the area surrounding the [[Michigan State Capitol]] in [[Lansing, Michigan|Lansing]].<ref name="kara_b_and_paul_e_15" /> Most protestors remained in their vehicles, jamming the streets around the capitol building, although around 150 protested on the capitol lawn.<ref name="vox20200416" /> The protest lasted eight hours.<ref name="heatherwalk_15">{{cite news|last=Walker|first=Heather|url=https://www.upmatters.com/news/protesters-in-opposition-of-stay-home-order-gather-at-michigan-capitol/|title='Free MI': Stay-home order protesters gather at Capitol|date=April 15, 2020|work=UP Matters|access-date=April 17, 2020|publisher=[[WJMN-TV]]|location=Marquette, Michigan|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200423213905/https://www.upmatters.com/news/protesters-in-opposition-of-stay-home-order-gather-at-michigan-capitol/|archive-date=April 23, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref> The protest caused delays during a shift change at [[Sparrow Hospital]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.wxyz.com/news/coronavirus/operation-gridlock-rally-caused-delays-during-shift-change-at-lansing-hospital|title='Operation Gridlock' rally caused delays during shift change at Sparrow Hospital in Lansing|date=2020-04-16|website=WXYZ|access-date=2020-04-28|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200420011620/https://www.wxyz.com/news/coronavirus/operation-gridlock-rally-caused-delays-during-shift-change-at-lansing-hospital|archive-date=April 20, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref> Police described the protesters as respectful, with most trying to maintain social distancing; no arrests were made.<ref name="usa_today_apr_15">{{cite web |last1 = Berg |first1 = Kara |last2 = Egan |first2 = Paul |title = Thousands Converge to Protest Michigan Governor's Stay-Home Order in 'Operation Gridlock' |url = https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2020/04/15/lansing-capitol-protest-michigan-stay-home-order/5139472002/ |website = [[USA Today]] |access-date = April 15, 2020 |date = April 15, 2020 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200416010703/https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2020/04/15/lansing-capitol-protest-michigan-stay-home-order/5139472002/ |archive-date = April 16, 2020 |url-status = live }}</ref><br />
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Protesters complained of loss of work and other economic hardship caused by the state government's coronavirus response. Some felt that if they were not sick, that they should have the freedom to continue with their normal routine.<ref name="mcnamara">{{cite web |last1 = McNamara |first1 = Audrey |title = Protests Break Out in Michigan over State's Stay-at-Home Order |url = https://www.cbsnews.com/news/michigan-protest-gretchen-whitmer-operation-gridlock-lansing/ |work = [[CBS News]] |access-date = April 15, 2020 |date = April 15, 2020 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200416004156/https://www.cbsnews.com/news/michigan-protest-gretchen-whitmer-operation-gridlock-lansing/ |archive-date = April 16, 2020 |url-status = live }}</ref> Others claimed violation of their [[civil liberties]] or expressed opposition to Governor [[Gretchen Whitmer]]'s administration.<ref>{{cite news |author = ((Guardian Staff and Agencies)) |title = Protesters Chant 'Lock Her Up' after Michigan Governor's Stay-at-Home Order |url = https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/15/michigan-coronavirus-protest-stay-home-order-gretchen-whitmer |website = [[The Guardian]] |access-date = April 15, 2020 |date = April 15, 2020 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200415233449/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/15/michigan-coronavirus-protest-stay-home-order-gretchen-whitmer |archive-date = April 15, 2020 |url-status = live }}</ref> Some protesters lived in more rural areas of Michigan that had not seen as many coronavirus cases as the cities of [[Detroit]] or [[Flint, Michigan|Flint]].<ref name="censky">{{cite news |last1 = Censky |first1 = Abigail |title = Michigan Stay-At-Home Order Prompts Honking, Traffic-Jam Protest |url = https://www.npr.org/sections/coronavirus-live-updates/2020/04/15/835250693/michigan-stay-at-home-order-prompts-honking-traffic-jam-protest |agency = WKAR |publisher = [[NPR]] |access-date = April 15, 2020 |date = April 15, 2020 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200416000214/https://www.npr.org/sections/coronavirus-live-updates/2020/04/15/835250693/michigan-stay-at-home-order-prompts-honking-traffic-jam-protest |archive-date = April 16, 2020 |url-status = live }}</ref><br />
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On April 30, a second protest organized as part of the American Revolution 2.0 national protest occurred when hundreds of protesters, many carrying firearms, gathered at the Michigan Capitol. Many protesters were able to enter the building. The demonstration had assistance organizing locally by the conservative group American Patriot Council.<ref name="NBC">{{cite news |last1=Clark |first1=Dartunorro |title=Hundreds of protesters, some carrying guns in the state Capitol, demonstrate against Michigan's emergency measures |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/hundreds-protest-michigan-lawmakers-consider-extending-governors-emergency-powers-n1196886 |access-date=1 May 2020 |work=[[NBC News]] |date=30 April 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200503062131/https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/hundreds-protest-michigan-lawmakers-consider-extending-governors-emergency-powers-n1196886 |archive-date=May 3, 2020 |url-status=live }}</ref> The protest was much smaller than the one on April 15, but the show of firearms and the violent tone of some of the signs indicated that things were changing.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Protesters, some armed, enter Michigan Capitol in rally against COVID-19 limits|url=https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/michigan/2020/04/30/protesters-gathering-outside-capitol-amid-covid-19-restrictions/3054911001/|last=Mauger|first=Craig|website=The Detroit News|date=April 30, 2020|access-date=2020-05-01|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200501133345/https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/michigan/2020/04/30/protesters-gathering-outside-capitol-amid-covid-19-restrictions/3054911001/|archive-date=May 1, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref> Some protesters compared the Governor to [[Adolf Hitler]] while children danced in masks of Donald Trump and Barack Obama on the steps of the Capitol.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.mlive.com/coronavirus/2020/05/gov-whitmer-says-protest-depicted-some-of-the-worst-racism-and-doesnt-represent-michigan.html|title=Gov. Whitmer says protest 'depicted some of the worst racism' and doesn't represent Michigan|work=MLive.com|date=May 3, 2020|access-date=2020-05-13|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200505095652/https://www.mlive.com/coronavirus/2020/05/gov-whitmer-says-protest-depicted-some-of-the-worst-racism-and-doesnt-represent-michigan.html|archive-date=May 5, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Video Shows Children Dancing In Racist Obama Mask At Michigan Protest|url=https://www.bet.com/article/6ftjtw/children-in-video-prance-in-racist-masks-at-protest|website=BET.com|access-date=2020-05-19|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200529191106/https://www.bet.com/news/national/2020/05/01/video-shows-racist-children-dancing-in-obama-mask-at-michigan-pr.html?cid=facebook|archive-date=May 29, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref> Governor Whitmer extended the [[state of emergency]] regardless.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Fortin|first=Jacey|date=2020-05-01|title=Michigan Governor Reinstates State of Emergency as Protests Ramp Up|work=[[The New York Times]]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/01/us/michigan-protests-capitol-virus-armed.html|access-date=2020-05-01|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200502064218/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/01/us/michigan-protests-capitol-virus-armed.html|archive-date=May 2, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
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On May 14, more armed protesters, organized by the group Michigan United for Liberty, gathered outside the Michigan State Capitol.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Heavily Armed Protesters Gather Again At Michigan Capitol To Decry Stay-At-Home Order|url=https://www.npr.org/2020/05/14/855918852/heavily-armed-protesters-gather-again-at-michigans-capitol-denouncing-home-order|website=[[NPR]]|date=May 14, 2020 |language=en|access-date=2020-05-15|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200515183919/https://www.npr.org/2020/05/14/855918852/heavily-armed-protesters-gather-again-at-michigans-capitol-denouncing-home-order|archive-date=May 15, 2020|url-status=live|last1=Censky |first1=Abigail }}</ref> The organization's Facebook group was deleted over death threats against Governor Whitmer and a fight broke out over a [[Effigy|doll tied to a noose]] at the protest.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Naked doll hanging by a noose prompts fight at armed anti-lockdown protest|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/lockdown-protest-michigan-fight-doll-noose-gretchen-whitmer-a9515381.html|date=2020-05-14|website=[[The Independent]]|language=en|access-date=2020-05-15|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200514235021/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/lockdown-protest-michigan-fight-doll-noose-gretchen-whitmer-a9515381.html|archive-date=May 14, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref> The Michigan Legislature closed its scheduled session to avoid the possibility of another armed confrontation inside the chamber.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Welch|first=David|date=14 May 2020|title=Michigan Cancels Legislative Session to Avoid Armed Protesters|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-05-14/michigan-cancels-legislative-session-to-avoid-armed-protesters|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200708181104/https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-05-14/michigan-cancels-legislative-session-to-avoid-armed-protesters|archive-date=July 8, 2020|access-date=15 May 2020|website=[[Bloomberg News|Bloomberg]]}}</ref><br />
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On May 20, seven hairdressers were ticketed for cutting hair on the steps of the Michigan State Capitol, for allegedly violating their licenses. The charges were later dropped.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Stylists ticketed for cutting hair on Michigan Capitol lawn to protest lockdown|url=https://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/499031-stylists-ticketed-for-cutting-hair-on-michigan-capitol-lawn-to|last=Pitofsky|first=Marina|date=2020-05-21|website=[[The Hill (newspaper)|The Hill]]|language=en|access-date=2020-05-24|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200530210844/https://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/499031-stylists-ticketed-for-cutting-hair-on-michigan-capitol-lawn-to|archive-date=May 30, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
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A peaceful demonstration of prayers organized by the religious non-profit Transformation Michigan was performed on the Capitol lawn on May 28.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Prayer gathering planned at Michigan Capitol Thursday|url=https://www.mlive.com/public-interest/2020/05/prayer-gathering-planned-at-michigan-capitol-thursday.html|date=2020-05-27|website=mlive|language=en|access-date=2020-05-28}}</ref><br />
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====Minnesota====<br />
{{Further|COVID-19 pandemic in Minnesota}}<br />
[[File:Liberate Minnesota protest at the Governor's Residence in St Paul, Minnesota (49785782223).jpg|thumb|About 800 protesters gathered outside the [[Minnesota Governor's Residence]] for the "Liberate Minnesota" rally on April 17<ref name="LiberateStar"/>]]<br />
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On April 17, about 800 protesters gathered outside the Governor's Mansion in St. Paul for a Liberate Minnesota protest encouraged by President Trump's tweets.<ref name="LiberateStar">{{Cite web|last=Condon|first=Patrick |title=Trump-backed rally urges Gov. Tim Walz to 'Liberate Minnesota'|url=https://www.startribune.com/rally-urges-gov-tim-walz-to-liberate-minnesota/569736462/|website=Star Tribune|date=April 18, 2020|access-date=2020-05-02|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200426004558/https://www.startribune.com/rally-urges-gov-tim-walz-to-liberate-minnesota/569736462/|archive-date=April 26, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Sandberg|first=Diane |title='Liberate Minnesota' protesters rally outside governor's residence|url=https://www.kare11.com/article/news/politics/liberate-minnesota-protest-planned-in-st-paul/89-068d3112-f901-465e-8d22-3b15e5199497|publisher=KARE11|date=April 17, 2020|access-date=2020-05-02}}</ref><br />
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On April 19, Sven Sundgaard, a meteorologist at [[NBC]] affiliate [[KARE (TV)|KARE11]], reposted a quote from a Rabbi Michael Latz accusing the right-wing protesters of being "white nationalist Nazi sympathizer gun fetishist miscreants" on his personal Facebook page. Sundgaard was subsequently fired for "ethics violations".<ref>{{Cite web|title=Sven Sundgaard fired by KARE 11 for 'ethics violations'|url=http://www.citypages.com/news/sven-sundgaard-fired-by-kare-11-for-ethics-violations/570126951|last=Mullen|first=Mike|website=City Pages|date=May 1, 2020|access-date=2020-05-02|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200502083638/http://www.citypages.com/news/sven-sundgaard-fired-by-kare-11-for-ethics-violations/570126951|archive-date=May 2, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
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On May 11, a few dozen people gathered outside [[Albert Lea, Minnesota|Albert Lea City Hall]] for a "prayer protest" in response to the pandemic lockdown.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Prayer protest outside Albert Lea City Hall|url=https://www.kaaltv.com/albert-lea-minnesota-news/prayer-protest-outside-albert-lea-city-hall/5726976/|date=2020-05-11|website=ABC 6 NEWS|language=en|access-date=2020-05-31|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200526112646/https://www.kaaltv.com/albert-lea-minnesota-news/prayer-protest-outside-albert-lea-city-hall/5726976/|archive-date=May 26, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
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On May 23, more than 200 attended what was supposed to be the reopening of a tavern in [[Albany, Minnesota|Albany]]. After attorneys obtained an [[injunction]] to prevent the reopening, the crowd became a protest. Attendees harassed a reporter for wearing a mask and intentionally coughed in public while not wearing masks.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Reporter harassed for wearing a mask while covering a restaurant reopening-turned-protest|url=https://thehill.com/homenews/media/499311-reporter-harassed-for-wearing-a-mask-while-covering-a-restaurant-reopening|last=Deese|first=Kaelan|date=2020-05-23|website=[[The Hill (newspaper)|The Hill]]|language=en|access-date=2020-05-24|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200523235909/https://thehill.com/homenews/media/499311-reporter-harassed-for-wearing-a-mask-while-covering-a-restaurant-reopening|archive-date=May 23, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
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On June 25, a couple wore Nazi flags in lieu of masks on their faces while shopping at a grocery store in [[Marshall, Minnesota|Marshall]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Couple flaunt swastika face masks at southwestern Minnesota Walmart|url=https://www.startribune.com/couple-flaunts-swastika-facemasks-at-marshall-walmart/571909142/|access-date=2020-07-26|website=Star Tribune}}</ref><br />
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====North Dakota====<br />
{{Further|COVID-19 pandemic in North Dakota}}<br />
Even though Governor [[Doug Burgum]] did not issue a [[stay-at-home order]], about 150 protesters gathered outside the [[North Dakota State Capitol]] in [[Bismarck, North Dakota|Bismarck]] to demand the state government reopen concert venues, movie theaters, gyms, nail salons, massage parlors and barber shops.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.grandforksherald.com/news/government-and-politics/5382580-Protesters-at-Capitol-push-governor-to-reopen-North-Dakota-businesses|title=Protesters at Capitol push governor to reopen North Dakota businesses|last=Turley|first=Jeremy|website=Grand Forks Herald|date=April 20, 2020|access-date=April 23, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200423094738/https://www.grandforksherald.com/news/government-and-politics/5382580-Protesters-at-Capitol-push-governor-to-reopen-North-Dakota-businesses|archive-date=April 23, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.kfyrtv.com/content/news/People-gathered-at-the-capitol-in-protest-to-reopen-businesses-569808711.html|title=People gathered at the capitol in protest to reopen businesses|last=Ivy|first=Emmeline|publisher=KFYR-TV|date=April 20, 2020|access-date=April 23, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200422152705/https://www.kfyrtv.com/content/news/People-gathered-at-the-capitol-in-protest-to-reopen-businesses-569808711.html|archive-date=April 22, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
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====Ohio====<br />
{{Further|COVID-19 pandemic in Ohio}}<br />
[[File:Open Ohio Rally IMG 0910 (49799974031).jpg|thumb|Several hundred anti-lockdown protesters rallied at the [[Ohio Statehouse]] on April 20<ref>{{cite news |last1=Rouan |first1=Rick |title=Protesters at Statehouse demand state reopen as DeWine announces schools to remain closed |url=https://www.dispatch.com/news/20200420/protesters-at-statehouse-demand-state-reopen-as-dewine-announces-schools-to-remain-closed |access-date=3 May 2020 |work=[[The Columbus Dispatch]] |date=20 April 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200425004821/https://www.dispatch.com/news/20200420/protesters-at-statehouse-demand-state-reopen-as-dewine-announces-schools-to-remain-closed |archive-date=April 25, 2020 |url-status=live }}</ref>]]<br />
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Protests began in Ohio on April 9, with about 75 gathering outside of the [[Ohio Statehouse]] to protest Governor [[Mike DeWine]]'s stay-at-home order. A second protest on April 13 grew to a group of 200–300 people.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.clevescene.com/scene-and-heard/archives/2020/04/14/were-not-afraid-of-any-virus-crowds-gathered-outside-of-ohio-statehouse-protesting-coronavirus-shutdowns|title='We're Not Afraid of Any Virus': Crowds Gathered Outside of Ohio Statehouse Protesting Coronavirus Shutdowns|date=April 14, 2020|work=Cleveland Scene|access-date=April 17, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200417020942/https://www.clevescene.com/scene-and-heard/archives/2020/04/14/were-not-afraid-of-any-virus-crowds-gathered-outside-of-ohio-statehouse-protesting-coronavirus-shutdowns|archive-date=April 17, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
The following weekend, protests began on April 17, with dozens protesting outside the east side of the Statehouse.<ref name="DispatchOhio">{{cite web|url=https://www.dispatch.com/photogallery/OH/20200418/PHOTOGALLERY/418009999/PH/1|title=Photos: Protests over stay-at-home orders at Ohio Statehouse|website=The Columbus Dispatch|access-date=April 20, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200419221538/https://www.dispatch.com/photogallery/OH/20200418/PHOTOGALLERY/418009999/PH/1|archive-date=April 19, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref> The next day, April 18, the protests grew to hundreds.<ref name="cleveland.com">{{cite web|url=https://www.cleveland.com/open/2020/04/hundreds-protest-in-columbus-against-ohio-coronavirus-restrictions.html|title=Hundreds protest in Columbus against Ohio coronavirus restrictions|last=Hancock|first=Laura|date=April 18, 2020|website=cleveland.com|access-date=April 20, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200420074251/https://www.cleveland.com/open/2020/04/hundreds-protest-in-columbus-against-ohio-coronavirus-restrictions.html|archive-date=April 20, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="DispatchOhio" /> Protesters carried signs with slogans lamenting the loss of liberties for the sake of safety, as well as signs critical of state officials,<ref name="cleveland.com" /><ref name="DispatchOhio" /> and demanded that the state be immediately reopened.<ref name="cleveland.com" /><br />
<br />
The governor said that he would not interfere with the protests, provided they adhered to social distancing guidelines.<ref name="Perrett">{{cite web|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/ohio-governor-protests-are-ok-if-protestors-socially-distance-2020-4|title=Ohio governor says anti-lockdown protests are OK if protestors adhere to social distancing|last=Perrett|first=Connor|website=[[Business Insider]]|date=April 19, 2020|access-date=April 20, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200419214853/https://www.businessinsider.com/ohio-governor-protests-are-ok-if-protestors-socially-distance-2020-4|archive-date=April 19, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref> Photographs from the protests on April 18 indicated that not all protesters had been honoring those guidelines;<ref name="Perrett" /> however, many of them stayed in cars.<ref name="cleveland.com" /><ref name="DispatchOhio" /><br />
<br />
On May 2, a small group of anti-lockdown protesters in [[Bexley, Ohio|Bexley]] patrolled the streets outside the private residence of [[Ohio Department of Health]] Director Dr. [[Amy Acton]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Small group of protesters gather in Dr. Amy Acton's neighborhood|url=https://www.news5cleveland.com/news/continuing-coverage/coronavirus/local-coronavirus-news/small-group-of-protesters-gather-in-dr-amy-actons-neighborhood|date=2020-05-03|website=WEWS|access-date=2020-05-10|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200510164301/https://www.news5cleveland.com/news/continuing-coverage/coronavirus/local-coronavirus-news/small-group-of-protesters-gather-in-dr-amy-actons-neighborhood|archive-date=May 10, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref> The Bexley City Council briefly considered a [[local ordinance]] banning protests outside Acton's home, but ultimately decided against the measure.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Bexley city council agrees not to vote on ordinance to ban protesters targeting Dr. Amy Acton at her home|url=https://www.dispatch.com/news/20200507/bexley-city-council-agrees-not-to-vote-on-ordinance-to-ban-protesters-targeting-dr-amy-acton-at-her-home|last=Myers|first=Jacob|website=The Columbus Dispatch|date=May 7, 2020|access-date=2020-05-10|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200511055840/https://www.dispatch.com/news/20200507/bexley-city-council-agrees-not-to-vote-on-ordinance-to-ban-protesters-targeting-dr-amy-acton-at-her-home|archive-date=May 11, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
====Wisconsin====<br />
{{Further|COVID-19 pandemic in Wisconsin}}<br />
Several thousand people gathered at the state capitol in [[Madison, Wisconsin|Madison]] on April 24 to protest the state's "Safer at Home" rules requiring social distancing and the closure of nonessential businesses. On that day the state health department announced 304 new positive tests—the most new cases most since the pandemic began.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/24/us/politics/coronavirus-protests-madison-wisconsin.html|title=A Few Thousand Protest Stay-at-Home Order at Wisconsin State Capitol|last1=Epstein|first1=Reid J.|last2=Nolan|first2=Kay|date=April 24, 2020|work=[[The New York Times]]|access-date=24 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200430073042/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/24/us/politics/coronavirus-protests-madison-wisconsin.html|archive-date=April 30, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
On May 8, [[Wisconsin Department of Health Services|Wisconsin DHS]] reported that over 72 individuals who tested positive for COVID-19 had recently attended a "large event."<ref>{{Cite web|title=Wisconsin Still in Dark on Protest|url=https://progressive.org/api/content/a087fd62-916d-11ea-96e9-1244d5f7c7c6/|last=Lueders|first=Bill|date=2020-05-08|website=Progressive.org|access-date=2020-05-11}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Northeast ===<br />
<br />
====Connecticut====<br />
{{Further|COVID-19 pandemic in Connecticut}}<br />
Hundreds of protesters paraded through [[Hartford, Connecticut|Hartford]] at the CT Liberty Rally on April 20 demanding that businesses closed by [[Governor of Connecticut|Governor]] [[Ned Lamont]]'s coronavirus legislation be reopened. The [[Libertarian Party of Connecticut]] organized the event.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.courant.com/coronavirus/hc-news-coronavirus-rally-for-reopening-20200420-bjs5dwhhtrfo5n473xe35cmu54-story.html|title=Hundreds parade through Hartford to protest Gov. Ned Lamont's coronavirus stay-at-home orders, business closures|last=Murdock|first=Zach|website=Hartford Courant|date=April 20, 2020|access-date=2020-04-27|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200427153108/https://www.courant.com/coronavirus/hc-news-coronavirus-rally-for-reopening-20200420-bjs5dwhhtrfo5n473xe35cmu54-story.html|archive-date=April 27, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last1=Wilson|first1=Bob |last2=Hernandez|first2=Samaia |url=https://www.wtnh.com/news/health/coronavirus/group-gathers-at-ct-state-capitol-to-protest-gov-lamonts-stay-safe-stay-home-order/|title=Group gathers to protest Gov. Lamont's Stay Safe, Stay Home order|date=2020-04-20|website=WTNH.com|access-date=2020-04-27|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200427100434/https://www.wtnh.com/news/health/coronavirus/group-gathers-at-ct-state-capitol-to-protest-gov-lamonts-stay-safe-stay-home-order/|archive-date=April 27, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
====Massachusetts====<br />
{{Further|COVID-19 pandemic in Massachusetts}}<br />
About a dozen protesters gathered outside [[Governor of Massachusetts|Governor]] [[Charlie Baker]]'s home in [[Swampscott, Massachusetts|Swampscott]] on April 23. Supporters made laps up and down the street in vehicles with [[Make America Great Again|MAGA]] flags, while medical workers tried to convince them to disperse.<ref name="bostonherald1">{{cite web|last=Ottolini|first=Meghan |url=https://www.bostonherald.com/2020/04/23/face-to-face-protest-in-front-charlie-bakers-home/|title=Face Off: Pro-, anti-coronavirus shutdown protests staged in front of Charlie Baker's house|date=2020-04-23|website=Boston Herald|access-date=2020-04-27|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200503011449/https://www.bostonherald.com/2020/04/23/face-to-face-protest-in-front-charlie-bakers-home/|archive-date=May 3, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref> On April 26, protesters met outside a [[Bristol County, Massachusetts|Bristol County]] government building in [[Fall River, Massachusetts|Fall River]].<ref name="bostonherald1" /><br />
<br />
On May 4, hundreds gathered outside the [[Massachusetts State House]] for a Liberty Rally promoted by conservative radio show host [[Jeff Kuhner|Jeffrey Kuhner]] and by [[Super Happy Fun America]], the organizers of the controversial [[Straight pride#Boston, Massachusetts, United States (2019)|2019 Boston Straight Pride Parade]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=MacNeill|first=Arianna|title=Photos: Large crowd of protesters gathers in front of Mass. State House demanding reopening of economy|url=https://www.boston.com/news/coronavirus/2020/05/04/protest-massachusetts-state-house-reopening-economy|website=Boston.com|date=May 4, 2020|access-date=2020-05-05|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200505201415/https://www.boston.com/news/coronavirus/2020/05/04/protest-massachusetts-state-house-reopening-economy|archive-date=May 5, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref> The rally crowd was "tightly packed", largely ignored social distancing protocols, and many in the group refused to wear masks.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Tightly-packed protest outside State House pushes for reopening economy|url=https://www.wcvb.com/article/tightly-packed-protest-outside-state-house-pushes-for-reopening-economy/32368146|date=2020-05-05|website=WCVB|access-date=2020-05-05|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200505180545/https://www.wcvb.com/article/tightly-packed-protest-outside-state-house-pushes-for-reopening-economy/32368146|archive-date=May 5, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Hundreds gather at State House to protest measures to slow spread of coronavirus|url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/2020/05/04/metro/hundreds-gather-state-house-protest-measures-slow-spread-coronavirus/|last=Gardizy|first=Anissa|website=The Boston Globe|date=May 4, 2020|access-date=2020-05-05|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200505195634/https://www.bostonglobe.com/2020/05/04/metro/hundreds-gather-state-house-protest-measures-slow-spread-coronavirus/|archive-date=May 5, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
====New Hampshire====<br />
{{Further|COVID-19 pandemic in New Hampshire}}<br />
Hundreds, including [[Libertarianism in the United States|libertarian]] talk show host Ian Freeman, protested at the [[New Hampshire State House]] on April 17 calling on Governor [[Chris Sununu]] to reopen the state.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://boston.cbslocal.com/2020/04/18/coronavirus-lockdown-protest-new-hampshire-state-house-chris-sununu/|title=Hundreds Protest Coronavirus Lockdown At New Hampshire State House|date=April 18, 2020|work=CBS Boston/AP|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200428051446/https://boston.cbslocal.com/2020/04/18/coronavirus-lockdown-protest-new-hampshire-state-house-chris-sununu/|archive-date=April 28, 2020}}</ref><br />
<br />
====New Jersey====<br />
{{Further|COVID-19 pandemic in New Jersey}}<br />
On April 17, an anti-lockdown protest occurred in [[Trenton, New Jersey|Trenton]]. Days later, charges were brought against the organizer of the rally for violating social-distancing guidelines.<ref>{{cite web|last=Chasmar|first=Jessica |url=https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2020/apr/20/kim-pagan-new-jersey-woman-charged-for-organizing-/|title=N.J. woman charged for organizing 'reopen' protest in Trenton|website=The Washington Times|date=April 20, 2020|access-date=2020-04-27|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200502070726/https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2020/apr/20/kim-pagan-new-jersey-woman-charged-for-organizing-/|archive-date=May 2, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref> A smaller group of protesters also demonstrated in a [[Walmart]] parking lot in [[Hamilton Township, Mercer County, New Jersey|Hamilton]] that same day.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/organizer-of-new-jersey-anti-lockdown-rally-charged-with-violating-lockdown/2379736/|title=Organizer of New Jersey Anti-Lockdown Rally Charged With Violating Lockdown|website=NBC New York|date=April 18, 2020|access-date=2020-04-27|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200425155446/https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/organizer-of-new-jersey-anti-lockdown-rally-charged-with-violating-lockdown/2379736/|archive-date=April 25, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
On May 20, hundreds of hairdressers and barbers organized by the NJ Salon And Spa Coalition gathered in [[Verona Park]] dressed in black to plead for the state to reopen their businesses.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Fed-Up NJ Hairdressers, Barbers Rally In Verona: 'Let Us Reopen'|url=https://patch.com/new-jersey/verona/let-us-reopen-fed-nj-hairdressers-barbers-rally-verona|date=2020-05-21|website=Verona-Cedar Grove, NJ Patch|language=en|access-date=2020-05-23|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200623130911/https://patch.com/new-jersey/verona/let-us-reopen-fed-nj-hairdressers-barbers-rally-verona|archive-date=June 23, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
On November 28, a pro-Trump [[Stop the Steal]] caravan protest traveled around New Jersey for several hours starting near the Trump Golf Course in [[Bedminster, New Jersey|Bedminster]] and ending near Governor Murphy's home in [[Middletown Township, New Jersey|Middletown]], where the focus shifted to criticizing the statewide lockdown restrictions.<ref>{{Cite web|last=NJ.com|first=Michael Sol Warren {{!}} NJ Advance Media for|date=2020-11-28|title=Protestors show up at Murphy's house to criticize COVID-19 rules after rallying for Trump in Bedminster|url=https://www.nj.com/news/2020/11/protestors-criticize-nj-covid-19-rules-near-murphys-house-after-rallying-for-trump-in-bedminster.html|access-date=2020-11-29|website=nj|language=en}}</ref><br />
<br />
====New York====<br />
{{Further|COVID-19 pandemic in New York (state)}}<br />
On April 22, scores of cars and trucks blared their horns near [[Albany, New York|Albany]]'s Capitol Park in a protest called Operation Gridlock: Reopen NY.<ref>{{cite web|last=Lisa|first=Kate |url=https://www.adirondackdailyenterprise.com/news/politics/2020/04/protesters-in-albany-demand-cuomo-reopen-ny/|title=Protesters in Albany demand Cuomo reopen NY |work=Adirondack Daily Enterprise|date=April 24, 2020|access-date=2020-04-27|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200429101107/https://www.adirondackdailyenterprise.com/news/politics/2020/04/protesters-in-albany-demand-cuomo-reopen-ny/|archive-date=April 29, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
On May 1, hundreds protested in [[Commack, New York|Commack]], [[Long Island]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Protesters Call For Swift Reopening On Long Island As Coronavirus Hospitalizations Decline, But Local Leaders Urge Patience|url=https://newyork.cbslocal.com/2020/05/01/coronavirus-long-island-reopening-protest/|date=2020-05-01|access-date=2020-05-02}}</ref> Most protesters ignored social-distancing protocols, but no arrests were made, according to [[Suffolk County, New York|Suffolk County]] police.<ref>{{Cite web|last=DeSantis|first=Michael |title=Protesters In Commack Demand Economy Reopens|url=https://patch.com/new-york/commack/protesters-commack-demand-economy-opens|date=2020-05-01|website=Patch|access-date=2020-05-02|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200502121353/https://patch.com/new-york/commack/protesters-commack-demand-economy-opens|archive-date=May 2, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
====Pennsylvania====<br />
{{Further|COVID-19 pandemic in Pennsylvania}}<br />
On [[Patriots' Day]], April 20, hundreds of protesters marched on Pennsylvania's state capitol building during a Monday morning Operation Gridlock Pennsylvania event in [[Harrisburg, Pennsylvania|Harrisburg]].<ref name="olson1">{{cite web|url=https://www.foxnews.com/politics/hundreds-of-protesters-line-harrisburg-streets-in-protest-against-stay-at-home-order|title=Hundreds of protesters line Harrisburg streets in rowdy protest against stay-at-home order|last=Olson|first=Tyler|date=April 20, 2020|website=[[Fox News]]|access-date=April 20, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200420184458/https://www.foxnews.com/politics/hundreds-of-protesters-line-harrisburg-streets-in-protest-against-stay-at-home-order|archive-date=April 20, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref> The protest was organized by three groups, Re-open Pennsylvania, End the Lockdown Pennsylvania and Pennsylvania Against Excessive Quarantine, led in part by an Ohio-based Second Amendment rights activist named Chris Dorr.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.abc27.com/news/local/harrisburg/thousands-of-protesters-expected-at-a-reopen-rally/|title=Thousands of protesters expected at a 'reopen rally'|date=April 20, 2020|website=ABC27|access-date=April 20, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200422075607/https://www.abc27.com/news/local/harrisburg/thousands-of-protesters-expected-at-a-reopen-rally/|archive-date=April 22, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="olson1" /><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.dailyitem.com/news/update-hundreds-gather-at-capitol-in-harrisburg-for-anti-shutdown-rally-calling-to-reopen-pennsylvania/article_7d4f6946-831e-11ea-b61e-3f87f608ab01.html|title=UPDATE Hundreds gather at Capitol in Harrisburg for anti-shutdown rally calling to 'reopen' Pennsylvania|last=Fernandez|first=Cynthia|website=The Daily Item|date=April 20, 2020|access-date=April 20, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200421020225/https://www.dailyitem.com/news/update-hundreds-gather-at-capitol-in-harrisburg-for-anti-shutdown-rally-calling-to-reopen-pennsylvania/article_7d4f6946-831e-11ea-b61e-3f87f608ab01.html|archive-date=April 21, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
====Rhode Island====<br />
{{Further|COVID-19 pandemic in Rhode Island}}<br />
Anti-lockdown protesters clashed with a line of healthcare worker counter-protesters outside the [[Rhode Island State House]] on April 25.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.wwlp.com/news/health/coronavirus/health-care-workers-counter-state-house-protest-to-reopen-rhode-island/|title=Health care workers counter State House protest to reopen Rhode Island|date=2020-04-26|website=WWLP|access-date=2020-04-27|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200426142207/https://www.wwlp.com/news/health/coronavirus/health-care-workers-counter-state-house-protest-to-reopen-rhode-island/|archive-date=April 26, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
====Vermont====<br />
{{Further|COVID-19 pandemic in Vermont}}<br />
According to the ''[[VTDigger]]'', 7 to 10 anti-lockdown protesters gathered in [[Montpelier, Vermont|Montpelier]] on April 20.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://vtdigger.org/2020/04/22/handful-of-protesters-rally-against-scotts-stay-home-order/|title=Handful of protesters rally against Scott's 'stay home' order|website=VT Digger|date=April 22, 2020|access-date=2020-05-31|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200619160246/https://vtdigger.org/2020/04/22/handful-of-protesters-rally-against-scotts-stay-home-order/|archive-date=June 19, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== South ===<br />
<br />
====Alabama====<br />
{{Further|COVID-19 pandemic in Alabama}}<br />
Approximately 60 anti-lockdown protesters marched near the [[Alabama State Capitol]] at a Reopen Alabama rally in [[Montgomery, Alabama|Montgomery]] on April 21.<ref>{{cite web|last=Lyman|first=Brian|url=https://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/story/news/2020/04/21/reopen-alabama-business-protest-call-easing-coronavirus-restrictions/2999030001/|title=Reopen Alabama protesters call for easing of coronavirus business restrictions|website=The Montgomery Advertiser|date=April 21, 2020|access-date=2020-04-27|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200423171551/https://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/story/news/2020/04/21/reopen-alabama-business-protest-call-easing-coronavirus-restrictions/2999030001/|archive-date=April 23, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
====Florida====<br />
{{Further|COVID-19 pandemic in Florida}}<br />
Anti-lockdown protesters marched from the [[Florida Governor's Mansion|Governor's Mansion]] to the Old Capitol Building in [[Tallahassee, Florida|Tallahassee]] to demand that the state allow businesses to go back to work.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.wctv.tv/content/news/Protesters-gather-outside-the-capital-asking-the-state-to-re-open-Florida-for-business-569761441.html|title=Protesters gather outside the capitol asking the state to re-open Florida for business|last=Spencer|first=Brandon|website=wctv.tv|date=April 18, 2020|access-date=2020-04-27|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200427125431/https://www.wctv.tv/content/news/Protesters-gather-outside-the-capital-asking-the-state-to-re-open-Florida-for-business-569761441.html|archive-date=April 27, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
On May 11, a group of 20 to 30 protesters did [[Squat (exercise)|squats]] and [[sit-up]] exercises outside the courthouse in [[Clearwater, Florida|Clearwater]] to call for the reopening of gyms.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Protesters call for gyms to reopen in Florida by exercising outside courthouse|url=https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/497174-protesters-call-for-gyms-to-reopen-in-florida-by-exercising-outside|last=Klar|first=Rebecca|date=2020-05-11|website=[[The Hill (newspaper)|The Hill]]|access-date=2020-05-12|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200517024046/https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/497174-protesters-call-for-gyms-to-reopen-in-florida-by-exercising-outside|archive-date=May 17, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
====Kentucky====<br />
{{Further|COVID-19 pandemic in Kentucky}}<br />
Dozens of people gathered on the lawn of the state capitol in [[Frankfort, Kentucky|Frankfort]] in the afternoon of Wednesday, April 15, 2020, to protest Governor [[Andy Beshear]]'s anti-coronavirus measures. They could also be heard inside the capitol building. Throughout Governor Beshear's one-hour press briefing, the protesters chanted continuously and occasionally blew a horn. The principal demand was that businesses in the state be reopened.<ref name="kara_b_and_paul_e_15">{{cite news|last1=Berg|first1=Kara|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2020/04/15/lansing-capitol-protest-michigan-stay-home-order/5139472002/|title=Thousands Converge to Protest Michigan Governor's Stay-Home Order in 'Operation Gridlock'|date=April 15, 2020|work=[[USA Today]]|access-date=April 15, 2020|last2=Egan|first2=Paul|name-list-style=amp|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200416010703/https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2020/04/15/lansing-capitol-protest-michigan-stay-home-order/5139472002/|archive-date=April 16, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
On May 25, a group of protesters organized by Take Back Kentucky, angry about the [[Second Amendment to the United States Constitution|Second Amendment]] and coronavirus restrictions, hung the governor in [[effigy]] in front of the Kentucky statehouse. A sign reading "[[sic semper tyrannis]]" was attached to the hanging doll.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Protesters hang effigy of Kentucky governor|url=https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/499411-protesters-hang-effigy-of-kentucky-governor|last=Wise|first=Justin|date=2020-05-25|website=[[The Hill (newspaper)|The Hill]]|language=en|access-date=2020-05-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200526013625/https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/499411-protesters-hang-effigy-of-kentucky-governor|archive-date=May 26, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
==== Louisiana ====<br />
On July 14, a man was arrested after being asked by a police officer to wear a mask inside a [[Walmart]] in [[West Monroe, Louisiana|West Monroe]]. The man allegedly struck the officer twice with his car.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Coleman|first=Justine|date=2020-07-16|title=Louisiana man arrested after allegedly running car into officer who asked him to wear mask at Walmart|url=https://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/507707-louisiana-man-arrested-after-allegedly-running-car-into-officer|access-date=2020-07-17|website=[[The Hill (newspaper)|The Hill]]|language=en}}</ref><br />
<br />
====Maryland====<br />
{{Further|COVID-19 pandemic in Maryland}}<br />
On Saturday, April 18, ReOpen Maryland and Marylanders Against Excessive Quarantine held a driving protest in the state capital, [[Annapolis, Maryland|Annapolis]], against state restrictions continuing beyond May 1, drawing a claimed "at least 200 cars full of people."<ref>{{cite news |last1=Wainman |first1=Laura |last2=Arnold |first2=Jess |title=200 cars full of people protested Maryland's stay-at-home orders |url=https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/maryland/maryland-group-protests-to-reopen-state/65-eabb583d-d45e-40c9-835f-22f8dd9cf28f |access-date=June 29, 2020 |work=[[WUSA (TV)]] |date=April 18, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200630032115/https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/maryland/maryland-group-protests-to-reopen-state/65-eabb583d-d45e-40c9-835f-22f8dd9cf28f |archive-date=June 30, 2020 |url-status=live }}</ref> On Saturday, May 2, ReOpen Maryland organized another driving protest between rallies in [[Frederick, Maryland|Frederick]], [[Chester, Maryland|Chester]], and [[Salisbury, Maryland|Salisbury]], a span of 155 miles. Republican Representative [[Andy Harris (politician)|Andy Harris]] addressed the rally in Salisbury, comparing Maryland to North Korea, saying, "I didn't wake up in Communist China and I didn't wake up in North Korea...and tomorrow morning, I should be able to go to the church of my choice and worship the way I choose."<ref>{{cite news |last1=Ruiz |first1=Nathan |last2=Gillespie |first2=Paul W. |title=Rep. Harris compares Maryland to N. Korea, delegate sues Hogan as opponents protest coronavirus restrictions |url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/coronavirus/bs-md-reopen-maryland-protest-20200502-5v7krrh7n5girb7vwt75asp4di-story.html |access-date=June 30, 2020 |work=[[The Baltimore Sun]] |date=May 3, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200603133148/https://www.baltimoresun.com/coronavirus/bs-md-reopen-maryland-protest-20200502-5v7krrh7n5girb7vwt75asp4di-story.html |archive-date=June 3, 2020 |url-status=live }}</ref> ReOpen Maryland protested in Annapolis without cars on Friday, May 15,<ref>{{cite news |last1=Simms |first1=Barry |title=ReOpen Maryland protesters demand full opening of state |url=https://www.wbaltv.com/article/coronavirus-reopen-maryland-protest-annapolis-full-opening-of-state/32496434 |access-date=June 30, 2020 |work=[[WBAL-TV]] |date=May 15, 2020 |language=en |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200703035429/https://www.wbaltv.com/article/coronavirus-reopen-maryland-protest-annapolis-full-opening-of-state/32496434 |archive-date=July 3, 2020 |url-status=live }}</ref> and again on Saturday, May 30.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Lazarick |first1=Len |title=Floyd protests heat up, Reopen Maryland protests cool down |url=https://marylandreporter.com/2020/05/31/floyd-protests-heat-up-reopen-maryland-protests-cool-down/ |access-date=June 30, 2020 |work=MarylandReporter.com |date=May 31, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200622211306/https://marylandreporter.com/2020/05/31/floyd-protests-heat-up-reopen-maryland-protests-cool-down/ |archive-date=June 22, 2020 |url-status=live }}</ref> Another rally was held in [[Westminster, Maryland|Westminster]] on Saturday, June 6.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Lazarick |first1=Len |title=Small Reopen protests continue |url=https://marylandreporter.com/2020/06/07/small-reopen-protests-continue/ |access-date=June 30, 2020 |work=MarylandReporter.com |date=June 7, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200701145305/https://marylandreporter.com/2020/06/07/small-reopen-protests-continue/ |archive-date=July 1, 2020 |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
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Reopen Baltimore County held a rally in the county seat of [[Towson, Maryland|Towson]] on Friday, May 22.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Zumer |first1=Bryna |title=County Councilman takes part in 'Reopen Baltimore County' rally |url=https://foxbaltimore.com/news/coronavirus/county-councilman-takes-part-in-reopen-baltimore-county-rally |access-date=June 30, 2020 |work=[[WBFF]] |date=May 22, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200630020035/https://foxbaltimore.com/news/coronavirus/county-councilman-takes-part-in-reopen-baltimore-county-rally |archive-date=June 30, 2020 |url-status=live }}</ref> Reopen Howard County held a rally at the Howard County courthouse in the county seat of [[Ellicott City, Maryland|Ellicott City]] on Tuesday, May 26.<ref>{{cite news |title=Reopen Howard County rally in Ellicott City |url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/maryland/howard/columbia/cng-ho-reopen-rally-pg-20200526-6spsrmhtrnfwtmehuqojdunb2y-photogallery.html |access-date=June 30, 2020 |work=[[The Baltimore Sun]] |date=May 26, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200630020040/https://www.baltimoresun.com/maryland/howard/columbia/cng-ho-reopen-rally-pg-20200526-6spsrmhtrnfwtmehuqojdunb2y-photogallery.html |archive-date=June 30, 2020 |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
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In late June, the chair and co-founder of ReOpen Maryland said that he had tested positive for coronavirus but he would not help with [[contact tracing]] efforts.<ref name= co-founder>{{cite news |last1=Hutzell |first1=Rick |title=Co-founder of ReOpen Maryland says he has COVID-19, but won't help contact tracing efforts |url=https://www.capitalgazette.com/coronavirus/ac-cn-tim-walters-coronavirus-20200626-5l3epvbptng4dn4ys5btb5zika-story.html |access-date=June 30, 2020 |work=[[The Capital]] |date=June 26, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200629162433/https://www.capitalgazette.com/coronavirus/ac-cn-tim-walters-coronavirus-20200626-5l3epvbptng4dn4ys5btb5zika-story.html |archive-date=June 29, 2020 |url-status=live }}</ref> He said that got coronavirus "because Satan deemed to get it. Because he wanted to quiet my work."<ref name="co-founder" /> He said later that he and his family contracted COVID-19 and that he developed pneumonia because of it, but he still does not believe that the state needs to be shut down.<ref name="Shwe">{{cite news |last1=Shwe |first1=Elizabeth |title=Protesters at Annapolis Reopen Rally Demand 'No More Fear and 'Kids Over Politics' |url=https://www.marylandmatters.org/2020/09/19/protesters-at-annapolis-at-reopen-rally-demand-no-more-fear-and-kids-over-politics/ |access-date=September 21, 2020 |work=Maryland Matters |date=September 19, 2020}}</ref><br />
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On September 18, 2020, Reopen Maryland and Return2Learn Maryland Schools organized a protest march in downtown Annapolis urging the governor to reopen all Maryland businesses and schools.<ref name="Shwe" /><ref name="Kadhim">{{cite news |last1=Kadhim |first1=Eddie |title='Reopen Maryland' protest held in Annapolis |url=https://www.wmar2news.com/news/local-news/reopen-maryland-protest-in-annapolis |access-date=September 21, 2020 |work=[[WMAR-TV]] |date=September 18, 2020 |language=en}}</ref> Attendance was described as "hundreds of people"<ref name="Kadhim" /> or "nearly a hundred Marylanders, most without masks".<ref name="Shwe" /><br />
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====Mississippi====<br />
{{Further|COVID-19 pandemic in Mississippi}}<br />
Dozens of protesters carrying [[Donald Trump 2020 presidential campaign|Trump campaign]] merchandise and [[Flags of the Confederate States of America|Confederate Flags]] rallied to "Open Up Mississippi" in [[Jackson, Mississippi|Jackson]] on April 25.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.clarionledger.com/story/news/2020/04/25/coronavirus-mississippi-protesters-push-full-reopening-of-businesses/3025960001/|title='Should be up to the people': Protesters push for full reopening of Mississippi businesses|last=Vicory|first=Justin|website=The Clarion-Ledger|date=April 25, 2020|access-date=2020-04-27}}</ref><br />
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====North Carolina====<br />
{{Further|COVID-19 pandemic in North Carolina}}<br />
[[File:Reopen NC in Graham (2020 May) (49867247561).jpg|thumb|right|An anti-lockdown protest in [[Graham, North Carolina]], on May 7]]<br />
In [[Raleigh, North Carolina|Raleigh]], about 100 people protested outside the capitol building on April 14. One woman was arrested for violating the governor's order and refusing to leave the parking lot.<ref name="Shaffer">{{cite news|url=https://www.newsobserver.com/news/politics-government/article241999131.html|title=Protesters rally for NC to reopen. One woman arrested for violating governor's order.|last1=Shaffer|first1=Josh|last2=Hajela|first2=Ashad|date=April 15, 2020|work=The News & Observer|access-date=April 23, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200423005650/https://www.newsobserver.com/news/politics-government/article241999131.html|archive-date=April 23, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref> A second ReOpen NC protest of about 300 people was held on April 21—a day on which the state's coronavirus death toll increased by 34 to a total of 213.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://abc11.com/nc-coronavirus-reopen-raleigh-protest-north-carolina/6119599/|title=Second ReOpen NC protest again calls on Gov. Cooper to roll back COVID-19 safety measures|last=Kaplan|first=Jonah|date=April 21, 2020|work=ABC-11|access-date=April 23, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200424034902/https://abc11.com/nc-coronavirus-reopen-raleigh-protest-north-carolina/6119599/|archive-date=April 24, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref> A leader of the ReOpen NC group revealed in a Facebook post that she tested positive for COVID-19. She described herself as an "asymptomatic COVID19 positive patient." After her antibody test came back negative but her COVID-19 test result was positive,<ref name="ReOpen-NC-positive-COVID-19">{{cite news |last1= Reeves |first1=Jeff |last2=Quigley |first2=Colleen |date=April 27, 2020 |title=ReOpen NC leader says she tested positive for COVID-19 |url=https://www.cbs17.com/community/health/coronavirus/reopen-nc-leader-says-she-tested-positive-for-covid-19/ |url-status=live |work=CBS17.com |location=Raleigh, North Carolina |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200429013205/https://www.cbs17.com/community/health/coronavirus/reopen-nc-leader-says-she-tested-positive-for-covid-19/ |archive-date=April 29, 2020 |access-date=April 30, 2020 }}</ref> she was given a quarantine order. She has alleged that this violated her civil rights.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Owen |first1=Tess |url=https://www.vice.com/en_ca/article/m7q8my/an-anti-lockdown-protest-leader-has-now-tested-positive-for-covid-19 |title=An Anti-Lockdown Protest Leader Has Now Tested Positive for COVID-19 |work=[[Vice (magazine)|Vice]] |date=2020-04-28 |access-date=2020-05-10 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200510112950/https://www.vice.com/en_ca/article/m7q8my/an-anti-lockdown-protest-leader-has-now-tested-positive-for-covid-19 |archive-date=May 10, 2020 }}</ref><br />
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In North Carolina some anti-lockdown protesters were known to be carrying massive amounts of weapons, including an [[AT4|AT-4 Anti-Tank Rocket Launcher]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Photos of armed protesters in North Carolina carrying a rocket launcher, shotguns, and pistols while ordering food at a Subway restaurant are trending|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/viral-armed-protesters-north-carolina-rocket-launcher-weapons-subway-pictures-2020-5|last=Snouwaert|first=Jessica|website=[[Business Insider]]|access-date=2020-05-16|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200516214917/https://www.businessinsider.com/viral-armed-protesters-north-carolina-rocket-launcher-weapons-subway-pictures-2020-5|archive-date=May 16, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
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====Texas====<br />
{{Further|COVID-19 pandemic in Texas}}<br />
On Saturday, April 18, hundreds protested at the statehouse in [[Austin, Texas]], at a You Can't Close America rally organized by ''[[InfoWars]]''{{'}} [[Alex Jones]].<ref>{{cite news|last=Hall|first=Richard |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/alex-jones-coronavirus-lockdown-protest-texas-anthony-fauci-fire-a9472611.html|title=Alex Jones joins protest against coronavirus lockdown orders as crowds chant 'Fire Fauci'|date=April 18, 2020|website=[[The Independent]]|access-date=April 19, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200418233448/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/alex-jones-coronavirus-lockdown-protest-texas-anthony-fauci-fire-a9472611.html|archive-date=April 18, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
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On May 12, hair salon owner Shelley Luther was found guilty of civil and criminal [[Contempt of court|contempt]] in [[Dallas]] for ignoring a temporary restraining order.<ref>{{Cite web|title=How a Dallas salon owner changed Texas' reopening debate|url=https://www.texastribune.org/2020/05/15/texas-reopening-shelley-luther-dallas-salon-owner/|last=Platoff|first=Emma|date=2020-05-15|website=The Texas Tribune|language=en|access-date=2020-05-24|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200524025642/https://www.texastribune.org/2020/05/15/texas-reopening-shelley-luther-dallas-salon-owner/|archive-date=May 24, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref> After earning the support from [[Sean Hannity]] and [[Ted Cruz]] for her alleged [[civil disobedience]] and half a million dollars in [[GoFundMe]] money,<ref>{{Cite web|title=Arrested Dallas Hairdresser's GoFundMe Launched Before She Even Reopened|url=https://www.texasmonthly.com/news/dallas-salon-arrest-gofundme/|date=2020-05-08|website=Texas Monthly|language=en|access-date=2020-05-24|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200523051908/https://www.texasmonthly.com/news/dallas-salon-arrest-gofundme/|archive-date=May 23, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Baragona|first=Justin|date=2020-05-07|title=Hannity Compares Jailed Texas Salon Owner to Braveheart|language=en|work=[[The Daily Beast]]|url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/hannity-compares-jailed-texas-salon-owner-shelly-luther-to-william-wallace-in-braveheart|access-date=2020-05-24|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200530015139/https://www.thedailybeast.com/hannity-compares-jailed-texas-salon-owner-shelly-luther-to-william-wallace-in-braveheart|archive-date=May 30, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref> she admitted to receiving $18,000 in stimulus money designed to help her business while it remained closed.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Baragona|first=Justin|date=2020-05-11|title=Texas Salon Owner Admits to 'The View' She Received PPP Funds Before Court Date|language=en|work=[[The Daily Beast]]|url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/texas-salon-owner-shelley-luther-admits-to-the-view-that-she-received-ppp-funds-before-court-date|access-date=2020-05-24|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200513031357/https://www.thedailybeast.com/texas-salon-owner-shelley-luther-admits-to-the-view-that-she-received-ppp-funds-before-court-date|archive-date=May 13, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
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On May 23, a few dozen protesters gathered outside the [[Texas State Capitol]] in Austin for a Texas Freedom Rally sponsored by the Texas Freedom Coalition. Shelly Luther was a speaker.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Protesters rally for lifting all COVID restrictions on Texas|url=https://www.ksat.com/news/texas/2020/05/23/protesters-rally-for-lifting-all-covid-restrictions-on-texas/|agency=[[Associated Press]]|date=2020-05-23|website=KSAT|language=en|access-date=2020-05-24|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200602122351/https://www.ksat.com/news/texas/2020/05/23/protesters-rally-for-lifting-all-covid-restrictions-on-texas/|archive-date=June 2, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
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On July 4, 2020, an event called The Freedom Rally was held in front of the [[Tom Green County Courthouse]] in [[San Angelo, Texas|San Angelo]] to protest masks, lockdowns, the science behind COVID-19 and "[[Liberal media bias in the United States|liberal media]]."<ref>{{Cite web|last=Tufts|first=John|title='He loved his family': Caleb Wallace dies after battle with COVID-19, pregnant wife says|url=https://www.gosanangelo.com/story/news/2021/08/22/texas-covid-delta-variant-hospitalizations-high-mom-fights-save-husband/8196516002/|access-date=2021-09-01|website=San Angelo Standard-Times|language=en-US}}</ref> In August 2021, rally organizer Caleb Wallace died of COVID-19, leaving behind three daughters and a pregnant wife.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Erwin|first=Joe|date=2021-08-31|title=Texas anti-mask 'Freedom Defender' dies of COVID at age 30|url=https://www.mlive.com/news/2021/08/texas-anti-mask-freedom-defender-dies-of-covid-at-age-30.html|url-status=live|access-date=2021-09-01|website=mlive|language=en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210831125502/https://www.mlive.com/news/2021/08/texas-anti-mask-freedom-defender-dies-of-covid-at-age-30.html |archive-date=August 31, 2021 }}</ref><br />
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=== West ===<br />
====Alaska====<br />
{{Further|COVID-19 pandemic in Alaska}}<br />
On April 23, a caravan of vehicles paraded through downtown [[Anchorage, Alaska|Anchorage]] honking horns, waving flags and displaying signs that read "Open Alaska", "[[Don't Tread on Me]]" and "Shrink government, open business."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.alaskapublic.org/2020/04/23/alaska-is-reopening-the-economy-but-anchorage-protesters-took-to-the-streets-anyway/|title=Alaska is reopening the economy, but Anchorage protesters took to the streets anyway|last=Treinen|first=Lex |date=2020-04-23|website=Alaska Public Media|access-date=2020-04-29|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200502000141/https://www.alaskapublic.org/2020/04/23/alaska-is-reopening-the-economy-but-anchorage-protesters-took-to-the-streets-anyway/|archive-date=May 2, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ktva.com/story/42038513/photos-protesters-in-anchorage-urge-officials-to-reopen-alaska-amid-covid19-pandemic|title=Photos: Protesters in Anchorage urge officials to reopen Alaska amid COVID-19 pandemic|publisher=KTVA|date=April 22, 2020|access-date=2020-04-29|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200426224535/https://www.ktva.com/story/42038513/photos-protesters-in-anchorage-urge-officials-to-reopen-alaska-amid-covid19-pandemic|archive-date=April 26, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref> The protesters primarily opposed Democratic mayor [[Ethan Berkowitz]] for being too slow in ending the lockdown. Protesters expressed that they were on the same side as the state's [[Mike Dunleavy (politician)|Republican governor]] on the issue.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ktuu.com/content/news/Hundreds-protest-for-the-economy-to-open--569877511.html|title=Crowd holds caravan-style protest in favor of Anchorage reopening with state|last=Clark|first=Taylor|publisher=KTUU-TV|date=April 22, 2020|access-date=2020-04-29|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200427014522/https://www.ktuu.com/content/news/Hundreds-protest-for-the-economy-to-open--569877511.html|archive-date=April 27, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
====California====<br />
{{Further|COVID-19 pandemic in California}}<br />
[[File:OC Beach Closings Protest.jpg|thumb|Protest against COVID-19 closure in [[Huntington Beach, California]], on May 3. The city has been a hotbed of anti-lockdown protests throughout 2020]]<br />
On April 17, a group of more than 200 protested against the stay-at-home rules in [[Huntington Beach, California|Huntington Beach]]. The protesters demanded the reopening of California's economy.<ref>{{cite web|last=Campa|first=Andrew J. |url=https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-04-17/protesters-california-stay-at-home-coronavirus|title='Live Free or Die': Protesters march against California stay-at-home rules in Huntington Beach|date=April 17, 2020|website=[[Los Angeles Times]]|access-date=May 3, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200503075013/https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-04-17/protesters-california-stay-at-home-coronavirus|archive-date=May 3, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://abc7.com/amp/huntington-beach-protest-oc-stay-at-home-march-for-freedom/6112170/ |title=200-Plus Gather In Huntington Beach To Protest Stay-At-Home Order: We've Complied Long Enough |website=abc7.com |date=April 20, 2020 |access-date=April 23, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200421223558/https://abc7.com/amp/huntington-beach-protest-oc-stay-at-home-march-for-freedom/6112170/ |archive-date=April 21, 2020 |url-status=live }}</ref> A 36-year-old attorney was arrested for pulling a knife on a television crew, forcing them into their van and ordering them to delete any footage they had filmed of him. He held the crew in the van against their will before being stopped and arrested by police.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Sweeney|first=Don|url=https://www.sacbee.com/news/coronavirus/article242167221.html|title=Man pulls knife on journalists covering anti-lockdown protest, California police say|date=Apr 21, 2020|work=The Sacramento Bee|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200428194732/https://www.sacbee.com/news/coronavirus/article242167221.html|archive-date=April 28, 2020}}</ref><br />
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On April 18, several hundred people protested in [[downtown San Diego]], saying they wanted businesses and beaches reopened.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Weber|first1=Paul |last2=Jordans|first2=Frank |url=https://www.kpbs.org/news/2020/apr/18/protesters-us-san-diego-coronavirus-stay-at-home/|title=Protesters Decry Coronavirus Stay-At-Home Orders Across The US, Including San Diego|website=KPBS Public Media|date=April 18, 2020|access-date=April 19, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200419033632/https://www.kpbs.org/news/2020/apr/18/protesters-us-san-diego-coronavirus-stay-at-home/|archive-date=April 19, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cbs8.com/article/news/local/freedom-rally/509-cffea06c-d18e-4a45-8e8a-517961c6ae5b|title=San Diego groups protest government-imposed shutdown orders|website=KFMB|date=April 18, 2020|access-date=April 19, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200420233855/https://www.cbs8.com/article/news/local/freedom-rally/509-cffea06c-d18e-4a45-8e8a-517961c6ae5b|archive-date=April 20, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Cervantes|first=Erika |url=https://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/san-diegans-against-stay-at-home-order-protest-in-downtown/2308634/|title=Protestors Against Stay-at-Home Order Rally in Downtown|website=NBC 7 San Diego|date=April 18, 2020|access-date=April 19, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200421181345/https://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/san-diegans-against-stay-at-home-order-protest-in-downtown/2308634/|archive-date=April 21, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref> Another protest occurred April 19 in [[Encinitas, California|Encinitas]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cbs8.com/article/news/local/encinitas-protest-beach-losures/509-e3386f42-e860-43ca-a9e2-48394b718511|title=Encinitas group gathers to protest the closure of public spaces in North County San Diego|website=KFMB|date=April 19, 2020|access-date=April 20, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200420022357/https://www.cbs8.com/article/news/local/encinitas-protest-beach-losures/509-e3386f42-e860-43ca-a9e2-48394b718511|archive-date=April 20, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref> On April 20, hundreds of protesters marched or drove around the [[California State Capitol]] in [[Sacramento, California|Sacramento]]. The rally was organized by the [[Freedom Angels Foundation|Freedom Angels]], a group best known for its opposition to mandatory vaccination.<ref>{{cite news|last=Koseff|first=Alexei |url=https://www.sfchronicle.com/politics/article/Protesters-besiege-Capitol-in-Sacramento-they-15214025.php|title=Protesters besiege Capitol in Sacramento – they want coronavirus restrictions lifted|date=April 20, 2020|website=[[San Francisco Chronicle]]|access-date=April 21, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200421075543/https://www.sfchronicle.com/politics/article/Protesters-besiege-Capitol-in-Sacramento-they-15214025.php|archive-date=April 21, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref> Following this protest, the [[California Highway Patrol]] announced that it will no longer issue permits for any events on state properties.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Stanton|first=Sam|url=https://www.sacbee.com/news/local/crime/article242198781.html|title=CHP bans protests at California Capitol after rally against Newsom's stay-at-home order|date=Apr 22, 2020|work=Sacramento Bee|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200429051703/https://www.sacbee.com/news/local/crime/article242198781.html|archive-date=April 29, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last1=Campa|first1=Andrew J. |last2=Hernandez|first2=David| url=https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-04-23/organizer-of-california-stay-at-home-protest-could-face-criminal-charges-as-authorities-respond| title=Organizer of California stay-at-home protest could face criminal charges|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]| date=April 23, 2020| access-date=May 3, 2020| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200503091543/https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-04-23/organizer-of-california-stay-at-home-protest-could-face-criminal-charges-as-authorities-respond| archive-date=May 3, 2020| url-status=live}}</ref><br />
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On April 25, at least three protesters were arrested for violating the stay-at-home order and refusing to leave a closed beach in Encinitas.<ref>{{cite web|last=Hope|first=Heather |url=https://www.cbs8.com/article/news/local/arrests-during-encinitas-protest/509-a0102513-fc32-43bd-b306-5cb5ba2991cc|title=San Diego Sheriffs make multiple arrests at Encinitas protest|website=CBS News 8|date=April 25, 2020|access-date=2020-04-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200430151437/https://www.cbs8.com/article/news/local/arrests-during-encinitas-protest/509-a0102513-fc32-43bd-b306-5cb5ba2991cc|archive-date=April 30, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
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On April 25, at least 200 people protested at A Day of Liberty San Diego Freedom Rally on [[Pacific Beach, San Diego|Pacific Beach]], organized by the same people who organized the previous week's downtown rally. The rally was strongly condemned by community leaders, but arrests were not reported.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cbs8.com/article/news/health/coronavirus/stay-at-home-order-protests-continue-sunday-in-san-diego-county/509-01edafc0-21af-4f2a-8a77-865d34b54c49|title=Stay-at-home order protests continue in San Diego County|website=cbs8.com|date=April 26, 2020 |access-date=2020-04-27|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200501210231/https://www.cbs8.com/article/news/health/coronavirus/stay-at-home-order-protests-continue-sunday-in-san-diego-county/509-01edafc0-21af-4f2a-8a77-865d34b54c49|archive-date=May 1, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://obrag.org/2020/04/fierce-blow-back-on-planned-protest-of-restrictions-in-pacific-beach/|title=Fierce Blow-Back on Planned Protest of Restrictions in Pacific Beach|last=Gormlie|first=Frank|date=2020-04-26|website=OB Rag|access-date=2020-04-27}}</ref><br />
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On April 26, protesters carrying signs that said "SM BIZ MATTERS" and "My constitutional rights are essential" gathered in [[Palm Springs, California|Palm Springs]].<ref>{{Cite web|last1=Hayden|first1=Nicole|last2=Metz|first2=Sam|last3=Atagi|first3=Colin|last4=Blueskye|first4=Brian|title=Riverside County sees dramatic increase in COVID-19 deaths; 'lockdown' protest in Palm Springs|url=https://www.desertsun.com/story/news/health/2020/04/27/california-coronavirus-lockdown-protest-palm-springs-gathers-dozens/3033680001/|access-date=2020-06-04|website=Desert Sun|language=en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200604013535/https://www.desertsun.com/story/news/health/2020/04/27/california-coronavirus-lockdown-protest-palm-springs-gathers-dozens/3033680001/|archive-date=June 4, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
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On May 1, a series of simultaneous protests all over California were planned for Friday but only three attracted large crowds.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Barmann|first=Jay |title=32 Arrested at Sacramento Protest Against Sheltering Order; San Francisco Protest Remains Small|url=https://sfist.com/2020/05/02/32-arrested-at-sacramento-protest-against-sheltering-order-san-francisco-protest-remains-small/|date=2020-05-02|website=SFist |access-date=2020-05-03|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200503111614/https://sfist.com/2020/05/02/32-arrested-at-sacramento-protest-against-sheltering-order-san-francisco-protest-remains-small/|archive-date=May 3, 2020|url-status=dead}}</ref> Hundreds gathered and 32 were arrested in Sacramento.<ref>{{Cite news|last1=Koseff|first1=Alexei|last2=Thadani|first2=Trisha|title=CHP arrests protesters in Sacramento who defy shelter-in-place order to demand California reopen|url=https://www.sfchronicle.com/politics/article/Protesters-in-Sacramento-and-San-Francisco-defy-15240894.php|date=May 1, 2020|website=[[San Francisco Chronicle]]|access-date=2020-05-03|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200503174213/https://www.sfchronicle.com/politics/article/Protesters-in-Sacramento-and-San-Francisco-defy-15240894.php|archive-date=May 3, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref> 2500 to 3000 gathered in Huntington Beach to protest the Governor's new order to re-close beaches in [[Orange County, California|Orange County]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Large crowds in Huntington Beach protest beach closures by California governor|url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/05/01/us/california-orange-county-injunction-beaches/index.html|last1=Kallingal|first1=Mallika|last2=Moon|first2=Sarah|website=[[CNN]]|date=May 1, 2020|access-date=2020-05-03|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200503133205/https://www.cnn.com/2020/05/01/us/california-orange-county-injunction-beaches/index.html|archive-date=May 3, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
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On May 1, 1,000 anti-lockdown protesters rallied in Ventura. The event was described as a "nonpolitical peaceful protest to fully reopen California." Ventura Police Department officials said they estimated the size at about 1,000 people.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.vcstar.com/story/news/local/communities/ventura/2020/05/01/reopen-california-protest-ventura-county-stay-home-coronavirus-covid-19/3065312001/|title=Hundreds turn out to rally in Ventura to oppose stay-at-home orders|first1=Gretchen|last1=Wenner|first2=Megan|last2=Diskin|website=Ventura County Star|date=May 1, 2020|access-date=2020-05-13|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200502170839/https://www.vcstar.com/story/news/local/communities/ventura/2020/05/01/reopen-california-protest-ventura-county-stay-home-coronavirus-covid-19/3065312001/|archive-date=May 2, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Plascencia|first=Anthony|url=https://www.vcstar.com/videos/news/local/2020/05/02/california-reopen-protest-ventura-county-coronavirus-covid-10/3070093001/|title=Coronavirus: Ventura County protest calls for reopening of California|website=Ventura County Star|date=May 2, 2020|access-date=2020-05-13|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200518063811/https://www.vcstar.com/videos/news/local/2020/05/02/california-reopen-protest-ventura-county-coronavirus-covid-10/3070093001/|archive-date=May 18, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
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On May 1, about 100 cars draped in American flags and signs reading "Open Our Country" and "Remember the Constitution" jammed [[De La Guerra Plaza|De la Guerra Plaza]] in [[Santa Barbara, California|Santa Barbara]] on Friday afternoon.<ref>{{Cite web|last1=May 01|first1=Delaney Smith Fri|last2=2020 {{!}} 5:38pm|date=2020-05-02|title='Honk To End the Shutdown' Protest Comes to Santa Barbara|url=https://www.independent.com/2020/05/01/honk-to-end-the-shutdown-protest-comes-to-santa-barbara/|access-date=2020-06-13|website=The Santa Barbara Independent|language=en-US|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200529023449/https://www.independent.com/2020/05/01/honk-to-end-the-shutdown-protest-comes-to-santa-barbara/|archive-date=May 29, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
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On May 2, one hundred plus anti-lockdown protesters rallied in [[Laguna Beach, California|Laguna Beach]].<ref>{{Cite news|date=May 2, 2020|title=100-Plus Protesters Rally in Laguna Beach to Open Beaches and Businesses|work=CBS Los Angeles|url=https://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2020/05/02/laguna-beach-protest-stay-at-home-california/|url-status=live|access-date=2020-05-13|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200505185545/https://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2020/05/02/laguna-beach-protest-stay-at-home-california/|archive-date=May 5, 2020}}</ref> An [[MSNBC]] reporter was attacked mid-broadcast by a protester who got in his personal space and yelled at him to "take off that damn mask."<ref>{{Cite web|title=MSNBC reporter interrupted by protester in California: 'Take off your damn mask, man!'|url=https://thehill.com/homenews/media/495845-msnbc-reporter-interrupted-by-protester-in-california-take-off-your-damn-mask|last=Concha|first=Joe|date=2020-05-03|website=[[The Hill (newspaper)|The Hill]]|access-date=2020-05-03|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200503155853/https://thehill.com/homenews/media/495845-msnbc-reporter-interrupted-by-protester-in-california-take-off-your-damn-mask|archive-date=May 3, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
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On May 2, a lone man protested [[Face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic|face-mask]] requirements by openly wearing a [[Ku Klux Klan]] hood at [[Vons]] supermarket in [[Santee, California|Santee]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Santee, County Officials Condemn Shopper with KKK Hood in Viral Photos|url=https://timesofsandiego.com/business/2020/05/03/santee-county-officials-condemn-shopper-with-kkk-hood-in-viral-photos/|last=Stone|first=Ken|date=2020-05-04|website=Times of San Diego|access-date=2020-05-04}}</ref> Less than a week later, a couple pushing a stroller shopped at a [[Food 4 Less]] in Santee with Nazi [[swastika]]s on their masks.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Avitabile|first=Rafael|title=Man with Swastika on Face Covering Spotted in Santee Grocery Store|url=https://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/man-with-swastika-on-face-covering-spotted-in-santee-grocery-store/2321734/|website=NBC 7 San Diego|date=May 8, 2020|access-date=2020-05-09|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200509062122/https://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/man-with-swastika-on-face-covering-spotted-in-santee-grocery-store/2321734/|archive-date=May 9, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Man and wife photographed wearing swastika masks while shopping at Food 4 Less in Santee|url=https://www.kusi.com/man-and-wife-photographed-wearing-swastika-masks-while-shopping-at-food-4-less-in-santee/|date=2020-05-08|website=McKinnon Broadcasting|access-date=2020-05-09|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200510025747/https://www.kusi.com/man-and-wife-photographed-wearing-swastika-masks-while-shopping-at-food-4-less-in-santee/|archive-date=May 10, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Shopper in Swastika Mask Posts Video of Quarrel with Santee Deputies|url=https://timesofsandiego.com/crime/2020/05/08/shopper-in-swastika-mask-posts-video-of-quarrel-with-santee-deputies/|last=Stone|first=Ken|date=2020-05-09|website=Times of San Diego|access-date=2020-05-09|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200509110320/https://timesofsandiego.com/crime/2020/05/08/shopper-in-swastika-mask-posts-video-of-quarrel-with-santee-deputies/|archive-date=May 9, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Behind the swastikas in Santee {{!}} San Diego Reader|url=https://www.sandiegoreader.com/news/2020/may/22/stringers-behind-swastikas-santee/|date=2020-05-30|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200530103709/https://www.sandiegoreader.com/news/2020/may/22/stringers-behind-swastikas-santee/|access-date=2020-05-30|archive-date=May 30, 2020}}</ref><br />
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On May 3, about 300 protesters rallied in [[Rancho Cucamonga, California|Rancho Cucamonga]], ignored social-distancing rules, held Trump banners and chanted "[[Four more years|Four More Years]]."<ref>{{Cite web|title=Hundreds protest coronavirus lockdown in Rancho Cucamonga|url=https://www.dailybulletin.com/hundreds-protest-coronavirus-lockdown-in-rancho-cucamonga|last=Iyer|first=Jennifer |date=2020-05-03|website=Daily Bulletin|access-date=2020-05-04}}</ref><br />
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On May 21, the leader of a stay-at-home order protest was arrested in [[San Clemente, California|San Clemente]] for refusing to comply with a dispersal order.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Coronavirus: 1 person arrested after protest in San Clemente over Stay Home orders|url=https://abc7.com/6201942/|last=KABC|date=2020-05-21|website=ABC7 Los Angeles|language=en|access-date=2020-05-24|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200607140714/https://abc7.com/6201942/|archive-date=June 7, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
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On May 23, over 2000 protesters joined the LibertyFest anti-lockdown rally next to the California State Capitol in Sacramento.<ref>{{Cite web|date=May 23, 2020|title=2,000 join rally against Newsom's stay-at-home coronavirus orders at California's Capitol|url=https://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article242946886.html|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200526150957/https://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article242946886.html|archive-date=May 26, 2020|website=The Sacramento Bee}}</ref><br />
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On July 14, gyms in [[Riverside, California|Riverside]]<ref>{{Cite web|title=Riverside Gym Defies Gov. Newsom's Order to Close|url=https://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/national-international/gavin-newsom-california-reopening-shutdown-coronavirus-gyms-covid-19-riverside/2365901/|access-date=2020-07-15|website=NBC 7 San Diego|date=July 14, 2020 |language=en-US}}</ref> and [[University Heights, San Diego]]<ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-07-15|title=San Diego gym owner refuses to close despite state restrictions|url=https://www.10news.com/news/coronavirus/san-diego-gym-owner-refuses-to-close-despite-state-restrictions|access-date=2020-07-15|website=KGTV|language=en}}</ref> remained open despite Governor Newsom's renewed statewide closings.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Coronavirus in California: Updates and Daily Briefings|url=https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/coronavirus/coronavirus-pandemic-california-covid-19/2338352/|access-date=2020-07-15|website=NBC Los Angeles|date=March 31, 2020 |language=en-US|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200628092749/https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/coronavirus/coronavirus-pandemic-california-covid-19/2338352/|archive-date=June 28, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
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On July 15, a grocery store employee in Los Angeles used [[pepper spray]] against a customer who allegedly assaulted a woman after being asked to wear a mask.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Johnson|first=Martin|date=2020-07-16|title=Grocery store worker reportedly used pepper spray on customer who refused to wear mask, became confrontational|url=https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/507625-grocery-store-worker-used-pepper-spray-on-customer-who-refused-to-wear|access-date=2020-07-16|website=[[The Hill (newspaper)|The Hill]]|language=en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200716201543/https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/507625-grocery-store-worker-used-pepper-spray-on-customer-who-refused-to-wear|archive-date=July 16, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
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On July 28, about five dozen hairstylists gathered in front of San Diego City Hall to protest county rules prohibiting salons from providing services indoors.<ref>{{Cite web|title=San Diego Salons Hold Peaceful Protest: We Want to Work Inside Again|url=https://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/san-diego-salons-hold-peaceful-protest-we-want-to-work-inside-again/2373192/|access-date=2020-07-28|website=NBC 7 San Diego|date=July 28, 2020 |language=en-US}}</ref><br />
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On November 30, hundreds, including former [[Ultimate Fighting Championship|UFC]] champion [[Tito Ortiz]], gathered at a pier in [[Huntington Beach, California|Huntington Beach]] for a "curfew breaker" protest against COVID-19 restrictions.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Zidan|first=Karim|date=2020-12-17|title=Tinfoil gloves: why has MMA become a breeding ground for QAnon?|language=en-GB|work=[[The Guardian]]|url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2020/dec/17/qanon-mma-ufc-tito-ortiz|access-date=2020-12-17|issn=0261-3077}}</ref><br />
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On January 24, 2021, a church group protested [[San Diego County, California|San Diego County]]'s purple-tier restrictions at a Let Us Worship event in [[El Cajon, California|El Cajon]]. Mayor William Wells led prayers while hundreds of mostly maskless protesters ignored social-distancing protocols.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Hundreds gather for outdoor prayer event in El Cajon|url=https://www.cbs8.com/article/news/health/coronavirus/prayer-event-el-cajon/509-7a489e16-a166-4b3e-8ea7-e5a56ad54e03|access-date=2021-01-25|website=cbs8.com|date=January 25, 2021 |language=en-US}}</ref><br />
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On April 13, 2021, anti-mask protesters stormed a grocery store in [[Carmel Valley, San Diego]], taking an emotional toll on staff.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Raffa|first=Allie|date=2021-04-29|title=Anti-Maskers Storm Grocery Stores Leaving Staff, Customers Fed Up With Backlash Against Mandates Beyond Their Control|url=https://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/anti-maskers-storm-san-diego-grocery-stores-leaving-staff-customers-fed-up-with-backlash-against-mandates-beyond-their-control/2591542/|access-date=2021-04-30|website=NBC 7 San Diego|language=en-US}}</ref><br />
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In November 2021, a protest against [[COVID-19 vaccination mandates in the United States|government-mandated COVID-19 vaccinations]] led to a chain-reaction crash at the entrance to the [[Golden Gate Bridge]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-11-12 |title=5 hurt, including 2 officers, after crash at anti-vaccine protest in San Francisco |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/5-hurt-2-officers-crash-anti-vaccine-protest-san-francisco-rcna5382 |access-date=2024-04-18 |website=NBC News |language=en}}</ref> During the demonstration, a vehicle collision occurred involving two California Highway Patrol officers and three Golden Gate Bridge employees.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-11-11 |title=5 People Hit, CHP Officer Hospitalized in Crash on Golden Gate Bridge During Anti-Vax Protest - CBS San Francisco |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/sanfrancisco/news/anti-vax-vaccine-mandate-golden-gate-bridge-san-francisco/ |access-date=2024-04-18 |website=www.cbsnews.com |language=en-US}}</ref><br />
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On April 10, 2022, thousands gathered for a Defeat the Mandates rally in [[Grand Park]] in front of [[Los Angeles City Hall]]. Truckers from the [[Canada convoy protest#International protests|People's Convoy]] and protesters from as far away as New York listened to speakers and musical performers opposed to several COVID-19-related bills in the state legislature.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Dovargnes |first=Damian |date=2022-04-11 |title=Thousands rally in LA to oppose COVID-19 vaccine mandates |work=[[Sacramento Bee]] |url=https://www.sacbee.com/news/article260295875.html}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Oreskes |first=Benjamin |date=2022-04-10 |title=Opponents of vaccine requirements gather for 'Defeat the Mandates' rally in L.A. |url=https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2022-04-10/hundreds-gather-for-defeat-the-mandates-rally-in-downtown-l-a |access-date=2022-04-11 |website=[[Los Angeles Times]] |language=en-US}}</ref><br />
<br />
====Colorado====<br />
{{Further|COVID-19 pandemic in Colorado}}<br />
A Facebook event was created for a gathering called Operation Gridlock Denver for April 19, with more than 550 people stating they were going to the event. The operation plan was to "drive to the capitol in [[Denver, Colorado|Denver]] and gridlock the roads in protest to the mandatory lockdowns and violation of constitutional rights{{nbsp}}..."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://denverite.com/2020/04/17/yes-denver-officials-are-aware-of-that-gridlock-protest-on-sunday-thats-breaking-stay-at-home-orders/|title=Yes, Denver officials are aware of that "gridlock" protest on Sunday that's breaking stay-at-home orders|last=Hernandez|first=Esteban|date=April 17, 2020|website=Denverite|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200420060028/https://denverite.com/2020/04/17/yes-denver-officials-are-aware-of-that-gridlock-protest-on-sunday-thats-breaking-stay-at-home-orders/|archive-date=April 20, 2020|access-date=April 20, 2020}}</ref> Footage from the counter-protest went viral after counter-protestors dressed as nurses silently stood in front of cars participating in the Operation Gridlock protest, while wearing their scrubs and [[N95 mask|N95 face masks]]. One nurse who participated in the counter-protest stated the protest felt like "a slap in the face to medical workers".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/health-care-workers-took-stand-against-protestors-opposing-coronavirus-lockdown-n1187711|title=Health care workers stand against protesters opposing coronavirus lockdown in Colorado|last=Kesslen|first=Ben|date=April 20, 2020|website=[[NBC News]]|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200420152230/https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/health-care-workers-took-stand-against-protestors-opposing-coronavirus-lockdown-n1187711|archive-date=April 20, 2020|access-date=April 20, 2020}}</ref> The counter-protestors claimed to be nurses from a local hospital but declined to identify themselves or their employer.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.foxnews.com/us/photos-purportedly-show-coronavirus-protest-standoff|title=Coronavirus standoff: Photos purportedly show Colorado health care workers at odds with anti-lockdown protesters|last=Norman|first=Greg|date=April 20, 2020|website=[[Fox News]]|access-date=April 20, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200420124749/https://www.foxnews.com/us/photos-purportedly-show-coronavirus-protest-standoff|archive-date=April 20, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
[[File:Ammon Bundy January 23, 2016.jpg|thumb|220x220px|[[Ammon Bundy]], an anti-government militant and activist, primarily active in the Pacific Northwest, most notably in Oregon and Idaho.]]<br />
<br />
====Idaho====<br />
{{Further|COVID-19 pandemic in Idaho}}<br />
Several hundred protesters assembled at the [[Idaho State Capitol]] building in [[Boise, Idaho|Boise]] under the slogan "Disobey Idaho" on April 17. The protest was organized by three conservative groups—the Idaho Freedom Foundation, Idaho Second Amendment Alliance and [[Health Freedom Idaho]]—and emceed by [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] [[Idaho Legislature|state representative]] [[Tammy Nichols]].<ref>{{Cite news|last=Bustillo|first=Ximena|url=https://www.idahostatesman.com/news/coronavirus/article242092321.html|title=Hundreds rally at Idaho Capitol to protest Gov. Little's stay-home order|date=Mar 17, 2020|work=Idaho Statesman|access-date=2020-05-13}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/hundreds-defy-idahos-stay-at-home-order-at-capitol-protest/2020/04/17/04cf4480-80fa-11ea-84c2-0792d8591911_story.html|title=Hundreds defy Idaho's stay-at-home order at Capitol protest|last=Boone|first=Rebecca|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|date=April 18, 2020|access-date=April 23, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200424184549/https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/hundreds-defy-idahos-stay-at-home-order-at-capitol-protest/2020/04/17/04cf4480-80fa-11ea-84c2-0792d8591911_story.html|archive-date=April 24, 2020|url-status=dead}}</ref><br />
<br />
On August 25, activist [[Ammon Bundy]] was arrested twice in two days for trespassing at the [[Idaho State Capitol]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Ammon Bundy Is Arrested And Wheeled Out Of The Idaho Statehouse — Again|url=https://www.npr.org/2020/08/25/906046911/ammon-bundy-is-arrested-and-wheeled-out-of-the-idaho-statehouse|access-date=2020-08-27|website=[[NPR]]|language=en}}</ref> Dozens more pushed past police and were allowed to sit in the gallery overlooking the [[Idaho House of Representatives]] without masks. [[Speaker (politics)|Speaker]] [[Scott Bedke]] ultimately allowed them to fill every seat despite social-distancing rules.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Unmasked Protesters Push Past Police Into Idaho Lawmakers' Session|url=https://www.npr.org/2020/08/25/905785548/unmasked-protesters-push-past-police-into-idaho-lawmakers-session|access-date=2020-08-27|website=[[NPR]]|language=en}}</ref><br />
<br />
On March 6, 2021, more than a hundred protesters gathered outside the Idaho State Capitol for a "burn the mask" event organized by the husband of [[Idaho House of Representatives|Idaho state representative]] [[Dorothy Moon]] and others.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Castronuovo|first=Celine|date=2021-03-06|title=Demonstrators burn masks in front of Idaho state Capitol|url=https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/541963-demonstrators-burn-masks-in-front-of-idaho-state-capitol|access-date=2021-03-06|website=[[The Hill (newspaper)|The Hill]]|language=en}}</ref><br />
<br />
====Nevada====<br />
{{Further|COVID-19 pandemic in Nevada}}<br />
Hundreds of protesters gathered on April 18 in [[Carson City, Nevada|Carson City]] at the [[Nevada State Capitol]] and on Carson Street chanting "End the shutdown", "One nation under God", and "Recall [[Steve Sisolak|Sisolak]]".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://carsonnow.org/story/04/18/2020/protest-against-shut-down-capitol-carson-city-ignores-social-distancing-mandate-cal|title=Protest against shut down at Capitol in Carson City ignores social distancing mandate, calls for Nevada to reopen|website=Carson Now|date=April 18, 2020|access-date=April 23, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200423094810/https://carsonnow.org/story/04/18/2020/protest-against-shut-down-capitol-carson-city-ignores-social-distancing-mandate-cal|archive-date=April 23, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
====New Mexico====<br />
{{Further|COVID-19 pandemic in New Mexico}}<br />
A small group of anti-lockdown protesters gathered at Civic Plaza in [[Albuquerque, New Mexico|Albuquerque]] for an Operation Gridlock event on April 24.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.dailylobo.com/article/2020/04/politics-misinformation-enter-fray-as-anti-quarantine-protest-and-covid-cases-continue|title=Politics, misinformation enter fray as 'anti-quarantine' protest and COVID cases continue|last=Gunn|first=Andrew|website=New Mexico Daily Lobo|date=April 26, 2020|access-date=2020-04-29|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200501234620/https://www.dailylobo.com/article/2020/04/politics-misinformation-enter-fray-as-anti-quarantine-protest-and-covid-cases-continue|archive-date=May 1, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref> Small protests also took place in [[Santa Fe, New Mexico|Santa Fe]] and [[Farmington, New Mexico|Farmington]].<ref>{{cite web|last=Nott|first=Robert|date=April 20, 2020|title=Anti-closure protest draws cars, helicopters to New Mexico Capitol|url=https://www.santafenewmexican.com/news/coronavirus/anti-closure-protest-draws-cars-helicopters-to-new-mexico-capitol/article_54fbad66-8340-11ea-a43e-9b067701b923.html|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200427065852/https://www.santafenewmexican.com/news/coronavirus/anti-closure-protest-draws-cars-helicopters-to-new-mexico-capitol/article_54fbad66-8340-11ea-a43e-9b067701b923.html|archive-date=April 27, 2020|access-date=2020-04-29|website=Santa Fe New Mexican}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Frustrations flare over New Mexico public health orders|url=https://durangoherald.com/articles/324861|website=Durango Herald|language=en|access-date=2020-05-31|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200531085212/https://durangoherald.com/articles/324861|archive-date=May 31, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
====Oregon====<br />
{{Further|COVID-19 pandemic in Oregon}}<br />
Dozens of protesters circled the [[Oregon State Capitol]] in [[Salem, Oregon|Salem]] in their vehicles on April 17, 2020.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.registerguard.com/news/20200418/coronavirus-updates-saturday-dozens-protest-oregonrsquos-stay-at-home-order-butte-to-butte-race-canceled|title=Coronavirus updates, Saturday: Dozens protest Oregon's stay-at-home order; Butte to Butte race canceled|website=The Register-Guard|date=April 18, 2020|access-date=May 3, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200422150800/https://www.registerguard.com/news/20200418/coronavirus-updates-saturday-dozens-protest-oregonrsquos-stay-at-home-order-butte-to-butte-race-canceled|archive-date=April 22, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref> 200 people gathered outside City Hall in [[Redmond, Oregon|Redmond]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://ktvz.com/news/2020/04/17/protest-planned-in-redmond-against-stay-at-home-order/|title=More than 200 gather in Redmond to protest stay-at-home order|first1=Max|last1=Goldwasser|date=April 17, 2020|access-date=May 3, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200426161855/https://ktvz.com/news/2020/04/17/protest-planned-in-redmond-against-stay-at-home-order/|archive-date=April 26, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bendbulletin.com/coronavirus/redmond-activist-to-protest-oregon-stay-home-order-with-rally/article_ce398714-8040-11ea-83b4-97b0b821091c.html|title=Redmond activist to protest Oregon stay home order with rally|first=Garrett|last=Andrews|work=The Bulletin|date=April 16, 2020|access-date=May 3, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200426192737/https://www.bendbulletin.com/coronavirus/redmond-activist-to-protest-oregon-stay-home-order-with-rally/article_ce398714-8040-11ea-83b4-97b0b821091c.html|archive-date=April 26, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref> The Re-Open Oregon rally was held on May{{nbsp}}1 and{{nbsp}}2.<ref>{{cite web|last=Balick|first=Lisa |url=https://www.koin.com/news/health/coronavirus/open-oregon-rally-arrives-in-salem/|title='Open Oregon' rally in Salem: 'No light at end of tunnel'|publisher=KOIN |date=April 17, 2020|access-date=May 3, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200428071819/https://www.koin.com/news/health/coronavirus/open-oregon-rally-arrives-in-salem/|archive-date=April 28, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.portlandmercury.com/blogtown/2020/04/16/28299387/conservative-protestors-plan-reopen-oregon-rally-at-state-capitol|title=Conservative Protestors Plan "Reopen Oregon" Rally at State Capitol|first=Blair |last=Stenvick|date=April 16, 2020 |website=Portland Mercury|access-date=May 3, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200423163004/https://www.portlandmercury.com/blogtown/2020/04/16/28299387/conservative-protestors-plan-reopen-oregon-rally-at-state-capitol|archive-date=April 23, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.wweek.com/news/2020/04/16/right-wing-protesters-are-planning-re-open-america-rallies-at-state-capitols-in-oregon-and-washington/|title=Right-Wing Protesters Are Planning "Reopen America" Rallies at State Capitols in Oregon and Washington|last=Riski|first=Tess|date=April 16, 2020|website=Willamette Week|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200430103707/https://www.wweek.com/news/2020/04/16/right-wing-protesters-are-planning-re-open-america-rallies-at-state-capitols-in-oregon-and-washington/|archive-date=April 30, 2020|access-date=2020-04-27}}</ref> On December 21, during an anti-lockdown protest, about 300 demonstrators attempted to storm the [[Oregon State Capitol]], but they were warded off by responding officers with the [[Oregon State Police]]. At the time, the State Capitol was hosting a special legislative session closed to the public. The group included members of far-right groups such as [[Proud Boys]] and [[Patriot Prayer]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/heavily-armed-far-right-mob-descends-on-oregon-capitol|title=Heavily Armed Far-Right Mob Floods Oregon Capitol|publisher=[[The Daily Beast]]|last1=Ross|first1=Winston|last2=Melendez|first2=Pilar|date=December 21, 2020|access-date=December 21, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.statesmanjournal.com/story/news/politics/2020/12/21/protesters-gather-oregon-legislature-starts-special-session/3993102001/|title=Arrests made after protesters attempt to enter Oregon State Capitol during session|publisher=Statesman Journal|last1=Withycombe|first1=Claire|last2=Barreda|first2=Virginia|date=December 21, 2020|access-date=December 21, 2020}}</ref><br />
<br />
====Utah====<br />
{{Further|COVID-19 pandemic in Utah}}<br />
Hundreds protested on the lawn at [[Washington Square (Salt Lake City, Utah)|Salt Lake City's Washington Square]] on Saturday, April 18.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.deseret.com/utah/2020/4/18/21226583/business-revival-rally-coronavirus-pandemic-covid-19-salt-lake-washington-square|title=Hundreds gather to rally for revival of Utah business|website=DeseretNews|first=Wendy|last=Leonard|date=April 18, 2020|access-date=April 25, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200425093043/https://www.deseret.com/utah/2020/4/18/21226583/business-revival-rally-coronavirus-pandemic-covid-19-salt-lake-washington-square|archive-date=April 25, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref> The day before the protest, according to a police affidavit, Mayor [[Erin Mendenhall]] was threatened by a man who stated, "The mayor needs to open up the city. If she doesn't, she'll be forcibly removed from office. There's a protest tomorrow and if things don't change, a civil war is coming, and the police can't stop me." The man was arrested and booked for making a terroristic threat and electronic communication harassment.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.deseret.com/utah/2020/4/20/21227935/man-threatened-salt-lake-city-mayor-over-covid-19-restrictions-police-say|title=Man threatened Salt Lake City mayor over COVID-19 restrictions, police say|website=DeseretNews|first=Pat|last=Reavy|date=April 20, 2020|access-date=April 25, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200424161042/https://www.deseret.com/utah/2020/4/20/21227935/man-threatened-salt-lake-city-mayor-over-covid-19-restrictions-police-say|archive-date=April 24, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
====Washington====<br />
{{Further|COVID-19 pandemic in Washington (state)}}<br />
[[File:Protest against Covid-19 closures in Seattle - 2020-04-25 - 02 (cropped).jpg|thumb|Protest against COVID-19 closures in [[Seattle]] on April 25]]<br />
The [[Kitsap County, Washington|Kitsap County]] Republican Party coordinated an event, Hazardous Liberty! Defend the Constitution!, in [[Olympia, Washington|Olympia]] on April 19.<ref name="komonews">{{cite web|url=https://komonews.com/news/coronavirus/protest-against-state-closure-planned-for-tomorrow-in-olympia|title=Protest against state closure planned for tomorrow in Olympia|first=Cole|last=Miller |date=April 19, 2020|website=KOMO|access-date=May 3, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200420003642/https://komonews.com/news/coronavirus/protest-against-state-closure-planned-for-tomorrow-in-olympia|archive-date=April 20, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.king5.com/article/news/health/coronavirus/people-plan-to-gather-in-olympia-sunday-to-protest-gov-inslees-stay-at-home-order/281-d7920d24-f6b8-4b75-b63d-27bd8b605d0b|title=Thousands gathered in Olympia to protest Gov. Inslee's stay-at-home order|website=KING|date=April 19, 2020|access-date=May 3, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200429105617/https://www.king5.com/article/news/health/coronavirus/people-plan-to-gather-in-olympia-sunday-to-protest-gov-inslees-stay-at-home-order/281-d7920d24-f6b8-4b75-b63d-27bd8b605d0b|archive-date=April 29, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref> The Olympia event was attended by more than two thousand people. Speakers included three Republican state legislators.<ref>{{cite news|last1=O'Sullivan|first1=Joseph |last2=Gutman|first2=David |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/demonstrators-rally-in-olympia-against-washingtons-coronavirus-stay-home-order |title=Demonstrators rally in Olympia against Washington's coronavirus stay-at-home order|work=[[The Seattle Times]]|date=April 19, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200429205015/https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/demonstrators-rally-in-olympia-against-washingtons-coronavirus-stay-home-order/ |archive-date=April 29, 2020 }}</ref><br />
<br />
On April 26, dozens of boaters in [[Lake Union]] protested the state ban on recreational fishing that was part of Governor [[Jay Inslee]]'s "Stay at Home, Stay Healthy" order.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Anglers protest order preventing them from fishing|url=https://www.kiro7.com/news/local/anglers-protest-order-preventing-them-fishing/R4G3FZA3NFAUNBAYZHIWONIDRQ/|last=Horne|first=Deborah|website=KIRO|date=April 26, 2020|access-date=2020-05-04|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200507102024/https://www.kiro7.com/news/local/anglers-protest-order-preventing-them-fishing/R4G3FZA3NFAUNBAYZHIWONIDRQ/|archive-date=May 7, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
====Wyoming====<br />
{{Further|COVID-19 pandemic in Wyoming}}<br />
On April 9, about 20 people protested what they called "government overreach" at Pioneer Park in [[Casper, Wyoming|Casper]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Demonstrators gather in Casper park to protest 'government overreach'|url=https://trib.com/news/local/casper/demonstrators-gather-in-casper-park-to-protest-government-overreach/article_1439586c-0a83-5f21-b3f8-c7bf7d8bd012.html|last=writers|first=Shane Sanderson and Nick Reynolds Star-Tribune staff|website=Casper Star-Tribune Online|date=April 9, 2020 |language=en|access-date=2020-06-01|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200613121023/https://trib.com/news/local/casper/demonstrators-gather-in-casper-park-to-protest-government-overreach/article_1439586c-0a83-5f21-b3f8-c7bf7d8bd012.html|archive-date=June 13, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
Republican Governor [[Mark Gordon (politician)|Mark Gordon]] appeared at a protest outside the [[Wyoming State Capitol]] in [[Cheyenne, Wyoming|Cheyenne]] on April 20.<ref>{{cite web|last=Roedel|first=John |url=https://www.ktvq.com/news/coronavirus/wyoming-governor-makes-surprise-appearance-at-protest-rally|title=Wyoming governor makes surprise appearance at protest rally|date=April 21, 2020|website=KTVQ|access-date=April 23, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200422162421/https://www.ktvq.com/news/coronavirus/wyoming-governor-makes-surprise-appearance-at-protest-rally|archive-date=April 22, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
On April 24, about 35 people attended a "Rally for Choice to Work" in downtown [[Casper, Wyoming|Casper]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Protesters gather in downtown Casper to demonstrate against closure orders|url=https://trib.com/news/local/casper/protesters-gather-in-downtown-casper-to-demonstrate-against-closure-orders/article_3fd7017a-a4c9-5ab8-a311-368057e2d73b.html|last=Elysia.Conner@trib.com|first=Elysia Conner 307-266-0509|website=Casper Star-Tribune Online|date=April 24, 2020 |language=en|access-date=2020-06-01|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200620000630/https://trib.com/news/local/casper/protesters-gather-in-downtown-casper-to-demonstrate-against-closure-orders/article_3fd7017a-a4c9-5ab8-a311-368057e2d73b.html|archive-date=June 20, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
== Response ==<br />
<br />
On April 16, President [[Donald Trump]] issued guidelines for how to phase out restrictions, saying that governors would decide how to reopen their own states and suggesting a cautious three-phase approach.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Liptak|first1=Kevin |last2=Holmes|first2=Kristen |last3=Nobles|first3=Ryan |url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/16/politics/donald-trump-reopening-guidelines-coronavirus/index.html|title=Trump completes reversal, telling govs 'you are going to call your own shots' and distributes new guidelines|date=April 16, 2020|work=[[CNN]]|access-date=April 23, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200422213330/https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/16/politics/donald-trump-reopening-guidelines-coronavirus/index.html|archive-date=April 22, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref> The next day he reacted to the protests against social restrictions by encouraging the protests, tweeting "LIBERATE MICHIGAN!" and "LIBERATE MINNESOTA!"<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/17/us/politics/trump-coronavirus-governors.html|title=Trump Encourages Protest Against Governors Who Have Imposed Virus Restrictions|last1=Shear|first1=Michael D.|last2=Mervosh|first2=Sarah|date=April 17, 2020|work=[[The New York Times]]|access-date=April 23, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200423000143/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/17/us/politics/trump-coronavirus-governors.html|archive-date=April 23, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Itkowitz|first=Colby|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/04/17/liberate-trump-tweets-support-protesting-against-stay-at-home-orders/|title='Liberate': Trump Tweets Support of Protests Against Stay-at-Home Orders|date=April 17, 2020|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|access-date=April 17, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200417233521/https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/04/17/liberate-trump-tweets-support-protesting-against-stay-at-home-orders/|archive-date=April 17, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/17/us/coronavirus-cases-news-update.html|title=Trump Foments Protests Against Governors; Experts Warn of Testing Shortages|date=April 17, 2020|work=[[The New York Times]]|access-date=April 18, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200418004100/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/17/us/coronavirus-cases-news-update.html|archive-date=April 18, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref> Trump has continued to defend the protesters by saying; "They seem very responsible to me" and "These are people expressing their views."<ref>{{Cite news|agency=[[Reuters]]/[[Associated Press|AP News]]|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/video/2020/apr/18/they-seem-very-responsible-to-me-trump-defends-anti-lockdown-protesters-video|title='They seem very responsible to me': Trump defends anti-lockdown protesters – video|date=April 18, 2020|work=[[The Guardian]]|access-date=April 19, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200419003522/https://www.theguardian.com/world/video/2020/apr/18/they-seem-very-responsible-to-me-trump-defends-anti-lockdown-protesters-video|archive-date=April 19, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Stephen Moore (writer)|Stephen Moore]], a right-wing member of his economic council, was criticized for comparing the protesters to [[Rosa Parks]].<ref name=":0">{{cite web|url=https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/493484-trump-ally-compares-coronavirus-protesters-to-rosa-parks|title=Trump ally compares coronavirus protesters to Rosa Parks|last=Johnson|first=Martin|date=April 18, 2020|website=[[The Hill (newspaper)|The Hill]]|access-date=April 19, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200418175409/https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/493484-trump-ally-compares-coronavirus-protesters-to-rosa-parks|archive-date=April 18, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref> Maia Niguel Hoskin of [[Vox (website)|''Vox'']] claimed that "ignorance, privilege, and anti-black racism" was a main factor behind the protests.<ref>{{cite news|last=Hoskin|first=Maia Niguel |url=https://www.vox.com/first-person/2020/4/25/21234774/coronavirus-covid-19-protest-anti-lockdown |title=The whiteness of anti-lockdown protests|work=[[Vox (website)|Vox]] |date=April 25, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200502211708/https://www.vox.com/first-person/2020/4/25/21234774/coronavirus-covid-19-protest-anti-lockdown |archive-date=May 2, 2020 }}</ref><br />
<br />
On April 20, 2020, [[Facebook]] announced that it was blocking events and messages from anti-quarantine protest groups "when gatherings do not follow the health parameters established by the government and are therefore unlawful". The governors of [[Phil Murphy|New Jersey]] and [[Pete Ricketts|Nebraska]] say they have not asked Facebook to take down the posts. Despite Facebook apparently acting on its own volition, [[Donald Trump Jr.]] claimed Facebook was "colluding with state governments to quash [[Freedom of speech|free speech]]".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.politico.com/news/2020/04/20/facebook-shuts-down-anti-quarantine-protests-at-states-request-196143|title=Republicans attack Facebook as network shuts down anti-lockdown protests|last=Overly|first=Steven|website=[[Politico]]|date=April 20, 2020|access-date=April 21, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200421021301/https://www.politico.com/news/2020/04/20/facebook-shuts-down-anti-quarantine-protests-at-states-request-196143|archive-date=April 21, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== State governments ===<br />
<br />
Governor [[Jay Inslee]] (D-WA) accused the president of "fomenting domestic rebellion" with his "LIBERATE!" tweets, saying, "The president's statements this morning encourage illegal and dangerous acts. He is putting millions of people in danger of contracting [[COVID-19]]."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/04/trump-accused-fomenting-rebellion-liberate-tweets-200417223606672.html|title=Trump accused of 'fomenting rebellion' after 'LIBERATE' tweets|publisher=[[Al Jazeera English|Al Jazeera]]|date=April 18, 2020|access-date=April 19, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200418213043/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/04/trump-accused-fomenting-rebellion-liberate-tweets-200417223606672.html|archive-date=April 18, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref> On ''[[This Week (American TV program)|This Week]]'' two days later, Inslee said the president's call to ignore his own team's guidelines was "schizophrenic".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2020/04/19/governors-decry-trump-call-liberate-states-coronavirus-restrictions/5162196002/|title=Governors slam Trump's call to 'liberate' states where protesters object to coronavirus restrictions|last=Cummings|first=William|website=[[USA Today]]|date=April 19, 2020|access-date=April 20, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200419233030/https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2020/04/19/governors-decry-trump-call-liberate-states-coronavirus-restrictions/5162196002/|archive-date=April 19, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
When asked if there is a fundamental right to go to work, New York Governor [[Andrew Cuomo]] encouraged protesters to get an essential job.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://cbs6albany.com/news/coronavirus/cuomo-tells-protesters-to-get-essential-jobs-says-economic-hardship-doesnt-equal-death|title=Cuomo tells protesters to get essential jobs, says economic hardship doesn't equal death|last=McCloy|first=Anne|date=April 22, 2020|website=WRGB|access-date=April 23, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200430004559/https://cbs6albany.com/news/coronavirus/cuomo-tells-protesters-to-get-essential-jobs-says-economic-hardship-doesnt-equal-death|archive-date=April 30, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
North Carolina Governor [[Roy Cooper]] responded to the first protest in his state, saying, "Some people want to completely obliterate these restrictions. It would be a catastrophe. The numbers are very clear that the interventions that we've entered into—social gatherings, limitations on bars and restaurants, the stay at home order—those kinds of things are working."<ref name="Shaffer" /><br />
<br />
=== General public ===<br />
On April 16, [[Pew Research]] polls indicated that 32% of Americans worried state governments would take too long to re-allow public activities, while 66% feared the state restrictions would be lifted too quickly.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Coleman |first1=Justine |title=Two-thirds of Americans worry states will lift restrictions on public activity too quickly: poll |url=https://thehill.com/homenews/news/public-global-health/493210-two-thirds-of-americans-worry-states-will-lift |access-date=April 19, 2020 |work=[[The Hill (newspaper)|The Hill]] |date=April 16, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200418083831/https://thehill.com/homenews/news/public-global-health/493210-two-thirds-of-americans-worry-states-will-lift |archive-date=April 18, 2020 |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
Many lawmakers and other public figures have condemned the protests as unsafe and ill-advised.<ref name="Armed Protest" /> Republican [[Mike Shirkey]], the Majority Leader of the [[Michigan Senate]], called the protesters in his state "a bunch of jackasses."<ref name="Jackasses">{{cite news |last1=DeVito |first1=Lee |title=Republican Sen. Mike Shirkey calls Lansing protesters 'a bunch of jackasses' |url=https://www.metrotimes.com/news-hits/archives/2020/05/01/republican-sen-mike-shirkey-calls-lansing-protesters-a-bunch-of-jackasses |access-date=3 May 2020 |work=Detroit Metro Times |date=1 May 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200503005758/https://www.metrotimes.com/news-hits/archives/2020/05/01/republican-sen-mike-shirkey-calls-lansing-protesters-a-bunch-of-jackasses |archive-date=May 3, 2020 |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
== See also ==<br />
{{Commons category}}<br />
* [[Protests over responses to the COVID-19 pandemic]]<br />
* [[Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on politics]]<br />
* [[Strikes during the COVID-19 pandemic]]<br />
* [[U.S. state and local government responses to the COVID-19 pandemic]]<br />
* [[Operation Warp Speed]]<br />
* [[Open the States]]<br />
* [[Right-wing antiscience]]<br />
<br />
==References==<br />
{{Reflist}}<br />
<br />
== Further reading ==<br />
* Daly, Diana (May 6, 2020). [https://scroll.in/article/961017/an-ethnographer-tries-to-understand-the-anti-lockdown-protests-erupting-across-the-us "An ethnographer tries to understand the anti-lockdown protests erupting across the US"]. ''Scroll.in''. Retrieved 2020-05-09.<br />
* Hvistendahl, Mara (July 17, 2020). [https://theintercept.com/2020/07/17/dorr-brothers-coronavirus-protests/ "Masks Off: How The Brothers Who Fueled The Reopen Protests Built a Volatile Far-Right Network"]. ''[[The Intercept]]''<br />
<br />
{{COVID-19 pandemic}}<br />
{{COVID-19 pandemic in the United States}}<br />
{{Portal bar|COVID-19|United States|Politics}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:United States responses to the COVID-19 pandemic]]<br />
[[Category:2020 protests|United States anti-lockdown protests]]<br />
[[Category:2020 controversies in the United States]]<br />
[[Category:Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on politics|United States anti-lockdown protests]]<br />
[[Category:Trump administration controversies]]<br />
[[Category:Protests in the United States]]<br />
[[Category:Protests over responses to the COVID-19 pandemic|United States]]<br />
[[Category:2021 controversies in the United States]]<br />
[[Category:2021 protests|United States anti-lockdown protests]]<br />
[[Category:Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States]]</div>Boackandwhitehttps://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=COVID-19_protests_in_the_United_States&diff=1261685398COVID-19 protests in the United States2024-12-07T12:01:45Z<p>Boackandwhite: </p>
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<div>{{Short description|Rallies against restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic}}<br />
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2020}}<br />
{{Use American English|date=May 2020}}<br />
{{update|date=January 2021}}<br />
{{Infobox civil conflict<br />
| title = COVID-19 protests in the United States<br />
| partof = the [[COVID-19 pandemic]] and <br />
[[COVID-19 misinformation]] and [[COVID-19 misinformation by governments]]<br />
| image = {{Photomontage<br />
| photo1a = CIMG 0355 (49799414598).jpg<br />
| alt1a = Anti-lockdown protests at the [[Ohio Statehouse]] on April 18 and 20<br />
| photo2a = AIMG 0238 (49799963501).jpg<br />
| alt2a =<br />
| photo2b = AaIMG 0755 (49799415338).jpg<br />
| alt2b =<br />
| photo3a = Reopen NC in Graham (2020 May) (49867247561).jpg<br />
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| photo3b = 29 End the Lockdown (49842905337).jpg<br />
| alt3b =<br />
| position = center<br />
| size = 300<br />
| color = #F5F5F5<br />
| border = 2<br />
| color_border = #E0E0E0<br />
| spacing = 1<br />
| foot_montage = }}<br />
| caption = Montage of anti-lockdown protests<br />
| date = April 15, 2020 – December 25, 2021<br />({{Age in years, months, weeks and days |2020|04|15|2021|12|26}})<br />
| injuries = <br />
| place = [[United States]]<br />
| causes = [[U.S. state and local government responses to the COVID-19 pandemic|Government-imposed lockdowns]]<br />
| methods = [[Protest]]s, [[Demonstration (people)|demonstration]]s<br />
| status = Concluded<br />
| sidebox = <br />
}}<br />
{{COVID-19 pandemic sidebar|expanded=international}}<br />
Beginning in early April 2020, there were [[Protests over responses to the COVID-19 pandemic|protests]] in several [[U.S. state]]s against [[U.S. state and local government responses to the COVID-19 pandemic|government-imposed lockdowns]] in response to the [[COVID-19 pandemic in the United States]].<ref>"Coronavirus: Anti-Lockdown Protests Grow Across US". BBC News. 17 April 2020. [https://web.archive.org/web/20200417172715/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-52330531 Archived] from the original on 17 April 2020. Retrieved 17 April 2020.</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Andone|first=Dakin|url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/16/us/protests-coronavirus-stay-home-orders/index.html|title=Protests Are Popping Up Across the US over Stay-at-Home Restrictions|date=April 17, 2020|publisher=[[CNN]]|access-date=May 3, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200502123444/https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/16/us/protests-coronavirus-stay-home-orders/index.html|archive-date=May 2, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref> The protests, mostly organized by [[Conservatism in the United States|conservative]] groups and individuals,<ref name="reuters">{{Cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-trump-protests-idUSKCN2233ES|title=How Trump allies have organized and promoted anti-lockdown protests|date=April 22, 2020|work=[[Reuters]]|access-date=April 23, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200423112936/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-trump-protests-idUSKCN2233ES|archive-date=April 23, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Grauniad-Right">{{Cite news|last=Wilson|first=Jason|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/17/far-right-coronavirus-protests-restrictions|title=The rightwing groups behind wave of protests against Covid-19 restrictions|date=April 17, 2020|work=[[The Guardian]]|access-date=April 18, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200418010447/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/17/far-right-coronavirus-protests-restrictions|archive-date=April 18, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref> decried the [[economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic#United States|economic]] and [[social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic|social impact]] of [[COVID-19 lockdowns|stay-at-home orders]], business closures, and restricted personal movement and association, and demanded that their respective states be "re-opened" for normal business and personal activity.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.npr.org/2020/04/18/837776218/across-america-frustrated-protesters-rally-to-reopen-the-economy|title=Across America, Frustrated Protesters Rally To Reopen The Economy|last=Siegler|first=Kirk|date=April 18, 2020|work=[[NPR]]|access-date=April 23, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200422232217/https://www.npr.org/2020/04/18/837776218/across-america-frustrated-protesters-rally-to-reopen-the-economy|archive-date=April 22, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
The protests made international news<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-52330531|title=Coronavirus: Anti-Lockdown Protests Grow Across US|date=April 17, 2020|access-date=April 17, 2020|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200417172715/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-52330531|archive-date=April 17, 2020|work=[[BBC News]]|department=US & Canada}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last1=Vogel|first1=Kenneth P.|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/21/us/politics/coronavirus-protests-trump.html|title=The Quiet Hand of Conservative Groups in the Anti-Lockdown Protests|date=April 21, 2020|work=[[The New York Times]]|access-date=April 23, 2020|last2=Rutenberg|first2=Jim|last3=Lerer|first3=Lisa|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200422235920/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/21/us/politics/coronavirus-protests-trump.html|archive-date=April 22, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref> and were widely condemned as unsafe and ill-advised,<ref name="Armed Protest">{{cite news |title=Michigan Militia Puts Armed Protest in the Spotlight |url=https://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2020/05/02/us/politics/ap-us-outbreak-protests.html |access-date=3 May 2020 |work=[[The New York Times]] |agency=[[Associated Press]] |date=2 May 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200505023314/https://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2020/05/02/us/politics/ap-us-outbreak-protests.html |archive-date=5 May 2020}}</ref> although some political figures expressed support for the protests.<ref name="TrumpSupport" /><ref name=":0" /> They ranged in size from a few hundred people to a few thousand, and spread on [[Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on social media|social media]] with encouragement from former U.S. President [[Donald Trump]].<ref name="TrumpSupport">{{cite news |last1=Gearan |first1=Anne |last2=Wagner |first2=John |title=Trump expresses support for angry anti-shutdown protesters as more states lift coronavirus lockdowns |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-expresses-support-for-angry-anti-shutdown-protesters-as-more-states-lift-coronavirus-lockdowns/2020/05/01/25570dbe-8b9f-11ea-8ac1-bfb250876b7a_story.html |access-date=3 May 2020 |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=1 May 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200502203059/https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-expresses-support-for-angry-anti-shutdown-protesters-as-more-states-lift-coronavirus-lockdowns/2020/05/01/25570dbe-8b9f-11ea-8ac1-bfb250876b7a_story.html |archive-date=May 2, 2020 |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
By May 1, 2020, there had been demonstrations in more than half of the states; many governors began to take steps to lift the restrictions as daily new infections began decreasing due to [[social distancing]] measures.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://thehill.com/homenews/sunday-talk-shows/495877-governors-experts-await-results-of-reopening-states-as-protests|title=Governors, experts await results of reopening states as protests continue|last=Budryk|first=Zack|date=May 3, 2020|work=[[The Hill (newspaper)|The Hill]]|access-date=9 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200510022802/https://thehill.com/homenews/sunday-talk-shows/495877-governors-experts-await-results-of-reopening-states-as-protests|archive-date=May 10, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
==Background==<br />
The anti-lockdown protests were first spawned with a nationwide call in mid-March by an online Facebook page by the name of "American Revolution 2.0" and a meme that went viral. The page quickly grew to over 100,000 users in less than a week and then was removed from Facebook for violations of terms of service. The group then set up 53 Facebook groups named "AR2" to run protests at the capitol of every state (as well as Los Angeles and Chicago). This page and the many groups were led by Naperville, Illinois native Josh Ellis. On April 30, 2020, at 11:00 pm CST all 53 groups were deleted simultaneously from Facebook for violating terms and conditions. Due to the widespread notoriety and media coverage of the May 1 planned protest, many other groups started smaller protests prior to the date.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |title=Activists plan march on state capitals to reopen for May 1 |url=https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2020/apr/22/activists-plan-march-state-capitals-reopen-may-1/ |access-date=2023-07-14 |website=The Washington Times |language=en-US}}</ref><br />
<br />
One of the first protests to take place was in [[Michigan]] on April 15, 2020. It was organized via a [[Facebook]] group called "Operation Gridlock", which was created by the Michigan Conservative Coalition. A spokesman for the Michigan Conservative Coalition encouraged groups in other states to copy the Operation Gridlock wording and templates. Protesters in numerous other states said they were inspired by Michigan, and they used Michigan's material on their own websites, Facebook groups, and [[Reddit]] pages to promote their protests. Michigan Governor [[Gretchen Whitmer]] falsely claimed that the Michigan Freedom Fund was a party to this event and that it was funded in part by the DeVos family, but a spokesman said the family had nothing to do with the protests.<ref>{{cite web|last=Hernandez|first=Salvador |url=https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/salvadorhernandez/coronavirus-quarantine-protests-facebook-groups|title=This Is How A Group Linked To Betsy DeVos Is Organizing Protests To End Social Distancing, Now With Trump's Support|website=[[BuzzFeed News]]|date=April 17, 2020|access-date=April 20, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200419180823/https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/salvadorhernandez/coronavirus-quarantine-protests-facebook-groups|archive-date=April 19, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
The [[Donald Trump 2020 presidential campaign|Trump campaign]] declined to answer whether it was directly involved with organizing the protest in Michigan, but key protest organizers who did identify themselves were Meshawn Maddock, the wife of Republican [[Michigan Legislature|state representative]] [[Matt Maddock]] and a member of the national advisory board for [[Women for Trump]], and Marian Sheridan, who serves as a vice chair on the [[Michigan Republican Party]], both founding members of Michigan Conservative Coalition.<ref name="reuters" /><ref>{{cite web|last=Oosting|first=Jonathan |url=https://www.bridgemi.com/michigan-government/meet-trump-loving-group-behind-protest-gov-whitmers-stay-home-order|title=Meet the Trump-loving group behind protest of Gov. Whitmer's stay-home order|date=April 22, 2020|website=bridgemi.com|publisher=Bridge Magazine|access-date=April 23, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200426174050/https://www.bridgemi.com/michigan-government/meet-trump-loving-group-behind-protest-gov-whitmers-stay-home-order|archive-date=April 26, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref> The protest in Washington State was organized by a county [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican Party]], and speakers included three Republican state legislators.<ref name="komonews" /> [[FreedomWorks]], a conservative advocacy group associated with the [[Tea Party movement]], published a "#ReOpenAmerica Planning Guide".<ref name="Kumar">{{cite web|last=Kumar|first=Anita |url=https://www.politico.com/news/2020/04/21/trump-allies-help-organize-lockdown-protests-198426|title=Trump allies have their fingerprints on lockdown protests|website=[[Politico]]|date=April 21, 2020|access-date=April 23, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200422183744/https://www.politico.com/news/2020/04/21/trump-allies-help-organize-lockdown-protests-198426|archive-date=April 22, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
Protesters opposed the shelter-in-place orders in their states for various reasons. Many said they wanted businesses reopened so they could go back to work. Many others displayed pro-Trump banners, signs, and [[Make America Great Again|MAGA]] hats.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2020/04/16/michigan-whitmer-conservatives-protest/|title=Chanting 'lock her up,' Michigan protesters waving Trump flags mass against Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's coronavirus restrictions|last=Flynn|first=Meagan|date=April 16, 2020|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|access-date=April 22, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200422002103/https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2020/04/16/michigan-whitmer-conservatives-protest/|archive-date=April 22, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref> Still others insisted the lockdowns were a violation of their constitutional rights. One militia leader told a reporter, "Re-open my state or we will re-open it ourselves."<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-52359100|title=Coronavirus lockdown protest: What's behind the US demonstrations?|date=April 21, 2020|work=[[BBC News]]|access-date=April 22, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200421200027/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-52359100|archive-date=April 21, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref> The anger driving the protests was called "both real and manufactured", with conservative groups engaging in [[astroturfing]] via centralized organization backed by anonymous donors.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Graves|first=Lisa|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/22/opinion/coronavirus-protests-astroturf.html|title=Opinion {{!}} Who's Behind the 'Reopen' Protests?|date=April 22, 2020|work=[[The New York Times]]|access-date=April 24, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200424001641/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/22/opinion/coronavirus-protests-astroturf.html|archive-date=April 24, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/inside-the-conservative-networks-backing-anti-quarantine-protests/2020/04/22/da75c81e-83fe-11ea-a3eb-e9fc93160703_story.html|title=The anti-quarantine protests seem spontaneous. But behind the scenes, a powerful network is helping.|last1=Stanley-Becker|first1=Isaac|last2=Romm|first2=Tony|date=April 22, 2020|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|access-date=24 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200429032531/https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/inside-the-conservative-networks-backing-anti-quarantine-protests/2020/04/22/da75c81e-83fe-11ea-a3eb-e9fc93160703_story.html|archive-date=April 29, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
The reopen protests were generally small, with protester numbers ranging from a few dozen to the low hundreds; the first protest in Michigan drew twenty thousand protestors, as estimated by the state police.<ref name="vox20200416">{{cite news|url=https://www.vox.com/2020/4/16/21222471/michigan-protests-coronavirus-stay-at-home-extension|title=Thousands of Michiganders took to the streets to protest the governor's stay-at-home order|last1=Coaston|first1=Jane|last2=Rupar|first2=Aaron|date=April 16, 2020|work=[[Vox (website)|Vox]]|access-date=April 23, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200422203439/https://www.vox.com/2020/4/16/21222471/michigan-protests-coronavirus-stay-at-home-extension|archive-date=April 22, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref> Protesters included mainstream Republicans,<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2020/04/trump-supporters-protest-coronavirus-orders|title=Trump Supporters Are Staging Armed Protests to Stick It to Coronavirus|last=Ecarma|first=Caleb|magazine=Vanity Fair|date=April 16, 2020|access-date=May 3, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200419095121/https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2020/04/trump-supporters-protest-coronavirus-orders|archive-date=April 19, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref> but also far-right groups including [[Proud Boys]] and armed [[Patriot movement|militia movement]] supporters.<ref name="Grauniad-Right" /> A large number of "[[Anti-vaccine activism|anti-vax]]" advocates have attended, and some have been the organizers of local protests.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/02/us/anti-vaxxers-coronavirus-protests.html|title=Antivaccination Activists Are Growing Force at Virus Protests|last=Bogel-Burroughs|first=Nicholas|date=May 4, 2020|work=[[The New York Times]]|access-date=4 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200521115311/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/02/us/anti-vaxxers-coronavirus-protests.html?campaign_id=49&emc=edit_ca_20200504&instance_id=18206&nl=california-today&regi_id=16153474&segment_id=26565&te=1&user_id=e9848bda5d7546386411f6e2fbdaf95e|archive-date=May 21, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/anti-vaxxers-are-forming-an-unholy-alliance-with-shelter-in-place-protesters|title=Anti-Vaxxers and Lockdown Protesters Form an Unholy Alliance|last1=Sommer|first1=Will|last2=Kucinich|first2=Jackie|date=April 22, 2020|work=[[The Daily Beast]]|access-date=April 23, 2020}}</ref> Ben, Chris and Aaron Dorr, three [[Gun laws in the United States by state|guns-rights]] activist brothers, are the organizers of protests in several [[Midwestern United States|Midwestern states]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://bringmethenews.com/minnesota-news/washington-post-links-minnesota-gun-group-to-anti-quarantine-protests|title=WaPo reveals Minnesota gun group link to anti-quarantine protests|last=Uren|first=Adam|website=Bring Me the News|date=April 20, 2020|access-date=April 20, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200424164209/https://bringmethenews.com/minnesota-news/washington-post-links-minnesota-gun-group-to-anti-quarantine-protests|archive-date=April 24, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Gruber-Miller|first=Stephen|url=https://usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2020/04/23/coronavirus-iowa-family-behind-reopen-covid-19-protests/3010862001|title=This Iowa family is behind the 'Reopen' protests popping up across the country|work=[[USA Today]]|date=April 23, 2020|access-date=2020-05-13|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200504144128/https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2020/04/23/coronavirus-iowa-family-behind-reopen-covid-19-protests/3010862001/|archive-date=May 4, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
Historians have noted that the protests are similar to those who grew tired of restrictions from the [[1918 pandemic]].<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Bristow |first1=Nancy |title=Loosening Public-Health Restrictions Too Early Can Cost Lives. Just Look What Happened During the 1918 Flu Pandemic |url=https://time.com/5830265/1918-flu-reopening-coronavirus |access-date=2020-05-04 |magazine=Time |date=2020-05-01 |quote=On Jan. 25, 1919, nearly 2,000 San Franciscans showed up at [[Dreamland Rink]] for a public meeting of the Anti-Mask League. |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200504142912/https://time.com/5830265/1918-flu-reopening-coronavirus/ |archive-date=May 4, 2020 |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
The [[ReAwaken America Tour]] began in the spring of 2021 as Health and Freedom rallies to protest COVID-19 restrictions. The events would later be renamed and sponsored by [[Charismatic Christianity|Charismatic Christian]] magazine ''[[Charisma News]]'' and expand to include themes of [[COVID-19 misinformation]], [[QAnon]], [[Election denial movement in the United States|election denialism]], and [[spiritual warfare]]. {{As of|2024}}, dozens of events have been held around the country.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Wire |first1=Sarah D. |date=October 12, 2023 |title=At far-right roadshow, Trump is God's 'anointed one,' QAnon is king, and 'everything you believe is right' |url=https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2023-10-12/reawaken-america-trump-maga-qanon-christian-nationalism |access-date=September 15, 2024 |work=[[Los Angeles Times]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Hagen |first=Lisa |date=November 3, 2022 |title=The ReAwaken America Tour unites conservative Christians and conspiracy theorists |url=https://www.npr.org/2022/11/02/1133477897/reawaken-america-brings-together-some-of-the-u-s-most-prolific-conspiracy-theori |access-date=September 15, 2024 |work=[[NPR]]}}</ref><br />
<br />
After the [[Murder of George Floyd|murder]] of [[George Floyd]] on May 25, many of the Facebook groups created to organize protests over COVID-19 expanded their focus to attack the [[George Floyd protests|protests]] organized by [[Black Lives Matter]].<ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-07-05|title=Facebook groups pivot to attacks on Black Lives Matter|url=https://apnews.com/ca8c15794c65b1ae8e176deb9be5d718|access-date=2020-07-05|website=[[Associated Press|AP News]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200705164740/https://apnews.com/ca8c15794c65b1ae8e176deb9be5d718|archive-date=July 5, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
==By state==<br />
===Midwest===<br />
<br />
====Illinois====<br />
{{Further|COVID-19 pandemic in Illinois}}<br />
On May 1, thousands of anti-lockdown protesters displaying the [[Flags of the Confederate States of America|Confederate Flag]], a sign written in German that read "[[work will set you free]]", [[Nazi symbolism|Nazi symbols]]<ref>{{cite web |last1=Kaplan Sommer |first1=Allison |title='Arbeit Macht Frei': Nazi Slogans Show Up at Illinois Rally Protesting Coronavirus Lockdown |url=https://www.haaretz.com/jewish/.premium-arbeit-macht-frei-nazi-slogans-at-illinois-rally-against-coronovirus-lockdown-1.8815257 |access-date=3 June 2020 |work=Haaretz |date=4 May 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200603185613/https://www.haaretz.com/jewish/.premium-arbeit-macht-frei-nazi-slogans-at-illinois-rally-against-coronovirus-lockdown-1.8815257 |archive-date=June 3, 2020 |url-status=live }}</ref> and signs with slogans like "Give me liberty or give me COVID-19" gathered for a Re-open Illinois rally in [[Springfield, Illinois|Springfield]] organized by American Revolution 2.0. Protesters and counter-protesters met in [[Chicago]] and [[Springfield, Illinois|Springfield]] where two arrests were made for disorderly conduct.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Reopen Illinois rally draws hundreds to Loop, Springfield|url=https://chicago.suntimes.com/politics/2020/5/1/21244518/reopen-illinois-rally-thompson-center-coronavirus-covid-19-stay-at-home-order|last=Charles|first=Sam|date=2020-05-01|website=Chicago Sun-Times|access-date=2020-05-02|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200502033901/https://chicago.suntimes.com/politics/2020/5/1/21244518/reopen-illinois-rally-thompson-center-coronavirus-covid-19-stay-at-home-order|archive-date=May 2, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Protesters statewide demand Governor Pritzker reopen Illinois|url=https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/protesters-statewide-demand-governor-pritzker-reopen-illinois|last=Placko|first=Dane|date=2020-05-01|website=FOX 32 Chicago|access-date=2020-05-02|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200502043721/https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/protesters-statewide-demand-governor-pritzker-reopen-illinois|archive-date=May 2, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Protesters in Illinois Call for Stay-at-Home Order to be Canceled |url=https://news.wttw.com/2020/04/20/protesters-illinois-call-stay-home-order-be-canceled |access-date=2023-07-14 |website=WTTW News |language=en}}</ref><br />
<br />
====Indiana====<br />
{{Further|COVID-19 pandemic in Indiana}}<br />
Approximately 250 people gathered in front of the Governor's Mansion in [[Indianapolis]] on April 18, 2020, to protest Governor [[Eric Holcomb]]'s stay-at-home order.<ref name="IndyStar">{{cite news |last1=Pak-Harvey |first1=Amelia |title=Protesters rally outside Governor's Residence to say Holcomb's orders go too far |url=https://www.indystar.com/story/news/local/marion-county/2020/04/18/indiana-coronavirus-protesters-say-gov-holcombs-orders-go-too-far/5148983002/ |access-date=April 19, 2020 |work=Indianapolis Star |agency=Ganett |date=April 18, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200419032939/https://www.indystar.com/story/news/local/marion-county/2020/04/18/indiana-coronavirus-protesters-say-gov-holcombs-orders-go-too-far/5148983002/ |archive-date=April 19, 2020 |url-status=live }}</ref> The protesters did not follow social distancing guidelines, although some wore [[Face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic|face masks]]. The protesters called for the governor to appear and explain himself, and said they were willing to be arrested if necessary.<ref name="Indiana">{{cite news |last1=Staff Report |title=Dozens protest Indiana 'stay at home' order outside governor's mansion |url=https://www.wishtv.com/news/indiana-news/dozens-protest-indiana-stay-at-home-order-outside-governors-mansion/ |access-date=April 19, 2020 |work=WISH TV |date=April 18, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200422154732/https://www.wishtv.com/news/indiana-news/dozens-protest-indiana-stay-at-home-order-outside-governors-mansion/ |archive-date=April 22, 2020 |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
====Michigan====<br />
{{Further|COVID-19 pandemic in Michigan#Protests}}<br />
[[File:COVID-19 Anti-Lockdown Yard Signs in Michigan.jpg|thumb|Yard signs for anti-lockdown organization Stand Up Michigan and its petition drive, Unlock Michigan, in [[Twin Lake, Michigan]], on August 1, 2020.]]<br />
Michigan was the site of the largest of the "re-open" protests. The first confirmed case of coronavirus was recognized in Michigan on March 10, 2020.<ref name="whitmer">{{cite web |last = Whitmer |first = Gretchen |date = March 10, 2020 |url = http://www.legislature.mi.gov/documents/2019-2020/executiveorder/pdf/2020-EO-04.pdf |title = Executive Order No. 2020-04: Declaration of State of Emergency |publisher = State of Michigan |access-date=2020-05-13}}</ref><ref name="emergency">{{cite web |url = https://www.wxyz.com/news/coronavirus/first-cases-of-coronavirus-confirmed-in-michigan-one-each-in-oakland-and-wayne-counties |title = First cases of coronavirus confirmed in Michigan. One each in Oakland and Wayne counties |date = March 10, 2020 |location = Detroit |publisher = [[WXYZ-TV]] |access-date = March 10, 2020 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200311025008/https://www.wxyz.com/news/coronavirus/first-cases-of-coronavirus-confirmed-in-michigan-one-each-in-oakland-and-wayne-counties |archive-date = March 11, 2020 |url-status = live }}</ref> On April 15, the day of the protest, Michigan had at least 28,059 confirmed cases—the third highest number of cases in the United States—and 1,921 deaths had been attributed to the disease in the state.<ref>{{Cite news |first1 = Sergio |last1 = Hernandez |first2 = Sean |last2 = O'Key |first3 = Amanda |last3 = Watts |first4 = Byron |last4 = Manley |first5 = Henrik |last5 = Pettersson |date = April 17, 2020 |url = https://www.cnn.com/interactive/2020/health/coronavirus-us-maps-and-cases |title = Tracking Covid-19 Cases in the US |publisher = CNN |access-date = April 17, 2020 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200329002021/https://www.cnn.com/interactive/2020/health/coronavirus-us-maps-and-cases/ |archive-date = March 29, 2020 |url-status = live }}</ref> [[Metropolitan Detroit]] had been pronounced a "hot spot".<ref>{{cite news |first = Gus |last = Burns |date = March 30, 2020 |url = https://www.mlive.com/public-interest/2020/03/coronavirus-hot-spot-in-detroit-expected-to-grow-with-increased-testing-mayor-says.html |title = Coronavirus 'Hot Spot' in Detroit Expected to Grow with Increased Testing, Mayor Says |website = MLive |access-date = May 3, 2020 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200418092018/https://www.mlive.com/public-interest/2020/03/coronavirus-hot-spot-in-detroit-expected-to-grow-with-increased-testing-mayor-says.html |archive-date = April 18, 2020 |url-status = live }}</ref> Initial state actions to limit spread of the virus included closure of all K-12 schools, closure of bars, restaurants, and entertainment venues, and a ban on gatherings of more than 50 people.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.npr.org/2020/03/18/817642254/states-need-bold-action-against-coronavirus-michigan-governor-says|title=States Need Bold Action Against Coronavirus, Michigan Governor Says|date=March 18, 2020|work=[[NPR]]|access-date=April 23, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200419135144/https://www.npr.org/2020/03/18/817642254/states-need-bold-action-against-coronavirus-michigan-governor-says|archive-date=April 19, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref> On March 24 a statewide stay-at-home order was issued which limited non-essential travel and ordered all non-essential business services and operations to close.<ref name="freep15apr20">{{cite news |last1=Egan |first1=Paul |last2=Gray |first2=Kathleen |title=Gov. Whitmer says Capitol protesters put others at risk, may have worsened pandemic |url=https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/detroit/2020/04/15/gretchen-whitmer-protest-michigan-capitol-coronavirus/5136070002/ |access-date=April 17, 2020 |work=[[Detroit Free Press]] |date=April 15, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200416161413/https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/detroit/2020/04/15/gretchen-whitmer-protest-michigan-capitol-coronavirus/5136070002/ |archive-date=April 16, 2020 |url-status=live }}</ref> The order was extended in early April with additional restrictions included.<ref name="news15apr20">{{cite news |last1=LeBlanc |first1=Beth |last2=Mauger |first2=Craig |title=Whitmer to protesters: Rally will 'come at cost to people's health' |url=https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/politics/2020/04/15/stay-home-protest-michigan-capitol-opposition-whitmer-order-coronavirus/2989230001/ |access-date=April 17, 2020 |work=[[The Detroit News]] |date=April 15, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200416221301/https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/politics/2020/04/15/stay-home-protest-michigan-capitol-opposition-whitmer-order-coronavirus/2989230001/ |archive-date=April 16, 2020 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="nbc14apr20">{{cite news|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/michigan-gov-whitmer-faces-fierce-backlash-over-strict-stay-home-n1182711|title=Michigan Gov. Whitmer faces fierce backlash over strict stay-at-home order|first1=Allan|last1=Smith|first2=Erin|last2=Einhorn|work=[[NBC News]]|date=April 14, 2020|access-date=April 23, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200423122239/https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/michigan-gov-whitmer-faces-fierce-backlash-over-strict-stay-home-n1182711|archive-date=April 23, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
On April 15, 2020, as estimated by the state police, 20,000 people took part in a protest they called Operation Gridlock in the area surrounding the [[Michigan State Capitol]] in [[Lansing, Michigan|Lansing]].<ref name="kara_b_and_paul_e_15" /> Most protestors remained in their vehicles, jamming the streets around the capitol building, although around 150 protested on the capitol lawn.<ref name="vox20200416" /> The protest lasted eight hours.<ref name="heatherwalk_15">{{cite news|last=Walker|first=Heather|url=https://www.upmatters.com/news/protesters-in-opposition-of-stay-home-order-gather-at-michigan-capitol/|title='Free MI': Stay-home order protesters gather at Capitol|date=April 15, 2020|work=UP Matters|access-date=April 17, 2020|publisher=[[WJMN-TV]]|location=Marquette, Michigan|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200423213905/https://www.upmatters.com/news/protesters-in-opposition-of-stay-home-order-gather-at-michigan-capitol/|archive-date=April 23, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref> The protest caused delays during a shift change at [[Sparrow Hospital]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.wxyz.com/news/coronavirus/operation-gridlock-rally-caused-delays-during-shift-change-at-lansing-hospital|title='Operation Gridlock' rally caused delays during shift change at Sparrow Hospital in Lansing|date=2020-04-16|website=WXYZ|access-date=2020-04-28|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200420011620/https://www.wxyz.com/news/coronavirus/operation-gridlock-rally-caused-delays-during-shift-change-at-lansing-hospital|archive-date=April 20, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref> Police described the protesters as respectful, with most trying to maintain social distancing; no arrests were made.<ref name="usa_today_apr_15">{{cite web |last1 = Berg |first1 = Kara |last2 = Egan |first2 = Paul |title = Thousands Converge to Protest Michigan Governor's Stay-Home Order in 'Operation Gridlock' |url = https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2020/04/15/lansing-capitol-protest-michigan-stay-home-order/5139472002/ |website = [[USA Today]] |access-date = April 15, 2020 |date = April 15, 2020 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200416010703/https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2020/04/15/lansing-capitol-protest-michigan-stay-home-order/5139472002/ |archive-date = April 16, 2020 |url-status = live }}</ref><br />
<br />
Protesters complained of loss of work and other economic hardship caused by the state government's coronavirus response. Some felt that if they were not sick, that they should have the freedom to continue with their normal routine.<ref name="mcnamara">{{cite web |last1 = McNamara |first1 = Audrey |title = Protests Break Out in Michigan over State's Stay-at-Home Order |url = https://www.cbsnews.com/news/michigan-protest-gretchen-whitmer-operation-gridlock-lansing/ |work = [[CBS News]] |access-date = April 15, 2020 |date = April 15, 2020 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200416004156/https://www.cbsnews.com/news/michigan-protest-gretchen-whitmer-operation-gridlock-lansing/ |archive-date = April 16, 2020 |url-status = live }}</ref> Others claimed violation of their [[civil liberties]] or expressed opposition to Governor [[Gretchen Whitmer]]'s administration.<ref>{{cite news |author = ((Guardian Staff and Agencies)) |title = Protesters Chant 'Lock Her Up' after Michigan Governor's Stay-at-Home Order |url = https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/15/michigan-coronavirus-protest-stay-home-order-gretchen-whitmer |website = [[The Guardian]] |access-date = April 15, 2020 |date = April 15, 2020 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200415233449/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/15/michigan-coronavirus-protest-stay-home-order-gretchen-whitmer |archive-date = April 15, 2020 |url-status = live }}</ref> Some protesters lived in more rural areas of Michigan that had not seen as many coronavirus cases as the cities of [[Detroit]] or [[Flint, Michigan|Flint]].<ref name="censky">{{cite news |last1 = Censky |first1 = Abigail |title = Michigan Stay-At-Home Order Prompts Honking, Traffic-Jam Protest |url = https://www.npr.org/sections/coronavirus-live-updates/2020/04/15/835250693/michigan-stay-at-home-order-prompts-honking-traffic-jam-protest |agency = WKAR |publisher = [[NPR]] |access-date = April 15, 2020 |date = April 15, 2020 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200416000214/https://www.npr.org/sections/coronavirus-live-updates/2020/04/15/835250693/michigan-stay-at-home-order-prompts-honking-traffic-jam-protest |archive-date = April 16, 2020 |url-status = live }}</ref><br />
<br />
On April 30, a second protest organized as part of the American Revolution 2.0 national protest occurred when hundreds of protesters, many carrying firearms, gathered at the Michigan Capitol. Many protesters were able to enter the building. The demonstration had assistance organizing locally by the conservative group American Patriot Council.<ref name="NBC">{{cite news |last1=Clark |first1=Dartunorro |title=Hundreds of protesters, some carrying guns in the state Capitol, demonstrate against Michigan's emergency measures |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/hundreds-protest-michigan-lawmakers-consider-extending-governors-emergency-powers-n1196886 |access-date=1 May 2020 |work=[[NBC News]] |date=30 April 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200503062131/https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/hundreds-protest-michigan-lawmakers-consider-extending-governors-emergency-powers-n1196886 |archive-date=May 3, 2020 |url-status=live }}</ref> The protest was much smaller than the one on April 15, but the show of firearms and the violent tone of some of the signs indicated that things were changing.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Protesters, some armed, enter Michigan Capitol in rally against COVID-19 limits|url=https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/michigan/2020/04/30/protesters-gathering-outside-capitol-amid-covid-19-restrictions/3054911001/|last=Mauger|first=Craig|website=The Detroit News|date=April 30, 2020|access-date=2020-05-01|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200501133345/https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/michigan/2020/04/30/protesters-gathering-outside-capitol-amid-covid-19-restrictions/3054911001/|archive-date=May 1, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref> Some protesters compared the Governor to [[Adolf Hitler]] while children danced in masks of Donald Trump and Barack Obama on the steps of the Capitol.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.mlive.com/coronavirus/2020/05/gov-whitmer-says-protest-depicted-some-of-the-worst-racism-and-doesnt-represent-michigan.html|title=Gov. Whitmer says protest 'depicted some of the worst racism' and doesn't represent Michigan|work=MLive.com|date=May 3, 2020|access-date=2020-05-13|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200505095652/https://www.mlive.com/coronavirus/2020/05/gov-whitmer-says-protest-depicted-some-of-the-worst-racism-and-doesnt-represent-michigan.html|archive-date=May 5, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Video Shows Children Dancing In Racist Obama Mask At Michigan Protest|url=https://www.bet.com/article/6ftjtw/children-in-video-prance-in-racist-masks-at-protest|website=BET.com|access-date=2020-05-19|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200529191106/https://www.bet.com/news/national/2020/05/01/video-shows-racist-children-dancing-in-obama-mask-at-michigan-pr.html?cid=facebook|archive-date=May 29, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref> Governor Whitmer extended the [[state of emergency]] regardless.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Fortin|first=Jacey|date=2020-05-01|title=Michigan Governor Reinstates State of Emergency as Protests Ramp Up|work=[[The New York Times]]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/01/us/michigan-protests-capitol-virus-armed.html|access-date=2020-05-01|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200502064218/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/01/us/michigan-protests-capitol-virus-armed.html|archive-date=May 2, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
On May 14, more armed protesters, organized by the group Michigan United for Liberty, gathered outside the Michigan State Capitol.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Heavily Armed Protesters Gather Again At Michigan Capitol To Decry Stay-At-Home Order|url=https://www.npr.org/2020/05/14/855918852/heavily-armed-protesters-gather-again-at-michigans-capitol-denouncing-home-order|website=[[NPR]]|date=May 14, 2020 |language=en|access-date=2020-05-15|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200515183919/https://www.npr.org/2020/05/14/855918852/heavily-armed-protesters-gather-again-at-michigans-capitol-denouncing-home-order|archive-date=May 15, 2020|url-status=live|last1=Censky |first1=Abigail }}</ref> The organization's Facebook group was deleted over death threats against Governor Whitmer and a fight broke out over a [[Effigy|doll tied to a noose]] at the protest.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Naked doll hanging by a noose prompts fight at armed anti-lockdown protest|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/lockdown-protest-michigan-fight-doll-noose-gretchen-whitmer-a9515381.html|date=2020-05-14|website=[[The Independent]]|language=en|access-date=2020-05-15|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200514235021/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/lockdown-protest-michigan-fight-doll-noose-gretchen-whitmer-a9515381.html|archive-date=May 14, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref> The Michigan Legislature closed its scheduled session to avoid the possibility of another armed confrontation inside the chamber.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Welch|first=David|date=14 May 2020|title=Michigan Cancels Legislative Session to Avoid Armed Protesters|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-05-14/michigan-cancels-legislative-session-to-avoid-armed-protesters|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200708181104/https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-05-14/michigan-cancels-legislative-session-to-avoid-armed-protesters|archive-date=July 8, 2020|access-date=15 May 2020|website=[[Bloomberg News|Bloomberg]]}}</ref><br />
<br />
On May 20, seven hairdressers were ticketed for cutting hair on the steps of the Michigan State Capitol, for allegedly violating their licenses. The charges were later dropped.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Stylists ticketed for cutting hair on Michigan Capitol lawn to protest lockdown|url=https://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/499031-stylists-ticketed-for-cutting-hair-on-michigan-capitol-lawn-to|last=Pitofsky|first=Marina|date=2020-05-21|website=[[The Hill (newspaper)|The Hill]]|language=en|access-date=2020-05-24|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200530210844/https://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/499031-stylists-ticketed-for-cutting-hair-on-michigan-capitol-lawn-to|archive-date=May 30, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
A peaceful demonstration of prayers organized by the religious non-profit Transformation Michigan was performed on the Capitol lawn on May 28.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Prayer gathering planned at Michigan Capitol Thursday|url=https://www.mlive.com/public-interest/2020/05/prayer-gathering-planned-at-michigan-capitol-thursday.html|date=2020-05-27|website=mlive|language=en|access-date=2020-05-28}}</ref><br />
<br />
====Minnesota====<br />
{{Further|COVID-19 pandemic in Minnesota}}<br />
[[File:Liberate Minnesota protest at the Governor's Residence in St Paul, Minnesota (49785782223).jpg|thumb|About 800 protesters gathered outside the [[Minnesota Governor's Residence]] for the "Liberate Minnesota" rally on April 17<ref name="LiberateStar"/>]]<br />
<br />
On April 17, about 800 protesters gathered outside the Governor's Mansion in St. Paul for a Liberate Minnesota protest encouraged by President Trump's tweets.<ref name="LiberateStar">{{Cite web|last=Condon|first=Patrick |title=Trump-backed rally urges Gov. Tim Walz to 'Liberate Minnesota'|url=https://www.startribune.com/rally-urges-gov-tim-walz-to-liberate-minnesota/569736462/|website=Star Tribune|date=April 18, 2020|access-date=2020-05-02|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200426004558/https://www.startribune.com/rally-urges-gov-tim-walz-to-liberate-minnesota/569736462/|archive-date=April 26, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Sandberg|first=Diane |title='Liberate Minnesota' protesters rally outside governor's residence|url=https://www.kare11.com/article/news/politics/liberate-minnesota-protest-planned-in-st-paul/89-068d3112-f901-465e-8d22-3b15e5199497|publisher=KARE11|date=April 17, 2020|access-date=2020-05-02}}</ref><br />
<br />
On April 19, Sven Sundgaard, a meteorologist at [[NBC]] affiliate [[KARE (TV)|KARE11]], reposted a quote from a Rabbi Michael Latz accusing the right-wing protesters of being "white nationalist Nazi sympathizer gun fetishist miscreants" on his personal Facebook page. Sundgaard was subsequently fired for "ethics violations".<ref>{{Cite web|title=Sven Sundgaard fired by KARE 11 for 'ethics violations'|url=http://www.citypages.com/news/sven-sundgaard-fired-by-kare-11-for-ethics-violations/570126951|last=Mullen|first=Mike|website=City Pages|date=May 1, 2020|access-date=2020-05-02|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200502083638/http://www.citypages.com/news/sven-sundgaard-fired-by-kare-11-for-ethics-violations/570126951|archive-date=May 2, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
On May 11, a few dozen people gathered outside [[Albert Lea, Minnesota|Albert Lea City Hall]] for a "prayer protest" in response to the pandemic lockdown.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Prayer protest outside Albert Lea City Hall|url=https://www.kaaltv.com/albert-lea-minnesota-news/prayer-protest-outside-albert-lea-city-hall/5726976/|date=2020-05-11|website=ABC 6 NEWS|language=en|access-date=2020-05-31|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200526112646/https://www.kaaltv.com/albert-lea-minnesota-news/prayer-protest-outside-albert-lea-city-hall/5726976/|archive-date=May 26, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
On May 23, more than 200 attended what was supposed to be the reopening of a tavern in [[Albany, Minnesota|Albany]]. After attorneys obtained an [[injunction]] to prevent the reopening, the crowd became a protest. Attendees harassed a reporter for wearing a mask and intentionally coughed in public while not wearing masks.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Reporter harassed for wearing a mask while covering a restaurant reopening-turned-protest|url=https://thehill.com/homenews/media/499311-reporter-harassed-for-wearing-a-mask-while-covering-a-restaurant-reopening|last=Deese|first=Kaelan|date=2020-05-23|website=[[The Hill (newspaper)|The Hill]]|language=en|access-date=2020-05-24|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200523235909/https://thehill.com/homenews/media/499311-reporter-harassed-for-wearing-a-mask-while-covering-a-restaurant-reopening|archive-date=May 23, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
On June 25, a couple wore Nazi flags in lieu of masks on their faces while shopping at a grocery store in [[Marshall, Minnesota|Marshall]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Couple flaunt swastika face masks at southwestern Minnesota Walmart|url=https://www.startribune.com/couple-flaunts-swastika-facemasks-at-marshall-walmart/571909142/|access-date=2020-07-26|website=Star Tribune}}</ref><br />
<br />
====North Dakota====<br />
{{Further|COVID-19 pandemic in North Dakota}}<br />
Even though Governor [[Doug Burgum]] did not issue a [[stay-at-home order]], about 150 protesters gathered outside the [[North Dakota State Capitol]] in [[Bismarck, North Dakota|Bismarck]] to demand the state government reopen concert venues, movie theaters, gyms, nail salons, massage parlors and barber shops.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.grandforksherald.com/news/government-and-politics/5382580-Protesters-at-Capitol-push-governor-to-reopen-North-Dakota-businesses|title=Protesters at Capitol push governor to reopen North Dakota businesses|last=Turley|first=Jeremy|website=Grand Forks Herald|date=April 20, 2020|access-date=April 23, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200423094738/https://www.grandforksherald.com/news/government-and-politics/5382580-Protesters-at-Capitol-push-governor-to-reopen-North-Dakota-businesses|archive-date=April 23, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.kfyrtv.com/content/news/People-gathered-at-the-capitol-in-protest-to-reopen-businesses-569808711.html|title=People gathered at the capitol in protest to reopen businesses|last=Ivy|first=Emmeline|publisher=KFYR-TV|date=April 20, 2020|access-date=April 23, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200422152705/https://www.kfyrtv.com/content/news/People-gathered-at-the-capitol-in-protest-to-reopen-businesses-569808711.html|archive-date=April 22, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
====Ohio====<br />
{{Further|COVID-19 pandemic in Ohio}}<br />
[[File:Open Ohio Rally IMG 0910 (49799974031).jpg|thumb|Several hundred anti-lockdown protesters rallied at the [[Ohio Statehouse]] on April 20<ref>{{cite news |last1=Rouan |first1=Rick |title=Protesters at Statehouse demand state reopen as DeWine announces schools to remain closed |url=https://www.dispatch.com/news/20200420/protesters-at-statehouse-demand-state-reopen-as-dewine-announces-schools-to-remain-closed |access-date=3 May 2020 |work=[[The Columbus Dispatch]] |date=20 April 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200425004821/https://www.dispatch.com/news/20200420/protesters-at-statehouse-demand-state-reopen-as-dewine-announces-schools-to-remain-closed |archive-date=April 25, 2020 |url-status=live }}</ref>]]<br />
<br />
Protests began in Ohio on April 9, with about 75 gathering outside of the [[Ohio Statehouse]] to protest Governor [[Mike DeWine]]'s stay-at-home order. A second protest on April 13 grew to a group of 200–300 people.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.clevescene.com/scene-and-heard/archives/2020/04/14/were-not-afraid-of-any-virus-crowds-gathered-outside-of-ohio-statehouse-protesting-coronavirus-shutdowns|title='We're Not Afraid of Any Virus': Crowds Gathered Outside of Ohio Statehouse Protesting Coronavirus Shutdowns|date=April 14, 2020|work=Cleveland Scene|access-date=April 17, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200417020942/https://www.clevescene.com/scene-and-heard/archives/2020/04/14/were-not-afraid-of-any-virus-crowds-gathered-outside-of-ohio-statehouse-protesting-coronavirus-shutdowns|archive-date=April 17, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
The following weekend, protests began on April 17, with dozens protesting outside the east side of the Statehouse.<ref name="DispatchOhio">{{cite web|url=https://www.dispatch.com/photogallery/OH/20200418/PHOTOGALLERY/418009999/PH/1|title=Photos: Protests over stay-at-home orders at Ohio Statehouse|website=The Columbus Dispatch|access-date=April 20, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200419221538/https://www.dispatch.com/photogallery/OH/20200418/PHOTOGALLERY/418009999/PH/1|archive-date=April 19, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref> The next day, April 18, the protests grew to hundreds.<ref name="cleveland.com">{{cite web|url=https://www.cleveland.com/open/2020/04/hundreds-protest-in-columbus-against-ohio-coronavirus-restrictions.html|title=Hundreds protest in Columbus against Ohio coronavirus restrictions|last=Hancock|first=Laura|date=April 18, 2020|website=cleveland.com|access-date=April 20, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200420074251/https://www.cleveland.com/open/2020/04/hundreds-protest-in-columbus-against-ohio-coronavirus-restrictions.html|archive-date=April 20, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="DispatchOhio" /> Protesters carried signs with slogans lamenting the loss of liberties for the sake of safety, as well as signs critical of state officials,<ref name="cleveland.com" /><ref name="DispatchOhio" /> and demanded that the state be immediately reopened.<ref name="cleveland.com" /><br />
<br />
The governor said that he would not interfere with the protests, provided they adhered to social distancing guidelines.<ref name="Perrett">{{cite web|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/ohio-governor-protests-are-ok-if-protestors-socially-distance-2020-4|title=Ohio governor says anti-lockdown protests are OK if protestors adhere to social distancing|last=Perrett|first=Connor|website=[[Business Insider]]|date=April 19, 2020|access-date=April 20, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200419214853/https://www.businessinsider.com/ohio-governor-protests-are-ok-if-protestors-socially-distance-2020-4|archive-date=April 19, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref> Photographs from the protests on April 18 indicated that not all protesters had been honoring those guidelines;<ref name="Perrett" /> however, many of them stayed in cars.<ref name="cleveland.com" /><ref name="DispatchOhio" /><br />
<br />
On May 2, a small group of anti-lockdown protesters in [[Bexley, Ohio|Bexley]] patrolled the streets outside the private residence of [[Ohio Department of Health]] Director Dr. [[Amy Acton]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Small group of protesters gather in Dr. Amy Acton's neighborhood|url=https://www.news5cleveland.com/news/continuing-coverage/coronavirus/local-coronavirus-news/small-group-of-protesters-gather-in-dr-amy-actons-neighborhood|date=2020-05-03|website=WEWS|access-date=2020-05-10|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200510164301/https://www.news5cleveland.com/news/continuing-coverage/coronavirus/local-coronavirus-news/small-group-of-protesters-gather-in-dr-amy-actons-neighborhood|archive-date=May 10, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref> The Bexley City Council briefly considered a [[local ordinance]] banning protests outside Acton's home, but ultimately decided against the measure.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Bexley city council agrees not to vote on ordinance to ban protesters targeting Dr. Amy Acton at her home|url=https://www.dispatch.com/news/20200507/bexley-city-council-agrees-not-to-vote-on-ordinance-to-ban-protesters-targeting-dr-amy-acton-at-her-home|last=Myers|first=Jacob|website=The Columbus Dispatch|date=May 7, 2020|access-date=2020-05-10|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200511055840/https://www.dispatch.com/news/20200507/bexley-city-council-agrees-not-to-vote-on-ordinance-to-ban-protesters-targeting-dr-amy-acton-at-her-home|archive-date=May 11, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
====Wisconsin====<br />
{{Further|COVID-19 pandemic in Wisconsin}}<br />
Several thousand people gathered at the state capitol in [[Madison, Wisconsin|Madison]] on April 24 to protest the state's "Safer at Home" rules requiring social distancing and the closure of nonessential businesses. On that day the state health department announced 304 new positive tests—the most new cases most since the pandemic began.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/24/us/politics/coronavirus-protests-madison-wisconsin.html|title=A Few Thousand Protest Stay-at-Home Order at Wisconsin State Capitol|last1=Epstein|first1=Reid J.|last2=Nolan|first2=Kay|date=April 24, 2020|work=[[The New York Times]]|access-date=24 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200430073042/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/24/us/politics/coronavirus-protests-madison-wisconsin.html|archive-date=April 30, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
On May 8, [[Wisconsin Department of Health Services|Wisconsin DHS]] reported that over 72 individuals who tested positive for COVID-19 had recently attended a "large event."<ref>{{Cite web|title=Wisconsin Still in Dark on Protest|url=https://progressive.org/api/content/a087fd62-916d-11ea-96e9-1244d5f7c7c6/|last=Lueders|first=Bill|date=2020-05-08|website=Progressive.org|access-date=2020-05-11}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Northeast ===<br />
<br />
====Connecticut====<br />
{{Further|COVID-19 pandemic in Connecticut}}<br />
Hundreds of protesters paraded through [[Hartford, Connecticut|Hartford]] at the CT Liberty Rally on April 20 demanding that businesses closed by [[Governor of Connecticut|Governor]] [[Ned Lamont]]'s coronavirus legislation be reopened. The [[Libertarian Party of Connecticut]] organized the event.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.courant.com/coronavirus/hc-news-coronavirus-rally-for-reopening-20200420-bjs5dwhhtrfo5n473xe35cmu54-story.html|title=Hundreds parade through Hartford to protest Gov. Ned Lamont's coronavirus stay-at-home orders, business closures|last=Murdock|first=Zach|website=Hartford Courant|date=April 20, 2020|access-date=2020-04-27|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200427153108/https://www.courant.com/coronavirus/hc-news-coronavirus-rally-for-reopening-20200420-bjs5dwhhtrfo5n473xe35cmu54-story.html|archive-date=April 27, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last1=Wilson|first1=Bob |last2=Hernandez|first2=Samaia |url=https://www.wtnh.com/news/health/coronavirus/group-gathers-at-ct-state-capitol-to-protest-gov-lamonts-stay-safe-stay-home-order/|title=Group gathers to protest Gov. Lamont's Stay Safe, Stay Home order|date=2020-04-20|website=WTNH.com|access-date=2020-04-27|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200427100434/https://www.wtnh.com/news/health/coronavirus/group-gathers-at-ct-state-capitol-to-protest-gov-lamonts-stay-safe-stay-home-order/|archive-date=April 27, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
====Massachusetts====<br />
{{Further|COVID-19 pandemic in Massachusetts}}<br />
About a dozen protesters gathered outside [[Governor of Massachusetts|Governor]] [[Charlie Baker]]'s home in [[Swampscott, Massachusetts|Swampscott]] on April 23. Supporters made laps up and down the street in vehicles with [[Make America Great Again|MAGA]] flags, while medical workers tried to convince them to disperse.<ref name="bostonherald1">{{cite web|last=Ottolini|first=Meghan |url=https://www.bostonherald.com/2020/04/23/face-to-face-protest-in-front-charlie-bakers-home/|title=Face Off: Pro-, anti-coronavirus shutdown protests staged in front of Charlie Baker's house|date=2020-04-23|website=Boston Herald|access-date=2020-04-27|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200503011449/https://www.bostonherald.com/2020/04/23/face-to-face-protest-in-front-charlie-bakers-home/|archive-date=May 3, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref> On April 26, protesters met outside a [[Bristol County, Massachusetts|Bristol County]] government building in [[Fall River, Massachusetts|Fall River]].<ref name="bostonherald1" /><br />
<br />
On May 4, hundreds gathered outside the [[Massachusetts State House]] for a Liberty Rally promoted by conservative radio show host [[Jeff Kuhner|Jeffrey Kuhner]] and by [[Super Happy Fun America]], the organizers of the controversial [[Straight pride#Boston, Massachusetts, United States (2019)|2019 Boston Straight Pride Parade]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=MacNeill|first=Arianna|title=Photos: Large crowd of protesters gathers in front of Mass. State House demanding reopening of economy|url=https://www.boston.com/news/coronavirus/2020/05/04/protest-massachusetts-state-house-reopening-economy|website=Boston.com|date=May 4, 2020|access-date=2020-05-05|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200505201415/https://www.boston.com/news/coronavirus/2020/05/04/protest-massachusetts-state-house-reopening-economy|archive-date=May 5, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref> The rally crowd was "tightly packed", largely ignored social distancing protocols, and many in the group refused to wear masks.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Tightly-packed protest outside State House pushes for reopening economy|url=https://www.wcvb.com/article/tightly-packed-protest-outside-state-house-pushes-for-reopening-economy/32368146|date=2020-05-05|website=WCVB|access-date=2020-05-05|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200505180545/https://www.wcvb.com/article/tightly-packed-protest-outside-state-house-pushes-for-reopening-economy/32368146|archive-date=May 5, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Hundreds gather at State House to protest measures to slow spread of coronavirus|url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/2020/05/04/metro/hundreds-gather-state-house-protest-measures-slow-spread-coronavirus/|last=Gardizy|first=Anissa|website=The Boston Globe|date=May 4, 2020|access-date=2020-05-05|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200505195634/https://www.bostonglobe.com/2020/05/04/metro/hundreds-gather-state-house-protest-measures-slow-spread-coronavirus/|archive-date=May 5, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
====New Hampshire====<br />
{{Further|COVID-19 pandemic in New Hampshire}}<br />
Hundreds, including [[Libertarianism in the United States|libertarian]] talk show host Ian Freeman, protested at the [[New Hampshire State House]] on April 17 calling on Governor [[Chris Sununu]] to reopen the state.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://boston.cbslocal.com/2020/04/18/coronavirus-lockdown-protest-new-hampshire-state-house-chris-sununu/|title=Hundreds Protest Coronavirus Lockdown At New Hampshire State House|date=April 18, 2020|work=CBS Boston/AP|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200428051446/https://boston.cbslocal.com/2020/04/18/coronavirus-lockdown-protest-new-hampshire-state-house-chris-sununu/|archive-date=April 28, 2020}}</ref><br />
<br />
====New Jersey====<br />
{{Further|COVID-19 pandemic in New Jersey}}<br />
On April 17, an anti-lockdown protest occurred in [[Trenton, New Jersey|Trenton]]. Days later, charges were brought against the organizer of the rally for violating social-distancing guidelines.<ref>{{cite web|last=Chasmar|first=Jessica |url=https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2020/apr/20/kim-pagan-new-jersey-woman-charged-for-organizing-/|title=N.J. woman charged for organizing 'reopen' protest in Trenton|website=The Washington Times|date=April 20, 2020|access-date=2020-04-27|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200502070726/https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2020/apr/20/kim-pagan-new-jersey-woman-charged-for-organizing-/|archive-date=May 2, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref> A smaller group of protesters also demonstrated in a [[Walmart]] parking lot in [[Hamilton Township, Mercer County, New Jersey|Hamilton]] that same day.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/organizer-of-new-jersey-anti-lockdown-rally-charged-with-violating-lockdown/2379736/|title=Organizer of New Jersey Anti-Lockdown Rally Charged With Violating Lockdown|website=NBC New York|date=April 18, 2020|access-date=2020-04-27|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200425155446/https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/organizer-of-new-jersey-anti-lockdown-rally-charged-with-violating-lockdown/2379736/|archive-date=April 25, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
On May 20, hundreds of hairdressers and barbers organized by the NJ Salon And Spa Coalition gathered in [[Verona Park]] dressed in black to plead for the state to reopen their businesses.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Fed-Up NJ Hairdressers, Barbers Rally In Verona: 'Let Us Reopen'|url=https://patch.com/new-jersey/verona/let-us-reopen-fed-nj-hairdressers-barbers-rally-verona|date=2020-05-21|website=Verona-Cedar Grove, NJ Patch|language=en|access-date=2020-05-23|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200623130911/https://patch.com/new-jersey/verona/let-us-reopen-fed-nj-hairdressers-barbers-rally-verona|archive-date=June 23, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
On November 28, a pro-Trump [[Stop the Steal]] caravan protest traveled around New Jersey for several hours starting near the Trump Golf Course in [[Bedminster, New Jersey|Bedminster]] and ending near Governor Murphy's home in [[Middletown Township, New Jersey|Middletown]], where the focus shifted to criticizing the statewide lockdown restrictions.<ref>{{Cite web|last=NJ.com|first=Michael Sol Warren {{!}} NJ Advance Media for|date=2020-11-28|title=Protestors show up at Murphy's house to criticize COVID-19 rules after rallying for Trump in Bedminster|url=https://www.nj.com/news/2020/11/protestors-criticize-nj-covid-19-rules-near-murphys-house-after-rallying-for-trump-in-bedminster.html|access-date=2020-11-29|website=nj|language=en}}</ref><br />
<br />
====New York====<br />
{{Further|COVID-19 pandemic in New York (state)}}<br />
On April 22, scores of cars and trucks blared their horns near [[Albany, New York|Albany]]'s Capitol Park in a protest called Operation Gridlock: Reopen NY.<ref>{{cite web|last=Lisa|first=Kate |url=https://www.adirondackdailyenterprise.com/news/politics/2020/04/protesters-in-albany-demand-cuomo-reopen-ny/|title=Protesters in Albany demand Cuomo reopen NY |work=Adirondack Daily Enterprise|date=April 24, 2020|access-date=2020-04-27|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200429101107/https://www.adirondackdailyenterprise.com/news/politics/2020/04/protesters-in-albany-demand-cuomo-reopen-ny/|archive-date=April 29, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
On May 1, hundreds protested in [[Commack, New York|Commack]], [[Long Island]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Protesters Call For Swift Reopening On Long Island As Coronavirus Hospitalizations Decline, But Local Leaders Urge Patience|url=https://newyork.cbslocal.com/2020/05/01/coronavirus-long-island-reopening-protest/|date=2020-05-01|access-date=2020-05-02}}</ref> Most protesters ignored social-distancing protocols, but no arrests were made, according to [[Suffolk County, New York|Suffolk County]] police.<ref>{{Cite web|last=DeSantis|first=Michael |title=Protesters In Commack Demand Economy Reopens|url=https://patch.com/new-york/commack/protesters-commack-demand-economy-opens|date=2020-05-01|website=Patch|access-date=2020-05-02|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200502121353/https://patch.com/new-york/commack/protesters-commack-demand-economy-opens|archive-date=May 2, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
====Pennsylvania====<br />
{{Further|COVID-19 pandemic in Pennsylvania}}<br />
On [[Patriots' Day]], April 20, hundreds of protesters marched on Pennsylvania's state capitol building during a Monday morning Operation Gridlock Pennsylvania event in [[Harrisburg, Pennsylvania|Harrisburg]].<ref name="olson1">{{cite web|url=https://www.foxnews.com/politics/hundreds-of-protesters-line-harrisburg-streets-in-protest-against-stay-at-home-order|title=Hundreds of protesters line Harrisburg streets in rowdy protest against stay-at-home order|last=Olson|first=Tyler|date=April 20, 2020|website=[[Fox News]]|access-date=April 20, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200420184458/https://www.foxnews.com/politics/hundreds-of-protesters-line-harrisburg-streets-in-protest-against-stay-at-home-order|archive-date=April 20, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref> The protest was organized by three groups, Re-open Pennsylvania, End the Lockdown Pennsylvania and Pennsylvania Against Excessive Quarantine, led in part by an Ohio-based Second Amendment rights activist named Chris Dorr.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.abc27.com/news/local/harrisburg/thousands-of-protesters-expected-at-a-reopen-rally/|title=Thousands of protesters expected at a 'reopen rally'|date=April 20, 2020|website=ABC27|access-date=April 20, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200422075607/https://www.abc27.com/news/local/harrisburg/thousands-of-protesters-expected-at-a-reopen-rally/|archive-date=April 22, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="olson1" /><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.dailyitem.com/news/update-hundreds-gather-at-capitol-in-harrisburg-for-anti-shutdown-rally-calling-to-reopen-pennsylvania/article_7d4f6946-831e-11ea-b61e-3f87f608ab01.html|title=UPDATE Hundreds gather at Capitol in Harrisburg for anti-shutdown rally calling to 'reopen' Pennsylvania|last=Fernandez|first=Cynthia|website=The Daily Item|date=April 20, 2020|access-date=April 20, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200421020225/https://www.dailyitem.com/news/update-hundreds-gather-at-capitol-in-harrisburg-for-anti-shutdown-rally-calling-to-reopen-pennsylvania/article_7d4f6946-831e-11ea-b61e-3f87f608ab01.html|archive-date=April 21, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
====Rhode Island====<br />
{{Further|COVID-19 pandemic in Rhode Island}}<br />
Anti-lockdown protesters clashed with a line of healthcare worker counter-protesters outside the [[Rhode Island State House]] on April 25.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.wwlp.com/news/health/coronavirus/health-care-workers-counter-state-house-protest-to-reopen-rhode-island/|title=Health care workers counter State House protest to reopen Rhode Island|date=2020-04-26|website=WWLP|access-date=2020-04-27|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200426142207/https://www.wwlp.com/news/health/coronavirus/health-care-workers-counter-state-house-protest-to-reopen-rhode-island/|archive-date=April 26, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
====Vermont====<br />
{{Further|COVID-19 pandemic in Vermont}}<br />
According to the ''[[VTDigger]]'', 7 to 10 anti-lockdown protesters gathered in [[Montpelier, Vermont|Montpelier]] on April 20.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://vtdigger.org/2020/04/22/handful-of-protesters-rally-against-scotts-stay-home-order/|title=Handful of protesters rally against Scott's 'stay home' order|website=VT Digger|date=April 22, 2020|access-date=2020-05-31|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200619160246/https://vtdigger.org/2020/04/22/handful-of-protesters-rally-against-scotts-stay-home-order/|archive-date=June 19, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== South ===<br />
<br />
====Alabama====<br />
{{Further|COVID-19 pandemic in Alabama}}<br />
Approximately 60 anti-lockdown protesters marched near the [[Alabama State Capitol]] at a Reopen Alabama rally in [[Montgomery, Alabama|Montgomery]] on April 21.<ref>{{cite web|last=Lyman|first=Brian|url=https://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/story/news/2020/04/21/reopen-alabama-business-protest-call-easing-coronavirus-restrictions/2999030001/|title=Reopen Alabama protesters call for easing of coronavirus business restrictions|website=The Montgomery Advertiser|date=April 21, 2020|access-date=2020-04-27|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200423171551/https://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/story/news/2020/04/21/reopen-alabama-business-protest-call-easing-coronavirus-restrictions/2999030001/|archive-date=April 23, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
====Florida====<br />
{{Further|COVID-19 pandemic in Florida}}<br />
Anti-lockdown protesters marched from the [[Florida Governor's Mansion|Governor's Mansion]] to the Old Capitol Building in [[Tallahassee, Florida|Tallahassee]] to demand that the state allow businesses to go back to work.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.wctv.tv/content/news/Protesters-gather-outside-the-capital-asking-the-state-to-re-open-Florida-for-business-569761441.html|title=Protesters gather outside the capitol asking the state to re-open Florida for business|last=Spencer|first=Brandon|website=wctv.tv|date=April 18, 2020|access-date=2020-04-27|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200427125431/https://www.wctv.tv/content/news/Protesters-gather-outside-the-capital-asking-the-state-to-re-open-Florida-for-business-569761441.html|archive-date=April 27, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
On May 11, a group of 20 to 30 protesters did [[Squat (exercise)|squats]] and [[sit-up]] exercises outside the courthouse in [[Clearwater, Florida|Clearwater]] to call for the reopening of gyms.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Protesters call for gyms to reopen in Florida by exercising outside courthouse|url=https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/497174-protesters-call-for-gyms-to-reopen-in-florida-by-exercising-outside|last=Klar|first=Rebecca|date=2020-05-11|website=[[The Hill (newspaper)|The Hill]]|access-date=2020-05-12|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200517024046/https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/497174-protesters-call-for-gyms-to-reopen-in-florida-by-exercising-outside|archive-date=May 17, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
====Kentucky====<br />
{{Further|COVID-19 pandemic in Kentucky}}<br />
Dozens of people gathered on the lawn of the state capitol in [[Frankfort, Kentucky|Frankfort]] in the afternoon of Wednesday, April 15, 2020, to protest Governor [[Andy Beshear]]'s anti-coronavirus measures. They could also be heard inside the capitol building. Throughout Governor Beshear's one-hour press briefing, the protesters chanted continuously and occasionally blew a horn. The principal demand was that businesses in the state be reopened.<ref name="kara_b_and_paul_e_15">{{cite news|last1=Berg|first1=Kara|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2020/04/15/lansing-capitol-protest-michigan-stay-home-order/5139472002/|title=Thousands Converge to Protest Michigan Governor's Stay-Home Order in 'Operation Gridlock'|date=April 15, 2020|work=[[USA Today]]|access-date=April 15, 2020|last2=Egan|first2=Paul|name-list-style=amp|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200416010703/https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2020/04/15/lansing-capitol-protest-michigan-stay-home-order/5139472002/|archive-date=April 16, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
On May 25, a group of protesters organized by Take Back Kentucky, angry about the [[Second Amendment to the United States Constitution|Second Amendment]] and coronavirus restrictions, hung the governor in [[effigy]] in front of the Kentucky statehouse. A sign reading "[[sic semper tyrannis]]" was attached to the hanging doll.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Protesters hang effigy of Kentucky governor|url=https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/499411-protesters-hang-effigy-of-kentucky-governor|last=Wise|first=Justin|date=2020-05-25|website=[[The Hill (newspaper)|The Hill]]|language=en|access-date=2020-05-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200526013625/https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/499411-protesters-hang-effigy-of-kentucky-governor|archive-date=May 26, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
==== Louisiana ====<br />
On July 14, a man was arrested after being asked by a police officer to wear a mask inside a [[Walmart]] in [[West Monroe, Louisiana|West Monroe]]. The man allegedly struck the officer twice with his car.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Coleman|first=Justine|date=2020-07-16|title=Louisiana man arrested after allegedly running car into officer who asked him to wear mask at Walmart|url=https://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/507707-louisiana-man-arrested-after-allegedly-running-car-into-officer|access-date=2020-07-17|website=[[The Hill (newspaper)|The Hill]]|language=en}}</ref><br />
<br />
====Maryland====<br />
{{Further|COVID-19 pandemic in Maryland}}<br />
On Saturday, April 18, ReOpen Maryland and Marylanders Against Excessive Quarantine held a driving protest in the state capital, [[Annapolis, Maryland|Annapolis]], against state restrictions continuing beyond May 1, drawing a claimed "at least 200 cars full of people."<ref>{{cite news |last1=Wainman |first1=Laura |last2=Arnold |first2=Jess |title=200 cars full of people protested Maryland's stay-at-home orders |url=https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/maryland/maryland-group-protests-to-reopen-state/65-eabb583d-d45e-40c9-835f-22f8dd9cf28f |access-date=June 29, 2020 |work=[[WUSA (TV)]] |date=April 18, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200630032115/https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/maryland/maryland-group-protests-to-reopen-state/65-eabb583d-d45e-40c9-835f-22f8dd9cf28f |archive-date=June 30, 2020 |url-status=live }}</ref> On Saturday, May 2, ReOpen Maryland organized another driving protest between rallies in [[Frederick, Maryland|Frederick]], [[Chester, Maryland|Chester]], and [[Salisbury, Maryland|Salisbury]], a span of 155 miles. Republican Representative [[Andy Harris (politician)|Andy Harris]] addressed the rally in Salisbury, comparing Maryland to North Korea, saying, "I didn't wake up in Communist China and I didn't wake up in North Korea...and tomorrow morning, I should be able to go to the church of my choice and worship the way I choose."<ref>{{cite news |last1=Ruiz |first1=Nathan |last2=Gillespie |first2=Paul W. |title=Rep. Harris compares Maryland to N. Korea, delegate sues Hogan as opponents protest coronavirus restrictions |url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/coronavirus/bs-md-reopen-maryland-protest-20200502-5v7krrh7n5girb7vwt75asp4di-story.html |access-date=June 30, 2020 |work=[[The Baltimore Sun]] |date=May 3, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200603133148/https://www.baltimoresun.com/coronavirus/bs-md-reopen-maryland-protest-20200502-5v7krrh7n5girb7vwt75asp4di-story.html |archive-date=June 3, 2020 |url-status=live }}</ref> ReOpen Maryland protested in Annapolis without cars on Friday, May 15,<ref>{{cite news |last1=Simms |first1=Barry |title=ReOpen Maryland protesters demand full opening of state |url=https://www.wbaltv.com/article/coronavirus-reopen-maryland-protest-annapolis-full-opening-of-state/32496434 |access-date=June 30, 2020 |work=[[WBAL-TV]] |date=May 15, 2020 |language=en |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200703035429/https://www.wbaltv.com/article/coronavirus-reopen-maryland-protest-annapolis-full-opening-of-state/32496434 |archive-date=July 3, 2020 |url-status=live }}</ref> and again on Saturday, May 30.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Lazarick |first1=Len |title=Floyd protests heat up, Reopen Maryland protests cool down |url=https://marylandreporter.com/2020/05/31/floyd-protests-heat-up-reopen-maryland-protests-cool-down/ |access-date=June 30, 2020 |work=MarylandReporter.com |date=May 31, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200622211306/https://marylandreporter.com/2020/05/31/floyd-protests-heat-up-reopen-maryland-protests-cool-down/ |archive-date=June 22, 2020 |url-status=live }}</ref> Another rally was held in [[Westminster, Maryland|Westminster]] on Saturday, June 6.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Lazarick |first1=Len |title=Small Reopen protests continue |url=https://marylandreporter.com/2020/06/07/small-reopen-protests-continue/ |access-date=June 30, 2020 |work=MarylandReporter.com |date=June 7, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200701145305/https://marylandreporter.com/2020/06/07/small-reopen-protests-continue/ |archive-date=July 1, 2020 |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
Reopen Baltimore County held a rally in the county seat of [[Towson, Maryland|Towson]] on Friday, May 22.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Zumer |first1=Bryna |title=County Councilman takes part in 'Reopen Baltimore County' rally |url=https://foxbaltimore.com/news/coronavirus/county-councilman-takes-part-in-reopen-baltimore-county-rally |access-date=June 30, 2020 |work=[[WBFF]] |date=May 22, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200630020035/https://foxbaltimore.com/news/coronavirus/county-councilman-takes-part-in-reopen-baltimore-county-rally |archive-date=June 30, 2020 |url-status=live }}</ref> Reopen Howard County held a rally at the Howard County courthouse in the county seat of [[Ellicott City, Maryland|Ellicott City]] on Tuesday, May 26.<ref>{{cite news |title=Reopen Howard County rally in Ellicott City |url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/maryland/howard/columbia/cng-ho-reopen-rally-pg-20200526-6spsrmhtrnfwtmehuqojdunb2y-photogallery.html |access-date=June 30, 2020 |work=[[The Baltimore Sun]] |date=May 26, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200630020040/https://www.baltimoresun.com/maryland/howard/columbia/cng-ho-reopen-rally-pg-20200526-6spsrmhtrnfwtmehuqojdunb2y-photogallery.html |archive-date=June 30, 2020 |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
In late June, the chair and co-founder of ReOpen Maryland said that he had tested positive for coronavirus but he would not help with [[contact tracing]] efforts.<ref name= co-founder>{{cite news |last1=Hutzell |first1=Rick |title=Co-founder of ReOpen Maryland says he has COVID-19, but won't help contact tracing efforts |url=https://www.capitalgazette.com/coronavirus/ac-cn-tim-walters-coronavirus-20200626-5l3epvbptng4dn4ys5btb5zika-story.html |access-date=June 30, 2020 |work=[[The Capital]] |date=June 26, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200629162433/https://www.capitalgazette.com/coronavirus/ac-cn-tim-walters-coronavirus-20200626-5l3epvbptng4dn4ys5btb5zika-story.html |archive-date=June 29, 2020 |url-status=live }}</ref> He said that got coronavirus "because Satan deemed to get it. Because he wanted to quiet my work."<ref name="co-founder" /> He said later that he and his family contracted COVID-19 and that he developed pneumonia because of it, but he still does not believe that the state needs to be shut down.<ref name="Shwe">{{cite news |last1=Shwe |first1=Elizabeth |title=Protesters at Annapolis Reopen Rally Demand 'No More Fear and 'Kids Over Politics' |url=https://www.marylandmatters.org/2020/09/19/protesters-at-annapolis-at-reopen-rally-demand-no-more-fear-and-kids-over-politics/ |access-date=September 21, 2020 |work=Maryland Matters |date=September 19, 2020}}</ref><br />
<br />
On September 18, 2020, Reopen Maryland and Return2Learn Maryland Schools organized a protest march in downtown Annapolis urging the governor to reopen all Maryland businesses and schools.<ref name="Shwe" /><ref name="Kadhim">{{cite news |last1=Kadhim |first1=Eddie |title='Reopen Maryland' protest held in Annapolis |url=https://www.wmar2news.com/news/local-news/reopen-maryland-protest-in-annapolis |access-date=September 21, 2020 |work=[[WMAR-TV]] |date=September 18, 2020 |language=en}}</ref> Attendance was described as "hundreds of people"<ref name="Kadhim" /> or "nearly a hundred Marylanders, most without masks".<ref name="Shwe" /><br />
<br />
====Mississippi====<br />
{{Further|COVID-19 pandemic in Mississippi}}<br />
Dozens of protesters carrying [[Donald Trump 2020 presidential campaign|Trump campaign]] merchandise and [[Flags of the Confederate States of America|Confederate Flags]] rallied to "Open Up Mississippi" in [[Jackson, Mississippi|Jackson]] on April 25.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.clarionledger.com/story/news/2020/04/25/coronavirus-mississippi-protesters-push-full-reopening-of-businesses/3025960001/|title='Should be up to the people': Protesters push for full reopening of Mississippi businesses|last=Vicory|first=Justin|website=The Clarion-Ledger|date=April 25, 2020|access-date=2020-04-27}}</ref><br />
<br />
====North Carolina====<br />
{{Further|COVID-19 pandemic in North Carolina}}<br />
[[File:Reopen NC in Graham (2020 May) (49867247561).jpg|thumb|right|An anti-lockdown protest in [[Graham, North Carolina]], on May 7]]<br />
In [[Raleigh, North Carolina|Raleigh]], about 100 people protested outside the capitol building on April 14. One woman was arrested for violating the governor's order and refusing to leave the parking lot.<ref name="Shaffer">{{cite news|url=https://www.newsobserver.com/news/politics-government/article241999131.html|title=Protesters rally for NC to reopen. One woman arrested for violating governor's order.|last1=Shaffer|first1=Josh|last2=Hajela|first2=Ashad|date=April 15, 2020|work=The News & Observer|access-date=April 23, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200423005650/https://www.newsobserver.com/news/politics-government/article241999131.html|archive-date=April 23, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref> A second ReOpen NC protest of about 300 people was held on April 21—a day on which the state's coronavirus death toll increased by 34 to a total of 213.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://abc11.com/nc-coronavirus-reopen-raleigh-protest-north-carolina/6119599/|title=Second ReOpen NC protest again calls on Gov. Cooper to roll back COVID-19 safety measures|last=Kaplan|first=Jonah|date=April 21, 2020|work=ABC-11|access-date=April 23, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200424034902/https://abc11.com/nc-coronavirus-reopen-raleigh-protest-north-carolina/6119599/|archive-date=April 24, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref> A leader of the ReOpen NC group revealed in a Facebook post that she tested positive for COVID-19. She described herself as an "asymptomatic COVID19 positive patient." After her antibody test came back negative but her COVID-19 test result was positive,<ref name="ReOpen-NC-positive-COVID-19">{{cite news |last1= Reeves |first1=Jeff |last2=Quigley |first2=Colleen |date=April 27, 2020 |title=ReOpen NC leader says she tested positive for COVID-19 |url=https://www.cbs17.com/community/health/coronavirus/reopen-nc-leader-says-she-tested-positive-for-covid-19/ |url-status=live |work=CBS17.com |location=Raleigh, North Carolina |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200429013205/https://www.cbs17.com/community/health/coronavirus/reopen-nc-leader-says-she-tested-positive-for-covid-19/ |archive-date=April 29, 2020 |access-date=April 30, 2020 }}</ref> she was given a quarantine order. She has alleged that this violated her civil rights.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Owen |first1=Tess |url=https://www.vice.com/en_ca/article/m7q8my/an-anti-lockdown-protest-leader-has-now-tested-positive-for-covid-19 |title=An Anti-Lockdown Protest Leader Has Now Tested Positive for COVID-19 |work=[[Vice (magazine)|Vice]] |date=2020-04-28 |access-date=2020-05-10 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200510112950/https://www.vice.com/en_ca/article/m7q8my/an-anti-lockdown-protest-leader-has-now-tested-positive-for-covid-19 |archive-date=May 10, 2020 }}</ref><br />
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In North Carolina some anti-lockdown protesters were known to be carrying massive amounts of weapons, including an [[AT4|AT-4 Anti-Tank Rocket Launcher]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Photos of armed protesters in North Carolina carrying a rocket launcher, shotguns, and pistols while ordering food at a Subway restaurant are trending|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/viral-armed-protesters-north-carolina-rocket-launcher-weapons-subway-pictures-2020-5|last=Snouwaert|first=Jessica|website=[[Business Insider]]|access-date=2020-05-16|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200516214917/https://www.businessinsider.com/viral-armed-protesters-north-carolina-rocket-launcher-weapons-subway-pictures-2020-5|archive-date=May 16, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
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====Texas====<br />
{{Further|COVID-19 pandemic in Texas}}<br />
On Saturday, April 18, hundreds protested at the statehouse in [[Austin, Texas]], at a You Can't Close America rally organized by ''[[InfoWars]]''{{'}} [[Alex Jones]].<ref>{{cite news|last=Hall|first=Richard |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/alex-jones-coronavirus-lockdown-protest-texas-anthony-fauci-fire-a9472611.html|title=Alex Jones joins protest against coronavirus lockdown orders as crowds chant 'Fire Fauci'|date=April 18, 2020|website=[[The Independent]]|access-date=April 19, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200418233448/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/alex-jones-coronavirus-lockdown-protest-texas-anthony-fauci-fire-a9472611.html|archive-date=April 18, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
On May 12, hair salon owner Shelley Luther was found guilty of civil and criminal [[Contempt of court|contempt]] in [[Dallas]] for ignoring a temporary restraining order.<ref>{{Cite web|title=How a Dallas salon owner changed Texas' reopening debate|url=https://www.texastribune.org/2020/05/15/texas-reopening-shelley-luther-dallas-salon-owner/|last=Platoff|first=Emma|date=2020-05-15|website=The Texas Tribune|language=en|access-date=2020-05-24|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200524025642/https://www.texastribune.org/2020/05/15/texas-reopening-shelley-luther-dallas-salon-owner/|archive-date=May 24, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref> After earning the support from [[Sean Hannity]] and [[Ted Cruz]] for her alleged [[civil disobedience]] and half a million dollars in [[GoFundMe]] money,<ref>{{Cite web|title=Arrested Dallas Hairdresser's GoFundMe Launched Before She Even Reopened|url=https://www.texasmonthly.com/news/dallas-salon-arrest-gofundme/|date=2020-05-08|website=Texas Monthly|language=en|access-date=2020-05-24|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200523051908/https://www.texasmonthly.com/news/dallas-salon-arrest-gofundme/|archive-date=May 23, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Baragona|first=Justin|date=2020-05-07|title=Hannity Compares Jailed Texas Salon Owner to Braveheart|language=en|work=[[The Daily Beast]]|url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/hannity-compares-jailed-texas-salon-owner-shelly-luther-to-william-wallace-in-braveheart|access-date=2020-05-24|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200530015139/https://www.thedailybeast.com/hannity-compares-jailed-texas-salon-owner-shelly-luther-to-william-wallace-in-braveheart|archive-date=May 30, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref> she admitted to receiving $18,000 in stimulus money designed to help her business while it remained closed.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Baragona|first=Justin|date=2020-05-11|title=Texas Salon Owner Admits to 'The View' She Received PPP Funds Before Court Date|language=en|work=[[The Daily Beast]]|url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/texas-salon-owner-shelley-luther-admits-to-the-view-that-she-received-ppp-funds-before-court-date|access-date=2020-05-24|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200513031357/https://www.thedailybeast.com/texas-salon-owner-shelley-luther-admits-to-the-view-that-she-received-ppp-funds-before-court-date|archive-date=May 13, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
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On May 23, a few dozen protesters gathered outside the [[Texas State Capitol]] in Austin for a Texas Freedom Rally sponsored by the Texas Freedom Coalition. Shelly Luther was a speaker.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Protesters rally for lifting all COVID restrictions on Texas|url=https://www.ksat.com/news/texas/2020/05/23/protesters-rally-for-lifting-all-covid-restrictions-on-texas/|agency=[[Associated Press]]|date=2020-05-23|website=KSAT|language=en|access-date=2020-05-24|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200602122351/https://www.ksat.com/news/texas/2020/05/23/protesters-rally-for-lifting-all-covid-restrictions-on-texas/|archive-date=June 2, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
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On July 4, 2020, an event called The Freedom Rally was held in front of the [[Tom Green County Courthouse]] in [[San Angelo, Texas|San Angelo]] to protest masks, lockdowns, the science behind COVID-19 and "[[Liberal media bias in the United States|liberal media]]."<ref>{{Cite web|last=Tufts|first=John|title='He loved his family': Caleb Wallace dies after battle with COVID-19, pregnant wife says|url=https://www.gosanangelo.com/story/news/2021/08/22/texas-covid-delta-variant-hospitalizations-high-mom-fights-save-husband/8196516002/|access-date=2021-09-01|website=San Angelo Standard-Times|language=en-US}}</ref> In August 2021, rally organizer Caleb Wallace died of COVID-19, leaving behind three daughters and a pregnant wife.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Erwin|first=Joe|date=2021-08-31|title=Texas anti-mask 'Freedom Defender' dies of COVID at age 30|url=https://www.mlive.com/news/2021/08/texas-anti-mask-freedom-defender-dies-of-covid-at-age-30.html|url-status=live|access-date=2021-09-01|website=mlive|language=en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210831125502/https://www.mlive.com/news/2021/08/texas-anti-mask-freedom-defender-dies-of-covid-at-age-30.html |archive-date=August 31, 2021 }}</ref><br />
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=== West ===<br />
====Alaska====<br />
{{Further|COVID-19 pandemic in Alaska}}<br />
On April 23, a caravan of vehicles paraded through downtown [[Anchorage, Alaska|Anchorage]] honking horns, waving flags and displaying signs that read "Open Alaska", "[[Don't Tread on Me]]" and "Shrink government, open business."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.alaskapublic.org/2020/04/23/alaska-is-reopening-the-economy-but-anchorage-protesters-took-to-the-streets-anyway/|title=Alaska is reopening the economy, but Anchorage protesters took to the streets anyway|last=Treinen|first=Lex |date=2020-04-23|website=Alaska Public Media|access-date=2020-04-29|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200502000141/https://www.alaskapublic.org/2020/04/23/alaska-is-reopening-the-economy-but-anchorage-protesters-took-to-the-streets-anyway/|archive-date=May 2, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ktva.com/story/42038513/photos-protesters-in-anchorage-urge-officials-to-reopen-alaska-amid-covid19-pandemic|title=Photos: Protesters in Anchorage urge officials to reopen Alaska amid COVID-19 pandemic|publisher=KTVA|date=April 22, 2020|access-date=2020-04-29|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200426224535/https://www.ktva.com/story/42038513/photos-protesters-in-anchorage-urge-officials-to-reopen-alaska-amid-covid19-pandemic|archive-date=April 26, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref> The protesters primarily opposed Democratic mayor [[Ethan Berkowitz]] for being too slow in ending the lockdown. Protesters expressed that they were on the same side as the state's [[Mike Dunleavy (politician)|Republican governor]] on the issue.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ktuu.com/content/news/Hundreds-protest-for-the-economy-to-open--569877511.html|title=Crowd holds caravan-style protest in favor of Anchorage reopening with state|last=Clark|first=Taylor|publisher=KTUU-TV|date=April 22, 2020|access-date=2020-04-29|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200427014522/https://www.ktuu.com/content/news/Hundreds-protest-for-the-economy-to-open--569877511.html|archive-date=April 27, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
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====California====<br />
{{Further|COVID-19 pandemic in California}}<br />
[[File:OC Beach Closings Protest.jpg|thumb|Protest against COVID-19 closure in [[Huntington Beach, California]], on May 3. The city has been a hotbed of anti-lockdown protests throughout 2020]]<br />
On April 17, a group of more than 200 protested against the stay-at-home rules in [[Huntington Beach, California|Huntington Beach]]. The protesters demanded the reopening of California's economy.<ref>{{cite web|last=Campa|first=Andrew J. |url=https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-04-17/protesters-california-stay-at-home-coronavirus|title='Live Free or Die': Protesters march against California stay-at-home rules in Huntington Beach|date=April 17, 2020|website=[[Los Angeles Times]]|access-date=May 3, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200503075013/https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-04-17/protesters-california-stay-at-home-coronavirus|archive-date=May 3, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://abc7.com/amp/huntington-beach-protest-oc-stay-at-home-march-for-freedom/6112170/ |title=200-Plus Gather In Huntington Beach To Protest Stay-At-Home Order: We've Complied Long Enough |website=abc7.com |date=April 20, 2020 |access-date=April 23, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200421223558/https://abc7.com/amp/huntington-beach-protest-oc-stay-at-home-march-for-freedom/6112170/ |archive-date=April 21, 2020 |url-status=live }}</ref> A 36-year-old attorney was arrested for pulling a knife on a television crew, forcing them into their van and ordering them to delete any footage they had filmed of him. He held the crew in the van against their will before being stopped and arrested by police.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Sweeney|first=Don|url=https://www.sacbee.com/news/coronavirus/article242167221.html|title=Man pulls knife on journalists covering anti-lockdown protest, California police say|date=Apr 21, 2020|work=The Sacramento Bee|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200428194732/https://www.sacbee.com/news/coronavirus/article242167221.html|archive-date=April 28, 2020}}</ref><br />
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On April 18, several hundred people protested in [[downtown San Diego]], saying they wanted businesses and beaches reopened.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Weber|first1=Paul |last2=Jordans|first2=Frank |url=https://www.kpbs.org/news/2020/apr/18/protesters-us-san-diego-coronavirus-stay-at-home/|title=Protesters Decry Coronavirus Stay-At-Home Orders Across The US, Including San Diego|website=KPBS Public Media|date=April 18, 2020|access-date=April 19, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200419033632/https://www.kpbs.org/news/2020/apr/18/protesters-us-san-diego-coronavirus-stay-at-home/|archive-date=April 19, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cbs8.com/article/news/local/freedom-rally/509-cffea06c-d18e-4a45-8e8a-517961c6ae5b|title=San Diego groups protest government-imposed shutdown orders|website=KFMB|date=April 18, 2020|access-date=April 19, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200420233855/https://www.cbs8.com/article/news/local/freedom-rally/509-cffea06c-d18e-4a45-8e8a-517961c6ae5b|archive-date=April 20, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Cervantes|first=Erika |url=https://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/san-diegans-against-stay-at-home-order-protest-in-downtown/2308634/|title=Protestors Against Stay-at-Home Order Rally in Downtown|website=NBC 7 San Diego|date=April 18, 2020|access-date=April 19, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200421181345/https://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/san-diegans-against-stay-at-home-order-protest-in-downtown/2308634/|archive-date=April 21, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref> Another protest occurred April 19 in [[Encinitas, California|Encinitas]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cbs8.com/article/news/local/encinitas-protest-beach-losures/509-e3386f42-e860-43ca-a9e2-48394b718511|title=Encinitas group gathers to protest the closure of public spaces in North County San Diego|website=KFMB|date=April 19, 2020|access-date=April 20, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200420022357/https://www.cbs8.com/article/news/local/encinitas-protest-beach-losures/509-e3386f42-e860-43ca-a9e2-48394b718511|archive-date=April 20, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref> On April 20, hundreds of protesters marched or drove around the [[California State Capitol]] in [[Sacramento, California|Sacramento]]. The rally was organized by the [[Freedom Angels Foundation|Freedom Angels]], a group best known for its opposition to mandatory vaccination.<ref>{{cite news|last=Koseff|first=Alexei |url=https://www.sfchronicle.com/politics/article/Protesters-besiege-Capitol-in-Sacramento-they-15214025.php|title=Protesters besiege Capitol in Sacramento – they want coronavirus restrictions lifted|date=April 20, 2020|website=[[San Francisco Chronicle]]|access-date=April 21, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200421075543/https://www.sfchronicle.com/politics/article/Protesters-besiege-Capitol-in-Sacramento-they-15214025.php|archive-date=April 21, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref> Following this protest, the [[California Highway Patrol]] announced that it will no longer issue permits for any events on state properties.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Stanton|first=Sam|url=https://www.sacbee.com/news/local/crime/article242198781.html|title=CHP bans protests at California Capitol after rally against Newsom's stay-at-home order|date=Apr 22, 2020|work=Sacramento Bee|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200429051703/https://www.sacbee.com/news/local/crime/article242198781.html|archive-date=April 29, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last1=Campa|first1=Andrew J. |last2=Hernandez|first2=David| url=https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-04-23/organizer-of-california-stay-at-home-protest-could-face-criminal-charges-as-authorities-respond| title=Organizer of California stay-at-home protest could face criminal charges|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]| date=April 23, 2020| access-date=May 3, 2020| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200503091543/https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-04-23/organizer-of-california-stay-at-home-protest-could-face-criminal-charges-as-authorities-respond| archive-date=May 3, 2020| url-status=live}}</ref><br />
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On April 25, at least three protesters were arrested for violating the stay-at-home order and refusing to leave a closed beach in Encinitas.<ref>{{cite web|last=Hope|first=Heather |url=https://www.cbs8.com/article/news/local/arrests-during-encinitas-protest/509-a0102513-fc32-43bd-b306-5cb5ba2991cc|title=San Diego Sheriffs make multiple arrests at Encinitas protest|website=CBS News 8|date=April 25, 2020|access-date=2020-04-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200430151437/https://www.cbs8.com/article/news/local/arrests-during-encinitas-protest/509-a0102513-fc32-43bd-b306-5cb5ba2991cc|archive-date=April 30, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
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On April 25, at least 200 people protested at A Day of Liberty San Diego Freedom Rally on [[Pacific Beach, San Diego|Pacific Beach]], organized by the same people who organized the previous week's downtown rally. The rally was strongly condemned by community leaders, but arrests were not reported.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cbs8.com/article/news/health/coronavirus/stay-at-home-order-protests-continue-sunday-in-san-diego-county/509-01edafc0-21af-4f2a-8a77-865d34b54c49|title=Stay-at-home order protests continue in San Diego County|website=cbs8.com|date=April 26, 2020 |access-date=2020-04-27|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200501210231/https://www.cbs8.com/article/news/health/coronavirus/stay-at-home-order-protests-continue-sunday-in-san-diego-county/509-01edafc0-21af-4f2a-8a77-865d34b54c49|archive-date=May 1, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://obrag.org/2020/04/fierce-blow-back-on-planned-protest-of-restrictions-in-pacific-beach/|title=Fierce Blow-Back on Planned Protest of Restrictions in Pacific Beach|last=Gormlie|first=Frank|date=2020-04-26|website=OB Rag|access-date=2020-04-27}}</ref><br />
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On April 26, protesters carrying signs that said "SM BIZ MATTERS" and "My constitutional rights are essential" gathered in [[Palm Springs, California|Palm Springs]].<ref>{{Cite web|last1=Hayden|first1=Nicole|last2=Metz|first2=Sam|last3=Atagi|first3=Colin|last4=Blueskye|first4=Brian|title=Riverside County sees dramatic increase in COVID-19 deaths; 'lockdown' protest in Palm Springs|url=https://www.desertsun.com/story/news/health/2020/04/27/california-coronavirus-lockdown-protest-palm-springs-gathers-dozens/3033680001/|access-date=2020-06-04|website=Desert Sun|language=en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200604013535/https://www.desertsun.com/story/news/health/2020/04/27/california-coronavirus-lockdown-protest-palm-springs-gathers-dozens/3033680001/|archive-date=June 4, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
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On May 1, a series of simultaneous protests all over California were planned for Friday but only three attracted large crowds.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Barmann|first=Jay |title=32 Arrested at Sacramento Protest Against Sheltering Order; San Francisco Protest Remains Small|url=https://sfist.com/2020/05/02/32-arrested-at-sacramento-protest-against-sheltering-order-san-francisco-protest-remains-small/|date=2020-05-02|website=SFist |access-date=2020-05-03|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200503111614/https://sfist.com/2020/05/02/32-arrested-at-sacramento-protest-against-sheltering-order-san-francisco-protest-remains-small/|archive-date=May 3, 2020|url-status=dead}}</ref> Hundreds gathered and 32 were arrested in Sacramento.<ref>{{Cite news|last1=Koseff|first1=Alexei|last2=Thadani|first2=Trisha|title=CHP arrests protesters in Sacramento who defy shelter-in-place order to demand California reopen|url=https://www.sfchronicle.com/politics/article/Protesters-in-Sacramento-and-San-Francisco-defy-15240894.php|date=May 1, 2020|website=[[San Francisco Chronicle]]|access-date=2020-05-03|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200503174213/https://www.sfchronicle.com/politics/article/Protesters-in-Sacramento-and-San-Francisco-defy-15240894.php|archive-date=May 3, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref> 2500 to 3000 gathered in Huntington Beach to protest the Governor's new order to re-close beaches in [[Orange County, California|Orange County]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Large crowds in Huntington Beach protest beach closures by California governor|url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/05/01/us/california-orange-county-injunction-beaches/index.html|last1=Kallingal|first1=Mallika|last2=Moon|first2=Sarah|website=[[CNN]]|date=May 1, 2020|access-date=2020-05-03|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200503133205/https://www.cnn.com/2020/05/01/us/california-orange-county-injunction-beaches/index.html|archive-date=May 3, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
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On May 1, 1,000 anti-lockdown protesters rallied in Ventura. The event was described as a "nonpolitical peaceful protest to fully reopen California." Ventura Police Department officials said they estimated the size at about 1,000 people.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.vcstar.com/story/news/local/communities/ventura/2020/05/01/reopen-california-protest-ventura-county-stay-home-coronavirus-covid-19/3065312001/|title=Hundreds turn out to rally in Ventura to oppose stay-at-home orders|first1=Gretchen|last1=Wenner|first2=Megan|last2=Diskin|website=Ventura County Star|date=May 1, 2020|access-date=2020-05-13|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200502170839/https://www.vcstar.com/story/news/local/communities/ventura/2020/05/01/reopen-california-protest-ventura-county-stay-home-coronavirus-covid-19/3065312001/|archive-date=May 2, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Plascencia|first=Anthony|url=https://www.vcstar.com/videos/news/local/2020/05/02/california-reopen-protest-ventura-county-coronavirus-covid-10/3070093001/|title=Coronavirus: Ventura County protest calls for reopening of California|website=Ventura County Star|date=May 2, 2020|access-date=2020-05-13|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200518063811/https://www.vcstar.com/videos/news/local/2020/05/02/california-reopen-protest-ventura-county-coronavirus-covid-10/3070093001/|archive-date=May 18, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
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On May 1, about 100 cars draped in American flags and signs reading "Open Our Country" and "Remember the Constitution" jammed [[De La Guerra Plaza|De la Guerra Plaza]] in [[Santa Barbara, California|Santa Barbara]] on Friday afternoon.<ref>{{Cite web|last1=May 01|first1=Delaney Smith Fri|last2=2020 {{!}} 5:38pm|date=2020-05-02|title='Honk To End the Shutdown' Protest Comes to Santa Barbara|url=https://www.independent.com/2020/05/01/honk-to-end-the-shutdown-protest-comes-to-santa-barbara/|access-date=2020-06-13|website=The Santa Barbara Independent|language=en-US|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200529023449/https://www.independent.com/2020/05/01/honk-to-end-the-shutdown-protest-comes-to-santa-barbara/|archive-date=May 29, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
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On May 2, one hundred plus anti-lockdown protesters rallied in [[Laguna Beach, California|Laguna Beach]].<ref>{{Cite news|date=May 2, 2020|title=100-Plus Protesters Rally in Laguna Beach to Open Beaches and Businesses|work=CBS Los Angeles|url=https://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2020/05/02/laguna-beach-protest-stay-at-home-california/|url-status=live|access-date=2020-05-13|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200505185545/https://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2020/05/02/laguna-beach-protest-stay-at-home-california/|archive-date=May 5, 2020}}</ref> An [[MSNBC]] reporter was attacked mid-broadcast by a protester who got in his personal space and yelled at him to "take off that damn mask."<ref>{{Cite web|title=MSNBC reporter interrupted by protester in California: 'Take off your damn mask, man!'|url=https://thehill.com/homenews/media/495845-msnbc-reporter-interrupted-by-protester-in-california-take-off-your-damn-mask|last=Concha|first=Joe|date=2020-05-03|website=[[The Hill (newspaper)|The Hill]]|access-date=2020-05-03|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200503155853/https://thehill.com/homenews/media/495845-msnbc-reporter-interrupted-by-protester-in-california-take-off-your-damn-mask|archive-date=May 3, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
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On May 2, a lone man protested [[Face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic|face-mask]] requirements by openly wearing a [[Ku Klux Klan]] hood at [[Vons]] supermarket in [[Santee, California|Santee]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Santee, County Officials Condemn Shopper with KKK Hood in Viral Photos|url=https://timesofsandiego.com/business/2020/05/03/santee-county-officials-condemn-shopper-with-kkk-hood-in-viral-photos/|last=Stone|first=Ken|date=2020-05-04|website=Times of San Diego|access-date=2020-05-04}}</ref> Less than a week later, a couple pushing a stroller shopped at a [[Food 4 Less]] in Santee with Nazi [[swastika]]s on their masks.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Avitabile|first=Rafael|title=Man with Swastika on Face Covering Spotted in Santee Grocery Store|url=https://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/man-with-swastika-on-face-covering-spotted-in-santee-grocery-store/2321734/|website=NBC 7 San Diego|date=May 8, 2020|access-date=2020-05-09|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200509062122/https://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/man-with-swastika-on-face-covering-spotted-in-santee-grocery-store/2321734/|archive-date=May 9, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Man and wife photographed wearing swastika masks while shopping at Food 4 Less in Santee|url=https://www.kusi.com/man-and-wife-photographed-wearing-swastika-masks-while-shopping-at-food-4-less-in-santee/|date=2020-05-08|website=McKinnon Broadcasting|access-date=2020-05-09|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200510025747/https://www.kusi.com/man-and-wife-photographed-wearing-swastika-masks-while-shopping-at-food-4-less-in-santee/|archive-date=May 10, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Shopper in Swastika Mask Posts Video of Quarrel with Santee Deputies|url=https://timesofsandiego.com/crime/2020/05/08/shopper-in-swastika-mask-posts-video-of-quarrel-with-santee-deputies/|last=Stone|first=Ken|date=2020-05-09|website=Times of San Diego|access-date=2020-05-09|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200509110320/https://timesofsandiego.com/crime/2020/05/08/shopper-in-swastika-mask-posts-video-of-quarrel-with-santee-deputies/|archive-date=May 9, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Behind the swastikas in Santee {{!}} San Diego Reader|url=https://www.sandiegoreader.com/news/2020/may/22/stringers-behind-swastikas-santee/|date=2020-05-30|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200530103709/https://www.sandiegoreader.com/news/2020/may/22/stringers-behind-swastikas-santee/|access-date=2020-05-30|archive-date=May 30, 2020}}</ref><br />
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On May 3, about 300 protesters rallied in [[Rancho Cucamonga, California|Rancho Cucamonga]], ignored social-distancing rules, held Trump banners and chanted "[[Four more years|Four More Years]]."<ref>{{Cite web|title=Hundreds protest coronavirus lockdown in Rancho Cucamonga|url=https://www.dailybulletin.com/hundreds-protest-coronavirus-lockdown-in-rancho-cucamonga|last=Iyer|first=Jennifer |date=2020-05-03|website=Daily Bulletin|access-date=2020-05-04}}</ref><br />
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On May 21, the leader of a stay-at-home order protest was arrested in [[San Clemente, California|San Clemente]] for refusing to comply with a dispersal order.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Coronavirus: 1 person arrested after protest in San Clemente over Stay Home orders|url=https://abc7.com/6201942/|last=KABC|date=2020-05-21|website=ABC7 Los Angeles|language=en|access-date=2020-05-24|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200607140714/https://abc7.com/6201942/|archive-date=June 7, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
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On May 23, over 2000 protesters joined the LibertyFest anti-lockdown rally next to the California State Capitol in Sacramento.<ref>{{Cite web|date=May 23, 2020|title=2,000 join rally against Newsom's stay-at-home coronavirus orders at California's Capitol|url=https://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article242946886.html|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200526150957/https://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article242946886.html|archive-date=May 26, 2020|website=The Sacramento Bee}}</ref><br />
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On July 14, gyms in [[Riverside, California|Riverside]]<ref>{{Cite web|title=Riverside Gym Defies Gov. Newsom's Order to Close|url=https://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/national-international/gavin-newsom-california-reopening-shutdown-coronavirus-gyms-covid-19-riverside/2365901/|access-date=2020-07-15|website=NBC 7 San Diego|date=July 14, 2020 |language=en-US}}</ref> and [[University Heights, San Diego]]<ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-07-15|title=San Diego gym owner refuses to close despite state restrictions|url=https://www.10news.com/news/coronavirus/san-diego-gym-owner-refuses-to-close-despite-state-restrictions|access-date=2020-07-15|website=KGTV|language=en}}</ref> remained open despite Governor Newsom's renewed statewide closings.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Coronavirus in California: Updates and Daily Briefings|url=https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/coronavirus/coronavirus-pandemic-california-covid-19/2338352/|access-date=2020-07-15|website=NBC Los Angeles|date=March 31, 2020 |language=en-US|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200628092749/https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/coronavirus/coronavirus-pandemic-california-covid-19/2338352/|archive-date=June 28, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
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On July 15, a grocery store employee in Los Angeles used [[pepper spray]] against a customer who allegedly assaulted a woman after being asked to wear a mask.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Johnson|first=Martin|date=2020-07-16|title=Grocery store worker reportedly used pepper spray on customer who refused to wear mask, became confrontational|url=https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/507625-grocery-store-worker-used-pepper-spray-on-customer-who-refused-to-wear|access-date=2020-07-16|website=[[The Hill (newspaper)|The Hill]]|language=en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200716201543/https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/507625-grocery-store-worker-used-pepper-spray-on-customer-who-refused-to-wear|archive-date=July 16, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
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On July 28, about five dozen hairstylists gathered in front of San Diego City Hall to protest county rules prohibiting salons from providing services indoors.<ref>{{Cite web|title=San Diego Salons Hold Peaceful Protest: We Want to Work Inside Again|url=https://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/san-diego-salons-hold-peaceful-protest-we-want-to-work-inside-again/2373192/|access-date=2020-07-28|website=NBC 7 San Diego|date=July 28, 2020 |language=en-US}}</ref><br />
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On November 30, hundreds, including former [[Ultimate Fighting Championship|UFC]] champion [[Tito Ortiz]], gathered at a pier in [[Huntington Beach, California|Huntington Beach]] for a "curfew breaker" protest against COVID-19 restrictions.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Zidan|first=Karim|date=2020-12-17|title=Tinfoil gloves: why has MMA become a breeding ground for QAnon?|language=en-GB|work=[[The Guardian]]|url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2020/dec/17/qanon-mma-ufc-tito-ortiz|access-date=2020-12-17|issn=0261-3077}}</ref><br />
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On January 24, 2021, a church group protested [[San Diego County, California|San Diego County]]'s purple-tier restrictions at a Let Us Worship event in [[El Cajon, California|El Cajon]]. Mayor William Wells led prayers while hundreds of mostly maskless protesters ignored social-distancing protocols.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Hundreds gather for outdoor prayer event in El Cajon|url=https://www.cbs8.com/article/news/health/coronavirus/prayer-event-el-cajon/509-7a489e16-a166-4b3e-8ea7-e5a56ad54e03|access-date=2021-01-25|website=cbs8.com|date=January 25, 2021 |language=en-US}}</ref><br />
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On April 13, 2021, anti-mask protesters stormed a grocery store in [[Carmel Valley, San Diego]], taking an emotional toll on staff.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Raffa|first=Allie|date=2021-04-29|title=Anti-Maskers Storm Grocery Stores Leaving Staff, Customers Fed Up With Backlash Against Mandates Beyond Their Control|url=https://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/anti-maskers-storm-san-diego-grocery-stores-leaving-staff-customers-fed-up-with-backlash-against-mandates-beyond-their-control/2591542/|access-date=2021-04-30|website=NBC 7 San Diego|language=en-US}}</ref><br />
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In November 2021, a protest against [[COVID-19 vaccination mandates in the United States|government-mandated COVID-19 vaccinations]] led to a chain-reaction crash at the entrance to the [[Golden Gate Bridge]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-11-12 |title=5 hurt, including 2 officers, after crash at anti-vaccine protest in San Francisco |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/5-hurt-2-officers-crash-anti-vaccine-protest-san-francisco-rcna5382 |access-date=2024-04-18 |website=NBC News |language=en}}</ref> During the demonstration, a vehicle collision occurred involving two California Highway Patrol officers and three Golden Gate Bridge employees.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-11-11 |title=5 People Hit, CHP Officer Hospitalized in Crash on Golden Gate Bridge During Anti-Vax Protest - CBS San Francisco |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/sanfrancisco/news/anti-vax-vaccine-mandate-golden-gate-bridge-san-francisco/ |access-date=2024-04-18 |website=www.cbsnews.com |language=en-US}}</ref><br />
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On April 10, 2022, thousands gathered for a Defeat the Mandates rally in [[Grand Park]] in front of [[Los Angeles City Hall]]. Truckers from the [[Canada convoy protest#International protests|People's Convoy]] and protesters from as far away as New York listened to speakers and musical performers opposed to several COVID-19-related bills in the state legislature.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Dovargnes |first=Damian |date=2022-04-11 |title=Thousands rally in LA to oppose COVID-19 vaccine mandates |work=[[Sacramento Bee]] |url=https://www.sacbee.com/news/article260295875.html}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Oreskes |first=Benjamin |date=2022-04-10 |title=Opponents of vaccine requirements gather for 'Defeat the Mandates' rally in L.A. |url=https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2022-04-10/hundreds-gather-for-defeat-the-mandates-rally-in-downtown-l-a |access-date=2022-04-11 |website=[[Los Angeles Times]] |language=en-US}}</ref><br />
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====Colorado====<br />
{{Further|COVID-19 pandemic in Colorado}}<br />
A Facebook event was created for a gathering called Operation Gridlock Denver for April 19, with more than 550 people stating they were going to the event. The operation plan was to "drive to the capitol in [[Denver, Colorado|Denver]] and gridlock the roads in protest to the mandatory lockdowns and violation of constitutional rights{{nbsp}}..."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://denverite.com/2020/04/17/yes-denver-officials-are-aware-of-that-gridlock-protest-on-sunday-thats-breaking-stay-at-home-orders/|title=Yes, Denver officials are aware of that "gridlock" protest on Sunday that's breaking stay-at-home orders|last=Hernandez|first=Esteban|date=April 17, 2020|website=Denverite|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200420060028/https://denverite.com/2020/04/17/yes-denver-officials-are-aware-of-that-gridlock-protest-on-sunday-thats-breaking-stay-at-home-orders/|archive-date=April 20, 2020|access-date=April 20, 2020}}</ref> Footage from the counter-protest went viral after counter-protestors dressed as nurses silently stood in front of cars participating in the Operation Gridlock protest, while wearing their scrubs and [[N95 mask|N95 face masks]]. One nurse who participated in the counter-protest stated the protest felt like "a slap in the face to medical workers".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/health-care-workers-took-stand-against-protestors-opposing-coronavirus-lockdown-n1187711|title=Health care workers stand against protesters opposing coronavirus lockdown in Colorado|last=Kesslen|first=Ben|date=April 20, 2020|website=[[NBC News]]|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200420152230/https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/health-care-workers-took-stand-against-protestors-opposing-coronavirus-lockdown-n1187711|archive-date=April 20, 2020|access-date=April 20, 2020}}</ref> The counter-protestors claimed to be nurses from a local hospital but declined to identify themselves or their employer.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.foxnews.com/us/photos-purportedly-show-coronavirus-protest-standoff|title=Coronavirus standoff: Photos purportedly show Colorado health care workers at odds with anti-lockdown protesters|last=Norman|first=Greg|date=April 20, 2020|website=[[Fox News]]|access-date=April 20, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200420124749/https://www.foxnews.com/us/photos-purportedly-show-coronavirus-protest-standoff|archive-date=April 20, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
[[File:Ammon Bundy January 23, 2016.jpg|thumb|220x220px|[[Ammon Bundy]], an anti-government militant and activist, primarily active in the Pacific Northwest, most notably in Oregon and Idaho.]]<br />
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====Idaho====<br />
{{Further|COVID-19 pandemic in Idaho}}<br />
Several hundred protesters assembled at the [[Idaho State Capitol]] building in [[Boise, Idaho|Boise]] under the slogan "Disobey Idaho" on April 17. The protest was organized by three conservative groups—the Idaho Freedom Foundation, Idaho Second Amendment Alliance and [[Health Freedom Idaho]]—and emceed by [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] [[Idaho Legislature|state representative]] [[Tammy Nichols]].<ref>{{Cite news|last=Bustillo|first=Ximena|url=https://www.idahostatesman.com/news/coronavirus/article242092321.html|title=Hundreds rally at Idaho Capitol to protest Gov. Little's stay-home order|date=Mar 17, 2020|work=Idaho Statesman|access-date=2020-05-13}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/hundreds-defy-idahos-stay-at-home-order-at-capitol-protest/2020/04/17/04cf4480-80fa-11ea-84c2-0792d8591911_story.html|title=Hundreds defy Idaho's stay-at-home order at Capitol protest|last=Boone|first=Rebecca|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|date=April 18, 2020|access-date=April 23, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200424184549/https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/hundreds-defy-idahos-stay-at-home-order-at-capitol-protest/2020/04/17/04cf4480-80fa-11ea-84c2-0792d8591911_story.html|archive-date=April 24, 2020|url-status=dead}}</ref><br />
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On August 25, activist [[Ammon Bundy]] was arrested twice in two days for trespassing at the [[Idaho State Capitol]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Ammon Bundy Is Arrested And Wheeled Out Of The Idaho Statehouse — Again|url=https://www.npr.org/2020/08/25/906046911/ammon-bundy-is-arrested-and-wheeled-out-of-the-idaho-statehouse|access-date=2020-08-27|website=[[NPR]]|language=en}}</ref> Dozens more pushed past police and were allowed to sit in the gallery overlooking the [[Idaho House of Representatives]] without masks. [[Speaker (politics)|Speaker]] [[Scott Bedke]] ultimately allowed them to fill every seat despite social-distancing rules.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Unmasked Protesters Push Past Police Into Idaho Lawmakers' Session|url=https://www.npr.org/2020/08/25/905785548/unmasked-protesters-push-past-police-into-idaho-lawmakers-session|access-date=2020-08-27|website=[[NPR]]|language=en}}</ref><br />
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On March 6, 2021, more than a hundred protesters gathered outside the Idaho State Capitol for a "burn the mask" event organized by the husband of [[Idaho House of Representatives|Idaho state representative]] [[Dorothy Moon]] and others.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Castronuovo|first=Celine|date=2021-03-06|title=Demonstrators burn masks in front of Idaho state Capitol|url=https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/541963-demonstrators-burn-masks-in-front-of-idaho-state-capitol|access-date=2021-03-06|website=[[The Hill (newspaper)|The Hill]]|language=en}}</ref><br />
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====Nevada====<br />
{{Further|COVID-19 pandemic in Nevada}}<br />
Hundreds of protesters gathered on April 18 in [[Carson City, Nevada|Carson City]] at the [[Nevada State Capitol]] and on Carson Street chanting "End the shutdown", "One nation under God", and "Recall [[Steve Sisolak|Sisolak]]".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://carsonnow.org/story/04/18/2020/protest-against-shut-down-capitol-carson-city-ignores-social-distancing-mandate-cal|title=Protest against shut down at Capitol in Carson City ignores social distancing mandate, calls for Nevada to reopen|website=Carson Now|date=April 18, 2020|access-date=April 23, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200423094810/https://carsonnow.org/story/04/18/2020/protest-against-shut-down-capitol-carson-city-ignores-social-distancing-mandate-cal|archive-date=April 23, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
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====New Mexico====<br />
{{Further|COVID-19 pandemic in New Mexico}}<br />
A small group of anti-lockdown protesters gathered at Civic Plaza in [[Albuquerque, New Mexico|Albuquerque]] for an Operation Gridlock event on April 24.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.dailylobo.com/article/2020/04/politics-misinformation-enter-fray-as-anti-quarantine-protest-and-covid-cases-continue|title=Politics, misinformation enter fray as 'anti-quarantine' protest and COVID cases continue|last=Gunn|first=Andrew|website=New Mexico Daily Lobo|date=April 26, 2020|access-date=2020-04-29|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200501234620/https://www.dailylobo.com/article/2020/04/politics-misinformation-enter-fray-as-anti-quarantine-protest-and-covid-cases-continue|archive-date=May 1, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref> Small protests also took place in [[Santa Fe, New Mexico|Santa Fe]] and [[Farmington, New Mexico|Farmington]].<ref>{{cite web|last=Nott|first=Robert|date=April 20, 2020|title=Anti-closure protest draws cars, helicopters to New Mexico Capitol|url=https://www.santafenewmexican.com/news/coronavirus/anti-closure-protest-draws-cars-helicopters-to-new-mexico-capitol/article_54fbad66-8340-11ea-a43e-9b067701b923.html|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200427065852/https://www.santafenewmexican.com/news/coronavirus/anti-closure-protest-draws-cars-helicopters-to-new-mexico-capitol/article_54fbad66-8340-11ea-a43e-9b067701b923.html|archive-date=April 27, 2020|access-date=2020-04-29|website=Santa Fe New Mexican}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Frustrations flare over New Mexico public health orders|url=https://durangoherald.com/articles/324861|website=Durango Herald|language=en|access-date=2020-05-31|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200531085212/https://durangoherald.com/articles/324861|archive-date=May 31, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
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====Oregon====<br />
{{Further|COVID-19 pandemic in Oregon}}<br />
Dozens of protesters circled the [[Oregon State Capitol]] in [[Salem, Oregon|Salem]] in their vehicles on April 17, 2020.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.registerguard.com/news/20200418/coronavirus-updates-saturday-dozens-protest-oregonrsquos-stay-at-home-order-butte-to-butte-race-canceled|title=Coronavirus updates, Saturday: Dozens protest Oregon's stay-at-home order; Butte to Butte race canceled|website=The Register-Guard|date=April 18, 2020|access-date=May 3, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200422150800/https://www.registerguard.com/news/20200418/coronavirus-updates-saturday-dozens-protest-oregonrsquos-stay-at-home-order-butte-to-butte-race-canceled|archive-date=April 22, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref> 200 people gathered outside City Hall in [[Redmond, Oregon|Redmond]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://ktvz.com/news/2020/04/17/protest-planned-in-redmond-against-stay-at-home-order/|title=More than 200 gather in Redmond to protest stay-at-home order|first1=Max|last1=Goldwasser|date=April 17, 2020|access-date=May 3, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200426161855/https://ktvz.com/news/2020/04/17/protest-planned-in-redmond-against-stay-at-home-order/|archive-date=April 26, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bendbulletin.com/coronavirus/redmond-activist-to-protest-oregon-stay-home-order-with-rally/article_ce398714-8040-11ea-83b4-97b0b821091c.html|title=Redmond activist to protest Oregon stay home order with rally|first=Garrett|last=Andrews|work=The Bulletin|date=April 16, 2020|access-date=May 3, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200426192737/https://www.bendbulletin.com/coronavirus/redmond-activist-to-protest-oregon-stay-home-order-with-rally/article_ce398714-8040-11ea-83b4-97b0b821091c.html|archive-date=April 26, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref> The Re-Open Oregon rally was held on May{{nbsp}}1 and{{nbsp}}2.<ref>{{cite web|last=Balick|first=Lisa |url=https://www.koin.com/news/health/coronavirus/open-oregon-rally-arrives-in-salem/|title='Open Oregon' rally in Salem: 'No light at end of tunnel'|publisher=KOIN |date=April 17, 2020|access-date=May 3, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200428071819/https://www.koin.com/news/health/coronavirus/open-oregon-rally-arrives-in-salem/|archive-date=April 28, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.portlandmercury.com/blogtown/2020/04/16/28299387/conservative-protestors-plan-reopen-oregon-rally-at-state-capitol|title=Conservative Protestors Plan "Reopen Oregon" Rally at State Capitol|first=Blair |last=Stenvick|date=April 16, 2020 |website=Portland Mercury|access-date=May 3, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200423163004/https://www.portlandmercury.com/blogtown/2020/04/16/28299387/conservative-protestors-plan-reopen-oregon-rally-at-state-capitol|archive-date=April 23, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.wweek.com/news/2020/04/16/right-wing-protesters-are-planning-re-open-america-rallies-at-state-capitols-in-oregon-and-washington/|title=Right-Wing Protesters Are Planning "Reopen America" Rallies at State Capitols in Oregon and Washington|last=Riski|first=Tess|date=April 16, 2020|website=Willamette Week|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200430103707/https://www.wweek.com/news/2020/04/16/right-wing-protesters-are-planning-re-open-america-rallies-at-state-capitols-in-oregon-and-washington/|archive-date=April 30, 2020|access-date=2020-04-27}}</ref> On December 21, during an anti-lockdown protest, about 300 demonstrators attempted to storm the [[Oregon State Capitol]], but they were warded off by responding officers with the [[Oregon State Police]]. At the time, the State Capitol was hosting a special legislative session closed to the public. The group included members of far-right groups such as [[Proud Boys]] and [[Patriot Prayer]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/heavily-armed-far-right-mob-descends-on-oregon-capitol|title=Heavily Armed Far-Right Mob Floods Oregon Capitol|publisher=[[The Daily Beast]]|last1=Ross|first1=Winston|last2=Melendez|first2=Pilar|date=December 21, 2020|access-date=December 21, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.statesmanjournal.com/story/news/politics/2020/12/21/protesters-gather-oregon-legislature-starts-special-session/3993102001/|title=Arrests made after protesters attempt to enter Oregon State Capitol during session|publisher=Statesman Journal|last1=Withycombe|first1=Claire|last2=Barreda|first2=Virginia|date=December 21, 2020|access-date=December 21, 2020}}</ref><br />
<br />
====Utah====<br />
{{Further|COVID-19 pandemic in Utah}}<br />
Hundreds protested on the lawn at [[Washington Square (Salt Lake City, Utah)|Salt Lake City's Washington Square]] on Saturday, April 18.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.deseret.com/utah/2020/4/18/21226583/business-revival-rally-coronavirus-pandemic-covid-19-salt-lake-washington-square|title=Hundreds gather to rally for revival of Utah business|website=DeseretNews|first=Wendy|last=Leonard|date=April 18, 2020|access-date=April 25, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200425093043/https://www.deseret.com/utah/2020/4/18/21226583/business-revival-rally-coronavirus-pandemic-covid-19-salt-lake-washington-square|archive-date=April 25, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref> The day before the protest, according to a police affidavit, Mayor [[Erin Mendenhall]] was threatened by a man who stated, "The mayor needs to open up the city. If she doesn't, she'll be forcibly removed from office. There's a protest tomorrow and if things don't change, a civil war is coming, and the police can't stop me." The man was arrested and booked for making a terroristic threat and electronic communication harassment.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.deseret.com/utah/2020/4/20/21227935/man-threatened-salt-lake-city-mayor-over-covid-19-restrictions-police-say|title=Man threatened Salt Lake City mayor over COVID-19 restrictions, police say|website=DeseretNews|first=Pat|last=Reavy|date=April 20, 2020|access-date=April 25, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200424161042/https://www.deseret.com/utah/2020/4/20/21227935/man-threatened-salt-lake-city-mayor-over-covid-19-restrictions-police-say|archive-date=April 24, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
====Washington====<br />
{{Further|COVID-19 pandemic in Washington (state)}}<br />
[[File:Protest against Covid-19 closures in Seattle - 2020-04-25 - 02 (cropped).jpg|thumb|Protest against COVID-19 closures in [[Seattle]] on April 25]]<br />
The [[Kitsap County, Washington|Kitsap County]] Republican Party coordinated an event, Hazardous Liberty! Defend the Constitution!, in [[Olympia, Washington|Olympia]] on April 19.<ref name="komonews">{{cite web|url=https://komonews.com/news/coronavirus/protest-against-state-closure-planned-for-tomorrow-in-olympia|title=Protest against state closure planned for tomorrow in Olympia|first=Cole|last=Miller |date=April 19, 2020|website=KOMO|access-date=May 3, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200420003642/https://komonews.com/news/coronavirus/protest-against-state-closure-planned-for-tomorrow-in-olympia|archive-date=April 20, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.king5.com/article/news/health/coronavirus/people-plan-to-gather-in-olympia-sunday-to-protest-gov-inslees-stay-at-home-order/281-d7920d24-f6b8-4b75-b63d-27bd8b605d0b|title=Thousands gathered in Olympia to protest Gov. Inslee's stay-at-home order|website=KING|date=April 19, 2020|access-date=May 3, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200429105617/https://www.king5.com/article/news/health/coronavirus/people-plan-to-gather-in-olympia-sunday-to-protest-gov-inslees-stay-at-home-order/281-d7920d24-f6b8-4b75-b63d-27bd8b605d0b|archive-date=April 29, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref> The Olympia event was attended by more than two thousand people. Speakers included three Republican state legislators.<ref>{{cite news|last1=O'Sullivan|first1=Joseph |last2=Gutman|first2=David |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/demonstrators-rally-in-olympia-against-washingtons-coronavirus-stay-home-order |title=Demonstrators rally in Olympia against Washington's coronavirus stay-at-home order|work=[[The Seattle Times]]|date=April 19, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200429205015/https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/demonstrators-rally-in-olympia-against-washingtons-coronavirus-stay-home-order/ |archive-date=April 29, 2020 }}</ref><br />
<br />
On April 26, dozens of boaters in [[Lake Union]] protested the state ban on recreational fishing that was part of Governor [[Jay Inslee]]'s "Stay at Home, Stay Healthy" order.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Anglers protest order preventing them from fishing|url=https://www.kiro7.com/news/local/anglers-protest-order-preventing-them-fishing/R4G3FZA3NFAUNBAYZHIWONIDRQ/|last=Horne|first=Deborah|website=KIRO|date=April 26, 2020|access-date=2020-05-04|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200507102024/https://www.kiro7.com/news/local/anglers-protest-order-preventing-them-fishing/R4G3FZA3NFAUNBAYZHIWONIDRQ/|archive-date=May 7, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
====Wyoming====<br />
{{Further|COVID-19 pandemic in Wyoming}}<br />
On April 9, about 20 people protested what they called "government overreach" at Pioneer Park in [[Casper, Wyoming|Casper]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Demonstrators gather in Casper park to protest 'government overreach'|url=https://trib.com/news/local/casper/demonstrators-gather-in-casper-park-to-protest-government-overreach/article_1439586c-0a83-5f21-b3f8-c7bf7d8bd012.html|last=writers|first=Shane Sanderson and Nick Reynolds Star-Tribune staff|website=Casper Star-Tribune Online|date=April 9, 2020 |language=en|access-date=2020-06-01|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200613121023/https://trib.com/news/local/casper/demonstrators-gather-in-casper-park-to-protest-government-overreach/article_1439586c-0a83-5f21-b3f8-c7bf7d8bd012.html|archive-date=June 13, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
Republican Governor [[Mark Gordon (politician)|Mark Gordon]] appeared at a protest outside the [[Wyoming State Capitol]] in [[Cheyenne, Wyoming|Cheyenne]] on April 20.<ref>{{cite web|last=Roedel|first=John |url=https://www.ktvq.com/news/coronavirus/wyoming-governor-makes-surprise-appearance-at-protest-rally|title=Wyoming governor makes surprise appearance at protest rally|date=April 21, 2020|website=KTVQ|access-date=April 23, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200422162421/https://www.ktvq.com/news/coronavirus/wyoming-governor-makes-surprise-appearance-at-protest-rally|archive-date=April 22, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
On April 24, about 35 people attended a "Rally for Choice to Work" in downtown [[Casper, Wyoming|Casper]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Protesters gather in downtown Casper to demonstrate against closure orders|url=https://trib.com/news/local/casper/protesters-gather-in-downtown-casper-to-demonstrate-against-closure-orders/article_3fd7017a-a4c9-5ab8-a311-368057e2d73b.html|last=Elysia.Conner@trib.com|first=Elysia Conner 307-266-0509|website=Casper Star-Tribune Online|date=April 24, 2020 |language=en|access-date=2020-06-01|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200620000630/https://trib.com/news/local/casper/protesters-gather-in-downtown-casper-to-demonstrate-against-closure-orders/article_3fd7017a-a4c9-5ab8-a311-368057e2d73b.html|archive-date=June 20, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
== Response ==<br />
<br />
On April 16, President [[Donald Trump]] issued guidelines for how to phase out restrictions, saying that governors would decide how to reopen their own states and suggesting a cautious three-phase approach.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Liptak|first1=Kevin |last2=Holmes|first2=Kristen |last3=Nobles|first3=Ryan |url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/16/politics/donald-trump-reopening-guidelines-coronavirus/index.html|title=Trump completes reversal, telling govs 'you are going to call your own shots' and distributes new guidelines|date=April 16, 2020|work=[[CNN]]|access-date=April 23, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200422213330/https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/16/politics/donald-trump-reopening-guidelines-coronavirus/index.html|archive-date=April 22, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref> The next day he reacted to the protests against social restrictions by encouraging the protests, tweeting "LIBERATE MICHIGAN!" and "LIBERATE MINNESOTA!"<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/17/us/politics/trump-coronavirus-governors.html|title=Trump Encourages Protest Against Governors Who Have Imposed Virus Restrictions|last1=Shear|first1=Michael D.|last2=Mervosh|first2=Sarah|date=April 17, 2020|work=[[The New York Times]]|access-date=April 23, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200423000143/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/17/us/politics/trump-coronavirus-governors.html|archive-date=April 23, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Itkowitz|first=Colby|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/04/17/liberate-trump-tweets-support-protesting-against-stay-at-home-orders/|title='Liberate': Trump Tweets Support of Protests Against Stay-at-Home Orders|date=April 17, 2020|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|access-date=April 17, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200417233521/https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/04/17/liberate-trump-tweets-support-protesting-against-stay-at-home-orders/|archive-date=April 17, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/17/us/coronavirus-cases-news-update.html|title=Trump Foments Protests Against Governors; Experts Warn of Testing Shortages|date=April 17, 2020|work=[[The New York Times]]|access-date=April 18, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200418004100/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/17/us/coronavirus-cases-news-update.html|archive-date=April 18, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref> Trump has continued to defend the protesters by saying; "They seem very responsible to me" and "These are people expressing their views."<ref>{{Cite news|agency=[[Reuters]]/[[Associated Press|AP News]]|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/video/2020/apr/18/they-seem-very-responsible-to-me-trump-defends-anti-lockdown-protesters-video|title='They seem very responsible to me': Trump defends anti-lockdown protesters – video|date=April 18, 2020|work=[[The Guardian]]|access-date=April 19, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200419003522/https://www.theguardian.com/world/video/2020/apr/18/they-seem-very-responsible-to-me-trump-defends-anti-lockdown-protesters-video|archive-date=April 19, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Stephen Moore (writer)|Stephen Moore]], a right-wing member of his economic council, was criticized for comparing the protesters to [[Rosa Parks]].<ref name=":0">{{cite web|url=https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/493484-trump-ally-compares-coronavirus-protesters-to-rosa-parks|title=Trump ally compares coronavirus protesters to Rosa Parks|last=Johnson|first=Martin|date=April 18, 2020|website=[[The Hill (newspaper)|The Hill]]|access-date=April 19, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200418175409/https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/493484-trump-ally-compares-coronavirus-protesters-to-rosa-parks|archive-date=April 18, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref> Maia Niguel Hoskin of [[Vox (website)|''Vox'']] claimed that "ignorance, privilege, and anti-black racism" was a main factor behind the protests.<ref>{{cite news|last=Hoskin|first=Maia Niguel |url=https://www.vox.com/first-person/2020/4/25/21234774/coronavirus-covid-19-protest-anti-lockdown |title=The whiteness of anti-lockdown protests|work=[[Vox (website)|Vox]] |date=April 25, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200502211708/https://www.vox.com/first-person/2020/4/25/21234774/coronavirus-covid-19-protest-anti-lockdown |archive-date=May 2, 2020 }}</ref><br />
<br />
On April 20, 2020, [[Facebook]] announced that it was blocking events and messages from anti-quarantine protest groups "when gatherings do not follow the health parameters established by the government and are therefore unlawful". The governors of [[Phil Murphy|New Jersey]] and [[Pete Ricketts|Nebraska]] say they have not asked Facebook to take down the posts. Despite Facebook apparently acting on its own volition, [[Donald Trump Jr.]] claimed Facebook was "colluding with state governments to quash [[Freedom of speech|free speech]]".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.politico.com/news/2020/04/20/facebook-shuts-down-anti-quarantine-protests-at-states-request-196143|title=Republicans attack Facebook as network shuts down anti-lockdown protests|last=Overly|first=Steven|website=[[Politico]]|date=April 20, 2020|access-date=April 21, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200421021301/https://www.politico.com/news/2020/04/20/facebook-shuts-down-anti-quarantine-protests-at-states-request-196143|archive-date=April 21, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== State governments ===<br />
<br />
Governor [[Jay Inslee]] (D-WA) accused the president of "fomenting domestic rebellion" with his "LIBERATE!" tweets, saying, "The president's statements this morning encourage illegal and dangerous acts. He is putting millions of people in danger of contracting [[COVID-19]]."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/04/trump-accused-fomenting-rebellion-liberate-tweets-200417223606672.html|title=Trump accused of 'fomenting rebellion' after 'LIBERATE' tweets|publisher=[[Al Jazeera English|Al Jazeera]]|date=April 18, 2020|access-date=April 19, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200418213043/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/04/trump-accused-fomenting-rebellion-liberate-tweets-200417223606672.html|archive-date=April 18, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref> On ''[[This Week (American TV program)|This Week]]'' two days later, Inslee said the president's call to ignore his own team's guidelines was "schizophrenic".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2020/04/19/governors-decry-trump-call-liberate-states-coronavirus-restrictions/5162196002/|title=Governors slam Trump's call to 'liberate' states where protesters object to coronavirus restrictions|last=Cummings|first=William|website=[[USA Today]]|date=April 19, 2020|access-date=April 20, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200419233030/https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2020/04/19/governors-decry-trump-call-liberate-states-coronavirus-restrictions/5162196002/|archive-date=April 19, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
When asked if there is a fundamental right to go to work, New York Governor [[Andrew Cuomo]] encouraged protesters to get an essential job.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://cbs6albany.com/news/coronavirus/cuomo-tells-protesters-to-get-essential-jobs-says-economic-hardship-doesnt-equal-death|title=Cuomo tells protesters to get essential jobs, says economic hardship doesn't equal death|last=McCloy|first=Anne|date=April 22, 2020|website=WRGB|access-date=April 23, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200430004559/https://cbs6albany.com/news/coronavirus/cuomo-tells-protesters-to-get-essential-jobs-says-economic-hardship-doesnt-equal-death|archive-date=April 30, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
North Carolina Governor [[Roy Cooper]] responded to the first protest in his state, saying, "Some people want to completely obliterate these restrictions. It would be a catastrophe. The numbers are very clear that the interventions that we've entered into—social gatherings, limitations on bars and restaurants, the stay at home order—those kinds of things are working."<ref name="Shaffer" /><br />
<br />
=== General public ===<br />
On April 16, [[Pew Research]] polls indicated that 32% of Americans worried state governments would take too long to re-allow public activities, while 66% feared the state restrictions would be lifted too quickly.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Coleman |first1=Justine |title=Two-thirds of Americans worry states will lift restrictions on public activity too quickly: poll |url=https://thehill.com/homenews/news/public-global-health/493210-two-thirds-of-americans-worry-states-will-lift |access-date=April 19, 2020 |work=[[The Hill (newspaper)|The Hill]] |date=April 16, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200418083831/https://thehill.com/homenews/news/public-global-health/493210-two-thirds-of-americans-worry-states-will-lift |archive-date=April 18, 2020 |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
Many lawmakers and other public figures have condemned the protests as unsafe and ill-advised.<ref name="Armed Protest" /> Republican [[Mike Shirkey]], the Majority Leader of the [[Michigan Senate]], called the protesters in his state "a bunch of jackasses."<ref name="Jackasses">{{cite news |last1=DeVito |first1=Lee |title=Republican Sen. Mike Shirkey calls Lansing protesters 'a bunch of jackasses' |url=https://www.metrotimes.com/news-hits/archives/2020/05/01/republican-sen-mike-shirkey-calls-lansing-protesters-a-bunch-of-jackasses |access-date=3 May 2020 |work=Detroit Metro Times |date=1 May 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200503005758/https://www.metrotimes.com/news-hits/archives/2020/05/01/republican-sen-mike-shirkey-calls-lansing-protesters-a-bunch-of-jackasses |archive-date=May 3, 2020 |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
== See also ==<br />
{{Commons category}}<br />
* [[Protests over responses to the COVID-19 pandemic]]<br />
* [[Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on politics]]<br />
* [[Strikes during the COVID-19 pandemic]]<br />
* [[U.S. state and local government responses to the COVID-19 pandemic]]<br />
* [[Operation Warp Speed]]<br />
* [[Open the States]]<br />
* [[Right-wing antiscience]]<br />
<br />
==References==<br />
{{Reflist}}<br />
<br />
== Further reading ==<br />
* Daly, Diana (May 6, 2020). [https://scroll.in/article/961017/an-ethnographer-tries-to-understand-the-anti-lockdown-protests-erupting-across-the-us "An ethnographer tries to understand the anti-lockdown protests erupting across the US"]. ''Scroll.in''. Retrieved 2020-05-09.<br />
* Hvistendahl, Mara (July 17, 2020). [https://theintercept.com/2020/07/17/dorr-brothers-coronavirus-protests/ "Masks Off: How The Brothers Who Fueled The Reopen Protests Built a Volatile Far-Right Network"]. ''[[The Intercept]]''<br />
<br />
{{COVID-19 pandemic}}<br />
{{COVID-19 pandemic in the United States}}<br />
{{Portal bar|COVID-19|United States|Politics}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:United States responses to the COVID-19 pandemic]]<br />
[[Category:2020 protests|United States anti-lockdown protests]]<br />
[[Category:2020 controversies in the United States]]<br />
[[Category:Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on politics|United States anti-lockdown protests]]<br />
[[Category:Trump administration controversies]]<br />
[[Category:Protests in the United States]]<br />
[[Category:Protests over responses to the COVID-19 pandemic|United States]]<br />
[[Category:2021 controversies in the United States]]<br />
[[Category:2021 protests|United States anti-lockdown protests]]<br />
[[Category:Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States]]</div>Boackandwhitehttps://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Protests_against_responses_to_the_COVID-19_pandemic&diff=1261685300Protests against responses to the COVID-19 pandemic2024-12-07T12:00:55Z<p>Boackandwhite: </p>
<hr />
<div>{{Short description|Protests against restrictions introduced in response to the COVID-19 pandemic}}<br />
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2021}}<br />
<br />
{{EngvarB|date=April 2021}}<br />
{{Infobox civil conflict<br />
| title = Protests against responses to the COVID-19 pandemic<br />
| side1 = [[WHO]]<br />
[[police]]<br />
[[Wikimedia]]<br />
| side2 = [[far right]]<br />
[[COVID-19 conspiracy theorists]]<br />
| leadfigures1 = [[Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus]]<br />
[[Zhang Jixian]] <br />
[[Li Wenliang]]<br />
| leadfigures2 = [[Category:COVID-19 misinformation{{!}}conspiracy theorists]]<br />
| arrests = 150+<ref>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Dt36h4jqdE</ref><br />
| partof = the [[COVID-19 pandemic]] and <br />
[[COVID-19 misinformation]] and [[COVID-19 misinformation by governments]]<br />
| image = Canadian COVID-19 protesters (cropped).jpg<br />
| caption = An anti-[[COVID-19 lockdowns|lockdown]] protest at [[Queen's Park (Toronto)|Queen's Park]] in [[Toronto]], Canada, on 25 April 2020<br />
| date = 15 March 2020<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.poder360.com.br/governo/bolsonaro-compartilha-video-de-manifestacoes-veja-fotos-de-militantes/|title=Bolsonaro compartilha vídeo de manifestações; veja fotos de militantes|date=15 March 2020|website=Poder360|access-date=27 November 2020|archive-date=4 December 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201204175449/https://www.poder360.com.br/governo/bolsonaro-compartilha-video-de-manifestacoes-veja-fotos-de-militantes/|url-status=live}}</ref> – 5 December 2022<ref>{{cite news |last1=Yu |first1=Verna |title=Chinese students protest as university locks down over one Covid case |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/dec/06/beijing-drops-some-covid-tests-as-capital-readies-itself-for-life-again |access-date=7 December 2022 |work=The Guardian |date=6 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221206141914/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/dec/06/beijing-drops-some-covid-tests-as-capital-readies-itself-for-life-again |archive-date=6 December 2022}}</ref><br />({{age in years, months, weeks and days|month1=3|day1=15|year1=2020|month2=12|day2=5|year2=2022}})<br />
| place = Worldwide<br />
| coordinates = <br />
| causes = Local struggles or opposition to government responses to the COVID-19 pandemic<br />
| goals = * Revocation of [[COVID-19 lockdowns]], [[mask mandate]]s, or [[vaccine mandates]]<br />
| methods = {{plainlist|<br />
* [[Mass protest]]s<br />
* [[Civil unrest]]<br />
* [[Riot]]s<br />
* [[Vandalism]]<br />
* [[Occupation (protest)|Occupations]]}}<br />
}}<br />
{{COVID-19 pandemic sidebar}}<br />
<br />
Protests, demonstrations and strikes occurred around the world against [[National responses to the COVID-19 pandemic|national responses]] to the [[COVID-19 pandemic]] by governmental bodies. Some were driven by the financial hardship resulting from government measures to contain the virus, including restrictions on travel and entertainment, hitting related industries and workers hard. Protests also occurred in opposition to restrictions on people's movements, compulsory wearing of [[Face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic|face masks]], [[COVID-19 lockdowns|lockdowns]], [[COVID-19 vaccination|vaccinations]] and other measures. Some protests were driven by [[COVID-19 misinformation]], [[conspiracy theories]], [[Far-right politics|far-right]] and other extremist groups and individuals.<br />
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This article lists and summarizes such activities in various countries around the world.<br />
<br />
==Background==<br />
{{Globalize|section|US|Australia|Europe|date=September 2021}}<br />
<br />
===Reasons===<br />
{{see also|COVID-19 lockdowns|Social distancing measures related to the COVID-19 pandemic|Face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic|Mask refusal|COVID-19 misinformation|COVID-19 vaccine misinformation and hesitancy}}<br />
[[File:Antivax protest in Dublin 1.jpg|thumb|Protest against the [[COVID-19 vaccine]] in [[Dublin]], [[Republic of Ireland|Ireland]].]]<br />
In order to prevent the spread of the [[SARS-CoV2]] virus which gave rise to the COVID-19 pandemic from 2019, governments brought in health measures at varying levels of strictness to restrict the movement of people and transmission of the virus. In response to these restrictions, protests have been organised at a number of locations around the world,<ref>{{Cite web|last=Haddad|first=Mohammed|title=Mapping coronavirus anti-lockdown protests around the world|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/2/2/mapping-coronavirus-anti-lockdown-protests-around-the-world|access-date=2021-08-03|website=[[Al Jazeera English|Al Jazeera]]|language=en|archive-date=6 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210806180523/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/2/2/mapping-coronavirus-anti-lockdown-protests-around-the-world/|url-status=live}}</ref> and [[Strikes during the COVID-19 pandemic|strikes have also occurred]]. Some of the protests have criticised governments for not acting effectively enough in their responses to the pandemic, while others have been opposed to [[COVID-19#Prevention|preventative measures]] and called for their revocation. According to analysis as part of the [[Global Peace Index]], {{as of|lc=yes| July 2021}}, there had been around 50,000 protests linked to the pandemic worldwide, 5,000 of which were violent.<ref>{{cite news| last1=Newey| first1=Sarah| last2=Gulland| first2=Anne| last3=Smith| first3=Nicola| date=2021-07-25| title=Plague and protests: how Covid has sparked a wave of unrest around the world| language=en-GB| work=[[The Daily Telegraph|The Telegraph]]| url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/global-health/terror-and-security/plague-protests-pandemic-has-sparked-wave-unrest-around-world/| access-date=2021-08-03| issn=0307-1235| archive-date=3 August 2021| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210803151200/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/global-health/terror-and-security/plague-protests-pandemic-has-sparked-wave-unrest-around-world/| url-status=live}}</ref> [[COVID-19 lockdowns]] have inspired protests in many territories, and from late 2020 [[deployment of COVID-19 vaccines]] also inspired protests.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Thousands Around Globe Protest COVID-19 Shots, Lockdowns {{!}} Voice of America - English|url=https://www.voanews.com/covid-19-pandemic/thousands-around-globe-protest-covid-19-shots-lockdowns|access-date=2021-08-03|website=www.voanews.com|date=24 July 2021 |language=en|archive-date=3 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210803151201/https://www.voanews.com/covid-19-pandemic/thousands-around-globe-protest-covid-19-shots-lockdowns|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Analysis {{!}} The pandemic leads to another summer of anger|language=en-US|newspaper=[[Washington Post]]|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2021/07/30/pandemic-leads-another-summer-anger/|access-date=2021-08-03|issn=0190-8286|archive-date=30 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210730070551/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2021/07/30/pandemic-leads-another-summer-anger/|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
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The protests have varied in scale, motivations and type, with protesters drawn from a fairly wide range of backgrounds and inspired by a range of reasons. One of the main drivers has been the economic distress brought about by businesses having to close for long periods, leading to widespread unemployment, especially of casual workers in the hospitality industry. Uncertainty about the future and the feeling of lack of control has led to a predilection for believing in [[conspiracy theories]] (such as that COVID-19 is a hoax and that governments have deliberately created the crisis), [[anti-vaxxer]] beliefs, including that [[COVID-19 vaccination]]s and restriction of citizens' movements are part of a government plot to control people, [[Bill Gates]] is behind implanting [[microchip]]s into people via vaccinations.<ref name=ajfeb2021>{{cite web | last=Melimopoulos | first=Elizabeth | title=What's driving the COVID lockdown protests? | website=[[Al Jazeera English|Al Jazeera]] | date=7 February 2021 | url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/2/7/protests-over-new-covid-19-measures-whats-behind-them | access-date=28 August 2021 | archive-date=28 August 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210828004101/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/2/7/protests-over-new-covid-19-measures-whats-behind-them | url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | last=Dearden | first=Lizzie | title=Inside the UK's biggest anti-lockdown protest | website=The Independent | date=16 May 2020 | url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/coronavirus-lockdown-protests-uk-london-hyde-park-5g-conspiracy-theories-a9518506.html | access-date=28 August 2021 | archive-date=23 August 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210823110551/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/coronavirus-lockdown-protests-uk-london-hyde-park-5g-conspiracy-theories-a9518506.html | url-status=live }}</ref> The spread of [[COVID-19 misinformation]] has been a driving factor in some country's protest movements, with some organisers making money out of the protests.<ref>{{Cite web|title=How COVID-conspiracists and anti-vaxxers are getting organised and making money|url=https://news.sky.com/story/how-covid-conspiracists-and-anti-vaxxers-are-getting-organised-and-making-money-12206707|access-date=2021-08-03|website=[[Sky News]]|language=en|archive-date=27 February 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210227193203/https://news.sky.com/story/how-covid-conspiracists-and-anti-vaxxers-are-getting-organised-and-making-money-12206707|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
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===Players===<br />
In the US, [[Donald Trump]] spread some potentially misleading information,<ref name=ajfeb2021/> and the [[Proud Boys]], American [[religious fundamentalist]]s and [[American militia movement#Active militia groups|various militia groups]] as well as [[Black Lives Matter of Greater New York]], have been active in protests;<ref>{{cite web | last=Wilson | first=Jason | title=The rightwing groups behind wave of protests against Covid-19 restrictions | website=[[The Guardian]] | date=17 April 2020 | url=http://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/17/far-right-coronavirus-protests-restrictions | access-date=28 August 2021 | archive-date=19 August 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210819134948/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/17/far-right-coronavirus-protests-restrictions | url-status=live }}</ref> across Europe, the extreme right has been active;<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.orfonline.org/expert-speak/fringe-mainstream-extreme-rightwing-europe-68848/| title=From fringe to mainstream: The extreme rightwing in Europe| first1=Kyler| last1=Ong| first2=Raffaello| last2=Pantucci| newspaper=Orf| access-date=28 August 2021| archive-date=28 August 2021| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210828012516/https://www.orfonline.org/expert-speak/fringe-mainstream-extreme-rightwing-europe-68848/| url-status=live}}</ref> in the UK, far-right [[hate group]]s have been involved in spreading misinformation, [[scapegoat]]ing minority groups and trying to organise lockdowns,<ref>{{cite report| title=COVID-19: How hateful extremists are exploiting the pandemic| url=https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/906724/CCE_Briefing_Note_001.pdf| author=[[Commission for Encountering Extremism]]| date=July 2020| publisher=UK Government| access-date=28 August 2021| archive-date=16 March 2021| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210316081503/https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/906724/CCE_Briefing_Note_001.pdf| url-status=live}}</ref> while former politicians such as [[Martin Daubney]] and journalists such as [[Julia Hartley-Brewer]] have either supported or joined protests;<ref>{{cite web | last=Loucaides | first=Darren | title=Inside the U.K.'s anti-lockdown media machine | website=Coda Story | date=9 August 2021 | url=https://www.codastory.com/disinformation/uk-anti-lockdown-media/ | access-date=28 August 2021 | archive-date=14 August 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210814221957/https://www.codastory.com/disinformation/uk-anti-lockdown-media/ | url-status=live }}</ref> in Australia, the Proud Boys,<ref>{{cite web | last=McGowan | first=Michael | title=Where 'freedom' meets the far right: the hate messages infiltrating Australian anti-lockdown protests | website=[[The Guardian]] | date=25 March 2021 | url=http://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/mar/26/where-freedom-meets-the-far-right-the-hate-messages-infiltrating-australian-anti-lockdown-protests | access-date=28 August 2021 | archive-date=24 August 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210824060353/https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/mar/26/where-freedom-meets-the-far-right-the-hate-messages-infiltrating-australian-anti-lockdown-protests | url-status=live }}</ref> the neo-Nazi [[National Socialist Network]]<ref name=ndaug2021>{{cite web | title=How neo-Nazis use anti-lockdown protests to recruit new members | first=Cait | last=Kelly | website=[[The New Daily]] | date=25 August 2021 | url=https://thenewdaily.com.au/news/national/2021/08/26/neo-nazi-anti-lockdown-recruit/ | access-date=28 August 2021 | archive-date=26 August 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210826175828/https://thenewdaily.com.au/news/national/2021/08/26/neo-nazi-anti-lockdown-recruit/ | url-status=live }}</ref> and a few politicians have become involved in spreading misinformation and stirring discontent.<ref>{{cite web | last=Bongiorno | author-link=Frank Bongiorno | first=Frank | title=Right out there: how the pandemic has given rise to extreme views and fractured conservative politics | website=[[The Conversation (website)|The Conversation]] | date=15 August 2021 | url=http://theconversation.com/right-out-there-how-the-pandemic-has-given-rise-to-extreme-views-and-fractured-conservative-politics-165448 | access-date=28 August 2021 | archive-date=27 August 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210827112241/https://theconversation.com/right-out-there-how-the-pandemic-has-given-rise-to-extreme-views-and-fractured-conservative-politics-165448 | url-status=live }}</ref><br />
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===Organisers and methods===<br />
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The [[Telegram (software)|Telegram]] and [[Instagram]] apps are popular means for spreading messages about planned protests,<ref name=knaus2021/> and some events are also posted on [[Facebook]].<ref name=fbrally>{{cite web | title=World Wide Rally for Freedom, Peace & Human Rights III | website=Facebook | date=23 July 2021 | url=https://m.facebook.com/events/791497214885030 | access-date=31 August 2021 | archive-date=22 December 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211222175659/https://m.facebook.com/login.php?next=https%3A%2F%2Fm.facebook.com%2Fevents%2F791497214885030&refsrc=deprecated&_rdr | url-status=live }}</ref><br />
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{{anchor|wwrf}}<!---Worldwide Rally for Freedom, Free Citizens of Kassel, etc. target this anchor.---><br />
A German group called Worldwide Demonstration, operated out of the city of [[Kassel]] by individuals self-described as "Freie Bürger Kassel" (Free Citizens of Kassel),<ref name=knaus2021>{{cite web | last=Knaus | first=Christopher | title=Who's behind Australia's anti-lockdown protests? The German conspiracy group driving marches | website=the Guardian | date=27 July 2021 | url=http://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/jul/27/who-behind-australia-anti-covid-lockdown-protest-march-rallies-sydney-melbourne-far-right-and-german-conspiracy-groups-driving-protests | access-date=30 August 2021 | archive-date=30 August 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210830032414/https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/jul/27/who-behind-australia-anti-covid-lockdown-protest-march-rallies-sydney-melbourne-far-right-and-german-conspiracy-groups-driving-protests | url-status=live }}</ref> coordinated a series of 129 events around the world in March 2021, each one dubbed "World Wide Rally for Freedom", using the [[hashtag]] "#WewillALLbethere". Misinformation, [[QAnon]] beliefs, [[antisemitism]] and COVID-19 denial were prevalent in the groups' chats.<ref name=logically>{{cite web | last1=Backovic | first1=Nick | last2=Wildon | first2=Jordan | last3=Ondrak | first3=Joe | title=Exclusive: Worldwide Anti-Lockdown Protests Organized by German Cell | website=[[Logically (company)|Logically]] | date=14 May 2021 | url=https://www.logically.ai/articles/anti-lockdown-protests-organized-by-german-cell | access-date=30 August 2021 | archive-date=30 August 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210830032414/https://www.logically.ai/articles/anti-lockdown-protests-organized-by-german-cell | url-status=live }}</ref><br />
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== Africa ==<br />
=== Ivory Coast ===<br />
Protesters destroyed a coronavirus testing centre that was being built in [[Abidjan]], which they said was in a crowded residential area too close to their homes.<ref>{{cite news|date=6 April 2020|title=Coronavirus: Ivory Coast protesters target testing centre|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-52189144|access-date=3 May 2020|archive-date=1 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200501142544/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-52189144|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
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=== Kenya ===<br />
The Kenyan government has been accused of extreme measures, with protesters accusing the [[Kenya Police|Kenyan Police]] of killing at least six people within the first 10 days of the lockdown. Others protested against the forced quarantine of individuals failing to comply with regulations or returning home from abroad, claiming that they had been quarantined for longer than 14 days and made to pay the government for their care.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Kenyans held for weeks in quarantine were then told to pay to get out|url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/coronavirus/ct-nw-nyt-kenya-quarantine-centers-20200508-sguy6zocxvbnvpbrccilweiu6m-story.html|last=Dahir|first=Abdi Latif|date=8 May 2020|website=baltimoresun.com|access-date=9 May 2020|archive-date=13 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200513222022/https://www.baltimoresun.com/coronavirus/ct-nw-nyt-kenya-quarantine-centers-20200508-sguy6zocxvbnvpbrccilweiu6m-story.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Hundreds protested on 8 May 2020 when the government destroyed 7,000 homes and a market in [[Kariobangi]] in an effort to control the virus.<ref>{{cite web |title=Kenyans protest house demolitions amid virus restrictions |url=https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/kenyans-protest-house-demolitions-amid-virus-restrictions-70575939 |website=ABC News |access-date=9 May 2020 |language=en |archive-date=9 May 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200509001511/https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/kenyans-protest-house-demolitions-amid-virus-restrictions-70575939 |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
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=== Malawi ===<br />
A [[Malawi]] high court temporarily barred the government from implementing a 21-day lockdown after it was challenged by the Human Rights Defenders Coalition, after it was argued that more consultation was needed to prevent harm to the poorest and most vulnerable. Small protests had been staged prior to the ruling, in at least three major cities with some protesters stating it was better to contract the virus than die of hunger due to lack of work.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Malawi high court blocks coronavirus lockdown|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/04/malawi-high-court-blocks-coronavirus-lockdown-200417184430403.html|date=17 April 2020|website=www.aljazeera.com|access-date=9 May 2020|archive-date=8 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200508151024/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/04/malawi-high-court-blocks-coronavirus-lockdown-200417184430403.html|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
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=== Nigeria ===<br />
A group of at least twenty coronavirus patients forced their way out of an isolation facility to protest against alleged improper care and the government's actions which they believed to worsen their conditions.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Nigeria: COVID-19 patients protest over 'ill treatment'|url=https://www.aa.com.tr/en/africa/nigeria-covid-19-patients-protest-over-ill-treatment/1830966|date=6 May 2020|website=www.aa.com.tr|access-date=9 May 2020|archive-date=10 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200510190944/https://www.aa.com.tr/en/africa/nigeria-covid-19-patients-protest-over-ill-treatment/1830966|url-status=live}}</ref> Workers at a construction site rioted against lockdown measures that limited their ability to work on constructing an [[oil refinery]] for billionaire [[Aliko Dangote]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Nigerian workers riot over Covid-19 lockdown {{!}} New Straits Times|url=https://www.nst.com.my/world/world/2020/04/588042/nigerian-workers-riot-over-covid-19-lockdown|date=27 April 2020|website=NST Online|language=en|access-date=9 May 2020|archive-date=8 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200508213859/https://www.nst.com.my/world/world/2020/04/588042/nigerian-workers-riot-over-covid-19-lockdown|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
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=== Rwanda ===<br />
Refugees that had been relocated to the country from an overcrowded refugee camp in [[Libya]], protested against the lockdown from the refugee camp in the capital [[Kigali]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Refugees Protest Under Coronavirus Lockdown in Rwanda {{!}} Voice of America - English|url=https://www.voanews.com/covid-19-pandemic/refugees-protest-under-coronavirus-lockdown-rwanda|date=17 April 2020|website=www.voanews.com|language=en|access-date=9 May 2020|archive-date=3 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200503130323/https://www.voanews.com/covid-19-pandemic/refugees-protest-under-coronavirus-lockdown-rwanda|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
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=== South Africa ===<br />
Many residents protested against the policy that food parcel aid would only be going to households that earn below R3600, and demanded action from the South African Social Security Agency.<ref>{{Cite web|title="We are still waiting" – protesting under lockdown in South Africa|url=https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/beyond-trafficking-and-slavery/we-are-still-waiting-protesting-under-lockdown-in-south-africa/|last=Anciano|first=Fiona|date=24 April 2020|website=openDemocracy|language=en|access-date=9 May 2020|archive-date=9 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200509221138/https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/beyond-trafficking-and-slavery/we-are-still-waiting-protesting-under-lockdown-in-south-africa/|url-status=live}}</ref> Surfers have also protested to be allowed to surf during the lockdown, that allows exercise but not water activities.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Anti-lockdown protests around the world|url=https://www.reuters.com/news/picture/anti-lockdown-protests-around-the-world-idUSRTX7H61S|date=5 May 2020|website=www.reuters.com|access-date=9 May 2020|archive-date=8 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200508144737/https://www.reuters.com/news/picture/anti-lockdown-protests-around-the-world-idUSRTX7H61S|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
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=== Zimbabwe ===<br />
Three young, female opposition activists were reported missing following a protest in [[Harare]], Zimbabwe, over COVID-19 lockdown measures on 15 May 2020. They were later treated at a hospital after asserting they had been abducted and sexually abused by suspected state security agents.<ref>{{cite web |title=Zimbabwe police accused of assaulting young female activists |url=https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/zimbabwe-police-accused-assaulting-young-female-activists-70701508 |website=ABC News |access-date=5 June 2020 |language=en |archive-date=5 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200605190822/https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/zimbabwe-police-accused-assaulting-young-female-activists-70701508 |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
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== Asia ==<br />
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=== China (mainland) ===<br />
{{Main|2022 COVID-19 protests in China}}<br />
[[File:西南交通大学学生悼念乌鲁木齐火灾逝者 10.jpg|alt=Students at Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu, holding a candlelight vigil for victims of the fire. The candles are arranged in a heart shape. The faces of students are blurred to protect anonymity.|thumb|Students at [[Southwest Jiaotong University]], [[Chengdu]], holding a candlelight vigil for victims of the [[2022 Ürümqi fire|fire in Ürümqi]].]]<br />
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Small shop owners protested the continuation of rent charges outside of the Grand Ocean Department Store in Wuhan, chanting "Exempt rental for a year, or refund the lease". Videos from the demonstration were posted in the social media platform [[Sina Weibo]] but quickly censored.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international/world-news/wuhan-rent-protest-shows-unrest-brewing-in-china-after-lockdown/articleshow/75080074.cms?from=mdr |title=covid 19: Wuhan rent protest shows unrest brewing in China after lockdown - The Economic Times |publisher=Economictimes.indiatimes.com |access-date=30 April 2020 |archive-date=10 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200910133541/https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international/world-news/wuhan-rent-protest-shows-unrest-brewing-in-china-after-lockdown/articleshow/75080074.cms?from=mdr |url-status=live }}</ref> A woman was arrested and facing criminal charges after attempting to rally about 100 people to protest the poor management and overpriced provisions during the lockdown. She was charged with "[[picking quarrels and provoking trouble]]", an offense normally used to detain dissidents and social activists.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Chinese woman charged with organising protests during coronavirus lockdown|url=https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3080590/coronavirus-lockdown-woman-charged-organising-protests-against|last=Huang|first=Kristin|date=19 April 2020|website=South China Morning Post|language=en|access-date=1 May 2020|archive-date=2 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200502204312/https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3080590/coronavirus-lockdown-woman-charged-organising-protests-against|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
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In 2022, public protests and marches began in cities such as [[Ürümqi]] and [[Guangzhou]] in response to the continued zero-COVID policy of the [[Government of China|Chinese government]] under [[Xi Jinping Administration]].<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Chien |first1=Amy Chang |last2=Che |first2=Chang |last3=Liu |first3=John |last4=Mozur |first4=Paul |date=2022-11-25 |title=In a challenge to Beijing, unrest over COVID lockdowns spreads |url=https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2022/11/25/asia-pacific/china-covid-lockdown-unrest/ |access-date=2022-11-27 |website=The Japan Times |language=en-US}}</ref> In Shanghai, some protesters among hundreds had chanted "Step down, [[Xi Jinping]]! Step down, [[Chinese Communist Party|Communist Party]]!"<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-11-27 |title=Protests erupt across China in unprecedented challenge to Xi Jinping's zero-Covid policy |url=https://www.cnn.com/2022/11/26/china/china-protests-xinjiang-fire-shanghai-intl-hnk/index.html |access-date=2022-11-27 |website=[[CNN]] |language=en}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Hong Kong ===<br />
[[File:Protest against Designated Clinics in TSW North 20200215.png|thumb|Protest against plans to set up designated coronavirus clinics near residential areas in [[Hong Kong]] on 15 February 2020]]<br />
{{Main|2019–20 Hong Kong protests#COVID-19 crisis}}<br />
Pro-democratic movement's tactics were repurposed to pressure the government to take stronger actions to safeguard Hong Kong's [[public health]] in the face of the [[2020 coronavirus outbreak in Hong Kong|coronavirus outbreak in Hong Kong]]. Protesters demanded all travellers coming from China be banned from entering Hong Kong. From 3 to 7 February 2020, hospital staff launched a labour strike with the same goal. The strike was not successful as [[Carrie Lam]] rejected a full border closure.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://hongkongfp.com/2020/10/14/covid-19-hong-kong-hospital-authority-demands-answers-from-radiologists-after-unit-head-refuses-name-medics-who-went-on-strike/|title=Covid-19: Hong Kong Hospital Authority demands answers from radiologists after unit head refuses to name medics who went on strike|first=Kelly|last=Ho|work=[[Hong Kong Free Press]]|date=2020-10-14|access-date=2021-11-06|archive-date=6 September 2021|archive-url=https://archive.today/20210906153555/https://hongkongfp.com/2020/10/14/covid-19-hong-kong-hospital-authority-demands-answers-from-radiologists-after-unit-head-refuses-name-medics-who-went-on-strike/|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
People responded negatively to the government's attempt to set up quarantine and clinical centres in neighbourhoods close to residents and marched to express their discontent or blocked roads to thwart the government's plans across the territory.{{citation needed|date=August 2021}}<br />
<br />
=== India ===<br />
{{see also|Indian migrant workers during the COVID-19 pandemic}}<br />
After the televised announcement by Prime Minister [[Narendra Modi]] that the lockdown was to be extended until at least 3 May, police used batons to disperse protesting migrant workers in [[Mumbai]]. Thousands of jobless migrant workers had gathered at railway stations and were demanding to be allowed to break the lockdown to return home.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-southasia-idUSKCN21W0HI|title=India extends world's biggest lockdown, ignites protest by migrant workers|newspaper=Reuters|date=14 April 2020|via=reuters.com|last1=Jain|first1=Sanjeev Miglani|access-date=27 April 2020|archive-date=26 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200426093055/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-southasia-idUSKCN21W0HI|url-status=live}}</ref> Similar protests were seen in other parts of the country by the workers, and those who claimed that they received no aid which was promised by the government to provide them with during the lockdown period.<br />
<br />
In the state of [[Meghalaya]] anti mandatory vaccination protesters organised a rally in the capital city Shillong against the alleged mandatory inoculation drive by the state government.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Amid rising Covid cases, anti-vaccine protesters rally in Meghalaya |url=http://www.dtnext.in/amp/News/National/2022/01/23082638/1340071/Amid-rising-Covid-cases-antivaccine-protesters-rally-.vpf |access-date=2022-03-24 |website=dtNext.in |language=ta}}{{dead link|date=November 2022|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref><br />
<br />
In State of Maharashtra similar anti mandatory mask and anti mandatory mask protest were held.<ref>{{Citation |title=Worldwide Demonstration: People protest against mandatory vaccinations, lockdowns |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9V83n4_VIAI |language=en |access-date=2022-04-17}}</ref><br />
<br />
Several legal cases were filed in multiple [[high courts of India]] and the Supreme Court of India against mandatory masking and vaccinations.<ref>{{Cite news |agency=Press Trust of India |date=2022-03-02 |title='Unfortunate': HC on mandatory vaccine for Maharashtra public transport |work=Business Standard India |url=https://www.business-standard.com/article/current-affairs/unfortunate-hc-on-mandatory-vaccine-for-maharashtra-public-transport-122030200974_1.html |access-date=2022-04-17}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Roy |first=Debayan |title=[COVID-19] Supreme Court reserves verdict in plea challenging coercive vaccination |url=https://www.barandbench.com/news/covid-19-supreme-court-reserves-verdict-in-plea-against-coercive-vaccination |access-date=2022-04-17 |website=Bar and Bench - Indian Legal news |date=22 March 2022 |language=en}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Indonesia ===<br />
{{Main|Indonesia omnibus law protests}}<br />
[[File:Indonesia omnibus law protests Okt 2020 in Padang.jpg|thumb|Protest in [[Padang]] on 7 October 2020]]<br />
On 5 October 2020, Indonesia has passed a [[Omnibus Law on Job Creation|law on job creation]] that will weaken environmental protections and workers’ rights in an attempt to boost the economy hit hard by the [[COVID-19 pandemic|Wuhan pneumonia pandemic]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/world/breakingnews/3313101|title=國會通過爭議性法案 印尼各地發起罷工示威|work=Liberty Times|date=6 October 2020|access-date=6 October 2020|language=zh-tw|archive-date=9 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201009193945/https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/world/breakingnews/3313101|url-status=live}}</ref> On 6 October, thousands of Indonesians protest in industrial areas around Jakarta including Tangerang and Karawang and on [[Batam]]. A three-day national strike was started which unions expected to involve two million workers in protest against the law.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-indonesia-economy-law/thousands-of-indonesians-protest-against-passage-of-jobs-bill-idUSKBN26R0ZG|title=Thousands of Indonesians protest against passage of jobs bill|work=Reuters|date=6 October 2020|access-date=6 October 2020|archive-date=6 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201006164032/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-indonesia-economy-law/thousands-of-indonesians-protest-against-passage-of-jobs-bill-idUSKBN26R0ZG|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
Demonstrations in Bandung and Jakarta were held on 22 July and 24 July respectively in order to protest the extension of the government's "social activities restriction" (PPKM/CARE) measures.<ref>{{cite AV media |date=24 July 2021 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSLqONzbUmU |title=BERITA TERBARU ~DEMO PPKM DI JAKARTA~BERITA VIRAL HARI INI |publisher=KABAR MILITER |via=[[YouTube]] |access-date=7 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210724074608/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSLqONzbUmU |archive-date=24 July 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite AV media |date=21 July 2021 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jfSIwIX2zHY |title=Dinilai Merugikan, Warga Bandung Berunjuk Rasa Tolak PPKM Darurat {{!}} Fokus |publisher=[[Indosiar]] |via=[[YouTube]] |access-date=7 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210725025445/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jfSIwIX2zHY |archive-date=25 July 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite AV media |date=21 July 2021 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3gYGWz13weU |title=Demo Tolak PPKM Darurat Berakhir Ricuh |publisher=[[CNN Indonesia]] |via=[[YouTube]] |access-date=7 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210725235748/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3gYGWz13weU |archive-date=25 July 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite AV media |date=23 July 2021 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPP4PpT6Pnw |title=Demo Mahasiswa Tolak Kebijakan PPKM Darurat di Flyover Pasar Rebo Berujung Ricuh |publisher=KOMPASTV |via=[[YouTube]] |access-date=7 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210724074614/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPP4PpT6Pnw |archive-date=24 July 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite AV media |date=24 July 2021 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mqzlX1oLNNI |title=Demo Tolak PPKM hari ini dijakarta pusat |publisher=Echa mahkota |via=[[YouTube]] |access-date=7 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210725234934/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mqzlX1oLNNI |archive-date=25 July 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref>{{excessive citations inline|date=August 2021}}<br />
<br />
=== Israel ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 protests in Israel}}<br />
In April 2020, thousands of Israelis engaged in [[social distancing]] while gathering to protest against the perceived anti-democratic measures in the country by Prime Minister [[Benjamin Netanyahu]]. Many were involved in the Black Flag movement which had been allowed to protest by police if they stood six feet apart and all wore masks. An earlier protest had seen the protesters drive to [[Jerusalem]] to protest anti-democratic measures.<ref>{{cite web |last=Rosner |first=Elizabeth |url=https://nypost.com/2020/04/20/israelis-practice-social-distancing-at-tel-aviv-protest/ |title=Israelis maintain social distancing while protesting Netanyahu |date=20 April 2020 |publisher=Nypost.com |access-date=27 April 2020 |archive-date=24 April 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200424070815/https://nypost.com/2020/04/20/israelis-practice-social-distancing-at-tel-aviv-protest/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Other demonstrations have been seen in the ultra-[[Orthodox Judaism|Orthodox]] Jerusalem neighborhood of [[Mea Shearim]] with men and youths throwing rocks at police before being arrested.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Police clash with stone-throwing Haredi protesters in Jerusalem, 5 arrested|url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/police-clash-with-stone-throwing-haredi-protesters-in-jerusalem-5-arrested/|date=20 April 2020|website=www.timesofisrael.com|language=en-US|access-date=1 May 2020|archive-date=26 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200426143227/https://www.timesofisrael.com/police-clash-with-stone-throwing-haredi-protesters-in-jerusalem-5-arrested/|url-status=live}}</ref> Riots broke out in [[Bnei Brak]] with crowds vandalizing property and throwing rocks against police attempts to clear [[yeshiva]] classes and religious gatherings being held in violation of lockdown rules.<ref>{{Cite news|last1=Hendrix|first1=Steve|last2=Rubin|first2=Shira|date=26 January 2021|title=Violence erupts in Israel's ultra-Orthodox neighborhoods over coronavirus restrictions|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/ultra-orthodox-israel-police-covid/2021/01/25/2438e840-5ee3-11eb-a177-7765f29a9524_story.html|access-date=28 January 2021|newspaper=The Washington Post|archive-date=28 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210128111056/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/ultra-orthodox-israel-police-covid/2021/01/25/2438e840-5ee3-11eb-a177-7765f29a9524_story.html|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Iraq ===<br />
Protests against the lockdown have been coupled with the [[2019–2020 Iraqi protests|ongoing protests]] against the current government and female-targeting violence within the country.<ref>{{Cite web|title=The Iraq Report: Protest movement revives as coronavirus lockdown eased|url=https://english.alaraby.co.uk/english/indepth/2020/5/1/the-iraq-report-protest-movement-revives-as-lockdown-eased|website=alaraby|date=May 2020|language=en|access-date=1 May 2020|archive-date=4 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200504011957/https://english.alaraby.co.uk/english/indepth/2020/5/1/the-iraq-report-protest-movement-revives-as-lockdown-eased|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="WPProtests">{{cite web |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/coronavirus-protests-lebanon-india-iraq/2020/04/19/1581dde4-7e5f-11ea-84c2-0792d8591911_story.html |title=Coronavirus lockdowns prompt protests in India, Lebanon, Iraq |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=19 April 2020 |access-date=27 April 2020 |archive-date=25 April 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200425064157/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/coronavirus-protests-lebanon-india-iraq/2020/04/19/1581dde4-7e5f-11ea-84c2-0792d8591911_story.html |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Kazakhstan ===<br />
Following announcement of quarantine measures, videos of hospital staff in [[Atyrau]] protesting against new rules were spread on social media in April 2020, resulting in reporting journalists being detained.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-04-16|title=Казахстан: митинг в белых халатах|url=https://belsat.eu/ru/programs/kazahstan-miting-v-belyh-halatah/|url-status=live|access-date=2021-07-26|website=belsat.eu|language=ru|archive-date=27 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210727010145/https://belsat.eu/ru/programs/kazahstan-miting-v-belyh-halatah/}}</ref><br />
<br />
On 25 January 2021, a demonstration was held in city of [[Kokshetau]] where citizens expressed discontent with concept of compulsory vaccination against COVID-19 in which the deputy [[akim]] met with the crowd and assured them that decision whether to be vaccinated would be based on each individual's personal choice.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-01-25|title=Несколько десятков человек собрались на площади в Кокшетау|url=https://www.nur.kz/society/1895472-neskolko-desatkov-celovek-sobralis-na-plosadi-v-koksetau-foto/?|url-status=live|access-date=2021-07-27|website=www.nur.kz|language=ru|archive-date=27 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210727010148/https://www.nur.kz/society/1895472-neskolko-desatkov-celovek-sobralis-na-plosadi-v-koksetau-foto/}}</ref> in result of the government's [[COVID-19 vaccine]] mandate for all in-person employees, protests took place on 6 July 2021 in Kazakhstan where citizens demanded to stop the fines for businesspeople who refused to mandate for workers as well free [[COVID-19 testing|PCR testing]] for the unvaccinated.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Говоров|first=Георгий|date=2021-07-06|title=НГ: "Принудительной вакцинации нет" - аким Костаная встретился с участниками акции протеста|url=https://www.ng.kz/modules/news/article.php?storyid=42453#893571|url-status=live|access-date=2021-07-27|website=www.ng.kz|archive-date=27 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210727014138/https://www.ng.kz/modules/news/article.php?storyid=42453#893571}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-07-01|title=В Казахстане вводится режим обязательной вакцинации|url=https://inbusiness.kz/ru/news/v-kazahstane-vvoditsya-rezhim-obyazatelnoj-vakcinacii|url-status=live|access-date=2021-07-27|website=inbusiness.kz|language=ru|archive-date=27 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210727010147/https://inbusiness.kz/ru/news/v-kazahstane-vvoditsya-rezhim-obyazatelnoj-vakcinacii}}</ref> In [[Oral, Kazakhstan|Oral]], instructions were given out to crowd in avoiding the inoculation.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Левина|first=Мария|date=2021-07-06|title=В Уральске и Костанае прошли митинги против обязательной вакцинации|url=https://vlast.kz/novosti/45733-v-uralske-i-kostanae-prosli-mitingi-protiv-obazatelnoj-vakcinacii.html|url-status=live|access-date=2021-07-27|website=vlast.kz|language=ru|archive-date=27 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210727010148/https://vlast.kz/novosti/45733-v-uralske-i-kostanae-prosli-mitingi-protiv-obazatelnoj-vakcinacii.html}}</ref> Reports of detentions of people by the police occurred in [[Almaty]] and [[Aktobe]] that day.<ref>{{Cite news|date=2021-07-06|title=Несколько человек задержаны в Алматы и Актобе на месте анонсированных Аблязовым акций|url=https://rus.azattyq.org/a/31343878.html|url-status=live|access-date=2021-07-27|website=Радио Азаттык|language=ru|archive-date=27 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210727010146/https://rus.azattyq.org/a/31343878.html}}</ref> On 17 July, demonstrations occurred throughout the cities, where in [[Pavlodar]] hundred people gathered at the central square which was dispersed by security forces with detainees being pushed into police vans and some managing to flee the area.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-07-19|title=Митинги против обязательной вакцинации прошли в нескольких городах Казахстана|url=https://ust-kamenogorsk.city/novosti-kazakhstana/11695/|url-status=live|access-date=2021-07-27|website=ust-kamenogorsk.city|archive-date=27 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210727010147/https://ust-kamenogorsk.city/novosti-kazakhstana/11695/}}</ref> After the Kazakh government decided to raise fuel prices in the middle of the pandemic, many Kazakhs carried out [[2022 Kazakh unrest|the bloodiest riots since the collapse of the Soviet Union]].<br />
<br />
=== Lebanon ===<br />
{{See also|2019–2021 Lebanese protests}}<br />
Many protesters argued for monetary relief from the countries slumping economy after weeks of the lockdown.<ref name="WPProtests"/> At least one demonstrator died after soldiers used tear gas, batons, and live bullets to disperse a protesters in [[Tripoli, Lebanon|Tripoli]] who were throwing [[molotov cocktail]]s.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Osseiran|first1=Nazih|last2=Nissenbaum|first2=Dion|date=28 April 2020|title=Protesters in Lebanon Demand Economic Relief as Coronavirus Lockdown Eases|language=en-US|work=[[The Wall Street Journal]]|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/protesters-in-lebanon-demand-economic-relief-as-coronavirus-lockdown-eases-11588096707|access-date=1 May 2020|issn=0099-9660|archive-date=30 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200430221558/https://www.wsj.com/articles/protesters-in-lebanon-demand-economic-relief-as-coronavirus-lockdown-eases-11588096707|url-status=live}}</ref> Protesters also congregated in [[Beirut]] outside the central bank and threw rocks at the building, and took over major roads as they claimed there wasn't enough done to protect the economy and those that would suffer the most economically.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Hatoum|first1=Bassam|last2=Hussein|first2=Bilal|date=29 April 2020|title=Lockdown lifts in Lebanon, protests erupt over economic crises|work=[[The Christian Science Monitor]]|url=https://www.csmonitor.com/World/Middle-East/2020/0429/Lockdown-lifts-in-Lebanon-protests-erupt-over-economic-crises|access-date=1 May 2020|issn=0882-7729|archive-date=1 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200501054440/https://www.csmonitor.com/World/Middle-East/2020/0429/Lockdown-lifts-in-Lebanon-protests-erupt-over-economic-crises|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Malaysia ===<br />
<br />
On 31 July 2021, hundreds of protesters attempted to gather in [[Merdeka Square, Kuala Lumpur]], calling for the resignation of Prime Minister [[Muhyiddin Yassin]] over his and the Malaysian government's handling of the [[COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia|COVID-19 pandemic]].<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|title=Hundreds take to Kuala Lumpur's streets in anti-gov't protest|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/7/31/hundreds-take-to-streets-in-anti-government-protest-in-malaysia|access-date=2021-08-01|website=www.aljazeera.com|language=en|archive-date=1 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210801172936/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/7/31/hundreds-take-to-streets-in-anti-government-protest-in-malaysia|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite web|website=Deutsche Welle|title=Malaysian protesters demand PM Muhyiddin's resignation=|date=2021-07-31|url=https://www.dw.com/en/malaysian-protesters-demand-pm-muhyiddins-resignation/a-58713654|access-date=2021-08-01|language=en-GB|archive-date=1 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210801172936/https://www.dw.com/en/malaysian-protesters-demand-pm-muhyiddins-resignation/a-58713654|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Ramlan|first=Alyaa Alhadjri & Vivian Yap, Yasmin|date=2021-07-31|title=Hundreds of #Lawan protesters in KL demand PM's resignation|url=https://www.malaysiakini.com/news/585291|access-date=2021-08-01|website=Malaysiakini|language=en|archive-date=1 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210801172003/https://www.malaysiakini.com/news/585291|url-status=live}}</ref> The protests took place despite [[Malaysian movement control order|Movement Control Order (MCO)]] restrictions being in place, and Malaysian police blocking access to Merdeka Square itself.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Solhi|first=Farah|date=2021-07-31|title=#Lawan rally ends as protesters fail to get inside Dataran Merdeka {{!}} New Straits Times|url=https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2021/07/713474/lawan-rally-ends-protesters-fail-get-inside-dataran-merdeka|access-date=2021-08-01|website=NST Online|language=en|archive-date=1 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210801172004/https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2021/07/713474/lawan-rally-ends-protesters-fail-get-inside-dataran-merdeka|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Solhi|first=Farah|date=2021-07-31|title=#Lawan rally goes on despite police warning, risk of spreading Covid-19 [NSTTV] {{!}} New Straits Times|url=https://www.nst.com.my/news/crime-courts/2021/07/713455/lawan-rally-goes-despite-police-warning-risk-spreading-covid-19|access-date=2021-08-01|website=NST Online|language=en|archive-date=1 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210801173504/https://www.nst.com.my/news/crime-courts/2021/07/713455/lawan-rally-goes-despite-police-warning-risk-spreading-covid-19|url-status=live}}</ref> The anti-government protests took place following a [[2021 Malaysian state of emergency|state of emergency]] declaration, where parliament and elections were suspended, and amid an [[2020–21 Malaysian political crisis|ongoing political crisis]].<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2" /> On 2 August, including former Prime Minister [[Mahathir Mohamad]], opposition MPs held a protest in Merdeka Square after being blocked from entering Parliament by police.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-08-02|title=Police stop Malaysian opposition lawmakers from marching to Parliament|url=https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/heavy-police-presence-outside-malaysian-parliament|access-date=2021-08-02|website=The Straits Times|language=en|archive-date=2 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210802080101/https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/heavy-police-presence-outside-malaysian-parliament|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Malaysia opposition MPs gather at Merdeka Square after being blocked from entering parliament|url=https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asia/malaysia-opposition-dataran-merdeka-parliament-postponed-covid19-15360260|access-date=2021-08-02|website=CNA|language=en|archive-date=2 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210802080147/https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asia/malaysia-opposition-dataran-merdeka-parliament-postponed-covid19-15360260|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Nepal ===<br />
On 12 June 2020, hundreds of protesters gathering in the capital city [[Kathmandu]], demanding better quarantine facilities, more tests and transparency in the purchase of medical supplies to fight the crisis. Ten people have been arrested, including seven foreigners.<ref>{{cite web|author=Gopal Sharma|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-nepal/hundreds-protest-against-nepals-coronavirus-response-7-foreigners-arrested-idUSKBN23K087/|title=Hundreds protest against Nepal's coronavirus response; 7 foreigners arrested|work=Reuters|date=2020-06-13}}</ref><br />
[[File:尼泊尔最大反对党发起全国抗议活动.jpg|thumb|Protesters wave party flags of the [[Nepali Congress]] on 14 December 2020]]<br />
On 14 December 2020, the [[Nepali Congress]], Nepal's largest opposition party, launched a nationwide protest, claiming that one million people participated. This protest is mainly to criticize the government for not actively fighting the COVID-19 pandemic and for not actively preparing for holding the winter session of [[Federal Parliament of Nepal|federal parliament]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.chinanews.com/wap/detail/zw/gj/2020/12-14/9361978.shtml|title=尼泊尔最大反对党发起全国抗议活动|work=China News Service|date=2020-12-14|language=zh-cn}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Pakistan ===<br />
Dozens of doctors were arrested in [[Quetta]] after protesting the lack of safety equipment that they had been given to battle the spread of the disease.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/06/pakistan-arrests-doctors-protest-lack-coronavirus-safety-equipment |title=Pakistan arrests doctors protesting over lack of virus safety equipment &#124; World news |work=The Guardian |access-date=30 April 2020 |archive-date=7 April 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200407174034/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/06/pakistan-arrests-doctors-protest-lack-coronavirus-safety-equipment |url-status=live }}</ref> Hundreds of laborers protested against their forced layoffs due to the pandemic by gathering outside their old places of work throughout the city of Karachi.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Millions of Pakistani laborers struggle amid COVID-19 lockdown|url=https://www.aa.com.tr/en/asia-pacific/millions-of-pakistani-laborers-struggle-amid-covid-19-lockdown/1824231|last=Latif|first=Aamir|date=30 April 2020|website=www.aa.com.tr|access-date=1 May 2020|archive-date=6 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200506073132/https://www.aa.com.tr/en/asia-pacific/millions-of-pakistani-laborers-struggle-amid-covid-19-lockdown/1824231|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
Parents of students who had been studying abroad in the Chinese province of Hubei protested against the government's decision to leave the children in the area in February 2020.<ref>{{cite news|last=Raza Hassan|first=Syed|date=16 February 2020|title=Parents protest as Pakistani students stuck in China under coronavirus lockdown|language=en|work=Reuters|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-health-pakistan-idUSKBN20A0J9|access-date=1 May 2020|archive-date=25 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200525093543/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-health-pakistan-idUSKBN20A0J9|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Philippines ===<br />
{{See also|Protests against Rodrigo Duterte}}<br />
Spontaneous demonstrations were held on 1 April 2020 by a [[Quezon City]] urban poor community to protest lack of food and other assistance during the metropolitan-wide COVID-19 lockdown.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ellao |first=Janess Ann J. |date=1 April 2020 |title=Arrests in QC reveal lack of gov't support to lockdown-affected residents |url=https://www.bulatlat.com/2020/04/01/arrests-in-qc-urban-poor-reveal-lack-of-govt-support-to-lockdown-affected-residents/ |access-date=19 June 2020 |website=Bulatlat |language=en-US |archive-date=20 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200620224244/https://www.bulatlat.com/2020/04/01/arrests-in-qc-urban-poor-reveal-lack-of-govt-support-to-lockdown-affected-residents/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Police violently dispersed protesters and arrested 21 people.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=1 April 2020 |title=21 protesters demanding food aid arrested in Quezon City |url=https://www.cnnphilippines.com/news/2020/4/1/quezon-city-protesters-arrested-.html |access-date=19 June 2020 |website=CNN |language=en |archive-date=23 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200623053048/https://cnnphilippines.com/news/2020/4/1/quezon-city-protesters-arrested-.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> The city mayor and a Congress representative appealed to police to release those arrested.<ref name=":0" /><br />
<br />
In May 2020, journalists and individuals protested [[ABS-CBN franchise renewal controversy|the cease and desist order that led to the shutdown of media giant ABS-CBN]], a move that jeopardized more than 11,000 jobs and prevented the broadcast of vital information about the pandemic. More protests were held after the House of Representatives junked ABS-CBN's application for a legislative franchise.{{citation needed|date=August 2021}}<br />
<br />
Jeepney drivers rendered jobless by the COVID-19 emergency protested in Caloocan on 3 June 2020. Six protesters were arrested and jailed for a few days to one week.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Lalu |first=Gabriel Pabico |date=18 June 2020 |title=2 of jailed Piston 6 protesters test positive for COVID-19 |url=https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1293906/2-of-jailed-piston-6-protesters-test-positive-for-covid-19 |access-date=19 June 2020 |website=Inquirer |language=en |archive-date=18 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200618141148/https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1293906/2-of-jailed-piston-6-protesters-test-positive-for-covid-19 |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
Several groups held protests nationwide to coincide with the commemoration of Philippine Independence on 12 June 2020.<ref>{{Cite web |date=11 June 2020 |title=LIST: 'Grand mañanita' and other Independence Day 2020 activities |url=http://www.rappler.com/move-ph/263498-list-mananita-other-activities-independence-day-2020 |access-date=19 June 2020 |website=Rappler |language=en |archive-date=13 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200613072615/https://www.rappler.com/move-ph/263498-list-mananita-other-activities-independence-day-2020 |url-status=live }}</ref> Among these was the "Grand Mañanita" protest at the [[University of the Philippines]] in Quezon City. The Grand Mañanita protested the [[Philippine government response to the COVID-19 pandemic|government's response to the COVID-19 crisis]] and Congress' passage of a controversial [[Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020|anti-terror bill]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Gonzales |first=Cathrine |date=12 June 2020 |title=Look: 'Grand mañanita' protest on Independence Day |url=https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1290437/look-grand-mananita-protest-on-independence-day |access-date=19 June 2020 |website=INQUIRER.net |language=en |archive-date=19 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200619173237/https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1290437/look-grand-mananita-protest-on-independence-day |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
On 16 July 2021, health workers held a protest in front of the headquarters of [[Department of Health (Philippines)|Department of Health]] (DOH) where they threw tomatoes at the logo of the DOH.<ref>{{cite news |title=DOH, binato ng kamatis |url=https://web.facebook.com/News5Everywhere/videos/3941239406004582/ |access-date=23 September 2021 |work=News5 |date=July 16, 2021 |via=Facebook |archive-date=22 December 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211222175651/https://www.facebook.com/News5Everywhere/videos/3941239406004582/?_rdc=1&_rdr |url-status=live }}</ref> On 30 August, 1 September and 24 November 2021,<ref>{{cite news |title='Ginagawa kaming bobo': Health workers patuloy ang paghahabol sa benepisyo {{!}} TV Patrol |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9slZiNABZMA&ab_channel=ABS-CBNNews |access-date=28 November 2021 |work=ABS-CBN News |archive-date=28 November 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211128054313/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9slZiNABZMA&ab_channel=ABS-CBNNews |url-status=live }}</ref> health workers from various hospitals in Metro Manila held a protest at the DOH headquarters over nonpayment of their salaries and benefits and demanding Duque (and Duterte) to resign over the handling of the COVID-19 pandemic in the country.<ref>{{cite news |title='We have nothing to celebrate': Health workers protest as Duterte calls frontliners 'new breed of heroes' |url=https://www.cnnphilippines.com/news/2021/8/30/health-workers-protest-National-Heroes-Day.html |access-date=1 September 2021 |work=CNN Philippines |archive-date=1 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210901033613/https://www.cnnphilippines.com/news/2021/8/30/health-workers-protest-National-Heroes-Day.html |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=On Heroes' Day, health workers protest over unreleased benefits |url=https://www.rappler.com/nation/health-workers-protest-unreleased-benefit30-august-2021 |access-date=1 September 2021 |work=Rappler }}{{dead link|date=August 2023|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Underpaid health workers walk out, call for Duque resignation at mass protests |url=https://www.rappler.com/nation/health-workers-walk-out-jobs-mass-protests-duque-1-september-2021 |access-date=1 September 2021 |work=Rappler }}{{dead link|date=August 2023|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Thailand ===<br />
{{main|2020 Thai protests}}<br />
[[File:เยาวชนปลดแอก ประท้วง กรุงเทพ 18 กรกฎาคม 2563 Free Youth Protest at Bangkok 18 July 2020 (Night).jpg|thumb|Demonstrations at the [[Democracy Monument]], [[Bangkok]] at night]]<br />
On 18 July, Thailand saw the largest street demonstration since the [[2014 Thai coup d'état]] at the [[Democracy Monument]] in [[Bangkok]] with around 2,500 protesters. The protesters, organised under the name Free Youth ({{langx|th|เยาวชนปลดแอก}}; yaowachon plod aek), announced three demands: dissolution of the House, stop threatening the people and drafting of a new constitution. The event was triggered by the failed economy due to [[COVID-19 pandemic in Thailand|pandemic]], and unjustified implementation of the COVID-19 acts that were heavily criticised as being a tool against any possible protest. The situation erupted after two COVID-19 cases; an Egyptian soldier in [[Rayong Province]], and a Sudanese diplomat's daughter in [[Khet Watthana|Asok neighbourhood]] of [[Bangkok]], were tested positive earlier on 15 July. Both were excepted from COVID-19's travel restrictions and containment. Many criticised on both the government's failure to contain the disease from these VIPs, and its failure to boost the heavily affected tourism industry in [[Rayong Province]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=18 July 2020 |title=Thai protesters call for government to resign |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-thailand-protests/thai-protesters-call-for-government-to-resign-idUSKCN24J0HN |access-date=20 July 2020 |website=[[Reuters]] |language=en |archive-date=19 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200719182550/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-thailand-protests/thai-protesters-call-for-government-to-resign-idUSKCN24J0HN |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=18 July 2020 |url=https://www.bbc.com/thai/thailand-53456468 |title="เยาวชนปลดแอก" ยุติการชุมนุมก่อนเที่ยงคืน อ้างความปลอดภัย สรุปบรรยากาศจากเริ่มจนจบ |access-date=20 July 2020 |website=[[BBC]] Thai |language=th |archive-date=19 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201019153040/https://www.bbc.com/thai/thailand-53456468 |url-status=live }}</ref> The protesters demanded the government to accept within two weeks, or face larger demonstrations.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2020-07-18 |title=Thai protesters call for government to resign |language=en |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-thailand-protests-idUSKCN24J0HN |access-date=2022-08-04}}</ref><br />
<br />
Later on 19 July, several protests erupted in [[Chiang Mai Province]] and [[Ubon Ratchathani Province]].<ref>{{Cite news |date=20 July 2020 |title=Chiang Mai, Ubon rally against Prayut, government |url=https://www.bangkokpost.com/learning/easy/1954343/chiang-mai-ubon-rally-against-prayut-government?cx_placement=related#cxrecs_s |access-date=20 July 2020 |website=[[Bangkok Post]] |language=en }}</ref><br />
<br />
===Vietnam===<br />
There have been many protests broke out in some localities in Vietnam to protest against the anti-epidemic policy, as well as to call on the government to support people during the pandemic.<br />
<br />
On August 22, 2021, workers at an isolation area in [[Binh Duong]] province conducted a riot, smashed, and prevented a pregnant woman from going to the emergency room.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.hosodanchu.com/2021/08/bao-loan-ap-pha-o-binh-duong-ke-cam.html | title=Bạo loạn, đập phá ở Bình Dương: Kẻ cầm tuýp sắt, người hôi của }}</ref><br />
<br />
On August 27, some people in [[Ho Chi Minh City]] reacted because they had not received local support money and the clip of this incident was posted on social networks. The government has forced "hostile forces to plot to incite demonstrations and fight against social distancing".<ref>{{cite web | url=https://cand.com.vn/Chong-dien-bien-hoa-binh/canh-giac-muu-do-kich-dong-bieu-tinh-chong-pha-gian-cach-xa-hoi-i627958/ | title=Cảnh giác mưu đồ kích động biểu tình, chống phá giãn cách xã hội }}</ref><br />
<br />
On October 1, 2021, people in Ho Chi Minh City protested, attacking police at a checkpoint on the outskirts of the city to open the door for people to return to their hometown. A day later, Vietnamese netizens spread images of police forces and militiamen using sticks to beat protesters in Binh Duong with the purpose of breaking the gate to return to their hometown. The local government then stated to verify the incident, at the same time accused people of rioting and attacking the police.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.bbc.com/vietnamese/vietnam-58775235 | title=Bình Dương: Muốn về quê, xô xát giữa dân và cảnh sát | newspaper=BBC News Tiếng Việt }}</ref><br />
<br />
In mid-October, after the dogs of a household in [[Ca Mau]] province were culled due to suspicion of being infected with the COVID-19 virus, there were many online calls for people to protest against the anti pandemic policies from the government.<br />
<br />
In November 2021, those present at the funeral of Mr. Duong Van Minh, a [[Hmong people|Hmong]] man, clashed with police after police and local medical staff asked those present at the funeral to disperse. due to fears of an outbreak. Mr. Duong Van Minh is the founder of the religious organization that bears his name, which is considered a [[heresy]] by Vietnamese authorities.<br />
<br />
From October 2022, a year after the end of social distancing due to the pandemic, many customers of Sai Gon Joint Stock Commercial Bank (SCB), one of Vietnam's major banks, protested at the bank branch to request a refund of a customer's [[bond (finance)|bond]] purchase. The protests were considered to be motivated by the difficult economic and financial situation of the people after the pandemic.<br />
<br />
== Europe ==<br />
[[File:Men In Black protest in Copenhagen.jpg|thumb|Anti-lockdown demonstration in [[Rådhuspladsen]], [[Copenhagen]], 27 March 2021]]<br />
<br />
=== Austria ===<br />
The newly created [[MFG Austria – People Freedom Fundamental Rights|Fundamental Rights Party]] (MFG), has been planning recent anti-lockdown protests in Austria. The group compared Covid restrictions with "Nazi rule". The country's third largest political party, the [[Freedom Party of Austria]] (FPÖ), has also strongly condemned the Covid restrictions, and its new leader, [[Herbert Kickl]], has pushed misleading and false views of the virus, including claims that the vaccination programme is really a "genetic experiment".<ref>{{Cite news|date=2021-11-27|title=Covid: Conspiracy and untruths drive Europe's Covid protests|language=en-GB|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/59390968|access-date=2021-12-26}}</ref> Kickl urged a public crowd to reject compulsory vaccinations. Fifteen thousand people later rallied at the Heldenplatz square in Vienna to protest against the anti-Covid measures and were later joined by thousands more, with approximately 44,000 people taking part in the rally in total.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-12-12|title=Thousands protest against coronavirus measures in Vienna|url=https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3159367/thousands-austrians-take-streets-protest-against-coronavirus|access-date=2021-12-26|website=South China Morning Post|language=en}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Belgium ===<br />
On 31 January 2021, police in [[Brussels]] said they had arrested more than 400 people to prevent a banned protest of anti-COVID-19 measures.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.dw.com/en/coronavirus-digest-brussels-police-detain-hundreds-of-anti-lockdown-protesters/a-56394523|title=Coronavirus digest: Brussels police detain hundreds of anti-lockdown protesters &#124; DW &#124; 31.01.2021|website=DW.COM|access-date=18 July 2021|archive-date=8 June 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210608133756/https://www.dw.com/en/coronavirus-digest-brussels-police-detain-hundreds-of-anti-lockdown-protesters/a-56394523|url-status=live}}</ref> On 21 November 2021, about 35,000 people in the streets of [[Brussels]] took part in demonstration, which began peaceful before violence broke out. Waving nationalist flags of [[Flanders]] and banners against the more restrictive rules for the unvaccinated, several people hidden by hoods also attacked some police cars. At least two officers and one protester were injured. Protesters threw stones at police as they advanced with water cannon at the main junction in front of the European Union Commission headquarters. Protesters also threw smoke bombs and fireworks, the newspaper ''[[Le Soir]]'' reported. The situation calmed down later, police said.<ref>{{Cite news|url = https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/around-35000-protest-against-covid-restrictions-brussels-police-say-2021-11-21/|title = Clashes break out in Brussels in protests over coronavirus restrictions|newspaper = Reuters|date = 21 November 2021|access-date = 24 November 2021|archive-date = 24 November 2021|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20211124001253/https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/around-35000-protest-against-covid-restrictions-brussels-police-say-2021-11-21/|url-status = live}}</ref><br />
<br />
* [[2022 Brussels protest|January 2022 Brussels protest]]<br />
<br />
=== Belarus ===<br />
{{Main|2020-2021 Belarusian protests}}<br />
In May 2020, a lowered approval of [[authoritarianism|authoritarian]] president [[Alexander Lukashenko]] amid [[COVID-19 pandemic in Belarus|his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic]] led to street protests against his government. Mass protests erupted across Belarus following the August [[2020 Belarusian presidential election]] which was marred by allegations of widespread [[electoral fraud]].{{citation needed|date=August 2021}}<br />
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=== Bosnia and Herzegovina ===<br />
On 6 April 2021, anti-governmental protests "Fight for Life" were held by a group of citizens and activists in Bosnia and Herzegovina's capital [[Sarajevo]] in front of the [[Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina|Parliamentary Assembly]] and the [[Government of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina|Federal Government]], seeking resignations from [[Chairman of the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina|Chairman of the Council of Ministers]] [[Zoran Tegeltija]] and [[List of prime ministers of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina|Federal Prime Minister]] [[Fadil Novalić]], due to lack of leadership during the [[COVID-19 pandemic in Bosnia and Herzegovina]] and late procurement of [[COVID-19 vaccine]]s for the country.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.klix.ba/vijesti/bih/protesti-u-sarajevu-gradjani-ispred-vlade-fbih-skandiraju-ostavke-i-paraziti-napolje/210406028|title=Protesti u Sarajevu: Građani ispred Vlade FBiH skandiraju "Ostavke" i "Paraziti napolje"|date=6 April 2021|access-date=6 April 2021|language=bs|author=D. Be.|publisher=Klix.ba|archive-date=6 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210406110442/https://www.klix.ba/vijesti/bih/protesti-u-sarajevu-gradjani-ispred-vlade-fbih-skandiraju-ostavke-i-paraziti-napolje/210406028|url-status=live}}</ref> Further anti-governmental protests were held eleven days later, on 17 April as well.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.klix.ba/vijesti/bih/zavrseni-protesti-gradjana-u-sarajevu-na-potezu-su-parlamentarci-rok-je-1-maj/210417035|title=Završeni protesti građana u Sarajevu: Na potezu su parlamentarci, rok je 1. maj|date=17 April 2021|access-date=17 April 2021|language=bs|author=N.V.|publisher=Klix.ba|archive-date=17 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210417105301/https://www.klix.ba/vijesti/bih/zavrseni-protesti-gradjana-u-sarajevu-na-potezu-su-parlamentarci-rok-je-1-maj/210417035|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Bulgaria ===<br />
{{Main|2020–2021 Bulgarian protests}}<br />
On 30 March 2020 The Bulgarian Health Ministry issued an order that made not wearing a face mask in public punishable by law at a time when no masks were available for purchasing in the country. After strong public unrest, the order was recalled on the following day<ref>{{Cite web|title=Министър Ананиев отменя заповедта си за задължително носене на маски до постигане на консенсус|url=https://dariknews.bg/novini/bylgariia/vryshtat-maskite-na-zakrito-stavat-zadylzhitelni-v-magazina-i-v-ofisa-2230448|date=31 March 2020|access-date=8 October 2020|website=dariknews.bg|language=bg|archive-date=15 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210515043118/https://dariknews.bg/novini/bylgariia/vryshtat-maskite-na-zakrito-stavat-zadylzhitelni-v-magazina-i-v-ofisa-2230448|url-status=live}}</ref> and re-instated yet again later, with some modifications.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Връщат маските на закрито - стават задължителни в магазина и в офиса|url=https://dariknews.bg/novini/bylgariia/ananiev-otmeni-zapovedta-za-zadylzhitelnite-maski-2219522|date=22 June 2020|access-date=8 October 2020|website=dariknews.bg|language=bg|archive-date=9 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201009015757/https://dariknews.bg/novini/bylgariia/ananiev-otmeni-zapovedta-za-zadylzhitelnite-maski-2219522|url-status=live}}</ref> A small protest took place on 19 April 2020 in [[Sofia]] against the measures to combat the [[COVID-19 pandemic in Bulgaria|COVID-19 pandemic]], with many of the participants expressing concerns about their livelihoods.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Протест в София срещу мерките за ограничаване на коронавируса|url=https://www.mediapool.bg/protest-v-sofiya-sreshtu-merkite-za-ogranichavane-na-koronavirusa-news306375.html|date=19 April 2020|access-date=3 September 2020|website=mediapool.bg|language=bg|archive-date=21 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201021082108/https://www.mediapool.bg/protest-v-sofiya-sreshtu-merkite-za-ogranichavane-na-koronavirusa-news306375.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Protests with an [[Anti-vaccine activism|anti-vax]] slant that also demanded the resignation of the government, organized by the [[Revival (Bulgarian political party)|Vazrazhdane]] party,<ref>{{Cite web|title=8 арестувани на протеста в София (ВИДЕО+СНИМКИ)|url=https://nova.bg/news/view/2020/05/14/287916/8-%D0%B0%D1%80%D0%B5%D1%81%D1%82%D1%83%D0%B2%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%B8-%D0%BD%D0%B0-%D0%BF%D1%80%D0%BE%D1%82%D0%B5%D1%81%D1%82%D0%B0-%D0%B2-%D1%81%D0%BE%D1%84%D0%B8%D1%8F-%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE%D1%81%D0%BD%D0%B8%D0%BC%D0%BA%D0%B8/|date=14 May 2020|access-date=3 September 2020|website=nova.bg|language=bg|archive-date=24 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200524113735/https://nova.bg/news/view/2020/05/14/287916/8-%D0%B0%D1%80%D0%B5%D1%81%D1%82%D1%83%D0%B2%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%B8-%D0%BD%D0%B0-%D0%BF%D1%80%D0%BE%D1%82%D0%B5%D1%81%D1%82%D0%B0-%D0%B2-%D1%81%D0%BE%D1%84%D0%B8%D1%8F-%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE%D1%81%D0%BD%D0%B8%D0%BC%D0%BA%D0%B8/|url-status=live}}</ref> were held in May and June, resulting in a few arrests, but did not see a significant turnout.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Протест на антиваксъри в София|url=https://www.vesti.bg/bulgaria/protest-na-antivaksyri-v-sofiia-6110588|date=6 June 2020|access-date=3 September 2020|author=Kirov, Nikolay|website=vesti.bg|language=bg|archive-date=26 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200726135130/https://www.vesti.bg/bulgaria/protest-na-antivaksyri-v-sofiia-6110588|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
Public disapproval grew during the pandemic and reached a spontaneous culmination on 9 July 2020 after a police raid on the Presidency of Bulgaria in what was perceived as an attack against President [[Rumen Radev]], a vocal critic of prime minister [[Boyko Borisov]], who has been in power since 2009,<ref>{{Cite web|date=9 July 2020|title=Raids Worsen Bulgarian President's Spat With Prosecutor|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-07-09/bulgarian-police-raid-president-radev-s-offices|access-date=15 July 2020|website=Bloomberg.com|archive-date=1 February 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210201190554/https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-07-09/bulgarian-police-raid-president-radev-s-offices|url-status=live}}</ref> and the long-standing grievances against endemic corruption and [[state capture]]. Daily demonstrations were held in the country's capital [[Sofia]] until April 2021, though the number of protesters dwindled during the autumn and winter months when the country was heavily affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.<ref>{{Cite web|title=88-а вечер на протести в София: Призоваха за атаки срещу офисите на управляващата коалиция (Снимки)|url=https://www.24chasa.bg/novini/article/9082543|date=4 October 2020|access-date=8 October 2020|website=24chasa.bg|language=bg|archive-date=22 December 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211222175752/https://www.24chasa.bg/novini/article/9082543|url-status=live}}</ref> On 12 January 2022, Vazrazhdane organized a large demonstration against the COVID green certificates for indoor spaces, during which protest participants attempted to make their way into the National Parliament.<ref name="VazrazhdaneProtestGreenCertificateJanuary2022">{{cite news | title=Поддръжници на "Възраждане" се опитаха да нахлуят в парламента| work=mediapool.bg |author= |language=Bulgarian|url=https://www.mediapool.bg/poddrazhnitsi-na-vazrazhdane-se-opitaha-da-nahluyat-v-parlamenta-news331009.html| date=12 January 2022|access-date=10 February 2022 }}</ref> On 23 February 2022, the party held another protest with the same focus.<ref name="VazrazhdaneFollowUpProtestGreenCertificateFebruary2022">{{cite news | title="Възраждане" приветства поетапното отпадане на зеления сертификат, протестът обаче остава| work=dariknews.bg |author= |language=Bulgarian|url=https://dariknews.bg/novini/bylgariia/vyzrazhdane-privetstva-poetapnoto-otpadane-na-zeleniia-sertifikat-protestyt-obache-ostava-2301183| date=21 February 2022|access-date=2 April 2022 }}</ref><br />
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=== Czechia ===<br />
In late 2020 and during 2021, many anti-responses protests occurred as the pandemic situation in country worsened and measures, often legally unsubstantiated, were prolonged. Protesters demanded revoking of the restrictions such as gathering limitations or pubs closure. Many of them also refused face-masks wearing, which gave them a nickname "anti-rouškaři", meaning "mask-refusers". The most violent incident occurred on 18 October in Prague, when group of radical protesters, including football hooligans, clashed with police forces after protest was dissolved due to violations of hygienic measures. 20 officers were injured as well as unknown number of protesters. 144 persons were arrested. This is in contrast with mostly peaceful protests which are typical in Czechia. Since then, police has changed a tactics to document offences rather than doing large maneuvers to disperse crowds.<br />
<ref>{{cite web|date=18 October 2020|title=Demonstrace proti vládním opatřením se změnila v potyčky s těžkooděnci. Policie zadržela přes 100 lidí|url=https://www.irozhlas.cz/zpravy-domov/praha-protesty-koronavirus-fotbalovy-fanousci-demonstrace-staromestske-namesti_2010181508_tkr|url-status=live|access-date=12 June 2021|archive-date=31 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201031010343/https://www.irozhlas.cz/zpravy-domov/praha-protesty-koronavirus-fotbalovy-fanousci-demonstrace-staromestske-namesti_2010181508_tkr}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|date=31 January 2021|title=Na Václavském náměstí demonstrovaly stovky lidí proti omezením|url=https://www.ceskenoviny.cz/zpravy/na-vaclavskem-namesti-demonstrovaly-stovky-lidi-proti-omezenim/1989855|url-status=live|access-date=12 June 2021|archive-date=8 October 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211008164748/https://www.ceskenoviny.cz/zpravy/na-vaclavskem-namesti-demonstrovaly-stovky-lidi-proti-omezenim/1989855}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Šplíchal|first=Pavel|date=25 February 2021|title=Antirouškaři jsou ti nejtrapnější disidenti. Jako poslední věří vládě|url=https://a2larm.cz/2021/02/antirouskari-jsou-ti-nejtrapnejsi-disidenti-jako-posledni-veri-vlade/|access-date=12 June 2021}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== France ===<br />
{{Main|Yellow vests protests|French freedom convoy|2021–2022 social unrest in the French West Indies}}<br />
<br />
The [[Paris]] suburb [[Villeneuve-la-Garenne]] saw riots in April 2020, partly about the strains of the [[COVID-19 pandemic in France|coronavirus outbreak]] and lockdown on working-class families, often immigrants, who live in small apartments in crowded public housing buildings. Many have reported that in poorer neighbourhoods the policies are difficult to follow due to over crowding and cause the neighbourhoods to be impacted more than wealthier Parisians. The demonstrations have since been seen in the suburb [[Hauts-de-Seine]], and other French cities [[Toulouse]], [[Lyon]] and [[Strasbourg]].<ref>{{Cite news|last=McAuley|first=James|date=25 April 2020|title=Violent protests in Paris suburbs reflect tensions under lockdown|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/paris-suburbs-protests-villeneuve-la-garenne/2020/04/25/55f5a40c-85a1-11ea-81a3-9690c9881111_story.html|access-date=1 May 2020|newspaper=The Washington Post|language=en|archive-date=25 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200425112752/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/paris-suburbs-protests-villeneuve-la-garenne/2020/04/25/55f5a40c-85a1-11ea-81a3-9690c9881111_story.html|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
==== Vaccination obligation, sanitary pass ====<br />
The announcement of president [[Emmanuel Macron|Macron]] on 12 July 2021 of a [[COVID-19 vaccination in France|COVID-19 vaccination]] obligation for all health care workers by 15 September, as well as the obligation for people older than twelve to show a "[[COVID-19 vaccine card#France|sanitary pass]]" as of August for admittance to cafés, restaurants, cinemas, hospitals,<ref name=nrc,14jul>(Dutch) [https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2021/07/13/fransman-die-zich-niet-wil-laten-prikken-moet-maar-voelen-a4050923#/handelsblad/2021/07/14/#106 'Fransman die zich niet wil laten prikken moet maar voelen'] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210821205804/https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2021/07/13/fransman-die-zich-niet-wil-laten-prikken-moet-maar-voelen-a4050923#/handelsblad/2021/07/14/ |date=21 August 2021 }}. ''[[NRC Handelsblad]]'', 13 July 2021.</ref> senior citizens' homes, trains,<ref name=nrc,27jul>(Dutch) [https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2021/07/26/frans-parlement-stemt-in-met-nieuwe-covid-maatregelen-a4052430#/handelsblad/2021/07/27/#114 'Frans parlement stemt in met coronapaspoort en verplichte vaccinatie voor het zorgpersoneel'] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210821205804/https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2021/07/26/frans-parlement-stemt-in-met-nieuwe-covid-maatregelen-a4052430#/handelsblad/2021/07/27/ |date=21 August 2021 }}. ''[[NRC Handelsblad]]'', 26 July 2021.</ref> shopping malls,<ref>{{cite web |last1=De Fournas |first1=Marie |title=Coronavirus : Comment ça va se passer avec la fin des tests PCR et antigéniques gratuits ? |url=https://www.20minutes.fr/sante/3083303-20210713-coronavirus-comment-ca-va-passer-fin-tests-pcr-antigeniques-gratuits |website=20 Minutes |date=13 July 2021 |access-date=25 July 2021 |archive-date=25 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210725060050/https://www.20minutes.fr/sante/3083303-20210713-coronavirus-comment-ca-va-passer-fin-tests-pcr-antigeniques-gratuits |url-status=live }}</ref> and other public venues led to protests across France. The 'sanitary pass' should prove that someone is either vaccinated, has recently [[COVID-19 testing|tested negative]],<ref name=nrc,14jul/> or has recovered from [[COVID-19]].<ref name=nrc,11Aug>(Dutch) [https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2021/08/11/wij-houden-ons-hart-vast-voor-volgende-week-a4054487#/handelsblad/2021/08/12/#104 'Coronapaspoort in Frankrijk: 'Wij houden ons hart vast' '.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210821205802/https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2021/08/11/wij-houden-ons-hart-vast-voor-volgende-week-a4054487#/handelsblad/2021/08/12/ |date=21 August 2021 }} ''[[NRC Handelsblad]]'', 11 August 2021.</ref> Macron's motivation was: "We are in a new race against time", "Vaccination is the only way to protect yourself and others".<ref name=nrc,14jul/><br />
<br />
[[Marine Le Pen]], challenger of Macron in the [[2022 French presidential election]], immediately condemned the vaccination obligation as "indecent insolence" attesting of "ingratitude" towards the health care workers.<ref name=nrc,14jul/> On Wednesday 14 July, the French [[National day]] called '[[Bastille Day]]', in [[Paris]] some 2,250 people protested against these new corona restrictions. Demonstrations were also held in Toulouse, Bordeaux, Montpellier, Nantes and 48 other places, totalling around 19,000 protesters. Slogans chanted were: "Down with dictatorship", "Down with the health pass". A demonstrator equated the health pass with "segregation". Objects and fireworks were thrown at the police, who answered with tear gas and arrests.<ref>{{cite web |title=French police fire tear gas as anti-vaccine protest turns violent |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/7/15/french-police-tear-gas-as-anti-vaccine-protest-turns-violent |website=Al Jazeera |access-date=24 July 2021 |date=15 July 2021 |archive-date=23 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210723121648/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/7/15/french-police-tear-gas-as-anti-vaccine-protest-turns-violent |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
On Saturday 17 July, nationwide some 114,000 people protested against the two new measures.<ref name=nrc,1Aug/> On 24 July, some 160,000 people around France protested against the measures. Protesters chanted: "Liberty! Liberty!" Projectiles including a chair were thrown at the police in Paris, who reacted with tear gas and water cannons.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-07-24|title=French protesters reject virus passes, vaccine mandate|url=https://apnews.com/article/europe-health-coronavirus-pandemic-dc03061cb033cb4181ff5424acb9ed63|access-date=2021-07-25|website=AP NEWS|language=en|archive-date=25 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210725015129/https://apnews.com/article/europe-health-coronavirus-pandemic-dc03061cb033cb4181ff5424acb9ed63|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
On 25 July, the [[Senate (France)|French Senate]] nevertheless agreed to the measures except the pass obligation for children under 18 years old.<ref>''[[Dagblad van het Noorden]]'', 26 July 2021.</ref><br />
<br />
On 31 July, over 200,000 people nationwide protested against these plans. Thousands around [[Place de la Bastille]] in [[Paris]] chanted: ''"Liberté!"'' [Freedom!]. Signs accused Macron of being a dictator.<ref>[https://www.npr.org/2021/08/02/1023637209/protesters-say-frances-anti-virus-pass-is-a-threat-to-personal-freedoms 'Protesters Say France's Anti-Virus Pass Is A Threat To Personal Freedoms'] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210821205802/https://www.npr.org/2021/08/02/1023637209/protesters-say-frances-anti-virus-pass-is-a-threat-to-personal-freedoms |date=21 August 2021 }}. [[NPR|National Public Radio]], 2 August 2021. Retrieved 20 August 2021.</ref> A bus driver motivated his protest as: "I'm not an antivaxer (...) But this is going to fast, I want to wait and see". A hospital worker said: "These [[COVID-19 vaccine misinformation and hesitancy|vaccines are experimental]] ; there's no way I'm gonna take it".<ref name=nrc,1Aug>(Dutch) [https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2021/08/01/gele-hesjes-lopen-te-hoop-tegen-sanitaire-dictatuur-a4053244#/handelsblad/2021/08/02/#104 'Gele hesjes lopen te hoop tegen 'pasdictatuur' ' ('Yellow vests crowd together against 'pass dictatorship' ')] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210821205807/https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2021/08/01/gele-hesjes-lopen-te-hoop-tegen-sanitaire-dictatuur-a4053244#/handelsblad/2021/08/02/ |date=21 August 2021 }}. ''[[NRC Handelsblad]]'', 1 August 2021.</ref> A placard in [[Paris]] cited Macron: ' ''"Je ne rendrai pas la vaccination obligatoire", Emmanuel Macron, Novembre 2020'' ' ["I will not make vaccination obligatory", Macron, Nov. 2020]. Another: ' ''De la démocratie à la dictature il n'y a qu'un <<PASS>>'' ' [From democracy to dictatorship is only one step [or] one pass].<ref>''[[Dagblad van het Noorden]]'', 5 August 2021.</ref> Another: '<small>VACCINÉ A LA LIBERTÉ'</small> [<small>VACCINATED FOR FREEDOM</small>].<ref name=nrc,10Aug>(Dutch) [https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2021/08/10/gedwongen-vaccinatie-demonstraties-in-frankrijk-applaus-in-italie-a4054305#/handelsblad/2021/08/11/#114 'Gedwongen vaccinatie: demonstraties in Frankrijk, applaus in Italië' ('Enforced vaccination: demonstrations in France, applause in Italy')] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210821205806/https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2021/08/10/gedwongen-vaccinatie-demonstraties-in-frankrijk-applaus-in-italie-a4054305#/handelsblad/2021/08/11/ |date=21 August 2021 }}. ''[[NRC Handelsblad]]'', 10 August 2021.</ref><br />
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On Saturday 7 August, 237,000 people protested on 198 locations in France, the authorities reported. In Paris, [[Lyon]], [[Toulouse]], rioters pelted the police with all sorts of things, police reacted with tear gas and charges and arrests.<ref>''[[Dagblad van het Noorden]]'', 9 August 2021.</ref> The sanitary pass obligation came into effect on 9 August, civilians risk a fine of 135 euro for disobedience, business owners risk a 45,000 euro fine or one-year prison and the closure of their business.<ref name=nrc,11Aug /><br />
<br />
On 14 August 2021, between 200,000 and 250,000 people according to the police and the organisers have again demonstrated, on more than 200 locations in France, against the ''pass sanitaire'' and the obligated vaccination of health care personnel. Placards compared the sanitary pass with '[[Apartheid]]', people chanted slogans about the "health dictatorship". Police in Lyon used pepper spray against rioters.<ref>(Dutch) [https://www.telegraaf.nl/nieuws/456452706/live-weer-massale-protesten-tegen-franse-gezondheidsdictatuur 'Weer massale protesten tegen Franse 'gezondheidsdictatuur' ' (Again massive protests against French 'health dictatorship')] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210821205803/https://www.telegraaf.nl/nieuws/456452706/live-weer-massale-protesten-tegen-franse-gezondheidsdictatuur |date=21 August 2021 }}. ''[[De Telegraaf]]'', 14 August 2021. Retrieved 18 August 2021.</ref><br />
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Since then, these protests grew smaller ; on Saturday, 18 September 2021, the demonstrators in France against the sanitary pass and obligated vaccination counted 80,000.<ref>''[[Dagblad van het Noorden]]'', 23 September 2021.</ref><br />
<br />
===Greece===<br />
{{See also|2021 Greek protests}}<br />
The 2021 Greek protests broke out in response to a proposed government bill that would allow police presence on university campuses for the first time in decades, for which opposition groups accused the government of taking advantage of the COVID-19 lockdown to impose increasingly authoritarian measures.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://apnews.com/article/bills-athens-higher-education-greece-25de0ce9e884adba145b474d07be57d6|title=Protest gets heated ahead of campus policing vote|date=10 February 2021|publisher=[[Associated Press]]|location=[[Athens]]|access-date=2 May 2021|archive-date=12 February 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210212142808/https://apnews.com/article/bills-athens-higher-education-greece-25de0ce9e884adba145b474d07be57d6|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
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=== Georgia ===<br />
On 5 December 2021 thousands demonstrated in Tbilisi against a COVID-19 passport system which has been implemented in Georgia since December 1, allowing only citizens and tourists with a QR-code proving vaccination or recovery from the virus or with a negative PCR test result to visit public places, restaurants, entertainment and shopping centers. Protesters marched with posters and Georgian flags, passing by the parliamentary building.{{citation needed|date=March 2022}}<br />
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=== Germany ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 protests in Germany}}<br />
[[File:Vicent-van-Volkmer-Bienen-Aktivist-Demo-29.08.2020 Berlin Covid-19 Pandemie.jpg|thumb|Protester with a "Free The Bee" placard during the COVID-19 protests in Berlin on 29 August 2020, near the [[Brandenburg Gate]]]]<br />
Since April 2020, in [[Germany]] numerous protests against government policies over the COVID-19 pandemic have been held in several cities.<br />
A protest in [[Berlin]] on 29 August was estimated by authorities to have drawn 38,000 participants.<ref name="rbb">In German: [https://www.rbb24.de/politik/thema/2020/coronavirus/beitraege_neu/2020/08/demonstrationen-samstag-corona-querdenken-gegendemos.html 'Fast 40.000 Menschen bei Corona-Demos – Sperren am Reichstag durchbrochen' (Almost 40,000 people by corona demos – fences at the ''Reichstag'' broken through)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200901090757/https://www.rbb24.de/politik/thema/2020/coronavirus/beitraege_neu/2020/08/demonstrationen-samstag-corona-querdenken-gegendemos.html |date=1 September 2020 }}. rbb24.de, 29 August 2020. Retrieved 19 September 2020.</ref><br />
<br />
Several of the protests in Germany, like the one of 29 August, were organized by the group ''Querdenken 711'', based in [[Stuttgart]]. As per its homepage, it considers its main aims to support the fundamental rights enshrined in the German constitution, in particular the freedoms of opinion, expression, and assembly.<ref name="dw_20201106">{{cite web|url=https://www.dw.com/en/coronavirus-germany-braces-for-anti-lockdown-protests/a-55513848|title=Coronavirus: Germany braces for anti-lockdown protests|first=Ben|last=Knight|website=[[Deutsche Welle]]|agency=[[Deutsche Welle]]|date=6 November 2020|access-date=8 November 2021|archive-date=8 November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211108155543/https://www.dw.com/en/coronavirus-germany-braces-for-anti-lockdown-protests/a-55513848|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
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[[File:AnarchistCovidProtest.jpg|upright|thumb|left|[[Anarchist]] anti-conspiracy theory, anti-gentrification protest]]<br />
At the 29 August demonstration in Berlin, one of the invited orators was [[Robert F. Kennedy Jr.]], lawyer and conspiracy theorist and nephew of the assassinated U.S. President [[John F. Kennedy]]. He warned the crowd that the COVID-19 measures being deployed in many countries might lead to the implementation of a [[Mass surveillance#Surveillance state|surveillance state]]. A few hundred protesters attempted to storm the [[Reichstag building]], the seat of the German parliament;<ref name=rbb/><ref name="BBC30Aug">{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-53959552|title=Germany coronavirus: Hundreds arrested in German 'anti-corona' protests|work=BBC News|agency=[[BBC News]]|date=30 August 2020|access-date=15 September 2020|archive-date=4 September 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200904141636/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-53959552|url-status=live}}</ref> a few of them reached the stairs. A burst of media attention arose due to this incident. Later demonstrations tended to be smaller, and sometimes organized by allies of ''Querdenken''.<ref name="dw_20201106"/><br />
<br />
[[Anarchists]], [[libertarian socialists]] and [[anti-fascists]] in Germany have been counterprotesting "Querdenken 711" and other demonstrations against public health mandates. Focusing on increasing [[gentrification]], [[wealth inequality]], [[evictions]], police measures and favoring of compulsory vaccination. Anarchists have seen increasing evictions of [[anarchist communities]] and squats.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.dw.com/en/berlin-police-clear-anarchist-occupied-house-liebig-34/a-55211590|title=Berlin police clear anarchist-occupied house Liebig 34 &#124; DW &#124; 09.10.2020|website=DW.COM|access-date=30 November 2020|archive-date=2 December 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201202154402/https://www.dw.com/en/berlin-police-clear-anarchist-occupied-house-liebig-34/a-55211590|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://crimethinc.com/2020/03/18/surviving-the-virus-an-anarchist-guide-capitalism-in-crisis-rising-totalitarianism-strategies-of-resistance|title=CrimethInc. : Surviving the Virus: An Anarchist Guide : Capitalism in Crisis—Rising Totalitarianism—Strategies of Resistance|website=CrimethInc.|date=18 March 2020 |access-date=30 November 2020|archive-date=2 December 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201202160836/https://crimethinc.com/2020/03/18/surviving-the-virus-an-anarchist-guide-capitalism-in-crisis-rising-totalitarianism-strategies-of-resistance|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://ent.siteintelgroup.com/Far-Right-/-Far-Left-Threat/german-company-targeted-in-anarchist-arson-attack-for-covid-19-repression.html|title=German Company Targeted in Anarchist Arson Attack for COVID-19 "Repression" &#124; Far-Right / Far-Left Threat &#124; Articles|website=ent.siteintelgroup.com|date=29 June 2020|access-date=30 November 2020|archive-date=29 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201129103231/https://ent.siteintelgroup.com/Far-Right-/-Far-Left-Threat/german-company-targeted-in-anarchist-arson-attack-for-covid-19-repression.html|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
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=== Hungary ===<br />
On 28 February 2021, around 3,000–5,000 protesters gathered in the capital city of [[Budapest]] at [[Hősök tere]] to protest the lockdown regulations, and the Constitution of 2012.{{citation needed|date=August 2021}}<br />
<br />
The far-right [[Our Homeland Movement]] organised protests against lockdown measures on 15 March 2021,<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-04-20|title=Hungarian far-right party protests lockdown|url=https://apnews.com/article/hungary-budapest-coronavirus-pandemic-economy-ecd0b637126258601ca249f35b5b8743|access-date=2022-02-07|website=The Associated Press|language=en}}</ref> and against vaccine mandates (a "Covid Dictatorship") throughout December 2021 in various Hungarian cities.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-12-18|title=A "Covid-diktatúra" ellen tüntetett a Mi Hazánk Mozgalom|url=https://hvg.hu/itthon/20211218_Mi_Hazank_Mozgalom_Toroczkai_Laszlo_oltasellenesseg_tuntetes_kotelezo_oltas_Covid_diktatura|access-date=2022-02-07|website=hvg.hu|language=hu}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-12-06|title=Vidéken folytatja a kötelező oltás elleni tüntetéseket a Mi Hazánk|url=https://mihazank.hu/videken-folytatja-a-kotelezo-oltas-elleni-tunteteseket-a-mi-hazank/|access-date=2022-02-07|website=Mi Hazánk Mozgalom|language=hu}}</ref> On 16 January 2022 they held another anti-vaccine protest in Budapest, attracting thousands of people.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Imre|first=Patthy Loránd|date=2022-01-16|title="Nem tudnak lejönni a szerről az oltottak" – tüntetést tartott a Mi Hazánk Budapesten|url=https://index.hu/belfold/2022/01/16/oltasellenesseg-tuntetes-mi-hazank-novak-elod-pali-jeno-toroczkai-laszlo/|access-date=2022-02-07|website=index.hu|language=hu}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Ireland ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 protests in the Republic of Ireland}}<br />
On 24 July 2021, over ten thousand people attended an anti discrimination march in Dublin, in response to the Irish government's announcement that vaccine passports would be introduced.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/large-crowd-gathers-in-dublin-to-protest-vaccine-cert-system-1.4629890|title=Large crowd gathers in Dublin to protest vaccine cert system|first=Ellen|last=O'Riordan|newspaper=The Irish Times|access-date=12 October 2021|archive-date=28 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210728080317/https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/large-crowd-gathers-in-dublin-to-protest-vaccine-cert-system-1.4629890|url-status=live}}</ref> Said passports were to be used to prevent unvaccinated people availing of indoor dining services.<br />
[[File:PXL 20210724 152855881.LS exported 0.jpg|thumb|alt=Freedom March Dublin|July 24 Anti Discrimination March, Dublin]]<br />
<br />
Hundreds attended an anti-lockdown, [[Mask refusal|anti-face mask]] protest in [[Dublin]] on 22 August 2020. The protest was organised by Health Freedom Ireland with support from Yellow Vest Ireland. Four people were arrested at the protest.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/four-arrested-in-clashes-at-anti-facemask-protest-in-dublin-1.4336794|title=Four arrested in clashes at anti-facemask protest in Dublin|newspaper=[[The Irish Times]]|first1=Conor|last1=Lally|first2=Sarah|last2=Burns|first3=Jennifer|last3=Cosgrove|date=22 August 2020|access-date=22 August 2020|archive-date=22 August 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200822185513/https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/four-arrested-in-clashes-at-anti-facemask-protest-in-dublin-1.4336794|url-status=live}}</ref> Another protest was organised by the same groups on 3 October, with up to a thousand protesters marching through the city centre before staging a sit-down protest in the main shopping area of Grafton Street.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Beresford |first1=Jack |title=Anti-mask demonstrators stage sit-in protest in Dublin |url=https://www.irishpost.com/news/anti-mask-demonstrators-stage-sit-in-protest-in-dublin-194384 |access-date=4 October 2020 |work=The Irish Post |date=3 October 2020 |archive-date=9 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201009000301/https://www.irishpost.com/news/anti-mask-demonstrators-stage-sit-in-protest-in-dublin-194384 |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
On 27 February 2021, violent clashes between protesters and the ''[[Garda Síochána]]'' erupted during an anti-lockdown protest near [[St Stephen's Green]] in Dublin. Three Gardaí were injured and 23 people were arrested in the aftermath of the protest. The Taoiseach [[Micheál Martin]] condemned the demonstration as "an unacceptable risk to both the public and Gardaí".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/three-garda%C3%AD-injured-and-23-arrested-after-clashes-at-dublin-anti-lockdown-protest-1.4497218|title=Three gardaí injured and 23 arrested after clashes at Dublin anti-lockdown protest|newspaper=[[The Irish Times]]|first=Ronan|last=McGreevy|date=27 February 2021|access-date=2 March 2021|url-access=subscription|archive-date=2 March 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210302221822/https://www.irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/three-garda%C3%AD-injured-and-23-arrested-after-clashes-at-dublin-anti-lockdown-protest-1.4497218|url-status=live}}</ref> A non-violent anti-lockdown protest with approximately 450 people in attendance took place on 6 March in [[Cork (city)|Cork]]. The event was organised by The People's Convention.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/munster/arid-40238867.html|title=Cork anti-lockdown protest attracts hundreds into city centre|newspaper=[[Irish Examiner]]|first1=Noel|last1=Baker|first2=Cormac|last2=O'Keeffe|first3=Eoin|last3=English|date=6 March 2021|access-date=9 March 2021|archive-date=8 March 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210308012117/https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/munster/arid-40238867.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Six people were arrested on the day of the protest.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/munster/arid-40239296.html|title=Six arrested on day of Cork anti-lockdown protest|newspaper=[[Irish Examiner]]|first=Steve|last=Neville|date=6 March 2021|access-date=9 March 2021|archive-date=6 March 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210306173608/https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/munster/arid-40239296.html|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Italy ===<br />
{{Main|Protests over COVID-19 policies in Italy}}<br />
Since the month of March 2020, many people [[Protests over COVID-19 policies in Italy|started protesting over COVID-19]] and the rules imposed by the [[Government of Italy|Italian government]].<br />
<br />
=== Netherlands ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 protests in the Netherlands|2021 Dutch curfew riots}}<br />
On 24 January 2021, violent protests erupted as a reaction to the [[Dutch government]] decision to impose a [[curfew]] as a means to curb the spread of the [[COVID-19 pandemic in the Netherlands|COVID-19]].<ref name="FT 210126" /><ref name="Guardian 210126" /> The curfew, imposed between 9 PM to 4:30 AM, was the first of its kind to be enacted in the country since the [[Second World War]].<ref name="FT 210126">{{cite news |last1=Khan |first1=Mehreen |title=Dutch extend Covid curfew despite violent backlash |url=https://www.ft.com/content/351fa962-ee98-49d7-80c8-dfe73a466991 |access-date=27 January 2021 |work=Financial Times |date=26 January 2021 |archive-date=26 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210126225209/https://www.ft.com/content/351fa962-ee98-49d7-80c8-dfe73a466991 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="WaPo 210125">{{cite news |last1=Cunningham |first1=Erin |title=Riots explode across Netherlands over covid restrictions, with Dutch leader calling participants criminals |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/dutch-government-covid-curfew-unrest/2021/01/25/20fa8590-5ef1-11eb-a177-7765f29a9524_story.html |access-date=27 January 2021 |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=25 January 2021 |archive-date=26 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210126200353/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/dutch-government-covid-curfew-unrest/2021/01/25/20fa8590-5ef1-11eb-a177-7765f29a9524_story.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Protests took place in most major cities, including [[Amsterdam]] and [[Eindhoven]]. Police made hundreds of arrests and issued thousands of fines.<ref name="FT 210126" /><ref name="WSJ 210126">{{cite news |last1=Pop |first1=Valentina |title=Dutch Rioters Clash With Police for Third Night Over Covid-19 Curfew |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/dutch-rioters-clash-with-police-for-third-night-over-covid-19-curfew-11611664598?page=1 |access-date=27 January 2021 |work=The Wall Street Journal |date=26 January 2021 |archive-date=22 December 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211222175714/https://www.wsj.com/articles/dutch-rioters-clash-with-police-for-third-night-over-covid-19-curfew-11611664598?page=1 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Guardian 210126">{{cite news |last1=Henley |first1=John |title=Netherlands shaken by third night of riots over Covid curfew |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jan/26/netherlands-third-night-riots-covid-curfew-lockdown-protesters |access-date=27 January 2021 |work=The Guardian |date=26 January 2021 |archive-date=26 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210126225117/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jan/26/netherlands-third-night-riots-covid-curfew-lockdown-protesters |url-status=live }}</ref> The Dutch Police Association described the riots at the worst violence in Netherlands in the last 40 years.<ref name="FT 210126" /> The protests have been described as being composed of mostly young men.<ref name="FT 210126" /><ref name="WSJ 210126" /><br />
<br />
An opinion poll by public broadcaster [[Nederlandse Omroep Stichting|NOS]] indicated that the curfew was supported by seven out of 10 Dutch respondents (although the amounts of respondents is unknown), with just 18% of the population opposing it.<ref name="WSJ 210126" /> An online poll with over 28.000 respondents, done by Radio NPO1, a Dutch state radio station, showed that 89% of Dutch people wanted the curfew to be removed.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://degouda.nl/poll-van-npo1-meerderheid-wil-avondklok-weg-en-wat-vinden-gouwenaars-van-de-avondklok/|title=Poll van NPO1: Meerderheid wil avondklok weg en wat vinden Gouwenaars van de avondklok?|date=18 February 2021|access-date=4 November 2021|archive-date=4 November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211104160506/https://degouda.nl/poll-van-npo1-meerderheid-wil-avondklok-weg-en-wat-vinden-gouwenaars-van-de-avondklok/|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
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After the Netherlands went into a partial lockdown on 12 November 2021 due to a sharp rise in COVID-19 cases, another series of protests and riots occurred over such measures. Rioting was especially concentrated in [[Rotterdam]], where [[National Police Corps (Netherlands)|police]] fired warning shots at rioters, injuring at least two.<ref>{{cite news|title= Rotterdam police clash with rioters as Covid protest turns violent|url= https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-59355950|access-date= 20 November 2021|work= BBC News|date= 20 November 2021|archive-date= 20 November 2021|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20211120001743/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-59355950|url-status= live}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Poland ===<br />
[[File:Protest against anti-pandemic measures in Warsaw (20.03.2021) (17).jpg|thumb|Protest against anti-pandemic measures in Warsaw]]<br />
Hundreds of protesters gathered in the Polish border town of [[Zgorzelec]] to protest the lockdown regulations, the protest was staged specifically on the foot bridge connecting Zgorzelec and the German town of [[Görlitz]] as many lived in Poland but worked in Germany. Many protested the inability to cross the borders of the countries as they lived in a different country from where they worked, and similar protests were seen in border towns along the Polish-German border and the Polish-[[Czech Republic|Czech]] border.<ref>{{cite news|agency=Reuters|date=25 April 2020|title=Hundreds Protest Against Lockdown at Polish-German Border|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2020/04/25/world/europe/25reuters-health-coronavirus-cross-border-workers.html|access-date=1 May 2020|issn=0362-4331|archive-date=26 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200426002608/https://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2020/04/25/world/europe/25reuters-health-coronavirus-cross-border-workers.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Freedom march (Marsz Wolności) happens every month, for example in Wrocław.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://gazetawroclawska.pl/marsz-wolnosci-we-wroclawiu-koronasceptycy-przyszli-tlumnie-interweniowala-policja-zdjecia/ar/c1-15453618|title=Marsz wolności we Wrocławiu. Koronasceptycy przyszli tłumnie, interweniowała policja [ZDJĘCIA]|language=Polish|date=20 February 2020|first=Jerzy|last=Wójcik|publisher=Gazeta Wrocławska|access-date=22 February 2021|archive-date=21 February 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210221083516/https://gazetawroclawska.pl/marsz-wolnosci-we-wroclawiu-koronasceptycy-przyszli-tlumnie-interweniowala-policja-zdjecia/ar/c1-15453618|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
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=== Russia ===<br />
Security forces broke up a crowd of about 2,000 individuals protesting against the lockdown in [[Vladikavkaz]], with some detained and the believed organizer arrested prior to the event.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Russian Police Break-Up Anti-Lockdown Protest|url=https://www.rferl.org/a/russian-police-break-up-anti-lockdown-protest/30568221.html|last=Furlong|first=Ray|date=21 April 2020|website=Radio Free Europe Radio Liberty|access-date=1 May 2020|archive-date=1 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200501054754/https://www.rferl.org/a/russian-police-break-up-anti-lockdown-protest/30568221.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Some protesters at the event used their social media to post videos about their demands against the lockdown, with one stating; "Today, under the pretext of the coronavirus, which doesn't exist, people are driven into slavery, they are trying to establish total control over us all."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-russia-protests-idUSKBN22225B|title=Hundreds protest in southern Russian against coronavirus curbs|date=20 April 2020|first1=Alexander|last1=Marrow|first2=Maria|last2=Tsvetkova|website=Reuters|access-date=30 April 2020|archive-date=29 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200429005016/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-russia-protests-idUSKBN22225B|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
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=== Serbia ===<br />
{{Main|2020–2021 Serbian protests}}<br />
On 7 July 2020, a riot began in [[Belgrade]] after the government's announcement of a [[curfew]] for the weekend. Protests began because of the government's continuous change in handling COVID-19 policy and alleged hiding of the number of COVID-19 cases in the country.{{citation needed|date=August 2021}}<br />
<br />
=== Slovakia ===<br />
In late 2020 and during 2021, several anti-COVID-restriction protests were held also in [[Slovakia]], mainly in the capital, [[Bratislava]] and also [[Košice|Kosice]].<br />
Many people are starting to disobey the rules: they go to bars even though they are not vaccinated, they don't wear FFP2 mask but only textile mask. There were even incidents of people without masks coming to a grocery store. These customers were then beaten by the police as they refused to put on their mask.<br />
<br />
=== Spain ===<br />
[[File:-LaRevoluciónDeLasMascarillas (49937665687).jpg|thumb|Protest in Spain on 26 May 2020]]<br />
Thousands of people, mostly supporters of the right-wing party [[Vox (political party)|Vox]], attended protests in [[Madrid]] and the country's regional capitals over the lockdown and its impact on the [[Economy of Spain|Spanish economy]]. The protesters drove in convoys to adhere to social distancing, with the Madrid protest led by a bus containing Vox leader [[Santiago Abascal]]. Abascal called for [[Sánchez II Government|the national government]] of [[Pedro Sánchez]] to resign over its handling of the virus.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-52783936|title=Coronavirus: Anti-lockdown car protest draws thousands|date=23 May 2020|website=BBC|access-date=23 May 2020|archive-date=23 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200523212612/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-52783936|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-05-12 |title=Vox llama a "recuperar la calle" contra el Gobierno y Abascal anuncia protestas diarias |url=https://www.europapress.es/nacional/noticia-vox-llama-recuperar-calle-contra-gobierno-abascal-anuncia-protestas-diarias-20200512112543.html |access-date=2022-10-31 |publisher=Europa Press}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Ponferrada |first=Diario de León {{!}} Noticias de León, Bierzo y |title=Vox llama a "recuperar la calle" el día 23 y Abascal anuncia caceroladas diarias y protestas constantes |url=https://www.diariodeleon.es/articulo/afondo/vox-llama-recuperar-calle-dia-23-abascal-anuncia-caceroladas-diarias-protestas-constantes/202005122242472011941.html |access-date=2022-10-31 |website=Diario de León {{!}} Noticias de León, Bierzo y Ponferrada |date=12 May 2020 |language=es}}</ref><br />
<br />
On 20 September 2020, thousands of people went out in protest throughout the [[Community of Madrid]] demanding the resignation of the [[Díaz Ayuso government|regional government]] of [[Isabel Díaz Ayuso]], after the latter had announced two days earlier a partial lockdown affecting 850,000 people living in the region's poorest areas which was dubbed as "segregationist" and fostering "stigmatisation, exclusion and territorial discrimination".<ref>{{cite news |date=20 September 2020 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/sep/20/protests-madrid-coronavirus-lockdown-measures-spain |title=Protests in Madrid over coronavirus lockdown measures |newspaper=The Guardian |access-date=20 September 2020 |archive-date=20 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200920182802/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/sep/20/protests-madrid-coronavirus-lockdown-measures-spain |url-status=live }}</ref> The protests came amid growing criticism of Ayuso's handling of the virus as "ineffective" and of her coalition government having "floundered" in its attempt to antagonize with Sánchez's government, as the region became the most heavily hit area in all of Europe in the second wave of the pandemic with many neighborhoods being near or above 1,000 cases per 100,000 people.<ref>{{cite news |date=18 September 2020 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/sep/18/madrid-poor-spanish-capital-covid-19 |title=Lockdown measures and rising anger in Madrid as Covid-19 takes hold again |newspaper=The Guardian |access-date=20 September 2020 |archive-date=20 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200920031444/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/sep/18/madrid-poor-spanish-capital-covid-19 |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
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=== Sweden ===<br />
On 6 March 2021, an estimate of 300-500 people gathered at Medborgarplatsen in Stockholm to protest against COVID-19 measures. The Swedish police dispersed hundreds of protesters and stated that six of their officers had been injured in the process, with one needing to be hospitalized.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.svt.se/nyheter/inrikes/polisen-upploser-demonstration-mot-coronarestriktioner|title=Polisen upplöser demonstration mot coronarestriktioner|newspaper=SVT Nyheter|date=6 March 2021|via=www.svt.se|access-date=9 March 2021|archive-date=10 March 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210310032308/https://www.svt.se/nyheter/inrikes/polisen-upploser-demonstration-mot-coronarestriktioner|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=2021-03-07 |title=Swedish police break up coronavirus demonstration in Stockholm |language=en |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/swedish-police-break-up-coronavirus-demonstration-stockholm-2021-03-06/ |access-date=2023-08-07}}</ref><br />
[[File:Anti-Lock Down Protest London (51137271728).jpg|thumb|Anti-lockdown protest march in London, April 2021]]<br />
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=== Switzerland ===<br />
[[Image:COVID19-20211108-Onex-sticker-opposition.jpg|thumb|Opposition to the Covid certificate in Switzerland, sticker at [[Canton of Geneva|Geneva]].]]<br />
On June 11, 2020, the member of the [[Zurich Cantonal Council]] Urs Hahn was expelled from his party, the Greens, for opposing the thesis of the seriousness of the pandemic.<ref>{{Cite news|language =de|author1=Daniel Fritzsche|author2=Stefan Hotz|url=https://www.nzz.ch/zuerich/urs-hans-gruene-in-zuerich-distanzieren-sich-von-ihrem-kantonsrat-ld.1555960?reduced=true|title="Abenteuerliche Thesen": Die Zürcher Grünen distanzieren sich von ihrem Kantonsrat Urs Hans, weil er Verschwörungstheorien zum Coronavirus verbeitet|periodical=[[Neue Zürcher Zeitung]]|date=2020-05-11}}</ref> On September 12, 2020, a demonstration against masks, containment measures or the supposed lies of the media brings together a thousand people in Geneva at the Place des Nations, in front of the [[United Nations Organization|United Nations]].<ref>{{Cite news|author=[[Swiss Telegraph Agency|ATS]]|url=https://www.letemps.ch/suisse/un-millier-dantimasques-manifestent-geneve|title=A thousand anti-masks demonstrate in Geneva|periodical=[[Le Temps (Swiss daily newspaper)|Le Temps]]|date=2020-09-12}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url= https://www.rts.ch/info/regions/geneve/11598989-un-rassemblement-antimasque-reunit-1000-personnes-a-geneve.html|title=An anti-mask rally brings together 1,000 people in Geneva|website=[[Swiss Radio and Television]]|date=2020-09-12}}</ref> The three major opposition figures [[Disinformation on the Covid-19 pandemic|coronasceptics]] in French-speaking Switzerland are the [[web videographers]] [[Chloé Frammery]], Ema Krusi and Christian Tal Schaller.<ref>{{Cite news|author=Laure Lugon|author2=Sylvia Revello|url=https://www.letemps.ch/suisse/complotistes-senflamment-autour-coronavirus|title=Les complotistes ignite around the coronavirus|periodical =[[Le Temps (Swiss daily newspaper)|Le Temps]]|date=2020-05-11}}</ref> Coronasceptics and opponents of measures to combat the spread of Covid-19 are increasingly occupying the Federal Office of Police (Fedpol). Threats against federal officials are on the rise.<ref>{{Cite web |language=en |title=In Switzerland, "coronasceptics" are increasingly occupying the police |url=https://www.rts.ch/info/suisse/11719150-in-switzerland-coronasceptics-occupy-more-and-more-the-police.html |website=[[Swiss Radio and Television]] |date=2020-11-01 |access-date =2021-03-26}}</ref><br />
<br />
In January 2021, the [[National Council (Switzerland)|national councilor]] [[Democratic Union of the Center|UDC]] [[Yves Nidegger]] opposed the “health dictatorship”.<ref>{{Cite web| author=Elio Sottas|url=https://www.lemanbleu.ch/fr/News/Yves-Nidegger-souhaite-reconstruire-Geneve-en-ruine.html|title=Yves Nidegger wishes to rebuild "Geneva in ruins"|website =[[Léman Bleu]]|date=2021-01-06}}.</ref> In Liestal, 8000 people demonstrate on March 20, 2021, against the anti-Covid measures in force while in Bern the police stop a demonstration for the same causes.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Anti-Covid demonstrations -sanitary measures in Liestal and Bern |url=https://www.swissinfo.ch/fre/manifestations-anti-mesures-sanitaires-%C3%A0-liestal-et-%C3%A0-berne/46465440 |website =[[Swissinfo]] |date=2021-03-20}}</ref> Following these demonstrations, the #NoLiestal movement is rising on digital networks to denounce and counter the agglomeration initiatives of coronasceptics in Switzerland.<ref>{{Cite web |language=fr |title=Forum (video) - The #NoLiestal movement, the counter-offensive against coronasceptics |url=https://www.rts.ch/play/tv/forum-video/video/le-mouvement-noliestal-la-contre-offensive-face-aux-coronasceptiques?urn=urn:rts:video:12075124 |website=[[Swiss Radio and Television]]|date=2021-03-25|access-date=2021-03-26}}.</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.watson.ch/fr/suisse/pand%C3%A9mie/674339869-noliestal-le-hashtag-qui-denonce-les-manifs-anti-restrictions|title=#NoLiestal, the hashtag that denounces anti-restrictions demonstrations|website=[[Watson (newspaper)|Watson]]|date=2021-03-25}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Ukraine ===<br />
On 14–20 February, protests against the placement of evacuated Ukrainian citizens (suspected of having coronavirus disease 2019) from the city of Wuhan (PRC) in Ukraine took place in Novi Sanzhary.<br />
<br />
In the summer and autumn of 2021, actions against obligatory vaccination against COVID-19 and restrictions for unvaccinated persons took place in various cities of Ukraine. In particular, on 27 July the "procession" against vaccination was organized by the [[Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate)|Moscow Patriarchate]]<ref>{{cite news<br />
| date = 27 July 2021<br />
| title = "Наша вакцина - це причастіє": хресна хода УПЦ МП у розпал пандемії. Як це було<br />
| url = https://www.bbc.com/ukrainian/media-57985963<br />
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20211105082542/https://www.bbc.com/ukrainian/media-57985963<br />
| archive-date = 5 November 2021<br />
| access-date = 5 November 2021<br />
}}</ref><br />
and on November 3 the protesters blocked the streets in Kyiv<ref>{{cite news<br />
| date = 5 November 2021<br />
| title = Мітинг антивакцинаторів у Києві: страх втратити роботу або стати роботами<br />
| url = https://p.dw.com/p/42XkY<br />
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20211105082112/https://www.dw.com/uk/mitynh-antyvaktsynatoriv-u-kyievi-strakh-vtratyty-robotu-abo-staty-robotamy/a-59711738<br />
| archive-date = 5 November 2021<br />
| access-date = 5 November 2021<br />
}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== United Kingdom ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 protests in the United Kingdom}}<br />
The first protests against the national mandatory lockdown in the United Kingdom took place in April&nbsp;2020, extending into the following month before abating as lockdown restrictions were slowly eased. As local area lockdown measures were reintroduced towards the end of summer, followed by stricter national lockdown measures, anti-lockdown protests resurged across the country beginning in September&nbsp;2020. More than 55 protesters have been arrested in these events as of October 2020. Some protesters have claimed that COVID-19 is a hoax, and many refused to wear [[Face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic|masks]] or practice [[social distancing]].<ref name="HuffPost Sept 2020">{{cite web | title=Revealed: The So-Called 'Top Class Doctors And Nurses' Backing Anti-Mask Protests | website=HuffPost | url=https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/these-are-the-so-called-top-class-doctors-and-nurses-backing-anti-mask-protests_uk_5f4e4531c5b697186e3b790d | date=5 September 2020 | access-date=15 October 2020 | archive-date=20 September 2020 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200920044007/https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/these-are-the-so-called-top-class-doctors-and-nurses-backing-anti-mask-protests_uk_5f4e4531c5b697186e3b790d | url-status=live }}</ref> Protests have occurred in [[Shrewsbury]],<ref>{{Cite web|last=Leather|first=Harry|title=Two arrested after anti-lockdown protesters in stand-off with police on roof of Shrewsbury College|url=https://www.shropshirestar.com/news/health/coronavirus-covid19/2020/04/20/anti-lockdown-protesters-in-stand-off-with-police-on-roof-of-shrewsbury-college/|access-date=10 July 2020|website=www.shropshirestar.com|date=20 April 2020 |language=en|archive-date=7 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201007010409/https://www.shropshirestar.com/news/health/coronavirus-covid19/2020/04/20/anti-lockdown-protesters-in-stand-off-with-police-on-roof-of-shrewsbury-college/|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Glastonbury]],<ref>{{Cite web|last=Mills|first=Richard|date=1 May 2020|title=Live updates as police attend protest against lockdown in Somerset|url=https://www.somersetlive.co.uk/news/somerset-news/lockdown-protest-glastonbury-corbyn-live-4096098|access-date=10 July 2020|website=somersetlive|language=en|archive-date=4 December 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201204235515/https://www.somersetlive.co.uk/news/somerset-news/lockdown-protest-glastonbury-corbyn-live-4096098|url-status=live}}</ref> [[London]], [[Manchester]], [[Glasgow]], [[Belfast]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://metro.co.uk/2020/05/16/19-arrested-anti-lockdown-protests-take-place-across-country-12715038/|title=19 arrested as anti-lockdown protests take place across country|first=Faye|last=Brown|date=16 May 2020|access-date=24 May 2020|archive-date=23 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200523160939/https://metro.co.uk/2020/05/16/19-arrested-anti-lockdown-protests-take-place-across-country-12715038/|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Hove]],<ref>{{Cite web|date=19 May 2020|title=Coronavirus lockdown prompts Hove seafront protest|url=https://www.brightonandhovenews.org/2020/05/19/coronavirus-lockdown-prompts-hove-seafront-protest/|access-date=10 July 2020|website=Brighton and Hove News|language=en-US|archive-date=15 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201015171929/https://www.brightonandhovenews.org/2020/05/19/coronavirus-lockdown-prompts-hove-seafront-protest/|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Birmingham]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/protests-birmingham-city-centre-over-18924302|title=Protests in Birmingham city centre over lockdown restrictions|first=Stephanie|last=Balloo|date=12 September 2020|website=BirminghamLive|access-date=12 September 2020|archive-date=13 September 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200913011210/https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/protests-birmingham-city-centre-over-18924302|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Liverpool]],<ref>{{cite web|title=Conspiracy theorist Piers Corbyn tells crowd of unmasked protesters 'covid is a hoax'|url=https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/conspiracy-theorist-piers-corbyn-tells-19125232|newspaper=Liverpool Echo|first=Jonathan|last=Humphries|date=18 October 2020|access-date=18 October 2020|archive-date=19 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201019060254/https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/conspiracy-theorist-piers-corbyn-tells-19125232|url-status=live}}</ref> as well as a few other cities.<br />
<br />
Protests over restrictions overlapped with [[anti-vaccine]] protests following the start of the UK's [[COVID-19 vaccination in the United Kingdom|COVID-19 vaccination programme]] in December 2020.<ref>{{cite news|date=2021-07-03|title=The anti-lockdown movement is still going strong|newspaper=The Economist|url=https://www.economist.com/britain/2021/07/03/the-anti-lockdown-movement-is-still-going-strong|access-date=2021-09-12|issn=0013-0613|archive-date=12 September 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210912213950/https://www.economist.com/britain/2021/07/03/the-anti-lockdown-movement-is-still-going-strong|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-07-19|title=Bottles thrown at police in anti-lockdown and anti-vaccination protest|url=https://www.itv.com/news/london/2021-07-19/bottles-thrown-at-police-in-anti-lockdown-and-anti-vaccination-protest|access-date=2021-09-12|website=ITV News|language=en|archive-date=13 September 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210913193143/https://www.itv.com/news/london/2021-07-19/bottles-thrown-at-police-in-anti-lockdown-and-anti-vaccination-protest|url-status=live}}</ref> On the weekend of 24–25 July 2021, protests broke out again in several major cities in the United Kingdom including [[London]],<ref>{{Cite web|title=Thousands protest amid global anger against COVID restrictions|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/7/24/protesters-against-covid-restrictions-clash-with-police-in-paris|access-date=2021-07-25|website=www.aljazeera.com|language=en|archive-date=25 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210725014050/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/7/24/protesters-against-covid-restrictions-clash-with-police-in-paris|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Leeds]],<ref>{{Cite web|last1=Norden|first1=Jasmine|date=2021-07-24|title='Freedom Rally' blocks Leeds roads as protestors accuse government of lies|url=https://www.leeds-live.co.uk/news/leeds-news/freedom-rally-blocks-leeds-roads-21137368|access-date=2021-07-25|website=LeedsLive|language=en|archive-date=25 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210725014059/https://www.leeds-live.co.uk/news/leeds-news/freedom-rally-blocks-leeds-roads-21137368|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Manchester]]<ref>{{Cite web|last1=Abbit|first1=Beth|date=2021-07-24|title=Protesters chant 'shame on you' at police during march through Manchester|url=https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/protesters-chant-shame-you-police-21137043|access-date=2021-07-25|website=Manchester Evening News|language=en|archive-date=25 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210725014059/https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/protesters-chant-shame-you-police-21137043|url-status=live}}</ref> and [[Birmingham]] due to people [[Vaccine hesitancy|opposing vaccines]] and [[COVID passports in the United Kingdom|proposed COVID passports]].<ref>{{Cite web|first=Nick|last=Horner|date=2021-07-24|title=Lockdown protests causing city centre road chaos|url=https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/live-anti-lockdown-protests-causing-21136037|access-date=2021-07-25|website=BirminghamLive|language=en|archive-date=25 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210725014049/https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/live-anti-lockdown-protests-causing-21136037|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
== North America ==<br />
<br />
=== Canada ===<br />
[[File:COVID-19 Vancouver's largest protest, April 26th 2020 (49823981297).jpg|thumb|Anti-lockdown protest in [[Vancouver]], British Columbia, on 26 April 2020]]<br />
{{main|COVID-19 protests in Canada}}<br />
In Canada, protests began on 19 April 2020 in [[Vancouver]].<ref name="Vancouver COVID-19 protests">{{cite news |last1=Carrigg |first1=David |title=COVID-19: Small group protests coronavirus restrictions in Vancouver |url=https://vancouversun.com/news/local-news/covid-19-vancouver-police-escort-small-group-protesting-government-restrictions/ |access-date=6 May 2020 |agency=Postmedia Network |publisher=Vancouver Sun |date=19 April 2020 |archive-date=12 May 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200512150249/https://vancouversun.com/news/local-news/covid-19-vancouver-police-escort-small-group-protesting-government-restrictions/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|date=26 April 2020|title=Protesters march against COVID-19 prevention measures in Vancouver &#124; CTV News|publisher=Bc.ctvnews.ca|url=https://bc.ctvnews.ca/protesters-march-against-covid-19-prevention-measures-in-vancouver-1.4912767|access-date=30 April 2020|archive-date=2 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200502004835/https://bc.ctvnews.ca/protesters-march-against-covid-19-prevention-measures-in-vancouver-1.4912767|url-status=live}}</ref> Protests also occurred in [[Toronto]], [[Edmonton]] and [[Ottawa]].<ref>{{cite news|title='A bunch of yahoos,' Ont. premier says of people protesting COVID-19 emergency measures &#124; CTV News|publisher=Toronto.ctvnews.ca|url=https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/a-bunch-of-yahoos-ont-premier-says-of-people-protesting-covid-19-emergency-measures-1.4911861|access-date=30 April 2020|archive-date=1 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200501172956/https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/a-bunch-of-yahoos-ont-premier-says-of-people-protesting-covid-19-emergency-measures-1.4911861|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Lauren |first1=Boothby |title=Hundreds flock to Alberta legislature to protest COVID-19 restrictions |url=https://edmontonjournal.com/news/local-news/hundreds-flock-to-alberta-legislature-to-protest-covid-19-restrictions/wcm/e93da949-89f6-4b77-8376-9a8ffbf5e340/ |access-date=5 May 2020 |work=Edmonton Journal |date=1 May 2020 |archive-date=6 May 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200506060124/https://edmontonjournal.com/news/local-news/hundreds-flock-to-alberta-legislature-to-protest-covid-19-restrictions/wcm/e93da949-89f6-4b77-8376-9a8ffbf5e340/ |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
On 21 April 2020 it was reported that prisoners at the [[Saskatchewan Penitentiary]] had been protesting against restrictions placed upon them in response to COVID-19, like being kept in their cells for 20 hours a day.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Bridges |first1=Alicia |title=Sask. Penitentiary inmates protest COVID-19 restrictions they say put them in cells 20 hours per day |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatoon/protests-covid-19-saskatchewan-penitentiary-1.5538728 |access-date=5 May 2020 |work=CBC News |date=21 April 2020 |archive-date=24 April 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200424090731/https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatoon/protests-covid-19-saskatchewan-penitentiary-1.5538728 |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
On 15 January 2021, [[Roman Baber]], [[Member of Provincial Parliament&nbsp;(Canada)|Member of Provincial Parliament]] for the [[Toronto]] riding of [[York Centre (provincial electoral district)|York Centre]], was removed from the caucus of the governing [[Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario]] after publishing an open letter to [[Premier of Ontario|Premier]] [[Doug Ford]] criticizing [[COVID-19 pandemic in Ontario|Ontario's lockdown restrictions]]. Baber continued his anti-lockdown advocacy as an [[independent politician|independent]] member of the legislative [[opposition (politics)|opposition]].<ref name="ts011521">{{cite news |last1=Benzie |first1=Robert |title=Premier Doug Ford turfs MPP Roman Baber from Tory caucus for opposing COVID-19 lockdown |url=https://www.thestar.com/politics/provincial/2021/01/15/tory-mpp-roman-baber-breaks-ranks-with-premier-doug-ford-urges-end-to-covid-19-lockdown.html |access-date=15 January 2021 |work=Toronto Star |publisher=Torstar |date=15 January 2021 |archive-date=15 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210115132729/https://www.thestar.com/politics/provincial/2021/01/15/tory-mpp-roman-baber-breaks-ranks-with-premier-doug-ford-urges-end-to-covid-19-lockdown.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/ontario-covid-19-january-15-2021-1.5874606| title=Ford ousts MPP from caucus over open letter pushing for end to COVID-19 lockdown| date=15 January 2021| website=cbc.ca| access-date=19 January 2021| archive-date=19 January 2021| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210119092609/https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/ontario-covid-19-january-15-2021-1.5874606| url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite tweet| user=Roman_Baber| number=1350089062800105473| title=I was removed from the @OntarioPCParty caucus. It's a regretful decision since many colleagues agree with me, incl @fordnation in large part. I don't regret speaking out for millions of lives & livelihoods decimated by Public Health, I serve the public. The Lockdown is grounded in false public health narrative, poor planning & bad data. While Doug only cares about re-election, Lockdowns are killing more than saving. I couldn't watch the suffering anymore. I hope I encouraged other professionals to speak out.| date=15 January 2021| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210115162937/https://twitter.com/Roman_Baber/status/1350089062800105473| archive-date= 15 January 2021| url-status =live}}</ref><br />
<br />
On 1 September 2021, thousands of people protested COVID-19 vaccine policies and mask mandates outside of [[Vancouver City Hall]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Protesters target B.C. hospitals disrupting patients, staff - NEWS 1130|url=https://www.citynews1130.com/2021/09/01/covid-protesters-bc-hospitals/|access-date=2021-09-03|website=www.citynews1130.com|archive-date=3 September 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210903030258/https://www.citynews1130.com/2021/09/01/covid-protesters-bc-hospitals/|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
[[File:Convoi de la liberté à Ottawa 01.jpg|thumb|Anti-mandate protest in [[Ottawa]], Canada's capital city, on 1 February 2022]]<br />
In January 2022, [[Freedom Convoy 2022]] began. Prime Minister [[Justin Trudeau]] invoked the [[Emergencies Act]] for the first time to quell the unrest from the occupation and harassment of Ottawa and its citizens by hundreds of trucks, their drivers and thousands of unruly protesters.<br />
<br />
====Alberta====<br />
A far-right group calling itself "Walk for Freedom" has been organizing anti-mask protests since at least April 2020.<ref name="CTV_20200429">{{cite news| title = Protest to 'End the Lockdown' attracts more than 100 people to Alberta legislature| work = CTV News Edmonton| access-date = 21 February 2021| date = 29 April 2020| url = https://edmonton.ctvnews.ca/protest-to-end-the-lockdown-attracts-more-than-100-people-to-alberta-legislature-1.4917828| archive-date = 9 March 2021| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210309035715/https://edmonton.ctvnews.ca/protest-to-end-the-lockdown-attracts-more-than-100-people-to-alberta-legislature-1.4917828| url-status = live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Anti-mask protesters take to the streets in Calgary to fight COVID-19 restrictions |url=https://calgary.ctvnews.ca/anti-mask-protesters-take-to-the-streets-in-calgary-to-fight-covid-19-restrictions-1.5228760 |first=Timm |last=Bruch |work=CTV News |date=12 December 2020 |access-date=21 February 2021 |archive-date=10 February 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210210223346/https://calgary.ctvnews.ca/anti-mask-protesters-take-to-the-streets-in-calgary-to-fight-covid-19-restrictions-1.5228760 |url-status=live }}</ref> Concerns were raised when several hundred protestors took part in a 20 February 2021 freedom convoy and Jericho Torch March at the Legislature organized by the "Walk for Freedom Alberta" and the "Freedom Unity Alliance".<ref name="global_Bench_20210221">{{cite news| last = Bench| first = Allison| title = Protesters gather from across the province at Alberta legislature to fight COVID-19 health measures| work = Global News| location = Edmonton, Alberta| access-date = 21 February 2021| date = 21 February 2021| url = https://globalnews.ca/news/7652604/feb-20-walk-for-freedom-covid-19/| archive-date = 22 February 2021| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210222015650/http://globalnews.ca/news/7652604/feb-20-walk-for-freedom-covid-19/| url-status = live}}</ref> Posters advertising the rally included an image of white nationalists marching through [[Charlottesville, Virginia|Charlottesville]] with [[Tiki torch]]es in the 2017 US [[Unite the Right rally]].<ref name="global_Bench_20210221"/><ref>{{Cite web| title = COVID Conspiracy Groups Are Using A Picture From Charlottesville Neo-Nazi Rally To Promote Their Upcoming 'Torch March'| work = Canadian Anti-Hate Network| access-date = February 22, 2021| date = February 16, 2021| url = https://www.antihate.ca/covid_conspiracy_groups_picture_charlottesville_neo_nazi_rally_promote_their_upcoming_torch_march |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210216201222/https://www.antihate.ca/covid_conspiracy_groups_picture_charlottesville_neo_nazi_rally_promote_their_upcoming_torch_march |archive-date=16 February 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web| work = Facebook| access-date = February 22, 2021| date = February 16, 2021| url = https://www.facebook.com/WALK108/photos/pcb.147482763873027/147482720539698/| author = WALK108| title = Poster for Walk for Freedom rallies| archive-date = 22 February 2021| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210222204047/https://www.facebook.com/WALK108/photos/pcb.147482763873027/147482720539698/| url-status = live}}</ref><ref name="660News_20210124">{{Cite web| title = Experts confused, concerned with anti-lockdown rally imagery| work = 660 NEWS| access-date = February 22, 2021| date = January 24, 2021| url = https://www.660citynews.com/2021/01/23/experts-confused-concerned-with-anti-lockdown-rally-imagery/| archive-date = 26 February 2021| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210226213959/https://www.660citynews.com/2021/01/23/experts-confused-concerned-with-anti-lockdown-rally-imagery/| url-status = live}}</ref> The group of hundreds of unmasked anti-lockdown protestors, carrying a Walk for Freedom banner included [[COVID-19 misinformation|COVID-19 deniers]].<ref name="CTV_20210221">{{cite news| title = Hatred, COVID-19 skepticism denounced after anti-lockdown rally at Alberta legislature| work = CTV Edmonton| access-date = February 21, 2021| date = February 21, 2021| url = https://edmonton.ctvnews.ca/hatred-covid-19-skepticism-denounced-after-anti-lockdown-rally-at-alta-legislature-1.5317502| archive-date = 22 February 2021| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210222045333/https://edmonton.ctvnews.ca/hatred-covid-19-skepticism-denounced-after-anti-lockdown-rally-at-alta-legislature-1.5317502| url-status = live}}</ref> Others were supporters of a pastor who was arrested for repeatedly refusing to comply to public health regulations, such as capping attendance, physical distancing and mask-wearing.<ref name="CBC_20210217">{{cite news| title = GraceLife pastor held in custody for refusing to comply with bail conditions| location = Edmonton, Alberta| access-date = February 21, 2021| date = February 17, 2021| url = https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/alberta-covid-coronavirus-grace-life-church-pastor-1.5917526| archive-date = 22 February 2021| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210222134044/https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/alberta-covid-coronavirus-grace-life-church-pastor-1.5917526| url-status = live}}</ref><ref name="thestar_20210221">{{cite news| title = Anti-lockdown rally at Alberta legislature voices support for jailed pastor| work = The Star| location = Edmonton, Alberta| access-date = February 21, 2021| date = February 21, 2021| url = https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2021/02/20/anti-lockdown-rally-at-alberta-legislature-voices-support-for-jailed-pastor.html| archive-date = 21 February 2021| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210221082455/https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2021/02/20/anti-lockdown-rally-at-alberta-legislature-voices-support-for-jailed-pastor.html| url-status = live}}</ref> The [[Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms]] (JCCF), representing the pastor, had launched a legal charter challenge against the Alberta government.<ref name="Griwkowsky_20201207">{{cite news| title = Justice centre launches legal challenge against Covid restrictions| work = Politics Today| url = https://www.politicstoday.news/alberta-today/justice-centre-launches-legal-challenge-against-covid-restrictions| first = Catherine| last = Griwkowsky| date = December 7, 2020| access-date = February 21, 2021| archive-date = 1 February 2021| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210201215035/https://www.politicstoday.news/alberta-today/justice-centre-launches-legal-challenge-against-covid-restrictions| url-status = live}}</ref> The Mayor of Edmonton said that the rally organizers were from outside Edmonton and that they "may be associated with known hate groups. Edmonton unequivocally condemns racism, misogyny and other forms of hate—such speech is not welcome in our community."<ref>{{cite news| title = Anti-restriction protesters gather at legislature, march in streets with tiki torches| work = 660 News| location = Edmonton, Alberta| access-date = February 21, 2021| date = February 20, 2021| url = https://www.660citynews.com/2021/02/20/large-anti-mask-and-anti-restriction-protest-underway-soon-in-edmonton/| archive-date = 21 February 2021| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210221182147/https://www.660citynews.com/2021/02/20/large-anti-mask-and-anti-restriction-protest-underway-soon-in-edmonton/| url-status = live}}</ref><ref name="CTV_20210221"/><ref>{{Cite AV media| title = Anti-lockdown protesters clash with media at "Walk for Freedom" rally |series=CTV News| access-date = February 21, 2021| date =February 21, 2021| url = https://edmonton.citynews.ca/video/2021/02/21/anti-lockdown-protesters-clash-with-media-at-walk-for-freedom-rally/}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Cuba ===<br />
{{Main|2021 Cuban protests}}<br />
A series of protests began on 11 July 2021, triggered by the shortage of food and medicine and the government's response to the resurgent [[COVID-19 pandemic in Cuba]].<ref>{{cite news|last=Robles|first=Frances|date=11 July 2021|title=Cubans Denounce 'Misery' in Biggest Protests in Decades|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/11/world/americas/cuba-crisis-protests.html|issn=0362-4331|archive-date=11 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210711212619/https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/11/world/americas/cuba-crisis-protests.html|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Mexico ===<br />
On 29 April, police in [[Yajalón]], [[Municipalities of Chiapas|Chiapas]], southern Mexico, opened fire on people who were protesting against a checkpoint that left their community isolated. Residents of neighbouring [[Tumbalá]] complained that the checkpoint made it impossible for them to access governmental and banking services and that it seemed to be related to a belief that Tumbalá had a high rate of coronavirus infection. Checkpoints have been installed in about 20% of Mexico's municipalities, which the federal government has declared illegal.<ref>{{cite news |title=México: Protesta contra retén por COVID termina en tiroteo |url=https://apnews.com/cfcb0c1a9718e9f62b05c1a67399398b |website=AP NEWS |access-date=5 June 2020 |date=30 April 2020 |archive-date=5 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200605181818/https://apnews.com/cfcb0c1a9718e9f62b05c1a67399398b |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
Hundreds of Mexicans participated in caravans on 30 May demanding the resignation of President [[Andrés Manuel López Obrador]] because of his handling of the [[COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico]] and the economy. The caravans, which took place in about a dozen cities across the country, consisted largely of luxury cars.<ref>{{cite web |title=Manifestaciones anti AMLO en varios estados - Estados - La Jornada |url=https://www.jornada.com.mx/ultimas/estados/2020/05/30/manifestaciones-anti-amlo-en-los-estados-6108.html |website=www.jornada.com.mx |access-date=5 June 2020 |language=es |date=30 May 2020 |archive-date=5 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200605182825/https://www.jornada.com.mx/ultimas/estados/2020/05/30/manifestaciones-anti-amlo-en-los-estados-6108.html |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
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Violence broke out on 4 June during [[George Floyd protests|demonstrations]] in [[Guadalajara]], [[Jalisco]] to demand justice after the [[death of Giovanni López]] in the town of [[Ixtlahuacán de los Membrillos]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Justicia para Giovanni: Protestan por el asesinato en Jalisco |url=https://www.milenio.com/estados/giovanni-lopez-protestas-asesinato-joven-jalisco |website=www.milenio.com |date=6 April 2020 |access-date=4 June 2020 |archive-date=5 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200605022951/https://www.milenio.com/estados/giovanni-lopez-protestas-asesinato-joven-jalisco |url-status=live }}</ref> López, a 30-year-old mason, had been arrested on 4 May for not wearing a [[COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico|facemask]] during a [[Stay-at-home order|lockdown]] and died the next day while in police custody.<ref>{{cite web |title=Así fue la detención de Giovanni López justo antes de su muerte |url=https://www.lavanguardia.com/internacional/20200605/481603972248/giovanni-lopez-muerte-policia-detencion-video-seo-ext.html |website=La Vanguardia |access-date=5 June 2020 |language=es |date=5 June 2020 |archive-date=5 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200605093708/https://www.lavanguardia.com/internacional/20200605/481603972248/giovanni-lopez-muerte-policia-detencion-video-seo-ext.html |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
=== United States ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 protests in the United States}}<br />
<br />
The United States' national response began in early January, originating with actions by the [[Centers for Disease Control and Prevention|Centers for Disease Control]] (CDC) and the [[White House]]. The [[COVID-19 pandemic in the United States|first U.S. case of COVID-19]] was recorded on 19 January 2020. In the United States, the [[U.S. state and local government responses to the COVID-19 pandemic|response was determined by state and local officials in coordination with the CDC and federal officials]]. On 9 February, governors were briefed by the [[White House Coronavirus Task Force]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=TIMELINE: The Trump Administration's Decisive Actions To Combat the Coronavirus|url=https://www.donaldjtrump.com/media/timeline-the-trump-administrations-decisive-actions-to-combat-the-coronavirus|access-date=10 July 2020|website=www.donaldjtrump.com|language=en|archive-date=11 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200711100629/https://www.donaldjtrump.com/media/timeline-the-trump-administrations-decisive-actions-to-combat-the-coronavirus|url-status=dead}}</ref> Beginning in mid-March, various [[Social distancing measures related to the COVID-19 pandemic|social distancing measures]] to limit spread of the virus were undertaken by state governors and in some cases counties or cities.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://abcnews.go.com/Health/wireStory/bay-area-counties-california-order-shelter-place-69627648|title=San Francisco Bay Area counties issue shelter-in-place order|last1=Rodriguez|first1=Olga R.|last2=Har|first2=Janie|date=16 March 2020|work=ABC News|access-date=9 May 2020|archive-date=25 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200525143041/https://abcnews.go.com/Health/wireStory/bay-area-counties-california-order-shelter-place-69627648|url-status=live}}</ref> Actions taken included [[stay-at-home order]]s ("quarantine"), school and business closures, and limitation on the size of gatherings. On 19 March 2020, [[Donald Trump|President Donald Trump]], and [[Mike Pence|Vice President Mike Pence]] met (via teleconference) with governors of most states to continue coordination and to assist states with their responses. [[Federal Emergency Management Agency|FEMA]] was brought into the effort around this time.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Remarks by President Trump and Vice President Pence in a Video Teleconference with Governors on COVID-19|url=https://trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov/briefings-statements/remarks-president-trump-vice-president-pence-video-teleconference-governors-covid-19/|access-date=10 July 2020|via=[[NARA|National Archives]]|work=[[whitehouse.gov]]|language=en-US|archive-date=20 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210120200339/https://trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov/briefings-statements/remarks-president-trump-vice-president-pence-video-teleconference-governors-covid-19/|url-status=live}}</ref> By 7 April 42 states had [[Lockdown#In epidemics and pandemics|lockdown orders]] in place.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://nationalpost.com/news/covid-19-people-have-to-be-responsible-for-themselves-eight-states-still-not-locked-down|title=COVID-19: 'People have to be responsible for themselves': Eight U.S. states still not locked down|last=Dittrich|first=Valerie|date=7 April 2020|work=National Post|access-date=9 May 2020}}</ref> The shutdowns had serious economic effects, including a steep rise in unemployment due to the shutdown of stores and workplaces.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2020/04/24/coronavirus-pandemics-impact-on-the-global-economy-in-7-charts.html|title=7 charts show how the coronavirus pandemic has hit the global economy|last=Lee|first=Yen Nee|date=24 April 2020|work=CNBC|access-date=9 May 2020|archive-date=4 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200504231204/https://www.cnbc.com/2020/04/24/coronavirus-pandemics-impact-on-the-global-economy-in-7-charts.html|url-status=live}}</ref> By 15 April protests and demonstrations had broken out in some states, demanding that the area be "re-opened" for normal business and personal activity. By 1 May there had been demonstrations in more than half of the states, and many governors began to take steps to lift the restrictions.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://thehill.com/homenews/sunday-talk-shows/495877-governors-experts-await-results-of-reopening-states-as-protests|title=Governors, experts await results of reopening states as protests continue|last=Budryk|first=Zack|date=3 May 2020|work=The Hill|access-date=9 May 2020|archive-date=10 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200510022802/https://thehill.com/homenews/sunday-talk-shows/495877-governors-experts-await-results-of-reopening-states-as-protests|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
{{multiple image<br />
| footer = Several hundred anti-lockdown protesters rallied at the [[Ohio Statehouse]] on 20 April.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Rouan |first1=Rick |title=Protesters at Statehouse demand state reopen as DeWine announces schools to remain closed |url=https://www.dispatch.com/news/20200420/protesters-at-statehouse-demand-state-reopen-as-dewine-announces-schools-to-remain-closed |access-date=3 May 2020 |work=[[The Columbus Dispatch]] |date=20 April 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200425004821/https://www.dispatch.com/news/20200420/protesters-at-statehouse-demand-state-reopen-as-dewine-announces-schools-to-remain-closed |archive-date=25 April 2020 |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
| image1 = Open Ohio Rally IMG 0910 (49799974031).jpg<br />
| alt1 = Ohio protesters, 18 April<br />
| image2 = CIMG 0355 (49799414598).jpg<br />
| alt2 = Ohio protesters, 20 April 20<br />
}}<br />
One of the first protests was in [[Michigan]] on 15 April 2020, organized by conservative groups which also encouraged groups in other states to copy their wording and templates.{{Citation needed|date=September 2021}} Protesters in numerous other states said they were inspired by Michigan, and they used Michigan's material on their own websites, Facebook groups, and [[Reddit]] pages to promote their protests.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/salvadorhernandez/coronavirus-quarantine-protests-facebook-groups|title=This Is How A Group Linked To Betsy DeVos Is Organizing Protests To End Social Distancing, Now With Trump's Support|website=BuzzFeed News|language=en|access-date=20 April 2020|archive-date=19 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200419180823/https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/salvadorhernandez/coronavirus-quarantine-protests-facebook-groups|url-status=live}}</ref> Subsequent protests were organized by [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] activists or party organizations,<ref name="reuters1">{{cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-trump-protests-idUSKCN2233ES|title=How Trump allies have organized and promoted anti-lockdown protests|date=22 April 2020|work=Reuters|access-date=23 April 2020|language=en|archive-date=23 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200423112936/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-trump-protests-idUSKCN2233ES|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bridgemi.com/michigan-government/meet-trump-loving-group-behind-protest-gov-whitmers-stay-home-order|title=Meet the Trump-loving group behind protest of Gov. Whitmer's stay-home order|date=22 April 2020|website=bridgemi.com|language=en|access-date=23 April 2020|archive-date=26 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200426174050/https://www.bridgemi.com/michigan-government/meet-trump-loving-group-behind-protest-gov-whitmers-stay-home-order|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="komonews">{{cite news|url=https://komonews.com/news/coronavirus/protest-against-state-closure-planned-for-tomorrow-in-olympia|title=Protest against state closure planned for tomorrow in Olympia|first=Cole |last=Miller|date=18 April 2020|website=KOMO|access-date=19 April 2020|archive-date=20 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200420003642/https://komonews.com/news/coronavirus/protest-against-state-closure-planned-for-tomorrow-in-olympia|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Tea Party movement|Tea Party activists]],<ref name=":8">{{cite news|url=https://www.politico.com/news/2020/04/21/trump-allies-help-organize-lockdown-protests-198426|title=Trump allies have their fingerprints on lockdown protests|website=POLITICO|language=en|access-date=23 April 2020|archive-date=22 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200422183744/https://www.politico.com/news/2020/04/21/trump-allies-help-organize-lockdown-protests-198426|url-status=live}}</ref> armed [[Patriot movement|militia movement]] supporters,<ref name="Grauniad-Right">{{cite news|last=Wilson|first=Jason|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/17/far-right-coronavirus-protests-restrictions|title=The rightwing groups behind wave of protests against Covid-19 restrictions|date=17 April 2020|work=The Guardian|access-date=18 April 2020|language=en-GB|issn=0261-3077|quote=...{{nbsp}}{{nbsp}}...|archive-date=18 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200418010447/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/17/far-right-coronavirus-protests-restrictions|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Gun laws in the United States by state|guns-rights]] activists,<ref>{{cite news|url=https://bringmethenews.com/minnesota-news/washington-post-links-minnesota-gun-group-to-anti-quarantine-protests|title=WaPo reveals Minnesota gun group link to anti-quarantine protests|last=Uren|first=Adam|website=Bring Me The News|language=en|access-date=20 April 2020|archive-date=24 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200424164209/https://bringmethenews.com/minnesota-news/washington-post-links-minnesota-gun-group-to-anti-quarantine-protests|url-status=live}}</ref> and "[[Anti-vaccine activism|anti-vaccination]]" advocates.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/02/us/anti-vaxxers-coronavirus-protests.html|title=Antivaccination Activists Are Growing Force at Virus Protests|last=Bogel-Burroughs|first=Nicholas|date=4 May 2020|work=The New York Times|access-date=4 May 2020|archive-date=3 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200503234419/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/02/us/anti-vaxxers-coronavirus-protests.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/anti-vaxxers-are-forming-an-unholy-alliance-with-shelter-in-place-protesters?source=articles&via=rss|title=Anti-Vaxxers and Lockdown Protesters Form an Unholy Alliance|last1=Sommer|first1=Will|last2=Kucinich|first2=Jackie|date=22 April 2020|work=Daily Beast|access-date=23 April 2020|archive-date=11 March 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210311021959/https://www.thedailybeast.com/anti-vaxxers-are-forming-an-unholy-alliance-with-shelter-in-place-protesters?source=articles&via=rss|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
Protesters, many without [[Face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States|face masks]], opposed the shelter-in-place orders in their states for various reasons. Many said they wanted businesses reopened so they could go back to work. Many others displayed pro-[[Donald Trump|Trump]] banners, signs, and [[Make America Great Again|MAGA]] hats.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2020/04/16/michigan-whitmer-conservatives-protest/|title=Chanting 'lock her up,' Michigan protesters waving Trump flags mass against Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's coronavirus restrictions|last=Flynn|first=Meagan|date=16 April 2020|newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=22 April 2020|archive-date=22 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200422002103/https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2020/04/16/michigan-whitmer-conservatives-protest/|url-status=live}}</ref> Still others insisted the lockdowns were a violation of their constitutional rights. One militia leader told a reporter, "Re-open my state or we will re-open it ourselves."<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-52359100|title=Coronavirus lockdown protest: What's behind the US demonstrations?|date=21 April 2020|work=BBC News|access-date=22 April 2020|archive-date=21 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200421200027/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-52359100|url-status=live}}</ref> An opinion article in ''The New York Times'', and an article in ''The Washington Post'' claimed that the anger driving the protests was "both real and manufactured", blaming conservative groups for engaging in [[astroturfing]] via centralized organization backed by anonymous donors.<ref>{{cite news|last=Graves|first=Lisa|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/22/opinion/coronavirus-protests-astroturf.html|title=Opinion {{!}} Who's Behind the 'Reopen' Protests?|date=22 April 2020|work=The New York Times|access-date=24 April 2020|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331|archive-date=24 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200424001641/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/22/opinion/coronavirus-protests-astroturf.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/inside-the-conservative-networks-backing-anti-quarantine-protests/2020/04/22/da75c81e-83fe-11ea-a3eb-e9fc93160703_story.html|title=The anti-quarantine protests seem spontaneous. But behind the scenes, a powerful network is helping.|last1=Stanley-Becker|first1=Isaac|last2=Romm|first2=Tony|date=22 April 2020|newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=24 April 2020|archive-date=29 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200429032531/https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/inside-the-conservative-networks-backing-anti-quarantine-protests/2020/04/22/da75c81e-83fe-11ea-a3eb-e9fc93160703_story.html|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
President Trump originally issued guidelines for how to phase out restrictions, saying that governors would decide how to reopen their own states and suggesting a cautious three-phase approach.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/16/politics/donald-trump-reopening-guidelines-coronavirus/index.html|title=Trump completes reversal, telling govs 'you are going to call your own shots' and distributes new guidelines|date=16 April 2020|work=CNN|access-date=23 April 2020|archive-date=22 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200422213330/https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/16/politics/donald-trump-reopening-guidelines-coronavirus/index.html|url-status=live}}</ref> However, the next day he reacted to the protests against social restrictions by encouraging the protests.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/17/us/politics/trump-coronavirus-governors.html|title=Trump Encourages Protest Against Governors Who Have Imposed Virus Restrictions|last1=Shear|first1=Michael D.|last2=Mervosh|first2=Sarah|date=17 April 2020|work=The New York Times|access-date=23 April 2020|archive-date=23 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200423000143/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/17/us/politics/trump-coronavirus-governors.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Itkowitz|first=Colby|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/04/17/liberate-trump-tweets-support-protesting-against-stay-at-home-orders/|title='Liberate': Trump Tweets Support of Protests Against Stay-at-Home Orders|date=17 April 2020|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|access-date=17 April 2020|archive-date=17 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200417233521/https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/04/17/liberate-trump-tweets-support-protesting-against-stay-at-home-orders/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/17/us/coronavirus-cases-news-update.html|title=Trump Foments Protests Against Governors; Experts Warn of Testing Shortages|date=17 April 2020|work=The New York Times|access-date=18 April 2020|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331|archive-date=18 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200418004100/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/17/us/coronavirus-cases-news-update.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|agency=Reuters/AP|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/video/2020/apr/18/they-seem-very-responsible-to-me-trump-defends-anti-lockdown-protesters-video|title='They seem very responsible to me': Trump defends anti-lockdown protesters - video|date=18 April 2020|work=The Guardian|access-date=19 April 2020|language=en-GB|issn=0261-3077|archive-date=19 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200419003522/https://www.theguardian.com/world/video/2020/apr/18/they-seem-very-responsible-to-me-trump-defends-anti-lockdown-protesters-video|url-status=live}}</ref> Governor [[Jay Inslee]] (D-WA) accused the president of "fomenting domestic rebellion" and said the president's call to ignore his own team's guidelines was "schizophrenic".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/04/trump-accused-fomenting-rebellion-liberate-tweets-200417223606672.html|title=Trump accused of 'fomenting rebellion' after 'LIBERATE' tweets|website=aljazeera.com|access-date=19 April 2020|archive-date=18 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200418213043/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/04/trump-accused-fomenting-rebellion-liberate-tweets-200417223606672.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2020/04/19/governors-decry-trump-call-liberate-states-coronavirus-restrictions/5162196002/|title=Governors slam Trump's call to 'liberate' states where protesters object to coronavirus restrictions|last=Cummings|first=William|website=USA TODAY|language=en-US|access-date=20 April 2020|archive-date=19 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200419233030/https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2020/04/19/governors-decry-trump-call-liberate-states-coronavirus-restrictions/5162196002/|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
[[File:OPEN our OHIO IMG 0144 (49790376873).jpg|thumb|An anti-lockdown protester in April 2020]]<br />
[[Facebook]] announced that it would block events and messages from anti-quarantine protest groups "when gatherings do not follow the health parameters established by the government and are therefore unlawful".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.politico.com/news/2020/04/20/facebook-shuts-down-anti-quarantine-protests-at-states-request-196143|title=Republicans attack Facebook as network shuts down anti-lockdown protests|last=Overly|first=Steven|website=POLITICO|language=en|access-date=21 April 2020|archive-date=21 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200421021301/https://www.politico.com/news/2020/04/20/facebook-shuts-down-anti-quarantine-protests-at-states-request-196143|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
In California, [[Libertarian Party (United States)|Libertarian Party]] chapters in [[Santa Clara, California|Santa Clara]] and [[San Francisco]] counties condemned lockdown measures in the state with a resolution stating in part that, "these government impositions have already lasted for longer than could be justified by the purpose for which they were allegedly necessary, constituting a sort of "mission creep" that could potentially keep them in place with no definite end, and with economic and social damage continuing to accumulate and becoming more severe."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.scclp.org/resolution_regarding_government_pandemic_response|title=Resolution Regarding Government Pandemic Response|access-date=11 May 2020|archive-date=26 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200526033448/https://www.scclp.org/resolution_regarding_government_pandemic_response|url-status=live}}</ref> Such responses were compared to the [[Anti-Mask League of San Francisco]] movement that was seen during the [[Spanish flu|1918 Spanish flu pandemic]], where the efficacy of masks was debated during the second wave of flu in the city.<ref name="amlsf">{{cite news|last=Kane|first=Peter Lawrence|date=29 April 2020|title=The Anti-Mask League: lockdown protests draw parallels to 1918 pandemic|language=en-GB|work=The Guardian|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/29/coronavirus-pandemic-1918-protests-california|access-date=30 April 2020|issn=0261-3077|archive-date=30 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200430023846/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/29/coronavirus-pandemic-1918-protests-california|url-status=live}}</ref> The Anti-Mask League saw the medical advice on masks as unconstitutional, and contrary to the principles of a free society.<ref name="amlsf"/><br />
<br />
Cell phone data from [[Digital contact tracing|digital-contact tracing]] software, captured from opt-in cellphone apps and the Firm VoteMap, then provided to The Guardian (publication) by progressive campaign group the Committee to Protect Medicare, suggests that cell phones present at anti-lockdown protests in [[2020 United States anti-lockdown protests|Colorado]], [[2020 United States anti-lockdown protests|Florida]], Illinois, [[2020 United States anti-lockdown protests|Michigan]] and North Carolina traveled long distances after leaving the protests. Dr. Rob Davidson, executive director of the Committee to Protect Medicare, said that although “it's hard to draw a straight line between devices, individuals at these protests, and cases”, the data suggests that the protests may be epidemiologically significant events." and that "The behavior we’re seeing at protests carries a high risk of infection."<ref>{{cite news|last=Wilson|first=Jason|date=18 May 2020|title=US lockdown protests may have spread virus widely, cellphone data suggests|language=en-GB|work=The Guardian|url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/may/18/lockdown-protests-spread-coronavirus-cellphone-data|access-date=23 May 2020|issn=0261-3077|archive-date=23 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200523061752/https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/may/18/lockdown-protests-spread-coronavirus-cellphone-data|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
On 30 January 2021, dozens of "SCAMDEMIC" protesters blocked the entrance to the vaccination center at [[Dodger Stadium]] in [[Los Angeles]].<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-01-31|title=Dodger Stadium mass COVID-19 vaccination site temporarily shuts down after protesters block entrance|url=https://ktla.com/news/local-news/dodger-stadium-mass-coronavirus-vaccination-site-shut-down-after-protesters-block-entrance/|access-date=2021-01-31|website=KTLA|language=en-US|archive-date=31 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210131013546/https://ktla.com/news/local-news/dodger-stadium-mass-coronavirus-vaccination-site-shut-down-after-protesters-block-entrance/|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
== Oceania ==<br />
<br />
=== American Samoa ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 pandemic in American Samoa}}<br />
In July 2020, several people protested against the spending of COVID-19 funds in [[American Samoa]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/420676/protest-against-spending-of-covid-19-funds-in-american-samoa | title=Protest against spending of Covid-19 funds in American Samoa | website=[[Radio New Zealand]] | date=7 July 2020 }}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Australia ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 protests in Australia}}<br />
{{See also|Convoy to Canberra}}<br />
Throughout 2020 and 2021, numerous illegal protests of widely varying sizes against COVID-19 lockdown restrictions and the [[Australian Federal Government]]'s vaccination programme were held in several state capitals including [[Adelaide]], [[Brisbane]], [[Melbourne]], [[Perth]] and [[Sydney]].<ref>{{cite news|title='Incredibly disappointing': Ugly scenes at Melbourne coronavirus protests as violence erupts|url=https://7news.com.au/lifestyle/health-wellbeing/melbourne-protests-violent-scenes-in-melbournes-cbd-as-coronavirus-protesters-are-detained-c-1028327|date=10 May 2020|work=[[Seven News]]|language=en|access-date=10 May 2020|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200911032042/https://7news.com.au/lifestyle/health-wellbeing/melbourne-protests-violent-scenes-in-melbournes-cbd-as-coronavirus-protesters-are-detained-c-1028327|archive-date=11 September 2020}}</ref><ref name="9news-anti-vacc-rallys-20-feb">{{cite news |last1=Noble |first1=Freya |title=Anti-coronavirus vaccine protests held in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth |url=https://www.9news.com.au/national/coronavirus-protest-melbourne-brisbane-sydney-pete-evans/a328629b-4d7f-48b1-a13f-72fe42dd8c2b |access-date=21 February 2021 |work=[[Nine News|9 News]] |publisher=Nine Digital Pty Ltd |date=20 February 2021 |archive-date=20 February 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210220222329/https://www.9news.com.au/national/coronavirus-protest-melbourne-brisbane-sydney-pete-evans/a328629b-4d7f-48b1-a13f-72fe42dd8c2b |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="smh-pfizer-doses-start">{{cite news |last1=Dye |first1=Josh |last2=Clun |first2=Rachel |title=COVID-19 vaccines begin as Prime Minister receives Pfizer immunisation |url=https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/covid-19-vaccines-begin-as-prime-minister-receives-pfizer-immunisation-20210221-p574cw.html |access-date=21 February 2021 |work=[[The Sydney Morning Herald]] |date=21 February 2021 |archive-date=25 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210525075159/https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/covid-19-vaccines-begin-as-prime-minister-receives-pfizer-immunisation-20210221-p574cw.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Police responded to some of the protests by arresting demonstrators and issuing fines.<ref name="abc-melb-lockdown-protest-nov'20">{{cite news |title=Police arrest more than 400 demonstrators at Melbourne anti-lockdown protest |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-11-03/melbourne-anti-lockdown-protest-sees-over-400-protesters-arrest/12845120 |access-date=5 June 2021 |work=ABC News |publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation |date=3 November 2020 |archive-date=6 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210506082030/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-11-03/melbourne-anti-lockdown-protest-sees-over-400-protesters-arrest/12845120 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Australia: Scores arrested at anti-coronavirus lockdown protests |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/8/21/australia-scores-arrested-at-anti-coronavirus-lockdown-protests |access-date=22 August 2021 |work=[[Al Jazeera English|Al Jazeera]] |date=21 August 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210821171717/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/8/21/australia-scores-arrested-at-anti-coronavirus-lockdown-protests |archive-date=21 August 2021|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Anti-lockdown protesters clash with police in Australia |url=https://amp.rnz.co.nz/article/869c10d3-77f3-4f63-8d04-343e7cc5d109 |access-date=22 August 2021 |work=[[Radio New Zealand]] |date=21 August 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210821070733/https://amp.rnz.co.nz/article/869c10d3-77f3-4f63-8d04-343e7cc5d109 |archive-date=21 August 2021|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
In Melbourne, [[Victoria, Australia|Victoria]], from 20 to 24 September 2021, a series of protests occurred in the city's CBD. Protesters were predominantly tradesmen who were acting against lockdowns, the closure of the construction industry and [[vaccine mandate]]s. It is believed that several protesters were "fake tradies" who could be described as "professional protesters". Police responded with rubber bullets, batons and tear gas. Various media outlets were critical of the police's heavy-handed response to the protesters and bystander civilians.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Clench |first1=Sam |last2=Smith |first2=Rohan |title=Melbourne 'freedom' protest: Chaos erupts on CBD streets, West Gate Freeway over construction sector shutdown |url=https://www.news.com.au/national/melbourne-braces-for-more-chaos-as-workers-plan-another-freedom-rally/news-story/2b8d98e06b20dd42c51ef9960849f403 |access-date=21 September 2021 |work=News.com |publisher=Nationwide News Pty Ltd |date=20 September 2021 |language=en-AU |archive-date=21 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210921021456/https://www.news.com.au/national/melbourne-braces-for-more-chaos-as-workers-plan-another-freedom-rally/news-story/2b8d98e06b20dd42c51ef9960849f403 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Tuffiel |first1=Rhiannon |title=Tradie protest 'hijacked' by 'extreme organisations': CFMEU boss |url=https://www.news.com.au/national/victoria/politics/tradie-protest-hijacked-by-extreme-organisations-cfmeu-boss/news-story/11a24a98abf9f04ed67f5e50fced7c35 |access-date=21 September 2021 |work=News.com.au |agency=NCA NewsWire |publisher=Nationwide News Pty Ltd |date=20 September 2021 |language=en-AU |archive-date=20 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210920221215/https://www.news.com.au/national/victoria/politics/tradie-protest-hijacked-by-extreme-organisations-cfmeu-boss/news-story/11a24a98abf9f04ed67f5e50fced7c35 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Harley |first1=Kyle |title=More than 200 arrests made across Melbourne as police disperse anti-lockdown protesters |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-09-24/protests-condemned-rallies-enter-fifth-day/100488196 |access-date=24 September 2021 |work=ABC News |publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation |date=24 September 2021 |language=en-AU |archive-date=25 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210925012150/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-09-24/protests-condemned-rallies-enter-fifth-day/100488196 |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
The first major legal protest occurred in early 2022 in [[Canberra]], [[Australian Capital Territory]], which is also the most highly vaccinated jurisdiction in Australia. A "[[Convoy to Canberra]]", consisting of thousands of protesters in trailers, trucks, cars and campervans made their way in the national capital in January.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2022/02/03/canadas-freedom-convoy-is-inspiring-protests-in-other-countries.html| title=How Canada's 'Freedom Convoy' is inspiring protests in other countries| first1=Alex| last1=McKeen| first2=Lex| last2=Harvey| first3=Kieran| last3=Leavitt|date=February 3, 2022|work=[[Toronto Star]]}}</ref><ref name="The Guardian Occupy Canberra">{{cite news |last1=Butler |first1=Josh |title='Occupy Canberra': behind the anti-vaccine protests at Parliament House |url=https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/feb/04/occupy-canberra-behind-the-anti-vaccine-protests-at-parliament-house |access-date=7 February 2022 |work=[[The Guardian]] |date=4 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220206092405/https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/feb/04/occupy-canberra-behind-the-anti-vaccine-protests-at-parliament-house |archive-date=6 February 2022|url-status=live}}</ref> On 12 February, around 10,000 protesters converged on [[Parliament House, Canberra|Parliament House]] and [[Old Parliament House, Canberra|Old Parliament House]], and [[Lifeline (crisis support service)|Lifeline Canberra]] suspended its major fund-raising event due to safety concerns for customers.<ref name="News.com.au 13 Feb">{{cite news |last1=Consenza |first1=Emily |last2=Raphael |first2=Angie |title=Incredible scenes as anti-vaccine mandate protesters swarm Canberra streets |url=https://www.news.com.au/national/nsw-act/news/antivaccine-mandate-ralliers-potentially-target-vaccine-hub-hosting-childrens-event/news-story/9e98221eab0c5436f122209a38d56102 |access-date=13 February 2022 |work=[[News.com.au]] |publisher=[[News Corp Australia]] |date=12 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220212192032/https://www.news.com.au/national/nsw-act/news/antivaccine-mandate-ralliers-potentially-target-vaccine-hub-hosting-childrens-event/news-story/9e98221eab0c5436f122209a38d56102 |archive-date=12 February 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Federal government relaxes aged care COVID rule as protesters converge on Canberra |url=https://thenewdaily.com.au/news/coronavirus/2022/02/13/aged-care-covid-rule-canberra-protests/ |access-date=14 February 2022 |work=[[The New Daily]] |date=13 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220213120210/https://thenewdaily.com.au/news/coronavirus/2022/02/13/aged-care-covid-rule-canberra-protests/ |archive-date=13 February 2022|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Kelly |first1=Lidia |title=NZ, Australia vaccination mandates protests gain in number |url=https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/new-zealand-australia-vaccination-mandates-protests-gain-numbers-2022-02-12/ |access-date=14 February 2022 |work=[[Reuters]] |date=12 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220213163443/https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/new-zealand-australia-vaccination-mandates-protests-gain-numbers-2022-02-12/ |archive-date=13 February 2022|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Christmas Island ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 pandemic in Christmas Island}}<br />
Detainees at the [[Christmas Island Detention Centre]] rioted and set fire to buildings in a protest against the conditions of the detention centre.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/jan/06/christmas-island-detainees-riot-and-set-fire-to-buildings-in-protest-against-conditions | title=Christmas Island detainees riot and set fire to buildings in protest against conditions | website=[[TheGuardian.com]] | date=6 January 2021 }}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Fiji ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 pandemic in Fiji}}<br />
In June 2021, following lockdowns in Fiji, locals protested across the country for more government support.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-06-23/fiji-instability-covid-outbreak-unrest-restrictions-lockdown/100234180 | title='Frustration and anger are starting to build': Fears COVID outbreak leading to civil unrest in Fiji | newspaper=ABC News | date=22 June 2021 }}</ref><br />
<br />
=== French Polynesia ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 pandemic in French Polynesia#vaccination efforts}}<br />
In October 2021, several protests against a proposed law mandating COVID-19 vaccines were held throughout [[French Polynesia]] including [[Papeete]] in [[Tahiti]] and [[Hiva Oa]] in the [[Marquesas Islands]]. Notable groups and individuals involved included the "Don't Touch my Family" group, the pro-independence party [[Tavini Huiraatira]], and retired Dr. Jean-Paul Theron, who was locked in a dispute with health authorities over his methods of treating COVID-19 patients.<ref>{{cite news |title=Tahiti rally against vaccination regime |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/453364/tahiti-rally-against-vaccination-regime |access-date=6 November 2021 |work=[[Radio New Zealand]] |date=12 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211019053801/https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/453364/tahiti-rally-against-vaccination-regime |archive-date=19 October 2021|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Pro-independence party joins French Polynesia anti-vax march |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/454227/pro-independence-party-joins-french-polynesia-anti-vax-march |access-date=6 November 2021 |work=[[Radio New Zealand]] |date=25 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211027052722/https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/454227/pro-independence-party-joins-french-polynesia-anti-vax-march |archive-date=27 October 2021}}</ref> The proposed law requires anyone working in healthcare or with the public to get inoculated or be fined $US1,700.<ref>{{cite news |title=French Polynesian govt delays Covid-19 vaccination law |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/453809/french-polynesian-govt-delays-covid-19-vaccination-law |access-date=6 November 2021 |work=[[Radio New Zealand]] |date=19 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211019103922/https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/453809/french-polynesian-govt-delays-covid-19-vaccination-law |archive-date=19 October 2021|url-status=live}}</ref> In response to strong opposition from anti-vaccination protesters, unions, and employers, [[President of French Polynesia|President]] [[Édouard Fritch]] announced that the new law would be delayed until 23 December.<ref name="Vaccination law amended">{{cite news |title=French Polynesia vaccination law to be amended |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/453853/french-polynesia-vaccination-law-to-be-amended |access-date=6 November 2021 |work=[[Radio New Zealand]] |date=19 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211104115009/https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/453853/french-polynesia-vaccination-law-to-be-amended |archive-date=4 November 2021}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Guam ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 pandemic in Guam}}<br />
Members of the [[Guam Freedom Coalition]] protested vaccine mandates in [[Guam]] on 30 October 2021.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.guampdn.com/news/march-held-to-protest-vaccine-mandates/video_2f7ee160-28b4-5974-b83a-12485173f1a2.html | title=March held to protest vaccine mandates | date=30 October 2021 }}</ref><br />
<br />
=== New Caledonia ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 pandemic in New Caledonia}}<br />
An estimate of 1,000 people staged a protest in [[Nouméa]] against government policies regarding the pandemic, such as the introduction of health passes and vaccine mandates. The protest occurred a day after outdoor gatherings in [[New Caledonia]] were limited to 30 people, however police decided not to intervene due to the presence of children.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.cookislandsnews.com/regional/new-caledonia/protest-in-new-caledonia-against-govts-pandemic-policies/ | title=Protest in New Caledonia against govt's pandemic policies | date=10 January 2022 }}</ref><br />
<br />
=== New Zealand ===<br />
[[File:Convoy 2022 NZ (41).jpg|thumb|Protesters blocking a street at the Convoy 2022 NZ protest in Wellington]]<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 protests in New Zealand}}<br />
{{See also|2022 Wellington protests}}<br />
Between August and October 2021, several protests were held across New Zealand to protest official lockdown measures, vaccination, and spread disinformation about the COVID-19 pandemic. Key groups and individuals that were involved in these protests included FACTS NZ, Kotahitanga Movement Aotearoa, the NZ Liberty Movement and [[Jami-Lee Ross]] and [[Billy Te Kahika]]'s [[Advance New Zealand]] party.<ref>{{cite news|last=Pearse |first=Adam |work=[[The Northern Advocate]]|date=13 August 2020|title=Covid 19 coronavirus: Lockdown protest stops traffic in Whangārei|language=en-NZ| url= https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12356284|access-date=22 August 2020|issn=1170-0777|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200821030819/https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12356284|archive-date=21 August 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Anti-lockdown, vaccination and 1080 protesters take over Auckland's Aotea Square|language=en|work=[[Newshub]]|url= https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2020/08/anti-lockdown-vaccination-and-1080-protesters-take-over-auckland-s-aotea-square.html|access-date=22 August 2020|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200824232201/https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2020/08/anti-lockdown-vaccination-and-1080-protesters-take-over-auckland-s-aotea-square.html|archive-date=24 August 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Bayer |first1=Kurt |title=Covid 19 coronavirus: Hundreds turn out for anti-lockdown protests |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12362504 |access-date=5 September 2020 |work=[[The New Zealand Herald]] |date=5 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200905093331/https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12362504 |archive-date=5 September 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|date=2020-09-12|title=Advance Party and crowd rallies against Covid-19 restrictions and lockdowns|language=en-NZ|work=[[The New Zealand Herald]] |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12364413|access-date=2020-09-13|issn=1170-0777|archive-date=13 September 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200913195732/https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12364413|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
In January 2021, Te Kahika led a "freedom rally" outside the [[New Zealand Parliament]]; protestors opposed lockdown policies, while expressing support for US President [[Donald Trump]] and [[QAnon]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Walls |first1=Jason |title=Police keeping a close eye on controversial Billy TK 'freedom rally' outside Beehive |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/police-keeping-a-close-eye-on-controversial-billy-tk-freedom-rally-outside-beehive/4C2E3SYXDZPQZZA4CK2EC5T2MU/ |access-date=14 January 2021 |work=[[The New Zealand Herald]] |date=14 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210114104417/https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/police-keeping-a-close-eye-on-controversial-billy-tk-freedom-rally-outside-beehive/4C2E3SYXDZPQZZA4CK2EC5T2MU/ |archive-date=14 January 2021|url-status=live}}</ref> Following the reinstatement of lockdown restrictions in mid–August 2021 in response to a [[SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant|Delta variant]] community outbreak, anti-lockdown protests were staged in [[Auckland]], [[Tauranga]], [[Nelson, New Zealand|Nelson]], and [[Christchurch]]. Key participants included Te Kahika and far-right activist [[Kyle Chapman (New Zealand activist)|Kyle Champman]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Conspiracy theorist Billy TK arrested at anti-lockdown protest |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/449439/conspiracy-theorist-billy-tk-arrested-at-anti-lockdown-protest |access-date=18 August 2021 |work=[[Radio New Zealand]] |date=18 August 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210818053131/https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/449439/conspiracy-theorist-billy-tk-arrested-at-anti-lockdown-protest |archive-date=18 August 2021|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Lourens |first1=Marine |last2=Sherwood |first2=Sam |last3=McNeilly |first3=Hamish |title=Covid-19: Former far-Right leader to spend weekend behind bars after alleged lockdown breach |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/126131440/covid19-former-farright-leader-to-spend-weekend-behind-bars-after-alleged-lockdown-breach |access-date=20 August 2021 |work=[[Stuff (website)|Stuff]] |date=20 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210820040054/https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/126131440/covid19-former-farright-leader-to-spend-weekend-behind-bars-after-alleged-lockdown-breach|archive-date=20 August 2021|url-status=live}}</ref> In February 2022, [[Convoy 2022 New Zealand]] gathered outside parliament buildings and blocked streets in Wellington.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/461471/wellington-s-sky-stadium-offered-as-parking-to-free-up-parliament-streets-blocked-by-protesters |title=Wellington's Sky Stadium offered as parking to free up Parliament streets blocked by protesters |publisher=[[Radio New Zealand]] |date=14 February 2022 |accessdate=22 February 2022}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Papua New Guinea ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 pandemic in Papua New Guinea}}<br />
During the pandemic, attacks on health workers<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KbDVzLGCSGc | title=Violence against PNG health workers rises amid protests against COVID vaccinations &#124; ABC News | website=[[YouTube]] }}</ref> and vaccination teams<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/455215/mob-attacks-on-vaccination-teams-commonplace-in-png | title=Mob attacks on vaccination teams commonplace in PNG | website=[[Radio New Zealand]] | date=8 November 2021 }}</ref> in [[Papua New Guinea]] have occurred multiple times. Protests were banned nationwide due to the pandemic,<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.pngreport.com/covid-19/news/1420060/ban-on-png-protest-marches | title=Ban on PNG protest marches | date=22 October 2021 }}</ref> however they still occurred across the country, particularly in the capital, [[Port Moresby]],<ref>{{cite web | url=https://asiapacificreport.nz/2021/11/02/png-police-block-illegal-anti-vaxxer-rally-in-port-moresby-amid-fake-info/ | title=PNG police block illegal anti-vaxxer rally in Port Moresby amid fake info &#124; Asia Pacific Report | date=2 November 2021 }}</ref> as well as in [[Lae]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://crisis24.garda.com/alerts/2021/09/papua-new-guinea-additional-protests-possible-in-lae-through-at-least-mid-september-over-corporate-mandatory-vaccination-policies | title=Papua New Guinea: Additional protests possible in Lae through at least mid-September over corporate mandatory vaccination policies }}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Samoa ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 pandemic in Samoa}}<br />
On 8 May 2020, around 100 people protested new laws regarding COVID-19 in [[Samoa]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://monitor.civicus.org/updates/2020/05/21/protests-samoa-against-three-bills-could-undermine-judicial-independence-and-rule-law/ | title=Protests in Samoa against three bills that could undermine judicial independence and rule of law }}</ref> On 23 June 2022, more than 30 people protested vaccine mandates in Samoa.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.samoanews.com/protest-vaccine-mandate-demonstration | title=Protest the Vaccine Mandate" demonstration }}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Solomon Islands ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 pandemic in the Solomon Islands|2021 Solomon Islands unrest}}<br />
The [[2021 Solomon Islands unrest]] was partially caused by government mishandling of the pandemic.<br />
<br />
=== Vanuatu ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 pandemic in Vanuatu}}<br />
The [[Government of Vanuatu]] criticised a planned protest regarding COVID-19 involving church and youth groups. The protesters claimed that the [[Vanuatu Police Force|Police Commissioner]] had given them permission to protest, however the [[Deputy Prime Minister of Vanuatu|Deputy Prime Minister]] [[Ishmael Kalsakau]] said it could not go ahead as it was politically motivated. Protestors also claimed that at least two MPs (namely [[Andrew Napuat]] and [[John Salong]]) supported the protest.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/466907/vanuatu-govt-says-no-to-vaccine-protest-march | title=Vanuatu Govt says no to vaccine protest march | website=[[Radio New Zealand]] | date=11 May 2022 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://islandsbusiness.com/news-break/vanuatu-govt-halts-vaccine-protest-march/ | title=Vanuatu Govt halts vaccine protest march | date=12 May 2022 }}</ref><br />
<br />
== South America ==<br />
<br />
=== Argentina ===<br />
{{Main|2020–2021 Argentinian protests}}<br />
[[File:En busca de la libertad 01.jpg|thumb|180px|The [[17A]] protests on 17 August 2020]]<br />
On 25 May, during the [[First National Government|Anniversary of the First National Government]], protests erupted all over the country,<ref>{{Cite web|date=25 May 2020|title=Un reducido grupo de manifestantes protestó contra la cuarentena en la Plaza de Mayo|url=https://www.infobae.com/sociedad/2020/05/25/manifestantes-protestan-contra-la-cuarentena-en-la-plaza-de-mayo/|access-date=10 July 2020|website=infobae|language=es-ES|archive-date=4 June 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200604063409/https://www.infobae.com/sociedad/2020/05/25/manifestantes-protestan-contra-la-cuarentena-en-la-plaza-de-mayo/|url-status=live}}</ref> but predominantly in [[Buenos Aires]] and [[Córdoba, Argentina|Cordoba]]. The protest consisted mostly of small business owners demanding the local and national governments to be allowed to work, under a sanitary protocol. At this point, the stay-at-home order had been in place nationwide for 65 days.<br />
<br />
On 20 June, which is the country's [[Flag Day (Argentina)|National Flag Day]], the size of the protests had grown immensely compared to the previous ones held in late May.<ref>{{cite news|date=20 June 2020|title=En Twitter: cómo es el banderazo nacional contra la expropiación de Vicentin|url=https://www.lanacion.com.ar/politica/convocan-banderazo-nacional-republica-sabado-20-junio-nid2381945|access-date=10 July 2020|newspaper=La Nación|language=es|archive-date=6 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200706082841/https://www.lanacion.com.ar/politica/convocan-banderazo-nacional-republica-sabado-20-junio-nid2381945|url-status=live}}</ref> While business owners and workers were still calling for more workplaces to be allowed to operate, the government's attempt to expropriate Vicentín, a soy and wheat manufacturer and one of the largest exporting firms in the country, also sparked outrage and motivated protests in many provinces where agriculture plays a big role in their local economy, particularly in the [[Santa Fe Province]], where this business is located. Due to the huge backlash, president [[Alberto Fernández|Alberto Fernandez]] has decided to step down and not take over the company. Protests also took place in the city centre of most cities and at the gates of the [[Quinta de Olivos|presidential residence]]. While the lockdown had been lifted in most provinces and municipalities, it was still enforced in [[Greater Buenos Aires]], which represents around 60% of the Argentine economy. On this day, the stay-at-home order had been in place for 90 days, making it the longest mandatory quarantine in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.<ref>{{cite news|last=Goñi|first=Uki|date=17 June 2020|title=Argentina's president enters voluntary isolation amid coronavirus surge|language=en-GB|work=The Guardian|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jun/17/argentina-president-enters-voluntary-isolation-amid-coronavirus-surge|access-date=10 July 2020|issn=0261-3077|archive-date=10 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200710091442/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jun/17/argentina-president-enters-voluntary-isolation-amid-coronavirus-surge|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
On 9 July, the country's [[Argentine Declaration of Independence|Independence Day]], protests flared up once again.<ref>{{cite news|date=10 July 2020|title=Multitudinario banderazo contra el Gobierno en diferentes puntos del país|url=https://www.lanacion.com.ar/politica/comenzo-banderazo-federal-del-9-julio-nid2394297|access-date=10 July 2020|newspaper=La Nación|language=es|archive-date=9 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200709224416/https://www.lanacion.com.ar/politica/comenzo-banderazo-federal-del-9-julio-nid2394297|url-status=live}}</ref> In addition to workers and entrepreneurs asking to be allowed to work, many were angered by the fact that [[Lázaro Báez|Lazaro Baez]], who is serving jail time for money laundering and stealing from taxpayers' money and is associated with much of the government staff, could be eligible for parole. This incident, and the murder of Fabián Gutiérrez, who was ex-president [[Cristina Fernández de Kirchner|Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner]]'s secretary while she was in office, which many opposition affiliates believe was orchestrated by the administration and covered up as a "crime of passion" by two unknown men, also caused large outrage in some sectors of the population. This day marked 109 days since the lockdown was put in place in the Greater Buenos Aires area.{{citation needed|date=August 2021}}<br />
<br />
On 1 August, many opponents of Alberto Fernandez's government, and of [[Kirchnerism]] in general, took to the streets to rally against the judicial reform<br />
proposed by the administration. Many believe this is a way to absolve vice president Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner from her ongoing trials, and also a way to give [[Frente de Todos (2019 coalition)|the governing political party]] control over the [[Supreme Court of Argentina|judicial branch of government]], all disguised under the promise that this reform will make judges and trials fairer and less biased to certain ideologies or political parties. While the lockdown has not been completely lifted in Buenos Aires, many activities and businesses are now allowed to take place again since mid-July, and a re-opening scheme with various stages has been designed and put in place, although with no strict dates. However, many companies, such as restaurants or bars for instance, still cannot open and many business owners are uncertain of how much more they can endure with their doors closed.<br />
<br />
On 17 August, the General José de San Martín Memorial Day, a public holiday which commemorates Argentine liberator and army general [[José de San Martín]], protesters gathered once again on the city centres of the main Argentine cities for the same reasons as the previous one, 16 days prior. This manifestation was backed by many political figures from the [[Juntos por el Cambio]], [[Frente Despertar]], [[Fuerza Unidaria Argentina]], opposition forces, near liberal, libertarian and survivalist groups. Some, however, have decided to not publicly support the protests, most notably [[Horacio Rodríguez Larreta]], mayor of Buenos Aires.<br />
<br />
=== Brazil ===<br />
====2020====<br />
{{Main|2020 Brazilian protests}}<br />
On 18 March, Brazilians in [[São Paulo]] and [[Rio de Janeiro]] protested [[Jair Bolsonaro]]'s handling of the pandemic by [[banging pots and pans]] on their balconies and shouting "Bolsonaro out!"<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-51955679 |title=Coronavirus protest in Brazil sees millions bang pots from balconies |date=19 March 2020 |work=BBC |access-date=13 May 2020 |archive-date=22 March 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200322135850/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-51955679 |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
On 19 April, Brazil's [[Armed Forces Day]], Bolsonaro gathered with about 600 protesters in front of the Army's headquarters in [[Brasília|Brasilia]] to demand a "military intervention" into the handling of the coronavirus situation. Smaller protests calling for governors to resign occurred the previous day in [[Rio de Janeiro]], [[São Paulo]] and Brasilia.<ref>{{cite web|title=Brazil's Bolsonaro joins protest against coronavirus restrictions &#124; Coronavirus pandemic News|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/04/brazil-bolsonaro-joins-protest-coronavirus-curbs-200420042616860.html|date=20 April 2020|publisher=Al Jazeera|access-date=27 April 2020|archive-date=19 September 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200919230255/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/04/brazil-bolsonaro-joins-protest-coronavirus-curbs-200420042616860.html|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
====2021====<br />
{{Main|2021 Brazilian protests}}<br />
[[File:Fora Bolsonaro em Campinas 29.05.2021 01.jpg|thumb|Protest against the government of President Bolsonaro in [[Campinas]] on 29 May 2021]]<br />
[[File:Ato do Movimento Brasil Verde e Amarelo - 51181481168.jpg|thumb|Pro-government protest in [[Brasília]] on 15 May 2021]]<br />
[[File:Ato do Movimento Brasil Verde e Amarelo - 51180579797.jpg|thumb|Bolsonaro flies over protests in [[Brasília]] on 15 May 2021]]<br />
<br />
On 1 May, protest in favor of [[Jair Bolsonaro]] happened around the country. The protesters demanded the end of lockdowns, as well as a military intervention on the judicial and legislative branches of power. The protests happened in many Brazilian cities, occupying avenues such as [[Paulista Avenue|Avenida Paulista]]. Bolsonaro flew by helicopter over the protests in Brasilia, where there were also protests against his government.<ref>{{cite web|title=Fortaleza tem manifestação a favor de Bolsonaro neste 1º de maio; 17 são detidos|url=https://g1.globo.com/ce/ceara/noticia/2021/05/01/fortaleza-registra-manifestacao-a-favor-de-bolsonaro-neste-1ode-maio.ghtml#|date=1 May 2021|publisher=G1|access-date=3 May 2021|archive-date=3 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210503180447/https://g1.globo.com/ce/ceara/noticia/2021/05/01/fortaleza-registra-manifestacao-a-favor-de-bolsonaro-neste-1ode-maio.ghtml|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Bolsonaro sobrevoa de helicóptero manifestação a seu favor no DF|url=https://noticias.r7.com/distrito-federal/bolsonaro-sobrevoa-de-helicoptero-manifestacao-a-seu-favor-no-df-01052021#/foto/1|date=1 May 2021|publisher=R7|access-date=3 May 2021|archive-date=2 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210502160600/https://noticias.r7.com/distrito-federal/bolsonaro-sobrevoa-de-helicoptero-manifestacao-a-seu-favor-no-df-01052021#/foto/1|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Manifestações pró e contra Bolsonaro tomam conta da Esplanada|url=https://www.metropoles.com/brasil/manifestacoes-pro-e-contra-bolsonaro-tomam-conta-da-esplanada|date=1 May 2021|publisher=Metrópoles|access-date=3 May 2021|archive-date=3 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210503180449/https://www.metropoles.com/brasil/manifestacoes-pro-e-contra-bolsonaro-tomam-conta-da-esplanada|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Feriado do Dia do Trabalho tem manifestações em cidades do RS|url=https://g1.globo.com/rs/rio-grande-do-sul/noticia/2021/05/01/feriado-do-dia-do-trabalho-tem-manifestacoes-em-cidades-do-rs.ghtml|date=1 May 2021|publisher=G1|access-date=3 May 2021|archive-date=1 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210501233653/https://g1.globo.com/rs/rio-grande-do-sul/noticia/2021/05/01/feriado-do-dia-do-trabalho-tem-manifestacoes-em-cidades-do-rs.ghtml|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Cidades no Sul de MG registram manifestações a favor do governo Bolsonaro neste 1º de maio|url=https://g1.globo.com/mg/sul-de-minas/noticia/2021/05/01/cidades-registram-manifestacoes-a-favor-do-governo-bolsonaro-neste-1o-de-maio-no-sul-de-mg.ghtml|date=1 May 2021|publisher=G1|access-date=3 May 2021|archive-date=1 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210501161952/https://g1.globo.com/mg/sul-de-minas/noticia/2021/05/01/cidades-registram-manifestacoes-a-favor-do-governo-bolsonaro-neste-1o-de-maio-no-sul-de-mg.ghtml|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Brasil. Milhares de pessoas nas ruas para apoiar Bolsonaro no Dia do Trabalhador|url=https://www.rtp.pt/noticias/mundo/brasil-milhares-de-pessoas-nas-ruas-para-apoiar-bolsonaro-no-dia-do-trabalhador_v1316831|date=2 May 2021|publisher=RTP Notícias|access-date=4 May 2021|archive-date=3 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210503190106/https://www.rtp.pt/noticias/mundo/brasil-milhares-de-pessoas-nas-ruas-para-apoiar-bolsonaro-no-dia-do-trabalhador_v1316831|url-status=live}}</ref>{{citation needed|date=August 2021}}<br />
<br />
===Chile===<br />
{{Main|2019–2020 Chilean protests#2020 protests}}<br />
<br />
On 18 March, riots took place at the communes of [[El Bosque, Chile|El Bosque]], [[La Pintana]], and other communes in the [[Santiago Metropolitan Region]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.emol.com/noticias/Nacional/2020/05/18/986529/Protestas-incidentes-comuna-El-Bosque.html|title=Protestas en la comuna de El Bosque: Vecinos denuncian falta de alimentos en medio de cuarentena &#124; Emol.com|date=18 May 2020|website=Emol|access-date=24 May 2020|archive-date=25 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200525033923/https://www.emol.com/noticias/Nacional/2020/05/18/986529/Protestas-incidentes-comuna-El-Bosque.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Rioters are denouncing the [[hunger]] resulting from the partial and total lockdowns in the region. They claim that the lockdowns have left them without work and means of sustenance.<br />
<br />
=== Colombia ===<br />
{{Main|2021 Colombian protests}}<br />
[[File:Paro Nacional Colombia (51185625987).jpg|thumb|Protesters in [[Medellín]], Colombia on 1 May 2021]]<br />
In April 2021, President [[Iván Duque Márquez|Iván Duque]] proposed increased taxes at a time when the [[COVID-19 pandemic in Colombia]] was beginning to worsen as various healthcare systems were failing throughout the country. A series of protests began in [[Colombia]] on 28 April 2021 against increased taxes, corruption, and health care reform.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/more-subdued-second-day-colombia-tax-reform-protests-2021-04-29/ |title=More subdued second day of Colombia tax reform protests |last=Acosta |first=Luis |date=29 April 2021 |website=[[Reuters]] |url-status=live |archive-date=1 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210501195325/https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/more-subdued-second-day-colombia-tax-reform-protests-2021-04-29/ }}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Ecuador ===<br />
{{main|2020 Ecuadorian protests}}<br />
The 2020 demonstrations in Ecuador were a series of national mobilizations carried out in May 2020, after the announcement of economic measures by the government of [[Lenín Moreno]] adopted due to the serious health and economic crisis generated by the [[COVID-19 pandemic in Ecuador]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Coronavirus: Ecuador protests against cuts amid pandemic |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-52803400 |publisher=BBC News |date=26 May 2020 |access-date=16 July 2021 |archive-date=16 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210716083730/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-52803400 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Police Beat and Injure Ecuador's Covid-19 Protesters |url=https://www.hrw.org/news/2020/05/25/police-beat-and-injure-ecuadors-covid-19-protesters |work=Human Rights Watch |date=25 May 2020 |access-date=16 July 2021 |archive-date=16 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210716083730/https://www.hrw.org/news/2020/05/25/police-beat-and-injure-ecuadors-covid-19-protesters |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
===Paraguay===<br />
{{main|2021 Paraguayan protests}}<br />
<br />
On 5 March, protests broke out across Paraguay due to the lack of efficient government response against the [[COVID-19 pandemic in Paraguay|pandemic in the country]]. The protests gathered thousands of people, and left hundreds of injured. It culminated in the resignation of the then health minister [[Julio Mazzoleni]].<br />
<br />
== See also ==<br />
{{Commons category|Protests related to the COVID-19 pandemic}}<br />
* [[Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on politics]]<br />
* [[National responses to the COVID-19 pandemic]]<br />
* [[Strikes during the COVID-19 pandemic]]<br />
* [[Face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic]]<br />
** [[Face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States]]<br />
* [[Cholera Riots|Cholera riots]]<br />
{{clear}}<br />
<br />
== References ==<br />
{{reflist}}<br />
<br />
{{COVID-19 pandemic}}<br />
{{COVID-19 pandemic in the United States}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:2020 protests]]<br />
[[Category:2021 protests]]<br />
[[Category:2022 protests]]<br />
[[Category:Protests over responses to the COVID-19 pandemic| ]]<br />
[[Category:Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on politics]]</div>Boackandwhitehttps://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=COVID-19_conspiracy_theorists&diff=1261684857COVID-19 conspiracy theorists2024-12-07T11:55:40Z<p>Boackandwhite: ←Created page with 'This page redirect here: Category:COVID-19 conspiracy theorists'</p>
<hr />
<div>This page redirect here:<br />
[[Category:COVID-19 conspiracy theorists]]</div>Boackandwhitehttps://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Protests_against_responses_to_the_COVID-19_pandemic&diff=1261684787Protests against responses to the COVID-19 pandemic2024-12-07T11:54:46Z<p>Boackandwhite: </p>
<hr />
<div>{{Short description|Protests against restrictions introduced in response to the COVID-19 pandemic}}<br />
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2021}}<br />
<br />
{{EngvarB|date=April 2021}}<br />
{{Infobox civil conflict<br />
| title = Protests against responses to the COVID-19 pandemic<br />
| side1 = [[WHO]]<br />
[[police]]<br />
[[Wikimedia]]<br />
| side2 = [[far right]]<br />
[[COVID-19 conspiracy theorists]]<br />
| leadfigures1 = [[Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus]]<br />
[[Zhang Jixian]] <br />
[[Li Wenliang]]<br />
| leadfigures2 = [[Category:COVID-19 misinformation{{!}}conspiracy theorists]]<br />
| partof = the [[COVID-19 pandemic]] and <br />
[[COVID-19 misinformation]] and [[COVID-19 misinformation by governments]]<br />
| image = Canadian COVID-19 protesters (cropped).jpg<br />
| caption = An anti-[[COVID-19 lockdowns|lockdown]] protest at [[Queen's Park (Toronto)|Queen's Park]] in [[Toronto]], Canada, on 25 April 2020<br />
| date = 15 March 2020<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.poder360.com.br/governo/bolsonaro-compartilha-video-de-manifestacoes-veja-fotos-de-militantes/|title=Bolsonaro compartilha vídeo de manifestações; veja fotos de militantes|date=15 March 2020|website=Poder360|access-date=27 November 2020|archive-date=4 December 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201204175449/https://www.poder360.com.br/governo/bolsonaro-compartilha-video-de-manifestacoes-veja-fotos-de-militantes/|url-status=live}}</ref> – 5 December 2022<ref>{{cite news |last1=Yu |first1=Verna |title=Chinese students protest as university locks down over one Covid case |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/dec/06/beijing-drops-some-covid-tests-as-capital-readies-itself-for-life-again |access-date=7 December 2022 |work=The Guardian |date=6 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221206141914/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/dec/06/beijing-drops-some-covid-tests-as-capital-readies-itself-for-life-again |archive-date=6 December 2022}}</ref><br />({{age in years, months, weeks and days|month1=3|day1=15|year1=2020|month2=12|day2=5|year2=2022}})<br />
| place = Worldwide<br />
| coordinates = <br />
| causes = Local struggles or opposition to government responses to the COVID-19 pandemic<br />
| goals = * Revocation of [[COVID-19 lockdowns]], [[mask mandate]]s, or [[vaccine mandates]]<br />
| methods = {{plainlist|<br />
* [[Mass protest]]s<br />
* [[Civil unrest]]<br />
* [[Riot]]s<br />
* [[Vandalism]]<br />
* [[Occupation (protest)|Occupations]]}}<br />
}}<br />
{{COVID-19 pandemic sidebar}}<br />
<br />
Protests, demonstrations and strikes occurred around the world against [[National responses to the COVID-19 pandemic|national responses]] to the [[COVID-19 pandemic]] by governmental bodies. Some were driven by the financial hardship resulting from government measures to contain the virus, including restrictions on travel and entertainment, hitting related industries and workers hard. Protests also occurred in opposition to restrictions on people's movements, compulsory wearing of [[Face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic|face masks]], [[COVID-19 lockdowns|lockdowns]], [[COVID-19 vaccination|vaccinations]] and other measures. Some protests were driven by [[COVID-19 misinformation]], [[conspiracy theories]], [[Far-right politics|far-right]] and other extremist groups and individuals.<br />
<br />
This article lists and summarizes such activities in various countries around the world.<br />
<br />
==Background==<br />
{{Globalize|section|US|Australia|Europe|date=September 2021}}<br />
<br />
===Reasons===<br />
{{see also|COVID-19 lockdowns|Social distancing measures related to the COVID-19 pandemic|Face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic|Mask refusal|COVID-19 misinformation|COVID-19 vaccine misinformation and hesitancy}}<br />
[[File:Antivax protest in Dublin 1.jpg|thumb|Protest against the [[COVID-19 vaccine]] in [[Dublin]], [[Republic of Ireland|Ireland]].]]<br />
In order to prevent the spread of the [[SARS-CoV2]] virus which gave rise to the COVID-19 pandemic from 2019, governments brought in health measures at varying levels of strictness to restrict the movement of people and transmission of the virus. In response to these restrictions, protests have been organised at a number of locations around the world,<ref>{{Cite web|last=Haddad|first=Mohammed|title=Mapping coronavirus anti-lockdown protests around the world|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/2/2/mapping-coronavirus-anti-lockdown-protests-around-the-world|access-date=2021-08-03|website=[[Al Jazeera English|Al Jazeera]]|language=en|archive-date=6 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210806180523/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/2/2/mapping-coronavirus-anti-lockdown-protests-around-the-world/|url-status=live}}</ref> and [[Strikes during the COVID-19 pandemic|strikes have also occurred]]. Some of the protests have criticised governments for not acting effectively enough in their responses to the pandemic, while others have been opposed to [[COVID-19#Prevention|preventative measures]] and called for their revocation. According to analysis as part of the [[Global Peace Index]], {{as of|lc=yes| July 2021}}, there had been around 50,000 protests linked to the pandemic worldwide, 5,000 of which were violent.<ref>{{cite news| last1=Newey| first1=Sarah| last2=Gulland| first2=Anne| last3=Smith| first3=Nicola| date=2021-07-25| title=Plague and protests: how Covid has sparked a wave of unrest around the world| language=en-GB| work=[[The Daily Telegraph|The Telegraph]]| url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/global-health/terror-and-security/plague-protests-pandemic-has-sparked-wave-unrest-around-world/| access-date=2021-08-03| issn=0307-1235| archive-date=3 August 2021| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210803151200/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/global-health/terror-and-security/plague-protests-pandemic-has-sparked-wave-unrest-around-world/| url-status=live}}</ref> [[COVID-19 lockdowns]] have inspired protests in many territories, and from late 2020 [[deployment of COVID-19 vaccines]] also inspired protests.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Thousands Around Globe Protest COVID-19 Shots, Lockdowns {{!}} Voice of America - English|url=https://www.voanews.com/covid-19-pandemic/thousands-around-globe-protest-covid-19-shots-lockdowns|access-date=2021-08-03|website=www.voanews.com|date=24 July 2021 |language=en|archive-date=3 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210803151201/https://www.voanews.com/covid-19-pandemic/thousands-around-globe-protest-covid-19-shots-lockdowns|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Analysis {{!}} The pandemic leads to another summer of anger|language=en-US|newspaper=[[Washington Post]]|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2021/07/30/pandemic-leads-another-summer-anger/|access-date=2021-08-03|issn=0190-8286|archive-date=30 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210730070551/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2021/07/30/pandemic-leads-another-summer-anger/|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
The protests have varied in scale, motivations and type, with protesters drawn from a fairly wide range of backgrounds and inspired by a range of reasons. One of the main drivers has been the economic distress brought about by businesses having to close for long periods, leading to widespread unemployment, especially of casual workers in the hospitality industry. Uncertainty about the future and the feeling of lack of control has led to a predilection for believing in [[conspiracy theories]] (such as that COVID-19 is a hoax and that governments have deliberately created the crisis), [[anti-vaxxer]] beliefs, including that [[COVID-19 vaccination]]s and restriction of citizens' movements are part of a government plot to control people, [[Bill Gates]] is behind implanting [[microchip]]s into people via vaccinations.<ref name=ajfeb2021>{{cite web | last=Melimopoulos | first=Elizabeth | title=What's driving the COVID lockdown protests? | website=[[Al Jazeera English|Al Jazeera]] | date=7 February 2021 | url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/2/7/protests-over-new-covid-19-measures-whats-behind-them | access-date=28 August 2021 | archive-date=28 August 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210828004101/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/2/7/protests-over-new-covid-19-measures-whats-behind-them | url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | last=Dearden | first=Lizzie | title=Inside the UK's biggest anti-lockdown protest | website=The Independent | date=16 May 2020 | url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/coronavirus-lockdown-protests-uk-london-hyde-park-5g-conspiracy-theories-a9518506.html | access-date=28 August 2021 | archive-date=23 August 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210823110551/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/coronavirus-lockdown-protests-uk-london-hyde-park-5g-conspiracy-theories-a9518506.html | url-status=live }}</ref> The spread of [[COVID-19 misinformation]] has been a driving factor in some country's protest movements, with some organisers making money out of the protests.<ref>{{Cite web|title=How COVID-conspiracists and anti-vaxxers are getting organised and making money|url=https://news.sky.com/story/how-covid-conspiracists-and-anti-vaxxers-are-getting-organised-and-making-money-12206707|access-date=2021-08-03|website=[[Sky News]]|language=en|archive-date=27 February 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210227193203/https://news.sky.com/story/how-covid-conspiracists-and-anti-vaxxers-are-getting-organised-and-making-money-12206707|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
===Players===<br />
In the US, [[Donald Trump]] spread some potentially misleading information,<ref name=ajfeb2021/> and the [[Proud Boys]], American [[religious fundamentalist]]s and [[American militia movement#Active militia groups|various militia groups]] as well as [[Black Lives Matter of Greater New York]], have been active in protests;<ref>{{cite web | last=Wilson | first=Jason | title=The rightwing groups behind wave of protests against Covid-19 restrictions | website=[[The Guardian]] | date=17 April 2020 | url=http://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/17/far-right-coronavirus-protests-restrictions | access-date=28 August 2021 | archive-date=19 August 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210819134948/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/17/far-right-coronavirus-protests-restrictions | url-status=live }}</ref> across Europe, the extreme right has been active;<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.orfonline.org/expert-speak/fringe-mainstream-extreme-rightwing-europe-68848/| title=From fringe to mainstream: The extreme rightwing in Europe| first1=Kyler| last1=Ong| first2=Raffaello| last2=Pantucci| newspaper=Orf| access-date=28 August 2021| archive-date=28 August 2021| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210828012516/https://www.orfonline.org/expert-speak/fringe-mainstream-extreme-rightwing-europe-68848/| url-status=live}}</ref> in the UK, far-right [[hate group]]s have been involved in spreading misinformation, [[scapegoat]]ing minority groups and trying to organise lockdowns,<ref>{{cite report| title=COVID-19: How hateful extremists are exploiting the pandemic| url=https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/906724/CCE_Briefing_Note_001.pdf| author=[[Commission for Encountering Extremism]]| date=July 2020| publisher=UK Government| access-date=28 August 2021| archive-date=16 March 2021| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210316081503/https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/906724/CCE_Briefing_Note_001.pdf| url-status=live}}</ref> while former politicians such as [[Martin Daubney]] and journalists such as [[Julia Hartley-Brewer]] have either supported or joined protests;<ref>{{cite web | last=Loucaides | first=Darren | title=Inside the U.K.'s anti-lockdown media machine | website=Coda Story | date=9 August 2021 | url=https://www.codastory.com/disinformation/uk-anti-lockdown-media/ | access-date=28 August 2021 | archive-date=14 August 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210814221957/https://www.codastory.com/disinformation/uk-anti-lockdown-media/ | url-status=live }}</ref> in Australia, the Proud Boys,<ref>{{cite web | last=McGowan | first=Michael | title=Where 'freedom' meets the far right: the hate messages infiltrating Australian anti-lockdown protests | website=[[The Guardian]] | date=25 March 2021 | url=http://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/mar/26/where-freedom-meets-the-far-right-the-hate-messages-infiltrating-australian-anti-lockdown-protests | access-date=28 August 2021 | archive-date=24 August 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210824060353/https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/mar/26/where-freedom-meets-the-far-right-the-hate-messages-infiltrating-australian-anti-lockdown-protests | url-status=live }}</ref> the neo-Nazi [[National Socialist Network]]<ref name=ndaug2021>{{cite web | title=How neo-Nazis use anti-lockdown protests to recruit new members | first=Cait | last=Kelly | website=[[The New Daily]] | date=25 August 2021 | url=https://thenewdaily.com.au/news/national/2021/08/26/neo-nazi-anti-lockdown-recruit/ | access-date=28 August 2021 | archive-date=26 August 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210826175828/https://thenewdaily.com.au/news/national/2021/08/26/neo-nazi-anti-lockdown-recruit/ | url-status=live }}</ref> and a few politicians have become involved in spreading misinformation and stirring discontent.<ref>{{cite web | last=Bongiorno | author-link=Frank Bongiorno | first=Frank | title=Right out there: how the pandemic has given rise to extreme views and fractured conservative politics | website=[[The Conversation (website)|The Conversation]] | date=15 August 2021 | url=http://theconversation.com/right-out-there-how-the-pandemic-has-given-rise-to-extreme-views-and-fractured-conservative-politics-165448 | access-date=28 August 2021 | archive-date=27 August 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210827112241/https://theconversation.com/right-out-there-how-the-pandemic-has-given-rise-to-extreme-views-and-fractured-conservative-politics-165448 | url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
===Organisers and methods===<br />
<br />
The [[Telegram (software)|Telegram]] and [[Instagram]] apps are popular means for spreading messages about planned protests,<ref name=knaus2021/> and some events are also posted on [[Facebook]].<ref name=fbrally>{{cite web | title=World Wide Rally for Freedom, Peace & Human Rights III | website=Facebook | date=23 July 2021 | url=https://m.facebook.com/events/791497214885030 | access-date=31 August 2021 | archive-date=22 December 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211222175659/https://m.facebook.com/login.php?next=https%3A%2F%2Fm.facebook.com%2Fevents%2F791497214885030&refsrc=deprecated&_rdr | url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
{{anchor|wwrf}}<!---Worldwide Rally for Freedom, Free Citizens of Kassel, etc. target this anchor.---><br />
A German group called Worldwide Demonstration, operated out of the city of [[Kassel]] by individuals self-described as "Freie Bürger Kassel" (Free Citizens of Kassel),<ref name=knaus2021>{{cite web | last=Knaus | first=Christopher | title=Who's behind Australia's anti-lockdown protests? The German conspiracy group driving marches | website=the Guardian | date=27 July 2021 | url=http://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/jul/27/who-behind-australia-anti-covid-lockdown-protest-march-rallies-sydney-melbourne-far-right-and-german-conspiracy-groups-driving-protests | access-date=30 August 2021 | archive-date=30 August 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210830032414/https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/jul/27/who-behind-australia-anti-covid-lockdown-protest-march-rallies-sydney-melbourne-far-right-and-german-conspiracy-groups-driving-protests | url-status=live }}</ref> coordinated a series of 129 events around the world in March 2021, each one dubbed "World Wide Rally for Freedom", using the [[hashtag]] "#WewillALLbethere". Misinformation, [[QAnon]] beliefs, [[antisemitism]] and COVID-19 denial were prevalent in the groups' chats.<ref name=logically>{{cite web | last1=Backovic | first1=Nick | last2=Wildon | first2=Jordan | last3=Ondrak | first3=Joe | title=Exclusive: Worldwide Anti-Lockdown Protests Organized by German Cell | website=[[Logically (company)|Logically]] | date=14 May 2021 | url=https://www.logically.ai/articles/anti-lockdown-protests-organized-by-german-cell | access-date=30 August 2021 | archive-date=30 August 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210830032414/https://www.logically.ai/articles/anti-lockdown-protests-organized-by-german-cell | url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
== Africa ==<br />
=== Ivory Coast ===<br />
Protesters destroyed a coronavirus testing centre that was being built in [[Abidjan]], which they said was in a crowded residential area too close to their homes.<ref>{{cite news|date=6 April 2020|title=Coronavirus: Ivory Coast protesters target testing centre|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-52189144|access-date=3 May 2020|archive-date=1 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200501142544/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-52189144|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Kenya ===<br />
The Kenyan government has been accused of extreme measures, with protesters accusing the [[Kenya Police|Kenyan Police]] of killing at least six people within the first 10 days of the lockdown. Others protested against the forced quarantine of individuals failing to comply with regulations or returning home from abroad, claiming that they had been quarantined for longer than 14 days and made to pay the government for their care.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Kenyans held for weeks in quarantine were then told to pay to get out|url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/coronavirus/ct-nw-nyt-kenya-quarantine-centers-20200508-sguy6zocxvbnvpbrccilweiu6m-story.html|last=Dahir|first=Abdi Latif|date=8 May 2020|website=baltimoresun.com|access-date=9 May 2020|archive-date=13 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200513222022/https://www.baltimoresun.com/coronavirus/ct-nw-nyt-kenya-quarantine-centers-20200508-sguy6zocxvbnvpbrccilweiu6m-story.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Hundreds protested on 8 May 2020 when the government destroyed 7,000 homes and a market in [[Kariobangi]] in an effort to control the virus.<ref>{{cite web |title=Kenyans protest house demolitions amid virus restrictions |url=https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/kenyans-protest-house-demolitions-amid-virus-restrictions-70575939 |website=ABC News |access-date=9 May 2020 |language=en |archive-date=9 May 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200509001511/https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/kenyans-protest-house-demolitions-amid-virus-restrictions-70575939 |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Malawi ===<br />
A [[Malawi]] high court temporarily barred the government from implementing a 21-day lockdown after it was challenged by the Human Rights Defenders Coalition, after it was argued that more consultation was needed to prevent harm to the poorest and most vulnerable. Small protests had been staged prior to the ruling, in at least three major cities with some protesters stating it was better to contract the virus than die of hunger due to lack of work.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Malawi high court blocks coronavirus lockdown|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/04/malawi-high-court-blocks-coronavirus-lockdown-200417184430403.html|date=17 April 2020|website=www.aljazeera.com|access-date=9 May 2020|archive-date=8 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200508151024/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/04/malawi-high-court-blocks-coronavirus-lockdown-200417184430403.html|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Nigeria ===<br />
A group of at least twenty coronavirus patients forced their way out of an isolation facility to protest against alleged improper care and the government's actions which they believed to worsen their conditions.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Nigeria: COVID-19 patients protest over 'ill treatment'|url=https://www.aa.com.tr/en/africa/nigeria-covid-19-patients-protest-over-ill-treatment/1830966|date=6 May 2020|website=www.aa.com.tr|access-date=9 May 2020|archive-date=10 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200510190944/https://www.aa.com.tr/en/africa/nigeria-covid-19-patients-protest-over-ill-treatment/1830966|url-status=live}}</ref> Workers at a construction site rioted against lockdown measures that limited their ability to work on constructing an [[oil refinery]] for billionaire [[Aliko Dangote]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Nigerian workers riot over Covid-19 lockdown {{!}} New Straits Times|url=https://www.nst.com.my/world/world/2020/04/588042/nigerian-workers-riot-over-covid-19-lockdown|date=27 April 2020|website=NST Online|language=en|access-date=9 May 2020|archive-date=8 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200508213859/https://www.nst.com.my/world/world/2020/04/588042/nigerian-workers-riot-over-covid-19-lockdown|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Rwanda ===<br />
Refugees that had been relocated to the country from an overcrowded refugee camp in [[Libya]], protested against the lockdown from the refugee camp in the capital [[Kigali]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Refugees Protest Under Coronavirus Lockdown in Rwanda {{!}} Voice of America - English|url=https://www.voanews.com/covid-19-pandemic/refugees-protest-under-coronavirus-lockdown-rwanda|date=17 April 2020|website=www.voanews.com|language=en|access-date=9 May 2020|archive-date=3 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200503130323/https://www.voanews.com/covid-19-pandemic/refugees-protest-under-coronavirus-lockdown-rwanda|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
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=== South Africa ===<br />
Many residents protested against the policy that food parcel aid would only be going to households that earn below R3600, and demanded action from the South African Social Security Agency.<ref>{{Cite web|title="We are still waiting" – protesting under lockdown in South Africa|url=https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/beyond-trafficking-and-slavery/we-are-still-waiting-protesting-under-lockdown-in-south-africa/|last=Anciano|first=Fiona|date=24 April 2020|website=openDemocracy|language=en|access-date=9 May 2020|archive-date=9 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200509221138/https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/beyond-trafficking-and-slavery/we-are-still-waiting-protesting-under-lockdown-in-south-africa/|url-status=live}}</ref> Surfers have also protested to be allowed to surf during the lockdown, that allows exercise but not water activities.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Anti-lockdown protests around the world|url=https://www.reuters.com/news/picture/anti-lockdown-protests-around-the-world-idUSRTX7H61S|date=5 May 2020|website=www.reuters.com|access-date=9 May 2020|archive-date=8 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200508144737/https://www.reuters.com/news/picture/anti-lockdown-protests-around-the-world-idUSRTX7H61S|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Zimbabwe ===<br />
Three young, female opposition activists were reported missing following a protest in [[Harare]], Zimbabwe, over COVID-19 lockdown measures on 15 May 2020. They were later treated at a hospital after asserting they had been abducted and sexually abused by suspected state security agents.<ref>{{cite web |title=Zimbabwe police accused of assaulting young female activists |url=https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/zimbabwe-police-accused-assaulting-young-female-activists-70701508 |website=ABC News |access-date=5 June 2020 |language=en |archive-date=5 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200605190822/https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/zimbabwe-police-accused-assaulting-young-female-activists-70701508 |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
== Asia ==<br />
<br />
=== China (mainland) ===<br />
{{Main|2022 COVID-19 protests in China}}<br />
[[File:西南交通大学学生悼念乌鲁木齐火灾逝者 10.jpg|alt=Students at Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu, holding a candlelight vigil for victims of the fire. The candles are arranged in a heart shape. The faces of students are blurred to protect anonymity.|thumb|Students at [[Southwest Jiaotong University]], [[Chengdu]], holding a candlelight vigil for victims of the [[2022 Ürümqi fire|fire in Ürümqi]].]]<br />
<br />
Small shop owners protested the continuation of rent charges outside of the Grand Ocean Department Store in Wuhan, chanting "Exempt rental for a year, or refund the lease". Videos from the demonstration were posted in the social media platform [[Sina Weibo]] but quickly censored.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international/world-news/wuhan-rent-protest-shows-unrest-brewing-in-china-after-lockdown/articleshow/75080074.cms?from=mdr |title=covid 19: Wuhan rent protest shows unrest brewing in China after lockdown - The Economic Times |publisher=Economictimes.indiatimes.com |access-date=30 April 2020 |archive-date=10 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200910133541/https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international/world-news/wuhan-rent-protest-shows-unrest-brewing-in-china-after-lockdown/articleshow/75080074.cms?from=mdr |url-status=live }}</ref> A woman was arrested and facing criminal charges after attempting to rally about 100 people to protest the poor management and overpriced provisions during the lockdown. She was charged with "[[picking quarrels and provoking trouble]]", an offense normally used to detain dissidents and social activists.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Chinese woman charged with organising protests during coronavirus lockdown|url=https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3080590/coronavirus-lockdown-woman-charged-organising-protests-against|last=Huang|first=Kristin|date=19 April 2020|website=South China Morning Post|language=en|access-date=1 May 2020|archive-date=2 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200502204312/https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3080590/coronavirus-lockdown-woman-charged-organising-protests-against|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
In 2022, public protests and marches began in cities such as [[Ürümqi]] and [[Guangzhou]] in response to the continued zero-COVID policy of the [[Government of China|Chinese government]] under [[Xi Jinping Administration]].<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Chien |first1=Amy Chang |last2=Che |first2=Chang |last3=Liu |first3=John |last4=Mozur |first4=Paul |date=2022-11-25 |title=In a challenge to Beijing, unrest over COVID lockdowns spreads |url=https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2022/11/25/asia-pacific/china-covid-lockdown-unrest/ |access-date=2022-11-27 |website=The Japan Times |language=en-US}}</ref> In Shanghai, some protesters among hundreds had chanted "Step down, [[Xi Jinping]]! Step down, [[Chinese Communist Party|Communist Party]]!"<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-11-27 |title=Protests erupt across China in unprecedented challenge to Xi Jinping's zero-Covid policy |url=https://www.cnn.com/2022/11/26/china/china-protests-xinjiang-fire-shanghai-intl-hnk/index.html |access-date=2022-11-27 |website=[[CNN]] |language=en}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Hong Kong ===<br />
[[File:Protest against Designated Clinics in TSW North 20200215.png|thumb|Protest against plans to set up designated coronavirus clinics near residential areas in [[Hong Kong]] on 15 February 2020]]<br />
{{Main|2019–20 Hong Kong protests#COVID-19 crisis}}<br />
Pro-democratic movement's tactics were repurposed to pressure the government to take stronger actions to safeguard Hong Kong's [[public health]] in the face of the [[2020 coronavirus outbreak in Hong Kong|coronavirus outbreak in Hong Kong]]. Protesters demanded all travellers coming from China be banned from entering Hong Kong. From 3 to 7 February 2020, hospital staff launched a labour strike with the same goal. The strike was not successful as [[Carrie Lam]] rejected a full border closure.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://hongkongfp.com/2020/10/14/covid-19-hong-kong-hospital-authority-demands-answers-from-radiologists-after-unit-head-refuses-name-medics-who-went-on-strike/|title=Covid-19: Hong Kong Hospital Authority demands answers from radiologists after unit head refuses to name medics who went on strike|first=Kelly|last=Ho|work=[[Hong Kong Free Press]]|date=2020-10-14|access-date=2021-11-06|archive-date=6 September 2021|archive-url=https://archive.today/20210906153555/https://hongkongfp.com/2020/10/14/covid-19-hong-kong-hospital-authority-demands-answers-from-radiologists-after-unit-head-refuses-name-medics-who-went-on-strike/|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
People responded negatively to the government's attempt to set up quarantine and clinical centres in neighbourhoods close to residents and marched to express their discontent or blocked roads to thwart the government's plans across the territory.{{citation needed|date=August 2021}}<br />
<br />
=== India ===<br />
{{see also|Indian migrant workers during the COVID-19 pandemic}}<br />
After the televised announcement by Prime Minister [[Narendra Modi]] that the lockdown was to be extended until at least 3 May, police used batons to disperse protesting migrant workers in [[Mumbai]]. Thousands of jobless migrant workers had gathered at railway stations and were demanding to be allowed to break the lockdown to return home.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-southasia-idUSKCN21W0HI|title=India extends world's biggest lockdown, ignites protest by migrant workers|newspaper=Reuters|date=14 April 2020|via=reuters.com|last1=Jain|first1=Sanjeev Miglani|access-date=27 April 2020|archive-date=26 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200426093055/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-southasia-idUSKCN21W0HI|url-status=live}}</ref> Similar protests were seen in other parts of the country by the workers, and those who claimed that they received no aid which was promised by the government to provide them with during the lockdown period.<br />
<br />
In the state of [[Meghalaya]] anti mandatory vaccination protesters organised a rally in the capital city Shillong against the alleged mandatory inoculation drive by the state government.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Amid rising Covid cases, anti-vaccine protesters rally in Meghalaya |url=http://www.dtnext.in/amp/News/National/2022/01/23082638/1340071/Amid-rising-Covid-cases-antivaccine-protesters-rally-.vpf |access-date=2022-03-24 |website=dtNext.in |language=ta}}{{dead link|date=November 2022|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref><br />
<br />
In State of Maharashtra similar anti mandatory mask and anti mandatory mask protest were held.<ref>{{Citation |title=Worldwide Demonstration: People protest against mandatory vaccinations, lockdowns |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9V83n4_VIAI |language=en |access-date=2022-04-17}}</ref><br />
<br />
Several legal cases were filed in multiple [[high courts of India]] and the Supreme Court of India against mandatory masking and vaccinations.<ref>{{Cite news |agency=Press Trust of India |date=2022-03-02 |title='Unfortunate': HC on mandatory vaccine for Maharashtra public transport |work=Business Standard India |url=https://www.business-standard.com/article/current-affairs/unfortunate-hc-on-mandatory-vaccine-for-maharashtra-public-transport-122030200974_1.html |access-date=2022-04-17}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Roy |first=Debayan |title=[COVID-19] Supreme Court reserves verdict in plea challenging coercive vaccination |url=https://www.barandbench.com/news/covid-19-supreme-court-reserves-verdict-in-plea-against-coercive-vaccination |access-date=2022-04-17 |website=Bar and Bench - Indian Legal news |date=22 March 2022 |language=en}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Indonesia ===<br />
{{Main|Indonesia omnibus law protests}}<br />
[[File:Indonesia omnibus law protests Okt 2020 in Padang.jpg|thumb|Protest in [[Padang]] on 7 October 2020]]<br />
On 5 October 2020, Indonesia has passed a [[Omnibus Law on Job Creation|law on job creation]] that will weaken environmental protections and workers’ rights in an attempt to boost the economy hit hard by the [[COVID-19 pandemic|Wuhan pneumonia pandemic]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/world/breakingnews/3313101|title=國會通過爭議性法案 印尼各地發起罷工示威|work=Liberty Times|date=6 October 2020|access-date=6 October 2020|language=zh-tw|archive-date=9 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201009193945/https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/world/breakingnews/3313101|url-status=live}}</ref> On 6 October, thousands of Indonesians protest in industrial areas around Jakarta including Tangerang and Karawang and on [[Batam]]. A three-day national strike was started which unions expected to involve two million workers in protest against the law.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-indonesia-economy-law/thousands-of-indonesians-protest-against-passage-of-jobs-bill-idUSKBN26R0ZG|title=Thousands of Indonesians protest against passage of jobs bill|work=Reuters|date=6 October 2020|access-date=6 October 2020|archive-date=6 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201006164032/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-indonesia-economy-law/thousands-of-indonesians-protest-against-passage-of-jobs-bill-idUSKBN26R0ZG|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
Demonstrations in Bandung and Jakarta were held on 22 July and 24 July respectively in order to protest the extension of the government's "social activities restriction" (PPKM/CARE) measures.<ref>{{cite AV media |date=24 July 2021 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSLqONzbUmU |title=BERITA TERBARU ~DEMO PPKM DI JAKARTA~BERITA VIRAL HARI INI |publisher=KABAR MILITER |via=[[YouTube]] |access-date=7 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210724074608/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSLqONzbUmU |archive-date=24 July 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite AV media |date=21 July 2021 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jfSIwIX2zHY |title=Dinilai Merugikan, Warga Bandung Berunjuk Rasa Tolak PPKM Darurat {{!}} Fokus |publisher=[[Indosiar]] |via=[[YouTube]] |access-date=7 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210725025445/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jfSIwIX2zHY |archive-date=25 July 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite AV media |date=21 July 2021 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3gYGWz13weU |title=Demo Tolak PPKM Darurat Berakhir Ricuh |publisher=[[CNN Indonesia]] |via=[[YouTube]] |access-date=7 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210725235748/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3gYGWz13weU |archive-date=25 July 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite AV media |date=23 July 2021 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPP4PpT6Pnw |title=Demo Mahasiswa Tolak Kebijakan PPKM Darurat di Flyover Pasar Rebo Berujung Ricuh |publisher=KOMPASTV |via=[[YouTube]] |access-date=7 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210724074614/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPP4PpT6Pnw |archive-date=24 July 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite AV media |date=24 July 2021 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mqzlX1oLNNI |title=Demo Tolak PPKM hari ini dijakarta pusat |publisher=Echa mahkota |via=[[YouTube]] |access-date=7 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210725234934/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mqzlX1oLNNI |archive-date=25 July 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref>{{excessive citations inline|date=August 2021}}<br />
<br />
=== Israel ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 protests in Israel}}<br />
In April 2020, thousands of Israelis engaged in [[social distancing]] while gathering to protest against the perceived anti-democratic measures in the country by Prime Minister [[Benjamin Netanyahu]]. Many were involved in the Black Flag movement which had been allowed to protest by police if they stood six feet apart and all wore masks. An earlier protest had seen the protesters drive to [[Jerusalem]] to protest anti-democratic measures.<ref>{{cite web |last=Rosner |first=Elizabeth |url=https://nypost.com/2020/04/20/israelis-practice-social-distancing-at-tel-aviv-protest/ |title=Israelis maintain social distancing while protesting Netanyahu |date=20 April 2020 |publisher=Nypost.com |access-date=27 April 2020 |archive-date=24 April 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200424070815/https://nypost.com/2020/04/20/israelis-practice-social-distancing-at-tel-aviv-protest/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Other demonstrations have been seen in the ultra-[[Orthodox Judaism|Orthodox]] Jerusalem neighborhood of [[Mea Shearim]] with men and youths throwing rocks at police before being arrested.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Police clash with stone-throwing Haredi protesters in Jerusalem, 5 arrested|url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/police-clash-with-stone-throwing-haredi-protesters-in-jerusalem-5-arrested/|date=20 April 2020|website=www.timesofisrael.com|language=en-US|access-date=1 May 2020|archive-date=26 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200426143227/https://www.timesofisrael.com/police-clash-with-stone-throwing-haredi-protesters-in-jerusalem-5-arrested/|url-status=live}}</ref> Riots broke out in [[Bnei Brak]] with crowds vandalizing property and throwing rocks against police attempts to clear [[yeshiva]] classes and religious gatherings being held in violation of lockdown rules.<ref>{{Cite news|last1=Hendrix|first1=Steve|last2=Rubin|first2=Shira|date=26 January 2021|title=Violence erupts in Israel's ultra-Orthodox neighborhoods over coronavirus restrictions|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/ultra-orthodox-israel-police-covid/2021/01/25/2438e840-5ee3-11eb-a177-7765f29a9524_story.html|access-date=28 January 2021|newspaper=The Washington Post|archive-date=28 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210128111056/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/ultra-orthodox-israel-police-covid/2021/01/25/2438e840-5ee3-11eb-a177-7765f29a9524_story.html|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Iraq ===<br />
Protests against the lockdown have been coupled with the [[2019–2020 Iraqi protests|ongoing protests]] against the current government and female-targeting violence within the country.<ref>{{Cite web|title=The Iraq Report: Protest movement revives as coronavirus lockdown eased|url=https://english.alaraby.co.uk/english/indepth/2020/5/1/the-iraq-report-protest-movement-revives-as-lockdown-eased|website=alaraby|date=May 2020|language=en|access-date=1 May 2020|archive-date=4 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200504011957/https://english.alaraby.co.uk/english/indepth/2020/5/1/the-iraq-report-protest-movement-revives-as-lockdown-eased|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="WPProtests">{{cite web |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/coronavirus-protests-lebanon-india-iraq/2020/04/19/1581dde4-7e5f-11ea-84c2-0792d8591911_story.html |title=Coronavirus lockdowns prompt protests in India, Lebanon, Iraq |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=19 April 2020 |access-date=27 April 2020 |archive-date=25 April 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200425064157/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/coronavirus-protests-lebanon-india-iraq/2020/04/19/1581dde4-7e5f-11ea-84c2-0792d8591911_story.html |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Kazakhstan ===<br />
Following announcement of quarantine measures, videos of hospital staff in [[Atyrau]] protesting against new rules were spread on social media in April 2020, resulting in reporting journalists being detained.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-04-16|title=Казахстан: митинг в белых халатах|url=https://belsat.eu/ru/programs/kazahstan-miting-v-belyh-halatah/|url-status=live|access-date=2021-07-26|website=belsat.eu|language=ru|archive-date=27 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210727010145/https://belsat.eu/ru/programs/kazahstan-miting-v-belyh-halatah/}}</ref><br />
<br />
On 25 January 2021, a demonstration was held in city of [[Kokshetau]] where citizens expressed discontent with concept of compulsory vaccination against COVID-19 in which the deputy [[akim]] met with the crowd and assured them that decision whether to be vaccinated would be based on each individual's personal choice.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-01-25|title=Несколько десятков человек собрались на площади в Кокшетау|url=https://www.nur.kz/society/1895472-neskolko-desatkov-celovek-sobralis-na-plosadi-v-koksetau-foto/?|url-status=live|access-date=2021-07-27|website=www.nur.kz|language=ru|archive-date=27 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210727010148/https://www.nur.kz/society/1895472-neskolko-desatkov-celovek-sobralis-na-plosadi-v-koksetau-foto/}}</ref> in result of the government's [[COVID-19 vaccine]] mandate for all in-person employees, protests took place on 6 July 2021 in Kazakhstan where citizens demanded to stop the fines for businesspeople who refused to mandate for workers as well free [[COVID-19 testing|PCR testing]] for the unvaccinated.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Говоров|first=Георгий|date=2021-07-06|title=НГ: "Принудительной вакцинации нет" - аким Костаная встретился с участниками акции протеста|url=https://www.ng.kz/modules/news/article.php?storyid=42453#893571|url-status=live|access-date=2021-07-27|website=www.ng.kz|archive-date=27 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210727014138/https://www.ng.kz/modules/news/article.php?storyid=42453#893571}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-07-01|title=В Казахстане вводится режим обязательной вакцинации|url=https://inbusiness.kz/ru/news/v-kazahstane-vvoditsya-rezhim-obyazatelnoj-vakcinacii|url-status=live|access-date=2021-07-27|website=inbusiness.kz|language=ru|archive-date=27 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210727010147/https://inbusiness.kz/ru/news/v-kazahstane-vvoditsya-rezhim-obyazatelnoj-vakcinacii}}</ref> In [[Oral, Kazakhstan|Oral]], instructions were given out to crowd in avoiding the inoculation.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Левина|first=Мария|date=2021-07-06|title=В Уральске и Костанае прошли митинги против обязательной вакцинации|url=https://vlast.kz/novosti/45733-v-uralske-i-kostanae-prosli-mitingi-protiv-obazatelnoj-vakcinacii.html|url-status=live|access-date=2021-07-27|website=vlast.kz|language=ru|archive-date=27 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210727010148/https://vlast.kz/novosti/45733-v-uralske-i-kostanae-prosli-mitingi-protiv-obazatelnoj-vakcinacii.html}}</ref> Reports of detentions of people by the police occurred in [[Almaty]] and [[Aktobe]] that day.<ref>{{Cite news|date=2021-07-06|title=Несколько человек задержаны в Алматы и Актобе на месте анонсированных Аблязовым акций|url=https://rus.azattyq.org/a/31343878.html|url-status=live|access-date=2021-07-27|website=Радио Азаттык|language=ru|archive-date=27 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210727010146/https://rus.azattyq.org/a/31343878.html}}</ref> On 17 July, demonstrations occurred throughout the cities, where in [[Pavlodar]] hundred people gathered at the central square which was dispersed by security forces with detainees being pushed into police vans and some managing to flee the area.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-07-19|title=Митинги против обязательной вакцинации прошли в нескольких городах Казахстана|url=https://ust-kamenogorsk.city/novosti-kazakhstana/11695/|url-status=live|access-date=2021-07-27|website=ust-kamenogorsk.city|archive-date=27 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210727010147/https://ust-kamenogorsk.city/novosti-kazakhstana/11695/}}</ref> After the Kazakh government decided to raise fuel prices in the middle of the pandemic, many Kazakhs carried out [[2022 Kazakh unrest|the bloodiest riots since the collapse of the Soviet Union]].<br />
<br />
=== Lebanon ===<br />
{{See also|2019–2021 Lebanese protests}}<br />
Many protesters argued for monetary relief from the countries slumping economy after weeks of the lockdown.<ref name="WPProtests"/> At least one demonstrator died after soldiers used tear gas, batons, and live bullets to disperse a protesters in [[Tripoli, Lebanon|Tripoli]] who were throwing [[molotov cocktail]]s.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Osseiran|first1=Nazih|last2=Nissenbaum|first2=Dion|date=28 April 2020|title=Protesters in Lebanon Demand Economic Relief as Coronavirus Lockdown Eases|language=en-US|work=[[The Wall Street Journal]]|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/protesters-in-lebanon-demand-economic-relief-as-coronavirus-lockdown-eases-11588096707|access-date=1 May 2020|issn=0099-9660|archive-date=30 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200430221558/https://www.wsj.com/articles/protesters-in-lebanon-demand-economic-relief-as-coronavirus-lockdown-eases-11588096707|url-status=live}}</ref> Protesters also congregated in [[Beirut]] outside the central bank and threw rocks at the building, and took over major roads as they claimed there wasn't enough done to protect the economy and those that would suffer the most economically.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Hatoum|first1=Bassam|last2=Hussein|first2=Bilal|date=29 April 2020|title=Lockdown lifts in Lebanon, protests erupt over economic crises|work=[[The Christian Science Monitor]]|url=https://www.csmonitor.com/World/Middle-East/2020/0429/Lockdown-lifts-in-Lebanon-protests-erupt-over-economic-crises|access-date=1 May 2020|issn=0882-7729|archive-date=1 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200501054440/https://www.csmonitor.com/World/Middle-East/2020/0429/Lockdown-lifts-in-Lebanon-protests-erupt-over-economic-crises|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Malaysia ===<br />
<br />
On 31 July 2021, hundreds of protesters attempted to gather in [[Merdeka Square, Kuala Lumpur]], calling for the resignation of Prime Minister [[Muhyiddin Yassin]] over his and the Malaysian government's handling of the [[COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia|COVID-19 pandemic]].<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|title=Hundreds take to Kuala Lumpur's streets in anti-gov't protest|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/7/31/hundreds-take-to-streets-in-anti-government-protest-in-malaysia|access-date=2021-08-01|website=www.aljazeera.com|language=en|archive-date=1 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210801172936/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/7/31/hundreds-take-to-streets-in-anti-government-protest-in-malaysia|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite web|website=Deutsche Welle|title=Malaysian protesters demand PM Muhyiddin's resignation=|date=2021-07-31|url=https://www.dw.com/en/malaysian-protesters-demand-pm-muhyiddins-resignation/a-58713654|access-date=2021-08-01|language=en-GB|archive-date=1 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210801172936/https://www.dw.com/en/malaysian-protesters-demand-pm-muhyiddins-resignation/a-58713654|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Ramlan|first=Alyaa Alhadjri & Vivian Yap, Yasmin|date=2021-07-31|title=Hundreds of #Lawan protesters in KL demand PM's resignation|url=https://www.malaysiakini.com/news/585291|access-date=2021-08-01|website=Malaysiakini|language=en|archive-date=1 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210801172003/https://www.malaysiakini.com/news/585291|url-status=live}}</ref> The protests took place despite [[Malaysian movement control order|Movement Control Order (MCO)]] restrictions being in place, and Malaysian police blocking access to Merdeka Square itself.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Solhi|first=Farah|date=2021-07-31|title=#Lawan rally ends as protesters fail to get inside Dataran Merdeka {{!}} New Straits Times|url=https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2021/07/713474/lawan-rally-ends-protesters-fail-get-inside-dataran-merdeka|access-date=2021-08-01|website=NST Online|language=en|archive-date=1 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210801172004/https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2021/07/713474/lawan-rally-ends-protesters-fail-get-inside-dataran-merdeka|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Solhi|first=Farah|date=2021-07-31|title=#Lawan rally goes on despite police warning, risk of spreading Covid-19 [NSTTV] {{!}} New Straits Times|url=https://www.nst.com.my/news/crime-courts/2021/07/713455/lawan-rally-goes-despite-police-warning-risk-spreading-covid-19|access-date=2021-08-01|website=NST Online|language=en|archive-date=1 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210801173504/https://www.nst.com.my/news/crime-courts/2021/07/713455/lawan-rally-goes-despite-police-warning-risk-spreading-covid-19|url-status=live}}</ref> The anti-government protests took place following a [[2021 Malaysian state of emergency|state of emergency]] declaration, where parliament and elections were suspended, and amid an [[2020–21 Malaysian political crisis|ongoing political crisis]].<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2" /> On 2 August, including former Prime Minister [[Mahathir Mohamad]], opposition MPs held a protest in Merdeka Square after being blocked from entering Parliament by police.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-08-02|title=Police stop Malaysian opposition lawmakers from marching to Parliament|url=https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/heavy-police-presence-outside-malaysian-parliament|access-date=2021-08-02|website=The Straits Times|language=en|archive-date=2 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210802080101/https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/heavy-police-presence-outside-malaysian-parliament|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Malaysia opposition MPs gather at Merdeka Square after being blocked from entering parliament|url=https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asia/malaysia-opposition-dataran-merdeka-parliament-postponed-covid19-15360260|access-date=2021-08-02|website=CNA|language=en|archive-date=2 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210802080147/https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asia/malaysia-opposition-dataran-merdeka-parliament-postponed-covid19-15360260|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Nepal ===<br />
On 12 June 2020, hundreds of protesters gathering in the capital city [[Kathmandu]], demanding better quarantine facilities, more tests and transparency in the purchase of medical supplies to fight the crisis. Ten people have been arrested, including seven foreigners.<ref>{{cite web|author=Gopal Sharma|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-nepal/hundreds-protest-against-nepals-coronavirus-response-7-foreigners-arrested-idUSKBN23K087/|title=Hundreds protest against Nepal's coronavirus response; 7 foreigners arrested|work=Reuters|date=2020-06-13}}</ref><br />
[[File:尼泊尔最大反对党发起全国抗议活动.jpg|thumb|Protesters wave party flags of the [[Nepali Congress]] on 14 December 2020]]<br />
On 14 December 2020, the [[Nepali Congress]], Nepal's largest opposition party, launched a nationwide protest, claiming that one million people participated. This protest is mainly to criticize the government for not actively fighting the COVID-19 pandemic and for not actively preparing for holding the winter session of [[Federal Parliament of Nepal|federal parliament]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.chinanews.com/wap/detail/zw/gj/2020/12-14/9361978.shtml|title=尼泊尔最大反对党发起全国抗议活动|work=China News Service|date=2020-12-14|language=zh-cn}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Pakistan ===<br />
Dozens of doctors were arrested in [[Quetta]] after protesting the lack of safety equipment that they had been given to battle the spread of the disease.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/06/pakistan-arrests-doctors-protest-lack-coronavirus-safety-equipment |title=Pakistan arrests doctors protesting over lack of virus safety equipment &#124; World news |work=The Guardian |access-date=30 April 2020 |archive-date=7 April 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200407174034/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/06/pakistan-arrests-doctors-protest-lack-coronavirus-safety-equipment |url-status=live }}</ref> Hundreds of laborers protested against their forced layoffs due to the pandemic by gathering outside their old places of work throughout the city of Karachi.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Millions of Pakistani laborers struggle amid COVID-19 lockdown|url=https://www.aa.com.tr/en/asia-pacific/millions-of-pakistani-laborers-struggle-amid-covid-19-lockdown/1824231|last=Latif|first=Aamir|date=30 April 2020|website=www.aa.com.tr|access-date=1 May 2020|archive-date=6 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200506073132/https://www.aa.com.tr/en/asia-pacific/millions-of-pakistani-laborers-struggle-amid-covid-19-lockdown/1824231|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
Parents of students who had been studying abroad in the Chinese province of Hubei protested against the government's decision to leave the children in the area in February 2020.<ref>{{cite news|last=Raza Hassan|first=Syed|date=16 February 2020|title=Parents protest as Pakistani students stuck in China under coronavirus lockdown|language=en|work=Reuters|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-health-pakistan-idUSKBN20A0J9|access-date=1 May 2020|archive-date=25 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200525093543/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-health-pakistan-idUSKBN20A0J9|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Philippines ===<br />
{{See also|Protests against Rodrigo Duterte}}<br />
Spontaneous demonstrations were held on 1 April 2020 by a [[Quezon City]] urban poor community to protest lack of food and other assistance during the metropolitan-wide COVID-19 lockdown.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ellao |first=Janess Ann J. |date=1 April 2020 |title=Arrests in QC reveal lack of gov't support to lockdown-affected residents |url=https://www.bulatlat.com/2020/04/01/arrests-in-qc-urban-poor-reveal-lack-of-govt-support-to-lockdown-affected-residents/ |access-date=19 June 2020 |website=Bulatlat |language=en-US |archive-date=20 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200620224244/https://www.bulatlat.com/2020/04/01/arrests-in-qc-urban-poor-reveal-lack-of-govt-support-to-lockdown-affected-residents/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Police violently dispersed protesters and arrested 21 people.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=1 April 2020 |title=21 protesters demanding food aid arrested in Quezon City |url=https://www.cnnphilippines.com/news/2020/4/1/quezon-city-protesters-arrested-.html |access-date=19 June 2020 |website=CNN |language=en |archive-date=23 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200623053048/https://cnnphilippines.com/news/2020/4/1/quezon-city-protesters-arrested-.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> The city mayor and a Congress representative appealed to police to release those arrested.<ref name=":0" /><br />
<br />
In May 2020, journalists and individuals protested [[ABS-CBN franchise renewal controversy|the cease and desist order that led to the shutdown of media giant ABS-CBN]], a move that jeopardized more than 11,000 jobs and prevented the broadcast of vital information about the pandemic. More protests were held after the House of Representatives junked ABS-CBN's application for a legislative franchise.{{citation needed|date=August 2021}}<br />
<br />
Jeepney drivers rendered jobless by the COVID-19 emergency protested in Caloocan on 3 June 2020. Six protesters were arrested and jailed for a few days to one week.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Lalu |first=Gabriel Pabico |date=18 June 2020 |title=2 of jailed Piston 6 protesters test positive for COVID-19 |url=https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1293906/2-of-jailed-piston-6-protesters-test-positive-for-covid-19 |access-date=19 June 2020 |website=Inquirer |language=en |archive-date=18 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200618141148/https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1293906/2-of-jailed-piston-6-protesters-test-positive-for-covid-19 |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
Several groups held protests nationwide to coincide with the commemoration of Philippine Independence on 12 June 2020.<ref>{{Cite web |date=11 June 2020 |title=LIST: 'Grand mañanita' and other Independence Day 2020 activities |url=http://www.rappler.com/move-ph/263498-list-mananita-other-activities-independence-day-2020 |access-date=19 June 2020 |website=Rappler |language=en |archive-date=13 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200613072615/https://www.rappler.com/move-ph/263498-list-mananita-other-activities-independence-day-2020 |url-status=live }}</ref> Among these was the "Grand Mañanita" protest at the [[University of the Philippines]] in Quezon City. The Grand Mañanita protested the [[Philippine government response to the COVID-19 pandemic|government's response to the COVID-19 crisis]] and Congress' passage of a controversial [[Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020|anti-terror bill]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Gonzales |first=Cathrine |date=12 June 2020 |title=Look: 'Grand mañanita' protest on Independence Day |url=https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1290437/look-grand-mananita-protest-on-independence-day |access-date=19 June 2020 |website=INQUIRER.net |language=en |archive-date=19 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200619173237/https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1290437/look-grand-mananita-protest-on-independence-day |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
On 16 July 2021, health workers held a protest in front of the headquarters of [[Department of Health (Philippines)|Department of Health]] (DOH) where they threw tomatoes at the logo of the DOH.<ref>{{cite news |title=DOH, binato ng kamatis |url=https://web.facebook.com/News5Everywhere/videos/3941239406004582/ |access-date=23 September 2021 |work=News5 |date=July 16, 2021 |via=Facebook |archive-date=22 December 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211222175651/https://www.facebook.com/News5Everywhere/videos/3941239406004582/?_rdc=1&_rdr |url-status=live }}</ref> On 30 August, 1 September and 24 November 2021,<ref>{{cite news |title='Ginagawa kaming bobo': Health workers patuloy ang paghahabol sa benepisyo {{!}} TV Patrol |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9slZiNABZMA&ab_channel=ABS-CBNNews |access-date=28 November 2021 |work=ABS-CBN News |archive-date=28 November 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211128054313/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9slZiNABZMA&ab_channel=ABS-CBNNews |url-status=live }}</ref> health workers from various hospitals in Metro Manila held a protest at the DOH headquarters over nonpayment of their salaries and benefits and demanding Duque (and Duterte) to resign over the handling of the COVID-19 pandemic in the country.<ref>{{cite news |title='We have nothing to celebrate': Health workers protest as Duterte calls frontliners 'new breed of heroes' |url=https://www.cnnphilippines.com/news/2021/8/30/health-workers-protest-National-Heroes-Day.html |access-date=1 September 2021 |work=CNN Philippines |archive-date=1 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210901033613/https://www.cnnphilippines.com/news/2021/8/30/health-workers-protest-National-Heroes-Day.html |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=On Heroes' Day, health workers protest over unreleased benefits |url=https://www.rappler.com/nation/health-workers-protest-unreleased-benefit30-august-2021 |access-date=1 September 2021 |work=Rappler }}{{dead link|date=August 2023|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Underpaid health workers walk out, call for Duque resignation at mass protests |url=https://www.rappler.com/nation/health-workers-walk-out-jobs-mass-protests-duque-1-september-2021 |access-date=1 September 2021 |work=Rappler }}{{dead link|date=August 2023|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Thailand ===<br />
{{main|2020 Thai protests}}<br />
[[File:เยาวชนปลดแอก ประท้วง กรุงเทพ 18 กรกฎาคม 2563 Free Youth Protest at Bangkok 18 July 2020 (Night).jpg|thumb|Demonstrations at the [[Democracy Monument]], [[Bangkok]] at night]]<br />
On 18 July, Thailand saw the largest street demonstration since the [[2014 Thai coup d'état]] at the [[Democracy Monument]] in [[Bangkok]] with around 2,500 protesters. The protesters, organised under the name Free Youth ({{langx|th|เยาวชนปลดแอก}}; yaowachon plod aek), announced three demands: dissolution of the House, stop threatening the people and drafting of a new constitution. The event was triggered by the failed economy due to [[COVID-19 pandemic in Thailand|pandemic]], and unjustified implementation of the COVID-19 acts that were heavily criticised as being a tool against any possible protest. The situation erupted after two COVID-19 cases; an Egyptian soldier in [[Rayong Province]], and a Sudanese diplomat's daughter in [[Khet Watthana|Asok neighbourhood]] of [[Bangkok]], were tested positive earlier on 15 July. Both were excepted from COVID-19's travel restrictions and containment. Many criticised on both the government's failure to contain the disease from these VIPs, and its failure to boost the heavily affected tourism industry in [[Rayong Province]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=18 July 2020 |title=Thai protesters call for government to resign |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-thailand-protests/thai-protesters-call-for-government-to-resign-idUSKCN24J0HN |access-date=20 July 2020 |website=[[Reuters]] |language=en |archive-date=19 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200719182550/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-thailand-protests/thai-protesters-call-for-government-to-resign-idUSKCN24J0HN |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=18 July 2020 |url=https://www.bbc.com/thai/thailand-53456468 |title="เยาวชนปลดแอก" ยุติการชุมนุมก่อนเที่ยงคืน อ้างความปลอดภัย สรุปบรรยากาศจากเริ่มจนจบ |access-date=20 July 2020 |website=[[BBC]] Thai |language=th |archive-date=19 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201019153040/https://www.bbc.com/thai/thailand-53456468 |url-status=live }}</ref> The protesters demanded the government to accept within two weeks, or face larger demonstrations.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2020-07-18 |title=Thai protesters call for government to resign |language=en |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-thailand-protests-idUSKCN24J0HN |access-date=2022-08-04}}</ref><br />
<br />
Later on 19 July, several protests erupted in [[Chiang Mai Province]] and [[Ubon Ratchathani Province]].<ref>{{Cite news |date=20 July 2020 |title=Chiang Mai, Ubon rally against Prayut, government |url=https://www.bangkokpost.com/learning/easy/1954343/chiang-mai-ubon-rally-against-prayut-government?cx_placement=related#cxrecs_s |access-date=20 July 2020 |website=[[Bangkok Post]] |language=en }}</ref><br />
<br />
===Vietnam===<br />
There have been many protests broke out in some localities in Vietnam to protest against the anti-epidemic policy, as well as to call on the government to support people during the pandemic.<br />
<br />
On August 22, 2021, workers at an isolation area in [[Binh Duong]] province conducted a riot, smashed, and prevented a pregnant woman from going to the emergency room.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.hosodanchu.com/2021/08/bao-loan-ap-pha-o-binh-duong-ke-cam.html | title=Bạo loạn, đập phá ở Bình Dương: Kẻ cầm tuýp sắt, người hôi của }}</ref><br />
<br />
On August 27, some people in [[Ho Chi Minh City]] reacted because they had not received local support money and the clip of this incident was posted on social networks. The government has forced "hostile forces to plot to incite demonstrations and fight against social distancing".<ref>{{cite web | url=https://cand.com.vn/Chong-dien-bien-hoa-binh/canh-giac-muu-do-kich-dong-bieu-tinh-chong-pha-gian-cach-xa-hoi-i627958/ | title=Cảnh giác mưu đồ kích động biểu tình, chống phá giãn cách xã hội }}</ref><br />
<br />
On October 1, 2021, people in Ho Chi Minh City protested, attacking police at a checkpoint on the outskirts of the city to open the door for people to return to their hometown. A day later, Vietnamese netizens spread images of police forces and militiamen using sticks to beat protesters in Binh Duong with the purpose of breaking the gate to return to their hometown. The local government then stated to verify the incident, at the same time accused people of rioting and attacking the police.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.bbc.com/vietnamese/vietnam-58775235 | title=Bình Dương: Muốn về quê, xô xát giữa dân và cảnh sát | newspaper=BBC News Tiếng Việt }}</ref><br />
<br />
In mid-October, after the dogs of a household in [[Ca Mau]] province were culled due to suspicion of being infected with the COVID-19 virus, there were many online calls for people to protest against the anti pandemic policies from the government.<br />
<br />
In November 2021, those present at the funeral of Mr. Duong Van Minh, a [[Hmong people|Hmong]] man, clashed with police after police and local medical staff asked those present at the funeral to disperse. due to fears of an outbreak. Mr. Duong Van Minh is the founder of the religious organization that bears his name, which is considered a [[heresy]] by Vietnamese authorities.<br />
<br />
From October 2022, a year after the end of social distancing due to the pandemic, many customers of Sai Gon Joint Stock Commercial Bank (SCB), one of Vietnam's major banks, protested at the bank branch to request a refund of a customer's [[bond (finance)|bond]] purchase. The protests were considered to be motivated by the difficult economic and financial situation of the people after the pandemic.<br />
<br />
== Europe ==<br />
[[File:Men In Black protest in Copenhagen.jpg|thumb|Anti-lockdown demonstration in [[Rådhuspladsen]], [[Copenhagen]], 27 March 2021]]<br />
<br />
=== Austria ===<br />
The newly created [[MFG Austria – People Freedom Fundamental Rights|Fundamental Rights Party]] (MFG), has been planning recent anti-lockdown protests in Austria. The group compared Covid restrictions with "Nazi rule". The country's third largest political party, the [[Freedom Party of Austria]] (FPÖ), has also strongly condemned the Covid restrictions, and its new leader, [[Herbert Kickl]], has pushed misleading and false views of the virus, including claims that the vaccination programme is really a "genetic experiment".<ref>{{Cite news|date=2021-11-27|title=Covid: Conspiracy and untruths drive Europe's Covid protests|language=en-GB|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/59390968|access-date=2021-12-26}}</ref> Kickl urged a public crowd to reject compulsory vaccinations. Fifteen thousand people later rallied at the Heldenplatz square in Vienna to protest against the anti-Covid measures and were later joined by thousands more, with approximately 44,000 people taking part in the rally in total.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-12-12|title=Thousands protest against coronavirus measures in Vienna|url=https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3159367/thousands-austrians-take-streets-protest-against-coronavirus|access-date=2021-12-26|website=South China Morning Post|language=en}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Belgium ===<br />
On 31 January 2021, police in [[Brussels]] said they had arrested more than 400 people to prevent a banned protest of anti-COVID-19 measures.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.dw.com/en/coronavirus-digest-brussels-police-detain-hundreds-of-anti-lockdown-protesters/a-56394523|title=Coronavirus digest: Brussels police detain hundreds of anti-lockdown protesters &#124; DW &#124; 31.01.2021|website=DW.COM|access-date=18 July 2021|archive-date=8 June 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210608133756/https://www.dw.com/en/coronavirus-digest-brussels-police-detain-hundreds-of-anti-lockdown-protesters/a-56394523|url-status=live}}</ref> On 21 November 2021, about 35,000 people in the streets of [[Brussels]] took part in demonstration, which began peaceful before violence broke out. Waving nationalist flags of [[Flanders]] and banners against the more restrictive rules for the unvaccinated, several people hidden by hoods also attacked some police cars. At least two officers and one protester were injured. Protesters threw stones at police as they advanced with water cannon at the main junction in front of the European Union Commission headquarters. Protesters also threw smoke bombs and fireworks, the newspaper ''[[Le Soir]]'' reported. The situation calmed down later, police said.<ref>{{Cite news|url = https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/around-35000-protest-against-covid-restrictions-brussels-police-say-2021-11-21/|title = Clashes break out in Brussels in protests over coronavirus restrictions|newspaper = Reuters|date = 21 November 2021|access-date = 24 November 2021|archive-date = 24 November 2021|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20211124001253/https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/around-35000-protest-against-covid-restrictions-brussels-police-say-2021-11-21/|url-status = live}}</ref><br />
<br />
* [[2022 Brussels protest|January 2022 Brussels protest]]<br />
<br />
=== Belarus ===<br />
{{Main|2020-2021 Belarusian protests}}<br />
In May 2020, a lowered approval of [[authoritarianism|authoritarian]] president [[Alexander Lukashenko]] amid [[COVID-19 pandemic in Belarus|his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic]] led to street protests against his government. Mass protests erupted across Belarus following the August [[2020 Belarusian presidential election]] which was marred by allegations of widespread [[electoral fraud]].{{citation needed|date=August 2021}}<br />
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=== Bosnia and Herzegovina ===<br />
On 6 April 2021, anti-governmental protests "Fight for Life" were held by a group of citizens and activists in Bosnia and Herzegovina's capital [[Sarajevo]] in front of the [[Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina|Parliamentary Assembly]] and the [[Government of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina|Federal Government]], seeking resignations from [[Chairman of the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina|Chairman of the Council of Ministers]] [[Zoran Tegeltija]] and [[List of prime ministers of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina|Federal Prime Minister]] [[Fadil Novalić]], due to lack of leadership during the [[COVID-19 pandemic in Bosnia and Herzegovina]] and late procurement of [[COVID-19 vaccine]]s for the country.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.klix.ba/vijesti/bih/protesti-u-sarajevu-gradjani-ispred-vlade-fbih-skandiraju-ostavke-i-paraziti-napolje/210406028|title=Protesti u Sarajevu: Građani ispred Vlade FBiH skandiraju "Ostavke" i "Paraziti napolje"|date=6 April 2021|access-date=6 April 2021|language=bs|author=D. Be.|publisher=Klix.ba|archive-date=6 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210406110442/https://www.klix.ba/vijesti/bih/protesti-u-sarajevu-gradjani-ispred-vlade-fbih-skandiraju-ostavke-i-paraziti-napolje/210406028|url-status=live}}</ref> Further anti-governmental protests were held eleven days later, on 17 April as well.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.klix.ba/vijesti/bih/zavrseni-protesti-gradjana-u-sarajevu-na-potezu-su-parlamentarci-rok-je-1-maj/210417035|title=Završeni protesti građana u Sarajevu: Na potezu su parlamentarci, rok je 1. maj|date=17 April 2021|access-date=17 April 2021|language=bs|author=N.V.|publisher=Klix.ba|archive-date=17 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210417105301/https://www.klix.ba/vijesti/bih/zavrseni-protesti-gradjana-u-sarajevu-na-potezu-su-parlamentarci-rok-je-1-maj/210417035|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Bulgaria ===<br />
{{Main|2020–2021 Bulgarian protests}}<br />
On 30 March 2020 The Bulgarian Health Ministry issued an order that made not wearing a face mask in public punishable by law at a time when no masks were available for purchasing in the country. After strong public unrest, the order was recalled on the following day<ref>{{Cite web|title=Министър Ананиев отменя заповедта си за задължително носене на маски до постигане на консенсус|url=https://dariknews.bg/novini/bylgariia/vryshtat-maskite-na-zakrito-stavat-zadylzhitelni-v-magazina-i-v-ofisa-2230448|date=31 March 2020|access-date=8 October 2020|website=dariknews.bg|language=bg|archive-date=15 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210515043118/https://dariknews.bg/novini/bylgariia/vryshtat-maskite-na-zakrito-stavat-zadylzhitelni-v-magazina-i-v-ofisa-2230448|url-status=live}}</ref> and re-instated yet again later, with some modifications.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Връщат маските на закрито - стават задължителни в магазина и в офиса|url=https://dariknews.bg/novini/bylgariia/ananiev-otmeni-zapovedta-za-zadylzhitelnite-maski-2219522|date=22 June 2020|access-date=8 October 2020|website=dariknews.bg|language=bg|archive-date=9 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201009015757/https://dariknews.bg/novini/bylgariia/ananiev-otmeni-zapovedta-za-zadylzhitelnite-maski-2219522|url-status=live}}</ref> A small protest took place on 19 April 2020 in [[Sofia]] against the measures to combat the [[COVID-19 pandemic in Bulgaria|COVID-19 pandemic]], with many of the participants expressing concerns about their livelihoods.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Протест в София срещу мерките за ограничаване на коронавируса|url=https://www.mediapool.bg/protest-v-sofiya-sreshtu-merkite-za-ogranichavane-na-koronavirusa-news306375.html|date=19 April 2020|access-date=3 September 2020|website=mediapool.bg|language=bg|archive-date=21 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201021082108/https://www.mediapool.bg/protest-v-sofiya-sreshtu-merkite-za-ogranichavane-na-koronavirusa-news306375.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Protests with an [[Anti-vaccine activism|anti-vax]] slant that also demanded the resignation of the government, organized by the [[Revival (Bulgarian political party)|Vazrazhdane]] party,<ref>{{Cite web|title=8 арестувани на протеста в София (ВИДЕО+СНИМКИ)|url=https://nova.bg/news/view/2020/05/14/287916/8-%D0%B0%D1%80%D0%B5%D1%81%D1%82%D1%83%D0%B2%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%B8-%D0%BD%D0%B0-%D0%BF%D1%80%D0%BE%D1%82%D0%B5%D1%81%D1%82%D0%B0-%D0%B2-%D1%81%D0%BE%D1%84%D0%B8%D1%8F-%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE%D1%81%D0%BD%D0%B8%D0%BC%D0%BA%D0%B8/|date=14 May 2020|access-date=3 September 2020|website=nova.bg|language=bg|archive-date=24 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200524113735/https://nova.bg/news/view/2020/05/14/287916/8-%D0%B0%D1%80%D0%B5%D1%81%D1%82%D1%83%D0%B2%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%B8-%D0%BD%D0%B0-%D0%BF%D1%80%D0%BE%D1%82%D0%B5%D1%81%D1%82%D0%B0-%D0%B2-%D1%81%D0%BE%D1%84%D0%B8%D1%8F-%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE%D1%81%D0%BD%D0%B8%D0%BC%D0%BA%D0%B8/|url-status=live}}</ref> were held in May and June, resulting in a few arrests, but did not see a significant turnout.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Протест на антиваксъри в София|url=https://www.vesti.bg/bulgaria/protest-na-antivaksyri-v-sofiia-6110588|date=6 June 2020|access-date=3 September 2020|author=Kirov, Nikolay|website=vesti.bg|language=bg|archive-date=26 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200726135130/https://www.vesti.bg/bulgaria/protest-na-antivaksyri-v-sofiia-6110588|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
Public disapproval grew during the pandemic and reached a spontaneous culmination on 9 July 2020 after a police raid on the Presidency of Bulgaria in what was perceived as an attack against President [[Rumen Radev]], a vocal critic of prime minister [[Boyko Borisov]], who has been in power since 2009,<ref>{{Cite web|date=9 July 2020|title=Raids Worsen Bulgarian President's Spat With Prosecutor|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-07-09/bulgarian-police-raid-president-radev-s-offices|access-date=15 July 2020|website=Bloomberg.com|archive-date=1 February 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210201190554/https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-07-09/bulgarian-police-raid-president-radev-s-offices|url-status=live}}</ref> and the long-standing grievances against endemic corruption and [[state capture]]. Daily demonstrations were held in the country's capital [[Sofia]] until April 2021, though the number of protesters dwindled during the autumn and winter months when the country was heavily affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.<ref>{{Cite web|title=88-а вечер на протести в София: Призоваха за атаки срещу офисите на управляващата коалиция (Снимки)|url=https://www.24chasa.bg/novini/article/9082543|date=4 October 2020|access-date=8 October 2020|website=24chasa.bg|language=bg|archive-date=22 December 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211222175752/https://www.24chasa.bg/novini/article/9082543|url-status=live}}</ref> On 12 January 2022, Vazrazhdane organized a large demonstration against the COVID green certificates for indoor spaces, during which protest participants attempted to make their way into the National Parliament.<ref name="VazrazhdaneProtestGreenCertificateJanuary2022">{{cite news | title=Поддръжници на "Възраждане" се опитаха да нахлуят в парламента| work=mediapool.bg |author= |language=Bulgarian|url=https://www.mediapool.bg/poddrazhnitsi-na-vazrazhdane-se-opitaha-da-nahluyat-v-parlamenta-news331009.html| date=12 January 2022|access-date=10 February 2022 }}</ref> On 23 February 2022, the party held another protest with the same focus.<ref name="VazrazhdaneFollowUpProtestGreenCertificateFebruary2022">{{cite news | title="Възраждане" приветства поетапното отпадане на зеления сертификат, протестът обаче остава| work=dariknews.bg |author= |language=Bulgarian|url=https://dariknews.bg/novini/bylgariia/vyzrazhdane-privetstva-poetapnoto-otpadane-na-zeleniia-sertifikat-protestyt-obache-ostava-2301183| date=21 February 2022|access-date=2 April 2022 }}</ref><br />
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=== Czechia ===<br />
In late 2020 and during 2021, many anti-responses protests occurred as the pandemic situation in country worsened and measures, often legally unsubstantiated, were prolonged. Protesters demanded revoking of the restrictions such as gathering limitations or pubs closure. Many of them also refused face-masks wearing, which gave them a nickname "anti-rouškaři", meaning "mask-refusers". The most violent incident occurred on 18 October in Prague, when group of radical protesters, including football hooligans, clashed with police forces after protest was dissolved due to violations of hygienic measures. 20 officers were injured as well as unknown number of protesters. 144 persons were arrested. This is in contrast with mostly peaceful protests which are typical in Czechia. Since then, police has changed a tactics to document offences rather than doing large maneuvers to disperse crowds.<br />
<ref>{{cite web|date=18 October 2020|title=Demonstrace proti vládním opatřením se změnila v potyčky s těžkooděnci. Policie zadržela přes 100 lidí|url=https://www.irozhlas.cz/zpravy-domov/praha-protesty-koronavirus-fotbalovy-fanousci-demonstrace-staromestske-namesti_2010181508_tkr|url-status=live|access-date=12 June 2021|archive-date=31 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201031010343/https://www.irozhlas.cz/zpravy-domov/praha-protesty-koronavirus-fotbalovy-fanousci-demonstrace-staromestske-namesti_2010181508_tkr}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|date=31 January 2021|title=Na Václavském náměstí demonstrovaly stovky lidí proti omezením|url=https://www.ceskenoviny.cz/zpravy/na-vaclavskem-namesti-demonstrovaly-stovky-lidi-proti-omezenim/1989855|url-status=live|access-date=12 June 2021|archive-date=8 October 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211008164748/https://www.ceskenoviny.cz/zpravy/na-vaclavskem-namesti-demonstrovaly-stovky-lidi-proti-omezenim/1989855}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Šplíchal|first=Pavel|date=25 February 2021|title=Antirouškaři jsou ti nejtrapnější disidenti. Jako poslední věří vládě|url=https://a2larm.cz/2021/02/antirouskari-jsou-ti-nejtrapnejsi-disidenti-jako-posledni-veri-vlade/|access-date=12 June 2021}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== France ===<br />
{{Main|Yellow vests protests|French freedom convoy|2021–2022 social unrest in the French West Indies}}<br />
<br />
The [[Paris]] suburb [[Villeneuve-la-Garenne]] saw riots in April 2020, partly about the strains of the [[COVID-19 pandemic in France|coronavirus outbreak]] and lockdown on working-class families, often immigrants, who live in small apartments in crowded public housing buildings. Many have reported that in poorer neighbourhoods the policies are difficult to follow due to over crowding and cause the neighbourhoods to be impacted more than wealthier Parisians. The demonstrations have since been seen in the suburb [[Hauts-de-Seine]], and other French cities [[Toulouse]], [[Lyon]] and [[Strasbourg]].<ref>{{Cite news|last=McAuley|first=James|date=25 April 2020|title=Violent protests in Paris suburbs reflect tensions under lockdown|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/paris-suburbs-protests-villeneuve-la-garenne/2020/04/25/55f5a40c-85a1-11ea-81a3-9690c9881111_story.html|access-date=1 May 2020|newspaper=The Washington Post|language=en|archive-date=25 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200425112752/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/paris-suburbs-protests-villeneuve-la-garenne/2020/04/25/55f5a40c-85a1-11ea-81a3-9690c9881111_story.html|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
==== Vaccination obligation, sanitary pass ====<br />
The announcement of president [[Emmanuel Macron|Macron]] on 12 July 2021 of a [[COVID-19 vaccination in France|COVID-19 vaccination]] obligation for all health care workers by 15 September, as well as the obligation for people older than twelve to show a "[[COVID-19 vaccine card#France|sanitary pass]]" as of August for admittance to cafés, restaurants, cinemas, hospitals,<ref name=nrc,14jul>(Dutch) [https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2021/07/13/fransman-die-zich-niet-wil-laten-prikken-moet-maar-voelen-a4050923#/handelsblad/2021/07/14/#106 'Fransman die zich niet wil laten prikken moet maar voelen'] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210821205804/https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2021/07/13/fransman-die-zich-niet-wil-laten-prikken-moet-maar-voelen-a4050923#/handelsblad/2021/07/14/ |date=21 August 2021 }}. ''[[NRC Handelsblad]]'', 13 July 2021.</ref> senior citizens' homes, trains,<ref name=nrc,27jul>(Dutch) [https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2021/07/26/frans-parlement-stemt-in-met-nieuwe-covid-maatregelen-a4052430#/handelsblad/2021/07/27/#114 'Frans parlement stemt in met coronapaspoort en verplichte vaccinatie voor het zorgpersoneel'] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210821205804/https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2021/07/26/frans-parlement-stemt-in-met-nieuwe-covid-maatregelen-a4052430#/handelsblad/2021/07/27/ |date=21 August 2021 }}. ''[[NRC Handelsblad]]'', 26 July 2021.</ref> shopping malls,<ref>{{cite web |last1=De Fournas |first1=Marie |title=Coronavirus : Comment ça va se passer avec la fin des tests PCR et antigéniques gratuits ? |url=https://www.20minutes.fr/sante/3083303-20210713-coronavirus-comment-ca-va-passer-fin-tests-pcr-antigeniques-gratuits |website=20 Minutes |date=13 July 2021 |access-date=25 July 2021 |archive-date=25 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210725060050/https://www.20minutes.fr/sante/3083303-20210713-coronavirus-comment-ca-va-passer-fin-tests-pcr-antigeniques-gratuits |url-status=live }}</ref> and other public venues led to protests across France. The 'sanitary pass' should prove that someone is either vaccinated, has recently [[COVID-19 testing|tested negative]],<ref name=nrc,14jul/> or has recovered from [[COVID-19]].<ref name=nrc,11Aug>(Dutch) [https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2021/08/11/wij-houden-ons-hart-vast-voor-volgende-week-a4054487#/handelsblad/2021/08/12/#104 'Coronapaspoort in Frankrijk: 'Wij houden ons hart vast' '.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210821205802/https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2021/08/11/wij-houden-ons-hart-vast-voor-volgende-week-a4054487#/handelsblad/2021/08/12/ |date=21 August 2021 }} ''[[NRC Handelsblad]]'', 11 August 2021.</ref> Macron's motivation was: "We are in a new race against time", "Vaccination is the only way to protect yourself and others".<ref name=nrc,14jul/><br />
<br />
[[Marine Le Pen]], challenger of Macron in the [[2022 French presidential election]], immediately condemned the vaccination obligation as "indecent insolence" attesting of "ingratitude" towards the health care workers.<ref name=nrc,14jul/> On Wednesday 14 July, the French [[National day]] called '[[Bastille Day]]', in [[Paris]] some 2,250 people protested against these new corona restrictions. Demonstrations were also held in Toulouse, Bordeaux, Montpellier, Nantes and 48 other places, totalling around 19,000 protesters. Slogans chanted were: "Down with dictatorship", "Down with the health pass". A demonstrator equated the health pass with "segregation". Objects and fireworks were thrown at the police, who answered with tear gas and arrests.<ref>{{cite web |title=French police fire tear gas as anti-vaccine protest turns violent |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/7/15/french-police-tear-gas-as-anti-vaccine-protest-turns-violent |website=Al Jazeera |access-date=24 July 2021 |date=15 July 2021 |archive-date=23 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210723121648/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/7/15/french-police-tear-gas-as-anti-vaccine-protest-turns-violent |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
On Saturday 17 July, nationwide some 114,000 people protested against the two new measures.<ref name=nrc,1Aug/> On 24 July, some 160,000 people around France protested against the measures. Protesters chanted: "Liberty! Liberty!" Projectiles including a chair were thrown at the police in Paris, who reacted with tear gas and water cannons.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-07-24|title=French protesters reject virus passes, vaccine mandate|url=https://apnews.com/article/europe-health-coronavirus-pandemic-dc03061cb033cb4181ff5424acb9ed63|access-date=2021-07-25|website=AP NEWS|language=en|archive-date=25 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210725015129/https://apnews.com/article/europe-health-coronavirus-pandemic-dc03061cb033cb4181ff5424acb9ed63|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
On 25 July, the [[Senate (France)|French Senate]] nevertheless agreed to the measures except the pass obligation for children under 18 years old.<ref>''[[Dagblad van het Noorden]]'', 26 July 2021.</ref><br />
<br />
On 31 July, over 200,000 people nationwide protested against these plans. Thousands around [[Place de la Bastille]] in [[Paris]] chanted: ''"Liberté!"'' [Freedom!]. Signs accused Macron of being a dictator.<ref>[https://www.npr.org/2021/08/02/1023637209/protesters-say-frances-anti-virus-pass-is-a-threat-to-personal-freedoms 'Protesters Say France's Anti-Virus Pass Is A Threat To Personal Freedoms'] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210821205802/https://www.npr.org/2021/08/02/1023637209/protesters-say-frances-anti-virus-pass-is-a-threat-to-personal-freedoms |date=21 August 2021 }}. [[NPR|National Public Radio]], 2 August 2021. Retrieved 20 August 2021.</ref> A bus driver motivated his protest as: "I'm not an antivaxer (...) But this is going to fast, I want to wait and see". A hospital worker said: "These [[COVID-19 vaccine misinformation and hesitancy|vaccines are experimental]] ; there's no way I'm gonna take it".<ref name=nrc,1Aug>(Dutch) [https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2021/08/01/gele-hesjes-lopen-te-hoop-tegen-sanitaire-dictatuur-a4053244#/handelsblad/2021/08/02/#104 'Gele hesjes lopen te hoop tegen 'pasdictatuur' ' ('Yellow vests crowd together against 'pass dictatorship' ')] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210821205807/https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2021/08/01/gele-hesjes-lopen-te-hoop-tegen-sanitaire-dictatuur-a4053244#/handelsblad/2021/08/02/ |date=21 August 2021 }}. ''[[NRC Handelsblad]]'', 1 August 2021.</ref> A placard in [[Paris]] cited Macron: ' ''"Je ne rendrai pas la vaccination obligatoire", Emmanuel Macron, Novembre 2020'' ' ["I will not make vaccination obligatory", Macron, Nov. 2020]. Another: ' ''De la démocratie à la dictature il n'y a qu'un <<PASS>>'' ' [From democracy to dictatorship is only one step [or] one pass].<ref>''[[Dagblad van het Noorden]]'', 5 August 2021.</ref> Another: '<small>VACCINÉ A LA LIBERTÉ'</small> [<small>VACCINATED FOR FREEDOM</small>].<ref name=nrc,10Aug>(Dutch) [https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2021/08/10/gedwongen-vaccinatie-demonstraties-in-frankrijk-applaus-in-italie-a4054305#/handelsblad/2021/08/11/#114 'Gedwongen vaccinatie: demonstraties in Frankrijk, applaus in Italië' ('Enforced vaccination: demonstrations in France, applause in Italy')] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210821205806/https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2021/08/10/gedwongen-vaccinatie-demonstraties-in-frankrijk-applaus-in-italie-a4054305#/handelsblad/2021/08/11/ |date=21 August 2021 }}. ''[[NRC Handelsblad]]'', 10 August 2021.</ref><br />
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On Saturday 7 August, 237,000 people protested on 198 locations in France, the authorities reported. In Paris, [[Lyon]], [[Toulouse]], rioters pelted the police with all sorts of things, police reacted with tear gas and charges and arrests.<ref>''[[Dagblad van het Noorden]]'', 9 August 2021.</ref> The sanitary pass obligation came into effect on 9 August, civilians risk a fine of 135 euro for disobedience, business owners risk a 45,000 euro fine or one-year prison and the closure of their business.<ref name=nrc,11Aug /><br />
<br />
On 14 August 2021, between 200,000 and 250,000 people according to the police and the organisers have again demonstrated, on more than 200 locations in France, against the ''pass sanitaire'' and the obligated vaccination of health care personnel. Placards compared the sanitary pass with '[[Apartheid]]', people chanted slogans about the "health dictatorship". Police in Lyon used pepper spray against rioters.<ref>(Dutch) [https://www.telegraaf.nl/nieuws/456452706/live-weer-massale-protesten-tegen-franse-gezondheidsdictatuur 'Weer massale protesten tegen Franse 'gezondheidsdictatuur' ' (Again massive protests against French 'health dictatorship')] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210821205803/https://www.telegraaf.nl/nieuws/456452706/live-weer-massale-protesten-tegen-franse-gezondheidsdictatuur |date=21 August 2021 }}. ''[[De Telegraaf]]'', 14 August 2021. Retrieved 18 August 2021.</ref><br />
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Since then, these protests grew smaller ; on Saturday, 18 September 2021, the demonstrators in France against the sanitary pass and obligated vaccination counted 80,000.<ref>''[[Dagblad van het Noorden]]'', 23 September 2021.</ref><br />
<br />
===Greece===<br />
{{See also|2021 Greek protests}}<br />
The 2021 Greek protests broke out in response to a proposed government bill that would allow police presence on university campuses for the first time in decades, for which opposition groups accused the government of taking advantage of the COVID-19 lockdown to impose increasingly authoritarian measures.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://apnews.com/article/bills-athens-higher-education-greece-25de0ce9e884adba145b474d07be57d6|title=Protest gets heated ahead of campus policing vote|date=10 February 2021|publisher=[[Associated Press]]|location=[[Athens]]|access-date=2 May 2021|archive-date=12 February 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210212142808/https://apnews.com/article/bills-athens-higher-education-greece-25de0ce9e884adba145b474d07be57d6|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
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=== Georgia ===<br />
On 5 December 2021 thousands demonstrated in Tbilisi against a COVID-19 passport system which has been implemented in Georgia since December 1, allowing only citizens and tourists with a QR-code proving vaccination or recovery from the virus or with a negative PCR test result to visit public places, restaurants, entertainment and shopping centers. Protesters marched with posters and Georgian flags, passing by the parliamentary building.{{citation needed|date=March 2022}}<br />
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=== Germany ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 protests in Germany}}<br />
[[File:Vicent-van-Volkmer-Bienen-Aktivist-Demo-29.08.2020 Berlin Covid-19 Pandemie.jpg|thumb|Protester with a "Free The Bee" placard during the COVID-19 protests in Berlin on 29 August 2020, near the [[Brandenburg Gate]]]]<br />
Since April 2020, in [[Germany]] numerous protests against government policies over the COVID-19 pandemic have been held in several cities.<br />
A protest in [[Berlin]] on 29 August was estimated by authorities to have drawn 38,000 participants.<ref name="rbb">In German: [https://www.rbb24.de/politik/thema/2020/coronavirus/beitraege_neu/2020/08/demonstrationen-samstag-corona-querdenken-gegendemos.html 'Fast 40.000 Menschen bei Corona-Demos – Sperren am Reichstag durchbrochen' (Almost 40,000 people by corona demos – fences at the ''Reichstag'' broken through)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200901090757/https://www.rbb24.de/politik/thema/2020/coronavirus/beitraege_neu/2020/08/demonstrationen-samstag-corona-querdenken-gegendemos.html |date=1 September 2020 }}. rbb24.de, 29 August 2020. Retrieved 19 September 2020.</ref><br />
<br />
Several of the protests in Germany, like the one of 29 August, were organized by the group ''Querdenken 711'', based in [[Stuttgart]]. As per its homepage, it considers its main aims to support the fundamental rights enshrined in the German constitution, in particular the freedoms of opinion, expression, and assembly.<ref name="dw_20201106">{{cite web|url=https://www.dw.com/en/coronavirus-germany-braces-for-anti-lockdown-protests/a-55513848|title=Coronavirus: Germany braces for anti-lockdown protests|first=Ben|last=Knight|website=[[Deutsche Welle]]|agency=[[Deutsche Welle]]|date=6 November 2020|access-date=8 November 2021|archive-date=8 November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211108155543/https://www.dw.com/en/coronavirus-germany-braces-for-anti-lockdown-protests/a-55513848|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
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[[File:AnarchistCovidProtest.jpg|upright|thumb|left|[[Anarchist]] anti-conspiracy theory, anti-gentrification protest]]<br />
At the 29 August demonstration in Berlin, one of the invited orators was [[Robert F. Kennedy Jr.]], lawyer and conspiracy theorist and nephew of the assassinated U.S. President [[John F. Kennedy]]. He warned the crowd that the COVID-19 measures being deployed in many countries might lead to the implementation of a [[Mass surveillance#Surveillance state|surveillance state]]. A few hundred protesters attempted to storm the [[Reichstag building]], the seat of the German parliament;<ref name=rbb/><ref name="BBC30Aug">{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-53959552|title=Germany coronavirus: Hundreds arrested in German 'anti-corona' protests|work=BBC News|agency=[[BBC News]]|date=30 August 2020|access-date=15 September 2020|archive-date=4 September 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200904141636/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-53959552|url-status=live}}</ref> a few of them reached the stairs. A burst of media attention arose due to this incident. Later demonstrations tended to be smaller, and sometimes organized by allies of ''Querdenken''.<ref name="dw_20201106"/><br />
<br />
[[Anarchists]], [[libertarian socialists]] and [[anti-fascists]] in Germany have been counterprotesting "Querdenken 711" and other demonstrations against public health mandates. Focusing on increasing [[gentrification]], [[wealth inequality]], [[evictions]], police measures and favoring of compulsory vaccination. Anarchists have seen increasing evictions of [[anarchist communities]] and squats.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.dw.com/en/berlin-police-clear-anarchist-occupied-house-liebig-34/a-55211590|title=Berlin police clear anarchist-occupied house Liebig 34 &#124; DW &#124; 09.10.2020|website=DW.COM|access-date=30 November 2020|archive-date=2 December 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201202154402/https://www.dw.com/en/berlin-police-clear-anarchist-occupied-house-liebig-34/a-55211590|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://crimethinc.com/2020/03/18/surviving-the-virus-an-anarchist-guide-capitalism-in-crisis-rising-totalitarianism-strategies-of-resistance|title=CrimethInc. : Surviving the Virus: An Anarchist Guide : Capitalism in Crisis—Rising Totalitarianism—Strategies of Resistance|website=CrimethInc.|date=18 March 2020 |access-date=30 November 2020|archive-date=2 December 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201202160836/https://crimethinc.com/2020/03/18/surviving-the-virus-an-anarchist-guide-capitalism-in-crisis-rising-totalitarianism-strategies-of-resistance|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://ent.siteintelgroup.com/Far-Right-/-Far-Left-Threat/german-company-targeted-in-anarchist-arson-attack-for-covid-19-repression.html|title=German Company Targeted in Anarchist Arson Attack for COVID-19 "Repression" &#124; Far-Right / Far-Left Threat &#124; Articles|website=ent.siteintelgroup.com|date=29 June 2020|access-date=30 November 2020|archive-date=29 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201129103231/https://ent.siteintelgroup.com/Far-Right-/-Far-Left-Threat/german-company-targeted-in-anarchist-arson-attack-for-covid-19-repression.html|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
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=== Hungary ===<br />
On 28 February 2021, around 3,000–5,000 protesters gathered in the capital city of [[Budapest]] at [[Hősök tere]] to protest the lockdown regulations, and the Constitution of 2012.{{citation needed|date=August 2021}}<br />
<br />
The far-right [[Our Homeland Movement]] organised protests against lockdown measures on 15 March 2021,<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-04-20|title=Hungarian far-right party protests lockdown|url=https://apnews.com/article/hungary-budapest-coronavirus-pandemic-economy-ecd0b637126258601ca249f35b5b8743|access-date=2022-02-07|website=The Associated Press|language=en}}</ref> and against vaccine mandates (a "Covid Dictatorship") throughout December 2021 in various Hungarian cities.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-12-18|title=A "Covid-diktatúra" ellen tüntetett a Mi Hazánk Mozgalom|url=https://hvg.hu/itthon/20211218_Mi_Hazank_Mozgalom_Toroczkai_Laszlo_oltasellenesseg_tuntetes_kotelezo_oltas_Covid_diktatura|access-date=2022-02-07|website=hvg.hu|language=hu}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-12-06|title=Vidéken folytatja a kötelező oltás elleni tüntetéseket a Mi Hazánk|url=https://mihazank.hu/videken-folytatja-a-kotelezo-oltas-elleni-tunteteseket-a-mi-hazank/|access-date=2022-02-07|website=Mi Hazánk Mozgalom|language=hu}}</ref> On 16 January 2022 they held another anti-vaccine protest in Budapest, attracting thousands of people.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Imre|first=Patthy Loránd|date=2022-01-16|title="Nem tudnak lejönni a szerről az oltottak" – tüntetést tartott a Mi Hazánk Budapesten|url=https://index.hu/belfold/2022/01/16/oltasellenesseg-tuntetes-mi-hazank-novak-elod-pali-jeno-toroczkai-laszlo/|access-date=2022-02-07|website=index.hu|language=hu}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Ireland ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 protests in the Republic of Ireland}}<br />
On 24 July 2021, over ten thousand people attended an anti discrimination march in Dublin, in response to the Irish government's announcement that vaccine passports would be introduced.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/large-crowd-gathers-in-dublin-to-protest-vaccine-cert-system-1.4629890|title=Large crowd gathers in Dublin to protest vaccine cert system|first=Ellen|last=O'Riordan|newspaper=The Irish Times|access-date=12 October 2021|archive-date=28 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210728080317/https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/large-crowd-gathers-in-dublin-to-protest-vaccine-cert-system-1.4629890|url-status=live}}</ref> Said passports were to be used to prevent unvaccinated people availing of indoor dining services.<br />
[[File:PXL 20210724 152855881.LS exported 0.jpg|thumb|alt=Freedom March Dublin|July 24 Anti Discrimination March, Dublin]]<br />
<br />
Hundreds attended an anti-lockdown, [[Mask refusal|anti-face mask]] protest in [[Dublin]] on 22 August 2020. The protest was organised by Health Freedom Ireland with support from Yellow Vest Ireland. Four people were arrested at the protest.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/four-arrested-in-clashes-at-anti-facemask-protest-in-dublin-1.4336794|title=Four arrested in clashes at anti-facemask protest in Dublin|newspaper=[[The Irish Times]]|first1=Conor|last1=Lally|first2=Sarah|last2=Burns|first3=Jennifer|last3=Cosgrove|date=22 August 2020|access-date=22 August 2020|archive-date=22 August 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200822185513/https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/four-arrested-in-clashes-at-anti-facemask-protest-in-dublin-1.4336794|url-status=live}}</ref> Another protest was organised by the same groups on 3 October, with up to a thousand protesters marching through the city centre before staging a sit-down protest in the main shopping area of Grafton Street.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Beresford |first1=Jack |title=Anti-mask demonstrators stage sit-in protest in Dublin |url=https://www.irishpost.com/news/anti-mask-demonstrators-stage-sit-in-protest-in-dublin-194384 |access-date=4 October 2020 |work=The Irish Post |date=3 October 2020 |archive-date=9 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201009000301/https://www.irishpost.com/news/anti-mask-demonstrators-stage-sit-in-protest-in-dublin-194384 |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
On 27 February 2021, violent clashes between protesters and the ''[[Garda Síochána]]'' erupted during an anti-lockdown protest near [[St Stephen's Green]] in Dublin. Three Gardaí were injured and 23 people were arrested in the aftermath of the protest. The Taoiseach [[Micheál Martin]] condemned the demonstration as "an unacceptable risk to both the public and Gardaí".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/three-garda%C3%AD-injured-and-23-arrested-after-clashes-at-dublin-anti-lockdown-protest-1.4497218|title=Three gardaí injured and 23 arrested after clashes at Dublin anti-lockdown protest|newspaper=[[The Irish Times]]|first=Ronan|last=McGreevy|date=27 February 2021|access-date=2 March 2021|url-access=subscription|archive-date=2 March 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210302221822/https://www.irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/three-garda%C3%AD-injured-and-23-arrested-after-clashes-at-dublin-anti-lockdown-protest-1.4497218|url-status=live}}</ref> A non-violent anti-lockdown protest with approximately 450 people in attendance took place on 6 March in [[Cork (city)|Cork]]. The event was organised by The People's Convention.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/munster/arid-40238867.html|title=Cork anti-lockdown protest attracts hundreds into city centre|newspaper=[[Irish Examiner]]|first1=Noel|last1=Baker|first2=Cormac|last2=O'Keeffe|first3=Eoin|last3=English|date=6 March 2021|access-date=9 March 2021|archive-date=8 March 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210308012117/https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/munster/arid-40238867.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Six people were arrested on the day of the protest.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/munster/arid-40239296.html|title=Six arrested on day of Cork anti-lockdown protest|newspaper=[[Irish Examiner]]|first=Steve|last=Neville|date=6 March 2021|access-date=9 March 2021|archive-date=6 March 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210306173608/https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/munster/arid-40239296.html|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Italy ===<br />
{{Main|Protests over COVID-19 policies in Italy}}<br />
Since the month of March 2020, many people [[Protests over COVID-19 policies in Italy|started protesting over COVID-19]] and the rules imposed by the [[Government of Italy|Italian government]].<br />
<br />
=== Netherlands ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 protests in the Netherlands|2021 Dutch curfew riots}}<br />
On 24 January 2021, violent protests erupted as a reaction to the [[Dutch government]] decision to impose a [[curfew]] as a means to curb the spread of the [[COVID-19 pandemic in the Netherlands|COVID-19]].<ref name="FT 210126" /><ref name="Guardian 210126" /> The curfew, imposed between 9 PM to 4:30 AM, was the first of its kind to be enacted in the country since the [[Second World War]].<ref name="FT 210126">{{cite news |last1=Khan |first1=Mehreen |title=Dutch extend Covid curfew despite violent backlash |url=https://www.ft.com/content/351fa962-ee98-49d7-80c8-dfe73a466991 |access-date=27 January 2021 |work=Financial Times |date=26 January 2021 |archive-date=26 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210126225209/https://www.ft.com/content/351fa962-ee98-49d7-80c8-dfe73a466991 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="WaPo 210125">{{cite news |last1=Cunningham |first1=Erin |title=Riots explode across Netherlands over covid restrictions, with Dutch leader calling participants criminals |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/dutch-government-covid-curfew-unrest/2021/01/25/20fa8590-5ef1-11eb-a177-7765f29a9524_story.html |access-date=27 January 2021 |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=25 January 2021 |archive-date=26 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210126200353/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/dutch-government-covid-curfew-unrest/2021/01/25/20fa8590-5ef1-11eb-a177-7765f29a9524_story.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Protests took place in most major cities, including [[Amsterdam]] and [[Eindhoven]]. Police made hundreds of arrests and issued thousands of fines.<ref name="FT 210126" /><ref name="WSJ 210126">{{cite news |last1=Pop |first1=Valentina |title=Dutch Rioters Clash With Police for Third Night Over Covid-19 Curfew |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/dutch-rioters-clash-with-police-for-third-night-over-covid-19-curfew-11611664598?page=1 |access-date=27 January 2021 |work=The Wall Street Journal |date=26 January 2021 |archive-date=22 December 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211222175714/https://www.wsj.com/articles/dutch-rioters-clash-with-police-for-third-night-over-covid-19-curfew-11611664598?page=1 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Guardian 210126">{{cite news |last1=Henley |first1=John |title=Netherlands shaken by third night of riots over Covid curfew |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jan/26/netherlands-third-night-riots-covid-curfew-lockdown-protesters |access-date=27 January 2021 |work=The Guardian |date=26 January 2021 |archive-date=26 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210126225117/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jan/26/netherlands-third-night-riots-covid-curfew-lockdown-protesters |url-status=live }}</ref> The Dutch Police Association described the riots at the worst violence in Netherlands in the last 40 years.<ref name="FT 210126" /> The protests have been described as being composed of mostly young men.<ref name="FT 210126" /><ref name="WSJ 210126" /><br />
<br />
An opinion poll by public broadcaster [[Nederlandse Omroep Stichting|NOS]] indicated that the curfew was supported by seven out of 10 Dutch respondents (although the amounts of respondents is unknown), with just 18% of the population opposing it.<ref name="WSJ 210126" /> An online poll with over 28.000 respondents, done by Radio NPO1, a Dutch state radio station, showed that 89% of Dutch people wanted the curfew to be removed.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://degouda.nl/poll-van-npo1-meerderheid-wil-avondklok-weg-en-wat-vinden-gouwenaars-van-de-avondklok/|title=Poll van NPO1: Meerderheid wil avondklok weg en wat vinden Gouwenaars van de avondklok?|date=18 February 2021|access-date=4 November 2021|archive-date=4 November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211104160506/https://degouda.nl/poll-van-npo1-meerderheid-wil-avondklok-weg-en-wat-vinden-gouwenaars-van-de-avondklok/|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
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After the Netherlands went into a partial lockdown on 12 November 2021 due to a sharp rise in COVID-19 cases, another series of protests and riots occurred over such measures. Rioting was especially concentrated in [[Rotterdam]], where [[National Police Corps (Netherlands)|police]] fired warning shots at rioters, injuring at least two.<ref>{{cite news|title= Rotterdam police clash with rioters as Covid protest turns violent|url= https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-59355950|access-date= 20 November 2021|work= BBC News|date= 20 November 2021|archive-date= 20 November 2021|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20211120001743/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-59355950|url-status= live}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Poland ===<br />
[[File:Protest against anti-pandemic measures in Warsaw (20.03.2021) (17).jpg|thumb|Protest against anti-pandemic measures in Warsaw]]<br />
Hundreds of protesters gathered in the Polish border town of [[Zgorzelec]] to protest the lockdown regulations, the protest was staged specifically on the foot bridge connecting Zgorzelec and the German town of [[Görlitz]] as many lived in Poland but worked in Germany. Many protested the inability to cross the borders of the countries as they lived in a different country from where they worked, and similar protests were seen in border towns along the Polish-German border and the Polish-[[Czech Republic|Czech]] border.<ref>{{cite news|agency=Reuters|date=25 April 2020|title=Hundreds Protest Against Lockdown at Polish-German Border|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2020/04/25/world/europe/25reuters-health-coronavirus-cross-border-workers.html|access-date=1 May 2020|issn=0362-4331|archive-date=26 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200426002608/https://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2020/04/25/world/europe/25reuters-health-coronavirus-cross-border-workers.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Freedom march (Marsz Wolności) happens every month, for example in Wrocław.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://gazetawroclawska.pl/marsz-wolnosci-we-wroclawiu-koronasceptycy-przyszli-tlumnie-interweniowala-policja-zdjecia/ar/c1-15453618|title=Marsz wolności we Wrocławiu. Koronasceptycy przyszli tłumnie, interweniowała policja [ZDJĘCIA]|language=Polish|date=20 February 2020|first=Jerzy|last=Wójcik|publisher=Gazeta Wrocławska|access-date=22 February 2021|archive-date=21 February 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210221083516/https://gazetawroclawska.pl/marsz-wolnosci-we-wroclawiu-koronasceptycy-przyszli-tlumnie-interweniowala-policja-zdjecia/ar/c1-15453618|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
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=== Russia ===<br />
Security forces broke up a crowd of about 2,000 individuals protesting against the lockdown in [[Vladikavkaz]], with some detained and the believed organizer arrested prior to the event.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Russian Police Break-Up Anti-Lockdown Protest|url=https://www.rferl.org/a/russian-police-break-up-anti-lockdown-protest/30568221.html|last=Furlong|first=Ray|date=21 April 2020|website=Radio Free Europe Radio Liberty|access-date=1 May 2020|archive-date=1 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200501054754/https://www.rferl.org/a/russian-police-break-up-anti-lockdown-protest/30568221.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Some protesters at the event used their social media to post videos about their demands against the lockdown, with one stating; "Today, under the pretext of the coronavirus, which doesn't exist, people are driven into slavery, they are trying to establish total control over us all."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-russia-protests-idUSKBN22225B|title=Hundreds protest in southern Russian against coronavirus curbs|date=20 April 2020|first1=Alexander|last1=Marrow|first2=Maria|last2=Tsvetkova|website=Reuters|access-date=30 April 2020|archive-date=29 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200429005016/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-russia-protests-idUSKBN22225B|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
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=== Serbia ===<br />
{{Main|2020–2021 Serbian protests}}<br />
On 7 July 2020, a riot began in [[Belgrade]] after the government's announcement of a [[curfew]] for the weekend. Protests began because of the government's continuous change in handling COVID-19 policy and alleged hiding of the number of COVID-19 cases in the country.{{citation needed|date=August 2021}}<br />
<br />
=== Slovakia ===<br />
In late 2020 and during 2021, several anti-COVID-restriction protests were held also in [[Slovakia]], mainly in the capital, [[Bratislava]] and also [[Košice|Kosice]].<br />
Many people are starting to disobey the rules: they go to bars even though they are not vaccinated, they don't wear FFP2 mask but only textile mask. There were even incidents of people without masks coming to a grocery store. These customers were then beaten by the police as they refused to put on their mask.<br />
<br />
=== Spain ===<br />
[[File:-LaRevoluciónDeLasMascarillas (49937665687).jpg|thumb|Protest in Spain on 26 May 2020]]<br />
Thousands of people, mostly supporters of the right-wing party [[Vox (political party)|Vox]], attended protests in [[Madrid]] and the country's regional capitals over the lockdown and its impact on the [[Economy of Spain|Spanish economy]]. The protesters drove in convoys to adhere to social distancing, with the Madrid protest led by a bus containing Vox leader [[Santiago Abascal]]. Abascal called for [[Sánchez II Government|the national government]] of [[Pedro Sánchez]] to resign over its handling of the virus.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-52783936|title=Coronavirus: Anti-lockdown car protest draws thousands|date=23 May 2020|website=BBC|access-date=23 May 2020|archive-date=23 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200523212612/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-52783936|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-05-12 |title=Vox llama a "recuperar la calle" contra el Gobierno y Abascal anuncia protestas diarias |url=https://www.europapress.es/nacional/noticia-vox-llama-recuperar-calle-contra-gobierno-abascal-anuncia-protestas-diarias-20200512112543.html |access-date=2022-10-31 |publisher=Europa Press}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Ponferrada |first=Diario de León {{!}} Noticias de León, Bierzo y |title=Vox llama a "recuperar la calle" el día 23 y Abascal anuncia caceroladas diarias y protestas constantes |url=https://www.diariodeleon.es/articulo/afondo/vox-llama-recuperar-calle-dia-23-abascal-anuncia-caceroladas-diarias-protestas-constantes/202005122242472011941.html |access-date=2022-10-31 |website=Diario de León {{!}} Noticias de León, Bierzo y Ponferrada |date=12 May 2020 |language=es}}</ref><br />
<br />
On 20 September 2020, thousands of people went out in protest throughout the [[Community of Madrid]] demanding the resignation of the [[Díaz Ayuso government|regional government]] of [[Isabel Díaz Ayuso]], after the latter had announced two days earlier a partial lockdown affecting 850,000 people living in the region's poorest areas which was dubbed as "segregationist" and fostering "stigmatisation, exclusion and territorial discrimination".<ref>{{cite news |date=20 September 2020 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/sep/20/protests-madrid-coronavirus-lockdown-measures-spain |title=Protests in Madrid over coronavirus lockdown measures |newspaper=The Guardian |access-date=20 September 2020 |archive-date=20 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200920182802/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/sep/20/protests-madrid-coronavirus-lockdown-measures-spain |url-status=live }}</ref> The protests came amid growing criticism of Ayuso's handling of the virus as "ineffective" and of her coalition government having "floundered" in its attempt to antagonize with Sánchez's government, as the region became the most heavily hit area in all of Europe in the second wave of the pandemic with many neighborhoods being near or above 1,000 cases per 100,000 people.<ref>{{cite news |date=18 September 2020 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/sep/18/madrid-poor-spanish-capital-covid-19 |title=Lockdown measures and rising anger in Madrid as Covid-19 takes hold again |newspaper=The Guardian |access-date=20 September 2020 |archive-date=20 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200920031444/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/sep/18/madrid-poor-spanish-capital-covid-19 |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
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=== Sweden ===<br />
On 6 March 2021, an estimate of 300-500 people gathered at Medborgarplatsen in Stockholm to protest against COVID-19 measures. The Swedish police dispersed hundreds of protesters and stated that six of their officers had been injured in the process, with one needing to be hospitalized.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.svt.se/nyheter/inrikes/polisen-upploser-demonstration-mot-coronarestriktioner|title=Polisen upplöser demonstration mot coronarestriktioner|newspaper=SVT Nyheter|date=6 March 2021|via=www.svt.se|access-date=9 March 2021|archive-date=10 March 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210310032308/https://www.svt.se/nyheter/inrikes/polisen-upploser-demonstration-mot-coronarestriktioner|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=2021-03-07 |title=Swedish police break up coronavirus demonstration in Stockholm |language=en |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/swedish-police-break-up-coronavirus-demonstration-stockholm-2021-03-06/ |access-date=2023-08-07}}</ref><br />
[[File:Anti-Lock Down Protest London (51137271728).jpg|thumb|Anti-lockdown protest march in London, April 2021]]<br />
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=== Switzerland ===<br />
[[Image:COVID19-20211108-Onex-sticker-opposition.jpg|thumb|Opposition to the Covid certificate in Switzerland, sticker at [[Canton of Geneva|Geneva]].]]<br />
On June 11, 2020, the member of the [[Zurich Cantonal Council]] Urs Hahn was expelled from his party, the Greens, for opposing the thesis of the seriousness of the pandemic.<ref>{{Cite news|language =de|author1=Daniel Fritzsche|author2=Stefan Hotz|url=https://www.nzz.ch/zuerich/urs-hans-gruene-in-zuerich-distanzieren-sich-von-ihrem-kantonsrat-ld.1555960?reduced=true|title="Abenteuerliche Thesen": Die Zürcher Grünen distanzieren sich von ihrem Kantonsrat Urs Hans, weil er Verschwörungstheorien zum Coronavirus verbeitet|periodical=[[Neue Zürcher Zeitung]]|date=2020-05-11}}</ref> On September 12, 2020, a demonstration against masks, containment measures or the supposed lies of the media brings together a thousand people in Geneva at the Place des Nations, in front of the [[United Nations Organization|United Nations]].<ref>{{Cite news|author=[[Swiss Telegraph Agency|ATS]]|url=https://www.letemps.ch/suisse/un-millier-dantimasques-manifestent-geneve|title=A thousand anti-masks demonstrate in Geneva|periodical=[[Le Temps (Swiss daily newspaper)|Le Temps]]|date=2020-09-12}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url= https://www.rts.ch/info/regions/geneve/11598989-un-rassemblement-antimasque-reunit-1000-personnes-a-geneve.html|title=An anti-mask rally brings together 1,000 people in Geneva|website=[[Swiss Radio and Television]]|date=2020-09-12}}</ref> The three major opposition figures [[Disinformation on the Covid-19 pandemic|coronasceptics]] in French-speaking Switzerland are the [[web videographers]] [[Chloé Frammery]], Ema Krusi and Christian Tal Schaller.<ref>{{Cite news|author=Laure Lugon|author2=Sylvia Revello|url=https://www.letemps.ch/suisse/complotistes-senflamment-autour-coronavirus|title=Les complotistes ignite around the coronavirus|periodical =[[Le Temps (Swiss daily newspaper)|Le Temps]]|date=2020-05-11}}</ref> Coronasceptics and opponents of measures to combat the spread of Covid-19 are increasingly occupying the Federal Office of Police (Fedpol). Threats against federal officials are on the rise.<ref>{{Cite web |language=en |title=In Switzerland, "coronasceptics" are increasingly occupying the police |url=https://www.rts.ch/info/suisse/11719150-in-switzerland-coronasceptics-occupy-more-and-more-the-police.html |website=[[Swiss Radio and Television]] |date=2020-11-01 |access-date =2021-03-26}}</ref><br />
<br />
In January 2021, the [[National Council (Switzerland)|national councilor]] [[Democratic Union of the Center|UDC]] [[Yves Nidegger]] opposed the “health dictatorship”.<ref>{{Cite web| author=Elio Sottas|url=https://www.lemanbleu.ch/fr/News/Yves-Nidegger-souhaite-reconstruire-Geneve-en-ruine.html|title=Yves Nidegger wishes to rebuild "Geneva in ruins"|website =[[Léman Bleu]]|date=2021-01-06}}.</ref> In Liestal, 8000 people demonstrate on March 20, 2021, against the anti-Covid measures in force while in Bern the police stop a demonstration for the same causes.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Anti-Covid demonstrations -sanitary measures in Liestal and Bern |url=https://www.swissinfo.ch/fre/manifestations-anti-mesures-sanitaires-%C3%A0-liestal-et-%C3%A0-berne/46465440 |website =[[Swissinfo]] |date=2021-03-20}}</ref> Following these demonstrations, the #NoLiestal movement is rising on digital networks to denounce and counter the agglomeration initiatives of coronasceptics in Switzerland.<ref>{{Cite web |language=fr |title=Forum (video) - The #NoLiestal movement, the counter-offensive against coronasceptics |url=https://www.rts.ch/play/tv/forum-video/video/le-mouvement-noliestal-la-contre-offensive-face-aux-coronasceptiques?urn=urn:rts:video:12075124 |website=[[Swiss Radio and Television]]|date=2021-03-25|access-date=2021-03-26}}.</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.watson.ch/fr/suisse/pand%C3%A9mie/674339869-noliestal-le-hashtag-qui-denonce-les-manifs-anti-restrictions|title=#NoLiestal, the hashtag that denounces anti-restrictions demonstrations|website=[[Watson (newspaper)|Watson]]|date=2021-03-25}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Ukraine ===<br />
On 14–20 February, protests against the placement of evacuated Ukrainian citizens (suspected of having coronavirus disease 2019) from the city of Wuhan (PRC) in Ukraine took place in Novi Sanzhary.<br />
<br />
In the summer and autumn of 2021, actions against obligatory vaccination against COVID-19 and restrictions for unvaccinated persons took place in various cities of Ukraine. In particular, on 27 July the "procession" against vaccination was organized by the [[Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate)|Moscow Patriarchate]]<ref>{{cite news<br />
| date = 27 July 2021<br />
| title = "Наша вакцина - це причастіє": хресна хода УПЦ МП у розпал пандемії. Як це було<br />
| url = https://www.bbc.com/ukrainian/media-57985963<br />
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20211105082542/https://www.bbc.com/ukrainian/media-57985963<br />
| archive-date = 5 November 2021<br />
| access-date = 5 November 2021<br />
}}</ref><br />
and on November 3 the protesters blocked the streets in Kyiv<ref>{{cite news<br />
| date = 5 November 2021<br />
| title = Мітинг антивакцинаторів у Києві: страх втратити роботу або стати роботами<br />
| url = https://p.dw.com/p/42XkY<br />
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20211105082112/https://www.dw.com/uk/mitynh-antyvaktsynatoriv-u-kyievi-strakh-vtratyty-robotu-abo-staty-robotamy/a-59711738<br />
| archive-date = 5 November 2021<br />
| access-date = 5 November 2021<br />
}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== United Kingdom ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 protests in the United Kingdom}}<br />
The first protests against the national mandatory lockdown in the United Kingdom took place in April&nbsp;2020, extending into the following month before abating as lockdown restrictions were slowly eased. As local area lockdown measures were reintroduced towards the end of summer, followed by stricter national lockdown measures, anti-lockdown protests resurged across the country beginning in September&nbsp;2020. More than 55 protesters have been arrested in these events as of October 2020. Some protesters have claimed that COVID-19 is a hoax, and many refused to wear [[Face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic|masks]] or practice [[social distancing]].<ref name="HuffPost Sept 2020">{{cite web | title=Revealed: The So-Called 'Top Class Doctors And Nurses' Backing Anti-Mask Protests | website=HuffPost | url=https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/these-are-the-so-called-top-class-doctors-and-nurses-backing-anti-mask-protests_uk_5f4e4531c5b697186e3b790d | date=5 September 2020 | access-date=15 October 2020 | archive-date=20 September 2020 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200920044007/https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/these-are-the-so-called-top-class-doctors-and-nurses-backing-anti-mask-protests_uk_5f4e4531c5b697186e3b790d | url-status=live }}</ref> Protests have occurred in [[Shrewsbury]],<ref>{{Cite web|last=Leather|first=Harry|title=Two arrested after anti-lockdown protesters in stand-off with police on roof of Shrewsbury College|url=https://www.shropshirestar.com/news/health/coronavirus-covid19/2020/04/20/anti-lockdown-protesters-in-stand-off-with-police-on-roof-of-shrewsbury-college/|access-date=10 July 2020|website=www.shropshirestar.com|date=20 April 2020 |language=en|archive-date=7 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201007010409/https://www.shropshirestar.com/news/health/coronavirus-covid19/2020/04/20/anti-lockdown-protesters-in-stand-off-with-police-on-roof-of-shrewsbury-college/|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Glastonbury]],<ref>{{Cite web|last=Mills|first=Richard|date=1 May 2020|title=Live updates as police attend protest against lockdown in Somerset|url=https://www.somersetlive.co.uk/news/somerset-news/lockdown-protest-glastonbury-corbyn-live-4096098|access-date=10 July 2020|website=somersetlive|language=en|archive-date=4 December 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201204235515/https://www.somersetlive.co.uk/news/somerset-news/lockdown-protest-glastonbury-corbyn-live-4096098|url-status=live}}</ref> [[London]], [[Manchester]], [[Glasgow]], [[Belfast]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://metro.co.uk/2020/05/16/19-arrested-anti-lockdown-protests-take-place-across-country-12715038/|title=19 arrested as anti-lockdown protests take place across country|first=Faye|last=Brown|date=16 May 2020|access-date=24 May 2020|archive-date=23 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200523160939/https://metro.co.uk/2020/05/16/19-arrested-anti-lockdown-protests-take-place-across-country-12715038/|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Hove]],<ref>{{Cite web|date=19 May 2020|title=Coronavirus lockdown prompts Hove seafront protest|url=https://www.brightonandhovenews.org/2020/05/19/coronavirus-lockdown-prompts-hove-seafront-protest/|access-date=10 July 2020|website=Brighton and Hove News|language=en-US|archive-date=15 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201015171929/https://www.brightonandhovenews.org/2020/05/19/coronavirus-lockdown-prompts-hove-seafront-protest/|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Birmingham]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/protests-birmingham-city-centre-over-18924302|title=Protests in Birmingham city centre over lockdown restrictions|first=Stephanie|last=Balloo|date=12 September 2020|website=BirminghamLive|access-date=12 September 2020|archive-date=13 September 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200913011210/https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/protests-birmingham-city-centre-over-18924302|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Liverpool]],<ref>{{cite web|title=Conspiracy theorist Piers Corbyn tells crowd of unmasked protesters 'covid is a hoax'|url=https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/conspiracy-theorist-piers-corbyn-tells-19125232|newspaper=Liverpool Echo|first=Jonathan|last=Humphries|date=18 October 2020|access-date=18 October 2020|archive-date=19 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201019060254/https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/conspiracy-theorist-piers-corbyn-tells-19125232|url-status=live}}</ref> as well as a few other cities.<br />
<br />
Protests over restrictions overlapped with [[anti-vaccine]] protests following the start of the UK's [[COVID-19 vaccination in the United Kingdom|COVID-19 vaccination programme]] in December 2020.<ref>{{cite news|date=2021-07-03|title=The anti-lockdown movement is still going strong|newspaper=The Economist|url=https://www.economist.com/britain/2021/07/03/the-anti-lockdown-movement-is-still-going-strong|access-date=2021-09-12|issn=0013-0613|archive-date=12 September 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210912213950/https://www.economist.com/britain/2021/07/03/the-anti-lockdown-movement-is-still-going-strong|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-07-19|title=Bottles thrown at police in anti-lockdown and anti-vaccination protest|url=https://www.itv.com/news/london/2021-07-19/bottles-thrown-at-police-in-anti-lockdown-and-anti-vaccination-protest|access-date=2021-09-12|website=ITV News|language=en|archive-date=13 September 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210913193143/https://www.itv.com/news/london/2021-07-19/bottles-thrown-at-police-in-anti-lockdown-and-anti-vaccination-protest|url-status=live}}</ref> On the weekend of 24–25 July 2021, protests broke out again in several major cities in the United Kingdom including [[London]],<ref>{{Cite web|title=Thousands protest amid global anger against COVID restrictions|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/7/24/protesters-against-covid-restrictions-clash-with-police-in-paris|access-date=2021-07-25|website=www.aljazeera.com|language=en|archive-date=25 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210725014050/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/7/24/protesters-against-covid-restrictions-clash-with-police-in-paris|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Leeds]],<ref>{{Cite web|last1=Norden|first1=Jasmine|date=2021-07-24|title='Freedom Rally' blocks Leeds roads as protestors accuse government of lies|url=https://www.leeds-live.co.uk/news/leeds-news/freedom-rally-blocks-leeds-roads-21137368|access-date=2021-07-25|website=LeedsLive|language=en|archive-date=25 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210725014059/https://www.leeds-live.co.uk/news/leeds-news/freedom-rally-blocks-leeds-roads-21137368|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Manchester]]<ref>{{Cite web|last1=Abbit|first1=Beth|date=2021-07-24|title=Protesters chant 'shame on you' at police during march through Manchester|url=https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/protesters-chant-shame-you-police-21137043|access-date=2021-07-25|website=Manchester Evening News|language=en|archive-date=25 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210725014059/https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/protesters-chant-shame-you-police-21137043|url-status=live}}</ref> and [[Birmingham]] due to people [[Vaccine hesitancy|opposing vaccines]] and [[COVID passports in the United Kingdom|proposed COVID passports]].<ref>{{Cite web|first=Nick|last=Horner|date=2021-07-24|title=Lockdown protests causing city centre road chaos|url=https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/live-anti-lockdown-protests-causing-21136037|access-date=2021-07-25|website=BirminghamLive|language=en|archive-date=25 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210725014049/https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/live-anti-lockdown-protests-causing-21136037|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
== North America ==<br />
<br />
=== Canada ===<br />
[[File:COVID-19 Vancouver's largest protest, April 26th 2020 (49823981297).jpg|thumb|Anti-lockdown protest in [[Vancouver]], British Columbia, on 26 April 2020]]<br />
{{main|COVID-19 protests in Canada}}<br />
In Canada, protests began on 19 April 2020 in [[Vancouver]].<ref name="Vancouver COVID-19 protests">{{cite news |last1=Carrigg |first1=David |title=COVID-19: Small group protests coronavirus restrictions in Vancouver |url=https://vancouversun.com/news/local-news/covid-19-vancouver-police-escort-small-group-protesting-government-restrictions/ |access-date=6 May 2020 |agency=Postmedia Network |publisher=Vancouver Sun |date=19 April 2020 |archive-date=12 May 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200512150249/https://vancouversun.com/news/local-news/covid-19-vancouver-police-escort-small-group-protesting-government-restrictions/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|date=26 April 2020|title=Protesters march against COVID-19 prevention measures in Vancouver &#124; CTV News|publisher=Bc.ctvnews.ca|url=https://bc.ctvnews.ca/protesters-march-against-covid-19-prevention-measures-in-vancouver-1.4912767|access-date=30 April 2020|archive-date=2 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200502004835/https://bc.ctvnews.ca/protesters-march-against-covid-19-prevention-measures-in-vancouver-1.4912767|url-status=live}}</ref> Protests also occurred in [[Toronto]], [[Edmonton]] and [[Ottawa]].<ref>{{cite news|title='A bunch of yahoos,' Ont. premier says of people protesting COVID-19 emergency measures &#124; CTV News|publisher=Toronto.ctvnews.ca|url=https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/a-bunch-of-yahoos-ont-premier-says-of-people-protesting-covid-19-emergency-measures-1.4911861|access-date=30 April 2020|archive-date=1 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200501172956/https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/a-bunch-of-yahoos-ont-premier-says-of-people-protesting-covid-19-emergency-measures-1.4911861|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Lauren |first1=Boothby |title=Hundreds flock to Alberta legislature to protest COVID-19 restrictions |url=https://edmontonjournal.com/news/local-news/hundreds-flock-to-alberta-legislature-to-protest-covid-19-restrictions/wcm/e93da949-89f6-4b77-8376-9a8ffbf5e340/ |access-date=5 May 2020 |work=Edmonton Journal |date=1 May 2020 |archive-date=6 May 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200506060124/https://edmontonjournal.com/news/local-news/hundreds-flock-to-alberta-legislature-to-protest-covid-19-restrictions/wcm/e93da949-89f6-4b77-8376-9a8ffbf5e340/ |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
On 21 April 2020 it was reported that prisoners at the [[Saskatchewan Penitentiary]] had been protesting against restrictions placed upon them in response to COVID-19, like being kept in their cells for 20 hours a day.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Bridges |first1=Alicia |title=Sask. Penitentiary inmates protest COVID-19 restrictions they say put them in cells 20 hours per day |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatoon/protests-covid-19-saskatchewan-penitentiary-1.5538728 |access-date=5 May 2020 |work=CBC News |date=21 April 2020 |archive-date=24 April 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200424090731/https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatoon/protests-covid-19-saskatchewan-penitentiary-1.5538728 |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
On 15 January 2021, [[Roman Baber]], [[Member of Provincial Parliament&nbsp;(Canada)|Member of Provincial Parliament]] for the [[Toronto]] riding of [[York Centre (provincial electoral district)|York Centre]], was removed from the caucus of the governing [[Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario]] after publishing an open letter to [[Premier of Ontario|Premier]] [[Doug Ford]] criticizing [[COVID-19 pandemic in Ontario|Ontario's lockdown restrictions]]. Baber continued his anti-lockdown advocacy as an [[independent politician|independent]] member of the legislative [[opposition (politics)|opposition]].<ref name="ts011521">{{cite news |last1=Benzie |first1=Robert |title=Premier Doug Ford turfs MPP Roman Baber from Tory caucus for opposing COVID-19 lockdown |url=https://www.thestar.com/politics/provincial/2021/01/15/tory-mpp-roman-baber-breaks-ranks-with-premier-doug-ford-urges-end-to-covid-19-lockdown.html |access-date=15 January 2021 |work=Toronto Star |publisher=Torstar |date=15 January 2021 |archive-date=15 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210115132729/https://www.thestar.com/politics/provincial/2021/01/15/tory-mpp-roman-baber-breaks-ranks-with-premier-doug-ford-urges-end-to-covid-19-lockdown.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/ontario-covid-19-january-15-2021-1.5874606| title=Ford ousts MPP from caucus over open letter pushing for end to COVID-19 lockdown| date=15 January 2021| website=cbc.ca| access-date=19 January 2021| archive-date=19 January 2021| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210119092609/https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/ontario-covid-19-january-15-2021-1.5874606| url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite tweet| user=Roman_Baber| number=1350089062800105473| title=I was removed from the @OntarioPCParty caucus. It's a regretful decision since many colleagues agree with me, incl @fordnation in large part. I don't regret speaking out for millions of lives & livelihoods decimated by Public Health, I serve the public. The Lockdown is grounded in false public health narrative, poor planning & bad data. While Doug only cares about re-election, Lockdowns are killing more than saving. I couldn't watch the suffering anymore. I hope I encouraged other professionals to speak out.| date=15 January 2021| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210115162937/https://twitter.com/Roman_Baber/status/1350089062800105473| archive-date= 15 January 2021| url-status =live}}</ref><br />
<br />
On 1 September 2021, thousands of people protested COVID-19 vaccine policies and mask mandates outside of [[Vancouver City Hall]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Protesters target B.C. hospitals disrupting patients, staff - NEWS 1130|url=https://www.citynews1130.com/2021/09/01/covid-protesters-bc-hospitals/|access-date=2021-09-03|website=www.citynews1130.com|archive-date=3 September 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210903030258/https://www.citynews1130.com/2021/09/01/covid-protesters-bc-hospitals/|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
[[File:Convoi de la liberté à Ottawa 01.jpg|thumb|Anti-mandate protest in [[Ottawa]], Canada's capital city, on 1 February 2022]]<br />
In January 2022, [[Freedom Convoy 2022]] began. Prime Minister [[Justin Trudeau]] invoked the [[Emergencies Act]] for the first time to quell the unrest from the occupation and harassment of Ottawa and its citizens by hundreds of trucks, their drivers and thousands of unruly protesters.<br />
<br />
====Alberta====<br />
A far-right group calling itself "Walk for Freedom" has been organizing anti-mask protests since at least April 2020.<ref name="CTV_20200429">{{cite news| title = Protest to 'End the Lockdown' attracts more than 100 people to Alberta legislature| work = CTV News Edmonton| access-date = 21 February 2021| date = 29 April 2020| url = https://edmonton.ctvnews.ca/protest-to-end-the-lockdown-attracts-more-than-100-people-to-alberta-legislature-1.4917828| archive-date = 9 March 2021| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210309035715/https://edmonton.ctvnews.ca/protest-to-end-the-lockdown-attracts-more-than-100-people-to-alberta-legislature-1.4917828| url-status = live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Anti-mask protesters take to the streets in Calgary to fight COVID-19 restrictions |url=https://calgary.ctvnews.ca/anti-mask-protesters-take-to-the-streets-in-calgary-to-fight-covid-19-restrictions-1.5228760 |first=Timm |last=Bruch |work=CTV News |date=12 December 2020 |access-date=21 February 2021 |archive-date=10 February 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210210223346/https://calgary.ctvnews.ca/anti-mask-protesters-take-to-the-streets-in-calgary-to-fight-covid-19-restrictions-1.5228760 |url-status=live }}</ref> Concerns were raised when several hundred protestors took part in a 20 February 2021 freedom convoy and Jericho Torch March at the Legislature organized by the "Walk for Freedom Alberta" and the "Freedom Unity Alliance".<ref name="global_Bench_20210221">{{cite news| last = Bench| first = Allison| title = Protesters gather from across the province at Alberta legislature to fight COVID-19 health measures| work = Global News| location = Edmonton, Alberta| access-date = 21 February 2021| date = 21 February 2021| url = https://globalnews.ca/news/7652604/feb-20-walk-for-freedom-covid-19/| archive-date = 22 February 2021| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210222015650/http://globalnews.ca/news/7652604/feb-20-walk-for-freedom-covid-19/| url-status = live}}</ref> Posters advertising the rally included an image of white nationalists marching through [[Charlottesville, Virginia|Charlottesville]] with [[Tiki torch]]es in the 2017 US [[Unite the Right rally]].<ref name="global_Bench_20210221"/><ref>{{Cite web| title = COVID Conspiracy Groups Are Using A Picture From Charlottesville Neo-Nazi Rally To Promote Their Upcoming 'Torch March'| work = Canadian Anti-Hate Network| access-date = February 22, 2021| date = February 16, 2021| url = https://www.antihate.ca/covid_conspiracy_groups_picture_charlottesville_neo_nazi_rally_promote_their_upcoming_torch_march |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210216201222/https://www.antihate.ca/covid_conspiracy_groups_picture_charlottesville_neo_nazi_rally_promote_their_upcoming_torch_march |archive-date=16 February 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web| work = Facebook| access-date = February 22, 2021| date = February 16, 2021| url = https://www.facebook.com/WALK108/photos/pcb.147482763873027/147482720539698/| author = WALK108| title = Poster for Walk for Freedom rallies| archive-date = 22 February 2021| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210222204047/https://www.facebook.com/WALK108/photos/pcb.147482763873027/147482720539698/| url-status = live}}</ref><ref name="660News_20210124">{{Cite web| title = Experts confused, concerned with anti-lockdown rally imagery| work = 660 NEWS| access-date = February 22, 2021| date = January 24, 2021| url = https://www.660citynews.com/2021/01/23/experts-confused-concerned-with-anti-lockdown-rally-imagery/| archive-date = 26 February 2021| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210226213959/https://www.660citynews.com/2021/01/23/experts-confused-concerned-with-anti-lockdown-rally-imagery/| url-status = live}}</ref> The group of hundreds of unmasked anti-lockdown protestors, carrying a Walk for Freedom banner included [[COVID-19 misinformation|COVID-19 deniers]].<ref name="CTV_20210221">{{cite news| title = Hatred, COVID-19 skepticism denounced after anti-lockdown rally at Alberta legislature| work = CTV Edmonton| access-date = February 21, 2021| date = February 21, 2021| url = https://edmonton.ctvnews.ca/hatred-covid-19-skepticism-denounced-after-anti-lockdown-rally-at-alta-legislature-1.5317502| archive-date = 22 February 2021| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210222045333/https://edmonton.ctvnews.ca/hatred-covid-19-skepticism-denounced-after-anti-lockdown-rally-at-alta-legislature-1.5317502| url-status = live}}</ref> Others were supporters of a pastor who was arrested for repeatedly refusing to comply to public health regulations, such as capping attendance, physical distancing and mask-wearing.<ref name="CBC_20210217">{{cite news| title = GraceLife pastor held in custody for refusing to comply with bail conditions| location = Edmonton, Alberta| access-date = February 21, 2021| date = February 17, 2021| url = https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/alberta-covid-coronavirus-grace-life-church-pastor-1.5917526| archive-date = 22 February 2021| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210222134044/https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/alberta-covid-coronavirus-grace-life-church-pastor-1.5917526| url-status = live}}</ref><ref name="thestar_20210221">{{cite news| title = Anti-lockdown rally at Alberta legislature voices support for jailed pastor| work = The Star| location = Edmonton, Alberta| access-date = February 21, 2021| date = February 21, 2021| url = https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2021/02/20/anti-lockdown-rally-at-alberta-legislature-voices-support-for-jailed-pastor.html| archive-date = 21 February 2021| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210221082455/https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2021/02/20/anti-lockdown-rally-at-alberta-legislature-voices-support-for-jailed-pastor.html| url-status = live}}</ref> The [[Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms]] (JCCF), representing the pastor, had launched a legal charter challenge against the Alberta government.<ref name="Griwkowsky_20201207">{{cite news| title = Justice centre launches legal challenge against Covid restrictions| work = Politics Today| url = https://www.politicstoday.news/alberta-today/justice-centre-launches-legal-challenge-against-covid-restrictions| first = Catherine| last = Griwkowsky| date = December 7, 2020| access-date = February 21, 2021| archive-date = 1 February 2021| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210201215035/https://www.politicstoday.news/alberta-today/justice-centre-launches-legal-challenge-against-covid-restrictions| url-status = live}}</ref> The Mayor of Edmonton said that the rally organizers were from outside Edmonton and that they "may be associated with known hate groups. Edmonton unequivocally condemns racism, misogyny and other forms of hate—such speech is not welcome in our community."<ref>{{cite news| title = Anti-restriction protesters gather at legislature, march in streets with tiki torches| work = 660 News| location = Edmonton, Alberta| access-date = February 21, 2021| date = February 20, 2021| url = https://www.660citynews.com/2021/02/20/large-anti-mask-and-anti-restriction-protest-underway-soon-in-edmonton/| archive-date = 21 February 2021| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210221182147/https://www.660citynews.com/2021/02/20/large-anti-mask-and-anti-restriction-protest-underway-soon-in-edmonton/| url-status = live}}</ref><ref name="CTV_20210221"/><ref>{{Cite AV media| title = Anti-lockdown protesters clash with media at "Walk for Freedom" rally |series=CTV News| access-date = February 21, 2021| date =February 21, 2021| url = https://edmonton.citynews.ca/video/2021/02/21/anti-lockdown-protesters-clash-with-media-at-walk-for-freedom-rally/}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Cuba ===<br />
{{Main|2021 Cuban protests}}<br />
A series of protests began on 11 July 2021, triggered by the shortage of food and medicine and the government's response to the resurgent [[COVID-19 pandemic in Cuba]].<ref>{{cite news|last=Robles|first=Frances|date=11 July 2021|title=Cubans Denounce 'Misery' in Biggest Protests in Decades|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/11/world/americas/cuba-crisis-protests.html|issn=0362-4331|archive-date=11 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210711212619/https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/11/world/americas/cuba-crisis-protests.html|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Mexico ===<br />
On 29 April, police in [[Yajalón]], [[Municipalities of Chiapas|Chiapas]], southern Mexico, opened fire on people who were protesting against a checkpoint that left their community isolated. Residents of neighbouring [[Tumbalá]] complained that the checkpoint made it impossible for them to access governmental and banking services and that it seemed to be related to a belief that Tumbalá had a high rate of coronavirus infection. Checkpoints have been installed in about 20% of Mexico's municipalities, which the federal government has declared illegal.<ref>{{cite news |title=México: Protesta contra retén por COVID termina en tiroteo |url=https://apnews.com/cfcb0c1a9718e9f62b05c1a67399398b |website=AP NEWS |access-date=5 June 2020 |date=30 April 2020 |archive-date=5 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200605181818/https://apnews.com/cfcb0c1a9718e9f62b05c1a67399398b |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
Hundreds of Mexicans participated in caravans on 30 May demanding the resignation of President [[Andrés Manuel López Obrador]] because of his handling of the [[COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico]] and the economy. The caravans, which took place in about a dozen cities across the country, consisted largely of luxury cars.<ref>{{cite web |title=Manifestaciones anti AMLO en varios estados - Estados - La Jornada |url=https://www.jornada.com.mx/ultimas/estados/2020/05/30/manifestaciones-anti-amlo-en-los-estados-6108.html |website=www.jornada.com.mx |access-date=5 June 2020 |language=es |date=30 May 2020 |archive-date=5 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200605182825/https://www.jornada.com.mx/ultimas/estados/2020/05/30/manifestaciones-anti-amlo-en-los-estados-6108.html |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
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Violence broke out on 4 June during [[George Floyd protests|demonstrations]] in [[Guadalajara]], [[Jalisco]] to demand justice after the [[death of Giovanni López]] in the town of [[Ixtlahuacán de los Membrillos]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Justicia para Giovanni: Protestan por el asesinato en Jalisco |url=https://www.milenio.com/estados/giovanni-lopez-protestas-asesinato-joven-jalisco |website=www.milenio.com |date=6 April 2020 |access-date=4 June 2020 |archive-date=5 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200605022951/https://www.milenio.com/estados/giovanni-lopez-protestas-asesinato-joven-jalisco |url-status=live }}</ref> López, a 30-year-old mason, had been arrested on 4 May for not wearing a [[COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico|facemask]] during a [[Stay-at-home order|lockdown]] and died the next day while in police custody.<ref>{{cite web |title=Así fue la detención de Giovanni López justo antes de su muerte |url=https://www.lavanguardia.com/internacional/20200605/481603972248/giovanni-lopez-muerte-policia-detencion-video-seo-ext.html |website=La Vanguardia |access-date=5 June 2020 |language=es |date=5 June 2020 |archive-date=5 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200605093708/https://www.lavanguardia.com/internacional/20200605/481603972248/giovanni-lopez-muerte-policia-detencion-video-seo-ext.html |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
=== United States ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 protests in the United States}}<br />
<br />
The United States' national response began in early January, originating with actions by the [[Centers for Disease Control and Prevention|Centers for Disease Control]] (CDC) and the [[White House]]. The [[COVID-19 pandemic in the United States|first U.S. case of COVID-19]] was recorded on 19 January 2020. In the United States, the [[U.S. state and local government responses to the COVID-19 pandemic|response was determined by state and local officials in coordination with the CDC and federal officials]]. On 9 February, governors were briefed by the [[White House Coronavirus Task Force]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=TIMELINE: The Trump Administration's Decisive Actions To Combat the Coronavirus|url=https://www.donaldjtrump.com/media/timeline-the-trump-administrations-decisive-actions-to-combat-the-coronavirus|access-date=10 July 2020|website=www.donaldjtrump.com|language=en|archive-date=11 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200711100629/https://www.donaldjtrump.com/media/timeline-the-trump-administrations-decisive-actions-to-combat-the-coronavirus|url-status=dead}}</ref> Beginning in mid-March, various [[Social distancing measures related to the COVID-19 pandemic|social distancing measures]] to limit spread of the virus were undertaken by state governors and in some cases counties or cities.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://abcnews.go.com/Health/wireStory/bay-area-counties-california-order-shelter-place-69627648|title=San Francisco Bay Area counties issue shelter-in-place order|last1=Rodriguez|first1=Olga R.|last2=Har|first2=Janie|date=16 March 2020|work=ABC News|access-date=9 May 2020|archive-date=25 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200525143041/https://abcnews.go.com/Health/wireStory/bay-area-counties-california-order-shelter-place-69627648|url-status=live}}</ref> Actions taken included [[stay-at-home order]]s ("quarantine"), school and business closures, and limitation on the size of gatherings. On 19 March 2020, [[Donald Trump|President Donald Trump]], and [[Mike Pence|Vice President Mike Pence]] met (via teleconference) with governors of most states to continue coordination and to assist states with their responses. [[Federal Emergency Management Agency|FEMA]] was brought into the effort around this time.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Remarks by President Trump and Vice President Pence in a Video Teleconference with Governors on COVID-19|url=https://trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov/briefings-statements/remarks-president-trump-vice-president-pence-video-teleconference-governors-covid-19/|access-date=10 July 2020|via=[[NARA|National Archives]]|work=[[whitehouse.gov]]|language=en-US|archive-date=20 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210120200339/https://trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov/briefings-statements/remarks-president-trump-vice-president-pence-video-teleconference-governors-covid-19/|url-status=live}}</ref> By 7 April 42 states had [[Lockdown#In epidemics and pandemics|lockdown orders]] in place.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://nationalpost.com/news/covid-19-people-have-to-be-responsible-for-themselves-eight-states-still-not-locked-down|title=COVID-19: 'People have to be responsible for themselves': Eight U.S. states still not locked down|last=Dittrich|first=Valerie|date=7 April 2020|work=National Post|access-date=9 May 2020}}</ref> The shutdowns had serious economic effects, including a steep rise in unemployment due to the shutdown of stores and workplaces.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2020/04/24/coronavirus-pandemics-impact-on-the-global-economy-in-7-charts.html|title=7 charts show how the coronavirus pandemic has hit the global economy|last=Lee|first=Yen Nee|date=24 April 2020|work=CNBC|access-date=9 May 2020|archive-date=4 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200504231204/https://www.cnbc.com/2020/04/24/coronavirus-pandemics-impact-on-the-global-economy-in-7-charts.html|url-status=live}}</ref> By 15 April protests and demonstrations had broken out in some states, demanding that the area be "re-opened" for normal business and personal activity. By 1 May there had been demonstrations in more than half of the states, and many governors began to take steps to lift the restrictions.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://thehill.com/homenews/sunday-talk-shows/495877-governors-experts-await-results-of-reopening-states-as-protests|title=Governors, experts await results of reopening states as protests continue|last=Budryk|first=Zack|date=3 May 2020|work=The Hill|access-date=9 May 2020|archive-date=10 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200510022802/https://thehill.com/homenews/sunday-talk-shows/495877-governors-experts-await-results-of-reopening-states-as-protests|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
{{multiple image<br />
| footer = Several hundred anti-lockdown protesters rallied at the [[Ohio Statehouse]] on 20 April.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Rouan |first1=Rick |title=Protesters at Statehouse demand state reopen as DeWine announces schools to remain closed |url=https://www.dispatch.com/news/20200420/protesters-at-statehouse-demand-state-reopen-as-dewine-announces-schools-to-remain-closed |access-date=3 May 2020 |work=[[The Columbus Dispatch]] |date=20 April 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200425004821/https://www.dispatch.com/news/20200420/protesters-at-statehouse-demand-state-reopen-as-dewine-announces-schools-to-remain-closed |archive-date=25 April 2020 |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
| image1 = Open Ohio Rally IMG 0910 (49799974031).jpg<br />
| alt1 = Ohio protesters, 18 April<br />
| image2 = CIMG 0355 (49799414598).jpg<br />
| alt2 = Ohio protesters, 20 April 20<br />
}}<br />
One of the first protests was in [[Michigan]] on 15 April 2020, organized by conservative groups which also encouraged groups in other states to copy their wording and templates.{{Citation needed|date=September 2021}} Protesters in numerous other states said they were inspired by Michigan, and they used Michigan's material on their own websites, Facebook groups, and [[Reddit]] pages to promote their protests.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/salvadorhernandez/coronavirus-quarantine-protests-facebook-groups|title=This Is How A Group Linked To Betsy DeVos Is Organizing Protests To End Social Distancing, Now With Trump's Support|website=BuzzFeed News|language=en|access-date=20 April 2020|archive-date=19 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200419180823/https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/salvadorhernandez/coronavirus-quarantine-protests-facebook-groups|url-status=live}}</ref> Subsequent protests were organized by [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] activists or party organizations,<ref name="reuters1">{{cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-trump-protests-idUSKCN2233ES|title=How Trump allies have organized and promoted anti-lockdown protests|date=22 April 2020|work=Reuters|access-date=23 April 2020|language=en|archive-date=23 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200423112936/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-trump-protests-idUSKCN2233ES|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bridgemi.com/michigan-government/meet-trump-loving-group-behind-protest-gov-whitmers-stay-home-order|title=Meet the Trump-loving group behind protest of Gov. Whitmer's stay-home order|date=22 April 2020|website=bridgemi.com|language=en|access-date=23 April 2020|archive-date=26 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200426174050/https://www.bridgemi.com/michigan-government/meet-trump-loving-group-behind-protest-gov-whitmers-stay-home-order|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="komonews">{{cite news|url=https://komonews.com/news/coronavirus/protest-against-state-closure-planned-for-tomorrow-in-olympia|title=Protest against state closure planned for tomorrow in Olympia|first=Cole |last=Miller|date=18 April 2020|website=KOMO|access-date=19 April 2020|archive-date=20 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200420003642/https://komonews.com/news/coronavirus/protest-against-state-closure-planned-for-tomorrow-in-olympia|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Tea Party movement|Tea Party activists]],<ref name=":8">{{cite news|url=https://www.politico.com/news/2020/04/21/trump-allies-help-organize-lockdown-protests-198426|title=Trump allies have their fingerprints on lockdown protests|website=POLITICO|language=en|access-date=23 April 2020|archive-date=22 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200422183744/https://www.politico.com/news/2020/04/21/trump-allies-help-organize-lockdown-protests-198426|url-status=live}}</ref> armed [[Patriot movement|militia movement]] supporters,<ref name="Grauniad-Right">{{cite news|last=Wilson|first=Jason|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/17/far-right-coronavirus-protests-restrictions|title=The rightwing groups behind wave of protests against Covid-19 restrictions|date=17 April 2020|work=The Guardian|access-date=18 April 2020|language=en-GB|issn=0261-3077|quote=...{{nbsp}}{{nbsp}}...|archive-date=18 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200418010447/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/17/far-right-coronavirus-protests-restrictions|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Gun laws in the United States by state|guns-rights]] activists,<ref>{{cite news|url=https://bringmethenews.com/minnesota-news/washington-post-links-minnesota-gun-group-to-anti-quarantine-protests|title=WaPo reveals Minnesota gun group link to anti-quarantine protests|last=Uren|first=Adam|website=Bring Me The News|language=en|access-date=20 April 2020|archive-date=24 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200424164209/https://bringmethenews.com/minnesota-news/washington-post-links-minnesota-gun-group-to-anti-quarantine-protests|url-status=live}}</ref> and "[[Anti-vaccine activism|anti-vaccination]]" advocates.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/02/us/anti-vaxxers-coronavirus-protests.html|title=Antivaccination Activists Are Growing Force at Virus Protests|last=Bogel-Burroughs|first=Nicholas|date=4 May 2020|work=The New York Times|access-date=4 May 2020|archive-date=3 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200503234419/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/02/us/anti-vaxxers-coronavirus-protests.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/anti-vaxxers-are-forming-an-unholy-alliance-with-shelter-in-place-protesters?source=articles&via=rss|title=Anti-Vaxxers and Lockdown Protesters Form an Unholy Alliance|last1=Sommer|first1=Will|last2=Kucinich|first2=Jackie|date=22 April 2020|work=Daily Beast|access-date=23 April 2020|archive-date=11 March 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210311021959/https://www.thedailybeast.com/anti-vaxxers-are-forming-an-unholy-alliance-with-shelter-in-place-protesters?source=articles&via=rss|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
Protesters, many without [[Face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States|face masks]], opposed the shelter-in-place orders in their states for various reasons. Many said they wanted businesses reopened so they could go back to work. Many others displayed pro-[[Donald Trump|Trump]] banners, signs, and [[Make America Great Again|MAGA]] hats.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2020/04/16/michigan-whitmer-conservatives-protest/|title=Chanting 'lock her up,' Michigan protesters waving Trump flags mass against Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's coronavirus restrictions|last=Flynn|first=Meagan|date=16 April 2020|newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=22 April 2020|archive-date=22 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200422002103/https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2020/04/16/michigan-whitmer-conservatives-protest/|url-status=live}}</ref> Still others insisted the lockdowns were a violation of their constitutional rights. One militia leader told a reporter, "Re-open my state or we will re-open it ourselves."<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-52359100|title=Coronavirus lockdown protest: What's behind the US demonstrations?|date=21 April 2020|work=BBC News|access-date=22 April 2020|archive-date=21 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200421200027/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-52359100|url-status=live}}</ref> An opinion article in ''The New York Times'', and an article in ''The Washington Post'' claimed that the anger driving the protests was "both real and manufactured", blaming conservative groups for engaging in [[astroturfing]] via centralized organization backed by anonymous donors.<ref>{{cite news|last=Graves|first=Lisa|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/22/opinion/coronavirus-protests-astroturf.html|title=Opinion {{!}} Who's Behind the 'Reopen' Protests?|date=22 April 2020|work=The New York Times|access-date=24 April 2020|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331|archive-date=24 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200424001641/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/22/opinion/coronavirus-protests-astroturf.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/inside-the-conservative-networks-backing-anti-quarantine-protests/2020/04/22/da75c81e-83fe-11ea-a3eb-e9fc93160703_story.html|title=The anti-quarantine protests seem spontaneous. But behind the scenes, a powerful network is helping.|last1=Stanley-Becker|first1=Isaac|last2=Romm|first2=Tony|date=22 April 2020|newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=24 April 2020|archive-date=29 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200429032531/https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/inside-the-conservative-networks-backing-anti-quarantine-protests/2020/04/22/da75c81e-83fe-11ea-a3eb-e9fc93160703_story.html|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
President Trump originally issued guidelines for how to phase out restrictions, saying that governors would decide how to reopen their own states and suggesting a cautious three-phase approach.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/16/politics/donald-trump-reopening-guidelines-coronavirus/index.html|title=Trump completes reversal, telling govs 'you are going to call your own shots' and distributes new guidelines|date=16 April 2020|work=CNN|access-date=23 April 2020|archive-date=22 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200422213330/https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/16/politics/donald-trump-reopening-guidelines-coronavirus/index.html|url-status=live}}</ref> However, the next day he reacted to the protests against social restrictions by encouraging the protests.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/17/us/politics/trump-coronavirus-governors.html|title=Trump Encourages Protest Against Governors Who Have Imposed Virus Restrictions|last1=Shear|first1=Michael D.|last2=Mervosh|first2=Sarah|date=17 April 2020|work=The New York Times|access-date=23 April 2020|archive-date=23 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200423000143/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/17/us/politics/trump-coronavirus-governors.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Itkowitz|first=Colby|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/04/17/liberate-trump-tweets-support-protesting-against-stay-at-home-orders/|title='Liberate': Trump Tweets Support of Protests Against Stay-at-Home Orders|date=17 April 2020|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|access-date=17 April 2020|archive-date=17 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200417233521/https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/04/17/liberate-trump-tweets-support-protesting-against-stay-at-home-orders/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/17/us/coronavirus-cases-news-update.html|title=Trump Foments Protests Against Governors; Experts Warn of Testing Shortages|date=17 April 2020|work=The New York Times|access-date=18 April 2020|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331|archive-date=18 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200418004100/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/17/us/coronavirus-cases-news-update.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|agency=Reuters/AP|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/video/2020/apr/18/they-seem-very-responsible-to-me-trump-defends-anti-lockdown-protesters-video|title='They seem very responsible to me': Trump defends anti-lockdown protesters - video|date=18 April 2020|work=The Guardian|access-date=19 April 2020|language=en-GB|issn=0261-3077|archive-date=19 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200419003522/https://www.theguardian.com/world/video/2020/apr/18/they-seem-very-responsible-to-me-trump-defends-anti-lockdown-protesters-video|url-status=live}}</ref> Governor [[Jay Inslee]] (D-WA) accused the president of "fomenting domestic rebellion" and said the president's call to ignore his own team's guidelines was "schizophrenic".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/04/trump-accused-fomenting-rebellion-liberate-tweets-200417223606672.html|title=Trump accused of 'fomenting rebellion' after 'LIBERATE' tweets|website=aljazeera.com|access-date=19 April 2020|archive-date=18 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200418213043/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/04/trump-accused-fomenting-rebellion-liberate-tweets-200417223606672.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2020/04/19/governors-decry-trump-call-liberate-states-coronavirus-restrictions/5162196002/|title=Governors slam Trump's call to 'liberate' states where protesters object to coronavirus restrictions|last=Cummings|first=William|website=USA TODAY|language=en-US|access-date=20 April 2020|archive-date=19 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200419233030/https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2020/04/19/governors-decry-trump-call-liberate-states-coronavirus-restrictions/5162196002/|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
[[File:OPEN our OHIO IMG 0144 (49790376873).jpg|thumb|An anti-lockdown protester in April 2020]]<br />
[[Facebook]] announced that it would block events and messages from anti-quarantine protest groups "when gatherings do not follow the health parameters established by the government and are therefore unlawful".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.politico.com/news/2020/04/20/facebook-shuts-down-anti-quarantine-protests-at-states-request-196143|title=Republicans attack Facebook as network shuts down anti-lockdown protests|last=Overly|first=Steven|website=POLITICO|language=en|access-date=21 April 2020|archive-date=21 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200421021301/https://www.politico.com/news/2020/04/20/facebook-shuts-down-anti-quarantine-protests-at-states-request-196143|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
In California, [[Libertarian Party (United States)|Libertarian Party]] chapters in [[Santa Clara, California|Santa Clara]] and [[San Francisco]] counties condemned lockdown measures in the state with a resolution stating in part that, "these government impositions have already lasted for longer than could be justified by the purpose for which they were allegedly necessary, constituting a sort of "mission creep" that could potentially keep them in place with no definite end, and with economic and social damage continuing to accumulate and becoming more severe."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.scclp.org/resolution_regarding_government_pandemic_response|title=Resolution Regarding Government Pandemic Response|access-date=11 May 2020|archive-date=26 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200526033448/https://www.scclp.org/resolution_regarding_government_pandemic_response|url-status=live}}</ref> Such responses were compared to the [[Anti-Mask League of San Francisco]] movement that was seen during the [[Spanish flu|1918 Spanish flu pandemic]], where the efficacy of masks was debated during the second wave of flu in the city.<ref name="amlsf">{{cite news|last=Kane|first=Peter Lawrence|date=29 April 2020|title=The Anti-Mask League: lockdown protests draw parallels to 1918 pandemic|language=en-GB|work=The Guardian|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/29/coronavirus-pandemic-1918-protests-california|access-date=30 April 2020|issn=0261-3077|archive-date=30 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200430023846/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/29/coronavirus-pandemic-1918-protests-california|url-status=live}}</ref> The Anti-Mask League saw the medical advice on masks as unconstitutional, and contrary to the principles of a free society.<ref name="amlsf"/><br />
<br />
Cell phone data from [[Digital contact tracing|digital-contact tracing]] software, captured from opt-in cellphone apps and the Firm VoteMap, then provided to The Guardian (publication) by progressive campaign group the Committee to Protect Medicare, suggests that cell phones present at anti-lockdown protests in [[2020 United States anti-lockdown protests|Colorado]], [[2020 United States anti-lockdown protests|Florida]], Illinois, [[2020 United States anti-lockdown protests|Michigan]] and North Carolina traveled long distances after leaving the protests. Dr. Rob Davidson, executive director of the Committee to Protect Medicare, said that although “it's hard to draw a straight line between devices, individuals at these protests, and cases”, the data suggests that the protests may be epidemiologically significant events." and that "The behavior we’re seeing at protests carries a high risk of infection."<ref>{{cite news|last=Wilson|first=Jason|date=18 May 2020|title=US lockdown protests may have spread virus widely, cellphone data suggests|language=en-GB|work=The Guardian|url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/may/18/lockdown-protests-spread-coronavirus-cellphone-data|access-date=23 May 2020|issn=0261-3077|archive-date=23 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200523061752/https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/may/18/lockdown-protests-spread-coronavirus-cellphone-data|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
On 30 January 2021, dozens of "SCAMDEMIC" protesters blocked the entrance to the vaccination center at [[Dodger Stadium]] in [[Los Angeles]].<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-01-31|title=Dodger Stadium mass COVID-19 vaccination site temporarily shuts down after protesters block entrance|url=https://ktla.com/news/local-news/dodger-stadium-mass-coronavirus-vaccination-site-shut-down-after-protesters-block-entrance/|access-date=2021-01-31|website=KTLA|language=en-US|archive-date=31 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210131013546/https://ktla.com/news/local-news/dodger-stadium-mass-coronavirus-vaccination-site-shut-down-after-protesters-block-entrance/|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
== Oceania ==<br />
<br />
=== American Samoa ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 pandemic in American Samoa}}<br />
In July 2020, several people protested against the spending of COVID-19 funds in [[American Samoa]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/420676/protest-against-spending-of-covid-19-funds-in-american-samoa | title=Protest against spending of Covid-19 funds in American Samoa | website=[[Radio New Zealand]] | date=7 July 2020 }}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Australia ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 protests in Australia}}<br />
{{See also|Convoy to Canberra}}<br />
Throughout 2020 and 2021, numerous illegal protests of widely varying sizes against COVID-19 lockdown restrictions and the [[Australian Federal Government]]'s vaccination programme were held in several state capitals including [[Adelaide]], [[Brisbane]], [[Melbourne]], [[Perth]] and [[Sydney]].<ref>{{cite news|title='Incredibly disappointing': Ugly scenes at Melbourne coronavirus protests as violence erupts|url=https://7news.com.au/lifestyle/health-wellbeing/melbourne-protests-violent-scenes-in-melbournes-cbd-as-coronavirus-protesters-are-detained-c-1028327|date=10 May 2020|work=[[Seven News]]|language=en|access-date=10 May 2020|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200911032042/https://7news.com.au/lifestyle/health-wellbeing/melbourne-protests-violent-scenes-in-melbournes-cbd-as-coronavirus-protesters-are-detained-c-1028327|archive-date=11 September 2020}}</ref><ref name="9news-anti-vacc-rallys-20-feb">{{cite news |last1=Noble |first1=Freya |title=Anti-coronavirus vaccine protests held in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth |url=https://www.9news.com.au/national/coronavirus-protest-melbourne-brisbane-sydney-pete-evans/a328629b-4d7f-48b1-a13f-72fe42dd8c2b |access-date=21 February 2021 |work=[[Nine News|9 News]] |publisher=Nine Digital Pty Ltd |date=20 February 2021 |archive-date=20 February 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210220222329/https://www.9news.com.au/national/coronavirus-protest-melbourne-brisbane-sydney-pete-evans/a328629b-4d7f-48b1-a13f-72fe42dd8c2b |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="smh-pfizer-doses-start">{{cite news |last1=Dye |first1=Josh |last2=Clun |first2=Rachel |title=COVID-19 vaccines begin as Prime Minister receives Pfizer immunisation |url=https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/covid-19-vaccines-begin-as-prime-minister-receives-pfizer-immunisation-20210221-p574cw.html |access-date=21 February 2021 |work=[[The Sydney Morning Herald]] |date=21 February 2021 |archive-date=25 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210525075159/https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/covid-19-vaccines-begin-as-prime-minister-receives-pfizer-immunisation-20210221-p574cw.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Police responded to some of the protests by arresting demonstrators and issuing fines.<ref name="abc-melb-lockdown-protest-nov'20">{{cite news |title=Police arrest more than 400 demonstrators at Melbourne anti-lockdown protest |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-11-03/melbourne-anti-lockdown-protest-sees-over-400-protesters-arrest/12845120 |access-date=5 June 2021 |work=ABC News |publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation |date=3 November 2020 |archive-date=6 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210506082030/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-11-03/melbourne-anti-lockdown-protest-sees-over-400-protesters-arrest/12845120 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Australia: Scores arrested at anti-coronavirus lockdown protests |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/8/21/australia-scores-arrested-at-anti-coronavirus-lockdown-protests |access-date=22 August 2021 |work=[[Al Jazeera English|Al Jazeera]] |date=21 August 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210821171717/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/8/21/australia-scores-arrested-at-anti-coronavirus-lockdown-protests |archive-date=21 August 2021|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Anti-lockdown protesters clash with police in Australia |url=https://amp.rnz.co.nz/article/869c10d3-77f3-4f63-8d04-343e7cc5d109 |access-date=22 August 2021 |work=[[Radio New Zealand]] |date=21 August 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210821070733/https://amp.rnz.co.nz/article/869c10d3-77f3-4f63-8d04-343e7cc5d109 |archive-date=21 August 2021|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
In Melbourne, [[Victoria, Australia|Victoria]], from 20 to 24 September 2021, a series of protests occurred in the city's CBD. Protesters were predominantly tradesmen who were acting against lockdowns, the closure of the construction industry and [[vaccine mandate]]s. It is believed that several protesters were "fake tradies" who could be described as "professional protesters". Police responded with rubber bullets, batons and tear gas. Various media outlets were critical of the police's heavy-handed response to the protesters and bystander civilians.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Clench |first1=Sam |last2=Smith |first2=Rohan |title=Melbourne 'freedom' protest: Chaos erupts on CBD streets, West Gate Freeway over construction sector shutdown |url=https://www.news.com.au/national/melbourne-braces-for-more-chaos-as-workers-plan-another-freedom-rally/news-story/2b8d98e06b20dd42c51ef9960849f403 |access-date=21 September 2021 |work=News.com |publisher=Nationwide News Pty Ltd |date=20 September 2021 |language=en-AU |archive-date=21 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210921021456/https://www.news.com.au/national/melbourne-braces-for-more-chaos-as-workers-plan-another-freedom-rally/news-story/2b8d98e06b20dd42c51ef9960849f403 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Tuffiel |first1=Rhiannon |title=Tradie protest 'hijacked' by 'extreme organisations': CFMEU boss |url=https://www.news.com.au/national/victoria/politics/tradie-protest-hijacked-by-extreme-organisations-cfmeu-boss/news-story/11a24a98abf9f04ed67f5e50fced7c35 |access-date=21 September 2021 |work=News.com.au |agency=NCA NewsWire |publisher=Nationwide News Pty Ltd |date=20 September 2021 |language=en-AU |archive-date=20 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210920221215/https://www.news.com.au/national/victoria/politics/tradie-protest-hijacked-by-extreme-organisations-cfmeu-boss/news-story/11a24a98abf9f04ed67f5e50fced7c35 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Harley |first1=Kyle |title=More than 200 arrests made across Melbourne as police disperse anti-lockdown protesters |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-09-24/protests-condemned-rallies-enter-fifth-day/100488196 |access-date=24 September 2021 |work=ABC News |publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation |date=24 September 2021 |language=en-AU |archive-date=25 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210925012150/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-09-24/protests-condemned-rallies-enter-fifth-day/100488196 |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
The first major legal protest occurred in early 2022 in [[Canberra]], [[Australian Capital Territory]], which is also the most highly vaccinated jurisdiction in Australia. A "[[Convoy to Canberra]]", consisting of thousands of protesters in trailers, trucks, cars and campervans made their way in the national capital in January.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2022/02/03/canadas-freedom-convoy-is-inspiring-protests-in-other-countries.html| title=How Canada's 'Freedom Convoy' is inspiring protests in other countries| first1=Alex| last1=McKeen| first2=Lex| last2=Harvey| first3=Kieran| last3=Leavitt|date=February 3, 2022|work=[[Toronto Star]]}}</ref><ref name="The Guardian Occupy Canberra">{{cite news |last1=Butler |first1=Josh |title='Occupy Canberra': behind the anti-vaccine protests at Parliament House |url=https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/feb/04/occupy-canberra-behind-the-anti-vaccine-protests-at-parliament-house |access-date=7 February 2022 |work=[[The Guardian]] |date=4 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220206092405/https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/feb/04/occupy-canberra-behind-the-anti-vaccine-protests-at-parliament-house |archive-date=6 February 2022|url-status=live}}</ref> On 12 February, around 10,000 protesters converged on [[Parliament House, Canberra|Parliament House]] and [[Old Parliament House, Canberra|Old Parliament House]], and [[Lifeline (crisis support service)|Lifeline Canberra]] suspended its major fund-raising event due to safety concerns for customers.<ref name="News.com.au 13 Feb">{{cite news |last1=Consenza |first1=Emily |last2=Raphael |first2=Angie |title=Incredible scenes as anti-vaccine mandate protesters swarm Canberra streets |url=https://www.news.com.au/national/nsw-act/news/antivaccine-mandate-ralliers-potentially-target-vaccine-hub-hosting-childrens-event/news-story/9e98221eab0c5436f122209a38d56102 |access-date=13 February 2022 |work=[[News.com.au]] |publisher=[[News Corp Australia]] |date=12 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220212192032/https://www.news.com.au/national/nsw-act/news/antivaccine-mandate-ralliers-potentially-target-vaccine-hub-hosting-childrens-event/news-story/9e98221eab0c5436f122209a38d56102 |archive-date=12 February 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Federal government relaxes aged care COVID rule as protesters converge on Canberra |url=https://thenewdaily.com.au/news/coronavirus/2022/02/13/aged-care-covid-rule-canberra-protests/ |access-date=14 February 2022 |work=[[The New Daily]] |date=13 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220213120210/https://thenewdaily.com.au/news/coronavirus/2022/02/13/aged-care-covid-rule-canberra-protests/ |archive-date=13 February 2022|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Kelly |first1=Lidia |title=NZ, Australia vaccination mandates protests gain in number |url=https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/new-zealand-australia-vaccination-mandates-protests-gain-numbers-2022-02-12/ |access-date=14 February 2022 |work=[[Reuters]] |date=12 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220213163443/https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/new-zealand-australia-vaccination-mandates-protests-gain-numbers-2022-02-12/ |archive-date=13 February 2022|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Christmas Island ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 pandemic in Christmas Island}}<br />
Detainees at the [[Christmas Island Detention Centre]] rioted and set fire to buildings in a protest against the conditions of the detention centre.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/jan/06/christmas-island-detainees-riot-and-set-fire-to-buildings-in-protest-against-conditions | title=Christmas Island detainees riot and set fire to buildings in protest against conditions | website=[[TheGuardian.com]] | date=6 January 2021 }}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Fiji ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 pandemic in Fiji}}<br />
In June 2021, following lockdowns in Fiji, locals protested across the country for more government support.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-06-23/fiji-instability-covid-outbreak-unrest-restrictions-lockdown/100234180 | title='Frustration and anger are starting to build': Fears COVID outbreak leading to civil unrest in Fiji | newspaper=ABC News | date=22 June 2021 }}</ref><br />
<br />
=== French Polynesia ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 pandemic in French Polynesia#vaccination efforts}}<br />
In October 2021, several protests against a proposed law mandating COVID-19 vaccines were held throughout [[French Polynesia]] including [[Papeete]] in [[Tahiti]] and [[Hiva Oa]] in the [[Marquesas Islands]]. Notable groups and individuals involved included the "Don't Touch my Family" group, the pro-independence party [[Tavini Huiraatira]], and retired Dr. Jean-Paul Theron, who was locked in a dispute with health authorities over his methods of treating COVID-19 patients.<ref>{{cite news |title=Tahiti rally against vaccination regime |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/453364/tahiti-rally-against-vaccination-regime |access-date=6 November 2021 |work=[[Radio New Zealand]] |date=12 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211019053801/https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/453364/tahiti-rally-against-vaccination-regime |archive-date=19 October 2021|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Pro-independence party joins French Polynesia anti-vax march |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/454227/pro-independence-party-joins-french-polynesia-anti-vax-march |access-date=6 November 2021 |work=[[Radio New Zealand]] |date=25 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211027052722/https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/454227/pro-independence-party-joins-french-polynesia-anti-vax-march |archive-date=27 October 2021}}</ref> The proposed law requires anyone working in healthcare or with the public to get inoculated or be fined $US1,700.<ref>{{cite news |title=French Polynesian govt delays Covid-19 vaccination law |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/453809/french-polynesian-govt-delays-covid-19-vaccination-law |access-date=6 November 2021 |work=[[Radio New Zealand]] |date=19 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211019103922/https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/453809/french-polynesian-govt-delays-covid-19-vaccination-law |archive-date=19 October 2021|url-status=live}}</ref> In response to strong opposition from anti-vaccination protesters, unions, and employers, [[President of French Polynesia|President]] [[Édouard Fritch]] announced that the new law would be delayed until 23 December.<ref name="Vaccination law amended">{{cite news |title=French Polynesia vaccination law to be amended |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/453853/french-polynesia-vaccination-law-to-be-amended |access-date=6 November 2021 |work=[[Radio New Zealand]] |date=19 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211104115009/https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/453853/french-polynesia-vaccination-law-to-be-amended |archive-date=4 November 2021}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Guam ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 pandemic in Guam}}<br />
Members of the [[Guam Freedom Coalition]] protested vaccine mandates in [[Guam]] on 30 October 2021.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.guampdn.com/news/march-held-to-protest-vaccine-mandates/video_2f7ee160-28b4-5974-b83a-12485173f1a2.html | title=March held to protest vaccine mandates | date=30 October 2021 }}</ref><br />
<br />
=== New Caledonia ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 pandemic in New Caledonia}}<br />
An estimate of 1,000 people staged a protest in [[Nouméa]] against government policies regarding the pandemic, such as the introduction of health passes and vaccine mandates. The protest occurred a day after outdoor gatherings in [[New Caledonia]] were limited to 30 people, however police decided not to intervene due to the presence of children.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.cookislandsnews.com/regional/new-caledonia/protest-in-new-caledonia-against-govts-pandemic-policies/ | title=Protest in New Caledonia against govt's pandemic policies | date=10 January 2022 }}</ref><br />
<br />
=== New Zealand ===<br />
[[File:Convoy 2022 NZ (41).jpg|thumb|Protesters blocking a street at the Convoy 2022 NZ protest in Wellington]]<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 protests in New Zealand}}<br />
{{See also|2022 Wellington protests}}<br />
Between August and October 2021, several protests were held across New Zealand to protest official lockdown measures, vaccination, and spread disinformation about the COVID-19 pandemic. Key groups and individuals that were involved in these protests included FACTS NZ, Kotahitanga Movement Aotearoa, the NZ Liberty Movement and [[Jami-Lee Ross]] and [[Billy Te Kahika]]'s [[Advance New Zealand]] party.<ref>{{cite news|last=Pearse |first=Adam |work=[[The Northern Advocate]]|date=13 August 2020|title=Covid 19 coronavirus: Lockdown protest stops traffic in Whangārei|language=en-NZ| url= https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12356284|access-date=22 August 2020|issn=1170-0777|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200821030819/https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12356284|archive-date=21 August 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Anti-lockdown, vaccination and 1080 protesters take over Auckland's Aotea Square|language=en|work=[[Newshub]]|url= https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2020/08/anti-lockdown-vaccination-and-1080-protesters-take-over-auckland-s-aotea-square.html|access-date=22 August 2020|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200824232201/https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2020/08/anti-lockdown-vaccination-and-1080-protesters-take-over-auckland-s-aotea-square.html|archive-date=24 August 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Bayer |first1=Kurt |title=Covid 19 coronavirus: Hundreds turn out for anti-lockdown protests |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12362504 |access-date=5 September 2020 |work=[[The New Zealand Herald]] |date=5 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200905093331/https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12362504 |archive-date=5 September 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|date=2020-09-12|title=Advance Party and crowd rallies against Covid-19 restrictions and lockdowns|language=en-NZ|work=[[The New Zealand Herald]] |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12364413|access-date=2020-09-13|issn=1170-0777|archive-date=13 September 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200913195732/https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12364413|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
In January 2021, Te Kahika led a "freedom rally" outside the [[New Zealand Parliament]]; protestors opposed lockdown policies, while expressing support for US President [[Donald Trump]] and [[QAnon]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Walls |first1=Jason |title=Police keeping a close eye on controversial Billy TK 'freedom rally' outside Beehive |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/police-keeping-a-close-eye-on-controversial-billy-tk-freedom-rally-outside-beehive/4C2E3SYXDZPQZZA4CK2EC5T2MU/ |access-date=14 January 2021 |work=[[The New Zealand Herald]] |date=14 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210114104417/https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/police-keeping-a-close-eye-on-controversial-billy-tk-freedom-rally-outside-beehive/4C2E3SYXDZPQZZA4CK2EC5T2MU/ |archive-date=14 January 2021|url-status=live}}</ref> Following the reinstatement of lockdown restrictions in mid–August 2021 in response to a [[SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant|Delta variant]] community outbreak, anti-lockdown protests were staged in [[Auckland]], [[Tauranga]], [[Nelson, New Zealand|Nelson]], and [[Christchurch]]. Key participants included Te Kahika and far-right activist [[Kyle Chapman (New Zealand activist)|Kyle Champman]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Conspiracy theorist Billy TK arrested at anti-lockdown protest |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/449439/conspiracy-theorist-billy-tk-arrested-at-anti-lockdown-protest |access-date=18 August 2021 |work=[[Radio New Zealand]] |date=18 August 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210818053131/https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/449439/conspiracy-theorist-billy-tk-arrested-at-anti-lockdown-protest |archive-date=18 August 2021|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Lourens |first1=Marine |last2=Sherwood |first2=Sam |last3=McNeilly |first3=Hamish |title=Covid-19: Former far-Right leader to spend weekend behind bars after alleged lockdown breach |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/126131440/covid19-former-farright-leader-to-spend-weekend-behind-bars-after-alleged-lockdown-breach |access-date=20 August 2021 |work=[[Stuff (website)|Stuff]] |date=20 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210820040054/https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/126131440/covid19-former-farright-leader-to-spend-weekend-behind-bars-after-alleged-lockdown-breach|archive-date=20 August 2021|url-status=live}}</ref> In February 2022, [[Convoy 2022 New Zealand]] gathered outside parliament buildings and blocked streets in Wellington.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/461471/wellington-s-sky-stadium-offered-as-parking-to-free-up-parliament-streets-blocked-by-protesters |title=Wellington's Sky Stadium offered as parking to free up Parliament streets blocked by protesters |publisher=[[Radio New Zealand]] |date=14 February 2022 |accessdate=22 February 2022}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Papua New Guinea ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 pandemic in Papua New Guinea}}<br />
During the pandemic, attacks on health workers<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KbDVzLGCSGc | title=Violence against PNG health workers rises amid protests against COVID vaccinations &#124; ABC News | website=[[YouTube]] }}</ref> and vaccination teams<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/455215/mob-attacks-on-vaccination-teams-commonplace-in-png | title=Mob attacks on vaccination teams commonplace in PNG | website=[[Radio New Zealand]] | date=8 November 2021 }}</ref> in [[Papua New Guinea]] have occurred multiple times. Protests were banned nationwide due to the pandemic,<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.pngreport.com/covid-19/news/1420060/ban-on-png-protest-marches | title=Ban on PNG protest marches | date=22 October 2021 }}</ref> however they still occurred across the country, particularly in the capital, [[Port Moresby]],<ref>{{cite web | url=https://asiapacificreport.nz/2021/11/02/png-police-block-illegal-anti-vaxxer-rally-in-port-moresby-amid-fake-info/ | title=PNG police block illegal anti-vaxxer rally in Port Moresby amid fake info &#124; Asia Pacific Report | date=2 November 2021 }}</ref> as well as in [[Lae]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://crisis24.garda.com/alerts/2021/09/papua-new-guinea-additional-protests-possible-in-lae-through-at-least-mid-september-over-corporate-mandatory-vaccination-policies | title=Papua New Guinea: Additional protests possible in Lae through at least mid-September over corporate mandatory vaccination policies }}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Samoa ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 pandemic in Samoa}}<br />
On 8 May 2020, around 100 people protested new laws regarding COVID-19 in [[Samoa]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://monitor.civicus.org/updates/2020/05/21/protests-samoa-against-three-bills-could-undermine-judicial-independence-and-rule-law/ | title=Protests in Samoa against three bills that could undermine judicial independence and rule of law }}</ref> On 23 June 2022, more than 30 people protested vaccine mandates in Samoa.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.samoanews.com/protest-vaccine-mandate-demonstration | title=Protest the Vaccine Mandate" demonstration }}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Solomon Islands ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 pandemic in the Solomon Islands|2021 Solomon Islands unrest}}<br />
The [[2021 Solomon Islands unrest]] was partially caused by government mishandling of the pandemic.<br />
<br />
=== Vanuatu ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 pandemic in Vanuatu}}<br />
The [[Government of Vanuatu]] criticised a planned protest regarding COVID-19 involving church and youth groups. The protesters claimed that the [[Vanuatu Police Force|Police Commissioner]] had given them permission to protest, however the [[Deputy Prime Minister of Vanuatu|Deputy Prime Minister]] [[Ishmael Kalsakau]] said it could not go ahead as it was politically motivated. Protestors also claimed that at least two MPs (namely [[Andrew Napuat]] and [[John Salong]]) supported the protest.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/466907/vanuatu-govt-says-no-to-vaccine-protest-march | title=Vanuatu Govt says no to vaccine protest march | website=[[Radio New Zealand]] | date=11 May 2022 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://islandsbusiness.com/news-break/vanuatu-govt-halts-vaccine-protest-march/ | title=Vanuatu Govt halts vaccine protest march | date=12 May 2022 }}</ref><br />
<br />
== South America ==<br />
<br />
=== Argentina ===<br />
{{Main|2020–2021 Argentinian protests}}<br />
[[File:En busca de la libertad 01.jpg|thumb|180px|The [[17A]] protests on 17 August 2020]]<br />
On 25 May, during the [[First National Government|Anniversary of the First National Government]], protests erupted all over the country,<ref>{{Cite web|date=25 May 2020|title=Un reducido grupo de manifestantes protestó contra la cuarentena en la Plaza de Mayo|url=https://www.infobae.com/sociedad/2020/05/25/manifestantes-protestan-contra-la-cuarentena-en-la-plaza-de-mayo/|access-date=10 July 2020|website=infobae|language=es-ES|archive-date=4 June 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200604063409/https://www.infobae.com/sociedad/2020/05/25/manifestantes-protestan-contra-la-cuarentena-en-la-plaza-de-mayo/|url-status=live}}</ref> but predominantly in [[Buenos Aires]] and [[Córdoba, Argentina|Cordoba]]. The protest consisted mostly of small business owners demanding the local and national governments to be allowed to work, under a sanitary protocol. At this point, the stay-at-home order had been in place nationwide for 65 days.<br />
<br />
On 20 June, which is the country's [[Flag Day (Argentina)|National Flag Day]], the size of the protests had grown immensely compared to the previous ones held in late May.<ref>{{cite news|date=20 June 2020|title=En Twitter: cómo es el banderazo nacional contra la expropiación de Vicentin|url=https://www.lanacion.com.ar/politica/convocan-banderazo-nacional-republica-sabado-20-junio-nid2381945|access-date=10 July 2020|newspaper=La Nación|language=es|archive-date=6 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200706082841/https://www.lanacion.com.ar/politica/convocan-banderazo-nacional-republica-sabado-20-junio-nid2381945|url-status=live}}</ref> While business owners and workers were still calling for more workplaces to be allowed to operate, the government's attempt to expropriate Vicentín, a soy and wheat manufacturer and one of the largest exporting firms in the country, also sparked outrage and motivated protests in many provinces where agriculture plays a big role in their local economy, particularly in the [[Santa Fe Province]], where this business is located. Due to the huge backlash, president [[Alberto Fernández|Alberto Fernandez]] has decided to step down and not take over the company. Protests also took place in the city centre of most cities and at the gates of the [[Quinta de Olivos|presidential residence]]. While the lockdown had been lifted in most provinces and municipalities, it was still enforced in [[Greater Buenos Aires]], which represents around 60% of the Argentine economy. On this day, the stay-at-home order had been in place for 90 days, making it the longest mandatory quarantine in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.<ref>{{cite news|last=Goñi|first=Uki|date=17 June 2020|title=Argentina's president enters voluntary isolation amid coronavirus surge|language=en-GB|work=The Guardian|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jun/17/argentina-president-enters-voluntary-isolation-amid-coronavirus-surge|access-date=10 July 2020|issn=0261-3077|archive-date=10 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200710091442/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jun/17/argentina-president-enters-voluntary-isolation-amid-coronavirus-surge|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
On 9 July, the country's [[Argentine Declaration of Independence|Independence Day]], protests flared up once again.<ref>{{cite news|date=10 July 2020|title=Multitudinario banderazo contra el Gobierno en diferentes puntos del país|url=https://www.lanacion.com.ar/politica/comenzo-banderazo-federal-del-9-julio-nid2394297|access-date=10 July 2020|newspaper=La Nación|language=es|archive-date=9 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200709224416/https://www.lanacion.com.ar/politica/comenzo-banderazo-federal-del-9-julio-nid2394297|url-status=live}}</ref> In addition to workers and entrepreneurs asking to be allowed to work, many were angered by the fact that [[Lázaro Báez|Lazaro Baez]], who is serving jail time for money laundering and stealing from taxpayers' money and is associated with much of the government staff, could be eligible for parole. This incident, and the murder of Fabián Gutiérrez, who was ex-president [[Cristina Fernández de Kirchner|Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner]]'s secretary while she was in office, which many opposition affiliates believe was orchestrated by the administration and covered up as a "crime of passion" by two unknown men, also caused large outrage in some sectors of the population. This day marked 109 days since the lockdown was put in place in the Greater Buenos Aires area.{{citation needed|date=August 2021}}<br />
<br />
On 1 August, many opponents of Alberto Fernandez's government, and of [[Kirchnerism]] in general, took to the streets to rally against the judicial reform<br />
proposed by the administration. Many believe this is a way to absolve vice president Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner from her ongoing trials, and also a way to give [[Frente de Todos (2019 coalition)|the governing political party]] control over the [[Supreme Court of Argentina|judicial branch of government]], all disguised under the promise that this reform will make judges and trials fairer and less biased to certain ideologies or political parties. While the lockdown has not been completely lifted in Buenos Aires, many activities and businesses are now allowed to take place again since mid-July, and a re-opening scheme with various stages has been designed and put in place, although with no strict dates. However, many companies, such as restaurants or bars for instance, still cannot open and many business owners are uncertain of how much more they can endure with their doors closed.<br />
<br />
On 17 August, the General José de San Martín Memorial Day, a public holiday which commemorates Argentine liberator and army general [[José de San Martín]], protesters gathered once again on the city centres of the main Argentine cities for the same reasons as the previous one, 16 days prior. This manifestation was backed by many political figures from the [[Juntos por el Cambio]], [[Frente Despertar]], [[Fuerza Unidaria Argentina]], opposition forces, near liberal, libertarian and survivalist groups. Some, however, have decided to not publicly support the protests, most notably [[Horacio Rodríguez Larreta]], mayor of Buenos Aires.<br />
<br />
=== Brazil ===<br />
====2020====<br />
{{Main|2020 Brazilian protests}}<br />
On 18 March, Brazilians in [[São Paulo]] and [[Rio de Janeiro]] protested [[Jair Bolsonaro]]'s handling of the pandemic by [[banging pots and pans]] on their balconies and shouting "Bolsonaro out!"<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-51955679 |title=Coronavirus protest in Brazil sees millions bang pots from balconies |date=19 March 2020 |work=BBC |access-date=13 May 2020 |archive-date=22 March 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200322135850/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-51955679 |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
On 19 April, Brazil's [[Armed Forces Day]], Bolsonaro gathered with about 600 protesters in front of the Army's headquarters in [[Brasília|Brasilia]] to demand a "military intervention" into the handling of the coronavirus situation. Smaller protests calling for governors to resign occurred the previous day in [[Rio de Janeiro]], [[São Paulo]] and Brasilia.<ref>{{cite web|title=Brazil's Bolsonaro joins protest against coronavirus restrictions &#124; Coronavirus pandemic News|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/04/brazil-bolsonaro-joins-protest-coronavirus-curbs-200420042616860.html|date=20 April 2020|publisher=Al Jazeera|access-date=27 April 2020|archive-date=19 September 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200919230255/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/04/brazil-bolsonaro-joins-protest-coronavirus-curbs-200420042616860.html|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
====2021====<br />
{{Main|2021 Brazilian protests}}<br />
[[File:Fora Bolsonaro em Campinas 29.05.2021 01.jpg|thumb|Protest against the government of President Bolsonaro in [[Campinas]] on 29 May 2021]]<br />
[[File:Ato do Movimento Brasil Verde e Amarelo - 51181481168.jpg|thumb|Pro-government protest in [[Brasília]] on 15 May 2021]]<br />
[[File:Ato do Movimento Brasil Verde e Amarelo - 51180579797.jpg|thumb|Bolsonaro flies over protests in [[Brasília]] on 15 May 2021]]<br />
<br />
On 1 May, protest in favor of [[Jair Bolsonaro]] happened around the country. The protesters demanded the end of lockdowns, as well as a military intervention on the judicial and legislative branches of power. The protests happened in many Brazilian cities, occupying avenues such as [[Paulista Avenue|Avenida Paulista]]. Bolsonaro flew by helicopter over the protests in Brasilia, where there were also protests against his government.<ref>{{cite web|title=Fortaleza tem manifestação a favor de Bolsonaro neste 1º de maio; 17 são detidos|url=https://g1.globo.com/ce/ceara/noticia/2021/05/01/fortaleza-registra-manifestacao-a-favor-de-bolsonaro-neste-1ode-maio.ghtml#|date=1 May 2021|publisher=G1|access-date=3 May 2021|archive-date=3 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210503180447/https://g1.globo.com/ce/ceara/noticia/2021/05/01/fortaleza-registra-manifestacao-a-favor-de-bolsonaro-neste-1ode-maio.ghtml|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Bolsonaro sobrevoa de helicóptero manifestação a seu favor no DF|url=https://noticias.r7.com/distrito-federal/bolsonaro-sobrevoa-de-helicoptero-manifestacao-a-seu-favor-no-df-01052021#/foto/1|date=1 May 2021|publisher=R7|access-date=3 May 2021|archive-date=2 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210502160600/https://noticias.r7.com/distrito-federal/bolsonaro-sobrevoa-de-helicoptero-manifestacao-a-seu-favor-no-df-01052021#/foto/1|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Manifestações pró e contra Bolsonaro tomam conta da Esplanada|url=https://www.metropoles.com/brasil/manifestacoes-pro-e-contra-bolsonaro-tomam-conta-da-esplanada|date=1 May 2021|publisher=Metrópoles|access-date=3 May 2021|archive-date=3 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210503180449/https://www.metropoles.com/brasil/manifestacoes-pro-e-contra-bolsonaro-tomam-conta-da-esplanada|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Feriado do Dia do Trabalho tem manifestações em cidades do RS|url=https://g1.globo.com/rs/rio-grande-do-sul/noticia/2021/05/01/feriado-do-dia-do-trabalho-tem-manifestacoes-em-cidades-do-rs.ghtml|date=1 May 2021|publisher=G1|access-date=3 May 2021|archive-date=1 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210501233653/https://g1.globo.com/rs/rio-grande-do-sul/noticia/2021/05/01/feriado-do-dia-do-trabalho-tem-manifestacoes-em-cidades-do-rs.ghtml|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Cidades no Sul de MG registram manifestações a favor do governo Bolsonaro neste 1º de maio|url=https://g1.globo.com/mg/sul-de-minas/noticia/2021/05/01/cidades-registram-manifestacoes-a-favor-do-governo-bolsonaro-neste-1o-de-maio-no-sul-de-mg.ghtml|date=1 May 2021|publisher=G1|access-date=3 May 2021|archive-date=1 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210501161952/https://g1.globo.com/mg/sul-de-minas/noticia/2021/05/01/cidades-registram-manifestacoes-a-favor-do-governo-bolsonaro-neste-1o-de-maio-no-sul-de-mg.ghtml|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Brasil. Milhares de pessoas nas ruas para apoiar Bolsonaro no Dia do Trabalhador|url=https://www.rtp.pt/noticias/mundo/brasil-milhares-de-pessoas-nas-ruas-para-apoiar-bolsonaro-no-dia-do-trabalhador_v1316831|date=2 May 2021|publisher=RTP Notícias|access-date=4 May 2021|archive-date=3 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210503190106/https://www.rtp.pt/noticias/mundo/brasil-milhares-de-pessoas-nas-ruas-para-apoiar-bolsonaro-no-dia-do-trabalhador_v1316831|url-status=live}}</ref>{{citation needed|date=August 2021}}<br />
<br />
===Chile===<br />
{{Main|2019–2020 Chilean protests#2020 protests}}<br />
<br />
On 18 March, riots took place at the communes of [[El Bosque, Chile|El Bosque]], [[La Pintana]], and other communes in the [[Santiago Metropolitan Region]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.emol.com/noticias/Nacional/2020/05/18/986529/Protestas-incidentes-comuna-El-Bosque.html|title=Protestas en la comuna de El Bosque: Vecinos denuncian falta de alimentos en medio de cuarentena &#124; Emol.com|date=18 May 2020|website=Emol|access-date=24 May 2020|archive-date=25 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200525033923/https://www.emol.com/noticias/Nacional/2020/05/18/986529/Protestas-incidentes-comuna-El-Bosque.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Rioters are denouncing the [[hunger]] resulting from the partial and total lockdowns in the region. They claim that the lockdowns have left them without work and means of sustenance.<br />
<br />
=== Colombia ===<br />
{{Main|2021 Colombian protests}}<br />
[[File:Paro Nacional Colombia (51185625987).jpg|thumb|Protesters in [[Medellín]], Colombia on 1 May 2021]]<br />
In April 2021, President [[Iván Duque Márquez|Iván Duque]] proposed increased taxes at a time when the [[COVID-19 pandemic in Colombia]] was beginning to worsen as various healthcare systems were failing throughout the country. A series of protests began in [[Colombia]] on 28 April 2021 against increased taxes, corruption, and health care reform.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/more-subdued-second-day-colombia-tax-reform-protests-2021-04-29/ |title=More subdued second day of Colombia tax reform protests |last=Acosta |first=Luis |date=29 April 2021 |website=[[Reuters]] |url-status=live |archive-date=1 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210501195325/https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/more-subdued-second-day-colombia-tax-reform-protests-2021-04-29/ }}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Ecuador ===<br />
{{main|2020 Ecuadorian protests}}<br />
The 2020 demonstrations in Ecuador were a series of national mobilizations carried out in May 2020, after the announcement of economic measures by the government of [[Lenín Moreno]] adopted due to the serious health and economic crisis generated by the [[COVID-19 pandemic in Ecuador]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Coronavirus: Ecuador protests against cuts amid pandemic |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-52803400 |publisher=BBC News |date=26 May 2020 |access-date=16 July 2021 |archive-date=16 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210716083730/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-52803400 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Police Beat and Injure Ecuador's Covid-19 Protesters |url=https://www.hrw.org/news/2020/05/25/police-beat-and-injure-ecuadors-covid-19-protesters |work=Human Rights Watch |date=25 May 2020 |access-date=16 July 2021 |archive-date=16 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210716083730/https://www.hrw.org/news/2020/05/25/police-beat-and-injure-ecuadors-covid-19-protesters |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
===Paraguay===<br />
{{main|2021 Paraguayan protests}}<br />
<br />
On 5 March, protests broke out across Paraguay due to the lack of efficient government response against the [[COVID-19 pandemic in Paraguay|pandemic in the country]]. The protests gathered thousands of people, and left hundreds of injured. It culminated in the resignation of the then health minister [[Julio Mazzoleni]].<br />
<br />
== See also ==<br />
{{Commons category|Protests related to the COVID-19 pandemic}}<br />
* [[Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on politics]]<br />
* [[National responses to the COVID-19 pandemic]]<br />
* [[Strikes during the COVID-19 pandemic]]<br />
* [[Face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic]]<br />
** [[Face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States]]<br />
* [[Cholera Riots|Cholera riots]]<br />
{{clear}}<br />
<br />
== References ==<br />
{{reflist}}<br />
<br />
{{COVID-19 pandemic}}<br />
{{COVID-19 pandemic in the United States}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:2020 protests]]<br />
[[Category:2021 protests]]<br />
[[Category:2022 protests]]<br />
[[Category:Protests over responses to the COVID-19 pandemic| ]]<br />
[[Category:Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on politics]]</div>Boackandwhitehttps://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Protests_against_responses_to_the_COVID-19_pandemic&diff=1261684732Protests against responses to the COVID-19 pandemic2024-12-07T11:53:57Z<p>Boackandwhite: </p>
<hr />
<div>{{Short description|Protests against restrictions introduced in response to the COVID-19 pandemic}}<br />
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2021}}<br />
<br />
{{EngvarB|date=April 2021}}<br />
{{Infobox civil conflict<br />
| title = Protests against responses to the COVID-19 pandemic<br />
| side1 = [[WHO]]<br />
[[police]]<br />
[[Wikimedia]]<br />
| side2 = [[far right]]<br />
[[Category:COVID-19 conspiracy theorists]]<br />
| leadfigures1 = [[Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus]]<br />
[[Zhang Jixian]] <br />
[[Li Wenliang]]<br />
| leadfigures2 = [[Category:COVID-19 misinformation{{!}}conspiracy theorists]]<br />
| partof = the [[COVID-19 pandemic]] and <br />
[[COVID-19 misinformation]] and [[COVID-19 misinformation by governments]]<br />
| image = Canadian COVID-19 protesters (cropped).jpg<br />
| caption = An anti-[[COVID-19 lockdowns|lockdown]] protest at [[Queen's Park (Toronto)|Queen's Park]] in [[Toronto]], Canada, on 25 April 2020<br />
| date = 15 March 2020<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.poder360.com.br/governo/bolsonaro-compartilha-video-de-manifestacoes-veja-fotos-de-militantes/|title=Bolsonaro compartilha vídeo de manifestações; veja fotos de militantes|date=15 March 2020|website=Poder360|access-date=27 November 2020|archive-date=4 December 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201204175449/https://www.poder360.com.br/governo/bolsonaro-compartilha-video-de-manifestacoes-veja-fotos-de-militantes/|url-status=live}}</ref> – 5 December 2022<ref>{{cite news |last1=Yu |first1=Verna |title=Chinese students protest as university locks down over one Covid case |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/dec/06/beijing-drops-some-covid-tests-as-capital-readies-itself-for-life-again |access-date=7 December 2022 |work=The Guardian |date=6 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221206141914/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/dec/06/beijing-drops-some-covid-tests-as-capital-readies-itself-for-life-again |archive-date=6 December 2022}}</ref><br />({{age in years, months, weeks and days|month1=3|day1=15|year1=2020|month2=12|day2=5|year2=2022}})<br />
| place = Worldwide<br />
| coordinates = <br />
| causes = Local struggles or opposition to government responses to the COVID-19 pandemic<br />
| goals = * Revocation of [[COVID-19 lockdowns]], [[mask mandate]]s, or [[vaccine mandates]]<br />
| methods = {{plainlist|<br />
* [[Mass protest]]s<br />
* [[Civil unrest]]<br />
* [[Riot]]s<br />
* [[Vandalism]]<br />
* [[Occupation (protest)|Occupations]]}}<br />
}}<br />
{{COVID-19 pandemic sidebar}}<br />
<br />
Protests, demonstrations and strikes occurred around the world against [[National responses to the COVID-19 pandemic|national responses]] to the [[COVID-19 pandemic]] by governmental bodies. Some were driven by the financial hardship resulting from government measures to contain the virus, including restrictions on travel and entertainment, hitting related industries and workers hard. Protests also occurred in opposition to restrictions on people's movements, compulsory wearing of [[Face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic|face masks]], [[COVID-19 lockdowns|lockdowns]], [[COVID-19 vaccination|vaccinations]] and other measures. Some protests were driven by [[COVID-19 misinformation]], [[conspiracy theories]], [[Far-right politics|far-right]] and other extremist groups and individuals.<br />
<br />
This article lists and summarizes such activities in various countries around the world.<br />
<br />
==Background==<br />
{{Globalize|section|US|Australia|Europe|date=September 2021}}<br />
<br />
===Reasons===<br />
{{see also|COVID-19 lockdowns|Social distancing measures related to the COVID-19 pandemic|Face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic|Mask refusal|COVID-19 misinformation|COVID-19 vaccine misinformation and hesitancy}}<br />
[[File:Antivax protest in Dublin 1.jpg|thumb|Protest against the [[COVID-19 vaccine]] in [[Dublin]], [[Republic of Ireland|Ireland]].]]<br />
In order to prevent the spread of the [[SARS-CoV2]] virus which gave rise to the COVID-19 pandemic from 2019, governments brought in health measures at varying levels of strictness to restrict the movement of people and transmission of the virus. In response to these restrictions, protests have been organised at a number of locations around the world,<ref>{{Cite web|last=Haddad|first=Mohammed|title=Mapping coronavirus anti-lockdown protests around the world|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/2/2/mapping-coronavirus-anti-lockdown-protests-around-the-world|access-date=2021-08-03|website=[[Al Jazeera English|Al Jazeera]]|language=en|archive-date=6 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210806180523/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/2/2/mapping-coronavirus-anti-lockdown-protests-around-the-world/|url-status=live}}</ref> and [[Strikes during the COVID-19 pandemic|strikes have also occurred]]. Some of the protests have criticised governments for not acting effectively enough in their responses to the pandemic, while others have been opposed to [[COVID-19#Prevention|preventative measures]] and called for their revocation. According to analysis as part of the [[Global Peace Index]], {{as of|lc=yes| July 2021}}, there had been around 50,000 protests linked to the pandemic worldwide, 5,000 of which were violent.<ref>{{cite news| last1=Newey| first1=Sarah| last2=Gulland| first2=Anne| last3=Smith| first3=Nicola| date=2021-07-25| title=Plague and protests: how Covid has sparked a wave of unrest around the world| language=en-GB| work=[[The Daily Telegraph|The Telegraph]]| url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/global-health/terror-and-security/plague-protests-pandemic-has-sparked-wave-unrest-around-world/| access-date=2021-08-03| issn=0307-1235| archive-date=3 August 2021| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210803151200/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/global-health/terror-and-security/plague-protests-pandemic-has-sparked-wave-unrest-around-world/| url-status=live}}</ref> [[COVID-19 lockdowns]] have inspired protests in many territories, and from late 2020 [[deployment of COVID-19 vaccines]] also inspired protests.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Thousands Around Globe Protest COVID-19 Shots, Lockdowns {{!}} Voice of America - English|url=https://www.voanews.com/covid-19-pandemic/thousands-around-globe-protest-covid-19-shots-lockdowns|access-date=2021-08-03|website=www.voanews.com|date=24 July 2021 |language=en|archive-date=3 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210803151201/https://www.voanews.com/covid-19-pandemic/thousands-around-globe-protest-covid-19-shots-lockdowns|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Analysis {{!}} The pandemic leads to another summer of anger|language=en-US|newspaper=[[Washington Post]]|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2021/07/30/pandemic-leads-another-summer-anger/|access-date=2021-08-03|issn=0190-8286|archive-date=30 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210730070551/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2021/07/30/pandemic-leads-another-summer-anger/|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
The protests have varied in scale, motivations and type, with protesters drawn from a fairly wide range of backgrounds and inspired by a range of reasons. One of the main drivers has been the economic distress brought about by businesses having to close for long periods, leading to widespread unemployment, especially of casual workers in the hospitality industry. Uncertainty about the future and the feeling of lack of control has led to a predilection for believing in [[conspiracy theories]] (such as that COVID-19 is a hoax and that governments have deliberately created the crisis), [[anti-vaxxer]] beliefs, including that [[COVID-19 vaccination]]s and restriction of citizens' movements are part of a government plot to control people, [[Bill Gates]] is behind implanting [[microchip]]s into people via vaccinations.<ref name=ajfeb2021>{{cite web | last=Melimopoulos | first=Elizabeth | title=What's driving the COVID lockdown protests? | website=[[Al Jazeera English|Al Jazeera]] | date=7 February 2021 | url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/2/7/protests-over-new-covid-19-measures-whats-behind-them | access-date=28 August 2021 | archive-date=28 August 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210828004101/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/2/7/protests-over-new-covid-19-measures-whats-behind-them | url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | last=Dearden | first=Lizzie | title=Inside the UK's biggest anti-lockdown protest | website=The Independent | date=16 May 2020 | url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/coronavirus-lockdown-protests-uk-london-hyde-park-5g-conspiracy-theories-a9518506.html | access-date=28 August 2021 | archive-date=23 August 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210823110551/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/coronavirus-lockdown-protests-uk-london-hyde-park-5g-conspiracy-theories-a9518506.html | url-status=live }}</ref> The spread of [[COVID-19 misinformation]] has been a driving factor in some country's protest movements, with some organisers making money out of the protests.<ref>{{Cite web|title=How COVID-conspiracists and anti-vaxxers are getting organised and making money|url=https://news.sky.com/story/how-covid-conspiracists-and-anti-vaxxers-are-getting-organised-and-making-money-12206707|access-date=2021-08-03|website=[[Sky News]]|language=en|archive-date=27 February 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210227193203/https://news.sky.com/story/how-covid-conspiracists-and-anti-vaxxers-are-getting-organised-and-making-money-12206707|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
===Players===<br />
In the US, [[Donald Trump]] spread some potentially misleading information,<ref name=ajfeb2021/> and the [[Proud Boys]], American [[religious fundamentalist]]s and [[American militia movement#Active militia groups|various militia groups]] as well as [[Black Lives Matter of Greater New York]], have been active in protests;<ref>{{cite web | last=Wilson | first=Jason | title=The rightwing groups behind wave of protests against Covid-19 restrictions | website=[[The Guardian]] | date=17 April 2020 | url=http://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/17/far-right-coronavirus-protests-restrictions | access-date=28 August 2021 | archive-date=19 August 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210819134948/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/17/far-right-coronavirus-protests-restrictions | url-status=live }}</ref> across Europe, the extreme right has been active;<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.orfonline.org/expert-speak/fringe-mainstream-extreme-rightwing-europe-68848/| title=From fringe to mainstream: The extreme rightwing in Europe| first1=Kyler| last1=Ong| first2=Raffaello| last2=Pantucci| newspaper=Orf| access-date=28 August 2021| archive-date=28 August 2021| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210828012516/https://www.orfonline.org/expert-speak/fringe-mainstream-extreme-rightwing-europe-68848/| url-status=live}}</ref> in the UK, far-right [[hate group]]s have been involved in spreading misinformation, [[scapegoat]]ing minority groups and trying to organise lockdowns,<ref>{{cite report| title=COVID-19: How hateful extremists are exploiting the pandemic| url=https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/906724/CCE_Briefing_Note_001.pdf| author=[[Commission for Encountering Extremism]]| date=July 2020| publisher=UK Government| access-date=28 August 2021| archive-date=16 March 2021| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210316081503/https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/906724/CCE_Briefing_Note_001.pdf| url-status=live}}</ref> while former politicians such as [[Martin Daubney]] and journalists such as [[Julia Hartley-Brewer]] have either supported or joined protests;<ref>{{cite web | last=Loucaides | first=Darren | title=Inside the U.K.'s anti-lockdown media machine | website=Coda Story | date=9 August 2021 | url=https://www.codastory.com/disinformation/uk-anti-lockdown-media/ | access-date=28 August 2021 | archive-date=14 August 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210814221957/https://www.codastory.com/disinformation/uk-anti-lockdown-media/ | url-status=live }}</ref> in Australia, the Proud Boys,<ref>{{cite web | last=McGowan | first=Michael | title=Where 'freedom' meets the far right: the hate messages infiltrating Australian anti-lockdown protests | website=[[The Guardian]] | date=25 March 2021 | url=http://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/mar/26/where-freedom-meets-the-far-right-the-hate-messages-infiltrating-australian-anti-lockdown-protests | access-date=28 August 2021 | archive-date=24 August 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210824060353/https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/mar/26/where-freedom-meets-the-far-right-the-hate-messages-infiltrating-australian-anti-lockdown-protests | url-status=live }}</ref> the neo-Nazi [[National Socialist Network]]<ref name=ndaug2021>{{cite web | title=How neo-Nazis use anti-lockdown protests to recruit new members | first=Cait | last=Kelly | website=[[The New Daily]] | date=25 August 2021 | url=https://thenewdaily.com.au/news/national/2021/08/26/neo-nazi-anti-lockdown-recruit/ | access-date=28 August 2021 | archive-date=26 August 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210826175828/https://thenewdaily.com.au/news/national/2021/08/26/neo-nazi-anti-lockdown-recruit/ | url-status=live }}</ref> and a few politicians have become involved in spreading misinformation and stirring discontent.<ref>{{cite web | last=Bongiorno | author-link=Frank Bongiorno | first=Frank | title=Right out there: how the pandemic has given rise to extreme views and fractured conservative politics | website=[[The Conversation (website)|The Conversation]] | date=15 August 2021 | url=http://theconversation.com/right-out-there-how-the-pandemic-has-given-rise-to-extreme-views-and-fractured-conservative-politics-165448 | access-date=28 August 2021 | archive-date=27 August 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210827112241/https://theconversation.com/right-out-there-how-the-pandemic-has-given-rise-to-extreme-views-and-fractured-conservative-politics-165448 | url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
===Organisers and methods===<br />
<br />
The [[Telegram (software)|Telegram]] and [[Instagram]] apps are popular means for spreading messages about planned protests,<ref name=knaus2021/> and some events are also posted on [[Facebook]].<ref name=fbrally>{{cite web | title=World Wide Rally for Freedom, Peace & Human Rights III | website=Facebook | date=23 July 2021 | url=https://m.facebook.com/events/791497214885030 | access-date=31 August 2021 | archive-date=22 December 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211222175659/https://m.facebook.com/login.php?next=https%3A%2F%2Fm.facebook.com%2Fevents%2F791497214885030&refsrc=deprecated&_rdr | url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
{{anchor|wwrf}}<!---Worldwide Rally for Freedom, Free Citizens of Kassel, etc. target this anchor.---><br />
A German group called Worldwide Demonstration, operated out of the city of [[Kassel]] by individuals self-described as "Freie Bürger Kassel" (Free Citizens of Kassel),<ref name=knaus2021>{{cite web | last=Knaus | first=Christopher | title=Who's behind Australia's anti-lockdown protests? The German conspiracy group driving marches | website=the Guardian | date=27 July 2021 | url=http://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/jul/27/who-behind-australia-anti-covid-lockdown-protest-march-rallies-sydney-melbourne-far-right-and-german-conspiracy-groups-driving-protests | access-date=30 August 2021 | archive-date=30 August 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210830032414/https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/jul/27/who-behind-australia-anti-covid-lockdown-protest-march-rallies-sydney-melbourne-far-right-and-german-conspiracy-groups-driving-protests | url-status=live }}</ref> coordinated a series of 129 events around the world in March 2021, each one dubbed "World Wide Rally for Freedom", using the [[hashtag]] "#WewillALLbethere". Misinformation, [[QAnon]] beliefs, [[antisemitism]] and COVID-19 denial were prevalent in the groups' chats.<ref name=logically>{{cite web | last1=Backovic | first1=Nick | last2=Wildon | first2=Jordan | last3=Ondrak | first3=Joe | title=Exclusive: Worldwide Anti-Lockdown Protests Organized by German Cell | website=[[Logically (company)|Logically]] | date=14 May 2021 | url=https://www.logically.ai/articles/anti-lockdown-protests-organized-by-german-cell | access-date=30 August 2021 | archive-date=30 August 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210830032414/https://www.logically.ai/articles/anti-lockdown-protests-organized-by-german-cell | url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
== Africa ==<br />
=== Ivory Coast ===<br />
Protesters destroyed a coronavirus testing centre that was being built in [[Abidjan]], which they said was in a crowded residential area too close to their homes.<ref>{{cite news|date=6 April 2020|title=Coronavirus: Ivory Coast protesters target testing centre|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-52189144|access-date=3 May 2020|archive-date=1 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200501142544/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-52189144|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Kenya ===<br />
The Kenyan government has been accused of extreme measures, with protesters accusing the [[Kenya Police|Kenyan Police]] of killing at least six people within the first 10 days of the lockdown. Others protested against the forced quarantine of individuals failing to comply with regulations or returning home from abroad, claiming that they had been quarantined for longer than 14 days and made to pay the government for their care.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Kenyans held for weeks in quarantine were then told to pay to get out|url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/coronavirus/ct-nw-nyt-kenya-quarantine-centers-20200508-sguy6zocxvbnvpbrccilweiu6m-story.html|last=Dahir|first=Abdi Latif|date=8 May 2020|website=baltimoresun.com|access-date=9 May 2020|archive-date=13 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200513222022/https://www.baltimoresun.com/coronavirus/ct-nw-nyt-kenya-quarantine-centers-20200508-sguy6zocxvbnvpbrccilweiu6m-story.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Hundreds protested on 8 May 2020 when the government destroyed 7,000 homes and a market in [[Kariobangi]] in an effort to control the virus.<ref>{{cite web |title=Kenyans protest house demolitions amid virus restrictions |url=https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/kenyans-protest-house-demolitions-amid-virus-restrictions-70575939 |website=ABC News |access-date=9 May 2020 |language=en |archive-date=9 May 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200509001511/https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/kenyans-protest-house-demolitions-amid-virus-restrictions-70575939 |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Malawi ===<br />
A [[Malawi]] high court temporarily barred the government from implementing a 21-day lockdown after it was challenged by the Human Rights Defenders Coalition, after it was argued that more consultation was needed to prevent harm to the poorest and most vulnerable. Small protests had been staged prior to the ruling, in at least three major cities with some protesters stating it was better to contract the virus than die of hunger due to lack of work.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Malawi high court blocks coronavirus lockdown|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/04/malawi-high-court-blocks-coronavirus-lockdown-200417184430403.html|date=17 April 2020|website=www.aljazeera.com|access-date=9 May 2020|archive-date=8 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200508151024/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/04/malawi-high-court-blocks-coronavirus-lockdown-200417184430403.html|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Nigeria ===<br />
A group of at least twenty coronavirus patients forced their way out of an isolation facility to protest against alleged improper care and the government's actions which they believed to worsen their conditions.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Nigeria: COVID-19 patients protest over 'ill treatment'|url=https://www.aa.com.tr/en/africa/nigeria-covid-19-patients-protest-over-ill-treatment/1830966|date=6 May 2020|website=www.aa.com.tr|access-date=9 May 2020|archive-date=10 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200510190944/https://www.aa.com.tr/en/africa/nigeria-covid-19-patients-protest-over-ill-treatment/1830966|url-status=live}}</ref> Workers at a construction site rioted against lockdown measures that limited their ability to work on constructing an [[oil refinery]] for billionaire [[Aliko Dangote]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Nigerian workers riot over Covid-19 lockdown {{!}} New Straits Times|url=https://www.nst.com.my/world/world/2020/04/588042/nigerian-workers-riot-over-covid-19-lockdown|date=27 April 2020|website=NST Online|language=en|access-date=9 May 2020|archive-date=8 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200508213859/https://www.nst.com.my/world/world/2020/04/588042/nigerian-workers-riot-over-covid-19-lockdown|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Rwanda ===<br />
Refugees that had been relocated to the country from an overcrowded refugee camp in [[Libya]], protested against the lockdown from the refugee camp in the capital [[Kigali]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Refugees Protest Under Coronavirus Lockdown in Rwanda {{!}} Voice of America - English|url=https://www.voanews.com/covid-19-pandemic/refugees-protest-under-coronavirus-lockdown-rwanda|date=17 April 2020|website=www.voanews.com|language=en|access-date=9 May 2020|archive-date=3 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200503130323/https://www.voanews.com/covid-19-pandemic/refugees-protest-under-coronavirus-lockdown-rwanda|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== South Africa ===<br />
Many residents protested against the policy that food parcel aid would only be going to households that earn below R3600, and demanded action from the South African Social Security Agency.<ref>{{Cite web|title="We are still waiting" – protesting under lockdown in South Africa|url=https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/beyond-trafficking-and-slavery/we-are-still-waiting-protesting-under-lockdown-in-south-africa/|last=Anciano|first=Fiona|date=24 April 2020|website=openDemocracy|language=en|access-date=9 May 2020|archive-date=9 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200509221138/https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/beyond-trafficking-and-slavery/we-are-still-waiting-protesting-under-lockdown-in-south-africa/|url-status=live}}</ref> Surfers have also protested to be allowed to surf during the lockdown, that allows exercise but not water activities.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Anti-lockdown protests around the world|url=https://www.reuters.com/news/picture/anti-lockdown-protests-around-the-world-idUSRTX7H61S|date=5 May 2020|website=www.reuters.com|access-date=9 May 2020|archive-date=8 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200508144737/https://www.reuters.com/news/picture/anti-lockdown-protests-around-the-world-idUSRTX7H61S|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Zimbabwe ===<br />
Three young, female opposition activists were reported missing following a protest in [[Harare]], Zimbabwe, over COVID-19 lockdown measures on 15 May 2020. They were later treated at a hospital after asserting they had been abducted and sexually abused by suspected state security agents.<ref>{{cite web |title=Zimbabwe police accused of assaulting young female activists |url=https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/zimbabwe-police-accused-assaulting-young-female-activists-70701508 |website=ABC News |access-date=5 June 2020 |language=en |archive-date=5 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200605190822/https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/zimbabwe-police-accused-assaulting-young-female-activists-70701508 |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
== Asia ==<br />
<br />
=== China (mainland) ===<br />
{{Main|2022 COVID-19 protests in China}}<br />
[[File:西南交通大学学生悼念乌鲁木齐火灾逝者 10.jpg|alt=Students at Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu, holding a candlelight vigil for victims of the fire. The candles are arranged in a heart shape. The faces of students are blurred to protect anonymity.|thumb|Students at [[Southwest Jiaotong University]], [[Chengdu]], holding a candlelight vigil for victims of the [[2022 Ürümqi fire|fire in Ürümqi]].]]<br />
<br />
Small shop owners protested the continuation of rent charges outside of the Grand Ocean Department Store in Wuhan, chanting "Exempt rental for a year, or refund the lease". Videos from the demonstration were posted in the social media platform [[Sina Weibo]] but quickly censored.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international/world-news/wuhan-rent-protest-shows-unrest-brewing-in-china-after-lockdown/articleshow/75080074.cms?from=mdr |title=covid 19: Wuhan rent protest shows unrest brewing in China after lockdown - The Economic Times |publisher=Economictimes.indiatimes.com |access-date=30 April 2020 |archive-date=10 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200910133541/https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international/world-news/wuhan-rent-protest-shows-unrest-brewing-in-china-after-lockdown/articleshow/75080074.cms?from=mdr |url-status=live }}</ref> A woman was arrested and facing criminal charges after attempting to rally about 100 people to protest the poor management and overpriced provisions during the lockdown. She was charged with "[[picking quarrels and provoking trouble]]", an offense normally used to detain dissidents and social activists.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Chinese woman charged with organising protests during coronavirus lockdown|url=https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3080590/coronavirus-lockdown-woman-charged-organising-protests-against|last=Huang|first=Kristin|date=19 April 2020|website=South China Morning Post|language=en|access-date=1 May 2020|archive-date=2 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200502204312/https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3080590/coronavirus-lockdown-woman-charged-organising-protests-against|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
In 2022, public protests and marches began in cities such as [[Ürümqi]] and [[Guangzhou]] in response to the continued zero-COVID policy of the [[Government of China|Chinese government]] under [[Xi Jinping Administration]].<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Chien |first1=Amy Chang |last2=Che |first2=Chang |last3=Liu |first3=John |last4=Mozur |first4=Paul |date=2022-11-25 |title=In a challenge to Beijing, unrest over COVID lockdowns spreads |url=https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2022/11/25/asia-pacific/china-covid-lockdown-unrest/ |access-date=2022-11-27 |website=The Japan Times |language=en-US}}</ref> In Shanghai, some protesters among hundreds had chanted "Step down, [[Xi Jinping]]! Step down, [[Chinese Communist Party|Communist Party]]!"<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-11-27 |title=Protests erupt across China in unprecedented challenge to Xi Jinping's zero-Covid policy |url=https://www.cnn.com/2022/11/26/china/china-protests-xinjiang-fire-shanghai-intl-hnk/index.html |access-date=2022-11-27 |website=[[CNN]] |language=en}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Hong Kong ===<br />
[[File:Protest against Designated Clinics in TSW North 20200215.png|thumb|Protest against plans to set up designated coronavirus clinics near residential areas in [[Hong Kong]] on 15 February 2020]]<br />
{{Main|2019–20 Hong Kong protests#COVID-19 crisis}}<br />
Pro-democratic movement's tactics were repurposed to pressure the government to take stronger actions to safeguard Hong Kong's [[public health]] in the face of the [[2020 coronavirus outbreak in Hong Kong|coronavirus outbreak in Hong Kong]]. Protesters demanded all travellers coming from China be banned from entering Hong Kong. From 3 to 7 February 2020, hospital staff launched a labour strike with the same goal. The strike was not successful as [[Carrie Lam]] rejected a full border closure.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://hongkongfp.com/2020/10/14/covid-19-hong-kong-hospital-authority-demands-answers-from-radiologists-after-unit-head-refuses-name-medics-who-went-on-strike/|title=Covid-19: Hong Kong Hospital Authority demands answers from radiologists after unit head refuses to name medics who went on strike|first=Kelly|last=Ho|work=[[Hong Kong Free Press]]|date=2020-10-14|access-date=2021-11-06|archive-date=6 September 2021|archive-url=https://archive.today/20210906153555/https://hongkongfp.com/2020/10/14/covid-19-hong-kong-hospital-authority-demands-answers-from-radiologists-after-unit-head-refuses-name-medics-who-went-on-strike/|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
People responded negatively to the government's attempt to set up quarantine and clinical centres in neighbourhoods close to residents and marched to express their discontent or blocked roads to thwart the government's plans across the territory.{{citation needed|date=August 2021}}<br />
<br />
=== India ===<br />
{{see also|Indian migrant workers during the COVID-19 pandemic}}<br />
After the televised announcement by Prime Minister [[Narendra Modi]] that the lockdown was to be extended until at least 3 May, police used batons to disperse protesting migrant workers in [[Mumbai]]. Thousands of jobless migrant workers had gathered at railway stations and were demanding to be allowed to break the lockdown to return home.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-southasia-idUSKCN21W0HI|title=India extends world's biggest lockdown, ignites protest by migrant workers|newspaper=Reuters|date=14 April 2020|via=reuters.com|last1=Jain|first1=Sanjeev Miglani|access-date=27 April 2020|archive-date=26 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200426093055/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-southasia-idUSKCN21W0HI|url-status=live}}</ref> Similar protests were seen in other parts of the country by the workers, and those who claimed that they received no aid which was promised by the government to provide them with during the lockdown period.<br />
<br />
In the state of [[Meghalaya]] anti mandatory vaccination protesters organised a rally in the capital city Shillong against the alleged mandatory inoculation drive by the state government.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Amid rising Covid cases, anti-vaccine protesters rally in Meghalaya |url=http://www.dtnext.in/amp/News/National/2022/01/23082638/1340071/Amid-rising-Covid-cases-antivaccine-protesters-rally-.vpf |access-date=2022-03-24 |website=dtNext.in |language=ta}}{{dead link|date=November 2022|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref><br />
<br />
In State of Maharashtra similar anti mandatory mask and anti mandatory mask protest were held.<ref>{{Citation |title=Worldwide Demonstration: People protest against mandatory vaccinations, lockdowns |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9V83n4_VIAI |language=en |access-date=2022-04-17}}</ref><br />
<br />
Several legal cases were filed in multiple [[high courts of India]] and the Supreme Court of India against mandatory masking and vaccinations.<ref>{{Cite news |agency=Press Trust of India |date=2022-03-02 |title='Unfortunate': HC on mandatory vaccine for Maharashtra public transport |work=Business Standard India |url=https://www.business-standard.com/article/current-affairs/unfortunate-hc-on-mandatory-vaccine-for-maharashtra-public-transport-122030200974_1.html |access-date=2022-04-17}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Roy |first=Debayan |title=[COVID-19] Supreme Court reserves verdict in plea challenging coercive vaccination |url=https://www.barandbench.com/news/covid-19-supreme-court-reserves-verdict-in-plea-against-coercive-vaccination |access-date=2022-04-17 |website=Bar and Bench - Indian Legal news |date=22 March 2022 |language=en}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Indonesia ===<br />
{{Main|Indonesia omnibus law protests}}<br />
[[File:Indonesia omnibus law protests Okt 2020 in Padang.jpg|thumb|Protest in [[Padang]] on 7 October 2020]]<br />
On 5 October 2020, Indonesia has passed a [[Omnibus Law on Job Creation|law on job creation]] that will weaken environmental protections and workers’ rights in an attempt to boost the economy hit hard by the [[COVID-19 pandemic|Wuhan pneumonia pandemic]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/world/breakingnews/3313101|title=國會通過爭議性法案 印尼各地發起罷工示威|work=Liberty Times|date=6 October 2020|access-date=6 October 2020|language=zh-tw|archive-date=9 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201009193945/https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/world/breakingnews/3313101|url-status=live}}</ref> On 6 October, thousands of Indonesians protest in industrial areas around Jakarta including Tangerang and Karawang and on [[Batam]]. A three-day national strike was started which unions expected to involve two million workers in protest against the law.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-indonesia-economy-law/thousands-of-indonesians-protest-against-passage-of-jobs-bill-idUSKBN26R0ZG|title=Thousands of Indonesians protest against passage of jobs bill|work=Reuters|date=6 October 2020|access-date=6 October 2020|archive-date=6 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201006164032/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-indonesia-economy-law/thousands-of-indonesians-protest-against-passage-of-jobs-bill-idUSKBN26R0ZG|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
Demonstrations in Bandung and Jakarta were held on 22 July and 24 July respectively in order to protest the extension of the government's "social activities restriction" (PPKM/CARE) measures.<ref>{{cite AV media |date=24 July 2021 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSLqONzbUmU |title=BERITA TERBARU ~DEMO PPKM DI JAKARTA~BERITA VIRAL HARI INI |publisher=KABAR MILITER |via=[[YouTube]] |access-date=7 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210724074608/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSLqONzbUmU |archive-date=24 July 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite AV media |date=21 July 2021 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jfSIwIX2zHY |title=Dinilai Merugikan, Warga Bandung Berunjuk Rasa Tolak PPKM Darurat {{!}} Fokus |publisher=[[Indosiar]] |via=[[YouTube]] |access-date=7 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210725025445/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jfSIwIX2zHY |archive-date=25 July 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite AV media |date=21 July 2021 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3gYGWz13weU |title=Demo Tolak PPKM Darurat Berakhir Ricuh |publisher=[[CNN Indonesia]] |via=[[YouTube]] |access-date=7 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210725235748/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3gYGWz13weU |archive-date=25 July 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite AV media |date=23 July 2021 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPP4PpT6Pnw |title=Demo Mahasiswa Tolak Kebijakan PPKM Darurat di Flyover Pasar Rebo Berujung Ricuh |publisher=KOMPASTV |via=[[YouTube]] |access-date=7 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210724074614/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPP4PpT6Pnw |archive-date=24 July 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite AV media |date=24 July 2021 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mqzlX1oLNNI |title=Demo Tolak PPKM hari ini dijakarta pusat |publisher=Echa mahkota |via=[[YouTube]] |access-date=7 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210725234934/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mqzlX1oLNNI |archive-date=25 July 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref>{{excessive citations inline|date=August 2021}}<br />
<br />
=== Israel ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 protests in Israel}}<br />
In April 2020, thousands of Israelis engaged in [[social distancing]] while gathering to protest against the perceived anti-democratic measures in the country by Prime Minister [[Benjamin Netanyahu]]. Many were involved in the Black Flag movement which had been allowed to protest by police if they stood six feet apart and all wore masks. An earlier protest had seen the protesters drive to [[Jerusalem]] to protest anti-democratic measures.<ref>{{cite web |last=Rosner |first=Elizabeth |url=https://nypost.com/2020/04/20/israelis-practice-social-distancing-at-tel-aviv-protest/ |title=Israelis maintain social distancing while protesting Netanyahu |date=20 April 2020 |publisher=Nypost.com |access-date=27 April 2020 |archive-date=24 April 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200424070815/https://nypost.com/2020/04/20/israelis-practice-social-distancing-at-tel-aviv-protest/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Other demonstrations have been seen in the ultra-[[Orthodox Judaism|Orthodox]] Jerusalem neighborhood of [[Mea Shearim]] with men and youths throwing rocks at police before being arrested.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Police clash with stone-throwing Haredi protesters in Jerusalem, 5 arrested|url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/police-clash-with-stone-throwing-haredi-protesters-in-jerusalem-5-arrested/|date=20 April 2020|website=www.timesofisrael.com|language=en-US|access-date=1 May 2020|archive-date=26 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200426143227/https://www.timesofisrael.com/police-clash-with-stone-throwing-haredi-protesters-in-jerusalem-5-arrested/|url-status=live}}</ref> Riots broke out in [[Bnei Brak]] with crowds vandalizing property and throwing rocks against police attempts to clear [[yeshiva]] classes and religious gatherings being held in violation of lockdown rules.<ref>{{Cite news|last1=Hendrix|first1=Steve|last2=Rubin|first2=Shira|date=26 January 2021|title=Violence erupts in Israel's ultra-Orthodox neighborhoods over coronavirus restrictions|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/ultra-orthodox-israel-police-covid/2021/01/25/2438e840-5ee3-11eb-a177-7765f29a9524_story.html|access-date=28 January 2021|newspaper=The Washington Post|archive-date=28 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210128111056/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/ultra-orthodox-israel-police-covid/2021/01/25/2438e840-5ee3-11eb-a177-7765f29a9524_story.html|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Iraq ===<br />
Protests against the lockdown have been coupled with the [[2019–2020 Iraqi protests|ongoing protests]] against the current government and female-targeting violence within the country.<ref>{{Cite web|title=The Iraq Report: Protest movement revives as coronavirus lockdown eased|url=https://english.alaraby.co.uk/english/indepth/2020/5/1/the-iraq-report-protest-movement-revives-as-lockdown-eased|website=alaraby|date=May 2020|language=en|access-date=1 May 2020|archive-date=4 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200504011957/https://english.alaraby.co.uk/english/indepth/2020/5/1/the-iraq-report-protest-movement-revives-as-lockdown-eased|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="WPProtests">{{cite web |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/coronavirus-protests-lebanon-india-iraq/2020/04/19/1581dde4-7e5f-11ea-84c2-0792d8591911_story.html |title=Coronavirus lockdowns prompt protests in India, Lebanon, Iraq |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=19 April 2020 |access-date=27 April 2020 |archive-date=25 April 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200425064157/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/coronavirus-protests-lebanon-india-iraq/2020/04/19/1581dde4-7e5f-11ea-84c2-0792d8591911_story.html |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Kazakhstan ===<br />
Following announcement of quarantine measures, videos of hospital staff in [[Atyrau]] protesting against new rules were spread on social media in April 2020, resulting in reporting journalists being detained.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-04-16|title=Казахстан: митинг в белых халатах|url=https://belsat.eu/ru/programs/kazahstan-miting-v-belyh-halatah/|url-status=live|access-date=2021-07-26|website=belsat.eu|language=ru|archive-date=27 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210727010145/https://belsat.eu/ru/programs/kazahstan-miting-v-belyh-halatah/}}</ref><br />
<br />
On 25 January 2021, a demonstration was held in city of [[Kokshetau]] where citizens expressed discontent with concept of compulsory vaccination against COVID-19 in which the deputy [[akim]] met with the crowd and assured them that decision whether to be vaccinated would be based on each individual's personal choice.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-01-25|title=Несколько десятков человек собрались на площади в Кокшетау|url=https://www.nur.kz/society/1895472-neskolko-desatkov-celovek-sobralis-na-plosadi-v-koksetau-foto/?|url-status=live|access-date=2021-07-27|website=www.nur.kz|language=ru|archive-date=27 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210727010148/https://www.nur.kz/society/1895472-neskolko-desatkov-celovek-sobralis-na-plosadi-v-koksetau-foto/}}</ref> in result of the government's [[COVID-19 vaccine]] mandate for all in-person employees, protests took place on 6 July 2021 in Kazakhstan where citizens demanded to stop the fines for businesspeople who refused to mandate for workers as well free [[COVID-19 testing|PCR testing]] for the unvaccinated.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Говоров|first=Георгий|date=2021-07-06|title=НГ: "Принудительной вакцинации нет" - аким Костаная встретился с участниками акции протеста|url=https://www.ng.kz/modules/news/article.php?storyid=42453#893571|url-status=live|access-date=2021-07-27|website=www.ng.kz|archive-date=27 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210727014138/https://www.ng.kz/modules/news/article.php?storyid=42453#893571}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-07-01|title=В Казахстане вводится режим обязательной вакцинации|url=https://inbusiness.kz/ru/news/v-kazahstane-vvoditsya-rezhim-obyazatelnoj-vakcinacii|url-status=live|access-date=2021-07-27|website=inbusiness.kz|language=ru|archive-date=27 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210727010147/https://inbusiness.kz/ru/news/v-kazahstane-vvoditsya-rezhim-obyazatelnoj-vakcinacii}}</ref> In [[Oral, Kazakhstan|Oral]], instructions were given out to crowd in avoiding the inoculation.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Левина|first=Мария|date=2021-07-06|title=В Уральске и Костанае прошли митинги против обязательной вакцинации|url=https://vlast.kz/novosti/45733-v-uralske-i-kostanae-prosli-mitingi-protiv-obazatelnoj-vakcinacii.html|url-status=live|access-date=2021-07-27|website=vlast.kz|language=ru|archive-date=27 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210727010148/https://vlast.kz/novosti/45733-v-uralske-i-kostanae-prosli-mitingi-protiv-obazatelnoj-vakcinacii.html}}</ref> Reports of detentions of people by the police occurred in [[Almaty]] and [[Aktobe]] that day.<ref>{{Cite news|date=2021-07-06|title=Несколько человек задержаны в Алматы и Актобе на месте анонсированных Аблязовым акций|url=https://rus.azattyq.org/a/31343878.html|url-status=live|access-date=2021-07-27|website=Радио Азаттык|language=ru|archive-date=27 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210727010146/https://rus.azattyq.org/a/31343878.html}}</ref> On 17 July, demonstrations occurred throughout the cities, where in [[Pavlodar]] hundred people gathered at the central square which was dispersed by security forces with detainees being pushed into police vans and some managing to flee the area.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-07-19|title=Митинги против обязательной вакцинации прошли в нескольких городах Казахстана|url=https://ust-kamenogorsk.city/novosti-kazakhstana/11695/|url-status=live|access-date=2021-07-27|website=ust-kamenogorsk.city|archive-date=27 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210727010147/https://ust-kamenogorsk.city/novosti-kazakhstana/11695/}}</ref> After the Kazakh government decided to raise fuel prices in the middle of the pandemic, many Kazakhs carried out [[2022 Kazakh unrest|the bloodiest riots since the collapse of the Soviet Union]].<br />
<br />
=== Lebanon ===<br />
{{See also|2019–2021 Lebanese protests}}<br />
Many protesters argued for monetary relief from the countries slumping economy after weeks of the lockdown.<ref name="WPProtests"/> At least one demonstrator died after soldiers used tear gas, batons, and live bullets to disperse a protesters in [[Tripoli, Lebanon|Tripoli]] who were throwing [[molotov cocktail]]s.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Osseiran|first1=Nazih|last2=Nissenbaum|first2=Dion|date=28 April 2020|title=Protesters in Lebanon Demand Economic Relief as Coronavirus Lockdown Eases|language=en-US|work=[[The Wall Street Journal]]|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/protesters-in-lebanon-demand-economic-relief-as-coronavirus-lockdown-eases-11588096707|access-date=1 May 2020|issn=0099-9660|archive-date=30 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200430221558/https://www.wsj.com/articles/protesters-in-lebanon-demand-economic-relief-as-coronavirus-lockdown-eases-11588096707|url-status=live}}</ref> Protesters also congregated in [[Beirut]] outside the central bank and threw rocks at the building, and took over major roads as they claimed there wasn't enough done to protect the economy and those that would suffer the most economically.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Hatoum|first1=Bassam|last2=Hussein|first2=Bilal|date=29 April 2020|title=Lockdown lifts in Lebanon, protests erupt over economic crises|work=[[The Christian Science Monitor]]|url=https://www.csmonitor.com/World/Middle-East/2020/0429/Lockdown-lifts-in-Lebanon-protests-erupt-over-economic-crises|access-date=1 May 2020|issn=0882-7729|archive-date=1 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200501054440/https://www.csmonitor.com/World/Middle-East/2020/0429/Lockdown-lifts-in-Lebanon-protests-erupt-over-economic-crises|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Malaysia ===<br />
<br />
On 31 July 2021, hundreds of protesters attempted to gather in [[Merdeka Square, Kuala Lumpur]], calling for the resignation of Prime Minister [[Muhyiddin Yassin]] over his and the Malaysian government's handling of the [[COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia|COVID-19 pandemic]].<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|title=Hundreds take to Kuala Lumpur's streets in anti-gov't protest|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/7/31/hundreds-take-to-streets-in-anti-government-protest-in-malaysia|access-date=2021-08-01|website=www.aljazeera.com|language=en|archive-date=1 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210801172936/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/7/31/hundreds-take-to-streets-in-anti-government-protest-in-malaysia|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite web|website=Deutsche Welle|title=Malaysian protesters demand PM Muhyiddin's resignation=|date=2021-07-31|url=https://www.dw.com/en/malaysian-protesters-demand-pm-muhyiddins-resignation/a-58713654|access-date=2021-08-01|language=en-GB|archive-date=1 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210801172936/https://www.dw.com/en/malaysian-protesters-demand-pm-muhyiddins-resignation/a-58713654|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Ramlan|first=Alyaa Alhadjri & Vivian Yap, Yasmin|date=2021-07-31|title=Hundreds of #Lawan protesters in KL demand PM's resignation|url=https://www.malaysiakini.com/news/585291|access-date=2021-08-01|website=Malaysiakini|language=en|archive-date=1 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210801172003/https://www.malaysiakini.com/news/585291|url-status=live}}</ref> The protests took place despite [[Malaysian movement control order|Movement Control Order (MCO)]] restrictions being in place, and Malaysian police blocking access to Merdeka Square itself.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Solhi|first=Farah|date=2021-07-31|title=#Lawan rally ends as protesters fail to get inside Dataran Merdeka {{!}} New Straits Times|url=https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2021/07/713474/lawan-rally-ends-protesters-fail-get-inside-dataran-merdeka|access-date=2021-08-01|website=NST Online|language=en|archive-date=1 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210801172004/https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2021/07/713474/lawan-rally-ends-protesters-fail-get-inside-dataran-merdeka|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Solhi|first=Farah|date=2021-07-31|title=#Lawan rally goes on despite police warning, risk of spreading Covid-19 [NSTTV] {{!}} New Straits Times|url=https://www.nst.com.my/news/crime-courts/2021/07/713455/lawan-rally-goes-despite-police-warning-risk-spreading-covid-19|access-date=2021-08-01|website=NST Online|language=en|archive-date=1 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210801173504/https://www.nst.com.my/news/crime-courts/2021/07/713455/lawan-rally-goes-despite-police-warning-risk-spreading-covid-19|url-status=live}}</ref> The anti-government protests took place following a [[2021 Malaysian state of emergency|state of emergency]] declaration, where parliament and elections were suspended, and amid an [[2020–21 Malaysian political crisis|ongoing political crisis]].<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2" /> On 2 August, including former Prime Minister [[Mahathir Mohamad]], opposition MPs held a protest in Merdeka Square after being blocked from entering Parliament by police.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-08-02|title=Police stop Malaysian opposition lawmakers from marching to Parliament|url=https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/heavy-police-presence-outside-malaysian-parliament|access-date=2021-08-02|website=The Straits Times|language=en|archive-date=2 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210802080101/https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/heavy-police-presence-outside-malaysian-parliament|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Malaysia opposition MPs gather at Merdeka Square after being blocked from entering parliament|url=https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asia/malaysia-opposition-dataran-merdeka-parliament-postponed-covid19-15360260|access-date=2021-08-02|website=CNA|language=en|archive-date=2 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210802080147/https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asia/malaysia-opposition-dataran-merdeka-parliament-postponed-covid19-15360260|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Nepal ===<br />
On 12 June 2020, hundreds of protesters gathering in the capital city [[Kathmandu]], demanding better quarantine facilities, more tests and transparency in the purchase of medical supplies to fight the crisis. Ten people have been arrested, including seven foreigners.<ref>{{cite web|author=Gopal Sharma|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-nepal/hundreds-protest-against-nepals-coronavirus-response-7-foreigners-arrested-idUSKBN23K087/|title=Hundreds protest against Nepal's coronavirus response; 7 foreigners arrested|work=Reuters|date=2020-06-13}}</ref><br />
[[File:尼泊尔最大反对党发起全国抗议活动.jpg|thumb|Protesters wave party flags of the [[Nepali Congress]] on 14 December 2020]]<br />
On 14 December 2020, the [[Nepali Congress]], Nepal's largest opposition party, launched a nationwide protest, claiming that one million people participated. This protest is mainly to criticize the government for not actively fighting the COVID-19 pandemic and for not actively preparing for holding the winter session of [[Federal Parliament of Nepal|federal parliament]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.chinanews.com/wap/detail/zw/gj/2020/12-14/9361978.shtml|title=尼泊尔最大反对党发起全国抗议活动|work=China News Service|date=2020-12-14|language=zh-cn}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Pakistan ===<br />
Dozens of doctors were arrested in [[Quetta]] after protesting the lack of safety equipment that they had been given to battle the spread of the disease.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/06/pakistan-arrests-doctors-protest-lack-coronavirus-safety-equipment |title=Pakistan arrests doctors protesting over lack of virus safety equipment &#124; World news |work=The Guardian |access-date=30 April 2020 |archive-date=7 April 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200407174034/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/06/pakistan-arrests-doctors-protest-lack-coronavirus-safety-equipment |url-status=live }}</ref> Hundreds of laborers protested against their forced layoffs due to the pandemic by gathering outside their old places of work throughout the city of Karachi.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Millions of Pakistani laborers struggle amid COVID-19 lockdown|url=https://www.aa.com.tr/en/asia-pacific/millions-of-pakistani-laborers-struggle-amid-covid-19-lockdown/1824231|last=Latif|first=Aamir|date=30 April 2020|website=www.aa.com.tr|access-date=1 May 2020|archive-date=6 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200506073132/https://www.aa.com.tr/en/asia-pacific/millions-of-pakistani-laborers-struggle-amid-covid-19-lockdown/1824231|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
Parents of students who had been studying abroad in the Chinese province of Hubei protested against the government's decision to leave the children in the area in February 2020.<ref>{{cite news|last=Raza Hassan|first=Syed|date=16 February 2020|title=Parents protest as Pakistani students stuck in China under coronavirus lockdown|language=en|work=Reuters|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-health-pakistan-idUSKBN20A0J9|access-date=1 May 2020|archive-date=25 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200525093543/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-health-pakistan-idUSKBN20A0J9|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Philippines ===<br />
{{See also|Protests against Rodrigo Duterte}}<br />
Spontaneous demonstrations were held on 1 April 2020 by a [[Quezon City]] urban poor community to protest lack of food and other assistance during the metropolitan-wide COVID-19 lockdown.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ellao |first=Janess Ann J. |date=1 April 2020 |title=Arrests in QC reveal lack of gov't support to lockdown-affected residents |url=https://www.bulatlat.com/2020/04/01/arrests-in-qc-urban-poor-reveal-lack-of-govt-support-to-lockdown-affected-residents/ |access-date=19 June 2020 |website=Bulatlat |language=en-US |archive-date=20 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200620224244/https://www.bulatlat.com/2020/04/01/arrests-in-qc-urban-poor-reveal-lack-of-govt-support-to-lockdown-affected-residents/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Police violently dispersed protesters and arrested 21 people.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=1 April 2020 |title=21 protesters demanding food aid arrested in Quezon City |url=https://www.cnnphilippines.com/news/2020/4/1/quezon-city-protesters-arrested-.html |access-date=19 June 2020 |website=CNN |language=en |archive-date=23 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200623053048/https://cnnphilippines.com/news/2020/4/1/quezon-city-protesters-arrested-.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> The city mayor and a Congress representative appealed to police to release those arrested.<ref name=":0" /><br />
<br />
In May 2020, journalists and individuals protested [[ABS-CBN franchise renewal controversy|the cease and desist order that led to the shutdown of media giant ABS-CBN]], a move that jeopardized more than 11,000 jobs and prevented the broadcast of vital information about the pandemic. More protests were held after the House of Representatives junked ABS-CBN's application for a legislative franchise.{{citation needed|date=August 2021}}<br />
<br />
Jeepney drivers rendered jobless by the COVID-19 emergency protested in Caloocan on 3 June 2020. Six protesters were arrested and jailed for a few days to one week.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Lalu |first=Gabriel Pabico |date=18 June 2020 |title=2 of jailed Piston 6 protesters test positive for COVID-19 |url=https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1293906/2-of-jailed-piston-6-protesters-test-positive-for-covid-19 |access-date=19 June 2020 |website=Inquirer |language=en |archive-date=18 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200618141148/https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1293906/2-of-jailed-piston-6-protesters-test-positive-for-covid-19 |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
Several groups held protests nationwide to coincide with the commemoration of Philippine Independence on 12 June 2020.<ref>{{Cite web |date=11 June 2020 |title=LIST: 'Grand mañanita' and other Independence Day 2020 activities |url=http://www.rappler.com/move-ph/263498-list-mananita-other-activities-independence-day-2020 |access-date=19 June 2020 |website=Rappler |language=en |archive-date=13 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200613072615/https://www.rappler.com/move-ph/263498-list-mananita-other-activities-independence-day-2020 |url-status=live }}</ref> Among these was the "Grand Mañanita" protest at the [[University of the Philippines]] in Quezon City. The Grand Mañanita protested the [[Philippine government response to the COVID-19 pandemic|government's response to the COVID-19 crisis]] and Congress' passage of a controversial [[Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020|anti-terror bill]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Gonzales |first=Cathrine |date=12 June 2020 |title=Look: 'Grand mañanita' protest on Independence Day |url=https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1290437/look-grand-mananita-protest-on-independence-day |access-date=19 June 2020 |website=INQUIRER.net |language=en |archive-date=19 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200619173237/https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1290437/look-grand-mananita-protest-on-independence-day |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
On 16 July 2021, health workers held a protest in front of the headquarters of [[Department of Health (Philippines)|Department of Health]] (DOH) where they threw tomatoes at the logo of the DOH.<ref>{{cite news |title=DOH, binato ng kamatis |url=https://web.facebook.com/News5Everywhere/videos/3941239406004582/ |access-date=23 September 2021 |work=News5 |date=July 16, 2021 |via=Facebook |archive-date=22 December 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211222175651/https://www.facebook.com/News5Everywhere/videos/3941239406004582/?_rdc=1&_rdr |url-status=live }}</ref> On 30 August, 1 September and 24 November 2021,<ref>{{cite news |title='Ginagawa kaming bobo': Health workers patuloy ang paghahabol sa benepisyo {{!}} TV Patrol |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9slZiNABZMA&ab_channel=ABS-CBNNews |access-date=28 November 2021 |work=ABS-CBN News |archive-date=28 November 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211128054313/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9slZiNABZMA&ab_channel=ABS-CBNNews |url-status=live }}</ref> health workers from various hospitals in Metro Manila held a protest at the DOH headquarters over nonpayment of their salaries and benefits and demanding Duque (and Duterte) to resign over the handling of the COVID-19 pandemic in the country.<ref>{{cite news |title='We have nothing to celebrate': Health workers protest as Duterte calls frontliners 'new breed of heroes' |url=https://www.cnnphilippines.com/news/2021/8/30/health-workers-protest-National-Heroes-Day.html |access-date=1 September 2021 |work=CNN Philippines |archive-date=1 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210901033613/https://www.cnnphilippines.com/news/2021/8/30/health-workers-protest-National-Heroes-Day.html |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=On Heroes' Day, health workers protest over unreleased benefits |url=https://www.rappler.com/nation/health-workers-protest-unreleased-benefit30-august-2021 |access-date=1 September 2021 |work=Rappler }}{{dead link|date=August 2023|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Underpaid health workers walk out, call for Duque resignation at mass protests |url=https://www.rappler.com/nation/health-workers-walk-out-jobs-mass-protests-duque-1-september-2021 |access-date=1 September 2021 |work=Rappler }}{{dead link|date=August 2023|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Thailand ===<br />
{{main|2020 Thai protests}}<br />
[[File:เยาวชนปลดแอก ประท้วง กรุงเทพ 18 กรกฎาคม 2563 Free Youth Protest at Bangkok 18 July 2020 (Night).jpg|thumb|Demonstrations at the [[Democracy Monument]], [[Bangkok]] at night]]<br />
On 18 July, Thailand saw the largest street demonstration since the [[2014 Thai coup d'état]] at the [[Democracy Monument]] in [[Bangkok]] with around 2,500 protesters. The protesters, organised under the name Free Youth ({{langx|th|เยาวชนปลดแอก}}; yaowachon plod aek), announced three demands: dissolution of the House, stop threatening the people and drafting of a new constitution. The event was triggered by the failed economy due to [[COVID-19 pandemic in Thailand|pandemic]], and unjustified implementation of the COVID-19 acts that were heavily criticised as being a tool against any possible protest. The situation erupted after two COVID-19 cases; an Egyptian soldier in [[Rayong Province]], and a Sudanese diplomat's daughter in [[Khet Watthana|Asok neighbourhood]] of [[Bangkok]], were tested positive earlier on 15 July. Both were excepted from COVID-19's travel restrictions and containment. Many criticised on both the government's failure to contain the disease from these VIPs, and its failure to boost the heavily affected tourism industry in [[Rayong Province]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=18 July 2020 |title=Thai protesters call for government to resign |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-thailand-protests/thai-protesters-call-for-government-to-resign-idUSKCN24J0HN |access-date=20 July 2020 |website=[[Reuters]] |language=en |archive-date=19 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200719182550/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-thailand-protests/thai-protesters-call-for-government-to-resign-idUSKCN24J0HN |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=18 July 2020 |url=https://www.bbc.com/thai/thailand-53456468 |title="เยาวชนปลดแอก" ยุติการชุมนุมก่อนเที่ยงคืน อ้างความปลอดภัย สรุปบรรยากาศจากเริ่มจนจบ |access-date=20 July 2020 |website=[[BBC]] Thai |language=th |archive-date=19 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201019153040/https://www.bbc.com/thai/thailand-53456468 |url-status=live }}</ref> The protesters demanded the government to accept within two weeks, or face larger demonstrations.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2020-07-18 |title=Thai protesters call for government to resign |language=en |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-thailand-protests-idUSKCN24J0HN |access-date=2022-08-04}}</ref><br />
<br />
Later on 19 July, several protests erupted in [[Chiang Mai Province]] and [[Ubon Ratchathani Province]].<ref>{{Cite news |date=20 July 2020 |title=Chiang Mai, Ubon rally against Prayut, government |url=https://www.bangkokpost.com/learning/easy/1954343/chiang-mai-ubon-rally-against-prayut-government?cx_placement=related#cxrecs_s |access-date=20 July 2020 |website=[[Bangkok Post]] |language=en }}</ref><br />
<br />
===Vietnam===<br />
There have been many protests broke out in some localities in Vietnam to protest against the anti-epidemic policy, as well as to call on the government to support people during the pandemic.<br />
<br />
On August 22, 2021, workers at an isolation area in [[Binh Duong]] province conducted a riot, smashed, and prevented a pregnant woman from going to the emergency room.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.hosodanchu.com/2021/08/bao-loan-ap-pha-o-binh-duong-ke-cam.html | title=Bạo loạn, đập phá ở Bình Dương: Kẻ cầm tuýp sắt, người hôi của }}</ref><br />
<br />
On August 27, some people in [[Ho Chi Minh City]] reacted because they had not received local support money and the clip of this incident was posted on social networks. The government has forced "hostile forces to plot to incite demonstrations and fight against social distancing".<ref>{{cite web | url=https://cand.com.vn/Chong-dien-bien-hoa-binh/canh-giac-muu-do-kich-dong-bieu-tinh-chong-pha-gian-cach-xa-hoi-i627958/ | title=Cảnh giác mưu đồ kích động biểu tình, chống phá giãn cách xã hội }}</ref><br />
<br />
On October 1, 2021, people in Ho Chi Minh City protested, attacking police at a checkpoint on the outskirts of the city to open the door for people to return to their hometown. A day later, Vietnamese netizens spread images of police forces and militiamen using sticks to beat protesters in Binh Duong with the purpose of breaking the gate to return to their hometown. The local government then stated to verify the incident, at the same time accused people of rioting and attacking the police.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.bbc.com/vietnamese/vietnam-58775235 | title=Bình Dương: Muốn về quê, xô xát giữa dân và cảnh sát | newspaper=BBC News Tiếng Việt }}</ref><br />
<br />
In mid-October, after the dogs of a household in [[Ca Mau]] province were culled due to suspicion of being infected with the COVID-19 virus, there were many online calls for people to protest against the anti pandemic policies from the government.<br />
<br />
In November 2021, those present at the funeral of Mr. Duong Van Minh, a [[Hmong people|Hmong]] man, clashed with police after police and local medical staff asked those present at the funeral to disperse. due to fears of an outbreak. Mr. Duong Van Minh is the founder of the religious organization that bears his name, which is considered a [[heresy]] by Vietnamese authorities.<br />
<br />
From October 2022, a year after the end of social distancing due to the pandemic, many customers of Sai Gon Joint Stock Commercial Bank (SCB), one of Vietnam's major banks, protested at the bank branch to request a refund of a customer's [[bond (finance)|bond]] purchase. The protests were considered to be motivated by the difficult economic and financial situation of the people after the pandemic.<br />
<br />
== Europe ==<br />
[[File:Men In Black protest in Copenhagen.jpg|thumb|Anti-lockdown demonstration in [[Rådhuspladsen]], [[Copenhagen]], 27 March 2021]]<br />
<br />
=== Austria ===<br />
The newly created [[MFG Austria – People Freedom Fundamental Rights|Fundamental Rights Party]] (MFG), has been planning recent anti-lockdown protests in Austria. The group compared Covid restrictions with "Nazi rule". The country's third largest political party, the [[Freedom Party of Austria]] (FPÖ), has also strongly condemned the Covid restrictions, and its new leader, [[Herbert Kickl]], has pushed misleading and false views of the virus, including claims that the vaccination programme is really a "genetic experiment".<ref>{{Cite news|date=2021-11-27|title=Covid: Conspiracy and untruths drive Europe's Covid protests|language=en-GB|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/59390968|access-date=2021-12-26}}</ref> Kickl urged a public crowd to reject compulsory vaccinations. Fifteen thousand people later rallied at the Heldenplatz square in Vienna to protest against the anti-Covid measures and were later joined by thousands more, with approximately 44,000 people taking part in the rally in total.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-12-12|title=Thousands protest against coronavirus measures in Vienna|url=https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3159367/thousands-austrians-take-streets-protest-against-coronavirus|access-date=2021-12-26|website=South China Morning Post|language=en}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Belgium ===<br />
On 31 January 2021, police in [[Brussels]] said they had arrested more than 400 people to prevent a banned protest of anti-COVID-19 measures.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.dw.com/en/coronavirus-digest-brussels-police-detain-hundreds-of-anti-lockdown-protesters/a-56394523|title=Coronavirus digest: Brussels police detain hundreds of anti-lockdown protesters &#124; DW &#124; 31.01.2021|website=DW.COM|access-date=18 July 2021|archive-date=8 June 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210608133756/https://www.dw.com/en/coronavirus-digest-brussels-police-detain-hundreds-of-anti-lockdown-protesters/a-56394523|url-status=live}}</ref> On 21 November 2021, about 35,000 people in the streets of [[Brussels]] took part in demonstration, which began peaceful before violence broke out. Waving nationalist flags of [[Flanders]] and banners against the more restrictive rules for the unvaccinated, several people hidden by hoods also attacked some police cars. At least two officers and one protester were injured. Protesters threw stones at police as they advanced with water cannon at the main junction in front of the European Union Commission headquarters. Protesters also threw smoke bombs and fireworks, the newspaper ''[[Le Soir]]'' reported. The situation calmed down later, police said.<ref>{{Cite news|url = https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/around-35000-protest-against-covid-restrictions-brussels-police-say-2021-11-21/|title = Clashes break out in Brussels in protests over coronavirus restrictions|newspaper = Reuters|date = 21 November 2021|access-date = 24 November 2021|archive-date = 24 November 2021|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20211124001253/https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/around-35000-protest-against-covid-restrictions-brussels-police-say-2021-11-21/|url-status = live}}</ref><br />
<br />
* [[2022 Brussels protest|January 2022 Brussels protest]]<br />
<br />
=== Belarus ===<br />
{{Main|2020-2021 Belarusian protests}}<br />
In May 2020, a lowered approval of [[authoritarianism|authoritarian]] president [[Alexander Lukashenko]] amid [[COVID-19 pandemic in Belarus|his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic]] led to street protests against his government. Mass protests erupted across Belarus following the August [[2020 Belarusian presidential election]] which was marred by allegations of widespread [[electoral fraud]].{{citation needed|date=August 2021}}<br />
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=== Bosnia and Herzegovina ===<br />
On 6 April 2021, anti-governmental protests "Fight for Life" were held by a group of citizens and activists in Bosnia and Herzegovina's capital [[Sarajevo]] in front of the [[Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina|Parliamentary Assembly]] and the [[Government of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina|Federal Government]], seeking resignations from [[Chairman of the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina|Chairman of the Council of Ministers]] [[Zoran Tegeltija]] and [[List of prime ministers of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina|Federal Prime Minister]] [[Fadil Novalić]], due to lack of leadership during the [[COVID-19 pandemic in Bosnia and Herzegovina]] and late procurement of [[COVID-19 vaccine]]s for the country.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.klix.ba/vijesti/bih/protesti-u-sarajevu-gradjani-ispred-vlade-fbih-skandiraju-ostavke-i-paraziti-napolje/210406028|title=Protesti u Sarajevu: Građani ispred Vlade FBiH skandiraju "Ostavke" i "Paraziti napolje"|date=6 April 2021|access-date=6 April 2021|language=bs|author=D. Be.|publisher=Klix.ba|archive-date=6 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210406110442/https://www.klix.ba/vijesti/bih/protesti-u-sarajevu-gradjani-ispred-vlade-fbih-skandiraju-ostavke-i-paraziti-napolje/210406028|url-status=live}}</ref> Further anti-governmental protests were held eleven days later, on 17 April as well.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.klix.ba/vijesti/bih/zavrseni-protesti-gradjana-u-sarajevu-na-potezu-su-parlamentarci-rok-je-1-maj/210417035|title=Završeni protesti građana u Sarajevu: Na potezu su parlamentarci, rok je 1. maj|date=17 April 2021|access-date=17 April 2021|language=bs|author=N.V.|publisher=Klix.ba|archive-date=17 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210417105301/https://www.klix.ba/vijesti/bih/zavrseni-protesti-gradjana-u-sarajevu-na-potezu-su-parlamentarci-rok-je-1-maj/210417035|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Bulgaria ===<br />
{{Main|2020–2021 Bulgarian protests}}<br />
On 30 March 2020 The Bulgarian Health Ministry issued an order that made not wearing a face mask in public punishable by law at a time when no masks were available for purchasing in the country. After strong public unrest, the order was recalled on the following day<ref>{{Cite web|title=Министър Ананиев отменя заповедта си за задължително носене на маски до постигане на консенсус|url=https://dariknews.bg/novini/bylgariia/vryshtat-maskite-na-zakrito-stavat-zadylzhitelni-v-magazina-i-v-ofisa-2230448|date=31 March 2020|access-date=8 October 2020|website=dariknews.bg|language=bg|archive-date=15 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210515043118/https://dariknews.bg/novini/bylgariia/vryshtat-maskite-na-zakrito-stavat-zadylzhitelni-v-magazina-i-v-ofisa-2230448|url-status=live}}</ref> and re-instated yet again later, with some modifications.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Връщат маските на закрито - стават задължителни в магазина и в офиса|url=https://dariknews.bg/novini/bylgariia/ananiev-otmeni-zapovedta-za-zadylzhitelnite-maski-2219522|date=22 June 2020|access-date=8 October 2020|website=dariknews.bg|language=bg|archive-date=9 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201009015757/https://dariknews.bg/novini/bylgariia/ananiev-otmeni-zapovedta-za-zadylzhitelnite-maski-2219522|url-status=live}}</ref> A small protest took place on 19 April 2020 in [[Sofia]] against the measures to combat the [[COVID-19 pandemic in Bulgaria|COVID-19 pandemic]], with many of the participants expressing concerns about their livelihoods.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Протест в София срещу мерките за ограничаване на коронавируса|url=https://www.mediapool.bg/protest-v-sofiya-sreshtu-merkite-za-ogranichavane-na-koronavirusa-news306375.html|date=19 April 2020|access-date=3 September 2020|website=mediapool.bg|language=bg|archive-date=21 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201021082108/https://www.mediapool.bg/protest-v-sofiya-sreshtu-merkite-za-ogranichavane-na-koronavirusa-news306375.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Protests with an [[Anti-vaccine activism|anti-vax]] slant that also demanded the resignation of the government, organized by the [[Revival (Bulgarian political party)|Vazrazhdane]] party,<ref>{{Cite web|title=8 арестувани на протеста в София (ВИДЕО+СНИМКИ)|url=https://nova.bg/news/view/2020/05/14/287916/8-%D0%B0%D1%80%D0%B5%D1%81%D1%82%D1%83%D0%B2%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%B8-%D0%BD%D0%B0-%D0%BF%D1%80%D0%BE%D1%82%D0%B5%D1%81%D1%82%D0%B0-%D0%B2-%D1%81%D0%BE%D1%84%D0%B8%D1%8F-%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE%D1%81%D0%BD%D0%B8%D0%BC%D0%BA%D0%B8/|date=14 May 2020|access-date=3 September 2020|website=nova.bg|language=bg|archive-date=24 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200524113735/https://nova.bg/news/view/2020/05/14/287916/8-%D0%B0%D1%80%D0%B5%D1%81%D1%82%D1%83%D0%B2%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%B8-%D0%BD%D0%B0-%D0%BF%D1%80%D0%BE%D1%82%D0%B5%D1%81%D1%82%D0%B0-%D0%B2-%D1%81%D0%BE%D1%84%D0%B8%D1%8F-%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE%D1%81%D0%BD%D0%B8%D0%BC%D0%BA%D0%B8/|url-status=live}}</ref> were held in May and June, resulting in a few arrests, but did not see a significant turnout.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Протест на антиваксъри в София|url=https://www.vesti.bg/bulgaria/protest-na-antivaksyri-v-sofiia-6110588|date=6 June 2020|access-date=3 September 2020|author=Kirov, Nikolay|website=vesti.bg|language=bg|archive-date=26 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200726135130/https://www.vesti.bg/bulgaria/protest-na-antivaksyri-v-sofiia-6110588|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
Public disapproval grew during the pandemic and reached a spontaneous culmination on 9 July 2020 after a police raid on the Presidency of Bulgaria in what was perceived as an attack against President [[Rumen Radev]], a vocal critic of prime minister [[Boyko Borisov]], who has been in power since 2009,<ref>{{Cite web|date=9 July 2020|title=Raids Worsen Bulgarian President's Spat With Prosecutor|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-07-09/bulgarian-police-raid-president-radev-s-offices|access-date=15 July 2020|website=Bloomberg.com|archive-date=1 February 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210201190554/https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-07-09/bulgarian-police-raid-president-radev-s-offices|url-status=live}}</ref> and the long-standing grievances against endemic corruption and [[state capture]]. Daily demonstrations were held in the country's capital [[Sofia]] until April 2021, though the number of protesters dwindled during the autumn and winter months when the country was heavily affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.<ref>{{Cite web|title=88-а вечер на протести в София: Призоваха за атаки срещу офисите на управляващата коалиция (Снимки)|url=https://www.24chasa.bg/novini/article/9082543|date=4 October 2020|access-date=8 October 2020|website=24chasa.bg|language=bg|archive-date=22 December 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211222175752/https://www.24chasa.bg/novini/article/9082543|url-status=live}}</ref> On 12 January 2022, Vazrazhdane organized a large demonstration against the COVID green certificates for indoor spaces, during which protest participants attempted to make their way into the National Parliament.<ref name="VazrazhdaneProtestGreenCertificateJanuary2022">{{cite news | title=Поддръжници на "Възраждане" се опитаха да нахлуят в парламента| work=mediapool.bg |author= |language=Bulgarian|url=https://www.mediapool.bg/poddrazhnitsi-na-vazrazhdane-se-opitaha-da-nahluyat-v-parlamenta-news331009.html| date=12 January 2022|access-date=10 February 2022 }}</ref> On 23 February 2022, the party held another protest with the same focus.<ref name="VazrazhdaneFollowUpProtestGreenCertificateFebruary2022">{{cite news | title="Възраждане" приветства поетапното отпадане на зеления сертификат, протестът обаче остава| work=dariknews.bg |author= |language=Bulgarian|url=https://dariknews.bg/novini/bylgariia/vyzrazhdane-privetstva-poetapnoto-otpadane-na-zeleniia-sertifikat-protestyt-obache-ostava-2301183| date=21 February 2022|access-date=2 April 2022 }}</ref><br />
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=== Czechia ===<br />
In late 2020 and during 2021, many anti-responses protests occurred as the pandemic situation in country worsened and measures, often legally unsubstantiated, were prolonged. Protesters demanded revoking of the restrictions such as gathering limitations or pubs closure. Many of them also refused face-masks wearing, which gave them a nickname "anti-rouškaři", meaning "mask-refusers". The most violent incident occurred on 18 October in Prague, when group of radical protesters, including football hooligans, clashed with police forces after protest was dissolved due to violations of hygienic measures. 20 officers were injured as well as unknown number of protesters. 144 persons were arrested. This is in contrast with mostly peaceful protests which are typical in Czechia. Since then, police has changed a tactics to document offences rather than doing large maneuvers to disperse crowds.<br />
<ref>{{cite web|date=18 October 2020|title=Demonstrace proti vládním opatřením se změnila v potyčky s těžkooděnci. Policie zadržela přes 100 lidí|url=https://www.irozhlas.cz/zpravy-domov/praha-protesty-koronavirus-fotbalovy-fanousci-demonstrace-staromestske-namesti_2010181508_tkr|url-status=live|access-date=12 June 2021|archive-date=31 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201031010343/https://www.irozhlas.cz/zpravy-domov/praha-protesty-koronavirus-fotbalovy-fanousci-demonstrace-staromestske-namesti_2010181508_tkr}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|date=31 January 2021|title=Na Václavském náměstí demonstrovaly stovky lidí proti omezením|url=https://www.ceskenoviny.cz/zpravy/na-vaclavskem-namesti-demonstrovaly-stovky-lidi-proti-omezenim/1989855|url-status=live|access-date=12 June 2021|archive-date=8 October 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211008164748/https://www.ceskenoviny.cz/zpravy/na-vaclavskem-namesti-demonstrovaly-stovky-lidi-proti-omezenim/1989855}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Šplíchal|first=Pavel|date=25 February 2021|title=Antirouškaři jsou ti nejtrapnější disidenti. Jako poslední věří vládě|url=https://a2larm.cz/2021/02/antirouskari-jsou-ti-nejtrapnejsi-disidenti-jako-posledni-veri-vlade/|access-date=12 June 2021}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== France ===<br />
{{Main|Yellow vests protests|French freedom convoy|2021–2022 social unrest in the French West Indies}}<br />
<br />
The [[Paris]] suburb [[Villeneuve-la-Garenne]] saw riots in April 2020, partly about the strains of the [[COVID-19 pandemic in France|coronavirus outbreak]] and lockdown on working-class families, often immigrants, who live in small apartments in crowded public housing buildings. Many have reported that in poorer neighbourhoods the policies are difficult to follow due to over crowding and cause the neighbourhoods to be impacted more than wealthier Parisians. The demonstrations have since been seen in the suburb [[Hauts-de-Seine]], and other French cities [[Toulouse]], [[Lyon]] and [[Strasbourg]].<ref>{{Cite news|last=McAuley|first=James|date=25 April 2020|title=Violent protests in Paris suburbs reflect tensions under lockdown|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/paris-suburbs-protests-villeneuve-la-garenne/2020/04/25/55f5a40c-85a1-11ea-81a3-9690c9881111_story.html|access-date=1 May 2020|newspaper=The Washington Post|language=en|archive-date=25 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200425112752/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/paris-suburbs-protests-villeneuve-la-garenne/2020/04/25/55f5a40c-85a1-11ea-81a3-9690c9881111_story.html|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
==== Vaccination obligation, sanitary pass ====<br />
The announcement of president [[Emmanuel Macron|Macron]] on 12 July 2021 of a [[COVID-19 vaccination in France|COVID-19 vaccination]] obligation for all health care workers by 15 September, as well as the obligation for people older than twelve to show a "[[COVID-19 vaccine card#France|sanitary pass]]" as of August for admittance to cafés, restaurants, cinemas, hospitals,<ref name=nrc,14jul>(Dutch) [https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2021/07/13/fransman-die-zich-niet-wil-laten-prikken-moet-maar-voelen-a4050923#/handelsblad/2021/07/14/#106 'Fransman die zich niet wil laten prikken moet maar voelen'] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210821205804/https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2021/07/13/fransman-die-zich-niet-wil-laten-prikken-moet-maar-voelen-a4050923#/handelsblad/2021/07/14/ |date=21 August 2021 }}. ''[[NRC Handelsblad]]'', 13 July 2021.</ref> senior citizens' homes, trains,<ref name=nrc,27jul>(Dutch) [https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2021/07/26/frans-parlement-stemt-in-met-nieuwe-covid-maatregelen-a4052430#/handelsblad/2021/07/27/#114 'Frans parlement stemt in met coronapaspoort en verplichte vaccinatie voor het zorgpersoneel'] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210821205804/https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2021/07/26/frans-parlement-stemt-in-met-nieuwe-covid-maatregelen-a4052430#/handelsblad/2021/07/27/ |date=21 August 2021 }}. ''[[NRC Handelsblad]]'', 26 July 2021.</ref> shopping malls,<ref>{{cite web |last1=De Fournas |first1=Marie |title=Coronavirus : Comment ça va se passer avec la fin des tests PCR et antigéniques gratuits ? |url=https://www.20minutes.fr/sante/3083303-20210713-coronavirus-comment-ca-va-passer-fin-tests-pcr-antigeniques-gratuits |website=20 Minutes |date=13 July 2021 |access-date=25 July 2021 |archive-date=25 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210725060050/https://www.20minutes.fr/sante/3083303-20210713-coronavirus-comment-ca-va-passer-fin-tests-pcr-antigeniques-gratuits |url-status=live }}</ref> and other public venues led to protests across France. The 'sanitary pass' should prove that someone is either vaccinated, has recently [[COVID-19 testing|tested negative]],<ref name=nrc,14jul/> or has recovered from [[COVID-19]].<ref name=nrc,11Aug>(Dutch) [https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2021/08/11/wij-houden-ons-hart-vast-voor-volgende-week-a4054487#/handelsblad/2021/08/12/#104 'Coronapaspoort in Frankrijk: 'Wij houden ons hart vast' '.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210821205802/https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2021/08/11/wij-houden-ons-hart-vast-voor-volgende-week-a4054487#/handelsblad/2021/08/12/ |date=21 August 2021 }} ''[[NRC Handelsblad]]'', 11 August 2021.</ref> Macron's motivation was: "We are in a new race against time", "Vaccination is the only way to protect yourself and others".<ref name=nrc,14jul/><br />
<br />
[[Marine Le Pen]], challenger of Macron in the [[2022 French presidential election]], immediately condemned the vaccination obligation as "indecent insolence" attesting of "ingratitude" towards the health care workers.<ref name=nrc,14jul/> On Wednesday 14 July, the French [[National day]] called '[[Bastille Day]]', in [[Paris]] some 2,250 people protested against these new corona restrictions. Demonstrations were also held in Toulouse, Bordeaux, Montpellier, Nantes and 48 other places, totalling around 19,000 protesters. Slogans chanted were: "Down with dictatorship", "Down with the health pass". A demonstrator equated the health pass with "segregation". Objects and fireworks were thrown at the police, who answered with tear gas and arrests.<ref>{{cite web |title=French police fire tear gas as anti-vaccine protest turns violent |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/7/15/french-police-tear-gas-as-anti-vaccine-protest-turns-violent |website=Al Jazeera |access-date=24 July 2021 |date=15 July 2021 |archive-date=23 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210723121648/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/7/15/french-police-tear-gas-as-anti-vaccine-protest-turns-violent |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
On Saturday 17 July, nationwide some 114,000 people protested against the two new measures.<ref name=nrc,1Aug/> On 24 July, some 160,000 people around France protested against the measures. Protesters chanted: "Liberty! Liberty!" Projectiles including a chair were thrown at the police in Paris, who reacted with tear gas and water cannons.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-07-24|title=French protesters reject virus passes, vaccine mandate|url=https://apnews.com/article/europe-health-coronavirus-pandemic-dc03061cb033cb4181ff5424acb9ed63|access-date=2021-07-25|website=AP NEWS|language=en|archive-date=25 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210725015129/https://apnews.com/article/europe-health-coronavirus-pandemic-dc03061cb033cb4181ff5424acb9ed63|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
On 25 July, the [[Senate (France)|French Senate]] nevertheless agreed to the measures except the pass obligation for children under 18 years old.<ref>''[[Dagblad van het Noorden]]'', 26 July 2021.</ref><br />
<br />
On 31 July, over 200,000 people nationwide protested against these plans. Thousands around [[Place de la Bastille]] in [[Paris]] chanted: ''"Liberté!"'' [Freedom!]. Signs accused Macron of being a dictator.<ref>[https://www.npr.org/2021/08/02/1023637209/protesters-say-frances-anti-virus-pass-is-a-threat-to-personal-freedoms 'Protesters Say France's Anti-Virus Pass Is A Threat To Personal Freedoms'] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210821205802/https://www.npr.org/2021/08/02/1023637209/protesters-say-frances-anti-virus-pass-is-a-threat-to-personal-freedoms |date=21 August 2021 }}. [[NPR|National Public Radio]], 2 August 2021. Retrieved 20 August 2021.</ref> A bus driver motivated his protest as: "I'm not an antivaxer (...) But this is going to fast, I want to wait and see". A hospital worker said: "These [[COVID-19 vaccine misinformation and hesitancy|vaccines are experimental]] ; there's no way I'm gonna take it".<ref name=nrc,1Aug>(Dutch) [https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2021/08/01/gele-hesjes-lopen-te-hoop-tegen-sanitaire-dictatuur-a4053244#/handelsblad/2021/08/02/#104 'Gele hesjes lopen te hoop tegen 'pasdictatuur' ' ('Yellow vests crowd together against 'pass dictatorship' ')] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210821205807/https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2021/08/01/gele-hesjes-lopen-te-hoop-tegen-sanitaire-dictatuur-a4053244#/handelsblad/2021/08/02/ |date=21 August 2021 }}. ''[[NRC Handelsblad]]'', 1 August 2021.</ref> A placard in [[Paris]] cited Macron: ' ''"Je ne rendrai pas la vaccination obligatoire", Emmanuel Macron, Novembre 2020'' ' ["I will not make vaccination obligatory", Macron, Nov. 2020]. Another: ' ''De la démocratie à la dictature il n'y a qu'un <<PASS>>'' ' [From democracy to dictatorship is only one step [or] one pass].<ref>''[[Dagblad van het Noorden]]'', 5 August 2021.</ref> Another: '<small>VACCINÉ A LA LIBERTÉ'</small> [<small>VACCINATED FOR FREEDOM</small>].<ref name=nrc,10Aug>(Dutch) [https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2021/08/10/gedwongen-vaccinatie-demonstraties-in-frankrijk-applaus-in-italie-a4054305#/handelsblad/2021/08/11/#114 'Gedwongen vaccinatie: demonstraties in Frankrijk, applaus in Italië' ('Enforced vaccination: demonstrations in France, applause in Italy')] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210821205806/https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2021/08/10/gedwongen-vaccinatie-demonstraties-in-frankrijk-applaus-in-italie-a4054305#/handelsblad/2021/08/11/ |date=21 August 2021 }}. ''[[NRC Handelsblad]]'', 10 August 2021.</ref><br />
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On Saturday 7 August, 237,000 people protested on 198 locations in France, the authorities reported. In Paris, [[Lyon]], [[Toulouse]], rioters pelted the police with all sorts of things, police reacted with tear gas and charges and arrests.<ref>''[[Dagblad van het Noorden]]'', 9 August 2021.</ref> The sanitary pass obligation came into effect on 9 August, civilians risk a fine of 135 euro for disobedience, business owners risk a 45,000 euro fine or one-year prison and the closure of their business.<ref name=nrc,11Aug /><br />
<br />
On 14 August 2021, between 200,000 and 250,000 people according to the police and the organisers have again demonstrated, on more than 200 locations in France, against the ''pass sanitaire'' and the obligated vaccination of health care personnel. Placards compared the sanitary pass with '[[Apartheid]]', people chanted slogans about the "health dictatorship". Police in Lyon used pepper spray against rioters.<ref>(Dutch) [https://www.telegraaf.nl/nieuws/456452706/live-weer-massale-protesten-tegen-franse-gezondheidsdictatuur 'Weer massale protesten tegen Franse 'gezondheidsdictatuur' ' (Again massive protests against French 'health dictatorship')] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210821205803/https://www.telegraaf.nl/nieuws/456452706/live-weer-massale-protesten-tegen-franse-gezondheidsdictatuur |date=21 August 2021 }}. ''[[De Telegraaf]]'', 14 August 2021. Retrieved 18 August 2021.</ref><br />
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Since then, these protests grew smaller ; on Saturday, 18 September 2021, the demonstrators in France against the sanitary pass and obligated vaccination counted 80,000.<ref>''[[Dagblad van het Noorden]]'', 23 September 2021.</ref><br />
<br />
===Greece===<br />
{{See also|2021 Greek protests}}<br />
The 2021 Greek protests broke out in response to a proposed government bill that would allow police presence on university campuses for the first time in decades, for which opposition groups accused the government of taking advantage of the COVID-19 lockdown to impose increasingly authoritarian measures.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://apnews.com/article/bills-athens-higher-education-greece-25de0ce9e884adba145b474d07be57d6|title=Protest gets heated ahead of campus policing vote|date=10 February 2021|publisher=[[Associated Press]]|location=[[Athens]]|access-date=2 May 2021|archive-date=12 February 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210212142808/https://apnews.com/article/bills-athens-higher-education-greece-25de0ce9e884adba145b474d07be57d6|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
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=== Georgia ===<br />
On 5 December 2021 thousands demonstrated in Tbilisi against a COVID-19 passport system which has been implemented in Georgia since December 1, allowing only citizens and tourists with a QR-code proving vaccination or recovery from the virus or with a negative PCR test result to visit public places, restaurants, entertainment and shopping centers. Protesters marched with posters and Georgian flags, passing by the parliamentary building.{{citation needed|date=March 2022}}<br />
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=== Germany ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 protests in Germany}}<br />
[[File:Vicent-van-Volkmer-Bienen-Aktivist-Demo-29.08.2020 Berlin Covid-19 Pandemie.jpg|thumb|Protester with a "Free The Bee" placard during the COVID-19 protests in Berlin on 29 August 2020, near the [[Brandenburg Gate]]]]<br />
Since April 2020, in [[Germany]] numerous protests against government policies over the COVID-19 pandemic have been held in several cities.<br />
A protest in [[Berlin]] on 29 August was estimated by authorities to have drawn 38,000 participants.<ref name="rbb">In German: [https://www.rbb24.de/politik/thema/2020/coronavirus/beitraege_neu/2020/08/demonstrationen-samstag-corona-querdenken-gegendemos.html 'Fast 40.000 Menschen bei Corona-Demos – Sperren am Reichstag durchbrochen' (Almost 40,000 people by corona demos – fences at the ''Reichstag'' broken through)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200901090757/https://www.rbb24.de/politik/thema/2020/coronavirus/beitraege_neu/2020/08/demonstrationen-samstag-corona-querdenken-gegendemos.html |date=1 September 2020 }}. rbb24.de, 29 August 2020. Retrieved 19 September 2020.</ref><br />
<br />
Several of the protests in Germany, like the one of 29 August, were organized by the group ''Querdenken 711'', based in [[Stuttgart]]. As per its homepage, it considers its main aims to support the fundamental rights enshrined in the German constitution, in particular the freedoms of opinion, expression, and assembly.<ref name="dw_20201106">{{cite web|url=https://www.dw.com/en/coronavirus-germany-braces-for-anti-lockdown-protests/a-55513848|title=Coronavirus: Germany braces for anti-lockdown protests|first=Ben|last=Knight|website=[[Deutsche Welle]]|agency=[[Deutsche Welle]]|date=6 November 2020|access-date=8 November 2021|archive-date=8 November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211108155543/https://www.dw.com/en/coronavirus-germany-braces-for-anti-lockdown-protests/a-55513848|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
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[[File:AnarchistCovidProtest.jpg|upright|thumb|left|[[Anarchist]] anti-conspiracy theory, anti-gentrification protest]]<br />
At the 29 August demonstration in Berlin, one of the invited orators was [[Robert F. Kennedy Jr.]], lawyer and conspiracy theorist and nephew of the assassinated U.S. President [[John F. Kennedy]]. He warned the crowd that the COVID-19 measures being deployed in many countries might lead to the implementation of a [[Mass surveillance#Surveillance state|surveillance state]]. A few hundred protesters attempted to storm the [[Reichstag building]], the seat of the German parliament;<ref name=rbb/><ref name="BBC30Aug">{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-53959552|title=Germany coronavirus: Hundreds arrested in German 'anti-corona' protests|work=BBC News|agency=[[BBC News]]|date=30 August 2020|access-date=15 September 2020|archive-date=4 September 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200904141636/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-53959552|url-status=live}}</ref> a few of them reached the stairs. A burst of media attention arose due to this incident. Later demonstrations tended to be smaller, and sometimes organized by allies of ''Querdenken''.<ref name="dw_20201106"/><br />
<br />
[[Anarchists]], [[libertarian socialists]] and [[anti-fascists]] in Germany have been counterprotesting "Querdenken 711" and other demonstrations against public health mandates. Focusing on increasing [[gentrification]], [[wealth inequality]], [[evictions]], police measures and favoring of compulsory vaccination. Anarchists have seen increasing evictions of [[anarchist communities]] and squats.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.dw.com/en/berlin-police-clear-anarchist-occupied-house-liebig-34/a-55211590|title=Berlin police clear anarchist-occupied house Liebig 34 &#124; DW &#124; 09.10.2020|website=DW.COM|access-date=30 November 2020|archive-date=2 December 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201202154402/https://www.dw.com/en/berlin-police-clear-anarchist-occupied-house-liebig-34/a-55211590|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://crimethinc.com/2020/03/18/surviving-the-virus-an-anarchist-guide-capitalism-in-crisis-rising-totalitarianism-strategies-of-resistance|title=CrimethInc. : Surviving the Virus: An Anarchist Guide : Capitalism in Crisis—Rising Totalitarianism—Strategies of Resistance|website=CrimethInc.|date=18 March 2020 |access-date=30 November 2020|archive-date=2 December 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201202160836/https://crimethinc.com/2020/03/18/surviving-the-virus-an-anarchist-guide-capitalism-in-crisis-rising-totalitarianism-strategies-of-resistance|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://ent.siteintelgroup.com/Far-Right-/-Far-Left-Threat/german-company-targeted-in-anarchist-arson-attack-for-covid-19-repression.html|title=German Company Targeted in Anarchist Arson Attack for COVID-19 "Repression" &#124; Far-Right / Far-Left Threat &#124; Articles|website=ent.siteintelgroup.com|date=29 June 2020|access-date=30 November 2020|archive-date=29 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201129103231/https://ent.siteintelgroup.com/Far-Right-/-Far-Left-Threat/german-company-targeted-in-anarchist-arson-attack-for-covid-19-repression.html|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
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=== Hungary ===<br />
On 28 February 2021, around 3,000–5,000 protesters gathered in the capital city of [[Budapest]] at [[Hősök tere]] to protest the lockdown regulations, and the Constitution of 2012.{{citation needed|date=August 2021}}<br />
<br />
The far-right [[Our Homeland Movement]] organised protests against lockdown measures on 15 March 2021,<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-04-20|title=Hungarian far-right party protests lockdown|url=https://apnews.com/article/hungary-budapest-coronavirus-pandemic-economy-ecd0b637126258601ca249f35b5b8743|access-date=2022-02-07|website=The Associated Press|language=en}}</ref> and against vaccine mandates (a "Covid Dictatorship") throughout December 2021 in various Hungarian cities.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-12-18|title=A "Covid-diktatúra" ellen tüntetett a Mi Hazánk Mozgalom|url=https://hvg.hu/itthon/20211218_Mi_Hazank_Mozgalom_Toroczkai_Laszlo_oltasellenesseg_tuntetes_kotelezo_oltas_Covid_diktatura|access-date=2022-02-07|website=hvg.hu|language=hu}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-12-06|title=Vidéken folytatja a kötelező oltás elleni tüntetéseket a Mi Hazánk|url=https://mihazank.hu/videken-folytatja-a-kotelezo-oltas-elleni-tunteteseket-a-mi-hazank/|access-date=2022-02-07|website=Mi Hazánk Mozgalom|language=hu}}</ref> On 16 January 2022 they held another anti-vaccine protest in Budapest, attracting thousands of people.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Imre|first=Patthy Loránd|date=2022-01-16|title="Nem tudnak lejönni a szerről az oltottak" – tüntetést tartott a Mi Hazánk Budapesten|url=https://index.hu/belfold/2022/01/16/oltasellenesseg-tuntetes-mi-hazank-novak-elod-pali-jeno-toroczkai-laszlo/|access-date=2022-02-07|website=index.hu|language=hu}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Ireland ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 protests in the Republic of Ireland}}<br />
On 24 July 2021, over ten thousand people attended an anti discrimination march in Dublin, in response to the Irish government's announcement that vaccine passports would be introduced.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/large-crowd-gathers-in-dublin-to-protest-vaccine-cert-system-1.4629890|title=Large crowd gathers in Dublin to protest vaccine cert system|first=Ellen|last=O'Riordan|newspaper=The Irish Times|access-date=12 October 2021|archive-date=28 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210728080317/https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/large-crowd-gathers-in-dublin-to-protest-vaccine-cert-system-1.4629890|url-status=live}}</ref> Said passports were to be used to prevent unvaccinated people availing of indoor dining services.<br />
[[File:PXL 20210724 152855881.LS exported 0.jpg|thumb|alt=Freedom March Dublin|July 24 Anti Discrimination March, Dublin]]<br />
<br />
Hundreds attended an anti-lockdown, [[Mask refusal|anti-face mask]] protest in [[Dublin]] on 22 August 2020. The protest was organised by Health Freedom Ireland with support from Yellow Vest Ireland. Four people were arrested at the protest.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/four-arrested-in-clashes-at-anti-facemask-protest-in-dublin-1.4336794|title=Four arrested in clashes at anti-facemask protest in Dublin|newspaper=[[The Irish Times]]|first1=Conor|last1=Lally|first2=Sarah|last2=Burns|first3=Jennifer|last3=Cosgrove|date=22 August 2020|access-date=22 August 2020|archive-date=22 August 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200822185513/https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/four-arrested-in-clashes-at-anti-facemask-protest-in-dublin-1.4336794|url-status=live}}</ref> Another protest was organised by the same groups on 3 October, with up to a thousand protesters marching through the city centre before staging a sit-down protest in the main shopping area of Grafton Street.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Beresford |first1=Jack |title=Anti-mask demonstrators stage sit-in protest in Dublin |url=https://www.irishpost.com/news/anti-mask-demonstrators-stage-sit-in-protest-in-dublin-194384 |access-date=4 October 2020 |work=The Irish Post |date=3 October 2020 |archive-date=9 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201009000301/https://www.irishpost.com/news/anti-mask-demonstrators-stage-sit-in-protest-in-dublin-194384 |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
On 27 February 2021, violent clashes between protesters and the ''[[Garda Síochána]]'' erupted during an anti-lockdown protest near [[St Stephen's Green]] in Dublin. Three Gardaí were injured and 23 people were arrested in the aftermath of the protest. The Taoiseach [[Micheál Martin]] condemned the demonstration as "an unacceptable risk to both the public and Gardaí".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/three-garda%C3%AD-injured-and-23-arrested-after-clashes-at-dublin-anti-lockdown-protest-1.4497218|title=Three gardaí injured and 23 arrested after clashes at Dublin anti-lockdown protest|newspaper=[[The Irish Times]]|first=Ronan|last=McGreevy|date=27 February 2021|access-date=2 March 2021|url-access=subscription|archive-date=2 March 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210302221822/https://www.irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/three-garda%C3%AD-injured-and-23-arrested-after-clashes-at-dublin-anti-lockdown-protest-1.4497218|url-status=live}}</ref> A non-violent anti-lockdown protest with approximately 450 people in attendance took place on 6 March in [[Cork (city)|Cork]]. The event was organised by The People's Convention.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/munster/arid-40238867.html|title=Cork anti-lockdown protest attracts hundreds into city centre|newspaper=[[Irish Examiner]]|first1=Noel|last1=Baker|first2=Cormac|last2=O'Keeffe|first3=Eoin|last3=English|date=6 March 2021|access-date=9 March 2021|archive-date=8 March 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210308012117/https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/munster/arid-40238867.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Six people were arrested on the day of the protest.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/munster/arid-40239296.html|title=Six arrested on day of Cork anti-lockdown protest|newspaper=[[Irish Examiner]]|first=Steve|last=Neville|date=6 March 2021|access-date=9 March 2021|archive-date=6 March 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210306173608/https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/munster/arid-40239296.html|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Italy ===<br />
{{Main|Protests over COVID-19 policies in Italy}}<br />
Since the month of March 2020, many people [[Protests over COVID-19 policies in Italy|started protesting over COVID-19]] and the rules imposed by the [[Government of Italy|Italian government]].<br />
<br />
=== Netherlands ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 protests in the Netherlands|2021 Dutch curfew riots}}<br />
On 24 January 2021, violent protests erupted as a reaction to the [[Dutch government]] decision to impose a [[curfew]] as a means to curb the spread of the [[COVID-19 pandemic in the Netherlands|COVID-19]].<ref name="FT 210126" /><ref name="Guardian 210126" /> The curfew, imposed between 9 PM to 4:30 AM, was the first of its kind to be enacted in the country since the [[Second World War]].<ref name="FT 210126">{{cite news |last1=Khan |first1=Mehreen |title=Dutch extend Covid curfew despite violent backlash |url=https://www.ft.com/content/351fa962-ee98-49d7-80c8-dfe73a466991 |access-date=27 January 2021 |work=Financial Times |date=26 January 2021 |archive-date=26 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210126225209/https://www.ft.com/content/351fa962-ee98-49d7-80c8-dfe73a466991 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="WaPo 210125">{{cite news |last1=Cunningham |first1=Erin |title=Riots explode across Netherlands over covid restrictions, with Dutch leader calling participants criminals |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/dutch-government-covid-curfew-unrest/2021/01/25/20fa8590-5ef1-11eb-a177-7765f29a9524_story.html |access-date=27 January 2021 |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=25 January 2021 |archive-date=26 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210126200353/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/dutch-government-covid-curfew-unrest/2021/01/25/20fa8590-5ef1-11eb-a177-7765f29a9524_story.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Protests took place in most major cities, including [[Amsterdam]] and [[Eindhoven]]. Police made hundreds of arrests and issued thousands of fines.<ref name="FT 210126" /><ref name="WSJ 210126">{{cite news |last1=Pop |first1=Valentina |title=Dutch Rioters Clash With Police for Third Night Over Covid-19 Curfew |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/dutch-rioters-clash-with-police-for-third-night-over-covid-19-curfew-11611664598?page=1 |access-date=27 January 2021 |work=The Wall Street Journal |date=26 January 2021 |archive-date=22 December 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211222175714/https://www.wsj.com/articles/dutch-rioters-clash-with-police-for-third-night-over-covid-19-curfew-11611664598?page=1 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Guardian 210126">{{cite news |last1=Henley |first1=John |title=Netherlands shaken by third night of riots over Covid curfew |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jan/26/netherlands-third-night-riots-covid-curfew-lockdown-protesters |access-date=27 January 2021 |work=The Guardian |date=26 January 2021 |archive-date=26 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210126225117/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jan/26/netherlands-third-night-riots-covid-curfew-lockdown-protesters |url-status=live }}</ref> The Dutch Police Association described the riots at the worst violence in Netherlands in the last 40 years.<ref name="FT 210126" /> The protests have been described as being composed of mostly young men.<ref name="FT 210126" /><ref name="WSJ 210126" /><br />
<br />
An opinion poll by public broadcaster [[Nederlandse Omroep Stichting|NOS]] indicated that the curfew was supported by seven out of 10 Dutch respondents (although the amounts of respondents is unknown), with just 18% of the population opposing it.<ref name="WSJ 210126" /> An online poll with over 28.000 respondents, done by Radio NPO1, a Dutch state radio station, showed that 89% of Dutch people wanted the curfew to be removed.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://degouda.nl/poll-van-npo1-meerderheid-wil-avondklok-weg-en-wat-vinden-gouwenaars-van-de-avondklok/|title=Poll van NPO1: Meerderheid wil avondklok weg en wat vinden Gouwenaars van de avondklok?|date=18 February 2021|access-date=4 November 2021|archive-date=4 November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211104160506/https://degouda.nl/poll-van-npo1-meerderheid-wil-avondklok-weg-en-wat-vinden-gouwenaars-van-de-avondklok/|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
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After the Netherlands went into a partial lockdown on 12 November 2021 due to a sharp rise in COVID-19 cases, another series of protests and riots occurred over such measures. Rioting was especially concentrated in [[Rotterdam]], where [[National Police Corps (Netherlands)|police]] fired warning shots at rioters, injuring at least two.<ref>{{cite news|title= Rotterdam police clash with rioters as Covid protest turns violent|url= https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-59355950|access-date= 20 November 2021|work= BBC News|date= 20 November 2021|archive-date= 20 November 2021|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20211120001743/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-59355950|url-status= live}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Poland ===<br />
[[File:Protest against anti-pandemic measures in Warsaw (20.03.2021) (17).jpg|thumb|Protest against anti-pandemic measures in Warsaw]]<br />
Hundreds of protesters gathered in the Polish border town of [[Zgorzelec]] to protest the lockdown regulations, the protest was staged specifically on the foot bridge connecting Zgorzelec and the German town of [[Görlitz]] as many lived in Poland but worked in Germany. Many protested the inability to cross the borders of the countries as they lived in a different country from where they worked, and similar protests were seen in border towns along the Polish-German border and the Polish-[[Czech Republic|Czech]] border.<ref>{{cite news|agency=Reuters|date=25 April 2020|title=Hundreds Protest Against Lockdown at Polish-German Border|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2020/04/25/world/europe/25reuters-health-coronavirus-cross-border-workers.html|access-date=1 May 2020|issn=0362-4331|archive-date=26 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200426002608/https://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2020/04/25/world/europe/25reuters-health-coronavirus-cross-border-workers.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Freedom march (Marsz Wolności) happens every month, for example in Wrocław.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://gazetawroclawska.pl/marsz-wolnosci-we-wroclawiu-koronasceptycy-przyszli-tlumnie-interweniowala-policja-zdjecia/ar/c1-15453618|title=Marsz wolności we Wrocławiu. Koronasceptycy przyszli tłumnie, interweniowała policja [ZDJĘCIA]|language=Polish|date=20 February 2020|first=Jerzy|last=Wójcik|publisher=Gazeta Wrocławska|access-date=22 February 2021|archive-date=21 February 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210221083516/https://gazetawroclawska.pl/marsz-wolnosci-we-wroclawiu-koronasceptycy-przyszli-tlumnie-interweniowala-policja-zdjecia/ar/c1-15453618|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
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=== Russia ===<br />
Security forces broke up a crowd of about 2,000 individuals protesting against the lockdown in [[Vladikavkaz]], with some detained and the believed organizer arrested prior to the event.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Russian Police Break-Up Anti-Lockdown Protest|url=https://www.rferl.org/a/russian-police-break-up-anti-lockdown-protest/30568221.html|last=Furlong|first=Ray|date=21 April 2020|website=Radio Free Europe Radio Liberty|access-date=1 May 2020|archive-date=1 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200501054754/https://www.rferl.org/a/russian-police-break-up-anti-lockdown-protest/30568221.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Some protesters at the event used their social media to post videos about their demands against the lockdown, with one stating; "Today, under the pretext of the coronavirus, which doesn't exist, people are driven into slavery, they are trying to establish total control over us all."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-russia-protests-idUSKBN22225B|title=Hundreds protest in southern Russian against coronavirus curbs|date=20 April 2020|first1=Alexander|last1=Marrow|first2=Maria|last2=Tsvetkova|website=Reuters|access-date=30 April 2020|archive-date=29 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200429005016/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-russia-protests-idUSKBN22225B|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
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=== Serbia ===<br />
{{Main|2020–2021 Serbian protests}}<br />
On 7 July 2020, a riot began in [[Belgrade]] after the government's announcement of a [[curfew]] for the weekend. Protests began because of the government's continuous change in handling COVID-19 policy and alleged hiding of the number of COVID-19 cases in the country.{{citation needed|date=August 2021}}<br />
<br />
=== Slovakia ===<br />
In late 2020 and during 2021, several anti-COVID-restriction protests were held also in [[Slovakia]], mainly in the capital, [[Bratislava]] and also [[Košice|Kosice]].<br />
Many people are starting to disobey the rules: they go to bars even though they are not vaccinated, they don't wear FFP2 mask but only textile mask. There were even incidents of people without masks coming to a grocery store. These customers were then beaten by the police as they refused to put on their mask.<br />
<br />
=== Spain ===<br />
[[File:-LaRevoluciónDeLasMascarillas (49937665687).jpg|thumb|Protest in Spain on 26 May 2020]]<br />
Thousands of people, mostly supporters of the right-wing party [[Vox (political party)|Vox]], attended protests in [[Madrid]] and the country's regional capitals over the lockdown and its impact on the [[Economy of Spain|Spanish economy]]. The protesters drove in convoys to adhere to social distancing, with the Madrid protest led by a bus containing Vox leader [[Santiago Abascal]]. Abascal called for [[Sánchez II Government|the national government]] of [[Pedro Sánchez]] to resign over its handling of the virus.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-52783936|title=Coronavirus: Anti-lockdown car protest draws thousands|date=23 May 2020|website=BBC|access-date=23 May 2020|archive-date=23 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200523212612/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-52783936|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-05-12 |title=Vox llama a "recuperar la calle" contra el Gobierno y Abascal anuncia protestas diarias |url=https://www.europapress.es/nacional/noticia-vox-llama-recuperar-calle-contra-gobierno-abascal-anuncia-protestas-diarias-20200512112543.html |access-date=2022-10-31 |publisher=Europa Press}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Ponferrada |first=Diario de León {{!}} Noticias de León, Bierzo y |title=Vox llama a "recuperar la calle" el día 23 y Abascal anuncia caceroladas diarias y protestas constantes |url=https://www.diariodeleon.es/articulo/afondo/vox-llama-recuperar-calle-dia-23-abascal-anuncia-caceroladas-diarias-protestas-constantes/202005122242472011941.html |access-date=2022-10-31 |website=Diario de León {{!}} Noticias de León, Bierzo y Ponferrada |date=12 May 2020 |language=es}}</ref><br />
<br />
On 20 September 2020, thousands of people went out in protest throughout the [[Community of Madrid]] demanding the resignation of the [[Díaz Ayuso government|regional government]] of [[Isabel Díaz Ayuso]], after the latter had announced two days earlier a partial lockdown affecting 850,000 people living in the region's poorest areas which was dubbed as "segregationist" and fostering "stigmatisation, exclusion and territorial discrimination".<ref>{{cite news |date=20 September 2020 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/sep/20/protests-madrid-coronavirus-lockdown-measures-spain |title=Protests in Madrid over coronavirus lockdown measures |newspaper=The Guardian |access-date=20 September 2020 |archive-date=20 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200920182802/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/sep/20/protests-madrid-coronavirus-lockdown-measures-spain |url-status=live }}</ref> The protests came amid growing criticism of Ayuso's handling of the virus as "ineffective" and of her coalition government having "floundered" in its attempt to antagonize with Sánchez's government, as the region became the most heavily hit area in all of Europe in the second wave of the pandemic with many neighborhoods being near or above 1,000 cases per 100,000 people.<ref>{{cite news |date=18 September 2020 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/sep/18/madrid-poor-spanish-capital-covid-19 |title=Lockdown measures and rising anger in Madrid as Covid-19 takes hold again |newspaper=The Guardian |access-date=20 September 2020 |archive-date=20 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200920031444/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/sep/18/madrid-poor-spanish-capital-covid-19 |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
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=== Sweden ===<br />
On 6 March 2021, an estimate of 300-500 people gathered at Medborgarplatsen in Stockholm to protest against COVID-19 measures. The Swedish police dispersed hundreds of protesters and stated that six of their officers had been injured in the process, with one needing to be hospitalized.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.svt.se/nyheter/inrikes/polisen-upploser-demonstration-mot-coronarestriktioner|title=Polisen upplöser demonstration mot coronarestriktioner|newspaper=SVT Nyheter|date=6 March 2021|via=www.svt.se|access-date=9 March 2021|archive-date=10 March 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210310032308/https://www.svt.se/nyheter/inrikes/polisen-upploser-demonstration-mot-coronarestriktioner|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=2021-03-07 |title=Swedish police break up coronavirus demonstration in Stockholm |language=en |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/swedish-police-break-up-coronavirus-demonstration-stockholm-2021-03-06/ |access-date=2023-08-07}}</ref><br />
[[File:Anti-Lock Down Protest London (51137271728).jpg|thumb|Anti-lockdown protest march in London, April 2021]]<br />
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=== Switzerland ===<br />
[[Image:COVID19-20211108-Onex-sticker-opposition.jpg|thumb|Opposition to the Covid certificate in Switzerland, sticker at [[Canton of Geneva|Geneva]].]]<br />
On June 11, 2020, the member of the [[Zurich Cantonal Council]] Urs Hahn was expelled from his party, the Greens, for opposing the thesis of the seriousness of the pandemic.<ref>{{Cite news|language =de|author1=Daniel Fritzsche|author2=Stefan Hotz|url=https://www.nzz.ch/zuerich/urs-hans-gruene-in-zuerich-distanzieren-sich-von-ihrem-kantonsrat-ld.1555960?reduced=true|title="Abenteuerliche Thesen": Die Zürcher Grünen distanzieren sich von ihrem Kantonsrat Urs Hans, weil er Verschwörungstheorien zum Coronavirus verbeitet|periodical=[[Neue Zürcher Zeitung]]|date=2020-05-11}}</ref> On September 12, 2020, a demonstration against masks, containment measures or the supposed lies of the media brings together a thousand people in Geneva at the Place des Nations, in front of the [[United Nations Organization|United Nations]].<ref>{{Cite news|author=[[Swiss Telegraph Agency|ATS]]|url=https://www.letemps.ch/suisse/un-millier-dantimasques-manifestent-geneve|title=A thousand anti-masks demonstrate in Geneva|periodical=[[Le Temps (Swiss daily newspaper)|Le Temps]]|date=2020-09-12}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url= https://www.rts.ch/info/regions/geneve/11598989-un-rassemblement-antimasque-reunit-1000-personnes-a-geneve.html|title=An anti-mask rally brings together 1,000 people in Geneva|website=[[Swiss Radio and Television]]|date=2020-09-12}}</ref> The three major opposition figures [[Disinformation on the Covid-19 pandemic|coronasceptics]] in French-speaking Switzerland are the [[web videographers]] [[Chloé Frammery]], Ema Krusi and Christian Tal Schaller.<ref>{{Cite news|author=Laure Lugon|author2=Sylvia Revello|url=https://www.letemps.ch/suisse/complotistes-senflamment-autour-coronavirus|title=Les complotistes ignite around the coronavirus|periodical =[[Le Temps (Swiss daily newspaper)|Le Temps]]|date=2020-05-11}}</ref> Coronasceptics and opponents of measures to combat the spread of Covid-19 are increasingly occupying the Federal Office of Police (Fedpol). Threats against federal officials are on the rise.<ref>{{Cite web |language=en |title=In Switzerland, "coronasceptics" are increasingly occupying the police |url=https://www.rts.ch/info/suisse/11719150-in-switzerland-coronasceptics-occupy-more-and-more-the-police.html |website=[[Swiss Radio and Television]] |date=2020-11-01 |access-date =2021-03-26}}</ref><br />
<br />
In January 2021, the [[National Council (Switzerland)|national councilor]] [[Democratic Union of the Center|UDC]] [[Yves Nidegger]] opposed the “health dictatorship”.<ref>{{Cite web| author=Elio Sottas|url=https://www.lemanbleu.ch/fr/News/Yves-Nidegger-souhaite-reconstruire-Geneve-en-ruine.html|title=Yves Nidegger wishes to rebuild "Geneva in ruins"|website =[[Léman Bleu]]|date=2021-01-06}}.</ref> In Liestal, 8000 people demonstrate on March 20, 2021, against the anti-Covid measures in force while in Bern the police stop a demonstration for the same causes.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Anti-Covid demonstrations -sanitary measures in Liestal and Bern |url=https://www.swissinfo.ch/fre/manifestations-anti-mesures-sanitaires-%C3%A0-liestal-et-%C3%A0-berne/46465440 |website =[[Swissinfo]] |date=2021-03-20}}</ref> Following these demonstrations, the #NoLiestal movement is rising on digital networks to denounce and counter the agglomeration initiatives of coronasceptics in Switzerland.<ref>{{Cite web |language=fr |title=Forum (video) - The #NoLiestal movement, the counter-offensive against coronasceptics |url=https://www.rts.ch/play/tv/forum-video/video/le-mouvement-noliestal-la-contre-offensive-face-aux-coronasceptiques?urn=urn:rts:video:12075124 |website=[[Swiss Radio and Television]]|date=2021-03-25|access-date=2021-03-26}}.</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.watson.ch/fr/suisse/pand%C3%A9mie/674339869-noliestal-le-hashtag-qui-denonce-les-manifs-anti-restrictions|title=#NoLiestal, the hashtag that denounces anti-restrictions demonstrations|website=[[Watson (newspaper)|Watson]]|date=2021-03-25}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Ukraine ===<br />
On 14–20 February, protests against the placement of evacuated Ukrainian citizens (suspected of having coronavirus disease 2019) from the city of Wuhan (PRC) in Ukraine took place in Novi Sanzhary.<br />
<br />
In the summer and autumn of 2021, actions against obligatory vaccination against COVID-19 and restrictions for unvaccinated persons took place in various cities of Ukraine. In particular, on 27 July the "procession" against vaccination was organized by the [[Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate)|Moscow Patriarchate]]<ref>{{cite news<br />
| date = 27 July 2021<br />
| title = "Наша вакцина - це причастіє": хресна хода УПЦ МП у розпал пандемії. Як це було<br />
| url = https://www.bbc.com/ukrainian/media-57985963<br />
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20211105082542/https://www.bbc.com/ukrainian/media-57985963<br />
| archive-date = 5 November 2021<br />
| access-date = 5 November 2021<br />
}}</ref><br />
and on November 3 the protesters blocked the streets in Kyiv<ref>{{cite news<br />
| date = 5 November 2021<br />
| title = Мітинг антивакцинаторів у Києві: страх втратити роботу або стати роботами<br />
| url = https://p.dw.com/p/42XkY<br />
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20211105082112/https://www.dw.com/uk/mitynh-antyvaktsynatoriv-u-kyievi-strakh-vtratyty-robotu-abo-staty-robotamy/a-59711738<br />
| archive-date = 5 November 2021<br />
| access-date = 5 November 2021<br />
}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== United Kingdom ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 protests in the United Kingdom}}<br />
The first protests against the national mandatory lockdown in the United Kingdom took place in April&nbsp;2020, extending into the following month before abating as lockdown restrictions were slowly eased. As local area lockdown measures were reintroduced towards the end of summer, followed by stricter national lockdown measures, anti-lockdown protests resurged across the country beginning in September&nbsp;2020. More than 55 protesters have been arrested in these events as of October 2020. Some protesters have claimed that COVID-19 is a hoax, and many refused to wear [[Face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic|masks]] or practice [[social distancing]].<ref name="HuffPost Sept 2020">{{cite web | title=Revealed: The So-Called 'Top Class Doctors And Nurses' Backing Anti-Mask Protests | website=HuffPost | url=https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/these-are-the-so-called-top-class-doctors-and-nurses-backing-anti-mask-protests_uk_5f4e4531c5b697186e3b790d | date=5 September 2020 | access-date=15 October 2020 | archive-date=20 September 2020 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200920044007/https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/these-are-the-so-called-top-class-doctors-and-nurses-backing-anti-mask-protests_uk_5f4e4531c5b697186e3b790d | url-status=live }}</ref> Protests have occurred in [[Shrewsbury]],<ref>{{Cite web|last=Leather|first=Harry|title=Two arrested after anti-lockdown protesters in stand-off with police on roof of Shrewsbury College|url=https://www.shropshirestar.com/news/health/coronavirus-covid19/2020/04/20/anti-lockdown-protesters-in-stand-off-with-police-on-roof-of-shrewsbury-college/|access-date=10 July 2020|website=www.shropshirestar.com|date=20 April 2020 |language=en|archive-date=7 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201007010409/https://www.shropshirestar.com/news/health/coronavirus-covid19/2020/04/20/anti-lockdown-protesters-in-stand-off-with-police-on-roof-of-shrewsbury-college/|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Glastonbury]],<ref>{{Cite web|last=Mills|first=Richard|date=1 May 2020|title=Live updates as police attend protest against lockdown in Somerset|url=https://www.somersetlive.co.uk/news/somerset-news/lockdown-protest-glastonbury-corbyn-live-4096098|access-date=10 July 2020|website=somersetlive|language=en|archive-date=4 December 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201204235515/https://www.somersetlive.co.uk/news/somerset-news/lockdown-protest-glastonbury-corbyn-live-4096098|url-status=live}}</ref> [[London]], [[Manchester]], [[Glasgow]], [[Belfast]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://metro.co.uk/2020/05/16/19-arrested-anti-lockdown-protests-take-place-across-country-12715038/|title=19 arrested as anti-lockdown protests take place across country|first=Faye|last=Brown|date=16 May 2020|access-date=24 May 2020|archive-date=23 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200523160939/https://metro.co.uk/2020/05/16/19-arrested-anti-lockdown-protests-take-place-across-country-12715038/|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Hove]],<ref>{{Cite web|date=19 May 2020|title=Coronavirus lockdown prompts Hove seafront protest|url=https://www.brightonandhovenews.org/2020/05/19/coronavirus-lockdown-prompts-hove-seafront-protest/|access-date=10 July 2020|website=Brighton and Hove News|language=en-US|archive-date=15 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201015171929/https://www.brightonandhovenews.org/2020/05/19/coronavirus-lockdown-prompts-hove-seafront-protest/|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Birmingham]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/protests-birmingham-city-centre-over-18924302|title=Protests in Birmingham city centre over lockdown restrictions|first=Stephanie|last=Balloo|date=12 September 2020|website=BirminghamLive|access-date=12 September 2020|archive-date=13 September 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200913011210/https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/protests-birmingham-city-centre-over-18924302|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Liverpool]],<ref>{{cite web|title=Conspiracy theorist Piers Corbyn tells crowd of unmasked protesters 'covid is a hoax'|url=https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/conspiracy-theorist-piers-corbyn-tells-19125232|newspaper=Liverpool Echo|first=Jonathan|last=Humphries|date=18 October 2020|access-date=18 October 2020|archive-date=19 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201019060254/https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/conspiracy-theorist-piers-corbyn-tells-19125232|url-status=live}}</ref> as well as a few other cities.<br />
<br />
Protests over restrictions overlapped with [[anti-vaccine]] protests following the start of the UK's [[COVID-19 vaccination in the United Kingdom|COVID-19 vaccination programme]] in December 2020.<ref>{{cite news|date=2021-07-03|title=The anti-lockdown movement is still going strong|newspaper=The Economist|url=https://www.economist.com/britain/2021/07/03/the-anti-lockdown-movement-is-still-going-strong|access-date=2021-09-12|issn=0013-0613|archive-date=12 September 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210912213950/https://www.economist.com/britain/2021/07/03/the-anti-lockdown-movement-is-still-going-strong|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-07-19|title=Bottles thrown at police in anti-lockdown and anti-vaccination protest|url=https://www.itv.com/news/london/2021-07-19/bottles-thrown-at-police-in-anti-lockdown-and-anti-vaccination-protest|access-date=2021-09-12|website=ITV News|language=en|archive-date=13 September 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210913193143/https://www.itv.com/news/london/2021-07-19/bottles-thrown-at-police-in-anti-lockdown-and-anti-vaccination-protest|url-status=live}}</ref> On the weekend of 24–25 July 2021, protests broke out again in several major cities in the United Kingdom including [[London]],<ref>{{Cite web|title=Thousands protest amid global anger against COVID restrictions|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/7/24/protesters-against-covid-restrictions-clash-with-police-in-paris|access-date=2021-07-25|website=www.aljazeera.com|language=en|archive-date=25 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210725014050/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/7/24/protesters-against-covid-restrictions-clash-with-police-in-paris|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Leeds]],<ref>{{Cite web|last1=Norden|first1=Jasmine|date=2021-07-24|title='Freedom Rally' blocks Leeds roads as protestors accuse government of lies|url=https://www.leeds-live.co.uk/news/leeds-news/freedom-rally-blocks-leeds-roads-21137368|access-date=2021-07-25|website=LeedsLive|language=en|archive-date=25 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210725014059/https://www.leeds-live.co.uk/news/leeds-news/freedom-rally-blocks-leeds-roads-21137368|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Manchester]]<ref>{{Cite web|last1=Abbit|first1=Beth|date=2021-07-24|title=Protesters chant 'shame on you' at police during march through Manchester|url=https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/protesters-chant-shame-you-police-21137043|access-date=2021-07-25|website=Manchester Evening News|language=en|archive-date=25 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210725014059/https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/protesters-chant-shame-you-police-21137043|url-status=live}}</ref> and [[Birmingham]] due to people [[Vaccine hesitancy|opposing vaccines]] and [[COVID passports in the United Kingdom|proposed COVID passports]].<ref>{{Cite web|first=Nick|last=Horner|date=2021-07-24|title=Lockdown protests causing city centre road chaos|url=https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/live-anti-lockdown-protests-causing-21136037|access-date=2021-07-25|website=BirminghamLive|language=en|archive-date=25 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210725014049/https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/live-anti-lockdown-protests-causing-21136037|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
== North America ==<br />
<br />
=== Canada ===<br />
[[File:COVID-19 Vancouver's largest protest, April 26th 2020 (49823981297).jpg|thumb|Anti-lockdown protest in [[Vancouver]], British Columbia, on 26 April 2020]]<br />
{{main|COVID-19 protests in Canada}}<br />
In Canada, protests began on 19 April 2020 in [[Vancouver]].<ref name="Vancouver COVID-19 protests">{{cite news |last1=Carrigg |first1=David |title=COVID-19: Small group protests coronavirus restrictions in Vancouver |url=https://vancouversun.com/news/local-news/covid-19-vancouver-police-escort-small-group-protesting-government-restrictions/ |access-date=6 May 2020 |agency=Postmedia Network |publisher=Vancouver Sun |date=19 April 2020 |archive-date=12 May 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200512150249/https://vancouversun.com/news/local-news/covid-19-vancouver-police-escort-small-group-protesting-government-restrictions/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|date=26 April 2020|title=Protesters march against COVID-19 prevention measures in Vancouver &#124; CTV News|publisher=Bc.ctvnews.ca|url=https://bc.ctvnews.ca/protesters-march-against-covid-19-prevention-measures-in-vancouver-1.4912767|access-date=30 April 2020|archive-date=2 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200502004835/https://bc.ctvnews.ca/protesters-march-against-covid-19-prevention-measures-in-vancouver-1.4912767|url-status=live}}</ref> Protests also occurred in [[Toronto]], [[Edmonton]] and [[Ottawa]].<ref>{{cite news|title='A bunch of yahoos,' Ont. premier says of people protesting COVID-19 emergency measures &#124; CTV News|publisher=Toronto.ctvnews.ca|url=https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/a-bunch-of-yahoos-ont-premier-says-of-people-protesting-covid-19-emergency-measures-1.4911861|access-date=30 April 2020|archive-date=1 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200501172956/https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/a-bunch-of-yahoos-ont-premier-says-of-people-protesting-covid-19-emergency-measures-1.4911861|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Lauren |first1=Boothby |title=Hundreds flock to Alberta legislature to protest COVID-19 restrictions |url=https://edmontonjournal.com/news/local-news/hundreds-flock-to-alberta-legislature-to-protest-covid-19-restrictions/wcm/e93da949-89f6-4b77-8376-9a8ffbf5e340/ |access-date=5 May 2020 |work=Edmonton Journal |date=1 May 2020 |archive-date=6 May 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200506060124/https://edmontonjournal.com/news/local-news/hundreds-flock-to-alberta-legislature-to-protest-covid-19-restrictions/wcm/e93da949-89f6-4b77-8376-9a8ffbf5e340/ |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
On 21 April 2020 it was reported that prisoners at the [[Saskatchewan Penitentiary]] had been protesting against restrictions placed upon them in response to COVID-19, like being kept in their cells for 20 hours a day.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Bridges |first1=Alicia |title=Sask. Penitentiary inmates protest COVID-19 restrictions they say put them in cells 20 hours per day |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatoon/protests-covid-19-saskatchewan-penitentiary-1.5538728 |access-date=5 May 2020 |work=CBC News |date=21 April 2020 |archive-date=24 April 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200424090731/https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatoon/protests-covid-19-saskatchewan-penitentiary-1.5538728 |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
On 15 January 2021, [[Roman Baber]], [[Member of Provincial Parliament&nbsp;(Canada)|Member of Provincial Parliament]] for the [[Toronto]] riding of [[York Centre (provincial electoral district)|York Centre]], was removed from the caucus of the governing [[Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario]] after publishing an open letter to [[Premier of Ontario|Premier]] [[Doug Ford]] criticizing [[COVID-19 pandemic in Ontario|Ontario's lockdown restrictions]]. Baber continued his anti-lockdown advocacy as an [[independent politician|independent]] member of the legislative [[opposition (politics)|opposition]].<ref name="ts011521">{{cite news |last1=Benzie |first1=Robert |title=Premier Doug Ford turfs MPP Roman Baber from Tory caucus for opposing COVID-19 lockdown |url=https://www.thestar.com/politics/provincial/2021/01/15/tory-mpp-roman-baber-breaks-ranks-with-premier-doug-ford-urges-end-to-covid-19-lockdown.html |access-date=15 January 2021 |work=Toronto Star |publisher=Torstar |date=15 January 2021 |archive-date=15 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210115132729/https://www.thestar.com/politics/provincial/2021/01/15/tory-mpp-roman-baber-breaks-ranks-with-premier-doug-ford-urges-end-to-covid-19-lockdown.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/ontario-covid-19-january-15-2021-1.5874606| title=Ford ousts MPP from caucus over open letter pushing for end to COVID-19 lockdown| date=15 January 2021| website=cbc.ca| access-date=19 January 2021| archive-date=19 January 2021| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210119092609/https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/ontario-covid-19-january-15-2021-1.5874606| url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite tweet| user=Roman_Baber| number=1350089062800105473| title=I was removed from the @OntarioPCParty caucus. It's a regretful decision since many colleagues agree with me, incl @fordnation in large part. I don't regret speaking out for millions of lives & livelihoods decimated by Public Health, I serve the public. The Lockdown is grounded in false public health narrative, poor planning & bad data. While Doug only cares about re-election, Lockdowns are killing more than saving. I couldn't watch the suffering anymore. I hope I encouraged other professionals to speak out.| date=15 January 2021| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210115162937/https://twitter.com/Roman_Baber/status/1350089062800105473| archive-date= 15 January 2021| url-status =live}}</ref><br />
<br />
On 1 September 2021, thousands of people protested COVID-19 vaccine policies and mask mandates outside of [[Vancouver City Hall]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Protesters target B.C. hospitals disrupting patients, staff - NEWS 1130|url=https://www.citynews1130.com/2021/09/01/covid-protesters-bc-hospitals/|access-date=2021-09-03|website=www.citynews1130.com|archive-date=3 September 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210903030258/https://www.citynews1130.com/2021/09/01/covid-protesters-bc-hospitals/|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
[[File:Convoi de la liberté à Ottawa 01.jpg|thumb|Anti-mandate protest in [[Ottawa]], Canada's capital city, on 1 February 2022]]<br />
In January 2022, [[Freedom Convoy 2022]] began. Prime Minister [[Justin Trudeau]] invoked the [[Emergencies Act]] for the first time to quell the unrest from the occupation and harassment of Ottawa and its citizens by hundreds of trucks, their drivers and thousands of unruly protesters.<br />
<br />
====Alberta====<br />
A far-right group calling itself "Walk for Freedom" has been organizing anti-mask protests since at least April 2020.<ref name="CTV_20200429">{{cite news| title = Protest to 'End the Lockdown' attracts more than 100 people to Alberta legislature| work = CTV News Edmonton| access-date = 21 February 2021| date = 29 April 2020| url = https://edmonton.ctvnews.ca/protest-to-end-the-lockdown-attracts-more-than-100-people-to-alberta-legislature-1.4917828| archive-date = 9 March 2021| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210309035715/https://edmonton.ctvnews.ca/protest-to-end-the-lockdown-attracts-more-than-100-people-to-alberta-legislature-1.4917828| url-status = live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Anti-mask protesters take to the streets in Calgary to fight COVID-19 restrictions |url=https://calgary.ctvnews.ca/anti-mask-protesters-take-to-the-streets-in-calgary-to-fight-covid-19-restrictions-1.5228760 |first=Timm |last=Bruch |work=CTV News |date=12 December 2020 |access-date=21 February 2021 |archive-date=10 February 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210210223346/https://calgary.ctvnews.ca/anti-mask-protesters-take-to-the-streets-in-calgary-to-fight-covid-19-restrictions-1.5228760 |url-status=live }}</ref> Concerns were raised when several hundred protestors took part in a 20 February 2021 freedom convoy and Jericho Torch March at the Legislature organized by the "Walk for Freedom Alberta" and the "Freedom Unity Alliance".<ref name="global_Bench_20210221">{{cite news| last = Bench| first = Allison| title = Protesters gather from across the province at Alberta legislature to fight COVID-19 health measures| work = Global News| location = Edmonton, Alberta| access-date = 21 February 2021| date = 21 February 2021| url = https://globalnews.ca/news/7652604/feb-20-walk-for-freedom-covid-19/| archive-date = 22 February 2021| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210222015650/http://globalnews.ca/news/7652604/feb-20-walk-for-freedom-covid-19/| url-status = live}}</ref> Posters advertising the rally included an image of white nationalists marching through [[Charlottesville, Virginia|Charlottesville]] with [[Tiki torch]]es in the 2017 US [[Unite the Right rally]].<ref name="global_Bench_20210221"/><ref>{{Cite web| title = COVID Conspiracy Groups Are Using A Picture From Charlottesville Neo-Nazi Rally To Promote Their Upcoming 'Torch March'| work = Canadian Anti-Hate Network| access-date = February 22, 2021| date = February 16, 2021| url = https://www.antihate.ca/covid_conspiracy_groups_picture_charlottesville_neo_nazi_rally_promote_their_upcoming_torch_march |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210216201222/https://www.antihate.ca/covid_conspiracy_groups_picture_charlottesville_neo_nazi_rally_promote_their_upcoming_torch_march |archive-date=16 February 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web| work = Facebook| access-date = February 22, 2021| date = February 16, 2021| url = https://www.facebook.com/WALK108/photos/pcb.147482763873027/147482720539698/| author = WALK108| title = Poster for Walk for Freedom rallies| archive-date = 22 February 2021| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210222204047/https://www.facebook.com/WALK108/photos/pcb.147482763873027/147482720539698/| url-status = live}}</ref><ref name="660News_20210124">{{Cite web| title = Experts confused, concerned with anti-lockdown rally imagery| work = 660 NEWS| access-date = February 22, 2021| date = January 24, 2021| url = https://www.660citynews.com/2021/01/23/experts-confused-concerned-with-anti-lockdown-rally-imagery/| archive-date = 26 February 2021| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210226213959/https://www.660citynews.com/2021/01/23/experts-confused-concerned-with-anti-lockdown-rally-imagery/| url-status = live}}</ref> The group of hundreds of unmasked anti-lockdown protestors, carrying a Walk for Freedom banner included [[COVID-19 misinformation|COVID-19 deniers]].<ref name="CTV_20210221">{{cite news| title = Hatred, COVID-19 skepticism denounced after anti-lockdown rally at Alberta legislature| work = CTV Edmonton| access-date = February 21, 2021| date = February 21, 2021| url = https://edmonton.ctvnews.ca/hatred-covid-19-skepticism-denounced-after-anti-lockdown-rally-at-alta-legislature-1.5317502| archive-date = 22 February 2021| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210222045333/https://edmonton.ctvnews.ca/hatred-covid-19-skepticism-denounced-after-anti-lockdown-rally-at-alta-legislature-1.5317502| url-status = live}}</ref> Others were supporters of a pastor who was arrested for repeatedly refusing to comply to public health regulations, such as capping attendance, physical distancing and mask-wearing.<ref name="CBC_20210217">{{cite news| title = GraceLife pastor held in custody for refusing to comply with bail conditions| location = Edmonton, Alberta| access-date = February 21, 2021| date = February 17, 2021| url = https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/alberta-covid-coronavirus-grace-life-church-pastor-1.5917526| archive-date = 22 February 2021| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210222134044/https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/alberta-covid-coronavirus-grace-life-church-pastor-1.5917526| url-status = live}}</ref><ref name="thestar_20210221">{{cite news| title = Anti-lockdown rally at Alberta legislature voices support for jailed pastor| work = The Star| location = Edmonton, Alberta| access-date = February 21, 2021| date = February 21, 2021| url = https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2021/02/20/anti-lockdown-rally-at-alberta-legislature-voices-support-for-jailed-pastor.html| archive-date = 21 February 2021| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210221082455/https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2021/02/20/anti-lockdown-rally-at-alberta-legislature-voices-support-for-jailed-pastor.html| url-status = live}}</ref> The [[Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms]] (JCCF), representing the pastor, had launched a legal charter challenge against the Alberta government.<ref name="Griwkowsky_20201207">{{cite news| title = Justice centre launches legal challenge against Covid restrictions| work = Politics Today| url = https://www.politicstoday.news/alberta-today/justice-centre-launches-legal-challenge-against-covid-restrictions| first = Catherine| last = Griwkowsky| date = December 7, 2020| access-date = February 21, 2021| archive-date = 1 February 2021| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210201215035/https://www.politicstoday.news/alberta-today/justice-centre-launches-legal-challenge-against-covid-restrictions| url-status = live}}</ref> The Mayor of Edmonton said that the rally organizers were from outside Edmonton and that they "may be associated with known hate groups. Edmonton unequivocally condemns racism, misogyny and other forms of hate—such speech is not welcome in our community."<ref>{{cite news| title = Anti-restriction protesters gather at legislature, march in streets with tiki torches| work = 660 News| location = Edmonton, Alberta| access-date = February 21, 2021| date = February 20, 2021| url = https://www.660citynews.com/2021/02/20/large-anti-mask-and-anti-restriction-protest-underway-soon-in-edmonton/| archive-date = 21 February 2021| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210221182147/https://www.660citynews.com/2021/02/20/large-anti-mask-and-anti-restriction-protest-underway-soon-in-edmonton/| url-status = live}}</ref><ref name="CTV_20210221"/><ref>{{Cite AV media| title = Anti-lockdown protesters clash with media at "Walk for Freedom" rally |series=CTV News| access-date = February 21, 2021| date =February 21, 2021| url = https://edmonton.citynews.ca/video/2021/02/21/anti-lockdown-protesters-clash-with-media-at-walk-for-freedom-rally/}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Cuba ===<br />
{{Main|2021 Cuban protests}}<br />
A series of protests began on 11 July 2021, triggered by the shortage of food and medicine and the government's response to the resurgent [[COVID-19 pandemic in Cuba]].<ref>{{cite news|last=Robles|first=Frances|date=11 July 2021|title=Cubans Denounce 'Misery' in Biggest Protests in Decades|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/11/world/americas/cuba-crisis-protests.html|issn=0362-4331|archive-date=11 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210711212619/https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/11/world/americas/cuba-crisis-protests.html|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Mexico ===<br />
On 29 April, police in [[Yajalón]], [[Municipalities of Chiapas|Chiapas]], southern Mexico, opened fire on people who were protesting against a checkpoint that left their community isolated. Residents of neighbouring [[Tumbalá]] complained that the checkpoint made it impossible for them to access governmental and banking services and that it seemed to be related to a belief that Tumbalá had a high rate of coronavirus infection. Checkpoints have been installed in about 20% of Mexico's municipalities, which the federal government has declared illegal.<ref>{{cite news |title=México: Protesta contra retén por COVID termina en tiroteo |url=https://apnews.com/cfcb0c1a9718e9f62b05c1a67399398b |website=AP NEWS |access-date=5 June 2020 |date=30 April 2020 |archive-date=5 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200605181818/https://apnews.com/cfcb0c1a9718e9f62b05c1a67399398b |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
Hundreds of Mexicans participated in caravans on 30 May demanding the resignation of President [[Andrés Manuel López Obrador]] because of his handling of the [[COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico]] and the economy. The caravans, which took place in about a dozen cities across the country, consisted largely of luxury cars.<ref>{{cite web |title=Manifestaciones anti AMLO en varios estados - Estados - La Jornada |url=https://www.jornada.com.mx/ultimas/estados/2020/05/30/manifestaciones-anti-amlo-en-los-estados-6108.html |website=www.jornada.com.mx |access-date=5 June 2020 |language=es |date=30 May 2020 |archive-date=5 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200605182825/https://www.jornada.com.mx/ultimas/estados/2020/05/30/manifestaciones-anti-amlo-en-los-estados-6108.html |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
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Violence broke out on 4 June during [[George Floyd protests|demonstrations]] in [[Guadalajara]], [[Jalisco]] to demand justice after the [[death of Giovanni López]] in the town of [[Ixtlahuacán de los Membrillos]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Justicia para Giovanni: Protestan por el asesinato en Jalisco |url=https://www.milenio.com/estados/giovanni-lopez-protestas-asesinato-joven-jalisco |website=www.milenio.com |date=6 April 2020 |access-date=4 June 2020 |archive-date=5 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200605022951/https://www.milenio.com/estados/giovanni-lopez-protestas-asesinato-joven-jalisco |url-status=live }}</ref> López, a 30-year-old mason, had been arrested on 4 May for not wearing a [[COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico|facemask]] during a [[Stay-at-home order|lockdown]] and died the next day while in police custody.<ref>{{cite web |title=Así fue la detención de Giovanni López justo antes de su muerte |url=https://www.lavanguardia.com/internacional/20200605/481603972248/giovanni-lopez-muerte-policia-detencion-video-seo-ext.html |website=La Vanguardia |access-date=5 June 2020 |language=es |date=5 June 2020 |archive-date=5 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200605093708/https://www.lavanguardia.com/internacional/20200605/481603972248/giovanni-lopez-muerte-policia-detencion-video-seo-ext.html |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
=== United States ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 protests in the United States}}<br />
<br />
The United States' national response began in early January, originating with actions by the [[Centers for Disease Control and Prevention|Centers for Disease Control]] (CDC) and the [[White House]]. The [[COVID-19 pandemic in the United States|first U.S. case of COVID-19]] was recorded on 19 January 2020. In the United States, the [[U.S. state and local government responses to the COVID-19 pandemic|response was determined by state and local officials in coordination with the CDC and federal officials]]. On 9 February, governors were briefed by the [[White House Coronavirus Task Force]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=TIMELINE: The Trump Administration's Decisive Actions To Combat the Coronavirus|url=https://www.donaldjtrump.com/media/timeline-the-trump-administrations-decisive-actions-to-combat-the-coronavirus|access-date=10 July 2020|website=www.donaldjtrump.com|language=en|archive-date=11 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200711100629/https://www.donaldjtrump.com/media/timeline-the-trump-administrations-decisive-actions-to-combat-the-coronavirus|url-status=dead}}</ref> Beginning in mid-March, various [[Social distancing measures related to the COVID-19 pandemic|social distancing measures]] to limit spread of the virus were undertaken by state governors and in some cases counties or cities.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://abcnews.go.com/Health/wireStory/bay-area-counties-california-order-shelter-place-69627648|title=San Francisco Bay Area counties issue shelter-in-place order|last1=Rodriguez|first1=Olga R.|last2=Har|first2=Janie|date=16 March 2020|work=ABC News|access-date=9 May 2020|archive-date=25 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200525143041/https://abcnews.go.com/Health/wireStory/bay-area-counties-california-order-shelter-place-69627648|url-status=live}}</ref> Actions taken included [[stay-at-home order]]s ("quarantine"), school and business closures, and limitation on the size of gatherings. On 19 March 2020, [[Donald Trump|President Donald Trump]], and [[Mike Pence|Vice President Mike Pence]] met (via teleconference) with governors of most states to continue coordination and to assist states with their responses. [[Federal Emergency Management Agency|FEMA]] was brought into the effort around this time.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Remarks by President Trump and Vice President Pence in a Video Teleconference with Governors on COVID-19|url=https://trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov/briefings-statements/remarks-president-trump-vice-president-pence-video-teleconference-governors-covid-19/|access-date=10 July 2020|via=[[NARA|National Archives]]|work=[[whitehouse.gov]]|language=en-US|archive-date=20 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210120200339/https://trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov/briefings-statements/remarks-president-trump-vice-president-pence-video-teleconference-governors-covid-19/|url-status=live}}</ref> By 7 April 42 states had [[Lockdown#In epidemics and pandemics|lockdown orders]] in place.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://nationalpost.com/news/covid-19-people-have-to-be-responsible-for-themselves-eight-states-still-not-locked-down|title=COVID-19: 'People have to be responsible for themselves': Eight U.S. states still not locked down|last=Dittrich|first=Valerie|date=7 April 2020|work=National Post|access-date=9 May 2020}}</ref> The shutdowns had serious economic effects, including a steep rise in unemployment due to the shutdown of stores and workplaces.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2020/04/24/coronavirus-pandemics-impact-on-the-global-economy-in-7-charts.html|title=7 charts show how the coronavirus pandemic has hit the global economy|last=Lee|first=Yen Nee|date=24 April 2020|work=CNBC|access-date=9 May 2020|archive-date=4 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200504231204/https://www.cnbc.com/2020/04/24/coronavirus-pandemics-impact-on-the-global-economy-in-7-charts.html|url-status=live}}</ref> By 15 April protests and demonstrations had broken out in some states, demanding that the area be "re-opened" for normal business and personal activity. By 1 May there had been demonstrations in more than half of the states, and many governors began to take steps to lift the restrictions.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://thehill.com/homenews/sunday-talk-shows/495877-governors-experts-await-results-of-reopening-states-as-protests|title=Governors, experts await results of reopening states as protests continue|last=Budryk|first=Zack|date=3 May 2020|work=The Hill|access-date=9 May 2020|archive-date=10 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200510022802/https://thehill.com/homenews/sunday-talk-shows/495877-governors-experts-await-results-of-reopening-states-as-protests|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
{{multiple image<br />
| footer = Several hundred anti-lockdown protesters rallied at the [[Ohio Statehouse]] on 20 April.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Rouan |first1=Rick |title=Protesters at Statehouse demand state reopen as DeWine announces schools to remain closed |url=https://www.dispatch.com/news/20200420/protesters-at-statehouse-demand-state-reopen-as-dewine-announces-schools-to-remain-closed |access-date=3 May 2020 |work=[[The Columbus Dispatch]] |date=20 April 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200425004821/https://www.dispatch.com/news/20200420/protesters-at-statehouse-demand-state-reopen-as-dewine-announces-schools-to-remain-closed |archive-date=25 April 2020 |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
| image1 = Open Ohio Rally IMG 0910 (49799974031).jpg<br />
| alt1 = Ohio protesters, 18 April<br />
| image2 = CIMG 0355 (49799414598).jpg<br />
| alt2 = Ohio protesters, 20 April 20<br />
}}<br />
One of the first protests was in [[Michigan]] on 15 April 2020, organized by conservative groups which also encouraged groups in other states to copy their wording and templates.{{Citation needed|date=September 2021}} Protesters in numerous other states said they were inspired by Michigan, and they used Michigan's material on their own websites, Facebook groups, and [[Reddit]] pages to promote their protests.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/salvadorhernandez/coronavirus-quarantine-protests-facebook-groups|title=This Is How A Group Linked To Betsy DeVos Is Organizing Protests To End Social Distancing, Now With Trump's Support|website=BuzzFeed News|language=en|access-date=20 April 2020|archive-date=19 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200419180823/https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/salvadorhernandez/coronavirus-quarantine-protests-facebook-groups|url-status=live}}</ref> Subsequent protests were organized by [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] activists or party organizations,<ref name="reuters1">{{cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-trump-protests-idUSKCN2233ES|title=How Trump allies have organized and promoted anti-lockdown protests|date=22 April 2020|work=Reuters|access-date=23 April 2020|language=en|archive-date=23 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200423112936/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-trump-protests-idUSKCN2233ES|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bridgemi.com/michigan-government/meet-trump-loving-group-behind-protest-gov-whitmers-stay-home-order|title=Meet the Trump-loving group behind protest of Gov. Whitmer's stay-home order|date=22 April 2020|website=bridgemi.com|language=en|access-date=23 April 2020|archive-date=26 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200426174050/https://www.bridgemi.com/michigan-government/meet-trump-loving-group-behind-protest-gov-whitmers-stay-home-order|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="komonews">{{cite news|url=https://komonews.com/news/coronavirus/protest-against-state-closure-planned-for-tomorrow-in-olympia|title=Protest against state closure planned for tomorrow in Olympia|first=Cole |last=Miller|date=18 April 2020|website=KOMO|access-date=19 April 2020|archive-date=20 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200420003642/https://komonews.com/news/coronavirus/protest-against-state-closure-planned-for-tomorrow-in-olympia|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Tea Party movement|Tea Party activists]],<ref name=":8">{{cite news|url=https://www.politico.com/news/2020/04/21/trump-allies-help-organize-lockdown-protests-198426|title=Trump allies have their fingerprints on lockdown protests|website=POLITICO|language=en|access-date=23 April 2020|archive-date=22 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200422183744/https://www.politico.com/news/2020/04/21/trump-allies-help-organize-lockdown-protests-198426|url-status=live}}</ref> armed [[Patriot movement|militia movement]] supporters,<ref name="Grauniad-Right">{{cite news|last=Wilson|first=Jason|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/17/far-right-coronavirus-protests-restrictions|title=The rightwing groups behind wave of protests against Covid-19 restrictions|date=17 April 2020|work=The Guardian|access-date=18 April 2020|language=en-GB|issn=0261-3077|quote=...{{nbsp}}{{nbsp}}...|archive-date=18 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200418010447/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/17/far-right-coronavirus-protests-restrictions|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Gun laws in the United States by state|guns-rights]] activists,<ref>{{cite news|url=https://bringmethenews.com/minnesota-news/washington-post-links-minnesota-gun-group-to-anti-quarantine-protests|title=WaPo reveals Minnesota gun group link to anti-quarantine protests|last=Uren|first=Adam|website=Bring Me The News|language=en|access-date=20 April 2020|archive-date=24 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200424164209/https://bringmethenews.com/minnesota-news/washington-post-links-minnesota-gun-group-to-anti-quarantine-protests|url-status=live}}</ref> and "[[Anti-vaccine activism|anti-vaccination]]" advocates.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/02/us/anti-vaxxers-coronavirus-protests.html|title=Antivaccination Activists Are Growing Force at Virus Protests|last=Bogel-Burroughs|first=Nicholas|date=4 May 2020|work=The New York Times|access-date=4 May 2020|archive-date=3 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200503234419/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/02/us/anti-vaxxers-coronavirus-protests.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/anti-vaxxers-are-forming-an-unholy-alliance-with-shelter-in-place-protesters?source=articles&via=rss|title=Anti-Vaxxers and Lockdown Protesters Form an Unholy Alliance|last1=Sommer|first1=Will|last2=Kucinich|first2=Jackie|date=22 April 2020|work=Daily Beast|access-date=23 April 2020|archive-date=11 March 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210311021959/https://www.thedailybeast.com/anti-vaxxers-are-forming-an-unholy-alliance-with-shelter-in-place-protesters?source=articles&via=rss|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
Protesters, many without [[Face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States|face masks]], opposed the shelter-in-place orders in their states for various reasons. Many said they wanted businesses reopened so they could go back to work. Many others displayed pro-[[Donald Trump|Trump]] banners, signs, and [[Make America Great Again|MAGA]] hats.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2020/04/16/michigan-whitmer-conservatives-protest/|title=Chanting 'lock her up,' Michigan protesters waving Trump flags mass against Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's coronavirus restrictions|last=Flynn|first=Meagan|date=16 April 2020|newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=22 April 2020|archive-date=22 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200422002103/https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2020/04/16/michigan-whitmer-conservatives-protest/|url-status=live}}</ref> Still others insisted the lockdowns were a violation of their constitutional rights. One militia leader told a reporter, "Re-open my state or we will re-open it ourselves."<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-52359100|title=Coronavirus lockdown protest: What's behind the US demonstrations?|date=21 April 2020|work=BBC News|access-date=22 April 2020|archive-date=21 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200421200027/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-52359100|url-status=live}}</ref> An opinion article in ''The New York Times'', and an article in ''The Washington Post'' claimed that the anger driving the protests was "both real and manufactured", blaming conservative groups for engaging in [[astroturfing]] via centralized organization backed by anonymous donors.<ref>{{cite news|last=Graves|first=Lisa|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/22/opinion/coronavirus-protests-astroturf.html|title=Opinion {{!}} Who's Behind the 'Reopen' Protests?|date=22 April 2020|work=The New York Times|access-date=24 April 2020|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331|archive-date=24 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200424001641/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/22/opinion/coronavirus-protests-astroturf.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/inside-the-conservative-networks-backing-anti-quarantine-protests/2020/04/22/da75c81e-83fe-11ea-a3eb-e9fc93160703_story.html|title=The anti-quarantine protests seem spontaneous. But behind the scenes, a powerful network is helping.|last1=Stanley-Becker|first1=Isaac|last2=Romm|first2=Tony|date=22 April 2020|newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=24 April 2020|archive-date=29 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200429032531/https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/inside-the-conservative-networks-backing-anti-quarantine-protests/2020/04/22/da75c81e-83fe-11ea-a3eb-e9fc93160703_story.html|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
President Trump originally issued guidelines for how to phase out restrictions, saying that governors would decide how to reopen their own states and suggesting a cautious three-phase approach.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/16/politics/donald-trump-reopening-guidelines-coronavirus/index.html|title=Trump completes reversal, telling govs 'you are going to call your own shots' and distributes new guidelines|date=16 April 2020|work=CNN|access-date=23 April 2020|archive-date=22 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200422213330/https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/16/politics/donald-trump-reopening-guidelines-coronavirus/index.html|url-status=live}}</ref> However, the next day he reacted to the protests against social restrictions by encouraging the protests.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/17/us/politics/trump-coronavirus-governors.html|title=Trump Encourages Protest Against Governors Who Have Imposed Virus Restrictions|last1=Shear|first1=Michael D.|last2=Mervosh|first2=Sarah|date=17 April 2020|work=The New York Times|access-date=23 April 2020|archive-date=23 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200423000143/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/17/us/politics/trump-coronavirus-governors.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Itkowitz|first=Colby|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/04/17/liberate-trump-tweets-support-protesting-against-stay-at-home-orders/|title='Liberate': Trump Tweets Support of Protests Against Stay-at-Home Orders|date=17 April 2020|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|access-date=17 April 2020|archive-date=17 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200417233521/https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/04/17/liberate-trump-tweets-support-protesting-against-stay-at-home-orders/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/17/us/coronavirus-cases-news-update.html|title=Trump Foments Protests Against Governors; Experts Warn of Testing Shortages|date=17 April 2020|work=The New York Times|access-date=18 April 2020|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331|archive-date=18 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200418004100/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/17/us/coronavirus-cases-news-update.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|agency=Reuters/AP|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/video/2020/apr/18/they-seem-very-responsible-to-me-trump-defends-anti-lockdown-protesters-video|title='They seem very responsible to me': Trump defends anti-lockdown protesters - video|date=18 April 2020|work=The Guardian|access-date=19 April 2020|language=en-GB|issn=0261-3077|archive-date=19 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200419003522/https://www.theguardian.com/world/video/2020/apr/18/they-seem-very-responsible-to-me-trump-defends-anti-lockdown-protesters-video|url-status=live}}</ref> Governor [[Jay Inslee]] (D-WA) accused the president of "fomenting domestic rebellion" and said the president's call to ignore his own team's guidelines was "schizophrenic".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/04/trump-accused-fomenting-rebellion-liberate-tweets-200417223606672.html|title=Trump accused of 'fomenting rebellion' after 'LIBERATE' tweets|website=aljazeera.com|access-date=19 April 2020|archive-date=18 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200418213043/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/04/trump-accused-fomenting-rebellion-liberate-tweets-200417223606672.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2020/04/19/governors-decry-trump-call-liberate-states-coronavirus-restrictions/5162196002/|title=Governors slam Trump's call to 'liberate' states where protesters object to coronavirus restrictions|last=Cummings|first=William|website=USA TODAY|language=en-US|access-date=20 April 2020|archive-date=19 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200419233030/https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2020/04/19/governors-decry-trump-call-liberate-states-coronavirus-restrictions/5162196002/|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
[[File:OPEN our OHIO IMG 0144 (49790376873).jpg|thumb|An anti-lockdown protester in April 2020]]<br />
[[Facebook]] announced that it would block events and messages from anti-quarantine protest groups "when gatherings do not follow the health parameters established by the government and are therefore unlawful".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.politico.com/news/2020/04/20/facebook-shuts-down-anti-quarantine-protests-at-states-request-196143|title=Republicans attack Facebook as network shuts down anti-lockdown protests|last=Overly|first=Steven|website=POLITICO|language=en|access-date=21 April 2020|archive-date=21 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200421021301/https://www.politico.com/news/2020/04/20/facebook-shuts-down-anti-quarantine-protests-at-states-request-196143|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
In California, [[Libertarian Party (United States)|Libertarian Party]] chapters in [[Santa Clara, California|Santa Clara]] and [[San Francisco]] counties condemned lockdown measures in the state with a resolution stating in part that, "these government impositions have already lasted for longer than could be justified by the purpose for which they were allegedly necessary, constituting a sort of "mission creep" that could potentially keep them in place with no definite end, and with economic and social damage continuing to accumulate and becoming more severe."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.scclp.org/resolution_regarding_government_pandemic_response|title=Resolution Regarding Government Pandemic Response|access-date=11 May 2020|archive-date=26 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200526033448/https://www.scclp.org/resolution_regarding_government_pandemic_response|url-status=live}}</ref> Such responses were compared to the [[Anti-Mask League of San Francisco]] movement that was seen during the [[Spanish flu|1918 Spanish flu pandemic]], where the efficacy of masks was debated during the second wave of flu in the city.<ref name="amlsf">{{cite news|last=Kane|first=Peter Lawrence|date=29 April 2020|title=The Anti-Mask League: lockdown protests draw parallels to 1918 pandemic|language=en-GB|work=The Guardian|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/29/coronavirus-pandemic-1918-protests-california|access-date=30 April 2020|issn=0261-3077|archive-date=30 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200430023846/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/29/coronavirus-pandemic-1918-protests-california|url-status=live}}</ref> The Anti-Mask League saw the medical advice on masks as unconstitutional, and contrary to the principles of a free society.<ref name="amlsf"/><br />
<br />
Cell phone data from [[Digital contact tracing|digital-contact tracing]] software, captured from opt-in cellphone apps and the Firm VoteMap, then provided to The Guardian (publication) by progressive campaign group the Committee to Protect Medicare, suggests that cell phones present at anti-lockdown protests in [[2020 United States anti-lockdown protests|Colorado]], [[2020 United States anti-lockdown protests|Florida]], Illinois, [[2020 United States anti-lockdown protests|Michigan]] and North Carolina traveled long distances after leaving the protests. Dr. Rob Davidson, executive director of the Committee to Protect Medicare, said that although “it's hard to draw a straight line between devices, individuals at these protests, and cases”, the data suggests that the protests may be epidemiologically significant events." and that "The behavior we’re seeing at protests carries a high risk of infection."<ref>{{cite news|last=Wilson|first=Jason|date=18 May 2020|title=US lockdown protests may have spread virus widely, cellphone data suggests|language=en-GB|work=The Guardian|url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/may/18/lockdown-protests-spread-coronavirus-cellphone-data|access-date=23 May 2020|issn=0261-3077|archive-date=23 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200523061752/https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/may/18/lockdown-protests-spread-coronavirus-cellphone-data|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
On 30 January 2021, dozens of "SCAMDEMIC" protesters blocked the entrance to the vaccination center at [[Dodger Stadium]] in [[Los Angeles]].<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-01-31|title=Dodger Stadium mass COVID-19 vaccination site temporarily shuts down after protesters block entrance|url=https://ktla.com/news/local-news/dodger-stadium-mass-coronavirus-vaccination-site-shut-down-after-protesters-block-entrance/|access-date=2021-01-31|website=KTLA|language=en-US|archive-date=31 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210131013546/https://ktla.com/news/local-news/dodger-stadium-mass-coronavirus-vaccination-site-shut-down-after-protesters-block-entrance/|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
== Oceania ==<br />
<br />
=== American Samoa ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 pandemic in American Samoa}}<br />
In July 2020, several people protested against the spending of COVID-19 funds in [[American Samoa]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/420676/protest-against-spending-of-covid-19-funds-in-american-samoa | title=Protest against spending of Covid-19 funds in American Samoa | website=[[Radio New Zealand]] | date=7 July 2020 }}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Australia ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 protests in Australia}}<br />
{{See also|Convoy to Canberra}}<br />
Throughout 2020 and 2021, numerous illegal protests of widely varying sizes against COVID-19 lockdown restrictions and the [[Australian Federal Government]]'s vaccination programme were held in several state capitals including [[Adelaide]], [[Brisbane]], [[Melbourne]], [[Perth]] and [[Sydney]].<ref>{{cite news|title='Incredibly disappointing': Ugly scenes at Melbourne coronavirus protests as violence erupts|url=https://7news.com.au/lifestyle/health-wellbeing/melbourne-protests-violent-scenes-in-melbournes-cbd-as-coronavirus-protesters-are-detained-c-1028327|date=10 May 2020|work=[[Seven News]]|language=en|access-date=10 May 2020|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200911032042/https://7news.com.au/lifestyle/health-wellbeing/melbourne-protests-violent-scenes-in-melbournes-cbd-as-coronavirus-protesters-are-detained-c-1028327|archive-date=11 September 2020}}</ref><ref name="9news-anti-vacc-rallys-20-feb">{{cite news |last1=Noble |first1=Freya |title=Anti-coronavirus vaccine protests held in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth |url=https://www.9news.com.au/national/coronavirus-protest-melbourne-brisbane-sydney-pete-evans/a328629b-4d7f-48b1-a13f-72fe42dd8c2b |access-date=21 February 2021 |work=[[Nine News|9 News]] |publisher=Nine Digital Pty Ltd |date=20 February 2021 |archive-date=20 February 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210220222329/https://www.9news.com.au/national/coronavirus-protest-melbourne-brisbane-sydney-pete-evans/a328629b-4d7f-48b1-a13f-72fe42dd8c2b |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="smh-pfizer-doses-start">{{cite news |last1=Dye |first1=Josh |last2=Clun |first2=Rachel |title=COVID-19 vaccines begin as Prime Minister receives Pfizer immunisation |url=https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/covid-19-vaccines-begin-as-prime-minister-receives-pfizer-immunisation-20210221-p574cw.html |access-date=21 February 2021 |work=[[The Sydney Morning Herald]] |date=21 February 2021 |archive-date=25 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210525075159/https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/covid-19-vaccines-begin-as-prime-minister-receives-pfizer-immunisation-20210221-p574cw.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Police responded to some of the protests by arresting demonstrators and issuing fines.<ref name="abc-melb-lockdown-protest-nov'20">{{cite news |title=Police arrest more than 400 demonstrators at Melbourne anti-lockdown protest |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-11-03/melbourne-anti-lockdown-protest-sees-over-400-protesters-arrest/12845120 |access-date=5 June 2021 |work=ABC News |publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation |date=3 November 2020 |archive-date=6 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210506082030/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-11-03/melbourne-anti-lockdown-protest-sees-over-400-protesters-arrest/12845120 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Australia: Scores arrested at anti-coronavirus lockdown protests |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/8/21/australia-scores-arrested-at-anti-coronavirus-lockdown-protests |access-date=22 August 2021 |work=[[Al Jazeera English|Al Jazeera]] |date=21 August 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210821171717/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/8/21/australia-scores-arrested-at-anti-coronavirus-lockdown-protests |archive-date=21 August 2021|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Anti-lockdown protesters clash with police in Australia |url=https://amp.rnz.co.nz/article/869c10d3-77f3-4f63-8d04-343e7cc5d109 |access-date=22 August 2021 |work=[[Radio New Zealand]] |date=21 August 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210821070733/https://amp.rnz.co.nz/article/869c10d3-77f3-4f63-8d04-343e7cc5d109 |archive-date=21 August 2021|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
In Melbourne, [[Victoria, Australia|Victoria]], from 20 to 24 September 2021, a series of protests occurred in the city's CBD. Protesters were predominantly tradesmen who were acting against lockdowns, the closure of the construction industry and [[vaccine mandate]]s. It is believed that several protesters were "fake tradies" who could be described as "professional protesters". Police responded with rubber bullets, batons and tear gas. Various media outlets were critical of the police's heavy-handed response to the protesters and bystander civilians.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Clench |first1=Sam |last2=Smith |first2=Rohan |title=Melbourne 'freedom' protest: Chaos erupts on CBD streets, West Gate Freeway over construction sector shutdown |url=https://www.news.com.au/national/melbourne-braces-for-more-chaos-as-workers-plan-another-freedom-rally/news-story/2b8d98e06b20dd42c51ef9960849f403 |access-date=21 September 2021 |work=News.com |publisher=Nationwide News Pty Ltd |date=20 September 2021 |language=en-AU |archive-date=21 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210921021456/https://www.news.com.au/national/melbourne-braces-for-more-chaos-as-workers-plan-another-freedom-rally/news-story/2b8d98e06b20dd42c51ef9960849f403 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Tuffiel |first1=Rhiannon |title=Tradie protest 'hijacked' by 'extreme organisations': CFMEU boss |url=https://www.news.com.au/national/victoria/politics/tradie-protest-hijacked-by-extreme-organisations-cfmeu-boss/news-story/11a24a98abf9f04ed67f5e50fced7c35 |access-date=21 September 2021 |work=News.com.au |agency=NCA NewsWire |publisher=Nationwide News Pty Ltd |date=20 September 2021 |language=en-AU |archive-date=20 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210920221215/https://www.news.com.au/national/victoria/politics/tradie-protest-hijacked-by-extreme-organisations-cfmeu-boss/news-story/11a24a98abf9f04ed67f5e50fced7c35 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Harley |first1=Kyle |title=More than 200 arrests made across Melbourne as police disperse anti-lockdown protesters |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-09-24/protests-condemned-rallies-enter-fifth-day/100488196 |access-date=24 September 2021 |work=ABC News |publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation |date=24 September 2021 |language=en-AU |archive-date=25 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210925012150/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-09-24/protests-condemned-rallies-enter-fifth-day/100488196 |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
The first major legal protest occurred in early 2022 in [[Canberra]], [[Australian Capital Territory]], which is also the most highly vaccinated jurisdiction in Australia. A "[[Convoy to Canberra]]", consisting of thousands of protesters in trailers, trucks, cars and campervans made their way in the national capital in January.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2022/02/03/canadas-freedom-convoy-is-inspiring-protests-in-other-countries.html| title=How Canada's 'Freedom Convoy' is inspiring protests in other countries| first1=Alex| last1=McKeen| first2=Lex| last2=Harvey| first3=Kieran| last3=Leavitt|date=February 3, 2022|work=[[Toronto Star]]}}</ref><ref name="The Guardian Occupy Canberra">{{cite news |last1=Butler |first1=Josh |title='Occupy Canberra': behind the anti-vaccine protests at Parliament House |url=https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/feb/04/occupy-canberra-behind-the-anti-vaccine-protests-at-parliament-house |access-date=7 February 2022 |work=[[The Guardian]] |date=4 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220206092405/https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/feb/04/occupy-canberra-behind-the-anti-vaccine-protests-at-parliament-house |archive-date=6 February 2022|url-status=live}}</ref> On 12 February, around 10,000 protesters converged on [[Parliament House, Canberra|Parliament House]] and [[Old Parliament House, Canberra|Old Parliament House]], and [[Lifeline (crisis support service)|Lifeline Canberra]] suspended its major fund-raising event due to safety concerns for customers.<ref name="News.com.au 13 Feb">{{cite news |last1=Consenza |first1=Emily |last2=Raphael |first2=Angie |title=Incredible scenes as anti-vaccine mandate protesters swarm Canberra streets |url=https://www.news.com.au/national/nsw-act/news/antivaccine-mandate-ralliers-potentially-target-vaccine-hub-hosting-childrens-event/news-story/9e98221eab0c5436f122209a38d56102 |access-date=13 February 2022 |work=[[News.com.au]] |publisher=[[News Corp Australia]] |date=12 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220212192032/https://www.news.com.au/national/nsw-act/news/antivaccine-mandate-ralliers-potentially-target-vaccine-hub-hosting-childrens-event/news-story/9e98221eab0c5436f122209a38d56102 |archive-date=12 February 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Federal government relaxes aged care COVID rule as protesters converge on Canberra |url=https://thenewdaily.com.au/news/coronavirus/2022/02/13/aged-care-covid-rule-canberra-protests/ |access-date=14 February 2022 |work=[[The New Daily]] |date=13 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220213120210/https://thenewdaily.com.au/news/coronavirus/2022/02/13/aged-care-covid-rule-canberra-protests/ |archive-date=13 February 2022|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Kelly |first1=Lidia |title=NZ, Australia vaccination mandates protests gain in number |url=https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/new-zealand-australia-vaccination-mandates-protests-gain-numbers-2022-02-12/ |access-date=14 February 2022 |work=[[Reuters]] |date=12 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220213163443/https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/new-zealand-australia-vaccination-mandates-protests-gain-numbers-2022-02-12/ |archive-date=13 February 2022|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Christmas Island ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 pandemic in Christmas Island}}<br />
Detainees at the [[Christmas Island Detention Centre]] rioted and set fire to buildings in a protest against the conditions of the detention centre.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/jan/06/christmas-island-detainees-riot-and-set-fire-to-buildings-in-protest-against-conditions | title=Christmas Island detainees riot and set fire to buildings in protest against conditions | website=[[TheGuardian.com]] | date=6 January 2021 }}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Fiji ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 pandemic in Fiji}}<br />
In June 2021, following lockdowns in Fiji, locals protested across the country for more government support.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-06-23/fiji-instability-covid-outbreak-unrest-restrictions-lockdown/100234180 | title='Frustration and anger are starting to build': Fears COVID outbreak leading to civil unrest in Fiji | newspaper=ABC News | date=22 June 2021 }}</ref><br />
<br />
=== French Polynesia ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 pandemic in French Polynesia#vaccination efforts}}<br />
In October 2021, several protests against a proposed law mandating COVID-19 vaccines were held throughout [[French Polynesia]] including [[Papeete]] in [[Tahiti]] and [[Hiva Oa]] in the [[Marquesas Islands]]. Notable groups and individuals involved included the "Don't Touch my Family" group, the pro-independence party [[Tavini Huiraatira]], and retired Dr. Jean-Paul Theron, who was locked in a dispute with health authorities over his methods of treating COVID-19 patients.<ref>{{cite news |title=Tahiti rally against vaccination regime |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/453364/tahiti-rally-against-vaccination-regime |access-date=6 November 2021 |work=[[Radio New Zealand]] |date=12 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211019053801/https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/453364/tahiti-rally-against-vaccination-regime |archive-date=19 October 2021|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Pro-independence party joins French Polynesia anti-vax march |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/454227/pro-independence-party-joins-french-polynesia-anti-vax-march |access-date=6 November 2021 |work=[[Radio New Zealand]] |date=25 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211027052722/https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/454227/pro-independence-party-joins-french-polynesia-anti-vax-march |archive-date=27 October 2021}}</ref> The proposed law requires anyone working in healthcare or with the public to get inoculated or be fined $US1,700.<ref>{{cite news |title=French Polynesian govt delays Covid-19 vaccination law |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/453809/french-polynesian-govt-delays-covid-19-vaccination-law |access-date=6 November 2021 |work=[[Radio New Zealand]] |date=19 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211019103922/https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/453809/french-polynesian-govt-delays-covid-19-vaccination-law |archive-date=19 October 2021|url-status=live}}</ref> In response to strong opposition from anti-vaccination protesters, unions, and employers, [[President of French Polynesia|President]] [[Édouard Fritch]] announced that the new law would be delayed until 23 December.<ref name="Vaccination law amended">{{cite news |title=French Polynesia vaccination law to be amended |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/453853/french-polynesia-vaccination-law-to-be-amended |access-date=6 November 2021 |work=[[Radio New Zealand]] |date=19 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211104115009/https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/453853/french-polynesia-vaccination-law-to-be-amended |archive-date=4 November 2021}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Guam ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 pandemic in Guam}}<br />
Members of the [[Guam Freedom Coalition]] protested vaccine mandates in [[Guam]] on 30 October 2021.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.guampdn.com/news/march-held-to-protest-vaccine-mandates/video_2f7ee160-28b4-5974-b83a-12485173f1a2.html | title=March held to protest vaccine mandates | date=30 October 2021 }}</ref><br />
<br />
=== New Caledonia ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 pandemic in New Caledonia}}<br />
An estimate of 1,000 people staged a protest in [[Nouméa]] against government policies regarding the pandemic, such as the introduction of health passes and vaccine mandates. The protest occurred a day after outdoor gatherings in [[New Caledonia]] were limited to 30 people, however police decided not to intervene due to the presence of children.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.cookislandsnews.com/regional/new-caledonia/protest-in-new-caledonia-against-govts-pandemic-policies/ | title=Protest in New Caledonia against govt's pandemic policies | date=10 January 2022 }}</ref><br />
<br />
=== New Zealand ===<br />
[[File:Convoy 2022 NZ (41).jpg|thumb|Protesters blocking a street at the Convoy 2022 NZ protest in Wellington]]<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 protests in New Zealand}}<br />
{{See also|2022 Wellington protests}}<br />
Between August and October 2021, several protests were held across New Zealand to protest official lockdown measures, vaccination, and spread disinformation about the COVID-19 pandemic. Key groups and individuals that were involved in these protests included FACTS NZ, Kotahitanga Movement Aotearoa, the NZ Liberty Movement and [[Jami-Lee Ross]] and [[Billy Te Kahika]]'s [[Advance New Zealand]] party.<ref>{{cite news|last=Pearse |first=Adam |work=[[The Northern Advocate]]|date=13 August 2020|title=Covid 19 coronavirus: Lockdown protest stops traffic in Whangārei|language=en-NZ| url= https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12356284|access-date=22 August 2020|issn=1170-0777|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200821030819/https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12356284|archive-date=21 August 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Anti-lockdown, vaccination and 1080 protesters take over Auckland's Aotea Square|language=en|work=[[Newshub]]|url= https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2020/08/anti-lockdown-vaccination-and-1080-protesters-take-over-auckland-s-aotea-square.html|access-date=22 August 2020|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200824232201/https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2020/08/anti-lockdown-vaccination-and-1080-protesters-take-over-auckland-s-aotea-square.html|archive-date=24 August 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Bayer |first1=Kurt |title=Covid 19 coronavirus: Hundreds turn out for anti-lockdown protests |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12362504 |access-date=5 September 2020 |work=[[The New Zealand Herald]] |date=5 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200905093331/https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12362504 |archive-date=5 September 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|date=2020-09-12|title=Advance Party and crowd rallies against Covid-19 restrictions and lockdowns|language=en-NZ|work=[[The New Zealand Herald]] |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12364413|access-date=2020-09-13|issn=1170-0777|archive-date=13 September 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200913195732/https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12364413|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
In January 2021, Te Kahika led a "freedom rally" outside the [[New Zealand Parliament]]; protestors opposed lockdown policies, while expressing support for US President [[Donald Trump]] and [[QAnon]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Walls |first1=Jason |title=Police keeping a close eye on controversial Billy TK 'freedom rally' outside Beehive |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/police-keeping-a-close-eye-on-controversial-billy-tk-freedom-rally-outside-beehive/4C2E3SYXDZPQZZA4CK2EC5T2MU/ |access-date=14 January 2021 |work=[[The New Zealand Herald]] |date=14 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210114104417/https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/police-keeping-a-close-eye-on-controversial-billy-tk-freedom-rally-outside-beehive/4C2E3SYXDZPQZZA4CK2EC5T2MU/ |archive-date=14 January 2021|url-status=live}}</ref> Following the reinstatement of lockdown restrictions in mid–August 2021 in response to a [[SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant|Delta variant]] community outbreak, anti-lockdown protests were staged in [[Auckland]], [[Tauranga]], [[Nelson, New Zealand|Nelson]], and [[Christchurch]]. Key participants included Te Kahika and far-right activist [[Kyle Chapman (New Zealand activist)|Kyle Champman]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Conspiracy theorist Billy TK arrested at anti-lockdown protest |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/449439/conspiracy-theorist-billy-tk-arrested-at-anti-lockdown-protest |access-date=18 August 2021 |work=[[Radio New Zealand]] |date=18 August 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210818053131/https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/449439/conspiracy-theorist-billy-tk-arrested-at-anti-lockdown-protest |archive-date=18 August 2021|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Lourens |first1=Marine |last2=Sherwood |first2=Sam |last3=McNeilly |first3=Hamish |title=Covid-19: Former far-Right leader to spend weekend behind bars after alleged lockdown breach |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/126131440/covid19-former-farright-leader-to-spend-weekend-behind-bars-after-alleged-lockdown-breach |access-date=20 August 2021 |work=[[Stuff (website)|Stuff]] |date=20 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210820040054/https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/126131440/covid19-former-farright-leader-to-spend-weekend-behind-bars-after-alleged-lockdown-breach|archive-date=20 August 2021|url-status=live}}</ref> In February 2022, [[Convoy 2022 New Zealand]] gathered outside parliament buildings and blocked streets in Wellington.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/461471/wellington-s-sky-stadium-offered-as-parking-to-free-up-parliament-streets-blocked-by-protesters |title=Wellington's Sky Stadium offered as parking to free up Parliament streets blocked by protesters |publisher=[[Radio New Zealand]] |date=14 February 2022 |accessdate=22 February 2022}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Papua New Guinea ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 pandemic in Papua New Guinea}}<br />
During the pandemic, attacks on health workers<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KbDVzLGCSGc | title=Violence against PNG health workers rises amid protests against COVID vaccinations &#124; ABC News | website=[[YouTube]] }}</ref> and vaccination teams<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/455215/mob-attacks-on-vaccination-teams-commonplace-in-png | title=Mob attacks on vaccination teams commonplace in PNG | website=[[Radio New Zealand]] | date=8 November 2021 }}</ref> in [[Papua New Guinea]] have occurred multiple times. Protests were banned nationwide due to the pandemic,<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.pngreport.com/covid-19/news/1420060/ban-on-png-protest-marches | title=Ban on PNG protest marches | date=22 October 2021 }}</ref> however they still occurred across the country, particularly in the capital, [[Port Moresby]],<ref>{{cite web | url=https://asiapacificreport.nz/2021/11/02/png-police-block-illegal-anti-vaxxer-rally-in-port-moresby-amid-fake-info/ | title=PNG police block illegal anti-vaxxer rally in Port Moresby amid fake info &#124; Asia Pacific Report | date=2 November 2021 }}</ref> as well as in [[Lae]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://crisis24.garda.com/alerts/2021/09/papua-new-guinea-additional-protests-possible-in-lae-through-at-least-mid-september-over-corporate-mandatory-vaccination-policies | title=Papua New Guinea: Additional protests possible in Lae through at least mid-September over corporate mandatory vaccination policies }}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Samoa ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 pandemic in Samoa}}<br />
On 8 May 2020, around 100 people protested new laws regarding COVID-19 in [[Samoa]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://monitor.civicus.org/updates/2020/05/21/protests-samoa-against-three-bills-could-undermine-judicial-independence-and-rule-law/ | title=Protests in Samoa against three bills that could undermine judicial independence and rule of law }}</ref> On 23 June 2022, more than 30 people protested vaccine mandates in Samoa.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.samoanews.com/protest-vaccine-mandate-demonstration | title=Protest the Vaccine Mandate" demonstration }}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Solomon Islands ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 pandemic in the Solomon Islands|2021 Solomon Islands unrest}}<br />
The [[2021 Solomon Islands unrest]] was partially caused by government mishandling of the pandemic.<br />
<br />
=== Vanuatu ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 pandemic in Vanuatu}}<br />
The [[Government of Vanuatu]] criticised a planned protest regarding COVID-19 involving church and youth groups. The protesters claimed that the [[Vanuatu Police Force|Police Commissioner]] had given them permission to protest, however the [[Deputy Prime Minister of Vanuatu|Deputy Prime Minister]] [[Ishmael Kalsakau]] said it could not go ahead as it was politically motivated. Protestors also claimed that at least two MPs (namely [[Andrew Napuat]] and [[John Salong]]) supported the protest.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/466907/vanuatu-govt-says-no-to-vaccine-protest-march | title=Vanuatu Govt says no to vaccine protest march | website=[[Radio New Zealand]] | date=11 May 2022 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://islandsbusiness.com/news-break/vanuatu-govt-halts-vaccine-protest-march/ | title=Vanuatu Govt halts vaccine protest march | date=12 May 2022 }}</ref><br />
<br />
== South America ==<br />
<br />
=== Argentina ===<br />
{{Main|2020–2021 Argentinian protests}}<br />
[[File:En busca de la libertad 01.jpg|thumb|180px|The [[17A]] protests on 17 August 2020]]<br />
On 25 May, during the [[First National Government|Anniversary of the First National Government]], protests erupted all over the country,<ref>{{Cite web|date=25 May 2020|title=Un reducido grupo de manifestantes protestó contra la cuarentena en la Plaza de Mayo|url=https://www.infobae.com/sociedad/2020/05/25/manifestantes-protestan-contra-la-cuarentena-en-la-plaza-de-mayo/|access-date=10 July 2020|website=infobae|language=es-ES|archive-date=4 June 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200604063409/https://www.infobae.com/sociedad/2020/05/25/manifestantes-protestan-contra-la-cuarentena-en-la-plaza-de-mayo/|url-status=live}}</ref> but predominantly in [[Buenos Aires]] and [[Córdoba, Argentina|Cordoba]]. The protest consisted mostly of small business owners demanding the local and national governments to be allowed to work, under a sanitary protocol. At this point, the stay-at-home order had been in place nationwide for 65 days.<br />
<br />
On 20 June, which is the country's [[Flag Day (Argentina)|National Flag Day]], the size of the protests had grown immensely compared to the previous ones held in late May.<ref>{{cite news|date=20 June 2020|title=En Twitter: cómo es el banderazo nacional contra la expropiación de Vicentin|url=https://www.lanacion.com.ar/politica/convocan-banderazo-nacional-republica-sabado-20-junio-nid2381945|access-date=10 July 2020|newspaper=La Nación|language=es|archive-date=6 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200706082841/https://www.lanacion.com.ar/politica/convocan-banderazo-nacional-republica-sabado-20-junio-nid2381945|url-status=live}}</ref> While business owners and workers were still calling for more workplaces to be allowed to operate, the government's attempt to expropriate Vicentín, a soy and wheat manufacturer and one of the largest exporting firms in the country, also sparked outrage and motivated protests in many provinces where agriculture plays a big role in their local economy, particularly in the [[Santa Fe Province]], where this business is located. Due to the huge backlash, president [[Alberto Fernández|Alberto Fernandez]] has decided to step down and not take over the company. Protests also took place in the city centre of most cities and at the gates of the [[Quinta de Olivos|presidential residence]]. While the lockdown had been lifted in most provinces and municipalities, it was still enforced in [[Greater Buenos Aires]], which represents around 60% of the Argentine economy. On this day, the stay-at-home order had been in place for 90 days, making it the longest mandatory quarantine in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.<ref>{{cite news|last=Goñi|first=Uki|date=17 June 2020|title=Argentina's president enters voluntary isolation amid coronavirus surge|language=en-GB|work=The Guardian|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jun/17/argentina-president-enters-voluntary-isolation-amid-coronavirus-surge|access-date=10 July 2020|issn=0261-3077|archive-date=10 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200710091442/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jun/17/argentina-president-enters-voluntary-isolation-amid-coronavirus-surge|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
On 9 July, the country's [[Argentine Declaration of Independence|Independence Day]], protests flared up once again.<ref>{{cite news|date=10 July 2020|title=Multitudinario banderazo contra el Gobierno en diferentes puntos del país|url=https://www.lanacion.com.ar/politica/comenzo-banderazo-federal-del-9-julio-nid2394297|access-date=10 July 2020|newspaper=La Nación|language=es|archive-date=9 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200709224416/https://www.lanacion.com.ar/politica/comenzo-banderazo-federal-del-9-julio-nid2394297|url-status=live}}</ref> In addition to workers and entrepreneurs asking to be allowed to work, many were angered by the fact that [[Lázaro Báez|Lazaro Baez]], who is serving jail time for money laundering and stealing from taxpayers' money and is associated with much of the government staff, could be eligible for parole. This incident, and the murder of Fabián Gutiérrez, who was ex-president [[Cristina Fernández de Kirchner|Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner]]'s secretary while she was in office, which many opposition affiliates believe was orchestrated by the administration and covered up as a "crime of passion" by two unknown men, also caused large outrage in some sectors of the population. This day marked 109 days since the lockdown was put in place in the Greater Buenos Aires area.{{citation needed|date=August 2021}}<br />
<br />
On 1 August, many opponents of Alberto Fernandez's government, and of [[Kirchnerism]] in general, took to the streets to rally against the judicial reform<br />
proposed by the administration. Many believe this is a way to absolve vice president Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner from her ongoing trials, and also a way to give [[Frente de Todos (2019 coalition)|the governing political party]] control over the [[Supreme Court of Argentina|judicial branch of government]], all disguised under the promise that this reform will make judges and trials fairer and less biased to certain ideologies or political parties. While the lockdown has not been completely lifted in Buenos Aires, many activities and businesses are now allowed to take place again since mid-July, and a re-opening scheme with various stages has been designed and put in place, although with no strict dates. However, many companies, such as restaurants or bars for instance, still cannot open and many business owners are uncertain of how much more they can endure with their doors closed.<br />
<br />
On 17 August, the General José de San Martín Memorial Day, a public holiday which commemorates Argentine liberator and army general [[José de San Martín]], protesters gathered once again on the city centres of the main Argentine cities for the same reasons as the previous one, 16 days prior. This manifestation was backed by many political figures from the [[Juntos por el Cambio]], [[Frente Despertar]], [[Fuerza Unidaria Argentina]], opposition forces, near liberal, libertarian and survivalist groups. Some, however, have decided to not publicly support the protests, most notably [[Horacio Rodríguez Larreta]], mayor of Buenos Aires.<br />
<br />
=== Brazil ===<br />
====2020====<br />
{{Main|2020 Brazilian protests}}<br />
On 18 March, Brazilians in [[São Paulo]] and [[Rio de Janeiro]] protested [[Jair Bolsonaro]]'s handling of the pandemic by [[banging pots and pans]] on their balconies and shouting "Bolsonaro out!"<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-51955679 |title=Coronavirus protest in Brazil sees millions bang pots from balconies |date=19 March 2020 |work=BBC |access-date=13 May 2020 |archive-date=22 March 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200322135850/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-51955679 |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
On 19 April, Brazil's [[Armed Forces Day]], Bolsonaro gathered with about 600 protesters in front of the Army's headquarters in [[Brasília|Brasilia]] to demand a "military intervention" into the handling of the coronavirus situation. Smaller protests calling for governors to resign occurred the previous day in [[Rio de Janeiro]], [[São Paulo]] and Brasilia.<ref>{{cite web|title=Brazil's Bolsonaro joins protest against coronavirus restrictions &#124; Coronavirus pandemic News|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/04/brazil-bolsonaro-joins-protest-coronavirus-curbs-200420042616860.html|date=20 April 2020|publisher=Al Jazeera|access-date=27 April 2020|archive-date=19 September 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200919230255/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/04/brazil-bolsonaro-joins-protest-coronavirus-curbs-200420042616860.html|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
====2021====<br />
{{Main|2021 Brazilian protests}}<br />
[[File:Fora Bolsonaro em Campinas 29.05.2021 01.jpg|thumb|Protest against the government of President Bolsonaro in [[Campinas]] on 29 May 2021]]<br />
[[File:Ato do Movimento Brasil Verde e Amarelo - 51181481168.jpg|thumb|Pro-government protest in [[Brasília]] on 15 May 2021]]<br />
[[File:Ato do Movimento Brasil Verde e Amarelo - 51180579797.jpg|thumb|Bolsonaro flies over protests in [[Brasília]] on 15 May 2021]]<br />
<br />
On 1 May, protest in favor of [[Jair Bolsonaro]] happened around the country. The protesters demanded the end of lockdowns, as well as a military intervention on the judicial and legislative branches of power. The protests happened in many Brazilian cities, occupying avenues such as [[Paulista Avenue|Avenida Paulista]]. Bolsonaro flew by helicopter over the protests in Brasilia, where there were also protests against his government.<ref>{{cite web|title=Fortaleza tem manifestação a favor de Bolsonaro neste 1º de maio; 17 são detidos|url=https://g1.globo.com/ce/ceara/noticia/2021/05/01/fortaleza-registra-manifestacao-a-favor-de-bolsonaro-neste-1ode-maio.ghtml#|date=1 May 2021|publisher=G1|access-date=3 May 2021|archive-date=3 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210503180447/https://g1.globo.com/ce/ceara/noticia/2021/05/01/fortaleza-registra-manifestacao-a-favor-de-bolsonaro-neste-1ode-maio.ghtml|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Bolsonaro sobrevoa de helicóptero manifestação a seu favor no DF|url=https://noticias.r7.com/distrito-federal/bolsonaro-sobrevoa-de-helicoptero-manifestacao-a-seu-favor-no-df-01052021#/foto/1|date=1 May 2021|publisher=R7|access-date=3 May 2021|archive-date=2 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210502160600/https://noticias.r7.com/distrito-federal/bolsonaro-sobrevoa-de-helicoptero-manifestacao-a-seu-favor-no-df-01052021#/foto/1|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Manifestações pró e contra Bolsonaro tomam conta da Esplanada|url=https://www.metropoles.com/brasil/manifestacoes-pro-e-contra-bolsonaro-tomam-conta-da-esplanada|date=1 May 2021|publisher=Metrópoles|access-date=3 May 2021|archive-date=3 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210503180449/https://www.metropoles.com/brasil/manifestacoes-pro-e-contra-bolsonaro-tomam-conta-da-esplanada|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Feriado do Dia do Trabalho tem manifestações em cidades do RS|url=https://g1.globo.com/rs/rio-grande-do-sul/noticia/2021/05/01/feriado-do-dia-do-trabalho-tem-manifestacoes-em-cidades-do-rs.ghtml|date=1 May 2021|publisher=G1|access-date=3 May 2021|archive-date=1 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210501233653/https://g1.globo.com/rs/rio-grande-do-sul/noticia/2021/05/01/feriado-do-dia-do-trabalho-tem-manifestacoes-em-cidades-do-rs.ghtml|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Cidades no Sul de MG registram manifestações a favor do governo Bolsonaro neste 1º de maio|url=https://g1.globo.com/mg/sul-de-minas/noticia/2021/05/01/cidades-registram-manifestacoes-a-favor-do-governo-bolsonaro-neste-1o-de-maio-no-sul-de-mg.ghtml|date=1 May 2021|publisher=G1|access-date=3 May 2021|archive-date=1 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210501161952/https://g1.globo.com/mg/sul-de-minas/noticia/2021/05/01/cidades-registram-manifestacoes-a-favor-do-governo-bolsonaro-neste-1o-de-maio-no-sul-de-mg.ghtml|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Brasil. Milhares de pessoas nas ruas para apoiar Bolsonaro no Dia do Trabalhador|url=https://www.rtp.pt/noticias/mundo/brasil-milhares-de-pessoas-nas-ruas-para-apoiar-bolsonaro-no-dia-do-trabalhador_v1316831|date=2 May 2021|publisher=RTP Notícias|access-date=4 May 2021|archive-date=3 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210503190106/https://www.rtp.pt/noticias/mundo/brasil-milhares-de-pessoas-nas-ruas-para-apoiar-bolsonaro-no-dia-do-trabalhador_v1316831|url-status=live}}</ref>{{citation needed|date=August 2021}}<br />
<br />
===Chile===<br />
{{Main|2019–2020 Chilean protests#2020 protests}}<br />
<br />
On 18 March, riots took place at the communes of [[El Bosque, Chile|El Bosque]], [[La Pintana]], and other communes in the [[Santiago Metropolitan Region]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.emol.com/noticias/Nacional/2020/05/18/986529/Protestas-incidentes-comuna-El-Bosque.html|title=Protestas en la comuna de El Bosque: Vecinos denuncian falta de alimentos en medio de cuarentena &#124; Emol.com|date=18 May 2020|website=Emol|access-date=24 May 2020|archive-date=25 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200525033923/https://www.emol.com/noticias/Nacional/2020/05/18/986529/Protestas-incidentes-comuna-El-Bosque.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Rioters are denouncing the [[hunger]] resulting from the partial and total lockdowns in the region. They claim that the lockdowns have left them without work and means of sustenance.<br />
<br />
=== Colombia ===<br />
{{Main|2021 Colombian protests}}<br />
[[File:Paro Nacional Colombia (51185625987).jpg|thumb|Protesters in [[Medellín]], Colombia on 1 May 2021]]<br />
In April 2021, President [[Iván Duque Márquez|Iván Duque]] proposed increased taxes at a time when the [[COVID-19 pandemic in Colombia]] was beginning to worsen as various healthcare systems were failing throughout the country. A series of protests began in [[Colombia]] on 28 April 2021 against increased taxes, corruption, and health care reform.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/more-subdued-second-day-colombia-tax-reform-protests-2021-04-29/ |title=More subdued second day of Colombia tax reform protests |last=Acosta |first=Luis |date=29 April 2021 |website=[[Reuters]] |url-status=live |archive-date=1 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210501195325/https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/more-subdued-second-day-colombia-tax-reform-protests-2021-04-29/ }}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Ecuador ===<br />
{{main|2020 Ecuadorian protests}}<br />
The 2020 demonstrations in Ecuador were a series of national mobilizations carried out in May 2020, after the announcement of economic measures by the government of [[Lenín Moreno]] adopted due to the serious health and economic crisis generated by the [[COVID-19 pandemic in Ecuador]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Coronavirus: Ecuador protests against cuts amid pandemic |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-52803400 |publisher=BBC News |date=26 May 2020 |access-date=16 July 2021 |archive-date=16 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210716083730/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-52803400 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Police Beat and Injure Ecuador's Covid-19 Protesters |url=https://www.hrw.org/news/2020/05/25/police-beat-and-injure-ecuadors-covid-19-protesters |work=Human Rights Watch |date=25 May 2020 |access-date=16 July 2021 |archive-date=16 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210716083730/https://www.hrw.org/news/2020/05/25/police-beat-and-injure-ecuadors-covid-19-protesters |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
===Paraguay===<br />
{{main|2021 Paraguayan protests}}<br />
<br />
On 5 March, protests broke out across Paraguay due to the lack of efficient government response against the [[COVID-19 pandemic in Paraguay|pandemic in the country]]. The protests gathered thousands of people, and left hundreds of injured. It culminated in the resignation of the then health minister [[Julio Mazzoleni]].<br />
<br />
== See also ==<br />
{{Commons category|Protests related to the COVID-19 pandemic}}<br />
* [[Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on politics]]<br />
* [[National responses to the COVID-19 pandemic]]<br />
* [[Strikes during the COVID-19 pandemic]]<br />
* [[Face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic]]<br />
** [[Face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States]]<br />
* [[Cholera Riots|Cholera riots]]<br />
{{clear}}<br />
<br />
== References ==<br />
{{reflist}}<br />
<br />
{{COVID-19 pandemic}}<br />
{{COVID-19 pandemic in the United States}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:2020 protests]]<br />
[[Category:2021 protests]]<br />
[[Category:2022 protests]]<br />
[[Category:Protests over responses to the COVID-19 pandemic| ]]<br />
[[Category:Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on politics]]</div>Boackandwhitehttps://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Protests_against_responses_to_the_COVID-19_pandemic&diff=1261684669Protests against responses to the COVID-19 pandemic2024-12-07T11:53:06Z<p>Boackandwhite: </p>
<hr />
<div>{{Short description|Protests against restrictions introduced in response to the COVID-19 pandemic}}<br />
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2021}}<br />
<br />
{{EngvarB|date=April 2021}}<br />
{{Infobox civil conflict<br />
| title = Protests against responses to the COVID-19 pandemic<br />
| side1 = [[WHO]]<br />
[[police]]<br />
[[Wikimedia]]<br />
| side2 = [[far right]]<br />
[[COVID-19 conspiracy theorists]]<br />
| leadfigures1 = [[Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus]]<br />
[[Zhang Jixian]] <br />
[[Li Wenliang]]<br />
| leadfigures2 = [[Category:COVID-19 misinformation{{!}}conspiracy theorists]]<br />
| partof = the [[COVID-19 pandemic]] and <br />
[[COVID-19 misinformation]] and [[COVID-19 misinformation by governments]]<br />
| image = Canadian COVID-19 protesters (cropped).jpg<br />
| caption = An anti-[[COVID-19 lockdowns|lockdown]] protest at [[Queen's Park (Toronto)|Queen's Park]] in [[Toronto]], Canada, on 25 April 2020<br />
| date = 15 March 2020<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.poder360.com.br/governo/bolsonaro-compartilha-video-de-manifestacoes-veja-fotos-de-militantes/|title=Bolsonaro compartilha vídeo de manifestações; veja fotos de militantes|date=15 March 2020|website=Poder360|access-date=27 November 2020|archive-date=4 December 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201204175449/https://www.poder360.com.br/governo/bolsonaro-compartilha-video-de-manifestacoes-veja-fotos-de-militantes/|url-status=live}}</ref> – 5 December 2022<ref>{{cite news |last1=Yu |first1=Verna |title=Chinese students protest as university locks down over one Covid case |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/dec/06/beijing-drops-some-covid-tests-as-capital-readies-itself-for-life-again |access-date=7 December 2022 |work=The Guardian |date=6 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221206141914/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/dec/06/beijing-drops-some-covid-tests-as-capital-readies-itself-for-life-again |archive-date=6 December 2022}}</ref><br />({{age in years, months, weeks and days|month1=3|day1=15|year1=2020|month2=12|day2=5|year2=2022}})<br />
| place = Worldwide<br />
| coordinates = <br />
| causes = Local struggles or opposition to government responses to the COVID-19 pandemic<br />
| goals = * Revocation of [[COVID-19 lockdowns]], [[mask mandate]]s, or [[vaccine mandates]]<br />
| methods = {{plainlist|<br />
* [[Mass protest]]s<br />
* [[Civil unrest]]<br />
* [[Riot]]s<br />
* [[Vandalism]]<br />
* [[Occupation (protest)|Occupations]]}}<br />
}}<br />
{{COVID-19 pandemic sidebar}}<br />
<br />
Protests, demonstrations and strikes occurred around the world against [[National responses to the COVID-19 pandemic|national responses]] to the [[COVID-19 pandemic]] by governmental bodies. Some were driven by the financial hardship resulting from government measures to contain the virus, including restrictions on travel and entertainment, hitting related industries and workers hard. Protests also occurred in opposition to restrictions on people's movements, compulsory wearing of [[Face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic|face masks]], [[COVID-19 lockdowns|lockdowns]], [[COVID-19 vaccination|vaccinations]] and other measures. Some protests were driven by [[COVID-19 misinformation]], [[conspiracy theories]], [[Far-right politics|far-right]] and other extremist groups and individuals.<br />
<br />
This article lists and summarizes such activities in various countries around the world.<br />
<br />
==Background==<br />
{{Globalize|section|US|Australia|Europe|date=September 2021}}<br />
<br />
===Reasons===<br />
{{see also|COVID-19 lockdowns|Social distancing measures related to the COVID-19 pandemic|Face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic|Mask refusal|COVID-19 misinformation|COVID-19 vaccine misinformation and hesitancy}}<br />
[[File:Antivax protest in Dublin 1.jpg|thumb|Protest against the [[COVID-19 vaccine]] in [[Dublin]], [[Republic of Ireland|Ireland]].]]<br />
In order to prevent the spread of the [[SARS-CoV2]] virus which gave rise to the COVID-19 pandemic from 2019, governments brought in health measures at varying levels of strictness to restrict the movement of people and transmission of the virus. In response to these restrictions, protests have been organised at a number of locations around the world,<ref>{{Cite web|last=Haddad|first=Mohammed|title=Mapping coronavirus anti-lockdown protests around the world|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/2/2/mapping-coronavirus-anti-lockdown-protests-around-the-world|access-date=2021-08-03|website=[[Al Jazeera English|Al Jazeera]]|language=en|archive-date=6 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210806180523/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/2/2/mapping-coronavirus-anti-lockdown-protests-around-the-world/|url-status=live}}</ref> and [[Strikes during the COVID-19 pandemic|strikes have also occurred]]. Some of the protests have criticised governments for not acting effectively enough in their responses to the pandemic, while others have been opposed to [[COVID-19#Prevention|preventative measures]] and called for their revocation. According to analysis as part of the [[Global Peace Index]], {{as of|lc=yes| July 2021}}, there had been around 50,000 protests linked to the pandemic worldwide, 5,000 of which were violent.<ref>{{cite news| last1=Newey| first1=Sarah| last2=Gulland| first2=Anne| last3=Smith| first3=Nicola| date=2021-07-25| title=Plague and protests: how Covid has sparked a wave of unrest around the world| language=en-GB| work=[[The Daily Telegraph|The Telegraph]]| url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/global-health/terror-and-security/plague-protests-pandemic-has-sparked-wave-unrest-around-world/| access-date=2021-08-03| issn=0307-1235| archive-date=3 August 2021| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210803151200/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/global-health/terror-and-security/plague-protests-pandemic-has-sparked-wave-unrest-around-world/| url-status=live}}</ref> [[COVID-19 lockdowns]] have inspired protests in many territories, and from late 2020 [[deployment of COVID-19 vaccines]] also inspired protests.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Thousands Around Globe Protest COVID-19 Shots, Lockdowns {{!}} Voice of America - English|url=https://www.voanews.com/covid-19-pandemic/thousands-around-globe-protest-covid-19-shots-lockdowns|access-date=2021-08-03|website=www.voanews.com|date=24 July 2021 |language=en|archive-date=3 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210803151201/https://www.voanews.com/covid-19-pandemic/thousands-around-globe-protest-covid-19-shots-lockdowns|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Analysis {{!}} The pandemic leads to another summer of anger|language=en-US|newspaper=[[Washington Post]]|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2021/07/30/pandemic-leads-another-summer-anger/|access-date=2021-08-03|issn=0190-8286|archive-date=30 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210730070551/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2021/07/30/pandemic-leads-another-summer-anger/|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
The protests have varied in scale, motivations and type, with protesters drawn from a fairly wide range of backgrounds and inspired by a range of reasons. One of the main drivers has been the economic distress brought about by businesses having to close for long periods, leading to widespread unemployment, especially of casual workers in the hospitality industry. Uncertainty about the future and the feeling of lack of control has led to a predilection for believing in [[conspiracy theories]] (such as that COVID-19 is a hoax and that governments have deliberately created the crisis), [[anti-vaxxer]] beliefs, including that [[COVID-19 vaccination]]s and restriction of citizens' movements are part of a government plot to control people, [[Bill Gates]] is behind implanting [[microchip]]s into people via vaccinations.<ref name=ajfeb2021>{{cite web | last=Melimopoulos | first=Elizabeth | title=What's driving the COVID lockdown protests? | website=[[Al Jazeera English|Al Jazeera]] | date=7 February 2021 | url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/2/7/protests-over-new-covid-19-measures-whats-behind-them | access-date=28 August 2021 | archive-date=28 August 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210828004101/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/2/7/protests-over-new-covid-19-measures-whats-behind-them | url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | last=Dearden | first=Lizzie | title=Inside the UK's biggest anti-lockdown protest | website=The Independent | date=16 May 2020 | url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/coronavirus-lockdown-protests-uk-london-hyde-park-5g-conspiracy-theories-a9518506.html | access-date=28 August 2021 | archive-date=23 August 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210823110551/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/coronavirus-lockdown-protests-uk-london-hyde-park-5g-conspiracy-theories-a9518506.html | url-status=live }}</ref> The spread of [[COVID-19 misinformation]] has been a driving factor in some country's protest movements, with some organisers making money out of the protests.<ref>{{Cite web|title=How COVID-conspiracists and anti-vaxxers are getting organised and making money|url=https://news.sky.com/story/how-covid-conspiracists-and-anti-vaxxers-are-getting-organised-and-making-money-12206707|access-date=2021-08-03|website=[[Sky News]]|language=en|archive-date=27 February 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210227193203/https://news.sky.com/story/how-covid-conspiracists-and-anti-vaxxers-are-getting-organised-and-making-money-12206707|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
===Players===<br />
In the US, [[Donald Trump]] spread some potentially misleading information,<ref name=ajfeb2021/> and the [[Proud Boys]], American [[religious fundamentalist]]s and [[American militia movement#Active militia groups|various militia groups]] as well as [[Black Lives Matter of Greater New York]], have been active in protests;<ref>{{cite web | last=Wilson | first=Jason | title=The rightwing groups behind wave of protests against Covid-19 restrictions | website=[[The Guardian]] | date=17 April 2020 | url=http://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/17/far-right-coronavirus-protests-restrictions | access-date=28 August 2021 | archive-date=19 August 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210819134948/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/17/far-right-coronavirus-protests-restrictions | url-status=live }}</ref> across Europe, the extreme right has been active;<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.orfonline.org/expert-speak/fringe-mainstream-extreme-rightwing-europe-68848/| title=From fringe to mainstream: The extreme rightwing in Europe| first1=Kyler| last1=Ong| first2=Raffaello| last2=Pantucci| newspaper=Orf| access-date=28 August 2021| archive-date=28 August 2021| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210828012516/https://www.orfonline.org/expert-speak/fringe-mainstream-extreme-rightwing-europe-68848/| url-status=live}}</ref> in the UK, far-right [[hate group]]s have been involved in spreading misinformation, [[scapegoat]]ing minority groups and trying to organise lockdowns,<ref>{{cite report| title=COVID-19: How hateful extremists are exploiting the pandemic| url=https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/906724/CCE_Briefing_Note_001.pdf| author=[[Commission for Encountering Extremism]]| date=July 2020| publisher=UK Government| access-date=28 August 2021| archive-date=16 March 2021| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210316081503/https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/906724/CCE_Briefing_Note_001.pdf| url-status=live}}</ref> while former politicians such as [[Martin Daubney]] and journalists such as [[Julia Hartley-Brewer]] have either supported or joined protests;<ref>{{cite web | last=Loucaides | first=Darren | title=Inside the U.K.'s anti-lockdown media machine | website=Coda Story | date=9 August 2021 | url=https://www.codastory.com/disinformation/uk-anti-lockdown-media/ | access-date=28 August 2021 | archive-date=14 August 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210814221957/https://www.codastory.com/disinformation/uk-anti-lockdown-media/ | url-status=live }}</ref> in Australia, the Proud Boys,<ref>{{cite web | last=McGowan | first=Michael | title=Where 'freedom' meets the far right: the hate messages infiltrating Australian anti-lockdown protests | website=[[The Guardian]] | date=25 March 2021 | url=http://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/mar/26/where-freedom-meets-the-far-right-the-hate-messages-infiltrating-australian-anti-lockdown-protests | access-date=28 August 2021 | archive-date=24 August 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210824060353/https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/mar/26/where-freedom-meets-the-far-right-the-hate-messages-infiltrating-australian-anti-lockdown-protests | url-status=live }}</ref> the neo-Nazi [[National Socialist Network]]<ref name=ndaug2021>{{cite web | title=How neo-Nazis use anti-lockdown protests to recruit new members | first=Cait | last=Kelly | website=[[The New Daily]] | date=25 August 2021 | url=https://thenewdaily.com.au/news/national/2021/08/26/neo-nazi-anti-lockdown-recruit/ | access-date=28 August 2021 | archive-date=26 August 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210826175828/https://thenewdaily.com.au/news/national/2021/08/26/neo-nazi-anti-lockdown-recruit/ | url-status=live }}</ref> and a few politicians have become involved in spreading misinformation and stirring discontent.<ref>{{cite web | last=Bongiorno | author-link=Frank Bongiorno | first=Frank | title=Right out there: how the pandemic has given rise to extreme views and fractured conservative politics | website=[[The Conversation (website)|The Conversation]] | date=15 August 2021 | url=http://theconversation.com/right-out-there-how-the-pandemic-has-given-rise-to-extreme-views-and-fractured-conservative-politics-165448 | access-date=28 August 2021 | archive-date=27 August 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210827112241/https://theconversation.com/right-out-there-how-the-pandemic-has-given-rise-to-extreme-views-and-fractured-conservative-politics-165448 | url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
===Organisers and methods===<br />
<br />
The [[Telegram (software)|Telegram]] and [[Instagram]] apps are popular means for spreading messages about planned protests,<ref name=knaus2021/> and some events are also posted on [[Facebook]].<ref name=fbrally>{{cite web | title=World Wide Rally for Freedom, Peace & Human Rights III | website=Facebook | date=23 July 2021 | url=https://m.facebook.com/events/791497214885030 | access-date=31 August 2021 | archive-date=22 December 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211222175659/https://m.facebook.com/login.php?next=https%3A%2F%2Fm.facebook.com%2Fevents%2F791497214885030&refsrc=deprecated&_rdr | url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
{{anchor|wwrf}}<!---Worldwide Rally for Freedom, Free Citizens of Kassel, etc. target this anchor.---><br />
A German group called Worldwide Demonstration, operated out of the city of [[Kassel]] by individuals self-described as "Freie Bürger Kassel" (Free Citizens of Kassel),<ref name=knaus2021>{{cite web | last=Knaus | first=Christopher | title=Who's behind Australia's anti-lockdown protests? The German conspiracy group driving marches | website=the Guardian | date=27 July 2021 | url=http://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/jul/27/who-behind-australia-anti-covid-lockdown-protest-march-rallies-sydney-melbourne-far-right-and-german-conspiracy-groups-driving-protests | access-date=30 August 2021 | archive-date=30 August 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210830032414/https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/jul/27/who-behind-australia-anti-covid-lockdown-protest-march-rallies-sydney-melbourne-far-right-and-german-conspiracy-groups-driving-protests | url-status=live }}</ref> coordinated a series of 129 events around the world in March 2021, each one dubbed "World Wide Rally for Freedom", using the [[hashtag]] "#WewillALLbethere". Misinformation, [[QAnon]] beliefs, [[antisemitism]] and COVID-19 denial were prevalent in the groups' chats.<ref name=logically>{{cite web | last1=Backovic | first1=Nick | last2=Wildon | first2=Jordan | last3=Ondrak | first3=Joe | title=Exclusive: Worldwide Anti-Lockdown Protests Organized by German Cell | website=[[Logically (company)|Logically]] | date=14 May 2021 | url=https://www.logically.ai/articles/anti-lockdown-protests-organized-by-german-cell | access-date=30 August 2021 | archive-date=30 August 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210830032414/https://www.logically.ai/articles/anti-lockdown-protests-organized-by-german-cell | url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
== Africa ==<br />
=== Ivory Coast ===<br />
Protesters destroyed a coronavirus testing centre that was being built in [[Abidjan]], which they said was in a crowded residential area too close to their homes.<ref>{{cite news|date=6 April 2020|title=Coronavirus: Ivory Coast protesters target testing centre|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-52189144|access-date=3 May 2020|archive-date=1 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200501142544/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-52189144|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Kenya ===<br />
The Kenyan government has been accused of extreme measures, with protesters accusing the [[Kenya Police|Kenyan Police]] of killing at least six people within the first 10 days of the lockdown. Others protested against the forced quarantine of individuals failing to comply with regulations or returning home from abroad, claiming that they had been quarantined for longer than 14 days and made to pay the government for their care.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Kenyans held for weeks in quarantine were then told to pay to get out|url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/coronavirus/ct-nw-nyt-kenya-quarantine-centers-20200508-sguy6zocxvbnvpbrccilweiu6m-story.html|last=Dahir|first=Abdi Latif|date=8 May 2020|website=baltimoresun.com|access-date=9 May 2020|archive-date=13 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200513222022/https://www.baltimoresun.com/coronavirus/ct-nw-nyt-kenya-quarantine-centers-20200508-sguy6zocxvbnvpbrccilweiu6m-story.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Hundreds protested on 8 May 2020 when the government destroyed 7,000 homes and a market in [[Kariobangi]] in an effort to control the virus.<ref>{{cite web |title=Kenyans protest house demolitions amid virus restrictions |url=https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/kenyans-protest-house-demolitions-amid-virus-restrictions-70575939 |website=ABC News |access-date=9 May 2020 |language=en |archive-date=9 May 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200509001511/https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/kenyans-protest-house-demolitions-amid-virus-restrictions-70575939 |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Malawi ===<br />
A [[Malawi]] high court temporarily barred the government from implementing a 21-day lockdown after it was challenged by the Human Rights Defenders Coalition, after it was argued that more consultation was needed to prevent harm to the poorest and most vulnerable. Small protests had been staged prior to the ruling, in at least three major cities with some protesters stating it was better to contract the virus than die of hunger due to lack of work.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Malawi high court blocks coronavirus lockdown|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/04/malawi-high-court-blocks-coronavirus-lockdown-200417184430403.html|date=17 April 2020|website=www.aljazeera.com|access-date=9 May 2020|archive-date=8 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200508151024/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/04/malawi-high-court-blocks-coronavirus-lockdown-200417184430403.html|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Nigeria ===<br />
A group of at least twenty coronavirus patients forced their way out of an isolation facility to protest against alleged improper care and the government's actions which they believed to worsen their conditions.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Nigeria: COVID-19 patients protest over 'ill treatment'|url=https://www.aa.com.tr/en/africa/nigeria-covid-19-patients-protest-over-ill-treatment/1830966|date=6 May 2020|website=www.aa.com.tr|access-date=9 May 2020|archive-date=10 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200510190944/https://www.aa.com.tr/en/africa/nigeria-covid-19-patients-protest-over-ill-treatment/1830966|url-status=live}}</ref> Workers at a construction site rioted against lockdown measures that limited their ability to work on constructing an [[oil refinery]] for billionaire [[Aliko Dangote]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Nigerian workers riot over Covid-19 lockdown {{!}} New Straits Times|url=https://www.nst.com.my/world/world/2020/04/588042/nigerian-workers-riot-over-covid-19-lockdown|date=27 April 2020|website=NST Online|language=en|access-date=9 May 2020|archive-date=8 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200508213859/https://www.nst.com.my/world/world/2020/04/588042/nigerian-workers-riot-over-covid-19-lockdown|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Rwanda ===<br />
Refugees that had been relocated to the country from an overcrowded refugee camp in [[Libya]], protested against the lockdown from the refugee camp in the capital [[Kigali]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Refugees Protest Under Coronavirus Lockdown in Rwanda {{!}} Voice of America - English|url=https://www.voanews.com/covid-19-pandemic/refugees-protest-under-coronavirus-lockdown-rwanda|date=17 April 2020|website=www.voanews.com|language=en|access-date=9 May 2020|archive-date=3 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200503130323/https://www.voanews.com/covid-19-pandemic/refugees-protest-under-coronavirus-lockdown-rwanda|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== South Africa ===<br />
Many residents protested against the policy that food parcel aid would only be going to households that earn below R3600, and demanded action from the South African Social Security Agency.<ref>{{Cite web|title="We are still waiting" – protesting under lockdown in South Africa|url=https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/beyond-trafficking-and-slavery/we-are-still-waiting-protesting-under-lockdown-in-south-africa/|last=Anciano|first=Fiona|date=24 April 2020|website=openDemocracy|language=en|access-date=9 May 2020|archive-date=9 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200509221138/https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/beyond-trafficking-and-slavery/we-are-still-waiting-protesting-under-lockdown-in-south-africa/|url-status=live}}</ref> Surfers have also protested to be allowed to surf during the lockdown, that allows exercise but not water activities.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Anti-lockdown protests around the world|url=https://www.reuters.com/news/picture/anti-lockdown-protests-around-the-world-idUSRTX7H61S|date=5 May 2020|website=www.reuters.com|access-date=9 May 2020|archive-date=8 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200508144737/https://www.reuters.com/news/picture/anti-lockdown-protests-around-the-world-idUSRTX7H61S|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Zimbabwe ===<br />
Three young, female opposition activists were reported missing following a protest in [[Harare]], Zimbabwe, over COVID-19 lockdown measures on 15 May 2020. They were later treated at a hospital after asserting they had been abducted and sexually abused by suspected state security agents.<ref>{{cite web |title=Zimbabwe police accused of assaulting young female activists |url=https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/zimbabwe-police-accused-assaulting-young-female-activists-70701508 |website=ABC News |access-date=5 June 2020 |language=en |archive-date=5 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200605190822/https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/zimbabwe-police-accused-assaulting-young-female-activists-70701508 |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
== Asia ==<br />
<br />
=== China (mainland) ===<br />
{{Main|2022 COVID-19 protests in China}}<br />
[[File:西南交通大学学生悼念乌鲁木齐火灾逝者 10.jpg|alt=Students at Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu, holding a candlelight vigil for victims of the fire. The candles are arranged in a heart shape. The faces of students are blurred to protect anonymity.|thumb|Students at [[Southwest Jiaotong University]], [[Chengdu]], holding a candlelight vigil for victims of the [[2022 Ürümqi fire|fire in Ürümqi]].]]<br />
<br />
Small shop owners protested the continuation of rent charges outside of the Grand Ocean Department Store in Wuhan, chanting "Exempt rental for a year, or refund the lease". Videos from the demonstration were posted in the social media platform [[Sina Weibo]] but quickly censored.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international/world-news/wuhan-rent-protest-shows-unrest-brewing-in-china-after-lockdown/articleshow/75080074.cms?from=mdr |title=covid 19: Wuhan rent protest shows unrest brewing in China after lockdown - The Economic Times |publisher=Economictimes.indiatimes.com |access-date=30 April 2020 |archive-date=10 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200910133541/https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international/world-news/wuhan-rent-protest-shows-unrest-brewing-in-china-after-lockdown/articleshow/75080074.cms?from=mdr |url-status=live }}</ref> A woman was arrested and facing criminal charges after attempting to rally about 100 people to protest the poor management and overpriced provisions during the lockdown. She was charged with "[[picking quarrels and provoking trouble]]", an offense normally used to detain dissidents and social activists.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Chinese woman charged with organising protests during coronavirus lockdown|url=https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3080590/coronavirus-lockdown-woman-charged-organising-protests-against|last=Huang|first=Kristin|date=19 April 2020|website=South China Morning Post|language=en|access-date=1 May 2020|archive-date=2 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200502204312/https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3080590/coronavirus-lockdown-woman-charged-organising-protests-against|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
In 2022, public protests and marches began in cities such as [[Ürümqi]] and [[Guangzhou]] in response to the continued zero-COVID policy of the [[Government of China|Chinese government]] under [[Xi Jinping Administration]].<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Chien |first1=Amy Chang |last2=Che |first2=Chang |last3=Liu |first3=John |last4=Mozur |first4=Paul |date=2022-11-25 |title=In a challenge to Beijing, unrest over COVID lockdowns spreads |url=https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2022/11/25/asia-pacific/china-covid-lockdown-unrest/ |access-date=2022-11-27 |website=The Japan Times |language=en-US}}</ref> In Shanghai, some protesters among hundreds had chanted "Step down, [[Xi Jinping]]! Step down, [[Chinese Communist Party|Communist Party]]!"<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-11-27 |title=Protests erupt across China in unprecedented challenge to Xi Jinping's zero-Covid policy |url=https://www.cnn.com/2022/11/26/china/china-protests-xinjiang-fire-shanghai-intl-hnk/index.html |access-date=2022-11-27 |website=[[CNN]] |language=en}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Hong Kong ===<br />
[[File:Protest against Designated Clinics in TSW North 20200215.png|thumb|Protest against plans to set up designated coronavirus clinics near residential areas in [[Hong Kong]] on 15 February 2020]]<br />
{{Main|2019–20 Hong Kong protests#COVID-19 crisis}}<br />
Pro-democratic movement's tactics were repurposed to pressure the government to take stronger actions to safeguard Hong Kong's [[public health]] in the face of the [[2020 coronavirus outbreak in Hong Kong|coronavirus outbreak in Hong Kong]]. Protesters demanded all travellers coming from China be banned from entering Hong Kong. From 3 to 7 February 2020, hospital staff launched a labour strike with the same goal. The strike was not successful as [[Carrie Lam]] rejected a full border closure.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://hongkongfp.com/2020/10/14/covid-19-hong-kong-hospital-authority-demands-answers-from-radiologists-after-unit-head-refuses-name-medics-who-went-on-strike/|title=Covid-19: Hong Kong Hospital Authority demands answers from radiologists after unit head refuses to name medics who went on strike|first=Kelly|last=Ho|work=[[Hong Kong Free Press]]|date=2020-10-14|access-date=2021-11-06|archive-date=6 September 2021|archive-url=https://archive.today/20210906153555/https://hongkongfp.com/2020/10/14/covid-19-hong-kong-hospital-authority-demands-answers-from-radiologists-after-unit-head-refuses-name-medics-who-went-on-strike/|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
People responded negatively to the government's attempt to set up quarantine and clinical centres in neighbourhoods close to residents and marched to express their discontent or blocked roads to thwart the government's plans across the territory.{{citation needed|date=August 2021}}<br />
<br />
=== India ===<br />
{{see also|Indian migrant workers during the COVID-19 pandemic}}<br />
After the televised announcement by Prime Minister [[Narendra Modi]] that the lockdown was to be extended until at least 3 May, police used batons to disperse protesting migrant workers in [[Mumbai]]. Thousands of jobless migrant workers had gathered at railway stations and were demanding to be allowed to break the lockdown to return home.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-southasia-idUSKCN21W0HI|title=India extends world's biggest lockdown, ignites protest by migrant workers|newspaper=Reuters|date=14 April 2020|via=reuters.com|last1=Jain|first1=Sanjeev Miglani|access-date=27 April 2020|archive-date=26 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200426093055/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-southasia-idUSKCN21W0HI|url-status=live}}</ref> Similar protests were seen in other parts of the country by the workers, and those who claimed that they received no aid which was promised by the government to provide them with during the lockdown period.<br />
<br />
In the state of [[Meghalaya]] anti mandatory vaccination protesters organised a rally in the capital city Shillong against the alleged mandatory inoculation drive by the state government.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Amid rising Covid cases, anti-vaccine protesters rally in Meghalaya |url=http://www.dtnext.in/amp/News/National/2022/01/23082638/1340071/Amid-rising-Covid-cases-antivaccine-protesters-rally-.vpf |access-date=2022-03-24 |website=dtNext.in |language=ta}}{{dead link|date=November 2022|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref><br />
<br />
In State of Maharashtra similar anti mandatory mask and anti mandatory mask protest were held.<ref>{{Citation |title=Worldwide Demonstration: People protest against mandatory vaccinations, lockdowns |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9V83n4_VIAI |language=en |access-date=2022-04-17}}</ref><br />
<br />
Several legal cases were filed in multiple [[high courts of India]] and the Supreme Court of India against mandatory masking and vaccinations.<ref>{{Cite news |agency=Press Trust of India |date=2022-03-02 |title='Unfortunate': HC on mandatory vaccine for Maharashtra public transport |work=Business Standard India |url=https://www.business-standard.com/article/current-affairs/unfortunate-hc-on-mandatory-vaccine-for-maharashtra-public-transport-122030200974_1.html |access-date=2022-04-17}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Roy |first=Debayan |title=[COVID-19] Supreme Court reserves verdict in plea challenging coercive vaccination |url=https://www.barandbench.com/news/covid-19-supreme-court-reserves-verdict-in-plea-against-coercive-vaccination |access-date=2022-04-17 |website=Bar and Bench - Indian Legal news |date=22 March 2022 |language=en}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Indonesia ===<br />
{{Main|Indonesia omnibus law protests}}<br />
[[File:Indonesia omnibus law protests Okt 2020 in Padang.jpg|thumb|Protest in [[Padang]] on 7 October 2020]]<br />
On 5 October 2020, Indonesia has passed a [[Omnibus Law on Job Creation|law on job creation]] that will weaken environmental protections and workers’ rights in an attempt to boost the economy hit hard by the [[COVID-19 pandemic|Wuhan pneumonia pandemic]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/world/breakingnews/3313101|title=國會通過爭議性法案 印尼各地發起罷工示威|work=Liberty Times|date=6 October 2020|access-date=6 October 2020|language=zh-tw|archive-date=9 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201009193945/https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/world/breakingnews/3313101|url-status=live}}</ref> On 6 October, thousands of Indonesians protest in industrial areas around Jakarta including Tangerang and Karawang and on [[Batam]]. A three-day national strike was started which unions expected to involve two million workers in protest against the law.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-indonesia-economy-law/thousands-of-indonesians-protest-against-passage-of-jobs-bill-idUSKBN26R0ZG|title=Thousands of Indonesians protest against passage of jobs bill|work=Reuters|date=6 October 2020|access-date=6 October 2020|archive-date=6 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201006164032/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-indonesia-economy-law/thousands-of-indonesians-protest-against-passage-of-jobs-bill-idUSKBN26R0ZG|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
Demonstrations in Bandung and Jakarta were held on 22 July and 24 July respectively in order to protest the extension of the government's "social activities restriction" (PPKM/CARE) measures.<ref>{{cite AV media |date=24 July 2021 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSLqONzbUmU |title=BERITA TERBARU ~DEMO PPKM DI JAKARTA~BERITA VIRAL HARI INI |publisher=KABAR MILITER |via=[[YouTube]] |access-date=7 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210724074608/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSLqONzbUmU |archive-date=24 July 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite AV media |date=21 July 2021 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jfSIwIX2zHY |title=Dinilai Merugikan, Warga Bandung Berunjuk Rasa Tolak PPKM Darurat {{!}} Fokus |publisher=[[Indosiar]] |via=[[YouTube]] |access-date=7 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210725025445/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jfSIwIX2zHY |archive-date=25 July 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite AV media |date=21 July 2021 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3gYGWz13weU |title=Demo Tolak PPKM Darurat Berakhir Ricuh |publisher=[[CNN Indonesia]] |via=[[YouTube]] |access-date=7 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210725235748/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3gYGWz13weU |archive-date=25 July 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite AV media |date=23 July 2021 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPP4PpT6Pnw |title=Demo Mahasiswa Tolak Kebijakan PPKM Darurat di Flyover Pasar Rebo Berujung Ricuh |publisher=KOMPASTV |via=[[YouTube]] |access-date=7 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210724074614/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPP4PpT6Pnw |archive-date=24 July 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite AV media |date=24 July 2021 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mqzlX1oLNNI |title=Demo Tolak PPKM hari ini dijakarta pusat |publisher=Echa mahkota |via=[[YouTube]] |access-date=7 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210725234934/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mqzlX1oLNNI |archive-date=25 July 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref>{{excessive citations inline|date=August 2021}}<br />
<br />
=== Israel ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 protests in Israel}}<br />
In April 2020, thousands of Israelis engaged in [[social distancing]] while gathering to protest against the perceived anti-democratic measures in the country by Prime Minister [[Benjamin Netanyahu]]. Many were involved in the Black Flag movement which had been allowed to protest by police if they stood six feet apart and all wore masks. An earlier protest had seen the protesters drive to [[Jerusalem]] to protest anti-democratic measures.<ref>{{cite web |last=Rosner |first=Elizabeth |url=https://nypost.com/2020/04/20/israelis-practice-social-distancing-at-tel-aviv-protest/ |title=Israelis maintain social distancing while protesting Netanyahu |date=20 April 2020 |publisher=Nypost.com |access-date=27 April 2020 |archive-date=24 April 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200424070815/https://nypost.com/2020/04/20/israelis-practice-social-distancing-at-tel-aviv-protest/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Other demonstrations have been seen in the ultra-[[Orthodox Judaism|Orthodox]] Jerusalem neighborhood of [[Mea Shearim]] with men and youths throwing rocks at police before being arrested.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Police clash with stone-throwing Haredi protesters in Jerusalem, 5 arrested|url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/police-clash-with-stone-throwing-haredi-protesters-in-jerusalem-5-arrested/|date=20 April 2020|website=www.timesofisrael.com|language=en-US|access-date=1 May 2020|archive-date=26 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200426143227/https://www.timesofisrael.com/police-clash-with-stone-throwing-haredi-protesters-in-jerusalem-5-arrested/|url-status=live}}</ref> Riots broke out in [[Bnei Brak]] with crowds vandalizing property and throwing rocks against police attempts to clear [[yeshiva]] classes and religious gatherings being held in violation of lockdown rules.<ref>{{Cite news|last1=Hendrix|first1=Steve|last2=Rubin|first2=Shira|date=26 January 2021|title=Violence erupts in Israel's ultra-Orthodox neighborhoods over coronavirus restrictions|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/ultra-orthodox-israel-police-covid/2021/01/25/2438e840-5ee3-11eb-a177-7765f29a9524_story.html|access-date=28 January 2021|newspaper=The Washington Post|archive-date=28 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210128111056/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/ultra-orthodox-israel-police-covid/2021/01/25/2438e840-5ee3-11eb-a177-7765f29a9524_story.html|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Iraq ===<br />
Protests against the lockdown have been coupled with the [[2019–2020 Iraqi protests|ongoing protests]] against the current government and female-targeting violence within the country.<ref>{{Cite web|title=The Iraq Report: Protest movement revives as coronavirus lockdown eased|url=https://english.alaraby.co.uk/english/indepth/2020/5/1/the-iraq-report-protest-movement-revives-as-lockdown-eased|website=alaraby|date=May 2020|language=en|access-date=1 May 2020|archive-date=4 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200504011957/https://english.alaraby.co.uk/english/indepth/2020/5/1/the-iraq-report-protest-movement-revives-as-lockdown-eased|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="WPProtests">{{cite web |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/coronavirus-protests-lebanon-india-iraq/2020/04/19/1581dde4-7e5f-11ea-84c2-0792d8591911_story.html |title=Coronavirus lockdowns prompt protests in India, Lebanon, Iraq |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=19 April 2020 |access-date=27 April 2020 |archive-date=25 April 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200425064157/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/coronavirus-protests-lebanon-india-iraq/2020/04/19/1581dde4-7e5f-11ea-84c2-0792d8591911_story.html |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Kazakhstan ===<br />
Following announcement of quarantine measures, videos of hospital staff in [[Atyrau]] protesting against new rules were spread on social media in April 2020, resulting in reporting journalists being detained.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-04-16|title=Казахстан: митинг в белых халатах|url=https://belsat.eu/ru/programs/kazahstan-miting-v-belyh-halatah/|url-status=live|access-date=2021-07-26|website=belsat.eu|language=ru|archive-date=27 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210727010145/https://belsat.eu/ru/programs/kazahstan-miting-v-belyh-halatah/}}</ref><br />
<br />
On 25 January 2021, a demonstration was held in city of [[Kokshetau]] where citizens expressed discontent with concept of compulsory vaccination against COVID-19 in which the deputy [[akim]] met with the crowd and assured them that decision whether to be vaccinated would be based on each individual's personal choice.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-01-25|title=Несколько десятков человек собрались на площади в Кокшетау|url=https://www.nur.kz/society/1895472-neskolko-desatkov-celovek-sobralis-na-plosadi-v-koksetau-foto/?|url-status=live|access-date=2021-07-27|website=www.nur.kz|language=ru|archive-date=27 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210727010148/https://www.nur.kz/society/1895472-neskolko-desatkov-celovek-sobralis-na-plosadi-v-koksetau-foto/}}</ref> in result of the government's [[COVID-19 vaccine]] mandate for all in-person employees, protests took place on 6 July 2021 in Kazakhstan where citizens demanded to stop the fines for businesspeople who refused to mandate for workers as well free [[COVID-19 testing|PCR testing]] for the unvaccinated.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Говоров|first=Георгий|date=2021-07-06|title=НГ: "Принудительной вакцинации нет" - аким Костаная встретился с участниками акции протеста|url=https://www.ng.kz/modules/news/article.php?storyid=42453#893571|url-status=live|access-date=2021-07-27|website=www.ng.kz|archive-date=27 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210727014138/https://www.ng.kz/modules/news/article.php?storyid=42453#893571}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-07-01|title=В Казахстане вводится режим обязательной вакцинации|url=https://inbusiness.kz/ru/news/v-kazahstane-vvoditsya-rezhim-obyazatelnoj-vakcinacii|url-status=live|access-date=2021-07-27|website=inbusiness.kz|language=ru|archive-date=27 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210727010147/https://inbusiness.kz/ru/news/v-kazahstane-vvoditsya-rezhim-obyazatelnoj-vakcinacii}}</ref> In [[Oral, Kazakhstan|Oral]], instructions were given out to crowd in avoiding the inoculation.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Левина|first=Мария|date=2021-07-06|title=В Уральске и Костанае прошли митинги против обязательной вакцинации|url=https://vlast.kz/novosti/45733-v-uralske-i-kostanae-prosli-mitingi-protiv-obazatelnoj-vakcinacii.html|url-status=live|access-date=2021-07-27|website=vlast.kz|language=ru|archive-date=27 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210727010148/https://vlast.kz/novosti/45733-v-uralske-i-kostanae-prosli-mitingi-protiv-obazatelnoj-vakcinacii.html}}</ref> Reports of detentions of people by the police occurred in [[Almaty]] and [[Aktobe]] that day.<ref>{{Cite news|date=2021-07-06|title=Несколько человек задержаны в Алматы и Актобе на месте анонсированных Аблязовым акций|url=https://rus.azattyq.org/a/31343878.html|url-status=live|access-date=2021-07-27|website=Радио Азаттык|language=ru|archive-date=27 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210727010146/https://rus.azattyq.org/a/31343878.html}}</ref> On 17 July, demonstrations occurred throughout the cities, where in [[Pavlodar]] hundred people gathered at the central square which was dispersed by security forces with detainees being pushed into police vans and some managing to flee the area.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-07-19|title=Митинги против обязательной вакцинации прошли в нескольких городах Казахстана|url=https://ust-kamenogorsk.city/novosti-kazakhstana/11695/|url-status=live|access-date=2021-07-27|website=ust-kamenogorsk.city|archive-date=27 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210727010147/https://ust-kamenogorsk.city/novosti-kazakhstana/11695/}}</ref> After the Kazakh government decided to raise fuel prices in the middle of the pandemic, many Kazakhs carried out [[2022 Kazakh unrest|the bloodiest riots since the collapse of the Soviet Union]].<br />
<br />
=== Lebanon ===<br />
{{See also|2019–2021 Lebanese protests}}<br />
Many protesters argued for monetary relief from the countries slumping economy after weeks of the lockdown.<ref name="WPProtests"/> At least one demonstrator died after soldiers used tear gas, batons, and live bullets to disperse a protesters in [[Tripoli, Lebanon|Tripoli]] who were throwing [[molotov cocktail]]s.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Osseiran|first1=Nazih|last2=Nissenbaum|first2=Dion|date=28 April 2020|title=Protesters in Lebanon Demand Economic Relief as Coronavirus Lockdown Eases|language=en-US|work=[[The Wall Street Journal]]|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/protesters-in-lebanon-demand-economic-relief-as-coronavirus-lockdown-eases-11588096707|access-date=1 May 2020|issn=0099-9660|archive-date=30 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200430221558/https://www.wsj.com/articles/protesters-in-lebanon-demand-economic-relief-as-coronavirus-lockdown-eases-11588096707|url-status=live}}</ref> Protesters also congregated in [[Beirut]] outside the central bank and threw rocks at the building, and took over major roads as they claimed there wasn't enough done to protect the economy and those that would suffer the most economically.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Hatoum|first1=Bassam|last2=Hussein|first2=Bilal|date=29 April 2020|title=Lockdown lifts in Lebanon, protests erupt over economic crises|work=[[The Christian Science Monitor]]|url=https://www.csmonitor.com/World/Middle-East/2020/0429/Lockdown-lifts-in-Lebanon-protests-erupt-over-economic-crises|access-date=1 May 2020|issn=0882-7729|archive-date=1 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200501054440/https://www.csmonitor.com/World/Middle-East/2020/0429/Lockdown-lifts-in-Lebanon-protests-erupt-over-economic-crises|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Malaysia ===<br />
<br />
On 31 July 2021, hundreds of protesters attempted to gather in [[Merdeka Square, Kuala Lumpur]], calling for the resignation of Prime Minister [[Muhyiddin Yassin]] over his and the Malaysian government's handling of the [[COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia|COVID-19 pandemic]].<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|title=Hundreds take to Kuala Lumpur's streets in anti-gov't protest|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/7/31/hundreds-take-to-streets-in-anti-government-protest-in-malaysia|access-date=2021-08-01|website=www.aljazeera.com|language=en|archive-date=1 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210801172936/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/7/31/hundreds-take-to-streets-in-anti-government-protest-in-malaysia|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite web|website=Deutsche Welle|title=Malaysian protesters demand PM Muhyiddin's resignation=|date=2021-07-31|url=https://www.dw.com/en/malaysian-protesters-demand-pm-muhyiddins-resignation/a-58713654|access-date=2021-08-01|language=en-GB|archive-date=1 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210801172936/https://www.dw.com/en/malaysian-protesters-demand-pm-muhyiddins-resignation/a-58713654|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Ramlan|first=Alyaa Alhadjri & Vivian Yap, Yasmin|date=2021-07-31|title=Hundreds of #Lawan protesters in KL demand PM's resignation|url=https://www.malaysiakini.com/news/585291|access-date=2021-08-01|website=Malaysiakini|language=en|archive-date=1 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210801172003/https://www.malaysiakini.com/news/585291|url-status=live}}</ref> The protests took place despite [[Malaysian movement control order|Movement Control Order (MCO)]] restrictions being in place, and Malaysian police blocking access to Merdeka Square itself.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Solhi|first=Farah|date=2021-07-31|title=#Lawan rally ends as protesters fail to get inside Dataran Merdeka {{!}} New Straits Times|url=https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2021/07/713474/lawan-rally-ends-protesters-fail-get-inside-dataran-merdeka|access-date=2021-08-01|website=NST Online|language=en|archive-date=1 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210801172004/https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2021/07/713474/lawan-rally-ends-protesters-fail-get-inside-dataran-merdeka|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Solhi|first=Farah|date=2021-07-31|title=#Lawan rally goes on despite police warning, risk of spreading Covid-19 [NSTTV] {{!}} New Straits Times|url=https://www.nst.com.my/news/crime-courts/2021/07/713455/lawan-rally-goes-despite-police-warning-risk-spreading-covid-19|access-date=2021-08-01|website=NST Online|language=en|archive-date=1 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210801173504/https://www.nst.com.my/news/crime-courts/2021/07/713455/lawan-rally-goes-despite-police-warning-risk-spreading-covid-19|url-status=live}}</ref> The anti-government protests took place following a [[2021 Malaysian state of emergency|state of emergency]] declaration, where parliament and elections were suspended, and amid an [[2020–21 Malaysian political crisis|ongoing political crisis]].<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2" /> On 2 August, including former Prime Minister [[Mahathir Mohamad]], opposition MPs held a protest in Merdeka Square after being blocked from entering Parliament by police.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-08-02|title=Police stop Malaysian opposition lawmakers from marching to Parliament|url=https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/heavy-police-presence-outside-malaysian-parliament|access-date=2021-08-02|website=The Straits Times|language=en|archive-date=2 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210802080101/https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/heavy-police-presence-outside-malaysian-parliament|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Malaysia opposition MPs gather at Merdeka Square after being blocked from entering parliament|url=https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asia/malaysia-opposition-dataran-merdeka-parliament-postponed-covid19-15360260|access-date=2021-08-02|website=CNA|language=en|archive-date=2 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210802080147/https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asia/malaysia-opposition-dataran-merdeka-parliament-postponed-covid19-15360260|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Nepal ===<br />
On 12 June 2020, hundreds of protesters gathering in the capital city [[Kathmandu]], demanding better quarantine facilities, more tests and transparency in the purchase of medical supplies to fight the crisis. Ten people have been arrested, including seven foreigners.<ref>{{cite web|author=Gopal Sharma|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-nepal/hundreds-protest-against-nepals-coronavirus-response-7-foreigners-arrested-idUSKBN23K087/|title=Hundreds protest against Nepal's coronavirus response; 7 foreigners arrested|work=Reuters|date=2020-06-13}}</ref><br />
[[File:尼泊尔最大反对党发起全国抗议活动.jpg|thumb|Protesters wave party flags of the [[Nepali Congress]] on 14 December 2020]]<br />
On 14 December 2020, the [[Nepali Congress]], Nepal's largest opposition party, launched a nationwide protest, claiming that one million people participated. This protest is mainly to criticize the government for not actively fighting the COVID-19 pandemic and for not actively preparing for holding the winter session of [[Federal Parliament of Nepal|federal parliament]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.chinanews.com/wap/detail/zw/gj/2020/12-14/9361978.shtml|title=尼泊尔最大反对党发起全国抗议活动|work=China News Service|date=2020-12-14|language=zh-cn}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Pakistan ===<br />
Dozens of doctors were arrested in [[Quetta]] after protesting the lack of safety equipment that they had been given to battle the spread of the disease.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/06/pakistan-arrests-doctors-protest-lack-coronavirus-safety-equipment |title=Pakistan arrests doctors protesting over lack of virus safety equipment &#124; World news |work=The Guardian |access-date=30 April 2020 |archive-date=7 April 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200407174034/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/06/pakistan-arrests-doctors-protest-lack-coronavirus-safety-equipment |url-status=live }}</ref> Hundreds of laborers protested against their forced layoffs due to the pandemic by gathering outside their old places of work throughout the city of Karachi.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Millions of Pakistani laborers struggle amid COVID-19 lockdown|url=https://www.aa.com.tr/en/asia-pacific/millions-of-pakistani-laborers-struggle-amid-covid-19-lockdown/1824231|last=Latif|first=Aamir|date=30 April 2020|website=www.aa.com.tr|access-date=1 May 2020|archive-date=6 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200506073132/https://www.aa.com.tr/en/asia-pacific/millions-of-pakistani-laborers-struggle-amid-covid-19-lockdown/1824231|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
Parents of students who had been studying abroad in the Chinese province of Hubei protested against the government's decision to leave the children in the area in February 2020.<ref>{{cite news|last=Raza Hassan|first=Syed|date=16 February 2020|title=Parents protest as Pakistani students stuck in China under coronavirus lockdown|language=en|work=Reuters|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-health-pakistan-idUSKBN20A0J9|access-date=1 May 2020|archive-date=25 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200525093543/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-health-pakistan-idUSKBN20A0J9|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Philippines ===<br />
{{See also|Protests against Rodrigo Duterte}}<br />
Spontaneous demonstrations were held on 1 April 2020 by a [[Quezon City]] urban poor community to protest lack of food and other assistance during the metropolitan-wide COVID-19 lockdown.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ellao |first=Janess Ann J. |date=1 April 2020 |title=Arrests in QC reveal lack of gov't support to lockdown-affected residents |url=https://www.bulatlat.com/2020/04/01/arrests-in-qc-urban-poor-reveal-lack-of-govt-support-to-lockdown-affected-residents/ |access-date=19 June 2020 |website=Bulatlat |language=en-US |archive-date=20 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200620224244/https://www.bulatlat.com/2020/04/01/arrests-in-qc-urban-poor-reveal-lack-of-govt-support-to-lockdown-affected-residents/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Police violently dispersed protesters and arrested 21 people.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=1 April 2020 |title=21 protesters demanding food aid arrested in Quezon City |url=https://www.cnnphilippines.com/news/2020/4/1/quezon-city-protesters-arrested-.html |access-date=19 June 2020 |website=CNN |language=en |archive-date=23 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200623053048/https://cnnphilippines.com/news/2020/4/1/quezon-city-protesters-arrested-.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> The city mayor and a Congress representative appealed to police to release those arrested.<ref name=":0" /><br />
<br />
In May 2020, journalists and individuals protested [[ABS-CBN franchise renewal controversy|the cease and desist order that led to the shutdown of media giant ABS-CBN]], a move that jeopardized more than 11,000 jobs and prevented the broadcast of vital information about the pandemic. More protests were held after the House of Representatives junked ABS-CBN's application for a legislative franchise.{{citation needed|date=August 2021}}<br />
<br />
Jeepney drivers rendered jobless by the COVID-19 emergency protested in Caloocan on 3 June 2020. Six protesters were arrested and jailed for a few days to one week.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Lalu |first=Gabriel Pabico |date=18 June 2020 |title=2 of jailed Piston 6 protesters test positive for COVID-19 |url=https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1293906/2-of-jailed-piston-6-protesters-test-positive-for-covid-19 |access-date=19 June 2020 |website=Inquirer |language=en |archive-date=18 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200618141148/https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1293906/2-of-jailed-piston-6-protesters-test-positive-for-covid-19 |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
Several groups held protests nationwide to coincide with the commemoration of Philippine Independence on 12 June 2020.<ref>{{Cite web |date=11 June 2020 |title=LIST: 'Grand mañanita' and other Independence Day 2020 activities |url=http://www.rappler.com/move-ph/263498-list-mananita-other-activities-independence-day-2020 |access-date=19 June 2020 |website=Rappler |language=en |archive-date=13 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200613072615/https://www.rappler.com/move-ph/263498-list-mananita-other-activities-independence-day-2020 |url-status=live }}</ref> Among these was the "Grand Mañanita" protest at the [[University of the Philippines]] in Quezon City. The Grand Mañanita protested the [[Philippine government response to the COVID-19 pandemic|government's response to the COVID-19 crisis]] and Congress' passage of a controversial [[Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020|anti-terror bill]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Gonzales |first=Cathrine |date=12 June 2020 |title=Look: 'Grand mañanita' protest on Independence Day |url=https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1290437/look-grand-mananita-protest-on-independence-day |access-date=19 June 2020 |website=INQUIRER.net |language=en |archive-date=19 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200619173237/https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1290437/look-grand-mananita-protest-on-independence-day |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
On 16 July 2021, health workers held a protest in front of the headquarters of [[Department of Health (Philippines)|Department of Health]] (DOH) where they threw tomatoes at the logo of the DOH.<ref>{{cite news |title=DOH, binato ng kamatis |url=https://web.facebook.com/News5Everywhere/videos/3941239406004582/ |access-date=23 September 2021 |work=News5 |date=July 16, 2021 |via=Facebook |archive-date=22 December 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211222175651/https://www.facebook.com/News5Everywhere/videos/3941239406004582/?_rdc=1&_rdr |url-status=live }}</ref> On 30 August, 1 September and 24 November 2021,<ref>{{cite news |title='Ginagawa kaming bobo': Health workers patuloy ang paghahabol sa benepisyo {{!}} TV Patrol |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9slZiNABZMA&ab_channel=ABS-CBNNews |access-date=28 November 2021 |work=ABS-CBN News |archive-date=28 November 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211128054313/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9slZiNABZMA&ab_channel=ABS-CBNNews |url-status=live }}</ref> health workers from various hospitals in Metro Manila held a protest at the DOH headquarters over nonpayment of their salaries and benefits and demanding Duque (and Duterte) to resign over the handling of the COVID-19 pandemic in the country.<ref>{{cite news |title='We have nothing to celebrate': Health workers protest as Duterte calls frontliners 'new breed of heroes' |url=https://www.cnnphilippines.com/news/2021/8/30/health-workers-protest-National-Heroes-Day.html |access-date=1 September 2021 |work=CNN Philippines |archive-date=1 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210901033613/https://www.cnnphilippines.com/news/2021/8/30/health-workers-protest-National-Heroes-Day.html |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=On Heroes' Day, health workers protest over unreleased benefits |url=https://www.rappler.com/nation/health-workers-protest-unreleased-benefit30-august-2021 |access-date=1 September 2021 |work=Rappler }}{{dead link|date=August 2023|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Underpaid health workers walk out, call for Duque resignation at mass protests |url=https://www.rappler.com/nation/health-workers-walk-out-jobs-mass-protests-duque-1-september-2021 |access-date=1 September 2021 |work=Rappler }}{{dead link|date=August 2023|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Thailand ===<br />
{{main|2020 Thai protests}}<br />
[[File:เยาวชนปลดแอก ประท้วง กรุงเทพ 18 กรกฎาคม 2563 Free Youth Protest at Bangkok 18 July 2020 (Night).jpg|thumb|Demonstrations at the [[Democracy Monument]], [[Bangkok]] at night]]<br />
On 18 July, Thailand saw the largest street demonstration since the [[2014 Thai coup d'état]] at the [[Democracy Monument]] in [[Bangkok]] with around 2,500 protesters. The protesters, organised under the name Free Youth ({{langx|th|เยาวชนปลดแอก}}; yaowachon plod aek), announced three demands: dissolution of the House, stop threatening the people and drafting of a new constitution. The event was triggered by the failed economy due to [[COVID-19 pandemic in Thailand|pandemic]], and unjustified implementation of the COVID-19 acts that were heavily criticised as being a tool against any possible protest. The situation erupted after two COVID-19 cases; an Egyptian soldier in [[Rayong Province]], and a Sudanese diplomat's daughter in [[Khet Watthana|Asok neighbourhood]] of [[Bangkok]], were tested positive earlier on 15 July. Both were excepted from COVID-19's travel restrictions and containment. Many criticised on both the government's failure to contain the disease from these VIPs, and its failure to boost the heavily affected tourism industry in [[Rayong Province]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=18 July 2020 |title=Thai protesters call for government to resign |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-thailand-protests/thai-protesters-call-for-government-to-resign-idUSKCN24J0HN |access-date=20 July 2020 |website=[[Reuters]] |language=en |archive-date=19 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200719182550/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-thailand-protests/thai-protesters-call-for-government-to-resign-idUSKCN24J0HN |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=18 July 2020 |url=https://www.bbc.com/thai/thailand-53456468 |title="เยาวชนปลดแอก" ยุติการชุมนุมก่อนเที่ยงคืน อ้างความปลอดภัย สรุปบรรยากาศจากเริ่มจนจบ |access-date=20 July 2020 |website=[[BBC]] Thai |language=th |archive-date=19 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201019153040/https://www.bbc.com/thai/thailand-53456468 |url-status=live }}</ref> The protesters demanded the government to accept within two weeks, or face larger demonstrations.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2020-07-18 |title=Thai protesters call for government to resign |language=en |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-thailand-protests-idUSKCN24J0HN |access-date=2022-08-04}}</ref><br />
<br />
Later on 19 July, several protests erupted in [[Chiang Mai Province]] and [[Ubon Ratchathani Province]].<ref>{{Cite news |date=20 July 2020 |title=Chiang Mai, Ubon rally against Prayut, government |url=https://www.bangkokpost.com/learning/easy/1954343/chiang-mai-ubon-rally-against-prayut-government?cx_placement=related#cxrecs_s |access-date=20 July 2020 |website=[[Bangkok Post]] |language=en }}</ref><br />
<br />
===Vietnam===<br />
There have been many protests broke out in some localities in Vietnam to protest against the anti-epidemic policy, as well as to call on the government to support people during the pandemic.<br />
<br />
On August 22, 2021, workers at an isolation area in [[Binh Duong]] province conducted a riot, smashed, and prevented a pregnant woman from going to the emergency room.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.hosodanchu.com/2021/08/bao-loan-ap-pha-o-binh-duong-ke-cam.html | title=Bạo loạn, đập phá ở Bình Dương: Kẻ cầm tuýp sắt, người hôi của }}</ref><br />
<br />
On August 27, some people in [[Ho Chi Minh City]] reacted because they had not received local support money and the clip of this incident was posted on social networks. The government has forced "hostile forces to plot to incite demonstrations and fight against social distancing".<ref>{{cite web | url=https://cand.com.vn/Chong-dien-bien-hoa-binh/canh-giac-muu-do-kich-dong-bieu-tinh-chong-pha-gian-cach-xa-hoi-i627958/ | title=Cảnh giác mưu đồ kích động biểu tình, chống phá giãn cách xã hội }}</ref><br />
<br />
On October 1, 2021, people in Ho Chi Minh City protested, attacking police at a checkpoint on the outskirts of the city to open the door for people to return to their hometown. A day later, Vietnamese netizens spread images of police forces and militiamen using sticks to beat protesters in Binh Duong with the purpose of breaking the gate to return to their hometown. The local government then stated to verify the incident, at the same time accused people of rioting and attacking the police.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.bbc.com/vietnamese/vietnam-58775235 | title=Bình Dương: Muốn về quê, xô xát giữa dân và cảnh sát | newspaper=BBC News Tiếng Việt }}</ref><br />
<br />
In mid-October, after the dogs of a household in [[Ca Mau]] province were culled due to suspicion of being infected with the COVID-19 virus, there were many online calls for people to protest against the anti pandemic policies from the government.<br />
<br />
In November 2021, those present at the funeral of Mr. Duong Van Minh, a [[Hmong people|Hmong]] man, clashed with police after police and local medical staff asked those present at the funeral to disperse. due to fears of an outbreak. Mr. Duong Van Minh is the founder of the religious organization that bears his name, which is considered a [[heresy]] by Vietnamese authorities.<br />
<br />
From October 2022, a year after the end of social distancing due to the pandemic, many customers of Sai Gon Joint Stock Commercial Bank (SCB), one of Vietnam's major banks, protested at the bank branch to request a refund of a customer's [[bond (finance)|bond]] purchase. The protests were considered to be motivated by the difficult economic and financial situation of the people after the pandemic.<br />
<br />
== Europe ==<br />
[[File:Men In Black protest in Copenhagen.jpg|thumb|Anti-lockdown demonstration in [[Rådhuspladsen]], [[Copenhagen]], 27 March 2021]]<br />
<br />
=== Austria ===<br />
The newly created [[MFG Austria – People Freedom Fundamental Rights|Fundamental Rights Party]] (MFG), has been planning recent anti-lockdown protests in Austria. The group compared Covid restrictions with "Nazi rule". The country's third largest political party, the [[Freedom Party of Austria]] (FPÖ), has also strongly condemned the Covid restrictions, and its new leader, [[Herbert Kickl]], has pushed misleading and false views of the virus, including claims that the vaccination programme is really a "genetic experiment".<ref>{{Cite news|date=2021-11-27|title=Covid: Conspiracy and untruths drive Europe's Covid protests|language=en-GB|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/59390968|access-date=2021-12-26}}</ref> Kickl urged a public crowd to reject compulsory vaccinations. Fifteen thousand people later rallied at the Heldenplatz square in Vienna to protest against the anti-Covid measures and were later joined by thousands more, with approximately 44,000 people taking part in the rally in total.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-12-12|title=Thousands protest against coronavirus measures in Vienna|url=https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3159367/thousands-austrians-take-streets-protest-against-coronavirus|access-date=2021-12-26|website=South China Morning Post|language=en}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Belgium ===<br />
On 31 January 2021, police in [[Brussels]] said they had arrested more than 400 people to prevent a banned protest of anti-COVID-19 measures.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.dw.com/en/coronavirus-digest-brussels-police-detain-hundreds-of-anti-lockdown-protesters/a-56394523|title=Coronavirus digest: Brussels police detain hundreds of anti-lockdown protesters &#124; DW &#124; 31.01.2021|website=DW.COM|access-date=18 July 2021|archive-date=8 June 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210608133756/https://www.dw.com/en/coronavirus-digest-brussels-police-detain-hundreds-of-anti-lockdown-protesters/a-56394523|url-status=live}}</ref> On 21 November 2021, about 35,000 people in the streets of [[Brussels]] took part in demonstration, which began peaceful before violence broke out. Waving nationalist flags of [[Flanders]] and banners against the more restrictive rules for the unvaccinated, several people hidden by hoods also attacked some police cars. At least two officers and one protester were injured. Protesters threw stones at police as they advanced with water cannon at the main junction in front of the European Union Commission headquarters. Protesters also threw smoke bombs and fireworks, the newspaper ''[[Le Soir]]'' reported. The situation calmed down later, police said.<ref>{{Cite news|url = https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/around-35000-protest-against-covid-restrictions-brussels-police-say-2021-11-21/|title = Clashes break out in Brussels in protests over coronavirus restrictions|newspaper = Reuters|date = 21 November 2021|access-date = 24 November 2021|archive-date = 24 November 2021|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20211124001253/https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/around-35000-protest-against-covid-restrictions-brussels-police-say-2021-11-21/|url-status = live}}</ref><br />
<br />
* [[2022 Brussels protest|January 2022 Brussels protest]]<br />
<br />
=== Belarus ===<br />
{{Main|2020-2021 Belarusian protests}}<br />
In May 2020, a lowered approval of [[authoritarianism|authoritarian]] president [[Alexander Lukashenko]] amid [[COVID-19 pandemic in Belarus|his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic]] led to street protests against his government. Mass protests erupted across Belarus following the August [[2020 Belarusian presidential election]] which was marred by allegations of widespread [[electoral fraud]].{{citation needed|date=August 2021}}<br />
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=== Bosnia and Herzegovina ===<br />
On 6 April 2021, anti-governmental protests "Fight for Life" were held by a group of citizens and activists in Bosnia and Herzegovina's capital [[Sarajevo]] in front of the [[Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina|Parliamentary Assembly]] and the [[Government of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina|Federal Government]], seeking resignations from [[Chairman of the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina|Chairman of the Council of Ministers]] [[Zoran Tegeltija]] and [[List of prime ministers of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina|Federal Prime Minister]] [[Fadil Novalić]], due to lack of leadership during the [[COVID-19 pandemic in Bosnia and Herzegovina]] and late procurement of [[COVID-19 vaccine]]s for the country.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.klix.ba/vijesti/bih/protesti-u-sarajevu-gradjani-ispred-vlade-fbih-skandiraju-ostavke-i-paraziti-napolje/210406028|title=Protesti u Sarajevu: Građani ispred Vlade FBiH skandiraju "Ostavke" i "Paraziti napolje"|date=6 April 2021|access-date=6 April 2021|language=bs|author=D. Be.|publisher=Klix.ba|archive-date=6 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210406110442/https://www.klix.ba/vijesti/bih/protesti-u-sarajevu-gradjani-ispred-vlade-fbih-skandiraju-ostavke-i-paraziti-napolje/210406028|url-status=live}}</ref> Further anti-governmental protests were held eleven days later, on 17 April as well.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.klix.ba/vijesti/bih/zavrseni-protesti-gradjana-u-sarajevu-na-potezu-su-parlamentarci-rok-je-1-maj/210417035|title=Završeni protesti građana u Sarajevu: Na potezu su parlamentarci, rok je 1. maj|date=17 April 2021|access-date=17 April 2021|language=bs|author=N.V.|publisher=Klix.ba|archive-date=17 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210417105301/https://www.klix.ba/vijesti/bih/zavrseni-protesti-gradjana-u-sarajevu-na-potezu-su-parlamentarci-rok-je-1-maj/210417035|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Bulgaria ===<br />
{{Main|2020–2021 Bulgarian protests}}<br />
On 30 March 2020 The Bulgarian Health Ministry issued an order that made not wearing a face mask in public punishable by law at a time when no masks were available for purchasing in the country. After strong public unrest, the order was recalled on the following day<ref>{{Cite web|title=Министър Ананиев отменя заповедта си за задължително носене на маски до постигане на консенсус|url=https://dariknews.bg/novini/bylgariia/vryshtat-maskite-na-zakrito-stavat-zadylzhitelni-v-magazina-i-v-ofisa-2230448|date=31 March 2020|access-date=8 October 2020|website=dariknews.bg|language=bg|archive-date=15 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210515043118/https://dariknews.bg/novini/bylgariia/vryshtat-maskite-na-zakrito-stavat-zadylzhitelni-v-magazina-i-v-ofisa-2230448|url-status=live}}</ref> and re-instated yet again later, with some modifications.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Връщат маските на закрито - стават задължителни в магазина и в офиса|url=https://dariknews.bg/novini/bylgariia/ananiev-otmeni-zapovedta-za-zadylzhitelnite-maski-2219522|date=22 June 2020|access-date=8 October 2020|website=dariknews.bg|language=bg|archive-date=9 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201009015757/https://dariknews.bg/novini/bylgariia/ananiev-otmeni-zapovedta-za-zadylzhitelnite-maski-2219522|url-status=live}}</ref> A small protest took place on 19 April 2020 in [[Sofia]] against the measures to combat the [[COVID-19 pandemic in Bulgaria|COVID-19 pandemic]], with many of the participants expressing concerns about their livelihoods.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Протест в София срещу мерките за ограничаване на коронавируса|url=https://www.mediapool.bg/protest-v-sofiya-sreshtu-merkite-za-ogranichavane-na-koronavirusa-news306375.html|date=19 April 2020|access-date=3 September 2020|website=mediapool.bg|language=bg|archive-date=21 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201021082108/https://www.mediapool.bg/protest-v-sofiya-sreshtu-merkite-za-ogranichavane-na-koronavirusa-news306375.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Protests with an [[Anti-vaccine activism|anti-vax]] slant that also demanded the resignation of the government, organized by the [[Revival (Bulgarian political party)|Vazrazhdane]] party,<ref>{{Cite web|title=8 арестувани на протеста в София (ВИДЕО+СНИМКИ)|url=https://nova.bg/news/view/2020/05/14/287916/8-%D0%B0%D1%80%D0%B5%D1%81%D1%82%D1%83%D0%B2%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%B8-%D0%BD%D0%B0-%D0%BF%D1%80%D0%BE%D1%82%D0%B5%D1%81%D1%82%D0%B0-%D0%B2-%D1%81%D0%BE%D1%84%D0%B8%D1%8F-%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE%D1%81%D0%BD%D0%B8%D0%BC%D0%BA%D0%B8/|date=14 May 2020|access-date=3 September 2020|website=nova.bg|language=bg|archive-date=24 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200524113735/https://nova.bg/news/view/2020/05/14/287916/8-%D0%B0%D1%80%D0%B5%D1%81%D1%82%D1%83%D0%B2%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%B8-%D0%BD%D0%B0-%D0%BF%D1%80%D0%BE%D1%82%D0%B5%D1%81%D1%82%D0%B0-%D0%B2-%D1%81%D0%BE%D1%84%D0%B8%D1%8F-%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE%D1%81%D0%BD%D0%B8%D0%BC%D0%BA%D0%B8/|url-status=live}}</ref> were held in May and June, resulting in a few arrests, but did not see a significant turnout.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Протест на антиваксъри в София|url=https://www.vesti.bg/bulgaria/protest-na-antivaksyri-v-sofiia-6110588|date=6 June 2020|access-date=3 September 2020|author=Kirov, Nikolay|website=vesti.bg|language=bg|archive-date=26 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200726135130/https://www.vesti.bg/bulgaria/protest-na-antivaksyri-v-sofiia-6110588|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
Public disapproval grew during the pandemic and reached a spontaneous culmination on 9 July 2020 after a police raid on the Presidency of Bulgaria in what was perceived as an attack against President [[Rumen Radev]], a vocal critic of prime minister [[Boyko Borisov]], who has been in power since 2009,<ref>{{Cite web|date=9 July 2020|title=Raids Worsen Bulgarian President's Spat With Prosecutor|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-07-09/bulgarian-police-raid-president-radev-s-offices|access-date=15 July 2020|website=Bloomberg.com|archive-date=1 February 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210201190554/https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-07-09/bulgarian-police-raid-president-radev-s-offices|url-status=live}}</ref> and the long-standing grievances against endemic corruption and [[state capture]]. Daily demonstrations were held in the country's capital [[Sofia]] until April 2021, though the number of protesters dwindled during the autumn and winter months when the country was heavily affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.<ref>{{Cite web|title=88-а вечер на протести в София: Призоваха за атаки срещу офисите на управляващата коалиция (Снимки)|url=https://www.24chasa.bg/novini/article/9082543|date=4 October 2020|access-date=8 October 2020|website=24chasa.bg|language=bg|archive-date=22 December 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211222175752/https://www.24chasa.bg/novini/article/9082543|url-status=live}}</ref> On 12 January 2022, Vazrazhdane organized a large demonstration against the COVID green certificates for indoor spaces, during which protest participants attempted to make their way into the National Parliament.<ref name="VazrazhdaneProtestGreenCertificateJanuary2022">{{cite news | title=Поддръжници на "Възраждане" се опитаха да нахлуят в парламента| work=mediapool.bg |author= |language=Bulgarian|url=https://www.mediapool.bg/poddrazhnitsi-na-vazrazhdane-se-opitaha-da-nahluyat-v-parlamenta-news331009.html| date=12 January 2022|access-date=10 February 2022 }}</ref> On 23 February 2022, the party held another protest with the same focus.<ref name="VazrazhdaneFollowUpProtestGreenCertificateFebruary2022">{{cite news | title="Възраждане" приветства поетапното отпадане на зеления сертификат, протестът обаче остава| work=dariknews.bg |author= |language=Bulgarian|url=https://dariknews.bg/novini/bylgariia/vyzrazhdane-privetstva-poetapnoto-otpadane-na-zeleniia-sertifikat-protestyt-obache-ostava-2301183| date=21 February 2022|access-date=2 April 2022 }}</ref><br />
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=== Czechia ===<br />
In late 2020 and during 2021, many anti-responses protests occurred as the pandemic situation in country worsened and measures, often legally unsubstantiated, were prolonged. Protesters demanded revoking of the restrictions such as gathering limitations or pubs closure. Many of them also refused face-masks wearing, which gave them a nickname "anti-rouškaři", meaning "mask-refusers". The most violent incident occurred on 18 October in Prague, when group of radical protesters, including football hooligans, clashed with police forces after protest was dissolved due to violations of hygienic measures. 20 officers were injured as well as unknown number of protesters. 144 persons were arrested. This is in contrast with mostly peaceful protests which are typical in Czechia. Since then, police has changed a tactics to document offences rather than doing large maneuvers to disperse crowds.<br />
<ref>{{cite web|date=18 October 2020|title=Demonstrace proti vládním opatřením se změnila v potyčky s těžkooděnci. Policie zadržela přes 100 lidí|url=https://www.irozhlas.cz/zpravy-domov/praha-protesty-koronavirus-fotbalovy-fanousci-demonstrace-staromestske-namesti_2010181508_tkr|url-status=live|access-date=12 June 2021|archive-date=31 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201031010343/https://www.irozhlas.cz/zpravy-domov/praha-protesty-koronavirus-fotbalovy-fanousci-demonstrace-staromestske-namesti_2010181508_tkr}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|date=31 January 2021|title=Na Václavském náměstí demonstrovaly stovky lidí proti omezením|url=https://www.ceskenoviny.cz/zpravy/na-vaclavskem-namesti-demonstrovaly-stovky-lidi-proti-omezenim/1989855|url-status=live|access-date=12 June 2021|archive-date=8 October 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211008164748/https://www.ceskenoviny.cz/zpravy/na-vaclavskem-namesti-demonstrovaly-stovky-lidi-proti-omezenim/1989855}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Šplíchal|first=Pavel|date=25 February 2021|title=Antirouškaři jsou ti nejtrapnější disidenti. Jako poslední věří vládě|url=https://a2larm.cz/2021/02/antirouskari-jsou-ti-nejtrapnejsi-disidenti-jako-posledni-veri-vlade/|access-date=12 June 2021}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== France ===<br />
{{Main|Yellow vests protests|French freedom convoy|2021–2022 social unrest in the French West Indies}}<br />
<br />
The [[Paris]] suburb [[Villeneuve-la-Garenne]] saw riots in April 2020, partly about the strains of the [[COVID-19 pandemic in France|coronavirus outbreak]] and lockdown on working-class families, often immigrants, who live in small apartments in crowded public housing buildings. Many have reported that in poorer neighbourhoods the policies are difficult to follow due to over crowding and cause the neighbourhoods to be impacted more than wealthier Parisians. The demonstrations have since been seen in the suburb [[Hauts-de-Seine]], and other French cities [[Toulouse]], [[Lyon]] and [[Strasbourg]].<ref>{{Cite news|last=McAuley|first=James|date=25 April 2020|title=Violent protests in Paris suburbs reflect tensions under lockdown|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/paris-suburbs-protests-villeneuve-la-garenne/2020/04/25/55f5a40c-85a1-11ea-81a3-9690c9881111_story.html|access-date=1 May 2020|newspaper=The Washington Post|language=en|archive-date=25 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200425112752/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/paris-suburbs-protests-villeneuve-la-garenne/2020/04/25/55f5a40c-85a1-11ea-81a3-9690c9881111_story.html|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
==== Vaccination obligation, sanitary pass ====<br />
The announcement of president [[Emmanuel Macron|Macron]] on 12 July 2021 of a [[COVID-19 vaccination in France|COVID-19 vaccination]] obligation for all health care workers by 15 September, as well as the obligation for people older than twelve to show a "[[COVID-19 vaccine card#France|sanitary pass]]" as of August for admittance to cafés, restaurants, cinemas, hospitals,<ref name=nrc,14jul>(Dutch) [https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2021/07/13/fransman-die-zich-niet-wil-laten-prikken-moet-maar-voelen-a4050923#/handelsblad/2021/07/14/#106 'Fransman die zich niet wil laten prikken moet maar voelen'] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210821205804/https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2021/07/13/fransman-die-zich-niet-wil-laten-prikken-moet-maar-voelen-a4050923#/handelsblad/2021/07/14/ |date=21 August 2021 }}. ''[[NRC Handelsblad]]'', 13 July 2021.</ref> senior citizens' homes, trains,<ref name=nrc,27jul>(Dutch) [https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2021/07/26/frans-parlement-stemt-in-met-nieuwe-covid-maatregelen-a4052430#/handelsblad/2021/07/27/#114 'Frans parlement stemt in met coronapaspoort en verplichte vaccinatie voor het zorgpersoneel'] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210821205804/https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2021/07/26/frans-parlement-stemt-in-met-nieuwe-covid-maatregelen-a4052430#/handelsblad/2021/07/27/ |date=21 August 2021 }}. ''[[NRC Handelsblad]]'', 26 July 2021.</ref> shopping malls,<ref>{{cite web |last1=De Fournas |first1=Marie |title=Coronavirus : Comment ça va se passer avec la fin des tests PCR et antigéniques gratuits ? |url=https://www.20minutes.fr/sante/3083303-20210713-coronavirus-comment-ca-va-passer-fin-tests-pcr-antigeniques-gratuits |website=20 Minutes |date=13 July 2021 |access-date=25 July 2021 |archive-date=25 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210725060050/https://www.20minutes.fr/sante/3083303-20210713-coronavirus-comment-ca-va-passer-fin-tests-pcr-antigeniques-gratuits |url-status=live }}</ref> and other public venues led to protests across France. The 'sanitary pass' should prove that someone is either vaccinated, has recently [[COVID-19 testing|tested negative]],<ref name=nrc,14jul/> or has recovered from [[COVID-19]].<ref name=nrc,11Aug>(Dutch) [https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2021/08/11/wij-houden-ons-hart-vast-voor-volgende-week-a4054487#/handelsblad/2021/08/12/#104 'Coronapaspoort in Frankrijk: 'Wij houden ons hart vast' '.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210821205802/https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2021/08/11/wij-houden-ons-hart-vast-voor-volgende-week-a4054487#/handelsblad/2021/08/12/ |date=21 August 2021 }} ''[[NRC Handelsblad]]'', 11 August 2021.</ref> Macron's motivation was: "We are in a new race against time", "Vaccination is the only way to protect yourself and others".<ref name=nrc,14jul/><br />
<br />
[[Marine Le Pen]], challenger of Macron in the [[2022 French presidential election]], immediately condemned the vaccination obligation as "indecent insolence" attesting of "ingratitude" towards the health care workers.<ref name=nrc,14jul/> On Wednesday 14 July, the French [[National day]] called '[[Bastille Day]]', in [[Paris]] some 2,250 people protested against these new corona restrictions. Demonstrations were also held in Toulouse, Bordeaux, Montpellier, Nantes and 48 other places, totalling around 19,000 protesters. Slogans chanted were: "Down with dictatorship", "Down with the health pass". A demonstrator equated the health pass with "segregation". Objects and fireworks were thrown at the police, who answered with tear gas and arrests.<ref>{{cite web |title=French police fire tear gas as anti-vaccine protest turns violent |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/7/15/french-police-tear-gas-as-anti-vaccine-protest-turns-violent |website=Al Jazeera |access-date=24 July 2021 |date=15 July 2021 |archive-date=23 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210723121648/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/7/15/french-police-tear-gas-as-anti-vaccine-protest-turns-violent |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
On Saturday 17 July, nationwide some 114,000 people protested against the two new measures.<ref name=nrc,1Aug/> On 24 July, some 160,000 people around France protested against the measures. Protesters chanted: "Liberty! Liberty!" Projectiles including a chair were thrown at the police in Paris, who reacted with tear gas and water cannons.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-07-24|title=French protesters reject virus passes, vaccine mandate|url=https://apnews.com/article/europe-health-coronavirus-pandemic-dc03061cb033cb4181ff5424acb9ed63|access-date=2021-07-25|website=AP NEWS|language=en|archive-date=25 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210725015129/https://apnews.com/article/europe-health-coronavirus-pandemic-dc03061cb033cb4181ff5424acb9ed63|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
On 25 July, the [[Senate (France)|French Senate]] nevertheless agreed to the measures except the pass obligation for children under 18 years old.<ref>''[[Dagblad van het Noorden]]'', 26 July 2021.</ref><br />
<br />
On 31 July, over 200,000 people nationwide protested against these plans. Thousands around [[Place de la Bastille]] in [[Paris]] chanted: ''"Liberté!"'' [Freedom!]. Signs accused Macron of being a dictator.<ref>[https://www.npr.org/2021/08/02/1023637209/protesters-say-frances-anti-virus-pass-is-a-threat-to-personal-freedoms 'Protesters Say France's Anti-Virus Pass Is A Threat To Personal Freedoms'] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210821205802/https://www.npr.org/2021/08/02/1023637209/protesters-say-frances-anti-virus-pass-is-a-threat-to-personal-freedoms |date=21 August 2021 }}. [[NPR|National Public Radio]], 2 August 2021. Retrieved 20 August 2021.</ref> A bus driver motivated his protest as: "I'm not an antivaxer (...) But this is going to fast, I want to wait and see". A hospital worker said: "These [[COVID-19 vaccine misinformation and hesitancy|vaccines are experimental]] ; there's no way I'm gonna take it".<ref name=nrc,1Aug>(Dutch) [https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2021/08/01/gele-hesjes-lopen-te-hoop-tegen-sanitaire-dictatuur-a4053244#/handelsblad/2021/08/02/#104 'Gele hesjes lopen te hoop tegen 'pasdictatuur' ' ('Yellow vests crowd together against 'pass dictatorship' ')] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210821205807/https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2021/08/01/gele-hesjes-lopen-te-hoop-tegen-sanitaire-dictatuur-a4053244#/handelsblad/2021/08/02/ |date=21 August 2021 }}. ''[[NRC Handelsblad]]'', 1 August 2021.</ref> A placard in [[Paris]] cited Macron: ' ''"Je ne rendrai pas la vaccination obligatoire", Emmanuel Macron, Novembre 2020'' ' ["I will not make vaccination obligatory", Macron, Nov. 2020]. Another: ' ''De la démocratie à la dictature il n'y a qu'un <<PASS>>'' ' [From democracy to dictatorship is only one step [or] one pass].<ref>''[[Dagblad van het Noorden]]'', 5 August 2021.</ref> Another: '<small>VACCINÉ A LA LIBERTÉ'</small> [<small>VACCINATED FOR FREEDOM</small>].<ref name=nrc,10Aug>(Dutch) [https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2021/08/10/gedwongen-vaccinatie-demonstraties-in-frankrijk-applaus-in-italie-a4054305#/handelsblad/2021/08/11/#114 'Gedwongen vaccinatie: demonstraties in Frankrijk, applaus in Italië' ('Enforced vaccination: demonstrations in France, applause in Italy')] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210821205806/https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2021/08/10/gedwongen-vaccinatie-demonstraties-in-frankrijk-applaus-in-italie-a4054305#/handelsblad/2021/08/11/ |date=21 August 2021 }}. ''[[NRC Handelsblad]]'', 10 August 2021.</ref><br />
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On Saturday 7 August, 237,000 people protested on 198 locations in France, the authorities reported. In Paris, [[Lyon]], [[Toulouse]], rioters pelted the police with all sorts of things, police reacted with tear gas and charges and arrests.<ref>''[[Dagblad van het Noorden]]'', 9 August 2021.</ref> The sanitary pass obligation came into effect on 9 August, civilians risk a fine of 135 euro for disobedience, business owners risk a 45,000 euro fine or one-year prison and the closure of their business.<ref name=nrc,11Aug /><br />
<br />
On 14 August 2021, between 200,000 and 250,000 people according to the police and the organisers have again demonstrated, on more than 200 locations in France, against the ''pass sanitaire'' and the obligated vaccination of health care personnel. Placards compared the sanitary pass with '[[Apartheid]]', people chanted slogans about the "health dictatorship". Police in Lyon used pepper spray against rioters.<ref>(Dutch) [https://www.telegraaf.nl/nieuws/456452706/live-weer-massale-protesten-tegen-franse-gezondheidsdictatuur 'Weer massale protesten tegen Franse 'gezondheidsdictatuur' ' (Again massive protests against French 'health dictatorship')] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210821205803/https://www.telegraaf.nl/nieuws/456452706/live-weer-massale-protesten-tegen-franse-gezondheidsdictatuur |date=21 August 2021 }}. ''[[De Telegraaf]]'', 14 August 2021. Retrieved 18 August 2021.</ref><br />
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Since then, these protests grew smaller ; on Saturday, 18 September 2021, the demonstrators in France against the sanitary pass and obligated vaccination counted 80,000.<ref>''[[Dagblad van het Noorden]]'', 23 September 2021.</ref><br />
<br />
===Greece===<br />
{{See also|2021 Greek protests}}<br />
The 2021 Greek protests broke out in response to a proposed government bill that would allow police presence on university campuses for the first time in decades, for which opposition groups accused the government of taking advantage of the COVID-19 lockdown to impose increasingly authoritarian measures.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://apnews.com/article/bills-athens-higher-education-greece-25de0ce9e884adba145b474d07be57d6|title=Protest gets heated ahead of campus policing vote|date=10 February 2021|publisher=[[Associated Press]]|location=[[Athens]]|access-date=2 May 2021|archive-date=12 February 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210212142808/https://apnews.com/article/bills-athens-higher-education-greece-25de0ce9e884adba145b474d07be57d6|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
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=== Georgia ===<br />
On 5 December 2021 thousands demonstrated in Tbilisi against a COVID-19 passport system which has been implemented in Georgia since December 1, allowing only citizens and tourists with a QR-code proving vaccination or recovery from the virus or with a negative PCR test result to visit public places, restaurants, entertainment and shopping centers. Protesters marched with posters and Georgian flags, passing by the parliamentary building.{{citation needed|date=March 2022}}<br />
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=== Germany ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 protests in Germany}}<br />
[[File:Vicent-van-Volkmer-Bienen-Aktivist-Demo-29.08.2020 Berlin Covid-19 Pandemie.jpg|thumb|Protester with a "Free The Bee" placard during the COVID-19 protests in Berlin on 29 August 2020, near the [[Brandenburg Gate]]]]<br />
Since April 2020, in [[Germany]] numerous protests against government policies over the COVID-19 pandemic have been held in several cities.<br />
A protest in [[Berlin]] on 29 August was estimated by authorities to have drawn 38,000 participants.<ref name="rbb">In German: [https://www.rbb24.de/politik/thema/2020/coronavirus/beitraege_neu/2020/08/demonstrationen-samstag-corona-querdenken-gegendemos.html 'Fast 40.000 Menschen bei Corona-Demos – Sperren am Reichstag durchbrochen' (Almost 40,000 people by corona demos – fences at the ''Reichstag'' broken through)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200901090757/https://www.rbb24.de/politik/thema/2020/coronavirus/beitraege_neu/2020/08/demonstrationen-samstag-corona-querdenken-gegendemos.html |date=1 September 2020 }}. rbb24.de, 29 August 2020. Retrieved 19 September 2020.</ref><br />
<br />
Several of the protests in Germany, like the one of 29 August, were organized by the group ''Querdenken 711'', based in [[Stuttgart]]. As per its homepage, it considers its main aims to support the fundamental rights enshrined in the German constitution, in particular the freedoms of opinion, expression, and assembly.<ref name="dw_20201106">{{cite web|url=https://www.dw.com/en/coronavirus-germany-braces-for-anti-lockdown-protests/a-55513848|title=Coronavirus: Germany braces for anti-lockdown protests|first=Ben|last=Knight|website=[[Deutsche Welle]]|agency=[[Deutsche Welle]]|date=6 November 2020|access-date=8 November 2021|archive-date=8 November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211108155543/https://www.dw.com/en/coronavirus-germany-braces-for-anti-lockdown-protests/a-55513848|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
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[[File:AnarchistCovidProtest.jpg|upright|thumb|left|[[Anarchist]] anti-conspiracy theory, anti-gentrification protest]]<br />
At the 29 August demonstration in Berlin, one of the invited orators was [[Robert F. Kennedy Jr.]], lawyer and conspiracy theorist and nephew of the assassinated U.S. President [[John F. Kennedy]]. He warned the crowd that the COVID-19 measures being deployed in many countries might lead to the implementation of a [[Mass surveillance#Surveillance state|surveillance state]]. A few hundred protesters attempted to storm the [[Reichstag building]], the seat of the German parliament;<ref name=rbb/><ref name="BBC30Aug">{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-53959552|title=Germany coronavirus: Hundreds arrested in German 'anti-corona' protests|work=BBC News|agency=[[BBC News]]|date=30 August 2020|access-date=15 September 2020|archive-date=4 September 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200904141636/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-53959552|url-status=live}}</ref> a few of them reached the stairs. A burst of media attention arose due to this incident. Later demonstrations tended to be smaller, and sometimes organized by allies of ''Querdenken''.<ref name="dw_20201106"/><br />
<br />
[[Anarchists]], [[libertarian socialists]] and [[anti-fascists]] in Germany have been counterprotesting "Querdenken 711" and other demonstrations against public health mandates. Focusing on increasing [[gentrification]], [[wealth inequality]], [[evictions]], police measures and favoring of compulsory vaccination. Anarchists have seen increasing evictions of [[anarchist communities]] and squats.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.dw.com/en/berlin-police-clear-anarchist-occupied-house-liebig-34/a-55211590|title=Berlin police clear anarchist-occupied house Liebig 34 &#124; DW &#124; 09.10.2020|website=DW.COM|access-date=30 November 2020|archive-date=2 December 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201202154402/https://www.dw.com/en/berlin-police-clear-anarchist-occupied-house-liebig-34/a-55211590|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://crimethinc.com/2020/03/18/surviving-the-virus-an-anarchist-guide-capitalism-in-crisis-rising-totalitarianism-strategies-of-resistance|title=CrimethInc. : Surviving the Virus: An Anarchist Guide : Capitalism in Crisis—Rising Totalitarianism—Strategies of Resistance|website=CrimethInc.|date=18 March 2020 |access-date=30 November 2020|archive-date=2 December 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201202160836/https://crimethinc.com/2020/03/18/surviving-the-virus-an-anarchist-guide-capitalism-in-crisis-rising-totalitarianism-strategies-of-resistance|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://ent.siteintelgroup.com/Far-Right-/-Far-Left-Threat/german-company-targeted-in-anarchist-arson-attack-for-covid-19-repression.html|title=German Company Targeted in Anarchist Arson Attack for COVID-19 "Repression" &#124; Far-Right / Far-Left Threat &#124; Articles|website=ent.siteintelgroup.com|date=29 June 2020|access-date=30 November 2020|archive-date=29 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201129103231/https://ent.siteintelgroup.com/Far-Right-/-Far-Left-Threat/german-company-targeted-in-anarchist-arson-attack-for-covid-19-repression.html|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
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=== Hungary ===<br />
On 28 February 2021, around 3,000–5,000 protesters gathered in the capital city of [[Budapest]] at [[Hősök tere]] to protest the lockdown regulations, and the Constitution of 2012.{{citation needed|date=August 2021}}<br />
<br />
The far-right [[Our Homeland Movement]] organised protests against lockdown measures on 15 March 2021,<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-04-20|title=Hungarian far-right party protests lockdown|url=https://apnews.com/article/hungary-budapest-coronavirus-pandemic-economy-ecd0b637126258601ca249f35b5b8743|access-date=2022-02-07|website=The Associated Press|language=en}}</ref> and against vaccine mandates (a "Covid Dictatorship") throughout December 2021 in various Hungarian cities.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-12-18|title=A "Covid-diktatúra" ellen tüntetett a Mi Hazánk Mozgalom|url=https://hvg.hu/itthon/20211218_Mi_Hazank_Mozgalom_Toroczkai_Laszlo_oltasellenesseg_tuntetes_kotelezo_oltas_Covid_diktatura|access-date=2022-02-07|website=hvg.hu|language=hu}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-12-06|title=Vidéken folytatja a kötelező oltás elleni tüntetéseket a Mi Hazánk|url=https://mihazank.hu/videken-folytatja-a-kotelezo-oltas-elleni-tunteteseket-a-mi-hazank/|access-date=2022-02-07|website=Mi Hazánk Mozgalom|language=hu}}</ref> On 16 January 2022 they held another anti-vaccine protest in Budapest, attracting thousands of people.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Imre|first=Patthy Loránd|date=2022-01-16|title="Nem tudnak lejönni a szerről az oltottak" – tüntetést tartott a Mi Hazánk Budapesten|url=https://index.hu/belfold/2022/01/16/oltasellenesseg-tuntetes-mi-hazank-novak-elod-pali-jeno-toroczkai-laszlo/|access-date=2022-02-07|website=index.hu|language=hu}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Ireland ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 protests in the Republic of Ireland}}<br />
On 24 July 2021, over ten thousand people attended an anti discrimination march in Dublin, in response to the Irish government's announcement that vaccine passports would be introduced.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/large-crowd-gathers-in-dublin-to-protest-vaccine-cert-system-1.4629890|title=Large crowd gathers in Dublin to protest vaccine cert system|first=Ellen|last=O'Riordan|newspaper=The Irish Times|access-date=12 October 2021|archive-date=28 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210728080317/https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/large-crowd-gathers-in-dublin-to-protest-vaccine-cert-system-1.4629890|url-status=live}}</ref> Said passports were to be used to prevent unvaccinated people availing of indoor dining services.<br />
[[File:PXL 20210724 152855881.LS exported 0.jpg|thumb|alt=Freedom March Dublin|July 24 Anti Discrimination March, Dublin]]<br />
<br />
Hundreds attended an anti-lockdown, [[Mask refusal|anti-face mask]] protest in [[Dublin]] on 22 August 2020. The protest was organised by Health Freedom Ireland with support from Yellow Vest Ireland. Four people were arrested at the protest.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/four-arrested-in-clashes-at-anti-facemask-protest-in-dublin-1.4336794|title=Four arrested in clashes at anti-facemask protest in Dublin|newspaper=[[The Irish Times]]|first1=Conor|last1=Lally|first2=Sarah|last2=Burns|first3=Jennifer|last3=Cosgrove|date=22 August 2020|access-date=22 August 2020|archive-date=22 August 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200822185513/https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/four-arrested-in-clashes-at-anti-facemask-protest-in-dublin-1.4336794|url-status=live}}</ref> Another protest was organised by the same groups on 3 October, with up to a thousand protesters marching through the city centre before staging a sit-down protest in the main shopping area of Grafton Street.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Beresford |first1=Jack |title=Anti-mask demonstrators stage sit-in protest in Dublin |url=https://www.irishpost.com/news/anti-mask-demonstrators-stage-sit-in-protest-in-dublin-194384 |access-date=4 October 2020 |work=The Irish Post |date=3 October 2020 |archive-date=9 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201009000301/https://www.irishpost.com/news/anti-mask-demonstrators-stage-sit-in-protest-in-dublin-194384 |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
On 27 February 2021, violent clashes between protesters and the ''[[Garda Síochána]]'' erupted during an anti-lockdown protest near [[St Stephen's Green]] in Dublin. Three Gardaí were injured and 23 people were arrested in the aftermath of the protest. The Taoiseach [[Micheál Martin]] condemned the demonstration as "an unacceptable risk to both the public and Gardaí".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/three-garda%C3%AD-injured-and-23-arrested-after-clashes-at-dublin-anti-lockdown-protest-1.4497218|title=Three gardaí injured and 23 arrested after clashes at Dublin anti-lockdown protest|newspaper=[[The Irish Times]]|first=Ronan|last=McGreevy|date=27 February 2021|access-date=2 March 2021|url-access=subscription|archive-date=2 March 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210302221822/https://www.irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/three-garda%C3%AD-injured-and-23-arrested-after-clashes-at-dublin-anti-lockdown-protest-1.4497218|url-status=live}}</ref> A non-violent anti-lockdown protest with approximately 450 people in attendance took place on 6 March in [[Cork (city)|Cork]]. The event was organised by The People's Convention.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/munster/arid-40238867.html|title=Cork anti-lockdown protest attracts hundreds into city centre|newspaper=[[Irish Examiner]]|first1=Noel|last1=Baker|first2=Cormac|last2=O'Keeffe|first3=Eoin|last3=English|date=6 March 2021|access-date=9 March 2021|archive-date=8 March 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210308012117/https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/munster/arid-40238867.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Six people were arrested on the day of the protest.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/munster/arid-40239296.html|title=Six arrested on day of Cork anti-lockdown protest|newspaper=[[Irish Examiner]]|first=Steve|last=Neville|date=6 March 2021|access-date=9 March 2021|archive-date=6 March 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210306173608/https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/munster/arid-40239296.html|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Italy ===<br />
{{Main|Protests over COVID-19 policies in Italy}}<br />
Since the month of March 2020, many people [[Protests over COVID-19 policies in Italy|started protesting over COVID-19]] and the rules imposed by the [[Government of Italy|Italian government]].<br />
<br />
=== Netherlands ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 protests in the Netherlands|2021 Dutch curfew riots}}<br />
On 24 January 2021, violent protests erupted as a reaction to the [[Dutch government]] decision to impose a [[curfew]] as a means to curb the spread of the [[COVID-19 pandemic in the Netherlands|COVID-19]].<ref name="FT 210126" /><ref name="Guardian 210126" /> The curfew, imposed between 9 PM to 4:30 AM, was the first of its kind to be enacted in the country since the [[Second World War]].<ref name="FT 210126">{{cite news |last1=Khan |first1=Mehreen |title=Dutch extend Covid curfew despite violent backlash |url=https://www.ft.com/content/351fa962-ee98-49d7-80c8-dfe73a466991 |access-date=27 January 2021 |work=Financial Times |date=26 January 2021 |archive-date=26 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210126225209/https://www.ft.com/content/351fa962-ee98-49d7-80c8-dfe73a466991 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="WaPo 210125">{{cite news |last1=Cunningham |first1=Erin |title=Riots explode across Netherlands over covid restrictions, with Dutch leader calling participants criminals |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/dutch-government-covid-curfew-unrest/2021/01/25/20fa8590-5ef1-11eb-a177-7765f29a9524_story.html |access-date=27 January 2021 |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=25 January 2021 |archive-date=26 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210126200353/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/dutch-government-covid-curfew-unrest/2021/01/25/20fa8590-5ef1-11eb-a177-7765f29a9524_story.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Protests took place in most major cities, including [[Amsterdam]] and [[Eindhoven]]. Police made hundreds of arrests and issued thousands of fines.<ref name="FT 210126" /><ref name="WSJ 210126">{{cite news |last1=Pop |first1=Valentina |title=Dutch Rioters Clash With Police for Third Night Over Covid-19 Curfew |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/dutch-rioters-clash-with-police-for-third-night-over-covid-19-curfew-11611664598?page=1 |access-date=27 January 2021 |work=The Wall Street Journal |date=26 January 2021 |archive-date=22 December 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211222175714/https://www.wsj.com/articles/dutch-rioters-clash-with-police-for-third-night-over-covid-19-curfew-11611664598?page=1 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Guardian 210126">{{cite news |last1=Henley |first1=John |title=Netherlands shaken by third night of riots over Covid curfew |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jan/26/netherlands-third-night-riots-covid-curfew-lockdown-protesters |access-date=27 January 2021 |work=The Guardian |date=26 January 2021 |archive-date=26 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210126225117/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jan/26/netherlands-third-night-riots-covid-curfew-lockdown-protesters |url-status=live }}</ref> The Dutch Police Association described the riots at the worst violence in Netherlands in the last 40 years.<ref name="FT 210126" /> The protests have been described as being composed of mostly young men.<ref name="FT 210126" /><ref name="WSJ 210126" /><br />
<br />
An opinion poll by public broadcaster [[Nederlandse Omroep Stichting|NOS]] indicated that the curfew was supported by seven out of 10 Dutch respondents (although the amounts of respondents is unknown), with just 18% of the population opposing it.<ref name="WSJ 210126" /> An online poll with over 28.000 respondents, done by Radio NPO1, a Dutch state radio station, showed that 89% of Dutch people wanted the curfew to be removed.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://degouda.nl/poll-van-npo1-meerderheid-wil-avondklok-weg-en-wat-vinden-gouwenaars-van-de-avondklok/|title=Poll van NPO1: Meerderheid wil avondklok weg en wat vinden Gouwenaars van de avondklok?|date=18 February 2021|access-date=4 November 2021|archive-date=4 November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211104160506/https://degouda.nl/poll-van-npo1-meerderheid-wil-avondklok-weg-en-wat-vinden-gouwenaars-van-de-avondklok/|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
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After the Netherlands went into a partial lockdown on 12 November 2021 due to a sharp rise in COVID-19 cases, another series of protests and riots occurred over such measures. Rioting was especially concentrated in [[Rotterdam]], where [[National Police Corps (Netherlands)|police]] fired warning shots at rioters, injuring at least two.<ref>{{cite news|title= Rotterdam police clash with rioters as Covid protest turns violent|url= https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-59355950|access-date= 20 November 2021|work= BBC News|date= 20 November 2021|archive-date= 20 November 2021|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20211120001743/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-59355950|url-status= live}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Poland ===<br />
[[File:Protest against anti-pandemic measures in Warsaw (20.03.2021) (17).jpg|thumb|Protest against anti-pandemic measures in Warsaw]]<br />
Hundreds of protesters gathered in the Polish border town of [[Zgorzelec]] to protest the lockdown regulations, the protest was staged specifically on the foot bridge connecting Zgorzelec and the German town of [[Görlitz]] as many lived in Poland but worked in Germany. Many protested the inability to cross the borders of the countries as they lived in a different country from where they worked, and similar protests were seen in border towns along the Polish-German border and the Polish-[[Czech Republic|Czech]] border.<ref>{{cite news|agency=Reuters|date=25 April 2020|title=Hundreds Protest Against Lockdown at Polish-German Border|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2020/04/25/world/europe/25reuters-health-coronavirus-cross-border-workers.html|access-date=1 May 2020|issn=0362-4331|archive-date=26 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200426002608/https://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2020/04/25/world/europe/25reuters-health-coronavirus-cross-border-workers.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Freedom march (Marsz Wolności) happens every month, for example in Wrocław.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://gazetawroclawska.pl/marsz-wolnosci-we-wroclawiu-koronasceptycy-przyszli-tlumnie-interweniowala-policja-zdjecia/ar/c1-15453618|title=Marsz wolności we Wrocławiu. Koronasceptycy przyszli tłumnie, interweniowała policja [ZDJĘCIA]|language=Polish|date=20 February 2020|first=Jerzy|last=Wójcik|publisher=Gazeta Wrocławska|access-date=22 February 2021|archive-date=21 February 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210221083516/https://gazetawroclawska.pl/marsz-wolnosci-we-wroclawiu-koronasceptycy-przyszli-tlumnie-interweniowala-policja-zdjecia/ar/c1-15453618|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
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=== Russia ===<br />
Security forces broke up a crowd of about 2,000 individuals protesting against the lockdown in [[Vladikavkaz]], with some detained and the believed organizer arrested prior to the event.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Russian Police Break-Up Anti-Lockdown Protest|url=https://www.rferl.org/a/russian-police-break-up-anti-lockdown-protest/30568221.html|last=Furlong|first=Ray|date=21 April 2020|website=Radio Free Europe Radio Liberty|access-date=1 May 2020|archive-date=1 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200501054754/https://www.rferl.org/a/russian-police-break-up-anti-lockdown-protest/30568221.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Some protesters at the event used their social media to post videos about their demands against the lockdown, with one stating; "Today, under the pretext of the coronavirus, which doesn't exist, people are driven into slavery, they are trying to establish total control over us all."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-russia-protests-idUSKBN22225B|title=Hundreds protest in southern Russian against coronavirus curbs|date=20 April 2020|first1=Alexander|last1=Marrow|first2=Maria|last2=Tsvetkova|website=Reuters|access-date=30 April 2020|archive-date=29 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200429005016/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-russia-protests-idUSKBN22225B|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
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=== Serbia ===<br />
{{Main|2020–2021 Serbian protests}}<br />
On 7 July 2020, a riot began in [[Belgrade]] after the government's announcement of a [[curfew]] for the weekend. Protests began because of the government's continuous change in handling COVID-19 policy and alleged hiding of the number of COVID-19 cases in the country.{{citation needed|date=August 2021}}<br />
<br />
=== Slovakia ===<br />
In late 2020 and during 2021, several anti-COVID-restriction protests were held also in [[Slovakia]], mainly in the capital, [[Bratislava]] and also [[Košice|Kosice]].<br />
Many people are starting to disobey the rules: they go to bars even though they are not vaccinated, they don't wear FFP2 mask but only textile mask. There were even incidents of people without masks coming to a grocery store. These customers were then beaten by the police as they refused to put on their mask.<br />
<br />
=== Spain ===<br />
[[File:-LaRevoluciónDeLasMascarillas (49937665687).jpg|thumb|Protest in Spain on 26 May 2020]]<br />
Thousands of people, mostly supporters of the right-wing party [[Vox (political party)|Vox]], attended protests in [[Madrid]] and the country's regional capitals over the lockdown and its impact on the [[Economy of Spain|Spanish economy]]. The protesters drove in convoys to adhere to social distancing, with the Madrid protest led by a bus containing Vox leader [[Santiago Abascal]]. Abascal called for [[Sánchez II Government|the national government]] of [[Pedro Sánchez]] to resign over its handling of the virus.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-52783936|title=Coronavirus: Anti-lockdown car protest draws thousands|date=23 May 2020|website=BBC|access-date=23 May 2020|archive-date=23 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200523212612/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-52783936|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-05-12 |title=Vox llama a "recuperar la calle" contra el Gobierno y Abascal anuncia protestas diarias |url=https://www.europapress.es/nacional/noticia-vox-llama-recuperar-calle-contra-gobierno-abascal-anuncia-protestas-diarias-20200512112543.html |access-date=2022-10-31 |publisher=Europa Press}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Ponferrada |first=Diario de León {{!}} Noticias de León, Bierzo y |title=Vox llama a "recuperar la calle" el día 23 y Abascal anuncia caceroladas diarias y protestas constantes |url=https://www.diariodeleon.es/articulo/afondo/vox-llama-recuperar-calle-dia-23-abascal-anuncia-caceroladas-diarias-protestas-constantes/202005122242472011941.html |access-date=2022-10-31 |website=Diario de León {{!}} Noticias de León, Bierzo y Ponferrada |date=12 May 2020 |language=es}}</ref><br />
<br />
On 20 September 2020, thousands of people went out in protest throughout the [[Community of Madrid]] demanding the resignation of the [[Díaz Ayuso government|regional government]] of [[Isabel Díaz Ayuso]], after the latter had announced two days earlier a partial lockdown affecting 850,000 people living in the region's poorest areas which was dubbed as "segregationist" and fostering "stigmatisation, exclusion and territorial discrimination".<ref>{{cite news |date=20 September 2020 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/sep/20/protests-madrid-coronavirus-lockdown-measures-spain |title=Protests in Madrid over coronavirus lockdown measures |newspaper=The Guardian |access-date=20 September 2020 |archive-date=20 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200920182802/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/sep/20/protests-madrid-coronavirus-lockdown-measures-spain |url-status=live }}</ref> The protests came amid growing criticism of Ayuso's handling of the virus as "ineffective" and of her coalition government having "floundered" in its attempt to antagonize with Sánchez's government, as the region became the most heavily hit area in all of Europe in the second wave of the pandemic with many neighborhoods being near or above 1,000 cases per 100,000 people.<ref>{{cite news |date=18 September 2020 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/sep/18/madrid-poor-spanish-capital-covid-19 |title=Lockdown measures and rising anger in Madrid as Covid-19 takes hold again |newspaper=The Guardian |access-date=20 September 2020 |archive-date=20 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200920031444/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/sep/18/madrid-poor-spanish-capital-covid-19 |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
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=== Sweden ===<br />
On 6 March 2021, an estimate of 300-500 people gathered at Medborgarplatsen in Stockholm to protest against COVID-19 measures. The Swedish police dispersed hundreds of protesters and stated that six of their officers had been injured in the process, with one needing to be hospitalized.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.svt.se/nyheter/inrikes/polisen-upploser-demonstration-mot-coronarestriktioner|title=Polisen upplöser demonstration mot coronarestriktioner|newspaper=SVT Nyheter|date=6 March 2021|via=www.svt.se|access-date=9 March 2021|archive-date=10 March 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210310032308/https://www.svt.se/nyheter/inrikes/polisen-upploser-demonstration-mot-coronarestriktioner|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=2021-03-07 |title=Swedish police break up coronavirus demonstration in Stockholm |language=en |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/swedish-police-break-up-coronavirus-demonstration-stockholm-2021-03-06/ |access-date=2023-08-07}}</ref><br />
[[File:Anti-Lock Down Protest London (51137271728).jpg|thumb|Anti-lockdown protest march in London, April 2021]]<br />
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=== Switzerland ===<br />
[[Image:COVID19-20211108-Onex-sticker-opposition.jpg|thumb|Opposition to the Covid certificate in Switzerland, sticker at [[Canton of Geneva|Geneva]].]]<br />
On June 11, 2020, the member of the [[Zurich Cantonal Council]] Urs Hahn was expelled from his party, the Greens, for opposing the thesis of the seriousness of the pandemic.<ref>{{Cite news|language =de|author1=Daniel Fritzsche|author2=Stefan Hotz|url=https://www.nzz.ch/zuerich/urs-hans-gruene-in-zuerich-distanzieren-sich-von-ihrem-kantonsrat-ld.1555960?reduced=true|title="Abenteuerliche Thesen": Die Zürcher Grünen distanzieren sich von ihrem Kantonsrat Urs Hans, weil er Verschwörungstheorien zum Coronavirus verbeitet|periodical=[[Neue Zürcher Zeitung]]|date=2020-05-11}}</ref> On September 12, 2020, a demonstration against masks, containment measures or the supposed lies of the media brings together a thousand people in Geneva at the Place des Nations, in front of the [[United Nations Organization|United Nations]].<ref>{{Cite news|author=[[Swiss Telegraph Agency|ATS]]|url=https://www.letemps.ch/suisse/un-millier-dantimasques-manifestent-geneve|title=A thousand anti-masks demonstrate in Geneva|periodical=[[Le Temps (Swiss daily newspaper)|Le Temps]]|date=2020-09-12}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url= https://www.rts.ch/info/regions/geneve/11598989-un-rassemblement-antimasque-reunit-1000-personnes-a-geneve.html|title=An anti-mask rally brings together 1,000 people in Geneva|website=[[Swiss Radio and Television]]|date=2020-09-12}}</ref> The three major opposition figures [[Disinformation on the Covid-19 pandemic|coronasceptics]] in French-speaking Switzerland are the [[web videographers]] [[Chloé Frammery]], Ema Krusi and Christian Tal Schaller.<ref>{{Cite news|author=Laure Lugon|author2=Sylvia Revello|url=https://www.letemps.ch/suisse/complotistes-senflamment-autour-coronavirus|title=Les complotistes ignite around the coronavirus|periodical =[[Le Temps (Swiss daily newspaper)|Le Temps]]|date=2020-05-11}}</ref> Coronasceptics and opponents of measures to combat the spread of Covid-19 are increasingly occupying the Federal Office of Police (Fedpol). Threats against federal officials are on the rise.<ref>{{Cite web |language=en |title=In Switzerland, "coronasceptics" are increasingly occupying the police |url=https://www.rts.ch/info/suisse/11719150-in-switzerland-coronasceptics-occupy-more-and-more-the-police.html |website=[[Swiss Radio and Television]] |date=2020-11-01 |access-date =2021-03-26}}</ref><br />
<br />
In January 2021, the [[National Council (Switzerland)|national councilor]] [[Democratic Union of the Center|UDC]] [[Yves Nidegger]] opposed the “health dictatorship”.<ref>{{Cite web| author=Elio Sottas|url=https://www.lemanbleu.ch/fr/News/Yves-Nidegger-souhaite-reconstruire-Geneve-en-ruine.html|title=Yves Nidegger wishes to rebuild "Geneva in ruins"|website =[[Léman Bleu]]|date=2021-01-06}}.</ref> In Liestal, 8000 people demonstrate on March 20, 2021, against the anti-Covid measures in force while in Bern the police stop a demonstration for the same causes.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Anti-Covid demonstrations -sanitary measures in Liestal and Bern |url=https://www.swissinfo.ch/fre/manifestations-anti-mesures-sanitaires-%C3%A0-liestal-et-%C3%A0-berne/46465440 |website =[[Swissinfo]] |date=2021-03-20}}</ref> Following these demonstrations, the #NoLiestal movement is rising on digital networks to denounce and counter the agglomeration initiatives of coronasceptics in Switzerland.<ref>{{Cite web |language=fr |title=Forum (video) - The #NoLiestal movement, the counter-offensive against coronasceptics |url=https://www.rts.ch/play/tv/forum-video/video/le-mouvement-noliestal-la-contre-offensive-face-aux-coronasceptiques?urn=urn:rts:video:12075124 |website=[[Swiss Radio and Television]]|date=2021-03-25|access-date=2021-03-26}}.</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.watson.ch/fr/suisse/pand%C3%A9mie/674339869-noliestal-le-hashtag-qui-denonce-les-manifs-anti-restrictions|title=#NoLiestal, the hashtag that denounces anti-restrictions demonstrations|website=[[Watson (newspaper)|Watson]]|date=2021-03-25}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Ukraine ===<br />
On 14–20 February, protests against the placement of evacuated Ukrainian citizens (suspected of having coronavirus disease 2019) from the city of Wuhan (PRC) in Ukraine took place in Novi Sanzhary.<br />
<br />
In the summer and autumn of 2021, actions against obligatory vaccination against COVID-19 and restrictions for unvaccinated persons took place in various cities of Ukraine. In particular, on 27 July the "procession" against vaccination was organized by the [[Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate)|Moscow Patriarchate]]<ref>{{cite news<br />
| date = 27 July 2021<br />
| title = "Наша вакцина - це причастіє": хресна хода УПЦ МП у розпал пандемії. Як це було<br />
| url = https://www.bbc.com/ukrainian/media-57985963<br />
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20211105082542/https://www.bbc.com/ukrainian/media-57985963<br />
| archive-date = 5 November 2021<br />
| access-date = 5 November 2021<br />
}}</ref><br />
and on November 3 the protesters blocked the streets in Kyiv<ref>{{cite news<br />
| date = 5 November 2021<br />
| title = Мітинг антивакцинаторів у Києві: страх втратити роботу або стати роботами<br />
| url = https://p.dw.com/p/42XkY<br />
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20211105082112/https://www.dw.com/uk/mitynh-antyvaktsynatoriv-u-kyievi-strakh-vtratyty-robotu-abo-staty-robotamy/a-59711738<br />
| archive-date = 5 November 2021<br />
| access-date = 5 November 2021<br />
}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== United Kingdom ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 protests in the United Kingdom}}<br />
The first protests against the national mandatory lockdown in the United Kingdom took place in April&nbsp;2020, extending into the following month before abating as lockdown restrictions were slowly eased. As local area lockdown measures were reintroduced towards the end of summer, followed by stricter national lockdown measures, anti-lockdown protests resurged across the country beginning in September&nbsp;2020. More than 55 protesters have been arrested in these events as of October 2020. Some protesters have claimed that COVID-19 is a hoax, and many refused to wear [[Face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic|masks]] or practice [[social distancing]].<ref name="HuffPost Sept 2020">{{cite web | title=Revealed: The So-Called 'Top Class Doctors And Nurses' Backing Anti-Mask Protests | website=HuffPost | url=https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/these-are-the-so-called-top-class-doctors-and-nurses-backing-anti-mask-protests_uk_5f4e4531c5b697186e3b790d | date=5 September 2020 | access-date=15 October 2020 | archive-date=20 September 2020 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200920044007/https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/these-are-the-so-called-top-class-doctors-and-nurses-backing-anti-mask-protests_uk_5f4e4531c5b697186e3b790d | url-status=live }}</ref> Protests have occurred in [[Shrewsbury]],<ref>{{Cite web|last=Leather|first=Harry|title=Two arrested after anti-lockdown protesters in stand-off with police on roof of Shrewsbury College|url=https://www.shropshirestar.com/news/health/coronavirus-covid19/2020/04/20/anti-lockdown-protesters-in-stand-off-with-police-on-roof-of-shrewsbury-college/|access-date=10 July 2020|website=www.shropshirestar.com|date=20 April 2020 |language=en|archive-date=7 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201007010409/https://www.shropshirestar.com/news/health/coronavirus-covid19/2020/04/20/anti-lockdown-protesters-in-stand-off-with-police-on-roof-of-shrewsbury-college/|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Glastonbury]],<ref>{{Cite web|last=Mills|first=Richard|date=1 May 2020|title=Live updates as police attend protest against lockdown in Somerset|url=https://www.somersetlive.co.uk/news/somerset-news/lockdown-protest-glastonbury-corbyn-live-4096098|access-date=10 July 2020|website=somersetlive|language=en|archive-date=4 December 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201204235515/https://www.somersetlive.co.uk/news/somerset-news/lockdown-protest-glastonbury-corbyn-live-4096098|url-status=live}}</ref> [[London]], [[Manchester]], [[Glasgow]], [[Belfast]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://metro.co.uk/2020/05/16/19-arrested-anti-lockdown-protests-take-place-across-country-12715038/|title=19 arrested as anti-lockdown protests take place across country|first=Faye|last=Brown|date=16 May 2020|access-date=24 May 2020|archive-date=23 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200523160939/https://metro.co.uk/2020/05/16/19-arrested-anti-lockdown-protests-take-place-across-country-12715038/|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Hove]],<ref>{{Cite web|date=19 May 2020|title=Coronavirus lockdown prompts Hove seafront protest|url=https://www.brightonandhovenews.org/2020/05/19/coronavirus-lockdown-prompts-hove-seafront-protest/|access-date=10 July 2020|website=Brighton and Hove News|language=en-US|archive-date=15 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201015171929/https://www.brightonandhovenews.org/2020/05/19/coronavirus-lockdown-prompts-hove-seafront-protest/|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Birmingham]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/protests-birmingham-city-centre-over-18924302|title=Protests in Birmingham city centre over lockdown restrictions|first=Stephanie|last=Balloo|date=12 September 2020|website=BirminghamLive|access-date=12 September 2020|archive-date=13 September 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200913011210/https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/protests-birmingham-city-centre-over-18924302|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Liverpool]],<ref>{{cite web|title=Conspiracy theorist Piers Corbyn tells crowd of unmasked protesters 'covid is a hoax'|url=https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/conspiracy-theorist-piers-corbyn-tells-19125232|newspaper=Liverpool Echo|first=Jonathan|last=Humphries|date=18 October 2020|access-date=18 October 2020|archive-date=19 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201019060254/https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/conspiracy-theorist-piers-corbyn-tells-19125232|url-status=live}}</ref> as well as a few other cities.<br />
<br />
Protests over restrictions overlapped with [[anti-vaccine]] protests following the start of the UK's [[COVID-19 vaccination in the United Kingdom|COVID-19 vaccination programme]] in December 2020.<ref>{{cite news|date=2021-07-03|title=The anti-lockdown movement is still going strong|newspaper=The Economist|url=https://www.economist.com/britain/2021/07/03/the-anti-lockdown-movement-is-still-going-strong|access-date=2021-09-12|issn=0013-0613|archive-date=12 September 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210912213950/https://www.economist.com/britain/2021/07/03/the-anti-lockdown-movement-is-still-going-strong|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-07-19|title=Bottles thrown at police in anti-lockdown and anti-vaccination protest|url=https://www.itv.com/news/london/2021-07-19/bottles-thrown-at-police-in-anti-lockdown-and-anti-vaccination-protest|access-date=2021-09-12|website=ITV News|language=en|archive-date=13 September 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210913193143/https://www.itv.com/news/london/2021-07-19/bottles-thrown-at-police-in-anti-lockdown-and-anti-vaccination-protest|url-status=live}}</ref> On the weekend of 24–25 July 2021, protests broke out again in several major cities in the United Kingdom including [[London]],<ref>{{Cite web|title=Thousands protest amid global anger against COVID restrictions|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/7/24/protesters-against-covid-restrictions-clash-with-police-in-paris|access-date=2021-07-25|website=www.aljazeera.com|language=en|archive-date=25 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210725014050/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/7/24/protesters-against-covid-restrictions-clash-with-police-in-paris|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Leeds]],<ref>{{Cite web|last1=Norden|first1=Jasmine|date=2021-07-24|title='Freedom Rally' blocks Leeds roads as protestors accuse government of lies|url=https://www.leeds-live.co.uk/news/leeds-news/freedom-rally-blocks-leeds-roads-21137368|access-date=2021-07-25|website=LeedsLive|language=en|archive-date=25 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210725014059/https://www.leeds-live.co.uk/news/leeds-news/freedom-rally-blocks-leeds-roads-21137368|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Manchester]]<ref>{{Cite web|last1=Abbit|first1=Beth|date=2021-07-24|title=Protesters chant 'shame on you' at police during march through Manchester|url=https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/protesters-chant-shame-you-police-21137043|access-date=2021-07-25|website=Manchester Evening News|language=en|archive-date=25 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210725014059/https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/protesters-chant-shame-you-police-21137043|url-status=live}}</ref> and [[Birmingham]] due to people [[Vaccine hesitancy|opposing vaccines]] and [[COVID passports in the United Kingdom|proposed COVID passports]].<ref>{{Cite web|first=Nick|last=Horner|date=2021-07-24|title=Lockdown protests causing city centre road chaos|url=https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/live-anti-lockdown-protests-causing-21136037|access-date=2021-07-25|website=BirminghamLive|language=en|archive-date=25 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210725014049/https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/live-anti-lockdown-protests-causing-21136037|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
== North America ==<br />
<br />
=== Canada ===<br />
[[File:COVID-19 Vancouver's largest protest, April 26th 2020 (49823981297).jpg|thumb|Anti-lockdown protest in [[Vancouver]], British Columbia, on 26 April 2020]]<br />
{{main|COVID-19 protests in Canada}}<br />
In Canada, protests began on 19 April 2020 in [[Vancouver]].<ref name="Vancouver COVID-19 protests">{{cite news |last1=Carrigg |first1=David |title=COVID-19: Small group protests coronavirus restrictions in Vancouver |url=https://vancouversun.com/news/local-news/covid-19-vancouver-police-escort-small-group-protesting-government-restrictions/ |access-date=6 May 2020 |agency=Postmedia Network |publisher=Vancouver Sun |date=19 April 2020 |archive-date=12 May 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200512150249/https://vancouversun.com/news/local-news/covid-19-vancouver-police-escort-small-group-protesting-government-restrictions/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|date=26 April 2020|title=Protesters march against COVID-19 prevention measures in Vancouver &#124; CTV News|publisher=Bc.ctvnews.ca|url=https://bc.ctvnews.ca/protesters-march-against-covid-19-prevention-measures-in-vancouver-1.4912767|access-date=30 April 2020|archive-date=2 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200502004835/https://bc.ctvnews.ca/protesters-march-against-covid-19-prevention-measures-in-vancouver-1.4912767|url-status=live}}</ref> Protests also occurred in [[Toronto]], [[Edmonton]] and [[Ottawa]].<ref>{{cite news|title='A bunch of yahoos,' Ont. premier says of people protesting COVID-19 emergency measures &#124; CTV News|publisher=Toronto.ctvnews.ca|url=https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/a-bunch-of-yahoos-ont-premier-says-of-people-protesting-covid-19-emergency-measures-1.4911861|access-date=30 April 2020|archive-date=1 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200501172956/https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/a-bunch-of-yahoos-ont-premier-says-of-people-protesting-covid-19-emergency-measures-1.4911861|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Lauren |first1=Boothby |title=Hundreds flock to Alberta legislature to protest COVID-19 restrictions |url=https://edmontonjournal.com/news/local-news/hundreds-flock-to-alberta-legislature-to-protest-covid-19-restrictions/wcm/e93da949-89f6-4b77-8376-9a8ffbf5e340/ |access-date=5 May 2020 |work=Edmonton Journal |date=1 May 2020 |archive-date=6 May 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200506060124/https://edmontonjournal.com/news/local-news/hundreds-flock-to-alberta-legislature-to-protest-covid-19-restrictions/wcm/e93da949-89f6-4b77-8376-9a8ffbf5e340/ |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
On 21 April 2020 it was reported that prisoners at the [[Saskatchewan Penitentiary]] had been protesting against restrictions placed upon them in response to COVID-19, like being kept in their cells for 20 hours a day.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Bridges |first1=Alicia |title=Sask. Penitentiary inmates protest COVID-19 restrictions they say put them in cells 20 hours per day |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatoon/protests-covid-19-saskatchewan-penitentiary-1.5538728 |access-date=5 May 2020 |work=CBC News |date=21 April 2020 |archive-date=24 April 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200424090731/https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatoon/protests-covid-19-saskatchewan-penitentiary-1.5538728 |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
On 15 January 2021, [[Roman Baber]], [[Member of Provincial Parliament&nbsp;(Canada)|Member of Provincial Parliament]] for the [[Toronto]] riding of [[York Centre (provincial electoral district)|York Centre]], was removed from the caucus of the governing [[Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario]] after publishing an open letter to [[Premier of Ontario|Premier]] [[Doug Ford]] criticizing [[COVID-19 pandemic in Ontario|Ontario's lockdown restrictions]]. Baber continued his anti-lockdown advocacy as an [[independent politician|independent]] member of the legislative [[opposition (politics)|opposition]].<ref name="ts011521">{{cite news |last1=Benzie |first1=Robert |title=Premier Doug Ford turfs MPP Roman Baber from Tory caucus for opposing COVID-19 lockdown |url=https://www.thestar.com/politics/provincial/2021/01/15/tory-mpp-roman-baber-breaks-ranks-with-premier-doug-ford-urges-end-to-covid-19-lockdown.html |access-date=15 January 2021 |work=Toronto Star |publisher=Torstar |date=15 January 2021 |archive-date=15 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210115132729/https://www.thestar.com/politics/provincial/2021/01/15/tory-mpp-roman-baber-breaks-ranks-with-premier-doug-ford-urges-end-to-covid-19-lockdown.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/ontario-covid-19-january-15-2021-1.5874606| title=Ford ousts MPP from caucus over open letter pushing for end to COVID-19 lockdown| date=15 January 2021| website=cbc.ca| access-date=19 January 2021| archive-date=19 January 2021| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210119092609/https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/ontario-covid-19-january-15-2021-1.5874606| url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite tweet| user=Roman_Baber| number=1350089062800105473| title=I was removed from the @OntarioPCParty caucus. It's a regretful decision since many colleagues agree with me, incl @fordnation in large part. I don't regret speaking out for millions of lives & livelihoods decimated by Public Health, I serve the public. The Lockdown is grounded in false public health narrative, poor planning & bad data. While Doug only cares about re-election, Lockdowns are killing more than saving. I couldn't watch the suffering anymore. I hope I encouraged other professionals to speak out.| date=15 January 2021| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210115162937/https://twitter.com/Roman_Baber/status/1350089062800105473| archive-date= 15 January 2021| url-status =live}}</ref><br />
<br />
On 1 September 2021, thousands of people protested COVID-19 vaccine policies and mask mandates outside of [[Vancouver City Hall]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Protesters target B.C. hospitals disrupting patients, staff - NEWS 1130|url=https://www.citynews1130.com/2021/09/01/covid-protesters-bc-hospitals/|access-date=2021-09-03|website=www.citynews1130.com|archive-date=3 September 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210903030258/https://www.citynews1130.com/2021/09/01/covid-protesters-bc-hospitals/|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
[[File:Convoi de la liberté à Ottawa 01.jpg|thumb|Anti-mandate protest in [[Ottawa]], Canada's capital city, on 1 February 2022]]<br />
In January 2022, [[Freedom Convoy 2022]] began. Prime Minister [[Justin Trudeau]] invoked the [[Emergencies Act]] for the first time to quell the unrest from the occupation and harassment of Ottawa and its citizens by hundreds of trucks, their drivers and thousands of unruly protesters.<br />
<br />
====Alberta====<br />
A far-right group calling itself "Walk for Freedom" has been organizing anti-mask protests since at least April 2020.<ref name="CTV_20200429">{{cite news| title = Protest to 'End the Lockdown' attracts more than 100 people to Alberta legislature| work = CTV News Edmonton| access-date = 21 February 2021| date = 29 April 2020| url = https://edmonton.ctvnews.ca/protest-to-end-the-lockdown-attracts-more-than-100-people-to-alberta-legislature-1.4917828| archive-date = 9 March 2021| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210309035715/https://edmonton.ctvnews.ca/protest-to-end-the-lockdown-attracts-more-than-100-people-to-alberta-legislature-1.4917828| url-status = live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Anti-mask protesters take to the streets in Calgary to fight COVID-19 restrictions |url=https://calgary.ctvnews.ca/anti-mask-protesters-take-to-the-streets-in-calgary-to-fight-covid-19-restrictions-1.5228760 |first=Timm |last=Bruch |work=CTV News |date=12 December 2020 |access-date=21 February 2021 |archive-date=10 February 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210210223346/https://calgary.ctvnews.ca/anti-mask-protesters-take-to-the-streets-in-calgary-to-fight-covid-19-restrictions-1.5228760 |url-status=live }}</ref> Concerns were raised when several hundred protestors took part in a 20 February 2021 freedom convoy and Jericho Torch March at the Legislature organized by the "Walk for Freedom Alberta" and the "Freedom Unity Alliance".<ref name="global_Bench_20210221">{{cite news| last = Bench| first = Allison| title = Protesters gather from across the province at Alberta legislature to fight COVID-19 health measures| work = Global News| location = Edmonton, Alberta| access-date = 21 February 2021| date = 21 February 2021| url = https://globalnews.ca/news/7652604/feb-20-walk-for-freedom-covid-19/| archive-date = 22 February 2021| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210222015650/http://globalnews.ca/news/7652604/feb-20-walk-for-freedom-covid-19/| url-status = live}}</ref> Posters advertising the rally included an image of white nationalists marching through [[Charlottesville, Virginia|Charlottesville]] with [[Tiki torch]]es in the 2017 US [[Unite the Right rally]].<ref name="global_Bench_20210221"/><ref>{{Cite web| title = COVID Conspiracy Groups Are Using A Picture From Charlottesville Neo-Nazi Rally To Promote Their Upcoming 'Torch March'| work = Canadian Anti-Hate Network| access-date = February 22, 2021| date = February 16, 2021| url = https://www.antihate.ca/covid_conspiracy_groups_picture_charlottesville_neo_nazi_rally_promote_their_upcoming_torch_march |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210216201222/https://www.antihate.ca/covid_conspiracy_groups_picture_charlottesville_neo_nazi_rally_promote_their_upcoming_torch_march |archive-date=16 February 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web| work = Facebook| access-date = February 22, 2021| date = February 16, 2021| url = https://www.facebook.com/WALK108/photos/pcb.147482763873027/147482720539698/| author = WALK108| title = Poster for Walk for Freedom rallies| archive-date = 22 February 2021| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210222204047/https://www.facebook.com/WALK108/photos/pcb.147482763873027/147482720539698/| url-status = live}}</ref><ref name="660News_20210124">{{Cite web| title = Experts confused, concerned with anti-lockdown rally imagery| work = 660 NEWS| access-date = February 22, 2021| date = January 24, 2021| url = https://www.660citynews.com/2021/01/23/experts-confused-concerned-with-anti-lockdown-rally-imagery/| archive-date = 26 February 2021| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210226213959/https://www.660citynews.com/2021/01/23/experts-confused-concerned-with-anti-lockdown-rally-imagery/| url-status = live}}</ref> The group of hundreds of unmasked anti-lockdown protestors, carrying a Walk for Freedom banner included [[COVID-19 misinformation|COVID-19 deniers]].<ref name="CTV_20210221">{{cite news| title = Hatred, COVID-19 skepticism denounced after anti-lockdown rally at Alberta legislature| work = CTV Edmonton| access-date = February 21, 2021| date = February 21, 2021| url = https://edmonton.ctvnews.ca/hatred-covid-19-skepticism-denounced-after-anti-lockdown-rally-at-alta-legislature-1.5317502| archive-date = 22 February 2021| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210222045333/https://edmonton.ctvnews.ca/hatred-covid-19-skepticism-denounced-after-anti-lockdown-rally-at-alta-legislature-1.5317502| url-status = live}}</ref> Others were supporters of a pastor who was arrested for repeatedly refusing to comply to public health regulations, such as capping attendance, physical distancing and mask-wearing.<ref name="CBC_20210217">{{cite news| title = GraceLife pastor held in custody for refusing to comply with bail conditions| location = Edmonton, Alberta| access-date = February 21, 2021| date = February 17, 2021| url = https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/alberta-covid-coronavirus-grace-life-church-pastor-1.5917526| archive-date = 22 February 2021| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210222134044/https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/alberta-covid-coronavirus-grace-life-church-pastor-1.5917526| url-status = live}}</ref><ref name="thestar_20210221">{{cite news| title = Anti-lockdown rally at Alberta legislature voices support for jailed pastor| work = The Star| location = Edmonton, Alberta| access-date = February 21, 2021| date = February 21, 2021| url = https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2021/02/20/anti-lockdown-rally-at-alberta-legislature-voices-support-for-jailed-pastor.html| archive-date = 21 February 2021| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210221082455/https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2021/02/20/anti-lockdown-rally-at-alberta-legislature-voices-support-for-jailed-pastor.html| url-status = live}}</ref> The [[Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms]] (JCCF), representing the pastor, had launched a legal charter challenge against the Alberta government.<ref name="Griwkowsky_20201207">{{cite news| title = Justice centre launches legal challenge against Covid restrictions| work = Politics Today| url = https://www.politicstoday.news/alberta-today/justice-centre-launches-legal-challenge-against-covid-restrictions| first = Catherine| last = Griwkowsky| date = December 7, 2020| access-date = February 21, 2021| archive-date = 1 February 2021| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210201215035/https://www.politicstoday.news/alberta-today/justice-centre-launches-legal-challenge-against-covid-restrictions| url-status = live}}</ref> The Mayor of Edmonton said that the rally organizers were from outside Edmonton and that they "may be associated with known hate groups. Edmonton unequivocally condemns racism, misogyny and other forms of hate—such speech is not welcome in our community."<ref>{{cite news| title = Anti-restriction protesters gather at legislature, march in streets with tiki torches| work = 660 News| location = Edmonton, Alberta| access-date = February 21, 2021| date = February 20, 2021| url = https://www.660citynews.com/2021/02/20/large-anti-mask-and-anti-restriction-protest-underway-soon-in-edmonton/| archive-date = 21 February 2021| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210221182147/https://www.660citynews.com/2021/02/20/large-anti-mask-and-anti-restriction-protest-underway-soon-in-edmonton/| url-status = live}}</ref><ref name="CTV_20210221"/><ref>{{Cite AV media| title = Anti-lockdown protesters clash with media at "Walk for Freedom" rally |series=CTV News| access-date = February 21, 2021| date =February 21, 2021| url = https://edmonton.citynews.ca/video/2021/02/21/anti-lockdown-protesters-clash-with-media-at-walk-for-freedom-rally/}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Cuba ===<br />
{{Main|2021 Cuban protests}}<br />
A series of protests began on 11 July 2021, triggered by the shortage of food and medicine and the government's response to the resurgent [[COVID-19 pandemic in Cuba]].<ref>{{cite news|last=Robles|first=Frances|date=11 July 2021|title=Cubans Denounce 'Misery' in Biggest Protests in Decades|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/11/world/americas/cuba-crisis-protests.html|issn=0362-4331|archive-date=11 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210711212619/https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/11/world/americas/cuba-crisis-protests.html|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Mexico ===<br />
On 29 April, police in [[Yajalón]], [[Municipalities of Chiapas|Chiapas]], southern Mexico, opened fire on people who were protesting against a checkpoint that left their community isolated. Residents of neighbouring [[Tumbalá]] complained that the checkpoint made it impossible for them to access governmental and banking services and that it seemed to be related to a belief that Tumbalá had a high rate of coronavirus infection. Checkpoints have been installed in about 20% of Mexico's municipalities, which the federal government has declared illegal.<ref>{{cite news |title=México: Protesta contra retén por COVID termina en tiroteo |url=https://apnews.com/cfcb0c1a9718e9f62b05c1a67399398b |website=AP NEWS |access-date=5 June 2020 |date=30 April 2020 |archive-date=5 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200605181818/https://apnews.com/cfcb0c1a9718e9f62b05c1a67399398b |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
Hundreds of Mexicans participated in caravans on 30 May demanding the resignation of President [[Andrés Manuel López Obrador]] because of his handling of the [[COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico]] and the economy. The caravans, which took place in about a dozen cities across the country, consisted largely of luxury cars.<ref>{{cite web |title=Manifestaciones anti AMLO en varios estados - Estados - La Jornada |url=https://www.jornada.com.mx/ultimas/estados/2020/05/30/manifestaciones-anti-amlo-en-los-estados-6108.html |website=www.jornada.com.mx |access-date=5 June 2020 |language=es |date=30 May 2020 |archive-date=5 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200605182825/https://www.jornada.com.mx/ultimas/estados/2020/05/30/manifestaciones-anti-amlo-en-los-estados-6108.html |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
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Violence broke out on 4 June during [[George Floyd protests|demonstrations]] in [[Guadalajara]], [[Jalisco]] to demand justice after the [[death of Giovanni López]] in the town of [[Ixtlahuacán de los Membrillos]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Justicia para Giovanni: Protestan por el asesinato en Jalisco |url=https://www.milenio.com/estados/giovanni-lopez-protestas-asesinato-joven-jalisco |website=www.milenio.com |date=6 April 2020 |access-date=4 June 2020 |archive-date=5 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200605022951/https://www.milenio.com/estados/giovanni-lopez-protestas-asesinato-joven-jalisco |url-status=live }}</ref> López, a 30-year-old mason, had been arrested on 4 May for not wearing a [[COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico|facemask]] during a [[Stay-at-home order|lockdown]] and died the next day while in police custody.<ref>{{cite web |title=Así fue la detención de Giovanni López justo antes de su muerte |url=https://www.lavanguardia.com/internacional/20200605/481603972248/giovanni-lopez-muerte-policia-detencion-video-seo-ext.html |website=La Vanguardia |access-date=5 June 2020 |language=es |date=5 June 2020 |archive-date=5 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200605093708/https://www.lavanguardia.com/internacional/20200605/481603972248/giovanni-lopez-muerte-policia-detencion-video-seo-ext.html |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
=== United States ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 protests in the United States}}<br />
<br />
The United States' national response began in early January, originating with actions by the [[Centers for Disease Control and Prevention|Centers for Disease Control]] (CDC) and the [[White House]]. The [[COVID-19 pandemic in the United States|first U.S. case of COVID-19]] was recorded on 19 January 2020. In the United States, the [[U.S. state and local government responses to the COVID-19 pandemic|response was determined by state and local officials in coordination with the CDC and federal officials]]. On 9 February, governors were briefed by the [[White House Coronavirus Task Force]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=TIMELINE: The Trump Administration's Decisive Actions To Combat the Coronavirus|url=https://www.donaldjtrump.com/media/timeline-the-trump-administrations-decisive-actions-to-combat-the-coronavirus|access-date=10 July 2020|website=www.donaldjtrump.com|language=en|archive-date=11 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200711100629/https://www.donaldjtrump.com/media/timeline-the-trump-administrations-decisive-actions-to-combat-the-coronavirus|url-status=dead}}</ref> Beginning in mid-March, various [[Social distancing measures related to the COVID-19 pandemic|social distancing measures]] to limit spread of the virus were undertaken by state governors and in some cases counties or cities.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://abcnews.go.com/Health/wireStory/bay-area-counties-california-order-shelter-place-69627648|title=San Francisco Bay Area counties issue shelter-in-place order|last1=Rodriguez|first1=Olga R.|last2=Har|first2=Janie|date=16 March 2020|work=ABC News|access-date=9 May 2020|archive-date=25 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200525143041/https://abcnews.go.com/Health/wireStory/bay-area-counties-california-order-shelter-place-69627648|url-status=live}}</ref> Actions taken included [[stay-at-home order]]s ("quarantine"), school and business closures, and limitation on the size of gatherings. On 19 March 2020, [[Donald Trump|President Donald Trump]], and [[Mike Pence|Vice President Mike Pence]] met (via teleconference) with governors of most states to continue coordination and to assist states with their responses. [[Federal Emergency Management Agency|FEMA]] was brought into the effort around this time.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Remarks by President Trump and Vice President Pence in a Video Teleconference with Governors on COVID-19|url=https://trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov/briefings-statements/remarks-president-trump-vice-president-pence-video-teleconference-governors-covid-19/|access-date=10 July 2020|via=[[NARA|National Archives]]|work=[[whitehouse.gov]]|language=en-US|archive-date=20 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210120200339/https://trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov/briefings-statements/remarks-president-trump-vice-president-pence-video-teleconference-governors-covid-19/|url-status=live}}</ref> By 7 April 42 states had [[Lockdown#In epidemics and pandemics|lockdown orders]] in place.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://nationalpost.com/news/covid-19-people-have-to-be-responsible-for-themselves-eight-states-still-not-locked-down|title=COVID-19: 'People have to be responsible for themselves': Eight U.S. states still not locked down|last=Dittrich|first=Valerie|date=7 April 2020|work=National Post|access-date=9 May 2020}}</ref> The shutdowns had serious economic effects, including a steep rise in unemployment due to the shutdown of stores and workplaces.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2020/04/24/coronavirus-pandemics-impact-on-the-global-economy-in-7-charts.html|title=7 charts show how the coronavirus pandemic has hit the global economy|last=Lee|first=Yen Nee|date=24 April 2020|work=CNBC|access-date=9 May 2020|archive-date=4 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200504231204/https://www.cnbc.com/2020/04/24/coronavirus-pandemics-impact-on-the-global-economy-in-7-charts.html|url-status=live}}</ref> By 15 April protests and demonstrations had broken out in some states, demanding that the area be "re-opened" for normal business and personal activity. By 1 May there had been demonstrations in more than half of the states, and many governors began to take steps to lift the restrictions.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://thehill.com/homenews/sunday-talk-shows/495877-governors-experts-await-results-of-reopening-states-as-protests|title=Governors, experts await results of reopening states as protests continue|last=Budryk|first=Zack|date=3 May 2020|work=The Hill|access-date=9 May 2020|archive-date=10 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200510022802/https://thehill.com/homenews/sunday-talk-shows/495877-governors-experts-await-results-of-reopening-states-as-protests|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
{{multiple image<br />
| footer = Several hundred anti-lockdown protesters rallied at the [[Ohio Statehouse]] on 20 April.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Rouan |first1=Rick |title=Protesters at Statehouse demand state reopen as DeWine announces schools to remain closed |url=https://www.dispatch.com/news/20200420/protesters-at-statehouse-demand-state-reopen-as-dewine-announces-schools-to-remain-closed |access-date=3 May 2020 |work=[[The Columbus Dispatch]] |date=20 April 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200425004821/https://www.dispatch.com/news/20200420/protesters-at-statehouse-demand-state-reopen-as-dewine-announces-schools-to-remain-closed |archive-date=25 April 2020 |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
| image1 = Open Ohio Rally IMG 0910 (49799974031).jpg<br />
| alt1 = Ohio protesters, 18 April<br />
| image2 = CIMG 0355 (49799414598).jpg<br />
| alt2 = Ohio protesters, 20 April 20<br />
}}<br />
One of the first protests was in [[Michigan]] on 15 April 2020, organized by conservative groups which also encouraged groups in other states to copy their wording and templates.{{Citation needed|date=September 2021}} Protesters in numerous other states said they were inspired by Michigan, and they used Michigan's material on their own websites, Facebook groups, and [[Reddit]] pages to promote their protests.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/salvadorhernandez/coronavirus-quarantine-protests-facebook-groups|title=This Is How A Group Linked To Betsy DeVos Is Organizing Protests To End Social Distancing, Now With Trump's Support|website=BuzzFeed News|language=en|access-date=20 April 2020|archive-date=19 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200419180823/https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/salvadorhernandez/coronavirus-quarantine-protests-facebook-groups|url-status=live}}</ref> Subsequent protests were organized by [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] activists or party organizations,<ref name="reuters1">{{cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-trump-protests-idUSKCN2233ES|title=How Trump allies have organized and promoted anti-lockdown protests|date=22 April 2020|work=Reuters|access-date=23 April 2020|language=en|archive-date=23 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200423112936/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-trump-protests-idUSKCN2233ES|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bridgemi.com/michigan-government/meet-trump-loving-group-behind-protest-gov-whitmers-stay-home-order|title=Meet the Trump-loving group behind protest of Gov. Whitmer's stay-home order|date=22 April 2020|website=bridgemi.com|language=en|access-date=23 April 2020|archive-date=26 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200426174050/https://www.bridgemi.com/michigan-government/meet-trump-loving-group-behind-protest-gov-whitmers-stay-home-order|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="komonews">{{cite news|url=https://komonews.com/news/coronavirus/protest-against-state-closure-planned-for-tomorrow-in-olympia|title=Protest against state closure planned for tomorrow in Olympia|first=Cole |last=Miller|date=18 April 2020|website=KOMO|access-date=19 April 2020|archive-date=20 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200420003642/https://komonews.com/news/coronavirus/protest-against-state-closure-planned-for-tomorrow-in-olympia|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Tea Party movement|Tea Party activists]],<ref name=":8">{{cite news|url=https://www.politico.com/news/2020/04/21/trump-allies-help-organize-lockdown-protests-198426|title=Trump allies have their fingerprints on lockdown protests|website=POLITICO|language=en|access-date=23 April 2020|archive-date=22 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200422183744/https://www.politico.com/news/2020/04/21/trump-allies-help-organize-lockdown-protests-198426|url-status=live}}</ref> armed [[Patriot movement|militia movement]] supporters,<ref name="Grauniad-Right">{{cite news|last=Wilson|first=Jason|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/17/far-right-coronavirus-protests-restrictions|title=The rightwing groups behind wave of protests against Covid-19 restrictions|date=17 April 2020|work=The Guardian|access-date=18 April 2020|language=en-GB|issn=0261-3077|quote=...{{nbsp}}{{nbsp}}...|archive-date=18 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200418010447/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/17/far-right-coronavirus-protests-restrictions|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Gun laws in the United States by state|guns-rights]] activists,<ref>{{cite news|url=https://bringmethenews.com/minnesota-news/washington-post-links-minnesota-gun-group-to-anti-quarantine-protests|title=WaPo reveals Minnesota gun group link to anti-quarantine protests|last=Uren|first=Adam|website=Bring Me The News|language=en|access-date=20 April 2020|archive-date=24 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200424164209/https://bringmethenews.com/minnesota-news/washington-post-links-minnesota-gun-group-to-anti-quarantine-protests|url-status=live}}</ref> and "[[Anti-vaccine activism|anti-vaccination]]" advocates.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/02/us/anti-vaxxers-coronavirus-protests.html|title=Antivaccination Activists Are Growing Force at Virus Protests|last=Bogel-Burroughs|first=Nicholas|date=4 May 2020|work=The New York Times|access-date=4 May 2020|archive-date=3 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200503234419/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/02/us/anti-vaxxers-coronavirus-protests.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/anti-vaxxers-are-forming-an-unholy-alliance-with-shelter-in-place-protesters?source=articles&via=rss|title=Anti-Vaxxers and Lockdown Protesters Form an Unholy Alliance|last1=Sommer|first1=Will|last2=Kucinich|first2=Jackie|date=22 April 2020|work=Daily Beast|access-date=23 April 2020|archive-date=11 March 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210311021959/https://www.thedailybeast.com/anti-vaxxers-are-forming-an-unholy-alliance-with-shelter-in-place-protesters?source=articles&via=rss|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
Protesters, many without [[Face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States|face masks]], opposed the shelter-in-place orders in their states for various reasons. Many said they wanted businesses reopened so they could go back to work. Many others displayed pro-[[Donald Trump|Trump]] banners, signs, and [[Make America Great Again|MAGA]] hats.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2020/04/16/michigan-whitmer-conservatives-protest/|title=Chanting 'lock her up,' Michigan protesters waving Trump flags mass against Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's coronavirus restrictions|last=Flynn|first=Meagan|date=16 April 2020|newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=22 April 2020|archive-date=22 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200422002103/https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2020/04/16/michigan-whitmer-conservatives-protest/|url-status=live}}</ref> Still others insisted the lockdowns were a violation of their constitutional rights. One militia leader told a reporter, "Re-open my state or we will re-open it ourselves."<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-52359100|title=Coronavirus lockdown protest: What's behind the US demonstrations?|date=21 April 2020|work=BBC News|access-date=22 April 2020|archive-date=21 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200421200027/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-52359100|url-status=live}}</ref> An opinion article in ''The New York Times'', and an article in ''The Washington Post'' claimed that the anger driving the protests was "both real and manufactured", blaming conservative groups for engaging in [[astroturfing]] via centralized organization backed by anonymous donors.<ref>{{cite news|last=Graves|first=Lisa|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/22/opinion/coronavirus-protests-astroturf.html|title=Opinion {{!}} Who's Behind the 'Reopen' Protests?|date=22 April 2020|work=The New York Times|access-date=24 April 2020|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331|archive-date=24 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200424001641/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/22/opinion/coronavirus-protests-astroturf.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/inside-the-conservative-networks-backing-anti-quarantine-protests/2020/04/22/da75c81e-83fe-11ea-a3eb-e9fc93160703_story.html|title=The anti-quarantine protests seem spontaneous. But behind the scenes, a powerful network is helping.|last1=Stanley-Becker|first1=Isaac|last2=Romm|first2=Tony|date=22 April 2020|newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=24 April 2020|archive-date=29 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200429032531/https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/inside-the-conservative-networks-backing-anti-quarantine-protests/2020/04/22/da75c81e-83fe-11ea-a3eb-e9fc93160703_story.html|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
President Trump originally issued guidelines for how to phase out restrictions, saying that governors would decide how to reopen their own states and suggesting a cautious three-phase approach.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/16/politics/donald-trump-reopening-guidelines-coronavirus/index.html|title=Trump completes reversal, telling govs 'you are going to call your own shots' and distributes new guidelines|date=16 April 2020|work=CNN|access-date=23 April 2020|archive-date=22 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200422213330/https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/16/politics/donald-trump-reopening-guidelines-coronavirus/index.html|url-status=live}}</ref> However, the next day he reacted to the protests against social restrictions by encouraging the protests.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/17/us/politics/trump-coronavirus-governors.html|title=Trump Encourages Protest Against Governors Who Have Imposed Virus Restrictions|last1=Shear|first1=Michael D.|last2=Mervosh|first2=Sarah|date=17 April 2020|work=The New York Times|access-date=23 April 2020|archive-date=23 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200423000143/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/17/us/politics/trump-coronavirus-governors.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Itkowitz|first=Colby|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/04/17/liberate-trump-tweets-support-protesting-against-stay-at-home-orders/|title='Liberate': Trump Tweets Support of Protests Against Stay-at-Home Orders|date=17 April 2020|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|access-date=17 April 2020|archive-date=17 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200417233521/https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/04/17/liberate-trump-tweets-support-protesting-against-stay-at-home-orders/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/17/us/coronavirus-cases-news-update.html|title=Trump Foments Protests Against Governors; Experts Warn of Testing Shortages|date=17 April 2020|work=The New York Times|access-date=18 April 2020|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331|archive-date=18 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200418004100/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/17/us/coronavirus-cases-news-update.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|agency=Reuters/AP|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/video/2020/apr/18/they-seem-very-responsible-to-me-trump-defends-anti-lockdown-protesters-video|title='They seem very responsible to me': Trump defends anti-lockdown protesters - video|date=18 April 2020|work=The Guardian|access-date=19 April 2020|language=en-GB|issn=0261-3077|archive-date=19 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200419003522/https://www.theguardian.com/world/video/2020/apr/18/they-seem-very-responsible-to-me-trump-defends-anti-lockdown-protesters-video|url-status=live}}</ref> Governor [[Jay Inslee]] (D-WA) accused the president of "fomenting domestic rebellion" and said the president's call to ignore his own team's guidelines was "schizophrenic".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/04/trump-accused-fomenting-rebellion-liberate-tweets-200417223606672.html|title=Trump accused of 'fomenting rebellion' after 'LIBERATE' tweets|website=aljazeera.com|access-date=19 April 2020|archive-date=18 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200418213043/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/04/trump-accused-fomenting-rebellion-liberate-tweets-200417223606672.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2020/04/19/governors-decry-trump-call-liberate-states-coronavirus-restrictions/5162196002/|title=Governors slam Trump's call to 'liberate' states where protesters object to coronavirus restrictions|last=Cummings|first=William|website=USA TODAY|language=en-US|access-date=20 April 2020|archive-date=19 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200419233030/https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2020/04/19/governors-decry-trump-call-liberate-states-coronavirus-restrictions/5162196002/|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
[[File:OPEN our OHIO IMG 0144 (49790376873).jpg|thumb|An anti-lockdown protester in April 2020]]<br />
[[Facebook]] announced that it would block events and messages from anti-quarantine protest groups "when gatherings do not follow the health parameters established by the government and are therefore unlawful".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.politico.com/news/2020/04/20/facebook-shuts-down-anti-quarantine-protests-at-states-request-196143|title=Republicans attack Facebook as network shuts down anti-lockdown protests|last=Overly|first=Steven|website=POLITICO|language=en|access-date=21 April 2020|archive-date=21 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200421021301/https://www.politico.com/news/2020/04/20/facebook-shuts-down-anti-quarantine-protests-at-states-request-196143|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
In California, [[Libertarian Party (United States)|Libertarian Party]] chapters in [[Santa Clara, California|Santa Clara]] and [[San Francisco]] counties condemned lockdown measures in the state with a resolution stating in part that, "these government impositions have already lasted for longer than could be justified by the purpose for which they were allegedly necessary, constituting a sort of "mission creep" that could potentially keep them in place with no definite end, and with economic and social damage continuing to accumulate and becoming more severe."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.scclp.org/resolution_regarding_government_pandemic_response|title=Resolution Regarding Government Pandemic Response|access-date=11 May 2020|archive-date=26 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200526033448/https://www.scclp.org/resolution_regarding_government_pandemic_response|url-status=live}}</ref> Such responses were compared to the [[Anti-Mask League of San Francisco]] movement that was seen during the [[Spanish flu|1918 Spanish flu pandemic]], where the efficacy of masks was debated during the second wave of flu in the city.<ref name="amlsf">{{cite news|last=Kane|first=Peter Lawrence|date=29 April 2020|title=The Anti-Mask League: lockdown protests draw parallels to 1918 pandemic|language=en-GB|work=The Guardian|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/29/coronavirus-pandemic-1918-protests-california|access-date=30 April 2020|issn=0261-3077|archive-date=30 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200430023846/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/29/coronavirus-pandemic-1918-protests-california|url-status=live}}</ref> The Anti-Mask League saw the medical advice on masks as unconstitutional, and contrary to the principles of a free society.<ref name="amlsf"/><br />
<br />
Cell phone data from [[Digital contact tracing|digital-contact tracing]] software, captured from opt-in cellphone apps and the Firm VoteMap, then provided to The Guardian (publication) by progressive campaign group the Committee to Protect Medicare, suggests that cell phones present at anti-lockdown protests in [[2020 United States anti-lockdown protests|Colorado]], [[2020 United States anti-lockdown protests|Florida]], Illinois, [[2020 United States anti-lockdown protests|Michigan]] and North Carolina traveled long distances after leaving the protests. Dr. Rob Davidson, executive director of the Committee to Protect Medicare, said that although “it's hard to draw a straight line between devices, individuals at these protests, and cases”, the data suggests that the protests may be epidemiologically significant events." and that "The behavior we’re seeing at protests carries a high risk of infection."<ref>{{cite news|last=Wilson|first=Jason|date=18 May 2020|title=US lockdown protests may have spread virus widely, cellphone data suggests|language=en-GB|work=The Guardian|url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/may/18/lockdown-protests-spread-coronavirus-cellphone-data|access-date=23 May 2020|issn=0261-3077|archive-date=23 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200523061752/https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/may/18/lockdown-protests-spread-coronavirus-cellphone-data|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
On 30 January 2021, dozens of "SCAMDEMIC" protesters blocked the entrance to the vaccination center at [[Dodger Stadium]] in [[Los Angeles]].<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-01-31|title=Dodger Stadium mass COVID-19 vaccination site temporarily shuts down after protesters block entrance|url=https://ktla.com/news/local-news/dodger-stadium-mass-coronavirus-vaccination-site-shut-down-after-protesters-block-entrance/|access-date=2021-01-31|website=KTLA|language=en-US|archive-date=31 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210131013546/https://ktla.com/news/local-news/dodger-stadium-mass-coronavirus-vaccination-site-shut-down-after-protesters-block-entrance/|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
== Oceania ==<br />
<br />
=== American Samoa ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 pandemic in American Samoa}}<br />
In July 2020, several people protested against the spending of COVID-19 funds in [[American Samoa]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/420676/protest-against-spending-of-covid-19-funds-in-american-samoa | title=Protest against spending of Covid-19 funds in American Samoa | website=[[Radio New Zealand]] | date=7 July 2020 }}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Australia ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 protests in Australia}}<br />
{{See also|Convoy to Canberra}}<br />
Throughout 2020 and 2021, numerous illegal protests of widely varying sizes against COVID-19 lockdown restrictions and the [[Australian Federal Government]]'s vaccination programme were held in several state capitals including [[Adelaide]], [[Brisbane]], [[Melbourne]], [[Perth]] and [[Sydney]].<ref>{{cite news|title='Incredibly disappointing': Ugly scenes at Melbourne coronavirus protests as violence erupts|url=https://7news.com.au/lifestyle/health-wellbeing/melbourne-protests-violent-scenes-in-melbournes-cbd-as-coronavirus-protesters-are-detained-c-1028327|date=10 May 2020|work=[[Seven News]]|language=en|access-date=10 May 2020|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200911032042/https://7news.com.au/lifestyle/health-wellbeing/melbourne-protests-violent-scenes-in-melbournes-cbd-as-coronavirus-protesters-are-detained-c-1028327|archive-date=11 September 2020}}</ref><ref name="9news-anti-vacc-rallys-20-feb">{{cite news |last1=Noble |first1=Freya |title=Anti-coronavirus vaccine protests held in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth |url=https://www.9news.com.au/national/coronavirus-protest-melbourne-brisbane-sydney-pete-evans/a328629b-4d7f-48b1-a13f-72fe42dd8c2b |access-date=21 February 2021 |work=[[Nine News|9 News]] |publisher=Nine Digital Pty Ltd |date=20 February 2021 |archive-date=20 February 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210220222329/https://www.9news.com.au/national/coronavirus-protest-melbourne-brisbane-sydney-pete-evans/a328629b-4d7f-48b1-a13f-72fe42dd8c2b |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="smh-pfizer-doses-start">{{cite news |last1=Dye |first1=Josh |last2=Clun |first2=Rachel |title=COVID-19 vaccines begin as Prime Minister receives Pfizer immunisation |url=https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/covid-19-vaccines-begin-as-prime-minister-receives-pfizer-immunisation-20210221-p574cw.html |access-date=21 February 2021 |work=[[The Sydney Morning Herald]] |date=21 February 2021 |archive-date=25 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210525075159/https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/covid-19-vaccines-begin-as-prime-minister-receives-pfizer-immunisation-20210221-p574cw.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Police responded to some of the protests by arresting demonstrators and issuing fines.<ref name="abc-melb-lockdown-protest-nov'20">{{cite news |title=Police arrest more than 400 demonstrators at Melbourne anti-lockdown protest |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-11-03/melbourne-anti-lockdown-protest-sees-over-400-protesters-arrest/12845120 |access-date=5 June 2021 |work=ABC News |publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation |date=3 November 2020 |archive-date=6 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210506082030/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-11-03/melbourne-anti-lockdown-protest-sees-over-400-protesters-arrest/12845120 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Australia: Scores arrested at anti-coronavirus lockdown protests |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/8/21/australia-scores-arrested-at-anti-coronavirus-lockdown-protests |access-date=22 August 2021 |work=[[Al Jazeera English|Al Jazeera]] |date=21 August 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210821171717/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/8/21/australia-scores-arrested-at-anti-coronavirus-lockdown-protests |archive-date=21 August 2021|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Anti-lockdown protesters clash with police in Australia |url=https://amp.rnz.co.nz/article/869c10d3-77f3-4f63-8d04-343e7cc5d109 |access-date=22 August 2021 |work=[[Radio New Zealand]] |date=21 August 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210821070733/https://amp.rnz.co.nz/article/869c10d3-77f3-4f63-8d04-343e7cc5d109 |archive-date=21 August 2021|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
In Melbourne, [[Victoria, Australia|Victoria]], from 20 to 24 September 2021, a series of protests occurred in the city's CBD. Protesters were predominantly tradesmen who were acting against lockdowns, the closure of the construction industry and [[vaccine mandate]]s. It is believed that several protesters were "fake tradies" who could be described as "professional protesters". Police responded with rubber bullets, batons and tear gas. Various media outlets were critical of the police's heavy-handed response to the protesters and bystander civilians.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Clench |first1=Sam |last2=Smith |first2=Rohan |title=Melbourne 'freedom' protest: Chaos erupts on CBD streets, West Gate Freeway over construction sector shutdown |url=https://www.news.com.au/national/melbourne-braces-for-more-chaos-as-workers-plan-another-freedom-rally/news-story/2b8d98e06b20dd42c51ef9960849f403 |access-date=21 September 2021 |work=News.com |publisher=Nationwide News Pty Ltd |date=20 September 2021 |language=en-AU |archive-date=21 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210921021456/https://www.news.com.au/national/melbourne-braces-for-more-chaos-as-workers-plan-another-freedom-rally/news-story/2b8d98e06b20dd42c51ef9960849f403 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Tuffiel |first1=Rhiannon |title=Tradie protest 'hijacked' by 'extreme organisations': CFMEU boss |url=https://www.news.com.au/national/victoria/politics/tradie-protest-hijacked-by-extreme-organisations-cfmeu-boss/news-story/11a24a98abf9f04ed67f5e50fced7c35 |access-date=21 September 2021 |work=News.com.au |agency=NCA NewsWire |publisher=Nationwide News Pty Ltd |date=20 September 2021 |language=en-AU |archive-date=20 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210920221215/https://www.news.com.au/national/victoria/politics/tradie-protest-hijacked-by-extreme-organisations-cfmeu-boss/news-story/11a24a98abf9f04ed67f5e50fced7c35 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Harley |first1=Kyle |title=More than 200 arrests made across Melbourne as police disperse anti-lockdown protesters |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-09-24/protests-condemned-rallies-enter-fifth-day/100488196 |access-date=24 September 2021 |work=ABC News |publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation |date=24 September 2021 |language=en-AU |archive-date=25 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210925012150/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-09-24/protests-condemned-rallies-enter-fifth-day/100488196 |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
The first major legal protest occurred in early 2022 in [[Canberra]], [[Australian Capital Territory]], which is also the most highly vaccinated jurisdiction in Australia. A "[[Convoy to Canberra]]", consisting of thousands of protesters in trailers, trucks, cars and campervans made their way in the national capital in January.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2022/02/03/canadas-freedom-convoy-is-inspiring-protests-in-other-countries.html| title=How Canada's 'Freedom Convoy' is inspiring protests in other countries| first1=Alex| last1=McKeen| first2=Lex| last2=Harvey| first3=Kieran| last3=Leavitt|date=February 3, 2022|work=[[Toronto Star]]}}</ref><ref name="The Guardian Occupy Canberra">{{cite news |last1=Butler |first1=Josh |title='Occupy Canberra': behind the anti-vaccine protests at Parliament House |url=https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/feb/04/occupy-canberra-behind-the-anti-vaccine-protests-at-parliament-house |access-date=7 February 2022 |work=[[The Guardian]] |date=4 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220206092405/https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/feb/04/occupy-canberra-behind-the-anti-vaccine-protests-at-parliament-house |archive-date=6 February 2022|url-status=live}}</ref> On 12 February, around 10,000 protesters converged on [[Parliament House, Canberra|Parliament House]] and [[Old Parliament House, Canberra|Old Parliament House]], and [[Lifeline (crisis support service)|Lifeline Canberra]] suspended its major fund-raising event due to safety concerns for customers.<ref name="News.com.au 13 Feb">{{cite news |last1=Consenza |first1=Emily |last2=Raphael |first2=Angie |title=Incredible scenes as anti-vaccine mandate protesters swarm Canberra streets |url=https://www.news.com.au/national/nsw-act/news/antivaccine-mandate-ralliers-potentially-target-vaccine-hub-hosting-childrens-event/news-story/9e98221eab0c5436f122209a38d56102 |access-date=13 February 2022 |work=[[News.com.au]] |publisher=[[News Corp Australia]] |date=12 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220212192032/https://www.news.com.au/national/nsw-act/news/antivaccine-mandate-ralliers-potentially-target-vaccine-hub-hosting-childrens-event/news-story/9e98221eab0c5436f122209a38d56102 |archive-date=12 February 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Federal government relaxes aged care COVID rule as protesters converge on Canberra |url=https://thenewdaily.com.au/news/coronavirus/2022/02/13/aged-care-covid-rule-canberra-protests/ |access-date=14 February 2022 |work=[[The New Daily]] |date=13 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220213120210/https://thenewdaily.com.au/news/coronavirus/2022/02/13/aged-care-covid-rule-canberra-protests/ |archive-date=13 February 2022|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Kelly |first1=Lidia |title=NZ, Australia vaccination mandates protests gain in number |url=https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/new-zealand-australia-vaccination-mandates-protests-gain-numbers-2022-02-12/ |access-date=14 February 2022 |work=[[Reuters]] |date=12 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220213163443/https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/new-zealand-australia-vaccination-mandates-protests-gain-numbers-2022-02-12/ |archive-date=13 February 2022|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Christmas Island ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 pandemic in Christmas Island}}<br />
Detainees at the [[Christmas Island Detention Centre]] rioted and set fire to buildings in a protest against the conditions of the detention centre.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/jan/06/christmas-island-detainees-riot-and-set-fire-to-buildings-in-protest-against-conditions | title=Christmas Island detainees riot and set fire to buildings in protest against conditions | website=[[TheGuardian.com]] | date=6 January 2021 }}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Fiji ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 pandemic in Fiji}}<br />
In June 2021, following lockdowns in Fiji, locals protested across the country for more government support.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-06-23/fiji-instability-covid-outbreak-unrest-restrictions-lockdown/100234180 | title='Frustration and anger are starting to build': Fears COVID outbreak leading to civil unrest in Fiji | newspaper=ABC News | date=22 June 2021 }}</ref><br />
<br />
=== French Polynesia ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 pandemic in French Polynesia#vaccination efforts}}<br />
In October 2021, several protests against a proposed law mandating COVID-19 vaccines were held throughout [[French Polynesia]] including [[Papeete]] in [[Tahiti]] and [[Hiva Oa]] in the [[Marquesas Islands]]. Notable groups and individuals involved included the "Don't Touch my Family" group, the pro-independence party [[Tavini Huiraatira]], and retired Dr. Jean-Paul Theron, who was locked in a dispute with health authorities over his methods of treating COVID-19 patients.<ref>{{cite news |title=Tahiti rally against vaccination regime |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/453364/tahiti-rally-against-vaccination-regime |access-date=6 November 2021 |work=[[Radio New Zealand]] |date=12 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211019053801/https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/453364/tahiti-rally-against-vaccination-regime |archive-date=19 October 2021|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Pro-independence party joins French Polynesia anti-vax march |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/454227/pro-independence-party-joins-french-polynesia-anti-vax-march |access-date=6 November 2021 |work=[[Radio New Zealand]] |date=25 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211027052722/https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/454227/pro-independence-party-joins-french-polynesia-anti-vax-march |archive-date=27 October 2021}}</ref> The proposed law requires anyone working in healthcare or with the public to get inoculated or be fined $US1,700.<ref>{{cite news |title=French Polynesian govt delays Covid-19 vaccination law |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/453809/french-polynesian-govt-delays-covid-19-vaccination-law |access-date=6 November 2021 |work=[[Radio New Zealand]] |date=19 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211019103922/https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/453809/french-polynesian-govt-delays-covid-19-vaccination-law |archive-date=19 October 2021|url-status=live}}</ref> In response to strong opposition from anti-vaccination protesters, unions, and employers, [[President of French Polynesia|President]] [[Édouard Fritch]] announced that the new law would be delayed until 23 December.<ref name="Vaccination law amended">{{cite news |title=French Polynesia vaccination law to be amended |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/453853/french-polynesia-vaccination-law-to-be-amended |access-date=6 November 2021 |work=[[Radio New Zealand]] |date=19 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211104115009/https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/453853/french-polynesia-vaccination-law-to-be-amended |archive-date=4 November 2021}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Guam ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 pandemic in Guam}}<br />
Members of the [[Guam Freedom Coalition]] protested vaccine mandates in [[Guam]] on 30 October 2021.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.guampdn.com/news/march-held-to-protest-vaccine-mandates/video_2f7ee160-28b4-5974-b83a-12485173f1a2.html | title=March held to protest vaccine mandates | date=30 October 2021 }}</ref><br />
<br />
=== New Caledonia ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 pandemic in New Caledonia}}<br />
An estimate of 1,000 people staged a protest in [[Nouméa]] against government policies regarding the pandemic, such as the introduction of health passes and vaccine mandates. The protest occurred a day after outdoor gatherings in [[New Caledonia]] were limited to 30 people, however police decided not to intervene due to the presence of children.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.cookislandsnews.com/regional/new-caledonia/protest-in-new-caledonia-against-govts-pandemic-policies/ | title=Protest in New Caledonia against govt's pandemic policies | date=10 January 2022 }}</ref><br />
<br />
=== New Zealand ===<br />
[[File:Convoy 2022 NZ (41).jpg|thumb|Protesters blocking a street at the Convoy 2022 NZ protest in Wellington]]<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 protests in New Zealand}}<br />
{{See also|2022 Wellington protests}}<br />
Between August and October 2021, several protests were held across New Zealand to protest official lockdown measures, vaccination, and spread disinformation about the COVID-19 pandemic. Key groups and individuals that were involved in these protests included FACTS NZ, Kotahitanga Movement Aotearoa, the NZ Liberty Movement and [[Jami-Lee Ross]] and [[Billy Te Kahika]]'s [[Advance New Zealand]] party.<ref>{{cite news|last=Pearse |first=Adam |work=[[The Northern Advocate]]|date=13 August 2020|title=Covid 19 coronavirus: Lockdown protest stops traffic in Whangārei|language=en-NZ| url= https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12356284|access-date=22 August 2020|issn=1170-0777|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200821030819/https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12356284|archive-date=21 August 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Anti-lockdown, vaccination and 1080 protesters take over Auckland's Aotea Square|language=en|work=[[Newshub]]|url= https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2020/08/anti-lockdown-vaccination-and-1080-protesters-take-over-auckland-s-aotea-square.html|access-date=22 August 2020|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200824232201/https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2020/08/anti-lockdown-vaccination-and-1080-protesters-take-over-auckland-s-aotea-square.html|archive-date=24 August 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Bayer |first1=Kurt |title=Covid 19 coronavirus: Hundreds turn out for anti-lockdown protests |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12362504 |access-date=5 September 2020 |work=[[The New Zealand Herald]] |date=5 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200905093331/https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12362504 |archive-date=5 September 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|date=2020-09-12|title=Advance Party and crowd rallies against Covid-19 restrictions and lockdowns|language=en-NZ|work=[[The New Zealand Herald]] |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12364413|access-date=2020-09-13|issn=1170-0777|archive-date=13 September 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200913195732/https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12364413|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
In January 2021, Te Kahika led a "freedom rally" outside the [[New Zealand Parliament]]; protestors opposed lockdown policies, while expressing support for US President [[Donald Trump]] and [[QAnon]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Walls |first1=Jason |title=Police keeping a close eye on controversial Billy TK 'freedom rally' outside Beehive |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/police-keeping-a-close-eye-on-controversial-billy-tk-freedom-rally-outside-beehive/4C2E3SYXDZPQZZA4CK2EC5T2MU/ |access-date=14 January 2021 |work=[[The New Zealand Herald]] |date=14 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210114104417/https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/police-keeping-a-close-eye-on-controversial-billy-tk-freedom-rally-outside-beehive/4C2E3SYXDZPQZZA4CK2EC5T2MU/ |archive-date=14 January 2021|url-status=live}}</ref> Following the reinstatement of lockdown restrictions in mid–August 2021 in response to a [[SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant|Delta variant]] community outbreak, anti-lockdown protests were staged in [[Auckland]], [[Tauranga]], [[Nelson, New Zealand|Nelson]], and [[Christchurch]]. Key participants included Te Kahika and far-right activist [[Kyle Chapman (New Zealand activist)|Kyle Champman]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Conspiracy theorist Billy TK arrested at anti-lockdown protest |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/449439/conspiracy-theorist-billy-tk-arrested-at-anti-lockdown-protest |access-date=18 August 2021 |work=[[Radio New Zealand]] |date=18 August 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210818053131/https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/449439/conspiracy-theorist-billy-tk-arrested-at-anti-lockdown-protest |archive-date=18 August 2021|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Lourens |first1=Marine |last2=Sherwood |first2=Sam |last3=McNeilly |first3=Hamish |title=Covid-19: Former far-Right leader to spend weekend behind bars after alleged lockdown breach |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/126131440/covid19-former-farright-leader-to-spend-weekend-behind-bars-after-alleged-lockdown-breach |access-date=20 August 2021 |work=[[Stuff (website)|Stuff]] |date=20 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210820040054/https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/126131440/covid19-former-farright-leader-to-spend-weekend-behind-bars-after-alleged-lockdown-breach|archive-date=20 August 2021|url-status=live}}</ref> In February 2022, [[Convoy 2022 New Zealand]] gathered outside parliament buildings and blocked streets in Wellington.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/461471/wellington-s-sky-stadium-offered-as-parking-to-free-up-parliament-streets-blocked-by-protesters |title=Wellington's Sky Stadium offered as parking to free up Parliament streets blocked by protesters |publisher=[[Radio New Zealand]] |date=14 February 2022 |accessdate=22 February 2022}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Papua New Guinea ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 pandemic in Papua New Guinea}}<br />
During the pandemic, attacks on health workers<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KbDVzLGCSGc | title=Violence against PNG health workers rises amid protests against COVID vaccinations &#124; ABC News | website=[[YouTube]] }}</ref> and vaccination teams<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/455215/mob-attacks-on-vaccination-teams-commonplace-in-png | title=Mob attacks on vaccination teams commonplace in PNG | website=[[Radio New Zealand]] | date=8 November 2021 }}</ref> in [[Papua New Guinea]] have occurred multiple times. Protests were banned nationwide due to the pandemic,<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.pngreport.com/covid-19/news/1420060/ban-on-png-protest-marches | title=Ban on PNG protest marches | date=22 October 2021 }}</ref> however they still occurred across the country, particularly in the capital, [[Port Moresby]],<ref>{{cite web | url=https://asiapacificreport.nz/2021/11/02/png-police-block-illegal-anti-vaxxer-rally-in-port-moresby-amid-fake-info/ | title=PNG police block illegal anti-vaxxer rally in Port Moresby amid fake info &#124; Asia Pacific Report | date=2 November 2021 }}</ref> as well as in [[Lae]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://crisis24.garda.com/alerts/2021/09/papua-new-guinea-additional-protests-possible-in-lae-through-at-least-mid-september-over-corporate-mandatory-vaccination-policies | title=Papua New Guinea: Additional protests possible in Lae through at least mid-September over corporate mandatory vaccination policies }}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Samoa ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 pandemic in Samoa}}<br />
On 8 May 2020, around 100 people protested new laws regarding COVID-19 in [[Samoa]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://monitor.civicus.org/updates/2020/05/21/protests-samoa-against-three-bills-could-undermine-judicial-independence-and-rule-law/ | title=Protests in Samoa against three bills that could undermine judicial independence and rule of law }}</ref> On 23 June 2022, more than 30 people protested vaccine mandates in Samoa.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.samoanews.com/protest-vaccine-mandate-demonstration | title=Protest the Vaccine Mandate" demonstration }}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Solomon Islands ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 pandemic in the Solomon Islands|2021 Solomon Islands unrest}}<br />
The [[2021 Solomon Islands unrest]] was partially caused by government mishandling of the pandemic.<br />
<br />
=== Vanuatu ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 pandemic in Vanuatu}}<br />
The [[Government of Vanuatu]] criticised a planned protest regarding COVID-19 involving church and youth groups. The protesters claimed that the [[Vanuatu Police Force|Police Commissioner]] had given them permission to protest, however the [[Deputy Prime Minister of Vanuatu|Deputy Prime Minister]] [[Ishmael Kalsakau]] said it could not go ahead as it was politically motivated. Protestors also claimed that at least two MPs (namely [[Andrew Napuat]] and [[John Salong]]) supported the protest.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/466907/vanuatu-govt-says-no-to-vaccine-protest-march | title=Vanuatu Govt says no to vaccine protest march | website=[[Radio New Zealand]] | date=11 May 2022 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://islandsbusiness.com/news-break/vanuatu-govt-halts-vaccine-protest-march/ | title=Vanuatu Govt halts vaccine protest march | date=12 May 2022 }}</ref><br />
<br />
== South America ==<br />
<br />
=== Argentina ===<br />
{{Main|2020–2021 Argentinian protests}}<br />
[[File:En busca de la libertad 01.jpg|thumb|180px|The [[17A]] protests on 17 August 2020]]<br />
On 25 May, during the [[First National Government|Anniversary of the First National Government]], protests erupted all over the country,<ref>{{Cite web|date=25 May 2020|title=Un reducido grupo de manifestantes protestó contra la cuarentena en la Plaza de Mayo|url=https://www.infobae.com/sociedad/2020/05/25/manifestantes-protestan-contra-la-cuarentena-en-la-plaza-de-mayo/|access-date=10 July 2020|website=infobae|language=es-ES|archive-date=4 June 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200604063409/https://www.infobae.com/sociedad/2020/05/25/manifestantes-protestan-contra-la-cuarentena-en-la-plaza-de-mayo/|url-status=live}}</ref> but predominantly in [[Buenos Aires]] and [[Córdoba, Argentina|Cordoba]]. The protest consisted mostly of small business owners demanding the local and national governments to be allowed to work, under a sanitary protocol. At this point, the stay-at-home order had been in place nationwide for 65 days.<br />
<br />
On 20 June, which is the country's [[Flag Day (Argentina)|National Flag Day]], the size of the protests had grown immensely compared to the previous ones held in late May.<ref>{{cite news|date=20 June 2020|title=En Twitter: cómo es el banderazo nacional contra la expropiación de Vicentin|url=https://www.lanacion.com.ar/politica/convocan-banderazo-nacional-republica-sabado-20-junio-nid2381945|access-date=10 July 2020|newspaper=La Nación|language=es|archive-date=6 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200706082841/https://www.lanacion.com.ar/politica/convocan-banderazo-nacional-republica-sabado-20-junio-nid2381945|url-status=live}}</ref> While business owners and workers were still calling for more workplaces to be allowed to operate, the government's attempt to expropriate Vicentín, a soy and wheat manufacturer and one of the largest exporting firms in the country, also sparked outrage and motivated protests in many provinces where agriculture plays a big role in their local economy, particularly in the [[Santa Fe Province]], where this business is located. Due to the huge backlash, president [[Alberto Fernández|Alberto Fernandez]] has decided to step down and not take over the company. Protests also took place in the city centre of most cities and at the gates of the [[Quinta de Olivos|presidential residence]]. While the lockdown had been lifted in most provinces and municipalities, it was still enforced in [[Greater Buenos Aires]], which represents around 60% of the Argentine economy. On this day, the stay-at-home order had been in place for 90 days, making it the longest mandatory quarantine in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.<ref>{{cite news|last=Goñi|first=Uki|date=17 June 2020|title=Argentina's president enters voluntary isolation amid coronavirus surge|language=en-GB|work=The Guardian|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jun/17/argentina-president-enters-voluntary-isolation-amid-coronavirus-surge|access-date=10 July 2020|issn=0261-3077|archive-date=10 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200710091442/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jun/17/argentina-president-enters-voluntary-isolation-amid-coronavirus-surge|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
On 9 July, the country's [[Argentine Declaration of Independence|Independence Day]], protests flared up once again.<ref>{{cite news|date=10 July 2020|title=Multitudinario banderazo contra el Gobierno en diferentes puntos del país|url=https://www.lanacion.com.ar/politica/comenzo-banderazo-federal-del-9-julio-nid2394297|access-date=10 July 2020|newspaper=La Nación|language=es|archive-date=9 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200709224416/https://www.lanacion.com.ar/politica/comenzo-banderazo-federal-del-9-julio-nid2394297|url-status=live}}</ref> In addition to workers and entrepreneurs asking to be allowed to work, many were angered by the fact that [[Lázaro Báez|Lazaro Baez]], who is serving jail time for money laundering and stealing from taxpayers' money and is associated with much of the government staff, could be eligible for parole. This incident, and the murder of Fabián Gutiérrez, who was ex-president [[Cristina Fernández de Kirchner|Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner]]'s secretary while she was in office, which many opposition affiliates believe was orchestrated by the administration and covered up as a "crime of passion" by two unknown men, also caused large outrage in some sectors of the population. This day marked 109 days since the lockdown was put in place in the Greater Buenos Aires area.{{citation needed|date=August 2021}}<br />
<br />
On 1 August, many opponents of Alberto Fernandez's government, and of [[Kirchnerism]] in general, took to the streets to rally against the judicial reform<br />
proposed by the administration. Many believe this is a way to absolve vice president Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner from her ongoing trials, and also a way to give [[Frente de Todos (2019 coalition)|the governing political party]] control over the [[Supreme Court of Argentina|judicial branch of government]], all disguised under the promise that this reform will make judges and trials fairer and less biased to certain ideologies or political parties. While the lockdown has not been completely lifted in Buenos Aires, many activities and businesses are now allowed to take place again since mid-July, and a re-opening scheme with various stages has been designed and put in place, although with no strict dates. However, many companies, such as restaurants or bars for instance, still cannot open and many business owners are uncertain of how much more they can endure with their doors closed.<br />
<br />
On 17 August, the General José de San Martín Memorial Day, a public holiday which commemorates Argentine liberator and army general [[José de San Martín]], protesters gathered once again on the city centres of the main Argentine cities for the same reasons as the previous one, 16 days prior. This manifestation was backed by many political figures from the [[Juntos por el Cambio]], [[Frente Despertar]], [[Fuerza Unidaria Argentina]], opposition forces, near liberal, libertarian and survivalist groups. Some, however, have decided to not publicly support the protests, most notably [[Horacio Rodríguez Larreta]], mayor of Buenos Aires.<br />
<br />
=== Brazil ===<br />
====2020====<br />
{{Main|2020 Brazilian protests}}<br />
On 18 March, Brazilians in [[São Paulo]] and [[Rio de Janeiro]] protested [[Jair Bolsonaro]]'s handling of the pandemic by [[banging pots and pans]] on their balconies and shouting "Bolsonaro out!"<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-51955679 |title=Coronavirus protest in Brazil sees millions bang pots from balconies |date=19 March 2020 |work=BBC |access-date=13 May 2020 |archive-date=22 March 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200322135850/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-51955679 |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
On 19 April, Brazil's [[Armed Forces Day]], Bolsonaro gathered with about 600 protesters in front of the Army's headquarters in [[Brasília|Brasilia]] to demand a "military intervention" into the handling of the coronavirus situation. Smaller protests calling for governors to resign occurred the previous day in [[Rio de Janeiro]], [[São Paulo]] and Brasilia.<ref>{{cite web|title=Brazil's Bolsonaro joins protest against coronavirus restrictions &#124; Coronavirus pandemic News|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/04/brazil-bolsonaro-joins-protest-coronavirus-curbs-200420042616860.html|date=20 April 2020|publisher=Al Jazeera|access-date=27 April 2020|archive-date=19 September 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200919230255/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/04/brazil-bolsonaro-joins-protest-coronavirus-curbs-200420042616860.html|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
====2021====<br />
{{Main|2021 Brazilian protests}}<br />
[[File:Fora Bolsonaro em Campinas 29.05.2021 01.jpg|thumb|Protest against the government of President Bolsonaro in [[Campinas]] on 29 May 2021]]<br />
[[File:Ato do Movimento Brasil Verde e Amarelo - 51181481168.jpg|thumb|Pro-government protest in [[Brasília]] on 15 May 2021]]<br />
[[File:Ato do Movimento Brasil Verde e Amarelo - 51180579797.jpg|thumb|Bolsonaro flies over protests in [[Brasília]] on 15 May 2021]]<br />
<br />
On 1 May, protest in favor of [[Jair Bolsonaro]] happened around the country. The protesters demanded the end of lockdowns, as well as a military intervention on the judicial and legislative branches of power. The protests happened in many Brazilian cities, occupying avenues such as [[Paulista Avenue|Avenida Paulista]]. Bolsonaro flew by helicopter over the protests in Brasilia, where there were also protests against his government.<ref>{{cite web|title=Fortaleza tem manifestação a favor de Bolsonaro neste 1º de maio; 17 são detidos|url=https://g1.globo.com/ce/ceara/noticia/2021/05/01/fortaleza-registra-manifestacao-a-favor-de-bolsonaro-neste-1ode-maio.ghtml#|date=1 May 2021|publisher=G1|access-date=3 May 2021|archive-date=3 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210503180447/https://g1.globo.com/ce/ceara/noticia/2021/05/01/fortaleza-registra-manifestacao-a-favor-de-bolsonaro-neste-1ode-maio.ghtml|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Bolsonaro sobrevoa de helicóptero manifestação a seu favor no DF|url=https://noticias.r7.com/distrito-federal/bolsonaro-sobrevoa-de-helicoptero-manifestacao-a-seu-favor-no-df-01052021#/foto/1|date=1 May 2021|publisher=R7|access-date=3 May 2021|archive-date=2 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210502160600/https://noticias.r7.com/distrito-federal/bolsonaro-sobrevoa-de-helicoptero-manifestacao-a-seu-favor-no-df-01052021#/foto/1|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Manifestações pró e contra Bolsonaro tomam conta da Esplanada|url=https://www.metropoles.com/brasil/manifestacoes-pro-e-contra-bolsonaro-tomam-conta-da-esplanada|date=1 May 2021|publisher=Metrópoles|access-date=3 May 2021|archive-date=3 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210503180449/https://www.metropoles.com/brasil/manifestacoes-pro-e-contra-bolsonaro-tomam-conta-da-esplanada|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Feriado do Dia do Trabalho tem manifestações em cidades do RS|url=https://g1.globo.com/rs/rio-grande-do-sul/noticia/2021/05/01/feriado-do-dia-do-trabalho-tem-manifestacoes-em-cidades-do-rs.ghtml|date=1 May 2021|publisher=G1|access-date=3 May 2021|archive-date=1 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210501233653/https://g1.globo.com/rs/rio-grande-do-sul/noticia/2021/05/01/feriado-do-dia-do-trabalho-tem-manifestacoes-em-cidades-do-rs.ghtml|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Cidades no Sul de MG registram manifestações a favor do governo Bolsonaro neste 1º de maio|url=https://g1.globo.com/mg/sul-de-minas/noticia/2021/05/01/cidades-registram-manifestacoes-a-favor-do-governo-bolsonaro-neste-1o-de-maio-no-sul-de-mg.ghtml|date=1 May 2021|publisher=G1|access-date=3 May 2021|archive-date=1 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210501161952/https://g1.globo.com/mg/sul-de-minas/noticia/2021/05/01/cidades-registram-manifestacoes-a-favor-do-governo-bolsonaro-neste-1o-de-maio-no-sul-de-mg.ghtml|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Brasil. Milhares de pessoas nas ruas para apoiar Bolsonaro no Dia do Trabalhador|url=https://www.rtp.pt/noticias/mundo/brasil-milhares-de-pessoas-nas-ruas-para-apoiar-bolsonaro-no-dia-do-trabalhador_v1316831|date=2 May 2021|publisher=RTP Notícias|access-date=4 May 2021|archive-date=3 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210503190106/https://www.rtp.pt/noticias/mundo/brasil-milhares-de-pessoas-nas-ruas-para-apoiar-bolsonaro-no-dia-do-trabalhador_v1316831|url-status=live}}</ref>{{citation needed|date=August 2021}}<br />
<br />
===Chile===<br />
{{Main|2019–2020 Chilean protests#2020 protests}}<br />
<br />
On 18 March, riots took place at the communes of [[El Bosque, Chile|El Bosque]], [[La Pintana]], and other communes in the [[Santiago Metropolitan Region]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.emol.com/noticias/Nacional/2020/05/18/986529/Protestas-incidentes-comuna-El-Bosque.html|title=Protestas en la comuna de El Bosque: Vecinos denuncian falta de alimentos en medio de cuarentena &#124; Emol.com|date=18 May 2020|website=Emol|access-date=24 May 2020|archive-date=25 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200525033923/https://www.emol.com/noticias/Nacional/2020/05/18/986529/Protestas-incidentes-comuna-El-Bosque.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Rioters are denouncing the [[hunger]] resulting from the partial and total lockdowns in the region. They claim that the lockdowns have left them without work and means of sustenance.<br />
<br />
=== Colombia ===<br />
{{Main|2021 Colombian protests}}<br />
[[File:Paro Nacional Colombia (51185625987).jpg|thumb|Protesters in [[Medellín]], Colombia on 1 May 2021]]<br />
In April 2021, President [[Iván Duque Márquez|Iván Duque]] proposed increased taxes at a time when the [[COVID-19 pandemic in Colombia]] was beginning to worsen as various healthcare systems were failing throughout the country. A series of protests began in [[Colombia]] on 28 April 2021 against increased taxes, corruption, and health care reform.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/more-subdued-second-day-colombia-tax-reform-protests-2021-04-29/ |title=More subdued second day of Colombia tax reform protests |last=Acosta |first=Luis |date=29 April 2021 |website=[[Reuters]] |url-status=live |archive-date=1 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210501195325/https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/more-subdued-second-day-colombia-tax-reform-protests-2021-04-29/ }}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Ecuador ===<br />
{{main|2020 Ecuadorian protests}}<br />
The 2020 demonstrations in Ecuador were a series of national mobilizations carried out in May 2020, after the announcement of economic measures by the government of [[Lenín Moreno]] adopted due to the serious health and economic crisis generated by the [[COVID-19 pandemic in Ecuador]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Coronavirus: Ecuador protests against cuts amid pandemic |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-52803400 |publisher=BBC News |date=26 May 2020 |access-date=16 July 2021 |archive-date=16 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210716083730/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-52803400 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Police Beat and Injure Ecuador's Covid-19 Protesters |url=https://www.hrw.org/news/2020/05/25/police-beat-and-injure-ecuadors-covid-19-protesters |work=Human Rights Watch |date=25 May 2020 |access-date=16 July 2021 |archive-date=16 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210716083730/https://www.hrw.org/news/2020/05/25/police-beat-and-injure-ecuadors-covid-19-protesters |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
===Paraguay===<br />
{{main|2021 Paraguayan protests}}<br />
<br />
On 5 March, protests broke out across Paraguay due to the lack of efficient government response against the [[COVID-19 pandemic in Paraguay|pandemic in the country]]. The protests gathered thousands of people, and left hundreds of injured. It culminated in the resignation of the then health minister [[Julio Mazzoleni]].<br />
<br />
== See also ==<br />
{{Commons category|Protests related to the COVID-19 pandemic}}<br />
* [[Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on politics]]<br />
* [[National responses to the COVID-19 pandemic]]<br />
* [[Strikes during the COVID-19 pandemic]]<br />
* [[Face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic]]<br />
** [[Face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States]]<br />
* [[Cholera Riots|Cholera riots]]<br />
{{clear}}<br />
<br />
== References ==<br />
{{reflist}}<br />
<br />
{{COVID-19 pandemic}}<br />
{{COVID-19 pandemic in the United States}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:2020 protests]]<br />
[[Category:2021 protests]]<br />
[[Category:2022 protests]]<br />
[[Category:Protests over responses to the COVID-19 pandemic| ]]<br />
[[Category:Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on politics]]</div>Boackandwhitehttps://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Protests_against_responses_to_the_COVID-19_pandemic&diff=1261684482Protests against responses to the COVID-19 pandemic2024-12-07T11:50:53Z<p>Boackandwhite: </p>
<hr />
<div>{{Short description|Protests against restrictions introduced in response to the COVID-19 pandemic}}<br />
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2021}}<br />
<br />
{{EngvarB|date=April 2021}}<br />
{{Infobox civil conflict<br />
| title = Protests against responses to the COVID-19 pandemic<br />
| side1 = [[WHO]]<br />
[[police]]<br />
| side2 = [[far right]]<br />
COVID-19 conspiracy theorists<br />
| leadfigures1 = [[Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus]]<br />
[[Zhang Jixian]] <br />
[[Li Wenliang]]<br />
| leadfigures2 = [[Category:COVID-19 misinformation{{!}}conspiracy theorists]]<br />
| partof = the [[COVID-19 pandemic]] and <br />
[[COVID-19 misinformation]] and [[COVID-19 misinformation by governments]]<br />
| image = Canadian COVID-19 protesters (cropped).jpg<br />
| caption = An anti-[[COVID-19 lockdowns|lockdown]] protest at [[Queen's Park (Toronto)|Queen's Park]] in [[Toronto]], Canada, on 25 April 2020<br />
| date = 15 March 2020<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.poder360.com.br/governo/bolsonaro-compartilha-video-de-manifestacoes-veja-fotos-de-militantes/|title=Bolsonaro compartilha vídeo de manifestações; veja fotos de militantes|date=15 March 2020|website=Poder360|access-date=27 November 2020|archive-date=4 December 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201204175449/https://www.poder360.com.br/governo/bolsonaro-compartilha-video-de-manifestacoes-veja-fotos-de-militantes/|url-status=live}}</ref> – 5 December 2022<ref>{{cite news |last1=Yu |first1=Verna |title=Chinese students protest as university locks down over one Covid case |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/dec/06/beijing-drops-some-covid-tests-as-capital-readies-itself-for-life-again |access-date=7 December 2022 |work=The Guardian |date=6 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221206141914/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/dec/06/beijing-drops-some-covid-tests-as-capital-readies-itself-for-life-again |archive-date=6 December 2022}}</ref><br />({{age in years, months, weeks and days|month1=3|day1=15|year1=2020|month2=12|day2=5|year2=2022}})<br />
| place = Worldwide<br />
| coordinates = <br />
| causes = Local struggles or opposition to government responses to the COVID-19 pandemic<br />
| goals = * Revocation of [[COVID-19 lockdowns]], [[mask mandate]]s, or [[vaccine mandates]]<br />
| methods = {{plainlist|<br />
* [[Mass protest]]s<br />
* [[Civil unrest]]<br />
* [[Riot]]s<br />
* [[Vandalism]]<br />
* [[Occupation (protest)|Occupations]]}}<br />
}}<br />
{{COVID-19 pandemic sidebar}}<br />
<br />
Protests, demonstrations and strikes occurred around the world against [[National responses to the COVID-19 pandemic|national responses]] to the [[COVID-19 pandemic]] by governmental bodies. Some were driven by the financial hardship resulting from government measures to contain the virus, including restrictions on travel and entertainment, hitting related industries and workers hard. Protests also occurred in opposition to restrictions on people's movements, compulsory wearing of [[Face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic|face masks]], [[COVID-19 lockdowns|lockdowns]], [[COVID-19 vaccination|vaccinations]] and other measures. Some protests were driven by [[COVID-19 misinformation]], [[conspiracy theories]], [[Far-right politics|far-right]] and other extremist groups and individuals.<br />
<br />
This article lists and summarizes such activities in various countries around the world.<br />
<br />
==Background==<br />
{{Globalize|section|US|Australia|Europe|date=September 2021}}<br />
<br />
===Reasons===<br />
{{see also|COVID-19 lockdowns|Social distancing measures related to the COVID-19 pandemic|Face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic|Mask refusal|COVID-19 misinformation|COVID-19 vaccine misinformation and hesitancy}}<br />
[[File:Antivax protest in Dublin 1.jpg|thumb|Protest against the [[COVID-19 vaccine]] in [[Dublin]], [[Republic of Ireland|Ireland]].]]<br />
In order to prevent the spread of the [[SARS-CoV2]] virus which gave rise to the COVID-19 pandemic from 2019, governments brought in health measures at varying levels of strictness to restrict the movement of people and transmission of the virus. In response to these restrictions, protests have been organised at a number of locations around the world,<ref>{{Cite web|last=Haddad|first=Mohammed|title=Mapping coronavirus anti-lockdown protests around the world|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/2/2/mapping-coronavirus-anti-lockdown-protests-around-the-world|access-date=2021-08-03|website=[[Al Jazeera English|Al Jazeera]]|language=en|archive-date=6 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210806180523/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/2/2/mapping-coronavirus-anti-lockdown-protests-around-the-world/|url-status=live}}</ref> and [[Strikes during the COVID-19 pandemic|strikes have also occurred]]. Some of the protests have criticised governments for not acting effectively enough in their responses to the pandemic, while others have been opposed to [[COVID-19#Prevention|preventative measures]] and called for their revocation. According to analysis as part of the [[Global Peace Index]], {{as of|lc=yes| July 2021}}, there had been around 50,000 protests linked to the pandemic worldwide, 5,000 of which were violent.<ref>{{cite news| last1=Newey| first1=Sarah| last2=Gulland| first2=Anne| last3=Smith| first3=Nicola| date=2021-07-25| title=Plague and protests: how Covid has sparked a wave of unrest around the world| language=en-GB| work=[[The Daily Telegraph|The Telegraph]]| url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/global-health/terror-and-security/plague-protests-pandemic-has-sparked-wave-unrest-around-world/| access-date=2021-08-03| issn=0307-1235| archive-date=3 August 2021| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210803151200/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/global-health/terror-and-security/plague-protests-pandemic-has-sparked-wave-unrest-around-world/| url-status=live}}</ref> [[COVID-19 lockdowns]] have inspired protests in many territories, and from late 2020 [[deployment of COVID-19 vaccines]] also inspired protests.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Thousands Around Globe Protest COVID-19 Shots, Lockdowns {{!}} Voice of America - English|url=https://www.voanews.com/covid-19-pandemic/thousands-around-globe-protest-covid-19-shots-lockdowns|access-date=2021-08-03|website=www.voanews.com|date=24 July 2021 |language=en|archive-date=3 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210803151201/https://www.voanews.com/covid-19-pandemic/thousands-around-globe-protest-covid-19-shots-lockdowns|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Analysis {{!}} The pandemic leads to another summer of anger|language=en-US|newspaper=[[Washington Post]]|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2021/07/30/pandemic-leads-another-summer-anger/|access-date=2021-08-03|issn=0190-8286|archive-date=30 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210730070551/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2021/07/30/pandemic-leads-another-summer-anger/|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
The protests have varied in scale, motivations and type, with protesters drawn from a fairly wide range of backgrounds and inspired by a range of reasons. One of the main drivers has been the economic distress brought about by businesses having to close for long periods, leading to widespread unemployment, especially of casual workers in the hospitality industry. Uncertainty about the future and the feeling of lack of control has led to a predilection for believing in [[conspiracy theories]] (such as that COVID-19 is a hoax and that governments have deliberately created the crisis), [[anti-vaxxer]] beliefs, including that [[COVID-19 vaccination]]s and restriction of citizens' movements are part of a government plot to control people, [[Bill Gates]] is behind implanting [[microchip]]s into people via vaccinations.<ref name=ajfeb2021>{{cite web | last=Melimopoulos | first=Elizabeth | title=What's driving the COVID lockdown protests? | website=[[Al Jazeera English|Al Jazeera]] | date=7 February 2021 | url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/2/7/protests-over-new-covid-19-measures-whats-behind-them | access-date=28 August 2021 | archive-date=28 August 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210828004101/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/2/7/protests-over-new-covid-19-measures-whats-behind-them | url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | last=Dearden | first=Lizzie | title=Inside the UK's biggest anti-lockdown protest | website=The Independent | date=16 May 2020 | url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/coronavirus-lockdown-protests-uk-london-hyde-park-5g-conspiracy-theories-a9518506.html | access-date=28 August 2021 | archive-date=23 August 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210823110551/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/coronavirus-lockdown-protests-uk-london-hyde-park-5g-conspiracy-theories-a9518506.html | url-status=live }}</ref> The spread of [[COVID-19 misinformation]] has been a driving factor in some country's protest movements, with some organisers making money out of the protests.<ref>{{Cite web|title=How COVID-conspiracists and anti-vaxxers are getting organised and making money|url=https://news.sky.com/story/how-covid-conspiracists-and-anti-vaxxers-are-getting-organised-and-making-money-12206707|access-date=2021-08-03|website=[[Sky News]]|language=en|archive-date=27 February 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210227193203/https://news.sky.com/story/how-covid-conspiracists-and-anti-vaxxers-are-getting-organised-and-making-money-12206707|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
===Players===<br />
In the US, [[Donald Trump]] spread some potentially misleading information,<ref name=ajfeb2021/> and the [[Proud Boys]], American [[religious fundamentalist]]s and [[American militia movement#Active militia groups|various militia groups]] as well as [[Black Lives Matter of Greater New York]], have been active in protests;<ref>{{cite web | last=Wilson | first=Jason | title=The rightwing groups behind wave of protests against Covid-19 restrictions | website=[[The Guardian]] | date=17 April 2020 | url=http://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/17/far-right-coronavirus-protests-restrictions | access-date=28 August 2021 | archive-date=19 August 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210819134948/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/17/far-right-coronavirus-protests-restrictions | url-status=live }}</ref> across Europe, the extreme right has been active;<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.orfonline.org/expert-speak/fringe-mainstream-extreme-rightwing-europe-68848/| title=From fringe to mainstream: The extreme rightwing in Europe| first1=Kyler| last1=Ong| first2=Raffaello| last2=Pantucci| newspaper=Orf| access-date=28 August 2021| archive-date=28 August 2021| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210828012516/https://www.orfonline.org/expert-speak/fringe-mainstream-extreme-rightwing-europe-68848/| url-status=live}}</ref> in the UK, far-right [[hate group]]s have been involved in spreading misinformation, [[scapegoat]]ing minority groups and trying to organise lockdowns,<ref>{{cite report| title=COVID-19: How hateful extremists are exploiting the pandemic| url=https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/906724/CCE_Briefing_Note_001.pdf| author=[[Commission for Encountering Extremism]]| date=July 2020| publisher=UK Government| access-date=28 August 2021| archive-date=16 March 2021| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210316081503/https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/906724/CCE_Briefing_Note_001.pdf| url-status=live}}</ref> while former politicians such as [[Martin Daubney]] and journalists such as [[Julia Hartley-Brewer]] have either supported or joined protests;<ref>{{cite web | last=Loucaides | first=Darren | title=Inside the U.K.'s anti-lockdown media machine | website=Coda Story | date=9 August 2021 | url=https://www.codastory.com/disinformation/uk-anti-lockdown-media/ | access-date=28 August 2021 | archive-date=14 August 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210814221957/https://www.codastory.com/disinformation/uk-anti-lockdown-media/ | url-status=live }}</ref> in Australia, the Proud Boys,<ref>{{cite web | last=McGowan | first=Michael | title=Where 'freedom' meets the far right: the hate messages infiltrating Australian anti-lockdown protests | website=[[The Guardian]] | date=25 March 2021 | url=http://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/mar/26/where-freedom-meets-the-far-right-the-hate-messages-infiltrating-australian-anti-lockdown-protests | access-date=28 August 2021 | archive-date=24 August 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210824060353/https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/mar/26/where-freedom-meets-the-far-right-the-hate-messages-infiltrating-australian-anti-lockdown-protests | url-status=live }}</ref> the neo-Nazi [[National Socialist Network]]<ref name=ndaug2021>{{cite web | title=How neo-Nazis use anti-lockdown protests to recruit new members | first=Cait | last=Kelly | website=[[The New Daily]] | date=25 August 2021 | url=https://thenewdaily.com.au/news/national/2021/08/26/neo-nazi-anti-lockdown-recruit/ | access-date=28 August 2021 | archive-date=26 August 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210826175828/https://thenewdaily.com.au/news/national/2021/08/26/neo-nazi-anti-lockdown-recruit/ | url-status=live }}</ref> and a few politicians have become involved in spreading misinformation and stirring discontent.<ref>{{cite web | last=Bongiorno | author-link=Frank Bongiorno | first=Frank | title=Right out there: how the pandemic has given rise to extreme views and fractured conservative politics | website=[[The Conversation (website)|The Conversation]] | date=15 August 2021 | url=http://theconversation.com/right-out-there-how-the-pandemic-has-given-rise-to-extreme-views-and-fractured-conservative-politics-165448 | access-date=28 August 2021 | archive-date=27 August 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210827112241/https://theconversation.com/right-out-there-how-the-pandemic-has-given-rise-to-extreme-views-and-fractured-conservative-politics-165448 | url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
===Organisers and methods===<br />
<br />
The [[Telegram (software)|Telegram]] and [[Instagram]] apps are popular means for spreading messages about planned protests,<ref name=knaus2021/> and some events are also posted on [[Facebook]].<ref name=fbrally>{{cite web | title=World Wide Rally for Freedom, Peace & Human Rights III | website=Facebook | date=23 July 2021 | url=https://m.facebook.com/events/791497214885030 | access-date=31 August 2021 | archive-date=22 December 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211222175659/https://m.facebook.com/login.php?next=https%3A%2F%2Fm.facebook.com%2Fevents%2F791497214885030&refsrc=deprecated&_rdr | url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
{{anchor|wwrf}}<!---Worldwide Rally for Freedom, Free Citizens of Kassel, etc. target this anchor.---><br />
A German group called Worldwide Demonstration, operated out of the city of [[Kassel]] by individuals self-described as "Freie Bürger Kassel" (Free Citizens of Kassel),<ref name=knaus2021>{{cite web | last=Knaus | first=Christopher | title=Who's behind Australia's anti-lockdown protests? The German conspiracy group driving marches | website=the Guardian | date=27 July 2021 | url=http://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/jul/27/who-behind-australia-anti-covid-lockdown-protest-march-rallies-sydney-melbourne-far-right-and-german-conspiracy-groups-driving-protests | access-date=30 August 2021 | archive-date=30 August 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210830032414/https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/jul/27/who-behind-australia-anti-covid-lockdown-protest-march-rallies-sydney-melbourne-far-right-and-german-conspiracy-groups-driving-protests | url-status=live }}</ref> coordinated a series of 129 events around the world in March 2021, each one dubbed "World Wide Rally for Freedom", using the [[hashtag]] "#WewillALLbethere". Misinformation, [[QAnon]] beliefs, [[antisemitism]] and COVID-19 denial were prevalent in the groups' chats.<ref name=logically>{{cite web | last1=Backovic | first1=Nick | last2=Wildon | first2=Jordan | last3=Ondrak | first3=Joe | title=Exclusive: Worldwide Anti-Lockdown Protests Organized by German Cell | website=[[Logically (company)|Logically]] | date=14 May 2021 | url=https://www.logically.ai/articles/anti-lockdown-protests-organized-by-german-cell | access-date=30 August 2021 | archive-date=30 August 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210830032414/https://www.logically.ai/articles/anti-lockdown-protests-organized-by-german-cell | url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
== Africa ==<br />
=== Ivory Coast ===<br />
Protesters destroyed a coronavirus testing centre that was being built in [[Abidjan]], which they said was in a crowded residential area too close to their homes.<ref>{{cite news|date=6 April 2020|title=Coronavirus: Ivory Coast protesters target testing centre|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-52189144|access-date=3 May 2020|archive-date=1 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200501142544/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-52189144|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Kenya ===<br />
The Kenyan government has been accused of extreme measures, with protesters accusing the [[Kenya Police|Kenyan Police]] of killing at least six people within the first 10 days of the lockdown. Others protested against the forced quarantine of individuals failing to comply with regulations or returning home from abroad, claiming that they had been quarantined for longer than 14 days and made to pay the government for their care.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Kenyans held for weeks in quarantine were then told to pay to get out|url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/coronavirus/ct-nw-nyt-kenya-quarantine-centers-20200508-sguy6zocxvbnvpbrccilweiu6m-story.html|last=Dahir|first=Abdi Latif|date=8 May 2020|website=baltimoresun.com|access-date=9 May 2020|archive-date=13 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200513222022/https://www.baltimoresun.com/coronavirus/ct-nw-nyt-kenya-quarantine-centers-20200508-sguy6zocxvbnvpbrccilweiu6m-story.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Hundreds protested on 8 May 2020 when the government destroyed 7,000 homes and a market in [[Kariobangi]] in an effort to control the virus.<ref>{{cite web |title=Kenyans protest house demolitions amid virus restrictions |url=https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/kenyans-protest-house-demolitions-amid-virus-restrictions-70575939 |website=ABC News |access-date=9 May 2020 |language=en |archive-date=9 May 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200509001511/https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/kenyans-protest-house-demolitions-amid-virus-restrictions-70575939 |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Malawi ===<br />
A [[Malawi]] high court temporarily barred the government from implementing a 21-day lockdown after it was challenged by the Human Rights Defenders Coalition, after it was argued that more consultation was needed to prevent harm to the poorest and most vulnerable. Small protests had been staged prior to the ruling, in at least three major cities with some protesters stating it was better to contract the virus than die of hunger due to lack of work.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Malawi high court blocks coronavirus lockdown|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/04/malawi-high-court-blocks-coronavirus-lockdown-200417184430403.html|date=17 April 2020|website=www.aljazeera.com|access-date=9 May 2020|archive-date=8 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200508151024/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/04/malawi-high-court-blocks-coronavirus-lockdown-200417184430403.html|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Nigeria ===<br />
A group of at least twenty coronavirus patients forced their way out of an isolation facility to protest against alleged improper care and the government's actions which they believed to worsen their conditions.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Nigeria: COVID-19 patients protest over 'ill treatment'|url=https://www.aa.com.tr/en/africa/nigeria-covid-19-patients-protest-over-ill-treatment/1830966|date=6 May 2020|website=www.aa.com.tr|access-date=9 May 2020|archive-date=10 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200510190944/https://www.aa.com.tr/en/africa/nigeria-covid-19-patients-protest-over-ill-treatment/1830966|url-status=live}}</ref> Workers at a construction site rioted against lockdown measures that limited their ability to work on constructing an [[oil refinery]] for billionaire [[Aliko Dangote]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Nigerian workers riot over Covid-19 lockdown {{!}} New Straits Times|url=https://www.nst.com.my/world/world/2020/04/588042/nigerian-workers-riot-over-covid-19-lockdown|date=27 April 2020|website=NST Online|language=en|access-date=9 May 2020|archive-date=8 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200508213859/https://www.nst.com.my/world/world/2020/04/588042/nigerian-workers-riot-over-covid-19-lockdown|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Rwanda ===<br />
Refugees that had been relocated to the country from an overcrowded refugee camp in [[Libya]], protested against the lockdown from the refugee camp in the capital [[Kigali]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Refugees Protest Under Coronavirus Lockdown in Rwanda {{!}} Voice of America - English|url=https://www.voanews.com/covid-19-pandemic/refugees-protest-under-coronavirus-lockdown-rwanda|date=17 April 2020|website=www.voanews.com|language=en|access-date=9 May 2020|archive-date=3 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200503130323/https://www.voanews.com/covid-19-pandemic/refugees-protest-under-coronavirus-lockdown-rwanda|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== South Africa ===<br />
Many residents protested against the policy that food parcel aid would only be going to households that earn below R3600, and demanded action from the South African Social Security Agency.<ref>{{Cite web|title="We are still waiting" – protesting under lockdown in South Africa|url=https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/beyond-trafficking-and-slavery/we-are-still-waiting-protesting-under-lockdown-in-south-africa/|last=Anciano|first=Fiona|date=24 April 2020|website=openDemocracy|language=en|access-date=9 May 2020|archive-date=9 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200509221138/https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/beyond-trafficking-and-slavery/we-are-still-waiting-protesting-under-lockdown-in-south-africa/|url-status=live}}</ref> Surfers have also protested to be allowed to surf during the lockdown, that allows exercise but not water activities.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Anti-lockdown protests around the world|url=https://www.reuters.com/news/picture/anti-lockdown-protests-around-the-world-idUSRTX7H61S|date=5 May 2020|website=www.reuters.com|access-date=9 May 2020|archive-date=8 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200508144737/https://www.reuters.com/news/picture/anti-lockdown-protests-around-the-world-idUSRTX7H61S|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Zimbabwe ===<br />
Three young, female opposition activists were reported missing following a protest in [[Harare]], Zimbabwe, over COVID-19 lockdown measures on 15 May 2020. They were later treated at a hospital after asserting they had been abducted and sexually abused by suspected state security agents.<ref>{{cite web |title=Zimbabwe police accused of assaulting young female activists |url=https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/zimbabwe-police-accused-assaulting-young-female-activists-70701508 |website=ABC News |access-date=5 June 2020 |language=en |archive-date=5 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200605190822/https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/zimbabwe-police-accused-assaulting-young-female-activists-70701508 |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
== Asia ==<br />
<br />
=== China (mainland) ===<br />
{{Main|2022 COVID-19 protests in China}}<br />
[[File:西南交通大学学生悼念乌鲁木齐火灾逝者 10.jpg|alt=Students at Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu, holding a candlelight vigil for victims of the fire. The candles are arranged in a heart shape. The faces of students are blurred to protect anonymity.|thumb|Students at [[Southwest Jiaotong University]], [[Chengdu]], holding a candlelight vigil for victims of the [[2022 Ürümqi fire|fire in Ürümqi]].]]<br />
<br />
Small shop owners protested the continuation of rent charges outside of the Grand Ocean Department Store in Wuhan, chanting "Exempt rental for a year, or refund the lease". Videos from the demonstration were posted in the social media platform [[Sina Weibo]] but quickly censored.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international/world-news/wuhan-rent-protest-shows-unrest-brewing-in-china-after-lockdown/articleshow/75080074.cms?from=mdr |title=covid 19: Wuhan rent protest shows unrest brewing in China after lockdown - The Economic Times |publisher=Economictimes.indiatimes.com |access-date=30 April 2020 |archive-date=10 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200910133541/https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international/world-news/wuhan-rent-protest-shows-unrest-brewing-in-china-after-lockdown/articleshow/75080074.cms?from=mdr |url-status=live }}</ref> A woman was arrested and facing criminal charges after attempting to rally about 100 people to protest the poor management and overpriced provisions during the lockdown. She was charged with "[[picking quarrels and provoking trouble]]", an offense normally used to detain dissidents and social activists.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Chinese woman charged with organising protests during coronavirus lockdown|url=https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3080590/coronavirus-lockdown-woman-charged-organising-protests-against|last=Huang|first=Kristin|date=19 April 2020|website=South China Morning Post|language=en|access-date=1 May 2020|archive-date=2 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200502204312/https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3080590/coronavirus-lockdown-woman-charged-organising-protests-against|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
In 2022, public protests and marches began in cities such as [[Ürümqi]] and [[Guangzhou]] in response to the continued zero-COVID policy of the [[Government of China|Chinese government]] under [[Xi Jinping Administration]].<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Chien |first1=Amy Chang |last2=Che |first2=Chang |last3=Liu |first3=John |last4=Mozur |first4=Paul |date=2022-11-25 |title=In a challenge to Beijing, unrest over COVID lockdowns spreads |url=https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2022/11/25/asia-pacific/china-covid-lockdown-unrest/ |access-date=2022-11-27 |website=The Japan Times |language=en-US}}</ref> In Shanghai, some protesters among hundreds had chanted "Step down, [[Xi Jinping]]! Step down, [[Chinese Communist Party|Communist Party]]!"<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-11-27 |title=Protests erupt across China in unprecedented challenge to Xi Jinping's zero-Covid policy |url=https://www.cnn.com/2022/11/26/china/china-protests-xinjiang-fire-shanghai-intl-hnk/index.html |access-date=2022-11-27 |website=[[CNN]] |language=en}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Hong Kong ===<br />
[[File:Protest against Designated Clinics in TSW North 20200215.png|thumb|Protest against plans to set up designated coronavirus clinics near residential areas in [[Hong Kong]] on 15 February 2020]]<br />
{{Main|2019–20 Hong Kong protests#COVID-19 crisis}}<br />
Pro-democratic movement's tactics were repurposed to pressure the government to take stronger actions to safeguard Hong Kong's [[public health]] in the face of the [[2020 coronavirus outbreak in Hong Kong|coronavirus outbreak in Hong Kong]]. Protesters demanded all travellers coming from China be banned from entering Hong Kong. From 3 to 7 February 2020, hospital staff launched a labour strike with the same goal. The strike was not successful as [[Carrie Lam]] rejected a full border closure.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://hongkongfp.com/2020/10/14/covid-19-hong-kong-hospital-authority-demands-answers-from-radiologists-after-unit-head-refuses-name-medics-who-went-on-strike/|title=Covid-19: Hong Kong Hospital Authority demands answers from radiologists after unit head refuses to name medics who went on strike|first=Kelly|last=Ho|work=[[Hong Kong Free Press]]|date=2020-10-14|access-date=2021-11-06|archive-date=6 September 2021|archive-url=https://archive.today/20210906153555/https://hongkongfp.com/2020/10/14/covid-19-hong-kong-hospital-authority-demands-answers-from-radiologists-after-unit-head-refuses-name-medics-who-went-on-strike/|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
People responded negatively to the government's attempt to set up quarantine and clinical centres in neighbourhoods close to residents and marched to express their discontent or blocked roads to thwart the government's plans across the territory.{{citation needed|date=August 2021}}<br />
<br />
=== India ===<br />
{{see also|Indian migrant workers during the COVID-19 pandemic}}<br />
After the televised announcement by Prime Minister [[Narendra Modi]] that the lockdown was to be extended until at least 3 May, police used batons to disperse protesting migrant workers in [[Mumbai]]. Thousands of jobless migrant workers had gathered at railway stations and were demanding to be allowed to break the lockdown to return home.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-southasia-idUSKCN21W0HI|title=India extends world's biggest lockdown, ignites protest by migrant workers|newspaper=Reuters|date=14 April 2020|via=reuters.com|last1=Jain|first1=Sanjeev Miglani|access-date=27 April 2020|archive-date=26 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200426093055/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-southasia-idUSKCN21W0HI|url-status=live}}</ref> Similar protests were seen in other parts of the country by the workers, and those who claimed that they received no aid which was promised by the government to provide them with during the lockdown period.<br />
<br />
In the state of [[Meghalaya]] anti mandatory vaccination protesters organised a rally in the capital city Shillong against the alleged mandatory inoculation drive by the state government.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Amid rising Covid cases, anti-vaccine protesters rally in Meghalaya |url=http://www.dtnext.in/amp/News/National/2022/01/23082638/1340071/Amid-rising-Covid-cases-antivaccine-protesters-rally-.vpf |access-date=2022-03-24 |website=dtNext.in |language=ta}}{{dead link|date=November 2022|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref><br />
<br />
In State of Maharashtra similar anti mandatory mask and anti mandatory mask protest were held.<ref>{{Citation |title=Worldwide Demonstration: People protest against mandatory vaccinations, lockdowns |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9V83n4_VIAI |language=en |access-date=2022-04-17}}</ref><br />
<br />
Several legal cases were filed in multiple [[high courts of India]] and the Supreme Court of India against mandatory masking and vaccinations.<ref>{{Cite news |agency=Press Trust of India |date=2022-03-02 |title='Unfortunate': HC on mandatory vaccine for Maharashtra public transport |work=Business Standard India |url=https://www.business-standard.com/article/current-affairs/unfortunate-hc-on-mandatory-vaccine-for-maharashtra-public-transport-122030200974_1.html |access-date=2022-04-17}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Roy |first=Debayan |title=[COVID-19] Supreme Court reserves verdict in plea challenging coercive vaccination |url=https://www.barandbench.com/news/covid-19-supreme-court-reserves-verdict-in-plea-against-coercive-vaccination |access-date=2022-04-17 |website=Bar and Bench - Indian Legal news |date=22 March 2022 |language=en}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Indonesia ===<br />
{{Main|Indonesia omnibus law protests}}<br />
[[File:Indonesia omnibus law protests Okt 2020 in Padang.jpg|thumb|Protest in [[Padang]] on 7 October 2020]]<br />
On 5 October 2020, Indonesia has passed a [[Omnibus Law on Job Creation|law on job creation]] that will weaken environmental protections and workers’ rights in an attempt to boost the economy hit hard by the [[COVID-19 pandemic|Wuhan pneumonia pandemic]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/world/breakingnews/3313101|title=國會通過爭議性法案 印尼各地發起罷工示威|work=Liberty Times|date=6 October 2020|access-date=6 October 2020|language=zh-tw|archive-date=9 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201009193945/https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/world/breakingnews/3313101|url-status=live}}</ref> On 6 October, thousands of Indonesians protest in industrial areas around Jakarta including Tangerang and Karawang and on [[Batam]]. A three-day national strike was started which unions expected to involve two million workers in protest against the law.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-indonesia-economy-law/thousands-of-indonesians-protest-against-passage-of-jobs-bill-idUSKBN26R0ZG|title=Thousands of Indonesians protest against passage of jobs bill|work=Reuters|date=6 October 2020|access-date=6 October 2020|archive-date=6 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201006164032/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-indonesia-economy-law/thousands-of-indonesians-protest-against-passage-of-jobs-bill-idUSKBN26R0ZG|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
Demonstrations in Bandung and Jakarta were held on 22 July and 24 July respectively in order to protest the extension of the government's "social activities restriction" (PPKM/CARE) measures.<ref>{{cite AV media |date=24 July 2021 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSLqONzbUmU |title=BERITA TERBARU ~DEMO PPKM DI JAKARTA~BERITA VIRAL HARI INI |publisher=KABAR MILITER |via=[[YouTube]] |access-date=7 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210724074608/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSLqONzbUmU |archive-date=24 July 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite AV media |date=21 July 2021 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jfSIwIX2zHY |title=Dinilai Merugikan, Warga Bandung Berunjuk Rasa Tolak PPKM Darurat {{!}} Fokus |publisher=[[Indosiar]] |via=[[YouTube]] |access-date=7 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210725025445/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jfSIwIX2zHY |archive-date=25 July 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite AV media |date=21 July 2021 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3gYGWz13weU |title=Demo Tolak PPKM Darurat Berakhir Ricuh |publisher=[[CNN Indonesia]] |via=[[YouTube]] |access-date=7 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210725235748/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3gYGWz13weU |archive-date=25 July 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite AV media |date=23 July 2021 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPP4PpT6Pnw |title=Demo Mahasiswa Tolak Kebijakan PPKM Darurat di Flyover Pasar Rebo Berujung Ricuh |publisher=KOMPASTV |via=[[YouTube]] |access-date=7 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210724074614/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPP4PpT6Pnw |archive-date=24 July 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite AV media |date=24 July 2021 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mqzlX1oLNNI |title=Demo Tolak PPKM hari ini dijakarta pusat |publisher=Echa mahkota |via=[[YouTube]] |access-date=7 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210725234934/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mqzlX1oLNNI |archive-date=25 July 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref>{{excessive citations inline|date=August 2021}}<br />
<br />
=== Israel ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 protests in Israel}}<br />
In April 2020, thousands of Israelis engaged in [[social distancing]] while gathering to protest against the perceived anti-democratic measures in the country by Prime Minister [[Benjamin Netanyahu]]. Many were involved in the Black Flag movement which had been allowed to protest by police if they stood six feet apart and all wore masks. An earlier protest had seen the protesters drive to [[Jerusalem]] to protest anti-democratic measures.<ref>{{cite web |last=Rosner |first=Elizabeth |url=https://nypost.com/2020/04/20/israelis-practice-social-distancing-at-tel-aviv-protest/ |title=Israelis maintain social distancing while protesting Netanyahu |date=20 April 2020 |publisher=Nypost.com |access-date=27 April 2020 |archive-date=24 April 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200424070815/https://nypost.com/2020/04/20/israelis-practice-social-distancing-at-tel-aviv-protest/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Other demonstrations have been seen in the ultra-[[Orthodox Judaism|Orthodox]] Jerusalem neighborhood of [[Mea Shearim]] with men and youths throwing rocks at police before being arrested.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Police clash with stone-throwing Haredi protesters in Jerusalem, 5 arrested|url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/police-clash-with-stone-throwing-haredi-protesters-in-jerusalem-5-arrested/|date=20 April 2020|website=www.timesofisrael.com|language=en-US|access-date=1 May 2020|archive-date=26 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200426143227/https://www.timesofisrael.com/police-clash-with-stone-throwing-haredi-protesters-in-jerusalem-5-arrested/|url-status=live}}</ref> Riots broke out in [[Bnei Brak]] with crowds vandalizing property and throwing rocks against police attempts to clear [[yeshiva]] classes and religious gatherings being held in violation of lockdown rules.<ref>{{Cite news|last1=Hendrix|first1=Steve|last2=Rubin|first2=Shira|date=26 January 2021|title=Violence erupts in Israel's ultra-Orthodox neighborhoods over coronavirus restrictions|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/ultra-orthodox-israel-police-covid/2021/01/25/2438e840-5ee3-11eb-a177-7765f29a9524_story.html|access-date=28 January 2021|newspaper=The Washington Post|archive-date=28 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210128111056/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/ultra-orthodox-israel-police-covid/2021/01/25/2438e840-5ee3-11eb-a177-7765f29a9524_story.html|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Iraq ===<br />
Protests against the lockdown have been coupled with the [[2019–2020 Iraqi protests|ongoing protests]] against the current government and female-targeting violence within the country.<ref>{{Cite web|title=The Iraq Report: Protest movement revives as coronavirus lockdown eased|url=https://english.alaraby.co.uk/english/indepth/2020/5/1/the-iraq-report-protest-movement-revives-as-lockdown-eased|website=alaraby|date=May 2020|language=en|access-date=1 May 2020|archive-date=4 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200504011957/https://english.alaraby.co.uk/english/indepth/2020/5/1/the-iraq-report-protest-movement-revives-as-lockdown-eased|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="WPProtests">{{cite web |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/coronavirus-protests-lebanon-india-iraq/2020/04/19/1581dde4-7e5f-11ea-84c2-0792d8591911_story.html |title=Coronavirus lockdowns prompt protests in India, Lebanon, Iraq |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=19 April 2020 |access-date=27 April 2020 |archive-date=25 April 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200425064157/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/coronavirus-protests-lebanon-india-iraq/2020/04/19/1581dde4-7e5f-11ea-84c2-0792d8591911_story.html |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Kazakhstan ===<br />
Following announcement of quarantine measures, videos of hospital staff in [[Atyrau]] protesting against new rules were spread on social media in April 2020, resulting in reporting journalists being detained.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-04-16|title=Казахстан: митинг в белых халатах|url=https://belsat.eu/ru/programs/kazahstan-miting-v-belyh-halatah/|url-status=live|access-date=2021-07-26|website=belsat.eu|language=ru|archive-date=27 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210727010145/https://belsat.eu/ru/programs/kazahstan-miting-v-belyh-halatah/}}</ref><br />
<br />
On 25 January 2021, a demonstration was held in city of [[Kokshetau]] where citizens expressed discontent with concept of compulsory vaccination against COVID-19 in which the deputy [[akim]] met with the crowd and assured them that decision whether to be vaccinated would be based on each individual's personal choice.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-01-25|title=Несколько десятков человек собрались на площади в Кокшетау|url=https://www.nur.kz/society/1895472-neskolko-desatkov-celovek-sobralis-na-plosadi-v-koksetau-foto/?|url-status=live|access-date=2021-07-27|website=www.nur.kz|language=ru|archive-date=27 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210727010148/https://www.nur.kz/society/1895472-neskolko-desatkov-celovek-sobralis-na-plosadi-v-koksetau-foto/}}</ref> in result of the government's [[COVID-19 vaccine]] mandate for all in-person employees, protests took place on 6 July 2021 in Kazakhstan where citizens demanded to stop the fines for businesspeople who refused to mandate for workers as well free [[COVID-19 testing|PCR testing]] for the unvaccinated.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Говоров|first=Георгий|date=2021-07-06|title=НГ: "Принудительной вакцинации нет" - аким Костаная встретился с участниками акции протеста|url=https://www.ng.kz/modules/news/article.php?storyid=42453#893571|url-status=live|access-date=2021-07-27|website=www.ng.kz|archive-date=27 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210727014138/https://www.ng.kz/modules/news/article.php?storyid=42453#893571}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-07-01|title=В Казахстане вводится режим обязательной вакцинации|url=https://inbusiness.kz/ru/news/v-kazahstane-vvoditsya-rezhim-obyazatelnoj-vakcinacii|url-status=live|access-date=2021-07-27|website=inbusiness.kz|language=ru|archive-date=27 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210727010147/https://inbusiness.kz/ru/news/v-kazahstane-vvoditsya-rezhim-obyazatelnoj-vakcinacii}}</ref> In [[Oral, Kazakhstan|Oral]], instructions were given out to crowd in avoiding the inoculation.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Левина|first=Мария|date=2021-07-06|title=В Уральске и Костанае прошли митинги против обязательной вакцинации|url=https://vlast.kz/novosti/45733-v-uralske-i-kostanae-prosli-mitingi-protiv-obazatelnoj-vakcinacii.html|url-status=live|access-date=2021-07-27|website=vlast.kz|language=ru|archive-date=27 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210727010148/https://vlast.kz/novosti/45733-v-uralske-i-kostanae-prosli-mitingi-protiv-obazatelnoj-vakcinacii.html}}</ref> Reports of detentions of people by the police occurred in [[Almaty]] and [[Aktobe]] that day.<ref>{{Cite news|date=2021-07-06|title=Несколько человек задержаны в Алматы и Актобе на месте анонсированных Аблязовым акций|url=https://rus.azattyq.org/a/31343878.html|url-status=live|access-date=2021-07-27|website=Радио Азаттык|language=ru|archive-date=27 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210727010146/https://rus.azattyq.org/a/31343878.html}}</ref> On 17 July, demonstrations occurred throughout the cities, where in [[Pavlodar]] hundred people gathered at the central square which was dispersed by security forces with detainees being pushed into police vans and some managing to flee the area.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-07-19|title=Митинги против обязательной вакцинации прошли в нескольких городах Казахстана|url=https://ust-kamenogorsk.city/novosti-kazakhstana/11695/|url-status=live|access-date=2021-07-27|website=ust-kamenogorsk.city|archive-date=27 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210727010147/https://ust-kamenogorsk.city/novosti-kazakhstana/11695/}}</ref> After the Kazakh government decided to raise fuel prices in the middle of the pandemic, many Kazakhs carried out [[2022 Kazakh unrest|the bloodiest riots since the collapse of the Soviet Union]].<br />
<br />
=== Lebanon ===<br />
{{See also|2019–2021 Lebanese protests}}<br />
Many protesters argued for monetary relief from the countries slumping economy after weeks of the lockdown.<ref name="WPProtests"/> At least one demonstrator died after soldiers used tear gas, batons, and live bullets to disperse a protesters in [[Tripoli, Lebanon|Tripoli]] who were throwing [[molotov cocktail]]s.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Osseiran|first1=Nazih|last2=Nissenbaum|first2=Dion|date=28 April 2020|title=Protesters in Lebanon Demand Economic Relief as Coronavirus Lockdown Eases|language=en-US|work=[[The Wall Street Journal]]|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/protesters-in-lebanon-demand-economic-relief-as-coronavirus-lockdown-eases-11588096707|access-date=1 May 2020|issn=0099-9660|archive-date=30 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200430221558/https://www.wsj.com/articles/protesters-in-lebanon-demand-economic-relief-as-coronavirus-lockdown-eases-11588096707|url-status=live}}</ref> Protesters also congregated in [[Beirut]] outside the central bank and threw rocks at the building, and took over major roads as they claimed there wasn't enough done to protect the economy and those that would suffer the most economically.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Hatoum|first1=Bassam|last2=Hussein|first2=Bilal|date=29 April 2020|title=Lockdown lifts in Lebanon, protests erupt over economic crises|work=[[The Christian Science Monitor]]|url=https://www.csmonitor.com/World/Middle-East/2020/0429/Lockdown-lifts-in-Lebanon-protests-erupt-over-economic-crises|access-date=1 May 2020|issn=0882-7729|archive-date=1 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200501054440/https://www.csmonitor.com/World/Middle-East/2020/0429/Lockdown-lifts-in-Lebanon-protests-erupt-over-economic-crises|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Malaysia ===<br />
<br />
On 31 July 2021, hundreds of protesters attempted to gather in [[Merdeka Square, Kuala Lumpur]], calling for the resignation of Prime Minister [[Muhyiddin Yassin]] over his and the Malaysian government's handling of the [[COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia|COVID-19 pandemic]].<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|title=Hundreds take to Kuala Lumpur's streets in anti-gov't protest|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/7/31/hundreds-take-to-streets-in-anti-government-protest-in-malaysia|access-date=2021-08-01|website=www.aljazeera.com|language=en|archive-date=1 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210801172936/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/7/31/hundreds-take-to-streets-in-anti-government-protest-in-malaysia|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite web|website=Deutsche Welle|title=Malaysian protesters demand PM Muhyiddin's resignation=|date=2021-07-31|url=https://www.dw.com/en/malaysian-protesters-demand-pm-muhyiddins-resignation/a-58713654|access-date=2021-08-01|language=en-GB|archive-date=1 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210801172936/https://www.dw.com/en/malaysian-protesters-demand-pm-muhyiddins-resignation/a-58713654|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Ramlan|first=Alyaa Alhadjri & Vivian Yap, Yasmin|date=2021-07-31|title=Hundreds of #Lawan protesters in KL demand PM's resignation|url=https://www.malaysiakini.com/news/585291|access-date=2021-08-01|website=Malaysiakini|language=en|archive-date=1 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210801172003/https://www.malaysiakini.com/news/585291|url-status=live}}</ref> The protests took place despite [[Malaysian movement control order|Movement Control Order (MCO)]] restrictions being in place, and Malaysian police blocking access to Merdeka Square itself.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Solhi|first=Farah|date=2021-07-31|title=#Lawan rally ends as protesters fail to get inside Dataran Merdeka {{!}} New Straits Times|url=https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2021/07/713474/lawan-rally-ends-protesters-fail-get-inside-dataran-merdeka|access-date=2021-08-01|website=NST Online|language=en|archive-date=1 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210801172004/https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2021/07/713474/lawan-rally-ends-protesters-fail-get-inside-dataran-merdeka|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Solhi|first=Farah|date=2021-07-31|title=#Lawan rally goes on despite police warning, risk of spreading Covid-19 [NSTTV] {{!}} New Straits Times|url=https://www.nst.com.my/news/crime-courts/2021/07/713455/lawan-rally-goes-despite-police-warning-risk-spreading-covid-19|access-date=2021-08-01|website=NST Online|language=en|archive-date=1 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210801173504/https://www.nst.com.my/news/crime-courts/2021/07/713455/lawan-rally-goes-despite-police-warning-risk-spreading-covid-19|url-status=live}}</ref> The anti-government protests took place following a [[2021 Malaysian state of emergency|state of emergency]] declaration, where parliament and elections were suspended, and amid an [[2020–21 Malaysian political crisis|ongoing political crisis]].<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2" /> On 2 August, including former Prime Minister [[Mahathir Mohamad]], opposition MPs held a protest in Merdeka Square after being blocked from entering Parliament by police.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-08-02|title=Police stop Malaysian opposition lawmakers from marching to Parliament|url=https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/heavy-police-presence-outside-malaysian-parliament|access-date=2021-08-02|website=The Straits Times|language=en|archive-date=2 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210802080101/https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/heavy-police-presence-outside-malaysian-parliament|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Malaysia opposition MPs gather at Merdeka Square after being blocked from entering parliament|url=https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asia/malaysia-opposition-dataran-merdeka-parliament-postponed-covid19-15360260|access-date=2021-08-02|website=CNA|language=en|archive-date=2 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210802080147/https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asia/malaysia-opposition-dataran-merdeka-parliament-postponed-covid19-15360260|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Nepal ===<br />
On 12 June 2020, hundreds of protesters gathering in the capital city [[Kathmandu]], demanding better quarantine facilities, more tests and transparency in the purchase of medical supplies to fight the crisis. Ten people have been arrested, including seven foreigners.<ref>{{cite web|author=Gopal Sharma|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-nepal/hundreds-protest-against-nepals-coronavirus-response-7-foreigners-arrested-idUSKBN23K087/|title=Hundreds protest against Nepal's coronavirus response; 7 foreigners arrested|work=Reuters|date=2020-06-13}}</ref><br />
[[File:尼泊尔最大反对党发起全国抗议活动.jpg|thumb|Protesters wave party flags of the [[Nepali Congress]] on 14 December 2020]]<br />
On 14 December 2020, the [[Nepali Congress]], Nepal's largest opposition party, launched a nationwide protest, claiming that one million people participated. This protest is mainly to criticize the government for not actively fighting the COVID-19 pandemic and for not actively preparing for holding the winter session of [[Federal Parliament of Nepal|federal parliament]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.chinanews.com/wap/detail/zw/gj/2020/12-14/9361978.shtml|title=尼泊尔最大反对党发起全国抗议活动|work=China News Service|date=2020-12-14|language=zh-cn}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Pakistan ===<br />
Dozens of doctors were arrested in [[Quetta]] after protesting the lack of safety equipment that they had been given to battle the spread of the disease.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/06/pakistan-arrests-doctors-protest-lack-coronavirus-safety-equipment |title=Pakistan arrests doctors protesting over lack of virus safety equipment &#124; World news |work=The Guardian |access-date=30 April 2020 |archive-date=7 April 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200407174034/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/06/pakistan-arrests-doctors-protest-lack-coronavirus-safety-equipment |url-status=live }}</ref> Hundreds of laborers protested against their forced layoffs due to the pandemic by gathering outside their old places of work throughout the city of Karachi.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Millions of Pakistani laborers struggle amid COVID-19 lockdown|url=https://www.aa.com.tr/en/asia-pacific/millions-of-pakistani-laborers-struggle-amid-covid-19-lockdown/1824231|last=Latif|first=Aamir|date=30 April 2020|website=www.aa.com.tr|access-date=1 May 2020|archive-date=6 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200506073132/https://www.aa.com.tr/en/asia-pacific/millions-of-pakistani-laborers-struggle-amid-covid-19-lockdown/1824231|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
Parents of students who had been studying abroad in the Chinese province of Hubei protested against the government's decision to leave the children in the area in February 2020.<ref>{{cite news|last=Raza Hassan|first=Syed|date=16 February 2020|title=Parents protest as Pakistani students stuck in China under coronavirus lockdown|language=en|work=Reuters|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-health-pakistan-idUSKBN20A0J9|access-date=1 May 2020|archive-date=25 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200525093543/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-health-pakistan-idUSKBN20A0J9|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Philippines ===<br />
{{See also|Protests against Rodrigo Duterte}}<br />
Spontaneous demonstrations were held on 1 April 2020 by a [[Quezon City]] urban poor community to protest lack of food and other assistance during the metropolitan-wide COVID-19 lockdown.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ellao |first=Janess Ann J. |date=1 April 2020 |title=Arrests in QC reveal lack of gov't support to lockdown-affected residents |url=https://www.bulatlat.com/2020/04/01/arrests-in-qc-urban-poor-reveal-lack-of-govt-support-to-lockdown-affected-residents/ |access-date=19 June 2020 |website=Bulatlat |language=en-US |archive-date=20 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200620224244/https://www.bulatlat.com/2020/04/01/arrests-in-qc-urban-poor-reveal-lack-of-govt-support-to-lockdown-affected-residents/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Police violently dispersed protesters and arrested 21 people.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=1 April 2020 |title=21 protesters demanding food aid arrested in Quezon City |url=https://www.cnnphilippines.com/news/2020/4/1/quezon-city-protesters-arrested-.html |access-date=19 June 2020 |website=CNN |language=en |archive-date=23 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200623053048/https://cnnphilippines.com/news/2020/4/1/quezon-city-protesters-arrested-.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> The city mayor and a Congress representative appealed to police to release those arrested.<ref name=":0" /><br />
<br />
In May 2020, journalists and individuals protested [[ABS-CBN franchise renewal controversy|the cease and desist order that led to the shutdown of media giant ABS-CBN]], a move that jeopardized more than 11,000 jobs and prevented the broadcast of vital information about the pandemic. More protests were held after the House of Representatives junked ABS-CBN's application for a legislative franchise.{{citation needed|date=August 2021}}<br />
<br />
Jeepney drivers rendered jobless by the COVID-19 emergency protested in Caloocan on 3 June 2020. Six protesters were arrested and jailed for a few days to one week.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Lalu |first=Gabriel Pabico |date=18 June 2020 |title=2 of jailed Piston 6 protesters test positive for COVID-19 |url=https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1293906/2-of-jailed-piston-6-protesters-test-positive-for-covid-19 |access-date=19 June 2020 |website=Inquirer |language=en |archive-date=18 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200618141148/https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1293906/2-of-jailed-piston-6-protesters-test-positive-for-covid-19 |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
Several groups held protests nationwide to coincide with the commemoration of Philippine Independence on 12 June 2020.<ref>{{Cite web |date=11 June 2020 |title=LIST: 'Grand mañanita' and other Independence Day 2020 activities |url=http://www.rappler.com/move-ph/263498-list-mananita-other-activities-independence-day-2020 |access-date=19 June 2020 |website=Rappler |language=en |archive-date=13 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200613072615/https://www.rappler.com/move-ph/263498-list-mananita-other-activities-independence-day-2020 |url-status=live }}</ref> Among these was the "Grand Mañanita" protest at the [[University of the Philippines]] in Quezon City. The Grand Mañanita protested the [[Philippine government response to the COVID-19 pandemic|government's response to the COVID-19 crisis]] and Congress' passage of a controversial [[Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020|anti-terror bill]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Gonzales |first=Cathrine |date=12 June 2020 |title=Look: 'Grand mañanita' protest on Independence Day |url=https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1290437/look-grand-mananita-protest-on-independence-day |access-date=19 June 2020 |website=INQUIRER.net |language=en |archive-date=19 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200619173237/https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1290437/look-grand-mananita-protest-on-independence-day |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
On 16 July 2021, health workers held a protest in front of the headquarters of [[Department of Health (Philippines)|Department of Health]] (DOH) where they threw tomatoes at the logo of the DOH.<ref>{{cite news |title=DOH, binato ng kamatis |url=https://web.facebook.com/News5Everywhere/videos/3941239406004582/ |access-date=23 September 2021 |work=News5 |date=July 16, 2021 |via=Facebook |archive-date=22 December 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211222175651/https://www.facebook.com/News5Everywhere/videos/3941239406004582/?_rdc=1&_rdr |url-status=live }}</ref> On 30 August, 1 September and 24 November 2021,<ref>{{cite news |title='Ginagawa kaming bobo': Health workers patuloy ang paghahabol sa benepisyo {{!}} TV Patrol |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9slZiNABZMA&ab_channel=ABS-CBNNews |access-date=28 November 2021 |work=ABS-CBN News |archive-date=28 November 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211128054313/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9slZiNABZMA&ab_channel=ABS-CBNNews |url-status=live }}</ref> health workers from various hospitals in Metro Manila held a protest at the DOH headquarters over nonpayment of their salaries and benefits and demanding Duque (and Duterte) to resign over the handling of the COVID-19 pandemic in the country.<ref>{{cite news |title='We have nothing to celebrate': Health workers protest as Duterte calls frontliners 'new breed of heroes' |url=https://www.cnnphilippines.com/news/2021/8/30/health-workers-protest-National-Heroes-Day.html |access-date=1 September 2021 |work=CNN Philippines |archive-date=1 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210901033613/https://www.cnnphilippines.com/news/2021/8/30/health-workers-protest-National-Heroes-Day.html |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=On Heroes' Day, health workers protest over unreleased benefits |url=https://www.rappler.com/nation/health-workers-protest-unreleased-benefit30-august-2021 |access-date=1 September 2021 |work=Rappler }}{{dead link|date=August 2023|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Underpaid health workers walk out, call for Duque resignation at mass protests |url=https://www.rappler.com/nation/health-workers-walk-out-jobs-mass-protests-duque-1-september-2021 |access-date=1 September 2021 |work=Rappler }}{{dead link|date=August 2023|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Thailand ===<br />
{{main|2020 Thai protests}}<br />
[[File:เยาวชนปลดแอก ประท้วง กรุงเทพ 18 กรกฎาคม 2563 Free Youth Protest at Bangkok 18 July 2020 (Night).jpg|thumb|Demonstrations at the [[Democracy Monument]], [[Bangkok]] at night]]<br />
On 18 July, Thailand saw the largest street demonstration since the [[2014 Thai coup d'état]] at the [[Democracy Monument]] in [[Bangkok]] with around 2,500 protesters. The protesters, organised under the name Free Youth ({{langx|th|เยาวชนปลดแอก}}; yaowachon plod aek), announced three demands: dissolution of the House, stop threatening the people and drafting of a new constitution. The event was triggered by the failed economy due to [[COVID-19 pandemic in Thailand|pandemic]], and unjustified implementation of the COVID-19 acts that were heavily criticised as being a tool against any possible protest. The situation erupted after two COVID-19 cases; an Egyptian soldier in [[Rayong Province]], and a Sudanese diplomat's daughter in [[Khet Watthana|Asok neighbourhood]] of [[Bangkok]], were tested positive earlier on 15 July. Both were excepted from COVID-19's travel restrictions and containment. Many criticised on both the government's failure to contain the disease from these VIPs, and its failure to boost the heavily affected tourism industry in [[Rayong Province]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=18 July 2020 |title=Thai protesters call for government to resign |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-thailand-protests/thai-protesters-call-for-government-to-resign-idUSKCN24J0HN |access-date=20 July 2020 |website=[[Reuters]] |language=en |archive-date=19 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200719182550/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-thailand-protests/thai-protesters-call-for-government-to-resign-idUSKCN24J0HN |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=18 July 2020 |url=https://www.bbc.com/thai/thailand-53456468 |title="เยาวชนปลดแอก" ยุติการชุมนุมก่อนเที่ยงคืน อ้างความปลอดภัย สรุปบรรยากาศจากเริ่มจนจบ |access-date=20 July 2020 |website=[[BBC]] Thai |language=th |archive-date=19 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201019153040/https://www.bbc.com/thai/thailand-53456468 |url-status=live }}</ref> The protesters demanded the government to accept within two weeks, or face larger demonstrations.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2020-07-18 |title=Thai protesters call for government to resign |language=en |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-thailand-protests-idUSKCN24J0HN |access-date=2022-08-04}}</ref><br />
<br />
Later on 19 July, several protests erupted in [[Chiang Mai Province]] and [[Ubon Ratchathani Province]].<ref>{{Cite news |date=20 July 2020 |title=Chiang Mai, Ubon rally against Prayut, government |url=https://www.bangkokpost.com/learning/easy/1954343/chiang-mai-ubon-rally-against-prayut-government?cx_placement=related#cxrecs_s |access-date=20 July 2020 |website=[[Bangkok Post]] |language=en }}</ref><br />
<br />
===Vietnam===<br />
There have been many protests broke out in some localities in Vietnam to protest against the anti-epidemic policy, as well as to call on the government to support people during the pandemic.<br />
<br />
On August 22, 2021, workers at an isolation area in [[Binh Duong]] province conducted a riot, smashed, and prevented a pregnant woman from going to the emergency room.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.hosodanchu.com/2021/08/bao-loan-ap-pha-o-binh-duong-ke-cam.html | title=Bạo loạn, đập phá ở Bình Dương: Kẻ cầm tuýp sắt, người hôi của }}</ref><br />
<br />
On August 27, some people in [[Ho Chi Minh City]] reacted because they had not received local support money and the clip of this incident was posted on social networks. The government has forced "hostile forces to plot to incite demonstrations and fight against social distancing".<ref>{{cite web | url=https://cand.com.vn/Chong-dien-bien-hoa-binh/canh-giac-muu-do-kich-dong-bieu-tinh-chong-pha-gian-cach-xa-hoi-i627958/ | title=Cảnh giác mưu đồ kích động biểu tình, chống phá giãn cách xã hội }}</ref><br />
<br />
On October 1, 2021, people in Ho Chi Minh City protested, attacking police at a checkpoint on the outskirts of the city to open the door for people to return to their hometown. A day later, Vietnamese netizens spread images of police forces and militiamen using sticks to beat protesters in Binh Duong with the purpose of breaking the gate to return to their hometown. The local government then stated to verify the incident, at the same time accused people of rioting and attacking the police.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.bbc.com/vietnamese/vietnam-58775235 | title=Bình Dương: Muốn về quê, xô xát giữa dân và cảnh sát | newspaper=BBC News Tiếng Việt }}</ref><br />
<br />
In mid-October, after the dogs of a household in [[Ca Mau]] province were culled due to suspicion of being infected with the COVID-19 virus, there were many online calls for people to protest against the anti pandemic policies from the government.<br />
<br />
In November 2021, those present at the funeral of Mr. Duong Van Minh, a [[Hmong people|Hmong]] man, clashed with police after police and local medical staff asked those present at the funeral to disperse. due to fears of an outbreak. Mr. Duong Van Minh is the founder of the religious organization that bears his name, which is considered a [[heresy]] by Vietnamese authorities.<br />
<br />
From October 2022, a year after the end of social distancing due to the pandemic, many customers of Sai Gon Joint Stock Commercial Bank (SCB), one of Vietnam's major banks, protested at the bank branch to request a refund of a customer's [[bond (finance)|bond]] purchase. The protests were considered to be motivated by the difficult economic and financial situation of the people after the pandemic.<br />
<br />
== Europe ==<br />
[[File:Men In Black protest in Copenhagen.jpg|thumb|Anti-lockdown demonstration in [[Rådhuspladsen]], [[Copenhagen]], 27 March 2021]]<br />
<br />
=== Austria ===<br />
The newly created [[MFG Austria – People Freedom Fundamental Rights|Fundamental Rights Party]] (MFG), has been planning recent anti-lockdown protests in Austria. The group compared Covid restrictions with "Nazi rule". The country's third largest political party, the [[Freedom Party of Austria]] (FPÖ), has also strongly condemned the Covid restrictions, and its new leader, [[Herbert Kickl]], has pushed misleading and false views of the virus, including claims that the vaccination programme is really a "genetic experiment".<ref>{{Cite news|date=2021-11-27|title=Covid: Conspiracy and untruths drive Europe's Covid protests|language=en-GB|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/59390968|access-date=2021-12-26}}</ref> Kickl urged a public crowd to reject compulsory vaccinations. Fifteen thousand people later rallied at the Heldenplatz square in Vienna to protest against the anti-Covid measures and were later joined by thousands more, with approximately 44,000 people taking part in the rally in total.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-12-12|title=Thousands protest against coronavirus measures in Vienna|url=https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3159367/thousands-austrians-take-streets-protest-against-coronavirus|access-date=2021-12-26|website=South China Morning Post|language=en}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Belgium ===<br />
On 31 January 2021, police in [[Brussels]] said they had arrested more than 400 people to prevent a banned protest of anti-COVID-19 measures.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.dw.com/en/coronavirus-digest-brussels-police-detain-hundreds-of-anti-lockdown-protesters/a-56394523|title=Coronavirus digest: Brussels police detain hundreds of anti-lockdown protesters &#124; DW &#124; 31.01.2021|website=DW.COM|access-date=18 July 2021|archive-date=8 June 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210608133756/https://www.dw.com/en/coronavirus-digest-brussels-police-detain-hundreds-of-anti-lockdown-protesters/a-56394523|url-status=live}}</ref> On 21 November 2021, about 35,000 people in the streets of [[Brussels]] took part in demonstration, which began peaceful before violence broke out. Waving nationalist flags of [[Flanders]] and banners against the more restrictive rules for the unvaccinated, several people hidden by hoods also attacked some police cars. At least two officers and one protester were injured. Protesters threw stones at police as they advanced with water cannon at the main junction in front of the European Union Commission headquarters. Protesters also threw smoke bombs and fireworks, the newspaper ''[[Le Soir]]'' reported. The situation calmed down later, police said.<ref>{{Cite news|url = https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/around-35000-protest-against-covid-restrictions-brussels-police-say-2021-11-21/|title = Clashes break out in Brussels in protests over coronavirus restrictions|newspaper = Reuters|date = 21 November 2021|access-date = 24 November 2021|archive-date = 24 November 2021|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20211124001253/https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/around-35000-protest-against-covid-restrictions-brussels-police-say-2021-11-21/|url-status = live}}</ref><br />
<br />
* [[2022 Brussels protest|January 2022 Brussels protest]]<br />
<br />
=== Belarus ===<br />
{{Main|2020-2021 Belarusian protests}}<br />
In May 2020, a lowered approval of [[authoritarianism|authoritarian]] president [[Alexander Lukashenko]] amid [[COVID-19 pandemic in Belarus|his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic]] led to street protests against his government. Mass protests erupted across Belarus following the August [[2020 Belarusian presidential election]] which was marred by allegations of widespread [[electoral fraud]].{{citation needed|date=August 2021}}<br />
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=== Bosnia and Herzegovina ===<br />
On 6 April 2021, anti-governmental protests "Fight for Life" were held by a group of citizens and activists in Bosnia and Herzegovina's capital [[Sarajevo]] in front of the [[Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina|Parliamentary Assembly]] and the [[Government of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina|Federal Government]], seeking resignations from [[Chairman of the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina|Chairman of the Council of Ministers]] [[Zoran Tegeltija]] and [[List of prime ministers of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina|Federal Prime Minister]] [[Fadil Novalić]], due to lack of leadership during the [[COVID-19 pandemic in Bosnia and Herzegovina]] and late procurement of [[COVID-19 vaccine]]s for the country.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.klix.ba/vijesti/bih/protesti-u-sarajevu-gradjani-ispred-vlade-fbih-skandiraju-ostavke-i-paraziti-napolje/210406028|title=Protesti u Sarajevu: Građani ispred Vlade FBiH skandiraju "Ostavke" i "Paraziti napolje"|date=6 April 2021|access-date=6 April 2021|language=bs|author=D. Be.|publisher=Klix.ba|archive-date=6 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210406110442/https://www.klix.ba/vijesti/bih/protesti-u-sarajevu-gradjani-ispred-vlade-fbih-skandiraju-ostavke-i-paraziti-napolje/210406028|url-status=live}}</ref> Further anti-governmental protests were held eleven days later, on 17 April as well.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.klix.ba/vijesti/bih/zavrseni-protesti-gradjana-u-sarajevu-na-potezu-su-parlamentarci-rok-je-1-maj/210417035|title=Završeni protesti građana u Sarajevu: Na potezu su parlamentarci, rok je 1. maj|date=17 April 2021|access-date=17 April 2021|language=bs|author=N.V.|publisher=Klix.ba|archive-date=17 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210417105301/https://www.klix.ba/vijesti/bih/zavrseni-protesti-gradjana-u-sarajevu-na-potezu-su-parlamentarci-rok-je-1-maj/210417035|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Bulgaria ===<br />
{{Main|2020–2021 Bulgarian protests}}<br />
On 30 March 2020 The Bulgarian Health Ministry issued an order that made not wearing a face mask in public punishable by law at a time when no masks were available for purchasing in the country. After strong public unrest, the order was recalled on the following day<ref>{{Cite web|title=Министър Ананиев отменя заповедта си за задължително носене на маски до постигане на консенсус|url=https://dariknews.bg/novini/bylgariia/vryshtat-maskite-na-zakrito-stavat-zadylzhitelni-v-magazina-i-v-ofisa-2230448|date=31 March 2020|access-date=8 October 2020|website=dariknews.bg|language=bg|archive-date=15 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210515043118/https://dariknews.bg/novini/bylgariia/vryshtat-maskite-na-zakrito-stavat-zadylzhitelni-v-magazina-i-v-ofisa-2230448|url-status=live}}</ref> and re-instated yet again later, with some modifications.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Връщат маските на закрито - стават задължителни в магазина и в офиса|url=https://dariknews.bg/novini/bylgariia/ananiev-otmeni-zapovedta-za-zadylzhitelnite-maski-2219522|date=22 June 2020|access-date=8 October 2020|website=dariknews.bg|language=bg|archive-date=9 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201009015757/https://dariknews.bg/novini/bylgariia/ananiev-otmeni-zapovedta-za-zadylzhitelnite-maski-2219522|url-status=live}}</ref> A small protest took place on 19 April 2020 in [[Sofia]] against the measures to combat the [[COVID-19 pandemic in Bulgaria|COVID-19 pandemic]], with many of the participants expressing concerns about their livelihoods.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Протест в София срещу мерките за ограничаване на коронавируса|url=https://www.mediapool.bg/protest-v-sofiya-sreshtu-merkite-za-ogranichavane-na-koronavirusa-news306375.html|date=19 April 2020|access-date=3 September 2020|website=mediapool.bg|language=bg|archive-date=21 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201021082108/https://www.mediapool.bg/protest-v-sofiya-sreshtu-merkite-za-ogranichavane-na-koronavirusa-news306375.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Protests with an [[Anti-vaccine activism|anti-vax]] slant that also demanded the resignation of the government, organized by the [[Revival (Bulgarian political party)|Vazrazhdane]] party,<ref>{{Cite web|title=8 арестувани на протеста в София (ВИДЕО+СНИМКИ)|url=https://nova.bg/news/view/2020/05/14/287916/8-%D0%B0%D1%80%D0%B5%D1%81%D1%82%D1%83%D0%B2%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%B8-%D0%BD%D0%B0-%D0%BF%D1%80%D0%BE%D1%82%D0%B5%D1%81%D1%82%D0%B0-%D0%B2-%D1%81%D0%BE%D1%84%D0%B8%D1%8F-%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE%D1%81%D0%BD%D0%B8%D0%BC%D0%BA%D0%B8/|date=14 May 2020|access-date=3 September 2020|website=nova.bg|language=bg|archive-date=24 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200524113735/https://nova.bg/news/view/2020/05/14/287916/8-%D0%B0%D1%80%D0%B5%D1%81%D1%82%D1%83%D0%B2%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%B8-%D0%BD%D0%B0-%D0%BF%D1%80%D0%BE%D1%82%D0%B5%D1%81%D1%82%D0%B0-%D0%B2-%D1%81%D0%BE%D1%84%D0%B8%D1%8F-%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE%D1%81%D0%BD%D0%B8%D0%BC%D0%BA%D0%B8/|url-status=live}}</ref> were held in May and June, resulting in a few arrests, but did not see a significant turnout.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Протест на антиваксъри в София|url=https://www.vesti.bg/bulgaria/protest-na-antivaksyri-v-sofiia-6110588|date=6 June 2020|access-date=3 September 2020|author=Kirov, Nikolay|website=vesti.bg|language=bg|archive-date=26 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200726135130/https://www.vesti.bg/bulgaria/protest-na-antivaksyri-v-sofiia-6110588|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
Public disapproval grew during the pandemic and reached a spontaneous culmination on 9 July 2020 after a police raid on the Presidency of Bulgaria in what was perceived as an attack against President [[Rumen Radev]], a vocal critic of prime minister [[Boyko Borisov]], who has been in power since 2009,<ref>{{Cite web|date=9 July 2020|title=Raids Worsen Bulgarian President's Spat With Prosecutor|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-07-09/bulgarian-police-raid-president-radev-s-offices|access-date=15 July 2020|website=Bloomberg.com|archive-date=1 February 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210201190554/https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-07-09/bulgarian-police-raid-president-radev-s-offices|url-status=live}}</ref> and the long-standing grievances against endemic corruption and [[state capture]]. Daily demonstrations were held in the country's capital [[Sofia]] until April 2021, though the number of protesters dwindled during the autumn and winter months when the country was heavily affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.<ref>{{Cite web|title=88-а вечер на протести в София: Призоваха за атаки срещу офисите на управляващата коалиция (Снимки)|url=https://www.24chasa.bg/novini/article/9082543|date=4 October 2020|access-date=8 October 2020|website=24chasa.bg|language=bg|archive-date=22 December 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211222175752/https://www.24chasa.bg/novini/article/9082543|url-status=live}}</ref> On 12 January 2022, Vazrazhdane organized a large demonstration against the COVID green certificates for indoor spaces, during which protest participants attempted to make their way into the National Parliament.<ref name="VazrazhdaneProtestGreenCertificateJanuary2022">{{cite news | title=Поддръжници на "Възраждане" се опитаха да нахлуят в парламента| work=mediapool.bg |author= |language=Bulgarian|url=https://www.mediapool.bg/poddrazhnitsi-na-vazrazhdane-se-opitaha-da-nahluyat-v-parlamenta-news331009.html| date=12 January 2022|access-date=10 February 2022 }}</ref> On 23 February 2022, the party held another protest with the same focus.<ref name="VazrazhdaneFollowUpProtestGreenCertificateFebruary2022">{{cite news | title="Възраждане" приветства поетапното отпадане на зеления сертификат, протестът обаче остава| work=dariknews.bg |author= |language=Bulgarian|url=https://dariknews.bg/novini/bylgariia/vyzrazhdane-privetstva-poetapnoto-otpadane-na-zeleniia-sertifikat-protestyt-obache-ostava-2301183| date=21 February 2022|access-date=2 April 2022 }}</ref><br />
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=== Czechia ===<br />
In late 2020 and during 2021, many anti-responses protests occurred as the pandemic situation in country worsened and measures, often legally unsubstantiated, were prolonged. Protesters demanded revoking of the restrictions such as gathering limitations or pubs closure. Many of them also refused face-masks wearing, which gave them a nickname "anti-rouškaři", meaning "mask-refusers". The most violent incident occurred on 18 October in Prague, when group of radical protesters, including football hooligans, clashed with police forces after protest was dissolved due to violations of hygienic measures. 20 officers were injured as well as unknown number of protesters. 144 persons were arrested. This is in contrast with mostly peaceful protests which are typical in Czechia. Since then, police has changed a tactics to document offences rather than doing large maneuvers to disperse crowds.<br />
<ref>{{cite web|date=18 October 2020|title=Demonstrace proti vládním opatřením se změnila v potyčky s těžkooděnci. Policie zadržela přes 100 lidí|url=https://www.irozhlas.cz/zpravy-domov/praha-protesty-koronavirus-fotbalovy-fanousci-demonstrace-staromestske-namesti_2010181508_tkr|url-status=live|access-date=12 June 2021|archive-date=31 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201031010343/https://www.irozhlas.cz/zpravy-domov/praha-protesty-koronavirus-fotbalovy-fanousci-demonstrace-staromestske-namesti_2010181508_tkr}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|date=31 January 2021|title=Na Václavském náměstí demonstrovaly stovky lidí proti omezením|url=https://www.ceskenoviny.cz/zpravy/na-vaclavskem-namesti-demonstrovaly-stovky-lidi-proti-omezenim/1989855|url-status=live|access-date=12 June 2021|archive-date=8 October 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211008164748/https://www.ceskenoviny.cz/zpravy/na-vaclavskem-namesti-demonstrovaly-stovky-lidi-proti-omezenim/1989855}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Šplíchal|first=Pavel|date=25 February 2021|title=Antirouškaři jsou ti nejtrapnější disidenti. Jako poslední věří vládě|url=https://a2larm.cz/2021/02/antirouskari-jsou-ti-nejtrapnejsi-disidenti-jako-posledni-veri-vlade/|access-date=12 June 2021}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== France ===<br />
{{Main|Yellow vests protests|French freedom convoy|2021–2022 social unrest in the French West Indies}}<br />
<br />
The [[Paris]] suburb [[Villeneuve-la-Garenne]] saw riots in April 2020, partly about the strains of the [[COVID-19 pandemic in France|coronavirus outbreak]] and lockdown on working-class families, often immigrants, who live in small apartments in crowded public housing buildings. Many have reported that in poorer neighbourhoods the policies are difficult to follow due to over crowding and cause the neighbourhoods to be impacted more than wealthier Parisians. The demonstrations have since been seen in the suburb [[Hauts-de-Seine]], and other French cities [[Toulouse]], [[Lyon]] and [[Strasbourg]].<ref>{{Cite news|last=McAuley|first=James|date=25 April 2020|title=Violent protests in Paris suburbs reflect tensions under lockdown|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/paris-suburbs-protests-villeneuve-la-garenne/2020/04/25/55f5a40c-85a1-11ea-81a3-9690c9881111_story.html|access-date=1 May 2020|newspaper=The Washington Post|language=en|archive-date=25 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200425112752/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/paris-suburbs-protests-villeneuve-la-garenne/2020/04/25/55f5a40c-85a1-11ea-81a3-9690c9881111_story.html|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
==== Vaccination obligation, sanitary pass ====<br />
The announcement of president [[Emmanuel Macron|Macron]] on 12 July 2021 of a [[COVID-19 vaccination in France|COVID-19 vaccination]] obligation for all health care workers by 15 September, as well as the obligation for people older than twelve to show a "[[COVID-19 vaccine card#France|sanitary pass]]" as of August for admittance to cafés, restaurants, cinemas, hospitals,<ref name=nrc,14jul>(Dutch) [https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2021/07/13/fransman-die-zich-niet-wil-laten-prikken-moet-maar-voelen-a4050923#/handelsblad/2021/07/14/#106 'Fransman die zich niet wil laten prikken moet maar voelen'] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210821205804/https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2021/07/13/fransman-die-zich-niet-wil-laten-prikken-moet-maar-voelen-a4050923#/handelsblad/2021/07/14/ |date=21 August 2021 }}. ''[[NRC Handelsblad]]'', 13 July 2021.</ref> senior citizens' homes, trains,<ref name=nrc,27jul>(Dutch) [https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2021/07/26/frans-parlement-stemt-in-met-nieuwe-covid-maatregelen-a4052430#/handelsblad/2021/07/27/#114 'Frans parlement stemt in met coronapaspoort en verplichte vaccinatie voor het zorgpersoneel'] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210821205804/https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2021/07/26/frans-parlement-stemt-in-met-nieuwe-covid-maatregelen-a4052430#/handelsblad/2021/07/27/ |date=21 August 2021 }}. ''[[NRC Handelsblad]]'', 26 July 2021.</ref> shopping malls,<ref>{{cite web |last1=De Fournas |first1=Marie |title=Coronavirus : Comment ça va se passer avec la fin des tests PCR et antigéniques gratuits ? |url=https://www.20minutes.fr/sante/3083303-20210713-coronavirus-comment-ca-va-passer-fin-tests-pcr-antigeniques-gratuits |website=20 Minutes |date=13 July 2021 |access-date=25 July 2021 |archive-date=25 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210725060050/https://www.20minutes.fr/sante/3083303-20210713-coronavirus-comment-ca-va-passer-fin-tests-pcr-antigeniques-gratuits |url-status=live }}</ref> and other public venues led to protests across France. The 'sanitary pass' should prove that someone is either vaccinated, has recently [[COVID-19 testing|tested negative]],<ref name=nrc,14jul/> or has recovered from [[COVID-19]].<ref name=nrc,11Aug>(Dutch) [https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2021/08/11/wij-houden-ons-hart-vast-voor-volgende-week-a4054487#/handelsblad/2021/08/12/#104 'Coronapaspoort in Frankrijk: 'Wij houden ons hart vast' '.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210821205802/https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2021/08/11/wij-houden-ons-hart-vast-voor-volgende-week-a4054487#/handelsblad/2021/08/12/ |date=21 August 2021 }} ''[[NRC Handelsblad]]'', 11 August 2021.</ref> Macron's motivation was: "We are in a new race against time", "Vaccination is the only way to protect yourself and others".<ref name=nrc,14jul/><br />
<br />
[[Marine Le Pen]], challenger of Macron in the [[2022 French presidential election]], immediately condemned the vaccination obligation as "indecent insolence" attesting of "ingratitude" towards the health care workers.<ref name=nrc,14jul/> On Wednesday 14 July, the French [[National day]] called '[[Bastille Day]]', in [[Paris]] some 2,250 people protested against these new corona restrictions. Demonstrations were also held in Toulouse, Bordeaux, Montpellier, Nantes and 48 other places, totalling around 19,000 protesters. Slogans chanted were: "Down with dictatorship", "Down with the health pass". A demonstrator equated the health pass with "segregation". Objects and fireworks were thrown at the police, who answered with tear gas and arrests.<ref>{{cite web |title=French police fire tear gas as anti-vaccine protest turns violent |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/7/15/french-police-tear-gas-as-anti-vaccine-protest-turns-violent |website=Al Jazeera |access-date=24 July 2021 |date=15 July 2021 |archive-date=23 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210723121648/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/7/15/french-police-tear-gas-as-anti-vaccine-protest-turns-violent |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
On Saturday 17 July, nationwide some 114,000 people protested against the two new measures.<ref name=nrc,1Aug/> On 24 July, some 160,000 people around France protested against the measures. Protesters chanted: "Liberty! Liberty!" Projectiles including a chair were thrown at the police in Paris, who reacted with tear gas and water cannons.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-07-24|title=French protesters reject virus passes, vaccine mandate|url=https://apnews.com/article/europe-health-coronavirus-pandemic-dc03061cb033cb4181ff5424acb9ed63|access-date=2021-07-25|website=AP NEWS|language=en|archive-date=25 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210725015129/https://apnews.com/article/europe-health-coronavirus-pandemic-dc03061cb033cb4181ff5424acb9ed63|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
On 25 July, the [[Senate (France)|French Senate]] nevertheless agreed to the measures except the pass obligation for children under 18 years old.<ref>''[[Dagblad van het Noorden]]'', 26 July 2021.</ref><br />
<br />
On 31 July, over 200,000 people nationwide protested against these plans. Thousands around [[Place de la Bastille]] in [[Paris]] chanted: ''"Liberté!"'' [Freedom!]. Signs accused Macron of being a dictator.<ref>[https://www.npr.org/2021/08/02/1023637209/protesters-say-frances-anti-virus-pass-is-a-threat-to-personal-freedoms 'Protesters Say France's Anti-Virus Pass Is A Threat To Personal Freedoms'] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210821205802/https://www.npr.org/2021/08/02/1023637209/protesters-say-frances-anti-virus-pass-is-a-threat-to-personal-freedoms |date=21 August 2021 }}. [[NPR|National Public Radio]], 2 August 2021. Retrieved 20 August 2021.</ref> A bus driver motivated his protest as: "I'm not an antivaxer (...) But this is going to fast, I want to wait and see". A hospital worker said: "These [[COVID-19 vaccine misinformation and hesitancy|vaccines are experimental]] ; there's no way I'm gonna take it".<ref name=nrc,1Aug>(Dutch) [https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2021/08/01/gele-hesjes-lopen-te-hoop-tegen-sanitaire-dictatuur-a4053244#/handelsblad/2021/08/02/#104 'Gele hesjes lopen te hoop tegen 'pasdictatuur' ' ('Yellow vests crowd together against 'pass dictatorship' ')] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210821205807/https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2021/08/01/gele-hesjes-lopen-te-hoop-tegen-sanitaire-dictatuur-a4053244#/handelsblad/2021/08/02/ |date=21 August 2021 }}. ''[[NRC Handelsblad]]'', 1 August 2021.</ref> A placard in [[Paris]] cited Macron: ' ''"Je ne rendrai pas la vaccination obligatoire", Emmanuel Macron, Novembre 2020'' ' ["I will not make vaccination obligatory", Macron, Nov. 2020]. Another: ' ''De la démocratie à la dictature il n'y a qu'un <<PASS>>'' ' [From democracy to dictatorship is only one step [or] one pass].<ref>''[[Dagblad van het Noorden]]'', 5 August 2021.</ref> Another: '<small>VACCINÉ A LA LIBERTÉ'</small> [<small>VACCINATED FOR FREEDOM</small>].<ref name=nrc,10Aug>(Dutch) [https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2021/08/10/gedwongen-vaccinatie-demonstraties-in-frankrijk-applaus-in-italie-a4054305#/handelsblad/2021/08/11/#114 'Gedwongen vaccinatie: demonstraties in Frankrijk, applaus in Italië' ('Enforced vaccination: demonstrations in France, applause in Italy')] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210821205806/https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2021/08/10/gedwongen-vaccinatie-demonstraties-in-frankrijk-applaus-in-italie-a4054305#/handelsblad/2021/08/11/ |date=21 August 2021 }}. ''[[NRC Handelsblad]]'', 10 August 2021.</ref><br />
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On Saturday 7 August, 237,000 people protested on 198 locations in France, the authorities reported. In Paris, [[Lyon]], [[Toulouse]], rioters pelted the police with all sorts of things, police reacted with tear gas and charges and arrests.<ref>''[[Dagblad van het Noorden]]'', 9 August 2021.</ref> The sanitary pass obligation came into effect on 9 August, civilians risk a fine of 135 euro for disobedience, business owners risk a 45,000 euro fine or one-year prison and the closure of their business.<ref name=nrc,11Aug /><br />
<br />
On 14 August 2021, between 200,000 and 250,000 people according to the police and the organisers have again demonstrated, on more than 200 locations in France, against the ''pass sanitaire'' and the obligated vaccination of health care personnel. Placards compared the sanitary pass with '[[Apartheid]]', people chanted slogans about the "health dictatorship". Police in Lyon used pepper spray against rioters.<ref>(Dutch) [https://www.telegraaf.nl/nieuws/456452706/live-weer-massale-protesten-tegen-franse-gezondheidsdictatuur 'Weer massale protesten tegen Franse 'gezondheidsdictatuur' ' (Again massive protests against French 'health dictatorship')] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210821205803/https://www.telegraaf.nl/nieuws/456452706/live-weer-massale-protesten-tegen-franse-gezondheidsdictatuur |date=21 August 2021 }}. ''[[De Telegraaf]]'', 14 August 2021. Retrieved 18 August 2021.</ref><br />
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Since then, these protests grew smaller ; on Saturday, 18 September 2021, the demonstrators in France against the sanitary pass and obligated vaccination counted 80,000.<ref>''[[Dagblad van het Noorden]]'', 23 September 2021.</ref><br />
<br />
===Greece===<br />
{{See also|2021 Greek protests}}<br />
The 2021 Greek protests broke out in response to a proposed government bill that would allow police presence on university campuses for the first time in decades, for which opposition groups accused the government of taking advantage of the COVID-19 lockdown to impose increasingly authoritarian measures.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://apnews.com/article/bills-athens-higher-education-greece-25de0ce9e884adba145b474d07be57d6|title=Protest gets heated ahead of campus policing vote|date=10 February 2021|publisher=[[Associated Press]]|location=[[Athens]]|access-date=2 May 2021|archive-date=12 February 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210212142808/https://apnews.com/article/bills-athens-higher-education-greece-25de0ce9e884adba145b474d07be57d6|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
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=== Georgia ===<br />
On 5 December 2021 thousands demonstrated in Tbilisi against a COVID-19 passport system which has been implemented in Georgia since December 1, allowing only citizens and tourists with a QR-code proving vaccination or recovery from the virus or with a negative PCR test result to visit public places, restaurants, entertainment and shopping centers. Protesters marched with posters and Georgian flags, passing by the parliamentary building.{{citation needed|date=March 2022}}<br />
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=== Germany ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 protests in Germany}}<br />
[[File:Vicent-van-Volkmer-Bienen-Aktivist-Demo-29.08.2020 Berlin Covid-19 Pandemie.jpg|thumb|Protester with a "Free The Bee" placard during the COVID-19 protests in Berlin on 29 August 2020, near the [[Brandenburg Gate]]]]<br />
Since April 2020, in [[Germany]] numerous protests against government policies over the COVID-19 pandemic have been held in several cities.<br />
A protest in [[Berlin]] on 29 August was estimated by authorities to have drawn 38,000 participants.<ref name="rbb">In German: [https://www.rbb24.de/politik/thema/2020/coronavirus/beitraege_neu/2020/08/demonstrationen-samstag-corona-querdenken-gegendemos.html 'Fast 40.000 Menschen bei Corona-Demos – Sperren am Reichstag durchbrochen' (Almost 40,000 people by corona demos – fences at the ''Reichstag'' broken through)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200901090757/https://www.rbb24.de/politik/thema/2020/coronavirus/beitraege_neu/2020/08/demonstrationen-samstag-corona-querdenken-gegendemos.html |date=1 September 2020 }}. rbb24.de, 29 August 2020. Retrieved 19 September 2020.</ref><br />
<br />
Several of the protests in Germany, like the one of 29 August, were organized by the group ''Querdenken 711'', based in [[Stuttgart]]. As per its homepage, it considers its main aims to support the fundamental rights enshrined in the German constitution, in particular the freedoms of opinion, expression, and assembly.<ref name="dw_20201106">{{cite web|url=https://www.dw.com/en/coronavirus-germany-braces-for-anti-lockdown-protests/a-55513848|title=Coronavirus: Germany braces for anti-lockdown protests|first=Ben|last=Knight|website=[[Deutsche Welle]]|agency=[[Deutsche Welle]]|date=6 November 2020|access-date=8 November 2021|archive-date=8 November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211108155543/https://www.dw.com/en/coronavirus-germany-braces-for-anti-lockdown-protests/a-55513848|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
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[[File:AnarchistCovidProtest.jpg|upright|thumb|left|[[Anarchist]] anti-conspiracy theory, anti-gentrification protest]]<br />
At the 29 August demonstration in Berlin, one of the invited orators was [[Robert F. Kennedy Jr.]], lawyer and conspiracy theorist and nephew of the assassinated U.S. President [[John F. Kennedy]]. He warned the crowd that the COVID-19 measures being deployed in many countries might lead to the implementation of a [[Mass surveillance#Surveillance state|surveillance state]]. A few hundred protesters attempted to storm the [[Reichstag building]], the seat of the German parliament;<ref name=rbb/><ref name="BBC30Aug">{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-53959552|title=Germany coronavirus: Hundreds arrested in German 'anti-corona' protests|work=BBC News|agency=[[BBC News]]|date=30 August 2020|access-date=15 September 2020|archive-date=4 September 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200904141636/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-53959552|url-status=live}}</ref> a few of them reached the stairs. A burst of media attention arose due to this incident. Later demonstrations tended to be smaller, and sometimes organized by allies of ''Querdenken''.<ref name="dw_20201106"/><br />
<br />
[[Anarchists]], [[libertarian socialists]] and [[anti-fascists]] in Germany have been counterprotesting "Querdenken 711" and other demonstrations against public health mandates. Focusing on increasing [[gentrification]], [[wealth inequality]], [[evictions]], police measures and favoring of compulsory vaccination. Anarchists have seen increasing evictions of [[anarchist communities]] and squats.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.dw.com/en/berlin-police-clear-anarchist-occupied-house-liebig-34/a-55211590|title=Berlin police clear anarchist-occupied house Liebig 34 &#124; DW &#124; 09.10.2020|website=DW.COM|access-date=30 November 2020|archive-date=2 December 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201202154402/https://www.dw.com/en/berlin-police-clear-anarchist-occupied-house-liebig-34/a-55211590|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://crimethinc.com/2020/03/18/surviving-the-virus-an-anarchist-guide-capitalism-in-crisis-rising-totalitarianism-strategies-of-resistance|title=CrimethInc. : Surviving the Virus: An Anarchist Guide : Capitalism in Crisis—Rising Totalitarianism—Strategies of Resistance|website=CrimethInc.|date=18 March 2020 |access-date=30 November 2020|archive-date=2 December 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201202160836/https://crimethinc.com/2020/03/18/surviving-the-virus-an-anarchist-guide-capitalism-in-crisis-rising-totalitarianism-strategies-of-resistance|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://ent.siteintelgroup.com/Far-Right-/-Far-Left-Threat/german-company-targeted-in-anarchist-arson-attack-for-covid-19-repression.html|title=German Company Targeted in Anarchist Arson Attack for COVID-19 "Repression" &#124; Far-Right / Far-Left Threat &#124; Articles|website=ent.siteintelgroup.com|date=29 June 2020|access-date=30 November 2020|archive-date=29 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201129103231/https://ent.siteintelgroup.com/Far-Right-/-Far-Left-Threat/german-company-targeted-in-anarchist-arson-attack-for-covid-19-repression.html|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
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=== Hungary ===<br />
On 28 February 2021, around 3,000–5,000 protesters gathered in the capital city of [[Budapest]] at [[Hősök tere]] to protest the lockdown regulations, and the Constitution of 2012.{{citation needed|date=August 2021}}<br />
<br />
The far-right [[Our Homeland Movement]] organised protests against lockdown measures on 15 March 2021,<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-04-20|title=Hungarian far-right party protests lockdown|url=https://apnews.com/article/hungary-budapest-coronavirus-pandemic-economy-ecd0b637126258601ca249f35b5b8743|access-date=2022-02-07|website=The Associated Press|language=en}}</ref> and against vaccine mandates (a "Covid Dictatorship") throughout December 2021 in various Hungarian cities.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-12-18|title=A "Covid-diktatúra" ellen tüntetett a Mi Hazánk Mozgalom|url=https://hvg.hu/itthon/20211218_Mi_Hazank_Mozgalom_Toroczkai_Laszlo_oltasellenesseg_tuntetes_kotelezo_oltas_Covid_diktatura|access-date=2022-02-07|website=hvg.hu|language=hu}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-12-06|title=Vidéken folytatja a kötelező oltás elleni tüntetéseket a Mi Hazánk|url=https://mihazank.hu/videken-folytatja-a-kotelezo-oltas-elleni-tunteteseket-a-mi-hazank/|access-date=2022-02-07|website=Mi Hazánk Mozgalom|language=hu}}</ref> On 16 January 2022 they held another anti-vaccine protest in Budapest, attracting thousands of people.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Imre|first=Patthy Loránd|date=2022-01-16|title="Nem tudnak lejönni a szerről az oltottak" – tüntetést tartott a Mi Hazánk Budapesten|url=https://index.hu/belfold/2022/01/16/oltasellenesseg-tuntetes-mi-hazank-novak-elod-pali-jeno-toroczkai-laszlo/|access-date=2022-02-07|website=index.hu|language=hu}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Ireland ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 protests in the Republic of Ireland}}<br />
On 24 July 2021, over ten thousand people attended an anti discrimination march in Dublin, in response to the Irish government's announcement that vaccine passports would be introduced.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/large-crowd-gathers-in-dublin-to-protest-vaccine-cert-system-1.4629890|title=Large crowd gathers in Dublin to protest vaccine cert system|first=Ellen|last=O'Riordan|newspaper=The Irish Times|access-date=12 October 2021|archive-date=28 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210728080317/https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/large-crowd-gathers-in-dublin-to-protest-vaccine-cert-system-1.4629890|url-status=live}}</ref> Said passports were to be used to prevent unvaccinated people availing of indoor dining services.<br />
[[File:PXL 20210724 152855881.LS exported 0.jpg|thumb|alt=Freedom March Dublin|July 24 Anti Discrimination March, Dublin]]<br />
<br />
Hundreds attended an anti-lockdown, [[Mask refusal|anti-face mask]] protest in [[Dublin]] on 22 August 2020. The protest was organised by Health Freedom Ireland with support from Yellow Vest Ireland. Four people were arrested at the protest.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/four-arrested-in-clashes-at-anti-facemask-protest-in-dublin-1.4336794|title=Four arrested in clashes at anti-facemask protest in Dublin|newspaper=[[The Irish Times]]|first1=Conor|last1=Lally|first2=Sarah|last2=Burns|first3=Jennifer|last3=Cosgrove|date=22 August 2020|access-date=22 August 2020|archive-date=22 August 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200822185513/https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/four-arrested-in-clashes-at-anti-facemask-protest-in-dublin-1.4336794|url-status=live}}</ref> Another protest was organised by the same groups on 3 October, with up to a thousand protesters marching through the city centre before staging a sit-down protest in the main shopping area of Grafton Street.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Beresford |first1=Jack |title=Anti-mask demonstrators stage sit-in protest in Dublin |url=https://www.irishpost.com/news/anti-mask-demonstrators-stage-sit-in-protest-in-dublin-194384 |access-date=4 October 2020 |work=The Irish Post |date=3 October 2020 |archive-date=9 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201009000301/https://www.irishpost.com/news/anti-mask-demonstrators-stage-sit-in-protest-in-dublin-194384 |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
On 27 February 2021, violent clashes between protesters and the ''[[Garda Síochána]]'' erupted during an anti-lockdown protest near [[St Stephen's Green]] in Dublin. Three Gardaí were injured and 23 people were arrested in the aftermath of the protest. The Taoiseach [[Micheál Martin]] condemned the demonstration as "an unacceptable risk to both the public and Gardaí".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/three-garda%C3%AD-injured-and-23-arrested-after-clashes-at-dublin-anti-lockdown-protest-1.4497218|title=Three gardaí injured and 23 arrested after clashes at Dublin anti-lockdown protest|newspaper=[[The Irish Times]]|first=Ronan|last=McGreevy|date=27 February 2021|access-date=2 March 2021|url-access=subscription|archive-date=2 March 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210302221822/https://www.irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/three-garda%C3%AD-injured-and-23-arrested-after-clashes-at-dublin-anti-lockdown-protest-1.4497218|url-status=live}}</ref> A non-violent anti-lockdown protest with approximately 450 people in attendance took place on 6 March in [[Cork (city)|Cork]]. The event was organised by The People's Convention.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/munster/arid-40238867.html|title=Cork anti-lockdown protest attracts hundreds into city centre|newspaper=[[Irish Examiner]]|first1=Noel|last1=Baker|first2=Cormac|last2=O'Keeffe|first3=Eoin|last3=English|date=6 March 2021|access-date=9 March 2021|archive-date=8 March 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210308012117/https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/munster/arid-40238867.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Six people were arrested on the day of the protest.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/munster/arid-40239296.html|title=Six arrested on day of Cork anti-lockdown protest|newspaper=[[Irish Examiner]]|first=Steve|last=Neville|date=6 March 2021|access-date=9 March 2021|archive-date=6 March 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210306173608/https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/munster/arid-40239296.html|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Italy ===<br />
{{Main|Protests over COVID-19 policies in Italy}}<br />
Since the month of March 2020, many people [[Protests over COVID-19 policies in Italy|started protesting over COVID-19]] and the rules imposed by the [[Government of Italy|Italian government]].<br />
<br />
=== Netherlands ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 protests in the Netherlands|2021 Dutch curfew riots}}<br />
On 24 January 2021, violent protests erupted as a reaction to the [[Dutch government]] decision to impose a [[curfew]] as a means to curb the spread of the [[COVID-19 pandemic in the Netherlands|COVID-19]].<ref name="FT 210126" /><ref name="Guardian 210126" /> The curfew, imposed between 9 PM to 4:30 AM, was the first of its kind to be enacted in the country since the [[Second World War]].<ref name="FT 210126">{{cite news |last1=Khan |first1=Mehreen |title=Dutch extend Covid curfew despite violent backlash |url=https://www.ft.com/content/351fa962-ee98-49d7-80c8-dfe73a466991 |access-date=27 January 2021 |work=Financial Times |date=26 January 2021 |archive-date=26 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210126225209/https://www.ft.com/content/351fa962-ee98-49d7-80c8-dfe73a466991 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="WaPo 210125">{{cite news |last1=Cunningham |first1=Erin |title=Riots explode across Netherlands over covid restrictions, with Dutch leader calling participants criminals |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/dutch-government-covid-curfew-unrest/2021/01/25/20fa8590-5ef1-11eb-a177-7765f29a9524_story.html |access-date=27 January 2021 |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=25 January 2021 |archive-date=26 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210126200353/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/dutch-government-covid-curfew-unrest/2021/01/25/20fa8590-5ef1-11eb-a177-7765f29a9524_story.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Protests took place in most major cities, including [[Amsterdam]] and [[Eindhoven]]. Police made hundreds of arrests and issued thousands of fines.<ref name="FT 210126" /><ref name="WSJ 210126">{{cite news |last1=Pop |first1=Valentina |title=Dutch Rioters Clash With Police for Third Night Over Covid-19 Curfew |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/dutch-rioters-clash-with-police-for-third-night-over-covid-19-curfew-11611664598?page=1 |access-date=27 January 2021 |work=The Wall Street Journal |date=26 January 2021 |archive-date=22 December 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211222175714/https://www.wsj.com/articles/dutch-rioters-clash-with-police-for-third-night-over-covid-19-curfew-11611664598?page=1 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Guardian 210126">{{cite news |last1=Henley |first1=John |title=Netherlands shaken by third night of riots over Covid curfew |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jan/26/netherlands-third-night-riots-covid-curfew-lockdown-protesters |access-date=27 January 2021 |work=The Guardian |date=26 January 2021 |archive-date=26 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210126225117/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jan/26/netherlands-third-night-riots-covid-curfew-lockdown-protesters |url-status=live }}</ref> The Dutch Police Association described the riots at the worst violence in Netherlands in the last 40 years.<ref name="FT 210126" /> The protests have been described as being composed of mostly young men.<ref name="FT 210126" /><ref name="WSJ 210126" /><br />
<br />
An opinion poll by public broadcaster [[Nederlandse Omroep Stichting|NOS]] indicated that the curfew was supported by seven out of 10 Dutch respondents (although the amounts of respondents is unknown), with just 18% of the population opposing it.<ref name="WSJ 210126" /> An online poll with over 28.000 respondents, done by Radio NPO1, a Dutch state radio station, showed that 89% of Dutch people wanted the curfew to be removed.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://degouda.nl/poll-van-npo1-meerderheid-wil-avondklok-weg-en-wat-vinden-gouwenaars-van-de-avondklok/|title=Poll van NPO1: Meerderheid wil avondklok weg en wat vinden Gouwenaars van de avondklok?|date=18 February 2021|access-date=4 November 2021|archive-date=4 November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211104160506/https://degouda.nl/poll-van-npo1-meerderheid-wil-avondklok-weg-en-wat-vinden-gouwenaars-van-de-avondklok/|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
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After the Netherlands went into a partial lockdown on 12 November 2021 due to a sharp rise in COVID-19 cases, another series of protests and riots occurred over such measures. Rioting was especially concentrated in [[Rotterdam]], where [[National Police Corps (Netherlands)|police]] fired warning shots at rioters, injuring at least two.<ref>{{cite news|title= Rotterdam police clash with rioters as Covid protest turns violent|url= https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-59355950|access-date= 20 November 2021|work= BBC News|date= 20 November 2021|archive-date= 20 November 2021|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20211120001743/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-59355950|url-status= live}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Poland ===<br />
[[File:Protest against anti-pandemic measures in Warsaw (20.03.2021) (17).jpg|thumb|Protest against anti-pandemic measures in Warsaw]]<br />
Hundreds of protesters gathered in the Polish border town of [[Zgorzelec]] to protest the lockdown regulations, the protest was staged specifically on the foot bridge connecting Zgorzelec and the German town of [[Görlitz]] as many lived in Poland but worked in Germany. Many protested the inability to cross the borders of the countries as they lived in a different country from where they worked, and similar protests were seen in border towns along the Polish-German border and the Polish-[[Czech Republic|Czech]] border.<ref>{{cite news|agency=Reuters|date=25 April 2020|title=Hundreds Protest Against Lockdown at Polish-German Border|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2020/04/25/world/europe/25reuters-health-coronavirus-cross-border-workers.html|access-date=1 May 2020|issn=0362-4331|archive-date=26 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200426002608/https://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2020/04/25/world/europe/25reuters-health-coronavirus-cross-border-workers.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Freedom march (Marsz Wolności) happens every month, for example in Wrocław.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://gazetawroclawska.pl/marsz-wolnosci-we-wroclawiu-koronasceptycy-przyszli-tlumnie-interweniowala-policja-zdjecia/ar/c1-15453618|title=Marsz wolności we Wrocławiu. Koronasceptycy przyszli tłumnie, interweniowała policja [ZDJĘCIA]|language=Polish|date=20 February 2020|first=Jerzy|last=Wójcik|publisher=Gazeta Wrocławska|access-date=22 February 2021|archive-date=21 February 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210221083516/https://gazetawroclawska.pl/marsz-wolnosci-we-wroclawiu-koronasceptycy-przyszli-tlumnie-interweniowala-policja-zdjecia/ar/c1-15453618|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
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=== Russia ===<br />
Security forces broke up a crowd of about 2,000 individuals protesting against the lockdown in [[Vladikavkaz]], with some detained and the believed organizer arrested prior to the event.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Russian Police Break-Up Anti-Lockdown Protest|url=https://www.rferl.org/a/russian-police-break-up-anti-lockdown-protest/30568221.html|last=Furlong|first=Ray|date=21 April 2020|website=Radio Free Europe Radio Liberty|access-date=1 May 2020|archive-date=1 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200501054754/https://www.rferl.org/a/russian-police-break-up-anti-lockdown-protest/30568221.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Some protesters at the event used their social media to post videos about their demands against the lockdown, with one stating; "Today, under the pretext of the coronavirus, which doesn't exist, people are driven into slavery, they are trying to establish total control over us all."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-russia-protests-idUSKBN22225B|title=Hundreds protest in southern Russian against coronavirus curbs|date=20 April 2020|first1=Alexander|last1=Marrow|first2=Maria|last2=Tsvetkova|website=Reuters|access-date=30 April 2020|archive-date=29 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200429005016/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-russia-protests-idUSKBN22225B|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
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=== Serbia ===<br />
{{Main|2020–2021 Serbian protests}}<br />
On 7 July 2020, a riot began in [[Belgrade]] after the government's announcement of a [[curfew]] for the weekend. Protests began because of the government's continuous change in handling COVID-19 policy and alleged hiding of the number of COVID-19 cases in the country.{{citation needed|date=August 2021}}<br />
<br />
=== Slovakia ===<br />
In late 2020 and during 2021, several anti-COVID-restriction protests were held also in [[Slovakia]], mainly in the capital, [[Bratislava]] and also [[Košice|Kosice]].<br />
Many people are starting to disobey the rules: they go to bars even though they are not vaccinated, they don't wear FFP2 mask but only textile mask. There were even incidents of people without masks coming to a grocery store. These customers were then beaten by the police as they refused to put on their mask.<br />
<br />
=== Spain ===<br />
[[File:-LaRevoluciónDeLasMascarillas (49937665687).jpg|thumb|Protest in Spain on 26 May 2020]]<br />
Thousands of people, mostly supporters of the right-wing party [[Vox (political party)|Vox]], attended protests in [[Madrid]] and the country's regional capitals over the lockdown and its impact on the [[Economy of Spain|Spanish economy]]. The protesters drove in convoys to adhere to social distancing, with the Madrid protest led by a bus containing Vox leader [[Santiago Abascal]]. Abascal called for [[Sánchez II Government|the national government]] of [[Pedro Sánchez]] to resign over its handling of the virus.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-52783936|title=Coronavirus: Anti-lockdown car protest draws thousands|date=23 May 2020|website=BBC|access-date=23 May 2020|archive-date=23 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200523212612/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-52783936|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-05-12 |title=Vox llama a "recuperar la calle" contra el Gobierno y Abascal anuncia protestas diarias |url=https://www.europapress.es/nacional/noticia-vox-llama-recuperar-calle-contra-gobierno-abascal-anuncia-protestas-diarias-20200512112543.html |access-date=2022-10-31 |publisher=Europa Press}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Ponferrada |first=Diario de León {{!}} Noticias de León, Bierzo y |title=Vox llama a "recuperar la calle" el día 23 y Abascal anuncia caceroladas diarias y protestas constantes |url=https://www.diariodeleon.es/articulo/afondo/vox-llama-recuperar-calle-dia-23-abascal-anuncia-caceroladas-diarias-protestas-constantes/202005122242472011941.html |access-date=2022-10-31 |website=Diario de León {{!}} Noticias de León, Bierzo y Ponferrada |date=12 May 2020 |language=es}}</ref><br />
<br />
On 20 September 2020, thousands of people went out in protest throughout the [[Community of Madrid]] demanding the resignation of the [[Díaz Ayuso government|regional government]] of [[Isabel Díaz Ayuso]], after the latter had announced two days earlier a partial lockdown affecting 850,000 people living in the region's poorest areas which was dubbed as "segregationist" and fostering "stigmatisation, exclusion and territorial discrimination".<ref>{{cite news |date=20 September 2020 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/sep/20/protests-madrid-coronavirus-lockdown-measures-spain |title=Protests in Madrid over coronavirus lockdown measures |newspaper=The Guardian |access-date=20 September 2020 |archive-date=20 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200920182802/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/sep/20/protests-madrid-coronavirus-lockdown-measures-spain |url-status=live }}</ref> The protests came amid growing criticism of Ayuso's handling of the virus as "ineffective" and of her coalition government having "floundered" in its attempt to antagonize with Sánchez's government, as the region became the most heavily hit area in all of Europe in the second wave of the pandemic with many neighborhoods being near or above 1,000 cases per 100,000 people.<ref>{{cite news |date=18 September 2020 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/sep/18/madrid-poor-spanish-capital-covid-19 |title=Lockdown measures and rising anger in Madrid as Covid-19 takes hold again |newspaper=The Guardian |access-date=20 September 2020 |archive-date=20 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200920031444/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/sep/18/madrid-poor-spanish-capital-covid-19 |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
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=== Sweden ===<br />
On 6 March 2021, an estimate of 300-500 people gathered at Medborgarplatsen in Stockholm to protest against COVID-19 measures. The Swedish police dispersed hundreds of protesters and stated that six of their officers had been injured in the process, with one needing to be hospitalized.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.svt.se/nyheter/inrikes/polisen-upploser-demonstration-mot-coronarestriktioner|title=Polisen upplöser demonstration mot coronarestriktioner|newspaper=SVT Nyheter|date=6 March 2021|via=www.svt.se|access-date=9 March 2021|archive-date=10 March 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210310032308/https://www.svt.se/nyheter/inrikes/polisen-upploser-demonstration-mot-coronarestriktioner|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=2021-03-07 |title=Swedish police break up coronavirus demonstration in Stockholm |language=en |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/swedish-police-break-up-coronavirus-demonstration-stockholm-2021-03-06/ |access-date=2023-08-07}}</ref><br />
[[File:Anti-Lock Down Protest London (51137271728).jpg|thumb|Anti-lockdown protest march in London, April 2021]]<br />
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=== Switzerland ===<br />
[[Image:COVID19-20211108-Onex-sticker-opposition.jpg|thumb|Opposition to the Covid certificate in Switzerland, sticker at [[Canton of Geneva|Geneva]].]]<br />
On June 11, 2020, the member of the [[Zurich Cantonal Council]] Urs Hahn was expelled from his party, the Greens, for opposing the thesis of the seriousness of the pandemic.<ref>{{Cite news|language =de|author1=Daniel Fritzsche|author2=Stefan Hotz|url=https://www.nzz.ch/zuerich/urs-hans-gruene-in-zuerich-distanzieren-sich-von-ihrem-kantonsrat-ld.1555960?reduced=true|title="Abenteuerliche Thesen": Die Zürcher Grünen distanzieren sich von ihrem Kantonsrat Urs Hans, weil er Verschwörungstheorien zum Coronavirus verbeitet|periodical=[[Neue Zürcher Zeitung]]|date=2020-05-11}}</ref> On September 12, 2020, a demonstration against masks, containment measures or the supposed lies of the media brings together a thousand people in Geneva at the Place des Nations, in front of the [[United Nations Organization|United Nations]].<ref>{{Cite news|author=[[Swiss Telegraph Agency|ATS]]|url=https://www.letemps.ch/suisse/un-millier-dantimasques-manifestent-geneve|title=A thousand anti-masks demonstrate in Geneva|periodical=[[Le Temps (Swiss daily newspaper)|Le Temps]]|date=2020-09-12}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url= https://www.rts.ch/info/regions/geneve/11598989-un-rassemblement-antimasque-reunit-1000-personnes-a-geneve.html|title=An anti-mask rally brings together 1,000 people in Geneva|website=[[Swiss Radio and Television]]|date=2020-09-12}}</ref> The three major opposition figures [[Disinformation on the Covid-19 pandemic|coronasceptics]] in French-speaking Switzerland are the [[web videographers]] [[Chloé Frammery]], Ema Krusi and Christian Tal Schaller.<ref>{{Cite news|author=Laure Lugon|author2=Sylvia Revello|url=https://www.letemps.ch/suisse/complotistes-senflamment-autour-coronavirus|title=Les complotistes ignite around the coronavirus|periodical =[[Le Temps (Swiss daily newspaper)|Le Temps]]|date=2020-05-11}}</ref> Coronasceptics and opponents of measures to combat the spread of Covid-19 are increasingly occupying the Federal Office of Police (Fedpol). Threats against federal officials are on the rise.<ref>{{Cite web |language=en |title=In Switzerland, "coronasceptics" are increasingly occupying the police |url=https://www.rts.ch/info/suisse/11719150-in-switzerland-coronasceptics-occupy-more-and-more-the-police.html |website=[[Swiss Radio and Television]] |date=2020-11-01 |access-date =2021-03-26}}</ref><br />
<br />
In January 2021, the [[National Council (Switzerland)|national councilor]] [[Democratic Union of the Center|UDC]] [[Yves Nidegger]] opposed the “health dictatorship”.<ref>{{Cite web| author=Elio Sottas|url=https://www.lemanbleu.ch/fr/News/Yves-Nidegger-souhaite-reconstruire-Geneve-en-ruine.html|title=Yves Nidegger wishes to rebuild "Geneva in ruins"|website =[[Léman Bleu]]|date=2021-01-06}}.</ref> In Liestal, 8000 people demonstrate on March 20, 2021, against the anti-Covid measures in force while in Bern the police stop a demonstration for the same causes.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Anti-Covid demonstrations -sanitary measures in Liestal and Bern |url=https://www.swissinfo.ch/fre/manifestations-anti-mesures-sanitaires-%C3%A0-liestal-et-%C3%A0-berne/46465440 |website =[[Swissinfo]] |date=2021-03-20}}</ref> Following these demonstrations, the #NoLiestal movement is rising on digital networks to denounce and counter the agglomeration initiatives of coronasceptics in Switzerland.<ref>{{Cite web |language=fr |title=Forum (video) - The #NoLiestal movement, the counter-offensive against coronasceptics |url=https://www.rts.ch/play/tv/forum-video/video/le-mouvement-noliestal-la-contre-offensive-face-aux-coronasceptiques?urn=urn:rts:video:12075124 |website=[[Swiss Radio and Television]]|date=2021-03-25|access-date=2021-03-26}}.</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.watson.ch/fr/suisse/pand%C3%A9mie/674339869-noliestal-le-hashtag-qui-denonce-les-manifs-anti-restrictions|title=#NoLiestal, the hashtag that denounces anti-restrictions demonstrations|website=[[Watson (newspaper)|Watson]]|date=2021-03-25}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Ukraine ===<br />
On 14–20 February, protests against the placement of evacuated Ukrainian citizens (suspected of having coronavirus disease 2019) from the city of Wuhan (PRC) in Ukraine took place in Novi Sanzhary.<br />
<br />
In the summer and autumn of 2021, actions against obligatory vaccination against COVID-19 and restrictions for unvaccinated persons took place in various cities of Ukraine. In particular, on 27 July the "procession" against vaccination was organized by the [[Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate)|Moscow Patriarchate]]<ref>{{cite news<br />
| date = 27 July 2021<br />
| title = "Наша вакцина - це причастіє": хресна хода УПЦ МП у розпал пандемії. Як це було<br />
| url = https://www.bbc.com/ukrainian/media-57985963<br />
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20211105082542/https://www.bbc.com/ukrainian/media-57985963<br />
| archive-date = 5 November 2021<br />
| access-date = 5 November 2021<br />
}}</ref><br />
and on November 3 the protesters blocked the streets in Kyiv<ref>{{cite news<br />
| date = 5 November 2021<br />
| title = Мітинг антивакцинаторів у Києві: страх втратити роботу або стати роботами<br />
| url = https://p.dw.com/p/42XkY<br />
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20211105082112/https://www.dw.com/uk/mitynh-antyvaktsynatoriv-u-kyievi-strakh-vtratyty-robotu-abo-staty-robotamy/a-59711738<br />
| archive-date = 5 November 2021<br />
| access-date = 5 November 2021<br />
}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== United Kingdom ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 protests in the United Kingdom}}<br />
The first protests against the national mandatory lockdown in the United Kingdom took place in April&nbsp;2020, extending into the following month before abating as lockdown restrictions were slowly eased. As local area lockdown measures were reintroduced towards the end of summer, followed by stricter national lockdown measures, anti-lockdown protests resurged across the country beginning in September&nbsp;2020. More than 55 protesters have been arrested in these events as of October 2020. Some protesters have claimed that COVID-19 is a hoax, and many refused to wear [[Face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic|masks]] or practice [[social distancing]].<ref name="HuffPost Sept 2020">{{cite web | title=Revealed: The So-Called 'Top Class Doctors And Nurses' Backing Anti-Mask Protests | website=HuffPost | url=https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/these-are-the-so-called-top-class-doctors-and-nurses-backing-anti-mask-protests_uk_5f4e4531c5b697186e3b790d | date=5 September 2020 | access-date=15 October 2020 | archive-date=20 September 2020 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200920044007/https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/these-are-the-so-called-top-class-doctors-and-nurses-backing-anti-mask-protests_uk_5f4e4531c5b697186e3b790d | url-status=live }}</ref> Protests have occurred in [[Shrewsbury]],<ref>{{Cite web|last=Leather|first=Harry|title=Two arrested after anti-lockdown protesters in stand-off with police on roof of Shrewsbury College|url=https://www.shropshirestar.com/news/health/coronavirus-covid19/2020/04/20/anti-lockdown-protesters-in-stand-off-with-police-on-roof-of-shrewsbury-college/|access-date=10 July 2020|website=www.shropshirestar.com|date=20 April 2020 |language=en|archive-date=7 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201007010409/https://www.shropshirestar.com/news/health/coronavirus-covid19/2020/04/20/anti-lockdown-protesters-in-stand-off-with-police-on-roof-of-shrewsbury-college/|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Glastonbury]],<ref>{{Cite web|last=Mills|first=Richard|date=1 May 2020|title=Live updates as police attend protest against lockdown in Somerset|url=https://www.somersetlive.co.uk/news/somerset-news/lockdown-protest-glastonbury-corbyn-live-4096098|access-date=10 July 2020|website=somersetlive|language=en|archive-date=4 December 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201204235515/https://www.somersetlive.co.uk/news/somerset-news/lockdown-protest-glastonbury-corbyn-live-4096098|url-status=live}}</ref> [[London]], [[Manchester]], [[Glasgow]], [[Belfast]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://metro.co.uk/2020/05/16/19-arrested-anti-lockdown-protests-take-place-across-country-12715038/|title=19 arrested as anti-lockdown protests take place across country|first=Faye|last=Brown|date=16 May 2020|access-date=24 May 2020|archive-date=23 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200523160939/https://metro.co.uk/2020/05/16/19-arrested-anti-lockdown-protests-take-place-across-country-12715038/|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Hove]],<ref>{{Cite web|date=19 May 2020|title=Coronavirus lockdown prompts Hove seafront protest|url=https://www.brightonandhovenews.org/2020/05/19/coronavirus-lockdown-prompts-hove-seafront-protest/|access-date=10 July 2020|website=Brighton and Hove News|language=en-US|archive-date=15 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201015171929/https://www.brightonandhovenews.org/2020/05/19/coronavirus-lockdown-prompts-hove-seafront-protest/|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Birmingham]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/protests-birmingham-city-centre-over-18924302|title=Protests in Birmingham city centre over lockdown restrictions|first=Stephanie|last=Balloo|date=12 September 2020|website=BirminghamLive|access-date=12 September 2020|archive-date=13 September 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200913011210/https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/protests-birmingham-city-centre-over-18924302|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Liverpool]],<ref>{{cite web|title=Conspiracy theorist Piers Corbyn tells crowd of unmasked protesters 'covid is a hoax'|url=https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/conspiracy-theorist-piers-corbyn-tells-19125232|newspaper=Liverpool Echo|first=Jonathan|last=Humphries|date=18 October 2020|access-date=18 October 2020|archive-date=19 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201019060254/https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/conspiracy-theorist-piers-corbyn-tells-19125232|url-status=live}}</ref> as well as a few other cities.<br />
<br />
Protests over restrictions overlapped with [[anti-vaccine]] protests following the start of the UK's [[COVID-19 vaccination in the United Kingdom|COVID-19 vaccination programme]] in December 2020.<ref>{{cite news|date=2021-07-03|title=The anti-lockdown movement is still going strong|newspaper=The Economist|url=https://www.economist.com/britain/2021/07/03/the-anti-lockdown-movement-is-still-going-strong|access-date=2021-09-12|issn=0013-0613|archive-date=12 September 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210912213950/https://www.economist.com/britain/2021/07/03/the-anti-lockdown-movement-is-still-going-strong|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-07-19|title=Bottles thrown at police in anti-lockdown and anti-vaccination protest|url=https://www.itv.com/news/london/2021-07-19/bottles-thrown-at-police-in-anti-lockdown-and-anti-vaccination-protest|access-date=2021-09-12|website=ITV News|language=en|archive-date=13 September 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210913193143/https://www.itv.com/news/london/2021-07-19/bottles-thrown-at-police-in-anti-lockdown-and-anti-vaccination-protest|url-status=live}}</ref> On the weekend of 24–25 July 2021, protests broke out again in several major cities in the United Kingdom including [[London]],<ref>{{Cite web|title=Thousands protest amid global anger against COVID restrictions|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/7/24/protesters-against-covid-restrictions-clash-with-police-in-paris|access-date=2021-07-25|website=www.aljazeera.com|language=en|archive-date=25 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210725014050/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/7/24/protesters-against-covid-restrictions-clash-with-police-in-paris|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Leeds]],<ref>{{Cite web|last1=Norden|first1=Jasmine|date=2021-07-24|title='Freedom Rally' blocks Leeds roads as protestors accuse government of lies|url=https://www.leeds-live.co.uk/news/leeds-news/freedom-rally-blocks-leeds-roads-21137368|access-date=2021-07-25|website=LeedsLive|language=en|archive-date=25 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210725014059/https://www.leeds-live.co.uk/news/leeds-news/freedom-rally-blocks-leeds-roads-21137368|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Manchester]]<ref>{{Cite web|last1=Abbit|first1=Beth|date=2021-07-24|title=Protesters chant 'shame on you' at police during march through Manchester|url=https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/protesters-chant-shame-you-police-21137043|access-date=2021-07-25|website=Manchester Evening News|language=en|archive-date=25 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210725014059/https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/protesters-chant-shame-you-police-21137043|url-status=live}}</ref> and [[Birmingham]] due to people [[Vaccine hesitancy|opposing vaccines]] and [[COVID passports in the United Kingdom|proposed COVID passports]].<ref>{{Cite web|first=Nick|last=Horner|date=2021-07-24|title=Lockdown protests causing city centre road chaos|url=https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/live-anti-lockdown-protests-causing-21136037|access-date=2021-07-25|website=BirminghamLive|language=en|archive-date=25 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210725014049/https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/live-anti-lockdown-protests-causing-21136037|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
== North America ==<br />
<br />
=== Canada ===<br />
[[File:COVID-19 Vancouver's largest protest, April 26th 2020 (49823981297).jpg|thumb|Anti-lockdown protest in [[Vancouver]], British Columbia, on 26 April 2020]]<br />
{{main|COVID-19 protests in Canada}}<br />
In Canada, protests began on 19 April 2020 in [[Vancouver]].<ref name="Vancouver COVID-19 protests">{{cite news |last1=Carrigg |first1=David |title=COVID-19: Small group protests coronavirus restrictions in Vancouver |url=https://vancouversun.com/news/local-news/covid-19-vancouver-police-escort-small-group-protesting-government-restrictions/ |access-date=6 May 2020 |agency=Postmedia Network |publisher=Vancouver Sun |date=19 April 2020 |archive-date=12 May 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200512150249/https://vancouversun.com/news/local-news/covid-19-vancouver-police-escort-small-group-protesting-government-restrictions/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|date=26 April 2020|title=Protesters march against COVID-19 prevention measures in Vancouver &#124; CTV News|publisher=Bc.ctvnews.ca|url=https://bc.ctvnews.ca/protesters-march-against-covid-19-prevention-measures-in-vancouver-1.4912767|access-date=30 April 2020|archive-date=2 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200502004835/https://bc.ctvnews.ca/protesters-march-against-covid-19-prevention-measures-in-vancouver-1.4912767|url-status=live}}</ref> Protests also occurred in [[Toronto]], [[Edmonton]] and [[Ottawa]].<ref>{{cite news|title='A bunch of yahoos,' Ont. premier says of people protesting COVID-19 emergency measures &#124; CTV News|publisher=Toronto.ctvnews.ca|url=https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/a-bunch-of-yahoos-ont-premier-says-of-people-protesting-covid-19-emergency-measures-1.4911861|access-date=30 April 2020|archive-date=1 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200501172956/https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/a-bunch-of-yahoos-ont-premier-says-of-people-protesting-covid-19-emergency-measures-1.4911861|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Lauren |first1=Boothby |title=Hundreds flock to Alberta legislature to protest COVID-19 restrictions |url=https://edmontonjournal.com/news/local-news/hundreds-flock-to-alberta-legislature-to-protest-covid-19-restrictions/wcm/e93da949-89f6-4b77-8376-9a8ffbf5e340/ |access-date=5 May 2020 |work=Edmonton Journal |date=1 May 2020 |archive-date=6 May 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200506060124/https://edmontonjournal.com/news/local-news/hundreds-flock-to-alberta-legislature-to-protest-covid-19-restrictions/wcm/e93da949-89f6-4b77-8376-9a8ffbf5e340/ |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
On 21 April 2020 it was reported that prisoners at the [[Saskatchewan Penitentiary]] had been protesting against restrictions placed upon them in response to COVID-19, like being kept in their cells for 20 hours a day.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Bridges |first1=Alicia |title=Sask. Penitentiary inmates protest COVID-19 restrictions they say put them in cells 20 hours per day |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatoon/protests-covid-19-saskatchewan-penitentiary-1.5538728 |access-date=5 May 2020 |work=CBC News |date=21 April 2020 |archive-date=24 April 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200424090731/https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatoon/protests-covid-19-saskatchewan-penitentiary-1.5538728 |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
On 15 January 2021, [[Roman Baber]], [[Member of Provincial Parliament&nbsp;(Canada)|Member of Provincial Parliament]] for the [[Toronto]] riding of [[York Centre (provincial electoral district)|York Centre]], was removed from the caucus of the governing [[Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario]] after publishing an open letter to [[Premier of Ontario|Premier]] [[Doug Ford]] criticizing [[COVID-19 pandemic in Ontario|Ontario's lockdown restrictions]]. Baber continued his anti-lockdown advocacy as an [[independent politician|independent]] member of the legislative [[opposition (politics)|opposition]].<ref name="ts011521">{{cite news |last1=Benzie |first1=Robert |title=Premier Doug Ford turfs MPP Roman Baber from Tory caucus for opposing COVID-19 lockdown |url=https://www.thestar.com/politics/provincial/2021/01/15/tory-mpp-roman-baber-breaks-ranks-with-premier-doug-ford-urges-end-to-covid-19-lockdown.html |access-date=15 January 2021 |work=Toronto Star |publisher=Torstar |date=15 January 2021 |archive-date=15 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210115132729/https://www.thestar.com/politics/provincial/2021/01/15/tory-mpp-roman-baber-breaks-ranks-with-premier-doug-ford-urges-end-to-covid-19-lockdown.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/ontario-covid-19-january-15-2021-1.5874606| title=Ford ousts MPP from caucus over open letter pushing for end to COVID-19 lockdown| date=15 January 2021| website=cbc.ca| access-date=19 January 2021| archive-date=19 January 2021| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210119092609/https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/ontario-covid-19-january-15-2021-1.5874606| url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite tweet| user=Roman_Baber| number=1350089062800105473| title=I was removed from the @OntarioPCParty caucus. It's a regretful decision since many colleagues agree with me, incl @fordnation in large part. I don't regret speaking out for millions of lives & livelihoods decimated by Public Health, I serve the public. The Lockdown is grounded in false public health narrative, poor planning & bad data. While Doug only cares about re-election, Lockdowns are killing more than saving. I couldn't watch the suffering anymore. I hope I encouraged other professionals to speak out.| date=15 January 2021| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210115162937/https://twitter.com/Roman_Baber/status/1350089062800105473| archive-date= 15 January 2021| url-status =live}}</ref><br />
<br />
On 1 September 2021, thousands of people protested COVID-19 vaccine policies and mask mandates outside of [[Vancouver City Hall]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Protesters target B.C. hospitals disrupting patients, staff - NEWS 1130|url=https://www.citynews1130.com/2021/09/01/covid-protesters-bc-hospitals/|access-date=2021-09-03|website=www.citynews1130.com|archive-date=3 September 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210903030258/https://www.citynews1130.com/2021/09/01/covid-protesters-bc-hospitals/|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
[[File:Convoi de la liberté à Ottawa 01.jpg|thumb|Anti-mandate protest in [[Ottawa]], Canada's capital city, on 1 February 2022]]<br />
In January 2022, [[Freedom Convoy 2022]] began. Prime Minister [[Justin Trudeau]] invoked the [[Emergencies Act]] for the first time to quell the unrest from the occupation and harassment of Ottawa and its citizens by hundreds of trucks, their drivers and thousands of unruly protesters.<br />
<br />
====Alberta====<br />
A far-right group calling itself "Walk for Freedom" has been organizing anti-mask protests since at least April 2020.<ref name="CTV_20200429">{{cite news| title = Protest to 'End the Lockdown' attracts more than 100 people to Alberta legislature| work = CTV News Edmonton| access-date = 21 February 2021| date = 29 April 2020| url = https://edmonton.ctvnews.ca/protest-to-end-the-lockdown-attracts-more-than-100-people-to-alberta-legislature-1.4917828| archive-date = 9 March 2021| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210309035715/https://edmonton.ctvnews.ca/protest-to-end-the-lockdown-attracts-more-than-100-people-to-alberta-legislature-1.4917828| url-status = live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Anti-mask protesters take to the streets in Calgary to fight COVID-19 restrictions |url=https://calgary.ctvnews.ca/anti-mask-protesters-take-to-the-streets-in-calgary-to-fight-covid-19-restrictions-1.5228760 |first=Timm |last=Bruch |work=CTV News |date=12 December 2020 |access-date=21 February 2021 |archive-date=10 February 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210210223346/https://calgary.ctvnews.ca/anti-mask-protesters-take-to-the-streets-in-calgary-to-fight-covid-19-restrictions-1.5228760 |url-status=live }}</ref> Concerns were raised when several hundred protestors took part in a 20 February 2021 freedom convoy and Jericho Torch March at the Legislature organized by the "Walk for Freedom Alberta" and the "Freedom Unity Alliance".<ref name="global_Bench_20210221">{{cite news| last = Bench| first = Allison| title = Protesters gather from across the province at Alberta legislature to fight COVID-19 health measures| work = Global News| location = Edmonton, Alberta| access-date = 21 February 2021| date = 21 February 2021| url = https://globalnews.ca/news/7652604/feb-20-walk-for-freedom-covid-19/| archive-date = 22 February 2021| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210222015650/http://globalnews.ca/news/7652604/feb-20-walk-for-freedom-covid-19/| url-status = live}}</ref> Posters advertising the rally included an image of white nationalists marching through [[Charlottesville, Virginia|Charlottesville]] with [[Tiki torch]]es in the 2017 US [[Unite the Right rally]].<ref name="global_Bench_20210221"/><ref>{{Cite web| title = COVID Conspiracy Groups Are Using A Picture From Charlottesville Neo-Nazi Rally To Promote Their Upcoming 'Torch March'| work = Canadian Anti-Hate Network| access-date = February 22, 2021| date = February 16, 2021| url = https://www.antihate.ca/covid_conspiracy_groups_picture_charlottesville_neo_nazi_rally_promote_their_upcoming_torch_march |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210216201222/https://www.antihate.ca/covid_conspiracy_groups_picture_charlottesville_neo_nazi_rally_promote_their_upcoming_torch_march |archive-date=16 February 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web| work = Facebook| access-date = February 22, 2021| date = February 16, 2021| url = https://www.facebook.com/WALK108/photos/pcb.147482763873027/147482720539698/| author = WALK108| title = Poster for Walk for Freedom rallies| archive-date = 22 February 2021| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210222204047/https://www.facebook.com/WALK108/photos/pcb.147482763873027/147482720539698/| url-status = live}}</ref><ref name="660News_20210124">{{Cite web| title = Experts confused, concerned with anti-lockdown rally imagery| work = 660 NEWS| access-date = February 22, 2021| date = January 24, 2021| url = https://www.660citynews.com/2021/01/23/experts-confused-concerned-with-anti-lockdown-rally-imagery/| archive-date = 26 February 2021| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210226213959/https://www.660citynews.com/2021/01/23/experts-confused-concerned-with-anti-lockdown-rally-imagery/| url-status = live}}</ref> The group of hundreds of unmasked anti-lockdown protestors, carrying a Walk for Freedom banner included [[COVID-19 misinformation|COVID-19 deniers]].<ref name="CTV_20210221">{{cite news| title = Hatred, COVID-19 skepticism denounced after anti-lockdown rally at Alberta legislature| work = CTV Edmonton| access-date = February 21, 2021| date = February 21, 2021| url = https://edmonton.ctvnews.ca/hatred-covid-19-skepticism-denounced-after-anti-lockdown-rally-at-alta-legislature-1.5317502| archive-date = 22 February 2021| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210222045333/https://edmonton.ctvnews.ca/hatred-covid-19-skepticism-denounced-after-anti-lockdown-rally-at-alta-legislature-1.5317502| url-status = live}}</ref> Others were supporters of a pastor who was arrested for repeatedly refusing to comply to public health regulations, such as capping attendance, physical distancing and mask-wearing.<ref name="CBC_20210217">{{cite news| title = GraceLife pastor held in custody for refusing to comply with bail conditions| location = Edmonton, Alberta| access-date = February 21, 2021| date = February 17, 2021| url = https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/alberta-covid-coronavirus-grace-life-church-pastor-1.5917526| archive-date = 22 February 2021| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210222134044/https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/alberta-covid-coronavirus-grace-life-church-pastor-1.5917526| url-status = live}}</ref><ref name="thestar_20210221">{{cite news| title = Anti-lockdown rally at Alberta legislature voices support for jailed pastor| work = The Star| location = Edmonton, Alberta| access-date = February 21, 2021| date = February 21, 2021| url = https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2021/02/20/anti-lockdown-rally-at-alberta-legislature-voices-support-for-jailed-pastor.html| archive-date = 21 February 2021| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210221082455/https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2021/02/20/anti-lockdown-rally-at-alberta-legislature-voices-support-for-jailed-pastor.html| url-status = live}}</ref> The [[Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms]] (JCCF), representing the pastor, had launched a legal charter challenge against the Alberta government.<ref name="Griwkowsky_20201207">{{cite news| title = Justice centre launches legal challenge against Covid restrictions| work = Politics Today| url = https://www.politicstoday.news/alberta-today/justice-centre-launches-legal-challenge-against-covid-restrictions| first = Catherine| last = Griwkowsky| date = December 7, 2020| access-date = February 21, 2021| archive-date = 1 February 2021| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210201215035/https://www.politicstoday.news/alberta-today/justice-centre-launches-legal-challenge-against-covid-restrictions| url-status = live}}</ref> The Mayor of Edmonton said that the rally organizers were from outside Edmonton and that they "may be associated with known hate groups. Edmonton unequivocally condemns racism, misogyny and other forms of hate—such speech is not welcome in our community."<ref>{{cite news| title = Anti-restriction protesters gather at legislature, march in streets with tiki torches| work = 660 News| location = Edmonton, Alberta| access-date = February 21, 2021| date = February 20, 2021| url = https://www.660citynews.com/2021/02/20/large-anti-mask-and-anti-restriction-protest-underway-soon-in-edmonton/| archive-date = 21 February 2021| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210221182147/https://www.660citynews.com/2021/02/20/large-anti-mask-and-anti-restriction-protest-underway-soon-in-edmonton/| url-status = live}}</ref><ref name="CTV_20210221"/><ref>{{Cite AV media| title = Anti-lockdown protesters clash with media at "Walk for Freedom" rally |series=CTV News| access-date = February 21, 2021| date =February 21, 2021| url = https://edmonton.citynews.ca/video/2021/02/21/anti-lockdown-protesters-clash-with-media-at-walk-for-freedom-rally/}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Cuba ===<br />
{{Main|2021 Cuban protests}}<br />
A series of protests began on 11 July 2021, triggered by the shortage of food and medicine and the government's response to the resurgent [[COVID-19 pandemic in Cuba]].<ref>{{cite news|last=Robles|first=Frances|date=11 July 2021|title=Cubans Denounce 'Misery' in Biggest Protests in Decades|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/11/world/americas/cuba-crisis-protests.html|issn=0362-4331|archive-date=11 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210711212619/https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/11/world/americas/cuba-crisis-protests.html|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Mexico ===<br />
On 29 April, police in [[Yajalón]], [[Municipalities of Chiapas|Chiapas]], southern Mexico, opened fire on people who were protesting against a checkpoint that left their community isolated. Residents of neighbouring [[Tumbalá]] complained that the checkpoint made it impossible for them to access governmental and banking services and that it seemed to be related to a belief that Tumbalá had a high rate of coronavirus infection. Checkpoints have been installed in about 20% of Mexico's municipalities, which the federal government has declared illegal.<ref>{{cite news |title=México: Protesta contra retén por COVID termina en tiroteo |url=https://apnews.com/cfcb0c1a9718e9f62b05c1a67399398b |website=AP NEWS |access-date=5 June 2020 |date=30 April 2020 |archive-date=5 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200605181818/https://apnews.com/cfcb0c1a9718e9f62b05c1a67399398b |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
Hundreds of Mexicans participated in caravans on 30 May demanding the resignation of President [[Andrés Manuel López Obrador]] because of his handling of the [[COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico]] and the economy. The caravans, which took place in about a dozen cities across the country, consisted largely of luxury cars.<ref>{{cite web |title=Manifestaciones anti AMLO en varios estados - Estados - La Jornada |url=https://www.jornada.com.mx/ultimas/estados/2020/05/30/manifestaciones-anti-amlo-en-los-estados-6108.html |website=www.jornada.com.mx |access-date=5 June 2020 |language=es |date=30 May 2020 |archive-date=5 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200605182825/https://www.jornada.com.mx/ultimas/estados/2020/05/30/manifestaciones-anti-amlo-en-los-estados-6108.html |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
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Violence broke out on 4 June during [[George Floyd protests|demonstrations]] in [[Guadalajara]], [[Jalisco]] to demand justice after the [[death of Giovanni López]] in the town of [[Ixtlahuacán de los Membrillos]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Justicia para Giovanni: Protestan por el asesinato en Jalisco |url=https://www.milenio.com/estados/giovanni-lopez-protestas-asesinato-joven-jalisco |website=www.milenio.com |date=6 April 2020 |access-date=4 June 2020 |archive-date=5 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200605022951/https://www.milenio.com/estados/giovanni-lopez-protestas-asesinato-joven-jalisco |url-status=live }}</ref> López, a 30-year-old mason, had been arrested on 4 May for not wearing a [[COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico|facemask]] during a [[Stay-at-home order|lockdown]] and died the next day while in police custody.<ref>{{cite web |title=Así fue la detención de Giovanni López justo antes de su muerte |url=https://www.lavanguardia.com/internacional/20200605/481603972248/giovanni-lopez-muerte-policia-detencion-video-seo-ext.html |website=La Vanguardia |access-date=5 June 2020 |language=es |date=5 June 2020 |archive-date=5 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200605093708/https://www.lavanguardia.com/internacional/20200605/481603972248/giovanni-lopez-muerte-policia-detencion-video-seo-ext.html |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
=== United States ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 protests in the United States}}<br />
<br />
The United States' national response began in early January, originating with actions by the [[Centers for Disease Control and Prevention|Centers for Disease Control]] (CDC) and the [[White House]]. The [[COVID-19 pandemic in the United States|first U.S. case of COVID-19]] was recorded on 19 January 2020. In the United States, the [[U.S. state and local government responses to the COVID-19 pandemic|response was determined by state and local officials in coordination with the CDC and federal officials]]. On 9 February, governors were briefed by the [[White House Coronavirus Task Force]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=TIMELINE: The Trump Administration's Decisive Actions To Combat the Coronavirus|url=https://www.donaldjtrump.com/media/timeline-the-trump-administrations-decisive-actions-to-combat-the-coronavirus|access-date=10 July 2020|website=www.donaldjtrump.com|language=en|archive-date=11 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200711100629/https://www.donaldjtrump.com/media/timeline-the-trump-administrations-decisive-actions-to-combat-the-coronavirus|url-status=dead}}</ref> Beginning in mid-March, various [[Social distancing measures related to the COVID-19 pandemic|social distancing measures]] to limit spread of the virus were undertaken by state governors and in some cases counties or cities.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://abcnews.go.com/Health/wireStory/bay-area-counties-california-order-shelter-place-69627648|title=San Francisco Bay Area counties issue shelter-in-place order|last1=Rodriguez|first1=Olga R.|last2=Har|first2=Janie|date=16 March 2020|work=ABC News|access-date=9 May 2020|archive-date=25 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200525143041/https://abcnews.go.com/Health/wireStory/bay-area-counties-california-order-shelter-place-69627648|url-status=live}}</ref> Actions taken included [[stay-at-home order]]s ("quarantine"), school and business closures, and limitation on the size of gatherings. On 19 March 2020, [[Donald Trump|President Donald Trump]], and [[Mike Pence|Vice President Mike Pence]] met (via teleconference) with governors of most states to continue coordination and to assist states with their responses. [[Federal Emergency Management Agency|FEMA]] was brought into the effort around this time.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Remarks by President Trump and Vice President Pence in a Video Teleconference with Governors on COVID-19|url=https://trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov/briefings-statements/remarks-president-trump-vice-president-pence-video-teleconference-governors-covid-19/|access-date=10 July 2020|via=[[NARA|National Archives]]|work=[[whitehouse.gov]]|language=en-US|archive-date=20 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210120200339/https://trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov/briefings-statements/remarks-president-trump-vice-president-pence-video-teleconference-governors-covid-19/|url-status=live}}</ref> By 7 April 42 states had [[Lockdown#In epidemics and pandemics|lockdown orders]] in place.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://nationalpost.com/news/covid-19-people-have-to-be-responsible-for-themselves-eight-states-still-not-locked-down|title=COVID-19: 'People have to be responsible for themselves': Eight U.S. states still not locked down|last=Dittrich|first=Valerie|date=7 April 2020|work=National Post|access-date=9 May 2020}}</ref> The shutdowns had serious economic effects, including a steep rise in unemployment due to the shutdown of stores and workplaces.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2020/04/24/coronavirus-pandemics-impact-on-the-global-economy-in-7-charts.html|title=7 charts show how the coronavirus pandemic has hit the global economy|last=Lee|first=Yen Nee|date=24 April 2020|work=CNBC|access-date=9 May 2020|archive-date=4 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200504231204/https://www.cnbc.com/2020/04/24/coronavirus-pandemics-impact-on-the-global-economy-in-7-charts.html|url-status=live}}</ref> By 15 April protests and demonstrations had broken out in some states, demanding that the area be "re-opened" for normal business and personal activity. By 1 May there had been demonstrations in more than half of the states, and many governors began to take steps to lift the restrictions.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://thehill.com/homenews/sunday-talk-shows/495877-governors-experts-await-results-of-reopening-states-as-protests|title=Governors, experts await results of reopening states as protests continue|last=Budryk|first=Zack|date=3 May 2020|work=The Hill|access-date=9 May 2020|archive-date=10 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200510022802/https://thehill.com/homenews/sunday-talk-shows/495877-governors-experts-await-results-of-reopening-states-as-protests|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
{{multiple image<br />
| footer = Several hundred anti-lockdown protesters rallied at the [[Ohio Statehouse]] on 20 April.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Rouan |first1=Rick |title=Protesters at Statehouse demand state reopen as DeWine announces schools to remain closed |url=https://www.dispatch.com/news/20200420/protesters-at-statehouse-demand-state-reopen-as-dewine-announces-schools-to-remain-closed |access-date=3 May 2020 |work=[[The Columbus Dispatch]] |date=20 April 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200425004821/https://www.dispatch.com/news/20200420/protesters-at-statehouse-demand-state-reopen-as-dewine-announces-schools-to-remain-closed |archive-date=25 April 2020 |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
| image1 = Open Ohio Rally IMG 0910 (49799974031).jpg<br />
| alt1 = Ohio protesters, 18 April<br />
| image2 = CIMG 0355 (49799414598).jpg<br />
| alt2 = Ohio protesters, 20 April 20<br />
}}<br />
One of the first protests was in [[Michigan]] on 15 April 2020, organized by conservative groups which also encouraged groups in other states to copy their wording and templates.{{Citation needed|date=September 2021}} Protesters in numerous other states said they were inspired by Michigan, and they used Michigan's material on their own websites, Facebook groups, and [[Reddit]] pages to promote their protests.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/salvadorhernandez/coronavirus-quarantine-protests-facebook-groups|title=This Is How A Group Linked To Betsy DeVos Is Organizing Protests To End Social Distancing, Now With Trump's Support|website=BuzzFeed News|language=en|access-date=20 April 2020|archive-date=19 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200419180823/https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/salvadorhernandez/coronavirus-quarantine-protests-facebook-groups|url-status=live}}</ref> Subsequent protests were organized by [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] activists or party organizations,<ref name="reuters1">{{cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-trump-protests-idUSKCN2233ES|title=How Trump allies have organized and promoted anti-lockdown protests|date=22 April 2020|work=Reuters|access-date=23 April 2020|language=en|archive-date=23 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200423112936/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-trump-protests-idUSKCN2233ES|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bridgemi.com/michigan-government/meet-trump-loving-group-behind-protest-gov-whitmers-stay-home-order|title=Meet the Trump-loving group behind protest of Gov. Whitmer's stay-home order|date=22 April 2020|website=bridgemi.com|language=en|access-date=23 April 2020|archive-date=26 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200426174050/https://www.bridgemi.com/michigan-government/meet-trump-loving-group-behind-protest-gov-whitmers-stay-home-order|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="komonews">{{cite news|url=https://komonews.com/news/coronavirus/protest-against-state-closure-planned-for-tomorrow-in-olympia|title=Protest against state closure planned for tomorrow in Olympia|first=Cole |last=Miller|date=18 April 2020|website=KOMO|access-date=19 April 2020|archive-date=20 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200420003642/https://komonews.com/news/coronavirus/protest-against-state-closure-planned-for-tomorrow-in-olympia|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Tea Party movement|Tea Party activists]],<ref name=":8">{{cite news|url=https://www.politico.com/news/2020/04/21/trump-allies-help-organize-lockdown-protests-198426|title=Trump allies have their fingerprints on lockdown protests|website=POLITICO|language=en|access-date=23 April 2020|archive-date=22 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200422183744/https://www.politico.com/news/2020/04/21/trump-allies-help-organize-lockdown-protests-198426|url-status=live}}</ref> armed [[Patriot movement|militia movement]] supporters,<ref name="Grauniad-Right">{{cite news|last=Wilson|first=Jason|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/17/far-right-coronavirus-protests-restrictions|title=The rightwing groups behind wave of protests against Covid-19 restrictions|date=17 April 2020|work=The Guardian|access-date=18 April 2020|language=en-GB|issn=0261-3077|quote=...{{nbsp}}{{nbsp}}...|archive-date=18 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200418010447/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/17/far-right-coronavirus-protests-restrictions|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Gun laws in the United States by state|guns-rights]] activists,<ref>{{cite news|url=https://bringmethenews.com/minnesota-news/washington-post-links-minnesota-gun-group-to-anti-quarantine-protests|title=WaPo reveals Minnesota gun group link to anti-quarantine protests|last=Uren|first=Adam|website=Bring Me The News|language=en|access-date=20 April 2020|archive-date=24 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200424164209/https://bringmethenews.com/minnesota-news/washington-post-links-minnesota-gun-group-to-anti-quarantine-protests|url-status=live}}</ref> and "[[Anti-vaccine activism|anti-vaccination]]" advocates.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/02/us/anti-vaxxers-coronavirus-protests.html|title=Antivaccination Activists Are Growing Force at Virus Protests|last=Bogel-Burroughs|first=Nicholas|date=4 May 2020|work=The New York Times|access-date=4 May 2020|archive-date=3 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200503234419/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/02/us/anti-vaxxers-coronavirus-protests.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/anti-vaxxers-are-forming-an-unholy-alliance-with-shelter-in-place-protesters?source=articles&via=rss|title=Anti-Vaxxers and Lockdown Protesters Form an Unholy Alliance|last1=Sommer|first1=Will|last2=Kucinich|first2=Jackie|date=22 April 2020|work=Daily Beast|access-date=23 April 2020|archive-date=11 March 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210311021959/https://www.thedailybeast.com/anti-vaxxers-are-forming-an-unholy-alliance-with-shelter-in-place-protesters?source=articles&via=rss|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
Protesters, many without [[Face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States|face masks]], opposed the shelter-in-place orders in their states for various reasons. Many said they wanted businesses reopened so they could go back to work. Many others displayed pro-[[Donald Trump|Trump]] banners, signs, and [[Make America Great Again|MAGA]] hats.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2020/04/16/michigan-whitmer-conservatives-protest/|title=Chanting 'lock her up,' Michigan protesters waving Trump flags mass against Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's coronavirus restrictions|last=Flynn|first=Meagan|date=16 April 2020|newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=22 April 2020|archive-date=22 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200422002103/https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2020/04/16/michigan-whitmer-conservatives-protest/|url-status=live}}</ref> Still others insisted the lockdowns were a violation of their constitutional rights. One militia leader told a reporter, "Re-open my state or we will re-open it ourselves."<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-52359100|title=Coronavirus lockdown protest: What's behind the US demonstrations?|date=21 April 2020|work=BBC News|access-date=22 April 2020|archive-date=21 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200421200027/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-52359100|url-status=live}}</ref> An opinion article in ''The New York Times'', and an article in ''The Washington Post'' claimed that the anger driving the protests was "both real and manufactured", blaming conservative groups for engaging in [[astroturfing]] via centralized organization backed by anonymous donors.<ref>{{cite news|last=Graves|first=Lisa|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/22/opinion/coronavirus-protests-astroturf.html|title=Opinion {{!}} Who's Behind the 'Reopen' Protests?|date=22 April 2020|work=The New York Times|access-date=24 April 2020|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331|archive-date=24 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200424001641/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/22/opinion/coronavirus-protests-astroturf.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/inside-the-conservative-networks-backing-anti-quarantine-protests/2020/04/22/da75c81e-83fe-11ea-a3eb-e9fc93160703_story.html|title=The anti-quarantine protests seem spontaneous. But behind the scenes, a powerful network is helping.|last1=Stanley-Becker|first1=Isaac|last2=Romm|first2=Tony|date=22 April 2020|newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=24 April 2020|archive-date=29 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200429032531/https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/inside-the-conservative-networks-backing-anti-quarantine-protests/2020/04/22/da75c81e-83fe-11ea-a3eb-e9fc93160703_story.html|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
President Trump originally issued guidelines for how to phase out restrictions, saying that governors would decide how to reopen their own states and suggesting a cautious three-phase approach.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/16/politics/donald-trump-reopening-guidelines-coronavirus/index.html|title=Trump completes reversal, telling govs 'you are going to call your own shots' and distributes new guidelines|date=16 April 2020|work=CNN|access-date=23 April 2020|archive-date=22 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200422213330/https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/16/politics/donald-trump-reopening-guidelines-coronavirus/index.html|url-status=live}}</ref> However, the next day he reacted to the protests against social restrictions by encouraging the protests.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/17/us/politics/trump-coronavirus-governors.html|title=Trump Encourages Protest Against Governors Who Have Imposed Virus Restrictions|last1=Shear|first1=Michael D.|last2=Mervosh|first2=Sarah|date=17 April 2020|work=The New York Times|access-date=23 April 2020|archive-date=23 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200423000143/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/17/us/politics/trump-coronavirus-governors.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Itkowitz|first=Colby|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/04/17/liberate-trump-tweets-support-protesting-against-stay-at-home-orders/|title='Liberate': Trump Tweets Support of Protests Against Stay-at-Home Orders|date=17 April 2020|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|access-date=17 April 2020|archive-date=17 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200417233521/https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/04/17/liberate-trump-tweets-support-protesting-against-stay-at-home-orders/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/17/us/coronavirus-cases-news-update.html|title=Trump Foments Protests Against Governors; Experts Warn of Testing Shortages|date=17 April 2020|work=The New York Times|access-date=18 April 2020|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331|archive-date=18 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200418004100/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/17/us/coronavirus-cases-news-update.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|agency=Reuters/AP|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/video/2020/apr/18/they-seem-very-responsible-to-me-trump-defends-anti-lockdown-protesters-video|title='They seem very responsible to me': Trump defends anti-lockdown protesters - video|date=18 April 2020|work=The Guardian|access-date=19 April 2020|language=en-GB|issn=0261-3077|archive-date=19 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200419003522/https://www.theguardian.com/world/video/2020/apr/18/they-seem-very-responsible-to-me-trump-defends-anti-lockdown-protesters-video|url-status=live}}</ref> Governor [[Jay Inslee]] (D-WA) accused the president of "fomenting domestic rebellion" and said the president's call to ignore his own team's guidelines was "schizophrenic".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/04/trump-accused-fomenting-rebellion-liberate-tweets-200417223606672.html|title=Trump accused of 'fomenting rebellion' after 'LIBERATE' tweets|website=aljazeera.com|access-date=19 April 2020|archive-date=18 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200418213043/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/04/trump-accused-fomenting-rebellion-liberate-tweets-200417223606672.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2020/04/19/governors-decry-trump-call-liberate-states-coronavirus-restrictions/5162196002/|title=Governors slam Trump's call to 'liberate' states where protesters object to coronavirus restrictions|last=Cummings|first=William|website=USA TODAY|language=en-US|access-date=20 April 2020|archive-date=19 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200419233030/https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2020/04/19/governors-decry-trump-call-liberate-states-coronavirus-restrictions/5162196002/|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
[[File:OPEN our OHIO IMG 0144 (49790376873).jpg|thumb|An anti-lockdown protester in April 2020]]<br />
[[Facebook]] announced that it would block events and messages from anti-quarantine protest groups "when gatherings do not follow the health parameters established by the government and are therefore unlawful".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.politico.com/news/2020/04/20/facebook-shuts-down-anti-quarantine-protests-at-states-request-196143|title=Republicans attack Facebook as network shuts down anti-lockdown protests|last=Overly|first=Steven|website=POLITICO|language=en|access-date=21 April 2020|archive-date=21 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200421021301/https://www.politico.com/news/2020/04/20/facebook-shuts-down-anti-quarantine-protests-at-states-request-196143|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
In California, [[Libertarian Party (United States)|Libertarian Party]] chapters in [[Santa Clara, California|Santa Clara]] and [[San Francisco]] counties condemned lockdown measures in the state with a resolution stating in part that, "these government impositions have already lasted for longer than could be justified by the purpose for which they were allegedly necessary, constituting a sort of "mission creep" that could potentially keep them in place with no definite end, and with economic and social damage continuing to accumulate and becoming more severe."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.scclp.org/resolution_regarding_government_pandemic_response|title=Resolution Regarding Government Pandemic Response|access-date=11 May 2020|archive-date=26 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200526033448/https://www.scclp.org/resolution_regarding_government_pandemic_response|url-status=live}}</ref> Such responses were compared to the [[Anti-Mask League of San Francisco]] movement that was seen during the [[Spanish flu|1918 Spanish flu pandemic]], where the efficacy of masks was debated during the second wave of flu in the city.<ref name="amlsf">{{cite news|last=Kane|first=Peter Lawrence|date=29 April 2020|title=The Anti-Mask League: lockdown protests draw parallels to 1918 pandemic|language=en-GB|work=The Guardian|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/29/coronavirus-pandemic-1918-protests-california|access-date=30 April 2020|issn=0261-3077|archive-date=30 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200430023846/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/29/coronavirus-pandemic-1918-protests-california|url-status=live}}</ref> The Anti-Mask League saw the medical advice on masks as unconstitutional, and contrary to the principles of a free society.<ref name="amlsf"/><br />
<br />
Cell phone data from [[Digital contact tracing|digital-contact tracing]] software, captured from opt-in cellphone apps and the Firm VoteMap, then provided to The Guardian (publication) by progressive campaign group the Committee to Protect Medicare, suggests that cell phones present at anti-lockdown protests in [[2020 United States anti-lockdown protests|Colorado]], [[2020 United States anti-lockdown protests|Florida]], Illinois, [[2020 United States anti-lockdown protests|Michigan]] and North Carolina traveled long distances after leaving the protests. Dr. Rob Davidson, executive director of the Committee to Protect Medicare, said that although “it's hard to draw a straight line between devices, individuals at these protests, and cases”, the data suggests that the protests may be epidemiologically significant events." and that "The behavior we’re seeing at protests carries a high risk of infection."<ref>{{cite news|last=Wilson|first=Jason|date=18 May 2020|title=US lockdown protests may have spread virus widely, cellphone data suggests|language=en-GB|work=The Guardian|url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/may/18/lockdown-protests-spread-coronavirus-cellphone-data|access-date=23 May 2020|issn=0261-3077|archive-date=23 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200523061752/https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/may/18/lockdown-protests-spread-coronavirus-cellphone-data|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
On 30 January 2021, dozens of "SCAMDEMIC" protesters blocked the entrance to the vaccination center at [[Dodger Stadium]] in [[Los Angeles]].<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-01-31|title=Dodger Stadium mass COVID-19 vaccination site temporarily shuts down after protesters block entrance|url=https://ktla.com/news/local-news/dodger-stadium-mass-coronavirus-vaccination-site-shut-down-after-protesters-block-entrance/|access-date=2021-01-31|website=KTLA|language=en-US|archive-date=31 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210131013546/https://ktla.com/news/local-news/dodger-stadium-mass-coronavirus-vaccination-site-shut-down-after-protesters-block-entrance/|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
== Oceania ==<br />
<br />
=== American Samoa ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 pandemic in American Samoa}}<br />
In July 2020, several people protested against the spending of COVID-19 funds in [[American Samoa]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/420676/protest-against-spending-of-covid-19-funds-in-american-samoa | title=Protest against spending of Covid-19 funds in American Samoa | website=[[Radio New Zealand]] | date=7 July 2020 }}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Australia ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 protests in Australia}}<br />
{{See also|Convoy to Canberra}}<br />
Throughout 2020 and 2021, numerous illegal protests of widely varying sizes against COVID-19 lockdown restrictions and the [[Australian Federal Government]]'s vaccination programme were held in several state capitals including [[Adelaide]], [[Brisbane]], [[Melbourne]], [[Perth]] and [[Sydney]].<ref>{{cite news|title='Incredibly disappointing': Ugly scenes at Melbourne coronavirus protests as violence erupts|url=https://7news.com.au/lifestyle/health-wellbeing/melbourne-protests-violent-scenes-in-melbournes-cbd-as-coronavirus-protesters-are-detained-c-1028327|date=10 May 2020|work=[[Seven News]]|language=en|access-date=10 May 2020|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200911032042/https://7news.com.au/lifestyle/health-wellbeing/melbourne-protests-violent-scenes-in-melbournes-cbd-as-coronavirus-protesters-are-detained-c-1028327|archive-date=11 September 2020}}</ref><ref name="9news-anti-vacc-rallys-20-feb">{{cite news |last1=Noble |first1=Freya |title=Anti-coronavirus vaccine protests held in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth |url=https://www.9news.com.au/national/coronavirus-protest-melbourne-brisbane-sydney-pete-evans/a328629b-4d7f-48b1-a13f-72fe42dd8c2b |access-date=21 February 2021 |work=[[Nine News|9 News]] |publisher=Nine Digital Pty Ltd |date=20 February 2021 |archive-date=20 February 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210220222329/https://www.9news.com.au/national/coronavirus-protest-melbourne-brisbane-sydney-pete-evans/a328629b-4d7f-48b1-a13f-72fe42dd8c2b |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="smh-pfizer-doses-start">{{cite news |last1=Dye |first1=Josh |last2=Clun |first2=Rachel |title=COVID-19 vaccines begin as Prime Minister receives Pfizer immunisation |url=https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/covid-19-vaccines-begin-as-prime-minister-receives-pfizer-immunisation-20210221-p574cw.html |access-date=21 February 2021 |work=[[The Sydney Morning Herald]] |date=21 February 2021 |archive-date=25 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210525075159/https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/covid-19-vaccines-begin-as-prime-minister-receives-pfizer-immunisation-20210221-p574cw.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Police responded to some of the protests by arresting demonstrators and issuing fines.<ref name="abc-melb-lockdown-protest-nov'20">{{cite news |title=Police arrest more than 400 demonstrators at Melbourne anti-lockdown protest |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-11-03/melbourne-anti-lockdown-protest-sees-over-400-protesters-arrest/12845120 |access-date=5 June 2021 |work=ABC News |publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation |date=3 November 2020 |archive-date=6 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210506082030/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-11-03/melbourne-anti-lockdown-protest-sees-over-400-protesters-arrest/12845120 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Australia: Scores arrested at anti-coronavirus lockdown protests |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/8/21/australia-scores-arrested-at-anti-coronavirus-lockdown-protests |access-date=22 August 2021 |work=[[Al Jazeera English|Al Jazeera]] |date=21 August 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210821171717/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/8/21/australia-scores-arrested-at-anti-coronavirus-lockdown-protests |archive-date=21 August 2021|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Anti-lockdown protesters clash with police in Australia |url=https://amp.rnz.co.nz/article/869c10d3-77f3-4f63-8d04-343e7cc5d109 |access-date=22 August 2021 |work=[[Radio New Zealand]] |date=21 August 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210821070733/https://amp.rnz.co.nz/article/869c10d3-77f3-4f63-8d04-343e7cc5d109 |archive-date=21 August 2021|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
In Melbourne, [[Victoria, Australia|Victoria]], from 20 to 24 September 2021, a series of protests occurred in the city's CBD. Protesters were predominantly tradesmen who were acting against lockdowns, the closure of the construction industry and [[vaccine mandate]]s. It is believed that several protesters were "fake tradies" who could be described as "professional protesters". Police responded with rubber bullets, batons and tear gas. Various media outlets were critical of the police's heavy-handed response to the protesters and bystander civilians.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Clench |first1=Sam |last2=Smith |first2=Rohan |title=Melbourne 'freedom' protest: Chaos erupts on CBD streets, West Gate Freeway over construction sector shutdown |url=https://www.news.com.au/national/melbourne-braces-for-more-chaos-as-workers-plan-another-freedom-rally/news-story/2b8d98e06b20dd42c51ef9960849f403 |access-date=21 September 2021 |work=News.com |publisher=Nationwide News Pty Ltd |date=20 September 2021 |language=en-AU |archive-date=21 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210921021456/https://www.news.com.au/national/melbourne-braces-for-more-chaos-as-workers-plan-another-freedom-rally/news-story/2b8d98e06b20dd42c51ef9960849f403 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Tuffiel |first1=Rhiannon |title=Tradie protest 'hijacked' by 'extreme organisations': CFMEU boss |url=https://www.news.com.au/national/victoria/politics/tradie-protest-hijacked-by-extreme-organisations-cfmeu-boss/news-story/11a24a98abf9f04ed67f5e50fced7c35 |access-date=21 September 2021 |work=News.com.au |agency=NCA NewsWire |publisher=Nationwide News Pty Ltd |date=20 September 2021 |language=en-AU |archive-date=20 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210920221215/https://www.news.com.au/national/victoria/politics/tradie-protest-hijacked-by-extreme-organisations-cfmeu-boss/news-story/11a24a98abf9f04ed67f5e50fced7c35 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Harley |first1=Kyle |title=More than 200 arrests made across Melbourne as police disperse anti-lockdown protesters |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-09-24/protests-condemned-rallies-enter-fifth-day/100488196 |access-date=24 September 2021 |work=ABC News |publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation |date=24 September 2021 |language=en-AU |archive-date=25 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210925012150/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-09-24/protests-condemned-rallies-enter-fifth-day/100488196 |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
The first major legal protest occurred in early 2022 in [[Canberra]], [[Australian Capital Territory]], which is also the most highly vaccinated jurisdiction in Australia. A "[[Convoy to Canberra]]", consisting of thousands of protesters in trailers, trucks, cars and campervans made their way in the national capital in January.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2022/02/03/canadas-freedom-convoy-is-inspiring-protests-in-other-countries.html| title=How Canada's 'Freedom Convoy' is inspiring protests in other countries| first1=Alex| last1=McKeen| first2=Lex| last2=Harvey| first3=Kieran| last3=Leavitt|date=February 3, 2022|work=[[Toronto Star]]}}</ref><ref name="The Guardian Occupy Canberra">{{cite news |last1=Butler |first1=Josh |title='Occupy Canberra': behind the anti-vaccine protests at Parliament House |url=https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/feb/04/occupy-canberra-behind-the-anti-vaccine-protests-at-parliament-house |access-date=7 February 2022 |work=[[The Guardian]] |date=4 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220206092405/https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/feb/04/occupy-canberra-behind-the-anti-vaccine-protests-at-parliament-house |archive-date=6 February 2022|url-status=live}}</ref> On 12 February, around 10,000 protesters converged on [[Parliament House, Canberra|Parliament House]] and [[Old Parliament House, Canberra|Old Parliament House]], and [[Lifeline (crisis support service)|Lifeline Canberra]] suspended its major fund-raising event due to safety concerns for customers.<ref name="News.com.au 13 Feb">{{cite news |last1=Consenza |first1=Emily |last2=Raphael |first2=Angie |title=Incredible scenes as anti-vaccine mandate protesters swarm Canberra streets |url=https://www.news.com.au/national/nsw-act/news/antivaccine-mandate-ralliers-potentially-target-vaccine-hub-hosting-childrens-event/news-story/9e98221eab0c5436f122209a38d56102 |access-date=13 February 2022 |work=[[News.com.au]] |publisher=[[News Corp Australia]] |date=12 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220212192032/https://www.news.com.au/national/nsw-act/news/antivaccine-mandate-ralliers-potentially-target-vaccine-hub-hosting-childrens-event/news-story/9e98221eab0c5436f122209a38d56102 |archive-date=12 February 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Federal government relaxes aged care COVID rule as protesters converge on Canberra |url=https://thenewdaily.com.au/news/coronavirus/2022/02/13/aged-care-covid-rule-canberra-protests/ |access-date=14 February 2022 |work=[[The New Daily]] |date=13 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220213120210/https://thenewdaily.com.au/news/coronavirus/2022/02/13/aged-care-covid-rule-canberra-protests/ |archive-date=13 February 2022|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Kelly |first1=Lidia |title=NZ, Australia vaccination mandates protests gain in number |url=https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/new-zealand-australia-vaccination-mandates-protests-gain-numbers-2022-02-12/ |access-date=14 February 2022 |work=[[Reuters]] |date=12 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220213163443/https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/new-zealand-australia-vaccination-mandates-protests-gain-numbers-2022-02-12/ |archive-date=13 February 2022|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Christmas Island ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 pandemic in Christmas Island}}<br />
Detainees at the [[Christmas Island Detention Centre]] rioted and set fire to buildings in a protest against the conditions of the detention centre.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/jan/06/christmas-island-detainees-riot-and-set-fire-to-buildings-in-protest-against-conditions | title=Christmas Island detainees riot and set fire to buildings in protest against conditions | website=[[TheGuardian.com]] | date=6 January 2021 }}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Fiji ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 pandemic in Fiji}}<br />
In June 2021, following lockdowns in Fiji, locals protested across the country for more government support.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-06-23/fiji-instability-covid-outbreak-unrest-restrictions-lockdown/100234180 | title='Frustration and anger are starting to build': Fears COVID outbreak leading to civil unrest in Fiji | newspaper=ABC News | date=22 June 2021 }}</ref><br />
<br />
=== French Polynesia ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 pandemic in French Polynesia#vaccination efforts}}<br />
In October 2021, several protests against a proposed law mandating COVID-19 vaccines were held throughout [[French Polynesia]] including [[Papeete]] in [[Tahiti]] and [[Hiva Oa]] in the [[Marquesas Islands]]. Notable groups and individuals involved included the "Don't Touch my Family" group, the pro-independence party [[Tavini Huiraatira]], and retired Dr. Jean-Paul Theron, who was locked in a dispute with health authorities over his methods of treating COVID-19 patients.<ref>{{cite news |title=Tahiti rally against vaccination regime |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/453364/tahiti-rally-against-vaccination-regime |access-date=6 November 2021 |work=[[Radio New Zealand]] |date=12 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211019053801/https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/453364/tahiti-rally-against-vaccination-regime |archive-date=19 October 2021|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Pro-independence party joins French Polynesia anti-vax march |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/454227/pro-independence-party-joins-french-polynesia-anti-vax-march |access-date=6 November 2021 |work=[[Radio New Zealand]] |date=25 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211027052722/https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/454227/pro-independence-party-joins-french-polynesia-anti-vax-march |archive-date=27 October 2021}}</ref> The proposed law requires anyone working in healthcare or with the public to get inoculated or be fined $US1,700.<ref>{{cite news |title=French Polynesian govt delays Covid-19 vaccination law |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/453809/french-polynesian-govt-delays-covid-19-vaccination-law |access-date=6 November 2021 |work=[[Radio New Zealand]] |date=19 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211019103922/https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/453809/french-polynesian-govt-delays-covid-19-vaccination-law |archive-date=19 October 2021|url-status=live}}</ref> In response to strong opposition from anti-vaccination protesters, unions, and employers, [[President of French Polynesia|President]] [[Édouard Fritch]] announced that the new law would be delayed until 23 December.<ref name="Vaccination law amended">{{cite news |title=French Polynesia vaccination law to be amended |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/453853/french-polynesia-vaccination-law-to-be-amended |access-date=6 November 2021 |work=[[Radio New Zealand]] |date=19 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211104115009/https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/453853/french-polynesia-vaccination-law-to-be-amended |archive-date=4 November 2021}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Guam ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 pandemic in Guam}}<br />
Members of the [[Guam Freedom Coalition]] protested vaccine mandates in [[Guam]] on 30 October 2021.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.guampdn.com/news/march-held-to-protest-vaccine-mandates/video_2f7ee160-28b4-5974-b83a-12485173f1a2.html | title=March held to protest vaccine mandates | date=30 October 2021 }}</ref><br />
<br />
=== New Caledonia ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 pandemic in New Caledonia}}<br />
An estimate of 1,000 people staged a protest in [[Nouméa]] against government policies regarding the pandemic, such as the introduction of health passes and vaccine mandates. The protest occurred a day after outdoor gatherings in [[New Caledonia]] were limited to 30 people, however police decided not to intervene due to the presence of children.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.cookislandsnews.com/regional/new-caledonia/protest-in-new-caledonia-against-govts-pandemic-policies/ | title=Protest in New Caledonia against govt's pandemic policies | date=10 January 2022 }}</ref><br />
<br />
=== New Zealand ===<br />
[[File:Convoy 2022 NZ (41).jpg|thumb|Protesters blocking a street at the Convoy 2022 NZ protest in Wellington]]<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 protests in New Zealand}}<br />
{{See also|2022 Wellington protests}}<br />
Between August and October 2021, several protests were held across New Zealand to protest official lockdown measures, vaccination, and spread disinformation about the COVID-19 pandemic. Key groups and individuals that were involved in these protests included FACTS NZ, Kotahitanga Movement Aotearoa, the NZ Liberty Movement and [[Jami-Lee Ross]] and [[Billy Te Kahika]]'s [[Advance New Zealand]] party.<ref>{{cite news|last=Pearse |first=Adam |work=[[The Northern Advocate]]|date=13 August 2020|title=Covid 19 coronavirus: Lockdown protest stops traffic in Whangārei|language=en-NZ| url= https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12356284|access-date=22 August 2020|issn=1170-0777|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200821030819/https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12356284|archive-date=21 August 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Anti-lockdown, vaccination and 1080 protesters take over Auckland's Aotea Square|language=en|work=[[Newshub]]|url= https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2020/08/anti-lockdown-vaccination-and-1080-protesters-take-over-auckland-s-aotea-square.html|access-date=22 August 2020|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200824232201/https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2020/08/anti-lockdown-vaccination-and-1080-protesters-take-over-auckland-s-aotea-square.html|archive-date=24 August 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Bayer |first1=Kurt |title=Covid 19 coronavirus: Hundreds turn out for anti-lockdown protests |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12362504 |access-date=5 September 2020 |work=[[The New Zealand Herald]] |date=5 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200905093331/https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12362504 |archive-date=5 September 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|date=2020-09-12|title=Advance Party and crowd rallies against Covid-19 restrictions and lockdowns|language=en-NZ|work=[[The New Zealand Herald]] |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12364413|access-date=2020-09-13|issn=1170-0777|archive-date=13 September 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200913195732/https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12364413|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
In January 2021, Te Kahika led a "freedom rally" outside the [[New Zealand Parliament]]; protestors opposed lockdown policies, while expressing support for US President [[Donald Trump]] and [[QAnon]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Walls |first1=Jason |title=Police keeping a close eye on controversial Billy TK 'freedom rally' outside Beehive |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/police-keeping-a-close-eye-on-controversial-billy-tk-freedom-rally-outside-beehive/4C2E3SYXDZPQZZA4CK2EC5T2MU/ |access-date=14 January 2021 |work=[[The New Zealand Herald]] |date=14 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210114104417/https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/police-keeping-a-close-eye-on-controversial-billy-tk-freedom-rally-outside-beehive/4C2E3SYXDZPQZZA4CK2EC5T2MU/ |archive-date=14 January 2021|url-status=live}}</ref> Following the reinstatement of lockdown restrictions in mid–August 2021 in response to a [[SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant|Delta variant]] community outbreak, anti-lockdown protests were staged in [[Auckland]], [[Tauranga]], [[Nelson, New Zealand|Nelson]], and [[Christchurch]]. Key participants included Te Kahika and far-right activist [[Kyle Chapman (New Zealand activist)|Kyle Champman]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Conspiracy theorist Billy TK arrested at anti-lockdown protest |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/449439/conspiracy-theorist-billy-tk-arrested-at-anti-lockdown-protest |access-date=18 August 2021 |work=[[Radio New Zealand]] |date=18 August 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210818053131/https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/449439/conspiracy-theorist-billy-tk-arrested-at-anti-lockdown-protest |archive-date=18 August 2021|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Lourens |first1=Marine |last2=Sherwood |first2=Sam |last3=McNeilly |first3=Hamish |title=Covid-19: Former far-Right leader to spend weekend behind bars after alleged lockdown breach |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/126131440/covid19-former-farright-leader-to-spend-weekend-behind-bars-after-alleged-lockdown-breach |access-date=20 August 2021 |work=[[Stuff (website)|Stuff]] |date=20 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210820040054/https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/126131440/covid19-former-farright-leader-to-spend-weekend-behind-bars-after-alleged-lockdown-breach|archive-date=20 August 2021|url-status=live}}</ref> In February 2022, [[Convoy 2022 New Zealand]] gathered outside parliament buildings and blocked streets in Wellington.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/461471/wellington-s-sky-stadium-offered-as-parking-to-free-up-parliament-streets-blocked-by-protesters |title=Wellington's Sky Stadium offered as parking to free up Parliament streets blocked by protesters |publisher=[[Radio New Zealand]] |date=14 February 2022 |accessdate=22 February 2022}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Papua New Guinea ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 pandemic in Papua New Guinea}}<br />
During the pandemic, attacks on health workers<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KbDVzLGCSGc | title=Violence against PNG health workers rises amid protests against COVID vaccinations &#124; ABC News | website=[[YouTube]] }}</ref> and vaccination teams<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/455215/mob-attacks-on-vaccination-teams-commonplace-in-png | title=Mob attacks on vaccination teams commonplace in PNG | website=[[Radio New Zealand]] | date=8 November 2021 }}</ref> in [[Papua New Guinea]] have occurred multiple times. Protests were banned nationwide due to the pandemic,<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.pngreport.com/covid-19/news/1420060/ban-on-png-protest-marches | title=Ban on PNG protest marches | date=22 October 2021 }}</ref> however they still occurred across the country, particularly in the capital, [[Port Moresby]],<ref>{{cite web | url=https://asiapacificreport.nz/2021/11/02/png-police-block-illegal-anti-vaxxer-rally-in-port-moresby-amid-fake-info/ | title=PNG police block illegal anti-vaxxer rally in Port Moresby amid fake info &#124; Asia Pacific Report | date=2 November 2021 }}</ref> as well as in [[Lae]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://crisis24.garda.com/alerts/2021/09/papua-new-guinea-additional-protests-possible-in-lae-through-at-least-mid-september-over-corporate-mandatory-vaccination-policies | title=Papua New Guinea: Additional protests possible in Lae through at least mid-September over corporate mandatory vaccination policies }}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Samoa ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 pandemic in Samoa}}<br />
On 8 May 2020, around 100 people protested new laws regarding COVID-19 in [[Samoa]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://monitor.civicus.org/updates/2020/05/21/protests-samoa-against-three-bills-could-undermine-judicial-independence-and-rule-law/ | title=Protests in Samoa against three bills that could undermine judicial independence and rule of law }}</ref> On 23 June 2022, more than 30 people protested vaccine mandates in Samoa.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.samoanews.com/protest-vaccine-mandate-demonstration | title=Protest the Vaccine Mandate" demonstration }}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Solomon Islands ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 pandemic in the Solomon Islands|2021 Solomon Islands unrest}}<br />
The [[2021 Solomon Islands unrest]] was partially caused by government mishandling of the pandemic.<br />
<br />
=== Vanuatu ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 pandemic in Vanuatu}}<br />
The [[Government of Vanuatu]] criticised a planned protest regarding COVID-19 involving church and youth groups. The protesters claimed that the [[Vanuatu Police Force|Police Commissioner]] had given them permission to protest, however the [[Deputy Prime Minister of Vanuatu|Deputy Prime Minister]] [[Ishmael Kalsakau]] said it could not go ahead as it was politically motivated. Protestors also claimed that at least two MPs (namely [[Andrew Napuat]] and [[John Salong]]) supported the protest.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/466907/vanuatu-govt-says-no-to-vaccine-protest-march | title=Vanuatu Govt says no to vaccine protest march | website=[[Radio New Zealand]] | date=11 May 2022 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://islandsbusiness.com/news-break/vanuatu-govt-halts-vaccine-protest-march/ | title=Vanuatu Govt halts vaccine protest march | date=12 May 2022 }}</ref><br />
<br />
== South America ==<br />
<br />
=== Argentina ===<br />
{{Main|2020–2021 Argentinian protests}}<br />
[[File:En busca de la libertad 01.jpg|thumb|180px|The [[17A]] protests on 17 August 2020]]<br />
On 25 May, during the [[First National Government|Anniversary of the First National Government]], protests erupted all over the country,<ref>{{Cite web|date=25 May 2020|title=Un reducido grupo de manifestantes protestó contra la cuarentena en la Plaza de Mayo|url=https://www.infobae.com/sociedad/2020/05/25/manifestantes-protestan-contra-la-cuarentena-en-la-plaza-de-mayo/|access-date=10 July 2020|website=infobae|language=es-ES|archive-date=4 June 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200604063409/https://www.infobae.com/sociedad/2020/05/25/manifestantes-protestan-contra-la-cuarentena-en-la-plaza-de-mayo/|url-status=live}}</ref> but predominantly in [[Buenos Aires]] and [[Córdoba, Argentina|Cordoba]]. The protest consisted mostly of small business owners demanding the local and national governments to be allowed to work, under a sanitary protocol. At this point, the stay-at-home order had been in place nationwide for 65 days.<br />
<br />
On 20 June, which is the country's [[Flag Day (Argentina)|National Flag Day]], the size of the protests had grown immensely compared to the previous ones held in late May.<ref>{{cite news|date=20 June 2020|title=En Twitter: cómo es el banderazo nacional contra la expropiación de Vicentin|url=https://www.lanacion.com.ar/politica/convocan-banderazo-nacional-republica-sabado-20-junio-nid2381945|access-date=10 July 2020|newspaper=La Nación|language=es|archive-date=6 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200706082841/https://www.lanacion.com.ar/politica/convocan-banderazo-nacional-republica-sabado-20-junio-nid2381945|url-status=live}}</ref> While business owners and workers were still calling for more workplaces to be allowed to operate, the government's attempt to expropriate Vicentín, a soy and wheat manufacturer and one of the largest exporting firms in the country, also sparked outrage and motivated protests in many provinces where agriculture plays a big role in their local economy, particularly in the [[Santa Fe Province]], where this business is located. Due to the huge backlash, president [[Alberto Fernández|Alberto Fernandez]] has decided to step down and not take over the company. Protests also took place in the city centre of most cities and at the gates of the [[Quinta de Olivos|presidential residence]]. While the lockdown had been lifted in most provinces and municipalities, it was still enforced in [[Greater Buenos Aires]], which represents around 60% of the Argentine economy. On this day, the stay-at-home order had been in place for 90 days, making it the longest mandatory quarantine in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.<ref>{{cite news|last=Goñi|first=Uki|date=17 June 2020|title=Argentina's president enters voluntary isolation amid coronavirus surge|language=en-GB|work=The Guardian|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jun/17/argentina-president-enters-voluntary-isolation-amid-coronavirus-surge|access-date=10 July 2020|issn=0261-3077|archive-date=10 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200710091442/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jun/17/argentina-president-enters-voluntary-isolation-amid-coronavirus-surge|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
On 9 July, the country's [[Argentine Declaration of Independence|Independence Day]], protests flared up once again.<ref>{{cite news|date=10 July 2020|title=Multitudinario banderazo contra el Gobierno en diferentes puntos del país|url=https://www.lanacion.com.ar/politica/comenzo-banderazo-federal-del-9-julio-nid2394297|access-date=10 July 2020|newspaper=La Nación|language=es|archive-date=9 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200709224416/https://www.lanacion.com.ar/politica/comenzo-banderazo-federal-del-9-julio-nid2394297|url-status=live}}</ref> In addition to workers and entrepreneurs asking to be allowed to work, many were angered by the fact that [[Lázaro Báez|Lazaro Baez]], who is serving jail time for money laundering and stealing from taxpayers' money and is associated with much of the government staff, could be eligible for parole. This incident, and the murder of Fabián Gutiérrez, who was ex-president [[Cristina Fernández de Kirchner|Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner]]'s secretary while she was in office, which many opposition affiliates believe was orchestrated by the administration and covered up as a "crime of passion" by two unknown men, also caused large outrage in some sectors of the population. This day marked 109 days since the lockdown was put in place in the Greater Buenos Aires area.{{citation needed|date=August 2021}}<br />
<br />
On 1 August, many opponents of Alberto Fernandez's government, and of [[Kirchnerism]] in general, took to the streets to rally against the judicial reform<br />
proposed by the administration. Many believe this is a way to absolve vice president Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner from her ongoing trials, and also a way to give [[Frente de Todos (2019 coalition)|the governing political party]] control over the [[Supreme Court of Argentina|judicial branch of government]], all disguised under the promise that this reform will make judges and trials fairer and less biased to certain ideologies or political parties. While the lockdown has not been completely lifted in Buenos Aires, many activities and businesses are now allowed to take place again since mid-July, and a re-opening scheme with various stages has been designed and put in place, although with no strict dates. However, many companies, such as restaurants or bars for instance, still cannot open and many business owners are uncertain of how much more they can endure with their doors closed.<br />
<br />
On 17 August, the General José de San Martín Memorial Day, a public holiday which commemorates Argentine liberator and army general [[José de San Martín]], protesters gathered once again on the city centres of the main Argentine cities for the same reasons as the previous one, 16 days prior. This manifestation was backed by many political figures from the [[Juntos por el Cambio]], [[Frente Despertar]], [[Fuerza Unidaria Argentina]], opposition forces, near liberal, libertarian and survivalist groups. Some, however, have decided to not publicly support the protests, most notably [[Horacio Rodríguez Larreta]], mayor of Buenos Aires.<br />
<br />
=== Brazil ===<br />
====2020====<br />
{{Main|2020 Brazilian protests}}<br />
On 18 March, Brazilians in [[São Paulo]] and [[Rio de Janeiro]] protested [[Jair Bolsonaro]]'s handling of the pandemic by [[banging pots and pans]] on their balconies and shouting "Bolsonaro out!"<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-51955679 |title=Coronavirus protest in Brazil sees millions bang pots from balconies |date=19 March 2020 |work=BBC |access-date=13 May 2020 |archive-date=22 March 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200322135850/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-51955679 |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
On 19 April, Brazil's [[Armed Forces Day]], Bolsonaro gathered with about 600 protesters in front of the Army's headquarters in [[Brasília|Brasilia]] to demand a "military intervention" into the handling of the coronavirus situation. Smaller protests calling for governors to resign occurred the previous day in [[Rio de Janeiro]], [[São Paulo]] and Brasilia.<ref>{{cite web|title=Brazil's Bolsonaro joins protest against coronavirus restrictions &#124; Coronavirus pandemic News|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/04/brazil-bolsonaro-joins-protest-coronavirus-curbs-200420042616860.html|date=20 April 2020|publisher=Al Jazeera|access-date=27 April 2020|archive-date=19 September 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200919230255/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/04/brazil-bolsonaro-joins-protest-coronavirus-curbs-200420042616860.html|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
====2021====<br />
{{Main|2021 Brazilian protests}}<br />
[[File:Fora Bolsonaro em Campinas 29.05.2021 01.jpg|thumb|Protest against the government of President Bolsonaro in [[Campinas]] on 29 May 2021]]<br />
[[File:Ato do Movimento Brasil Verde e Amarelo - 51181481168.jpg|thumb|Pro-government protest in [[Brasília]] on 15 May 2021]]<br />
[[File:Ato do Movimento Brasil Verde e Amarelo - 51180579797.jpg|thumb|Bolsonaro flies over protests in [[Brasília]] on 15 May 2021]]<br />
<br />
On 1 May, protest in favor of [[Jair Bolsonaro]] happened around the country. The protesters demanded the end of lockdowns, as well as a military intervention on the judicial and legislative branches of power. The protests happened in many Brazilian cities, occupying avenues such as [[Paulista Avenue|Avenida Paulista]]. Bolsonaro flew by helicopter over the protests in Brasilia, where there were also protests against his government.<ref>{{cite web|title=Fortaleza tem manifestação a favor de Bolsonaro neste 1º de maio; 17 são detidos|url=https://g1.globo.com/ce/ceara/noticia/2021/05/01/fortaleza-registra-manifestacao-a-favor-de-bolsonaro-neste-1ode-maio.ghtml#|date=1 May 2021|publisher=G1|access-date=3 May 2021|archive-date=3 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210503180447/https://g1.globo.com/ce/ceara/noticia/2021/05/01/fortaleza-registra-manifestacao-a-favor-de-bolsonaro-neste-1ode-maio.ghtml|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Bolsonaro sobrevoa de helicóptero manifestação a seu favor no DF|url=https://noticias.r7.com/distrito-federal/bolsonaro-sobrevoa-de-helicoptero-manifestacao-a-seu-favor-no-df-01052021#/foto/1|date=1 May 2021|publisher=R7|access-date=3 May 2021|archive-date=2 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210502160600/https://noticias.r7.com/distrito-federal/bolsonaro-sobrevoa-de-helicoptero-manifestacao-a-seu-favor-no-df-01052021#/foto/1|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Manifestações pró e contra Bolsonaro tomam conta da Esplanada|url=https://www.metropoles.com/brasil/manifestacoes-pro-e-contra-bolsonaro-tomam-conta-da-esplanada|date=1 May 2021|publisher=Metrópoles|access-date=3 May 2021|archive-date=3 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210503180449/https://www.metropoles.com/brasil/manifestacoes-pro-e-contra-bolsonaro-tomam-conta-da-esplanada|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Feriado do Dia do Trabalho tem manifestações em cidades do RS|url=https://g1.globo.com/rs/rio-grande-do-sul/noticia/2021/05/01/feriado-do-dia-do-trabalho-tem-manifestacoes-em-cidades-do-rs.ghtml|date=1 May 2021|publisher=G1|access-date=3 May 2021|archive-date=1 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210501233653/https://g1.globo.com/rs/rio-grande-do-sul/noticia/2021/05/01/feriado-do-dia-do-trabalho-tem-manifestacoes-em-cidades-do-rs.ghtml|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Cidades no Sul de MG registram manifestações a favor do governo Bolsonaro neste 1º de maio|url=https://g1.globo.com/mg/sul-de-minas/noticia/2021/05/01/cidades-registram-manifestacoes-a-favor-do-governo-bolsonaro-neste-1o-de-maio-no-sul-de-mg.ghtml|date=1 May 2021|publisher=G1|access-date=3 May 2021|archive-date=1 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210501161952/https://g1.globo.com/mg/sul-de-minas/noticia/2021/05/01/cidades-registram-manifestacoes-a-favor-do-governo-bolsonaro-neste-1o-de-maio-no-sul-de-mg.ghtml|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Brasil. Milhares de pessoas nas ruas para apoiar Bolsonaro no Dia do Trabalhador|url=https://www.rtp.pt/noticias/mundo/brasil-milhares-de-pessoas-nas-ruas-para-apoiar-bolsonaro-no-dia-do-trabalhador_v1316831|date=2 May 2021|publisher=RTP Notícias|access-date=4 May 2021|archive-date=3 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210503190106/https://www.rtp.pt/noticias/mundo/brasil-milhares-de-pessoas-nas-ruas-para-apoiar-bolsonaro-no-dia-do-trabalhador_v1316831|url-status=live}}</ref>{{citation needed|date=August 2021}}<br />
<br />
===Chile===<br />
{{Main|2019–2020 Chilean protests#2020 protests}}<br />
<br />
On 18 March, riots took place at the communes of [[El Bosque, Chile|El Bosque]], [[La Pintana]], and other communes in the [[Santiago Metropolitan Region]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.emol.com/noticias/Nacional/2020/05/18/986529/Protestas-incidentes-comuna-El-Bosque.html|title=Protestas en la comuna de El Bosque: Vecinos denuncian falta de alimentos en medio de cuarentena &#124; Emol.com|date=18 May 2020|website=Emol|access-date=24 May 2020|archive-date=25 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200525033923/https://www.emol.com/noticias/Nacional/2020/05/18/986529/Protestas-incidentes-comuna-El-Bosque.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Rioters are denouncing the [[hunger]] resulting from the partial and total lockdowns in the region. They claim that the lockdowns have left them without work and means of sustenance.<br />
<br />
=== Colombia ===<br />
{{Main|2021 Colombian protests}}<br />
[[File:Paro Nacional Colombia (51185625987).jpg|thumb|Protesters in [[Medellín]], Colombia on 1 May 2021]]<br />
In April 2021, President [[Iván Duque Márquez|Iván Duque]] proposed increased taxes at a time when the [[COVID-19 pandemic in Colombia]] was beginning to worsen as various healthcare systems were failing throughout the country. A series of protests began in [[Colombia]] on 28 April 2021 against increased taxes, corruption, and health care reform.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/more-subdued-second-day-colombia-tax-reform-protests-2021-04-29/ |title=More subdued second day of Colombia tax reform protests |last=Acosta |first=Luis |date=29 April 2021 |website=[[Reuters]] |url-status=live |archive-date=1 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210501195325/https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/more-subdued-second-day-colombia-tax-reform-protests-2021-04-29/ }}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Ecuador ===<br />
{{main|2020 Ecuadorian protests}}<br />
The 2020 demonstrations in Ecuador were a series of national mobilizations carried out in May 2020, after the announcement of economic measures by the government of [[Lenín Moreno]] adopted due to the serious health and economic crisis generated by the [[COVID-19 pandemic in Ecuador]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Coronavirus: Ecuador protests against cuts amid pandemic |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-52803400 |publisher=BBC News |date=26 May 2020 |access-date=16 July 2021 |archive-date=16 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210716083730/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-52803400 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Police Beat and Injure Ecuador's Covid-19 Protesters |url=https://www.hrw.org/news/2020/05/25/police-beat-and-injure-ecuadors-covid-19-protesters |work=Human Rights Watch |date=25 May 2020 |access-date=16 July 2021 |archive-date=16 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210716083730/https://www.hrw.org/news/2020/05/25/police-beat-and-injure-ecuadors-covid-19-protesters |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
===Paraguay===<br />
{{main|2021 Paraguayan protests}}<br />
<br />
On 5 March, protests broke out across Paraguay due to the lack of efficient government response against the [[COVID-19 pandemic in Paraguay|pandemic in the country]]. The protests gathered thousands of people, and left hundreds of injured. It culminated in the resignation of the then health minister [[Julio Mazzoleni]].<br />
<br />
== See also ==<br />
{{Commons category|Protests related to the COVID-19 pandemic}}<br />
* [[Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on politics]]<br />
* [[National responses to the COVID-19 pandemic]]<br />
* [[Strikes during the COVID-19 pandemic]]<br />
* [[Face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic]]<br />
** [[Face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States]]<br />
* [[Cholera Riots|Cholera riots]]<br />
{{clear}}<br />
<br />
== References ==<br />
{{reflist}}<br />
<br />
{{COVID-19 pandemic}}<br />
{{COVID-19 pandemic in the United States}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:2020 protests]]<br />
[[Category:2021 protests]]<br />
[[Category:2022 protests]]<br />
[[Category:Protests over responses to the COVID-19 pandemic| ]]<br />
[[Category:Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on politics]]</div>Boackandwhitehttps://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Protests_against_responses_to_the_COVID-19_pandemic&diff=1261684388Protests against responses to the COVID-19 pandemic2024-12-07T11:49:42Z<p>Boackandwhite: </p>
<hr />
<div>{{Short description|Protests against restrictions introduced in response to the COVID-19 pandemic}}<br />
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2021}}<br />
<br />
{{EngvarB|date=April 2021}}<br />
{{Infobox civil conflict<br />
| title = Protests against responses to the COVID-19 pandemic<br />
| side1 = [[WHO]]<br />
[[police]]<br />
| side2 = [[far right]]<br />
COVID-19 conspiracy theorists<br />
| leadfigures1 = [[Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus]]<br />
[[Zhang Jixian]] <br />
[[Li Wenliang]]<br />
| leadfigures2 = [[Category:COVID-19 misinformation{{!}}conspiracy theorists]]<br />
| partof = the [[COVID-19 pandemic]] and <br />
[[COVID-19 misinformation]]<br />
| image = Canadian COVID-19 protesters (cropped).jpg<br />
| caption = An anti-[[COVID-19 lockdowns|lockdown]] protest at [[Queen's Park (Toronto)|Queen's Park]] in [[Toronto]], Canada, on 25 April 2020<br />
| date = 15 March 2020<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.poder360.com.br/governo/bolsonaro-compartilha-video-de-manifestacoes-veja-fotos-de-militantes/|title=Bolsonaro compartilha vídeo de manifestações; veja fotos de militantes|date=15 March 2020|website=Poder360|access-date=27 November 2020|archive-date=4 December 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201204175449/https://www.poder360.com.br/governo/bolsonaro-compartilha-video-de-manifestacoes-veja-fotos-de-militantes/|url-status=live}}</ref> – 5 December 2022<ref>{{cite news |last1=Yu |first1=Verna |title=Chinese students protest as university locks down over one Covid case |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/dec/06/beijing-drops-some-covid-tests-as-capital-readies-itself-for-life-again |access-date=7 December 2022 |work=The Guardian |date=6 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221206141914/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/dec/06/beijing-drops-some-covid-tests-as-capital-readies-itself-for-life-again |archive-date=6 December 2022}}</ref><br />({{age in years, months, weeks and days|month1=3|day1=15|year1=2020|month2=12|day2=5|year2=2022}})<br />
| place = Worldwide<br />
| coordinates = <br />
| causes = Local struggles or opposition to government responses to the COVID-19 pandemic<br />
| goals = * Revocation of [[COVID-19 lockdowns]], [[mask mandate]]s, or [[vaccine mandates]]<br />
| methods = {{plainlist|<br />
* [[Mass protest]]s<br />
* [[Civil unrest]]<br />
* [[Riot]]s<br />
* [[Vandalism]]<br />
* [[Occupation (protest)|Occupations]]}}<br />
}}<br />
{{COVID-19 pandemic sidebar}}<br />
<br />
Protests, demonstrations and strikes occurred around the world against [[National responses to the COVID-19 pandemic|national responses]] to the [[COVID-19 pandemic]] by governmental bodies. Some were driven by the financial hardship resulting from government measures to contain the virus, including restrictions on travel and entertainment, hitting related industries and workers hard. Protests also occurred in opposition to restrictions on people's movements, compulsory wearing of [[Face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic|face masks]], [[COVID-19 lockdowns|lockdowns]], [[COVID-19 vaccination|vaccinations]] and other measures. Some protests were driven by [[COVID-19 misinformation]], [[conspiracy theories]], [[Far-right politics|far-right]] and other extremist groups and individuals.<br />
<br />
This article lists and summarizes such activities in various countries around the world.<br />
<br />
==Background==<br />
{{Globalize|section|US|Australia|Europe|date=September 2021}}<br />
<br />
===Reasons===<br />
{{see also|COVID-19 lockdowns|Social distancing measures related to the COVID-19 pandemic|Face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic|Mask refusal|COVID-19 misinformation|COVID-19 vaccine misinformation and hesitancy}}<br />
[[File:Antivax protest in Dublin 1.jpg|thumb|Protest against the [[COVID-19 vaccine]] in [[Dublin]], [[Republic of Ireland|Ireland]].]]<br />
In order to prevent the spread of the [[SARS-CoV2]] virus which gave rise to the COVID-19 pandemic from 2019, governments brought in health measures at varying levels of strictness to restrict the movement of people and transmission of the virus. In response to these restrictions, protests have been organised at a number of locations around the world,<ref>{{Cite web|last=Haddad|first=Mohammed|title=Mapping coronavirus anti-lockdown protests around the world|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/2/2/mapping-coronavirus-anti-lockdown-protests-around-the-world|access-date=2021-08-03|website=[[Al Jazeera English|Al Jazeera]]|language=en|archive-date=6 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210806180523/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/2/2/mapping-coronavirus-anti-lockdown-protests-around-the-world/|url-status=live}}</ref> and [[Strikes during the COVID-19 pandemic|strikes have also occurred]]. Some of the protests have criticised governments for not acting effectively enough in their responses to the pandemic, while others have been opposed to [[COVID-19#Prevention|preventative measures]] and called for their revocation. According to analysis as part of the [[Global Peace Index]], {{as of|lc=yes| July 2021}}, there had been around 50,000 protests linked to the pandemic worldwide, 5,000 of which were violent.<ref>{{cite news| last1=Newey| first1=Sarah| last2=Gulland| first2=Anne| last3=Smith| first3=Nicola| date=2021-07-25| title=Plague and protests: how Covid has sparked a wave of unrest around the world| language=en-GB| work=[[The Daily Telegraph|The Telegraph]]| url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/global-health/terror-and-security/plague-protests-pandemic-has-sparked-wave-unrest-around-world/| access-date=2021-08-03| issn=0307-1235| archive-date=3 August 2021| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210803151200/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/global-health/terror-and-security/plague-protests-pandemic-has-sparked-wave-unrest-around-world/| url-status=live}}</ref> [[COVID-19 lockdowns]] have inspired protests in many territories, and from late 2020 [[deployment of COVID-19 vaccines]] also inspired protests.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Thousands Around Globe Protest COVID-19 Shots, Lockdowns {{!}} Voice of America - English|url=https://www.voanews.com/covid-19-pandemic/thousands-around-globe-protest-covid-19-shots-lockdowns|access-date=2021-08-03|website=www.voanews.com|date=24 July 2021 |language=en|archive-date=3 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210803151201/https://www.voanews.com/covid-19-pandemic/thousands-around-globe-protest-covid-19-shots-lockdowns|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Analysis {{!}} The pandemic leads to another summer of anger|language=en-US|newspaper=[[Washington Post]]|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2021/07/30/pandemic-leads-another-summer-anger/|access-date=2021-08-03|issn=0190-8286|archive-date=30 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210730070551/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2021/07/30/pandemic-leads-another-summer-anger/|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
The protests have varied in scale, motivations and type, with protesters drawn from a fairly wide range of backgrounds and inspired by a range of reasons. One of the main drivers has been the economic distress brought about by businesses having to close for long periods, leading to widespread unemployment, especially of casual workers in the hospitality industry. Uncertainty about the future and the feeling of lack of control has led to a predilection for believing in [[conspiracy theories]] (such as that COVID-19 is a hoax and that governments have deliberately created the crisis), [[anti-vaxxer]] beliefs, including that [[COVID-19 vaccination]]s and restriction of citizens' movements are part of a government plot to control people, [[Bill Gates]] is behind implanting [[microchip]]s into people via vaccinations.<ref name=ajfeb2021>{{cite web | last=Melimopoulos | first=Elizabeth | title=What's driving the COVID lockdown protests? | website=[[Al Jazeera English|Al Jazeera]] | date=7 February 2021 | url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/2/7/protests-over-new-covid-19-measures-whats-behind-them | access-date=28 August 2021 | archive-date=28 August 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210828004101/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/2/7/protests-over-new-covid-19-measures-whats-behind-them | url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | last=Dearden | first=Lizzie | title=Inside the UK's biggest anti-lockdown protest | website=The Independent | date=16 May 2020 | url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/coronavirus-lockdown-protests-uk-london-hyde-park-5g-conspiracy-theories-a9518506.html | access-date=28 August 2021 | archive-date=23 August 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210823110551/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/coronavirus-lockdown-protests-uk-london-hyde-park-5g-conspiracy-theories-a9518506.html | url-status=live }}</ref> The spread of [[COVID-19 misinformation]] has been a driving factor in some country's protest movements, with some organisers making money out of the protests.<ref>{{Cite web|title=How COVID-conspiracists and anti-vaxxers are getting organised and making money|url=https://news.sky.com/story/how-covid-conspiracists-and-anti-vaxxers-are-getting-organised-and-making-money-12206707|access-date=2021-08-03|website=[[Sky News]]|language=en|archive-date=27 February 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210227193203/https://news.sky.com/story/how-covid-conspiracists-and-anti-vaxxers-are-getting-organised-and-making-money-12206707|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
===Players===<br />
In the US, [[Donald Trump]] spread some potentially misleading information,<ref name=ajfeb2021/> and the [[Proud Boys]], American [[religious fundamentalist]]s and [[American militia movement#Active militia groups|various militia groups]] as well as [[Black Lives Matter of Greater New York]], have been active in protests;<ref>{{cite web | last=Wilson | first=Jason | title=The rightwing groups behind wave of protests against Covid-19 restrictions | website=[[The Guardian]] | date=17 April 2020 | url=http://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/17/far-right-coronavirus-protests-restrictions | access-date=28 August 2021 | archive-date=19 August 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210819134948/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/17/far-right-coronavirus-protests-restrictions | url-status=live }}</ref> across Europe, the extreme right has been active;<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.orfonline.org/expert-speak/fringe-mainstream-extreme-rightwing-europe-68848/| title=From fringe to mainstream: The extreme rightwing in Europe| first1=Kyler| last1=Ong| first2=Raffaello| last2=Pantucci| newspaper=Orf| access-date=28 August 2021| archive-date=28 August 2021| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210828012516/https://www.orfonline.org/expert-speak/fringe-mainstream-extreme-rightwing-europe-68848/| url-status=live}}</ref> in the UK, far-right [[hate group]]s have been involved in spreading misinformation, [[scapegoat]]ing minority groups and trying to organise lockdowns,<ref>{{cite report| title=COVID-19: How hateful extremists are exploiting the pandemic| url=https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/906724/CCE_Briefing_Note_001.pdf| author=[[Commission for Encountering Extremism]]| date=July 2020| publisher=UK Government| access-date=28 August 2021| archive-date=16 March 2021| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210316081503/https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/906724/CCE_Briefing_Note_001.pdf| url-status=live}}</ref> while former politicians such as [[Martin Daubney]] and journalists such as [[Julia Hartley-Brewer]] have either supported or joined protests;<ref>{{cite web | last=Loucaides | first=Darren | title=Inside the U.K.'s anti-lockdown media machine | website=Coda Story | date=9 August 2021 | url=https://www.codastory.com/disinformation/uk-anti-lockdown-media/ | access-date=28 August 2021 | archive-date=14 August 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210814221957/https://www.codastory.com/disinformation/uk-anti-lockdown-media/ | url-status=live }}</ref> in Australia, the Proud Boys,<ref>{{cite web | last=McGowan | first=Michael | title=Where 'freedom' meets the far right: the hate messages infiltrating Australian anti-lockdown protests | website=[[The Guardian]] | date=25 March 2021 | url=http://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/mar/26/where-freedom-meets-the-far-right-the-hate-messages-infiltrating-australian-anti-lockdown-protests | access-date=28 August 2021 | archive-date=24 August 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210824060353/https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/mar/26/where-freedom-meets-the-far-right-the-hate-messages-infiltrating-australian-anti-lockdown-protests | url-status=live }}</ref> the neo-Nazi [[National Socialist Network]]<ref name=ndaug2021>{{cite web | title=How neo-Nazis use anti-lockdown protests to recruit new members | first=Cait | last=Kelly | website=[[The New Daily]] | date=25 August 2021 | url=https://thenewdaily.com.au/news/national/2021/08/26/neo-nazi-anti-lockdown-recruit/ | access-date=28 August 2021 | archive-date=26 August 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210826175828/https://thenewdaily.com.au/news/national/2021/08/26/neo-nazi-anti-lockdown-recruit/ | url-status=live }}</ref> and a few politicians have become involved in spreading misinformation and stirring discontent.<ref>{{cite web | last=Bongiorno | author-link=Frank Bongiorno | first=Frank | title=Right out there: how the pandemic has given rise to extreme views and fractured conservative politics | website=[[The Conversation (website)|The Conversation]] | date=15 August 2021 | url=http://theconversation.com/right-out-there-how-the-pandemic-has-given-rise-to-extreme-views-and-fractured-conservative-politics-165448 | access-date=28 August 2021 | archive-date=27 August 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210827112241/https://theconversation.com/right-out-there-how-the-pandemic-has-given-rise-to-extreme-views-and-fractured-conservative-politics-165448 | url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
===Organisers and methods===<br />
<br />
The [[Telegram (software)|Telegram]] and [[Instagram]] apps are popular means for spreading messages about planned protests,<ref name=knaus2021/> and some events are also posted on [[Facebook]].<ref name=fbrally>{{cite web | title=World Wide Rally for Freedom, Peace & Human Rights III | website=Facebook | date=23 July 2021 | url=https://m.facebook.com/events/791497214885030 | access-date=31 August 2021 | archive-date=22 December 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211222175659/https://m.facebook.com/login.php?next=https%3A%2F%2Fm.facebook.com%2Fevents%2F791497214885030&refsrc=deprecated&_rdr | url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
{{anchor|wwrf}}<!---Worldwide Rally for Freedom, Free Citizens of Kassel, etc. target this anchor.---><br />
A German group called Worldwide Demonstration, operated out of the city of [[Kassel]] by individuals self-described as "Freie Bürger Kassel" (Free Citizens of Kassel),<ref name=knaus2021>{{cite web | last=Knaus | first=Christopher | title=Who's behind Australia's anti-lockdown protests? The German conspiracy group driving marches | website=the Guardian | date=27 July 2021 | url=http://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/jul/27/who-behind-australia-anti-covid-lockdown-protest-march-rallies-sydney-melbourne-far-right-and-german-conspiracy-groups-driving-protests | access-date=30 August 2021 | archive-date=30 August 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210830032414/https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/jul/27/who-behind-australia-anti-covid-lockdown-protest-march-rallies-sydney-melbourne-far-right-and-german-conspiracy-groups-driving-protests | url-status=live }}</ref> coordinated a series of 129 events around the world in March 2021, each one dubbed "World Wide Rally for Freedom", using the [[hashtag]] "#WewillALLbethere". Misinformation, [[QAnon]] beliefs, [[antisemitism]] and COVID-19 denial were prevalent in the groups' chats.<ref name=logically>{{cite web | last1=Backovic | first1=Nick | last2=Wildon | first2=Jordan | last3=Ondrak | first3=Joe | title=Exclusive: Worldwide Anti-Lockdown Protests Organized by German Cell | website=[[Logically (company)|Logically]] | date=14 May 2021 | url=https://www.logically.ai/articles/anti-lockdown-protests-organized-by-german-cell | access-date=30 August 2021 | archive-date=30 August 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210830032414/https://www.logically.ai/articles/anti-lockdown-protests-organized-by-german-cell | url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
== Africa ==<br />
=== Ivory Coast ===<br />
Protesters destroyed a coronavirus testing centre that was being built in [[Abidjan]], which they said was in a crowded residential area too close to their homes.<ref>{{cite news|date=6 April 2020|title=Coronavirus: Ivory Coast protesters target testing centre|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-52189144|access-date=3 May 2020|archive-date=1 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200501142544/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-52189144|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Kenya ===<br />
The Kenyan government has been accused of extreme measures, with protesters accusing the [[Kenya Police|Kenyan Police]] of killing at least six people within the first 10 days of the lockdown. Others protested against the forced quarantine of individuals failing to comply with regulations or returning home from abroad, claiming that they had been quarantined for longer than 14 days and made to pay the government for their care.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Kenyans held for weeks in quarantine were then told to pay to get out|url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/coronavirus/ct-nw-nyt-kenya-quarantine-centers-20200508-sguy6zocxvbnvpbrccilweiu6m-story.html|last=Dahir|first=Abdi Latif|date=8 May 2020|website=baltimoresun.com|access-date=9 May 2020|archive-date=13 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200513222022/https://www.baltimoresun.com/coronavirus/ct-nw-nyt-kenya-quarantine-centers-20200508-sguy6zocxvbnvpbrccilweiu6m-story.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Hundreds protested on 8 May 2020 when the government destroyed 7,000 homes and a market in [[Kariobangi]] in an effort to control the virus.<ref>{{cite web |title=Kenyans protest house demolitions amid virus restrictions |url=https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/kenyans-protest-house-demolitions-amid-virus-restrictions-70575939 |website=ABC News |access-date=9 May 2020 |language=en |archive-date=9 May 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200509001511/https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/kenyans-protest-house-demolitions-amid-virus-restrictions-70575939 |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Malawi ===<br />
A [[Malawi]] high court temporarily barred the government from implementing a 21-day lockdown after it was challenged by the Human Rights Defenders Coalition, after it was argued that more consultation was needed to prevent harm to the poorest and most vulnerable. Small protests had been staged prior to the ruling, in at least three major cities with some protesters stating it was better to contract the virus than die of hunger due to lack of work.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Malawi high court blocks coronavirus lockdown|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/04/malawi-high-court-blocks-coronavirus-lockdown-200417184430403.html|date=17 April 2020|website=www.aljazeera.com|access-date=9 May 2020|archive-date=8 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200508151024/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/04/malawi-high-court-blocks-coronavirus-lockdown-200417184430403.html|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Nigeria ===<br />
A group of at least twenty coronavirus patients forced their way out of an isolation facility to protest against alleged improper care and the government's actions which they believed to worsen their conditions.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Nigeria: COVID-19 patients protest over 'ill treatment'|url=https://www.aa.com.tr/en/africa/nigeria-covid-19-patients-protest-over-ill-treatment/1830966|date=6 May 2020|website=www.aa.com.tr|access-date=9 May 2020|archive-date=10 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200510190944/https://www.aa.com.tr/en/africa/nigeria-covid-19-patients-protest-over-ill-treatment/1830966|url-status=live}}</ref> Workers at a construction site rioted against lockdown measures that limited their ability to work on constructing an [[oil refinery]] for billionaire [[Aliko Dangote]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Nigerian workers riot over Covid-19 lockdown {{!}} New Straits Times|url=https://www.nst.com.my/world/world/2020/04/588042/nigerian-workers-riot-over-covid-19-lockdown|date=27 April 2020|website=NST Online|language=en|access-date=9 May 2020|archive-date=8 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200508213859/https://www.nst.com.my/world/world/2020/04/588042/nigerian-workers-riot-over-covid-19-lockdown|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Rwanda ===<br />
Refugees that had been relocated to the country from an overcrowded refugee camp in [[Libya]], protested against the lockdown from the refugee camp in the capital [[Kigali]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Refugees Protest Under Coronavirus Lockdown in Rwanda {{!}} Voice of America - English|url=https://www.voanews.com/covid-19-pandemic/refugees-protest-under-coronavirus-lockdown-rwanda|date=17 April 2020|website=www.voanews.com|language=en|access-date=9 May 2020|archive-date=3 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200503130323/https://www.voanews.com/covid-19-pandemic/refugees-protest-under-coronavirus-lockdown-rwanda|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== South Africa ===<br />
Many residents protested against the policy that food parcel aid would only be going to households that earn below R3600, and demanded action from the South African Social Security Agency.<ref>{{Cite web|title="We are still waiting" – protesting under lockdown in South Africa|url=https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/beyond-trafficking-and-slavery/we-are-still-waiting-protesting-under-lockdown-in-south-africa/|last=Anciano|first=Fiona|date=24 April 2020|website=openDemocracy|language=en|access-date=9 May 2020|archive-date=9 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200509221138/https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/beyond-trafficking-and-slavery/we-are-still-waiting-protesting-under-lockdown-in-south-africa/|url-status=live}}</ref> Surfers have also protested to be allowed to surf during the lockdown, that allows exercise but not water activities.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Anti-lockdown protests around the world|url=https://www.reuters.com/news/picture/anti-lockdown-protests-around-the-world-idUSRTX7H61S|date=5 May 2020|website=www.reuters.com|access-date=9 May 2020|archive-date=8 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200508144737/https://www.reuters.com/news/picture/anti-lockdown-protests-around-the-world-idUSRTX7H61S|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Zimbabwe ===<br />
Three young, female opposition activists were reported missing following a protest in [[Harare]], Zimbabwe, over COVID-19 lockdown measures on 15 May 2020. They were later treated at a hospital after asserting they had been abducted and sexually abused by suspected state security agents.<ref>{{cite web |title=Zimbabwe police accused of assaulting young female activists |url=https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/zimbabwe-police-accused-assaulting-young-female-activists-70701508 |website=ABC News |access-date=5 June 2020 |language=en |archive-date=5 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200605190822/https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/zimbabwe-police-accused-assaulting-young-female-activists-70701508 |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
== Asia ==<br />
<br />
=== China (mainland) ===<br />
{{Main|2022 COVID-19 protests in China}}<br />
[[File:西南交通大学学生悼念乌鲁木齐火灾逝者 10.jpg|alt=Students at Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu, holding a candlelight vigil for victims of the fire. The candles are arranged in a heart shape. The faces of students are blurred to protect anonymity.|thumb|Students at [[Southwest Jiaotong University]], [[Chengdu]], holding a candlelight vigil for victims of the [[2022 Ürümqi fire|fire in Ürümqi]].]]<br />
<br />
Small shop owners protested the continuation of rent charges outside of the Grand Ocean Department Store in Wuhan, chanting "Exempt rental for a year, or refund the lease". Videos from the demonstration were posted in the social media platform [[Sina Weibo]] but quickly censored.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international/world-news/wuhan-rent-protest-shows-unrest-brewing-in-china-after-lockdown/articleshow/75080074.cms?from=mdr |title=covid 19: Wuhan rent protest shows unrest brewing in China after lockdown - The Economic Times |publisher=Economictimes.indiatimes.com |access-date=30 April 2020 |archive-date=10 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200910133541/https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international/world-news/wuhan-rent-protest-shows-unrest-brewing-in-china-after-lockdown/articleshow/75080074.cms?from=mdr |url-status=live }}</ref> A woman was arrested and facing criminal charges after attempting to rally about 100 people to protest the poor management and overpriced provisions during the lockdown. She was charged with "[[picking quarrels and provoking trouble]]", an offense normally used to detain dissidents and social activists.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Chinese woman charged with organising protests during coronavirus lockdown|url=https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3080590/coronavirus-lockdown-woman-charged-organising-protests-against|last=Huang|first=Kristin|date=19 April 2020|website=South China Morning Post|language=en|access-date=1 May 2020|archive-date=2 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200502204312/https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3080590/coronavirus-lockdown-woman-charged-organising-protests-against|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
In 2022, public protests and marches began in cities such as [[Ürümqi]] and [[Guangzhou]] in response to the continued zero-COVID policy of the [[Government of China|Chinese government]] under [[Xi Jinping Administration]].<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Chien |first1=Amy Chang |last2=Che |first2=Chang |last3=Liu |first3=John |last4=Mozur |first4=Paul |date=2022-11-25 |title=In a challenge to Beijing, unrest over COVID lockdowns spreads |url=https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2022/11/25/asia-pacific/china-covid-lockdown-unrest/ |access-date=2022-11-27 |website=The Japan Times |language=en-US}}</ref> In Shanghai, some protesters among hundreds had chanted "Step down, [[Xi Jinping]]! Step down, [[Chinese Communist Party|Communist Party]]!"<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-11-27 |title=Protests erupt across China in unprecedented challenge to Xi Jinping's zero-Covid policy |url=https://www.cnn.com/2022/11/26/china/china-protests-xinjiang-fire-shanghai-intl-hnk/index.html |access-date=2022-11-27 |website=[[CNN]] |language=en}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Hong Kong ===<br />
[[File:Protest against Designated Clinics in TSW North 20200215.png|thumb|Protest against plans to set up designated coronavirus clinics near residential areas in [[Hong Kong]] on 15 February 2020]]<br />
{{Main|2019–20 Hong Kong protests#COVID-19 crisis}}<br />
Pro-democratic movement's tactics were repurposed to pressure the government to take stronger actions to safeguard Hong Kong's [[public health]] in the face of the [[2020 coronavirus outbreak in Hong Kong|coronavirus outbreak in Hong Kong]]. Protesters demanded all travellers coming from China be banned from entering Hong Kong. From 3 to 7 February 2020, hospital staff launched a labour strike with the same goal. The strike was not successful as [[Carrie Lam]] rejected a full border closure.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://hongkongfp.com/2020/10/14/covid-19-hong-kong-hospital-authority-demands-answers-from-radiologists-after-unit-head-refuses-name-medics-who-went-on-strike/|title=Covid-19: Hong Kong Hospital Authority demands answers from radiologists after unit head refuses to name medics who went on strike|first=Kelly|last=Ho|work=[[Hong Kong Free Press]]|date=2020-10-14|access-date=2021-11-06|archive-date=6 September 2021|archive-url=https://archive.today/20210906153555/https://hongkongfp.com/2020/10/14/covid-19-hong-kong-hospital-authority-demands-answers-from-radiologists-after-unit-head-refuses-name-medics-who-went-on-strike/|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
People responded negatively to the government's attempt to set up quarantine and clinical centres in neighbourhoods close to residents and marched to express their discontent or blocked roads to thwart the government's plans across the territory.{{citation needed|date=August 2021}}<br />
<br />
=== India ===<br />
{{see also|Indian migrant workers during the COVID-19 pandemic}}<br />
After the televised announcement by Prime Minister [[Narendra Modi]] that the lockdown was to be extended until at least 3 May, police used batons to disperse protesting migrant workers in [[Mumbai]]. Thousands of jobless migrant workers had gathered at railway stations and were demanding to be allowed to break the lockdown to return home.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-southasia-idUSKCN21W0HI|title=India extends world's biggest lockdown, ignites protest by migrant workers|newspaper=Reuters|date=14 April 2020|via=reuters.com|last1=Jain|first1=Sanjeev Miglani|access-date=27 April 2020|archive-date=26 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200426093055/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-southasia-idUSKCN21W0HI|url-status=live}}</ref> Similar protests were seen in other parts of the country by the workers, and those who claimed that they received no aid which was promised by the government to provide them with during the lockdown period.<br />
<br />
In the state of [[Meghalaya]] anti mandatory vaccination protesters organised a rally in the capital city Shillong against the alleged mandatory inoculation drive by the state government.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Amid rising Covid cases, anti-vaccine protesters rally in Meghalaya |url=http://www.dtnext.in/amp/News/National/2022/01/23082638/1340071/Amid-rising-Covid-cases-antivaccine-protesters-rally-.vpf |access-date=2022-03-24 |website=dtNext.in |language=ta}}{{dead link|date=November 2022|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref><br />
<br />
In State of Maharashtra similar anti mandatory mask and anti mandatory mask protest were held.<ref>{{Citation |title=Worldwide Demonstration: People protest against mandatory vaccinations, lockdowns |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9V83n4_VIAI |language=en |access-date=2022-04-17}}</ref><br />
<br />
Several legal cases were filed in multiple [[high courts of India]] and the Supreme Court of India against mandatory masking and vaccinations.<ref>{{Cite news |agency=Press Trust of India |date=2022-03-02 |title='Unfortunate': HC on mandatory vaccine for Maharashtra public transport |work=Business Standard India |url=https://www.business-standard.com/article/current-affairs/unfortunate-hc-on-mandatory-vaccine-for-maharashtra-public-transport-122030200974_1.html |access-date=2022-04-17}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Roy |first=Debayan |title=[COVID-19] Supreme Court reserves verdict in plea challenging coercive vaccination |url=https://www.barandbench.com/news/covid-19-supreme-court-reserves-verdict-in-plea-against-coercive-vaccination |access-date=2022-04-17 |website=Bar and Bench - Indian Legal news |date=22 March 2022 |language=en}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Indonesia ===<br />
{{Main|Indonesia omnibus law protests}}<br />
[[File:Indonesia omnibus law protests Okt 2020 in Padang.jpg|thumb|Protest in [[Padang]] on 7 October 2020]]<br />
On 5 October 2020, Indonesia has passed a [[Omnibus Law on Job Creation|law on job creation]] that will weaken environmental protections and workers’ rights in an attempt to boost the economy hit hard by the [[COVID-19 pandemic|Wuhan pneumonia pandemic]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/world/breakingnews/3313101|title=國會通過爭議性法案 印尼各地發起罷工示威|work=Liberty Times|date=6 October 2020|access-date=6 October 2020|language=zh-tw|archive-date=9 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201009193945/https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/world/breakingnews/3313101|url-status=live}}</ref> On 6 October, thousands of Indonesians protest in industrial areas around Jakarta including Tangerang and Karawang and on [[Batam]]. A three-day national strike was started which unions expected to involve two million workers in protest against the law.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-indonesia-economy-law/thousands-of-indonesians-protest-against-passage-of-jobs-bill-idUSKBN26R0ZG|title=Thousands of Indonesians protest against passage of jobs bill|work=Reuters|date=6 October 2020|access-date=6 October 2020|archive-date=6 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201006164032/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-indonesia-economy-law/thousands-of-indonesians-protest-against-passage-of-jobs-bill-idUSKBN26R0ZG|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
Demonstrations in Bandung and Jakarta were held on 22 July and 24 July respectively in order to protest the extension of the government's "social activities restriction" (PPKM/CARE) measures.<ref>{{cite AV media |date=24 July 2021 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSLqONzbUmU |title=BERITA TERBARU ~DEMO PPKM DI JAKARTA~BERITA VIRAL HARI INI |publisher=KABAR MILITER |via=[[YouTube]] |access-date=7 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210724074608/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSLqONzbUmU |archive-date=24 July 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite AV media |date=21 July 2021 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jfSIwIX2zHY |title=Dinilai Merugikan, Warga Bandung Berunjuk Rasa Tolak PPKM Darurat {{!}} Fokus |publisher=[[Indosiar]] |via=[[YouTube]] |access-date=7 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210725025445/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jfSIwIX2zHY |archive-date=25 July 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite AV media |date=21 July 2021 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3gYGWz13weU |title=Demo Tolak PPKM Darurat Berakhir Ricuh |publisher=[[CNN Indonesia]] |via=[[YouTube]] |access-date=7 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210725235748/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3gYGWz13weU |archive-date=25 July 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite AV media |date=23 July 2021 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPP4PpT6Pnw |title=Demo Mahasiswa Tolak Kebijakan PPKM Darurat di Flyover Pasar Rebo Berujung Ricuh |publisher=KOMPASTV |via=[[YouTube]] |access-date=7 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210724074614/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPP4PpT6Pnw |archive-date=24 July 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite AV media |date=24 July 2021 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mqzlX1oLNNI |title=Demo Tolak PPKM hari ini dijakarta pusat |publisher=Echa mahkota |via=[[YouTube]] |access-date=7 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210725234934/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mqzlX1oLNNI |archive-date=25 July 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref>{{excessive citations inline|date=August 2021}}<br />
<br />
=== Israel ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 protests in Israel}}<br />
In April 2020, thousands of Israelis engaged in [[social distancing]] while gathering to protest against the perceived anti-democratic measures in the country by Prime Minister [[Benjamin Netanyahu]]. Many were involved in the Black Flag movement which had been allowed to protest by police if they stood six feet apart and all wore masks. An earlier protest had seen the protesters drive to [[Jerusalem]] to protest anti-democratic measures.<ref>{{cite web |last=Rosner |first=Elizabeth |url=https://nypost.com/2020/04/20/israelis-practice-social-distancing-at-tel-aviv-protest/ |title=Israelis maintain social distancing while protesting Netanyahu |date=20 April 2020 |publisher=Nypost.com |access-date=27 April 2020 |archive-date=24 April 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200424070815/https://nypost.com/2020/04/20/israelis-practice-social-distancing-at-tel-aviv-protest/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Other demonstrations have been seen in the ultra-[[Orthodox Judaism|Orthodox]] Jerusalem neighborhood of [[Mea Shearim]] with men and youths throwing rocks at police before being arrested.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Police clash with stone-throwing Haredi protesters in Jerusalem, 5 arrested|url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/police-clash-with-stone-throwing-haredi-protesters-in-jerusalem-5-arrested/|date=20 April 2020|website=www.timesofisrael.com|language=en-US|access-date=1 May 2020|archive-date=26 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200426143227/https://www.timesofisrael.com/police-clash-with-stone-throwing-haredi-protesters-in-jerusalem-5-arrested/|url-status=live}}</ref> Riots broke out in [[Bnei Brak]] with crowds vandalizing property and throwing rocks against police attempts to clear [[yeshiva]] classes and religious gatherings being held in violation of lockdown rules.<ref>{{Cite news|last1=Hendrix|first1=Steve|last2=Rubin|first2=Shira|date=26 January 2021|title=Violence erupts in Israel's ultra-Orthodox neighborhoods over coronavirus restrictions|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/ultra-orthodox-israel-police-covid/2021/01/25/2438e840-5ee3-11eb-a177-7765f29a9524_story.html|access-date=28 January 2021|newspaper=The Washington Post|archive-date=28 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210128111056/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/ultra-orthodox-israel-police-covid/2021/01/25/2438e840-5ee3-11eb-a177-7765f29a9524_story.html|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Iraq ===<br />
Protests against the lockdown have been coupled with the [[2019–2020 Iraqi protests|ongoing protests]] against the current government and female-targeting violence within the country.<ref>{{Cite web|title=The Iraq Report: Protest movement revives as coronavirus lockdown eased|url=https://english.alaraby.co.uk/english/indepth/2020/5/1/the-iraq-report-protest-movement-revives-as-lockdown-eased|website=alaraby|date=May 2020|language=en|access-date=1 May 2020|archive-date=4 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200504011957/https://english.alaraby.co.uk/english/indepth/2020/5/1/the-iraq-report-protest-movement-revives-as-lockdown-eased|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="WPProtests">{{cite web |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/coronavirus-protests-lebanon-india-iraq/2020/04/19/1581dde4-7e5f-11ea-84c2-0792d8591911_story.html |title=Coronavirus lockdowns prompt protests in India, Lebanon, Iraq |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=19 April 2020 |access-date=27 April 2020 |archive-date=25 April 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200425064157/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/coronavirus-protests-lebanon-india-iraq/2020/04/19/1581dde4-7e5f-11ea-84c2-0792d8591911_story.html |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Kazakhstan ===<br />
Following announcement of quarantine measures, videos of hospital staff in [[Atyrau]] protesting against new rules were spread on social media in April 2020, resulting in reporting journalists being detained.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-04-16|title=Казахстан: митинг в белых халатах|url=https://belsat.eu/ru/programs/kazahstan-miting-v-belyh-halatah/|url-status=live|access-date=2021-07-26|website=belsat.eu|language=ru|archive-date=27 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210727010145/https://belsat.eu/ru/programs/kazahstan-miting-v-belyh-halatah/}}</ref><br />
<br />
On 25 January 2021, a demonstration was held in city of [[Kokshetau]] where citizens expressed discontent with concept of compulsory vaccination against COVID-19 in which the deputy [[akim]] met with the crowd and assured them that decision whether to be vaccinated would be based on each individual's personal choice.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-01-25|title=Несколько десятков человек собрались на площади в Кокшетау|url=https://www.nur.kz/society/1895472-neskolko-desatkov-celovek-sobralis-na-plosadi-v-koksetau-foto/?|url-status=live|access-date=2021-07-27|website=www.nur.kz|language=ru|archive-date=27 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210727010148/https://www.nur.kz/society/1895472-neskolko-desatkov-celovek-sobralis-na-plosadi-v-koksetau-foto/}}</ref> in result of the government's [[COVID-19 vaccine]] mandate for all in-person employees, protests took place on 6 July 2021 in Kazakhstan where citizens demanded to stop the fines for businesspeople who refused to mandate for workers as well free [[COVID-19 testing|PCR testing]] for the unvaccinated.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Говоров|first=Георгий|date=2021-07-06|title=НГ: "Принудительной вакцинации нет" - аким Костаная встретился с участниками акции протеста|url=https://www.ng.kz/modules/news/article.php?storyid=42453#893571|url-status=live|access-date=2021-07-27|website=www.ng.kz|archive-date=27 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210727014138/https://www.ng.kz/modules/news/article.php?storyid=42453#893571}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-07-01|title=В Казахстане вводится режим обязательной вакцинации|url=https://inbusiness.kz/ru/news/v-kazahstane-vvoditsya-rezhim-obyazatelnoj-vakcinacii|url-status=live|access-date=2021-07-27|website=inbusiness.kz|language=ru|archive-date=27 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210727010147/https://inbusiness.kz/ru/news/v-kazahstane-vvoditsya-rezhim-obyazatelnoj-vakcinacii}}</ref> In [[Oral, Kazakhstan|Oral]], instructions were given out to crowd in avoiding the inoculation.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Левина|first=Мария|date=2021-07-06|title=В Уральске и Костанае прошли митинги против обязательной вакцинации|url=https://vlast.kz/novosti/45733-v-uralske-i-kostanae-prosli-mitingi-protiv-obazatelnoj-vakcinacii.html|url-status=live|access-date=2021-07-27|website=vlast.kz|language=ru|archive-date=27 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210727010148/https://vlast.kz/novosti/45733-v-uralske-i-kostanae-prosli-mitingi-protiv-obazatelnoj-vakcinacii.html}}</ref> Reports of detentions of people by the police occurred in [[Almaty]] and [[Aktobe]] that day.<ref>{{Cite news|date=2021-07-06|title=Несколько человек задержаны в Алматы и Актобе на месте анонсированных Аблязовым акций|url=https://rus.azattyq.org/a/31343878.html|url-status=live|access-date=2021-07-27|website=Радио Азаттык|language=ru|archive-date=27 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210727010146/https://rus.azattyq.org/a/31343878.html}}</ref> On 17 July, demonstrations occurred throughout the cities, where in [[Pavlodar]] hundred people gathered at the central square which was dispersed by security forces with detainees being pushed into police vans and some managing to flee the area.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-07-19|title=Митинги против обязательной вакцинации прошли в нескольких городах Казахстана|url=https://ust-kamenogorsk.city/novosti-kazakhstana/11695/|url-status=live|access-date=2021-07-27|website=ust-kamenogorsk.city|archive-date=27 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210727010147/https://ust-kamenogorsk.city/novosti-kazakhstana/11695/}}</ref> After the Kazakh government decided to raise fuel prices in the middle of the pandemic, many Kazakhs carried out [[2022 Kazakh unrest|the bloodiest riots since the collapse of the Soviet Union]].<br />
<br />
=== Lebanon ===<br />
{{See also|2019–2021 Lebanese protests}}<br />
Many protesters argued for monetary relief from the countries slumping economy after weeks of the lockdown.<ref name="WPProtests"/> At least one demonstrator died after soldiers used tear gas, batons, and live bullets to disperse a protesters in [[Tripoli, Lebanon|Tripoli]] who were throwing [[molotov cocktail]]s.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Osseiran|first1=Nazih|last2=Nissenbaum|first2=Dion|date=28 April 2020|title=Protesters in Lebanon Demand Economic Relief as Coronavirus Lockdown Eases|language=en-US|work=[[The Wall Street Journal]]|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/protesters-in-lebanon-demand-economic-relief-as-coronavirus-lockdown-eases-11588096707|access-date=1 May 2020|issn=0099-9660|archive-date=30 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200430221558/https://www.wsj.com/articles/protesters-in-lebanon-demand-economic-relief-as-coronavirus-lockdown-eases-11588096707|url-status=live}}</ref> Protesters also congregated in [[Beirut]] outside the central bank and threw rocks at the building, and took over major roads as they claimed there wasn't enough done to protect the economy and those that would suffer the most economically.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Hatoum|first1=Bassam|last2=Hussein|first2=Bilal|date=29 April 2020|title=Lockdown lifts in Lebanon, protests erupt over economic crises|work=[[The Christian Science Monitor]]|url=https://www.csmonitor.com/World/Middle-East/2020/0429/Lockdown-lifts-in-Lebanon-protests-erupt-over-economic-crises|access-date=1 May 2020|issn=0882-7729|archive-date=1 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200501054440/https://www.csmonitor.com/World/Middle-East/2020/0429/Lockdown-lifts-in-Lebanon-protests-erupt-over-economic-crises|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Malaysia ===<br />
<br />
On 31 July 2021, hundreds of protesters attempted to gather in [[Merdeka Square, Kuala Lumpur]], calling for the resignation of Prime Minister [[Muhyiddin Yassin]] over his and the Malaysian government's handling of the [[COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia|COVID-19 pandemic]].<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|title=Hundreds take to Kuala Lumpur's streets in anti-gov't protest|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/7/31/hundreds-take-to-streets-in-anti-government-protest-in-malaysia|access-date=2021-08-01|website=www.aljazeera.com|language=en|archive-date=1 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210801172936/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/7/31/hundreds-take-to-streets-in-anti-government-protest-in-malaysia|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite web|website=Deutsche Welle|title=Malaysian protesters demand PM Muhyiddin's resignation=|date=2021-07-31|url=https://www.dw.com/en/malaysian-protesters-demand-pm-muhyiddins-resignation/a-58713654|access-date=2021-08-01|language=en-GB|archive-date=1 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210801172936/https://www.dw.com/en/malaysian-protesters-demand-pm-muhyiddins-resignation/a-58713654|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Ramlan|first=Alyaa Alhadjri & Vivian Yap, Yasmin|date=2021-07-31|title=Hundreds of #Lawan protesters in KL demand PM's resignation|url=https://www.malaysiakini.com/news/585291|access-date=2021-08-01|website=Malaysiakini|language=en|archive-date=1 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210801172003/https://www.malaysiakini.com/news/585291|url-status=live}}</ref> The protests took place despite [[Malaysian movement control order|Movement Control Order (MCO)]] restrictions being in place, and Malaysian police blocking access to Merdeka Square itself.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Solhi|first=Farah|date=2021-07-31|title=#Lawan rally ends as protesters fail to get inside Dataran Merdeka {{!}} New Straits Times|url=https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2021/07/713474/lawan-rally-ends-protesters-fail-get-inside-dataran-merdeka|access-date=2021-08-01|website=NST Online|language=en|archive-date=1 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210801172004/https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2021/07/713474/lawan-rally-ends-protesters-fail-get-inside-dataran-merdeka|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Solhi|first=Farah|date=2021-07-31|title=#Lawan rally goes on despite police warning, risk of spreading Covid-19 [NSTTV] {{!}} New Straits Times|url=https://www.nst.com.my/news/crime-courts/2021/07/713455/lawan-rally-goes-despite-police-warning-risk-spreading-covid-19|access-date=2021-08-01|website=NST Online|language=en|archive-date=1 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210801173504/https://www.nst.com.my/news/crime-courts/2021/07/713455/lawan-rally-goes-despite-police-warning-risk-spreading-covid-19|url-status=live}}</ref> The anti-government protests took place following a [[2021 Malaysian state of emergency|state of emergency]] declaration, where parliament and elections were suspended, and amid an [[2020–21 Malaysian political crisis|ongoing political crisis]].<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2" /> On 2 August, including former Prime Minister [[Mahathir Mohamad]], opposition MPs held a protest in Merdeka Square after being blocked from entering Parliament by police.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-08-02|title=Police stop Malaysian opposition lawmakers from marching to Parliament|url=https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/heavy-police-presence-outside-malaysian-parliament|access-date=2021-08-02|website=The Straits Times|language=en|archive-date=2 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210802080101/https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/heavy-police-presence-outside-malaysian-parliament|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Malaysia opposition MPs gather at Merdeka Square after being blocked from entering parliament|url=https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asia/malaysia-opposition-dataran-merdeka-parliament-postponed-covid19-15360260|access-date=2021-08-02|website=CNA|language=en|archive-date=2 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210802080147/https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asia/malaysia-opposition-dataran-merdeka-parliament-postponed-covid19-15360260|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Nepal ===<br />
On 12 June 2020, hundreds of protesters gathering in the capital city [[Kathmandu]], demanding better quarantine facilities, more tests and transparency in the purchase of medical supplies to fight the crisis. Ten people have been arrested, including seven foreigners.<ref>{{cite web|author=Gopal Sharma|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-nepal/hundreds-protest-against-nepals-coronavirus-response-7-foreigners-arrested-idUSKBN23K087/|title=Hundreds protest against Nepal's coronavirus response; 7 foreigners arrested|work=Reuters|date=2020-06-13}}</ref><br />
[[File:尼泊尔最大反对党发起全国抗议活动.jpg|thumb|Protesters wave party flags of the [[Nepali Congress]] on 14 December 2020]]<br />
On 14 December 2020, the [[Nepali Congress]], Nepal's largest opposition party, launched a nationwide protest, claiming that one million people participated. This protest is mainly to criticize the government for not actively fighting the COVID-19 pandemic and for not actively preparing for holding the winter session of [[Federal Parliament of Nepal|federal parliament]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.chinanews.com/wap/detail/zw/gj/2020/12-14/9361978.shtml|title=尼泊尔最大反对党发起全国抗议活动|work=China News Service|date=2020-12-14|language=zh-cn}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Pakistan ===<br />
Dozens of doctors were arrested in [[Quetta]] after protesting the lack of safety equipment that they had been given to battle the spread of the disease.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/06/pakistan-arrests-doctors-protest-lack-coronavirus-safety-equipment |title=Pakistan arrests doctors protesting over lack of virus safety equipment &#124; World news |work=The Guardian |access-date=30 April 2020 |archive-date=7 April 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200407174034/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/06/pakistan-arrests-doctors-protest-lack-coronavirus-safety-equipment |url-status=live }}</ref> Hundreds of laborers protested against their forced layoffs due to the pandemic by gathering outside their old places of work throughout the city of Karachi.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Millions of Pakistani laborers struggle amid COVID-19 lockdown|url=https://www.aa.com.tr/en/asia-pacific/millions-of-pakistani-laborers-struggle-amid-covid-19-lockdown/1824231|last=Latif|first=Aamir|date=30 April 2020|website=www.aa.com.tr|access-date=1 May 2020|archive-date=6 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200506073132/https://www.aa.com.tr/en/asia-pacific/millions-of-pakistani-laborers-struggle-amid-covid-19-lockdown/1824231|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
Parents of students who had been studying abroad in the Chinese province of Hubei protested against the government's decision to leave the children in the area in February 2020.<ref>{{cite news|last=Raza Hassan|first=Syed|date=16 February 2020|title=Parents protest as Pakistani students stuck in China under coronavirus lockdown|language=en|work=Reuters|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-health-pakistan-idUSKBN20A0J9|access-date=1 May 2020|archive-date=25 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200525093543/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-health-pakistan-idUSKBN20A0J9|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Philippines ===<br />
{{See also|Protests against Rodrigo Duterte}}<br />
Spontaneous demonstrations were held on 1 April 2020 by a [[Quezon City]] urban poor community to protest lack of food and other assistance during the metropolitan-wide COVID-19 lockdown.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ellao |first=Janess Ann J. |date=1 April 2020 |title=Arrests in QC reveal lack of gov't support to lockdown-affected residents |url=https://www.bulatlat.com/2020/04/01/arrests-in-qc-urban-poor-reveal-lack-of-govt-support-to-lockdown-affected-residents/ |access-date=19 June 2020 |website=Bulatlat |language=en-US |archive-date=20 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200620224244/https://www.bulatlat.com/2020/04/01/arrests-in-qc-urban-poor-reveal-lack-of-govt-support-to-lockdown-affected-residents/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Police violently dispersed protesters and arrested 21 people.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=1 April 2020 |title=21 protesters demanding food aid arrested in Quezon City |url=https://www.cnnphilippines.com/news/2020/4/1/quezon-city-protesters-arrested-.html |access-date=19 June 2020 |website=CNN |language=en |archive-date=23 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200623053048/https://cnnphilippines.com/news/2020/4/1/quezon-city-protesters-arrested-.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> The city mayor and a Congress representative appealed to police to release those arrested.<ref name=":0" /><br />
<br />
In May 2020, journalists and individuals protested [[ABS-CBN franchise renewal controversy|the cease and desist order that led to the shutdown of media giant ABS-CBN]], a move that jeopardized more than 11,000 jobs and prevented the broadcast of vital information about the pandemic. More protests were held after the House of Representatives junked ABS-CBN's application for a legislative franchise.{{citation needed|date=August 2021}}<br />
<br />
Jeepney drivers rendered jobless by the COVID-19 emergency protested in Caloocan on 3 June 2020. Six protesters were arrested and jailed for a few days to one week.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Lalu |first=Gabriel Pabico |date=18 June 2020 |title=2 of jailed Piston 6 protesters test positive for COVID-19 |url=https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1293906/2-of-jailed-piston-6-protesters-test-positive-for-covid-19 |access-date=19 June 2020 |website=Inquirer |language=en |archive-date=18 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200618141148/https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1293906/2-of-jailed-piston-6-protesters-test-positive-for-covid-19 |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
Several groups held protests nationwide to coincide with the commemoration of Philippine Independence on 12 June 2020.<ref>{{Cite web |date=11 June 2020 |title=LIST: 'Grand mañanita' and other Independence Day 2020 activities |url=http://www.rappler.com/move-ph/263498-list-mananita-other-activities-independence-day-2020 |access-date=19 June 2020 |website=Rappler |language=en |archive-date=13 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200613072615/https://www.rappler.com/move-ph/263498-list-mananita-other-activities-independence-day-2020 |url-status=live }}</ref> Among these was the "Grand Mañanita" protest at the [[University of the Philippines]] in Quezon City. The Grand Mañanita protested the [[Philippine government response to the COVID-19 pandemic|government's response to the COVID-19 crisis]] and Congress' passage of a controversial [[Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020|anti-terror bill]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Gonzales |first=Cathrine |date=12 June 2020 |title=Look: 'Grand mañanita' protest on Independence Day |url=https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1290437/look-grand-mananita-protest-on-independence-day |access-date=19 June 2020 |website=INQUIRER.net |language=en |archive-date=19 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200619173237/https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1290437/look-grand-mananita-protest-on-independence-day |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
On 16 July 2021, health workers held a protest in front of the headquarters of [[Department of Health (Philippines)|Department of Health]] (DOH) where they threw tomatoes at the logo of the DOH.<ref>{{cite news |title=DOH, binato ng kamatis |url=https://web.facebook.com/News5Everywhere/videos/3941239406004582/ |access-date=23 September 2021 |work=News5 |date=July 16, 2021 |via=Facebook |archive-date=22 December 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211222175651/https://www.facebook.com/News5Everywhere/videos/3941239406004582/?_rdc=1&_rdr |url-status=live }}</ref> On 30 August, 1 September and 24 November 2021,<ref>{{cite news |title='Ginagawa kaming bobo': Health workers patuloy ang paghahabol sa benepisyo {{!}} TV Patrol |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9slZiNABZMA&ab_channel=ABS-CBNNews |access-date=28 November 2021 |work=ABS-CBN News |archive-date=28 November 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211128054313/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9slZiNABZMA&ab_channel=ABS-CBNNews |url-status=live }}</ref> health workers from various hospitals in Metro Manila held a protest at the DOH headquarters over nonpayment of their salaries and benefits and demanding Duque (and Duterte) to resign over the handling of the COVID-19 pandemic in the country.<ref>{{cite news |title='We have nothing to celebrate': Health workers protest as Duterte calls frontliners 'new breed of heroes' |url=https://www.cnnphilippines.com/news/2021/8/30/health-workers-protest-National-Heroes-Day.html |access-date=1 September 2021 |work=CNN Philippines |archive-date=1 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210901033613/https://www.cnnphilippines.com/news/2021/8/30/health-workers-protest-National-Heroes-Day.html |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=On Heroes' Day, health workers protest over unreleased benefits |url=https://www.rappler.com/nation/health-workers-protest-unreleased-benefit30-august-2021 |access-date=1 September 2021 |work=Rappler }}{{dead link|date=August 2023|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Underpaid health workers walk out, call for Duque resignation at mass protests |url=https://www.rappler.com/nation/health-workers-walk-out-jobs-mass-protests-duque-1-september-2021 |access-date=1 September 2021 |work=Rappler }}{{dead link|date=August 2023|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Thailand ===<br />
{{main|2020 Thai protests}}<br />
[[File:เยาวชนปลดแอก ประท้วง กรุงเทพ 18 กรกฎาคม 2563 Free Youth Protest at Bangkok 18 July 2020 (Night).jpg|thumb|Demonstrations at the [[Democracy Monument]], [[Bangkok]] at night]]<br />
On 18 July, Thailand saw the largest street demonstration since the [[2014 Thai coup d'état]] at the [[Democracy Monument]] in [[Bangkok]] with around 2,500 protesters. The protesters, organised under the name Free Youth ({{langx|th|เยาวชนปลดแอก}}; yaowachon plod aek), announced three demands: dissolution of the House, stop threatening the people and drafting of a new constitution. The event was triggered by the failed economy due to [[COVID-19 pandemic in Thailand|pandemic]], and unjustified implementation of the COVID-19 acts that were heavily criticised as being a tool against any possible protest. The situation erupted after two COVID-19 cases; an Egyptian soldier in [[Rayong Province]], and a Sudanese diplomat's daughter in [[Khet Watthana|Asok neighbourhood]] of [[Bangkok]], were tested positive earlier on 15 July. Both were excepted from COVID-19's travel restrictions and containment. Many criticised on both the government's failure to contain the disease from these VIPs, and its failure to boost the heavily affected tourism industry in [[Rayong Province]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=18 July 2020 |title=Thai protesters call for government to resign |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-thailand-protests/thai-protesters-call-for-government-to-resign-idUSKCN24J0HN |access-date=20 July 2020 |website=[[Reuters]] |language=en |archive-date=19 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200719182550/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-thailand-protests/thai-protesters-call-for-government-to-resign-idUSKCN24J0HN |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=18 July 2020 |url=https://www.bbc.com/thai/thailand-53456468 |title="เยาวชนปลดแอก" ยุติการชุมนุมก่อนเที่ยงคืน อ้างความปลอดภัย สรุปบรรยากาศจากเริ่มจนจบ |access-date=20 July 2020 |website=[[BBC]] Thai |language=th |archive-date=19 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201019153040/https://www.bbc.com/thai/thailand-53456468 |url-status=live }}</ref> The protesters demanded the government to accept within two weeks, or face larger demonstrations.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2020-07-18 |title=Thai protesters call for government to resign |language=en |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-thailand-protests-idUSKCN24J0HN |access-date=2022-08-04}}</ref><br />
<br />
Later on 19 July, several protests erupted in [[Chiang Mai Province]] and [[Ubon Ratchathani Province]].<ref>{{Cite news |date=20 July 2020 |title=Chiang Mai, Ubon rally against Prayut, government |url=https://www.bangkokpost.com/learning/easy/1954343/chiang-mai-ubon-rally-against-prayut-government?cx_placement=related#cxrecs_s |access-date=20 July 2020 |website=[[Bangkok Post]] |language=en }}</ref><br />
<br />
===Vietnam===<br />
There have been many protests broke out in some localities in Vietnam to protest against the anti-epidemic policy, as well as to call on the government to support people during the pandemic.<br />
<br />
On August 22, 2021, workers at an isolation area in [[Binh Duong]] province conducted a riot, smashed, and prevented a pregnant woman from going to the emergency room.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.hosodanchu.com/2021/08/bao-loan-ap-pha-o-binh-duong-ke-cam.html | title=Bạo loạn, đập phá ở Bình Dương: Kẻ cầm tuýp sắt, người hôi của }}</ref><br />
<br />
On August 27, some people in [[Ho Chi Minh City]] reacted because they had not received local support money and the clip of this incident was posted on social networks. The government has forced "hostile forces to plot to incite demonstrations and fight against social distancing".<ref>{{cite web | url=https://cand.com.vn/Chong-dien-bien-hoa-binh/canh-giac-muu-do-kich-dong-bieu-tinh-chong-pha-gian-cach-xa-hoi-i627958/ | title=Cảnh giác mưu đồ kích động biểu tình, chống phá giãn cách xã hội }}</ref><br />
<br />
On October 1, 2021, people in Ho Chi Minh City protested, attacking police at a checkpoint on the outskirts of the city to open the door for people to return to their hometown. A day later, Vietnamese netizens spread images of police forces and militiamen using sticks to beat protesters in Binh Duong with the purpose of breaking the gate to return to their hometown. The local government then stated to verify the incident, at the same time accused people of rioting and attacking the police.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.bbc.com/vietnamese/vietnam-58775235 | title=Bình Dương: Muốn về quê, xô xát giữa dân và cảnh sát | newspaper=BBC News Tiếng Việt }}</ref><br />
<br />
In mid-October, after the dogs of a household in [[Ca Mau]] province were culled due to suspicion of being infected with the COVID-19 virus, there were many online calls for people to protest against the anti pandemic policies from the government.<br />
<br />
In November 2021, those present at the funeral of Mr. Duong Van Minh, a [[Hmong people|Hmong]] man, clashed with police after police and local medical staff asked those present at the funeral to disperse. due to fears of an outbreak. Mr. Duong Van Minh is the founder of the religious organization that bears his name, which is considered a [[heresy]] by Vietnamese authorities.<br />
<br />
From October 2022, a year after the end of social distancing due to the pandemic, many customers of Sai Gon Joint Stock Commercial Bank (SCB), one of Vietnam's major banks, protested at the bank branch to request a refund of a customer's [[bond (finance)|bond]] purchase. The protests were considered to be motivated by the difficult economic and financial situation of the people after the pandemic.<br />
<br />
== Europe ==<br />
[[File:Men In Black protest in Copenhagen.jpg|thumb|Anti-lockdown demonstration in [[Rådhuspladsen]], [[Copenhagen]], 27 March 2021]]<br />
<br />
=== Austria ===<br />
The newly created [[MFG Austria – People Freedom Fundamental Rights|Fundamental Rights Party]] (MFG), has been planning recent anti-lockdown protests in Austria. The group compared Covid restrictions with "Nazi rule". The country's third largest political party, the [[Freedom Party of Austria]] (FPÖ), has also strongly condemned the Covid restrictions, and its new leader, [[Herbert Kickl]], has pushed misleading and false views of the virus, including claims that the vaccination programme is really a "genetic experiment".<ref>{{Cite news|date=2021-11-27|title=Covid: Conspiracy and untruths drive Europe's Covid protests|language=en-GB|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/59390968|access-date=2021-12-26}}</ref> Kickl urged a public crowd to reject compulsory vaccinations. Fifteen thousand people later rallied at the Heldenplatz square in Vienna to protest against the anti-Covid measures and were later joined by thousands more, with approximately 44,000 people taking part in the rally in total.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-12-12|title=Thousands protest against coronavirus measures in Vienna|url=https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3159367/thousands-austrians-take-streets-protest-against-coronavirus|access-date=2021-12-26|website=South China Morning Post|language=en}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Belgium ===<br />
On 31 January 2021, police in [[Brussels]] said they had arrested more than 400 people to prevent a banned protest of anti-COVID-19 measures.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.dw.com/en/coronavirus-digest-brussels-police-detain-hundreds-of-anti-lockdown-protesters/a-56394523|title=Coronavirus digest: Brussels police detain hundreds of anti-lockdown protesters &#124; DW &#124; 31.01.2021|website=DW.COM|access-date=18 July 2021|archive-date=8 June 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210608133756/https://www.dw.com/en/coronavirus-digest-brussels-police-detain-hundreds-of-anti-lockdown-protesters/a-56394523|url-status=live}}</ref> On 21 November 2021, about 35,000 people in the streets of [[Brussels]] took part in demonstration, which began peaceful before violence broke out. Waving nationalist flags of [[Flanders]] and banners against the more restrictive rules for the unvaccinated, several people hidden by hoods also attacked some police cars. At least two officers and one protester were injured. Protesters threw stones at police as they advanced with water cannon at the main junction in front of the European Union Commission headquarters. Protesters also threw smoke bombs and fireworks, the newspaper ''[[Le Soir]]'' reported. The situation calmed down later, police said.<ref>{{Cite news|url = https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/around-35000-protest-against-covid-restrictions-brussels-police-say-2021-11-21/|title = Clashes break out in Brussels in protests over coronavirus restrictions|newspaper = Reuters|date = 21 November 2021|access-date = 24 November 2021|archive-date = 24 November 2021|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20211124001253/https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/around-35000-protest-against-covid-restrictions-brussels-police-say-2021-11-21/|url-status = live}}</ref><br />
<br />
* [[2022 Brussels protest|January 2022 Brussels protest]]<br />
<br />
=== Belarus ===<br />
{{Main|2020-2021 Belarusian protests}}<br />
In May 2020, a lowered approval of [[authoritarianism|authoritarian]] president [[Alexander Lukashenko]] amid [[COVID-19 pandemic in Belarus|his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic]] led to street protests against his government. Mass protests erupted across Belarus following the August [[2020 Belarusian presidential election]] which was marred by allegations of widespread [[electoral fraud]].{{citation needed|date=August 2021}}<br />
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=== Bosnia and Herzegovina ===<br />
On 6 April 2021, anti-governmental protests "Fight for Life" were held by a group of citizens and activists in Bosnia and Herzegovina's capital [[Sarajevo]] in front of the [[Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina|Parliamentary Assembly]] and the [[Government of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina|Federal Government]], seeking resignations from [[Chairman of the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina|Chairman of the Council of Ministers]] [[Zoran Tegeltija]] and [[List of prime ministers of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina|Federal Prime Minister]] [[Fadil Novalić]], due to lack of leadership during the [[COVID-19 pandemic in Bosnia and Herzegovina]] and late procurement of [[COVID-19 vaccine]]s for the country.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.klix.ba/vijesti/bih/protesti-u-sarajevu-gradjani-ispred-vlade-fbih-skandiraju-ostavke-i-paraziti-napolje/210406028|title=Protesti u Sarajevu: Građani ispred Vlade FBiH skandiraju "Ostavke" i "Paraziti napolje"|date=6 April 2021|access-date=6 April 2021|language=bs|author=D. Be.|publisher=Klix.ba|archive-date=6 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210406110442/https://www.klix.ba/vijesti/bih/protesti-u-sarajevu-gradjani-ispred-vlade-fbih-skandiraju-ostavke-i-paraziti-napolje/210406028|url-status=live}}</ref> Further anti-governmental protests were held eleven days later, on 17 April as well.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.klix.ba/vijesti/bih/zavrseni-protesti-gradjana-u-sarajevu-na-potezu-su-parlamentarci-rok-je-1-maj/210417035|title=Završeni protesti građana u Sarajevu: Na potezu su parlamentarci, rok je 1. maj|date=17 April 2021|access-date=17 April 2021|language=bs|author=N.V.|publisher=Klix.ba|archive-date=17 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210417105301/https://www.klix.ba/vijesti/bih/zavrseni-protesti-gradjana-u-sarajevu-na-potezu-su-parlamentarci-rok-je-1-maj/210417035|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Bulgaria ===<br />
{{Main|2020–2021 Bulgarian protests}}<br />
On 30 March 2020 The Bulgarian Health Ministry issued an order that made not wearing a face mask in public punishable by law at a time when no masks were available for purchasing in the country. After strong public unrest, the order was recalled on the following day<ref>{{Cite web|title=Министър Ананиев отменя заповедта си за задължително носене на маски до постигане на консенсус|url=https://dariknews.bg/novini/bylgariia/vryshtat-maskite-na-zakrito-stavat-zadylzhitelni-v-magazina-i-v-ofisa-2230448|date=31 March 2020|access-date=8 October 2020|website=dariknews.bg|language=bg|archive-date=15 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210515043118/https://dariknews.bg/novini/bylgariia/vryshtat-maskite-na-zakrito-stavat-zadylzhitelni-v-magazina-i-v-ofisa-2230448|url-status=live}}</ref> and re-instated yet again later, with some modifications.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Връщат маските на закрито - стават задължителни в магазина и в офиса|url=https://dariknews.bg/novini/bylgariia/ananiev-otmeni-zapovedta-za-zadylzhitelnite-maski-2219522|date=22 June 2020|access-date=8 October 2020|website=dariknews.bg|language=bg|archive-date=9 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201009015757/https://dariknews.bg/novini/bylgariia/ananiev-otmeni-zapovedta-za-zadylzhitelnite-maski-2219522|url-status=live}}</ref> A small protest took place on 19 April 2020 in [[Sofia]] against the measures to combat the [[COVID-19 pandemic in Bulgaria|COVID-19 pandemic]], with many of the participants expressing concerns about their livelihoods.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Протест в София срещу мерките за ограничаване на коронавируса|url=https://www.mediapool.bg/protest-v-sofiya-sreshtu-merkite-za-ogranichavane-na-koronavirusa-news306375.html|date=19 April 2020|access-date=3 September 2020|website=mediapool.bg|language=bg|archive-date=21 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201021082108/https://www.mediapool.bg/protest-v-sofiya-sreshtu-merkite-za-ogranichavane-na-koronavirusa-news306375.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Protests with an [[Anti-vaccine activism|anti-vax]] slant that also demanded the resignation of the government, organized by the [[Revival (Bulgarian political party)|Vazrazhdane]] party,<ref>{{Cite web|title=8 арестувани на протеста в София (ВИДЕО+СНИМКИ)|url=https://nova.bg/news/view/2020/05/14/287916/8-%D0%B0%D1%80%D0%B5%D1%81%D1%82%D1%83%D0%B2%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%B8-%D0%BD%D0%B0-%D0%BF%D1%80%D0%BE%D1%82%D0%B5%D1%81%D1%82%D0%B0-%D0%B2-%D1%81%D0%BE%D1%84%D0%B8%D1%8F-%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE%D1%81%D0%BD%D0%B8%D0%BC%D0%BA%D0%B8/|date=14 May 2020|access-date=3 September 2020|website=nova.bg|language=bg|archive-date=24 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200524113735/https://nova.bg/news/view/2020/05/14/287916/8-%D0%B0%D1%80%D0%B5%D1%81%D1%82%D1%83%D0%B2%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%B8-%D0%BD%D0%B0-%D0%BF%D1%80%D0%BE%D1%82%D0%B5%D1%81%D1%82%D0%B0-%D0%B2-%D1%81%D0%BE%D1%84%D0%B8%D1%8F-%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE%D1%81%D0%BD%D0%B8%D0%BC%D0%BA%D0%B8/|url-status=live}}</ref> were held in May and June, resulting in a few arrests, but did not see a significant turnout.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Протест на антиваксъри в София|url=https://www.vesti.bg/bulgaria/protest-na-antivaksyri-v-sofiia-6110588|date=6 June 2020|access-date=3 September 2020|author=Kirov, Nikolay|website=vesti.bg|language=bg|archive-date=26 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200726135130/https://www.vesti.bg/bulgaria/protest-na-antivaksyri-v-sofiia-6110588|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
Public disapproval grew during the pandemic and reached a spontaneous culmination on 9 July 2020 after a police raid on the Presidency of Bulgaria in what was perceived as an attack against President [[Rumen Radev]], a vocal critic of prime minister [[Boyko Borisov]], who has been in power since 2009,<ref>{{Cite web|date=9 July 2020|title=Raids Worsen Bulgarian President's Spat With Prosecutor|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-07-09/bulgarian-police-raid-president-radev-s-offices|access-date=15 July 2020|website=Bloomberg.com|archive-date=1 February 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210201190554/https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-07-09/bulgarian-police-raid-president-radev-s-offices|url-status=live}}</ref> and the long-standing grievances against endemic corruption and [[state capture]]. Daily demonstrations were held in the country's capital [[Sofia]] until April 2021, though the number of protesters dwindled during the autumn and winter months when the country was heavily affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.<ref>{{Cite web|title=88-а вечер на протести в София: Призоваха за атаки срещу офисите на управляващата коалиция (Снимки)|url=https://www.24chasa.bg/novini/article/9082543|date=4 October 2020|access-date=8 October 2020|website=24chasa.bg|language=bg|archive-date=22 December 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211222175752/https://www.24chasa.bg/novini/article/9082543|url-status=live}}</ref> On 12 January 2022, Vazrazhdane organized a large demonstration against the COVID green certificates for indoor spaces, during which protest participants attempted to make their way into the National Parliament.<ref name="VazrazhdaneProtestGreenCertificateJanuary2022">{{cite news | title=Поддръжници на "Възраждане" се опитаха да нахлуят в парламента| work=mediapool.bg |author= |language=Bulgarian|url=https://www.mediapool.bg/poddrazhnitsi-na-vazrazhdane-se-opitaha-da-nahluyat-v-parlamenta-news331009.html| date=12 January 2022|access-date=10 February 2022 }}</ref> On 23 February 2022, the party held another protest with the same focus.<ref name="VazrazhdaneFollowUpProtestGreenCertificateFebruary2022">{{cite news | title="Възраждане" приветства поетапното отпадане на зеления сертификат, протестът обаче остава| work=dariknews.bg |author= |language=Bulgarian|url=https://dariknews.bg/novini/bylgariia/vyzrazhdane-privetstva-poetapnoto-otpadane-na-zeleniia-sertifikat-protestyt-obache-ostava-2301183| date=21 February 2022|access-date=2 April 2022 }}</ref><br />
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=== Czechia ===<br />
In late 2020 and during 2021, many anti-responses protests occurred as the pandemic situation in country worsened and measures, often legally unsubstantiated, were prolonged. Protesters demanded revoking of the restrictions such as gathering limitations or pubs closure. Many of them also refused face-masks wearing, which gave them a nickname "anti-rouškaři", meaning "mask-refusers". The most violent incident occurred on 18 October in Prague, when group of radical protesters, including football hooligans, clashed with police forces after protest was dissolved due to violations of hygienic measures. 20 officers were injured as well as unknown number of protesters. 144 persons were arrested. This is in contrast with mostly peaceful protests which are typical in Czechia. Since then, police has changed a tactics to document offences rather than doing large maneuvers to disperse crowds.<br />
<ref>{{cite web|date=18 October 2020|title=Demonstrace proti vládním opatřením se změnila v potyčky s těžkooděnci. Policie zadržela přes 100 lidí|url=https://www.irozhlas.cz/zpravy-domov/praha-protesty-koronavirus-fotbalovy-fanousci-demonstrace-staromestske-namesti_2010181508_tkr|url-status=live|access-date=12 June 2021|archive-date=31 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201031010343/https://www.irozhlas.cz/zpravy-domov/praha-protesty-koronavirus-fotbalovy-fanousci-demonstrace-staromestske-namesti_2010181508_tkr}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|date=31 January 2021|title=Na Václavském náměstí demonstrovaly stovky lidí proti omezením|url=https://www.ceskenoviny.cz/zpravy/na-vaclavskem-namesti-demonstrovaly-stovky-lidi-proti-omezenim/1989855|url-status=live|access-date=12 June 2021|archive-date=8 October 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211008164748/https://www.ceskenoviny.cz/zpravy/na-vaclavskem-namesti-demonstrovaly-stovky-lidi-proti-omezenim/1989855}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Šplíchal|first=Pavel|date=25 February 2021|title=Antirouškaři jsou ti nejtrapnější disidenti. Jako poslední věří vládě|url=https://a2larm.cz/2021/02/antirouskari-jsou-ti-nejtrapnejsi-disidenti-jako-posledni-veri-vlade/|access-date=12 June 2021}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== France ===<br />
{{Main|Yellow vests protests|French freedom convoy|2021–2022 social unrest in the French West Indies}}<br />
<br />
The [[Paris]] suburb [[Villeneuve-la-Garenne]] saw riots in April 2020, partly about the strains of the [[COVID-19 pandemic in France|coronavirus outbreak]] and lockdown on working-class families, often immigrants, who live in small apartments in crowded public housing buildings. Many have reported that in poorer neighbourhoods the policies are difficult to follow due to over crowding and cause the neighbourhoods to be impacted more than wealthier Parisians. The demonstrations have since been seen in the suburb [[Hauts-de-Seine]], and other French cities [[Toulouse]], [[Lyon]] and [[Strasbourg]].<ref>{{Cite news|last=McAuley|first=James|date=25 April 2020|title=Violent protests in Paris suburbs reflect tensions under lockdown|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/paris-suburbs-protests-villeneuve-la-garenne/2020/04/25/55f5a40c-85a1-11ea-81a3-9690c9881111_story.html|access-date=1 May 2020|newspaper=The Washington Post|language=en|archive-date=25 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200425112752/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/paris-suburbs-protests-villeneuve-la-garenne/2020/04/25/55f5a40c-85a1-11ea-81a3-9690c9881111_story.html|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
==== Vaccination obligation, sanitary pass ====<br />
The announcement of president [[Emmanuel Macron|Macron]] on 12 July 2021 of a [[COVID-19 vaccination in France|COVID-19 vaccination]] obligation for all health care workers by 15 September, as well as the obligation for people older than twelve to show a "[[COVID-19 vaccine card#France|sanitary pass]]" as of August for admittance to cafés, restaurants, cinemas, hospitals,<ref name=nrc,14jul>(Dutch) [https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2021/07/13/fransman-die-zich-niet-wil-laten-prikken-moet-maar-voelen-a4050923#/handelsblad/2021/07/14/#106 'Fransman die zich niet wil laten prikken moet maar voelen'] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210821205804/https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2021/07/13/fransman-die-zich-niet-wil-laten-prikken-moet-maar-voelen-a4050923#/handelsblad/2021/07/14/ |date=21 August 2021 }}. ''[[NRC Handelsblad]]'', 13 July 2021.</ref> senior citizens' homes, trains,<ref name=nrc,27jul>(Dutch) [https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2021/07/26/frans-parlement-stemt-in-met-nieuwe-covid-maatregelen-a4052430#/handelsblad/2021/07/27/#114 'Frans parlement stemt in met coronapaspoort en verplichte vaccinatie voor het zorgpersoneel'] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210821205804/https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2021/07/26/frans-parlement-stemt-in-met-nieuwe-covid-maatregelen-a4052430#/handelsblad/2021/07/27/ |date=21 August 2021 }}. ''[[NRC Handelsblad]]'', 26 July 2021.</ref> shopping malls,<ref>{{cite web |last1=De Fournas |first1=Marie |title=Coronavirus : Comment ça va se passer avec la fin des tests PCR et antigéniques gratuits ? |url=https://www.20minutes.fr/sante/3083303-20210713-coronavirus-comment-ca-va-passer-fin-tests-pcr-antigeniques-gratuits |website=20 Minutes |date=13 July 2021 |access-date=25 July 2021 |archive-date=25 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210725060050/https://www.20minutes.fr/sante/3083303-20210713-coronavirus-comment-ca-va-passer-fin-tests-pcr-antigeniques-gratuits |url-status=live }}</ref> and other public venues led to protests across France. The 'sanitary pass' should prove that someone is either vaccinated, has recently [[COVID-19 testing|tested negative]],<ref name=nrc,14jul/> or has recovered from [[COVID-19]].<ref name=nrc,11Aug>(Dutch) [https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2021/08/11/wij-houden-ons-hart-vast-voor-volgende-week-a4054487#/handelsblad/2021/08/12/#104 'Coronapaspoort in Frankrijk: 'Wij houden ons hart vast' '.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210821205802/https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2021/08/11/wij-houden-ons-hart-vast-voor-volgende-week-a4054487#/handelsblad/2021/08/12/ |date=21 August 2021 }} ''[[NRC Handelsblad]]'', 11 August 2021.</ref> Macron's motivation was: "We are in a new race against time", "Vaccination is the only way to protect yourself and others".<ref name=nrc,14jul/><br />
<br />
[[Marine Le Pen]], challenger of Macron in the [[2022 French presidential election]], immediately condemned the vaccination obligation as "indecent insolence" attesting of "ingratitude" towards the health care workers.<ref name=nrc,14jul/> On Wednesday 14 July, the French [[National day]] called '[[Bastille Day]]', in [[Paris]] some 2,250 people protested against these new corona restrictions. Demonstrations were also held in Toulouse, Bordeaux, Montpellier, Nantes and 48 other places, totalling around 19,000 protesters. Slogans chanted were: "Down with dictatorship", "Down with the health pass". A demonstrator equated the health pass with "segregation". Objects and fireworks were thrown at the police, who answered with tear gas and arrests.<ref>{{cite web |title=French police fire tear gas as anti-vaccine protest turns violent |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/7/15/french-police-tear-gas-as-anti-vaccine-protest-turns-violent |website=Al Jazeera |access-date=24 July 2021 |date=15 July 2021 |archive-date=23 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210723121648/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/7/15/french-police-tear-gas-as-anti-vaccine-protest-turns-violent |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
On Saturday 17 July, nationwide some 114,000 people protested against the two new measures.<ref name=nrc,1Aug/> On 24 July, some 160,000 people around France protested against the measures. Protesters chanted: "Liberty! Liberty!" Projectiles including a chair were thrown at the police in Paris, who reacted with tear gas and water cannons.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-07-24|title=French protesters reject virus passes, vaccine mandate|url=https://apnews.com/article/europe-health-coronavirus-pandemic-dc03061cb033cb4181ff5424acb9ed63|access-date=2021-07-25|website=AP NEWS|language=en|archive-date=25 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210725015129/https://apnews.com/article/europe-health-coronavirus-pandemic-dc03061cb033cb4181ff5424acb9ed63|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
On 25 July, the [[Senate (France)|French Senate]] nevertheless agreed to the measures except the pass obligation for children under 18 years old.<ref>''[[Dagblad van het Noorden]]'', 26 July 2021.</ref><br />
<br />
On 31 July, over 200,000 people nationwide protested against these plans. Thousands around [[Place de la Bastille]] in [[Paris]] chanted: ''"Liberté!"'' [Freedom!]. Signs accused Macron of being a dictator.<ref>[https://www.npr.org/2021/08/02/1023637209/protesters-say-frances-anti-virus-pass-is-a-threat-to-personal-freedoms 'Protesters Say France's Anti-Virus Pass Is A Threat To Personal Freedoms'] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210821205802/https://www.npr.org/2021/08/02/1023637209/protesters-say-frances-anti-virus-pass-is-a-threat-to-personal-freedoms |date=21 August 2021 }}. [[NPR|National Public Radio]], 2 August 2021. Retrieved 20 August 2021.</ref> A bus driver motivated his protest as: "I'm not an antivaxer (...) But this is going to fast, I want to wait and see". A hospital worker said: "These [[COVID-19 vaccine misinformation and hesitancy|vaccines are experimental]] ; there's no way I'm gonna take it".<ref name=nrc,1Aug>(Dutch) [https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2021/08/01/gele-hesjes-lopen-te-hoop-tegen-sanitaire-dictatuur-a4053244#/handelsblad/2021/08/02/#104 'Gele hesjes lopen te hoop tegen 'pasdictatuur' ' ('Yellow vests crowd together against 'pass dictatorship' ')] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210821205807/https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2021/08/01/gele-hesjes-lopen-te-hoop-tegen-sanitaire-dictatuur-a4053244#/handelsblad/2021/08/02/ |date=21 August 2021 }}. ''[[NRC Handelsblad]]'', 1 August 2021.</ref> A placard in [[Paris]] cited Macron: ' ''"Je ne rendrai pas la vaccination obligatoire", Emmanuel Macron, Novembre 2020'' ' ["I will not make vaccination obligatory", Macron, Nov. 2020]. Another: ' ''De la démocratie à la dictature il n'y a qu'un <<PASS>>'' ' [From democracy to dictatorship is only one step [or] one pass].<ref>''[[Dagblad van het Noorden]]'', 5 August 2021.</ref> Another: '<small>VACCINÉ A LA LIBERTÉ'</small> [<small>VACCINATED FOR FREEDOM</small>].<ref name=nrc,10Aug>(Dutch) [https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2021/08/10/gedwongen-vaccinatie-demonstraties-in-frankrijk-applaus-in-italie-a4054305#/handelsblad/2021/08/11/#114 'Gedwongen vaccinatie: demonstraties in Frankrijk, applaus in Italië' ('Enforced vaccination: demonstrations in France, applause in Italy')] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210821205806/https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2021/08/10/gedwongen-vaccinatie-demonstraties-in-frankrijk-applaus-in-italie-a4054305#/handelsblad/2021/08/11/ |date=21 August 2021 }}. ''[[NRC Handelsblad]]'', 10 August 2021.</ref><br />
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On Saturday 7 August, 237,000 people protested on 198 locations in France, the authorities reported. In Paris, [[Lyon]], [[Toulouse]], rioters pelted the police with all sorts of things, police reacted with tear gas and charges and arrests.<ref>''[[Dagblad van het Noorden]]'', 9 August 2021.</ref> The sanitary pass obligation came into effect on 9 August, civilians risk a fine of 135 euro for disobedience, business owners risk a 45,000 euro fine or one-year prison and the closure of their business.<ref name=nrc,11Aug /><br />
<br />
On 14 August 2021, between 200,000 and 250,000 people according to the police and the organisers have again demonstrated, on more than 200 locations in France, against the ''pass sanitaire'' and the obligated vaccination of health care personnel. Placards compared the sanitary pass with '[[Apartheid]]', people chanted slogans about the "health dictatorship". Police in Lyon used pepper spray against rioters.<ref>(Dutch) [https://www.telegraaf.nl/nieuws/456452706/live-weer-massale-protesten-tegen-franse-gezondheidsdictatuur 'Weer massale protesten tegen Franse 'gezondheidsdictatuur' ' (Again massive protests against French 'health dictatorship')] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210821205803/https://www.telegraaf.nl/nieuws/456452706/live-weer-massale-protesten-tegen-franse-gezondheidsdictatuur |date=21 August 2021 }}. ''[[De Telegraaf]]'', 14 August 2021. Retrieved 18 August 2021.</ref><br />
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Since then, these protests grew smaller ; on Saturday, 18 September 2021, the demonstrators in France against the sanitary pass and obligated vaccination counted 80,000.<ref>''[[Dagblad van het Noorden]]'', 23 September 2021.</ref><br />
<br />
===Greece===<br />
{{See also|2021 Greek protests}}<br />
The 2021 Greek protests broke out in response to a proposed government bill that would allow police presence on university campuses for the first time in decades, for which opposition groups accused the government of taking advantage of the COVID-19 lockdown to impose increasingly authoritarian measures.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://apnews.com/article/bills-athens-higher-education-greece-25de0ce9e884adba145b474d07be57d6|title=Protest gets heated ahead of campus policing vote|date=10 February 2021|publisher=[[Associated Press]]|location=[[Athens]]|access-date=2 May 2021|archive-date=12 February 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210212142808/https://apnews.com/article/bills-athens-higher-education-greece-25de0ce9e884adba145b474d07be57d6|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
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=== Georgia ===<br />
On 5 December 2021 thousands demonstrated in Tbilisi against a COVID-19 passport system which has been implemented in Georgia since December 1, allowing only citizens and tourists with a QR-code proving vaccination or recovery from the virus or with a negative PCR test result to visit public places, restaurants, entertainment and shopping centers. Protesters marched with posters and Georgian flags, passing by the parliamentary building.{{citation needed|date=March 2022}}<br />
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=== Germany ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 protests in Germany}}<br />
[[File:Vicent-van-Volkmer-Bienen-Aktivist-Demo-29.08.2020 Berlin Covid-19 Pandemie.jpg|thumb|Protester with a "Free The Bee" placard during the COVID-19 protests in Berlin on 29 August 2020, near the [[Brandenburg Gate]]]]<br />
Since April 2020, in [[Germany]] numerous protests against government policies over the COVID-19 pandemic have been held in several cities.<br />
A protest in [[Berlin]] on 29 August was estimated by authorities to have drawn 38,000 participants.<ref name="rbb">In German: [https://www.rbb24.de/politik/thema/2020/coronavirus/beitraege_neu/2020/08/demonstrationen-samstag-corona-querdenken-gegendemos.html 'Fast 40.000 Menschen bei Corona-Demos – Sperren am Reichstag durchbrochen' (Almost 40,000 people by corona demos – fences at the ''Reichstag'' broken through)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200901090757/https://www.rbb24.de/politik/thema/2020/coronavirus/beitraege_neu/2020/08/demonstrationen-samstag-corona-querdenken-gegendemos.html |date=1 September 2020 }}. rbb24.de, 29 August 2020. Retrieved 19 September 2020.</ref><br />
<br />
Several of the protests in Germany, like the one of 29 August, were organized by the group ''Querdenken 711'', based in [[Stuttgart]]. As per its homepage, it considers its main aims to support the fundamental rights enshrined in the German constitution, in particular the freedoms of opinion, expression, and assembly.<ref name="dw_20201106">{{cite web|url=https://www.dw.com/en/coronavirus-germany-braces-for-anti-lockdown-protests/a-55513848|title=Coronavirus: Germany braces for anti-lockdown protests|first=Ben|last=Knight|website=[[Deutsche Welle]]|agency=[[Deutsche Welle]]|date=6 November 2020|access-date=8 November 2021|archive-date=8 November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211108155543/https://www.dw.com/en/coronavirus-germany-braces-for-anti-lockdown-protests/a-55513848|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
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[[File:AnarchistCovidProtest.jpg|upright|thumb|left|[[Anarchist]] anti-conspiracy theory, anti-gentrification protest]]<br />
At the 29 August demonstration in Berlin, one of the invited orators was [[Robert F. Kennedy Jr.]], lawyer and conspiracy theorist and nephew of the assassinated U.S. President [[John F. Kennedy]]. He warned the crowd that the COVID-19 measures being deployed in many countries might lead to the implementation of a [[Mass surveillance#Surveillance state|surveillance state]]. A few hundred protesters attempted to storm the [[Reichstag building]], the seat of the German parliament;<ref name=rbb/><ref name="BBC30Aug">{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-53959552|title=Germany coronavirus: Hundreds arrested in German 'anti-corona' protests|work=BBC News|agency=[[BBC News]]|date=30 August 2020|access-date=15 September 2020|archive-date=4 September 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200904141636/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-53959552|url-status=live}}</ref> a few of them reached the stairs. A burst of media attention arose due to this incident. Later demonstrations tended to be smaller, and sometimes organized by allies of ''Querdenken''.<ref name="dw_20201106"/><br />
<br />
[[Anarchists]], [[libertarian socialists]] and [[anti-fascists]] in Germany have been counterprotesting "Querdenken 711" and other demonstrations against public health mandates. Focusing on increasing [[gentrification]], [[wealth inequality]], [[evictions]], police measures and favoring of compulsory vaccination. Anarchists have seen increasing evictions of [[anarchist communities]] and squats.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.dw.com/en/berlin-police-clear-anarchist-occupied-house-liebig-34/a-55211590|title=Berlin police clear anarchist-occupied house Liebig 34 &#124; DW &#124; 09.10.2020|website=DW.COM|access-date=30 November 2020|archive-date=2 December 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201202154402/https://www.dw.com/en/berlin-police-clear-anarchist-occupied-house-liebig-34/a-55211590|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://crimethinc.com/2020/03/18/surviving-the-virus-an-anarchist-guide-capitalism-in-crisis-rising-totalitarianism-strategies-of-resistance|title=CrimethInc. : Surviving the Virus: An Anarchist Guide : Capitalism in Crisis—Rising Totalitarianism—Strategies of Resistance|website=CrimethInc.|date=18 March 2020 |access-date=30 November 2020|archive-date=2 December 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201202160836/https://crimethinc.com/2020/03/18/surviving-the-virus-an-anarchist-guide-capitalism-in-crisis-rising-totalitarianism-strategies-of-resistance|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://ent.siteintelgroup.com/Far-Right-/-Far-Left-Threat/german-company-targeted-in-anarchist-arson-attack-for-covid-19-repression.html|title=German Company Targeted in Anarchist Arson Attack for COVID-19 "Repression" &#124; Far-Right / Far-Left Threat &#124; Articles|website=ent.siteintelgroup.com|date=29 June 2020|access-date=30 November 2020|archive-date=29 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201129103231/https://ent.siteintelgroup.com/Far-Right-/-Far-Left-Threat/german-company-targeted-in-anarchist-arson-attack-for-covid-19-repression.html|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
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=== Hungary ===<br />
On 28 February 2021, around 3,000–5,000 protesters gathered in the capital city of [[Budapest]] at [[Hősök tere]] to protest the lockdown regulations, and the Constitution of 2012.{{citation needed|date=August 2021}}<br />
<br />
The far-right [[Our Homeland Movement]] organised protests against lockdown measures on 15 March 2021,<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-04-20|title=Hungarian far-right party protests lockdown|url=https://apnews.com/article/hungary-budapest-coronavirus-pandemic-economy-ecd0b637126258601ca249f35b5b8743|access-date=2022-02-07|website=The Associated Press|language=en}}</ref> and against vaccine mandates (a "Covid Dictatorship") throughout December 2021 in various Hungarian cities.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-12-18|title=A "Covid-diktatúra" ellen tüntetett a Mi Hazánk Mozgalom|url=https://hvg.hu/itthon/20211218_Mi_Hazank_Mozgalom_Toroczkai_Laszlo_oltasellenesseg_tuntetes_kotelezo_oltas_Covid_diktatura|access-date=2022-02-07|website=hvg.hu|language=hu}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-12-06|title=Vidéken folytatja a kötelező oltás elleni tüntetéseket a Mi Hazánk|url=https://mihazank.hu/videken-folytatja-a-kotelezo-oltas-elleni-tunteteseket-a-mi-hazank/|access-date=2022-02-07|website=Mi Hazánk Mozgalom|language=hu}}</ref> On 16 January 2022 they held another anti-vaccine protest in Budapest, attracting thousands of people.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Imre|first=Patthy Loránd|date=2022-01-16|title="Nem tudnak lejönni a szerről az oltottak" – tüntetést tartott a Mi Hazánk Budapesten|url=https://index.hu/belfold/2022/01/16/oltasellenesseg-tuntetes-mi-hazank-novak-elod-pali-jeno-toroczkai-laszlo/|access-date=2022-02-07|website=index.hu|language=hu}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Ireland ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 protests in the Republic of Ireland}}<br />
On 24 July 2021, over ten thousand people attended an anti discrimination march in Dublin, in response to the Irish government's announcement that vaccine passports would be introduced.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/large-crowd-gathers-in-dublin-to-protest-vaccine-cert-system-1.4629890|title=Large crowd gathers in Dublin to protest vaccine cert system|first=Ellen|last=O'Riordan|newspaper=The Irish Times|access-date=12 October 2021|archive-date=28 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210728080317/https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/large-crowd-gathers-in-dublin-to-protest-vaccine-cert-system-1.4629890|url-status=live}}</ref> Said passports were to be used to prevent unvaccinated people availing of indoor dining services.<br />
[[File:PXL 20210724 152855881.LS exported 0.jpg|thumb|alt=Freedom March Dublin|July 24 Anti Discrimination March, Dublin]]<br />
<br />
Hundreds attended an anti-lockdown, [[Mask refusal|anti-face mask]] protest in [[Dublin]] on 22 August 2020. The protest was organised by Health Freedom Ireland with support from Yellow Vest Ireland. Four people were arrested at the protest.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/four-arrested-in-clashes-at-anti-facemask-protest-in-dublin-1.4336794|title=Four arrested in clashes at anti-facemask protest in Dublin|newspaper=[[The Irish Times]]|first1=Conor|last1=Lally|first2=Sarah|last2=Burns|first3=Jennifer|last3=Cosgrove|date=22 August 2020|access-date=22 August 2020|archive-date=22 August 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200822185513/https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/four-arrested-in-clashes-at-anti-facemask-protest-in-dublin-1.4336794|url-status=live}}</ref> Another protest was organised by the same groups on 3 October, with up to a thousand protesters marching through the city centre before staging a sit-down protest in the main shopping area of Grafton Street.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Beresford |first1=Jack |title=Anti-mask demonstrators stage sit-in protest in Dublin |url=https://www.irishpost.com/news/anti-mask-demonstrators-stage-sit-in-protest-in-dublin-194384 |access-date=4 October 2020 |work=The Irish Post |date=3 October 2020 |archive-date=9 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201009000301/https://www.irishpost.com/news/anti-mask-demonstrators-stage-sit-in-protest-in-dublin-194384 |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
On 27 February 2021, violent clashes between protesters and the ''[[Garda Síochána]]'' erupted during an anti-lockdown protest near [[St Stephen's Green]] in Dublin. Three Gardaí were injured and 23 people were arrested in the aftermath of the protest. The Taoiseach [[Micheál Martin]] condemned the demonstration as "an unacceptable risk to both the public and Gardaí".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/three-garda%C3%AD-injured-and-23-arrested-after-clashes-at-dublin-anti-lockdown-protest-1.4497218|title=Three gardaí injured and 23 arrested after clashes at Dublin anti-lockdown protest|newspaper=[[The Irish Times]]|first=Ronan|last=McGreevy|date=27 February 2021|access-date=2 March 2021|url-access=subscription|archive-date=2 March 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210302221822/https://www.irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/three-garda%C3%AD-injured-and-23-arrested-after-clashes-at-dublin-anti-lockdown-protest-1.4497218|url-status=live}}</ref> A non-violent anti-lockdown protest with approximately 450 people in attendance took place on 6 March in [[Cork (city)|Cork]]. The event was organised by The People's Convention.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/munster/arid-40238867.html|title=Cork anti-lockdown protest attracts hundreds into city centre|newspaper=[[Irish Examiner]]|first1=Noel|last1=Baker|first2=Cormac|last2=O'Keeffe|first3=Eoin|last3=English|date=6 March 2021|access-date=9 March 2021|archive-date=8 March 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210308012117/https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/munster/arid-40238867.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Six people were arrested on the day of the protest.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/munster/arid-40239296.html|title=Six arrested on day of Cork anti-lockdown protest|newspaper=[[Irish Examiner]]|first=Steve|last=Neville|date=6 March 2021|access-date=9 March 2021|archive-date=6 March 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210306173608/https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/munster/arid-40239296.html|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Italy ===<br />
{{Main|Protests over COVID-19 policies in Italy}}<br />
Since the month of March 2020, many people [[Protests over COVID-19 policies in Italy|started protesting over COVID-19]] and the rules imposed by the [[Government of Italy|Italian government]].<br />
<br />
=== Netherlands ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 protests in the Netherlands|2021 Dutch curfew riots}}<br />
On 24 January 2021, violent protests erupted as a reaction to the [[Dutch government]] decision to impose a [[curfew]] as a means to curb the spread of the [[COVID-19 pandemic in the Netherlands|COVID-19]].<ref name="FT 210126" /><ref name="Guardian 210126" /> The curfew, imposed between 9 PM to 4:30 AM, was the first of its kind to be enacted in the country since the [[Second World War]].<ref name="FT 210126">{{cite news |last1=Khan |first1=Mehreen |title=Dutch extend Covid curfew despite violent backlash |url=https://www.ft.com/content/351fa962-ee98-49d7-80c8-dfe73a466991 |access-date=27 January 2021 |work=Financial Times |date=26 January 2021 |archive-date=26 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210126225209/https://www.ft.com/content/351fa962-ee98-49d7-80c8-dfe73a466991 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="WaPo 210125">{{cite news |last1=Cunningham |first1=Erin |title=Riots explode across Netherlands over covid restrictions, with Dutch leader calling participants criminals |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/dutch-government-covid-curfew-unrest/2021/01/25/20fa8590-5ef1-11eb-a177-7765f29a9524_story.html |access-date=27 January 2021 |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=25 January 2021 |archive-date=26 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210126200353/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/dutch-government-covid-curfew-unrest/2021/01/25/20fa8590-5ef1-11eb-a177-7765f29a9524_story.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Protests took place in most major cities, including [[Amsterdam]] and [[Eindhoven]]. Police made hundreds of arrests and issued thousands of fines.<ref name="FT 210126" /><ref name="WSJ 210126">{{cite news |last1=Pop |first1=Valentina |title=Dutch Rioters Clash With Police for Third Night Over Covid-19 Curfew |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/dutch-rioters-clash-with-police-for-third-night-over-covid-19-curfew-11611664598?page=1 |access-date=27 January 2021 |work=The Wall Street Journal |date=26 January 2021 |archive-date=22 December 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211222175714/https://www.wsj.com/articles/dutch-rioters-clash-with-police-for-third-night-over-covid-19-curfew-11611664598?page=1 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Guardian 210126">{{cite news |last1=Henley |first1=John |title=Netherlands shaken by third night of riots over Covid curfew |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jan/26/netherlands-third-night-riots-covid-curfew-lockdown-protesters |access-date=27 January 2021 |work=The Guardian |date=26 January 2021 |archive-date=26 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210126225117/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jan/26/netherlands-third-night-riots-covid-curfew-lockdown-protesters |url-status=live }}</ref> The Dutch Police Association described the riots at the worst violence in Netherlands in the last 40 years.<ref name="FT 210126" /> The protests have been described as being composed of mostly young men.<ref name="FT 210126" /><ref name="WSJ 210126" /><br />
<br />
An opinion poll by public broadcaster [[Nederlandse Omroep Stichting|NOS]] indicated that the curfew was supported by seven out of 10 Dutch respondents (although the amounts of respondents is unknown), with just 18% of the population opposing it.<ref name="WSJ 210126" /> An online poll with over 28.000 respondents, done by Radio NPO1, a Dutch state radio station, showed that 89% of Dutch people wanted the curfew to be removed.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://degouda.nl/poll-van-npo1-meerderheid-wil-avondklok-weg-en-wat-vinden-gouwenaars-van-de-avondklok/|title=Poll van NPO1: Meerderheid wil avondklok weg en wat vinden Gouwenaars van de avondklok?|date=18 February 2021|access-date=4 November 2021|archive-date=4 November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211104160506/https://degouda.nl/poll-van-npo1-meerderheid-wil-avondklok-weg-en-wat-vinden-gouwenaars-van-de-avondklok/|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
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After the Netherlands went into a partial lockdown on 12 November 2021 due to a sharp rise in COVID-19 cases, another series of protests and riots occurred over such measures. Rioting was especially concentrated in [[Rotterdam]], where [[National Police Corps (Netherlands)|police]] fired warning shots at rioters, injuring at least two.<ref>{{cite news|title= Rotterdam police clash with rioters as Covid protest turns violent|url= https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-59355950|access-date= 20 November 2021|work= BBC News|date= 20 November 2021|archive-date= 20 November 2021|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20211120001743/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-59355950|url-status= live}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Poland ===<br />
[[File:Protest against anti-pandemic measures in Warsaw (20.03.2021) (17).jpg|thumb|Protest against anti-pandemic measures in Warsaw]]<br />
Hundreds of protesters gathered in the Polish border town of [[Zgorzelec]] to protest the lockdown regulations, the protest was staged specifically on the foot bridge connecting Zgorzelec and the German town of [[Görlitz]] as many lived in Poland but worked in Germany. Many protested the inability to cross the borders of the countries as they lived in a different country from where they worked, and similar protests were seen in border towns along the Polish-German border and the Polish-[[Czech Republic|Czech]] border.<ref>{{cite news|agency=Reuters|date=25 April 2020|title=Hundreds Protest Against Lockdown at Polish-German Border|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2020/04/25/world/europe/25reuters-health-coronavirus-cross-border-workers.html|access-date=1 May 2020|issn=0362-4331|archive-date=26 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200426002608/https://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2020/04/25/world/europe/25reuters-health-coronavirus-cross-border-workers.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Freedom march (Marsz Wolności) happens every month, for example in Wrocław.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://gazetawroclawska.pl/marsz-wolnosci-we-wroclawiu-koronasceptycy-przyszli-tlumnie-interweniowala-policja-zdjecia/ar/c1-15453618|title=Marsz wolności we Wrocławiu. Koronasceptycy przyszli tłumnie, interweniowała policja [ZDJĘCIA]|language=Polish|date=20 February 2020|first=Jerzy|last=Wójcik|publisher=Gazeta Wrocławska|access-date=22 February 2021|archive-date=21 February 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210221083516/https://gazetawroclawska.pl/marsz-wolnosci-we-wroclawiu-koronasceptycy-przyszli-tlumnie-interweniowala-policja-zdjecia/ar/c1-15453618|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
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=== Russia ===<br />
Security forces broke up a crowd of about 2,000 individuals protesting against the lockdown in [[Vladikavkaz]], with some detained and the believed organizer arrested prior to the event.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Russian Police Break-Up Anti-Lockdown Protest|url=https://www.rferl.org/a/russian-police-break-up-anti-lockdown-protest/30568221.html|last=Furlong|first=Ray|date=21 April 2020|website=Radio Free Europe Radio Liberty|access-date=1 May 2020|archive-date=1 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200501054754/https://www.rferl.org/a/russian-police-break-up-anti-lockdown-protest/30568221.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Some protesters at the event used their social media to post videos about their demands against the lockdown, with one stating; "Today, under the pretext of the coronavirus, which doesn't exist, people are driven into slavery, they are trying to establish total control over us all."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-russia-protests-idUSKBN22225B|title=Hundreds protest in southern Russian against coronavirus curbs|date=20 April 2020|first1=Alexander|last1=Marrow|first2=Maria|last2=Tsvetkova|website=Reuters|access-date=30 April 2020|archive-date=29 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200429005016/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-russia-protests-idUSKBN22225B|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
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=== Serbia ===<br />
{{Main|2020–2021 Serbian protests}}<br />
On 7 July 2020, a riot began in [[Belgrade]] after the government's announcement of a [[curfew]] for the weekend. Protests began because of the government's continuous change in handling COVID-19 policy and alleged hiding of the number of COVID-19 cases in the country.{{citation needed|date=August 2021}}<br />
<br />
=== Slovakia ===<br />
In late 2020 and during 2021, several anti-COVID-restriction protests were held also in [[Slovakia]], mainly in the capital, [[Bratislava]] and also [[Košice|Kosice]].<br />
Many people are starting to disobey the rules: they go to bars even though they are not vaccinated, they don't wear FFP2 mask but only textile mask. There were even incidents of people without masks coming to a grocery store. These customers were then beaten by the police as they refused to put on their mask.<br />
<br />
=== Spain ===<br />
[[File:-LaRevoluciónDeLasMascarillas (49937665687).jpg|thumb|Protest in Spain on 26 May 2020]]<br />
Thousands of people, mostly supporters of the right-wing party [[Vox (political party)|Vox]], attended protests in [[Madrid]] and the country's regional capitals over the lockdown and its impact on the [[Economy of Spain|Spanish economy]]. The protesters drove in convoys to adhere to social distancing, with the Madrid protest led by a bus containing Vox leader [[Santiago Abascal]]. Abascal called for [[Sánchez II Government|the national government]] of [[Pedro Sánchez]] to resign over its handling of the virus.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-52783936|title=Coronavirus: Anti-lockdown car protest draws thousands|date=23 May 2020|website=BBC|access-date=23 May 2020|archive-date=23 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200523212612/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-52783936|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-05-12 |title=Vox llama a "recuperar la calle" contra el Gobierno y Abascal anuncia protestas diarias |url=https://www.europapress.es/nacional/noticia-vox-llama-recuperar-calle-contra-gobierno-abascal-anuncia-protestas-diarias-20200512112543.html |access-date=2022-10-31 |publisher=Europa Press}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Ponferrada |first=Diario de León {{!}} Noticias de León, Bierzo y |title=Vox llama a "recuperar la calle" el día 23 y Abascal anuncia caceroladas diarias y protestas constantes |url=https://www.diariodeleon.es/articulo/afondo/vox-llama-recuperar-calle-dia-23-abascal-anuncia-caceroladas-diarias-protestas-constantes/202005122242472011941.html |access-date=2022-10-31 |website=Diario de León {{!}} Noticias de León, Bierzo y Ponferrada |date=12 May 2020 |language=es}}</ref><br />
<br />
On 20 September 2020, thousands of people went out in protest throughout the [[Community of Madrid]] demanding the resignation of the [[Díaz Ayuso government|regional government]] of [[Isabel Díaz Ayuso]], after the latter had announced two days earlier a partial lockdown affecting 850,000 people living in the region's poorest areas which was dubbed as "segregationist" and fostering "stigmatisation, exclusion and territorial discrimination".<ref>{{cite news |date=20 September 2020 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/sep/20/protests-madrid-coronavirus-lockdown-measures-spain |title=Protests in Madrid over coronavirus lockdown measures |newspaper=The Guardian |access-date=20 September 2020 |archive-date=20 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200920182802/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/sep/20/protests-madrid-coronavirus-lockdown-measures-spain |url-status=live }}</ref> The protests came amid growing criticism of Ayuso's handling of the virus as "ineffective" and of her coalition government having "floundered" in its attempt to antagonize with Sánchez's government, as the region became the most heavily hit area in all of Europe in the second wave of the pandemic with many neighborhoods being near or above 1,000 cases per 100,000 people.<ref>{{cite news |date=18 September 2020 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/sep/18/madrid-poor-spanish-capital-covid-19 |title=Lockdown measures and rising anger in Madrid as Covid-19 takes hold again |newspaper=The Guardian |access-date=20 September 2020 |archive-date=20 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200920031444/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/sep/18/madrid-poor-spanish-capital-covid-19 |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
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=== Sweden ===<br />
On 6 March 2021, an estimate of 300-500 people gathered at Medborgarplatsen in Stockholm to protest against COVID-19 measures. The Swedish police dispersed hundreds of protesters and stated that six of their officers had been injured in the process, with one needing to be hospitalized.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.svt.se/nyheter/inrikes/polisen-upploser-demonstration-mot-coronarestriktioner|title=Polisen upplöser demonstration mot coronarestriktioner|newspaper=SVT Nyheter|date=6 March 2021|via=www.svt.se|access-date=9 March 2021|archive-date=10 March 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210310032308/https://www.svt.se/nyheter/inrikes/polisen-upploser-demonstration-mot-coronarestriktioner|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=2021-03-07 |title=Swedish police break up coronavirus demonstration in Stockholm |language=en |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/swedish-police-break-up-coronavirus-demonstration-stockholm-2021-03-06/ |access-date=2023-08-07}}</ref><br />
[[File:Anti-Lock Down Protest London (51137271728).jpg|thumb|Anti-lockdown protest march in London, April 2021]]<br />
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=== Switzerland ===<br />
[[Image:COVID19-20211108-Onex-sticker-opposition.jpg|thumb|Opposition to the Covid certificate in Switzerland, sticker at [[Canton of Geneva|Geneva]].]]<br />
On June 11, 2020, the member of the [[Zurich Cantonal Council]] Urs Hahn was expelled from his party, the Greens, for opposing the thesis of the seriousness of the pandemic.<ref>{{Cite news|language =de|author1=Daniel Fritzsche|author2=Stefan Hotz|url=https://www.nzz.ch/zuerich/urs-hans-gruene-in-zuerich-distanzieren-sich-von-ihrem-kantonsrat-ld.1555960?reduced=true|title="Abenteuerliche Thesen": Die Zürcher Grünen distanzieren sich von ihrem Kantonsrat Urs Hans, weil er Verschwörungstheorien zum Coronavirus verbeitet|periodical=[[Neue Zürcher Zeitung]]|date=2020-05-11}}</ref> On September 12, 2020, a demonstration against masks, containment measures or the supposed lies of the media brings together a thousand people in Geneva at the Place des Nations, in front of the [[United Nations Organization|United Nations]].<ref>{{Cite news|author=[[Swiss Telegraph Agency|ATS]]|url=https://www.letemps.ch/suisse/un-millier-dantimasques-manifestent-geneve|title=A thousand anti-masks demonstrate in Geneva|periodical=[[Le Temps (Swiss daily newspaper)|Le Temps]]|date=2020-09-12}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url= https://www.rts.ch/info/regions/geneve/11598989-un-rassemblement-antimasque-reunit-1000-personnes-a-geneve.html|title=An anti-mask rally brings together 1,000 people in Geneva|website=[[Swiss Radio and Television]]|date=2020-09-12}}</ref> The three major opposition figures [[Disinformation on the Covid-19 pandemic|coronasceptics]] in French-speaking Switzerland are the [[web videographers]] [[Chloé Frammery]], Ema Krusi and Christian Tal Schaller.<ref>{{Cite news|author=Laure Lugon|author2=Sylvia Revello|url=https://www.letemps.ch/suisse/complotistes-senflamment-autour-coronavirus|title=Les complotistes ignite around the coronavirus|periodical =[[Le Temps (Swiss daily newspaper)|Le Temps]]|date=2020-05-11}}</ref> Coronasceptics and opponents of measures to combat the spread of Covid-19 are increasingly occupying the Federal Office of Police (Fedpol). Threats against federal officials are on the rise.<ref>{{Cite web |language=en |title=In Switzerland, "coronasceptics" are increasingly occupying the police |url=https://www.rts.ch/info/suisse/11719150-in-switzerland-coronasceptics-occupy-more-and-more-the-police.html |website=[[Swiss Radio and Television]] |date=2020-11-01 |access-date =2021-03-26}}</ref><br />
<br />
In January 2021, the [[National Council (Switzerland)|national councilor]] [[Democratic Union of the Center|UDC]] [[Yves Nidegger]] opposed the “health dictatorship”.<ref>{{Cite web| author=Elio Sottas|url=https://www.lemanbleu.ch/fr/News/Yves-Nidegger-souhaite-reconstruire-Geneve-en-ruine.html|title=Yves Nidegger wishes to rebuild "Geneva in ruins"|website =[[Léman Bleu]]|date=2021-01-06}}.</ref> In Liestal, 8000 people demonstrate on March 20, 2021, against the anti-Covid measures in force while in Bern the police stop a demonstration for the same causes.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Anti-Covid demonstrations -sanitary measures in Liestal and Bern |url=https://www.swissinfo.ch/fre/manifestations-anti-mesures-sanitaires-%C3%A0-liestal-et-%C3%A0-berne/46465440 |website =[[Swissinfo]] |date=2021-03-20}}</ref> Following these demonstrations, the #NoLiestal movement is rising on digital networks to denounce and counter the agglomeration initiatives of coronasceptics in Switzerland.<ref>{{Cite web |language=fr |title=Forum (video) - The #NoLiestal movement, the counter-offensive against coronasceptics |url=https://www.rts.ch/play/tv/forum-video/video/le-mouvement-noliestal-la-contre-offensive-face-aux-coronasceptiques?urn=urn:rts:video:12075124 |website=[[Swiss Radio and Television]]|date=2021-03-25|access-date=2021-03-26}}.</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.watson.ch/fr/suisse/pand%C3%A9mie/674339869-noliestal-le-hashtag-qui-denonce-les-manifs-anti-restrictions|title=#NoLiestal, the hashtag that denounces anti-restrictions demonstrations|website=[[Watson (newspaper)|Watson]]|date=2021-03-25}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Ukraine ===<br />
On 14–20 February, protests against the placement of evacuated Ukrainian citizens (suspected of having coronavirus disease 2019) from the city of Wuhan (PRC) in Ukraine took place in Novi Sanzhary.<br />
<br />
In the summer and autumn of 2021, actions against obligatory vaccination against COVID-19 and restrictions for unvaccinated persons took place in various cities of Ukraine. In particular, on 27 July the "procession" against vaccination was organized by the [[Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate)|Moscow Patriarchate]]<ref>{{cite news<br />
| date = 27 July 2021<br />
| title = "Наша вакцина - це причастіє": хресна хода УПЦ МП у розпал пандемії. Як це було<br />
| url = https://www.bbc.com/ukrainian/media-57985963<br />
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20211105082542/https://www.bbc.com/ukrainian/media-57985963<br />
| archive-date = 5 November 2021<br />
| access-date = 5 November 2021<br />
}}</ref><br />
and on November 3 the protesters blocked the streets in Kyiv<ref>{{cite news<br />
| date = 5 November 2021<br />
| title = Мітинг антивакцинаторів у Києві: страх втратити роботу або стати роботами<br />
| url = https://p.dw.com/p/42XkY<br />
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20211105082112/https://www.dw.com/uk/mitynh-antyvaktsynatoriv-u-kyievi-strakh-vtratyty-robotu-abo-staty-robotamy/a-59711738<br />
| archive-date = 5 November 2021<br />
| access-date = 5 November 2021<br />
}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== United Kingdom ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 protests in the United Kingdom}}<br />
The first protests against the national mandatory lockdown in the United Kingdom took place in April&nbsp;2020, extending into the following month before abating as lockdown restrictions were slowly eased. As local area lockdown measures were reintroduced towards the end of summer, followed by stricter national lockdown measures, anti-lockdown protests resurged across the country beginning in September&nbsp;2020. More than 55 protesters have been arrested in these events as of October 2020. Some protesters have claimed that COVID-19 is a hoax, and many refused to wear [[Face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic|masks]] or practice [[social distancing]].<ref name="HuffPost Sept 2020">{{cite web | title=Revealed: The So-Called 'Top Class Doctors And Nurses' Backing Anti-Mask Protests | website=HuffPost | url=https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/these-are-the-so-called-top-class-doctors-and-nurses-backing-anti-mask-protests_uk_5f4e4531c5b697186e3b790d | date=5 September 2020 | access-date=15 October 2020 | archive-date=20 September 2020 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200920044007/https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/these-are-the-so-called-top-class-doctors-and-nurses-backing-anti-mask-protests_uk_5f4e4531c5b697186e3b790d | url-status=live }}</ref> Protests have occurred in [[Shrewsbury]],<ref>{{Cite web|last=Leather|first=Harry|title=Two arrested after anti-lockdown protesters in stand-off with police on roof of Shrewsbury College|url=https://www.shropshirestar.com/news/health/coronavirus-covid19/2020/04/20/anti-lockdown-protesters-in-stand-off-with-police-on-roof-of-shrewsbury-college/|access-date=10 July 2020|website=www.shropshirestar.com|date=20 April 2020 |language=en|archive-date=7 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201007010409/https://www.shropshirestar.com/news/health/coronavirus-covid19/2020/04/20/anti-lockdown-protesters-in-stand-off-with-police-on-roof-of-shrewsbury-college/|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Glastonbury]],<ref>{{Cite web|last=Mills|first=Richard|date=1 May 2020|title=Live updates as police attend protest against lockdown in Somerset|url=https://www.somersetlive.co.uk/news/somerset-news/lockdown-protest-glastonbury-corbyn-live-4096098|access-date=10 July 2020|website=somersetlive|language=en|archive-date=4 December 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201204235515/https://www.somersetlive.co.uk/news/somerset-news/lockdown-protest-glastonbury-corbyn-live-4096098|url-status=live}}</ref> [[London]], [[Manchester]], [[Glasgow]], [[Belfast]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://metro.co.uk/2020/05/16/19-arrested-anti-lockdown-protests-take-place-across-country-12715038/|title=19 arrested as anti-lockdown protests take place across country|first=Faye|last=Brown|date=16 May 2020|access-date=24 May 2020|archive-date=23 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200523160939/https://metro.co.uk/2020/05/16/19-arrested-anti-lockdown-protests-take-place-across-country-12715038/|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Hove]],<ref>{{Cite web|date=19 May 2020|title=Coronavirus lockdown prompts Hove seafront protest|url=https://www.brightonandhovenews.org/2020/05/19/coronavirus-lockdown-prompts-hove-seafront-protest/|access-date=10 July 2020|website=Brighton and Hove News|language=en-US|archive-date=15 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201015171929/https://www.brightonandhovenews.org/2020/05/19/coronavirus-lockdown-prompts-hove-seafront-protest/|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Birmingham]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/protests-birmingham-city-centre-over-18924302|title=Protests in Birmingham city centre over lockdown restrictions|first=Stephanie|last=Balloo|date=12 September 2020|website=BirminghamLive|access-date=12 September 2020|archive-date=13 September 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200913011210/https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/protests-birmingham-city-centre-over-18924302|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Liverpool]],<ref>{{cite web|title=Conspiracy theorist Piers Corbyn tells crowd of unmasked protesters 'covid is a hoax'|url=https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/conspiracy-theorist-piers-corbyn-tells-19125232|newspaper=Liverpool Echo|first=Jonathan|last=Humphries|date=18 October 2020|access-date=18 October 2020|archive-date=19 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201019060254/https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/conspiracy-theorist-piers-corbyn-tells-19125232|url-status=live}}</ref> as well as a few other cities.<br />
<br />
Protests over restrictions overlapped with [[anti-vaccine]] protests following the start of the UK's [[COVID-19 vaccination in the United Kingdom|COVID-19 vaccination programme]] in December 2020.<ref>{{cite news|date=2021-07-03|title=The anti-lockdown movement is still going strong|newspaper=The Economist|url=https://www.economist.com/britain/2021/07/03/the-anti-lockdown-movement-is-still-going-strong|access-date=2021-09-12|issn=0013-0613|archive-date=12 September 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210912213950/https://www.economist.com/britain/2021/07/03/the-anti-lockdown-movement-is-still-going-strong|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-07-19|title=Bottles thrown at police in anti-lockdown and anti-vaccination protest|url=https://www.itv.com/news/london/2021-07-19/bottles-thrown-at-police-in-anti-lockdown-and-anti-vaccination-protest|access-date=2021-09-12|website=ITV News|language=en|archive-date=13 September 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210913193143/https://www.itv.com/news/london/2021-07-19/bottles-thrown-at-police-in-anti-lockdown-and-anti-vaccination-protest|url-status=live}}</ref> On the weekend of 24–25 July 2021, protests broke out again in several major cities in the United Kingdom including [[London]],<ref>{{Cite web|title=Thousands protest amid global anger against COVID restrictions|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/7/24/protesters-against-covid-restrictions-clash-with-police-in-paris|access-date=2021-07-25|website=www.aljazeera.com|language=en|archive-date=25 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210725014050/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/7/24/protesters-against-covid-restrictions-clash-with-police-in-paris|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Leeds]],<ref>{{Cite web|last1=Norden|first1=Jasmine|date=2021-07-24|title='Freedom Rally' blocks Leeds roads as protestors accuse government of lies|url=https://www.leeds-live.co.uk/news/leeds-news/freedom-rally-blocks-leeds-roads-21137368|access-date=2021-07-25|website=LeedsLive|language=en|archive-date=25 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210725014059/https://www.leeds-live.co.uk/news/leeds-news/freedom-rally-blocks-leeds-roads-21137368|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Manchester]]<ref>{{Cite web|last1=Abbit|first1=Beth|date=2021-07-24|title=Protesters chant 'shame on you' at police during march through Manchester|url=https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/protesters-chant-shame-you-police-21137043|access-date=2021-07-25|website=Manchester Evening News|language=en|archive-date=25 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210725014059/https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/protesters-chant-shame-you-police-21137043|url-status=live}}</ref> and [[Birmingham]] due to people [[Vaccine hesitancy|opposing vaccines]] and [[COVID passports in the United Kingdom|proposed COVID passports]].<ref>{{Cite web|first=Nick|last=Horner|date=2021-07-24|title=Lockdown protests causing city centre road chaos|url=https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/live-anti-lockdown-protests-causing-21136037|access-date=2021-07-25|website=BirminghamLive|language=en|archive-date=25 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210725014049/https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/live-anti-lockdown-protests-causing-21136037|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
== North America ==<br />
<br />
=== Canada ===<br />
[[File:COVID-19 Vancouver's largest protest, April 26th 2020 (49823981297).jpg|thumb|Anti-lockdown protest in [[Vancouver]], British Columbia, on 26 April 2020]]<br />
{{main|COVID-19 protests in Canada}}<br />
In Canada, protests began on 19 April 2020 in [[Vancouver]].<ref name="Vancouver COVID-19 protests">{{cite news |last1=Carrigg |first1=David |title=COVID-19: Small group protests coronavirus restrictions in Vancouver |url=https://vancouversun.com/news/local-news/covid-19-vancouver-police-escort-small-group-protesting-government-restrictions/ |access-date=6 May 2020 |agency=Postmedia Network |publisher=Vancouver Sun |date=19 April 2020 |archive-date=12 May 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200512150249/https://vancouversun.com/news/local-news/covid-19-vancouver-police-escort-small-group-protesting-government-restrictions/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|date=26 April 2020|title=Protesters march against COVID-19 prevention measures in Vancouver &#124; CTV News|publisher=Bc.ctvnews.ca|url=https://bc.ctvnews.ca/protesters-march-against-covid-19-prevention-measures-in-vancouver-1.4912767|access-date=30 April 2020|archive-date=2 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200502004835/https://bc.ctvnews.ca/protesters-march-against-covid-19-prevention-measures-in-vancouver-1.4912767|url-status=live}}</ref> Protests also occurred in [[Toronto]], [[Edmonton]] and [[Ottawa]].<ref>{{cite news|title='A bunch of yahoos,' Ont. premier says of people protesting COVID-19 emergency measures &#124; CTV News|publisher=Toronto.ctvnews.ca|url=https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/a-bunch-of-yahoos-ont-premier-says-of-people-protesting-covid-19-emergency-measures-1.4911861|access-date=30 April 2020|archive-date=1 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200501172956/https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/a-bunch-of-yahoos-ont-premier-says-of-people-protesting-covid-19-emergency-measures-1.4911861|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Lauren |first1=Boothby |title=Hundreds flock to Alberta legislature to protest COVID-19 restrictions |url=https://edmontonjournal.com/news/local-news/hundreds-flock-to-alberta-legislature-to-protest-covid-19-restrictions/wcm/e93da949-89f6-4b77-8376-9a8ffbf5e340/ |access-date=5 May 2020 |work=Edmonton Journal |date=1 May 2020 |archive-date=6 May 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200506060124/https://edmontonjournal.com/news/local-news/hundreds-flock-to-alberta-legislature-to-protest-covid-19-restrictions/wcm/e93da949-89f6-4b77-8376-9a8ffbf5e340/ |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
On 21 April 2020 it was reported that prisoners at the [[Saskatchewan Penitentiary]] had been protesting against restrictions placed upon them in response to COVID-19, like being kept in their cells for 20 hours a day.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Bridges |first1=Alicia |title=Sask. Penitentiary inmates protest COVID-19 restrictions they say put them in cells 20 hours per day |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatoon/protests-covid-19-saskatchewan-penitentiary-1.5538728 |access-date=5 May 2020 |work=CBC News |date=21 April 2020 |archive-date=24 April 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200424090731/https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatoon/protests-covid-19-saskatchewan-penitentiary-1.5538728 |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
On 15 January 2021, [[Roman Baber]], [[Member of Provincial Parliament&nbsp;(Canada)|Member of Provincial Parliament]] for the [[Toronto]] riding of [[York Centre (provincial electoral district)|York Centre]], was removed from the caucus of the governing [[Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario]] after publishing an open letter to [[Premier of Ontario|Premier]] [[Doug Ford]] criticizing [[COVID-19 pandemic in Ontario|Ontario's lockdown restrictions]]. Baber continued his anti-lockdown advocacy as an [[independent politician|independent]] member of the legislative [[opposition (politics)|opposition]].<ref name="ts011521">{{cite news |last1=Benzie |first1=Robert |title=Premier Doug Ford turfs MPP Roman Baber from Tory caucus for opposing COVID-19 lockdown |url=https://www.thestar.com/politics/provincial/2021/01/15/tory-mpp-roman-baber-breaks-ranks-with-premier-doug-ford-urges-end-to-covid-19-lockdown.html |access-date=15 January 2021 |work=Toronto Star |publisher=Torstar |date=15 January 2021 |archive-date=15 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210115132729/https://www.thestar.com/politics/provincial/2021/01/15/tory-mpp-roman-baber-breaks-ranks-with-premier-doug-ford-urges-end-to-covid-19-lockdown.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/ontario-covid-19-january-15-2021-1.5874606| title=Ford ousts MPP from caucus over open letter pushing for end to COVID-19 lockdown| date=15 January 2021| website=cbc.ca| access-date=19 January 2021| archive-date=19 January 2021| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210119092609/https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/ontario-covid-19-january-15-2021-1.5874606| url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite tweet| user=Roman_Baber| number=1350089062800105473| title=I was removed from the @OntarioPCParty caucus. It's a regretful decision since many colleagues agree with me, incl @fordnation in large part. I don't regret speaking out for millions of lives & livelihoods decimated by Public Health, I serve the public. The Lockdown is grounded in false public health narrative, poor planning & bad data. While Doug only cares about re-election, Lockdowns are killing more than saving. I couldn't watch the suffering anymore. I hope I encouraged other professionals to speak out.| date=15 January 2021| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210115162937/https://twitter.com/Roman_Baber/status/1350089062800105473| archive-date= 15 January 2021| url-status =live}}</ref><br />
<br />
On 1 September 2021, thousands of people protested COVID-19 vaccine policies and mask mandates outside of [[Vancouver City Hall]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Protesters target B.C. hospitals disrupting patients, staff - NEWS 1130|url=https://www.citynews1130.com/2021/09/01/covid-protesters-bc-hospitals/|access-date=2021-09-03|website=www.citynews1130.com|archive-date=3 September 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210903030258/https://www.citynews1130.com/2021/09/01/covid-protesters-bc-hospitals/|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
[[File:Convoi de la liberté à Ottawa 01.jpg|thumb|Anti-mandate protest in [[Ottawa]], Canada's capital city, on 1 February 2022]]<br />
In January 2022, [[Freedom Convoy 2022]] began. Prime Minister [[Justin Trudeau]] invoked the [[Emergencies Act]] for the first time to quell the unrest from the occupation and harassment of Ottawa and its citizens by hundreds of trucks, their drivers and thousands of unruly protesters.<br />
<br />
====Alberta====<br />
A far-right group calling itself "Walk for Freedom" has been organizing anti-mask protests since at least April 2020.<ref name="CTV_20200429">{{cite news| title = Protest to 'End the Lockdown' attracts more than 100 people to Alberta legislature| work = CTV News Edmonton| access-date = 21 February 2021| date = 29 April 2020| url = https://edmonton.ctvnews.ca/protest-to-end-the-lockdown-attracts-more-than-100-people-to-alberta-legislature-1.4917828| archive-date = 9 March 2021| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210309035715/https://edmonton.ctvnews.ca/protest-to-end-the-lockdown-attracts-more-than-100-people-to-alberta-legislature-1.4917828| url-status = live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Anti-mask protesters take to the streets in Calgary to fight COVID-19 restrictions |url=https://calgary.ctvnews.ca/anti-mask-protesters-take-to-the-streets-in-calgary-to-fight-covid-19-restrictions-1.5228760 |first=Timm |last=Bruch |work=CTV News |date=12 December 2020 |access-date=21 February 2021 |archive-date=10 February 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210210223346/https://calgary.ctvnews.ca/anti-mask-protesters-take-to-the-streets-in-calgary-to-fight-covid-19-restrictions-1.5228760 |url-status=live }}</ref> Concerns were raised when several hundred protestors took part in a 20 February 2021 freedom convoy and Jericho Torch March at the Legislature organized by the "Walk for Freedom Alberta" and the "Freedom Unity Alliance".<ref name="global_Bench_20210221">{{cite news| last = Bench| first = Allison| title = Protesters gather from across the province at Alberta legislature to fight COVID-19 health measures| work = Global News| location = Edmonton, Alberta| access-date = 21 February 2021| date = 21 February 2021| url = https://globalnews.ca/news/7652604/feb-20-walk-for-freedom-covid-19/| archive-date = 22 February 2021| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210222015650/http://globalnews.ca/news/7652604/feb-20-walk-for-freedom-covid-19/| url-status = live}}</ref> Posters advertising the rally included an image of white nationalists marching through [[Charlottesville, Virginia|Charlottesville]] with [[Tiki torch]]es in the 2017 US [[Unite the Right rally]].<ref name="global_Bench_20210221"/><ref>{{Cite web| title = COVID Conspiracy Groups Are Using A Picture From Charlottesville Neo-Nazi Rally To Promote Their Upcoming 'Torch March'| work = Canadian Anti-Hate Network| access-date = February 22, 2021| date = February 16, 2021| url = https://www.antihate.ca/covid_conspiracy_groups_picture_charlottesville_neo_nazi_rally_promote_their_upcoming_torch_march |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210216201222/https://www.antihate.ca/covid_conspiracy_groups_picture_charlottesville_neo_nazi_rally_promote_their_upcoming_torch_march |archive-date=16 February 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web| work = Facebook| access-date = February 22, 2021| date = February 16, 2021| url = https://www.facebook.com/WALK108/photos/pcb.147482763873027/147482720539698/| author = WALK108| title = Poster for Walk for Freedom rallies| archive-date = 22 February 2021| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210222204047/https://www.facebook.com/WALK108/photos/pcb.147482763873027/147482720539698/| url-status = live}}</ref><ref name="660News_20210124">{{Cite web| title = Experts confused, concerned with anti-lockdown rally imagery| work = 660 NEWS| access-date = February 22, 2021| date = January 24, 2021| url = https://www.660citynews.com/2021/01/23/experts-confused-concerned-with-anti-lockdown-rally-imagery/| archive-date = 26 February 2021| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210226213959/https://www.660citynews.com/2021/01/23/experts-confused-concerned-with-anti-lockdown-rally-imagery/| url-status = live}}</ref> The group of hundreds of unmasked anti-lockdown protestors, carrying a Walk for Freedom banner included [[COVID-19 misinformation|COVID-19 deniers]].<ref name="CTV_20210221">{{cite news| title = Hatred, COVID-19 skepticism denounced after anti-lockdown rally at Alberta legislature| work = CTV Edmonton| access-date = February 21, 2021| date = February 21, 2021| url = https://edmonton.ctvnews.ca/hatred-covid-19-skepticism-denounced-after-anti-lockdown-rally-at-alta-legislature-1.5317502| archive-date = 22 February 2021| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210222045333/https://edmonton.ctvnews.ca/hatred-covid-19-skepticism-denounced-after-anti-lockdown-rally-at-alta-legislature-1.5317502| url-status = live}}</ref> Others were supporters of a pastor who was arrested for repeatedly refusing to comply to public health regulations, such as capping attendance, physical distancing and mask-wearing.<ref name="CBC_20210217">{{cite news| title = GraceLife pastor held in custody for refusing to comply with bail conditions| location = Edmonton, Alberta| access-date = February 21, 2021| date = February 17, 2021| url = https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/alberta-covid-coronavirus-grace-life-church-pastor-1.5917526| archive-date = 22 February 2021| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210222134044/https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/alberta-covid-coronavirus-grace-life-church-pastor-1.5917526| url-status = live}}</ref><ref name="thestar_20210221">{{cite news| title = Anti-lockdown rally at Alberta legislature voices support for jailed pastor| work = The Star| location = Edmonton, Alberta| access-date = February 21, 2021| date = February 21, 2021| url = https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2021/02/20/anti-lockdown-rally-at-alberta-legislature-voices-support-for-jailed-pastor.html| archive-date = 21 February 2021| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210221082455/https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2021/02/20/anti-lockdown-rally-at-alberta-legislature-voices-support-for-jailed-pastor.html| url-status = live}}</ref> The [[Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms]] (JCCF), representing the pastor, had launched a legal charter challenge against the Alberta government.<ref name="Griwkowsky_20201207">{{cite news| title = Justice centre launches legal challenge against Covid restrictions| work = Politics Today| url = https://www.politicstoday.news/alberta-today/justice-centre-launches-legal-challenge-against-covid-restrictions| first = Catherine| last = Griwkowsky| date = December 7, 2020| access-date = February 21, 2021| archive-date = 1 February 2021| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210201215035/https://www.politicstoday.news/alberta-today/justice-centre-launches-legal-challenge-against-covid-restrictions| url-status = live}}</ref> The Mayor of Edmonton said that the rally organizers were from outside Edmonton and that they "may be associated with known hate groups. Edmonton unequivocally condemns racism, misogyny and other forms of hate—such speech is not welcome in our community."<ref>{{cite news| title = Anti-restriction protesters gather at legislature, march in streets with tiki torches| work = 660 News| location = Edmonton, Alberta| access-date = February 21, 2021| date = February 20, 2021| url = https://www.660citynews.com/2021/02/20/large-anti-mask-and-anti-restriction-protest-underway-soon-in-edmonton/| archive-date = 21 February 2021| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210221182147/https://www.660citynews.com/2021/02/20/large-anti-mask-and-anti-restriction-protest-underway-soon-in-edmonton/| url-status = live}}</ref><ref name="CTV_20210221"/><ref>{{Cite AV media| title = Anti-lockdown protesters clash with media at "Walk for Freedom" rally |series=CTV News| access-date = February 21, 2021| date =February 21, 2021| url = https://edmonton.citynews.ca/video/2021/02/21/anti-lockdown-protesters-clash-with-media-at-walk-for-freedom-rally/}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Cuba ===<br />
{{Main|2021 Cuban protests}}<br />
A series of protests began on 11 July 2021, triggered by the shortage of food and medicine and the government's response to the resurgent [[COVID-19 pandemic in Cuba]].<ref>{{cite news|last=Robles|first=Frances|date=11 July 2021|title=Cubans Denounce 'Misery' in Biggest Protests in Decades|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/11/world/americas/cuba-crisis-protests.html|issn=0362-4331|archive-date=11 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210711212619/https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/11/world/americas/cuba-crisis-protests.html|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Mexico ===<br />
On 29 April, police in [[Yajalón]], [[Municipalities of Chiapas|Chiapas]], southern Mexico, opened fire on people who were protesting against a checkpoint that left their community isolated. Residents of neighbouring [[Tumbalá]] complained that the checkpoint made it impossible for them to access governmental and banking services and that it seemed to be related to a belief that Tumbalá had a high rate of coronavirus infection. Checkpoints have been installed in about 20% of Mexico's municipalities, which the federal government has declared illegal.<ref>{{cite news |title=México: Protesta contra retén por COVID termina en tiroteo |url=https://apnews.com/cfcb0c1a9718e9f62b05c1a67399398b |website=AP NEWS |access-date=5 June 2020 |date=30 April 2020 |archive-date=5 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200605181818/https://apnews.com/cfcb0c1a9718e9f62b05c1a67399398b |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
Hundreds of Mexicans participated in caravans on 30 May demanding the resignation of President [[Andrés Manuel López Obrador]] because of his handling of the [[COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico]] and the economy. The caravans, which took place in about a dozen cities across the country, consisted largely of luxury cars.<ref>{{cite web |title=Manifestaciones anti AMLO en varios estados - Estados - La Jornada |url=https://www.jornada.com.mx/ultimas/estados/2020/05/30/manifestaciones-anti-amlo-en-los-estados-6108.html |website=www.jornada.com.mx |access-date=5 June 2020 |language=es |date=30 May 2020 |archive-date=5 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200605182825/https://www.jornada.com.mx/ultimas/estados/2020/05/30/manifestaciones-anti-amlo-en-los-estados-6108.html |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
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Violence broke out on 4 June during [[George Floyd protests|demonstrations]] in [[Guadalajara]], [[Jalisco]] to demand justice after the [[death of Giovanni López]] in the town of [[Ixtlahuacán de los Membrillos]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Justicia para Giovanni: Protestan por el asesinato en Jalisco |url=https://www.milenio.com/estados/giovanni-lopez-protestas-asesinato-joven-jalisco |website=www.milenio.com |date=6 April 2020 |access-date=4 June 2020 |archive-date=5 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200605022951/https://www.milenio.com/estados/giovanni-lopez-protestas-asesinato-joven-jalisco |url-status=live }}</ref> López, a 30-year-old mason, had been arrested on 4 May for not wearing a [[COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico|facemask]] during a [[Stay-at-home order|lockdown]] and died the next day while in police custody.<ref>{{cite web |title=Así fue la detención de Giovanni López justo antes de su muerte |url=https://www.lavanguardia.com/internacional/20200605/481603972248/giovanni-lopez-muerte-policia-detencion-video-seo-ext.html |website=La Vanguardia |access-date=5 June 2020 |language=es |date=5 June 2020 |archive-date=5 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200605093708/https://www.lavanguardia.com/internacional/20200605/481603972248/giovanni-lopez-muerte-policia-detencion-video-seo-ext.html |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
=== United States ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 protests in the United States}}<br />
<br />
The United States' national response began in early January, originating with actions by the [[Centers for Disease Control and Prevention|Centers for Disease Control]] (CDC) and the [[White House]]. The [[COVID-19 pandemic in the United States|first U.S. case of COVID-19]] was recorded on 19 January 2020. In the United States, the [[U.S. state and local government responses to the COVID-19 pandemic|response was determined by state and local officials in coordination with the CDC and federal officials]]. On 9 February, governors were briefed by the [[White House Coronavirus Task Force]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=TIMELINE: The Trump Administration's Decisive Actions To Combat the Coronavirus|url=https://www.donaldjtrump.com/media/timeline-the-trump-administrations-decisive-actions-to-combat-the-coronavirus|access-date=10 July 2020|website=www.donaldjtrump.com|language=en|archive-date=11 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200711100629/https://www.donaldjtrump.com/media/timeline-the-trump-administrations-decisive-actions-to-combat-the-coronavirus|url-status=dead}}</ref> Beginning in mid-March, various [[Social distancing measures related to the COVID-19 pandemic|social distancing measures]] to limit spread of the virus were undertaken by state governors and in some cases counties or cities.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://abcnews.go.com/Health/wireStory/bay-area-counties-california-order-shelter-place-69627648|title=San Francisco Bay Area counties issue shelter-in-place order|last1=Rodriguez|first1=Olga R.|last2=Har|first2=Janie|date=16 March 2020|work=ABC News|access-date=9 May 2020|archive-date=25 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200525143041/https://abcnews.go.com/Health/wireStory/bay-area-counties-california-order-shelter-place-69627648|url-status=live}}</ref> Actions taken included [[stay-at-home order]]s ("quarantine"), school and business closures, and limitation on the size of gatherings. On 19 March 2020, [[Donald Trump|President Donald Trump]], and [[Mike Pence|Vice President Mike Pence]] met (via teleconference) with governors of most states to continue coordination and to assist states with their responses. [[Federal Emergency Management Agency|FEMA]] was brought into the effort around this time.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Remarks by President Trump and Vice President Pence in a Video Teleconference with Governors on COVID-19|url=https://trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov/briefings-statements/remarks-president-trump-vice-president-pence-video-teleconference-governors-covid-19/|access-date=10 July 2020|via=[[NARA|National Archives]]|work=[[whitehouse.gov]]|language=en-US|archive-date=20 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210120200339/https://trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov/briefings-statements/remarks-president-trump-vice-president-pence-video-teleconference-governors-covid-19/|url-status=live}}</ref> By 7 April 42 states had [[Lockdown#In epidemics and pandemics|lockdown orders]] in place.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://nationalpost.com/news/covid-19-people-have-to-be-responsible-for-themselves-eight-states-still-not-locked-down|title=COVID-19: 'People have to be responsible for themselves': Eight U.S. states still not locked down|last=Dittrich|first=Valerie|date=7 April 2020|work=National Post|access-date=9 May 2020}}</ref> The shutdowns had serious economic effects, including a steep rise in unemployment due to the shutdown of stores and workplaces.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2020/04/24/coronavirus-pandemics-impact-on-the-global-economy-in-7-charts.html|title=7 charts show how the coronavirus pandemic has hit the global economy|last=Lee|first=Yen Nee|date=24 April 2020|work=CNBC|access-date=9 May 2020|archive-date=4 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200504231204/https://www.cnbc.com/2020/04/24/coronavirus-pandemics-impact-on-the-global-economy-in-7-charts.html|url-status=live}}</ref> By 15 April protests and demonstrations had broken out in some states, demanding that the area be "re-opened" for normal business and personal activity. By 1 May there had been demonstrations in more than half of the states, and many governors began to take steps to lift the restrictions.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://thehill.com/homenews/sunday-talk-shows/495877-governors-experts-await-results-of-reopening-states-as-protests|title=Governors, experts await results of reopening states as protests continue|last=Budryk|first=Zack|date=3 May 2020|work=The Hill|access-date=9 May 2020|archive-date=10 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200510022802/https://thehill.com/homenews/sunday-talk-shows/495877-governors-experts-await-results-of-reopening-states-as-protests|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
{{multiple image<br />
| footer = Several hundred anti-lockdown protesters rallied at the [[Ohio Statehouse]] on 20 April.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Rouan |first1=Rick |title=Protesters at Statehouse demand state reopen as DeWine announces schools to remain closed |url=https://www.dispatch.com/news/20200420/protesters-at-statehouse-demand-state-reopen-as-dewine-announces-schools-to-remain-closed |access-date=3 May 2020 |work=[[The Columbus Dispatch]] |date=20 April 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200425004821/https://www.dispatch.com/news/20200420/protesters-at-statehouse-demand-state-reopen-as-dewine-announces-schools-to-remain-closed |archive-date=25 April 2020 |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
| image1 = Open Ohio Rally IMG 0910 (49799974031).jpg<br />
| alt1 = Ohio protesters, 18 April<br />
| image2 = CIMG 0355 (49799414598).jpg<br />
| alt2 = Ohio protesters, 20 April 20<br />
}}<br />
One of the first protests was in [[Michigan]] on 15 April 2020, organized by conservative groups which also encouraged groups in other states to copy their wording and templates.{{Citation needed|date=September 2021}} Protesters in numerous other states said they were inspired by Michigan, and they used Michigan's material on their own websites, Facebook groups, and [[Reddit]] pages to promote their protests.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/salvadorhernandez/coronavirus-quarantine-protests-facebook-groups|title=This Is How A Group Linked To Betsy DeVos Is Organizing Protests To End Social Distancing, Now With Trump's Support|website=BuzzFeed News|language=en|access-date=20 April 2020|archive-date=19 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200419180823/https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/salvadorhernandez/coronavirus-quarantine-protests-facebook-groups|url-status=live}}</ref> Subsequent protests were organized by [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] activists or party organizations,<ref name="reuters1">{{cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-trump-protests-idUSKCN2233ES|title=How Trump allies have organized and promoted anti-lockdown protests|date=22 April 2020|work=Reuters|access-date=23 April 2020|language=en|archive-date=23 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200423112936/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-trump-protests-idUSKCN2233ES|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bridgemi.com/michigan-government/meet-trump-loving-group-behind-protest-gov-whitmers-stay-home-order|title=Meet the Trump-loving group behind protest of Gov. Whitmer's stay-home order|date=22 April 2020|website=bridgemi.com|language=en|access-date=23 April 2020|archive-date=26 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200426174050/https://www.bridgemi.com/michigan-government/meet-trump-loving-group-behind-protest-gov-whitmers-stay-home-order|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="komonews">{{cite news|url=https://komonews.com/news/coronavirus/protest-against-state-closure-planned-for-tomorrow-in-olympia|title=Protest against state closure planned for tomorrow in Olympia|first=Cole |last=Miller|date=18 April 2020|website=KOMO|access-date=19 April 2020|archive-date=20 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200420003642/https://komonews.com/news/coronavirus/protest-against-state-closure-planned-for-tomorrow-in-olympia|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Tea Party movement|Tea Party activists]],<ref name=":8">{{cite news|url=https://www.politico.com/news/2020/04/21/trump-allies-help-organize-lockdown-protests-198426|title=Trump allies have their fingerprints on lockdown protests|website=POLITICO|language=en|access-date=23 April 2020|archive-date=22 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200422183744/https://www.politico.com/news/2020/04/21/trump-allies-help-organize-lockdown-protests-198426|url-status=live}}</ref> armed [[Patriot movement|militia movement]] supporters,<ref name="Grauniad-Right">{{cite news|last=Wilson|first=Jason|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/17/far-right-coronavirus-protests-restrictions|title=The rightwing groups behind wave of protests against Covid-19 restrictions|date=17 April 2020|work=The Guardian|access-date=18 April 2020|language=en-GB|issn=0261-3077|quote=...{{nbsp}}{{nbsp}}...|archive-date=18 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200418010447/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/17/far-right-coronavirus-protests-restrictions|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Gun laws in the United States by state|guns-rights]] activists,<ref>{{cite news|url=https://bringmethenews.com/minnesota-news/washington-post-links-minnesota-gun-group-to-anti-quarantine-protests|title=WaPo reveals Minnesota gun group link to anti-quarantine protests|last=Uren|first=Adam|website=Bring Me The News|language=en|access-date=20 April 2020|archive-date=24 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200424164209/https://bringmethenews.com/minnesota-news/washington-post-links-minnesota-gun-group-to-anti-quarantine-protests|url-status=live}}</ref> and "[[Anti-vaccine activism|anti-vaccination]]" advocates.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/02/us/anti-vaxxers-coronavirus-protests.html|title=Antivaccination Activists Are Growing Force at Virus Protests|last=Bogel-Burroughs|first=Nicholas|date=4 May 2020|work=The New York Times|access-date=4 May 2020|archive-date=3 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200503234419/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/02/us/anti-vaxxers-coronavirus-protests.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/anti-vaxxers-are-forming-an-unholy-alliance-with-shelter-in-place-protesters?source=articles&via=rss|title=Anti-Vaxxers and Lockdown Protesters Form an Unholy Alliance|last1=Sommer|first1=Will|last2=Kucinich|first2=Jackie|date=22 April 2020|work=Daily Beast|access-date=23 April 2020|archive-date=11 March 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210311021959/https://www.thedailybeast.com/anti-vaxxers-are-forming-an-unholy-alliance-with-shelter-in-place-protesters?source=articles&via=rss|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
Protesters, many without [[Face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States|face masks]], opposed the shelter-in-place orders in their states for various reasons. Many said they wanted businesses reopened so they could go back to work. Many others displayed pro-[[Donald Trump|Trump]] banners, signs, and [[Make America Great Again|MAGA]] hats.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2020/04/16/michigan-whitmer-conservatives-protest/|title=Chanting 'lock her up,' Michigan protesters waving Trump flags mass against Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's coronavirus restrictions|last=Flynn|first=Meagan|date=16 April 2020|newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=22 April 2020|archive-date=22 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200422002103/https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2020/04/16/michigan-whitmer-conservatives-protest/|url-status=live}}</ref> Still others insisted the lockdowns were a violation of their constitutional rights. One militia leader told a reporter, "Re-open my state or we will re-open it ourselves."<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-52359100|title=Coronavirus lockdown protest: What's behind the US demonstrations?|date=21 April 2020|work=BBC News|access-date=22 April 2020|archive-date=21 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200421200027/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-52359100|url-status=live}}</ref> An opinion article in ''The New York Times'', and an article in ''The Washington Post'' claimed that the anger driving the protests was "both real and manufactured", blaming conservative groups for engaging in [[astroturfing]] via centralized organization backed by anonymous donors.<ref>{{cite news|last=Graves|first=Lisa|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/22/opinion/coronavirus-protests-astroturf.html|title=Opinion {{!}} Who's Behind the 'Reopen' Protests?|date=22 April 2020|work=The New York Times|access-date=24 April 2020|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331|archive-date=24 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200424001641/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/22/opinion/coronavirus-protests-astroturf.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/inside-the-conservative-networks-backing-anti-quarantine-protests/2020/04/22/da75c81e-83fe-11ea-a3eb-e9fc93160703_story.html|title=The anti-quarantine protests seem spontaneous. But behind the scenes, a powerful network is helping.|last1=Stanley-Becker|first1=Isaac|last2=Romm|first2=Tony|date=22 April 2020|newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=24 April 2020|archive-date=29 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200429032531/https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/inside-the-conservative-networks-backing-anti-quarantine-protests/2020/04/22/da75c81e-83fe-11ea-a3eb-e9fc93160703_story.html|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
President Trump originally issued guidelines for how to phase out restrictions, saying that governors would decide how to reopen their own states and suggesting a cautious three-phase approach.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/16/politics/donald-trump-reopening-guidelines-coronavirus/index.html|title=Trump completes reversal, telling govs 'you are going to call your own shots' and distributes new guidelines|date=16 April 2020|work=CNN|access-date=23 April 2020|archive-date=22 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200422213330/https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/16/politics/donald-trump-reopening-guidelines-coronavirus/index.html|url-status=live}}</ref> However, the next day he reacted to the protests against social restrictions by encouraging the protests.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/17/us/politics/trump-coronavirus-governors.html|title=Trump Encourages Protest Against Governors Who Have Imposed Virus Restrictions|last1=Shear|first1=Michael D.|last2=Mervosh|first2=Sarah|date=17 April 2020|work=The New York Times|access-date=23 April 2020|archive-date=23 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200423000143/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/17/us/politics/trump-coronavirus-governors.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Itkowitz|first=Colby|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/04/17/liberate-trump-tweets-support-protesting-against-stay-at-home-orders/|title='Liberate': Trump Tweets Support of Protests Against Stay-at-Home Orders|date=17 April 2020|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|access-date=17 April 2020|archive-date=17 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200417233521/https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/04/17/liberate-trump-tweets-support-protesting-against-stay-at-home-orders/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/17/us/coronavirus-cases-news-update.html|title=Trump Foments Protests Against Governors; Experts Warn of Testing Shortages|date=17 April 2020|work=The New York Times|access-date=18 April 2020|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331|archive-date=18 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200418004100/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/17/us/coronavirus-cases-news-update.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|agency=Reuters/AP|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/video/2020/apr/18/they-seem-very-responsible-to-me-trump-defends-anti-lockdown-protesters-video|title='They seem very responsible to me': Trump defends anti-lockdown protesters - video|date=18 April 2020|work=The Guardian|access-date=19 April 2020|language=en-GB|issn=0261-3077|archive-date=19 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200419003522/https://www.theguardian.com/world/video/2020/apr/18/they-seem-very-responsible-to-me-trump-defends-anti-lockdown-protesters-video|url-status=live}}</ref> Governor [[Jay Inslee]] (D-WA) accused the president of "fomenting domestic rebellion" and said the president's call to ignore his own team's guidelines was "schizophrenic".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/04/trump-accused-fomenting-rebellion-liberate-tweets-200417223606672.html|title=Trump accused of 'fomenting rebellion' after 'LIBERATE' tweets|website=aljazeera.com|access-date=19 April 2020|archive-date=18 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200418213043/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/04/trump-accused-fomenting-rebellion-liberate-tweets-200417223606672.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2020/04/19/governors-decry-trump-call-liberate-states-coronavirus-restrictions/5162196002/|title=Governors slam Trump's call to 'liberate' states where protesters object to coronavirus restrictions|last=Cummings|first=William|website=USA TODAY|language=en-US|access-date=20 April 2020|archive-date=19 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200419233030/https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2020/04/19/governors-decry-trump-call-liberate-states-coronavirus-restrictions/5162196002/|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
[[File:OPEN our OHIO IMG 0144 (49790376873).jpg|thumb|An anti-lockdown protester in April 2020]]<br />
[[Facebook]] announced that it would block events and messages from anti-quarantine protest groups "when gatherings do not follow the health parameters established by the government and are therefore unlawful".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.politico.com/news/2020/04/20/facebook-shuts-down-anti-quarantine-protests-at-states-request-196143|title=Republicans attack Facebook as network shuts down anti-lockdown protests|last=Overly|first=Steven|website=POLITICO|language=en|access-date=21 April 2020|archive-date=21 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200421021301/https://www.politico.com/news/2020/04/20/facebook-shuts-down-anti-quarantine-protests-at-states-request-196143|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
In California, [[Libertarian Party (United States)|Libertarian Party]] chapters in [[Santa Clara, California|Santa Clara]] and [[San Francisco]] counties condemned lockdown measures in the state with a resolution stating in part that, "these government impositions have already lasted for longer than could be justified by the purpose for which they were allegedly necessary, constituting a sort of "mission creep" that could potentially keep them in place with no definite end, and with economic and social damage continuing to accumulate and becoming more severe."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.scclp.org/resolution_regarding_government_pandemic_response|title=Resolution Regarding Government Pandemic Response|access-date=11 May 2020|archive-date=26 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200526033448/https://www.scclp.org/resolution_regarding_government_pandemic_response|url-status=live}}</ref> Such responses were compared to the [[Anti-Mask League of San Francisco]] movement that was seen during the [[Spanish flu|1918 Spanish flu pandemic]], where the efficacy of masks was debated during the second wave of flu in the city.<ref name="amlsf">{{cite news|last=Kane|first=Peter Lawrence|date=29 April 2020|title=The Anti-Mask League: lockdown protests draw parallels to 1918 pandemic|language=en-GB|work=The Guardian|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/29/coronavirus-pandemic-1918-protests-california|access-date=30 April 2020|issn=0261-3077|archive-date=30 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200430023846/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/29/coronavirus-pandemic-1918-protests-california|url-status=live}}</ref> The Anti-Mask League saw the medical advice on masks as unconstitutional, and contrary to the principles of a free society.<ref name="amlsf"/><br />
<br />
Cell phone data from [[Digital contact tracing|digital-contact tracing]] software, captured from opt-in cellphone apps and the Firm VoteMap, then provided to The Guardian (publication) by progressive campaign group the Committee to Protect Medicare, suggests that cell phones present at anti-lockdown protests in [[2020 United States anti-lockdown protests|Colorado]], [[2020 United States anti-lockdown protests|Florida]], Illinois, [[2020 United States anti-lockdown protests|Michigan]] and North Carolina traveled long distances after leaving the protests. Dr. Rob Davidson, executive director of the Committee to Protect Medicare, said that although “it's hard to draw a straight line between devices, individuals at these protests, and cases”, the data suggests that the protests may be epidemiologically significant events." and that "The behavior we’re seeing at protests carries a high risk of infection."<ref>{{cite news|last=Wilson|first=Jason|date=18 May 2020|title=US lockdown protests may have spread virus widely, cellphone data suggests|language=en-GB|work=The Guardian|url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/may/18/lockdown-protests-spread-coronavirus-cellphone-data|access-date=23 May 2020|issn=0261-3077|archive-date=23 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200523061752/https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/may/18/lockdown-protests-spread-coronavirus-cellphone-data|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
On 30 January 2021, dozens of "SCAMDEMIC" protesters blocked the entrance to the vaccination center at [[Dodger Stadium]] in [[Los Angeles]].<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-01-31|title=Dodger Stadium mass COVID-19 vaccination site temporarily shuts down after protesters block entrance|url=https://ktla.com/news/local-news/dodger-stadium-mass-coronavirus-vaccination-site-shut-down-after-protesters-block-entrance/|access-date=2021-01-31|website=KTLA|language=en-US|archive-date=31 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210131013546/https://ktla.com/news/local-news/dodger-stadium-mass-coronavirus-vaccination-site-shut-down-after-protesters-block-entrance/|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
== Oceania ==<br />
<br />
=== American Samoa ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 pandemic in American Samoa}}<br />
In July 2020, several people protested against the spending of COVID-19 funds in [[American Samoa]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/420676/protest-against-spending-of-covid-19-funds-in-american-samoa | title=Protest against spending of Covid-19 funds in American Samoa | website=[[Radio New Zealand]] | date=7 July 2020 }}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Australia ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 protests in Australia}}<br />
{{See also|Convoy to Canberra}}<br />
Throughout 2020 and 2021, numerous illegal protests of widely varying sizes against COVID-19 lockdown restrictions and the [[Australian Federal Government]]'s vaccination programme were held in several state capitals including [[Adelaide]], [[Brisbane]], [[Melbourne]], [[Perth]] and [[Sydney]].<ref>{{cite news|title='Incredibly disappointing': Ugly scenes at Melbourne coronavirus protests as violence erupts|url=https://7news.com.au/lifestyle/health-wellbeing/melbourne-protests-violent-scenes-in-melbournes-cbd-as-coronavirus-protesters-are-detained-c-1028327|date=10 May 2020|work=[[Seven News]]|language=en|access-date=10 May 2020|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200911032042/https://7news.com.au/lifestyle/health-wellbeing/melbourne-protests-violent-scenes-in-melbournes-cbd-as-coronavirus-protesters-are-detained-c-1028327|archive-date=11 September 2020}}</ref><ref name="9news-anti-vacc-rallys-20-feb">{{cite news |last1=Noble |first1=Freya |title=Anti-coronavirus vaccine protests held in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth |url=https://www.9news.com.au/national/coronavirus-protest-melbourne-brisbane-sydney-pete-evans/a328629b-4d7f-48b1-a13f-72fe42dd8c2b |access-date=21 February 2021 |work=[[Nine News|9 News]] |publisher=Nine Digital Pty Ltd |date=20 February 2021 |archive-date=20 February 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210220222329/https://www.9news.com.au/national/coronavirus-protest-melbourne-brisbane-sydney-pete-evans/a328629b-4d7f-48b1-a13f-72fe42dd8c2b |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="smh-pfizer-doses-start">{{cite news |last1=Dye |first1=Josh |last2=Clun |first2=Rachel |title=COVID-19 vaccines begin as Prime Minister receives Pfizer immunisation |url=https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/covid-19-vaccines-begin-as-prime-minister-receives-pfizer-immunisation-20210221-p574cw.html |access-date=21 February 2021 |work=[[The Sydney Morning Herald]] |date=21 February 2021 |archive-date=25 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210525075159/https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/covid-19-vaccines-begin-as-prime-minister-receives-pfizer-immunisation-20210221-p574cw.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Police responded to some of the protests by arresting demonstrators and issuing fines.<ref name="abc-melb-lockdown-protest-nov'20">{{cite news |title=Police arrest more than 400 demonstrators at Melbourne anti-lockdown protest |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-11-03/melbourne-anti-lockdown-protest-sees-over-400-protesters-arrest/12845120 |access-date=5 June 2021 |work=ABC News |publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation |date=3 November 2020 |archive-date=6 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210506082030/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-11-03/melbourne-anti-lockdown-protest-sees-over-400-protesters-arrest/12845120 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Australia: Scores arrested at anti-coronavirus lockdown protests |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/8/21/australia-scores-arrested-at-anti-coronavirus-lockdown-protests |access-date=22 August 2021 |work=[[Al Jazeera English|Al Jazeera]] |date=21 August 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210821171717/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/8/21/australia-scores-arrested-at-anti-coronavirus-lockdown-protests |archive-date=21 August 2021|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Anti-lockdown protesters clash with police in Australia |url=https://amp.rnz.co.nz/article/869c10d3-77f3-4f63-8d04-343e7cc5d109 |access-date=22 August 2021 |work=[[Radio New Zealand]] |date=21 August 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210821070733/https://amp.rnz.co.nz/article/869c10d3-77f3-4f63-8d04-343e7cc5d109 |archive-date=21 August 2021|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
In Melbourne, [[Victoria, Australia|Victoria]], from 20 to 24 September 2021, a series of protests occurred in the city's CBD. Protesters were predominantly tradesmen who were acting against lockdowns, the closure of the construction industry and [[vaccine mandate]]s. It is believed that several protesters were "fake tradies" who could be described as "professional protesters". Police responded with rubber bullets, batons and tear gas. Various media outlets were critical of the police's heavy-handed response to the protesters and bystander civilians.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Clench |first1=Sam |last2=Smith |first2=Rohan |title=Melbourne 'freedom' protest: Chaos erupts on CBD streets, West Gate Freeway over construction sector shutdown |url=https://www.news.com.au/national/melbourne-braces-for-more-chaos-as-workers-plan-another-freedom-rally/news-story/2b8d98e06b20dd42c51ef9960849f403 |access-date=21 September 2021 |work=News.com |publisher=Nationwide News Pty Ltd |date=20 September 2021 |language=en-AU |archive-date=21 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210921021456/https://www.news.com.au/national/melbourne-braces-for-more-chaos-as-workers-plan-another-freedom-rally/news-story/2b8d98e06b20dd42c51ef9960849f403 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Tuffiel |first1=Rhiannon |title=Tradie protest 'hijacked' by 'extreme organisations': CFMEU boss |url=https://www.news.com.au/national/victoria/politics/tradie-protest-hijacked-by-extreme-organisations-cfmeu-boss/news-story/11a24a98abf9f04ed67f5e50fced7c35 |access-date=21 September 2021 |work=News.com.au |agency=NCA NewsWire |publisher=Nationwide News Pty Ltd |date=20 September 2021 |language=en-AU |archive-date=20 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210920221215/https://www.news.com.au/national/victoria/politics/tradie-protest-hijacked-by-extreme-organisations-cfmeu-boss/news-story/11a24a98abf9f04ed67f5e50fced7c35 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Harley |first1=Kyle |title=More than 200 arrests made across Melbourne as police disperse anti-lockdown protesters |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-09-24/protests-condemned-rallies-enter-fifth-day/100488196 |access-date=24 September 2021 |work=ABC News |publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation |date=24 September 2021 |language=en-AU |archive-date=25 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210925012150/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-09-24/protests-condemned-rallies-enter-fifth-day/100488196 |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
The first major legal protest occurred in early 2022 in [[Canberra]], [[Australian Capital Territory]], which is also the most highly vaccinated jurisdiction in Australia. A "[[Convoy to Canberra]]", consisting of thousands of protesters in trailers, trucks, cars and campervans made their way in the national capital in January.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2022/02/03/canadas-freedom-convoy-is-inspiring-protests-in-other-countries.html| title=How Canada's 'Freedom Convoy' is inspiring protests in other countries| first1=Alex| last1=McKeen| first2=Lex| last2=Harvey| first3=Kieran| last3=Leavitt|date=February 3, 2022|work=[[Toronto Star]]}}</ref><ref name="The Guardian Occupy Canberra">{{cite news |last1=Butler |first1=Josh |title='Occupy Canberra': behind the anti-vaccine protests at Parliament House |url=https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/feb/04/occupy-canberra-behind-the-anti-vaccine-protests-at-parliament-house |access-date=7 February 2022 |work=[[The Guardian]] |date=4 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220206092405/https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/feb/04/occupy-canberra-behind-the-anti-vaccine-protests-at-parliament-house |archive-date=6 February 2022|url-status=live}}</ref> On 12 February, around 10,000 protesters converged on [[Parliament House, Canberra|Parliament House]] and [[Old Parliament House, Canberra|Old Parliament House]], and [[Lifeline (crisis support service)|Lifeline Canberra]] suspended its major fund-raising event due to safety concerns for customers.<ref name="News.com.au 13 Feb">{{cite news |last1=Consenza |first1=Emily |last2=Raphael |first2=Angie |title=Incredible scenes as anti-vaccine mandate protesters swarm Canberra streets |url=https://www.news.com.au/national/nsw-act/news/antivaccine-mandate-ralliers-potentially-target-vaccine-hub-hosting-childrens-event/news-story/9e98221eab0c5436f122209a38d56102 |access-date=13 February 2022 |work=[[News.com.au]] |publisher=[[News Corp Australia]] |date=12 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220212192032/https://www.news.com.au/national/nsw-act/news/antivaccine-mandate-ralliers-potentially-target-vaccine-hub-hosting-childrens-event/news-story/9e98221eab0c5436f122209a38d56102 |archive-date=12 February 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Federal government relaxes aged care COVID rule as protesters converge on Canberra |url=https://thenewdaily.com.au/news/coronavirus/2022/02/13/aged-care-covid-rule-canberra-protests/ |access-date=14 February 2022 |work=[[The New Daily]] |date=13 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220213120210/https://thenewdaily.com.au/news/coronavirus/2022/02/13/aged-care-covid-rule-canberra-protests/ |archive-date=13 February 2022|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Kelly |first1=Lidia |title=NZ, Australia vaccination mandates protests gain in number |url=https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/new-zealand-australia-vaccination-mandates-protests-gain-numbers-2022-02-12/ |access-date=14 February 2022 |work=[[Reuters]] |date=12 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220213163443/https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/new-zealand-australia-vaccination-mandates-protests-gain-numbers-2022-02-12/ |archive-date=13 February 2022|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Christmas Island ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 pandemic in Christmas Island}}<br />
Detainees at the [[Christmas Island Detention Centre]] rioted and set fire to buildings in a protest against the conditions of the detention centre.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/jan/06/christmas-island-detainees-riot-and-set-fire-to-buildings-in-protest-against-conditions | title=Christmas Island detainees riot and set fire to buildings in protest against conditions | website=[[TheGuardian.com]] | date=6 January 2021 }}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Fiji ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 pandemic in Fiji}}<br />
In June 2021, following lockdowns in Fiji, locals protested across the country for more government support.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-06-23/fiji-instability-covid-outbreak-unrest-restrictions-lockdown/100234180 | title='Frustration and anger are starting to build': Fears COVID outbreak leading to civil unrest in Fiji | newspaper=ABC News | date=22 June 2021 }}</ref><br />
<br />
=== French Polynesia ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 pandemic in French Polynesia#vaccination efforts}}<br />
In October 2021, several protests against a proposed law mandating COVID-19 vaccines were held throughout [[French Polynesia]] including [[Papeete]] in [[Tahiti]] and [[Hiva Oa]] in the [[Marquesas Islands]]. Notable groups and individuals involved included the "Don't Touch my Family" group, the pro-independence party [[Tavini Huiraatira]], and retired Dr. Jean-Paul Theron, who was locked in a dispute with health authorities over his methods of treating COVID-19 patients.<ref>{{cite news |title=Tahiti rally against vaccination regime |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/453364/tahiti-rally-against-vaccination-regime |access-date=6 November 2021 |work=[[Radio New Zealand]] |date=12 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211019053801/https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/453364/tahiti-rally-against-vaccination-regime |archive-date=19 October 2021|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Pro-independence party joins French Polynesia anti-vax march |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/454227/pro-independence-party-joins-french-polynesia-anti-vax-march |access-date=6 November 2021 |work=[[Radio New Zealand]] |date=25 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211027052722/https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/454227/pro-independence-party-joins-french-polynesia-anti-vax-march |archive-date=27 October 2021}}</ref> The proposed law requires anyone working in healthcare or with the public to get inoculated or be fined $US1,700.<ref>{{cite news |title=French Polynesian govt delays Covid-19 vaccination law |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/453809/french-polynesian-govt-delays-covid-19-vaccination-law |access-date=6 November 2021 |work=[[Radio New Zealand]] |date=19 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211019103922/https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/453809/french-polynesian-govt-delays-covid-19-vaccination-law |archive-date=19 October 2021|url-status=live}}</ref> In response to strong opposition from anti-vaccination protesters, unions, and employers, [[President of French Polynesia|President]] [[Édouard Fritch]] announced that the new law would be delayed until 23 December.<ref name="Vaccination law amended">{{cite news |title=French Polynesia vaccination law to be amended |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/453853/french-polynesia-vaccination-law-to-be-amended |access-date=6 November 2021 |work=[[Radio New Zealand]] |date=19 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211104115009/https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/453853/french-polynesia-vaccination-law-to-be-amended |archive-date=4 November 2021}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Guam ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 pandemic in Guam}}<br />
Members of the [[Guam Freedom Coalition]] protested vaccine mandates in [[Guam]] on 30 October 2021.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.guampdn.com/news/march-held-to-protest-vaccine-mandates/video_2f7ee160-28b4-5974-b83a-12485173f1a2.html | title=March held to protest vaccine mandates | date=30 October 2021 }}</ref><br />
<br />
=== New Caledonia ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 pandemic in New Caledonia}}<br />
An estimate of 1,000 people staged a protest in [[Nouméa]] against government policies regarding the pandemic, such as the introduction of health passes and vaccine mandates. The protest occurred a day after outdoor gatherings in [[New Caledonia]] were limited to 30 people, however police decided not to intervene due to the presence of children.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.cookislandsnews.com/regional/new-caledonia/protest-in-new-caledonia-against-govts-pandemic-policies/ | title=Protest in New Caledonia against govt's pandemic policies | date=10 January 2022 }}</ref><br />
<br />
=== New Zealand ===<br />
[[File:Convoy 2022 NZ (41).jpg|thumb|Protesters blocking a street at the Convoy 2022 NZ protest in Wellington]]<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 protests in New Zealand}}<br />
{{See also|2022 Wellington protests}}<br />
Between August and October 2021, several protests were held across New Zealand to protest official lockdown measures, vaccination, and spread disinformation about the COVID-19 pandemic. Key groups and individuals that were involved in these protests included FACTS NZ, Kotahitanga Movement Aotearoa, the NZ Liberty Movement and [[Jami-Lee Ross]] and [[Billy Te Kahika]]'s [[Advance New Zealand]] party.<ref>{{cite news|last=Pearse |first=Adam |work=[[The Northern Advocate]]|date=13 August 2020|title=Covid 19 coronavirus: Lockdown protest stops traffic in Whangārei|language=en-NZ| url= https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12356284|access-date=22 August 2020|issn=1170-0777|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200821030819/https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12356284|archive-date=21 August 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Anti-lockdown, vaccination and 1080 protesters take over Auckland's Aotea Square|language=en|work=[[Newshub]]|url= https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2020/08/anti-lockdown-vaccination-and-1080-protesters-take-over-auckland-s-aotea-square.html|access-date=22 August 2020|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200824232201/https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2020/08/anti-lockdown-vaccination-and-1080-protesters-take-over-auckland-s-aotea-square.html|archive-date=24 August 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Bayer |first1=Kurt |title=Covid 19 coronavirus: Hundreds turn out for anti-lockdown protests |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12362504 |access-date=5 September 2020 |work=[[The New Zealand Herald]] |date=5 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200905093331/https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12362504 |archive-date=5 September 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|date=2020-09-12|title=Advance Party and crowd rallies against Covid-19 restrictions and lockdowns|language=en-NZ|work=[[The New Zealand Herald]] |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12364413|access-date=2020-09-13|issn=1170-0777|archive-date=13 September 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200913195732/https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12364413|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
In January 2021, Te Kahika led a "freedom rally" outside the [[New Zealand Parliament]]; protestors opposed lockdown policies, while expressing support for US President [[Donald Trump]] and [[QAnon]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Walls |first1=Jason |title=Police keeping a close eye on controversial Billy TK 'freedom rally' outside Beehive |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/police-keeping-a-close-eye-on-controversial-billy-tk-freedom-rally-outside-beehive/4C2E3SYXDZPQZZA4CK2EC5T2MU/ |access-date=14 January 2021 |work=[[The New Zealand Herald]] |date=14 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210114104417/https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/police-keeping-a-close-eye-on-controversial-billy-tk-freedom-rally-outside-beehive/4C2E3SYXDZPQZZA4CK2EC5T2MU/ |archive-date=14 January 2021|url-status=live}}</ref> Following the reinstatement of lockdown restrictions in mid–August 2021 in response to a [[SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant|Delta variant]] community outbreak, anti-lockdown protests were staged in [[Auckland]], [[Tauranga]], [[Nelson, New Zealand|Nelson]], and [[Christchurch]]. Key participants included Te Kahika and far-right activist [[Kyle Chapman (New Zealand activist)|Kyle Champman]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Conspiracy theorist Billy TK arrested at anti-lockdown protest |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/449439/conspiracy-theorist-billy-tk-arrested-at-anti-lockdown-protest |access-date=18 August 2021 |work=[[Radio New Zealand]] |date=18 August 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210818053131/https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/449439/conspiracy-theorist-billy-tk-arrested-at-anti-lockdown-protest |archive-date=18 August 2021|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Lourens |first1=Marine |last2=Sherwood |first2=Sam |last3=McNeilly |first3=Hamish |title=Covid-19: Former far-Right leader to spend weekend behind bars after alleged lockdown breach |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/126131440/covid19-former-farright-leader-to-spend-weekend-behind-bars-after-alleged-lockdown-breach |access-date=20 August 2021 |work=[[Stuff (website)|Stuff]] |date=20 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210820040054/https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/126131440/covid19-former-farright-leader-to-spend-weekend-behind-bars-after-alleged-lockdown-breach|archive-date=20 August 2021|url-status=live}}</ref> In February 2022, [[Convoy 2022 New Zealand]] gathered outside parliament buildings and blocked streets in Wellington.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/461471/wellington-s-sky-stadium-offered-as-parking-to-free-up-parliament-streets-blocked-by-protesters |title=Wellington's Sky Stadium offered as parking to free up Parliament streets blocked by protesters |publisher=[[Radio New Zealand]] |date=14 February 2022 |accessdate=22 February 2022}}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Papua New Guinea ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 pandemic in Papua New Guinea}}<br />
During the pandemic, attacks on health workers<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KbDVzLGCSGc | title=Violence against PNG health workers rises amid protests against COVID vaccinations &#124; ABC News | website=[[YouTube]] }}</ref> and vaccination teams<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/455215/mob-attacks-on-vaccination-teams-commonplace-in-png | title=Mob attacks on vaccination teams commonplace in PNG | website=[[Radio New Zealand]] | date=8 November 2021 }}</ref> in [[Papua New Guinea]] have occurred multiple times. Protests were banned nationwide due to the pandemic,<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.pngreport.com/covid-19/news/1420060/ban-on-png-protest-marches | title=Ban on PNG protest marches | date=22 October 2021 }}</ref> however they still occurred across the country, particularly in the capital, [[Port Moresby]],<ref>{{cite web | url=https://asiapacificreport.nz/2021/11/02/png-police-block-illegal-anti-vaxxer-rally-in-port-moresby-amid-fake-info/ | title=PNG police block illegal anti-vaxxer rally in Port Moresby amid fake info &#124; Asia Pacific Report | date=2 November 2021 }}</ref> as well as in [[Lae]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://crisis24.garda.com/alerts/2021/09/papua-new-guinea-additional-protests-possible-in-lae-through-at-least-mid-september-over-corporate-mandatory-vaccination-policies | title=Papua New Guinea: Additional protests possible in Lae through at least mid-September over corporate mandatory vaccination policies }}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Samoa ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 pandemic in Samoa}}<br />
On 8 May 2020, around 100 people protested new laws regarding COVID-19 in [[Samoa]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://monitor.civicus.org/updates/2020/05/21/protests-samoa-against-three-bills-could-undermine-judicial-independence-and-rule-law/ | title=Protests in Samoa against three bills that could undermine judicial independence and rule of law }}</ref> On 23 June 2022, more than 30 people protested vaccine mandates in Samoa.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.samoanews.com/protest-vaccine-mandate-demonstration | title=Protest the Vaccine Mandate" demonstration }}</ref><br />
<br />
=== Solomon Islands ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 pandemic in the Solomon Islands|2021 Solomon Islands unrest}}<br />
The [[2021 Solomon Islands unrest]] was partially caused by government mishandling of the pandemic.<br />
<br />
=== Vanuatu ===<br />
{{Main|COVID-19 pandemic in Vanuatu}}<br />
The [[Government of Vanuatu]] criticised a planned protest regarding COVID-19 involving church and youth groups. The protesters claimed that the [[Vanuatu Police Force|Police Commissioner]] had given them permission to protest, however the [[Deputy Prime Minister of Vanuatu|Deputy Prime Minister]] [[Ishmael Kalsakau]] said it could not go ahead as it was politically motivated. Protestors also claimed that at least two MPs (namely [[Andrew Napuat]] and [[John Salong]]) supported the protest.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/466907/vanuatu-govt-says-no-to-vaccine-protest-march | title=Vanuatu Govt says no to vaccine protest march | website=[[Radio New Zealand]] | date=11 May 2022 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://islandsbusiness.com/news-break/vanuatu-govt-halts-vaccine-protest-march/ | title=Vanuatu Govt halts vaccine protest march | date=12 May 2022 }}</ref><br />
<br />
== South America ==<br />
<br />
=== Argentina ===<br />
{{Main|2020–2021 Argentinian protests}}<br />
[[File:En busca de la libertad 01.jpg|thumb|180px|The [[17A]] protests on 17 August 2020]]<br />
On 25 May, during the [[First National Government|Anniversary of the First National Government]], protests erupted all over the country,<ref>{{Cite web|date=25 May 2020|title=Un reducido grupo de manifestantes protestó contra la cuarentena en la Plaza de Mayo|url=https://www.infobae.com/sociedad/2020/05/25/manifestantes-protestan-contra-la-cuarentena-en-la-plaza-de-mayo/|access-date=10 July 2020|website=infobae|language=es-ES|archive-date=4 June 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200604063409/https://www.infobae.com/sociedad/2020/05/25/manifestantes-protestan-contra-la-cuarentena-en-la-plaza-de-mayo/|url-status=live}}</ref> but predominantly in [[Buenos Aires]] and [[Córdoba, Argentina|Cordoba]]. The protest consisted mostly of small business owners demanding the local and national governments to be allowed to work, under a sanitary protocol. At this point, the stay-at-home order had been in place nationwide for 65 days.<br />
<br />
On 20 June, which is the country's [[Flag Day (Argentina)|National Flag Day]], the size of the protests had grown immensely compared to the previous ones held in late May.<ref>{{cite news|date=20 June 2020|title=En Twitter: cómo es el banderazo nacional contra la expropiación de Vicentin|url=https://www.lanacion.com.ar/politica/convocan-banderazo-nacional-republica-sabado-20-junio-nid2381945|access-date=10 July 2020|newspaper=La Nación|language=es|archive-date=6 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200706082841/https://www.lanacion.com.ar/politica/convocan-banderazo-nacional-republica-sabado-20-junio-nid2381945|url-status=live}}</ref> While business owners and workers were still calling for more workplaces to be allowed to operate, the government's attempt to expropriate Vicentín, a soy and wheat manufacturer and one of the largest exporting firms in the country, also sparked outrage and motivated protests in many provinces where agriculture plays a big role in their local economy, particularly in the [[Santa Fe Province]], where this business is located. Due to the huge backlash, president [[Alberto Fernández|Alberto Fernandez]] has decided to step down and not take over the company. Protests also took place in the city centre of most cities and at the gates of the [[Quinta de Olivos|presidential residence]]. While the lockdown had been lifted in most provinces and municipalities, it was still enforced in [[Greater Buenos Aires]], which represents around 60% of the Argentine economy. On this day, the stay-at-home order had been in place for 90 days, making it the longest mandatory quarantine in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.<ref>{{cite news|last=Goñi|first=Uki|date=17 June 2020|title=Argentina's president enters voluntary isolation amid coronavirus surge|language=en-GB|work=The Guardian|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jun/17/argentina-president-enters-voluntary-isolation-amid-coronavirus-surge|access-date=10 July 2020|issn=0261-3077|archive-date=10 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200710091442/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jun/17/argentina-president-enters-voluntary-isolation-amid-coronavirus-surge|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
On 9 July, the country's [[Argentine Declaration of Independence|Independence Day]], protests flared up once again.<ref>{{cite news|date=10 July 2020|title=Multitudinario banderazo contra el Gobierno en diferentes puntos del país|url=https://www.lanacion.com.ar/politica/comenzo-banderazo-federal-del-9-julio-nid2394297|access-date=10 July 2020|newspaper=La Nación|language=es|archive-date=9 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200709224416/https://www.lanacion.com.ar/politica/comenzo-banderazo-federal-del-9-julio-nid2394297|url-status=live}}</ref> In addition to workers and entrepreneurs asking to be allowed to work, many were angered by the fact that [[Lázaro Báez|Lazaro Baez]], who is serving jail time for money laundering and stealing from taxpayers' money and is associated with much of the government staff, could be eligible for parole. This incident, and the murder of Fabián Gutiérrez, who was ex-president [[Cristina Fernández de Kirchner|Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner]]'s secretary while she was in office, which many opposition affiliates believe was orchestrated by the administration and covered up as a "crime of passion" by two unknown men, also caused large outrage in some sectors of the population. This day marked 109 days since the lockdown was put in place in the Greater Buenos Aires area.{{citation needed|date=August 2021}}<br />
<br />
On 1 August, many opponents of Alberto Fernandez's government, and of [[Kirchnerism]] in general, took to the streets to rally against the judicial reform<br />
proposed by the administration. Many believe this is a way to absolve vice president Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner from her ongoing trials, and also a way to give [[Frente de Todos (2019 coalition)|the governing political party]] control over the [[Supreme Court of Argentina|judicial branch of government]], all disguised under the promise that this reform will make judges and trials fairer and less biased to certain ideologies or political parties. While the lockdown has not been completely lifted in Buenos Aires, many activities and businesses are now allowed to take place again since mid-July, and a re-opening scheme with various stages has been designed and put in place, although with no strict dates. However, many companies, such as restaurants or bars for instance, still cannot open and many business owners are uncertain of how much more they can endure with their doors closed.<br />
<br />
On 17 August, the General José de San Martín Memorial Day, a public holiday which commemorates Argentine liberator and army general [[José de San Martín]], protesters gathered once again on the city centres of the main Argentine cities for the same reasons as the previous one, 16 days prior. This manifestation was backed by many political figures from the [[Juntos por el Cambio]], [[Frente Despertar]], [[Fuerza Unidaria Argentina]], opposition forces, near liberal, libertarian and survivalist groups. Some, however, have decided to not publicly support the protests, most notably [[Horacio Rodríguez Larreta]], mayor of Buenos Aires.<br />
<br />
=== Brazil ===<br />
====2020====<br />
{{Main|2020 Brazilian protests}}<br />
On 18 March, Brazilians in [[São Paulo]] and [[Rio de Janeiro]] protested [[Jair Bolsonaro]]'s handling of the pandemic by [[banging pots and pans]] on their balconies and shouting "Bolsonaro out!"<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-51955679 |title=Coronavirus protest in Brazil sees millions bang pots from balconies |date=19 March 2020 |work=BBC |access-date=13 May 2020 |archive-date=22 March 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200322135850/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-51955679 |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
<br />
On 19 April, Brazil's [[Armed Forces Day]], Bolsonaro gathered with about 600 protesters in front of the Army's headquarters in [[Brasília|Brasilia]] to demand a "military intervention" into the handling of the coronavirus situation. Smaller protests calling for governors to resign occurred the previous day in [[Rio de Janeiro]], [[São Paulo]] and Brasilia.<ref>{{cite web|title=Brazil's Bolsonaro joins protest against coronavirus restrictions &#124; Coronavirus pandemic News|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/04/brazil-bolsonaro-joins-protest-coronavirus-curbs-200420042616860.html|date=20 April 2020|publisher=Al Jazeera|access-date=27 April 2020|archive-date=19 September 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200919230255/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/04/brazil-bolsonaro-joins-protest-coronavirus-curbs-200420042616860.html|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
<br />
====2021====<br />
{{Main|2021 Brazilian protests}}<br />
[[File:Fora Bolsonaro em Campinas 29.05.2021 01.jpg|thumb|Protest against the government of President Bolsonaro in [[Campinas]] on 29 May 2021]]<br />
[[File:Ato do Movimento Brasil Verde e Amarelo - 51181481168.jpg|thumb|Pro-government protest in [[Brasília]] on 15 May 2021]]<br />
[[File:Ato do Movimento Brasil Verde e Amarelo - 51180579797.jpg|thumb|Bolsonaro flies over protests in [[Brasília]] on 15 May 2021]]<br />
<br />
On 1 May, protest in favor of [[Jair Bolsonaro]] happened around the country. The protesters demanded the end of lockdowns, as well as a military intervention on the judicial and legislative branches of power. The protests happened in many Brazilian cities, occupying avenues such as [[Paulista Avenue|Avenida Paulista]]. Bolsonaro flew by helicopter over the protests in Brasilia, where there were also protests against his government.<ref>{{cite web|title=Fortaleza tem manifestação a favor de Bolsonaro neste 1º de maio; 17 são detidos|url=https://g1.globo.com/ce/ceara/noticia/2021/05/01/fortaleza-registra-manifestacao-a-favor-de-bolsonaro-neste-1ode-maio.ghtml#|date=1 May 2021|publisher=G1|access-date=3 May 2021|archive-date=3 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210503180447/https://g1.globo.com/ce/ceara/noticia/2021/05/01/fortaleza-registra-manifestacao-a-favor-de-bolsonaro-neste-1ode-maio.ghtml|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Bolsonaro sobrevoa de helicóptero manifestação a seu favor no DF|url=https://noticias.r7.com/distrito-federal/bolsonaro-sobrevoa-de-helicoptero-manifestacao-a-seu-favor-no-df-01052021#/foto/1|date=1 May 2021|publisher=R7|access-date=3 May 2021|archive-date=2 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210502160600/https://noticias.r7.com/distrito-federal/bolsonaro-sobrevoa-de-helicoptero-manifestacao-a-seu-favor-no-df-01052021#/foto/1|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Manifestações pró e contra Bolsonaro tomam conta da Esplanada|url=https://www.metropoles.com/brasil/manifestacoes-pro-e-contra-bolsonaro-tomam-conta-da-esplanada|date=1 May 2021|publisher=Metrópoles|access-date=3 May 2021|archive-date=3 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210503180449/https://www.metropoles.com/brasil/manifestacoes-pro-e-contra-bolsonaro-tomam-conta-da-esplanada|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Feriado do Dia do Trabalho tem manifestações em cidades do RS|url=https://g1.globo.com/rs/rio-grande-do-sul/noticia/2021/05/01/feriado-do-dia-do-trabalho-tem-manifestacoes-em-cidades-do-rs.ghtml|date=1 May 2021|publisher=G1|access-date=3 May 2021|archive-date=1 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210501233653/https://g1.globo.com/rs/rio-grande-do-sul/noticia/2021/05/01/feriado-do-dia-do-trabalho-tem-manifestacoes-em-cidades-do-rs.ghtml|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Cidades no Sul de MG registram manifestações a favor do governo Bolsonaro neste 1º de maio|url=https://g1.globo.com/mg/sul-de-minas/noticia/2021/05/01/cidades-registram-manifestacoes-a-favor-do-governo-bolsonaro-neste-1o-de-maio-no-sul-de-mg.ghtml|date=1 May 2021|publisher=G1|access-date=3 May 2021|archive-date=1 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210501161952/https://g1.globo.com/mg/sul-de-minas/noticia/2021/05/01/cidades-registram-manifestacoes-a-favor-do-governo-bolsonaro-neste-1o-de-maio-no-sul-de-mg.ghtml|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Brasil. Milhares de pessoas nas ruas para apoiar Bolsonaro no Dia do Trabalhador|url=https://www.rtp.pt/noticias/mundo/brasil-milhares-de-pessoas-nas-ruas-para-apoiar-bolsonaro-no-dia-do-trabalhador_v1316831|date=2 May 2021|publisher=RTP Notícias|access-date=4 May 2021|archive-date=3 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210503190106/https://www.rtp.pt/noticias/mundo/brasil-milhares-de-pessoas-nas-ruas-para-apoiar-bolsonaro-no-dia-do-trabalhador_v1316831|url-status=live}}</ref>{{citation needed|date=August 2021}}<br />
<br />
===Chile===<br />
{{Main|2019–2020 Chilean protests#2020 protests}}<br />
<br />
On 18 March, riots took place at the communes of [[El Bosque, Chile|El Bosque]], [[La Pintana]], and other communes in the [[Santiago Metropolitan Region]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.emol.com/noticias/Nacional/2020/05/18/986529/Protestas-incidentes-comuna-El-Bosque.html|title=Protestas en la comuna de El Bosque: Vecinos denuncian falta de alimentos en medio de cuarentena &#124; Emol.com|date=18 May 2020|website=Emol|access-date=24 May 2020|archive-date=25 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200525033923/https://www.emol.com/noticias/Nacional/2020/05/18/986529/Protestas-incidentes-comuna-El-Bosque.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Rioters are denouncing the [[hunger]] resulting from the partial and total lockdowns in the region. They claim that the lockdowns have left them without work and means of sustenance.<br />
<br />
=== Colombia ===<br />
{{Main|2021 Colombian protests}}<br />
[[File:Paro Nacional Colombia (51185625987).jpg|thumb|Protesters in [[Medellín]], Colombia on 1 May 2021]]<br />
In April 2021, President [[Iván Duque Márquez|Iván Duque]] proposed increased taxes at a time when the [[COVID-19 pandemic in Colombia]] was beginning to worsen as various healthcare systems were failing throughout the country. A series of protests began in [[Colombia]] on 28 April 2021 against increased taxes, corruption, and health care reform.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/more-subdued-second-day-colombia-tax-reform-protests-2021-04-29/ |title=More subdued second day of Colombia tax reform protests |last=Acosta |first=Luis |date=29 April 2021 |website=[[Reuters]] |url-status=live |archive-date=1 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210501195325/https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/more-subdued-second-day-colombia-tax-reform-protests-2021-04-29/ }}</ref><br />
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=== Ecuador ===<br />
{{main|2020 Ecuadorian protests}}<br />
The 2020 demonstrations in Ecuador were a series of national mobilizations carried out in May 2020, after the announcement of economic measures by the government of [[Lenín Moreno]] adopted due to the serious health and economic crisis generated by the [[COVID-19 pandemic in Ecuador]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Coronavirus: Ecuador protests against cuts amid pandemic |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-52803400 |publisher=BBC News |date=26 May 2020 |access-date=16 July 2021 |archive-date=16 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210716083730/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-52803400 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Police Beat and Injure Ecuador's Covid-19 Protesters |url=https://www.hrw.org/news/2020/05/25/police-beat-and-injure-ecuadors-covid-19-protesters |work=Human Rights Watch |date=25 May 2020 |access-date=16 July 2021 |archive-date=16 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210716083730/https://www.hrw.org/news/2020/05/25/police-beat-and-injure-ecuadors-covid-19-protesters |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
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===Paraguay===<br />
{{main|2021 Paraguayan protests}}<br />
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On 5 March, protests broke out across Paraguay due to the lack of efficient government response against the [[COVID-19 pandemic in Paraguay|pandemic in the country]]. The protests gathered thousands of people, and left hundreds of injured. It culminated in the resignation of the then health minister [[Julio Mazzoleni]].<br />
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== See also ==<br />
{{Commons category|Protests related to the COVID-19 pandemic}}<br />
* [[Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on politics]]<br />
* [[National responses to the COVID-19 pandemic]]<br />
* [[Strikes during the COVID-19 pandemic]]<br />
* [[Face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic]]<br />
** [[Face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States]]<br />
* [[Cholera Riots|Cholera riots]]<br />
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== References ==<br />
{{reflist}}<br />
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{{COVID-19 pandemic}}<br />
{{COVID-19 pandemic in the United States}}<br />
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[[Category:2020 protests]]<br />
[[Category:2021 protests]]<br />
[[Category:2022 protests]]<br />
[[Category:Protests over responses to the COVID-19 pandemic| ]]<br />
[[Category:Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on politics]]</div>Boackandwhite