Slovenia police use water cannons at anti-COVID pass protest

By DARKO BANDIC

LJUBLJANA, Slovenia (AP) — Police fired teardrop state and h2o cannons successful Slovenia’s superior connected Wednesday astatine thousands of protesters who reason pugnacious anti-coronavirus measures successful the tiny European Union nation.

The protesters responded by throwing bottles and different objects astatine the riot police.

About 10,000 protesters, chanting “Freedom! Freedom!” tried to artifact a large road northbound of Ljubljana erstwhile the constabulary intervened, the 2nd specified incidental successful Slovenia wrong a month.

The protest, organized mostly by groups against the usage of COVID-19 vaccine passes, took spot arsenic Slovenia suspended the usage of the Johnson & Johnson changeable connected Wednesday portion it investigates the decease of a 20-year-old pistillate who had received one.

The suspension of the J&J vaccine volition beryllium successful spot until experts find whether determination was a nexus betwixt the woman’s decease from a changeable this week and the vaccine changeable she received 2 weeks earlier, Health Minister Janez Poklukar said.

However, the vaccine’s “benefits proceed to outweigh the risks,” Poklukar said.

The one-dose J&J vaccine became much fashionable aft Slovenian authorities introduced caller requirements for the usage of COVID-19 passes, including for going to enactment successful each state-run firms. People indispensable amusement that they are either afloat vaccinated oregon that they person taken an costly PCR test.

The authorities approved the acquisition of an further 100,000 J&J doses from Hungary successful effect to the increasing demand.

The pistillate who died was the 2nd recipient of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine successful Slovenia to person experienced a superior wellness information that wasn’t COVID-19, the authoritative STA quality bureau reported. About 120,000 radical successful Slovenia person received the vaccine.

Earlier astatine the protest, participants observed a infinitesimal of soundlessness for the young woman.

The protesters carried banners speechmaking “Stop Corona Fascism” and demanded adjacent rights for some those who are vaccinated and those who are not.

“I americium present for the future, the aboriginal of my kids, aboriginal generations, due to the fact that this craziness needs to beryllium stopped,” protester Katja Zupan said. “If we don’t basal up for ourselves and for mankind, past we are done, we are lost.”

Like overmuch of Central and Eastern Europe, Slovenia successful caller weeks has seen a emergence successful caller coronavirus infections. The state of 2 cardinal radical has afloat vaccinated astir 48% of its population, a smaller stock than successful galore different EU nations.

Slovenia has recommended Johnson & Johnson vaccines for each radical implicit 18, portion immoderate countries person constricted its usage to older people.

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Read each AP stories connected the coronavirus pandemic astatine https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic.