“It shocks me that now the health workers, who are on the frontline and have been doing heroic work since the beginning of the pandemic, are being attacked,” said Maurice Bauer (CSV), alderman of Luxembourg City. “When I saw that people who regularly take part in demonstrations against the government’s health measures were announcing a demonstration in front of the Robert Schuman Hospitals (HRS) on Monday 17 January, I said to myself that they were crossing a line that I could not bear.”

With this in mind, the alderman for social policy called, on his Facebook and Twitter accounts, “not for a counter-demonstration, because that would be dangerous, especially in front of a hospital. But simply that those who are the silent majority and who accept these measures, applaud the carers at 12 noon on Monday 17 January in the street or on the pavements.”

Bauer also said he regrets that the “silent white marches”, which were “initially peaceful, have become such confrontations with the police. I am for the freedom to demonstrate, which is a very important constitutional right, and even if I don't agree with them, people who are opposed to health restrictions should be able to demonstrate to say so. But this escalation of violence has to stop.”

Radicalisation

The local councillor in his messages on social media referred to the journalist Jean-Marie Jacoby, one of the figures challenging the government’s strategy in the fight against the covid-19 pandemic, who had tweeted at the end of last year that in 1947, Xavier Bettel (DP) and Sam Tanson (Déi Gréng) would have been sentenced to death by hanging by the judges of the Nuremberg tribunal, referring to the trials against officials of the Third Reich.

“Some people have a position that is difficult to understand, it seems as if they just want to set the world on fire, whereas we are already in a very tense situation that requires solidarity,” said Bauer. “The position of some is becoming more radical and I don’t know where it will end.” Protesters over the last weekends turned violent and attacked police. “For me, this is unacceptable behaviour and I support the grand ducal police, who are doing a remarkable job.”

Bauer's post has garnered almost a hundred likes so far, “but I can’t say exactly how many people will participate in this movement. It would be nice if companies would also play along and employees would clap outside their offices.”

The DP deputies Carole Hartmann and Claude Lamberty also expressed their concern about the planned demonstration in front of the HRS in an urgent parliamentary question to the minister of internal security Henri Kox (Déi Gréng), who said the city as of Monday had not received a request for authorisation for this demonstration.