Youth in Vienna rioted on New Year’s, looting and damaging several businesses and setting off fireworks in the Reumannplatz. Several clashes with police occurred, but resulted in very few arrests of young people heavily armed with fireworks.
Hundreds of protesters gathered in Concepción against president Sebastian Piñera, against whom Chile has protested for more than a year. No clashes occurred with Carabineros, as the majority were occupied putting down the demonstrations that flared up in Santiago.
Thousands of students in Athens returned to the streets for a second consecutive day, demanding the repeal of a law proposed by the Minister of Education which would restore police to university campuses across Greece and the release of all 52 people arrested during demonstrations on the 11th. Unlike the previous day, police did not attack the protesters and the march remained peaceful throughout the day.
Hundreds of protesters gathered in Madrid at the Plaza de Callao to demand the release of Pablo Hasel, a left-wing Catalan rapper arrested in Lleida for criticizing the Bourbon royal family of Spain.
Protests in Belarus are now held just as much by women as men, due to the brutal detention of women in Minsk, being tossed into unmarked vans by their hair and beaten en route to jail. Demonstrations are still concentrated in Minsk, but remain active nationwide.
