London Protesters Demonstrate Against Covid Restrictions, Clash With Police

Around 5,000 people took to the streets of central London on Saturday as part of the ’United For Freedom“ march against the latest government measures to tackle the virus. Critics of British Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s latest coronavirus restrictions flooded Oxford Street, a popular London shopping area, blocking traffic as they marched with signs bearing slogans such as “Vaccine passports kill our freedoms” and “Don’t comply.” Other signs had the faces of Johnson or U.K. Health Secretary Sajid Javid and read, “Give them the boot.” The protests came as omicron was confirmed as the dominant variant in London, prompting the city’s mayor to declare a major incident. Sadiq Khan underscored the official concern about the climbing cases and their potential to overwhelm the health care system by declaring a major incident, a move that allows local councils in Britain’s capital to coordinate work more closely with emergency services. Scientists are warning the British government it needs to go further to prev