On the afternoon of 19 December 2021, clashes broke out between police officers and protesters who had gathered near the Parc du Cinquantenaire in eastern Brussels, the capital, to denounce restrictions reinstated to combat the spread of COVID-19. Thousands of protesters participating in the march gathered in an area located east of the city center, where dozens of protesters threw stones and other projectiles at police officers and vandalized public property. Police officers fired tear gas and water cannons to disperse the protesters near the eastern end of the park. At least one person was injured, and about 55 people were arrested. Demonstrations against COVID-19 restrictions have occurred in Brussels and other Belgian cities during the past several weeks and have occasionally resulted in large-scale violence.