Protests against responses to the COVID-19 pandemic

Protests, demonstrations and strikes occurred around the world against national responses to the COVID-19 pandemic by governmental bodies. Some were driven by the financial hardship resulting from government measures to contain the virus, including restrictions on travel and entertainment, hitting related industries and workers hard. Protests also occurred in opposition to restrictions on people's movements, compulsory wearing of face masks, lockdowns, vaccinations and other measures that have been criticized for violating autonomy and freedom.

This article lists and summarizes such activities in various countries around the world.

In order to prevent the spread of the SARS-CoV2 virus which gave rise to the COVID-19 pandemic from 2019, governments brought in health measures at varying levels of strictness to restrict the movement of people and transmission of the virus. In response to these restrictions, protests have been organised at a number of locations around the world, and strikes have also occurred.

Some of the protests have criticised governments for not acting effectively enough in their responses to the pandemic, while others have been opposed to preventative measures and called for their revocation. Protesters claimed that stay-at-home orders infringed upon constitutional rights, viewing the mandates as excessive governmental control and violating personal freedoms and civil liberties. Government officials were also criticized for their inconsistency and hypocrisy in regards to pandemic guidelines. According to analysis as part of the Global Peace Index, as of July 2021^[update], there had been around 50,000 protests linked to the pandemic worldwide, 5,000 of which were violent. COVID-19 lockdowns have inspired protests in many territories, and from late 2020 deployment of COVID-19 vaccines also inspired protests.

The protests have varied in scale, motivations and type, with protesters drawn from a fairly wide range of backgrounds and inspired by a range of reasons. One of the main drivers has been the economic distress brought about by businesses having to close for long periods, leading to widespread unemployment, especially of casual workers in the hospitality industry. Uncertainty about the future and the feeling of lack of control has led to a predilection for believing in conspiracy theories, such as that COVID-19 is a hoax and that governments have deliberately created the crisis.

A majority of the protesters have aligned themselves on the political right. The Telegram and Instagram apps were popular means for spreading messages about planned protests, and some events were also posted on Facebook.

Protesters destroyed a coronavirus testing centre that was being built in Abidjan, which they said was in a crowded residential area too close to their homes.

The Kenyan government has been accused of extreme measures, with protesters accusing the Kenyan Police of killing at least six people within the first 10 days of the lockdown. Others protested against the forced quarantine of individuals failing to comply with regulations or returning home from abroad, claiming that they had been quarantined for longer than 14 days and made to pay the government for their care. Hundreds protested on 8 May 2020 when the government destroyed 7,000 homes and a market in Kariobangi in an effort to control the virus.