Protests over virus restrictions in Belgium

Belgian protesters denouncing coronavirus restrictions staged a demonstration on Sunday in central Brussels and local media say police arrested about 300 people who tired to join the unauthorized action.

Brussels police on Twitter repeatedly called on people not to gather and later dispersed the demonstration, which ended peacefully.

Authorities had warned that riots in the Netherlands over coronavirus restrictions could spark similar protests in neighbouring Belgium.

Belgium's tough lockdown includes a 9 pm curfew and a ban on nonessential travel in and out of the country, which has had one of Europe's worst outbreaks.

Authorities have reported over 21,000 confirmed virus deaths in a nation of 11 million.