Violent street clashes break out as Norway lifts Covid restrictions after 561 days

A day after Norway lifted coronavirus lockdown restrictions, the police reported several violent clashes and mass brawls as people crowded streets, bars, nightclubs and restaurants in many cities in celebration. The restrictions had been in place for 561 days. Norwegian prime minister Erna Solberg had announced on Friday that all Covid-19 restrictions will end the next day at 4pm local time. “It is 561 days since we introduced the toughest measures in Norway in peacetime. Now the time has come to return to a normal daily life,” she said. The announcement caught many Norwegians by surprise. But hours after the restrictions were lifted, the police reported several rowdy celebrations across some of the big cities in the Nordic nation. Celebrations by Norwegians, which started on Saturday afternoon and lasted until the early hours of Sunday, led to unrest in several places, including in the southern city of Bergen and the central city of Trondheim.