On Saturday, protesters took to the streets in Austria, a day after the government said the country will be shut down.

On Friday, Austria became the first European country to reimpose a complete COVID lockdown. Vaccinations will be required for people starting in February 2022, according to the government.

The severe limits sparked outrage among some citizens, with the leader of the far-right Freedom Party of Austria (FP) — who is currently suffering from COVID — declaring that the laws were putting the country on the path to "dictatorship."

Three young Austrians from Linz revealed to authorities that they meant to attack officers during the scheduled protests, citing their displeasure with the tightened restrictions. According to the DPA news agency, two teens and a 20-year-old said they also planned to set officers on fire.

Around 1,300 cops will be deployed across the country to keep things under control, including ensuring that participants wear face coverings as required and follow other health safety standards.

Austria had previously implemented a vaccination ban for the unvaccinated earlier this week, but a rising number of cases pressed the government to act rapidly to stop the virus's spread.

Several other European countries, including Germany and the Netherlands, are now experiencing a new wave of cases, prompting questions about whether immunizations alone can prevent the virus from resurfacing.

On Friday evening, protests in Rotterdam, the Netherlands' second-largest city, turned deadly as residents rallied against a government plan to enforce severe controls.