Today, 12:47 • 2 minutes reading time
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Hundreds of demonstrators gathered in Groningen on Saturday afternoon for the Unmute Us action. They protest against the corona measures for the events sector.
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The go-ahead for the demonstration sounded at 2 p.m. on Concourslaan in the Stadspark. Since then, a colorful procession of wagons and walkers has been passing through the city. The protest is accompanied by loud music.
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Protesters carry protest signs with texts such as ‘Killing me softly, with this policy’, ‘Less jokes, more house’ and ‘Measuring with two standards’.
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‘We also want to work’
One of the organizers of the action in Groningen is former night mayor Chris Garrit. The manager of culture stage EM2 in the city sees that the turnout is greater than expected. ‘I didn’t count them, but it’s good. This is the sound we want to hear. All those cars, all those organizations, all those young people who are now being discriminated against…’
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Wearing dark sunglasses, Garrit explains why the demonstration is so important. “There is a kind of inequality that we protest against. It’s not about viruses or wappies. We also want to work. Some are allowed to do that if it’s called sport, but if you do fun things like culture, it’s not allowed again.’
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‘We also want to work’
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Events at full capacity again
The participants in the protest are demanding from the cabinet that events can take place again at full capacity from 1 September. According to the national organization, about 2,000 festival and event organizers, event venues and suppliers have now joined the protest. In Groningen these include Paradigm, Oost, Kopjek, EM2 and Eurosonic.
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Also promotions in other places
Demonstrations are also taking place in Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Utrecht, Eindhoven and Nijmegen. In Amsterdam alone, thousands of people have gathered for a walking tour of the city. About 700 people are gathered in Nijmegen. The action follows after outgoing Prime Minister Mark Rutte announced during a press conference last week that discotheques and nightclubs will remain closed until November 1. Multi-day events will not take place until September 20 anyway.
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‘I feel like a child at his first festival’
Co-organizer Merlijn Poolman is also very happy with the turnout and the atmosphere during the demonstration. He only sees smiling faces.
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‘It is a protest, but we want to show how important music is and how happy it makes us. That’s exactly what’s going on right now. Great to see! I also feel like a child going to his first festival.’
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‘We want to show how important music is’
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