Outgoing Prime Minister Mark Rutte announced on Friday that the Netherlands will go into a small, mild lockdown for at least three weeks. This means, among other things, that the Dutch are only allowed to receive four people at home per day, that non-essential shops must close at 6 pm and the catering industry must close at 8 pm.
The latter is subject to a lot of criticism. In many cities, catering entrepreneurs are not prepared to close their business at 8 p.m.
In Alkmaar a group of catering entrepreneurs plans to oppose the new measures. They have mutually agreed that they will continue on Saturday evening until after 8 p.m. According to a spokesperson for one of the catering entrepreneurs, they no longer allow new people into their businesses after 8 p.m., but guests who are inside at that time are still served.
At around 9 p.m., cafe owners were informed that they had to close at the request of the mayor. “I’m just answering the call,” says one of the entrepreneurs. “I don’t want to lose my permit. We have made our point.” Most pub owners seem to have followed suit around 9.30pm.
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On Rembrandtplein and Thorbeckeplein in Amsterdam Saturday evening, just after closing time, it was still full of people. But by 8:30 p.m. the area was already pretty empty. The first evening of the ‘mild lockdown’ seems to have gone smoothly in the center of the capital.
In Leeuwarden on Eindhoven there was normally also a protest planned, but the catering entrepreneurs have meanwhile decided not to do so. In Eindhoven they decided to wait and see what the situation in Breda entails.
In Leeuwarden they decided to close the doors in time after consultation with the mayor. But hundreds of people gathered at Wilhelminaplein after closing time to continue their parties. The stairs of the Palace of Justice are also full. People are singing and setting off fireworks. There are many officers present with a baton.
In Breda there was also a lot of activity inside and outside after 8 pm. The mayor says that he will condone it on Saturday so that the catering industry makes a statement. Enforcers were sent out, but they will only observe.
The major entertainment areas in The hague are quiet shortly after 8 p.m. And also in Maastricht, Rotterdam, Utrecht on Groningen Most catering entrepreneurs also adhered to the temporary rules under the mild lockdown. The same was true for Roermond. The city center and the suburbs looked deserted on Saturday evening.
emergency meeting
On Saturday, Koninklijke Horeca Nederland (KHN) argued in an emergency meeting with outgoing Minister of Justice and Security Ferd Grapperhaus to allow guests to stay longer in the catering establishments, provided they arrived before 8 p.m. The interest group says in a statement on the KHN website that it wants to discuss this ‘walk-in until 8 p.m. model’ with Grapperhaus and Minister for Economic Affairs Stef Blok in a new emergency meeting next week.
“Guests who are then inside can stay as long as the original closing time,” KHN wants to bring up in the conversation. “This method does not involve more transport movements and prevents the so-called pub hopping that the OMT is afraid of.”
Furthermore, this would prevent accumulations in the public space around 8 p.m. and reduce the chances of parties at home and also illegal parties, according to KHN.
Riot
About two hundred activists had already gathered at the Ministry of Justice and Security on Friday evening. They wanted to disrupt Rutte’s press conference by making noise. The situation got out of hand and protesters started throwing heavy fireworks and rocks. The police had to use the water cannon.
(sgg)
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