The Dutch cultural and creative sector taskforce plans to bring the Dutch government to court because of the remaining coronavirus measures.
Retail, sports, and education have reopened but the cultural and catering sectors remain closed — apparently, the main reason for the lawsuit, reports RTL Nieuws.
Protecting culture
More than 100 cultural organisations affiliate themselves with the cultural and creative sector task force, says the organisation’s chairman, Jan Zoet.
The task force is investigating whether pursuing this lawsuit is possible and promising for the cultural sector. The OMT advised keeping cultural and catering sectors out of the relaxation measures and Zoet believes this can no longer be justified.
Many people agree. As this tweet ironically points out, the crazy thing about Omicron is that it’s apparently safer (less infectious) to be in IKEA than it is to be in the Rijksmuseum.
There are 85,000 shops versus 450 museums — so why can’t the latter be opened, especially if people are constantly on the move in museums and other cultural institutions? 🤨
Successes in Belgium
Last year, the League of Human Rights in Belgium initiated proceedings with the Belgian government and the court ordered them to end coronavirus measures within 30 days. The result? The catering industry successfully reopened, unlike the Netherlands.
Perhaps the Dutch cultural sector can take some advice from their Belgian counterpart.
Do you want the cultural sector and catering industry to reopen in the Netherlands? Tell us what you think in the comment below. 👇
Image: PhotographerFromAmsterdam/Depositphotos
