This Saturday, February 12, nightclubs across the Netherlands will open their doors in protest against coronavirus measures. The police have issued an official statement saying they will act as “passively as possible”. 👮
The statement, published by the Dutch Police Union, says that from Friday evening 11 PM to Monday morning, the police will only intervene if there are serious breaches of the law (obviously) and will stay focussed on offering first aid and support for Dutch citizens.
What does this mean? Simple. The Dutch Police Union has pledged solidarity with the protest movement — but without the official support of the Dutch cabinet.
WAKE-UP CALL 2022
Turns out, Dutch police are running their own protest movement called WAKE-UP CALL 2022. Since December of last year, the Police Union has been trying to raise awareness of the overwhelming workload amongst the understaffed police force. 🚨
The statement says that the initiative did not receive enough attention in Den Haag. The assumption that the police goes above and beyond for their state is harmful to the “health, safety and private life” of their employees.
Pressure on the police has mounted with the requirement to enforce coronavirus measures on top of ‘everyday’ police tasks.
“The night is for everybody”
De nacht staat op (the night rises/stands up) is a nationwide protest movement of nightclubs and venues that feel like they have been neglected by the Dutch government due to long, repeated periods of forced closure.
Clubs will open their doors at 9 PM on Saturday night. 🕺 With this, the nightlife industry follows in the footsteps of musea, cafés, restaurants and shops which have voiced their demands similarly during the last lockdown.
Will you be hitting the dancefloor on Saturday night? 💃 Tell us in the comments!
Feature Image: Pexels/Mark Angelo Sampan
