Restaurant terraces will open across the Netherlands today and sex workers are to give a peep-show in The Hague. 

Both of these acts break current coronavirus regulations. These moves are being made by entrepreneurs to protest against the effect these measures are having on business, and the lack of support from the government, reports RTL Nieuws. 

Restaurants and cafés have been closed since October 2020. Today, many of them are opening their terraces despite it being against the law. 

Safe protests

In principle, it is a playful action, and people on the terrace are therefore not served. Although Johan de Vos, bar owner and chairman of the Breda department of Koninklijke Horeca Nederland, is still considering doing so. He and dozens of his colleagues will be setting their tables and chairs outside a little after 12 noon. The goal: “We will show that it can be done responsibly, with sufficient distance.”

Almost 100 retailers in Drenthe’s Klazienaveen will be joining the bars and restaurants in their protest, RTL Nieuws also reports. Their doors opened at 9 AM this morning.

Sex show in The Hague

Meanwhile, a group of sex workers will perform a peepshow on wheels between 3 PM and 6 PM in The Hague today. The only contact occupation not allowed to work yet, sex workers, have been excluded from government support for over a year.

The GGD tracks the number of infections occurring in particular sectors, such as education and healthcare. It has not been tracking infection rates amongst sex workers, which makes it unclear how many transmissions occur in this sector.

Fines for sex workers are often much higher than those for the hospitality industry. This puts sex workers in a dangerous situation, and many of them are forced to work in secret in order to make a living. 

What do you think? Should these businesses be allowed to open again? Tell us in the comments below!

Feature Image: Tim Gouw/Unsplash