'It's time to stand up for ourselves': Dutch venues to defy Covid-19 rules and reopen on February 12th

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  • Dozens of venues across the country support the campaign, which launched earlier this week.
  • 'It's time to stand up for ourselves': Dutch venues to defy Covid-19 rules and reopen on February 12th image
  • Numerous clubs and venues across the Netherlands are planning to defy current Covid-19 regulations and reopen on Saturday, February 12th. The De Nacht staat op campaign, which means "the night stands up" in English, was launched earlier this week by nightlife groups Nachtbelang and the OAC (Council of Amsterdam Clubs). So far, dozens of venues have signed up, including Amsterdam's Melkweg, Radio Radio and Shelter, plus Time Out Gemert, Ekko in Utrecht and Annabel in Rotterdam. If participating venues open next weekend, they'll be breaking the current Covid-19 guidelines, which, despite loosening last month for cafes, bars and restaurants, still state that late-night spots must remain closed until further notice. A similar situation played out last month, when cafes in several cities chose to open and defy the regulations. Speaking to Resident Advisor, Axel van der Lugt, programmer at Amsterdam venue Doka, called the reopening campaign a "protest" to "protect our culture." He added: "We feel that Dutch politicians failed to recognise the significance value of nightlife over the the past two years." This is a common thread among club owners and promoters in the Netherlands. Melkweg's Levi Smulders told RA that venues are "fed up" with the lack of concern and attention from prime minister Mark Rutte and his government. "Club culture is bleeding," Smulders said. "Due to the lack of perspective, people look for employment in other sectors, not knowing when they can go back to the work they love." Vincent Reinders, owner of Radio Radio, said the club was "facing bankruptcy and losing half our staff" after only being able to open three times after midnight in the past two years. "And our prime minister had the nerve to tell us 'to become creative' last week," he told RA. Another driving factor behind the campaign is the rise of illegal raves, which have been happening across the country with little or no safety measures. Next weekend at Doka, van der Lugt confirmed there will be "sufficient ventilation" and no entry after midnight "to make sure there's no spreading through the city." The club will also be enforcing a 3G admission policy (proof of vaccination or recovery, or a negative test result). "That's why we want to open again," he added, "to offer a physically, mentally and sexually safer environment for everybody who are already going out during these times. It's time to stand up for ourselves." It's unclear what the consequences will be if these venues open next Saturday. On Monday, February 7th, government officials are due to meet with nightlife representatives to discuss the situation. The Dutch government has enforced some of the strictest lockdowns in the world during the pandemic. Yesterday, the number of new cases of Covid-19 hit a record high of 79,400, according to Reuters. Roughly 86.3 percent of people aged 18 and over have been fully vaccinated. "It's time to—legally—bring people back together on the dance floor, in order for our scene to connect with each other and to bring a sense of belonging," said van der Lugt. "There's no day without the night, and there are so many people that need this outlet to keep sane." Correction: A previous version of this article translated "De Nacht staat op" as "the night is on." The correct translation is "the night stands up".
RA