Culture workers and sympathizers of the sector gather at 2 pm on the Mont des Arts in Brussels for a “static protest” against the new corona measures. From today, for example, theaters and cinemas will have to open again, and that against the advice of the experts.
“The demonstration is intended to highlight the inequality and irrationality of the rules,” said the organizers, “because we feel very targeted.” More than 5,000 people would participate.
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- Fourth wave of corona infections engulfs Belgium
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- Cultural sector angry at “irrational” tightening, demonstration in Brussels at 2 pm
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Just before 2 p.m. there were a thousand of them, but in the meantime the police have counted five thousand people present.
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Despite the rain, Albertinaplein, at the foot of the Kunstberg, is completely filled with people.
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“We have many faces, which make us an easy sector to hit. We are diverse and varied and therefore easy to play apart. But now, now we are collectively lying on the ground. And we can stand up on this ground as one giant. mountain. A giant with one face and one voice. Politics has played an indefensible game with bad consequences.”
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Speeches by people from the broad cultural sector and, of course, performances take place on the podium. Among others, actor and theater maker Stany Crets, artistic director of the Koninklijke Vlaamse Schouwburg (KVS) Michael De Cock, director of opera house De Munt Peter De Caluwe and director of Charleroi Danse Annie Bozzini address the crowd.
“I see a lot of umbrellas,” Stany Crets began. “That just means one thing: Heaven is crying a little with us. I am very pleased that we are here today. I am just a simple craftsman with common sense and gut feeling. And something told me that now was the only right time to to make us heard as one voice.”
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Michaël De Cock, artistic director of the KVS, was sharp in his speech. He denounced “that there is no country in Europe where people act and talk about culture with such nonchalance, negligence, contempt. That is why we are here. Because we are tired, after two years of consultation, investment, training of people to keep publics safe received, still not heard. That is why we are here.”
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Cultural workers and sympathizers of the culture sector will gather on Sunday at 2 p.m. on the Mont des Arts in Brussels for a protest against the new measures decided by the Consultation Committee. As of today, culture halls will have to open again, which goes against the scientific advice of the GEMS expert group. Several thousand protesters are expected.
A podium is central on Sunday during the static demonstration of the cultural sector on the Kunstberg. Initially, the protest was to take place on Muntplein, but it was moved “due to success” to the Kunstberg. More than 5,000 people would participate, according to estimates by organizers and police.
Speeches by people from the broad cultural sector and, of course, performances will take place on the podium on Sunday. Including actor and theater maker Stany Crets, artistic director of the Royal Flemish Theater (KVS) Michael De Cock, director of opera house De Munt Peter De Caluwe as director van Charleroi Danse Annie Bozzini address the crowd. The dancers of Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker, singer-songwriter Meskerem Mees and many others provide the artistic interventions.
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“The demonstration is intended to highlight the inequality and irrationality of the rules. After two years of standstill, that is a very important message,” explains organizer Katrien Vermeir. “It is a warm call that we can open again, because we have already invested and developed a lot to do so. We feel very targeted,” she says.
The cultural sector calls for a peaceful meeting and asks everyone to wear a mouth mask and to keep the necessary distance.
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Our man on site estimates the number of attendees around 2 pm – the announced start time at “about a thousand”.
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It is raining on the Mont des Arts in Brussels, but quite a few people have gathered for the announced protest by the cultural sector.
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Culture workers and sympathizers of the culture sector gather at 2 p.m. on the Mont des Arts in Brussels for a “static protest” against the new corona measures. As of today, cultural halls will have to open again, and that goes against the scientific advice of the expert group GEMS. More than 5,000 people would participate, according to estimates by organizers and police.
Speeches by people from the broad cultural sector and, of course, performances will soon take place on stage. Among others, actor and theater maker Stany Crets, artistic director of the Koninklijke Vlaamse Schouwburg Michael De Cock, director of opera house De Munt Peter De Caluwe, and director of Charleroi Danse Annie Bozzini address the crowd. The dancers of Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker, singer-songwriter Meskerem Mees, and many others provide the artistic interventions.
“The demonstration is intended to highlight the inequality and irrationality of the rules. After two years of standstill, that is a very important message,” explains organizer Katrien Vermeir. “It is a warm call that we can open again, because we have already invested and developed a lot to do so. We feel very targeted,” she says. The cultural sector calls for a peaceful meeting and asks everyone to wear a mouth mask and to keep the necessary distance.
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The three classic symptoms of the delta variant occur in only half of omikron infections, according to British data. We urgently need to change communication to save lives. “It shows the many faces of the coronavirus, and we are not used to that with viruses,” says Marc Van Ranst. Read more here (+).
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BREAKING The number of coronavirus infections is currently falling, but will start to rise again in the coming days. Bart Mesuere, researcher at Ghent University, reports this. “Meanwhile, the omikron variant is responsible for half of the confirmed infections. We will see a sharp increase in the number of confirmed infections from next week. We will probably see that first in Brussels and among the people in their twenties, where the decline is already slowing down.” Read more here.
In the coming days, the infection rates will start to rise again. We will probably see this first in Brussels and among the people in their twenties, where the decline is already slowing down. The number of tests performed decreases by 17% to an average of 70K per day, of which an average of 11.6% is positive. 2/5 pic.twitter.com/N3uSM1QFh1
— Bart Mesuere (@BartMesuere) December 26, 2021
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From February to September of this year, medical volunteers have performed a total of 527,090 hours in Flanders. That’s an average of about 2,150 hours a day. “It is thanks to the volunteers that the vaccination campaign ran so smoothly, they have committed themselves and will continue to work in the fight against corona,” says Flemish MP Brecht Warnez (CD&V), who requested the figures.
In the vaccination centers in Flanders, both medical and non-medical profiles are working as volunteers. In the period from February 2021 to September 2021, the medical volunteers worked 454,158.81 hours on weekdays and 72,930.66 hours on weekends. Most hours were spent by the vaccinators-raisers, they fill the syringes with the vaccine from the supplied tube. “It is admirable that the volunteers put in so many hours in the centers to ensure that every Flemish person could be vaccinated,” said Warnez.
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Economist Geert Noels did not spare his criticism of corona policy. “The train of inertia,” he called it. “It takes way too long for decisions to be made.” Read more here (+).
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Flemish MP Elisabeth Meuleman and Brussels MP Lotte Stoops will participate in the cultural protest for Groen on Sunday. With a message: they ask that Flemish Prime Minister Jan Jambon (N-VA) develop a long-term vision for the culture sector and a transition plan. Open VLD chairman Egbert Lachaert also advocates consultation with the sector. Read more here.—
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Due to the corona virus, the holidays cannot be celebrated normally for the second year in a row. But the virus is not only spoiling the Christmas atmosphere in our country. New York City’s Christa LaRock wanted to spend the holidays with her close family, but an infection with her live-in sister threatened to throw a spanner in the works. However, the family found a creative solution, so that they could join the table.
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Culture workers and sympathizers of the culture sector gather at 2 p.m. on the Mont des Arts in Brussels for a “static protest” against the new corona measures. As of today, cultural halls will have to open again, and that goes against the scientific advice of the expert group GEMS. More than 5,000 people would participate, according to estimates by organizers and police.
Speeches by people from the broad cultural sector and, of course, performances will soon take place on stage. Among others, actor and theater maker Stany Crets, artistic director of the Koninklijke Vlaamse Schouwburg Michael De Cock, director of opera house De Munt Peter De Caluwe, and director of Charleroi Danse Annie Bozzini address the crowd. The dancers of Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker, singer-songwriter Meskerem Mees, and many others provide the artistic interventions.
“The demonstration is intended to highlight the inequality and irrationality of the rules. After two years of standstill, that is a very important message,” explains organizer Katrien Vermeir. “It is a warm call that we can open again, because we have already invested and developed a lot to do so. We feel very targeted,” she says. The cultural sector calls for a peaceful meeting and asks everyone to wear a mouth mask and to keep the necessary distance.
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BREAKING The Consultation Committee decided on Wednesday to tighten a number of measures in the fight against the corona virus. Much has been said and written about that decision since then, but one thing is certain: they will be in effect from Sunday morning. What was decided now? An overview.
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The corona outbreak in the Chinese city of Xi’an has led China to record its highest single-day number of domestic infections in 21 months on Saturday. The city of 13 million inhabitants, which has been locked since Thursday, registered 155 domestically transmitted infections on Saturday. The day before, there were still 75.
Across the country, 158 domestic infections were identified. That is the largest number since China managed to contain its national outbreak in early 2020. It would not be infections with the omikron variant, which would only have been detected in a few foreign travelers and in southern China. In Xi’an, a total of 485 people with a locally transmitted infection were counted between December 9 and 25. Due to the lockdown in the city, residents are only allowed to go out sporadically.
As far as is known, the worldwide outbreak of the corona virus started in the Chinese city of Wuhan. However, China has had far fewer cases than other countries for a long time. This is partly due to the very strict policy, whereby immediately lockdowns be introduced if an infection is detected in a city. The Chinese authorities say that some infections in the capital Beijing can also be traced back to the outbreak in Xi’an. Beijing will host the Winter Olympics from February. China therefore wants to ensure that there are as few corona cases in that city as possible.
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Champagne sales in our country are heading for a record. “What comes in, immediately flies out the door,” says liquor store Prik & Tik. Sector federation Champagne Benelux saw sales almost double. Orders are also pouring in at the butchers and caterers. Read more here.
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