Protests against new Noord-Brabant coalition's lack of culture, environment support
Two protests were held at the Noord-Brabant provincial house in Den Bosch on Friday, during the appointment of the province's new deputies. A huge stack of theater seats with giants unable to find somewhere to sit protested against the new coalition's lack of support for culture. And hundreds of denim jeans represented the Noord-Brabant residents who want more attention to be paid to the climate crisis, Omroep Brabant reports.
The new Noord-Brabant coalition consists of right-wing and far-right parties CDA, FvD, VVD, and Lokaal Brabant.
Culture protest
The new deputies includes a deputy of free time, but no deputy for culture. With that "the new provincial government offends the artists, performers and cultural institutions by putting them away as part of free time," according to the activists. The protest was arranged by Theater Artemis, Het Zuidelijk Toneel, Theater aan de Parade, and freelancers in the cultural sector. They piled up chairs from various theaters in a heap in front of the provincial house. Two giants, played by Wendell Jaspers and Jeste Batelaan, tried to find seats to a performance, but to no avail.
Former deputy of Culture Henri Swinkels (SP) was present at the protest. "My heart bleeds at the way they dismiss culture as a kind of hobby club. I think it is disrespectful to everyone involved in the culture sector," he said
Ondertussen bij ons Provinciehuis. Wij willen in Brabant namelijk wel cultuur. Dus bezuinig cultuur en kunst niet weg. #ikwilwelcultuur #provincienoordbrabant pic.twitter.com/6kNaEK6SxA
— Jolanda van Gool 🏳️🌈 (@jolandavangool) May 15, 2020
Environment protest
Environmental organization Extinction Rebellion also protested at the provincial house. The group called on the provincial government to make livability on earth, and not economic growth, a precondition for the province's policy. And that honesty about the climate crisis be a spearhead of the policy.
As the coronavirus crisis made it impossible to have a group of protesters at the provincial house, Extinction Rebellion asked supporters from Noord-Brabant to send in jeans to represent them. The jeans were placed in a circle in front of the provincial house.
Protest voor provinciehuis in Den Bosch in volle gang. Extinction Rebellion voor klimaat, Kunst van Brabant tegen bezuiniging op cultuur (of: vrije tijd) in Brabant. Debat begint om 11.00 uur. Volg @LvdSt hier voor liveverslag en https://t.co/lSxugfdWrI voor berichten en updates pic.twitter.com/a7xyq87WB6
— Paul Driessen (@PaulD87) May 15, 2020