'Unmute us': Marchers demand return of Dutch music festivals

People are protesting in the streets of Dutch cities to call for an end to the government's ban on large music festivals

AMSTERDAM -- Dutch music fans have been banned for months from going to large-scale festivals due to coronavirus restrictions. On Saturday, the festivals came to them. Hundreds of performers and festival organizers held marches through six Dutch cities on Saturday to protest what they argue are unfair restrictions that have forced the cancellation of summer music festivals and other events. Thousands of people attended one of the “Unmute Us” marches in Amsterdam, walking and dancing behind a convoy of trucks carrying DJs and sound systems pumping out music. Leonie der Verkleij, a freelancer who works in hospitality services at events, was among those marching in Amsterdam.