It was a pleasantly out-of-control flashmob: according to the police, there were around 3,000 people on The Hague's Malieveld at around noon. Young people, mostly: students from The Hague Art Academy and the Consevatorium. But that is not enough to make the Malieveld feel crowded. From all corners of the country, young art students and lovers had travelled to The Hague for what we will call a preventive demonstration. And so that did help. It suddenly seemed full, there. On that meadow in The Hague.
Accordion student Sofie de Klerk put a facebook page live out of anger over the 200 million cuts to the culture budget, which were enshrined in the gedoogoord between the right-liberal VVD, the Christian Democratic CDA and the populist-right PVV.
There is anger and bewilderment among many practitioners of art subjects, and many enthusiasts, at these measures which, on balance, disproportionately hit the art world compared to other sectors.
For those who were not there, we have collected some footage and audio material. First, the beautiful flashmob, opposite the Art Academy.
Then the organisation: Sofie talks about her Facebook adventure.
Then the drummer of the Steamrollers, who your reporter mistook for a Hague Harrie, and actually was. But then again, he wasn't. A passer-by, though, he was.
Steamrollers
And finally Jette Kleinsma, because she summed up the story well, and she wanted to give an inspired speech anyway.
We then wait to see where it all goes next this autumn and winter.
The NOS news programme on Friday afternoon showed some footage of a friendly riot, an hour after the demonstration ended, and 2 kilometres from the Malieveld. One person was arrested for raising a middle finger, we learnt. This took place about an hour and a half after the end of the official demonstration.
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