Raves and protests have become one and the same in recent history — and the Unmute Us march took place over the weekend as 1,000 affiliated parties from the Dutch event industry joined together.
The protest took place across six Dutch cities on Saturday, as music festival organizers, performers, staff and fans sounded off against restrictions that have forced the cancellation of large-scale events.
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Dutch government has banned large gatherings including music festivals until at least September 19th. Those who protested during the Unmute Us on Saturday were fighting for the ban to be lifted on September 1st. 
Currently, one-day events are allowed up to 750 attendees with proof of COVID-19 vaccination or a negative test. However, organizers believe people can congregate in larger numbers without fear of infection numbers surging.
Dutch organizers have referenced major music festivals like Lollapalooza in Chicago, which reportedly did not turn into a super-spreader event. The festival drew in 385,000 people over four days and was linked to only 203 cases of COVID-19.
Ahead of the protest, Unmute Us announced on its website — “That’s why organizers, suppliers, artists, event locations and visitors will take to the streets on Saturday, with one clear message: Don’t hold us down any longer!”
See a list of music festivals, artists and creators that support the Unmute Us efforts here.
Over 70k people in 6 cities protesting in the Netherlands
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Protest street rave in the Netherlands 🇳🇱
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Source: AP News
