‘Unmute us’: Marchers demand return of Dutch music festivals

By MIKE CORDER
Associated Press

AMSTERDAM (AP) — People are protesting in the streets of Dutch cities to call for an end to the government’s ban on large music festivals. 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. The Dutch government has banned large-scale events such as music festivals until at least Sept. 19 amid fears over the spread of the highly infectious delta variant. Protesters want the ban lifted on Sept. 1. They say other festivals, such as this summer’s Lollapalooza music festival in Chicago, have not turned into superspreading events.