Dutch cultural sector protests lockdown measures with haircuts, manicures

Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw orchestra played second fiddle Wednesday to a pair of hairdressers, while Vincent van Gogh’s self-portraits were briefly upstaged by a nail salon and barber, as civil disobedience to protest the Dutch coronavirus lockdown spread to the cultural sector.

The Netherlands has been in a tough lockdown since mid-December. Under an easing of restrictions announced Friday, businesses like hairdressers, gyms and non-essential stores were allowed to reopen, but museums, theatres and cinemas, along with bars and restaurants, have to remain closed.

The tough Dutch lockdown is running into increasing anger from businesses hit by the restrictions. Last week and over the