Waving posters reading "The show must go on" or “No culture, no future,” the crowd demonstrated peacefully despite the pouring rain, accusing the government of unfairly targeting the culture industry with the new virus restrictions. Under the new rules, indoor public activities are strictly limited, shopping is curtailed and sports fans won’t be allowed into stadiums and indoor venues. The Belgian government shied away, however, from a full lockdown like that imposed in the neighboring Netherlands for the holiday season. The Belgian measures come despite a steady decline in COVID-19 hospital admissions in recent weeks. __This story corrects the site of the protest to the Mont des Arts, not the Place de la Monnaie.

Source: CBC News December 26, 2021 21:34 UTC