There was an unusual sight in The Netherlands on Wednesday: people took yoga classes or got their hair cut in museums and theaters all around the country

Since Saturday, shops, sports clubs and hairdressers have reopened after the Dutch government eased a semi-lockdown imposed a month ago, but entertainment venues must stay closed.

Diederik Ebbinge, a TV host and actor, came up with the idea of protesting this decision by transforming theaters into barbershops for a day. 

"I thought: in this country, if you respect all the rules as we the theaters and cinemas have done for over two years, and we're still not allowed to reopen, we need to do something else," Ebbinge told CGTN Europe.

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Dozens of cultural venues around the country soon joined the movement. Since gyms are allowed to open, some museums joined the protest by offering sports classes, such as Amsterdam's History Museum. 

All tickets for the event sold out in a couple of minutes. Others put artworks on sale to qualify as shops.

Although the protests do not comply with the current coronavirus restrictions, the cultural institutions respected the usual precautions, including sufficient social distancing and a check on vaccination status.

Mayors in many cities warned the venues, forcing some to end early. However, the police handed out no fines and closed no venues. 

The cultural sector has made its point clear. Next week, the Dutch government will assess the situation and may reopen theaters, cinemas and museums again. But until then, culture lovers will have to settle for one day of yoga and a new haircut.