"No to this stupid procedure," this is how demonstrators carried signs on which the phrase was written in Brussels protesting the authorities' decision to close showrooms to stop

the spread of the Omicron mutant, "other than finance, culture enriches us" and "no culture, no future." Some demonstrators put carnival masks in an atmosphere that brought French and Dutch speakers together.

According to an infinite police count, there were about 1,000 people at 2 p.m. (13.00 t g) at the beginning of the gathering near Köningsbelin Square in the museum district of the Belgian capital.

Officials of major Brussels cultural institutions have called on politicians to "reconsider" the decision to close theatres as of Sunday. This action was taken Wednesday to guard against the spread of the highly contagious omicron mutant.

However, the fourth wave of the epidemic continues to decline in Belgium and the number of infections has been falling for three weeks, and experts advising the Government on health have not recommended that officials tighten procedures in the culture sector despite the crisis situation in hospitals.

Speaking of a "contradiction" or even an "anomaly," many health experts publicly denounced this decision as surprising, especially while allowing cafes and restaurants throughout the country to continue to operate under certain restrictions.

Officials in prominent theatres spoke of the importance of keeping movie theaters and theaters open for the "mental health" of the exhausted population of the epidemic for almost two years.