When nightclub Complex in Maastricht opens its doors on Saturday, the owners can easily count on a fine of 50,000 euros. “We think that is disproportionately high”, co-owner Lucas de Beaumont tells L1.
On Saturday, many nightclubs in the Netherlands participate in the protest action ‘The Night stands up’. They want to be open to the public, since many clubs have had (almost) no income for two years.
Also read: Maastricht nightclub throws open doors: ‘It is necessary’
penalty payment
“A penalty of 50,000 euros has been imposed on us. We (owners, ed.) could also be detained for seven days,” says De Beaumont. The club has sold 1500 tickets, and is not yet sure whether or not they will open the doors on Saturday.
“Because the fine is higher than expected, we are still discussing it. We have another meeting with the team and our lawyer. If the mayor had condoned it, she would have mentioned a much lower fine.”
Crowdfunding
The club owners have now also thought about crowdfunding, but because mayor Annemarie Penn-te Strake can increase the fine until 9:59 p.m. Saturday evening, they will probably refrain from doing so. “Otherwise we would have collected a nice amount anyway.”
De Beaumont emphasizes that the city of Maastricht desperately needs its entrepreneurs. But still they don’t want to get into trouble: “We don’t want to put the future of the club in trouble, that’s also an important consideration.” The club will announce its decision on Saturday afternoon.
At Complex on facebook more than a hundred comments of support can already be read.
Reaction municipality
A spokesperson for the municipality of Maastricht responds as follows: “It is true that the night catering industry has received a so-called order subject to penalty. This is because of their announcement that they will ignore the corona measures. The amounts are based on the size and turnover of the business.”
Unmute Us protests
The night catering and events sector protested against the closures during the Unmute Us marches last September. In Maastricht, for example, several thousand people joined in to draw attention to the sectors.
Watch the footage of the Unmute Us protest in the provincial capital here: