An improvised carnival party in Roermond ended abruptly on Saturday, after the municipality threatened with a fine of 25,000 euros.
Because the big Shtas festival on Saturday could not take place, the organization came up with an alternative Vastelaovend Wo Bus-se. An open double-decker bus with artists traveled around and through Roermond on Saturday, to celebrate a small-scale mainland party at various stops.
Civil servants
“With no more than 500 people, we have always paid attention to that,” says Jules Geeraedts of the Shtas festival. “Then we don’t have to ask our visitors for corona test proofs.” No permit had been issued for the event, and it appears that the municipality was not feeling well. “At one of the stages, we were met by two municipal officials,” Geeraedts continues. “He asked about our ‘view’ with regard to our permit, and a possible penalty.”
25,000 euros
At that time, the municipal enforcer was ignored for a while, but at the next stop there was again an employee of the municipality of Roermond. This time with an official piece of paper. “It is prohibited to organize an event without a permit from the mayor. A bus with artists on Stationsplein is an event within the meaning of this article and you do not have the required permit. In view of the above facts, I am imposing a preventive burden on you. penalty in the amount of 25,000 euros if you organize an event at the Stationsplein today.”
Spoil
It is striking that the last leg of the bus was planned at the ECI Cultuurfabriek and not at the Stationsplein. Nevertheless, the party was spoiled by the impending penalty. It appeared that the municipality was aware of the route. “We were supposed to keep the route quiet, but apparently someone has leaked at least part of the route to the municipality,” said organizer Geeraedts. “The officials were just waiting for us.”
Two sizes
Geeraedts also feels that the municipality has applied two standards. “The letter states that we would pose a major risk to public order, public safety and public health. But thousands of people stood on Kloosterwandplein for another music event. And that was no problem?”
Signals
The municipality of Roermond says that ‘signals had come in’ via social media that the bus would eventually stop at Stationsplein, where, according to a spokeswoman, it was already very busy at the time. “We had made agreements that the bus would not go to Stationsplein. When we got the idea that this would happen after all, we took steps”, says the spokesperson for the municipality. “We tried to make contact before departure, but we were unsuccessful.”
It is also not clear to the spokesperson why the letter referred to possible health risks while it was also busy in other places in the city. “It’s just about making agreements.”