Belgian Chefs lay down jackets to protest at lockdown

Hundreds of chefs’ jackets were laid down in the center of Brussels to highlight the plight of hotels, restaurants and cafes that have been shuttered for nearly two months during the coronavirus outbreak.

The whites, separated by a stripe of black kitchen tops, were displayed in neat rows to resemble a cemetery in the ornate central Grand Place square.

Coralie Michiels, one of the organizers of the protest, said the action was partly to show the scale of the hotel, restaurant and cafe sector - providing a livelihood for 10% of Belgium’s 11.5 million people and contributing 18 billion euros ($19.4 billion) a year to the economy.

Belgium has begun easing its lockdown, bars and restaurants will stay closed at least until June, having shut their doors in mid-March.

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