An orchestra played without their instruments during an Extinction Rebellion rally in the Dutch capital after arrests and the use of water cannons.
This past weekend, as part of an Extinction Rebellion demonstration in the Netherlands, an orchestra performed Mozart without their instruments.
They may be seen in footage singing their parts and playing inaudible instruments as they execute a section from the composer’s Requiem.
An important road that links to The Hague, the Dutch government’s capital, is now blocked by protests on the A12 motorway in the Netherlands. The demonstrators want the nation’s subsidies for fossil fuels to expire.
Since last Saturday, Extinction Rebellion supporters have been blocking the route. Police have made thousands of arrests while dispersing the demonstrators with water cannons.
The ‘A12 Orchestra’ is the name of the group of musicians that have joined the protests.
In a video posted on the social networking site X, formerly known as Twitter, on Saturday, members of the orchestra can be seen miming while singing Mozart’s “Dies Irae” on the go.
Back at the A12. The police forbade us to bring the instruments on the highway, so we sang the parts and mimed.
They can take our instruments, but they will not take our voice! ???? @NLRebellion #DiesIrae #Klimaatrechtvaardigheid #StopFossieleSubsidies pic.twitter.com/YaNlh929AU
— Michel van der Aa (@vanderaanet) September 16, 2023
Composer Michel van der Aa captioned the video, “The police forbade us to bring the instruments on the highway, so we sang the parts and mimed.”
They are free to seize our instruments, but not our voice.
Outside of the highway, musicians who had instruments joined the ongoing protests.
In church settings, the Requiem’s “Dies Irae” section is sung. Its text, which describes the “day of judgment,” is frequently dramatic.
Nog geen 24 uur geleden bedacht ik me dat het me geweldig zou lijken om mee te doen in het A12-orkest. Met nul koorervaring stampte ik Mozarts Dies Irae in m’n hoofd en daar sta ik dan hoor. Knikkende knieën en klotsende oksels, maar wat was het bijzonder! #StopFossieleSubsidies pic.twitter.com/zCwfFODKCF
— Wouter Waayer (@wouterwaayer) September 16, 2023
The rallies around the Extinction Rebellion, which got underway over a week ago, included the performances.
Extinction Rebellion issued a statement that said in part, “From Saturday, September 9 at 12:00, Extinction Rebellion will block the A12 between the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate and the temporary parliament building until the government complies with its demand: an immediate stop to all fossil fuel subsidies.”
There have been protests on this important artery of the Dutch transportation system for months. In May, musicians from an orchestra performed Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7 in public.
Dies Irae – Day of Judgment
De belastingkortingen op fossiele brandstof voor grootverbruikers zijn nog steeds niet opgeheven. Dus ik sta voor de derde keer op de A12, en duizenden met mij ????@NLRebellion #Klimaatrechtvaardigheid #StopFossieleSubsidies pic.twitter.com/M1YqW6p5R4
— Michel van der Aa (@vanderaanet) September 9, 2023