Calm before the storm in Antwerp’s student neighborhood: “I think all brakes will really go off tomorrow” (Antwerp)
While the RMI is scaling up the storm weather barometer on Friday to code orange or even code red, the corona barometer is making the opposite move. In Antwerp, too, many students were eager to throw a party on Thursday night as if it were 2019.
Saar Van Olmen, Jonas Rosquin
At the Ossenmarkt, the center of entertainment in the Antwerp student district, Thursday evening is a sluggish evening as we have become accustomed to when we die. In the cafes around the square, young people chat at tables. At that moment, nothing makes it seem that the corona barometer jumps from red to orange at the stroke of midnight and some noteworthy relaxations are taking place.
At midnight, guests will no longer be led to the exit and those who are tired of sitting can also get their feet wet in discotheques and dance halls.
Student Cedric Delbeke (20) planned to make it a special evening with his friends from the architecture department. “We opted for a pub crawl,” he says. “Normally we started having a kot party, but someone from that group tested positive.” A night through is unfortunately not possible, Cedric just has to go back to class tomorrow.
The desire to dance is strong in the group. Will they still be able to suppress their dance jitters for the lesson obligations, or will the urge to bang take the upper hand? “Partying and dancing has been a long time for us because of corona”, Astrid Stryckens sighs. “We will start our evening in Kassa 4, but will soon also go to the Salamander and the Stadswaag.”
Gpal Lahou (21), accountancy and tax student, can be found in student café Barracuda. He grabbed the first real dance opportunity in a very long time with both hands. Gpal doesn’t even drink himself in order to dance Red & Blue in the Schipperskwartier later. “It is still quiet now, but we expect a lot of people soon. I think tomorrow will really release all brakes.”