On Thursday in central Stockholm, 39 opera musicians performed The Prisoners' Choir by Giuseppe Verdi.

At the same time, at least three other choirs lined up around the country.

The performance, or rather the performances, is a protest against the lack of the increased maximum limit for audiences at cultural events.

One of the initiators is the playwright Göran Gademan, who is also behind a call with more than 10,000 signatures that was handed over to Minister of Culture Amanda Lind after the performance.

Later in the day, they met for a conversation about the restrictions.

- Amanda Lind was anxious to meet us as representatives of the culture.

We talked about concrete solutions on how to solve the locked situation.

But it is clear that you are disappointed when you understand how difficult it is, that you may have to change laws to achieve this, says Göran Gademan.

Requirements on the government

In the petition, the signatories demand that the government provide answers to, among other things, why they go against the Public Health Agency's recommendations to allow 500 people at various cultural events and why they do not review the possibility of opening up with a certain number of people per square meter.

They also want to know why other rules apply to restaurants and trade, than to cultural activities.

Either the same rules should apply to everyone, or the government opens up for a change, the signatories demand.

- We were provoked when they did not raise the limit, but they opened restaurants.

Why should they not follow the corona laws like everyone else.

Why should culture be punished?

says Göran Gademan.

In violation of the freedom of assembly?

In Svenska Dagbladet, the conductor Patrik Ringborg has also raised legal questions about the maximum limit for cultural events.

According to him, the current 50-person limit may conflict with freedom of assembly.

The measure is no longer proportionate to the purpose, after the Public Health Agency's Secretary General Johan Carlson went out and said that an increase in the maximum limit would probably not increase the spread of infection, he says.

See the performance in the clip above.