Trent Murray:
Sunday was not a day of rest in the Belgian capital, Brussels. Riot police ringed the headquarters of the European Union and used water cannons on protesters, and for a third night straight, violence last night in the Netherlands, a week into a new modified lockdown, amid restrictions on COVID passports to only the vaccinated.
Prime Minister Mark Rutte bluntly denounced the rioters as — quote — “idiots,” all this, as many in Europe try to make this new abnormal livable. It looks like business as usual at the Lur Cha Blanc Restaurant in Central Paris, with lunch service well under way.
Like many venues across the French capital, the restaurant is seeing a return of regulars after a tumultuous year of taxing lockdowns and forced closures. But between serving diners and polishing silverware, manager Jeremy Tranh’s shift comes with a new set of responsibilities, making sure the business doesn’t breach COVID-19 control measures.
That includes using government software to confirm diners are safe to be seated.