Today, various bookstores in the Netherlands staged a protest against a proposed VAT increase by opening later than usual. Store employees read silently until 10:00 AM to express their discontent over the government’s plan to raise the VAT on books from 9% to 21%. The initiative, led by Van der Velde bookstore chain, aims to highlight concerns about the impact of increased taxation on reading. Concurrently, readers gathered at the Tweede Kamer in The Hague for a ‘read-in.’ The Tweede Kamer is set to vote tomorrow on the VAT increase, which aims to raise €2 billion.