Broad protest for Danish government’s plans to scrap holiday

By JAN M. OLSEN
Associated Press

COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — Denmark’s government wants to scrap a springtime public holiday. The money saved by doing that will be used to boost defense funding. On Tuesday, a bill proposing the abolition of the holiday was presented to parliament. But the entire opposition, major trade unions, all of Denmark’s Lutheran bishops, thousands of voters and rank-and-file members of the government’s parties have criticized the move. A petition has gathered more than 400,000 signatures; bishops have called it a “breach of trust” because they were not consulted; and an opposition member said the holiday is deeply-rooted in Danish culture, history and society.