Writers, athletes, newspaper editors and actors gathered in The Hague on Monday to protest at the right-wing Dutch government’s plans to increase value-added tax on books, sports and cultural activities from 9% to 21%.

“The biggest issue is that our children are getting fatter, more unhealthy and more stupid,” said novelist Saskia Noort. “And this will make them fatter and more stupid. And that is really daft.”

Writer Tommy Wieringa said he feared the measure would hit the wrong people. “The idea is to get at the elite,” he told broadcaster NOS. “But that’s not going to happen. People with money will still buy books. It is those who are not so well off who will be hardest hit.”

The demonstration had been timed to coincide with a debate on the cabinet’s tax plans, but that discussion has been delayed following the resignation of tax minister Folkert Idsinga on Friday.

The plan to raise BTW from 9% to 21% will bring in an estimated €2.3 billion and is aimed at closing budget gaps. The right-wing cabinet has described the move as unfortunate but essential.

Despite alternatives offered by the opposition the discussion is in “deadlock”, D66 MP Hans Vijlbrief told the AD on Friday.

The former finance junior minister said he had been exploring “over 10” alternatives, ranging from a rise in tax on tobacco, higher fines by consumer and market watchdog ACM to a tax for bulk water consumption as a replacement for the culture tax hike.

None were acceptable to the coalition, said Vijlbrief, who accused the coalition parties of cowardice.

Despite the coalition’s apparent unwillingness to compromise, the tax plan is likely to run into trouble in the senate, where the coalition does not have a majority.

One of the options to get the plan through may be to exclude the tax hike on sport and sport club membership, a measure that all opposition parties have singled out as particularly damaging, the Volkskrant said on Monday.