Netherlands: Over 1,500 arrested in protests by Extinction Rebellion climate group

The Hague, Netherlands

With climate change protests gaining significant momentum globally, hundreds of people in Netherlands participated in demonstrations in The Hague blocking a roadway in a mark of protest against Dutch fossil fuel subsidies. Over 1,500 of Extinction Rebellion climate group supporters were arrested on Saturday, as per Dutch police. 

Vandalism charges against climate activists 

Police used water cannons on climate activists during protests to disperse them. The officials said detention of a total of "1,579 people" have been done and 40 of them "will be prosecuted" on offences including vandalism. One of the activists allegedly bit a policeman, according to the police.

Celebrities join protests 

Several Dutch celebrities, including Carice van Houten, who is best known for playing Melisandre in the popular television series Game of Thrones, were present at the demonstration. In a video that she uploaded to Instagram, Van Houten can be seen being wet with a water cannon while donning a red poncho. Some protesters had umbrellas or were dressed in swimwear as they sat across the A12 motorway carrying flags and slogans. 

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The Hague's Extinction Rebellion has arranged seven protests in the same area of the highway near the parliament and other ministry buildings. According to the Dutch news agency ANP, Saturday's demonstration witnessed the largest number of arrests ever.

“We’re going to stay here until they drag us away,” said postgraduate student Anne Kerevers, 31. Climate change is an unfolding crisis and we know the cause and it’s still being subsidised by our government and it needs to stop,” she told AFP.

What police said on arrests? 

Climate activists have been arrested in various countries as a result of their participation in protests or acts of civil disobedience related to climate change. Over these latest arrests in The Hague, police said they had many times “given activists the opportunity to end their action and leave” prior to resorting to water cannons to deter the protesters and arresting them.

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A spokesperson for Extinction Rebellion Aaron Pereira said, “We’ve been coming back every month, or every two months, and every time the number (of protesters) has doubled.”

“There is broad popular support for real climate action and people are waking up to the fact that the government is actively going against this by subsidising the fossil fuel industry,” Pereira added.

What is Extinction Rebellion climate group? 

Extinction Rebellion (XR) is a global environmental movement and activist group that was founded in the United Kingdom. XR's primary objective is to raise awareness about the urgent need to address the climate crisis and ecological collapse. The movement employs non-violent civil disobedience and direct action to pressure governments and corporations to take immediate and drastic action on climate change.

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It joined other organisations this week in Geneva to protest against the largest private aircraft sales event in Europe. The airport's aviation traffic was momentarily hampered by protesters on the tarmac when some demonstrators glued themselves to the showcase planes.