Sunday May 28, 2023
The city of The Hague was the site of a large-scale climate protest led by the group Extinction Rebellion, which resulted in the arrest of more than 1,500 people, according to Dutch police.
Protesters took action by blocking part of the highway in the afternoon to express their opposition to the government's support for Dutch fossil fuel subsidies. In response, law enforcement deployed water cannons to disperse the protesters and subsequently arrested a total of 1,579 people. Among those arrested, 40 people, including the vandals, will face legal consequences for their actions.
Extinction Rebellion estimated that around 7,000 people gathered for the demonstration, demonstrating a general concern about the urgent need to address climate change. Some protesters anticipated the use of water cannons and came prepared, wearing swimwear or carrying umbrellas as they protested on the A12 motorway. Banners and signs expressing their demands and raising awareness of the climate crisis were prominently displayed.
The protest marked the seventh demonstration organized by Extinction Rebellion on the same stretch of highway near The Hague's parliament and main ministry buildings. However, this particular event saw the highest number of arrests during a single protest, according to the Dutch news agency ANP.
Anne Kerevers, a 31-year-old graduate student, expressed her determination, declaring: "We're going to stay here until they pull us away." Kerevers emphasized that climate change is an ongoing crisis with a known cause that continues to be subsidized by the government, which she says needs to be stopped. Her sentiments were shared by other protesters demanding immediate and major climate action.
Several Dutch celebrities also took part in the demonstration, including Carica van Houten, famous for her role as Melisandre in the popular TV series "Game of Thrones". Van Houten posted a video on Instagram showing her wearing a red poncho and being doused by a water cannon. Reports suggest she was arrested but later allowed to return home, although it was not said whether she would face prosecution.
Police authorities said they repeatedly gave activists opportunities to voluntarily end the protest before resorting to water cannons and arrests. Aaron Pereira, spokesman for Extinction Rebellion, highlighted the exponential increase in the number of protesters at each demonstration, indicating broad popular support for real climate action. Pereira criticized the government for denying public demand by subsidizing the fossil fuel industry.
Over the years, Extinction Rebellion has gained recognition for their trademark disruptive and attention-grabbing tactics. Their direct actions targeting roads, airports and other public transport networks have caused significant disruption and drawn attention to the issue of climate change. While the group temporarily suspended their high-profile stunts in January, they have pledged to mobilize large numbers of individuals to protest what they perceive as government inaction on global warming.
Notable demonstrations included a four-day event in London where thousands gathered outside the British Parliament. Extinction Rebellion has also staged protests at airports across Europe, including a demonstration at Eindhoven Airport in the Netherlands in March. In addition, they recently took part in a demonstration against Europe's largest private jet sales fair in Geneva, where some activists chained themselves to aircraft on display and briefly disrupted air traffic at the airport.
