Tomorrow, despite the mayor’s ban, Extinction Rebellion plans to block the A10. In The Hague, reporters from Omroep West have already reported dozens of times on the blockade of the A12. We visited them to ask what we can expect.
Ivar Lingen of Omroep West estimates that the action group Extinction Rebellion blocked the highway in The Hague about thirty times. “In the beginning it was new and exciting, but after so many times you have seen it again,” says the editorial director. “It usually took a few hours, but the last few times it was sometimes ready in half an hour.”
According to Lingen, the A12 is easier to reach than the A10. “It is the only highway we have in The Hague. It is next to the Malieveld at the place where demonstrations always take place. So it is very logical and easy for demonstrators to walk onto the highway while demonstrating. In Amsterdam that is something more complicated, there you have longer entrance and exit ramps,” he says.
Mayor Halsema has banned the demonstration on the A10. She is concerned about the accessibility of the VU and the safety of other road users and the demonstrators themselves. Lingen has not seen any dangerous traffic situations in The Hague or heard stories about longer arrival times for emergency services. “Because everything was actually orchestrated, many people knew where they stood. But I am very curious about what will happen tomorrow.”