Extinction Rebellion (XR) climate activists started blocking the A12 on Saturday afternoon. The highway, police reported, was closed both to and from the city for a while. The road is now partially open again. Shortly before noon, the mayor gave permission to deploy the water cannon. Earlier, the police tried to stop the activists. Several thousand participants entered the Utrechtsebaan from different sides of the road and took a seat at the entrance of the tunnel.
The climate activists of Extinction Rebellion will take action on Saturday in opposition to fossil subsidies. According to the organization, the Netherlands gives about 17.5 billion euros in subsidies to fossil fuel projects every year, which thwarts an effective policy to tackle the climate crisis.
The police have announced that they will act if criminal offenses are committed or agreements regarding demonstrations are not kept. However, demonstrators “always get the chance to end their action themselves first” and the police’s actions at demonstrations are aimed at de-escalation.
Although the municipality called on climate activists this week to demonstrate near The Hague Central station, Extinction Rebellion continued with the plan to take action on the A12. The action group hoped for more than 2,000 participants for the demonstration. It is the sixth time that XR will block the A12. Some 1,000 activists attended the recent blockade last January, and 768 of them were arrested. At the same time, preparations are underway for Sunday’s CPC Loop on the Malieveld in the center of the city.
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