What helps better to achieve a goal? Ask nicely or push your way, if necessary by breaking the law? The climate activists of Extinction Rebellion (XR) opt for the latter. At least some of them: they have occupied the A12 in The Hague on several Saturdays in recent months with the main demand being an end to fossil subsidies (after, according to their own words, they had asked politely for a long time). And stayed put when the police warned them to leave. In January, 720 people were arrested, in May 1,579. A much larger group speaks out by standing next to the road, not on the road, in a solidarity demonstration.
The number of activists participating (on and off the road) is growing rapidly – and that is significant. While there were a few dozen people present at the end of last year, in May there were several thousand. Even more people are expected this Saturday and a big question is how many people will stay: the activists announced that they will occupy the A12 every day from Saturday, until all fossil subsidies are abolished.
XR preaches non-violence and the radical image that XR has or had scares fewer and fewer people. During the solidarity demonstration, entire families with (small) children are present, concerts are given, people sing and dance together and flowers are handed out.
This is reminiscent of the anti-nuclear movement of the 1980s. It emerged alongside radical peace groups and, in the heyday of the Cold War, was emphatically against the use of nuclear weapons. The march in October 1983 in The Hague, in which 550,000 people took part, is still considered the largest demonstration in the Netherlands ever. Precisely because of its non-radical character, the group grew into a popular movement, with support from social organizations, churches and trade unions.
Also read: The goal of Extinction Rebellion: disrupt order and be arrested
XR is not (yet) a popular movement, but the group does appeal to a growing dissatisfaction among citizens. That the government is taking too little action against climate change. And the feeling that the major systems such as the market and democracy are no longer sufficient to solve the major problems of our time.
Civil disobedience is being used as a means to repair a democratic deficit, the activists say. Because the government has committed to far-reaching climate agreements, but is not adhering to them, as the judge also ruled in the Urgenda case. XR points to historical examples, such as American civil rights activist Martin Luther King and Mahatma Gandhi, leader of the Indian independence struggle, to legitimize their strategy.
At the same time something remarkable happens. The growing group of climate activists does not match the declining importance that voters attach to the issue – at least according to the latest poll by I&O Research. Since 2019, climate has consistently been in the top three of topics that voters consider most important, but in the last poll in August the topic dropped to fifth place.
Voters now consider the housing market to be the most important, just like other socio-economic themes such as combating poverty and healthcare. People do not always seem to realize that having and keeping dry feet is also a form of social security. The quality of life in the Netherlands in the future is not tied to political affiliation, but concerns everyone.
With early House of Representatives elections approaching, big questions are on the table. Not only what the Netherlands will look like after four years, but also about the future. Should there be a new Delta Plan to cope with sea level rise? Are we building houses the right way to withstand increasingly extreme weather?
Plans must be made now for all these tasks. It would therefore be good if parties now spoke out about how they think they can keep the Netherlands liveable in fifty years and with what plans they want to achieve this.
It is very understandable that XR draws attention to perhaps the biggest issue of our time with roadblocks. However, it is important to respect the law – even in the event of an emergency, such as the future livability of the earth. The Netherlands will still desperately need the democratic constitutional state to tackle climate problems.
Also read: An action course at Extinction Rebellion: arrest lesson for decent people
A version of this article also appeared in the September 9, 2023 newspaper.