Concerns about limitations on the freedom to demonstrate in the Netherlands, hundreds of climate activists defied attempts to stop them from blocking one of the main routes into The Hague on Saturday.
The protesters congregated on the A12 road close to the temporary location of the Dutch parliament, many of them were carrying coloured flags bearing the emblem of the environmental organization Extinction Rebellion and one holding a banner that read, in Dutch, “This is a dead end road.”
Police picked up and drove away protesters one by one to waiting buses after they disobeyed orders to evacuate the road. It was unknown how many people had been held many hours after the event started. Many of the activists left voluntarily after being asked to do so by officials, according to the police in a tweet.
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Six Extinction Rebellion activists were held by the authorities earlier this week on accusations of sedition in connection with requests to hold the protest. An injunction barring another activist from the area for 90 days was upheld by a judge on Friday. The ruling, according to a lawyer for the group, “takes away the right of climate activists to demonstrate.”
Activists are upset about the arrests and exclusion order because they feel it violates their freedom to peaceful protest.
The massive turnout, according to Extinction Rebellion spokesman Anne Kervers, shows what society thinks of fossil fuel subsidies and of the intimidation and criminalization of peaceful climate movements.
Justifying their actions, prosecutors said that the accused were encouraging supporters to join the “dangerous and disruptive blockade” of the road. Extinction Rebellion activists, however, vowed to continue with their protests, in which they demand an end to government tax breaks for companies linked to fossil fuels.
Story was adapted from ABC News.
