The activists of the group known for its illegal actions were not dispersed by the few police officers on duty, who were monitoring them from a distance.
Hundreds of climate activists blocked a major highway through The Hague on Saturday, demanding an end to billions of euros in Dutch fossil fuel subsidies.
The protest, organised by the group Extinction Rebellion (XR), coincided with a police strike over pensions.
Some police officers on bicycles were monitoring the demonstration to act in case of emergency, but they did not intervene to disperse it.
Also readEarth Uprisings, Extinction Rebellion, Rampage 2024… A galaxy of collectives accustomed to coups d’éclat
On a sunny afternoon in early fall, the protests drew a peaceful crowd, some of whom pitched tents on the roadway and sat playing cards on the side of the road.
They erected banners that read: “turn off the taps of money to fossil fuels”, “People and climate before profits” et “If we can destroy the world, then we can also save it”.
Loudspeakers broadcast speeches, slogans and music, including «The Final Countdown» a song by the Swedish rock band Europe.
The protesters had painted XR logos and “end fossil fuel subsidies” on the highway while a group of elderly people wearing shirts with ” “grandparents for the climate” was handing out leaflets.
“We will continue to come back”
Many activists had organised a week-long march from Arnhem in the east of the Netherlands, which culminated in the demonstration on the A12 motorway leading to The Hague.
The XR group said some were planning to take advantage of the police absence to spend the night in motorway tunnels.
“We will continue to come back until the subsidies are removed”said XR spokeswoman Rozemarijn van ‘t Einde, adding that these subsidies amounted to between €39.7 billion and €46.4 billion per year.
The XR group regularly targets the A12 motorway and police often arrest hundreds of protesters.
“This blockade will be the most disruptive compared to the first one on July 6, 2022 because the climatic and ecological severity justifies such nuisances”the group added.
Dutch Justice Minister David van Weel said the police “always acted in emergencies, even during work stoppages”. He added that he was “a little ironic” as protesters urge authorities to ensure their safety, as they denounce what they call authoritarian policing.
