5 out of 150 Extinction Rebellion protestors still in police custody after Hague highway blockade
This story was updated to note that five people remained in custody on Sunday, and were not released after their detention, as was previously reported.
Five of the 150 Extinction Rebellion activists who were arrested on Saturday were still in custody on Sunday afternoon, the police reported. They are still being held because their identities cannot be established and because they are complicating this process, according to a spokesperson. The police could not yet say when the five activists will be released.
The vast majority of the approximately 250 activists were arrested after blocking the A12 highway in The Hague on Saturday afternoon to protest against subsidies for the fossil fuel industry.
The mayor banned the blockade-style protest, however. When the activists sat down on the highway after the police ordered them to leave, they were rounded up and taken to the station in buses. It took several hours before the A12 was completely clear again.
According to the police, the Public Prosecution Service (OM) will now determine what happens to the activists who have been sent. The Public Prosecution Service says that it must first assess the cases before anything can be said about them.
The climate activist group took action for the fourth time on the stretch of highway, which lies between the Tweede Kamer and the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate.
According to Extinction Rebellion, which streamed the demonstration live, that was the most relevant place to take action because that is where decisions are made.
Reporting by ANP
