Greta Thunberg arrested at highway blockade in The Hague

Well-known climate activist Greta Thunberg has been arrested at an Extinction Rebellion highway blockade on Zuid-Hollandlaan in The Hague. The police have put her in a detention bus, an ANP reporter sees.

Moments earlier, Thunberg joined a group of almost 100 demonstrators who were blocking the Utrechtsebaan (A12). Extinction Rebellion blocked the A12) in The Hague for the 37th time on Saturday to protest against government support for the fossil fuel industry.

The Swedish climate activist told ANP on the phone from the bus that her arrest was peaceful. "But that's not the point, I'm here for the climate goal," she said. Thunberg said she felt she was able to get her message across well in The Hague. "People have been promised action for decades. It just doesn't happen. We'll see if it succeeds now."

As the bus carrying the imprisoned protesters departed, loud applause could be heard from other activists.

Thunberg joined the protest because she was there to announce new international actions against governments making it cheap and easy for large businesses to use fossil fuels on a large scale by giving them tax breaks and discounts on excise duties. Around noon, the climate activists marched from various locations in the Hofstadt to the A12.

“Companies such as Shell, Tata Steel and KLM receive huge discounts on the use of oil, gas and coal in the Netherlands. In total, this amounts to between 39.7 and 46.4 billion euros per year in the Netherlands alone. Globally, the IMF reserves an amount of $7 trillion for 2022. In this way, the use of energy sources whose emissions drive the climate and ecological crisis is supported and stimulated,” the action group stated in their press release.