Police arrest more than 700 XR activists after A12 blockade in The Hague

Police arrested more than 700 Extinction Rebellion (XR) activists Saturday after they blocked sections of the A12 highway in The Hague, protesting against fossil fuel subsidies. The protests disrupted traffic and required extensive police intervention, including the use of water cannons.

XR activists gathered at multiple locations near the Malieveld and the A12, including the Koningskade, Zuid-Hollandlaan, and Utrechtsebaan. Protesters laid bicycles on the road and staged sit-ins, blocking the highway and surrounding streets. Despite repeated police orders to disperse, the demonstrators remained in place, leading to mass arrests.

Most detainees were transported by city buses and released outside the city near the ADO stadium. However, 12 activists were arrested on charges of incitement and assault, according to police. These individuals remain in custody and are being questioned.

Minister of Justice and Security David van Weel expressed frustration over the disruption caused by the protests. “Demonstrating is allowed, but within the limits of the law. Due to the illegal blockade on the A12, ambulance response times were jeopardized,” Van Weel wrote on X. He also thanked police officers for their efforts, stating, “Thanks to all the officers who had to spend an entire Saturday on this again!”

XR defended its actions, arguing that the police’s response was disproportionate. “If the police had allowed us to proceed into the tunnel, traffic disruption would have been minimal,” the group posted on X. They added that they had let ambulances pass during the demonstration, as per their standard protocol, and criticized the use of water cannons by police on a cold winter day with temperatures around 2 degrees.

Dutch Police Union chair Nine Kooiman criticized XR’s tactics, calling them inconsiderate. “We just got through the chaos of New Year’s, and now this. Over 700 arrests, 12 for incitement and assault. The Malieveld was designated as a demonstration area, ” Kooiman wrote on X.