Noord-Holland PVV politician refuses to address hitting climate protester with his car

Ronald van Tiggelen, a Noord-Holland Provincial Council member for the PVV, refused to comment Monday on an earlier incident in which he struck a climate activist with his car. During a committee meeting in Haarlem, PvdA council member Tino Wallaart urged Van Tiggelen to publicly respond, saying it was difficult to discuss topics like nitrogen emissions while that matter remained unresolved. Van Tiggelen, attending remotely, dismissed the request, stating he had no interest in addressing the issue.

The incident occurred two weeks ago during a protest outside the Noord-Holland provincial building in Haarlem. Van Tiggelen drove into a protest banner set up near the entrance of the Noord-Holland provincial building, where activists had gathered. As his car pushed through the barrier, a demonstrator was struck and thrown onto the hood. Without stopping, Van Tiggelen continued into the parking garage, later stating that he was unaware anyone had been injured.

A week after the collision, Van Tiggelen admitted to driving through a protest banner at the building’s entrance before entering the parking garage without stopping. The activist, part of a demonstration by climate groups Extinction Rebellion (XR) and Kappen met Kolen, has since filed a police report.

Noord-Holland Commissioner of the King Arthur van Dijk condemned Van Tiggelen’s actions as "unacceptable behavior" and called on him to personally apologize. “This not only damages trust in basic human decency but also in politics itself,” Van Dijk said.

Wallaart emphasized that he was not seeking to judge Van Tiggelen but merely to offer him a chance to respond. “This is neither the time nor the place to make a final judgment,” the PvdA council member said.