Photos: The Hague train station, streets flooded with climate protesters
Thousands of kids, young people and adults flooded to Koekamp in The Hague on Friday afternoon to protest for a more effective climate policy. By around 1:00 p.m., when the protest was set to start, The Hague Central Station was completely packed with people. "Stay calm and follow the directions of NS personnel", the police advised on Twitter.
An NS spokesperson told NL Times that no extra trains or service were arranged to alleviate the crowds, because the rail system is already at near full capacity in the region. Local NS staff and police are assisting with crowd control, the spokesperson said.
Travelers should also take crowds into account after the protest. "Our travel advice is to stay a little longer in The Hague and enjoy the beautiful city to avoid the crowds", the NS spokesperson said.
The protest was arranged by school children, but supported by many adults, environmental organizations, and other charities. The climate strikers have three main demands: A quick, fair transition to 100 percent renewable energy, no new fossil fuel projects anywhere in the world, and no more investments into fossil fuels.
The thousands of protesters carried signs with slogans like "It's time to rebel", "I've seen better cabinets at Ikea", "This is no drill", and "Make the earth great again".
