About a thousand climate activists arrested at A12 blockade in The Hague

About a thousand climate activists from Extinction Rebellion (XR) were arrested on Saturday afternoon on the Utrechtsebaan (A12) in The Hague, the police reported. They blocked the road from 1 p.m. 45 minutes later, the police began removing the demonstrators. One by one, the activists were escorted to a detention van.

The activists had blocked the A12 to protest against the government's support for the fossil fuel industry, according to the climate action group. The XR activists also want to draw attention to the people who are currently most affected by the climate crisis, such as the Global South.

“2023 is the hottest year on record, with 30% more deaths worldwide from climate disasters than in 2022. All over the world, and especially in the Global South, people are being affected by the climate and ecological crisis,” XR spokesman Joost Thus said in a press release.

The blockade prevented traffic from entering or leaving the city via the Utrechtsebaan. The road has since been fully reopened.

Clapping and cheering could be heard from protestors taking part in a support demonstration next to the A12 as people were arrested by the police. "Jetten, shame on you, blood on your hands," was one of the chants.

The climate protesters want outgoing Climate Minister Rob Jetten to speed up the phasing out of subsidies for the fossil fuel industry. Jetten said that the protest had come too soon. He wants to present proposals next week to reduce subsidies for fossil fuels and other tax breaks.

By 2:15 p.m., four buses carrying detained activists had already left the site. However, with many hundreds of protesters present, the action lasted longer than expected.

Extinction Rebellion blocked the A12 for the 36th time. The demonstrators were supported by 200 organizations, including Urgenda, Greenpeace, Milieudefensie, CARE, PAX, and Fossil Free, according to the climate action group.