Amsterdam police chief criticizes planned Extinction Rebellion roadblock on King's Day

The planned roadblock from Extinction Rebellion (XR) on King's Day "looks a bit like pestering police, or pestering the mayor, or pestering Amsterdam," said Amsterdam police chief Frank Paauw. He is unhappy that activists "are going to see how far they can go on a day that the police are at their busiest," Paauw said on the TV show Op1.

The climate protest was announced earlier this week. The goal is to block the A10 motorway near the former ING headquarters. The activists are demanding that ING stop funding the fossil fuel industry immediately. The group also insists that King Willem-Alexander to speak out against the financing of fossil fuels. XR has said that they will consider abandoning the plans on Saturday if this happens.

The Amsterdam mayor, police chief, and public prosecution leader have jointly said that they think the protest is irresponsible because police capacity will be strained from other city districts. They claim this could have direct consequences regarding "the safety of hundreds of thousands of visitors in Amsterdam."

XR called facilitating and protecting the right to demonstrate "one of the most important jobs for the police even on King's Day," they said earlier. Paauw said the last blockade resulted in 375 police officers being sent to the location. Officers will not be available to help in the busy areas on King's Day. He also thinks that the protestors disregard the potential danger their actions cause.

XR thinks the number of police officers sent to many prior demonstrations is excessive. "More than a small police force to block off the road so that demonstrations can take place safely and to facilitate and protect the demonstration is unnecessary," the activist group added.

Activists of The Road to Free Palestine also want to cause a roadblock on King's Day. They want to make a "big statement against genocide" with this. The exact location of the roadblock is unknown. It is also unclear how the announced protests will be handled.

XR attempted to block the A10 in Amsterdam on Saturday, March 30, but it was unsuccessful. A protest on the A10 was held on February 24, just like in December of last year.