190 climate activists arrested in Amsterdam highway protests
Police in Amsterdam arrested approximately 190 Extinction Rebellion (XR) activists during a protest on the A10 highway on Saturday. Authorities had initially reported around 130 arrests but later revised the figure upward.
The protest, targeting ING Bank for its financing of fossil fuel industries, disrupted traffic on the A10 near Amsterdam Zuid station for about 45 minutes. Activists also staged blockades on the A4 highway and at the A10 on-ramp near Amstelveenseweg.
Police quickly cleared two blockades on the A4 and A10, arresting 40 activists for violations of traffic laws. Another group of nearly 150 protesters, who blocked the A10 on-ramp, was arrested and transported to Amsterdam-Noord. They were later released, according to the Public Prosecution Service (OM).
At around noon, two vans carrying activists stopped on the A10 near Henk Sneevlietweg and blocked the road. Simultaneously, two vans and a car obstructed traffic on the A4 near Oude Haagseweg. Police intervened, removed the vehicles, and arrested the occupants. Those arrested are being questioned, and the OM is expected to decide next week whether to prosecute them.
Another group attempted to enter the A10 at the S109 on-ramp but was intercepted by police before reaching the highway. Despite orders to leave, the demonstrators refused and were subsequently arrested. Two city buses were used to transport the protesters.
The demonstration was part of XR's ongoing campaign against ING Bank, whose former headquarters is located near the A10. XR has criticized the bank for its role in funding fossil fuel industries. Previous XR blockades of the A10 occurred in February and April last year, though a planned protest in March 2023 was preemptively stopped by police.
Amsterdam Mayor Femke Halsema had prohibited the blockade and designated an alternative protest site at the grass field near the former ING building.
An XR spokesperson called the action successful, noting that some demonstrators were able to carry out the planned highway blockades despite police intervention. "This was about sending a strong message about ING’s role in the climate crisis," the spokesperson said.
