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The Dutch police arrested more than 1,500 people during a protest by the climate protection organization Extinction Rebellion. For the seventh time they blocked a stretch of highway in the center of the capital The Hague in protest against government subsidies for fossil fuels. Police said they used water cannons against the activists after advance warning and arrested a total of 1,579 people. Extinction Rebellion spoke of about 7,000 demonstrators.
Most of those arrested were quickly released, police said. 40 of them would be prosecuted for material damage and insult, among other things. One of the activists is said to have bitten a police officer during the arrest. Hundreds of police officers were involved in the action.
For their blockade, the climate activists chose the A12 in the center of The Hague, which leads past the House of Representatives and two ministries. According to Extinction Rebellion, 7,000 people took part in the protest. Expecting the police to disperse them with water cannons, many participants came in bathing suits and danced under the jets of water in the sun.
“We come every month or every two months and every time the number of participants doubles,” Extinction Rebellion spokesman Aaron Pereira told AFP of the protest. “There is a lot of popular support for real climate action and people are realizing that the government is actively resisting this by subsidizing the fossil fuel industry.”
Protester Anne Kerevers, 31, told AFP that climate change is in full swing “and we know why and it is still being subsidized by our government.”
Well-known Dutch people were also among the demonstrators, including actress Carice van Houten, best known for her role as priestess Melisandre in the Game of Thrones series. The Dutch news agency ANP reported that the star of the series was arrested on Saturday, but was allowed to go home in the evening. In a video that van Houten posted on the online service Instagram, the 46-year-old was seen in a red poncho soaked from the water cannons.
Extinction Rebellion is known for its high-profile protests such as roadblocks and airport blockades. In January, however, the internationally active group announced a temporary halt to its spectacular actions to instead mobilize thousands of people for climate protection demonstrations.
On Wednesday, apartments in seven federal states in Germany were searched by members of the climate protection group Last Generation, which repeatedly organizes blockade campaigns similar to Extinction Rebellion. Accounts were also seized, assets secured and the group’s website blocked. The Bavarian public prosecutor’s office had initiated the procedure. The suspicion was the establishment of a criminal organization.
Criticism of the authorities’ approach came from the SPD and the Greens, but also from environmental organizations such as Greenpeace. The CDU, on the other hand, called for tougher action against the last generation. Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) recently described the actions of the climate group as “completely crazy”.
(AFP)
Source: Blick
I am Amelia James, a passionate journalist with a deep-rooted interest in current affairs. I have more than five years of experience in the media industry, working both as an author and editor for 24 Instant News. My main focus lies in international news, particularly regional conflicts and political issues around the world.
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