Dozens arrested in first day of Extinction Rebellion protests

In what is set to be a week filled with climate protests in the Netherlands, over 60 Extinction Rebellion activists were arrested on Monday in The Hague after chaining themselves to a truck in the middle of a busy intersection and refusing to leave. 

Dozens of climate protesters arrested for disrupting traffic

Hundreds of Extinction Rebellion activists took to the streets of The Hague on Monday in an effort to voice their displeasure with the Netherlands’ climate policy and force the Dutch government to make the country climate neutral before 2025. 

Dutch police brought the protest to an end on Monday afternoon, explaining that the action of demonstrators was now causing disruption and presented a safety risk for local traffic. More than 60 arrests were made as dozens of protestors chained themselves to a truck and refused to leave.

The protest blocked a number of large intersections in the city, including one near Bezuidenhoutseweg - the temporary location of the House of Representatives (Tweede Kamer), as well as the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate. Activists wielded signs such as “Procrastination is not an option” and “This road has a dead end.”

Extinction Rebellion plans week of protests in The Hague

Extinction Rebellion has announced plans for demonstrations to take place in The Hague throughout the course of the week, and while the municipality has approved plans for (peaceful) protests, it has made it clear that activists must abide by the rules. 

For example, activists are not permitted to take any disruptive action and block roads or deface buildings.  The group has provided very little information about their plans for the week, but announced via their Facebook page that Tuesday would see "another day full of disruptive action," emphasising that alongside the physical protests there was an "extensive legal programme" for the week.