Hundreds of climate activists blocked one of the main roads leading to the international criminal court, The Hague, on Saturday in a show of protests over tax breaks linked to fossil fuels before they were withdrawn.
The activists reportedly blocked the road for an hour before the authorities began detaining them and taking them out by bus.
The move comes after six Extinction Rebellion activists were arrested this week on suspicion of “sedition” over calls to organize the protest.
Police detain a protester after Extinction Rebellion activists and supporters blocked a busy highway in The Hague, Netherlands, on Saturday, January 28, 2023. Earlier this week, seven Extinction Rebellion activists were detained by authorities. for sedition related to the protest.
(AP Photo/Peter Dejong)
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Prosecutors faced conviction for actions taken against protesters despite their right to protest peacefully.
But prosecutors defended their position by calling the blockade “dangerous and disruptive” for both motorists and protesters.
“Asking for a criminal offense, such as blocking a public highway, amounts to sedition,” prosecutors said in a statement.
Extinction Rebellion activists and supporters block a busy highway in The Hague, Netherlands, Saturday, January 28, 2023. Earlier this week, seven Extinction Rebellion activists were detained by authorities for sedition related to the protest.
(AP Photo/Peter Dejong)
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“Demonstrating is a fundamental right and is facilitated by the municipality of The Hague,” they added. “There are hundreds of demonstrations in The Hague every year that go off without a hitch. But a demonstration is not a license to commit crime.”
Extinction Rebellion spokeswoman Anne Kervers said Saturday’s turnout not only showed “what society thinks of fossil fuel subsidies” but was also a response to the “intimidation and criminalization of nonviolent climate activism.” “.
The activists vowed to continue their protests to demand an end to government tax breaks for companies affiliated with fossil fuels.
Extinction Rebellion activists and supporters chant anti-global warming slogans as they blocked a busy street in The Hague, Netherlands, on Saturday, January 28, 2023. Earlier this week, seven Extinction Rebellion activists were detained by authorities for sedition. related to the protest.
(AP Photo/Peter Dejong)
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“It is essential that citizens be able to speak out against this in a place that matters,” Extinction Rebellion said in a statement.
“This includes the A12, between the House of Representatives and the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate,” the group added. “Any disturbance to traffic, for example, will have to be tolerated.”
Associated Press contributed to this report.
