On Monday, for the third day in a row, police tried to resist climate protesters in The Hague by shooting water at them. In response, activists stubbornly put on their rain ponchos. 👀
Extinction Rebellion (XR) gave everyone fair warning in advance, announcing that climate activists would take to the roads and protest every. Single. Day.
And they weren’t kidding. 😬
Three days of protests, and countless arrests
On Monday, the A12 near The Hague was occupied by protesters who refused to budge for the third day in a row, NU.nl reports.
Previously, there were 2,400 climate activist arrests on Saturday, and then about 500 more on Sunday. 😳
READ MORE | How do the Dutch feel about climate change?
Apparently, the protest is against fossil fuel subsidies — in other words, the government’s arrangements which make the burning of fossil fuels more profitable.
Even so, The Hague Mayor Jan van Zanen expressed his concern for the protests and said he wouldn’t address the “goal” behind the activism.
Waterever, protesters don’t care
In an attempt to chase the protestors off, the politie blocked off the road and demanded that they relocate to the Laan van Reagan and Gorbachev, opposite the central station.
Those who did not follow that command were hosed down by “water cannons”, which only caused them to use umbrellas as shields or get creative with plastic bags. ☂️✋
Netherlands Police Deploy Water Cannon – Arrest 2,400 Extinction Rebellion Protesters Blocking Highway
10k people reportedly marched along the A12 highway into The Hague, according to the bed-wetting climate activists – ignoring warnings from authorities not to block the major… pic.twitter.com/40u76AGQr4— Edward Wayward (@EdwardBigwood) September 11, 2023
Others appear to just sit there peacefully, enjoying fresh showers of cool water amid the sweltering heatwave. 💦
Do you believe these protests will pay off for the water-soaked activists? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
Netherlands is one of leading countries in terms of pushing eco initiatives. At the same time China opens 2(!) coal powerplants per week (!!).
This is not activism… they are causing danger to public safety.