The Dutch are striking for the climate this Friday

Last Friday, the worldwide climate strike began. This Friday, it’s coming to the Hague, as thousands of people are expected to gather to express their frustration with the Dutch government’s handling of the climate crisis.

Fridays for Future

Strikers will gather in The Hague tomorrow at 1pm on Koekamp to protest against the Dutch government’s lack of action in the face of the climate crisis. According to Fridays for Future Nederland, “The current climate agreement is not enough and it’s not in accordance with the Urgenda verdict. We demand a Dutch Green New Deal with fair and ambitious climate policy to tackle the climate crisis effectively.”

The Urgenda verdict was the result of a court case in 2015, in which the Netherlands became the first country in the world to be legally obliged to act against climate change, and that any delay in doing so would be in contravention of the court’s ruling.

A week of worldwide protests and strikes

Most countries had their major climate protest last Friday, but in the Netherlands, New Zealand and Italy (among others) the main protest will be held on the 27th. However, there were smaller events in the Netherlands last Friday as well.

Tomorrow, the protest in The Hague on Koekamp is expected to last from 13:00 until 15:30, after which various events will be held around the city, including a teach-in on the climate crisis at Leiden University College The Hague.

History of the movement

For the last year, there have been regular strikes on Friday by young people and students. The movement, Fridays for Future, was started by the Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, and erupted in the Netherlands in February 2019. Last Friday, a week-long climate strike was declared: but this time adults were invited to join in. Strikes will have been held at over 4000 locations around the world by tomorrow.

Are you going to join the climate protest tomorrow in The Hague? Let us know in the comments below. 

This article’s feature image is by Gosse Bouma, who makes awesome videos of Amsterdam!