Protest in The Hague
Police deport climate activist Thunberg twice
April 6, 2024, 5:19 p.m
Police in The Hague arrest Greta Thunberg during protests against fossil fuel subsidies. The climate activist blocked a highway in the center of the Dutch city alongside the Extinction Rebellion group.
The Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg was temporarily arrested twice by the police during road blockades in The Hague. Thunberg initially took part with around 100 demonstrators in an attempt by the group Extinction Rebellion (XR) to block a motorway in the center of the Dutch city once again, as the Dutch news agency ANP reported. As a police force kept the demonstrators off the highway, they blocked another nearby road. Thunberg and other activists were arrested there and taken away on a bus.
The climate activist told the news agency by telephone that her arrest was peaceful. “But that’s not the point, I’m here because of the climate goal.” She had the feeling that she was able to get her message across well in The Hague. “People have been promised action for decades. Nothing just happens. We’ll see if it works now.”
After police released Thunberg, she returned to the center of The Hague and took part in another blockade, whereupon officers temporarily arrested her again. The Extinction Rebellion group had attempted to block the A12 motorway running through the center of The Hague for the 37th time since its protests began last year.
Since 2022, the climate activists from Extinction Rebellion have repeatedly held blockades on the A12 to protest against subsidies for fossil fuels. With the protest, the group says it wants to put pressure on the Dutch government ahead of another planned debate on the issue in June. In July 2022, the Dutch parliament asked the government to present a plan to phase out fossil fuel subsidies, estimated at between 39.7 and 46.4 billion euros. The plan has not yet been presented.