Environmental group ‘Extinction Rebellion’ blocks the Hague highway
Actresses from ‘Game of Thrones’ also participated in the protests
More than 1,500 activists were arrested by the police after holding a protest by blocking a major highway in The Hague, Netherlands.
On the 27th of last month (local time), UK Guardian and others reported that environmental group ‘Extinction Rebellion’ held a protest to block the A12 highway in The Hague, Netherlands, demanding the government stop subsidizing fossil fuels.
During the protests, video showed Dutch police using water cannons to disperse activists who were blocking the city’s main roads. However, the protest continued, with many participants preparing raincoats, umbrellas, and swimsuits in advance and dancing under the stream of water.
Dutch police said they publicly asked the activists to leave before using water cannons and arranged for them to leave. Among them, 1,539 were arrested for violating the Public Demonstration Act because they did not leave the scene despite police warnings.
Dutch prosecutors said that most of the protesters arrested were minor offenses and that the main purpose of the arrests was to end road blockades, so they would not be prosecuted.
Only about 40 protesters were ultimately charged with other criminal offenses, including vandalizing property during the protest or resisting arrest and injuring police officers.
According to Dutch public broadcaster NOS, Dutch actress Karish Van Houten, who played the role of Melisandre in the American drama “Game of Thrones,” which was popular in Korea, was arrested for participating in the protest. He posted a video of her on Instagram, showing her wearing a red dress and herself getting wet from a water cannon.
Extinction Rebellion said about 7,000 people participated in the protest. “There is widespread public support for real climate action,” they said. “People are realizing that the government is working against (the purpose of these protests) by subsidizing the fossil fuel industry.”
This is the seventh time they have blocked the A12.
Thousands of members of the group protested for four days in front of the British Parliament in April. On the 23rd of last month, during the European Business Aviation Convention and Exhibition held at Geneva Airport in Switzerland, they joined forces with other climate groups to stage a protest against private jets by tying themselves to the stairs of an aircraft.
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.