The Dutch police have reported the arrest of 1,000 individuals who participated in a civil disobedience action organized by environmental group Extinction Rebellion. The protest aimed to draw attention to the country’s fossil fuel subsidies. The demonstrators had blocked the A12 highway in the heart of The Hague, near important government buildings and parliament. After approximately 45 minutes, the police intervened, announcing the arrest of around 1,000 people for violating public demonstration laws. Traffic on the highway resumed shortly after, and authorities later informed the Dutch media that no charges would be filed against those arrested. This marked the ninth similar action in The Hague since July 2022.
The Dutch parliament had previously requested the government to devise a plan to gradually eliminate subsidies for fossil fuel industries, which are estimated to range from 39.7 billion to 46.4 billion euros (RM202.4 billion to RM236.6 billion). However, the plan was never presented, and the Netherlands has been without a functional government since the far-right leader Geert Wilders’ party won the most votes in the November 2021 elections but has been unable to form a coalition.
