About twenty people were arrested this afternoon during a climate campaign in the center of Amsterdam.
The police intervened after several dozen activists of Extinction Rebellion had blocked the Blauwbrug. The activists carried banners with texts such as ‘Don’t let Mokum drown’ and ‘Don’t let the Dam down’, reports NH News.
The location and timing of the action are not coincidental. The Blauwburg is located right next to the town hall and the municipal elections are next week. According to Extinction Rebellion, the municipality is doing far too little to prevent sea level rise. “It is precisely the municipality of Amsterdam that should focus on insulation of homes, renewable energy sources and the elimination of the fossil industry as quickly as possible,” according to the action group. “If the water really gets too high, Amsterdam will be the first to act.”
Because no permission had been granted for the action and a tram line had to be diverted for some time, the police eventually intervened. According to the police, 18 to 20 people were arrested, a spokesman for Extinction Rebellion says 23 people are in jail. No violence was used in the arrests.
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