Six climate activists were arrested at home on Thursday morning on suspicion of sedition, the Public Prosecution Service (OM) reports. They called on Saturday to demonstrate on the A12 near The Hague. According to the judiciary, such a blockade is “dangerous and disruptive”, but the arrests seem to create more support for the action.
Directors of nine civil society organizations are now planning to participate in the climate demonstration. That is a reaction to “the disproportionate action of the OM”. These are Greenpeace, Urgenda, Milieudefensie, FNV, DeGoedeZaak, Both ENDS, Fossil-free NL, Young Climate Movement and Oxfam Novib.
Greenpeace director Andy Palmen argues that climate activists are dealt with harder than other demonstrators. “The right to demonstrate applies to everyone, but not all demonstrators are treated equally,” he says. Many climate activists say that demonstrating farmers who block highways get more room to do so than they do.
The arrested activists have joined Extinction Rebellion. That action group announced in December that it would block part of the A12 at the end of January. It concerns the stretch of highway between the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy and the temporary House of Representatives.
‘This peaceful demonstration falls under the right to demonstrate’
The arrested activists wanted to participate in the demonstration and called on others to do the same. The police were also at the door of another Extinction Rebellion activist, but he was not at home, the action group reports.
“This is a peaceful demonstration that falls under the right to demonstrate,” said an Extinction Rebellion spokesperson. According to the lawyer of the detained activists, the detentions are disproportionate.
The Public Prosecution Service calls the demonstration “not a license to commit criminal offenses”. The blockade would endanger the safety of others.
Extinction Rebellion has blocked A12 before
Activists of Extinction Rebellion blocked the A12 before. According to the Public Prosecution Service, this led to “dangerous traffic situations” on November 26 last year. About 150 climate activists were detained that day because of the blockade. The road was also blocked in December. That led to six arrests.
The Hague has not yet taken a decision on any measures to prevent the announced blockade. The action will continue for the time being and should start around 12 noon on Saturday.
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