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Hundreds of climate activists have blocked a main road in The Hague, the administrative capital of the Netherlands, to protest government subsidies for fossil fuels such as oil and gas. Extinction Rebellion activists marched onto the highway in defiance of police warnings. Dozens of protesters could be seen waving colorful flags, while others held banners. A banner held by demonstrators stated that “17.5 billion euros of taxpayer money will go to fossil fuels”. “This is a dead end,” another read, according to Dutch news reports.
Local police reportedly herded protesters onto waiting buses after they disobeyed orders to vacate the road. Hours after the demonstrations began, it was unclear how many people had been detained. Police said many of the activists left voluntarily at the behest of officers, according to the Associated Press. Extinction Rebellion spokeswoman Anne Kervers said: “The large number of participants “indicates society’s views on fossil fuel subsidies and the intimidation and criminalization of nonviolent climate activism.
Earlier this week, six Extinction Rebellion activists were detained by authorities on suspicion of sedition in connection with staging the protests. On Friday, a judge upheld an injunction barring another activist from the area for 90 days. However, Extinction Rebellion said he ignored the order and joined the protest. A lawyer for the group asserted that the order was a way to “deprive climate activists of their right to demonstrate”.
The arrest warrant and deportation order have sparked an uproar among activists, who say it violates their right to demonstrate peacefully.
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