A protestors holds a sign reading "Fossil Subsidies Are Not Cool" as they block a highway during a climate protest of Extinction Rebellion and other activists near the Dutch parliament in The Hague, Netherlands, Saturday, Sept. 9, 2023. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)
Protestors blocked a highway during a climate protest of Extinction Rebellion and other activists near the Dutch parliament in The Hague, Netherlands, Saturday, Sept. 9, 2023. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)
THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — Several thousand climate activists blocked a Dutch highway on Saturday in anger at billions of euros in government subsidies for industries that use oil, coal and gas — before police dispersed them with water cannons.
earlier this week detailed 37.5 billion euros ($40.5 billion) in such subsidies in the Netherlands, notably related to the shipping industry, prompting calls for a quick halt to the practice.
The protesters — from Extinction Rebellion, Greenpeace and other organizations — broke through a police barrier Saturday morning and sat on a main road in The Hague heading to the temporary venue for the lower house of parliament.
They threatened to stay until the subsidies are lifted, and to come back every day if the police remove them.
“This is much larger than any one of us. This concerns the whole world,” activist Yolanda de Jager said.
The activists brandished signs with sayings like “Fossil Fuel Subsidies are Not Cool,” and warned that the seen around the world this summer are a sign of the future, if fossil fuels aren’t abandoned.
After several hours, police moved in and fired volleys from water cannons at the crowd, and picked up or dragged some protesters away, wheeling them away in special orange wagons.
Protesters on the front line held up their fists in resistance or put their heads down to protect themselves from the jets of water. Those farther back danced and jumped up and down under the spray, appearing to enjoy the shower on an unusually hot September day for the Netherlands
The roadblock is part of led by Extinction Rebellion targeting the Dutch parliament.
The report published Monday said the Dutch government spends tens of billions per year in subsidies to industries that use fossil fuels. It was published by the The Centre for Research on Multinational Corporations, known as SOMO, the Dutch arm of Friends of the Earth and Oil Change International.
The country is often seen as a leader in renewable energy and progressive climate policies, and Minister for Climate and Energy Rob Jetten acknowledged that the country has to end the subsidies, but has offered no timeline.
The report calls on lawmakers to begin phasing out the subsidies before the country’s Nov. 22 general election.
A new protest is planned for Sunday.
___
Angela Charlton in Paris, and Ahmad Seir, in The Hague contributed to this report.
___
For AP’s climate and environmental coverage, visit
The ɫtv Press. All rights reserved.
Get the latest from ɫtvNews in your inbox. Select the emails you're interested in below.
“We should be the Taylor Swift of financial institutions.”
Sorry, an error occurred.
Already Subscribed!
Cancel anytime
Thank you .
Your account has been registered, and you are now logged in.
Check your email for details.
Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password.
An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the email address listed on your account.
No promotional rates found.
Secure & Encrypted
Thank you.
Your gift purchase was successful! Your purchase was successful, and you are now logged in.
| Rate: | |
| Begins: | |
| Transaction ID: |
A receipt was sent to your email.
