Prime Minister Mark Rutte finds it ‘absurd’ that climate activists blocked the A12 near The Hague on Saturday while the mayor had forbidden it. He also thinks that they should not complain about the controversial use of a water cannon. ,,Own fault.”
Rutte does emphasize the importance of the right to demonstrate. That, he says, is part of a democracy. But the protesters should have followed the instructions, he said. “And if the police tell you to leave, then you leave.”
Extinction Rebellion itself looks back with some satisfaction on the climate demonstration on Saturday, during which the A12 in The Hague was occupied. At the same time, the activists see some things that in their eyes have not gone well, a spokesperson said on Sunday.
We have really made a stand against fossil subsidies
According to the spokesperson, history was written with the demonstration on Saturday. About 3,000 people blocked the A12, she says, and another 2,000 people were present outside the blockade. “We have really made a stand against fossil subsidies,” she says.
Concussion
But things did not go well, says the activist, who also participated in the blockade. For example, according to her, there was police violence, the use of a water cannon was in her view disproportionate and people who were not on the A12 were also sprayed with water. “At a certain point, a group stood in front of the water cannon that wanted to drive, so that the cannon could no longer spray people standing along the side. The ME then intervened and that was very rough. Two people were punched in the face, one of them probably with a concussion. We were pushed over, pulled, and we fell over each other. While we just stood there.”
View the images that were recorded on Saturday afternoon below. Text continues below the video.
The activist also finds the use of a water cannon against ‘peaceful demonstrators’ strange. The so-called triangle of mayor, police and the Public Prosecution Service has a duty to use as few resources as possible, she says. “And that would have been in this case: arrest and arrest everyone, not use the water cannon against peaceful demonstrators.”
Hundreds of people have sat on the desk in wet clothes for hours, people have been put on the street shivering
About 700 activists were arrested at the demonstration. Many of them had wet clothes because of the water cannon. The police previously reported that the activists received dry clothing after arriving at the police station, but the spokesman for the climate movement contradicts this. According to her, only fourteen people received dry clothes. “Hundreds of people have sat on the desk in wet clothes for hours, people have been put on the street shivering. I don’t know exactly when someone is really hypothermic, but I am now getting messages from people who say they are only now feeling a little warm again,” said the spokesperson around 10.45 am.
The council is considering a response.
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