Greta Thunberg, a prominent climate activist, encountered two instances of detainment by the police during a protest in the Netherlands. Alongside a group of demonstrators, she participated in blocking a major road to voice their opposition against fossil fuel subsidies.
Authorities reported that over 400 individuals were apprehended on Saturday, with 12 of them facing charges of incitement. Subsequently, activists confirmed that Thunberg had been released from custody.
The Swedish activist, aged 21, was first apprehended by the local authorities and briefly detained alongside fellow demonstrators attempting to obstruct a key highway entrance to The Hague.
After her release, Thunberg promptly reunited with a small cluster of protesters obstructing an alternate road towards the railway station. Subsequently, she was detained for a second time and escorted away in a police vehicle.
Numerous protestors were moving from the city center of The Hague towards the adjacent A12 arterial highway, which links the Dutch government’s headquarters with various cities such as Amsterdam, Rotterdam, and Utrecht.
The Extinction Rebellion (XR) environmental group orchestrated the march, which formed a crucial component of their strategy to exert pressure on the Dutch government prior to an upcoming debate on fossil subsidies in June. A considerable number of police officers, including mounted ones, obstructed the group’s access to the motorway, cautioning that the use of force might be necessary if the marchers attempted to enter the road.
