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Greta Thunberg: Activist arrested at Hague climate protest

Ian Aikman & Anna Holligan
in London and The Hague
EPA Greta Thunberg arrested by police officersEPA

Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg has been arrested by Dutch police at a protest in The Hague.

The 21-year-old ed hundreds of protesters in a march against fossil fuel subsidies on Saturday.

The protest devolved into a standoff as dozens of police officers, some on horseback, attempted to stop protesters from blocking a main road.

Local police put Ms Thunberg on a bus full of demonstrators and she was driven away from the scene.

Protesters had planned to block The Hague's A12 highway for what Extinction Rebellion (XR) organisers say was the 37th time. The road has been subject to regular blockades since 2022.

The demonstration was called to denounce the Dutch government's tax concessions for companies connected to the fossil fuel industry, including the energy firm, Shell, and the airline, KLM.

Activists hoped to pile pressure on the government ahead of a planned debate about fossil fuel subsidies in June.

Reuters Protesters in The HagueReuters
Extinction Rebellion organisers say this is the 37th time they have protested on the A12 highway

Flanked by fellow activists, Ms Thunberg marched towards the designated protest spot behind a banner with the words, STOP FOSSIL SUBSIDIES.

The world's most recognizable climate activist tried to blend in with the crowd, but her star-power meant this demonstration attracted more attention than previous XR blockades of the A12 highway.

A brass band played and the protesters sang traditional Dutch songs given a modern climate-conscious twist.

Some newspapers had claimed local residents were annoyed the climate protest was taking place on the hottest day of the year so far, potentially making it harder for people to reach the beach in The Hague.

A group of activists then marched from the city centre to a field next to the highway, where a wall of local police officers was waiting for them.

A few demonstrators broke through police lines but were quickly picked up and handcuffed.

"It's important to demonstrate today because we are living in a state of planetary emergency," Ms Thunberg told AFP news agency.

"We must do everything to avoid that crisis and to save human lives."

Asked whether she was concerned about police action, she said: "Why should I be":[]}