VIDEO: Police in The Hague Arrest Over 2400 Environmental Activists

More than 2400 people were arrested during a protest by Extinction Rebellion Nederland, which blocked the main highway in The Hague, Ria.ru reports, citing city police.

“On September 9, we arrested more than 2400 people on the A12 highway, including dozens of minors,” a statement from The Hague police said.

On Saturday, eco-activists blocked the highway in protest against state subsidies for mining industries. Later, city authorities granted permission to reopen the road for traffic. The activists did not respond to numerous police calls to move to another area where protests were permitted.

The Dutch police used water cannons to disperse the protesters, after which the arrests began.

It was previously reported that the Netherlands government spends 37.5 billion euros annually on fossil fuel subsidies. At the same time, the Dutch cabinet has repeatedly announced plans to gradually abolish all fossil fuel subsidies as part of its efforts to combat climate change.