THE HAGUE: Climate change activists blocked a major motorway in The Hague on Saturday in a protest against Dutch fossil fuel subsidies, the latest high-profile action by the Extinction Rebellion group that attracted several thousand demonstrators.

Police deployed water cannon against some of the activists, who have threatened a permanent blockade of the motorway, vowing to “stay or come back every day” until fossil fuel subsidies are dropped.

Many protesters had come equipped with umbrellas and donned bathing suits or waterproof coats in preparation for the police water cannons. Horns, whistles and police sirens could be heard around the city, as protesters paraded the streets in vehicles.

“A lot of money is being invested in the wrong place. Those using the most fossil fuels at the moment are the ones getting the most subsidies. This is slowing down the transition (to renewable energy),” Katrien Joosten, a 46-year-old architect said, as she marched with her 13-year-old son.

“I can just about accept the water cannon, but I think he’s too young to be arrested,” she added, as she pulled him back from the front-line.

Police unions had warned in a statement on Friday that policing the demonstration required a deployment “that the Netherlands can ill-afford,” with the protesters snarling traffic on a major entry route to The Hague.

The activists say the Dutch government hands around 37.5 billion euros ($40.2 billion) annually in subsidies to fossil fuel industries.

Published in Dawn, September 10th, 2023