During a protest action in The Hague, Netherlands, over the weekend
环保少女Thunberg被捕2次
This is the 37th blockade of the A12 highway by the environmental group XR
Protesters rebuked police for using violent tactics such as nose clips to arrest them
▌ Environmental girl arrested twice in the Netherlands over the weekend
Greta Thunberg, a well-known Swedish climate activist, was arrested twice over the weekend during a protest against the Extinction Rebellion (XR) in The Hague, Netherlands, according to Dutch media reports such as NOS/Telegraaf.
Source: telegraaf.nl
On Saturday (April 6) afternoon, Thunberg and numerous protesters tried to block the A12 motorway, which runs through the city center. The protests were held to call on the government to end fossil fuel tax incentives for companies including Shell, Tata Steel and KLM.
The protests started near Malieveld, but when the protesters tried to enter the highway, a large number of police, many on horseback, stopped them. Subsequently, protesters blocked nearby streets, including Zuid-Hollandlaan, where Thunberg was one of the first people to be arrested.
Source: dutchnews.nl
Thunberg reportedly told the news agency ANP by phone while being escorted into a police car that her arrest was uneventful. "But that's not the point, I'm here for climate goals, I've been promising action for decades, but it never happened. Let's see if we can make a difference this time. She said.
As the police car drove away, observers and activists responded with applause.
Source: nos.nl
After being taken away from the scene by police, she soon rejoined the protesters, but was soon re-arrested. The Dutch judiciary explained that, under the Public Demonstrations Act, obstruction of traffic does not constitute an offence that warrants preventive detention, and therefore cannot be detained for a long time even if arrested. Eventually, most of those arrested, including Thunberg, were released.
来源:X(@Sebastiaan Barel)
This is the 37th time Extinction Rebellion has tried to block the A12 motorway in an effort to push the government to end fossil fuel tax incentives for businesses. In the Netherlands alone, such subsidies amount to between 39.7 billion and 46.4 billion euros per year, and that 72% of Dutch people want them to be eliminated, the organization claims.
In addition, protesters have repeatedly blocked the A10 ring road in Amsterdam. Last week, their attempt to block the A10 failed when the police had towed away some activists' cars beforehand.
Source: nltimes.nl
Just like last Saturday, Extinction Rebellion expressed outrage at the "excessive force" used by the police. They claim that the police use methods such as nose clips to make it easier to arrest people.
In response, the police said that "light coercive force" was exerted on those arrested who met resistance. "We wouldn't call it a nose clip. What we do is put pressure on the side of the nose. In this way, the resistance can be broken. ”
▌Why are those arrested not being prosecuted?
Despite the unsuccessful attempt to block the A12 motorway in The Hague, some 400 climate activists have been arrested, including Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, who has been arrested twice.
Most of these climate protesters have not been prosecuted because the Dutch Public Demonstrations Act (WOM) states that demonstration is a fundamental right to be protected, but it must be conducted peacefully.
The mayor has the power to decide whether to allow, restrict or prohibit demonstrations, and the police have the power to arrest demonstrators if they ignore the mayor's instructions.
Source: nu.nl
However, as long as the demonstrations remain peaceful, the Public Prosecution Service (OM) usually does not proceed further. Previous court decisions have held that arrest is sufficient as a punishment for peaceful demonstrations.
In addition, given the large number of arrests carried out, OM generally chooses not to prosecute, given the disproportionate workload of handling hundreds or thousands of cases with the expected outcome.
It is important to note that demonstrators face prosecution if they commit violence, vandalism, or other criminal acts during the protests.
The protests once again highlighted the balance between law and public safety when dealing with mass public demonstrations.