A12

Greta Thunberg flashes victory sign after police detain her at Hague climate protest

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It looks like a hashtag to me. Isn’t a holding your finger is a V-shape a victory sign?

https://extinctionrebellion-nl.translate.goog/en/greta-thunberg-aanwezig-bij-a12-blokkade-van-6-april/?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en-US&_x_tr_pto=wapp

Spokesman Joost Thus: “The A12 blockades have ensured that the injustice of fossil subsidies is clear to everyone. 72% of Dutch people want to get rid of fossil subsidies [1] and more than three quarters of the Second Last October, the House voted in favor of a motion on phase-out plans. The success of the A12 blockades has set in motion an international movement. An international coalition of 25 movements from 14 countries will fight at EU level for an end to fossil subsidies. This week there are Stop Fossil Subsidies actions in 6 European countries. It will be announced on Saturday on the A12 how we will increase the international pressure on politics and the fossil industry in the near future.”

Phasing-out plans for the outgoing cabinet
The outgoing cabinet presented the phasing-out plans for fossil subsidies in February. The abolition of fossil subsidies is postponed again until 2030 or even 2035. Moreover, the outgoing government states that phasing out a large part of fossil subsidies is difficult due to international agreements. But this goes directly against the international agreements that the Netherlands made at the G20 in 2009 (!) to phase out fossil subsidies before 2020.

Need to abolish fossil subsidies
Fossil subsidies stimulate the large-scale consumption of fossil fuels. Companies such as Shell, Tata Steel and KLM receive huge discounts on the use of oil, gas and coal in the Netherlands. In total, this amounts to between 39.7 and 46.4 billion euros per year in the Netherlands alone. Globally, the IMF reserves an amount of $7 trillion for 2022 [2]. In this way, the use of energy sources whose emissions drive the climate and ecological crisis is supported and stimulated. While this crisis endangers the lives of millions of people, animals and ecosystems.

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Continue ReadingGreta Thunberg flashes victory sign after police detain her at Hague climate protest

Extinction Rebellion NL close A10 Amsterdam ring road in protest at ING bank support for fossil fuels

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https://nltimes.nl/2023/12/30/extinction-rebellion-go-forward-banned-a10-blockade-ing-today

[Extinction Rebellion NL] are demanding that the bank stop providing financing and services for the fossil fuel industry. ING was based in the building near the planned blockade until 2014. Due to its unusual shape, it has nicknames alluding to its similarities to a boot, a shoe, an ice skate and a hairdryer. As such, it is somewhat of a landmark that is easily visible from the A10, and why XR believes it is the best place for the demonstration.

Amsterdam Mayor Femke Halsema has forbidden the blockade. The city indicated that the motorway is “irresponsible” as a demonstration location. The A10 is five driving lanes wide, and the speed limit is around 100 kilometers an hour. The VU Medical Center is nearby, and therefore, it is an essential route for ambulances. Traffic to and from the rest of Noord-Holland also passes through the road, which could lead to long traffic jams.

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ING also announced last week that they will stop financing oil and gas projects by 2040. The climate activist group believes the commitments are “insufficient” to “secure a livable future.”

Extinction Rebellion NL blocked the A12 motorway at the Hague succeeding in it’s demand that NL government stops providing fossil fuel subsidies. Extinction Rebellion NL blocked the A12 daily for 27 days despite being subjected to water cannon by the police. [see Extinction Rebellion pauses daily A12 highway blockades; Hague mayor relieved and MP majority in favor of potential phase-out of fossil fuel subsidies].

Continue ReadingExtinction Rebellion NL close A10 Amsterdam ring road in protest at ING bank support for fossil fuels

Dutch MP majority in favour of potential phase-out of fossil fuel subsidies

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Extinction Rebellion activists block the Utrechtsebaan of the A12 highway in The Hague to protest against fossil fuel subsidies, 26 November 2022 - Credit: Extinction Rebellion / Provided - License: All Rights Reserved
Extinction Rebellion activists block the Utrechtsebaan of the A12 highway in The Hague to protest against fossil fuel subsidies, 26 November 2022 – Credit: Extinction Rebellion / Provided – License: All Rights Reserved

https://nltimes.nl/2023/10/10/mp-majority-favor-potential-phase-fossil-fuel-subsidies

A majority of the Tweede Kamer adopted on Tuesday afternoon a motion from Suzanne Kroger (GroenLinks) and Raoul Boucke (D66) that calls for a possible phase-out plan for fossil fuel subsidies. GroenLinks-PvdA, D66, PvdD, SP, ChristenUnie, Volt, Bij1, Denk, VVD and CDA voted in favor.

NOS reported prior to the vote on Tuesday that the CDA would vote in favor of the motion, meaning a parliamentary majority would be reached. CDA MP Derk Boswijk told NOS prior to the vote that his party would eventually vote in favor because “we, as CDA, want to pass on a cleaner world to the next generation.” He believes it’s wise to explore how fossil subsidies can be phased out “in a sensible manner.”

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The climate activist group, Extinction Rebellion[NL], blocked the A12 highway in The Hague for several consecutive days, pushing the Dutch government to abandon policies that support the fossil fuel industry. They suspended the blockades on Friday in anticipation of the parliamentary vote on Tuesday.

The organization announced on Tuesday prior to the vote that they will stop demonstrations on the A12 highway until Christmas, Nu.nl reported.

Extinction Rebellion NL image reads STOP FOSSIELE SUBSIDIES
Extinction Rebellion NL image reads STOP FOSSIELE SUBSIDIES

“Civil disobedience works,” the climate activist group stated on Tuesday. A spokesperson describes the vote as a significant step. “Recently, with the A12-blockades, we caused shockwaves in society and made people look differently at fossil fuel subsidies. That social change has translated into politics today. And that is what we always wanted,” she said.

She added that the XR will now look at the implementation of the bill. “Of course we will look critically at what happens next. Should it turn out that politics fails again, we will come back with much more,” she said.

Continue ReadingDutch MP majority in favour of potential phase-out of fossil fuel subsidies

Extinction Rebellion takes legal action against water cannon use at A12 protests

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https://nltimes.nl/2023/09/25/extinction-rebellion-takes-legal-action-water-cannon-use-a12-protests

Extinction Rebellion wants to prohibit the use of water cannons during climate protests on the A12 highway through legal means. The activist group announced on Monday that it will file summary proceedings against the State. A spokesperson stated that the summons will be issued on Monday or Tuesday, after which the court date for the lawsuit will be determined.

The group’s lawyer, Willem Jebbink, described the deployment of the water cannon as “completely unnecessary and disproportionate.” He pointed out that protestors are being hit with a forceful stream of water, even when there is no indication of a threatening or dangerous situation. “Water cannons are weapons and are now causing injuries. Protestors are being blasted across the road surface, sustaining bruises from the force of the stream.”

Jebbink stated that the water cannon’s pressure on Saturday was so intense that activists had to shield their kidneys by carrying bags on their backs. “The government should protect citizens who are peacefully expressing their opinions, not assault them with unnecessary force.”

In the lawyer’s view, the use of this tactic serves no purpose since it does not disperse the protestors. Furthermore, water cannons were only deployed on September 18, 19, and 20 after protestors had already been detained. “They were trapped between the police line and the water cannon, suggesting that these are corporal punishments.”

Since September 9, Extinction Rebellion has been organizing daily protests on the A12 by blocking the highway. Their goal is to pressure the Dutch government to abandon policies supporting the fossil fuel industry. [stop fossil fuel subsidies] Over the past three days, more than a thousand individuals were arrested.

The water cannon was not deployed on Sunday.

https://nltimes.nl/2023/09/25/extinction-rebellion-takes-legal-action-water-cannon-use-a12-protests

Continue ReadingExtinction Rebellion takes legal action against water cannon use at A12 protests

More than 500 climate activists arrested during A12 blockade

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https://nltimes.nl/2023/09/24/500-climate-activists-arrested-a12-blockade

The police arrested 552 climate activists on Saturday who had partially blocked the A12 highway in The Hague. This is more than during the roadblocks of previous days: on Friday, more than 200 protesters were arrested, compared to around 100 the two days before.

The road was open to traffic again at 2:15 p.m. Around noon, protesters from Extinction Rebellion blocked the road for the fifteenth consecutive day to reiterate their demand to the government to stop projects that support the fossil fuel industry. [It’s more accurate that XR NL are demanding an end to fossil fuel subsidies by NL government.]

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XR spokesperson Lucas Winnips claimed in a press statement that the climate action group is “not asking for police involvement. That is a political choice. It is now clear that Extinction Rebellion will continue as long as necessary and that we are expanding. I would like to ask the police not to intervene in our peaceful demonstration anymore because that is pointless. We will come back the next day.”

Extinction Rebellion has been demonstrating daily on the A12 since September 9.

https://nltimes.nl/2023/09/24/500-climate-activists-arrested-a12-blockade

Continue ReadingMore than 500 climate activists arrested during A12 blockade