Dutch police used excessive violence against Extinction Rebellion (XR) during last Saturday’s blockade of the A12 motorway in The Hague

As usual, the atmosphere was cheery but determined when Extinction Rebellion (XR) started marching on the A12 motorway in The Hague last Saturday. More than a thousand protestors had come from different starting points all over the city arriving at the A12 at around 13:00. The attempt by Minister of Economic and Climate affairs, Rob Jetten, to appease XR by saying that the government’s plans were “almost ready”, had clearly failed.

XR had only blocked the road for about 45 minutes when the Dutch police started removing and arresting people in a violent manner. The police used nose holds and wristlocks to force protestors to comply. Both are very painful so-called ‘targeted pressure’ techniques that are meant to push on important nerves.

While many protestors had to suffer the nose holds and wristlocks, some had it even worse. Someone’s head was locked between two police officers’ knees and one protestor’s ribs were broken by an officer.

De “neusklem” is populair vandaag onder agenten. pic.twitter.com/XCVLkMoSde

— Marijn Schrijver (@schrijver) February 3, 2024

Extinction Rebellion was not the only group to face excessive police violence in the Hague last week. On February 1, a peaceful sit-in for Palestine at The Hague central station was ended with violence. The calls for a ceasefire and an end to the genocide, occupation and apartheid was not appreciated by the police officers at the scene.

By assaulting peaceful protestors, the Dutch police actively undermines the right to protest. A right that has already been deteriorating in the Netherlands for several years, according to Amnesty International. DiEM25 stands with Extinction Rebellion in condemning these violent and completely unnecessary actions by the Dutch police against them and all non-violent protests.

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