The Hague, The Netherlands. Thousands of Extinction Rebellion activists protesting against fossil fuel subsidies by blocking the A12 motorway in 2023. Police use the hoses on the protestors. Similar scenes were reported on January 11 2025, when climate chaos struck The Hague again. Protesters blocked major a motorway in their fight against fossil fuel subsidies.
Credit: Shutterstock, pmvfoto
Tensions flare as Extinction Rebellion protests fuel fears of a climate disaster:
In a huge move, climate activists from Extinction Rebellion brought traffic in the Dutch city of The Hague to a screeching halt on January 11, causing chaos throughout the city. Despite the fact that the protest had been officially banned by the Dutch Government, hundreds of demonstrators stormed the A12 motorway, preventing cars from entering or leaving the city, all in a fiery stand against the government’s controversial fossil fuel subsidies.
This is not the first time something like this has happened. Thousands of Extinction Rebellion activists previously protested against fossil fuel subsidies by blocking the A12 motorway in 2023.
This time, despite police efforts to block the protest, including erecting screens and fences along the road, several groups of passionate protesters made their way past the barriers, turning the busy highway into their battleground for change. The government had already banned the protest, but it went ahead anyway.
The Dutch government’s decision to reintroduce fossil fuel subsidies, once scrapped, is stoking the flames of public outrage. According to climate protestors ‘It’s a long-term protest to stop fossil subsidies,‘ not a spur-of-the-moment initiative. According to some protestors, the fires in Los Angeles are direct evidence of climate change caused by fossil fuels. There were angry shouts against the €47 billion a year given to ‘the most polluting businesses in the Netherlands’. What is really happening? Is the government funding fossil fuels despite scientific evidence that these fossil fuels are leading to worldwide disasters? Are the protestors’ claims accurate, or is this just populism?
Anger and controversy over fossil fuel subsidies in the Netherlands
In 2023, the Dutch government admitted that fossil fuel subsidies in the country amounted to a staggering €39.7 to €46.4 billion annually. And now, the new right-wing government has decided to reintroduce these subsidies, much to the anger of environmental campaigners.
Authorities responded by deploying water cannons in an attempt to disperse the protesters, but several demonstrators were detained – though police have yet to release the exact number.
But the message from Extinction Rebellion couldn’t be clearer: The fight for the planet’s future is heating up, and they’re not backing down any time soon.
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