Around 50 Extinction Rebellion climate activists blocked the A12 near Zevenaar in Gelderland on Saturday, closing the motorway towards the German border before police removed them.
Riot police intervened and loaded the activists on to buses. Most boarded voluntarily, but some did not cooperate with their arrest and were carried off the road by officers, with one or two handcuffed.
The group used two vans and a car during the blockade. Police also removed those vehicles, and all protesters have now been cleared from the motorway.
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Earlier, police had kept between 100 and 200 demonstrators away from the A12, but a smaller group later managed to reach the road. Protesters who tried to break through police lines at slip roads were stopped, with officers equipped with batons.
The motorway remains closed towards the German border, while traffic towards Arnhem is still moving. Motorists have reacted angrily to the protest, with frequent horn-blowing reported.
Many demonstrators who were prevented from reaching the road are still near the slip roads. They have faced angry responses from passers-by, and an XR livestream showed one person trying to pull a flag from the activists’ hands.
Police remain at the scene to keep counter-protesters away from the demonstrators.
Extinction Rebellion has blocked Dutch motorways dozens of times to draw attention to climate change and to urge the Dutch government to end subsidies for fossil fuels. Such protests often take place near The Hague or Utrecht.
