Dutch Police Detain 2,400, Unleash Water Cannons on Massive Climate Protest
Democracy NowAug 31, 2023
The Facts
Dutch police detained an additional 500 climate activists on Sunday, a day after arresting nearly 2.4K out of an estimated 10K protesters blocking the A12 highway into The Hague. Some of those demonstrating were minors.
The activists were reportedly demanding the government put an end to the use of billions of taxpayer Euros to subsidize the fossil fuel industry.
The Spin
Establishment-critical narrative
Climate activists' actions are effective precisely because they work to bring attention to the climate crisis, especially to the fact that extreme temperatures are a sign of the future facing humanity if we fail to abandon our over-reliance on fossil fuels. The Netherlands must heed these protestors' warnings and repeal subsidies for industries that are threatening the planet.
Pro-establishment narrative
As the Netherlands aims to make the energy sector carbon neutral by 2035, climate activists' destructive and disruptive protests cast doubt about their intentions. There are a myriad of peaceful, civil, and reasonable ways to protest climate and ecological breakdown that don't involve taking a country for ransom.