Police forcibly remove climate activists blocking major Amsterdam street

(Reuters News, 7 Oct 2019) Police began forcibly removing climate change activists who blocked a major street in downtown Amsterdam on Monday, arresting 50 after they defied orders to move their demonstration onto a nearby square.

Traffic around the city center was disrupted as about 900 protesters from the group Extinction Rebellion gathered on Stadhouderskade, in front of the Netherlands’ national museum, to demand more action to tackle climate change.

The Amsterdam protests are part of an international campaign by the group to raise public awareness about climate change. Police in London said on Monday they had so far arrested 21 climate activists, while dozens of protesters blocked traffic at a main square in Berlin.

Starting before dawn, the protesters in Amsterdam held pamphlets saying “SORRY that we blocked the road, but this is an emergency”.

“The climate crisis is not being taken seriously enough by politics, and also not by the companies. That’s why I joined,” said one protester, who gave his name as Christiaan.

Protesters linked arms to form a barricade at either end of the block, and set up tents in the center of the street. Organisers said they intended to stay for weeks.

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Reuters News, 7 Oct 2019: Police forcibly remove climate activists blocking major Amsterdam street