Greta Thunberg: Activist arrested at Hague climate protest

The image shows several police officers in dark uniforms with high-visibility yellow stripes detaining a person in a gray shirt. The officers wear caps and tactical gear. The scene appears to be on a street with traffic lights and trees visible in the background.

Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg has been arrested by Dutch police at a protest in The Hague.

The 21-year-old joined hundreds of protesters in a march against fossil fuel subsidies on Saturday. The protest devolved into a standoff as dozens of police officers, some on horseback, attempted to stop protesters from blocking a main road.

Local police put Ms Thunberg on a bus full of demonstrators and she was driven away from the scene.

Protesters had planned to block The Hague's A12 highway for what Extinction Rebellion (XR) organisers say was the 37th time. The road has been subject to regular blockades since 2022.

The demonstration was called to denounce the Dutch government's tax concessions for companies connected to the fossil fuel industry, including the energy firm, Shell, and the airline, KLM. Activists hoped to pile pressure on the government ahead of a planned debate about fossil fuel subsidies in June.

Flanked by fellow activists, Ms Thunberg marched towards the designated protest spot behind a banner with the words, STOP FOSSIL SUBSIDIES.

The image shows a climate protest with a large crowd of demonstrators gathered around a statue of a man in a business suit on a pedestal. Protesters are holding banners with text including — Extinction Rebellion organisers say this is the 37th time they have protested on the A12 highway

A group of activists then marched from the city centre to a field next to the highway, where a wall of local police officers was waiting for them. A few demonstrators broke through police lines but were quickly picked up and handcuffed.

"It's important to demonstrate today because we are living in a state of planetary emergency," Ms Thunberg told AFP news agency. "We must do everything to avoid that crisis and to save human lives."

Ms Thunberg was among a small group of climate activists who broke away and managed to reach the road. More than a hundred of them were placed in police-commandeered minibuses.

Those who managed to sit down cross-legged on the A12 highway were first asked by police if they wanted to cooperate by boarding the buses. Those who refused were hoisted up by arms and rucksacks and deposited in the vehicles.

The image shows two young people sitting inside what appears to be a bus or vehicle, both covering their faces with their hands. The person on the left wears a gray t-shirt, while the person on the right wears a light-colored shirt and has curly dark hair. They appear to be seated on red seats, with windows visible in the background showing trees and urban scenery outside. — Greta Thunberg was loaded into a bus and driven away from the protest, along with fellow detainees