Day 3 of the #A12 Blockades in the Hague for Extinction Rebellion, Netherlands. Day 1 & 2 saw 2900+ arrests, with a handful of protesters being detained into the evening.

Day 3 has continued this strategy - closing down the same highway. Over 210 people were eventually arrested, and the freeway was opened back up just after 3pm. This is basically the strategy - to close down this section of freeway repeatedly until the government capitulates to the demand - which is a serious demand. They’re asking for the 37.5 billion euros (40 billion dollars) a year of fossil fuel subsidies to end.

As civil resistance goes, the longer the protests carry on, the more exponentially expensive it will get for police. They are already short on buses, having to make multiple trips. And it seems they are using a local stadium to process the protesters, rather than a police station. The “ADO Den Haag Stadium," which opened in 2007 is serving as a processing center where protesters are released.

As police become more violent, faith in the state deteriorates, and the movement gets more credible. Already, 14% of the 17 million population support the #A12 blockade, and a full 70% support ending the fossil fuel subsidies. As those 14% move into active support, the protest will become more powerful. Traditionally, divisive campaigns around popular issues draw similar numbers, Suffragettes, Gandhi, MLK, all very unpopular, despite eventually being on the right side of history and making the changes possible.

Reports are in that the police have asked politicians to negotiate.

Already the #A12 protest has been a monumental success. Besides the massive arrests, day 1 also had a 180 piece professional orchestra playing Mozart’s Dies Irae - Day of Judgement - from inside the blockade itself. The sound and video from this is actually quite exceptional in the snippets available around Instagram and Twitter. We’ll look forward to tomorrow’s protest.

 

 

SMALL NUMBERS, BIG IMPACT

hosted by XR NYC

September 28th, 6:30-7:30, EST

Four civil disobedience activists (including one rebel) blocked the road to the Burning Man festival. It generated hundreds of media stories.

Another rebel glued his feet to the floor of Arthur Ashe stadium and stopped a US Open semi-final game for 49 minutes. It generated thousands of media hits worldwide, inserted the topic of climate emergency where it is least seen - the sports pages.

Would you like to be a part of this new wave of climate actions, where a small number of brave people can make a big impact?

Come learn from these two rebels. It's not hard. It just needs a bit of pluck, a bit of creativity, and a straightforward message.

 

Register for a Zoom link.

 

for other events with XR NYC visit xrebellion.nyc/events

 

 

Join up with Declare Emergency and make Headlines in DC

Join DE This Sunday for a talk about how you can join this exciting group - and start making headlines of your own! Or at least help others do the same.
“What are our responsibilities at this time? Because of the fossil fuel industry, we are facing horrors of a magnitude never before experienced in our existence. Our government continues to lead us to the edge of no return. We must stand up and defend ourselves. No one else is going to do it. It must be us, if we want to live.
Our methods must be disruptive, and they must be nonviolent. Our actions are evidence-based, credible, and we have a plan. The only thing missing at this point in time is YOU!”
Register now at declareemergency.org/events