Greta Thunberg and other climate protestors detained after Extinction Rebellion roadblock action at The Hague News
 / C.Suthorn / cc-by-sa-4.0 / commons.wikimedia.org</a
Greta Thunberg and other climate protestors detained after Extinction Rebellion roadblock action at The Hague

Climate protestors who attempted to create a road blockade at The Hague were detained Saturday by Dutch police. Among the protestors detained was prominent climate activist Greta Thunberg.

Protesters took to the streets of The Hague demonstrating against fossil fuel subsidies on Saturday. Fossil fuel subsidies refer to government action that lowers the cost of fossil fuel energy production or increases the price received by these producers. The protestors specifically opposed the Dutch government’s tax concessions for companies such as Shell, which are linked with the fossil fuel industry. Hundreds of demonstrators marched in protest from The Hague city center to a field next to the A12 highway. Some protestors attempted to create a blockade on the A12, and dozens, including Thunberg, were subsequently detained by police.

The protest, organized by Extinction Rebellion, was part of an international campaign against fossil fuel subsidies in Europe. The campaign titled “United for Climate Justice” brings together 30 movements from 15 countries. On Saturday, demonstrations took place in support of this cause in Germany, Belgium, Sweden, Portugal, Spain, Italy, UK, Poland and the Netherlands. Posting about the protest on X, Extinction Rebellion praised the action of their members, stating that they aimed to “show Europe that the fossil industry and our governments are driving the global climate and ecological crisis with fossil [fuel] subsidies.”

The “United for Climate Justice” movement is planning further action against fossil fuel subsidies in early May. They plan to transport protestors on buses across the Netherlands to Brussels in order to create another road blockade in a demonstration against this practice.

THIS DAY @ LAW

UK parliament passed Statute of Westminster

On December 3, 1931, the UK Parliament passed the Statute of Westminster, under which the British dominions of Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, the Irish Free State and Newfoundland gained complete legislative independence. The statute received royal assent and came into force on December 11.

President Theodore Roosevelt calls for dissolution of trusts

On December 3, 1901, President Theodore Roosevelt called for the dissolution of business trusts in his first State of the Union address. Roosevelt would go on to dissolve 44 trusts during his administration, earning the nickname "Trust Buster".