Police to get tough on disruptive protests, hand out fines

The police and public prosecution office will be quicker to act when disruptive demonstrations take place and the law is broken, and that includes handing out on the spot fines, officials agreed at talks with justice minister Dilan Yesilgöz on Wednesday morning.

The get tough approach will cover demonstrations by farmers, motorway blockades by Extinction Rebellion and protests at which “objectional slogans are chanted”, officials said in a joint statement, quoted by Dutch media. The statement did not clarify what was meant by an “objectional slogan”.

“These are not demonstrations or protests. These are illegal actions or even criminal offences and those responsible will not get away with it,” the statement said.

Monday’s protests by radical farmers, in which asbestos was dumped on the road and hay bales and tyres were set on fire created “dangerous situations for road users and the emergency services,” the statement said. “The right to demonstrate should not be abused. These campaigns are undermining support for that right.”

Extinction Rebellion Nederland said in a reaction that it would press ahead with its peaceful demonstrations and fight every fine which its supporters are given.