The Hague: Over 1,500 climate activists have been arrested on Saturday during a demonstration in The Hague, Netherlands, Al Jazeera reported citing Dutch police.
The Extinction Rebellion climate group blocked a section of a motorway in the centre of the city against the Dutch fossil fuel subsidies.
Talking about the incident, the Dutch police said that they used the water cannon to disperse activists, who were blocking a major road in the city and arrested "a total of 1,579 people ... 40 of whom will be prosecuted" on charges including vandalism.
Several Dutch celebrities were among the protesters, including Carice van Houten, best known for her role as Melisandre in the hit TV series, Game of Thrones, according to Al Jazeera.
The Dutch news agency ANP reported that Houten was arrested but later allowed to return home.
It did not specify if she was among those who would be prosecuted.
The protests marked the seventh organised by Extinction Rebellion in this area of The Hague, but the highest number of people arrested so far, according to ANP.
The environmental campaign group has in recent years garnered media attention through disruption, hitting roads, airports and other public transport networks with direct action protests against climate change.
Last month, it began four days of action in London, promising less disruption and more inclusion than the mass blockades that have become its trademark, reported Al Jazeera. (ANI)
