The police arrested approximately twenty people on Wednesday after the pro-Palestinian action by Extinction Rebellion (XR) at Amsterdam Central Station. Because demonstrators walked onto the tracks, all train traffic was temporarily halted.
Most people were arrested because they were walking on the tracks. Some also insulted the police. It is not yet clear whether the people will have to spend the night in jail, a police spokesperson told ANP .
Around 7:30 p.m., according to the police, seventeen demonstrators walked onto the tracks. Shortly afterwards, the officers intervened. Fifteen minutes later, all persons had been removed from the track. The demonstrators were taken away in a bus from the Custodial Institutions Service.
All train traffic to and from Amsterdam Central Station was temporarily halted. Since 9 p.m., most trains have returned to normal timetables.
The NS and ProRail have announced that they will jointly file charges against the demonstrators. “It is unacceptable that our travelers and colleagues are being endangered,” said NS director Wouter Koolmees.
The police said they were prepared, but could not stop the action. “You cannot avoid people going onto the railways,” said a spokesperson.
Major demonstration in Amsterdam was peaceful
XR had announced on Tuesday, along with a number of other pro-Palestinian groups, that it would occupy “a crucial station” in the Netherlands. The activists wanted the outgoing cabinet to impose a full economic embargo on Israel before 3 p.m. Wednesday.
XR is originally a climate action group, but demonstrators have recently also regularly taken action against the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.
On Tuesday, the Palace on Dam Square in Amsterdam was smeared with red paint by a pro-Palestinian organization, Palestine Action NL. Amsterdam mayor Femke Halsema called it a “scandalous and unacceptable graffiti”.
On Sunday, approximately 250,000 people took part in the Red Line protest in Amsterdam against the government’s Israel policy. That went without major incidents. Halsema called that demonstration “impressive” and complimented the organization.
On Wednesday, police arrested approximately twenty people following the pro-Palestinian action by Extinction Rebellion (XR) at Amsterdam Central Station. Because demonstrators walked onto the tracks, all train traffic was temporarily suspended.
Most of the people were arrested for walking on the tracks. Some also insulted the police. It is not yet clear whether the people will have to spend the night in jail, a police spokesperson told the ANP .
Around 7:30 PM, according to the police, seventeen demonstrators walked onto the tracks. The officers intervened soon after. Fifteen minutes later, all persons had been removed from the tracks. The demonstrators were taken away in a bus from the Judicial Institutions Service.
All train traffic to and from Amsterdam Central was temporarily suspended. Since 9:00 PM, most trains have been running according to the normal schedule again.
NS and ProRail have announced that they will jointly report the demonstrators. “It is unacceptable that our travelers and colleagues are put in danger,” said NS director Wouter Koolmees.
The police said they were prepared, but could not stop the action. “You can’t avoid people going on the tracks,” said a spokesperson.
Large demonstration in Amsterdam continued peacefully
XR, together with a number of other pro-Palestinian groups, announced on Tuesday that it would occupy “a crucial station” in the Netherlands. The activists wanted the outgoing cabinet to impose a full economic embargo against Israel by 3:00 PM on Wednesday.
XR is originally a climate action group, but the demonstrators have recently also been regularly campaigning against the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.
On Tuesday, the Palace on Dam Square in Amsterdam was smeared with red paint by a pro-Palestinian organization, Palestine Action NL. The mayor of Amsterdam, Femke Halsema, called it a “scandalous and unacceptable defacement.”
On Sunday, approximately 250,000 people participated in the Red Line protest in Amsterdam, against the cabinet’s Israel policy. That went without major incidents. Halsema called that demonstration “impressive” and gave her compliments to the organization.