Protest against bank’s role in global warming

Translated from Dutch NOS TV today:

The Extinction Rebellion action group is again taking action in Amsterdam today. The climate activists are now demonstrating in front of the ABN Amro office on the Zuidas. Seven of them have glued themselves together. The riot police is also present.

The campaigners build a camp with a stage in the Vondelpark. “We expect the mayor to approve that,” said a spokesperson for the campaigners.

In addition, there will be more “decentralized actions” at government buildings and corporations that have contributed to the Dutch government’s climate agreement, says the spokesperson. ABN Amro‘s turn was first.

ABN: "Onderschat niet de bijeffecten van desinvesteringen" hetzelfde geldt voor het effect van jullie investeringen! ABN nu, 84% fossiel, 16% renewable. Roep de noodtoestand uit! pic.twitter.com/przoH7pln3

— Extinction Rebellion Nederland (@NLRebellion) October 8, 2019

This Extinction Rebellion tweet says that of the ABN Amro investments in energy, 84% is fossil fuel, only 16% renewable. ‘Declare a climate emergency!’

Different groups of activists decide for themselves which buildings these will become. Extinction Rebellion is a loose association of activists, without central management.

Yesterday, climate activists demonstrated at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. They blocked the Stadhouderskade, an important traffic artery in the city. Mayor Halsema had banned the blockade. Today, there are again riot police vans at the Rijksmuseum.

The police arrested around ninety people, who were lifted one by one and taken away in police vans. Most of them have been fined, the police say. Everyone who has been arrested is now free again.

Held for longer

The activists say they are “indignant” about police behaviour yesterday. “The officers deliberately kicked over jerry cans with drinking water. And detainees were detained for longer than permitted.” A police spokesperson admits to the NOS that a number of activists have indeed been detained for too long.

According to the activists’ lawyer, Willem Jebbink, it is “very worrying” that police detain activists for “many hours longer” than legally permitted. According to the Public Events Act, this is allowed for six hours.

CLIMATE ACTIVISTS MARCH IN GLOBAL PROTEST Activists with the Extinction Rebellion movement blocked roads and staged demonstrations in big cities around the globe, part of a wide-ranging series of protests demanding much more urgent action against climate change. [AP]

The number of arrests of Extinction Rebellion (XR) climate protestors in London topped 500 yesterday, in a naked display of state repression designed to intimidate and silence political and social opposition among much broader layers: here.

USA: In the wake of recent wildfires that have ravaged northern and central California, a new study finds that the severity of fire activity in the Sierra Nevada region has been sensitive to changes in climate over the past 1,400 years. The findings, published in Environmental Research Letters, suggest that future climate change is likely to drive increased fire activity in the Sierras: here.