Dutch police use water cannons against climate protest

Dutch climate activists have blocked a section of motorway not far from the parliamentary and government quarter in The Hague, despite a ban on their protest.

Police said they used water cannons to drive the Extinction Rebellion supporters off the road.

They had previously been granted permission and called upon to hold their demonstration at the nearby central station, authorities said.

Extinction Rebellion says it wants to block the motorway every day until the government cuts all of the subsidies for fossil fuels such as coal, oil and gas.

The group accuses the government of reneging on a promise to cut tax breaks and other forms of subsidy for aviation, shipping, fossil fuel power generation and oil production.

Nearly 1600 protesters were temporarily arrested when the group held a similar protest on the A12 in late May.