The activists with their supporters on the side of the A12. Photo: Snoek Dozens of WUR students and staff joined Extinction Rebellion (XR) last Saturday in blocking the A12 motorway to protest against subsidies and tax breaks for the fossil fuel industry.
A number of participants were arrested, like so many others at the demo. Recent graduate ‘Mick’ (real name known to the editors) was detained for 14 hours by the police, she said. It was a long wait and she was not officially charged. Fortunately she did not have to spend the night in a cell. ‘The people with ID were released in the late afternoon and we were allowed to go just after 10 in the evening.’ She does not regret taking part — her first time taking part in an XR action where there was the risk of arrest. ‘The action was totally successful, with loads of demonstrators and lots of support on the sidelines. I felt so energized by it all.’
