Police arrested more than 200 demonstrators after climate activists from Extinction Rebellion (XR) blocked the A12 near De Meern, close to Utrecht, while a separate group of six drivers was also detained for obstructing traffic. Their vehicles were seized as authorities cleared the highway.

The A12 was fully reopened after XR activists occupied the roadway on Saturday in a protest against fossil fuel subsidies. Police began removing demonstrators at about 1:45 p.m., physically pulling people from the road and loading them into buses that had arrived under police escort shortly beforehand.

By 3:35 p.m., the operation was reported complete, and traffic was again moving on the A12 toward Arnhem. The route in the opposite direction toward The Hague had been reopened earlier.

The action caused significant traffic congestion, prompting Rijkswaterstaat to urge drivers at one point to avoid the A12 entirely and instead reroute via the A15 or A1.

According to police, more than 200 protesters were detained during the operation. Six drivers were also arrested for blocking traffic, and their vehicles were confiscated.

The demonstration escalated before noon when several hundred activists reached the roadway after three activists used cars to block a stretch of the A12 near Utrecht. Those three were arrested. Police later confirmed they were continuing to process arrest totals and would provide a full count later on Saturday.

During the removal operation, police used physical force to clear the roadway. Officers had warned demonstrators shortly before the intervention to leave the area, stating that force could be used if they did not comply.

Reports indicate that some activists chained themselves to roadside barriers. Police attempted to free them by unscrewing parts of the guardrail. Other protesters left the roadway voluntarily and walked toward waiting buses.

Minister Vincent Karremans, who oversees Infrastructure and Water Management for the VVD, criticized the blockade on X. “Blocking highways by activists, such as today on the A12, is extremely dangerous for road users, Rijkswaterstaat staff, and emergency responders,” he said. “Demonstrating is allowed, but not on a highway. I truly have 0.0 understanding of these kinds of actions.”