It was on Saturday that thousands of climate activists, including from Extinction Rebellion, gathered in central The Hague to show their discontent over Dutch fossil fuel subsidies.

For a brief period, the approximately 6,000 demonstrators blocked a major highway in the city, before Dutch police began firing water cannons to try to disperse the crowds.

This is the seventh time that Extinction Rebellion activists have blocked the A12 motorway in The Hague, which is banned.

More than 1,500 people were arrested by police and taken away from the scene. Most were released later on Saturday, but about 40 people will be charged, according to Dutch police, including for vandalism and for resisting police during the arrest, the BBC reports.

See footage from the arrest in the video above.