STORY: Police could be seen removing and facing off with Extinction Rebellion activists protesters who had gathered in The Hague on Wednesday (June 25) during the NATO summit to protest the organisation’s spending on arms and the war in Gaza.

NATO leaders were set to sign up on Wednesday to a big increase in defense spending at a short summit tailor-made for U.S. President Donald Trump, who struck a reassuring tone on his commitment to protecting fellow members of the alliance.

“We are protesting today, because NATO's only putting fuel on the fire rather than solving the real big problems of this time. For example, climate change, but also that we're complicit in the genocide,” Rosemarijn Van Het Einde said before the group marched towards the Dutch highway A12 which they planned to block.

But protesters were met by a police cordon which denied them passage, pushing them away and restricting their movement.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

Police clash with Extinction Rebellion activists during NATO summit

VIDEO SHOWS: EXTINCTION REBELLION PROTESTS DURING THE NATO SUMMIT AT THE HAGUE

RESENDING WITH COMPLETE SCRIPT.

SHOWS: THE HAGUE, NETHERLANDS (JUNE 25, 2025) (REUTERS-Access All)

1. VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS CARRYING BANNER READING: "STOP FOSSIELE SUBSIDIES"

2. VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS MARCHING

3. PROTESTERS ARRIVING AT POLICE CORDON / POLICE PUSHING PEOPLE AWAY

4.(SOUNDBITE) (English) EXTINCTION REBELLION SPEAKER, ROZEMARIJN VAN HET EINDE, SAYING:

"We are protesting today, because NATO's only putting fuel on the fire rather than solving the real big problems of this time. For example, climate change, but also that we're complicit in the genocide."

5. POLICE STOPPING PROTESTERS FROM CROSSING CORDON

6. MORE AND VARIOUS OF POLICE PUSHING PROTESTERS

7. PROTESTERS STANDING IN FRONT OF POLICE

8. SIGN READING (English): "STOP THE GENOCIDE"

9. (SOUNDBITE) (English) PROTESTER, LASSE (NO LAST NAME GIVEN), SAYING:

"I'm here to let my voice known. I think it's important that people stand up for what they believe in. And I believe that we should really be fighting climate change. And that's going to combine very well with the native talk that's happening right now because these world leaders are just not taking it seriously. And instead they're talking about increasing their arms spending and building more armies, which is only going to be worse for the environment and for the planet, in my opinion.

10. PROTESTERS MARCHING AWAY FROM ROAD / POLICE WALKING PARALLEL TO THEM

11. PROTESTERS CHANTING (English): "Is this what democracy looks like? This is what democracy looks like."

12. POLICE DRAGGING PROTESTER AWAY

13. PROTESTERS CHANTING (English): "You are no alone."

14. POLICE PLACING PROTESTER ON GROUND AFTER HAVING CARRIED HIM

15. VARIOUS OF POLICE DRAGGING PROTESTERS AWAY

16. (SOUNDBITE) (English) MEMBER OF EXTINCTION REBELLION, PETER (NO LAST NAME GIVEN), SAYING:

"We wanted to get onto the A12 and it didn't work out. We wanted to make a statement where it matters, next to where Parliament is located where the Ministry for Climate and Green Growth is located so that's, where we wanted to be, that's where we wanted to make our point. Obviously the police didn't allow it, the mayor didn't want us there. So we feel that we've been restricted in a right to protest and that's unfortunate because I think The Hague labels itself as the city of peace, and I think it would have been a great opportunity for The Hague to show we can have peaceful protests in The Hague together with the NATO summit but the mayor decided otherwise unfortunately."

17. PROTESTERS SITTING DOWN

18. PROTESTERS SINGING AND CLAPPING

19. VARIOUS OF POLICE REMOVING PROTESTERS

20. EXTINCTION REBELLION FLAG