Police arrest 12 activists at Rotterdam coal railway

Police arrested 12 activists from the group Kappen met Kolen on Saturday at the coal railway of the EECV transshipment terminal in Rotterdam's Europoort. The activists were trying to draw attention to the negative impact of coal on the environment.

The activists had planned to remove ballast stones from under the track and use them to build a monument to the cycle of life, the group told AD. Rotterdam police, however, were present in large numbers and prevented the participants from carrying out the action.

A similar action took place at the same location in October last year. Participants dug out seven railway ties before police intervened.

At that earlier action, one activist received a bill from ProRail for damage that the rail infrastructure company said had been caused by the protest. The group is legally contesting the bill.