Extinction Rebellion Youth take action at Night Watch in Rijksmuseum

Ten young people, aged 15 to 22, from Extinction Rebellion Youth took a stand for the climate at 12:30 p.m. on Sunday at the Night Watch in the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam.

"The message is clear: No art on a flooded planet; cut ties with fossil fuel companies like KLM," Extinction Rebellion tweeted with a photo of the protest.

Tien jongeren van 15 tot 22 jaar van #XRJongeren voeren, gesteund door ouders en grootouders, actie bij de #Nachtwacht in het @rijksmuseum. De boodschap is helder, géén kunst op een ondergelopen planeet; verbreek de banden met fossiele bedrijven als @KLM! #NoArtOnADeadPlanet pic.twitter.com/2CJhtMdu9l

— Extinction Rebellion Nederland (@NLRebellion) March 5, 2023

In a press release, the action group explains the climate action's motto: "There is no art on a flooded planet." With their protest, the young people draw attention to the consequences of the climate crisis and demand that the Rijksmuseum no longer allows itself to be sponsored by fossil fuel companies such as KLM and ING.

During the action, 19-year-old Yara addressed the museum visitors: "The science is clear, we can no longer escape it: The Earth is warming, sea levels are rising and the weather is becoming more extreme. That this is due to the fossil fuel industry is abundantly clear, an industry through which the Rijksmuseum continues to be sponsored."

Parents and grandparents of the youths were present at the action. The young people were escorted off by museum security and out of the museum. The action was from XR Youth, the youth community of Extinction Rebellion. The young people were asked to end the action and later also to stop shouting slogans, a spokesperson for the Rijksmuseum said. Both requests were granted and the young people were escorted out by the museum's security. No damage was caused in the action, said the spokesperson for the museum.