Amsterdam’s Rijksmuseum Shutters Over Climate Protest

TheRijksmuseumin Amsterdam closed temporarily on September 7 during a large-scale demonstration staged outside its doors by environmental activist groupExtinction Rebellion(XR). Some sixty protesters, all dressed in yellow, took part in the action, blocking off the archways outside the institution and preventing visitors from entering. Calling for the museum to sever ties with Dutch multinational bank ING Group, one of the institution’s chief sponsors, the protesters variously set off yellow smoke bombs; unrolled long, citron banners bearing the text “Rijks, say no to ING”; and chained themselves to a fence near the entrance.

XR contends that ING is one of the Netherlands’ biggest financiers of nonrenewable and toxic energy sources including coal, oil, and gas. “ING is fueling the climate crisis,” wrote the group on a tall banner billowing alongside one of the museum’s brick towers. “ING is destroying our planet and the future of life on it.”

Thirty-three protesters who had chained themselves to the fence were arrested, according to a police spokesperson, who said the demonstrators had been offered the chance to move their operation to the nearby Museumplein but had declined. The museum, which had not yet opened for the day when the demonstration launched, remained closed until just before three in the afternoon, with the goal of protecting staff, visitors, and artworks. “Any action that jeopardizes this is unacceptable,” a Rijksmuseum spokesperson told Dutch news agency ANP.

“If XR has a problem with ING’s financing policies, they should turn to us directly and not to the Rijksmuseum,” a bank spokesperson told ANP, adding, “We are always open to dialogue.”

“The Rijksmuseum’s sponsorship relationship with ING is not only unacceptable but also completely unnecessary,” said XR in apress releaseissued in the wake of the action. “The Rijksmuseum’s total income in 2023 amounted to 123.3 million euros [$136 million], of which 55.8 million euros came from audience income and 39 million euros from subsidies. . . . ING’s contribution is estimated at around 700,000 euros. This means that if the Rijksmuseum breaks the sponsorship relationship with ING, it will lose less than 0.6% of its income. It is incomprehensible that the museum still chooses to protect major polluter ING.”

XR hassaidit will return to the Rijksmuseum if the institution doesn’t disentangle itself from ING.