AMSTERDAM: The Netherlands arm of climate activist group Extinction Rebellion protested on Sunday next to Rembrandt’s painting The Night Watch in Amsterdam’s Rijksmuseum.

Two of the protesters held up a replica of the famous painting, in which the night watchmen depicted in the original artwork appear to be submerged in water, a nod to the group’s slogan: “There is no art on a flooded planet”.

“The science is clear, we can no longer escape it: the earth is warming up, the sea level is rising and the weather is becoming more and more extreme. It is obvious that this is due to the fossil industry, an industry that the Rijksmuseum is still sponsoring”, 19-year-old protester Yara said, referring to the museum’s partnerships with airline KLM and bank ING.

Ten protesters, aged between 15 and 22 years old, wore T-shirts emblazoned with climate slogans, while some of their parents and grandparents stood nearby in support.

A spokesperson for Rijksmuseum told Dutch press agency ANP that the protest didn’t cause any damage to The Night Watch and that the protesters were escorted outside without incident.

Rijksmuseum did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Published in Dawn, March 6th, 2023