Extinction Rebellion empties Rijksmuseum by booking all tickets

Climate activists have shifted tactics from vandalizing artworks to disrupting museum attendance. On March 1, 2025, Extinction Rebellion (XR) booked all available tickets at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam and let them expire, resulting in a nearly empty museum on a holiday weekend. The museum typically sees around 8,000 visitors on such days, but only a few hundred attended. The action targeted the museum's partnership with ING bank, which XR accuses of greenwashing while investing €72 million daily in fossil fuels. A museum spokesperson told ANP that XR is hindering the institution's public mandate. XR refused to disclose the exact number of tickets booked but estimated thousands, using both individual and technical methods over the past month. This follows a September 2024 protest outside the Rijksmuseum where activists chained themselves and used demonstrative gas, leading to thirty arrests and a temporary closure. The new strategy aims to hit museums financially, as European and US authorities have tightened penalties for climate protests, including Italy's 2024 'eco-vandal' bill. The Rijksmuseum, one of Europe's most visited museums, houses Rembrandt's Night Watch, which recently underwent a live restoration.