Marechaussee arrests XR demonstrators in KLM lounge at Schiphol

Four demonstrators had chained themselves to a counter. According to an XR spokeswoman, they broke away when a military police unit arrived.

The XR activists took action against Flying Blue, KLM’s frequent flyer program. According to them, this contributes disproportionately to greenhouse gas emissions. This program makes flying seem “a normal and cool activity, while the consequences are disastrous,” the action group says.

The lounge is behind the security checkpoint. In order to get there, the activists had bought plane tickets, the spokeswoman admits after some further questioning. These were canceled after the promotion.

KLM says it recently spoke extensively to Extinction Rebellion at its head office in Amstelveen. According to the airline, the frequent flyer program “is not aimed at flying more often, or as much as possible. There are numerous other ways to spend ‘miles’, such as donations to charities or the purchase of an additional amount of alternative fuel ( SAF)”.

The activists before they were arrested. The action caused a lot of annoyance among guests of the KLM lounge. Image: Extinction Rebellion