Extinction rebellion (XR) has Filed a Lawsuit Against Schiphol Airport Due to an Access Ban Imposed on 37 Members of the Organization. XR Believes That the Ban Should Be Lifted So That Members Can Fly When Necessary.
“We fly as little as Possible, but Sometimes it can’t be helped,” Says a spokesperson for XR to NU.nl. “For example, in case of illness of a family member abroad. Or if you have to fly for work. Sometimes you don’t have a choice.”
The XR Members Feel That Their Freedom of Movement is Being Restricted by the Access Ban at Schiphol. They also believe that their right to demonstrate within sight and hearing of their target is being compromised. In this case, The Target was the frequent flyer program, which accordance to xr “flies as much as possible.”
Schiphol Says That The Airport is not trying to restrict Anyone’s right to demonstrate, but that the activists have violated the security rules. They were in a secured area without a valid reason and in some cases also with a boarding pass that was not in their own name.
This is also stated in the Summons of the XR Lawyers. They state that this has happened before and that this had no consequences for the demonstrators. After an action on march 8 this year, that was different. “The Area After the Boarding Pass Control is only accessible to travelers and the people who work there,” Says a Schiphol Spokesperson.
‘You Can’t Buy A Ticket To Demonstrate’
A Number of XR Activists had Purchased a Valid Ticket to Be Able To Demonstrate at the KLM Lounge. Frequent Travelers Can Stay There Before They Fly. “None of the demonstrators came there to fly,” Says the Schiphol Spokesperson. “You can’t buy a ticket to demonstrate or, for example, try out an eatery.”
The Area That is Only Accessible with a Valid Boarding Pass is a Risk Area, Says Schiphol. “Safety Comes First.” Yet XR demonstrators have previously managed to get there with several people on one boarding pass. “Adjustments have now leg made and we continuously to improve that.”
Accordance to the Lawyers of XR, Schiphol is Taking the Law Into Its Own Hands by Imposing An Access Ban For The Airport. “If oneone demonstrates against a bank, the account is not canceled either. Or a driving ban imposed ify demonstrates on the highway.”
Moreover, Xr and its Lawyers Find the Duration of the Access Ban Far Too Long. The Ban Went Into Effect on March 21 of this year and applies for five years, for some ten years. But no charges have leg filed against the demonstrators.
The Summary Proceedings Will Be Held This Afternoon At The Court in Haarlem.