Renze Klamer has dealt firmly with two climate activists in his talk show on RTL 4. He accused Extinction Rebellion’s lawyer of acting unwisely. “This really doesn’t help the case.”
Climate activists blocked a stretch of highway in The Hague yesterday. One of them, Anna Kervers, sat at the table in Renze Klamer’s talk show that evening. Opposite her was Willem Jebbink, Extinction Rebellion’s lawyer, who called out to Khalid & Sophie that the regime in Iran is cheering when they see how we deal with demonstrators.
Renze critically
After a demonstration, climate activists always shout that the police have acted so horribly, but according to Renze, that is not the case this time. “If I look at it that way, it went pretty smoothly. You were carried away laughing. How did you experience it yourself?”
Anna immediately starts talking about ‘incidents involving police brutality’. Renze is amazed: “If I see it that way, it went quite smoothly. You were carried away laughing. (…) I have the impression that it has all been captured quite well, because I think there were also a lot of camera crews from all kinds of news services present.”
Disastrous
According to Anna, the police would have sat with someone with their knee on the neck. Renze: “If that is the case, then it must have been filmed, because I think there were a lot of cameras. There was a very pleasant atmosphere, I thought, while: if you sketch it here, it seems to have ended disastrously. I don’t really have that impression.”
Then to the discredited Willem: “Maybe I look at it extra critically, also because I was reminded of the conversation you had with Khalid & Sophie’s colleagues, in which I think you said – but correct me if I paraphrase it wrong : ‘The regime in Iran is delighted when they see how we deal with demonstrators here in the West.’”
Renze calls that an ‘inappropriate comparison’.
Inappropriate
Table guest Sanne Wallis de Vries thinks Renze is too negative. “We might also shed some light on the fact that it’s been very successful and what I’m really excited about is that it’s worked really well in one way or another. (…) I also want to say that, because it is different about things that have been said and what has or has not been said.”
Renze at the end of the conversation to Willem: “Just curious: do you still support that comparison with Iran?”
He agrees, to Renze’s surprise: “We are going to wrap up, but my guess is: it won’t help the case.”
Willem: “That is your opinion.”
Criticism of Renze
The tough interview earns Renze criticism from climate activists. “And the prize for the most worthless interview about today’s protest goes to Renze Klamer. What a confused, suggestive, biased interview, and what a lousy listener he listens to,” tweets Hiske Arts of Fossielvrij NL.
Another thinks that Renze deliberately chose the side of his other table guest Angela de Jong at the table. “He depends on her judgment. If she wants it, you disappear from RTL.”
