Climate activists delay cruise ship arriving in Amsterdam
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The action was carried out by Extinction Rebellion, which has called for an end to visits by cruise ships to Amsterdam.
PHOTO: EXTINCTION REBELLION NEDERLAND/X
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THE HAGUE – Environmental activists tied themselves to harbour infrastructure on Aug 18 at the Port of Amsterdam, halting an incoming cruise ship for several hours, the port and the climate group said.
The Serenade of the Seas, with a thousand cabins, was finally able to resume its route to the popular tourist destination, according to Ms Carlijn van Essen, a spokeswoman for the Port of Amsterdam. An oil tanker was also prevented from docking.
The activists had banners reading “oil kills, stop cruise ships” on the sea lock they had tied themselves to, according to footage broadcast live online on their video stream, XRTV.
In water navigation, a lock is used for raising and lowering vessels between stretches of water.
Police arrived on the scene at around 5pm local time to remove eight protesters, according to Dutch news agency ANP.
They were taken into custody but have since been released, and no arrests were made, a police spokesperson told ANP.
The action was carried out by Extinction Rebellion, which has called for an end to visits by the highly polluting vessels to the Dutch city.
Ms van Essen told AFP that the activists were at two sea locks in the huge IJmuiden complex, north-west of the capital.
A week ago, 2,000 passengers from another cruise ship had to be evacuated by bus after similar actions, Dutch public media NOS reported.
Centre-right party leader and Justice Minister Dilan Yesilgoz criticised the action on social media platform X, accusing the protesters of causing “nuisance” and “wasting precious police resources”.
“The audacity,” the group replied on X.
“Years of failed climate policies, a planet on fire, successive weather extremes (explain why) concerned citizens want to make themselves heard,” the group’s Netherlands branch wrote.
Extinction Rebellion is known for direct action protests, such as shutting down bridges over the Thames River
According to a study by non-governmental organisation Transport and Environment, cruise ships sailing in European waters in 2022 emitted more than eight million tonnes of carbon dioxide – the equivalent of 50,000 Paris to New York flights. AFP
