 "Climate activists block Amsterdam port to prevent cruise ships from arriving – Firstpost")
Extinction Rebellion activists blocked the port of Amsterdam on Sunday by chaining themselves to a lock, preventing the arrival of the cruise ship “Serenade of the Seas”. The aim of the protest was to draw attention to the environmental impact of cruise ships, which contribute significantly to CO2 emissions.
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Environmental activists tied themselves to a lock in Amsterdam harbor on Sunday to prevent the arrival of a cruise ship, the port and climate group said.
The action was carried out by the organization Extinction Rebellion, which is calling for an end to environmentally harmful ships in the Dutch capital.
“Oil kills, stop cruise ships,” the activists sprayed on the doors of the lock to which they were tied, according to footage broadcast live on their XRTV video stream on the Internet.
Carlijn van Essen, a spokeswoman for the Port of Amsterdam, told AFP the activists were at two locks in the huge IJmuiden complex northwest of the capital.
The action blocked the passage of the cruise ship “Serenade of the Seas” with a thousand cabins, which was on its way to Amsterdam, it said. An oil tanker was also blocked.
A week ago, 2,000 passengers on a cruise ship had to be evacuated by bus after a similar operation, reported the Dutch public broadcaster NOS.
Extinction Rebellion became notorious for direct protest actions such as blocking bridges over the Thames in London, but has largely shifted its focus from mass civil disobedience protest to building an inclusive grassroots movement.
According to a study by the non-governmental organization Transport and Environment, cruise ships sailing in European waters in 2022 emitted more than eight million tonnes of CO2 – the equivalent of 50,000 flights from Paris to New York.
