Environmental advocates impede passage of a cruise vessel near Amsterdam.
Climate protestors from the Extinction Rebellion crew caused a ruckus early Monday, halting a cruise liner from docking at Amsterdam's port. They managed to secure positions at two locks within Ijmuiden's port, a vital entry point for North Sea ships heading towards Amsterdam. As a result, the "Serenade of the Seas," capable of accommodating a thousand passenger cabins, was left stranded. Additionally, an oil tanker was also held up.
A bold protest message, "Oil kills, halt cruise ships," was etched onto one of the locks, captured live on Extinction Rebellion's broadcast. According to his statements, the group prevented two additional cruise ships from continuing their voyage later in the day. However, disputing this report, the port spokesperson confirmed that both ships had reached their destination.
Monday's incident marked the second such incident in close proximity to Amsterdam's port within a few days. On August 10, over 2,000 passengers of a previously hampered cruise liner were shuttled to Schiphol Airport using buses and trains, as reported by the Dutch broadcasting service NOS.
Over 8 million metric tonnes of CO2
Extinction Rebellion's climate defenders have been persistently carrying out blockades since 2022, causing significant disruption to The Hague's major highway, the A12, as per their own announcements. Their actions were primarily driven by their frustration with government subsidies for fossil fuels.
An extensive research study, conducted by the non-profit organization Transport and Environment, revealed that cruise ships emitted over 8 million metric tonnes of damaging CO2 into European waters gamely in 2022. This staggering amount equated to the carbon emissions generated by 50,000 round-trip flights between Paris and New York, as confirmed by the German Environmental Agency. Despite flying being globally recognized as the most environmentally harmful mode of transportation, cruise ships still contribute an enormous amount of CO2 emissions.
The European Union has expressed concerns over the environmental impact of cruise ships, given the substantial CO2 emissions they produce. Extinction Rebellion, a prominent climate activist group in The European Union, has been actively protesting against such emissions, leading to several disruptions at European ports.
