Extinction Rebellion activists block cruise ships at IJmuiden

Protestors from the climate action group Extinction Rebellion (XR) are once again blocking the locks at IJmuiden on Sunday morning. A live stream shows several people tied themselves to the lock gates, blocking the passage of three cruise ships.

Cruiseschepen zijn een catastrofe voor het milieu - en dat is geen overdrijving. Ze dumpen giftig afval in onze wateren, vullen de atmosfeer met koolstofdioxide en zijn dodelijk voor het leven in de zee. Het zijn daarom zonder uitzondering varende milieudelicten. pic.twitter.com/IzWA03nB0c

— Extinction Rebellion Nederland (@NLRebellion) August 18, 2024

Extinction Rebellion is taking action at two locks: the Noordersluis and the Zeesluis IJmuiden. By doing so, they say they are blocking the passage of the ships Serenade of the Seas, Ambition, and Amera.

Last weekend, the climate action group also blocked cruise ships at the IJmuiden locks. After a few hours, the activists were taken away by the police, after which the cruise ship continued to Amsterdam. With their action, Extinction Rebellion calls for “an immediate end to the cruise industry in the face of the urgent and rapidly worsening climate and ecological crisis.”

According to XR, studies have shown that cruises are still a significant source of pollution, especially in the water and on land. The ships the activists want to obstruct are up to 294 meters long and carry up to 2100 passengers. In general, cruise ships “have a detrimental impact on sensitive habitats, areas, and species and are a potential source of physical and mental health risks to humans," says the climate action group.

The environmental action group states that cruise ships are an environmental catastrophe and that people who use cruise ships as a “green vacation” option are actually “contributing to the pollution and destruction of our planet in general and fragile coastal communities in particular.”