Summary:
- Environmental activists delayed a cruise ship and an oil tanker at Amsterdam Port on Sunday.
- The protest, led by Extinction Rebellion, aimed to highlight pollution issues linked to cruise ships.
- Activists were removed by police and have since been released without arrests.
On Sunday, environmental activists caused significant disruption at Amsterdam’s port by chaining themselves to a lock, halting the entry of a major cruise ship and an oil tanker. The protest, carried out by the climate group Extinction Rebellion, was aimed at drawing attention to the environmental damage caused by such vessels. The cruise ship “Serenade of the Seas,” which boasts a thousand cabins, was forced to delay its journey to a popular tourist destination. The activists also prevented an oil tanker from docking, spray-painting the message “Oil kills, stop cruise ships” on the lock’s doors.
Police intervened around 5 p.m. local time to remove the eight protesters who had disrupted port operations. They were detained briefly but released without facing charges, according to Dutch news agency ANP. The activists’ actions took place at two locks in the IJmuiden complex, located northwest of Amsterdam.
This protest follows a similar incident from a week ago, where 2,000 passengers had to be evacuated by bus after activists disrupted another cruise ship’s operations. The growing tensions underscore the increasing scrutiny of pollution and climate change impacts associated with cruise ships and oil tankers.
