Dutch Environmental Protestors Block Amsterdam Arrival of Cruise Ships
The Dutch environmentalist group Extinction Rebellion has begun targeting cruise ships seeking to call attention to its allegations of pollution and environmental impact. The group has so far blocked two cruise ships as the vessels were attempting to exit the locks leading to Amsterdam.
The Dutch group is citing the media reports after research released last week by the NGO Transport & Environment that cited the rapid growth in cruise travel. The NGO is calling for a tax on cruise tickets to help fund the development and distribution of alternative non-carbon fuels.
Seven protestors from Extinction Rebellion chained and glued themselves to the roadway bridge and gate at the Ijmuiden locks. Located at the mouth of the North Sea Canal, the new IJmuiden Marine Lock was opened in 2022 to accommodate larger vessels accessing the Port of Amsterdam. It is also a critical control to limit the entry of seawater into the inland freshwater flows.
The protestors arrived at the lock around 3:00 a.m. local time intent on deliberately preventing the Royal Caribbean International cruise ship Jewel of the Seas (90,000 gross tons) from returning to Amsterdam. The ship holds up to 2,700 passengers and was completing a cruise due to dock in Amsterdam at 0600.
Pictures show the protestors on the gate and waving torches to signal the ship. The group wrote in its statement, “Extinction Rebellion demands an immediate and total stop to the destructive cruise industry.”
The local police went to the scene but did not remove the protestors. A spokesperson for the police said as long as they were not endangering anyone’s welfare, there is a right to protest in The Netherlands.
The Jewel of the Seas backtracked and docked at the terminal in Ijmuiden with the cruise line saying it was because passengers were disembarking that needed to reach the airport for flights. The port authority organized eighty buses and trucks to move passengers either to the airport or into the center of the city and then to make the reverse trip for the returning and newly embarking passengers on Saturday evening. It required an approximately 25-mile bus ride that took up to 45 minutes each way.
The following day, on August 11, protestors returned to the roadway and gate to block another cruise ship, the Seven Seas Mariner (48,000 gross tons) of Regent Seven Seas Cruises. The ship which has a capacity of 700 passengers was also bound for Amsterdam. The group was again deliberately delaying the arrival of the cruise ship.
The Port Authority called the police and since the protestors were not willing to move away, the police ended the protest. The cruise ship was delayed by about three hours but was able to reach Amsterdam and depart yesterday without further disruptions.
It is unclear if the group will attempt to stage further protests against the cruise industry. The Jewel of the Seas is due to return to Amsterdam on August 22 for its final port call of the summer season.
The protest also followed the news in June that the city government of Amsterdam plans to limit and then move cruise ships away from the city center dock. By 2026 the plan calls for limiting cruise ship calls followed by a requirement for the ships to use shore power while on dock. The city is exploring entirely banning cruise ships and moving their dock to the west by 2035.