Protestors Square Off with Police and Block Cruise Ship in Amsterdam

 

The environmental group Extinction Rebellion renewed its protests against cruise ships docking in the Netherlands during an incident that resulted in a confrontation and arrests in Amsterdam. Last year, the same group staged several protests blocking one of the locks to enter the port, but this year they took to small boats and proudly said they were able to delay the cruise ship Celebrity Eclipse from docking.

Approximately 30 individuals positioned themselves in canoes, boats, and inflatables between the cruise ship and the dock in the heart of Amsterdam. Pictures showed some of the small boats surrounding the bow of the large cruise ship, while others were between the ship and the dock.

“They should not be allowed in Dutch waters,” the group said in a statement on social media. “We will continue the actions like this until this harmful tourist industry is banned from Amsterdam and the rest of the Netherlands.” The group cites the environmental impact of the cruise industry on “humans, nature, and the climate.”

The 121,878 gross ton cruise ship was completing an 11-day trip and was docking at the Passenger Terminal Amsterdam. According to reports, there were 2,850 passengers and approximately 1,200 crewmembers aboard.

The protestor began at approximately 4:30 a.m. local time before the cruise ship arrived, and police responded by sending launches to clear the waterway. The protestors are contending that the police ran over their inflatable boats. The incident is reported to have lasted about two hours on July 26.

The police said that five people were arrested for assault, blocking the cruise ship, and refusing to show identification. Newspaper reports said two of the individuals were quickly released.

A spokesperson for the port authority cited the dangers of this type of protest. They said these types of small boats should not have approached the 1,040-foot (315-meter) cruise ship. They cited the dangers as well as the potential that the vessel’s propellers or bow thrusters could have created dangerous conditions for the small boats.

Last year, the group was successful in getting several cruise ships to turn around or reschedule their port stops, docking outside the heart of the city, and busing passengers to Amsterdam. City officials responded by putting a limit on the number of cruise ships permitted to come to the port and said their longer-term plan is to move the cruise ship terminal outside the center of the city.