The action prevents the arrival of the “Serenade of the Seas”, a huge ship with a thousand cabins which was en route to the Dutch capital.
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![Activists from the environmental organization Extinction Rebellion take action in the port of IJmuiden (Netherlands), on August 11, 2024. (RAMON VAN FLYMEN / ANP MAG / AFP)](https://www.francetvinfo.fr/pictures/6nc8l4oko-oYdsY6Q1PoFjq7zUU/0x361:5472x3437/432x243/2024/08/18/043-505823172-66c1f9b1bdec0675824958.jpg)
“Oil kills, stop cruise ships.” Several members of the environmental organisation Extinction Rebellion (XR) tied themselves to a lock on Sunday morning, August 18, preventing the arrival of a cruise ship in Amsterdam (Netherlands), according to images of the activists and a spokesperson for the port of the Dutch capital.
This is the second week in a row that this type of action, calling for an end to these giant, highly polluting boats, has been organized at the city gates. The action blocks the passage of the Serenade of the Seasa huge vessel with a thousand cabins that was on its way to Amsterdam, according to port spokeswoman Carlijn van Essen. She told AFP that the activists were at two locks in the huge IJmuiden complex, northwest of the capital: Noordersluis and Zeesluis. An oil tanker is also stuck, she added.
On Saturday, August 10, 2,000 passengers from a cruise ship had to be evacuated by bus and then taken by train to Amsterdam and Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, according to Dutch public media NOS. The activists left the scene of their own accord and returned the next day. They were evacuated by the police, allowing a ship to continue on its way.
According to a study by the NGO Transport and Environment, cruise ships sailing in European waters in 2022 will have emitted more than 8 million tonnes of CO2, the equivalent of 50,000 Paris-New York flights.