Extinction Rebellion activists halt cruise ship docking in Amsterdam

"Jewel of the Seas" is a Royal Caribbean International cruise ship that embarks on voyages around the world, offering the opportunity to visit attractive tourist destinations. Climate activists from the Dutch chapter of the Extinction Rebellion movement disrupted the start of one of these journeys.

When the "Jewel of the Seas" was about to enter the port of Amsterdam, seven activists glued themselves to a road bridge and a lock. In this way, they prevented the Royal Caribbean International cruise ship from docking and boarding passengers.

"The action is a form of accusation regarding the scandalously large-scale pollution generated by the cruise shipping industry," the protesters wrote in a statement. They demanded "an immediate and complete halt to the destructive cruise industry."

The police arrived at the protest site. Officers did not remove the activists as they were not harming anyone. As a result, the cruise ship had to dock at the port in IJmuiden, where passengers were transported from Amsterdam.

Extinction Rebellion activists appeared at the port the following day. They wanted to block the docking of the cruise ship "Seven Seas Mariner". This time, the police were not as lenient. After unsuccessful requests to end the demonstration, officers removed the demonstrators from the port. Both incidents occurred on August 10 and 11.

Amsterdam is making efforts to limit the development of mass tourism. The city authorities plan to ban cruise ships entering the capital's centre. Currently, 190 cruise ships can enter the port annually, but this number will be reduced to 100 by 2026. Nine years later, a total ban on cruise ships entering Amsterdam will come into effect.