Banners are again hanging on the IJmuiden sea lock, but this time they are not climate slogans. ‘Sailing accepted’, it read. “Delivery = prosperity,” said another. Hence, they were not hanged by Extinction Rebellion (XR), who closed the lock for the seventh time on Monday. wanted to occupy it, but by IJmuiden residents who hoped to thwart this action.
Early in the morning, the two camps had gathered at the impressive lock complex, where a large cruise ship would pass this morning. In protest against cruise ships, which climate activists call ‘floating environmental disasters’, they want to make entry difficult by chaining themselves to locked doors. Previously this caused hours of delays during lockdown.
But now the residents of IJmuiden are angry in front of them. They managed to prevent Extinction Rebellion from blocking last month’s lockdown and nearly a hundred counter-demonstrators and sympathizers want to repeat the trick today. Some were taped to the keys all night. Police were present in large numbers to prevent confrontation.
Paid per ship
This anger focuses on the economic damage caused by climate action. The longshoremen who tied and untied the ships, called boatmen, were self-employed and paid per boat. “You are touching their income,” said Menno Hoogdoorn, who stood behind a line of police with his supporters. “Do you think it’s strange that people are angry?”
The counter-protesters’ nightmare was ships passing through IJmuiden. This happened last month, when the Disney Dream cruise ship skipped a visit to Amsterdam as a precaution. A cruise ship has generated a lot of income for the regional economy, the Port of Amsterdam said. Think port fees, tourist taxes, supplies and expenses of passengers and crew.
“Ultimately, all of IJmuiden benefits from this,” said Jan Mosselman. He supports counter-demonstrations and vlogs for his Telegram channel. “Oil tankers also pass here, but you don’t see the activists.”
Next, a group of cyclists encountered a police blockade. They played their part well, no one seemed to realize they were XR protesters in disguise. They fell, but a moment later it was a blow. Other climate activist groups have struggled.
“We are Extinction Rebellion!” a man with a megaphone announced, but he was drowned out by his opponent’s cheers. They could not hide the fact that a large police force was unable to prevent the occupation. “They will be removed,” Mayor Frank Dales promised. “Everyone stay calm.”
Applause for the cruise ship
Meanwhile, a giant cruise ship approaches the floodgates. MSC Virtuosa – 330 meters long, nineteen decks high – received applause from the shore. The ship sailed to the keyhole, where it waited a long time. Only when all the climate activists have been removed and the back door can be closed will the path to Amsterdam become clear.
“It’s fine if you want to demonstrate, but stand at the shipping company’s headquarters,” said Cees Backer. He came to the location as a form of solidarity with the sailors. “Don’t do it in a place where ordinary people make money.”
When vans filled with arrested climate protesters drove by, they were booed. Several people nearby stuck their middle fingers to the window. The cruise ship will arrive in the capital an hour later than planned.
“This is crazy.” IJmuiden resident Herman van Megen is also not interested in climate action in his hometown. This anger isn’t just about money, he explains. “The community feels hurt. Shipping is included here. It is our pride, just like the lock. What are they doing?”
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The XR protesters chained themselves to the Rijksmuseum entrance gate
Extinction Rebellion (XR) protesters chained themselves to the tunnel gate leading to the Rijksmuseum entrance on Saturday morning.
