Climate activists formed a floating barricade at the port of Marseille in the south of France, initially blocking several cruise ships from docking.
Around 20 activists from Extinction Rebellion and the local chapter of Stop Croisieres (Stop Cruises) formed a chain of canoes at the port, blocking all ship entry.
Cruise Ships Delayed About Three Hours
The weekend blockade lasted a few hours. One ship turned around and opted to dock further down the coast while other ships waited outside the port.
Extinction Rebellion has been active across Europe, protesting cruise ships at ports and holding runway sit-ins at major airports.
It was involved in the recent lockdown of locks that gave access to Amsterdam.
Starting early Saturday morning, the floating protest at Marseille impacted the arriving AIDAstella, which diverted, and the Costa Smeralda and the MSC World Europa cruise ships, which were held outside the port for about three hours.
Police broke up the protest without incident and detained 20 activists. Local city officials branded it dangerous and unnecessary, and the Cruise Lines International Association branded it an “illegal and dangerous” protest.
“Nothing justifies the maintenance of these absurd, energy-intensive and toxic floating cities,” Stop Croisieres wrote on its website. “Our air, our seas and our health are not up for negotiation.”
Marseille’s mayor has been a vocal critic of the cruise industry, and there has been significant public support for limiting the number of ships entering the city.
Other anti-cruise ship protests have taken place in Brittany, northwest France, orchestrated by Extinction Rebellion and Stop Croisieres.
According to local tourism data, cruise passenger numbers to Marseille have surged since the pandemic, from 1.5 million in 2022 to 2.5 million last year.
