Climate activists in Rostock prevent a cruise ship from leaving port on canoes and inflatable boats. They are concerned with the climate impacts of the industry, but also with other topics.
With canoes and small boats, climate activists temporarily blocked a cruise ship in Rostock-Warnemünde and prevented it from departing on time. The group, which calls itself “Smash Cruiseshit”, partially positioned itself directly on the “Aida Diva” and attached banners, as can be seen on its Twitter channel. Emergency services were on site both on land and by boat.
The cruise ship finally departed after a two-hour delay. The police cleared the blockade with boats, among other things. According to the port’s call plan, departure was actually scheduled for 6:00 p.m. A spokeswoman for Aida Cruises told the German Press Agency (dpa) that the delay could easily be made up for, also because a day at sea was planned for Sunday.
Activists criticize cruise tourism as harmful to the climate
On a banner attached to the ship, the activists called for “sea rescue in the Mediterranean instead of luxury liners in every sea,” as can be seen on their Twitter channel.
In a statement, the group criticized cruise tourism as harmful to the climate. Technical efforts by companies did not change that. They called for other ways for people to recover. Cruise lines should be held responsible, among other things, for ecological damage. The shipping company referred to their technical innovations. “By 2050 we are aiming for climate-neutral ship operations.”
In 2019, the “Smash Cruiseshit” group had already delayed the departure of a cruise ship by several hours with a similar campaign in Kiel. Rostock-Warnemünde is an important cruise port. For the current year, more than 130 ship calls were expected at the start of the season. The cruise line Aida Cruises is also based in Rostock.
Source: Stern
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