The largest liner in the world, the Wonder of the Seas, has been temporarily blocked by environmental activists who demand “concrete actions against this cruise industry” and the air pollution it induces.
About twenty activists in canoes blocked Tuesday morning for 1h30 the entry of the “Wonder of the Seas”, the largest liner in the world, into the port of Marseille, we learned from activists from the collective Stop Croisières and port. Attached to a floating water tank, a dozen canoes had been stationed since 7:30 a.m. at the entrance to the cruise port to prevent the entry of the ship, before the intervention of the maritime gendarmerie.
The “Wonder of the Seas” finally docked around 9:30 a.m., one hour behind schedule for a stopover during the day, a spokeswoman for the Grand Port Maritime de Marseille told AFP. According to the site marinetraffic.com, “The Wonder of the Seas”, 362 meters long and belonging to the shipowner Royal Caribbean, is now effectively at the dock, as well as the MSC Orchestra, of the Italian-Swiss group Mediterranean Shipping Company, also temporarily blocked. The activists are calling for “concrete actions in the face of this cruise industry” and the air pollution it induces, especially in the northern districts of Marseilles which border the port, explained to AFP a member of the collective who has organized this action with Extinction Rebellion. “We no longer want to see the Wonder of the Seas in the harbor of Marseille,” she insisted.
With @XR_Marseillewe are currently blocking the entrance to the #WonderOfTheSeas in the port of @Marseille ️⛔️
We refuse to allow this sea monster to pollute our air, our sea and our lives! This morning we physically oppose it #STOPCROISIERES#air pollution #climate pic.twitter.com/e99ZxfxisJ— Stop Cruises (@SCroisières) June 14, 2022
On Saturday, a hundred people demonstrated in the Marseille city to denounce air pollution, which would lead to some 2,500 premature deaths each year. In the second city of France, emissions of nitrogen oxides of maritime origin – of which 20% are due to cruise ships – exceeded road emissions for the first time in 2018, according to the organization AtmoSud.