The Dutch climate activists who caused hundreds of thousands of euros in financial damages for rail freight companies last year are back. After what seems to have been a winter break, the protestors again descended on the Rotterdam port railway this past weekend.
The activists, who operate under the name “Geef Tegengas”, first blocked the port railway on Saturday morning at around 10:50. Their protest lasted around two and a half hours, after which the two dozen people were removed from the tracks by police. On Sunday, the activists returned to the railway at 13:00.
Geef Tegengas laments what it sees as Dutch involvement in “rubbish that is ruining the world.” As an important transit country, the Netherlands plays a significant role in genocide, war crimes, human rights violations and the climate crisis, the group says.
“Whilst the capitalist world order is in a state of panic, Geef Tegengas is launching the largest direct action campaign the port has ever seen. Through large-scale disruption, they are ensuring that exploitation and oppression no longer pass through the port.”
Harmful to RUs
The impact of last weekend’s protests for rail freight undertakings is not yet established. Earlier protests caused hundreds of thousands of euros in damages and disrupted port rail logistics in Rotterdam.
On 10 April, the activist group also blocked the so-called Betuwe Line, a freight-dedicated hinterland railway from the Port of Rotterdam to Germany.