AFP, published Sunday 25 June 2023 at 02:16
Hundreds of Greenpeace activists broke through the barricades at steel giant Tata Steel’s production site in Velsen near Amsterdam on Saturday to demonstrate despite a formal ban by local authorities.
They were protesting the pollution caused by the activities of this factory, which the environmental organization considers “one of the most polluting metallurgical factories in Europe and located in the middle of a densely populated area”.
“Together Greenpeace Netherlands, residents and activists are demanding that the most toxic parts of Tata Steel be closed to protect the health of local residents,” Greenpeace said in a statement on Saturday.
“There are very high cancer rates here and lead emissions that cause brain damage in young children. We are taking action today because the government is not doing enough,” Faiza Oulahsen, climate and energy director of Greenpeace Netherlands, told AFP during the protest.
“As a nurse, I know what it means to people and their families to have lung cancer. It’s really not something you’d like to have…” said AFP also Annigje Bos, who also came to attend the meeting.
“This factory here in the Netherlands is literally making people sick,” said Rose van Vuuren, another protester.
Tata Steel issued a statement condemning the action. “It is unacceptable for Greenpeace protesters to enter the company’s industrial premises, even though access to them is subject to strict security regulations. They can cause unintentional accidents, disrupt business operations and pose significant risks to the health and safety of businesses. “People and the environment,” the group responded.
In support of the Greenpeace demonstration, seven members of the environmental movement Extinction Rebellion chained themselves to a railway line connected to the industrial site for several hours on Saturday.
They were eventually evicted by police and arrested before being transported by bus to Driehuis train station, where they were released, the municipality of Velsen said in a statement.
Under the motto “Together for a healthy air”, another demonstration took place on Saturday on a beach near the site, which was supported by local organizations for the protection of the environment.
– dangerousness –
The possible presence of protesters at Tata Steel’s premises has been the subject of a dispute between local authorities and Greenpeace for several days.
In an open letter published on Thursday, Velsen Mayor Frank Dales had banned protesters from entering Tata Steel’s premises, citing the dangerous nature of the site.
“This is private property and you are not permitted to enter it. Tata Steel’s site is huge and dangerous in several places, including huge installations that cannot be shut down, hot substances, large vehicles including trains, etc.,” he warned in an open letter.
“The mayor should be more concerned about the safety of residents in his own community. It is downright dangerous to live near Tata Steel as toxic clouds are pouring out of the factory every day,” Greenpeace Netherlands’ Faiza Oulahsen countered in another open letter.
In February 2022, the Dutch courts opened an investigation into the “intentional and illegal” pollution caused by Tata at its factory near Amsterdam, believing that public health could be at risk.