Rising Sun and Lion were sprayed with black paint in Barcelona’s Port Vell, just months after the same group carried out similar attacks on Kaos…
Image credit: Associated Press
Activists campaigning against the use of fossil fuels and the damage caused by climate change visited Port Vell, Barcelona on Monday May 27 and defaced a 138 meter high Lürssen, Sunrise and Baglietto of 47 meters Lion with paint while moored in the marina. Local authorities were called to the scene to manage the demonstration.
With the 37th edition of the America’s Cup taking place in Port Vell in just three months, concerns over the event’s security have been heightened by the growing number of incidents in the region.
Video credit: Associated Press
Calling for an end to fossil fuel subsidies, the protest, led by local branches of Extinction Rebellion and Scientist Rebellion, involved spraying black paint on moored yachts and unveiling a yellow banner with the message “Subsidies fossils are our extinction” as they stood in front. freshly vandalized ships.
“In Catalonia, three years of unprecedented drought have pushed the agricultural sector to the brink of collapse and driven up food and energy prices. This is a clear warning: persisting in burning fossil fuels is criminal and shortsighted,” Extinction Rebellion Barcelona said on X, formerly known as Twitter.
“Megayachts are an example of an unsustainable lifestyle. The responsibility for the eco-social crisis lies primarily with billionaires.”
We have the end of subsidies as a first step towards the end of the fossil era, condition to overcome the ecosocial crisis in which we are faced.🛢️🌱 #Barcelona #ActionDirecta #Sostenibility #ActúaAhora #CambioClimático
1/8 pic.twitter.com/ljf1cepbf7
— Rebel·lió or Extinció BCN – XR Barcelona (@XRBarcelona) May 28, 2024
Same group of climate activists vandalized Kaos for the second time Last September while docked in Port Vell. Two members of Extinction Rebellion and Scientific Rebellion breached marina security and doused the Oceanco vessel with 110m of red paint, then stood next to the yacht holding signs reading “Billionaires Should Not Exist” .
According to the group, this action is part of the Stop EU Fossil Subsides campaign, promoted by European environmental organizations. Fossil fuel subsidies amounted to €405.1 billion in the EU in 2023, ten times more than was spent on climate policies.
“Megayachts benefit indirectly from being exempt from paying taxes on their emissions. Financing fossil fuels is financing extinction. We call for an end to subsidies as a first step towards ending the era of fossil fuels, a necessary condition to overcome the eco-social crisis we currently face,” says the Group. “The action at the port of Barcelona marks the start of the week of mobilization against fossil fuel subsidies organized by XR in Madrid and other locations in the country until Sunday.”
Activists of Rebelión o Extinción y Rebelión Scientist rocks with mega-paintings in Barcelona to demand an end to fossil subsidies #JusticiaClimática #EndOfLosSubsidios #EcosocialCrisis pic.twitter.com/UCn2fjS3Jj
— Rebel·lió or Extinció BCN – XR Barcelona (@XRBarcelona) May 26, 2024
SuperyachtNews contacted local industry stakeholders, who did not immediately respond to comment. We will provide updates as more information becomes available.
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