Greenpeace occupies the construction of a new E.ON coal plant

[caption id="attachment_677" align="alignright" width="250" caption="Action on the Maasvlakte: activists plant 18 flags, one for each nationality at the camp"][/caption]

As part of their global Quit Coal Campaign, Greenpeace activists from 18 different countries have today occupied the construction site of a new E.ON coal fired power plant on the Maasvlakte in Rotterdam, Netherlands. The construction of the plant has halted and the activists say they will stay until the coal plant is cancelled.

The activists have locked themselves onto strategic points at the construction site and occupied the building cranes.

"Civil disobedience, like occupying a building site, is completely justified when compared to the impact on the climate of a new coal plant. The consequences for the climate from this coal plant would be so dramatic, that urgent action is needed now," said Meike Baretta, Head of Climate and Energy campaign Greenpeace Netherlands.

Greenpeace and other climate and anti-coal organisations have been strengthen by the British "landmark global warming trial" in September which acquitted six activists who tried to shut down the Kingsnorth coal plant in the UK. The jury "found their actions justified when considering the damage to property caused around the world by CO2 emissions from the plant".

Greenpeace is currently trying to put pressure on E.ON to commit to reducing its CO2 emissions. And today’s occupation is just one of several recent actions by Greenpeace targeted E.ON coal operations in Europe. Greenpeace recently led a flotilla against Kingsnorth, occupied the site of a proposed coal fired plant in Antwerp and halted the loading of an E.ON owned coal plant in Sardinia.

Greenpeace warns that coal-fired power stations will undermine European targets to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 30% by 2020. EON has so far remained silent and continued its climate wrecking operations.

Update: The Greenpeace activists managed to halt the construction of the new E.ON coal plant for 10 hours before they were all arrested by police. Special police cut their chains and neck locks and removed everyone from the site by the end of the day.