With a fairly damning RIVM report behind us and probably an emotional residents’ meeting ahead, there was also a so-called ‘die-in’ on Tata Steel’s doorstep today. That is a protest where activists pretend to be dead. About thirty people from the action group Kappen met Kolen blocked the access road to the company site from 12:00 during the air raid alarm.
According to coordinator Peter Jamin, the Kappen met Kappen action is intended to encourage the government in general to tackle coal use, but also to increase pressure on Tata Steel to close the coking plant(s). Cokes are made from coal.
Tata Steel defends itself by stating that ‘the company also wants to cut down on coal.’ Later this year, according to spokesperson Peter van Boesschoten, ‘the first permits must be approved for the construction of the green factories’. Coke Plant 2 should close around 2030 and Coke Plant 1 a few years later.
The action went smoothly today. It didn’t bother Tata Steel employees much, a traffic controller directed them towards another entrance close by. Two police vans called it a day soon after the start of the demonstration. One came an hour later to take a closer look.
Debatable statements
This weekend, members of the Works Council and other employees of Tata Steel were discredited by questionable statements. In closed Facebook and WhatsApp groups they said about the Kappen met Kolen campaign: ‘Just drive over it’, ‘Arbeit macht frei’ and ‘a ride in red-hot liquid iron.’
Vice-chairman of the Central Works Council Gerrit Idema typed: ‘Right into the oven, then it won’t stink’. He has since apologized. Kappen met Kolen asked for his departure on Twitter, just like everyone else who made these statements.
Factory leadership disapproved of the statements and is still considering steps.
It is not the only issue surrounding Tata Steel that is currently playing. Last week it was announced that the amount of toxic coarse dust from Tata Steel still settles in the environment as in two previous measurements in 2020 and 2022. That is what was published at the time RIVM report. Tomorrow evening there will be a residents’ meeting, in which citizens can put questions to provincial and local politicians about the report.