This past Saturday marked the opening of Seattle’s 2025 cruise season—and the community responded with vibrant, joyful resistance. Organized by Seattle Cruise Control and allies, over a hundred people gathered at Pier 62 before marching together to the cruise terminal at Pier 66, sending a clear message: our port should serve people and the planet, not polluters and profiteers.
The action was filled with color, music, art, and movement. Community members of all ages joined in, and the atmosphere was both celebratory and urgent. Volunteers handed out bold visuals, a street band kept spirits high, and powerful speakers called out the cruise industry’s deep ties to pollution, exploitation, and climate harm.
Several young activists stood before the crowd and recited poems calling out the destruction of marine ecosystems, the false promises of cruise tourism, and the injustice of sacrificing the future for short-term profit. Their words echoed across the waterfront, a reminder that this fight is about legacy, accountability, and hope.
Cruise ships continue to dump toxic air and wastewater into our communities, all while exploiting workers and disrupting destination cities around the world. This event was a vivid call to imagine something better.
Huge thanks to everyone who came, created, spoke, marched, and made this action possible. From the youngest poet to the oldest marcher, you brought the resistance to life.
Stay tuned for upcoming actions and opportunities to get involved. Together, we can shift the tide.
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