Hundreds of thousands of people lined Amsterdam's canals on Saturday for the city's annual Pride festival boat parade. The event took place just one week after a deadly attack on a Pride event in Berlin.
Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten, who is openly gay, participated in the parade, waving to crowds from a boat. He stated in a video posted on X that the Amsterdam event was crucial due to increasing global pressure on the LGBTQ+ community, citing discriminatory legislation and safety concerns.
"The freedom and security of the LGBTQ+ community is under pressure with new discriminatory legislation, lack of safety on the street or last week's terrible attack in Berlin,” Jetten said.
Amsterdam Mayor Femke Halsema had announced enhanced security measures for the parade following the attack in Berlin. Police patrols on motorboats and a helicopter were visible during the event.
The Berlin attack, believed to be an Islamic extremist act, resulted in one death and 29 injuries. The suspect was later shot and killed by police. The incident also led to increased security at Hamburg's Pride parade in Germany, where an estimated 300,000 people attended, a rise from the previous year.
Amsterdam's boat parade is a traditional highlight of its Pride festival, which this year coincides with a World Pride celebration hosted by the city. Attendees, like Rod Lugtenburg from Toronto, expressed the significance of acceptance and visibility.
"For me, it's about acceptance, being able to be who you are," Lugtenburg said. "And Canada is right behind them, so I'm very proud."
The event occurred against a backdrop of rising reports of assaults on LGBTQ+ individuals in the Netherlands, a country historically seen as a haven for tolerance. Earlier in the week, a man was convicted in Amsterdam for using discriminatory language at a Pride event.
The parade featured decorated vessels from various Dutch institutions, including government ministries, the military, and police, alongside LGBTQ+ organizations. The Netherlands LGBTQ+ rights group COC, celebrating its 80th anniversary, carried a manifesto advocating for human rights progress for LGBTQ+ people and a portrait of activist Marsha P. Johnson.
One boat displayed inflatable likenesses of U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin leaning in for a kiss, a statement the creators described as an effort to "pause power for a moment and highlight something human."
Associated Press writer Geir Moulson in Berlin contributed to this report.