Scores of boats festooned with rainbow flags and balloons cruised through the city’s World Heritage canals, while huge crowds in colourful outfits cheered from the banks. The annual canal parade serves as the traditional highlight of Amsterdam Pride, which coincides this year with the city hosting WorldPride to mark 25 years since the Netherlands hosted the world’s first legally recognized same-sex marriage. Events across the Netherlands during the two-week festival operate under the slogan “UNITY”.
Amsterdam Hosts WorldPride Canal Parade Under Heavy Security
The festivities unfolded against a backdrop of heightened security measures. Mayor Femke Halsema stated ahead of the event that authorities would take extra measures that visitors would hopefully notice as little as possible. Police officers patrolled on bicycles, on jet skis, in motorboats, and in cars, while a helicopter hovered overhead. Michel Peters, chair of the gay police association Roze in Blauw (“pink in blue”), noted that officers maintained a high-visibility presence primarily to sustain contact with the LGBTQI+ community.
Impact of the Berlin Attack on Revelers
The security posture was prompted by an attack in Berlin the prior weekend, where a car was driven into a crowd near the Brandenburg Gate during the Christopher Street Day parade. The incident left one person dead and nearly 30 injured. German police subsequently shot dead the suspect, identified by authorities as Abdul B. or Abdul Ballout, in what officials are treating as an Islamist terrorist attack.
Participants in Amsterdam said the tragedy in Germany only strengthened their resolve to celebrate publicly. Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten, the country’s first openly gay prime minister, attended the parade and sailed in a small boat among the 80 participating vessels. Jetten noted in a video posted on X that the event was more important than ever because the freedom and security of the LGBTQ community worldwide are under pressure from new discriminatory legislation, a lack of safety on the street, and the attack in Berlin.
The extra police doesn't bother me at all, it is just a shame that this is necessary
, said 55-year-old Tim Cox. Martijn Albers, a spokesperson for Amsterdam Pride, emphasized that extra security would not alter the event’s focus on inclusivity, stating, <q>The aim of terrorism is to spread fear, and we must not give in to that.</q>
Demonstrations, Floats, and Memorials
Participants carried various placards, including messages reading Make America Gay Again
and Same Love. Same Rights!
. One notable boat featured two tube figures resembling Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump dressed in traditional Dutch clothing, posed as if they were kissing. The group behind the float stated on its website that the display re-imagined the symbol of love and unity to pause power for a moment and highlight something human.
Earlier in the week, thousands of people gathered at Amsterdam’s Homomonument—a canalside memorial formed of pink granite triangles dedicated to victims of anti-gay oppression—to lay flowers and commemorate the victims of the Berlin attack. Mayor Halsema addressed the crowd, calling for courage and resilience.
Attendees expressed defiance in the face of intimidation. Tré Shawn Griffin, a 32-year-old American living in the Netherlands, remarked that the events in Berlin increased his motivation to participate: <q>People try to intimidate you, want you to run away and hide. You want me to hide? I’m going to come out even louder.</q>
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