Hundreds of thousands of spectators gathered along Amsterdam’s canals on Saturday to witness the city’s annual Pride boat parade, which serves as the centerpiece of its Pride festival. This year’s event took place against the somber backdrop of a recent deadly attack in Berlin targeting an LGBTQ+ gathering.
Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten, who is openly gay, participated in the parade for the first time while sailing a small boat among approximately 80 vessels adorned in vibrant decorations. Dressed casually in a white shirt and black life vest, Jetten smiled and waved to attendees as techno music played along the route. He later emphasized on social media that the parade held increased significance amid growing threats to LGBTQ+ freedoms globally, citing recent discriminatory laws, rising violence, and the Berlin attack specifically.
The Berlin assault occurred the previous weekend when a suspect, Abdul Ballout, drove a van into a crowd near a Pride festival and then reportedly used a machete in an attack authorities have classified as Islamic extremist in nature. Ballout was killed by police during a shootout the following day in a Berlin suburb. The incident left one dead and 29 injured.
In Amsterdam, officials responded with heightened security measures for the parade. Police boats patrolled the canals and a helicopter monitored the event from above. Amsterdam Mayor Femke Halsema reassured the public that any additional precautions would be implemented discreetly to minimize disruption.
The Berlin attack also affected Pride celebrations in Germany, notably in Hamburg, where the city’s parade proceeded under significantly increased security. Police and organizers estimated attendance at about 300,000, exceeding last year’s figure of roughly 260,000. Authorities deployed double the number of officers compared to 2025 to ensure safety during the event.
As part of Amsterdam’s Pride and concurrent World Pride celebrations, the boat parade featured a mix of private and official vessels, including those representing Dutch government ministries, the military, law enforcement, and various LGBTQ+ groups. The Netherlands’ oldest LGBTQ+ rights organization, COC, marked its 80th anniversary with a boat displaying a manifesto calling for ongoing advances in human rights for LGBTQ+ people in the country. A portrait of activist Marsha P. Johnson, a key figure in the 1969 Stonewall uprising, was also prominently featured.
One of the more visually striking boats carried two large inflatable figures of U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, styled after traditional Dutch Delftware and depicted leaning in for a kiss while holding tulips. The creators said their installation intended not to provoke but to invite reflection on love and unity, transcending power and politics.
Among the international visitors was Rod Lugtenburg, a 55-year-old Toronto native with Dutch roots, who described the event as a powerful symbol of acceptance and pride. Despite the joyful atmosphere, the celebration took place amid rising reports of verbal and physical assaults targeting the LGBTQ+ community in the Netherlands, a country historically regarded as a bastion of tolerance.