Amsterdam Pride parade blends celebration and protest in LGBTQ+ show of solidarity

AMSTERDAM (Reuters) -Around 80 colorful pride boats sailed through Amsterdam’s World Heritage canals on Saturday in the finale of a week-long celebration in the city that stood in stark contrast to recent crackdowns on LGBTQ+ rights in fellow EU member state Hungary. Thehany Gilmore, a 43-year-old Dutch-Caribbean dressed in a leather outfit with a whip, said banning of the Budapest pride parade "is a form of oppression." Palestinian flags were spotted among the crowd of revelers, and Dutch police arrested four activists who had jumped in the water to vandalize the Booking.com boat in protest over its listings in settlements in Israeli-occupied territories.