Several hundred pro-Palestinian protesters on the Greek island of Syros successfully prevented approximately 1,600 Israeli tourists from disembarking a cruise ship at the port of Ermoupolis on Tuesday. The incident was condemned by the Greek government.
The Israeli-owned Crown Iris cruise ship was prevented from docking at Syros at around midday for a six-hour visit and was instead rerouted to Cyprus.
Local citizens had gathered for a peaceful rally in support of Palestine earlier that morning. The demonstrators, chanting slogans, marched from Miaouli Square to the Nissaki area, where the cruise ship was scheduled to dock. Despite efforts to facilitate the passengers’ disembarkation, the determined crowd remained at the site until the cruise ship sailed away.
Israeli tourists meet opposition on Greece’s Syros
Local outlet Syros Press reported that flyers with messages such as “Stop the Genocide” had been scattered on the ground along the entire route leading to the dock, and footage showed a group of protesters carrying a large Palestinian flag as the demonstrators made their way through the streets. Chants of “Free, Free Palestine!” could be heard in the background.
Other footage showed protesters waving Palestinian flags on the edge of the dock, chanting slogans in Greek. The protest was organized by a group of island residents who said on social media that their goal was to “raise their fists in solidarity with the Palestinians in Gaza.”
“It is unacceptable that tourists from Israel continue to be welcomed here while the Palestinians are suffering in the Strip,” the protesters said.
Greek government condemns the incident
Greek reports estimated that around 300 people attended the protest in Ermoupoli. Health Minister Adonis Georgiadis on Wednesday vehemently condemned the incident on Syros, calling it “unthinkable and offensive for Greece.”
“I consider what happened to be unthinkable,” Georgiadis stated, emphasizing the right of all individuals to travel. “Some people—no matter what their origin, unless the Israelis have lost their human status—have paid for their ticket on their ship and have chosen to vacation in Greece. And some go by force—for whatever purposes they have in mind—and they are prevented.”
Expressing profound regret, the Minister added, “I consider this tragic, very offensive for Greece. I want to apologize to these people. I want to send a message of great alliance and friendship to Israel, to say that Israelis are welcome in Greece and that anti-Semitism cannot exist in Greece.”
Tourists raised the Israeli flag in response
Initially, operator Mano Shipping said there would be a “slight delay” in disembarking the ship, as it estimated that the demonstration would disperse “within half an hour.” But as 3 p.m. passed and the delay continued, Mano Shipping decided to skip Syros entirely and reroute the ship to Limassol, Cyprus, the Times of Israel reported.
Passenger Dror Marshalkowitz told Israel’s Channel 12 that it took law enforcement two hours to arrive at the scene and that “whoever took the decision” to reroute to Cyprus “apparently did the right thing,” given that there were 300 to 400 children on board and it was best not to put them in danger.
During the extended delay at the port, passengers told Channel 12 news that they had been told by onboard security to remain indoors, rather than go out onto the deck. One Israeli passenger told the Kan public broadcaster, however, that when one of the passengers saw the protest, “we raised Israeli flags and some of us started singing.”
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