Pro-Palestinian demonstrators turned out at the port of Kalamata on Tuesday, October 13, to protest the arrival of the C...

Pro-Palestinian demonstrators turned out at the port of Kalamata on Tuesday, October 13, to protest the arrival of the Crown Iris, a cruise ship owned by Israel's Mano Holdings Group and carrying Israeli tourists on an 11-day Mediterranean voyage. Police and coast guard personnel had sealed off the dock from early morning, preventing protesters from approaching the vessel. The Crown Iris arrived at 9:00 a.m. for a scheduled 12-hour stop and spent the entire visit inside a secured section of the port. The protest was organized by the Anti-Fascist Movement of Kalamata and the anarchist group Rouvikonas, with members of the Messinia Primary Education Teachers' Association also participating. Demonstrators held Palestinian flags, chanted that Israelis were unwelcome in the city, and demanded an end to the war in Gaza. The Kalamata demonstration was part of a coordinated campaign. Groups across three cities issued a joint call for protests at each of the Crown Iris's upcoming port stops: Kefalonia on October 14 and Corfu on October 18. Greek authorities ordered a 500-metre security exclusion zone around the ship at Kefalonia. This is not the first time the Crown Iris has run into protests in Greece. In July, the ship was diverted to Cyprus after demonstrators at Syros prevented passengers from disembarking. Authorities have since stepped up security at ports along its route, including Patras and Katakolo. Greece received more than 600,000 Israeli tourists in 2024, and that number is expected to grow in 2026. The Mitsotakis government has pursued closer military and diplomatic ties with Israel in recent years, putting it at odds with a portion of the Greek public that analysts say is more sympathetic to the Palestinian cause than many other European populations. #Greece #Gaza #Kalamata