Overview

• On Crete, demonstrators scuffled with police at Agios Nikolaos port, four people were detained and officers used pepper spray to secure the docking area while more than 600 passengers disembarked safely.
• In Rhodes, a similar rally against the Gaza war prompted clashes and several arrests but allowed over 600 tourists to leave the Crown Iris without incident.
• Greece deployed riot police to Rhodes and Crete after the Crown Iris was forced to skip Syros to ensure passenger safety and prevent further disruptions.
• On July 22, more than 150 protesters at Syros blocked the ship’s scheduled stop, leading it to sail instead to Limassol in Cyprus with roughly 1,700 tourists aboard.
• Local business representatives on Rhodes and Crete criticized the protests for threatening island economies reliant on Israeli tourism as diplomatic pressure mounted.