Syros: Protest rally against cruise ship Crown Iris – Port Authority bans gatherings

A protest rally under the slogan “No to whitewashing genocide through tourism” has been called for Tuesday morning and afternoon (07/07) by the Anti-War Initiative of Syros, ahead of the expected arrival of the Israeli-owned cruise ship Crown Iris at Ermoupoli.

The protests are scheduled for 08:00 and 15:00, with the Port Authority responding to the all-day mobilisation by banning gatherings and assemblies at the location where the protesters have called for demonstrations.

In its call for the protest, the Anti-War Initiative of Syros states, among other things:

“On Tuesday 7 July, the second (out of eight!) arrival this year of the Israeli-owned cruise ship Crown Iris is scheduled to take place in Ermoupoli. Just one month after its first arrival (on 5 June), with the unprecedented image of Ermoupoli flooded by various police and Coast Guard units, with bans on movement, parking, gatherings and marches, with unjustified detentions of our fellow citizens ‘for identity checks’ (although they were carrying their identity cards), and with blatant provocations by its passengers.

On Tuesday 7 July, during the arrival of CI, we call on the local community to send a strong message that:

• We will not whitewash genocide and barbarity through ‘tourism’.
• We will not normalise fascism through ‘Greek hospitality’.

Repression does not overcome justice.

We will gather once again peacefully, expressing our solidarity with the Palestinian people and all peoples of the region, and sending the message that genocidal war criminals and their supporters are unwelcome on our island.

Everyone at the anti-war rallies on Tuesday 7 July at the National Resistance Monument (Victory Statue), at 08:00 and 15:00.”

Port Authority announcement on the ban on public outdoor gatherings in Syros

“Ban on public outdoor gatherings scheduled to take place on 07-07-2026 at the location ‘National Resistance Monument’ (‘Victory Statue’) on the coastal zone of Ermoupoli, Syros, due to the upcoming new arrival of the cruise ship ‘CROWN IRIS’ on 07-07-2026 from 08:00 to 17:00 at the port of Ermoupoli, Syros.”

Having taken into consideration:

The provisions of:

a. Paragraph 2 of Article 11 and paragraph 1 of Article 25 of the Constitution.
b. Articles 7 and 10 of Law 4703/2020 “Public outdoor gatherings and other provisions”.
c. Articles 7 and 8 of Presidential Decree 73/2020 “Regulation of public outdoor gatherings”.
d. Law 3622/2007 “Enhancement of the security of ships, port facilities and ports and other provisions”.
e. Regulation (EC) 725/2004 and the International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code regarding the security of ships and port facilities.

The announcement dated 04/07/2026 by the “Anti-War Initiative of Syros” through its official page on the social media platform “FACEBOOK”, republished by the local online press, regarding gatherings on 07-07-2026 at the “National Resistance Monument” (“Victory Statue”) on the coastal zone of Ermoupoli, Syros.

The document dated 03-07-2026 submitted by the Port Authority to the President of the Court of First Instance of Syros.

The document dated 03-07-2026 submitted by the Port Authority to the President of the Municipal Port Fund of Syros.

The supplementary document dated 05-07-2026 submitted to the President of the Court of First Instance of Syros and the President of the Municipal Port Fund of Syros.

The document dated 06-07-2026 from the President of the Municipal Port Fund of Syros.

The Syros Port Authority decided to prohibit the aforementioned public outdoor gatherings scheduled for 07-07-2026 at the “National Resistance Monument” (“Victory Statue”) on the coastal zone of Ermoupoli, Syros, because their organisation:

a) poses a serious risk to public safety due to the possible commission of serious crimes, particularly against life, physical integrity and property;
b) seriously threatens to disrupt the socio-economic life of the area; and
c) threatens the safe operation of the port facility and the integrity of ships, crews and infrastructure.

It was also decided to prohibit any potential public outdoor gathering on 07-07-2026 around and in the vicinity of “Kanari” Square on the coastal zone of Ermoupoli, Syros.

The ban is imposed in accordance with the applicable provisions on public outdoor gatherings and is based on a specific, concrete and sufficiently documented risk assessment, in line with the principles of necessity and proportionality, taking into account the areas serving the cruise ship in question as well as the period of its stay.

The possible holding of a public outdoor gathering in the aforementioned area could create a serious risk to public safety due to the possibility of a large number of people gathering, sudden movements and the outbreak of confrontations or incidents between demonstrators and visitors (tourists).

At the same time, any gathering in the above-mentioned area could cause serious disruption to the socio-economic life of the region, particularly by obstructing traffic, making access to public spaces and specifically those falling under the ISPS security regime more difficult, hindering the smooth and unobstructed disembarkation of passengers from the cruise ship, and burdening the normal operation of the port facility.

The measure is considered appropriate and necessary, as less restrictive measures are not sufficient to effectively prevent the aforementioned risks.

It is also proportionate, as it has a limited duration, concerns a specifically defined area and is restricted to the absolutely necessary space and time required to protect public safety and socio-economic life.

The organisers are indicatively offered (Article 8 of Presidential Decree 73/2020) the following alternative suitable locations for holding the gathering:

Either the pavement area in front of the building of the Decentralised Administration of the Aegean, without occupying any part of the road surface or any section or point of the coastal quay;
Or Miaoulis Square, as the above locations are considered completely safe and do not affect port facilities and operations.”
Response of the Anti-War Initiative of Syros to the ban

“Following the familiar pattern of repression and restriction of our constitutional rights to protest and demonstrate, the Municipality of Syros-Ermoupoli, the Hellenic Police, the Syros Port Authority and the New Democracy Government are once again moving in this direction,” the Anti-War Initiative of Syros commented on the decision to ban gatherings in Ermoupoli, in a post titled “Resistance to genocide is banned at the National Resistance Monument.”

“As with the recent arrival of the Israeli cruise ship Crown Iris in June, in order to ensure the unhindered disembarkation of Israeli ‘tourists’, they are banning tomorrow’s gatherings at the National Resistance Monument, ‘because their holding:

a) poses a serious risk to public safety due to the possible commission of serious crimes, particularly against life, physical integrity and property,
b) seriously threatens to disrupt the socio-economic life of the area, and
c) the safe operation of the port facility and the integrity of ships, crews and infrastructure,’” the statement adds.

It concludes:

“All of this, of course, only applies if we are in front of the National Resistance Monument. If we are in the area in front of the Decentralised Administration of the Aegean or at Miaoulis Square (where we will be anyway), as they suggest to us, we will apparently be less dangerous criminals.

Resistance to the whitewashing of genocide and the normalisation of fascism is our duty and obligation.

We will be present in the streets, at the announced gatherings at 08:00 and 15:00, even if resistance to an ongoing genocide… is banned at the National Resistance Monument.”