Angry Dutch Residents Vow to Pelt Jeff Bezos’ Superyacht with Rotten Eggs
The Amazon founder’s 417-foot long party boat isworth $485 million
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Amid reports of Rotterdam's historic bridge being dismantled to allow tech billionaire Jeff Bezos’ superyacht to pass-through port, angry residents in the Netherlands city have vowed to pelt rotten eggs at the vessel as it sets out to sea.
The Amazon founder’s 417-foot long party boat, worth $485 million, was constructed in the nearby shipbuilding city of Alblasserdam by the company Oceanco.
Once it is on the ocean, it becomes the largest yacht ever to do so.
But residents are not happy.
Bezos’ superyacht’s only path to the sea requires passage under Rotterdam’s 145-year-old Koningshaven lift bridge.
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However, going under will not be possible given that the vessel’s three masts are much taller than the bridge’s 130-foot clearance.
Last week, the city had agreed to dismantle the bridge to allow the yacht to pass through.
But the news angered residents.
One resident, in particular, 40-year-old Pablo Strörmann, circulated an invite on Facebook and taking a case of rotten eggs to launch at the vessel in the event it moves through the waterway.
“Rotterdam was built from the rubble by Rotterdammers, and we don’t just take it apart for the phallus symbol of a megalomaniac billionaire. Not without a fight,” Strörmann wrote.
As of last Thursday, nearly 3,000 Rotterdammers pledged to take part.
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The Dutch outlet said Strörmann called the demonstration “not too serious,” yet described De Hef as close to his heart, “Because I’m a Rotterdammer and I think people with a lot of money should realize that you can’t make everything.”
“They should stay away from De Hef,” he added, laughing off the city’s argument that the shipbuilding has generated jobs for the local economy, noting, “If there are some egg sellers at De Hef, it will also be good for the economy.”
Though the dismantling seems inevitable, Rotterdam Mayor Ahmed Aboutaleb, over the weekend, denied reports that the city council had reached an agreement on the plan, saying that an application for a permit had not yet been approved.
He said Bezos or Oceanco would be responsible for footing the bill if the boat proceeds.
In any case, the move will be extremely unpopular.
The bridge dates back to 1878 and was rebuilt after the Nazis bombed it in 1940 during World War II.
Then in 2017, after the city completed a major repair on the bridge, officials promised residents it would not be dismantled again.
