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Outrage at Rotterdam's plans to dismantle 144-year-old bridge for Jeff Bezos's superyacht

Bezos' 417-foot-long three-masted ship is currently being constructed by the Netherlands-based custom yacht builder company Oceanco

Rotterdam has agreed to take down the historic Koningshaven Bridge so that Jeff Bezos' huge superyacht can sail the seas this summer. Bezos' 417-foot-long three-masted ship is currently being constructed by the Netherlands-based custom yacht builder company Oceanco.

The plan involves temporarily removing the middle part of the bridge this summer so that Bezos' yacht can pass through. This has to be done because the masts of Bezos' ship are too high to pass under the Koningshaven Bridge. Oceanco contacted the Rotterdam officials and asked them to temporarily dismantle the iconic bridge, promising to reimburse the Dutch city for expenses. The Amazon founder's yacht is "no less than 127 meters long, officially making it the second-largest sailing yacht in the world," reports Rijnmond. 

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"This man has earned his money by structurally cutting staff, evading taxes, avoiding regulations and now we have to tear down our beautiful national monument? That is really going a bridge too far. I understand that it has been agreed that the costs for the construction and dismantling are paid by the shipbuilder and Bezos. I would like to see those agreements. Because there really can't be a cent of public money," says GroenLinks councilor Stephan Leewis.

Rotterdam officials feel that this is a great opportunity to generate income for the city. "From an economic perspective and maintaining employment, the municipality considers this a very important project. In addition, Rotterdam has also been declared the maritime capital of Europe. Shipbuilding and activity within that sector are therefore an important pillar of the municipality," explains municipal project leader Marcel Walravens.

"What reassures me is that all costs will be fully reimbursed. In all honesty, I understand the fuss, but if the risk lies entirely with Bezos or Oceanco, then as far as I'm concerned, that's the end," says PvdA councilor Dennis Tak. "It is of course a strong example of Dutch pride that these yachts are built here. The shipbuilding sector has had a hard time in recent years. Almost no ships are built in the Netherlands anymore. All container ships now come from Asia. This project offers a lot. local employment and also of a high level. Plus: I think it's good that we can still take some money from Bezos and put it in the region," Tak adds.

People had a lot of reactions to this development and they made sure to voice out on social media. Rotterdam 50Plus party chairman Ellen Verkoelen tweeted, "A lot of fuss about dismantling the middle part of De Hef for one day. This can be made into a win/win situation under hard conditions such as: 1. All costs are fully borne by Oceanco and @JeffBezos 2. Extra staff must be properly arranged, including aftercare," while television presenter Tim Hofman quipped, "how wonderful it would be if the municipality of Rotterdam would simply say 'sorry, it doesn't fit', as Bezos tells his warehouse staff when they want a break."

Mieke Megawati, leader of Rotterdam BIJ1, scoffed at the council for letting this happen, "Capital dominates in Rotterdam. De Hef is being dismantled for the richest man in the world, Vestia is demolishing the Tweebosbuurt, the Pompenburg has to be demolished for a new residential tower, Rotterdam has earmarked 22.5 million for Eurovision and Shell wants to drill for oil under 70,000 homes. And the current city council is willing to let it happen, it likes to think along with the demands of large companies and the very rich. It is time to pay for this. That capital is silenced and the voice of the Rotterdammer rises above it again."