Ahmed Aboutaleb, Mayor of Ahmedabad claimed that the local council has yet to decide on the matter
According to reports, Rotterdam has denied that it plans to demolish a 145-year old bridge so Jeff Bezo’s superyacht may leave its shipyard.
Dutch media reported Wednesday that the Koningshaven Bridge’s central section was torn down by the local council so that Y721, the yacht of former Amazon CEO, could leave the Oceanco shipyard near Alblasserdam.
However, Rotterdam Mayor Ahmed Aboutaleb said that no decision had been made by the council on the matter. According to Algemeen Dagblad, it was not even “an application of a permit.”
Aboutaleb insists that he must first “know the facts” of the matter, even though the AFP reported his spokesman had stated that the Nieuwe Maas was “the only route to sea” from Oceanco.
The mayor also stressed that, if the project proceeds, Bezos would have to pay the bill.
However, the project would be extremely unpopular. The bridge was built in 1878 and rebuilt by the Nazis after they bombed it during World War II. In 2017, the local council made major repairs to the bridge and pledged not to demolish it again.
The New York Times reported that Aboutaleb claimed the media exaggerated the “fuss” about the issue. However, a Facebook campaign to egg Y721 as the boat sails down the river has attracted hundreds of supporters.
Pablo Stormann, the organizer of “Throwing eggs to superyacht Jeff Bezos,” stated that “Rotterdammers love their city and won’t demolish iconic buildings because they are rich.” He claimed that he created the group “mostly” to make a joke.
