On Saturday, Amsterdam was deluged with an armada of rainbow-colored flotillas as the city held its one-of-a-kind Canal Pride, one of the Netherland's largest public gatherings. The floats made their way down the Prince's River from Westerdok to Oosterdok. Though Canal Pride has been going on for 17 years and attracts tens of thousands annually, this year's celebration had special meaning, as organizers made a point of protesting Russia's embattled queer community.

Reports the AP:

A number of vessels carried banners or signs slamming Russia's President Vladimir Putin, due in part to a law passed by Russia in June that bans gay "propaganda."

One boat featured dancing gay men in Russian army uniforms."Putin, Stop Repression, Choose Freedom," a banner read.

Also worth noting was the participation of Dutch footballers like Patrick Kluivert, Ronald de Boer and out ex-player Wensley Garden, who joined in to show the global sports community how inclusive pro sports could be.

Check out more photos from Amsterdam Pride below:

Photos: Getty Images Perry Tak