LGBT+ pride parades held in several of Europe's capitals

Thousands of pridefulness parade attendees took to nan streets successful Vienna, Warsaw, Rome and Athens connected Saturday, waving rainbow flags and holding up signs of protestation arsenic they celebrated pridefulness month, while besides demanding governmental and societal equality for nan LGBTQ+ organization successful their respective countries.

In Warsaw, 'Love is nan answer'

Warsaw's pridefulness parade went done nan metropolis centre and headed done nan Old Town. The "Equality Parade" began connected Saturday afternoon, and was attended by thousands of demonstrators.

Under nan motto "Love is nan answer", nan event's organisers expressed nan dream that they could thief others to definitive their LGBTQ+ personality openly and without fear.

"We don't want to talk astir specified matters location underground, we don't want to hide successful basements - we travel to nan aboveground to talk astir it," said Rafał Dembe, president of nan Equality Volunteering Foundation astatine a property convention up of nan march.

During nan conference, nan organisers said that nan objection successful Warsaw is nan largest of its benignant successful nan country.

Among nan astir notable attendees of nan parade were politician of Warsaw Rafał Trzaskowski, who precocious recovered himself connected nan losing broadside of nan country's presidential election, personnel of nan European Parliament Robert Biedroń and Minister of Equality Katarzyna Kotula.

Four days earlier, Kotula submitted a measure to parliament to present civilian partnerships, including for same-sex couples.

Speaking to nan crowd astatine nan commencement of nan parade, Trzaskowski said "Remember that I person been saying for galore years that together we are building Warsaw, which is an unfastened and tolerant city, wherever these values ​​are not only appreciated but besides promoted."

Rome's pridefulness march goes up successful scorching basking weather

Braving nan scorching basking 35 grade weather, thousands of group walked nan metropolis of Rome from Piazza della Repubblica to Via Cavour to participate successful nan Italian capital's pridefulness march. Three motorcyclists pinch roaring engines kicked disconnected nan parade. Right down them was nan leader of nan parade, holding a ample banner pinch nan connection "Outlaw", written connected it. The banner is successful protestation of what organisers spot arsenic nan blimpish incumbent government's deficiency of support for LGBTQ+ rights.

Among those taking portion successful nan objection were nan spokesperson of nan Capitoline parade, Mario Colamarino, and nan politician of Rome, Roberto Gualtieri.

''We are present for nan authorities of all, to person a much inclusive and adjacent Italy, amended than nan 1 we person now. 'Outlaws' is what we are successful this state today, we must conflict and we must beryllium many," said Colamarino.

The arena successful Rome was held not only to observe LGBTQ+ pride, but besides to protestation nan ongoing conflict successful Gaza, for which a one-minute soundlessness was held. Many Palestinian flags and banners were waved alongside rainbow flags, arsenic group chanted slogans for free emotion and equality. Along pinch location and popular music, nan Italian partisan anthem "Bella Ciao" was besides sung by nan demonstrators.

A float satirically depicting Hungarian Prime Miniser Viktor Orban - whose authorities was past week denied a request to clasp a pridefulness march successful Budapest - was besides rolled out, an inaugural by nan Italian +Europa party.

"Today, much than ever, it is important to be pridefulness astatine a clip erstwhile successful nan world location are autocracies, illiberal democracies, fundamentalist regimes that onslaught civilian authorities and individual freedoms successful Hungary, arsenic good arsenic successful Russia and Trump's United States, wherever immoderate words, specified arsenic 'gay', are banned connected organization websites", said nan party's secretary, Riccardo Magi.

Demonstrators successful Athens make their sound heard

2025 marks nan 20th twelvemonth since nan first Athens Pride was held, and this year's motto is "We Count". This has a double meaning successful Greek - nan building tin either mean "we matter", but tin besides mean to return banal of something. The second is successful reference to recollecting everything that has happened since June 2005, erstwhile nan first Athens pridefulness parade was held.

According to nan organisers, this includes joy, specified arsenic nan pridefulness and liberation of nan first years, losses owed to dislike and homophobic attacks, victories specified arsenic same-sex civic national and marriage, but besides disappointment specified arsenic nan stigma that remains, arsenic good arsenic nan conflict for visibility and rights.

"Now, much than ever, nan world discourse shows america that nary acquis (law) tin beryllium taken for granted. Instead, our authorities and our very beingness are being challenged each day. The emergence of nan acold correct and nan normalisation of dislike reside successful governmental and media sermon are a threat to each of us. The removal of LGBTQ+ refugees and migrants is intensifying, starring to nan removal of group connected nan ground of racist, sexist, homophobic and/or transphobic motives," nan organisers opportunity connected their website.

"For each this, our beingness successful nan nationalist abstraction will proceed to beryllium our undeniable right, a humanities work and an enactment of guidance against a nationalist sermon of maltreatment that seeks to erase us. The struggle for equality is ongoing and remains unabated. We are and will beryllium present to support them going," nan organisers opportunity connected their website.

Pride period is celebrated successful Athens pinch a assortment of taste events, screenings, performances, parties, shows, sheet discussions, workshops and seminars, galore of constituent to nan now 20-year history of pridefulness successful nan Greek capital, pinch diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives besides taking centre stage.