60,000 participate in 2024 Prague Pride parade through Czech capital

Tens of thousands of people took to the streets of Prague on Saturday for the annual Prague Pride parade, marking the culmination of a week-long festival dedicated to promoting the rights and visibility of the LGBT+ community. The parade, which began at Wenceslas Square shortly after noon, wound its way through the city center before concluding with a cultural program at Letná Park.

Organizers estimated that around 60,000 people participated in the event, a figure consistent with last year's turnout. Prague police, while not providing an exact number, confirmed the attendance in the tens of thousands.

This year’s parade saw heightened security measures, following concerns raised by an attempted attack on a similar event in Bratislava. Despite these concerns, the parade proceeded without major incidents, though police did address a few small groups of protesters who verbally harassed the participants.

Among the participants were politicians, representatives of various companies and organizations, ambassadors, celebrities, and families with children. Prominent figures at the front of the parade included Government Human Rights Commissioner Klára Laurenčíková Šimáčková, Deputy Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies Olga Richterová, German Ambassador to Prague Andreas Künne, and other diplomats.

"We were honored to join the celebration of diversity and equality at Prague Pride 2024!" the U.S. Embassy in Prague wrote on social media. "Under the banner of Diplomats for Equality, we joined our friends in the March for Every Family, celebrating love and supporting the acceptance and equal rights of LGBTQI+ people."

Before the parade began, participants gathered in the lower part of Wenceslas Square, where they could make banners, apply face paint, and listen to music from DJ Jan Witek. This year’s parade was notable for its commitment to sustainability, with no vehicles powered by internal combustion engines leading the procession.

The theme of this year's Prague Pride festival was family, reflecting the ongoing struggle for equal rights for LGBT+ people in the Czech Republic. Festival Director Kamila Fröhlichová emphasized the importance of the parade in highlighting the continued fight for equality.

"I have come here mainly because I have teenage children and I am happy that they are growing up in a more tolerant atmosphere than we did," one participant told Czech News Agency. "We still lack a lot, like the right of same-sex couples to adopt children, but we are progressing. The parade itself may be too avant-garde for me, but it is needed."

Since its inception in 2011, Prague Pride has grown significantly, with opposition from conservative groups diminishing over the years. Today, the event stands as one of the largest annual cultural festivals in the Czech capital.