"Not Much to Celebrate": Thousands March in Prague Pride Parade

On Saturday, downtown Prague hosted the traditional Prague Pride parade, the culmination of the annual festival dedicated to LGBT rights. Organizers estimate that around 50,000 people took part in the march, which wound its way from Wenceslas Square through Na Příkopě, Old Town Square, Pařížská Street, and along the riverside embankments to Štvanice.

This marks the 16th consecutive edition of the festival, held this year under the motto "Times Are Changing." According to organizers, the slogan reflects the current social climate, with a particular emphasis on safety, community support, and mutual solidarity.

Heightened security after the Berlin attack

Hundreds of police officers and a conflict-prevention team monitored the event to ensure order. The increased vigilance follows the tragedy in Berlin in late July, when an attacker drove a car into a crowd during an LGBT event, killing one person and injuring around thirty others. Prague festival organizers announced additional safety measures, asking participants to carry signs by hand or on sturdy, reusable plastic poles rather than wooden ones.

"Hatred toward LGBTQ+ people isn't just an issue confined to online discourse — it has real victims. Prague Pride Festival, together with the police, is stepping up security measures," said festival spokeswoman Nikola Paleníčková. Organizers also recalled the attack at the Tepláreň queer bar in Bratislava four years ago, in which a gunman killed two people and wounded several others. Before the march began, participants observed a minute of silence in memory of the victims of the Berlin attack.

"This is a protest, not a celebration"

Many participants emphasized that this year there was more reason for concern than for joy. "This is first and foremost a protest — there's not much to celebrate," said a man who gave his name as Martin. He pointed to recent developments in the US and Hungary, as well as the lukewarm attitude of Czech political parties toward such events. Women at one of the stalls recalled the crackdown on LGBT rights in Poland and Slovakia, saying that this year, taking part in the parade feels less like a choice and more like a necessity.

Some attendees admitted to feeling personally afraid in the wake of the Berlin tragedy. "I won't lie, I'm just scared. When you're queer, there's always a voice in the back of your head reminding you that you should be afraid," said Charlie Macek, who came to the parade carrying the white, pink, and blue flag of the transgender community. He noted that the Czech Republic recently introduced the right to change one's legal gender without requiring surgery, and expressed hope that this right would not be revoked.

A peaceful march with a few tense moments

Overall, the atmosphere at the parade remained calm: some participants marched silently with banners, while others danced to music. Tension flared up only at a few points along the route. A louder group carrying Palestinian flags chanted anti-Israel slogans, while on Pařížská Street a man used a megaphone to call on passersby to embrace faith. A handful of people carrying an "Anti-LGBT" sign also passed by the column — marchers responded simply by waving and blowing air kisses, and a witty remark from the crowd drew a burst of applause.

Some couples said their main wish was for full equality under the law, including the right to adopt children — currently, same-sex couples in Czechia can register a partnership, but not all the rights granted to married couples apply to them. Still, most participants said that despite the unsettling backdrop, they were trying to treat the day as a celebration — a chance to be themselves without fear of judgment.

Source: seznamzpravy.cz