2023-07-01 20:21:07
Hundreds of thousands took part in the London Pride parade on Saturday, MTI reported.
The official organizer of the event held for the 51st time, lasting into the evening, is Pride in London, a charity association and self-supporting group whose stated main goal is the acceptance of diversity, ensuring equal rights, and eliminating prejudice and discrimination against the LGBT+ community.
Taking on the character of a folk festival, the carnival-like Saturday parade went from Hyde Park, touching the famous Piccadilly Circus, Lower Regent Street, Pall Mall and Trafalgar Square, to Whitehall, home to government institutions.
According to the organizers’ estimates, 35,000 members of more than 600 organizations – including the National Health Service (NHS), which is celebrating its 75th anniversary, law enforcement authorities, trade unions and the armed forces – took part in the march, but the number of people lined up along the route may have approached the one million.
HENRY NICHOLLS / AFP Participants at London Pride on July 1, 2023.
On the occasion of the several-hour parade, a significant part of downtown London was closed and handed over to the celebrating crowd; thus Whitehall could also be taken over by the extremely diversely dressed crowd.
At Saturday’s demonstration in London, representatives of individual public service, health and law enforcement organizations and major sports clubs marched in separate groups; soldiers and policemen in uniform could also be seen in the procession.
Sadiq Khan, the mayor of London also walked in the procession. In his Twitter message addressed to the participants, Khan emphasized: in London, everyone can freely be who they want to be and love who they want to love.
Here in London you are free to be who you want to be, and to love who you want to love.
Happy Pride, London! ❤️#LoveIsLove #Pride2023 ????️????????️⚧️ pic.twitter.com/jYRVgsoMO4
— Sadiq Khan (@SadiqKhan) July 1, 2023
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