Zagreb Pride #16 took place this Saturday, June 10, and, apart from a minor incident involving a man holding a picture of Jesus who stood in front of the crowd before being removed by the police, the atmosphere was very friendly, relaxed and positive. Some sources say that there were 3,000, others that there were 10,000 people and, being very poor at estimating, I can’t really say which is true, but, judging from the photos, I’d say that it was definitely more than 3,000.
Volounteers were giving out flyers stating how marchers should behave, warning them not to litter or consume alcohol, and handing out free bottles of water because it was really hot.
There were some great signs:
As we reported a few days ago, 15 foreign ambassadors participated in the march and we spoke to some of them in front of Mimara Museum, where the marchers gathered around 3 p.m.
“I’m here to show solidarity with the people of Zagreb, it’s about freedom, diversity, and being able to decide for yourself. It’s my first time marching in Zagreb, but I marched in Split, and, even though there were some problems, it was more about love than hate. It looks very nice here as well, although it’s a little bit hot for my head [laughs]. There are, of course, still some issues when it comes to the position of LGBTIQ people in Croatia, but I’m happy that Croatia is slowly accepting the legislation necessary to adapt to the EU standards and EU acquis. It is also important to notice that Croatia is part of the UN, organisation which puts emphasis on human rights and I think Croatia is moving in the right direction.”
(Mr Lars Schmidt, Ambassador of Sweden)
Embassy of Sweden in Zagreb Facebook
“I’m here to show solidarity with the LGBT community on behalf of the Slovenian Embassy. Human rights are the priority of our government, so this is a symbolic gesture that we can show to the community in Croatia. We think the situation in Croatia is improving and we support that, and I think, at least in all the countries in the West, it is important to show our firm support. This is my first time marching in Zagreb, but I went to the Pride in New York and it was so much fun, the whole city is out in the streets. I’d love to go to Ribnjak Park as well to see what the atmosphere will be like, but, being a dad, I have to get back home to my kids after the march.”
(Dr Marko Rakovec, Deputy Head of Mission of Slovenia to Croatia)
Peđa Grbin, Croatian lawyer and politician, and Mrs Olive Hempenstall, Irish Ambassador to Croatia, also commented on the March.
My camera decided to give up just as Mrs Hempenstall was saying “I think the key message is that love is love,” which is the Pride’s global motto.
There were grandpas and grandmas with their grandchildren, lots of young people, families with children and their pets, a very diverse group overall.
The march started around 4 p.m.
People were waving from the windows, some looked fairly indifferent, and, most importantly, there were some side glances, but nothing negative happened as far as I could tell.
Everyone was wearing rainbow flags and colorful clothes, and there were very creative rainbow-themed accesories.
And very creative signs.
The march ended at Ribnjak Park, where there were many people waiting, sitting and enjoying themselves with their families and friends.
You can see a piece of the atmosphere both from the streets and from Ribnjak Park below:
To conclude, I think a statement from Le Zbor, a mixed female choir for women of any orientation, about this year’s Pride sums it up perfectly:
“We are very proud to have again participated in Zagreb Pride. It was a great thrill to carry the LGBTQ flag through the city and to sing at both the beginning and the end of the parade, to see all the happy faces greeting us and to share the energy and love with all the shiny dancing people around us.”
Photos by Dragana Nikšić and Nikolina Vujnović
