Thousands join Prague Pride parade, commemorate Berlin attack victims
08.08.2026, dpa
Tens of thousands of people marched through Prague on Saturday for the high point of the Czech capital's Pride celebrations.
At the start of the parade, participants observed a minute's silence in memory of the victims of the Berlin Pride attack two weeks ago.
"As every year, the aim of the festival is to raise awareness of LGBT+ issues, to show how this community lives in the Czech Republic and that it is still waiting for equal rights," said Kamila Fröhlichova, director of the Prague Pride festival.
She emphasized that the attack in Berlin once again highlighted the importance of Pride events. Hate does not begin with physical attacks, but with words and hate speech, she stressed.
During the terrorist attack in Berlin on July 25, the Islamist attacker drove a van into a crowd of people and subsequently crashed the vehicle into a tree. One woman was killed and 31 people were injured, some seriously.
In response to the attack in Berlin, the organizers of the Prague festival announced enhanced security measures. Hundreds of police officers and a de-escalation team accompanied the parade.
Participants were also asked to carry banners by hand or to use plastic poles as wooden poles and broomsticks were to be avoided.
As well as colourful clothing, some parade participants also wore sparkly make-up and carried balloons, mostly featuring rainbow motifs.
The theme of this year's week-long Pride festival was "Times are changing."
According to police reports, there were no major incidents, although a small group of counter-demonstrators also gathered along the route.
The acronym LGBT+ stands for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and wider queer community.
Zurich Street Parade draws hundreds of thousands amid hot temperatures
08.08.2026, 16:34 Uhr
Zurich held its annual Street Parade on Saturday amid sweltering temperatures, drawing hundreds of thousands of party-goers to the Swiss city.
The open-air party, considered the world's largest techno parade, took place under heightened security measures, two weeks after the Islamist attack at the Berlin Pride event.
Under the motto "Together we move," DJs entertained the ravers from nine stages and 30 moving trucks, the Keystone-SDA news agency reported.
Two huge showers were set up along the route to help guests cool down, with temperatures above 30 degrees Celsius and full sunshine.
Entry to the Street Parade was free - but services had to be paid for.
The Blick website reported that a half-litre can of beer cost 9.50 Swiss francs ($11.75). A wristband granting unlimited use of the party toilets cost 10 Swiss francs.
In the run-up to the event, authorities carried out intensified risk assessments and security forces were on high alert in response to the attack in Berlin, said a police spokeswoman, according to a report by broadcaster SRF. Barriers to keep vehicles off the festival site have long been part of the security plan.
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