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Thousands celebrate Pride event in Swiss capital Bern

Thousands of people celebrate a colourful Pride in Bern
A colourful march on Saturday down the Kramgasse, a street in Bern’s old town centre. Keystone-SDA

Several thousand people celebrated on Saturday in Bern under the motto “Together for joy, resistance, and love”. After parading through the city, they gathered on the square in front of parliament.

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The parade reached Parliament Square just after 4pm, where they continued celebrations with “music, politics, drag and empowerment”, as organisers put it.

The Pride event had opened at 2pm on the Waisenhausplatz square in the centre of Bern. Under changeable skies, participants took to the streets after several speeches.

The parade was a colourful mix – rainbow flags abounded – while participants danced in a cheerful atmosphere to music played by DJs on three accompanying floats.

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The route led past the famous Zytglogge clock tower and through Berns old town to the Matte district, then along the River Aare up to the Kleine Schanze and via Bundesgasse to Parliament Square.

Participants said they wanted to set an example for equality, queer visibility and social cohesion. As queer life comes under pressure in many places around the world, it’s all the more important to be visible, loud and to show solidarity, said organising association “BernPride”.

The parade caused temporary road closures and traffic restrictions in Bern.

Translated from German by DeepL/dos

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