The 23rd Zagreb Pride Parade of the LGBTIQ+ community, individuals, and rainbow families began around 4 p.m. with the slogan "We Rose Up and Stayed!".

The parade under heavy police security featured banners such as “Philosophy Against Queerphobia”, “Trans Rights are Human Rights”, rainbow flags, the Croatian flag, as well as the flag of the former Yugoslavia.

Participants conveyed the message that tolerance and equality are important, regardless of sexual orientation or any other trait.

Numerous citizens and tourists watched the parade, which was joined, among others, by Zagreb Mayor Tomislav Tomasevic, Deputy Mayor Luka Korlaet, City Assembly President Josko Klisovic, and candidates in the upcoming European elections – Gordan Bosanac of We Can! and Sinisa Glavasevic, who is on the Social Democratic Party’s slate.

“We have been sending the message all these years, especially this year, to those who wish we were gone – it won’t happen and it won’t succeed. Therefore, it is no surprise that our main slogan this year is ‘We Rose Up and Stayed’ because 22 years ago we rose up to stay in this country. We will closely follow who is here among the candidates for the EU Parliament, what they promise, and what they will fulfill,” Franko Dota from the organising committee said.

Tomasevic said he had been attending Zagreb Pride since 2002. The situation in the country has changed, the first Pride was full of incidents, but today I expect no incidents, he added.

Klisovic said he came to show support because he believed that in Croatia, it was still not possible to freely express different sexual orientations.

Glavasevic said he came because he wanted to live in a society that had room for everyone. He added that he saw progress over the past 22 years, but believes a new way needs to be found to support the LGBT community.

In a proclamation issued ahead of the 23rd Zagreb Pride Parade, it says that lesbians, gays, non-binary, trans and bisexual people, intersex people, and the entire queer community will rise against attacks on their freedoms, rights, lives, families, and bodies.

They declare they will stand up for their rights and freedoms as they did in the first Pride Parade in 2002. They recall that discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation is banned in Croatia and that penalties are prescribed for violations.

This year also marks the tenth anniversary of life partnerships as a permanently protected value in Croatia.

For the second year in a row, the central national Pride Parade of the LGBTIQ+ community of Croatia and Zagreb has been jointly organized by the city and the Zagreb Pride NGO.