The 12th Split Pride is taking place in the Adriatic city on Saturday with some 600 participants, according to organisers, and messages that Croatia has European laws but not European values.

Participants began gathering at 5pm, carrying banners which say, among other things, “My family is proud of me”, “Hi, parents”, “My, it’s nice to be a lesbian” and “If not we, who else will do it?”

Speaking to the media, Mayor Ivica Puljak said Split is a city of tolerance and love, and that he came to support the Pride organisers both personally and on the city’s behalf.

Everyone is welcome and everyone in Split must feel equal, he added.

Organiser Nikolina Banić said that this year they were focusing on the difference between mentality and the legislation in force as well as on the education system.

“Before, we thought that prejudices were typical of older generations, but they are passed on from generation to generation. We have European laws, but we don’t have European values. Those are non-violence, tolerance and respect for diversity, and that is what should be part of the education system,” she said.

Pride was organised by the Split LGBT Centre, which said they have been warning the Croatian public for more than 20 years about the unnecessary violence and discrimination against the LGBTIQ community.