The Viennese Rainbow Parade started behind a banner with the inscription “Our hearts are in Graz” on Saturday. To commemorate the victims of the murderous Spree, the participants went to parliament in a quiet march from the town hall. The parade then changed back to the usual colorful demonstration.
Politicians, such as the Vienna Health City Council Hacker (Spö), the party leaders of the Vienna Groenen Judith Pühringer or the former Minister of Justice Alma Zadić (Groenen), also came to the Parade. For Zadić it was especially important after the “terrible mass murder in Graz” to “put a sign against agitation and violence”, as she told the APA. She could therefore not understand claims for the cancellation. “The rainbow parade is also a political demonstration,” says Zadić.
A cancellation was also excluded for Katharina Kacerovsky-Strobl, the organizer of Vienna Pride. “But of course we have to commemorate the terrible act in Graz,” she said. But especially at a time when the rights and visibility of LGBTIQ+people in some countries are again a political dispute, they had to give an example.
Expected of up to 300,000 participants
The Parade, in which up to 300,000 participants were expected, started on time on Rathauplatz. The planned route led the ring back to the starting point against the direction of the journey, where the Pride celebration takes place at 6 p.m. In addition to speeches, for example from the vice -mayor Bettina Emmerling (Neos), the program contains performances by Conchita Wurst and JJ and Melanie C from The Spice Girls.
Political origin
The organizers of the pride again emphasized the political origin of the event. Although much changed in the 1970s in the 1970s, much has changed, but many demands from the community remain unfulfilled. In Austria, for example, protection against discrimination in the private sector and a ban on conversion therapies, such as Ann-Sophie Otte, chairman of Hosi Vienna, said.
Criticism of the event or the transfer of the rainbow parade to ORF came from FPö media spokesperson Christian Hafenecker. “While the whole of Austria mourned around ten who were murdered of the terrible Graz killer, the ORF left nothing better than streaming the rainbow parade on ORF on Live,” he said in a broadcast.
Dense Mesh Safety Net
After the terrorist threat against the Rainbow Parade two years ago, the event was accompanied by dense mesh safety measures. For the parade – as in general for major events – there is an abstract increased hazard situation. “However, there is currently no concrete threat,” the executive power told the APA. At the start of the parade there were no incidents.
Source: Krone
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