Bucharest Gay Pride Parade Ended Without Incidents

Under the watchful eyes of hundreds of gendarmes and police officers, participants sang and danced waving colored balloons, flags and umbrellas.

 

"We celebrate diversity," said British ambassador to Romania, Robin Barnett, present at Saturday’s parade on behalf of the British government. Other government officials who joined the march were the ambassador of the Netherlands Jaap L. Werner, the ambassador of Sweden, Mats Åberg and the ambassador of the Czech Republic, Petr Dokladal. The parade was also attended by several foreign MEPs, family members of diplomats and embassy staff.

 

About 200 people, including many foreign citizens, gay pride march Saturday afternoon in Bucharest, organized by "Accept", an NGO defending the rights of sexual minorities.

 

Participants said they plead for the adoption of the Catania Resolution, which recognizes same-sex marriage across the European Union.

 

Representatives of the "Accept" organization said LGBTs in Romania continue to be discriminated against, harassed and considered second-rate citizens, which is unacceptable in a European country that claims to observe human rights.  

 

Previous gay pride parades in Bucharest ended with violent incidents. This year’s parade and two other marches “for normality” were supervised by 700 gendarmes.