In Tel Aviv, thousands of people celebrate the Gay Pride parade in hot temperatures. The organizers had previously hoped for a return to the number of participants before the corona pandemic.
Tens of thousands of people took part in the Gay Pride March in the Israeli coastal city of Tel Aviv.
With the march on Friday, participants demanded equal rights for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transsexual (LGBT) people. In hot temperatures of around 30 degrees, people waved rainbow flags and danced to party music on the side of the road and on the parade floats.
According to the city as the organizer, at least 170,000 people came to the parade. A spokesman had said in advance that one hoped for 250,000 revelers – and thus a return to the number of participants before the corona pandemic. Under the motto “Back to Pride”, the parade went through the city and was supposed to end in a party in the city park.
Unvaccinated tourists have been allowed to enter Israel again since March. Last year, this was only possible for a limited number of vaccinated tourists in groups. In 2020 the parade was canceled due to the corona pandemic.
According to the city administration, the closing party should include the Australian rapper Iggy Azalea and DJs, including Boris from the famous Berlin techno club Berghain. Tel Aviv is considered the stronghold of the scene in the Middle East.
