110,000 fill Barcelona streets for Pride parade

Barcelona's Pride celebrations culminated on Saturday with a parade in the city attended by 110,000 people, according to local police. 

Under the slogan 'The pride of our lives. Celebrating getting older with us is growing,' Pride 2023 honored older members of the LGBTQI+ community, recognizing diversity at all ages. 

The parade left Tres Xemeneies park and went along Avinguda Paral·lel to Plaça Espanya before reaching the main stage on Avinguda Maria Cristina at the foot of Montjuïc. 

Despite the intense heat, families and people of all ages came out to celebrate the day and cheer on the parade with 50 floats from various organizations, political parties, companies and institutions. 

Amid a riot of color, music and dance, Pride participants also emphasized the importance of maintaining and fighting for LGBTQI+ rights. 

"We need a lot of visibility, here and everywhere, because we too have the right to live and be able to do what we want," one attendee named Francano told the Catalan News Agency (ACN). 

Another lamented the fact that with a Spanish general election just one week away, some political parties want to eradicate laws that protect LGBTQI+ rights. 

"They are basic laws, respecting human rights," Éric says, adding that Pride was a "safe place" for them. 

"It's important to be here" 

Andrea, a trans woman and activist, says that the Pride parade was a "wonderful" place because it gives more visibility to transgender people. 

Trans women are "more visible" now, she says, thanks to all those who came before them. 

"We know that we are walking – in heels – in a place where many were beaten, killed, murdered or raped," Andrea says. "It's important to be here." 

On the main stage there were musical performances from Siderland, Julieta, María Escarmiento, Rosa López and Mexican singer Paulina Rubio, and a manifesto was read by Catalan actor Enric Major and activists Paulina Blanco and Patrícia Caballero.

Organizers estimate that 120,000 people came to the parade, which they say was a record attendance.