Thousands take to the streets in Barcelona’s Pride parade after two-year halt

Thousands of people took to the streets on Saturday afternoon during the Pride! Barcelona parade, which coincides with the LGBT pride celebrations. After a two-year halt because of the Covid-19 pandemic, the local and international gay community claimed to make lesbian women visible. 

The parade started around 6pm in the Tres Xemeneies area in Barcelona’s Poble Sec neighborhood and walked down the Avinguda del Paral·lel avenue until Plaça Espanya square. The last one, held in 2019, gathered up to 55,000 people according to local Guardia Urbana police, and around 100,000 as organizers said at the time. 

At the beginning of the parade, a sign read in Catalan: ‘Visible and powerful lesbians’, with the #Bollomami hashtag. 

Bollomami is a combination of the Spanish words ‘bollera’, and ‘mami’. ‘Bollera’ is a derogatory term for a lesbian. The ‘mami’ part, which means mum, is inspired by Rosalia’s latest album ‘Motomami’, talking about empowered women. 

With the march walking around Barcelona, organizers, almost, put an end to a two-week event with thousands of activities and several concerts that went from June 13 to June 26. The last ones will take place on Saturday night with the closing party at Barcelona’s Plaça Espanya. 

There international artists such as AQUA music group, famous for its ‘Barbie Girl’ hit, will perform in front of dozens of thousands. On Friday night, it was the turn for 2022’s Romania Eurovision Song Contest winner, WRS with his hit ‘Llámame’.

At the parade, Catalonia's feminism and equality minister Tània Verge warned that LGBT rights "call the whole society," and asked for citizens to guarantee them. "Rights are guaranteed to each and every one of the life’s phases: family, education, health, or at an amusement space. We are all responsible for assuring these rights," Verge said during the parade.

"LGBTphobia is not eradicated" and public administrations need to work hand-in-hand with "entities and making responsible all citizens," this way rights will not get lost, she said. Pride’s fight "pushes forward justice and democracy," she concluded. 

LGBT attack during Sant Joan’s eve

The parade took part the same that a young guy denounced a homophobic attack in Santa Coloma de Gramenet, near Barcelona, during Sant Joan’s eve, on Thursday night. 

It all happened around 4am when the victim was on his way home accompanied by his cousin. Before going into the metro, he asked three people for fire, and "that is when everything started," Victor N. shared on his Instagram. 

 

 

 

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"Without telling me anything, I was punched to my mouth while getting shouted ‘fucking faggot’ and I felt on the ground. Since that moment, I do not remember anything," Victor added. 

He woke up in the hospital after the three guys run away with his backpack and his cousin had called the police and the health emergency services. 

Catalan Mossos d’Esquadra police, have confirmed they have received a complaint in Santa Coloma de Gramenet’s police station and are currently investigating the case because of injuries, violent theft and hate, and discrimination crimes.