Graz commemorates victim: rainbow parade shows strong cohesion!

Graz commemorates victim: rainbow parade shows strong cohesion!

Wien, Österreich - On June 14, 2025 the time had finally come: The Viennese rainbow parade, which took place this year for the 29th time, started with a moving motto: "Our hearts are in Graz". These words were a direct homage to the victims of the tragic killing spree in Graz and shaped the entire course of the parade. The prelude took place in a silence from the town hall to parliament, in which the participants held and honored memories of the victims.

impressive 300,000 people had appeared for the parade to set a strong sign against hatred and violence. Among the prominent guests were also politicians such as Peter Hacker from the SPÖ as well as Judith and Alma Zadić from the Greens. In her appearance, the latter emphasized how central it is to act against agitation and exclusion in times like this. Katharina Kacerovsky-Strobl, the organizer of Vienna Pride, joined this view and clearly turned against a cancellation of the parade, which underlined the determination of the community.

memory and cohesion

The green wave of the colorful demonstration continued after the silence. At the beginning of the parade, the participants held a silent commemoration in which mourning banner, which were made in the Pride Village, were worn and laid in awe. The signs of all participating groups were also decorated with a black mourning. Behind the parliament, the silent ceremony turned into a loud, colorful celebration for human rights and solidarity, which ran under the motto "Unite in Pride". The cohesion was not only clear through the encouraging words, but also by the joy of the participants.

The first day of Pride Village, which took place on Friday, was committed in silence, without a musical program to pay respect for the victims of the killing spree. On Saturday, however, the mood was through and through the mood despite the serious circumstances, and the events continued as planned. At 12:00 p.m. the parade started on Rathausplatz and led back to the starting point against the direction of travel on the ring, where a large pride celebration with appearances by artists such as Conchita Wurst, JJ and Melanie C from the Spice Girls would have taken place.

safety precautions and incidents

Due to an increased security situation, the police and security forces were on alert all the time. Around two years ago there was a terrorist threat that led to the fact that particularly strict security measures were implemented this year. Despite these concerns, the parade could be carried out without incidents, which the organizers and the authorities posted as a great success.

In addition, there was criticism of the transfer of the parade by ORF, expressed by FPÖ media spokesman Christian Hafenecker. Nevertheless, the participants did not let themselves be put off and proudly celebrated the rights of the LGBTIQ+community in Austria. The political demands remained unmentioned - including protection against discrimination in the private sector and a ban on controversial conversion therapies.

For the Viennese rainbow parade, it was a successful festival for diversity that focused on important topics and at the same time made the voices of those who cannot live as they are.

Other exciting reports on similar events are under [Kleine Zeitung] (https://www.kleinezeitung.at/oesterreich/19795604/unsere-herzen-s-s-s-in-graz-pride-parade-parade- [OTS] (https://www.ots.at/presseaus-sung/ots_20250613_ots0009/unite-in-pride-rainbow parade-find-statt-and-wuerdigt--victim von-graz-fuer-tongue-and-control) and Vienna.at.