Graz remembers victims: Rainbow parade shows strong solidarity!

Graz remembers victims: Rainbow parade shows strong solidarity!

On June 14, 2025 the time had finally come: The Vienna Rainbow Parade, which took place for the 29th time this year, started with a moving motto: “Our hearts are in Graz”. These words were a direct homage to the victims of the tragic shooting spree in Graz and shaped the entire course of the parade. It kicked off with a silent march from City Hall to Parliament, during which participants paused and honored the memories of the victims.

An impressive 300,000 people came to the parade to send a strong message against hatred and violence. Among the prominent guests were politicians such as Peter Hacker from the SPÖ and Judith and Alma Zadić from the Greens. During her appearance, the latter emphasized how important it is to speak out against hate speech and exclusion in times like these. Katharina Kacerovsky-Strobl, the organizer of Vienna Pride, echoed this view and spoke clearly against canceling the parade, underlining the community's determination.

Remembrance and cohesion

The green wave of the colorful demonstration continued after the silent march. At the start of the parade, participants held a silent remembrance, carrying mourning banners made at the Pride Village and laying them down in reverence. The signs of all participating groups were also decorated with black mourning ribbon. Behind Parliament, the quiet ceremony transformed into a loud, colorful celebration of human rights and solidarity under the theme “Unite in Pride”. The solidarity was clear not only through the encouraging words, but also through the joy of the participants.

The first day of Pride Village, held on Friday, was celebrated in silence, with no musical program to pay respect to the victims of the shooting. On Saturday, however, despite the serious circumstances, the mood was thoroughly festive and events continued as planned. At 12:00 p.m. the parade began at Rathausplatz and led in the opposite direction along the ring back to the starting point, where a big Pride celebration would have taken place with performances by artists such as Conchita Wurst, JJ and Melanie C from the Spice Girls.

Safety precautions and incidents

Due to an increased security situation, the police and security forces were on alert throughout. There was a terrorist threat around two years ago, which led to particularly strict security measures being implemented this year. Despite these concerns, the parade was held without incident, which the organizers and authorities considered a great success.

There was also criticism of ORF's broadcast of the parade, expressed by FPÖ media spokesman Christian Hafenecker. Nevertheless, the participants were undeterred and proudly celebrated for the rights of the LGBTIQ+ community in Austria. The political demands did not go unmentioned - including protection against discrimination in the private sector and a ban on controversial conversion therapies.

For the Vienna Rainbow Parade, it was a successful celebration of diversity that brought important issues into focus and at the same time made the voices of those who cannot live fully as they are heard.

Further exciting reports on similar events can be found at Kleine Zeitung, [OTS]. Vienna.at.