In Pictures: Helsinki Pride 2018 ends after record number of attendees

Wednesday, July 4, 2018

On Sunday, the annual lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) Helsinki Pride came to an end. According to organisers and police in the Finnish capital Helsinki, an estimated 100 thousand people attended the Saturday march of the Pride, which ran from June 25 to July 1 — about thrice the number of attendees of last year's Pride.

Via their official website, the pride organisers said this year 80 events in 50 different locations were planned for the week. Human rights group Heseta organised this year's event, Finnish broadcaster Yle reported. Saturday's march for equal rights started at 1 PM local time at the Senate Square, according to Yle. Later the Pride marched to the Kaivopuisto park where it ended.

Helsinki police tweeted saying, "Clearly more marchers this year than before". According to reports, about 35 thousand people participated in the march last year.

Singer and voice actress Saara Aalto attended various events during the Pride. Aalto said, "I am very proud to be lesbian and I feel very much like I am lesbian, totally. [...] I have worked on my own mental health always. I have always been very fine with who I am and never cared about people's opinions." She also said, "I'm so grateful to all the people in my life who have given me the opportunity to become who I am [...] Love is the most important thing!"

Finnish legislation legalised same-gender marriage in 2014.

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Photo gallery

Image: Mikaela Suomalainen. (CC0 1.0)
Image: Mikaela Suomalainen. (CC0 1.0)
Image: Mikaela Suomalainen. (CC0 1.0)
Image: Mikaela Suomalainen. (CC0 1.0)
Image: Mikaela Suomalainen. (CC0 1.0)
Image: Mikaela Suomalainen. (CC0 1.0)
Image: Mikaela Suomalainen. (CC0 1.0)
Image: Mikaela Suomalainen. (CC0 1.0)
Image: Mikaela Suomalainen. (CC0 1.0)
Image: Mikaela Suomalainen. (CC0 1.0)
Image: Mikaela Suomalainen. (CC0 1.0)
Image: Mikaela Suomalainen. (CC0 1.0)
Image: Mikaela Suomalainen. (CC0 1.0)
Image: Mikaela Suomalainen. (CC0 1.0)
Image: Mikaela Suomalainen. (CC0 1.0)

Related news

"Dublin Pride 2018 attracts tens of thousands of people" — Wikinews, July 3, 2018
"Finland passes law allowing same-sex marriage" — Wikinews, November 28, 2014

Sources

"HELSINKI PRIDE 25.6.-1.7.2018" — Helsinki Pride, July 4, 2018 (date of access)
Ella Braidwood. "Helsinki Pride attracts ‘record-breaking’ 100,000 marchers" — Pink News, July 2, 2018
"Number of Helsinki Pride Parade marchers nearly triples" — Xinhua, July 1, 2018
"Helsingin Pride-kulkueessa jopa 100 000 ihmistä – katso koko Ylen puolitoistatuntinen erikoislähetys tapahtumasta" — Yle, July 1, 2018 (Finnish)
"Helsingin Pride ohitti yleisömassallaan Lordin voitonjuhlat ja Suviseurat – ”Yksi suurimmista koskaan”" — Ilta-Sanomat, June 30, 2018 (Finnish)
"Record-breaking 100K march in Helsinki Pride" — Yle, June 30, 3018
"Näin Helsingin 100 000 ihmistä kerännyt Pride-kulkue eteni – katso kuvagalleria" — Yle, June 30, 2018

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