STORY: Separated by politics but united in pride, members of Cyprus’s LGBTQ+ communities marched on Saturday (September 27) from both sides of the divided capital to demand equal rights.

It marked the fourth year of the event, with two processions setting off separately and meeting at the capital's buffer zone for a joint celebration.

Hundreds of activists crossed into the UN-controlled area, transforming it into a rainbow-coloured gathering where participants embraced and tied up together a giant flag, to show unity.

“We are here to show solidarity, care, joy” said Erman Dolmaci, an activist and also organiser of the parade.

"Divisions that still exist" said another activist Theo Leronymides, "the issues that we face, and in a very strange way these divisions bring us together, they unite us".

Cyprus was split by ethnic violence which culminated in a Turkish invasion in 1974 triggered by a brief Greek inspired coup. The Turkish Cypriot community live in its north, and Greek Cypriots in the south.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

SHOWS: NICOSIA, CYPRUS (SEPTEMBER 27, 2025) (REUTERS - Access all) (NIGHT SHOTS)

1. VARIOUS OF LGBTQ+ PARADE WITH RAINBOW FLAGS

2. (SOUNDBITE) (English) ACTIVIST, THEO LERONYMIDES, SAYING:

''Looking at all these beautiful people that are joining us today from both sides of the island, different nationalities, different backgrounds, it actually proves that solidarity in its truest form can achieve so much.''

3. PARADES FROM THE TWO SIDES OF THE ISLAND UNITING, PEOPLE CHEERING

4. VARIOUS OF ATTENDEE TYING TOGETHER THE TWO FLAGS

5. PARADE ATTENDEES CHEERING AND WAVING THE GIANT FLAG THAT THEY JOINED LIKE A WAVE

6. ATTENDEE WEARING A RAINBOW FLAG

7. ATTENDEE HOLDING A RAINBOW FLAG

8. (SOUNDBITE) (English) ACTIVIST, ERMAN DOLMACI, SAYING:

''We are here to show solidarity, care, joy. We are protesting against also the anti-gender mobilization, anti-LGBT mobilization that is all around the world, but also especially in our region as well.''

9. VARIOUS OF ATTENDEES CHEERING AND DANCING WHILE HOLDING FLAG

10. VARIOUS OF SIGN THAT READS “I CAN’T EVEN THINK STRAIGHT”

11. ATTENDEE WITH FLAGS POSING TO A PHONE CAMERA

12. PEOPLE CHEERING AND HOLDING A FLAG

13. ATTENDEES MARCHING HOLDING SIGNS

14. ATTENDEES HOLDING FLAG

15. (SOUNDBITE) (English) ACTIVIST, THEO LERONYMIDES, SAYING:

“It really stands to highlight the divisions that still exist, the issues that we face, and in a very strange way these divisions bring us together, they unite us and actually highlight what intersectionality means in practice, what solidarity means in practice, and what it means to show up for each other as communities”.

16. SOLDIERS WALKING IN NICOSIA BUFFER ZONE, COUNTRIES FLAGS IN THE BACKGROUND

17. VARIOUS OF LEDRA PALACE BUILDING IN NICOSIA BUFFER ZONE

18. UNITED NATIONS SIGN