STORY: Thousands of people marched through central Athens on Saturday (June 13) for the city's annual Pride parade, waving rainbow flags, dancing to music and calling for equality and LGBTQ+ rights.

Participants gathered in front of the Greek parliament, where a large rainbow flag was unfurled as marchers and performers danced alongside percussion bands and parade trucks.

George Shakarshvili, a 26-year-old participant originally from Georgia which he described as hostile to LGBTQ+ people, said Pride was an opportunity to demonstrate visibility and resistance against efforts to silence queer communities. He said he had been forced to leave his homeland because of discrimination.

Another participant, Pelonious, 26, said the event aimed to promote equality across genders, ethnicities and society as a whole.

Drag performers, musicians and thousands of marchers filled the streets as the parade continued into the evening.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

SHOWS: ATHENS, GREECE (JUNE 13, 2026) (REUTERS - Access All)

1. VARIOUS OF PARADE PARTICIPANTS HOLDING A LARGE RAINBOW FLAG IN FRONT OF THE GREEK PARLIAMENT

2. VARIOUS OF PARADE PARTICIPANTS ON PARADE TRUCK DANCING IN FRONT OF THE GREEK PARLIAMENT

3. VARIOUS OF PARADE PARTICIPANTS DANCING AND HOLDING LARGE RAINBOW FLAG IN FRONT OF GREEK PARLIAMENT

4. (SOUNDBITE) (English) PARADE PARTICIPANT, GEORGE SHAKARSHVILI, 26, SAYING:

“We are here we are queer, we matter. I had to basically escape from my country twice because I live in a homophobic country where my voice doesn’t matter, where my voice is silenced and many others of course in the whole world. So this is what the pride is for. That we are here we are queer. We were always present. And you cannot erase us.”

5. VARIOUS OF PERCUSSION BAND PLAYING AND MARCHING

6. PARTICIPANTS HOLDING LARGE FLAG READING (English): “REFUGEES WELCOME”

7. VARIOUS OF PERCUSSION BAND PLAYING AND MARCHING

8. PARADE PARTICIPANTS KISSING

9. (SOUNDBITE) (Greek) PARADE PARTICIPANT, PELONIOUS, 26, SAYING:

“The point is for there to be equality amongst all the genders, all ethnicities, all people. I personally am here for my friends, for me, for all people.”

10. PARADE PARTICIPANTS KISSING

11. VARIOUS OF PARADE PARTICIPANTS DANCING AND MARCHING HOLDING A RAINBOW FLAG

12. PARADE GOERS HOLDING A BANNER READING (English): “TRANS RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS”

13. VARIOUS OF PARADE PARTICIPANTS MARCHING WITH LARGE RAINBOW FLAG, DANCING AND SINGING

14. (SOUNDBITE) (Greek) PARADE PARTICIPANT, STELLA TESSI, 23, SAYING:

“I feel like myself. I feel happy. I feel like I belong somewhere. And feeling like you belong I believe is the most important thing that a human being can have.”

15. VARIOUS OF PARADE PARTICIPANTS HOLDING LARGE RAINBOW FLAG, MARCHING AND CHEERING AS PERCUSSION BAND PLAYS

16. PARADE PARTICIPANT HOLDING BANNER READING (English): “NO MORE KINGS!”

17. SOUNDBITE) (Greek) PARADE PARTICIPANT, CASSANDRA TZARTZALOU, 37, SAYING:

“If we aren’t all free, then nobody is.”

18. DRAG QUEENS ON PARADE TRUCK DANCING

19. PARADE PARTICIPANTS DANCING

20. PARADE PARTICIPANT HOLDING BANNER READING (English): “BE GAY, DO CRIME”

21. PARTICIPANTS DANCING IN RAINBOW FLAG

22. PARADE GOER HOLDING BANNER READING (English): “LIVE, LAUGH, LESBIAN”

23. PERCUSSION BAND PLAYING AND MARCHING

24. DRAG QUEEN POSING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET

25. PARADE PARTICIPANTS DANCING