Thousands joined the celebrations at Manchester’s Pride parade on Saturday, as a bid by protesters to block the route failed.
One of the UK’s largest LGBTQ+ celebrations, the Parade began at 12pm and was met by a group of counter demonstrators.
Gaza activists had planned to disrupt the event by staging a ‘die-in’ on the parade route, but their protest quickly concluded, allowing the celebrations to continue.
Pictures showed the demonstrators lying on the road with Palestinian flags in a protest against travel website Booking.com, which carries adverts for listings in Israel.
Police officers intervened and cleared the protest to allow the festival to proceed.
Officers were seen surrounding the demonstrators, who held placards reading ‘no pride in genocide’ in response to the ongoing events in the Middle East.
In a statement posted on X, formerly Twitter, Manchester Pride said: ‘We’re pleased to update that the protest has concluded. We appreciate their adherence to the agreed window for their demonstration, ensuring the safety and well-being of all present.
‘The Parade is now continuing as scheduled.’
In a previous message it said that it respected the ‘fundamental right to peaceful protest and free expression’ and remained ‘focused on providing an inclusive, safe, and celebratory environment for all attendees and participants’.
Pictures showed Manchester city centre turned into a sea of colour with vibrant costumes and banners.
The theme for this year’s pride is ‘Buzzin To Be Queer – A Hive of Progress’.
A worker bee – the city’s symbol – led the parade which also included performances from Rita Ora and Eurovision winner Loreen.
The parade, which started at Deansgate and processed towards the city’s Gay Village, also saw a variety of drag artists and community groups come together for the festivities.
Groups on the parade included the Manchester Runners, Aer Lingus, George House Trust and Heart radio station.
Mark Fletcher, the CEO of Manchester Pride, said that the turnout at this year’s festival had been ‘overwhelming’.
He told the MEN: ‘I am overwhelmed by the turnout of the Parade this year – it is the longest parade we have ever had, and that’s an achievement considering what we’ve had in the past.’