Amsterdam’s Pride canal parade draws huge crowds on return after two years

Hundreds of thousands of partygoers flocked to Amsterdam on Saturday for the return of the city’s Pride canal parade after two years of cancellations
due to pandemic-related restrictions.
“I missed it, and I think everybody missed it,” said Chas, 42, as she watched the rainbow flotilla complete with celebrants dancing in feathers, glitter and leather pass under a bridge.
The 25th edition of the parade caps a week of Pride events in the city as the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) communities celebrated their identity and demonstrated for their rights.
“Originally this was gay pride, but today you see hundreds of thousands of people regardless of whether they’re gay or straight or whatever, and that is so fantastic,” said reveller Jonas van der Kaaij Olsen, 53, draped in a rainbow flag.
This year the theme was “My Gender, My Pride” seeking to focus attention to gender identity as organisers said transgender emancipation has lagged behind that of other groups.