Tens of thousands of people celebrated Munich's annual Christopher Street Day (CSD) parade on Saturday despite sizzling temperatures across Germany.
Christopher Street Day, the term widely used in Germany for Pride celebrations, takes its name from the New York street where the 1969 Stonewall uprising became a defining moment in the modern LGBTQ+ rights movement.
More than 200 groups took part in the parade through the Bavarian capital beginning around midday. Police said around 30,000 people joined the march, while an estimated 200,000 spectators lined the route.
Organizers expected more than 300,000 visitors to attend a street festival after the parade.
No major heat-related incidents had been reported by the afternoon, said Conrad Breyer of CSD Munich.
In response to the hot weather, organizers installed drinking-water stations and misting points, while police urged spectators to seek shaded areas along the route. Munich hit 36 degrees Celsius in the afternoon.
This year's event was held under the motto "Our Diversity. Our Strength," with members of the LGBTQ+ community advocating for equal rights and visibility.
The parade formed part of a three-day festival featuring concerts, karaoke, political discussions and parties. The event's patron was Dominik Krause, Munich's mayor and a member of the Green Party, who is openly gay.
Organizers said the celebrations were also intended to counter a growing number of anti-LGBTQ+ incidents. According to the counselling centre Strong!, such cases in Bavaria rose from 289 to 413 last year.
