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Helsinki Pride 2007 parade on Aleksanterinkatu.

Helsinki City Hall during Helsinki Pride in 2018.

Helsinki Pride 2007 event in Kaivopuisto.

Helsinki Pride 2019 was attended by Prime Minister Antti Rinne and former Bishop of Helsinki Irja Askola.

Helsinki Pride is an LGBT pride event in Helsinki, Finland. The event takes place during the last week of June.

The event is a week-long event that takes place the week after Midsummer. The week begins with the opening of the program on Monday, and includes various sporting events, a youth gathering, and a Rainbow Fair throughout the week. In addition, the week culminates with Saturday's Pride parade, which runs through the heart of Helsinki, celebrating the role of women and LGBTQ+ culture. The procession ends in the park where the celebrations continue, with live music and speeches. Saturday night is also a time for revelry at the city's gay nightclub.

In 2018, attendance at the Helsinki Pride week reached a record-breaking 100,000 people, nearly triple the previous year's numbers. This made it one of the largest public events ever held in Finland.^[1]

History

The Helsinki Pride is a continuation of Seta's "Freedom Day" tradition, which began in 1975.^[2] The Pride was originally held in Helsinki in even years and in other major Finnish cities in odd years. Since 2006, it has been held every year in Helsinki. Also, other major Finnish cities have organized prides of their own, including Tampere Pride, North Pride in Oulu and Lahti Pride.

The 2010 Helsinki Pride parade was disrupted by a tear gas attack, resulting in injuries to several people, including a child under 1 year old. Three men were later arrested for their involvement in the attack.^[3]

References

^ "Record-breaking 100K people march in Helsinki Pride". Yle News. Finland. June 30, 2018. Archived from the original on Nov 9, 2023.
^ "LGBTI milestones in Finland". Seta ry – English (in Finnish). 14 September 2018. Retrieved 2023-11-02.
^ "Six Suspects in Helsinki Pride Gas Attack". Yle. 2010-08-04. Archived from the original on 2023-11-02. Retrieved 2023-11-02.