North Macedonia’s President Joins Hundreds For Second ‘Pride’ Parade

Hundreds of people including President Stevo Pendarovski marched in the Skopje Pride parade in the capital of North Macedonia on June 26.

It was the second time organizers in the landlocked Balkan nation of around 2 million have staged the event.

In addition to President Pendarovski and his wife, several other cabinet ministers also attended.

Prime Minister Zoran Zaev expressed support for the Pride event, which celebrates diversity and equality, via Facebook.

“The LGBT community has the government’s and my support in advocating for equality, which has been freely manifested in our equal society in recent years, and in the public space in Skopje by the Pride organization,” Zaev said.

Both North Macedonia’s president, Stevo Pendarovski (left), and prime minister Zoran Zaev (right), expressed support for the Pride event. (file photo)

The parade was organized by the National Network Against Homophobia and Transphobia.

Participants carried rainbow flags and banners with phrases like “Enough hiding.”

There were no major disturbances reported.

The column of several hundred people marched from near parliament to City Park near the Todor Proeski National Stadium for a musical and cultural show.

North Macedonia’s first Pride rally was held in 2019 but last year’s gathering was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.