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Pride marches pass off peacefully

Pride marches held in the cities of Oulu and Tampere passed off on Saturday without incident. Security had been stepped up after a pepper gas attack on a gay rights event in Oulu on Thursday evening.

Pride-kulkueen sateenkaarilippu.
Image: YLE

Around 600 people took part in the North Pride march held on Oulu on Saturday afternoon.

Further south in the city of Tampere, as many as 800 people marched in a Pride event. Police say the event passed off peacefully.

Organiser Mikko Väisänen, chair of the Tampere branch of LGBT Rights in Finland (SETA) told Yle News numbers were clearly up on last year’s march.

In Oulu, organizers also said Thursday’s pepper gas attack had not frightened off participants.

“On the contrary, I believe it encouraged more people to take part,” commented North Pride organizer Tuomo Jaakkonen.

On Thursday the chair of the Left Alliance youth organisation, Dan Koivulaakso, was attacked with a pepper spray at a splinter group meeting in Oulu.

North Pride was arranged this year for the second time.

Sources: Yle