The 24th Jerusalem March for Pride and Tolerance began on Thursday with a new route toward the Knesset.
On Monday, when the new route was announced, the Jerusalem Open House for Pride and Tolerance said the march will call for changes in public discourse and legislation on behalf of Israel’s LGBTQ+ community.
The march, held under the slogan “Demanding Change,” departed from Sacher Park and will continue toward the Rose Garden, passing near the Supreme Court and Knesset area.
Organizers said the route, approved in coordination with the Jerusalem District Police, is intended to underline that the demand for equality is not symbolic, but requires action by decision-makers.
This year's closing rally at the Rose Garden opposite the Knesset will be hosted by Elad Bar-Noy and Aviya Farhi .
Speakers and public figures
Speakers will include Jerusalem activist Nadav Schwartz, trans activist Nina Halevi, Jerusalem Open House chair Hadas Blomendal, and Association for Civil Rights in Israel executive director Noa Sattath.
Participants on the opening and kickoff stage at Sacher Park will include Opposition Leader Yair Lapid and MK Naama Lazimi.
Police preparations
About 2,000 Jerusalem District police officers, Border Police troops, undercover officers, reinforcements, and volunteers have been dispatched, organizers said. Police will be deployed along the route, at gathering points, and on nearby streets to maintain public order and direct traffic.
Israel Police Commissioner Danny Levy recently met LGBTQ+ community representatives ahead of Pride Month and said police would act to prevent violence, incitement, and interference at Pride events.
Wider Pride Month context
The Jerusalem march comes as Israel marks Pride Month with events across the country, including Pride Land at the Dead Sea, which The Jerusalem Post reported is being promoted as the largest LGBTQ+ festival ever held in the Middle East. The festival is scheduled to run from June 1 to June 4 and includes cultural, family, and performance programming.
Jerusalem Open House chair Hadas Blomendal said the march was “not only a protest,” but a statement about “a society in which equal rights and human dignity are not privileges granted to some and denied to others.”
Jerusalem Post Staff contributed to the report.