Amsterdam to tackle discrimination, violent incidents with priority during World Pride

If visitors to World Pride in Amsterdam fall victim to violence or discrimination, the city authorities will investigate those criminal offenses with priority, Mayor Femke Halsema wrote in a letter to the city council. There are agreements between the police, enforcers, and the organizers to “act quickly if incidents occur.”

Halsema reports that the city is taking various measures to keep the LGBTQIA+ community safe during Pride in July and August. World Pride is being held in the Dutch capital this year to mark the 25th anniversary of the Netherlands opening marriage to same-sex couples.

Halsema said that all visitors must feel free and safe during World Pride. Reports of LGBTQIA+ discrimination during Pride will be forwarded to the police quickly. There will also be a campaign to encourage people to report incidents.

There will be Safer Spaces where people can find support or catch their breath, for example, and hired security guards will receive “extra instruction on how to interact with visitors during World Pride.”

The Amsterdam police received between 25 and 45 reports of anti-LGBTQIA+ incidents during Pride in recent years, Halsema said. These involved vandalism, public nuisance, theft, discrimination, insults, intimidation, and serious assault. Typically, the perpetrators fled the scene as quickly as possible.

“Preventing these incidents as much as possible involves being extra vigilant with parties on the street for signs of insecurity against World Pride visitors,” Halsema Said.

World Pride will take place in Amsterdam from July 25 to August 8.