The procession of about 200 people was headed by Mayor Ivo Baldasar, his deputy Aida Batarelo, Swedish Ambassador Lars Schmidt and British Deputy Ambassador Nicole Davidson.
The mayor hoisted a rainbow flag in the city's main square, saying that the Split Pride event was extremely important for human rights. "Today we send out a message that the residents of Split must live in peace and tolerance. As long as we are here, as long as this government is in office, Split Pride will have our operational and financial support," Baldasar said.
Ambassador Schmidt told reporters that Split was a beautiful city and that the Pride parade presented it in the best possible way. We should remember that gay rights are human rights, and human rights are universal, he stressed.
Deputy Ambassador Davidson said that the British government supported the organisers. She said that she and her partner had come to Split for the third year in a row, adding that the atmosphere today was much better than before.
Among the participants was Sanja Juras of the lesbian group Kontra, who expressed her regret over homophobia in society and noted that LGTB persons were still exposed to violence in Split. She said that Croatia had good laws but did not apply them consistently.
According to unofficial information, the parade was guarded by 400 police officers.
In the five years since the first Gay Pride parade in Split, police have pressed charges against 25 people for violent behaviour and 14 have received conditional sentences.