Safety and Security at the Festival
A truly relaxed atmosphere at the festival can only prevail if everyone feels relaxed and safe. That’s why the smooth running of all events is absolutely essential to us.
Preparation of the security plan starts long before the festival. We cooperate with the police, a security agency, and other institutions, such as the Prague City Hygiene Station. Together, they help ensure not only the peaceful course of the Saturday parade but also a relaxed atmosphere at individual festival venues and throughout the streets of Prague. If you see people in police or security agency uniforms at a festival event, you don’t have to worry. They are there for your safety. Treat them in a friendly manner, but allow them to do their job—respect their instructions.
How to Prevent Unpleasant Experiences
For everyone to have a good time, we need to be kind to each other. We’ve put together some basic rules to help create a safe festival environment. These guidelines, based on transparent communication and boundary-setting, apply to everyone, including the organizing team. Please respect them at all festival venues:
- Respect others, their sexual orientation, gender identity, and its expression. If you’re unsure about something, don’t be afraid to ask.
- Don’t insult others based on their appearance or physical constitution.
- Avoid acting on stereotypes and give others the space to speak freely about their religion, sexuality, and gender. If any topic makes you uncomfortable, politely excuse yourself and leave.
- Avoid transphobia, homophobia, biphobia, intersexphobia, sexism, misogyny, xenophobia, and racism.
- “No” means “no.” Respect it. If someone lets you know they are uncomfortable with your behavior or comments, take it seriously. This is especially true of unsolicited touches, innuendo, or offers. Sexual harassment is not tolerated.
- Take pictures and videos only with explicit consent. The same goes for posting and sharing them. Don’t be afraid to ask, and don’t be afraid to refuse.
- Topics like sex, health, and other personal matters are not taboo, but remember that different people attend the festival and not everyone is willing to discuss them. Don’t be surprised if you encounter these topics—they are important and not to be feared. Set your own boundaries and be clear about your expectations for the events you attend. Don’t be afraid to walk away from situations where you feel uncomfortable.
- Try to de-escalate conflicts by focusing empathetically on working together to resolve the situation.
- If you have a problem with another attendee, please inform a member of the Prague Pride team. You will recognize them by the organizer’s tag around their neck.
We create the festival atmosphere together, and we appreciate your help in respecting these rules.
Precautions for Your Comfort
You can restore your mental well-being in Pride Village and Pride Park by visiting the Pride HideOUT. This is a zone of peace, quiet, and cushions where you can retreat from the hustle and bustle, put in your earplugs, close your eyes for a while, manage an oncoming panic attack, or even talk to a crisis interventionist.
Free Durex and Primeros condoms will be available at the festival sites. Don’t forget, consent is just as important as the condom.
Free anonymous testing for HIV and other sexually transmitted infections will be available at Pride Village and Pride Park on Saturday.
Harm Reduction teams will be present at Pride Park and the Pride official after-party at Mecca Club on Saturday, offering options to minimize the risks associated with consuming legal and illegal psychoactive substances.
What to Do When a Problem Occurs
If a situation escalates into a conflict that puts you or others at risk, don’t hesitate to contact the police by calling 158 right away. The police have a strategy and system to help you as quickly and efficiently as possible. This applies both at festival venues and outside the festival (for example, when you are leaving a club in the night). If you see police officers on site, approach them directly. In a crisis, you can shout “Help!” or “Fire!” At official festival venues, inform the organizers, who can be identified by their Prague Pride organizer’s badges. They can quickly call the police if needed.
For non-urgent issues, contact the organizing team. Members of the team will be wearing organizer’s badges. They will be present at festival events, you can reach them at the Prague Pride information booth in the Pride Village, and in Pride Park at Letná.
Don’t Be Silent About Hate Crime
During the festival, you may encounter some form of hate crime against LGBT+ people. This can include physical assault, verbal assault, discrimination, online abuse, and more. Even serious verbal attacks are a criminal offense. It is important not to keep quiet about these incidents so that it is known they are happening and society does not live under the illusion that nothing like this occurs in our country.
You don’t have to go to the police right away. Contact the organization In IUSTITIA, which keeps its own statistics on hate crime and provides social and legal assistance to people at risk and exposed to such violence. They can also escort you to the police if you wish (reporting the crime to the police is much easier and less traumatic with their assistance).
During the festival week, In IUSTITIA is expanding the capacity of its helpline. Their counselors and advisors can be reached at +420 773 177 636 (Monday-Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., Saturday-Sunday from 12:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.).
Communication on the line is available in Czech and English. You can also contact them by email at poradna@in-ius.cz, in person at the Pride Village booth, or via their online form for reporting a hate crime.
