Hundreds gathered Thursday afternoon in Jerusalem for the annual pride parade, held this year to mark a decade since the murder of 16-year-old Shira Banki. Roughly 2,000 police officers were deployed along the march route and surrounding areas to ensure security and manage road closures.
Opposition leader Yair Lapid joined the march and addressed the crowd, saying, “This community needs a government that believes every citizen in Israel has the right to love. Avi Maoz, [Bezalel] Smotrich and [Itamar] Ben-Gvir won’t tell us who we’re allowed to love.
“Neither will the ultra-Orthodox or the protesters standing against us. Israel is a tough country — and we have the right to love whoever we want. As long as Avi Maoz keeps pushing homophobic content into our schools, the struggle will continue.”
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Entry to the parade was only permitted via designated checkpoints and nearby intersection, where security screenings were conducted.
The closing rally featured speeches by Uri Banki, Shira’s father, and Hadasa Karam-Blumendel, chair of the Jerusalem Open House. As in previous years since the 2015 murder, a memorial site was built along the march route. Marchers held a moment of silence and a brief remembrance ceremony in Shira Banki’s honor.