Nova Gorica/Gorizia - A first cross-border pride parade took place in the area between the Italian and Slovenian cities of Gorizia and Nova Gorica on Saturday, bringing together around a thousand participants who want to remove borders and expand rights.

The event started in Italy, proceeding towards the border and into Slovenia's Nova Gorica to end in Europe Square, which is situated precisely on the border.

The pride parade was organised by the LGBT community in Italy's region of Friuli Venezia Giulia - FVG Pride.

The organisers said on their website that they wanted to remove various borders, including of the homes that were closed due to Covid-19, between Slovenia and Italy, which again became a reality during the pandemic, the borders for the disabled and of migration centres, and restrictions imposed on abortion.

According to Italian press agency ansa, the participants were well prepared for crossing the border, as they all had the Covid certificate. The parade was dominated by rainbow flags and a number of slogans in Italian and Slovenian, including "let's remove limits on rights" or "human rights are my pride".