Pride 2017: Emergency services lead parade through London 50 years after homosexuality was decriminalised

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan says celebrations are 'best antidote' to recent tragedies

A participant stands on a rainbow coloured flag (PA)

Tens of thousands of people paraded through central London for the annual Pride festivities, marking 50 years since homosexuality was decriminalised.

Watching the marchers were up to a million more revellers in one of the world’s largest celebrations of LGBT+ rights.

The event was described by London Mayor Sadiq Khan as the “best antidote” to the tragedies which have befallen the country in recent months.

"We've had a horrible last few weeks,” Mr Khan told attendees in Trafalgar Square.

“We've had terror, we've had tragedy. You know what the best antidote to sorrow, the best antidote to sadness, to bereavement, to hatred, is Pride In London."

The emergency services played a key role in the parade, with staff involved in the response to the London Bridge attack and Grenfell Tower leading the colourful march from Regent Street through the city.

The emergency services had pride of place in this year's festivities (REUTERS/Neil Hall)

They were joined by flag bearers from around the world and revellers from across the country.

A highlight of the day for many came when the girlfriend of an on-duty British Transport Police officer proposed to her along the route.

The unnamed couple were met with rapturous applause when the woman bent down on one knee and presented the police officer with a ring. She said yes.

Balloons and flags add to the colour during Pride (Jonathan Brady/PA Wire ) (Jonathan Brady/PA Wire)

There were also some political overtones to the march, with some attendees holding banners condemning Northern Ireland’s Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), with whom the Conservative party recently made a deal to secure a working majority in Parliament.

Mr Khan was met with cheers when he condemned the government’s controversial partnership.

He said: "You (the Government) may have done a deal with the DUP but there will be no backtracking on LGBT+ rights. There will be no backtracking on women's rights."

People take part in the Pride in London Parade in central London (Jonathan Brady/PA Wire ) (Jonathan Brady/PA Wire)

Prime Minister Theresa May, away at the G20 in Hamburg, also released a video message supporting Pride, which was played at the event.

She said the UK "will continue to stand up for human rights, directly challenging at the highest political levels governments that criminalise homosexuality or practice violence and discrimination against LGBT+ people".

She added: "And here at home too, we must continue to stand up for true equality and respect for everyone, right across our United Kingdom.

"We must stamp out homophobic bullying in schools, and drive down homophobic and transphobic hate crime."

A rainbow flag was projected onto Westminster Palace for the first time, which Lord Fowler, Speaker of the House of Lords, said would demonstrate the UK's support for those living in countries around the world where people are persecuted for being gay.

With the UK’s threat level still at severe – meaning an attack is highly likely – security was tight at the event, with armed and plain clothes officers joining constables on the streets. But by late evening, the day appeared to have passed without any major incident.