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Add as a favourite source on Google Add DutchNews as a favourite source on GoogleMore than 500 reports of discrimination were received by a volunteer hotline during last week’s WorldPride event in Amsterdam.

The online portal RITA (Report It Always), set up for members of the LGBTQI+ community, said reports were still coming in following the two-week event, which included the city’s annual Pride canal parade on August 1.

Altogether 520 discriminatory incidents were reported, including 74 last weekend as the festivities drew to a close.

Co-founder Jerrald Justin told RTL Nieuws the figures were a “sad success” that reflected his organisation’s efforts to raise its profile during WorldPride.

This year RITA set up 35 ”safe spaces” around the city, including hotels, the Stedelijk Museum and the Nieuwe Kerk, where people could seek shelter from discrimination and report incidents in confidence.

The figures are hard to compare with previous years because WorldPride was a bigger event than the one-day canal parade, attracting more visitors, while RITA’s publicity campaign also led to more reports.

“Behind those 520 reports are 520 people who wanted to have a nice day but didn’t,” Justin said.

He told NOS the figures showed that much still needed to be done to highlight and combat homophobia. “It always starts with swearing and heckling and ends with violence,” he said. “We need to think of something together.”

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