Parade of diversity - for the first time in Chemnitz
Saturday, 5 May, 3 p.m., Chemnitz Central Station - Information from the traffic authorities
Next Saturday, 5 May, the Parade of Diversity will take place in Chemnitz for the first and only time. The meeting point is 3 pm at the main railway station. From there, the parade will make its way to the town hall, where a colourful diversity programme with music and hands-on activities awaits visitors until 6 pm. The patron of the event is Minister of State Dr Eva-Maria Stange, who will deliver a welcome address at Neumarkt.
Background to the Parade of Diversity:
Since 2010, Dresden has organised the Parade of Diversity to mark the European Day of Protest for the Equality of People with Disabilities. This is a loud, colourful and high-profile procession of people with and without disabilities through the city centre, accompanied by samba music, to a central location for meeting, exchanging ideas and celebrating. Barriers that stand in the way of equal participation and need to be overcome are openly addressed. This is achieved through banners accompanying the parade, discussions with politicians and interviews by the media.
Chemnitz actively participated in the diversity parades in 2011, 2015 and 2016, as well as in their preparation and realisation. Last year, against the backdrop of the city's 875th anniversary, the idea was born to bring the ninth parade to Chemnitz for the first and only time. Chemnitz is also home to the disability policy spokespersons of three parliamentary groups in the Saxon state parliament. The organisers in Dresden were approached and an exemption was granted. From then on, the Parade of Diversity was jointly planned and a novelty was prepared. This year, the parade begins in Dresden, leads to the main railway station there and continues at the Chemnitz counterpart. It will be led to Neumarkt, where a festival of joie de vivre will take place. All this is accompanied by a band, the "Samba Universo". The guests from Dresden are dedicating this parade at two locations to the demand for barrier-free mobility. "This campaign will put local public transport to the test in everyday life," explains Annett Heinich, Inclusion Ambassador for the project organised by the interest group Selbstbestimmt Leben Deutschland e.V. (Self-determined Living Germany).
Transport information:
Please refer to the graphic in the attachment for the route. Start is 3 pm at Chemnitz main station. Finish approx. 4 pm at the town hall on the Neumarkt. There will be no traffic closures. The event will be operationally secured by the police.