Petros Karadjias / Associated Press
Participants take part Saturday in a second gay-pride parade in downtown Nicosia, Cyprus.
Saturday, June 6, 2015 | 11:18 a.m.
Several thousand people marched in the streets of Cyprus' capital for the east Mediterranean island nation's second gay-pride parade as detractors stayed away.
Parade organizer and ACCEPT-LGBT Cyprus President Costas Gavrielides says turnout was roughly the same as that of last year's inaugural parade, showing that taboos in the country are fading away.
Gavrielides also noted that critics were a no-show at Saturday's parade, while more politicians have embraced the event.
Last year, scuffles broke out after police prevented a small group of Orthodox Christian protesters from approaching the parade.
Gavrielides says he's pleased the Cypriot government has approved a long-awaited civil partnership bill. Interior Minister Socrates Hasikos says he's confident parliament will approve the bill.
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