Bare Skin and Loud Beats: Photos from Amsterdam’s Canal Parade

This article originally appeared on VICE Netherlands

For the last two weeks, Amsterdam had been the host city for Europride – a series of events celebrating LGBTQ culture, hosted in a different city every year. Saturday, the 6th of August, saw the culmination of this international event in the 21st annual Canal Parade.

In a statement, the Amsterdam police said that the event went down in a “peaceful and fun way.” Now, it’s common knowledge that the police do not lie but one could say that that was a somewhat tame manner of describing a massive party with thousands or flamboyantly dressed revellers, feathers, balloons, bare bums, glitter and loud beats. Amsterdam based photographer Catharina Gerritsen took portraits of some of the partygoers, who made the event so peaceful and fun.

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