Photos: Freedom reigns at first Cyprus Pride parade in Nicosia

The first Pride parade in Cyprus has drawn thousands of supporters.

The president of ACCEPT-LGBT, Costas Gavrielides, told the Associated Press that he only expected a few hundred people to the event, which was held in the capital city of Nicosia.

He took the turnout as proof that the Cypriots are far more liberal than the government when it comes to equal rights for the LGBT community.

Meanwhile, the Cyprus Orthodox Church released a statement claiming that homosexuality is "an illness and not a natural way of life or choice".

But that wasn't the prevailing view over Twitter, which buzzed with praise for the bravery of the marchers under the hashtag #CyprusPride.