Organizers wrestle with security concerns for Montreal Pride Parade

Montreal’s Pride festivities are still weeks distant but information concerns astir nan parade are already taking centre stage.

This comes successful nan aftermath of disruptions astatine Pride parades successful different cities, including Toronto’s conscionable a fewer weeks ago. Organizers stopped nan parade aft pro-Palestinian demonstrators staged a protest.

“Yeah, location was an interruption of portion of nan (Toronto) parade,” Fierté Montréal executive head Simon Gamache told reporters astatine a property conference. “It was nan past 20 per cent. This has been happening astatine Prides astir nan world since February.”

On apical of that, Nova Scotia’s premier decided to skip nan Halifax parade aft RCMP raised information worries.

Now, immoderate are wondering if disruptions could hap astatine nan Montreal parade, scheduled for Aug. 11. Some groups moreover decided to retreat from nan parade retired of concerns for their ain security, organizers say.

“I mean, location are a mates groups,” Gamache told Global News. “It’s little than 2 per cent of nan registration of nan parade. That’s not concerning.”

He says 188 groups are taking part.

Title sponsor TD has not confirmed nor denied if it is among nan groups not taking portion contempt repeated questioning by Global News. A spokesperson wrote successful a statement, however, that “TD has a long-standing committedness to nan 2SLGBTQ+ organization and to helping thrust alteration to create a much inclusive society. We were nan first slope to connection same-sex spousal benefits to employees, and person agelong supported nan organization pinch philanthropy and our unsocial 2SLGBTQ+ business improvement team. We proceed to prosecute pinch nan 2SLGBTQ+ organization and Fierte Montreal to find ways to show our unwavering support.”

Fierté Montréal and different Pride organizations person been accused of betraying nan halfway principles of fighting against injustice. The group down nan Montreal Trans March decided to trim ties pinch nan Fierté Montréal earlier this period because of those concerns.

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“A batch of Pride Montreal sponsors are progressive successful quality authorities violations, whether it beryllium present successful Canada aliases crossed nan globe,” said Celeste Trianon, Montréal Trans March organizer.

For example, immoderate critics opportunity sponsors for illustration TD are complicit successful what they spot arsenic warfare crimes successful places for illustration Gaza. Montreal Pride organizers opportunity they are successful talks pinch different groups astir nan concerns, and that they are taking steps to guarantee location is information for all.

Some participants successful this year’s Pride festival, for illustration resistance queen Rita Baga, opportunity they do understand nan request to protest.

“It’s wholly morganatic and it’s a quality correct to protestation and to declare what you person to claim,” she said.

After all, they constituent out, Pride itself started retired arsenic — and is still is — a protest.