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In Photos: Politics and Celebration at Toronto’s Pride Parade
Indigenous artist and grand marshall Kent Monkman was at the front, and Black Lives Matter Toronto unexpectedly closed the procession to cheers from a supportive crowd.
Thousands cheered, danced, and waved rainbow flags for Toronto’s annual Pride Parade on Sunday as the colourful and glittery procession weaved through the downtown core.
Black Lives Matter Toronto held an impromptu demonstration near the end of the Pride Parade. The group marched while holding signs that read “May we never again have to remind you that WE built this,” “May we never again have to remind you that we shut it down for all of us,” and other messages alluding to last year’s protest, where the group shut the parade down for 30 minutes.
After the parade, BLMTO co-founder Rodney Diverlus told media that the group will continue to challenge anti-Black racism in Toronto by steering the discussion back to important issues, such as police violence, the school-to-prison pipeline, and violence against Black trans women, queer youth, and sex workers.
“So we made an appearance to actually remind folks that Black Queer and Trans people are here, have issues that we want to talk about and address and Black Queer and Trans people are a central and crucial part of Pride,” Diverlus told CP24.
The following photos are by Angelyn Francis
