Crowds of people have filled the streets of Toronto to celebrate the annual Pride Parade, though the tone was subdued at times by tensions between the LGBTQ community and the city's police force.
The crowd keeps growing! #PrideTO pic.twitter.com/6VrMLE0VbR
— NEWSTALK1010 (@NEWSTALK1010) June 24, 2018More than 120 groups are marched along the downtown route in this year's parade, but uniformed officers were not among them.
Earlier this year, members of the LGBTQ community accused Toronto police of failing to seriously investigate the disappearances of men linked to the city's gay neighbourhood for years, until January, when 66-year-old landscaper Bruce McArthur was arrested and subsequently charged with eight counts of first-degree murder.
Mike Morris, a 29-year-old nursing student who came to the parade bare-chested and in a rainbow Speedo, says the allegations against McArthur and strain between the community and police reaffirmed his desire to attend the parade.
He says the LGBTQ community needs to come together during ``difficult situations.''
Tensions involving police and the parade started brewing in 2016, when members of Black Lives Matter abruptly halted the march to present several demands, among them that uniformed police, their floats and cruisers be excluded.
The group cited tensions between the force and black citizens arising from racial profiling, among other things.
This is second consecutive year uniformed officers have been excluded from marching in the parade, but police are on hand as the streets are flooded with hordes of spectators.
Despite the politics playing out behind the scenes, people watching the parade were all smiles, clad in their rainbow gear.
While most had an umbrella handy for the day, the rain failed to dampen their spirits.
Toronto Mayor John Tory marched in the parade with the first group on the route, while newly elected Premier Doug Ford, was not there. He'd indicated in the days leading up to the festivities that he wanted to see uniformed police officers added back into the parade.
(With files from Canadian Press)
T. Hendsbee
T. Hendsbee
