If the 2024 Vancouver Pride Parade seemed shorter than usual despite the grander Canada Pride festivities, here’s why.
On a vibrant and sunny day in Vancouver, the annual Pride Parade on Sunday was abruptly interrupted by a pro-Palestine protest, forcing organizers to cut the parade short.
A group of masked protesters holding banners and Palestine flags blocked the parade route at the intersection of Burrard Street and Pacific Street (the north end of Burrard Street Bridge), which is approximately the midway point of the route.
The parade officially kicked off at noon at the intersection of Denman Street and Davie Street in the West End, and was scheduled to end at 4 pm at the terminus of the route where Pacific Boulevard meets the Cambie Street Bridge next to BC Place Stadium.
But due to the protest, for example, those watching the parade near the intersection of Davie Street and Pacific Boulevard near SkyTrain Yaletown-Roundhouse Station — which is near the end of the route — saw their parade experience end at about 2:45 pm.
Happy Pride, Vancouver! 🏳️🌈 #VanPride pic.twitter.com/OwfKkZS5Y0
— Kenneth Chan (@iamkennethchan) August 4, 2024
“The remainder of the Vancouver Pride Parade has been cancelled due to a protest,” reads a statement by Vancouver Pride organizers issued mid-afternoon Sunday.
“While we understand that this news will be upsetting for many in our community, we recognize that the right to protest is a cornerstone of our democracy in Canada. This decision to cancel the remainder of the Parade was not taken lightly and we stand in solidarity with those who protested. We are now focused on ensuring that our Parade participants and those who came to watch the Parade dispersed safely.”
Federal Liberal MP Hedy Fry’s delegation and other participants and delegations blocked by pro-Palestine protesters at the 2024 Vancouver Pride Parade. (@ali89abed/Instagram)
Constable Tania Visintin of the Vancouver Police Department (VPD) told Daily Hive that about 20 to 30 protesters were blocking the road. No arrests were made, and the protest itself was peaceful.
“Pride organizers spoke with the protesters, and after some discussion, Pride organizers decided to end the parade. There were no arrests, and the protest itself was peaceful,” said Visintin.
“VPD’s role was to safely re-open the roads to vehicles once the parade ended.”
Video footage of the disruptions shows the group of protesters moving directly in front of federal Liberal MP Hedy Fry’s delegation, preventing her delegation and those behind from marching past the intersection.
Daily Hive has reached out to Fry for comment.
Earlier on Sunday, before the parade began, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made a surprise visit to Davie Village, a section of Davie Street designated as a staging area for the thousands of parade participants and their delegations. While Trudeau had marched the entire length of the parade route in previous years, for 2024 he chose to greet people briefly before the festivities started.
Happy Pride, Vancouver! pic.twitter.com/wSiHKw4LnA
— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) August 5, 2024
The 2024 event is billed as the largest Vancouver Pride season yet, with an expanded schedule of events and programming as part of the event’s hosting of 2024 Canada Pride. The remainder of Sunday’s pride festivities held beyond the end of the parade route at Concord Pacific Place and Creekside Park in Northeast False Creek went ahead without disruption.
The disruptions to this year’s Vancouver Pride Parade follow similar interruptions to other major parades by pro-Palestine protesters earlier this summer, who also forced organizers of the New York City Pride Parade and Toronto Pride Parade to cancel their processions mid-route.
Last month’s Victoria Pride Parade was also disrupted by a pro-Palestine protest group. However, the parade was not canceled; instead, the route was re-routed, and police made one arrest.