“Last year was such a celebratory time, and this year, we have this happening”, said James Fallarino, a spokesman for organizers of the NY parade, one of the nation’s oldest. Numerous participants took time to remember the 49 people killed and more than 50 wounded when Omar Mateen opened fire inside the Pulse nightclub in Orlando.
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There was a heavy police presence at London Pride, after the police chief Bernard Hogan-Howe vowed to keep the event safe in the wake of the shooting and brought in extra officers for security.
But organizers don’t want to eliminate the exuberance of events rooted in declaring that gay people aren’t afraid to be seen and heard.
“Last year was such a celebratory time, and this year, we have this happening”, says James Fallarino, a spokesman for organizers of the NY parade, one of the nation’s oldest.
“I think it’s very important that people come out to the parade to show their pride in what we’ve done in this city”, de Blasio said in an interview with local CBS radio station 1010 WINS.
Among the NY marchers were three men from Gays Against Guns, or GAG, a group that was formed since the Orlando shootings.
A 1969 police raid on the bar was a major catalyst of the gay rights movement.
To be sure, the often raucous marches will be tempered with messages of respect and grief for the 49 people massacred and more than 50 wounded in Orlando. Pulse owner Barbara Poma was leading the parade atop a Stonewall Inn float.
Some carried photos of the victims while others held signs saying “We Are Orlando”.
The German news agency dpa reported the Green Party lawmaker Volker Beck, an outspoken activist for gay rights, was detained Sunday when he wanted to speak publicly at the end of the gay, lesbian and transgender “Pride Week”. They said the slayings in Orlando raised interest in participation.
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It was the first of a string of parades on Sunday in US cities such as Chicago, Seattle and San Francisco. They planned a moment of silence for the Orlando victims as the parade begins.
