Black Lives Matter protests at Toronto Pride Parade

Black Lives Matter staged a protest at the Pride Parade, halting the progression for roughly 30 minutes at Yonge and Carlton streets. The sit-in was held to mark BLM's claim that "Pride Toronto has shown little honour to the Black trans and queer communities, and other marginalized communities."

A statement of demands further stated that "Pride has threatened the existence of community spaces. This includes the near extinction of the BQY stage (Black Queer Youth), continued threats to Blockorama's autonomy, removal of other community stages (e.g. South Asian stage), and a lack of commitment and priority to the various spaces that represent diverse queer and Trans communities."

The parade eventually continued after Pride Executive Director Mathieu Chantelois met with protesters and signed a document agreeing to their demands. Some of the noteworthy stipulations include a ban on police floats in next year's parade, reinstatement of community stages, and a town hall meeting with marginalized groups to ensure their representation in Pride Toronto.

Photos by Hector Vasquez.