‘No parade, no protest’: London Pride cancelled due to Covid restrictions
This year’s Pride celebrations in London have been cancelled due to Covid-19 restrictions, the event’s organisers have confirmed.
The flagship LGBTQ+ event, which was first postponed from 11 June to September, had been expected to attract some 35,000 people.
Organisers, who performed risk assessments for the event, said the parade could not be held within government guidelines.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan said: “It is a real shame that for the second year in a row we will not be able to join together on the streets of London for Pride.
“Although our city continues to open up, we must still be cautious about the spread of Covid-19 and it is understandable why the Pride in London committee have made this decision. I truly hope that next year we will be able to unite on our streets once again in solidarity and celebration.”
The event was also cancelled amid lockdown restrictions in the summer of 2020.
Pride’s executive director Christopher Joell-Deshields confirmed the cancellation in a statement on YouTube: “Pride, like all other major events, has faced constant challenges with regards to safely holding one of the largest events in the capital.
“I’m truly saddened to say that Pride in London won’t be happening this year.”
If the event were to go ahead, Joell-Deshields said that it would lose its famous parade and be limited to just three stages across central London.
Ticket numbers would have also been slashed to adhere to government guidelines.
“This goes against everything that we want Pride in London to be or that we’ve been so far. No parade, no protest, means no Pride.”
Disappointed in the result, Joell-Deshields called on the government to declare next year: “the year of queer”.