Police will not be welcome to join in on Pride festivities this year, said Vancouver Pride Society (VPS).
The society said, Wednesday, that law enforcement has been uninvited, as VPS joins the demand to defund police.
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“Vancouver Pride will inform police why they are not welcome to participate in our events and continue to educate the public about why we have reached this decision,” VPS wrote in a press release.
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The society had originally barred Vancouver police from marching in uniform two years ago. However, organizers are taking the step to bar them completely, as an act of solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement.
“We stand with Black communities who have taken to the streets to demand accountability from the police,” the release reads.
RCMP spokeswoman Cpl. Elenore Sturko responded to the news in a tweet.
“I am an LGBT police officer,” she tweeted. “When we wear our uniforms and participate in Pride events. We do so not only to stand with our community, but to stand up to discrimination within our own institutions. I am disheartened.”
Vancouver Pride is happening as a digital event this year, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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