Pride London Festival maintains the show will go on despite protest threats

Mark Beacock (left) and Nick Veal, are two board members of Pride London Festival. July 19, 2024. (Sean Irvine/CTV News London)

Pride London Festival organizers confirm extra security and alternate planning are in place should protesters disrupt events this weekend.

The annual event held at Victoria Park, celebrates inclusion and diversity in the LGBT2QSIA community.

"Pride is all about embracing everyone. This weekend we have a fantastic festival lineup. Everybody has worked so hard," stated Mark Beacock, a Pride London Festival board member.

Part of the hard work is preparing for possible protests from multiple groups.

There is concern one may impact the much-anticipated parade through Old East Village and downtown — it features 122 entries.

Earlier this month, Pro-Palestinian protesters halted Toronto's Pride Parade. They demanded the event organizers divest from corporations with ties to Israel.

Beacock said efforts have been made to reach out to those concerned locally.

"If the protest happens to happen, and stops the parade, well, unfortunately, we will have to stop the parade, just like Toronto did. There's nothing we can do about that. We've tried to reach out, but nobody's gotten back to us."

A parade stoppage is not the only potential disruption facing the festival.

Extra security is on site after last year's attempt to halt Drag Storytime. While the effort failed, it did rattle some young people in attendance.

In 2024, youth remains a key focus for Pride London organizers. A play area will be set up for young children and their families.

Meanwhile, a welcoming atmosphere will be offered for teens and young adults new to the community.

"If you are new and coming out of the closet. It's a great start to meet a lot of people in the community who are like you," shared Nick Veal, a Pride London board member.

With more organizations and businesses supporting Pride, Beacock expects the festival will continue to grow. He hopes that one day, the event will be solely focused on celebration — but until that day comes Beacock states Pride messaging remains the same.

"We're still going to challenge and make everyone aware of who we are. We're out. We're here. We are queer! And we just want to celebrate the challenges that we've risen up from and move forward."