He supported not having uniforms there, or fighting it, because he said it would be a distraction to the work of improving the relationship.
Unlike the city councillor who wanted to punish Pride by yanking funding.
Black Lives Matter Toronto briefly halts Pride parade
Sat, 2017-06-24 08:36
#252
Sat, 2017-06-24 17:23
#253
Evidently, BLM-TO did not register to participate this year. Naturally, one wonders whether they might "participate" anyway.
Sun, 2017-06-25 20:24
#254
Black Lives Matter joins Toronto Pride parade, despite not registering
BLM did show up toward the end of the parade, despite not being officially registered. Protesters chanted “Black Lives Matter” in all-black outfits as they raised their fists in the air near Yonge and College Sts., the same place where the group held up the parade last year.
Saved a few hundred bucks! Awwww yisss!
Mon, 2017-06-26 08:54
#255
If it was intended as a follow up to last year's big splash it is really kind of lame. Sure they can do whatever they want but at some point not even registering is really self indulgent and others are going to recognize that.
If they are rejecting the whole idea of the main parade there are other ways. People in Vancouver had their own march last year, and there was one this year in Saskatoon for those who didn't want the mayor as grand marshall, even though it was the first time a mayor had ever marched in a pride parade here. But in Toronto there is a point at which pulling stunts like this just to show that they can is going to backfire, especially if, as in this case, there doesn't seem to be any point to it other than to show what they can do.
Mon, 2017-06-26 11:58
#256
Damn Smith if I had known you were out of Saskatoon I would have shot you a PM to go for a drink. I was out that way not too long ago.
I agree if this was a follow up it was kind of lame. I was wondering what they would do this year. Did anything bad happen at the marches with the lack of uniformed officers?
Mon, 2017-06-26 13:50
#257
Yup. I'm here. Missed the big march though, as I was out of town.
Mon, 2017-06-26 22:58
#258
Did anything bad happen at the marches with the lack of uniformed officers?
If I'm not mistaken, the uniformed officers who were asked not to march would have been there solely to march (or, dance on a float or whatever) and not to keep the peace (in other words, not "on the job").
Mon, 2017-06-26 23:17
#259
Did anything bad happen at the marches with the lack of uniformed officers?If I'm not mistaken, the uniformed officers who were asked not to march would have been there solely to march (or, dance on a float or whatever) and not to keep the peace (in other words, not "on the job").
As far as I'm aware a police officer is on duty 24/7 in terms of responsibility to react to and deal with crime/people breaking the law.
Tue, 2017-06-27 00:12
#260
OK, that may be true.
But I was suggesting that there were, in fact, uniformed officers ON DUTY (not on floats or whatever) so even if shit did get real, there should have been little need for Officer Disco to jump off the float, drop his squirtgun and pull his service sidearm out of his Speedo.
Tue, 2017-06-27 07:47
#261
My misake. I assumed offices were completely vacent from the premesis.
If offices were banned from marching in the parade for fear of triggering people, but still present, doesn't that defeat the purpose?
Tue, 2017-06-27 14:11
#262
Well, personally I think a big part of the "purpose" was to say "we don't like the police", moreso than to prevent anyone's PTSD from being triggered. Plus, for fairly obvious reasons, there aren't a whole lot of public places where the police can't or don't go.