Too soon for police to pull out of Pride Parade | Toronto Star

Re: Taking a step back, Feb. 12 Taking a step back, Feb. 12 Why is Toronto police Chief Mark Saunders making a decision now to not march in the Pride Parade this year? It is only February and the parade is not until July. Why did he not wait and let Pride...

Too soon for police to pull out of Pride Parade | Toronto Star

Re: Taking a step back, Feb. 12

Taking a step back, Feb. 12

Why is Toronto police Chief Mark Saunders making a decision now to not march in the Pride Parade this year? It is only February and the parade is not until July.

Why did he not wait and let Pride and Black Lives Matter discuss this amongst themselves? This is a very fluid situation and there is plenty of time between now and the parade.

Saunders says: “We will continue to develop respectful relationships and build new ones.” Is he trying to “develop respectful relationships” with the black community and Black Lives Matter? I would have more respect for Chief Saunders if, instead of making a decision now, he announced that he and the Toronto police force would be meeting with Black Lives Matter to hear their concerns.

Considering the contentious history between the Toronto police force and the LGBT and black communities, perhaps having prisoner transport vehicles in the Pride Parade is not the most appropriate way to “develop respectful relationships.”

Perhaps having large number of uniformed police officers in the parade is not inviting for LGBT black and trans members who have been victims of carding and police violence.

Donna Patterson, Toronto

The Toronto Star and thestar.com, each property of Toronto Star Newspapers Limited, One Yonge Street, 4th Floor, Toronto, ON, M5E 1E6. You can unsubscribe at any time. Please contact us or see our privacy policy for more information.

Our editors found this article on this site using Google and regenerated it for our readers.

NEXT NEWS