The Bay Area’s chapter of Black Lives Matter (BLM) has officially pulled out of San Francisco’s gay pride parade because the city is providing an increased police presence for security.
In a statement announcing its withdrawal, Black Lives Matter insisted that the increased police presence “does not increase safety for all people.”
In the press release, BLM spokeswoman Malkia Cyril claimed, “We know firsthand that increasing the police presence at Pride does not increase safety for all people. Militarizing these events increases the potential for harm to our communities and we hope in the future SF Pride will consider community-centered approaches to security at pride events.”
Malkia also insisted, “As queer people of color, we are disproportionately targeted by both vigilante and police violence.”
Several others pulled out of the event in solidarity with BLM also citing the participation of the police. According to the L.A. Times, those who left included, “Janetta Johnson, executive director of the TGI Justice Project that serves imprisoned trans, intersex and gender non-conforming people, and the St. James Infirmary, a clinic for current and former sex workers.”
San Francisco officials increased police security especially after an Indiana man was apprehended with a cache of weapons, ammo, and explosives who was purportedly heading to West Hollywood for the L.A. Pride festival.
Follow Warner Todd Huston on Twitter @warnerthuston, or email the author at igcolonel@hotmail.com.
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