Prime Minister Justin Trudeau led thousands of revelers under a rain of glitter and colour at the Toronto’s Pride parade Sunday. This year’s march, which had a theme of inclusivity, had two conspicuous absences through most of the afternoon — uniformed police and Black Lives Matter (BLM), the activist group that disrupted last year’s march.BLM did show up towards 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. “May we never again have to mourn another life like that of Andrew Loku,” read one of the signs, referring to the fatal shooting of a black man by Toronto police in 2015.“Wherever they go, black folks will resist their presence,” said activist Rodney Diverlus, of police.Tweets from BLM organizers said this year’s Pride was more inclusive and accessible because of their activism. Their protest did not bring a halt to the main parade, which had already passed. First Nations National Chief Perry Bellegrade, who walked alongside Trudeau at the front of the parade with a group of Indigenous activists close behind, became the first in his office to march in the Toronto Pride parade. “There were no closets in our teepees,” Bellegarde said earlier in the day, referring to the historic importance of two-spirited people to First Nations communities.“I feel the energy in the air,” Bellegarde said, dressed in a sky blue shirt with rainbow stripes running across his shoulders and chest. He added he was excited to be at his first Pride parade: “The caring. The compassion. The love. The acceptance.”Trudeau was joined by his wife, Sophie Grégoire Trudeau, and their children Xavier and Ella-Grace. Grégoire Trudeau waved a rainbow flag, one of th ...
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