Pro-Palestine protesters dance following the Capital Pride Parade in Ottawa, on Sunday, Aug. 24.Spencer Colby/The Canadian Press
Ottawa’s annual Pride parade was cancelled Sunday after being disrupted by pro-Palestine protesters.
A group called Queers for Palestine – Ottawa had organized a rally to coincide with the Pride parade.
Elected officials and other groups boycotted last year’s parade after Capital Pride released a statement expressing solidarity with Palestinians, but the statement has since been removed from the organization’s website.
A video posted online today shows a protester calling for Capital Pride to recommit to solidarity with the pro-Palestinian cause and for elected officials who boycotted last year’s parade to apologize.
Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe, who attended Sunday’s parade, says it was “deeply regrettable” that the group of activists chose to block the event.
Capital Pride announced the cancellation of the parade, which was scheduled to travel past Parliament Hill, shortly before 3 p.m.