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<\/p>\nThe day before the annual Long Beach Pride Festival was set to kick off, the city announced that the event had instead been canceled \u2014 pointing blame at the organizer for failing to provide required safety information in time.<\/p>\n
\u201cOut of responsibility to the safety of attendees, staff and the broader community, the city cannot issue the permit and has directed the event organizers to not continue their event,\u201d the city said in a news release Friday. <\/p>\n
The city\u2019s annual Pride Parade will still take place as planned starting at 10 a.m. Sunday.<\/p>\n
Tonya Martin \u2014 president of Long Beach Pride, the nonprofit organization that organizes the festival \u2014 said she was deeply disappointed by the city\u2019s decision to cancel the event. <\/p>\n
\u201cAt a time when our community is being targeted and made vulnerable, Long Beach should be doing more to protect and uplift us, not taking away one of the most visible and meaningful expressions of inclusion our city has,\u201d she said in a statement Friday evening.<\/p>\n
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A Sky5 aerial view shows the empty grounds of the Long Beach Pride Festival after it was canceled on Friday.<\/p>\n
(KTLA\/KTLA)<\/p>\n
The event was supposed to run through the weekend with live music, art and food at Marina Green Park. The nonprofit\u2019s statement did not reference the permitting process, but highlighted the importance of keeping the event running for the LGBTQ+ community.<\/p>\n
The city, for its part, said that it made repeated efforts to work with the organization and issue an event permit, but said it ultimately did not receive essential information.<\/p>\n
\u201cDespite continued collaboration and multiple deadline notices, the city did not receive the required documentation needed to complete safety reviews, inspect critical event infrastructure, such as the stage, electrical systems and tent, and emergency exiting plans to ensure compliance with public safety standards,\u201d the city said.<\/p>\n
The city said it notified the organization Thursday that it was unable to issue a permit and continued to work with event staff Friday in hopes of permitting a shortened festival over the weekend. The city promised to refund businesses that obtained special licenses and health permits to participate in the event, and referred questions about ticket refunds and vendor participation fees to Long Beach Pride. <\/p>\n
Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson said part of the difficulty stemmed from some festival vendors pulling out at the last minute. He added that the city was working with organizers up to an hour before the event.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve typically completed plans about 60 days out,\u201d he said in an interview Saturday with The Times. <\/p>\n
Martin said that canceling the event sends the wrong message and called on Richardson and City Council members to take urgent action and let the festival go on. <\/p>\n
\u201cInclusion is not proven when it is easy,\u201d Martin said. \u201cIt is proven when leaders choose to stand with vulnerable communities when they need support the most.\u201d<\/p>\n
Richardson said the city has a long history of celebrating Pride, and \u201cthat will continue with the parade. The city of Long Beach is now fully sponsoring the parade, so we will pick up the full cost of the parade.\u201d<\/p>\n
Former Long Beach mayor and current U.S. Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Long Beach) issued a statement Saturday addressing the last-minute cancellation, calling the city\u2019s decision \u201cgut-wrenching.\u201d<\/p>\n