BLM Protesters Disrupt Montreal Pride During Moment of Silence For AIDS and Hate Crime Victims

During the moment of silence to remember those in the LGBT community that have died of HIV /AIDS, hate crimes,  and transphobic laws at Montreal’s LGBT Pride parade on Sunday, about 30 members of Black Lives Matter Montreal and their allies set off smoke bombs and shouted  Black Lives Matter demanding better representation and inclusive  of QPOC in Pride Montreal disrupting the solemn event.

Lucas Charlie Rose, an organizer with Black Lives Matter Montreal, took a megaphone to talk about the Stonewall riots, stating that we can only have Pride as a result of Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera’s efforts during the police riots. While both are a major figures in LGBT history the roles that Johnson and Rivera both played at the Stonewall riots is a point of contention by many LGBT historians and Stonewall veterans.

Employees of Pride Montreal then broke the circle of protesters and took away Rose’s megaphone. People in the crowd shouted at them to “shut up during the moment of silence” but the BLM protesters refused.

To make our voices heard we chose to do this during the moment of silence,” said Brian*, a protester and member of Black Lives Matter Montreal. “It wasn’t disrespectful because the moment was meant to commemorate the people who died [of AIDS  or homophobic and transphobic laws], and most of them are trans women of color so we reclaimed that moment.”

Pride Montreal was aware that Black Lives Matter would but did not have known what they were planning to do.

Montreal Pride vice president Jean-Sebastien Boudreault stated after the protest.

“We know that Pride started as a protest; it’s important to be able to give political messages at events of Pride. We want to be a better voice to the LGBT  community, especially trans people, transmigrant, people of color but we feel that the moment Black Lives Matter chose to intervene at the parade on Sunday was inappropriate.”

BLM protestors also criticized Pride for being overly capitalistic, and criticized a number of their sponsors they claim refuse to support and employ queer people of color.

“Now when you look at Pride all you see is TD, Pet Store, Starbucks, and Walmart and places that will never hire a Black trans person and to us that isn’t acceptable,” said Rose.

Information source: AfroPunk