Abolish the Police and Prisons Pride March kicked off Sunday morning at Nathan Phillips Square
People gathered Sunday morning in downtown Toronto to reclaim and celebrate "radical histories, to refuse all forms of police and carceral and corporatized violence, and for liveable futures without police and prisons.”
Hosted by No Pride in Policing Coalition and co-sponsored by No More Silence, the Abolish the Police and Prisons Pride March ran from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Nathan Phillips Square.
Indigenous Elder Wanda Whitebird officiated the opening ceremony, while Robyn Maynard, Brianna Olson Pitawanakwat of Toronto Indigenous Harm Reduction, Beverly Bain, Tom Hooper, Desmond Cole, Gary Kinsman, Channel Gallant, Rinaldo Walcott, Rajean Hoilett of Workers Action Centre, Mino Do from Butterfly of Asian and Migrant Sex Workers Support Network, and Joy Wong of Friends of China Town served as the day’s speakers.
Participants then departed Nathan Phillips Square and march north on University Avenue stopping at key sites along the way to “acknowledge 2SLGBTQ+ Black and racialized, and queer and trans protests and resistance.”
The theme of this year’s event was "Abolitionist Pride: Reclaiming our Radical Histories and Creating Liveable Futures without Police and Prisons."
The event was organized in response to Toronto police’s recent release of a report on race-based data, which found Black, Indigenous and racialized people were over-represented in use of force incidents and strip searches.
Organizers say these communities “continue to experience the ever-increasing violence from police in the streets, in their homes and in encampments around the City of Toronto.”
They said the march also aims to serve as a “refusal of the on-going corporatization of Pride Toronto and their investment in relationships with the Police, Mayor John Tory and Premier Doug Ford.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Spectacular aurora light show to be seen across Canada Friday night
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
McGill University seeks emergency injunction to dismantle pro-Palestinian encampment
McGill University has filed a request for an injunction to have the pro-Palestinian encampment removed from its campus.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
U.S. says Israel's use of U.S. arms likely violated international law, but evidence is incomplete
The Biden administration said Israel's use of U.S.-provided weapons in Gaza likely violated international humanitarian law but wartime conditions prevented U.S. officials from determining that for certain in specific airstrikes.
Barron Trump declines to serve as an RNC delegate
Former U.S. President Donald Trump's youngest son, Barron Trump, has declined to serve as a delegate at this summer’s Republican National Convention, according to a senior Trump campaign adviser and a statement from Melania Trump's office.
Mother assaulted by stranger while breastfeeding baby in her car: Vancouver police
A person was arrested in East Vancouver Thursday after allegedly entering a car while a mother was breastfeeding her four-month-old boy.
'We have laws': Premier Smith says police action justified in Calgary
The actions, including the decision to use non-lethal force, to disperse pro-Palestinian protesters from the University of Calgary campus were justified, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said Friday.
'State or state-sponsored actor' believed to be behind B.C. government hacks
The head of British Columbia’s civil service has revealed that a “state or state-sponsored actor” is behind multiple cyber-security incidents against provincial government networks.