United States: LGBT pride marches, protests in various cities June 24-25

Event

Various cities across the United States plan to hold LGBT pride parades on the weekend of June 24-25. Two of the largest are scheduled to take place in New York and San Francisco on Sunday, June 25. Pride organizers have announced plans to blend the parades with political protest marches, and the events are expected to draw a record number of participants. Groups protesting both the Trump administration and Republican leadership have been given prominent positions near the front of the parades.

The New York City Pride Parade is scheduled to begin on June 25 at 12:00 (local time) at the corner of 36th Street and Fifth Avenue, ending at the intersection of Christopher and Greenwich streets. The San Francisco Pride Parade is scheduled to begin on June 25 at 10:30 (local time) and run along Market Street. Other major cities with scheduled Pride parades include: Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Houston, Minneapolis, Nashville, Saint Louis, and Seattle.

Significant transportation disruptions are expected in the vicinity of the parades, and security is expected to be tight. Small counter protests are possible. 

Context

The 2017 pride parades in Washington, DC, and Los Angeles, which took place earlier in the month, incorporated political protest events into the parade weekends, with tens of thousands of people marching to protest inequality. Pride parade organizers have come under increased pressure to politicize the parades in recent years, over criticism that the marches have become too commercialized.

Advice

Individuals attending Pride Parades are advised to anticipate an increased security presence and to report any suspicious objects or behavior to local authorities.