St. John’s Pride now welcoming uniformed police officers in Pride parade
ST. JOHN’S, N.L. — The Pride committee in St. John’s, N.L., has reversed course and invited uniformed police officers to march in the city’s Pride parade this July.
As police forces across Canada face restrictions or bans at Pride events, St. John’s Pride is now welcoming uniformed members of the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary and RCMP.
Last July, the RNC said it would play a “less visible role” at the Pride parade in Newfoundland’s capital than it had in prior years, saying the force would offer traffic support but uniformed officers would not march in the procession.
The decision came at the request of Pride event organizers, who had encouraged officers to take part in the proceedings while off-duty and not in uniform in an effort to make the event “more accessible to all.” The organization stressed that uniformed police would not be turned away from the parade, but encouraged officers to represent their unit in other ways like wearing T-shirts or carrying banners.