The people behind a parade celebrating sexual minorities say they faced discrimination by officials in organising the event this year.
'We applied a year ago to the Leisure and Cultural Services Department for a location in Victoria Park for 1,500 people to congregate, but our applications to use the soccer pitch, the lawn or the band stand were all rejected,' Connie Chan Man-wai, chief director of the Hong Kong Pride Parade committee, said.
Paraders now plan to meet in East Point Road in Causeway Bay for the pride event on Saturday. But Chan said the size of the site was not ideal to safely hold the 1,500 to 2,000 people expected to attend.
'The LCSD told us too many parades and protesters used Victoria Park as a meeting point, and they wish to have the grounds more available for the public to use for recreational purposes, rather than it becoming known as a meeting point for protests and parades,' she said.
The department could not be reached for comment.
On Saturday afternoon Standard Chartered Bank and the Hong Kong Youth Arts Foundation will host a two-day arts festival on the Victoria Park lawn.