Thousands show up for pride parade on LGBT rights in Hong Kong, as some wear masks and chant anti-government protest slogans
- Organisers say attendance halved from last year’s 12,000 because of political crisis and anti-mask law deterring many participants
- Police rejected march but allow rally in Central, citing safety issues
Thousands from Hong Kong’s LGBT community showed up at an annual pride rally on Saturday after police banned organisers’ application for a march for the first time since the parade was held in 2008.
At Edinburgh Place in Central, a smaller crowd turned up for this year’s carnival-like event, with the theme “Equal Justice, Equal Rights”. The gathering calls for equal treatment and better protection for sexual minorities, including legislation on sexual orientation-based discrimination.
Organisers said more than 6,500 people participated in the rally, but tensions from the ongoing anti-government movement and the anti-mask law contributed to a drop in attendance as those wishing to hide their identities would be deterred. Police put the turnout at 850.
On Thursday, police rejected the Hong Kong Pride Parade organising committee’s application for a march from Victoria Park to Edinburgh Place “in the interests of public safety and public order”, only approving a rally. Earlier, organisers had estimated the number of participants this year to drop by half from 12,000 at last year’s march.
Many in colourful outfits showed up on Saturday, carrying rainbow flags as before, but some were also masked and dressed in black – the signature look of anti-government protesters.
Mo, a Form Six student from the LGBT community, wore a black T-shirt and a black mask to the rally in defiance of the anti-mask law to show support for protesters’ five demands, as some of his schoolmates were arrested over the past few months during demonstrations.
The 17-year-old said he was a frontline protester who had helped built roadblocks last week and extinguish tear gas canisters in clashes with police. He said Saturday’s rally was mostly peaceful and it was a “pity” that police rejected the march.