Thousands descend on downtown Ottawa for annual Pride parade

Thousands of people descended on downtown Ottawa Sunday for the annual Pride parade, flooding the streets with rainbowsand pro-Palestinian flags as the week-long festivalcelebrating 2SLGBTQ+ identity comesto a close.

It kickedoffon Elgin Street, travelling south fromLaurier Avenue W. toGladstone Avenue, before turningon Gladstone and continuinguntil it hitBank Street.

The planned route wasabout half the length it was last year.

The parade was supposed to take the same path as in 2023, but Capital Pridehad to change the route with less than a week's noticebecause the Ottawa Police Service did not provide enough officers to guard the entire length.

After the parade,those who weren't sick of the sun could jointhe street festival, where local groups, businesses, and artists will be hosting stalls until 8 p.m.

The festivalstretches along Bank from Gladstone to Slater Street, with water stations and toilets set up along the way.

Given there's both aparade and a street festival, people should expect traffic delays downtown. The city hasthe complete details on its website.

It'salso worth noting for anyone planning to come downtown from Ottawa's east end that Confederation Line trains won't run Sundaybetween St-Laurent and Blair stations due to work on the line's eastern extension.

Celebrations carry on amid controversy

Sunday's events wentahead amid the fallout of Capital Pride's pro-Palestinian statement earlier this month.

Capital Pride's letter condemned both"the acts of terrorism" committed on Oct. 7 and Israel's "endless and brutal campaign in Gaza," which it saidis causingthe deaths of "innocent Palestinians."

Someorganizations andindividuals have criticized Capital Pride's statement for being "exclusionary" or questioned the safety of the event.

Several major institutions chosenot to march in the parade or attend other events organized by Capital Pride.

For registered nurse and sexual health educator,Marita Smith, that decision came as a disappointment.

"We're here to support all people, queer people in Palestine, straight people in Palestine, queer people all over the world, Jewish, Muslim. It doesn't matter what identity you are," Smith said Sunday.

"If we're looking for liberation, it has to be liberation for everybody."

'It's always been a political rally'

Sabrina Kayed identifiedherself as a queer Palestinian and works as a teacher with the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board one of several school boards thatdropped out of the parade.

"It really, really is disappointing that my board decided to make a decision without consulting any staff, any students, any of the people who march in the parade every year any of the people who really have skin in the game," Kayed said.

"It shows that, unfortunately, people in our institutions are scared, and they're scared of taking a stance when it comes to Palestine."

Kayed was one of several marchers who said they felt like this year's Pride parade went back to its roots as a protest in response to state-sanctioned violence.

"Pride is political. It's always been a political rally," said Somerset Coun. Ariel Troster, who was out dancing on a float Sunday, decked out in rainbows.

• Discourse around Pride,Palestinian rights part of history of activism in the 2SLGBTQ+ community

"It was important for me to say that I'm queer, I'm Jewish, I'm still here."

Numerous groups didreaffirmtheir support for the parade, including the Ottawa Greens, Centretown Community Health Centre, and 50 other local unions, businesses, and 2SLGBTQ+ groups.