But dialogue has never been the preferred mode of communication for Black Lives Matter, not even, apparently, in uber-polite Canada. Amid rainbow-colored smoke bombs, she accused event organizers of harboring “a historical and current culture of anti-blackness” - a curious claim considering how the festival welcomed Black Lives Matter as “guests of honor.”īlack Lives Matter refused to budge unless pride organizers acquiesced to a list of demands, which included increased funding for black-related pride events, “prioritizing black trans women” in hiring, and “a commitment to more black deaf & hearing ASL interpreters.” Surely, these issues - which are always “demands,” never “requests” - could have been taken up in a constructive manner before the parade.
“We are calling you out!” Alexandria Williams, co-founder of the group’s Toronto chapter, shouted through a megaphone as the Black Lives Matter float came to a halt and marchers sat down.
On Sunday, Black Lives Matter activists pulled off the sort of victory that right-wing hooligans could only hope to achieve: They stopped a gay pride parade.
