Supporters of the Black Lives Matter movement faced off with those in attendance at the Minneapolis Gay Pride Parade over the weekend, stopping the parade in its tracks and, in some cases, leading to heated exchanges.
The clash came after the Pride board made the decision to allow uniformed police officers to participate in the parade alongside others in the LGBT community. Among the marchers was Minneapolis Police Chief Janeé Harteau, who is a lesbian.
Protesters carried signs and shut down the parade for a total of about 90 minutes, but officers – both on and off-duty – kept their distance.
“We understand black lives matter, we believe it wholeheartedly,” said parade-goer Laura Moore. “But to create a division between us as groups, that’s just not okay.”
Still, other marchers did not welcome the law enforcement community to the event, regardless of their sexual orientation.
St. Paul Officer Shannon Diedrich was one of the officers attending the parade.
“To be here and be part of the community, to show them that we’re here for them and to show us their support was great,” Diedrich said.
Other Pride parades across the country encountered similar experiences with BLM protesters.
[ Fox 9 ]
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