Let them fight: Climate change activists disrupt Pride march, accuses LGBTQ+ progressives of failing 'marginalized communities'
Two progressive groups found themselves at odds during the London Pride march on Saturday when climate change activists intentionally halted an LGBTQ+ float.
Members of Just Stop Oil – a self-described "coalition of groups working together to ensure the government commits to halting new fossil fuel licensing and production" – disrupted the London Pride march. Seven members of the environmental group stopped an LGBT float sponsored by Coca-Cola.
The climate change radicals were seen on video spraying pink and black paint on the pavement and on the open-air bus draped with rainbow flags. The climate change activists then sat on the road in front of the float, preventing the bus from moving forward in the parade.
The Guardian reported, "After 16 minutes, police arrested seven protesters for public nuisance offenses and the parade continued again one minute later."
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Just Stop Oil defended interfering with the Pride parade because the group demanded organizers of the Pride march "make a statement condemning new oil and gas licenses."
"Pride in London have failed to do this, so we have taken action," Just Stop Oil said. "Who do you think will be the first to suffer the consequences of societal collapse? It will be marginalized communities, such as the LGBTQ+ community. Pride have a responsibility to take action to protect their community, and they are failing."
Just Stop Oil accused organizers of the Pride march of "working with industries complicit in worsening the climate crisis."
"Pride is a protest. But Pride in London allows destructive industries such as Coca-Cola, who are the world's biggest plastic polluter and who have been accused of numerous human rights abuses, to co-opt it and pinkwash themselves," Just Stop Oil added.
"Pride in London has failed to address and take responsibility for these relationships. New oil and gas is a death sentence for millions of people, and the LGBTQ+ community will be one of the first to suffer," the environmental group stated.
Will De'Athe-Morris, from Pride in London, told the BBC, "Pride is a protest and pride is a celebration. We are protesting for LGBTQ+ rights and for our trans siblings in a separate march alone."
"So for us anyone who tries to disrupt that protest and parade is really letting down those people who use this space once a year to come together to celebrate and protest for those rights," De'Athe-Morris said.
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