Multiple 2SLGBTQ+ groups pulling out of Edmonton Pride over increased police presence
RaricaNow and Pride Corner on Whyte say heightened security contradicts the community's calls for liberation. Organizers defend the plan, citing safety lessons from recent attacks.
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Several 2SLGBTQ+ advocacy groups are withdrawing from Edmonton Pride this weekend, objecting to the Edmonton Police Service's planned heightened security presence at the festival.
RaricaNow founder Adebayo Chris Katiiti said the increased police visibility contradicts years of community organizing. "You cannot engage with such a massive deployment of police at a Pride event and yet you know clearly what police has done to our communities," he said. Katiiti has been protesting police involvement at Pride for seven years, leading to the parade's cancellation during that period.
Pride Corner on Whyte issued a statement saying it cut ties with the festival over the police presence, adding that it conflicts with "unanswered calls to action from our Black and Indigenous Trans and Queer community members." The group also alleged organizers had entertained an application from a police-affiliated organization to walk in the parade.
Pride Festival organizers say the visible police presence is necessary for public safety. Executive director Trevor Watson pointed to the attack on Berlin Pride earlier this summer. "Pride cannot simply look safe, it has to be safe," he said, adding that organizers provided advance notice so community members could decide whether and how to participate.
The Edmonton Police Service confirmed its major events team is working the festival, saying it has coordinated with organizers over several months on safety and security. A spokesperson noted the department is mindful of the "acts of hate and targeted violence" affecting 2SLGBTQ+ communities globally.
Criminologist Irfan Chaudhry, who specializes in hate crime research, said police presence at large Pride events across Canada is increasing due to heightened hate toward the 2SLGBTQ+ community. The debate echoes Edmonton's complex history with policing: the Edmonton Police Service formally apologized in 2019 for the bathhouse raids of the 1980s.
Edmonton Pride runs Friday, August 21 through Sunday, August 23 in downtown Edmonton.
How many Edmonton Police Service officers will have visible presence at the festival?
What specific organizations or groups plan to march with the festival?
We'll update this story as answers emerge.
The facts
Which 2SLGBTQ+ groups are withdrawing from Edmonton Pride?
RaricaNow and Pride Corner on Whyte are pulling out of Edmonton Pride over the Edmonton Police Service's planned heightened security presence at the festival.
When is Edmonton Pride taking place?
Edmonton Pride runs from Friday, August 21 through Sunday, August 23 in downtown Edmonton.
Why are organizers increasing police presence at Edmonton Pride?
Pride Festival organizers say the visible police presence is necessary for public safety, citing an attack on Berlin Pride earlier in summer 2026 as a safety lesson.
