'As if we don't have overfunded police': Canadians suspicious of decision to cancel Montreal Pride Parade last minute

'As if we don't have overfunded police': Canadians suspicious of decision to cancel Montreal Pride Parade last minute

Many people who had planned on attending Montreal’s Pride Parade are speculating as to why it was cancelled a few hours before it was scheduled to start.

Organizers say they made the decision to call off the event due to lack of security staffed along the parade route. They specified that they were down 80 volunteers, which is what led to the cancellation. Organizers had initially stated the decision was made with the police, though they later rescinded that statement, saying it was solely on the organizers. Other Pride-related events and festivities, including a headlining performance by Brazilian drag queen Pabllo Vittar, went ahead as planned.

Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante told a press conference on Sunday that she was surprised by the news of the cancellation, and if she and her staff had been made aware, they would have put in the work to help fix the problem.

"My frustration this morning is realizing that it seems there were decisions made, but we were never informed, and that's disappointing," she said.

Online, some speculated and wondered whether there were other reasons to cancel the main Pride event a few hours before it was set to happen.

Despite the lack of a Pride Parade, many in the city still took to the streets to be seen and heard. A last minute sit-in was also organized at a city square, to protest the cancellation.