Police chief speaks out about Wortley Pride incident, but name of man charged not released

London's police chief is condemning a weekend incident in Old South during the first-ever Wortley Pride event, as organizers of the city's Pride parade beef up security and express concerns days ahead of the event. 

"This weekend at an event meant to celebrate our LGBT2QIA+ community, a disturbance occurred involving individuals not participating in the festivities, leading to criminal charges against one man," Police Chief Steve Williams said in a statement. 

"Let me be clear – the London Police Service (LPS) will not tolerate acts of intolerance, bias or hate against any member of our community. Our community is rich with diversity, and every individual has a right to feel safe on our streets, and in our neighbourhoods."

One man, whose name has not yet been released, was charged Sunday with causing a disturbance and possessing a weapon for a dangerous purpose. 

The investigation into the incident, which took place on Saturday at Wortley Road and Duchess Avenue, is ongoing, and the chief appealed to those who were there to send video or other information with police. 

Organizers of Wortley Pride said the driver of a white truck continuously laid on the horn, circling the event taking place on the Green. The driver eventually stopped on Wortley Road, exited the vehicle and physically confronted people participating, organizers said. Witnesses said a woman was also in the vehicle. 

One person punched: witnesses

At least one person was punched, and someone else was hit with a flagpole, witnesses said. There were reports that Canadian flags were attached to the bed of the white truck. 

Protests at London Pride events are not new. Every year a small group of protesters heckles the large Pride Parade in downtown London and is usually drowned out by supporters. 

The escalation at the Wortley event, however, is new, said Eric Jamieson, 21, who didn't attend but heard what happened. 

"Protesters at Pride is nothing new to anybody who's been going to Pride, but I think the intensity of what happened was definitely new and not anticipated," Jamieson said.

"I've been celebrating pride here in London since 2016, and I'm fairly used to the type of protesters that show up... This protest that happened was very different from that. It was violent and all of a sudden, and the protesters were not peaceful by any means.  And I think that is what's really disturbing."

London Pride Parade on Sunday

It's unclear why police have not yet released the name of the individual charged this past weekend. Officers tell CBC News the investigation is still ongoing.

London's Pride Parade is scheduled for this coming Sunday, the culmination of a week-long celebration. 

"I want to assure Londoners that the LPS will have a large and visible presence at this weekend's Pride Parade, including both on-duty uniformed officers and off-duty officers who will be marching in the parade as participants," Williams said in his statement.

"As with any large-scale event, we have a full operational plan in place to ensure the safety of participants and those who line the parade route in support."

Pride London organizers say there will also have additional security at the parade and the festival, which happens this weekend in Victoria Park. 

"We're going to make sure everybody's taken care of. We've been doing this a long time," said Deb Abdalla, the president of the Pride London Festival. "We have experience. The police are wonderful with us here in London. They're very supportive, and they'll make sure that everybody is safe." 

Still, the disturbance has unnerved some people, including Alex Bonnar, 25. 

"I'm feeling mostly disappointed. I feel like there is potentially not enough support in London for the queer community that's allowing these extremists and these people to feel like they have a place to voice their opinion," Bonnar said. 

"I think that part of it is just a lack of education and a lack of support in London for these type of events. I know as a drag performer it is incredibly hard to get any venues in London to support queer events."