London Pride: More than one million people expected to descend …

(AFP via Getty Images)

More than one million people are expected to take to the streets as the annual Pride parade kicked off in central London.

The capital was awash with rainbows and glitter as huge numbers of people turned out for the biggest celebration of the LGBT^[1]+ community in Britain^[2].

The annual parade began at midday ^[3]on Saturday from Hyde Park Corner, and will pass through Oxford Circus, Piccadilly Circus and Trafalgar Square before finishing at Whitehall.

This year’s Pride parade marks 51 years since the capital saw its first march for gay rights^[4].

As well as being a colourful party extravaganza, with five stages hosting performers including Adam Lambert and Idina Menzel, Pride has historically been a protest as well as a celebration.

Revellers were seen dancing or waving rainbow flags on the streets of London as the parade kicked off on Saturday afternoon.

There were colourful scenes across the city as huge crowds joined the brightly-coloured procession of floats, performers and dancers.

Pop hitmaker Rita Ora will perform in Trafalgar Square at 3.30pm to help mark the momentous occasion.

She joins Queen star Adam Lambert – who is headlining the event, and created its official track You Make Me Feel Mighty Real) – as Idina Menzel and Todrick Hall are also performing.

It comes after eco-activists Just Stop Oil threatened to disrupt the march unless organisers of the LGBTQ+ event complied with their demands.

The radical campaigners met organisers and demanded that Pride come out in support of “an end to new oil and gas”.

Pride organisers have urged the activists to give the parade the “respect and focus it deserves”. But a Just Stop Oil spokesman said: “The climate crisis has already killed, and made homeless, millions of people including many LGBTQ+ people.

“We are calling on Pride in London to make a statement condemning new oil, gas and coal. If Pride in London fails to take these basic steps necessary to protect our community, we will have to consider potential escalations.”

A spokesman for the Met Police said they had a “plan in place” for any disruption.

References

1. ^{^} LGBT (www.standard.co.uk)
2. ^{^} Britain (www.standard.co.uk)
3. ^{^} The annual parade began at midday (standard.co.uk)
4. ^{^} gay rights (www.standard.co.uk)