Police chief says he’s ‘sick of cops being a culture war football’ after Pride Macarena outrage
Lincolnshire Police dancing the Macarena at Lincoln Pride on Saturday, 20 August. (Lincolnshire Police/Twitter)
A chief constable has said he is “sick” of police “being used as a culture war football” after officers were criticised for dancing the Macarena at Lincoln Pride.
West Midlands police chief constable Sir David Thompson took Twitter to defend the Lincolnshire Police officers filmed doing the Macarena at the event on Saturday (20 August).
Writing on Monday (22 August), he suggested the criticism was invalid, saying: “I see no criticism for policing dancing with communities at other events so is this something about Pride?
“It is seconds in a tour of duty and done professionally. Vital we engage at these events.
“I am sick of us being a culture war football.”
I support @CCLincsPolice . I see no criticism for policing dancing with communities at other events so is this something about Pride? It is seconds in a tour of duty and done professionally. Vital we engage at these events. I am sick of us being a culture war football. https://t.co/7ev1JSthR0
— Sir Dave Thompson QPM DL (@SirDaveThompson) August 22, 2022
Thompsons’ words echoed those of Lincolnshire chief constable Chris Haward, who said policing is about “engagement” as well as “enforcement” and that he expects his officers and staff to join in and “engage with people attending Pride”.
A Lincoln Pride organiser, David Brown, previously told PinkNews that he sees the backlash as mirroring an “underlying tone of homophobia” present in the run up to the event.
However, police presence at Pride has long been contested by members of the LGBTQ+ community, many of whom mistrust police, pointing to a long history of mistreatment and discrimination.
In July, the LGBTQ+ activist group Lesbians and Gays Support the Migrants successfully campaigned to have uniformed Met Police officers not march at Pride in London.
Sam Björn, from the group, told PinkNews: “Police defending the actions of uniformed officers dancing at Lincoln Pride are suggesting their attendance is vital to the safety of our queer communities.
“Yet, too often, our communities need protection from the police. Whether it’s Sarah Everard, Child Q, Mark Duggan, Charles De Menezes or the victims of Stephen Port, we see daily how police don’t keep us safe.
“We maintain there should be no cops at pride, but we also believe in no cops at all; a world without police, prisons, detention centres and borders. A world that prioritises care and accountability over cruelty and punishment – one where everyone can feel safe.”
Lincoln Pride’s David Brown previously defended the inclusion of police at the event, telling PinkNews: “Many Prides have stopped police attendance or certainly police presence through the parade and the event, but what we wanted to do was have standing solidarity with the police and show that people change and that police views on Pride have certainly changed.”
