53 people arrested amid chaotic scenes following Chicago Pride parade
53 people were arrested following post-Pride celebrations in Chicago. (Chicago Police Department/X)
More than 50 arrests were made in the hours following Chicago Pride parade over the weekend.
The Chicago Pride parade ended on Sunday (30 June) afternoon, but troubled flared in the early hours of Monday morning in the city’s Lake View neighbourhood. Videos on X/Twitter show a group of people faced down by police officers.
One person posted the footage, writing: “Pride yesterday was not cute.”
The arrests took place at around 1.30am, with a total of 53 people, including nine minors, being detained. Fourteen of them face felony charges, local news outlets reported.
Writing on X, Chicago police said officers had objects thrown at them and a number of officers were injured after the parade.
The thread continued: “More than 50 arrests were made in connection to this post-parade activity, including for aggravated unlawful use of a weapon, aggravated battery against a police officer, aggravated assault of a transit employee and [an] armed habitual criminal.”
Pride-goer Val Stuckey, from the Lake View neighbourhood where the chaos erupted, told NBC Chicago he felt there were too many police officers present. “Disappointing maybe is a word. Overkill… and they could be elsewhere,” he said.
Organisers of the annual parade, PRIDEChicago, said the event was “full of celebration and joy… [and] ended safely at 2pm”.
A spokesperson for the organisation added: “Our all-volunteer organisation is humbled by the overwhelming positive feedback we’ve received from participants and spectators, who were part of the parade festivities during the day.”
Alderman Bennett Lawson, who represents the city’s 44th ward, told NBC 5: “The Pride parade was a safe and wonderful celebration of our diverse LGBTQ+ community, and it was such a joy to see so many people come out to show their support in the fight for equality.
“Following the parade’s conclusion, I was extremely disappointed to see disruptive actions in our neighbourhood into the early morning hours. I am grateful to the Chicago Police Department for their quick and decisive action to limit any damage and keep people safe.”
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