Toulouse. The Pride March maintained in the city center despite a persistent disagreement
Through Margaux Thokagevistk
Published on
The pride march, planned Saturday, October 9, 2021 will take place downtown maintain its organizers. This despite a persistent disagreement between the latter and the Haute-Garonne prefecture on the route that the event should take.
As a reminder, the Prefecture had asked the organizers to change the date of the event or the route of the procession, “for security reasons” linked to the probable concomitance with the event, this one undeclared, of the sanitary pass.
What the organizers have always refused.
The position of the organizers
On the side of the organizers, the question therefore seems fine and well settled three days before the event. Joined by Actu Toulouse, the organizers explain:
To date, we have not received a notification indicating the ban on walking, so the demonstration will take place in the city center this Saturday. Also in 2019, during the yellow vests crisis, the Prefecture had left doubt on the holding of the parade and in the end, everything went very well. “
The position of the prefecture
The Prefecture’s position is more ambiguous. In a response to Toulouse news, she explains that she made new proposals for an alternative route in the city center:
The organizers said after the meeting that they were maintaining their initial route declaration for October 9, despite alerts reported by the prefecture relating to the safety of the demonstrators. The objective of the prefecture is that the demonstration takes place in the best conditions for both the demonstrators and the Toulouse residents. “
Discussions that went round in circles
In recent days, discussions have continued to turn in circles between the organizers and the Prefecture, each camped on these positions.
In the hope of finding a solution that satisfies both parties, an umpteenth meeting was held Monday, October 4 in the evening. The corn ? Take stock of the health and safety situation.
“We hoped the situation would improve and it is. The incidence rate is stable and the latest demonstration of the sanitary pass-throughs ended smoothly. Mobilization is also on the decline, with fewer and fewer participants. In view of these latest data, Pride Toulouse has decided to maintain the route declared at the prefecture in August. We have informed the state services of our decision. ”
Faced with the perseverance of the organizers, without prohibiting, the Prefecture returned Toulouse pride to its responsibilities.
Between 20,000 and 30,000 people expected
And they are big. It is indeed between 20,000 and 30,000 people who are expected next Saturday to participate in this pride parade. And after a 2020 edition canceled due to Covid-19, there is no doubt that many will take part in this festive and political event.
If by Saturday nothing changes, the start of the march is scheduled for 2 p.m. from Place du Capitole to join the emblematic floats, direction: rue de la Fayette, rue Alsace-Lorraine, boulevard de Strasbourg, boulevard Lazare Carnot, rue de Metz, rue Alsace-Lorraine and finally square Charles De Gaulle where the festivities will end.
An online request
Outraged by the prefecture’s request to change the location of the parade, nearly 40 associations for the defense of LGBTQI + rights in Toulouse and Occitanie denounced in a text this attempt “to make LGBTQI + people and their struggles invisible, as well as the freedom to demonstrate. “
They even launched an online petition to mobilize public opinion. To date, more than 12,400 people have their “Support for the Toulouse Pride March 2021”.
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