Toulouse: Why did the Pride March mobilize so much?
The Pride March marked nearly 30,000 participants in Toulouse. Unheard of according to the organizers.
“From memory, I do not remember having seen so many people on this parade, assures Bruno, faithful to this event. The weather of course played its role but all the same …”.
A great success for this Pride March which drained several thousand people on Saturday in the streets of Toulouse. A walk that comes from afar. Indeed, by decision of the prefecture, this colorful parade came close to the cancellation of the city center for fear of overflow with the anti-pass demonstration. “We mobilized, discussed and won, enthuses Jérémy Perrrard Perrard, director of Gay Pride; in a few detailed figures: the organizers counted more than 30,000 people, against 12,000 for the prefecture services. . The difference is normal. Depending on the type of calculation, the figures are never in phase. There was all the same an hour of waiting between the first and the last tank! That is to say the world “.
There are several reasons for this crowd: “First of all, the absence of this march in 2020 due to the pandemic has reinforced the public’s desire to participate in it to share this moment”, remarks the official. Another reason according to him: the fear of the cancellation also made many aware of the threat that hung over this march.
Student presence and strong community support
The major presence in the city of students, linked to the Learning and Work-Study Fair, installed on Saturday at the MEETT (Parc des Expositions), also had an impact on massive attendance: “To explain their commitment, many young people followed this procession with their parents, notes Jérémy Perrard. bioethics “.
A success also linked to the support of communities. In particular the City of Toulouse which for the first time had a tank in its name, as well as its commitment with the Departmental and Regional Council. Finally, according to Jérôme Sion, volunteer at the Refuge and activist, the vote in the National Assembly on October 5 prohibiting the practices of “conversion therapy” especially for LGBTQI + people certainly had a consequence on this parade. “In any case it was a beautiful moment of tolerance, without clashes or violence. Far from the current discourse of some”, concludes Patrick, a regular at this moment without saying more.