The Toronto Police Service has announced that it will not participate in the annual Pride Parade this year after pressures from some members of the black community,  a move that the head of the union representing front-line officers is calling a “kneejerk reaction” and “political pandering.”

Police Chief Mark Saunders released a statement on Friday morning, in which he said that the TPS will not participate in this summer’s Pride Parade but will continue to hold their annual pride reception.

The decision comes after the majority of those in attendance at Pride Toronto’s Annual General Meeting in January voted in favour of an unexpected motion to adopt a list of demands made by Black Lives Matter – Toronto, including the banning of police floats from the annual Pride Parade.

Police had previously said that they needed further clarification on the AGM decision, which came following an unexpected motion from two women who did not work for Pride Toronto or sit on its board of directors.

“We understand the LGBTQ communities are divided. To enable those differences to be addressed, I have decided the Toronto Police Service will not participate, this year, in the Pride Parade,” Saunders said. “I want to make it very clear that this will have no impact on our ongoing outreach to LGBTQ communities. We will continue to develop respectful relationships and build new ones, focusing on those who feel marginalized, with the trans and racialized communities. I will sit down with any group who feels marginalized, who comes to the table with ideas on how to make things better.”

Speaking to CP24 after the statement was released, Saunders said officers can still take part in the parade but said that they will have to be dressed as civilians and not in uniform.

Demonstrators halted parade

Last July, members of Black Lives Matter- Toronto staged a sit-in protest at the parade to draw attention to a number of issues relating to pride and its inclusion, or lack thereof, of the black community.

The parade was halted for nearly 30 minutes as a result of the protest and only resumed after former Pride Toronto executive director Mathieu Chantelois signed a list of demands.

Chantelois later recanted on those demands but subsequently resigned from his position.

Then in September, Pride Toronto released a statement apologizing for a "history of anti-blackness and repeated marginalization of the marginalized" and promising to demonstrate progress on “each and every item” included in the list of demands.

'Step backwards,' police union says

Speaking with CP24 on Friday, Toronto Police Association President Mike McCormack predicted that the decision to withdraw police participation in the Pride Parade may come at the expense of the TPS’s relationship with the city’s LGBTQ communities.

“Our members feel like this is political pandering and a continuation of the knee-jerk reaction that has happened since Black Lives Matter shut pride down last year,” he said. “We don’t this is a step in the right direction. We think it will seriously have an impact on the relationship between institutional police and the LGBTQ communities.”

McCormack said that Saunders made his decision without holding any “meaningful consultation” with police officers.

He said the result will be a “step backwards” away from inclusion.

“If the goal throughout this whole process was to erode the relationship between police and our communities then I think that Black Lives Matter and other special interest groups are clearly achieving that,” he said.

Tory says he is frustrated with situation

In a statement released on Friday afternoon, Mayor Tory said he “respects” the decision Saunders has made but is “disappointed and frustrated” with the situation that brought it about.

Tory said officers should be “commended for the bridges that have been built and that they are continuing to build” with the LGBTQ communities.

“No one should feel excluded from Pride and no group should have to decide it is better if they just don't take part,” Tory said. “This current situation is not good for a city as inclusive as Toronto. We know that diversity strengthens us as a city and pushing people apart weakens us as a city.”

Tory said he remains “hopeful” that a solution can be reached to allow police to participate in future pride parades.

The co-founder of Black Lives Matter – Toronto, however, said that major changes need to be made in order for some black members of the LGBTQ community to feel truly safe in the presence of large numbers of police at the annual parade.

“When you go to the pride parade as a black, queer or trans person who has been persecuted by the Toronto police, treated unfairly, it doesn’t feel inclusive for us,” Sandy Hudson told CP24. “There are 13 different police forces, they turn on their sirens and they have their buses and squad cars. That is a larger contingent than any other group at pride.”

Hudson said that police have “done nothing to address” the shooting death of Andrew Loku, which will be the subject of a coroner’s inquest in June, and have done little to account for the damage that carding inflicted upon the community, much less put in sufficient regulations to ensure that the practice does not continue.

She also criticized police for refusing to destroy the historic data collected through carding.

“This isn’t payback, this is people standing up and saying Toronto police we are not going to accept you until these issues are dealt with,” she said. “There is a particular segment of our society, black people, who are being treated unfairly and without dignity by police and that deserves an urgent response. That hasn’t happened.”

Decision follows similar call by police in Halifax

Saunders decision comes after police in Halifax announced earlier this week that they would not participate in that city’s pride parade.

Gwen Bartleman, who was one of two people who made the motion to implement the Black Lives Matter demands in January, told CP24 that it is a sign of the times.

“I think it was a smart move on the chief’s part. I really think this is the way the pendulum is swinging right across the country,” she said. “I think it is a very proactive kind of move and I think it’s a smart move.

Meanwhile, Toronto police are still planning to host their annual Pride reception to kick off the festivities.

“We have it because we enjoy it, it’s fun,” Saunders told CP24. “We have a strong relationship with the LGBTQ community, it’s one of those bridges that are strong and will continue to be strong”

In a statement issued on Friday afternoon, Pride Toronto said that it “is committed to continuing the important dialogue that has taken place” with its “membership and the broader community.”

Pride Toronto also reminded police officers that they can still participate in the parade as members of the public.