Queer Liberation March Highlights Pride Sunday
Community gathers for Reclaim Pride Coalition’s third annual event
BY MATT TRACY
Yes, New York is back —
in a big way.
On a day when temperatures
touched 90
degrees in New York City, the third
annual Queer Liberation March on
June 27 drew many thousands of
energetic marchers who made their
way from Bryant Park to Washington
Square Park to commemorate
Pride Sunday in New York City.
It appeared to be the most wellattended
Queer Liberation March
yet — and the crowd that amassed
at Bryant Park ahead of the march
was so large that it spilled into the
nearby streets. The messages emblazoned
on signs, banners, and
T-shirts shed light on the range
of LGBTQ issues unfolding across
the world and here in the United
States, from immigrants’ rights to
the legislative assaults on trans
youth in multiple states. Marchers
also railed against economic
injustice in accordance with the
Reclaim Pride Coalition’s rejection
of the corporate ties that have permeated
the Heritage of Pride (HOP)
March.
The Queer Liberation March
took place hours after a scaleddown
version of HOP’s Pride March
and TV broadcast was held with a
limited slate due to the coronavirus
pandemic. Unlike HOP’s highly
regulated festivities, some folks
stepped in and out of the Queer
Liberation March — which is an
unpermitted event that bans police
and corporations in an effort to
restore Pride to its original roots.
Others even joined from their rooftops,
fi re escapes, and balconies,
where they sipped from red solo
cups and waved Rainbow Flags
from up above, drawing roaring
cheers from marchers. Chants of
“no justice, no peace” and “f*** the
bourgeoisie” reverberated down
Seventh Avenue.
Many of the same people who
previously participated in the
Queer Liberation March had said
they would be back for more this
year. Given the size of the march,
however, it was clear that new people
Marchers head down Seventh Avenue at the Reclaim Pride Coalition’s Queer Liberation March.
Summer fun in the fountain.
were welcomed into the fold —
and they were delighted to join in.
“I’m really happy to be here because
it’s my fi rst Pride out as a
non-binary lesbian,” said one of
the marchers, B. Kelly, who was
standing with two others while
they waited for the march to begin.
“”I’m here with my girlfriend.”
Ivan Noboa was visiting from the
Dominican Republic and opted to
join the Queer Liberation March to
stand in solidarity with the community.
“I like the environment, the
people — I support them,” Noboa
explained. “I’m straight but I don’t
judge people. I’m a supporter.”
From Bryant Park, the march
MATT TRACY
MATT TRACY
started off along 41st Street before
heading south on Seventh Avenue
and shifting east to conclude at
Washington Square Park. A rally
was originally scheduled to take
place at the end of the march, but
those plans were scrapped just
days before the rally.
Along the way, parties were popping
up on the side of the street
and music blasted from different
directions. Some folks stepped off
the march at Stonewall to join the
massive crowd packed into Christopher
Street. Cami Reaume, who
hails from the midwest, took in the
energy while standing near Stonewall.
“We’ve all just been waiting like
PRIDE
a year to celebrate Pride,” Reaume
said. “This is my fi rst actual Pride
so I’m especially excited. I came
down in the Queer Liberation
March. It’s awesome.”
Following the march, folks
poured into Washington Square
Park for the biggest party of the
day — and that lasted well into the
night. Countless people hopped
through the fountain to cool off,
Rainbow Flags waved at every corner
of the park, and large crowds
congregated around speakers blaring
music from Nicki Minaj and
Megan Thee Stallion.
However, after cops seemed to
steer clear of marchers throughout
the day, a signifi cant police presence
started to build up around
the park — especially near the
Washington Square Arch — as the
sun continued to set on the fi nal
Sunday of Pride Month. Multiple
Twitter users reported that cops
eventually moved in and peppersprayed
some individuals, and
police said there were four arrests
after a person threw a water bottle
and bit a lieutenant — though that
allegation was not independently
confi rmed by Gay City News.
Less than an hour after the alleged
incident unfolded, Gay City
News spotted cops in riot gear mobilized
near the park and dozens
of police offi cers on bicycles were
seen about one block away from
the park. By 8 p.m., dozens of police
cars were lined up on the road
outside of the park and a helicopter
hovered above, circling the area
over and over.
That brief diversion prompted
folks to denounce the NYPD’s actions,
but it was short-lived and
barely impacted the evening at the
park. The music continued, the
park stayed busy, and most people
there did not seem to know anything
happened.
Past the 10 p.m. hour, the streets
were still fi lled with dancing revelers.
Near West Fourth Street and
Sixth Avenue, some people were
bouncing on a bus equipped with
a sound system and others surrounded
the vehicle and danced
the night away.
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