Let's rave not riot, say Pride paraders

Published on Saturday 13 August 2011 11:24

TENS of thousands of people brought colour, noise and a large amount of naked flesh to a seaside city for its annual Pride parade yesterday.

Wet weather early on in the day did little to deter the crowds from flocking to Brighton for its Pride parade, regarded as the biggest festival of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender culture in the UK.

With its 'Out of this World' theme, more than 50 entrants, including businesses and emergency services, took part in the parade, the highlight of the week-long festival's finale weekend.

The parade arrived at Preston Park where former X Factor winners, Alexandra Burke and Joe McElderry were performing at the main party, which has been ticketed for the first time.

One reveller said the event was a "glorious antidote" following the riots in London, Birmingham and Manchester during the week, while another party-goer held a placard reading: "Let's rave, not riot."

There had been rumours that this year's Brighton Pride would be cancelled amid pressure on police resources due to this week's troubles.

But Chief Superintendent Graham Bartlett, of Sussex Police, said that although officers were monitoring events elsewhere, they aimed to ensure it remained "business as usual".

By 2.30pm, there had been just four arrests. One was on suspicion of causing criminal damage, two were for public order offences and one was for drug offences.

The event, which first started in 1992, celebrates the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community, and has taken months of planning by a large team of staff and volunteers.