Fife Pride march delayed after major incident as man alleged to have climbed High Street scaffolding

The Fife Pride march in Kirkcaldy was delayed after an incident on the High Street route.

Organisers were forced to call a halt to the parade on Saturday after a 57-year-old man climbed to the top of scaffolding at a housing development on the High Street.

He was observed taking photographs and moving around some scaffolding on the building. However, Police Scotland said the disturbance was not related to the march.

The event began around an hour late after the incident was resolved.

An image captured of the incident on Kirkcaldy's High Street

Multiple fire engines and police, as well as an incident response unit, were in attendance.

Hundreds of people due to be involved in the parade were held waiting at Fife College, about a few hundred yards from the incident. The parade had been due to start at noon.

A tweet from the organisers of the event at 1pm said: “Thank you everyone for being so good natured despite the delay. You are all so fabulosa! We’re just waiting on the instruction from the police that it’s OK to muster and move off. The incident in the High Street has been resolved!”

Marchers gathered outside Fife College

A Police Scotland spokesperson said: "Around 11:35 am on Saturday, September 17, 2022, police were called following a disturbance on High Street, Kirkcaldy, during which a man had climbed onto scaffolding.

"A 57-year-old man has been arrested following the incident and enquiries are continuing."

Fife Pride, an annual celebration of diversity, was expected to bring thousands of people from across Fife into Kirkcaldy.

The event is the first to be held since 2019 due to the Covid-19 pandemic, having been postponed from July due to logistical issues.

Organisers had billed a day of “fun, vibrant, colourful events and entertainment”, as well as the iconic march.

The line-up of entertainment includes Craig Eddie, the Scottish singer who won ITV’s The Voice. A host of live performances are planned across the day, which will be hosted by drag queen, April Adamas. However, headline act Jo O’Meara of S Club 7 pulled out last week.

Entertainment will also include Demi McMahon, Just the Brave, and Bev Lyons, plus street theatre performed by local people around the site as part of a project in collaboration with specialist street theatre company Surge.