Palestine protest row ahead of Glasgow Pride march
Glasgowâs Pride has raised concerns around plans for pro-Palestine protests at Saturdayâs parade.
It said it was âfirmly againstâ conflict of any kind, but the purpose of Pride was to âstand-up for the human rights and inclusion of the LGBTQIA+ communityâ.
The Glasgow Greens said there was âno conflict between standing for a free Palestine and celebrating our queer identitiesâ.
Thousands are expected to join in the colourful march after last yearâs event reportedly saw a record 50,000 people marched through the city to celebrate LGBTQ+ people.
The parade will leave Festival Park at midday and finish at Glasgow Green.
The nearby Barrowland Ballroom will host the main stage for the free Pride Hub and Barras Art & Design (BAAD) will run the community stage.
The line-up includes performances from Whigfield, Jedward, Lucy Spraggan and Girls Aloud cover band Girls R Loud.
Meanwhile, the Barras Market will be transformed into a Pride Market with more than 130 retailers and food vendors.
The city council recently unveiled a new mural of the LGBTQ+ flag on Wilson Street in the Merchant City ahead of the weekendâs celebrations.
âNo conflictâ
The Glasgow Greens and Rainbow Greens have decided not to march in the paradeâs âGreen Blocâ and will instead walk in a ââNo Pride in Genocide: Radical Blocâ.
They said this was due to âreports of Glasgowâs Pride Ltdâs corporate sponsorsâ and their potential links to Israel, as well as sponsors who are âaccelerating the climate crisisâ.
No Pride in Genocide has urged members of the LGBTQ+ community to write to Glasgowâs Pride and âexpress support for a transparent and democratic approach to financesâ.
Glasgow Greens committee member Ellie Gomersall said: âPride is first and foremost a protest and that must always be remembered even as we rightly celebrate how far our community has come in our fight for liberation.
âAs we continue that fight for our human rights we must stand in solidarity with all those across the world who are fighting for theirs.
âThere is no conflict between standing for a free Palestine and celebrating our queer identities â for Glasgowâs Pride Ltd to imply this is disappointing and offensive.â
She said the Scottish Greens would always fight for LGBTQ+ people but it would ânot stop us from standing with Palestine or fighting the climate crisisâ.
Ms Gomersall added: âPride should be about liberation for all, not a celebration of corporations putting a rainbow in their logo.â
Glasgowâs Pride said it firmly stood against any and all forms of conflict, âespecially in cases of extreme violence towards a minorityâ.
A spokesperson said: âWhile itâs vital that we stand against these issues, Pride has itâs own clear purpose â itâs not party â it is the day we stand up for the human rights and inclusion of the LGBTQIA+ community.
âWe welcome everyone to march with us in the name of inclusion over division, and love over hate.â