Pride battlefield

LONDON’S Gay Pride march has an illustrious history as part of the fight for equality for the LGBT community but the event last weekend in Soho was far removed from that history. 

It was a piss-up in a our communal living room with mega loudspeakers outside bars directly underneath and opposite residents and blasting out extraordinarily loud music for hours non-stop. 

Street urination and drug-dealing was the order of the day, the area resembled a battlefield with litter and broken glass, and the intensity of the crowds was unsafe.

Newsagents were turned into off-licences and the main activity was the consumption of vast amounts of alcohol – Soho was turned into an outdoor vertical drinking bar.

As usual local residents were not consulted or considered and the area was treated as though it’s an outdoor playground with no one living here. Westminster City Council should get a grip on this event which has, anyway, became too large for the narrow streets of Soho. Amplified music should be banned and, as with other more civilised events, restaurants should be allowed to have tables and chairs on the street so it’s a sit-down, lower key, event. 

If this isn’t possible then a more suitable venue needs to be found.

DAVID BIEDA, PETER CAVE, 
JOSH DANZIGER, JANE DOYLE, 
JANE FERGUSON, DIANA GREY, 
ANGELA JOY HARVEY, MICHAEL HOLTER,
LESLEY ISLES, TIGGY MACONOCHIE,
HUGH MATHESON, WILLIAM PERRAUDIN,
VICTOR SALUSSOLIA, SONIA SHEA, TROY WEAR 

Published: 8 July, 2011