Nova Scotia premier says he skipped Halifax Pride parade because of safety concerns

HALIFAX — Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston says his absence from this year’s Halifax Pride parade was the result of advice from the RCMP not to participate because of safety concerns.

In an emailed statement, the premier says he was not at the parade on Saturday “out of an abundance of caution” and that the decision to skip the event doesn’t diminish his support for the 2SLGBTQ+ community.

Nova Scotia’s Liberal, NDP and Green parties each participated with a parade float, leaving the Progressive Conservatives as the only major political party not represented at the event.

“I have always said, no matter who you are, who you love or how you identify, there is a place for you in this province and you deserve to live without fear and intimidation,” Houston said Tuesday.

The premier’s office says police recommended that Houston not participate this year out of concern for his safety and that of other participants, but the office declined to provide details about the alleged risk.

Nova Scotia RCMP spokesperson Guillaume Tremblay confirmed that police provided Houston’s office with advice, though the decision whether to attend was up to the premier. Advice provided to Houston was based on “current international events and local disruptions such as protests,” Tremblay said in an email.

He said the RCMP would have deployed the necessary resources if the premier had attended, adding that his presence could have sparked a disruption and increased “the risk to the public’s safety and to himself.”

Pride organizers warned parade float co-ordinators in an email on July 8 they should be prepared for the parade to be stopped by demonstrators.

“Many of you may be aware that a number of large Pride parades have been stopped or held up by Palestinian support demonstrations, including Pride Toronto a few weeks ago. Situations like this are something our team has prepared for every year, but this year we feel that a parade stoppage may be inevitable,” reads the email.

The email instructs float participants to avoid engaging with protesters and be respectful of them. It also includes plans for ending the parade early if it is held up by protesters and cannot continue on the route.

“Halifax Pride fully supports anyone’s right to protest, as Pride itself started as a riot and protest. We also fully support the liberation of Palestine, and will engage directly with any groups who seek to engage with us, even in the case of stopping the parade.”

Mark Boudreau, a spokesperson with the Progressive Conservatives, says Houston attended the 2022 parade with a float and group of volunteers, adding that he was prepared to do the same last year — but the event was cancelled.

Boudreau says the party booked a float for this year but made the “difficult” decision to withdraw.

Nova Scotia NDP Leader Claudia Chender said in a statement Tuesday it was disappointing that Houston did not attend and she is “concerned” about his reasoning for missing the event.

“If there were security concerns, why did his office reach out to the RCMP and not the other way around? Why were other political parties and the public not warned?” Chender asked.

Liberal Leader Zach Churchill wrote to Houston Tuesday regarding the parade, saying the premier missed an important opportunity to celebrate the city’s 2SLGBTQ+ community. “As a parade participant I can assure you that while there was a peaceful protest, the safety of our members and volunteers was never at risk,” he said in the letter.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 23, 2024.

Lyndsay Armstrong, The Canadian Press