Straight Pride Parade Draws Massive Police Presence, Counter-Protesters

A Straight Pride Parade made its way through Boston Saturday, flanked by police and drawing counter-protesters denouncing the controversial event. 

The parade, which included a float displaying the word "Trump," began at noon and proceeded to Boston City Hall, where speakers were scheduled to talk. Participants were seen waving American flags as they walked along the route. 

Counter-protesters were seen holding signs along the parade route and were separated from the parade participants by barricades.

Boston police deployed a massive presence of officers, who escorted the parade participants through the streets and gathered at City Hall ahead of the parade's arrival. Police said earlier they would heighten security and deploy uniformed and undercover officers. 

Protesters gathered at City Hall and lined the streets, holding signs, rainbow flags and chanting as parade participants went through a security check point. 

The event was organized as a response to the city's annual Pride Parade held each year in June. The people behind the Straight Pride Parade have denied that the event is about hate.

Former Breitbart editor Milo Yiannopoulos, who is banned from social media networks, was expected to serve as grand marshal.

The parade route, which cuts through downtown Boston, raised concern from Emerson College President Lee Pelton, regarding the safety of students.

In a campus-wide message sent this week, Pelton slammed the parade calling it "a perversion" and a "desecration of beauty, truth and generosity."

Parade organizer Samson Racioppi says Emerson suppressed free speech by criticizing it.

"They're just heterophobic. They don’t want to afford us the right to walk down the street," Racioppi said. "That’s all we want to do is walk down the street."

Pelton responded in a campus message asking "not to be lulled into believing this parade is motivated by any noble obligation to protect freedom of speech or assembly."

"This is its mask only and behind that mask are a group of angry and misguided people whose aim is to turn a cherished American value, e pluribus unum, 'out of the many, one,' on its head," Pelton said.

Parade organizers were expecting at least 2,000 attendees.

Attendees were urged to not bring backpacks, large bags or strollers. Those who do may be searched, police said.

Other prohibited items include:

Firearms, knives, weapons, sharp objects, shields or fireworks

Pop up tents or canopies

Cans, glass containers, pre-mixed beverages or alcoholic beverages

Wagons or pull carts

Coolers

Drones

Pets (with the exception of service animals)

Grills, propane tanks

Bicycles

Flag poles, bats, clubs, sticks (including signs attached to sticks). 

Photo Credit: Mike Manzoni/NBC Boston

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