Capital Pride announced it will review security measures for Ottawa's upcoming parade and festival following a deadly weekend terrorist attack at a Pride event in Berlin, Germany.
German authorities reported that a 21-year-old German citizen drove a vehicle into a crowd on Saturday night during Berlin's annual celebrations before stabbing bystanders with a machete.
The attack left one person dead and 29 others injured before police killed the suspect following a nearly 24-hour search.
David Breault, chair of Capital Pride's board of directors, addressed the impact of the attack on the community.
"[Pride is] about celebrating people's identities, being able to go be out and proud. And to have that marred with something this horrific is heartbreaking," he said.
Organizers have gradually heightened security over recent years due to festival growth and escalating anti-2SLGBTQ+ sentiment.
Breault stated that the group plans further discussions in the coming weeks to finalize potential security changes.
"Unfortunately, by virtue of it being Pride, we plan for this kind of thing. But of course we hope it doesn't happen," Breault said.
The international incident occurred during the launch of Chez Nous, a new independent Pride festival in Ottawa organized by and for 2SLGBTQ+ Africans and newcomers.
The event featured a weekend schedule including a ball at SAW Gallery on Saturday alongside performance and information showcases at McNabb Park on Sunday.
Yami Msosa, an organizer for Chez Nous, highlighted the necessity of representing diverse voices within local leadership structures.
"We don't often see folks that look like me in roles of leadership [in 2SLGBTQ+ organizations]," Msosa said.
Msosa noted that the festival centers Africanness amid growing safety concerns and deteriorating legal rights for 2SLGBTQ+ individuals in several African countries, including Ghana, Senegal, and Niger, which enacted stricter laws this year.
"It's reflective [of] a Pride movement where often racialized newcomers, Africans, folks from different diasporas often have to fight to be heard," Msosa said.
The festival organizer extended thoughts to those affected by the European tragedy.
"[When] violence ensues, it creates a moment of pause [to think] about what does it mean to truly be safe and what does it truly mean to celebrate who you are," Msosa said.
Community members attending local events expressed ongoing solidarity and determination following the violent events abroad.
"[There's been] a lot of progress," said Hiliya-Kin Robleh, attendee with the AIDS Committee of Ottawa.
Robleh emphasized the ongoing necessity of advocacy efforts. "But it's never enough," Robleh said.
