The LA Pride Parade will return to its roots and be replaced by a Resist March protesting President Donald Trump and his policies that target minorities and the LGBTQ community. Photo: City of West Hollywood.
WEST HOLLYWOOD — West Hollywood will foot an almost $1 million security bill for LA Pride and the accompanying Resist March, making this year’s event the most expensive ever.
RELATED: LA Pride Parade cancelled, replaced with Resist March
The City Council made the unanimously decision at it’s April 3 meeting.
“Freedom costs a lot,” Councilman John D’Amico said, WeHoville.com reports. “It does cost $1 million for what we are about to embark on. There’s no other choice. We want to do this march. We are a city that believes in exactly what this march and this festival and Christopher Street West represents. We want to do it. Since we want to do it, we need to pay the cost of doing it, the cost that we would pay which is public safety.”
The cost for providing security, including the sheriff, fire and medical personnel as well as traffic control, this year is expected to be $989,000, according to a city report. In 2015, the city spent $445,000 for public safety-related costs. That figure then jumped to $659,000 in 2016, according to the document.
Various Resist Marches are scheduled for June 11 across the nation. Organizers have said the marches are protests against President Donald Trump and his polices that target minorities and the LGBTQ community.
LA Pride Festival will was already scheduled for June 10 and 11 in West Hollywood Park, but organizers agreed to replace LA Pride Parade with the Resist March.
The Resist March will start at 8 a.m., kicking off at Hollywood Boulevard and Highland Avenue in Los Angeles. The march will follow a 3.1 mile path down La Brea Avenue, turning onto Santa Monica Boulevard and ending at La Peer Drive.
Between 250,000 to 500,000 people are expected to participate in the march.
