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It was about 2:15 p.m. when police said officers responded to an emergency call about a large disturbance at Wortley Road and Duchess Avenue, where an event coincides with London Pride week (although officials say it’s not officially part of the town fete) was held in Wortley Village. Police released few other details. “There was a big physical fight in the surrounding area. Upon police arrival, a man was taken into custody on various criminal charges. . . was not part of the celebrations,” police said in a statement. The investigation was ongoing and police asked anyone who may have information or video of the incident to contact them at 519-661-5670 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS. It’s been a rough few months in Southwestern Ontario regarding anti-LGBTQ incidents. In Norwich, a small town just south of Woodstock, Pride flags were stolen and a Tillsonburg man, Jake Dey, was charged. Dey then gave a 30-minute speech at a Norwich Borough Council meeting in which he compared the Pride movement to Nazi Germany. About 100 locals attended the most recent council meeting last week and called for the mayor to resign for allowing the remarks. Mayor Larry Martin refused to resign.
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Saturday’s event appeared to attract a large crowd to the Wortley Village green. Stephen D’Amelio, vice-chairman of the Pride London Festival, noted that the Wortley rally is not officially part of their events, which are expected to continue until the final parade next Sunday. EDITOR’S NOTE: This story has been updated to reflect that the Wortley Village Pride event is not officially part of the wider London Pride Festival.
