Montreal Pride expels gay Hong Kong marchers, blaming ‘threats by pro-Communists’ to sabotage parade
- Parade organisers tell Hong Kong marchers that police warned of attempts by their opponents to disrupt the parade – but Montreal police deny issuing the alert
- A lone Hong Kong gay rights activist was trailed by dozens of demonstrators who sang the Chinese anthem during moment of silence for victims of Aids and bigotry
Prominent Hong Kong gay rights activist Francis Tang Yiu-kwong flew to Canada expecting to march in Montreal’s annual Pride parade alongside a group of LGBTQ immigrant Hongkongers.
But Tang was instead forced to march the route by himself in his rainbow T-shirt, after Montreal Pride organisers expelled the group, Action Free HK MTL, because of what the organisers called “threats of sabotage” by “pro-Communists”.
Members of a WeChat group had discussed following Action Free HK MTL members then beating them up after the march.
Action Free HK MTL supports the Hong Kong protest movement, although Tang is not a member and he said he just wanted some company on the 2.7km walk. He was separately invited by Montreal Pride because of his efforts to set up the Hong Kong Pride march and his advocacy for gay rights.
Action Free HK MTL’s co-founder, Henry Lam, blasted Montreal Pride for surrendering to threats of violence by retracting the group’s registration.
“Why would they give in like this?” Lam asked. “Where is the bottom line?”
