Victoria Pride Parade re-routed around pro-Palestinian protest [Video]

A group of pro-Palestinian protesters interrupted the Victoria Pride Parade over the weekend, forcing authorities to re-route the procession.

The Victoria Police Department said around 40 protestors blocked the parade route along Humboldt Street on Sunday, but that there were no serious altercations reported.

“Although there were some minor interactions, including one preventative arrest and release made on site, the group dispersed within about 40 minutes without significant incident,” said Cheryl Major, VicPD’s director of community engagement, in an email to CTV News.

The protesters taking part in the blockade chanted slogans and carried signs, some of which read “Queers for a free Palestine” and “Queer Jews say no pride in genocide.”

In a statement, the group accused the Victoria Pride Society of “pinkwashing” for welcoming certain floats to participate in the event.

“Pinkwashing is a deliberate strategy used by governments and corporations to exploit their relatively progressive stance on …