Reclaim Oxford Street Protest And Party Organised: ‘We Will Not Be Driven Out’
Image: Pride In Protest Facebook
Sydney-based LGBTQI group, Pride in Protest is calling on Queer communities to gather on September 2 to “Reclaim Oxford Street.”
In response to the increase in Queerphobic harassment and assault on Oxford Street, Pride in Protest is organising a Reclaim Oxford Street Protest and Party, for a night of “revelry and rebellion, in the spirit of those queer resisters who came before us.”
‘We Will Not Be Driven Out’
Pride in Protest spokesperson, Mikhael Erzengel, explained, “Oxford Street is a very famous historical Queer area… this area is our space, we’re the ones who make it run, and we will not be driven out of it. We’re going to be very out and proud and public.”
The plan, according to Erzengel, is to meet at Hyde Park at 9pm, and then march to Taylor Square for a night full of music, celebration, drag performers, and Queer joy.
In a post to social media, organisers said, “In 2023, we have seen organised street harassment and assaults of queer and trans people, with implicit or explicit endorsement by politicians. We have seen mobs of fundamentalists and fascists invading queer spaces with impunity.
“We say, it’s time to take back our street!”
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An Increase In Anti-LGBTQI Sentiment
Oxford Street has seen an increase in anti-LGBTQI sentiment, with queer communities facing both verbal and physical abuse.
In response to this, on June 20, City of Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore announced plans for an LGBTQI Local Government Safety Summit.
There is no word, however, on when this Safety Summit will happen.
The one-day Summit, organised by the City of Sydney and ACON, plans to bring Councils, NSW Government agencies, and law enforcement together with LGBTQI community organisations and researchers.
The aim of the Summit is to raise awareness of anti-LGBTQI threats and facilitate collaboration among local government and the community.
In July, Pride in Protest called for NSW Police to be excluded from the upcoming LGBTQI Local Government Safety Summit, in favour of “community-driven solutions.”
According to Pride in Protest, “Community-driven solutions, such as the Dykes on Bikes and other community groups’ support for events like the trans and gender-diverse swim night, and safety plans for story time activities, are the types of matters we need to discuss and build upon.”
