Article content The Canada Day long weekend was marked by three straight days of protests and counter-protests featuring self-described Evangelical Christians and members of the local LGBTQ+ community. The former group coordinated these demonstrations to “confront” the celebration of Pride Month, which organizer Tim Coderre characterized as a “mockery of God” on his personal Facebook page. To drive this point home, Coderre and his supporters spent Saturday and Monday protesting at the corner of Spring and Bay Street, where a rainbow flag had recently been painted at the crosswalk for Pride Month.
The group also showed up to The Machine Shop on Sunday to protest a “Pride Party” being run by The KLUB 2SLGBTQ+ Community Centre that featured a drag show and “story time with Queens” event. Members of Sault Pride, in turn, organized their own counter-protests throughout all three days, writing on Facebook that they aimed to challenge “the hateful false narrative imposed upon our lives and families.” The Sault Star talked to both groups at the intersection of Spring and Bay on Monday evening, with the city’s official Canada Day festivities taking place roughly a block away.
On one side, protesters brandished Canadian flags and hoisted signs that cited various bible verses. Some attendees even carried signs that directly attacked members of the LGBTQ+ community, with slogans such as “Hands Off Our Kids” and “Danger Due to Pedophiles!” Sault Pride and its.
