Mathieu Chantelois – Executive Director at Pride Toronto
The executive director of Pride Toronto has suggested that he signed an agreement to ban police floats from the Pride Parade under duress. Mathieu Chantelois says he has no plans to honour the laundry list of demands and complaints put forward by Black Lives Matter in order to lift its blockade of the parade Sunday. Mr. Chantelois told the Star: “What’s important for people to know is that I’m not deciding what’s in the parade, Alica [Hall, co-chair of Pride’s board of directors] doesn’t decide what’s in the parade, Black Lives Matter doesn’t… decide what’s in the parade,” Chantelois said. “Who’s deciding what’s in the parade is the membership, and my community. The BLM tactics and anti-police animus have infuriated many in the general community. Earlier Monday, Toronto police Chief Mark Saunders told reporters that “there really isn’t much that I can say or offer” about the Black Lives Matter demand that police be excluded from future Pride parades.