Tight security for Pride in the Park as LGBTQ+ Pride weekend begins
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Pride Weekend is a longstanding tradition in Chicago, but with expected crowds and rising anti-LGBTQ+ sentiment, security is top of mind for both event organizers and police.
Interim Police Supt. Fred Waller announced earlier Friday that officers would have a day off canceled to ensure safety at the Pride Parade on Sunday in the Northalsted District – while also keeping the rest of the city safe.
But ahead of that on Friday evening, Pride in the Park Chicago was in progress at Butler Field in Grant Park. German DJ Zedd was the headliner, along with Swedish singer Zara Larsson and other hot acts. Rapper Saweetie and British singer Olly Alexander's Years & Years will take to the stage on Saturday.
As CBS 2's Marybel González reported, security was stringent at Pride in the Park. Outside the park, CPD officers kept watch and streets were closed.
At the entrance, every bag was checked, and every ticketholder was scanned.
"We used the Evolv – which is a body scanner - instead of just a metal detector," said Pride in the Park founder Dusty Carpenter. "It does a much better job."
Carpenter said security is a top concern – as the American Civil Liberties Union tracks a record number of anti-LGBTQ bills in states across the country.
"We're an easy target," Carpenter said, "and I want people to be here to have a good time, celebrate, be who they are, and not worry about that."
For the parade on Sunday, police want patrols to be sufficient for both the parade itself and the evening afterward – which historically sometimes has gotten out of hand.
Last year, in the overnight hours long after the parade had ended, two separate violent incidents near the area where the parade was held sent six people to the hospital.
"We're going to have our most experienced officers working throughout the night after the parade," Waller said.
All officers will have one day off canceled to up patrols for the event. Police say this will mean an additional 200 officers patrolling the streets.
These are measures that many welcome to make sure people can safely celebrate together what makes everyone unique.
"Representation," a Pride in the Park visitor said. "We have to celebrate diversity. This is one of the best cities to do it in."
"I'm proud that in Chicago, that we are able to be in this amazing setting – and that no matter who you are, you can come here, you can be yourself, and enjoy life and really show your true colors," said performer CircuitMOM, who was also onstage Friday.
Pride in the Park is expecting as many as 7,000 people to attend when it returns on Saturday.