Chicago police address security concerns ahead of Pride Parade this weekend
CHICAGO (WLS) -- Crowds will pack Lakeview and Grant Park to celebrate Pride, culminating in the annual parade on the North Side.
Nearly 1 million people are expected to pack the streets for the city's 52nd Pride Parade on Sunday. Chicago Police Interim Supt. Fred Waller and other officials laid out the city's safety plan Friday.
Police said there are no known threats to the celebration at this point, but they are taking no chances.
Police met with business leaders to discuss concerns and talk about preparations. The biggest concern might be what the weather will do, but the hopes are there will be no security concerns for the parade r the celebration after.
That parade steps off at noon on Sunday from Montrose and Broadway and ends near the intersection of Diversey and Sheridan in Lincoln Park. The parade is one of the largest pride events around the world.
Police said they will be prepared and have a highly visible, uniformed presence and more all along the parade route.
"I'm not going to speak to what type of assets we have within the crowd that won't be in uniform, but we definitely will have some undercover assets in that crowd," Waller said.
Joe Sasso traveled all the way from Boston for the weekend, and said there is nothing like Chicago Pride.
"Everybody is having a good time and enjoying each other, and it's just a lot of fun," Sasso said. "We've gone to pride parades all over the world. We've been to Stockholm, Barcelona and for every community it really helps the community come together."
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Pride is everywhere you look along North Halsted on Friday.
"I think that the parade is an annual reminder that Chicago is a safe place for the LGBTQ community," said Chicago resident Michelle Wesley.
Elevate Coffee is gearing up for parade day. Manager Daniel Gil described it as the cafe's "Black Friday."
"It's our busiest day of the year, for sure. I mean, this room becomes packed with people, and everyone is just excited to grab coffee, and walk around and be a part of it," Gil said.
Still, many LGBTQ+ leaders and business owners are concerned about anti-gay and anti-trans threats across the country, even though police said there are no known threats in Chicago for parade day.
"We always have security concerns around pride parades and large gatherings in Chicago. So I know that there is a lot of anti-LGBTQ+ sentiment kind of going around in certain areas of the country. But security is also always a very important issue for us every year," said Brad Balof, general manager of Sidetrack.
Also happening Saturday and Sunday is Pride in the Park, a music festival in Grant Park featuring LGBTQ+ performers and artists.
"The vibe is building. It is growing. There is a lot of excitement in the air," said Pride in the Park volunteer Thomas Kingsbury.
"We have amazing headliners, bringing in Saweetie and Zedd," said organizers Dusty Carpenter. "We're kind of lucky in Chicago. It's like our blue bubble. We're very supportive of the community, not everywhere is like that in country, but you never know what's going to show up."
Last year, the parade brought together nearly 1 million people to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community. Safety is a top concern with crowds of people filling the streets for the parade.
Northalsted Business Alliance Executive Director Kevin Barbeau said staying vigilant while having fun is a must this weekend.
"Be aware of your surroundings, just like any other event, whether that's a festival or parade. But, just generally being there in support of your fellow parade-goers and those in the parade as well," Barbeau said.
The Office of Emergency Management and Control said it is not tracking any credible threats this weekend, but asked people who go to the parade to stay vigilant and report any suspicious activity to police.
If you can't make it to the North Side to party in person, you can watch the 52nd Chicago Pride Parade live right here on ABC7 and ABC7's Connected TV apps from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. The broadcast will be hosted by ABC7's Tanja Babich, Hosea Sanders and Jason Knowles, who will capture all the action live from the street.
