The New South Wales Police Force has been uninvited from the annual Mardi Gras parade in Sydney following the alleged murders of a couple by a serving officer.
There have been calls from within the LGBTQ+ community for police to sit out of the march this Saturday in the wake of the deaths of Jesse Baird and Luke Davies allegedly at the hands of officer Beau Lamarre-Condon.
Premier Chris Minns on Monday defended the force’s right to march at the 2024 Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, saying it would be a “regressive step” to stop police from joining.
Police Commissioner Karen Webb confirmed to The Daily Telegraph that police had been uninvited from the march following a Mardi Gras event board meeting on Monday night.
Ms Webb said she was “disappointed and dismayed”.
“We are humans, we are representative of the community we serve and so we should be there,” she said.
“Conversations we’ve been having are around the under reporting of crimes in the queer community. How is this going to help that?”
Ms Webb said she found the decision “illogical” and the alleged actions of one person should not reflect an entire organisation.
“I can’t understand the logic behind it,” she said.
“I get the distrust and the concern about this matter but don’t brand the whole organisation because of the actions of one individual.”
A NSW Police Force spokesperson also confirmed the news in a statement on Monday evening.
“The NSW Police Force has been advised that the Board of the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras has decided to withdraw the invitation to NSW Police to participate in this year’s event,” a spokesperson said.
“While disappointed with this outcome, NSW Police will continue to work closely with the LGBTIQA+ community and remain committed to working with organisers to provide a safe environment for all those participating in and supporting this Saturday’s parade.”
It is understood several members of the board are trying to overturn the decision, according to The Daily Telegraph.
Sydney MP Alex Greenwich told the publication he wants police “to stand with the LGBTQ community everyday, and that includes the Mardi Gras Parade”.
“There is a lot of work to do to improve community safety, and we must do it together,” he added.
Speaking about the topic earlier on Monday, Mr Minns backed the NSW Police Force’s right to march in the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras event.
“It should be really acknowledged that there’s a lot of gay and lesbian members of the NSW Police Force,” he told 2GB radio.
“Traditionally, they’re the group that had fought for the right to march and that had been seen in recent years as a real effort to bring the community together.”
The parade will be held in Sydney this Saturday across Oxford Street, Flinders Street and Anzac Parade.
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