Warwickshire Pride site targeted by vandals for third year in a row

Leamington’s annual Pride festival was once again victim to vandalism this year, marking the third consecutive year that the Warwickshire Pride site has experienced this type of damage.

In the early hours of 16 August, a “gang” targeted the event’s site in Leamington’s Pump Room Gardens, damaging tents and decorations which had been prepared for the Pride celebrations.

Organisers of the event had arranged enhanced security for this year’s parade following more extreme damage last year, which reduced the severity of the damage caused.

However, the vandals still caused disruption, with volunteers having to quickly clean up the “trashed” site for the celebrations to proceed as planned.

This is my annual f**k you to the people who come and attack Pride and what we are trying to do

Dan Browne, Warwickshire Pride organiser

The event’s organiser, Dan Browne, expressed his frustration at the vandalism, issuing a defiant response: “This is my annual f**k you to the people who come and attack Pride and what we are trying to do.”

He pointed out that hostility towards the LGBTQ+ community, particularly towards trans people, was becoming an increasing issue, with the trans tent being a prime target of the destruction.

The vandalism was a setback, organisers said, but community members and volunteers came together in an act of solidarity to fix the damage and prepare the site once again for the festival.

Despite the damage and upset caused, the situation ultimately manifested itself in a beautiful display of community support, with hundreds of people attending the celebrations in Leamington.

Organisers have said that they will look to change how the festival is set up in the future in order to avoid further acts of vandalism

The Pride march through the town centre was central to the day’s celebrations, with attendees also enjoying live performances, fairground rides, and market stalls.

Organisers have said that they will look to change how the festival is set up in the future in order to avoid further acts of vandalism. Preparing less of the site in advance, for example, has been mooted as a potential solution to minimise the risk of damage.

However, changes to the current planning and preparation system could come with logistical challenges and make the event more expensive to run.

The message of Pride remains clear, though: despite attempts to dampen the spirit of attendees and spread hate towards the LGBTQ+ community, Warwickshire Pride will continue to stand proud, visible, and united.