Pride in Luton banner vandalised for second time - but organisers remain resilient

A colourful advertisement on Stockwood Road was torn from its railings on June 12, having only been placed there three days earlier. A second banner – which was attached with 25 cable ties – was put in place on Tuesday at 8pm but had been destroyed and removed from the railings by 8am on Wednesday (June 26).

But Pride in Luton remains defiant, undetered and resilient, promising a Pride festival that will be bigger and better.

Rosie Besnu, co-chair of Pride in Luton, said: “With a second banner being vandalised and removed, it shows perfectly why Pride festivals are still needed. Until people can live freely in their town and across the world without fear of attack, persecution or in some countries across the globe the death penalty we will continue to shine brightly. The Pride Movement formed out of a protest against police brutality in the 1960s and through the movement has helped supporting equality legislation for everyone, not just the LGBTIQ+ community.

"In light of these homophobic incidents Pride in Luton Festival 2024 taking place on Saturday , July 6 from 1pm in the Hat District, will brighter, more fabulous and more inclusive than ever before. We won’t be silenced, and we encourage those from the LGBTIQ+ community and allies to join us for what will be a fun-filled family day out”.

A new banner was put in place today (June 27) at the corner of Stockingstone Road and New Bedford Road to continue promoting the event.

Scott Griffwood, treasurer of Pride in Luton, said: "We're disappointed, annoyed, frustrated, but we're not going to let it dampen the Pride celebrations that are taking place on July 6. We have logged the stolen banner as a hate crime and Bedfordshire Police have been brilliant. I'm going down today at 12.15pm with Sergeant Phil Boyd to replace it."

Community Cohesion Sergeant Phil Boyd, said: “We have been made aware of an incident in which Pride in Luton’s banner was removed and defaced on Stockwood Road.

“This is the second occurrence this month, and it is deeply upsetting for the LGBT+ community, particularly as they are gearing towards celebrating The Pride in Luton Festival next week.

“Having liaised with community partners, we were advised yesterday (Wednesday) that they would be making an official report.

“Our officers and partners, Luton Borough Council, are continuing to encourage communities to work together to model respect for one another. In successfully achieving this, we hope to make this incident the last.

“We will continue to emphasise zero-tolerance for hate of any kind – towards anyone – and over the coming days, we will be joining the Pride in Luton team to reinstate their banner in the same location.

“If you have any information regarding this incident, we would ask that you contact us by reporting online or calling 101.”

Scott concluded: "We can't say enough how grateful we are to the police and council in terms of for supporting us. The town is coming together to show that there is no place for hate."