Thousands transform London into a rainbow of colour for city's largest ever Pride parade (original) (raw)

Renée Zellweger and the Red Arrows led Pride celebrations in London today in what was hailed as the biggest and most diverse Pride event the city has ever seen.

The Bridget Jones actress joined thousands of people for a huge party in the capital, draping herself in a rainbow flag in Trafalgar Square.

Lord Of The Rings star Sir Ian McKellen and Singer-songwriter Sam Smith were also among the crowds as they watched a colourful performance by the iconic Red Arrows.

This year's parade has fallen on the 50-year anniversary of the Stonewall uprising in New York City, which changed the face of the gay rights movement around the world.

Groups have honoured five decades of activism, protests and victories, with those behind this year's march saying it is an opportunity for people to stand up against bigotry and hatred in all its forms.

Organisers predicted as many as 1.5 million people were set to turn out for the event, with a staggering 600 groups marching through the capital's streets for the annual burst of colour, music and dance.

The figure would mark a 25 per cent increase.

Actress Renée Zellweger joined thousands at Pride in London today as she posed in Trafalgar Square with a rainbow flag

The British Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team, the Red Arrows, fly over Trafalgar Square, central London during pride, smoking red, white and blue

The pride parade travels down Oxford Street as people celebrate on the AvivaPride bus. The parade started at midday from Portland Place, before heading to Oxford Circus, Regent Street, Piccadilly Circus, Pall Mall, Trafalgar Square and finishing on Whitehall

A general view of the parade during Pride in London 2019 as flag bearers carry a massive rainbow pride flag down Oxford Street

Part of the crowd can be seen filling the street in Piccadilly Circus as most of central London came to a standstill due to closed roads for the parade

Thousands flood through the streets of London as a jubilant atmosphere spreads through the crowds - many can be seen wearing t-shirts reading 'God saves all Queens'

Sir Ian McKellen on stage during Pride in London 2019 at Trafalgar Square. He sports a rainbow-coloured scarf and sleeves which match the LGBT movement's flag

Sir Ian McKellen joins the celebrations, walking through Piccadilly Circus during Pride in London 2019

Sir Ian McKellen grins as he walks through central London at the start of the pride parade today

Sam Smith has a boogie during Pride in London 2019 wearing a t-shirt from Levi that reads 'Queer Britain'

Revellers climb the Shaftesbury Memorial Fountain in Piccadilly Circus as thousands fill the streets

Zellweger, 50, rocked a stylish checked trouser suit as she soaked up the atmosphere in the capital, after jetting in to unveil the trailer for her new film, Judy.

Getting into the spirit of the event, the Academy Award winner jazzed up her look with silver body glitter on her face as she happily waved the rainbow Pride flag.

The star posed for snaps and talked with London Mayor Sadiq and Pride in London co-chair Michael Salter Church at the annual celebration.

The blonde beauty later took to the stage to address the crowd and speak about her film, and was joined by drag act Michael Twaits.

Renée was in town to introduce the trailer of her latest flick on the Trafalgar Square Stage.

In the highly anticipated biopic she plays legendary singer Judy Garland who was best known for her role as Dorothy in the 1939 film The Wizard Of Oz.

Rugby player James Haskell smiles with his wife television presenter Chloe Madeley as he wears a rainbow vest during the Pride parade

The planes painted a colourful scene over the iconic London skyline as they took part in a flyover London Pride this afternoon

Earlier today, the RAF planes flew over the All England Club in Wimbledon as the first week of tennis comes to a close today

A participant takes a picture as they attends the parade dressed as a flower angel with pink hair

A glitter bearded reveller poses for the camera (left). Another wears a Vivienne Westwood-esque punk tartan dress and a diamante collar

Barbies on the brain! A reveller wears an extravagant head piece adorned with barbie dolls holding pride flags

A front view of the extravagant costume with a large chunky gold necklace reading 'Barbie B****' and glitter on the wearers chest

'Rainbows across borders' members celebrate. The group is a voluntary self-help group for lesbian, gay, bisexual & transgender (LGBT) asylum seekers

A man dressed in a technicolor coat waves an Irish flag while walking the parade in front of Gloucestershire's LGBT+ community

Another extravagant headdress looks fabulous as feathers cascade from the jewelled crown complementing the wearers purple hair

Ian Massa-Harris-McFeely, Deputy Director of Events at Pride in London, said: 'We're delighted to have Renée taking to our Trafalgar Square Stage this year to give the crowds an exciting first glimpse of Judy.

'In this monumental anniversary year, it's important that we pay tribute to an icon who was a true ally to the LGBT+ community and whose death was undoubtedly intertwined with the events that happened that night at the Stonewall Inn.'

The Trafalgar Square event also star Renée happily greet excited performers following their performance.

The Cold Mountain star beamed as she gave high-fivges to everyone as they made their way off stage.

Meanwhile, across the capital, stars and revellers gathered for Britain's biggest LGBTQ pride parade.

Celebrities including Sir Ian McKellen, the Loose Women ladies and TOWIE's Bobby Norris lead the way as they partied amid the sea of rainbow colours at the parade.

A couple wear small bow ties and not much else as they celebrate in Piccadilly Circus during Pride in London 2019

Concert goers decked in rainbow arm warmers and face paint at the stage in Trafalgar square during Pride in London 2019

A reveller wears a rainbow striped hat and umbrella with a streak of rainbow face paint and glitter for good measure

Members of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) community pose for a photograph before taking part in the annual Pride Parade in London

London Mayor Sadiq Khan speaks to joyful revellers during the parade at Pride in London 2019 while people snap photos

Some pride goers dress in carnival costumes wearing a ruffle rainbow collar and fan. Both wear large feathered headdresses

Parade goers seem to be enjoying the day as they dress as a bunny and dog in colourful costumes with a rainbow flag for Pride

ITV celebs Denise Welch (left), Jane Moore (centre) and Bobby Norris (right) are seen on the parade route

Members of the police force dress up and celebrate while working during Pride holding a flag in support of the community

Revellers dressed as politicians brought 'LGBT+ for a People's vote' to the party. A Theresa May lookalike wears pink hot pants (left) while a Boris Johnson lookalike sports a pout

Denise Welch was clad in a vibrant, rainbow hued suit as she partied with her Loose Women co-stars including Nadia Sawalha and Jane Moore.

Denise ensured she got into the celebratory spirit in her eye-catching attire, completing the look with a scarlet manicure and plenty of glitter.

Elsewhere, Sir Ian triumphantly marched along while reality star Bobby got creative by customising his ITV shirt into a vest top.

The event was no doubt all the more special to him this year in light of his 'Bobby's Bill' campaign to make homophobic trolling online a criminal offence, which is now eligible for debate in Parliament.

Another parade goer is decked in gold with their entourage during Pride in London 2019 on July 06, 2019 in London, England

Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust of staff members celebrating the NHS rainbow badge scheme developed by Evelina London Children's Hospital, during the Pride in London Parade in central London

London Mayor Sadiq Khan during the parade at Pride in London 2019 today as fans try to get a picture with him

London Mayor Sadiq Khan (centre) and Deputy Mayor for Housing James Murray (second left) during the parade at Pride

Sam Smith takes a selfie with a fan during Pride in London 2019 on July 06, 2019 in London, England

Sam Smith twerks to music playing along the parade while drinking a beer during Pride in London as fans look on amused

Sam Smith takes a selfie with a fan during Pride in London 2019 on July 06, 2019 in London, England

Parade goers dress up as dogs during Pride in London 2019, with some even wearing gloves and knee pads so they can crawl along the floor

Layton Williams on stage at Trafalgar square during Pride in London 2019 on July 06, 2019 in London, England

A participant proudly displays their face with rainbow face paint covering the entirety with a rainbow bow and purple hair

A parade goer carries a sign saying 'my body my rules' as he wears a chain-mail body suit during Pride in London 2019 today

A flag bearer jumps above a rainbow flag ahead of the Pride in London Parade in central London

One reveller takes a different approach and dresses as royalty with a small ribbon during the Pride in London Parade

'Mr. Leather UK' wears his sash as the group attend pride celebrations, all dressed in leather

A parade goer wears a rainbow Niqab during Pride in London 2019 on July 06, 2019 in London, England

A parade goer ahead of Pride in London 2019, wearing a rainbow jacket, plenty of glitter and a ruffled head band

Tartan twins! Two revellers dress head to toe in tartan with Mohawks in eccentric costumes bound to get them noticed

Celebrating British Pride the tartan clad twins wear union flags on their backs and long pink tartan kilts adorned with badges

'Votes for Womxn' reads one sign poking out of the hair of a Marie-Antoinette lookalike wearing a corset and long blond strands of hair

Arsenal fans celebrate pride with their newly adapted pride kit and flags

This year's parade is aiming to champion diversity, with the introduction of a new World Area at Golden Square in Soho, in a bid to increase the visibility of black, Asian and minority ethnic (Bame) LGBT+ people.

The event has also improved accessibility, including viewing platforms for the Trafalgar Square stage, sign language interpreters and captioning for all performances across two large screens, and accessible, gender-neutral toilets.

Organisers announced a day ahead of the parade that they had declared a climate emergency in response to demands made by environmental protest group Extinction Rebellion, and said they aim to make the event carbon neutral by 2020.

Chelsea fans join the pride parade to show support to the community bearing a rainbow Chelsea flag while wearing Chelsea colours

Chelsea Mascots Stamford (left) and Bridget pose with fans and rainbow Chelsea flags as they take part in the Pride March today

A parade goer wears a rainbow hat with a painted face as crowds begin to gather in the city's centre

A bus bearing the 'Trans Pride' flag makes its way along the parade route representing Mermaids UK, a charity who support transgender children, during Pride

A reveller strikes a pose while parading down Oxford Street, friends and partners join together to celebrate the LGBT community

Furry friends parade with flags during Pride wearing a t-shirt that reads 'love is love'

A police officer wears rainbow heart face paint ahead of the Pride in London Parade in central London

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan joins members of the crowd ahead of the Pride in London Parade in central London

'Mr. Leather UK' and his gang are decked out in leather as they give a menacing look towards the camera

Also joining in the celebrations were singer Sam Smith and TV personality Dr Ranj Singh, Coronation Street's Brocklebank and Good Morning Britain's Richard Arnold.

Saturday's celebration includes a parade with 30,000 participants from 600 groups, including uniformed police and firefighters.

Parade groups honoured five decades of activism, protests and victories, and those behind this year's march have said it is an opportunity for people to stand up against bigotry and hatred in all its forms.

This year's parade is aiming to champion diversity, with the introduction of a new World Area at Golden Square in Soho, in a bid to increase the visibility of black, Asian and minority ethnic (Bame) LGBT+ people.

The event also has improved accessibility this year, including viewing platforms for the Trafalgar Square stage, sign language interpreters and captioning for all performances across two large screens, and accessible, gender-neutral toilets

London Mayor Sadiq Khan during the parade at Pride in London 2019 on July 06, 2019 in London, England

London Mayor Sadiq Khan walks the rainbow road as flag bearers look on during the parade at Pride

London Mayor Sadiq Khan during the parade at Pride in London 2019 on July 06, 2019 in London, England

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan ahead of the Pride in London Parade in central London

A bus bearing the 'Trans Pride' flag and a parade goer during Pride in London 2019

'Institutional racism is real' reads one sign while another says 'White folks, your help is needed. Check your privilege. Get knowledge. Speak up.'

A parade goer holding a Union Jack flag ahead of Pride in London 2019 on July 06, 2019 in London, England

Elsewhere, amid the Pride celebrations, 80's pop star Sinitta suffered an awkward wardrobe malfunction as she took to the stage at Pride World in London on Saturday.

The singer 55, had an embarrassing nip slip after she stripped off her top during her high-energy performance.

Simon Cowell's pal had initially graced the stage in a black leotard, chunky gold trainers and hung several chunky, silver chains around her neck.

Actor and singer Lucie Jones on stage at Trafalgar square during Pride in London 2019 on July 06, 2019

Lucie Jones on stage at Trafalgar square during Pride in London 2019 on July 06, 2019 in London, England

London Mayor Sadiq Khan joins parade goers on a float during Pride in London 2019 on July 06, 2019 in London, England

A general view of the West Ham double decker bus ahead of the parade during Pride in London 2019

Three jewelled thong wearing revellers get decked out to strut their stuff at the parade while dripping in diamonds

A general view of a JCB Digger ahead of the parade during Pride in on July 06, 2019 in London, England

Lloyds is one of many corporations joining the celebrations by decorating their bank cash machine ahead of the parade

The parade started at midday from Portland Place, before heading to Oxford Circus, Regent Street, Piccadilly Circus, Pall Mall, Trafalgar Square and finishing on Whitehall.

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan launched Pride and spoke of the 'heartbreaking' pictures of a bloodied lesbian couple attacked on a night bus showed the importance of Pride as he launched the parade.

Melanie Geymonat and her partner Chris were beaten up by a group of young men for refusing to kiss in May, with the incident sparking a public outcry.

Mr Khan said the 'huge, huge progress' in gay rights should be celebrated, but added 'we must never be complacent'..

The Mayor also hit out at Tory leadership candidate Boris Johnson, saying: 'You've got the next prime minister using homophobic language.

'When you speak to members of the LGBTQ+ community, they will tell you that some of the homophobia they suffered, the attackers used this language, the same sort of language he's used.

'What I want to see from our prime minister, if it is Boris Johnson, it looks like it will be, is him realising that language matters.'

Mr Johnson has been criticised for remarks including calling gay men 'tank-topped bumboys' in a 1998 Telegraph column unearthed by the Business Insider website.

Parade goers dress in traditional south Asian dress during Pride in London 2019 as the Muslim community attends the celebrations

'Kebab rolls not gender roles' reads one sign while another says 'Allah loves us all'

He also attacked 'Labour's appalling agenda, encouraging the teaching of homosexuality in schools, and all the rest of it' writing in the Spectator in 2000.

But the spat between Mr Johnson and Mr Khan has done little to dampen the spirit of those attending the parade today.

Joseph Canestrala, dressed in a blow-up unicorn costume, said: 'I'm from southern Italy and the mentality there is so closed. I came to London five years ago because I want to be free.'

The chef, 28, added: 'You meet more people. It's more open, you can find a partner. Every year I come to Pride. I love it.

Parade goers ahead of the parade during Pride in London July 06, 2019 in London, England

Parade goers ahead of the parade during Pride in London 2019 on July 06, 2019 in London, England

A parade goer blows a large whistle while wearing sequins, long eyelashes and costume jewellery for the celebrations

One reveller wears a sequinned multi-coloured coat with elaborate face paint and glasses

Flower crowns and feather wings: Two women celebrate the parade in front of a van that reads 'Love goes the distance'

'Together we're glorious' reads one sign while a reveller proudly holds a rainbow pride flag

'Racism and Transphobia have no place at pride' reads a sign while another pays tribute to lost lives reading 'Rest in Power'

The parade has been free from plastic glitter since 2017 and other environmentally friendly measures include volunteers being given a refillable bottle on the day.

Alison Camps, co-chairman of Pride in London, said: 'As we take to the streets of London once again, it's vital that we remember that Pride is not just one day a year - we must fight for the rights of all members of our community all year round.

'In this momentous anniversary year, we must all take stock of how far we've come, and of the contributions and sacrifices made by trans women of colour to get us to where we are today.

'Our main aim is to ensure that everyone who comes to Pride in London has a safe space to celebrate, protest or mark the occasion however they wish.

A member of the Muslim community holds a sign reading 'Love is not Haram'. Haram means forbidden by Islamic law

Ronan Parke, a singer who appeared on Britain's Got Talent, on stage during Pride in London 2019 at Trafalgar Square

Ronan Parke during his performance on stage during Pride in London 2019 at Trafalgar Square

A police woman gets into the spirit during Pride in London 2019 at Piccadilly Circus on July 06, 2019

'We will not allow Pride to be used as a platform for hate and we encourage everyone to come out and join us today so we can stand together against bigotry and hatred in all its forms.'

Hundreds of officers policed the parade, and Scotland Yard has advised people to stay vigilant while enjoying the day.

Commander Helen Millichap said: 'We want Pride to be a friendly and safe event for everyone to enjoy.

'We need the public to help us by taking the usual precautions by remaining vigilant and reporting anything of concern to police officers or stewards at the event.'

Members of the public watch during the Pride in London Parade in central London

A reveller wears a sequin costume with balloons fashioned as leg and arm warmers with platform shoes

An amazing hair-do helps the reveller stand out from the crowd as they pose for the camera in the sequin body suit

An LGBT community member wears a fishnet vest, sailors hat and gold chunky jewellery

'As with any large event, the Met's priority is public safety and we are working closely with the organisers in the lead-up to Pride to develop our policing plan.'

Regarding the threat at London's Pride Celebrations the Metropolitan police said: 'The threat level in the UK remains at severe, meaning an attack is 'highly likely,' however, there is no specific intelligence that Pride will be targeted.

'We ask the public to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity to a police officer or call the Anti-Terrorist Hotline on 0800 789321.'

London Mayor Sadiq Khan and Pride in London Co-Chairs Alison Camps and Michael Salter-Church during the parade

A member of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) community poses for a photograph at the annual Pride Parade in London on July 6, 2019

Imaan LGBTQI Muslim support hold a sign which reads 'love is not Haram' while wearing a rainbow niqab and a burka

Conservative Party leadership candidate Jeremy Hunt has encouraged people to celebrate on the day of London's 2019 Pride parade.

Mr Hunt tweeted a video of himself discussing same-sex relationships in which he spoke about a friend who had told him he was gay on the day they left school.

'Happy Pride! Its so important that we make everyone in our country feel safe and able to express themselves,' Mr Hunt tweeted.

'No one should feel the fear my friend felt. Let's celebrate.'

Marking the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall riots

On June 28, 1969 riots sparked after police repeatedly raided the Stonewall Inn in New York's Greenwich Village, which had become known as a well-known refuge for the gay community.

What is now referred to as the 'Stonewall Riots' proved to be a turning point in the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, et cetera (LGBTQI+) community's struggle for civil rights.

Homosexual men and women were often subject to discriminatory treatment at the hands of police in the years leading up to the Stonewall Riots.

The 1969 police raid on New York's Stonewall Inn (pictured) sparked the LGBT rights movement . Picture credit: Stonewall Uprising

On June 28, six officers stormed the establishment - which was a haven for gay and transgender youth- claiming that the bar had violated liquor licensing laws.

However, many patrons fought back claiming they were being unfairly victimised. They clashed with officers, which set off two nights of violence.

Recalling the Riot for an article in The Gay and Lesbian Review, one patron stated: 'We all had a collective feeling like we'd had enough of this kind of s**t.... It was just kind of like everything over the years had come to a head on that one particular night in the one particular place.

Activists are pictured gathering outside the Stonewall Inn two years after the riots in 1971, in order to push for gay rights

'Everyone in the crowd felt that we were never going to go back. It was like the last straw. It was time to reclaim something that had always been taken from us.'

The Stonewall Inn suffered severe damage, and thirteen people suffered injuries in the fracas. Four policeman had to be hospitalised.

But the raid and the subsequent riots proved to be a turning point that spurred a wave of activism that has continued for half a century.

In 2015, activists gathered to celebrate at the Stonewall Inn as the Supreme Court legalized gay marriage after a long and painful fight

In 1970, one year after the riots 50 years ago, New York held its first Gay Pride march, kicking off a tradition that would spread to other cities around the world.

The movement remains necessary to this day, as some 70 countries still criminalise homosexuality.

Marches usually take place around the last weekend in June and this year has seen celebrations take place in cities across the world.