HALIFAX — Throngs of people lined the streets of downtown Halifax Saturday to see a sitting prime minister walk in the city’s Pride parade for the first time.
The rainbow-clad crowd erupted in cheers as Justin Trudeau marched in the procession with his family at his side.
The prime minister waved and yelled “Happy Pride!” to thousands of people along the parade route, pausing to raise his fist in the air during a moment of silence.
Trudeau became the first sitting prime minister to march in a Pride parade when he did so in Toronto in 2016, then attended the same event last month.
He told reporters Friday that he thinks politicians should be “expected” to participate in Pride parades as a show of support for Canada’s LGBTQ community.
Organizers say upwards of 120,000 people participate in the Halifax Pride parade every summer and they expected an even bigger turnout this year thanks to their “special guest.”