NEWS Police turn blind eye at gay parade Nic Eliades | September 27, 2004 Some of the crowd at Pride 2004 JOHANNESBURG — Instead of arresting drag queens at the gay pride parade in Johannesburg on Saturday, police turned a blind eye to various infringements of the law. Metro police were out in force, but arrested no one, despite the fact that alcohol and marijuana were openly consumed. It was the fifteenth march of its kind, covering several Rosebank blocks in pink people and rainbow flags. "For me gay pride is about expression, freedom to be, you know?" said one parader, surrounded by floats full of revellers. Men in skirts danced alongside leather clad dominatrix's. People in Xhosa wear mixed with neon-pink Voortrekkers, and there were those who wore g-strings and nothing else. The march also attracted a handful of protesters. "…the Soul that sinneth, it shall die" read a few placards, promptly dismissed by a jubilant crowd with cheers, smiles and water guns. Undisturbed by wind and dust, they paraded along Jan Smuts, up to Oxford road, and back through Rosebank, ending up at Zoo Lake where a festival began. For some though, the day ended in disaster when a 20 metre tree fell over, crushing two cars. The character of the march was threatened earlier this month, when police warned they would arrest anyone in drag. Gay and lesbian groups reacted violently to this, but the organisers managed to smooth things over with Metro police last week. On Saturday, the drag queens were received by police with cameras and cheers, and the spectators got the show they came for. The party continued all weekend according to the many fliers for afterparties lying around. – Sapa Related stories Gay Pride march: anything goes, as long as it's 'decent' [21/09/2004]