Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe has stated he will not apologize or concede to the demands of the activist group Queers 4 Palestine – Ottawa (Q4P-O) after they interrupted the Pride Parade on Sunday. The protest occurred shortly after the parade began, leading to its eventual dissolution by Capital Pride.

In a news conference on Monday, Sutcliffe described the protest as inappropriate. He emphasized that blocking a parade is not an acceptable method for discussing issues or advocating for causes. “I don’t think we want to have a situation where anybody can just block a parade — especially Capital Pride — put a bunch of demands on the table, and the parade doesn’t move forward unless people get into those demands. I don’t think that’s acceptable,” he told reporters.

The protest was organized by Q4P-O, who were invited to march by Parade Grand Marshall Miss Patience Plush. They halted the parade to express their discontent over Capital Pride's decision to drop a previous statement supporting Palestine. The group presented a list of demands to Sutcliffe and Capital Pride, which included hosting a town hall on the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement and supporting the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel.

The BDS movement seeks to apply economic pressure on Israel through various means. Q4P-O also demanded that Sutcliffe apologize for his absence from last year’s Pride Parade and for calls to defund Pride. “We will not leave until our elected officials and Capital Pride come down and meet our demands,” said Masha Davidovic, a member of Q4P-O.

Capital Pride announced the parade's cancellation about an hour after it was stopped. In a social media statement, the organization explained that rerouting the parade was not feasible and that Q4P-O members were unwilling to engage in a constructive dialogue with officials. “As a community organization, we strive to engage with our community members in good faith and to balance the various interests and demands that are made of us while also organizing one of the largest festivals in our city,” the statement read.

Sutcliffe reiterated that he would not meet the protesters' demands, stating, “the ball is now in Capital Pride’s court.” He expressed that he does not believe an apology is necessary. “Last year, the City of Ottawa made a decision, and I made a personal decision, not to participate in the Pride Parade. I participated in a bunch of other events during Pride Week to demonstrate my solidarity with the 2SLGBTQ+ community,” he said.

Sutcliffe emphasized his ongoing support for equal rights and the 2SLGBTQ+ community. He also noted that it is Capital Pride's responsibility to ensure the event is inclusive and successful. “We’ve worked very closely with them over the last few weeks. There were a couple of obstacles that they needed to overcome in order for this year’s event to go ahead,” he added. “But again, it’s their event. It’s up to them to make sure that they can deliver an event for the community and for all those who are participating.”