The nine people that were injured by a man “wearing a black wig and black glasses and was carrying a hammer and a handgun” on Sunday night, after the Vancouver Pride Parade, is not a hate crime according to police, “The man in custody has a history of mental illness and was already known to police.”
The follow-up is here:
www.cbc.ca/canada/british-columbia/story/2008/08/04/pride-attacks.html
Despite this isolated event it was an amazing Pride this year as I have never seen so many people at a gay event in this region. It was great to be able to stand along Vancouver’s main shopping street, Robson, and watch the festivities in relative comfort compared to last year. It is time to start planning for a 2009 visit.