The Jewish community will take part in this year’s Pride in London parade in an official bloc for the first time in three years, following two years of consecutive cancellations over safety concerns.
The bloc was absent from both the 2024 and 2025 parades, with concerns raised about the safety of Jews marching following October 7 and the Gaza War.
Pride in London organisers have since introduced antisemitism awareness training, with organisers liaising with the Community Security Trust (CST), in a bid to improve safety for Jewish participants.
Jewish LGBTQ+ education charity KeshetUK said it has worked with organisers to facilitate the training.
After nearly a decade organising the Jewish bloc, KeshetUK is stepping back from the march itself, with two newer groups – the Hineni Project and Sapphic Shabbat – taking over Jewish bloc coordination for the July 4 parade in the capital.
Sapphic Shabbat, a group that started as a way for queer Jewish women and non-binary people to meet at Shabbat dinner, and the Hineni Project, which is focused on mobilising the LGBTQ+ community against antisemitism, said the renewed Jewish bloc will ensure that Pride is a space “where everyone can participate safely and openly”.
In a joint statement, the Hineni Project and Sapphic Shabbat said: “Following two challenging years, the return of a visible and confident Jewish presence at Pride reflects both the resilience of our community and the importance of ensuring that Pride is a space where everyone can participate safely and openly.
“We are grateful to KeshetUK for their years of leadership and advocacy, which have helped make this moment possible. We look forward to marching together in a spirit of pride, solidarity, and shared commitment to a truly inclusive movement,” they said.
Ariel Chapman, Executive Director of KeshetUK said: “We are really pleased to have had constructive conversations with Pride in London about Jewish inclusion, including the importance of antisemitism awareness and understanding the issues that can affect Jewish participants during the march.
“I’m also delighted that the stewardship of the Jewish bloc will move to two fabulous social organisations that are well placed to organise the day. We wish them all the best and look forward to marching alongside them.”
Last year, KeshetUK withdrew from organising the bloc after Pride in London rejected a series of requests aimed at improving safety for Jewish participants, including that antisemitism awareness training be offered to stewards.
KeshetUK accused organisers of failing to provide adequate assurances that Jewish participants would be “physically and psychologically safe” at the event.
The charity said it had “no choice” but to cancel the Jewish bloc at the time.
Since then, there has been a change of leadership at Pride in London. The organisation’s boss, Christopher Joell-Deshields, was sacked as chief executive last September when allegations about his conduct, including mismanagement and bullying, came to light.
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