LA Pride's Resist March draws tens of thousands to West Hollywood
WEST HOLLYWOOD, Calif. (KABC) -- About 30,000 people capped off L.A. Pride weekend on Sunday morning by participating in the Resist March that stretched from Hollywood and Highland to the heart of West Hollywood, where several celebrities and elected officials spoke at a rally.
Several demonstrators carried rainbow flags and signs that read "Be the Change," "Forwards Not Backwards" and "Stand With Diversity, Stand With Love."
"We don't have to be afraid, we have to come out and be part of this," said Bevelyn Sanchez, who marched alongside her brother. "We just have to stand up. It's for everybody. It's not just for LGBT."
PHOTOS: LA Pride's Resist March in West Hollywood
The Resist March replaced the L.A. Pride parade. Organizers said they were resisting division and marching for diversity as America's strength.
Many also came out to take a stand on healthcare and immigration issues.
Among the high-profile speakers who addressed the demonstrators at the rally were Reps. Nancy Pelosi, Maxine Waters and Adam Schiff, West Hollywood Mayor John Heilman, and comedians Chris Rock and Margaret Cho.
"The mission is to march in unity with those who believe that America's strength is in its diversity," organizers said in a statement. "Not just LGBTQ people but all Americans and dreamers will be wrapped in the Rainbow Flag with unique, diverse, intersectional voices gathering together."
In 2016, the L.A. Pride parade was marked by a somber tone in the aftermath of the Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando, Fla. Participants in that parade honored the victims of the massacre just hours after it occurred.
Resist March founder Brian Pendleton said he was inspired by the early pride demonstrations of the 1970s and the nationwide Women's March held in January, one day after the inauguration of President Donald Trump.
To accommodate Sunday's event, several hourslong street closures were in effect until noon, according to the L.A. Department of Transportation.
