Armed police are to be deployed at Brighton Pride on Saturday (1 August) after an attack left one dead and dozens injured at Berlin’s Pride event at the weekend.
Sussex Police said: “As we look ahead to Brighton and Hove Pride, I want to reassure those attending, as well as residents, businesses and visitors across the city, that their safety remains our top priority.
“We will be working tirelessly this week and throughout the weekend, building on the extensive planning that has taken place over many months with event organisers, Brighton and Hove City Council and other partners, to keep everyone safe and ensure an effective policing operation is in place.
“Uniformed policing, plain-clothed officers and specialist teams including armed officers will be deployed across the city which all form part of our comprehensive plans for policing this event.
“We encourage everyone attending Pride to enjoy the celebrations, look out for one another and report any concerns.
“If something doesn’t feel right, speak to one of our officers or a member of security. In an emergency, always dial 999.”
The force said that armed officers had been deployed at Pride for many years to keep people safe.
The remarks followed a statement by the Defence Secretary Wes Streeting condemning the “absolutely horrific” attack – first when a man drove a van at a crowd in the German capital and then when he stabbed people.
The suspect – named as Abdul Ballout and said to have links to the so-called Islamic State group – was shot dead by police yesterday (Sunday 26 July) after nearly 24 hours on the run.
He was suspected of slamming a van into people gathered for the festival in the German capital, killing one person, before stabbing others with a machete, leaving at least 29 injured.
The attack came a week before Britain’s biggest Pride festival. The event in Brighton and Hove attracts an estimated 500,000 people to the city.
The leader of Brighton and Hove City Council, Bella Sankey, said in a post on the council’s Facebook page: “We are deeply saddened by the attacks at Berlin Pride and our thoughts are with all those affected.
“We stand in solidarity with the LGBTQI+ community and, as we look forward to Brighton and Hove Pride this weekend, we want to reassure all those attending that we are working closely with Brighton and Hove Pride, Sussex Police and our other partners to keep everyone safe.
“We look forward to Pride being a celebration of the diversity, joy and, above all, the unity of our community.”
Mr Streeting said that the attack in Berlin showed why Pride events were still necessary.
He added that such events in the UK were already “always well policed” and struck the right balance between public safety and allowing people to celebrate.
Good. More police officers should be armed at large events to keep us all safe from a very small minority that would do us harm.
Will there guns be rainbow colour?
Wrong spelling. Should be THEIR
Them/theirs
Thanks Trevor – your family must be proud.
It’s not Christians, Jews, Hindus, etc ploughing into people in a motor vehicle. There is an elephant in the room and people seem willing to completely ignore it, or worse, defend it.
Careful Francis, you nearly said the quiet bit out loud.
“Paul Doyle is a 54-year-old former Royal Marine from Liverpool who was sentenced to 21 years and six months in prison on December 16, 2025, for deliberately driving his Ford Galaxy into crowds of Liverpool FC fans during their Premier League victory parade on May 26, 2025”
Humm does this fit in with what you are thinking? Not sure if does fit TBH
Queers for Palestine would disagree lol
I’ve been on every Brighton Pride march since they began, in 1991 I think, and the Brighton police have learnt so much about community policing in that time.
We generally feel very safe with their presence, but this year is not the first time that armed officers have been deployed.
If you go back far enough, you’ll find it was Christian groups who turned out to shout at us – so it’s really stupid to assume the threat to marchers comes from any one group.
Threats at public events can come from any individual or group disenfranchised by the ways of the modern world – or from someone with mental health issues.
Better to concentrate on the fact that the atmosphere in the city is always jolly on Pride weekend – and it’s only on social media where the moans and prejudices emerge, mostly from people who weren’t there.
The first Pride March in Brighton was actually held way back in 1973 not 1991 – Perhaps you’re too young to remember the original one and are thinking of the relaunch…I Agree that there was much more opposition from the christianmentalists and Nazi front back in the day…
Yeah well its 2026 now old timer
Oh yes fools shouting and idiots with placards is EXACTLY the same as bombs and ram raiding people to death.
I can remember the Christian evangelicals screaming abuse at us and National Front thugs threatening us. Thank you Sussex police for keeping us safe. Let’s not forget that St Peters (money no option ) refuses to acknowledge the march on its doorstep whilst the little baptist chapel up the road gives out bottles of water to the marchers , I wonder which one is following the teaching of Jesus
Yes but in 2026 its not idiots shouting and threatening is it?
I’m glad the German police eliminated the murdering scum bag
But whatabout his human rights, mental health needs he was traumatised from blah blah blah yadda yadaa
Yes let’s just ignore the fact that 95% of the now almost daily terrorist attacks across Europe, are from Islamic fanatics and Islamic terrorists
No whatabout the skin heads in 1867? Whatabouutery blah blah