Mardi Gras 2002
Just
four days before the start of this year’s Mardi Gras they cancelled it. The UK’s gay weekly
press all went to print the day after the cancellation was issued and slapped
the news across its pages “Mardi Gras Cancelled”. The Mardi Gras committee even
paid for full page adverts itself telling people it was called off. The news
spread fast, people cancelled there train tickets, hotel reservations and made
other plans for the bank holiday weekend. Then, just days after the cancellation
was issued, the initial policing problem that caused the cancellation was
resolved and it was all back on again! You couldn’t have chosen a worse time.
The press said it was cancelled, yet it was actually back on – total confusion.
Manchester has a new law banning
alcohol to be drunk on the streets, which seemed to be the main factor that
caused all the problems this year. Luckily it was resolved (albeit at the
eleventh hour) and despite the confusion of whether the weekend was on or off
it still turned out to be a good one. Numbers were noticeably down on previous
years but the buzzing Manchester vibe was still there. Policing of the event
had gone into overdrive and seemed a little extravagant with fences and gates
keeping us all “herded in the paddock”. The amount of money that the charities
were loosing out on due to the extra policing cost must have been enormous. You
have to ask yourself whether it was really necessary?
Check
out the Manchester Mardi Gras web site on www.ManchesterMardiGras.com
for the latest news and photos along with the total amounts raised for charity.
The Mardi Gras committee did a great job, it’s a shame that some of the council
officials for the city can’t do the same.
Photos sponsored by QX
Magazine (issue 397)
