Veterans inferior to Gays
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Anger as veterans' parade cancelled while gay pride march goes ahead
War heroes have criticised a council after its cancelled a parade for veterans yet allowed a gay pride march to go ahead.
About 3,000 former and current servicemen and women who served in wars ranging from World War Two to Afghanistan proudly marched through Doncaster town centre last August on the town's inaugural Veterans' Day.
But this year the local Royal British Legion branch claims it has been shunned by the council, and told the event could not be staged because of a "lack of amenities."
Yet Doncaster staged its first gay pride parade last Sunday, and a few weeks before hosted a civic parade in which dignitaries, community workers and the public took part.
Ken Wood, 46, a Coldstream Guards gunner who served in the Gulf War and is the district secretary of the Royal British Legion said: "All the Doncaster branches of the Legion are disgusted that there will not be a Veterans' Day parade.
"The council do not seem to care about the achievements of servicemen and women.
"I am not homophobic but the council supported both Doncaster Pride and the Mayor's civic parade."
The veterans assumed they would be allowed to hold a parade this month but were astonished to discover they had little civic support.
Mr Wood said: "One of our Legion members spoke to an official at the civic offices who told him we couldn't have a parade this year because the council did not have the amenities.
"I rang the official and she effectively told me the police couldn't afford the staff to block off the roads. It's crazy, I went on the parade last year and only saw two community bobbies stopping the traffic.
"It's hardly down to finance or manpower is it? I asked her to put what she told me over the phone in writing so I could read it out to my members but I'm still awaiting a reply.
"I wrote to say I was sorely disappointed that we were not being allowed to parade in our own town. We just wanted to parade our standards and colours."
Doncaster Council initially said that the police would only provide officers for Remembrance Sunday, the St George's Day parade and the civic parade.
But now the council and the police have issued a joint statement saying they had not received an official request to stage the Veterans' Day parade.
Local war veterans were so upset they boycotted the civic parade in protest at the council's handling of the situation.
Diane Dernie, the mother of Doncaster paratrooper Ben Parkinson whose compensation fight following his horrific injuries in Afghanistan made national headlines, said: "It is a terrible shame. We've seen in the past that people in general have been very supportive of the Armed Forces.
"Ben would have been very keen to take part. He is Army through and through."
Veterans' Day was introduced by the Government on June 27 in 2006 to celebrate the contribution of ex-servicemen and women but events can be held throughout the year.
Doncaster Council said: "It is not a matter of finance or the council not wanting to do it.
"The police look into the number of parades being held and give the go-ahead on a case-by-case basis. We are quite happy to hold the Veterans' parade provided the police are happy."
Acting Chief Insp Andy Kent of South Yorkshire Police added: "Each request is assessed on an individual basis. We have not received a request this year about the Veterans' Day parade."
Anger as veterans' parade cancelled while gay pride march goes ahead
War heroes have criticised a council after its cancelled a parade for veterans yet allowed a gay pride march to go ahead.
About 3,000 former and current servicemen and women who served in wars ranging from World War Two to Afghanistan proudly marched through Doncaster town centre last August on the town's inaugural Veterans' Day.
But this year the local Royal British Legion branch claims it has been shunned by the council, and told the event could not be staged because of a "lack of amenities."
Yet Doncaster staged its first gay pride parade last Sunday, and a few weeks before hosted a civic parade in which dignitaries, community workers and the public took part.
Ken Wood, 46, a Coldstream Guards gunner who served in the Gulf War and is the district secretary of the Royal British Legion said: "All the Doncaster branches of the Legion are disgusted that there will not be a Veterans' Day parade.
"The council do not seem to care about the achievements of servicemen and women.
"I am not homophobic but the council supported both Doncaster Pride and the Mayor's civic parade."
The veterans assumed they would be allowed to hold a parade this month but were astonished to discover they had little civic support.
Mr Wood said: "One of our Legion members spoke to an official at the civic offices who told him we couldn't have a parade this year because the council did not have the amenities.
"I rang the official and she effectively told me the police couldn't afford the staff to block off the roads. It's crazy, I went on the parade last year and only saw two community bobbies stopping the traffic.
"It's hardly down to finance or manpower is it? I asked her to put what she told me over the phone in writing so I could read it out to my members but I'm still awaiting a reply.
"I wrote to say I was sorely disappointed that we were not being allowed to parade in our own town. We just wanted to parade our standards and colours."
Doncaster Council initially said that the police would only provide officers for Remembrance Sunday, the St George's Day parade and the civic parade.
But now the council and the police have issued a joint statement saying they had not received an official request to stage the Veterans' Day parade.
Local war veterans were so upset they boycotted the civic parade in protest at the council's handling of the situation.
Diane Dernie, the mother of Doncaster paratrooper Ben Parkinson whose compensation fight following his horrific injuries in Afghanistan made national headlines, said: "It is a terrible shame. We've seen in the past that people in general have been very supportive of the Armed Forces.
"Ben would have been very keen to take part. He is Army through and through."
Veterans' Day was introduced by the Government on June 27 in 2006 to celebrate the contribution of ex-servicemen and women but events can be held throughout the year.
Doncaster Council said: "It is not a matter of finance or the council not wanting to do it.
"The police look into the number of parades being held and give the go-ahead on a case-by-case basis. We are quite happy to hold the Veterans' parade provided the police are happy."
Acting Chief Insp Andy Kent of South Yorkshire Police added: "Each request is assessed on an individual basis. We have not received a request this year about the Veterans' Day parade."
Saddle bum said:
"The police look into the number of parades being held and give the go-ahead on a case-by-case basis. We are quite happy to hold the Veterans' parade provided the police are happy."
Acting Chief Insp Andy Kent of South Yorkshire Police added: "Each request is assessed on an individual basis. We have not received a request this year about the Veterans' Day parade."
Inferior to, or just less organised than? Acting Chief Insp Andy Kent of South Yorkshire Police added: "Each request is assessed on an individual basis. We have not received a request this year about the Veterans' Day parade."
rfn said:
Yet again, another news story where the headline doesn't really depict the truth.
this you mean:Acting Chief Insp Andy Kent of South Yorkshire Police added: "Each request is assessed on an individual basis. We have not received a request this year about the Veterans' Day parade."
briSk said:
rfn said:
Yet again, another news story where the headline doesn't really depict the truth.
this you mean:Acting Chief Insp Andy Kent of South Yorkshire Police added: "Each request is assessed on an individual basis. We have not received a request this year about the Veterans' Day parade."
rfn said:
briSk said:
rfn said:
Yet again, another news story where the headline doesn't really depict the truth.
this you mean:Acting Chief Insp Andy Kent of South Yorkshire Police added: "Each request is assessed on an individual basis. We have not received a request this year about the Veterans' Day parade."
Indeed!
I would rather see a parade of servicemen than todays social groups. My local town held an ex-servicemans parade a few weeks ago and it went down a storm. They even had the regulars bring along a few Warrior APC's and other hardware too. Not sure how the towns drainage would have coped if they brought a challenger 2 though .
anyway, to the point, These people are the real hero's in this country and should be honoured / paraded and supported. im not anti gay / lesbian any other minority group but we honour our dead at remembrance sunday ... lets honour the surviving people too. a point to truely boill my piss
.anyway, to the point, These people are the real hero's in this country and should be honoured / paraded and supported. im not anti gay / lesbian any other minority group but we honour our dead at remembrance sunday ... lets honour the surviving people too. a point to truely boill my piss
rfn said:
briSk said:
rfn said:
Yet again, another news story where the headline doesn't really depict the truth.
this you mean:Acting Chief Insp Andy Kent of South Yorkshire Police added: "Each request is assessed on an individual basis. We have not received a request this year about the Veterans' Day parade."
t is going to hit the fan, erm...tell them we haven't received a request, and tell Smith to dig out the paper shredder again".MentalSarcasm said:
Are we absolutely sure they didn't receive a request, it could be a case of "there's a journalist on the phone? oh the st is going to hit the fan, erm...tell them we haven't received a request, and tell Smith to dig out the paper shredder again".
or it could be that 'because it's for the military we'll be allowed to do what we want' 'oh has anyone asked? 'st is going to hit the fan, erm...tell them we haven't received a request, and tell Smith to dig out the paper shredder again".t, let's find someone else to blame'...!Saddle bum said:
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Anger as veterans' parade cancelled while gay pride march goes ahead
War heroes have criticised a council after its cancelled a parade for veterans yet allowed a gay pride march to go ahead.
About 3,000 former and current servicemen and women who served in wars ranging from World War Two to Afghanistan proudly marched through Doncaster town centre last August on the town's inaugural Veterans' Day.
But this year the local Royal British Legion branch claims it has been shunned by the council, and told the event could not be staged because of a "lack of amenities."
Yet Doncaster staged its first gay pride parade last Sunday, and a few weeks before hosted a civic parade in which dignitaries, community workers and the public took part.
Ken Wood, 46, a Coldstream Guards gunner who served in the Gulf War and is the district secretary of the Royal British Legion said: "All the Doncaster branches of the Legion are disgusted that there will not be a Veterans' Day parade.
"The council do not seem to care about the achievements of servicemen and women.
"I am not homophobic but the council supported both Doncaster Pride and the Mayor's civic parade."
The veterans assumed they would be allowed to hold a parade this month but were astonished to discover they had little civic support.
Mr Wood said: "One of our Legion members spoke to an official at the civic offices who told him we couldn't have a parade this year because the council did not have the amenities.
"I rang the official and she effectively told me the police couldn't afford the staff to block off the roads. It's crazy, I went on the parade last year and only saw two community bobbies stopping the traffic.
"It's hardly down to finance or manpower is it? I asked her to put what she told me over the phone in writing so I could read it out to my members but I'm still awaiting a reply.
"I wrote to say I was sorely disappointed that we were not being allowed to parade in our own town. We just wanted to parade our standards and colours."
Doncaster Council initially said that the police would only provide officers for Remembrance Sunday, the St George's Day parade and the civic parade.
But now the council and the police have issued a joint statement saying they had not received an official request to stage the Veterans' Day parade.
Local war veterans were so upset they boycotted the civic parade in protest at the council's handling of the situation.
Diane Dernie, the mother of Doncaster paratrooper Ben Parkinson whose compensation fight following his horrific injuries in Afghanistan made national headlines, said: "It is a terrible shame. We've seen in the past that people in general have been very supportive of the Armed Forces.
"Ben would have been very keen to take part. He is Army through and through."
Veterans' Day was introduced by the Government on June 27 in 2006 to celebrate the contribution of ex-servicemen and women but events can be held throughout the year.
Doncaster Council said: "It is not a matter of finance or the council not wanting to do it.
"The police look into the number of parades being held and give the go-ahead on a case-by-case basis. We are quite happy to hold the Veterans' parade provided the police are happy."
Acting Chief Insp Andy Kent of South Yorkshire Police added: "Each request is assessed on an individual basis. We have not received a request this year about the Veterans' Day parade."
I suspect that there is a perfectly logical reason and that someone has just decided to bring up the gay pride march for no reason other than the fact that it is gay and should be therefor demeaned.Anger as veterans' parade cancelled while gay pride march goes ahead
War heroes have criticised a council after its cancelled a parade for veterans yet allowed a gay pride march to go ahead.
About 3,000 former and current servicemen and women who served in wars ranging from World War Two to Afghanistan proudly marched through Doncaster town centre last August on the town's inaugural Veterans' Day.
But this year the local Royal British Legion branch claims it has been shunned by the council, and told the event could not be staged because of a "lack of amenities."
Yet Doncaster staged its first gay pride parade last Sunday, and a few weeks before hosted a civic parade in which dignitaries, community workers and the public took part.
Ken Wood, 46, a Coldstream Guards gunner who served in the Gulf War and is the district secretary of the Royal British Legion said: "All the Doncaster branches of the Legion are disgusted that there will not be a Veterans' Day parade.
"The council do not seem to care about the achievements of servicemen and women.
"I am not homophobic but the council supported both Doncaster Pride and the Mayor's civic parade."
The veterans assumed they would be allowed to hold a parade this month but were astonished to discover they had little civic support.
Mr Wood said: "One of our Legion members spoke to an official at the civic offices who told him we couldn't have a parade this year because the council did not have the amenities.
"I rang the official and she effectively told me the police couldn't afford the staff to block off the roads. It's crazy, I went on the parade last year and only saw two community bobbies stopping the traffic.
"It's hardly down to finance or manpower is it? I asked her to put what she told me over the phone in writing so I could read it out to my members but I'm still awaiting a reply.
"I wrote to say I was sorely disappointed that we were not being allowed to parade in our own town. We just wanted to parade our standards and colours."
Doncaster Council initially said that the police would only provide officers for Remembrance Sunday, the St George's Day parade and the civic parade.
But now the council and the police have issued a joint statement saying they had not received an official request to stage the Veterans' Day parade.
Local war veterans were so upset they boycotted the civic parade in protest at the council's handling of the situation.
Diane Dernie, the mother of Doncaster paratrooper Ben Parkinson whose compensation fight following his horrific injuries in Afghanistan made national headlines, said: "It is a terrible shame. We've seen in the past that people in general have been very supportive of the Armed Forces.
"Ben would have been very keen to take part. He is Army through and through."
Veterans' Day was introduced by the Government on June 27 in 2006 to celebrate the contribution of ex-servicemen and women but events can be held throughout the year.
Doncaster Council said: "It is not a matter of finance or the council not wanting to do it.
"The police look into the number of parades being held and give the go-ahead on a case-by-case basis. We are quite happy to hold the Veterans' parade provided the police are happy."
Acting Chief Insp Andy Kent of South Yorkshire Police added: "Each request is assessed on an individual basis. We have not received a request this year about the Veterans' Day parade."
The simple reality is that the council is probably argueing that the high proportion of frail, elderly or dissabled individuals that would be part of the Veterans march make it too costly and difficult to ensure the right services are in place. Whereas, the Gay pride march is likely to not have any of these issues as a core element and so is a much cheaper and straight forward parade to govern.
What is sad is that someone in the Veteran's camp saw fit to use gays in a negative way to publicise their issue.
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