Saturday’s event also marks the 50th anniversary of the first UK pride parade, which was attended by around 2,000 people. Including a parade and a line-up of artists playing on four stages in central London, this year’s Pride has been described as the “biggest and most inclusive event in history” by its organisers. Uniformed officers have been told not to march in the parade, which starts at midday at Hyde Park Corner. It follows calls from LGBTQ+ campaigners to ban them over their alleged homophobic handling of the investigation into serial killer Stephen Port. The Metropolitan Police said on Friday that officers who wanted to take part in the celebrations would have to do so in plainclothes rather than uniform, after hearing the “legitimate concerns” of campaigners. It is understood members of the Met’s LGBTQ+ network will take part in the parade on Saturday evening, while uniformed officers will still be policing the event. Matt Jukes, the force’s assistant commissioner, said: “I understand the concerns people have about the Met’s involvement in London’s Pride march. Everyone who is going to be in the parade has asked to be part of Pride as a member of our LGBT+ staff network.” The parade is to pay tribute to the 1972 march – passing milestones from the UK’s early gay rights movement – ​​and will run until 6pm, ending at the Palace of Whitehall. More than 600 LGBTQ+ groups are expected to participate in the march, with 30,000 people signed up so far. Among the stars set to take to the stage during the day is American pop singer Ava Max, who will close the show on the Trafalgar Stage. Emeli Sandé, Eurovision winner Netta, Samantha Mumba and Kat Graham are also in the line-up. The first UK Pride event was held in response to the Stonewall riots, which began in June 1969 following a police raid on the Stonewall Inn, a gay bar in New York’s Greenwich Village. Human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell, who was among the organizers of the 1972 event, told the Guardian: “We got used to the idea of ​​Gay Pride, as it was then called, to challenge the prevailing consensus, which was that we should be ashamed . of who we were. Subscribe to First Edition, our free daily newsletter – every morning at 7am. BST “Pride was what was chosen to counter the idea that we should be ashamed and that there is something wrong with being LGBTQ+. As far as I know, London Pride was the first in the world to call itself Pride.” Organizers said all proceeds from commercial partnerships this year will be reinvested in the LGBTQ+ community, including through the Unity Fund. Public health officials urged those with symptoms of monkeypox or those feeling unwell not to attend Pride events on Saturday.