San Francisco Pride Parade Halted To Protest Police

SAN FRANCISCO (CBS13/AP) - The San Francisco parade was stopped for nearly an hour when demonstrators linked arms in the street to protest police presence at the march.

The San Francisco Chronicle reported Sunday that about 40 people halted the parade for about 50 minutes.

The newspaper says two people were arrested and taken away in a police van as the crowd called for them to be released.

Police said they could not immediately confirm details of the incident.

Demonstrators handed out a letter calling for the march to exclude police, saying they didn't agree with inviting officers to mark the anniversary of a clash with authorities.

This year's Pride events come on the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots in New York City, sparked by a police raid at the Stonewall Inn in Greenwich Village.

Earlier in June, Sacramento Pride Parade organizers banned uniformed officers from being present at the parade in remembrance of the riots; however, they ultimately allowed uniformed to be present, saying: "The Sacramento Police Department has acknowledged that together, with our help, they stand ready to listen to the concerns, more intentionally engage year-round to make our community safer for all LGBTQ community members, and implement changes in policy and practice in pursuit of more affirming service delivery to the LGBTQ community."