Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras organizers ask police not to march at the annual parade

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Organizers of the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras asked police not to march at their annual parade this weekend, after the alleged murder of a couple by a police officer, prompting the police commissioner on Tuesday to urge the ban be reversed.

Police are continuing to search for the bodies of former television reporter Jesse Baird, 26, and his flight attendant partner Luke Davies, 29, who were allegedly shot dead in Baird’s Sydney home on Monday last week.

New South Wales Police Force Senior-Constable Beau Lamarre-Condon, who dated Baird until late last year, was charged on Friday with the murders of both men.

The Mardi Gras’ board said LGBTQIA+ communities across Australia had been devastated by the loss of the couple, who had planned to celebrate at the parade on Saturday.

“The Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Board feels that having the NSW Police march this year could add to the distress within our communities, already deeply affected by recent events. The Board has taken the decision to request that the Police do not march in the 2024 Parade,” the board said in a statement late Monday.

“This decision was not made lightly, especially considering that many NSW Police members who participate in the Parade are also members of the LGBTQIA+ community and are navigating the impact of this tragedy alongside us. However, we believe that their participation at this year’s event could intensify the current feelings of sorrow and distress,” the board added.

The board noted that the 28-year-old alleged killer had participated in the parade in the past.

Police Commissioner Karen Webb, who has taken part in the annual march since 2006, said she would meet with the organizers on Tuesday to urge the board