Pride Community Rallies in Norwich

Tuesday, 16 June 2026 at 06:17

It was a show of support in response to the recent cases of Pride flag vandalism.

NORWICH - The message was loud and clear, members and allies of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community have had enough!

Over 200 people hit the streets of Norwich yesterday evening in response to the recent cases of Pride flag vandalism in the town. The Oxford OPP has been investigating several cases of stolen and damaged Pride flags over the past few weeks, with the culprits targeting homes, businesses, churches, and Emily Stowe Public School.

This rally was organized by the Norwich Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (JEDI) Alliance. Jess Vanegmond is a member of the Board of Directors and one of the driving forces behind this event.

"The reason we're all here today is to try and drive attention and a lot of the community to put some action into the experiences we've all had with these Pride flag burnings and the cutting down of the flag pole. The community is coming together today to express that they have had enough!"

Fellow JEDI member Melissa Langford also helped organize the rally over the past week.

"It's so sad that it's 2026 and we still are having these issues. I'm from Toronto originally, so it's very different with the vibe coming out here about 10 years ago and we're having to have this battle all the time? It's unfortunate."

Tera Russell, the President of Oxford County Pride, says the local community wanted to show their support in a big way.

"This is what community is! We have people here Toronto, Windsor, Brant County and all of Oxford County to stand here with Norwich and stand with them in the community they're living in. They are the ones that are being affected by this hate."

Several local dignitaries were also in attendance including members of Woodstock City Council and Oxford County Warden Marcus Ryan.

"This means a lot to a lot of people not just from our community, but from outside of our community looking at what our communities are struggling with and decide to come out and support us, which is just wonderful!"