Fridae

Manchester Mardi Gras has cancelled outdoor events because of the Greater Manchester Police's decision to enforce a restrictive alcohol tolerance zone to Canal Street alone, according to a press release posted on the festival's website.

The festival to be held 23 to 26 August is expected to attract over 100,000 revellers to the British city.

The Village Business Association (VBA) has cancelled events those in Sackville Park, the Essential Dance Arena, the Works Party and the Big Parade through the city centre. The organisers cited safety and liability reasons for cancelling some of the events.

"We took the considered view that due to the enormous numbers historically attracted to The Gay Village for Mardi Gras, the prospect of cramming thousands of party revellers onto Canal Street was simply unsafe and could have led to a disaster of Hillsborough proportions," said a VBA spokesman.

"We have spent three weeks in meetings, making telephone calls, sending emails and talking to the various groups involved in an attempt to marginally extend the alcohol tolerance zone in order to accommodate the huge numbers. When it was clear that the other parties would not even discuss our concerns we had no alternative but to cancel Mardi Gras 2002".

The spokesman has urged the gay and lesbian community and their friends to continue partying.

"The message to the gay community is Manchester Gay Pride will continue over the weekend with even more focus on 'Operation Fundraiser'. The authorities may be short-sighted in their handling of the alcohol tolerance zone but this will not stop gay men and women and their friends partying, and the bars and clubs are committed to ensuring that as much as possible will be raised for the charities, with all the venues continuing with their planned events," he said.

To protest, a march through the city centre has been proposed to demonstrate the gay community's anger towards Councillors Pat Karney and Mary Murphy who were supposed to represent the Lesbian and Gay community on Manchester city council but who refused to intervene, or meet, with the VBA to help resolve the position with the police.

The annual Lesbian and Gay Mardi Gras was regrouped and renamed GayFest after the 1999 festival failed to raise any money for charities. This year, the original Mardi Gras name returns with a new committee and a redesigned programme of events. Manchester is also where the hugely popular gay series Queer as Folk is set and filmed.