Chicago Pride Parade Steps Off Sunday

More than 750,000 people are expected to line the 4-mile parade route on the city's North Side

Chicago’s 47th annual Pride Parade steps off this weekend amid increased security and plans for remembrance.

The parade will begin at noon Sunday, which also marks the first anniversary of the landmark Supreme Court decision that legalized gay marriage in all 50 states and comes two weeks after the deadly shooting at a gay nightclub in Orlando.

This year’s event will honor the lives lost in the Orlando massacre, beginning with a moment of silence one minute before the parade starts. Photos of the 49 people killed will also be placed along the 4-mile parade route in Chicago’s Uptown, Lakeview, Lincoln Park and Boystown neighborhoods.

More than 750,000 people are expected to line the parade route, which begins at Montrose Avenue and Broadway in Uptown and ends near the intersection of Diversey Parkway and Sheridan in Lincoln Park.

The parade is expected to feature more than 150 vehicles, floats and marching groups.

In wake of the mass shooting in Orlando, FBI and city officials announced increased security measures for this year’s event.

Parade coordinator Richard Pfeiffer said 160 off-duty officers and security personnel will work the parade – an increase from just 70 officers that patrolled the event last year.

"As we do every year, the City has been planning for several months to ensure that these events are safe and enjoyable for residents, participants and attendees," Rich Guidice, Managing Deputy Director of Operations for the Chicago Office of Emergency Management and Communications (OEMC) said in a statement. "In addition, since the tragedy in Orlando, OEMC and the Chicago Police Department have met several times and we have adjusted resources and increased security measures so that the focus can remain on what Pride Fest and the Pride Parade are all about - the celebration of our LGBT community."

Chicago Police Supt. Eddie Johnson noted, however, "at this point there is no threat here in Chicago."

Last year, an estimated 1 million people colored Chicago in pride for the annual celebration.

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