28 june 2024 at 3 pm – Reservation required
Catharinabrug, Leiden
On Friday afternoon, June 28, a street performance will take place by Theater De Generator, on the Catharinabrug in Leiden, called (Don’t) Hit Me Leiden One More Time, inspired by the pop song by Britney Spears. Dance and audio fragments are used against police violence against the LGBTQIA+ community, then and now.
Not everyone knows that last year during Canal Pride, a group of LGBTQ people faced police violence on the Catharinabrug in Leiden, because they wanted to hang a banner on the bridge. These young queers participated in Pride just like everyone else, but also wanted to show some protest, they stated on social media. They thought the approach of Canal Pride was too commercial and that there is still too much to fight for when it comes to LGBTQIA rights in Leiden, to only focus on celebration. And given the history of Pride, they believed that there should also be room for protest during Pride. Pride originates on June 28, 1969 when New York LGBTIQA+ people resisted intimidation and oppression by the police.
Some theater makers were also present at last year’s protest. To draw attention to the violence that took place last year and in honor of the origin of Pride on this day in 1969, Theater de Generator is presenting the dance and audio performance (Don’t) Hit Me Leiden One More Time, which will take place on the Catharinabrug itself. In the evening a queer karaoke will take place in the building of Theater De Generator on the Middelstegracht at 19.30.
Director, concept & choreography: Jonny Tudor | Dance & co-creation: Dalvin Deira, Dizencio Hung & Shanti Monkou
More background info
Pride began in the United States as a protest with the 1969 Stonewall riots on June 28 and 29. A group of New York LGBTIQA+ people stood up against police harassment and oppression. This groundbreaking protest marked the beginning of an era in which the fight for equal rights and acceptance is increasingly being heard. These protests are still commemorated every year with parades and rallies during Pride Month.
On September 2, 2023, during Canal Pride in Leiden, young members of the LGBTIQA+ community were violently stopped from hanging a protest banner on the Catharinabrug. They were beaten, driven to a place surrounded by police and held there against their will. All this at the request of the mayor of Leiden. This incident has been virtually kept quiet and Leiden only spoke with joy about this event, the organizers even won an Entrepreneurial Talent of the Year Award. Both the mayor and the organizers of Canal Pride have not publicly distanced themselves from this violence.
Theatrical protest during the day – 15.00 o clock, Catharinabrug
The text on the banner would have been Rainbow Capitalism Doesn’t Float My Boat, and would have been an indictment of the commercial approach of Canal Pride. Protest has been welcomed at several Prides in the Netherlands and there is a sensitivity about police and violence against LGBTIQA+. Not only given the history of Pride, but also because members of this Leiden community still face discrimination, verbal and physical violence, as research by Bureau 51 showed.
The bridge also featured queer artists and employees of our theater. With Britney as their mascot, they take back the bridge in a theatrical way on this historic Stonewall Remembrance Day because: Don’t Hit Me Leiden One More Time!
Dress Up Gay & Glitter Karaoke in the evening – 19.30 o clock, Generator
In the evening we organize a Dress Up Gay & Glitter Karaoke that will delight you! With a catwalk, the best worst songs and lots of glitter.