Mardi Gras 2024: Viewers complain about ABC coverage of Sydney LGBTQI+ pride event: ‘This is appalling’

ABC has been criticized by Mardi Gras viewers for its “appalling” coverage of the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Pride event.

By broadcasting the parade live on television Saturday night, the network left many fans at home feeling let down.

While some praised ABC for providing “very well done” airtime for the huge annual festival, most were outraged by the camera work.

One unimpressed viewer wrote: ‘ABC does a poor job with #MardiGras. On a technical level, the sound and camera work was bad, but it also lacked humor and the editing was tactical to focus on women and minimize male bodies.’

A second said: “Seriously, the ABC needs better commentators for their #mardigras coverage.” “Courtney Law aside, this coverage is atrocious.”

Most seemed upset that the camera was missing many of the beautiful floats passing by, with one person writing: “We’re missing floats again ABC.”

‘Floats and costumes that have required a lot of time, effort and creativity. There is no need for journalists on the ground to talk nonsense.

Another commented: “ABC get to work, someone wasted 5 minutes in a conversation about the portaloo toilet while big floats were passing by.”

‘Are they really doing away with floats because of stories about a portaloo? Are we missing out on all the work and effort that has gone into multiple floats so co-hosts need to use the bathroom? Come on ABC, you were doing great,” someone else tweeted.

Despite the overwhelming wave of criticism the television network received for its poor coverage of the annual parade, some viewers praised ABC.

One viewer said he was “really sad to miss the party” every year, but thanked ABC for their coverage so he could watch it from home.

Another wrote: ‘We’ve been waiting YEARS to have an uninterrupted Mardi Gras parade with no stupid stories. ABC really well done.’

‘I’ve just changed, but I think the ABC’s coverage of Mardi Sydney Gras is much better this year. The presenters explain/describe the parade floats + they don’t talk about themselves. What an improvement, well done,” commented a third.

Complaints about poor coverage broadcast by the ABC came just hours after a large crowd of protesters marched through Sydney’s Hyde Park ahead of the Mardi Gras parade to protest the involvement of the New South Wales police.

As they marched through the park toward the staging area for Saturday’s parade, the crowd chanted “stop police attacks on gays, women and black people.”

The organizers, Pride in Protest, also caused chaos in Darlinghurst, the heart of the city’s LGBTQI+ community, on Friday night, when around 300 people arrived for the same reason.

Police were not formally invited to march in this year’s parade following the arrest of a serving police officer, charged with the alleged murders of Jesse Baird and Luke Davies.

Davies was honored with a special float from Qantas, his former employer.

However, officers on duty were present at the parade, sparking more anger from the group.

Pride in Protest organizers called those marching with the group to City Hall for a “raise your voice” event starting at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, and the march to the meeting area in Hyde Park took place shortly after. from 4:00 p.m.