Goths step out with a message of tolerance
The goths' message was made loud and clear – an end to oppression against those who dress differently and they want people to be free to be individuals.
The procession of alternative dressers, most clad in black, moved from the Sundial at midday, up Armada Way, and around the city centre.
The march was also organised in memory of Sophie Lancaster, a young woman who was murdered simply for the way she looked. She was brutally attacked along with her boyfriend, Robert Maltby, while walking through a park near Manchester almost a year ago. The couple wore gothic fashion and were members of the goth subculture.
The march was one of a handful of processions across the country yesterday for the SOPHIE campaign – which stands for Stamp Out Hatred and Intolerance Everywhere.
Doka Chapman, one of the organisers of the Plymouth march, kicked off the event with a rallying speech.
He told The Herald: "We wanted to organise the march to show people that they are not alone if they are being picked on for what they wear.
"It was also to remember Sophie. It was an excellent turnout by many people."
Hayley Seeney, 23, from Stonehouse, took part in the march. She said: "The march was not just for goths. It was for everyone who wants to stamp out prejudice.
"It also gave young people more courage to be themselves.
"There is a problem with the way people treat goths and alternative dressers in Plymouth. We get a lot of abuse – I have had stones thrown at my house.
"But marches like that help to raise awareness that things like that happen. It was a fantastic event in Plymouth."
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