The Vancouver Police Department has agreed to leave its armoured rescue vehicle out of this year’s Pride Parade over concerns from the local Black Lives Matter chapter.

Sgt. Randy Fincham said officers recently met with Black Lives Matter members and decided not to use the vehicle out of respect for the group’s objections.

“We do understand and appreciate that there are concerns with that so we’ve made the decision this year not to include that. We will have other vehicles there instead,” Fincham told reporters Tuesday.

Black Lives Matter has said the use of the armoured vehicle, or any vehicle that evokes the militarization of police forces in North America, would make black and First Nations participants uncomfortable at the annual parade.

The group hailed the VPD’s decision as a small, but symbolic victory.

“While the Vancouver Police Department themselves have been civil towards us since our inception, the vehicle itself represents the ongoing violence and threat posed by institutional racism towards marginalized groups,” reads a post on the Black Lives Matter Vancouver website.

“To remove it represents a small step towards accepting and respecting Black Lives Matter as a movement and working toward including inclusion of all queer and trans people, not just those with privilege.”

The VPD confirmed it will, however, be taking part on Sunday’s parade, despite calls from Black Lives Matter to voluntarily withdraw altogether.

Fincham said while the force has a good relationship with the group, it has been participating in the parade since 1997 and will be taking part once again for its 20th year.

“Our executive, our volunteers, sworn and civilian staff, we will be marching in the Pride Parade,” Fincham confirmed Tuesday.

In an open letter published earlier this month, Black Lives Matter revealed it won't be marching in the parade over the issue, and will instead join the Dyke March, where the group was invited to serve as Grand Marshall.

It argued that given the historic violence perpetrated by police forces on the gay community, including the raids that led to the Stonewall riots of 1969, there’s no place for them at Pride events, except as protectors of public safety. 

“Having the institution participate on a float in the organized festivities of the actual parade is inappropriate and insulting to those who came before us to make Pride celebrations possible,” it read.

The group proposed that police instead share a float with firefighters, paramedics and others under the general umbrella of public service, allowing officers to take part as individuals without including the force as a whole.