MORE than 7,000 people are expected to take to take part in a parade to mark the 45th anniversary of the first Pride marches.

The marches, held in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Chicago in June 1970, were inspired by the Stonewall riots of the previous year, in which members of the gay community demonstrated against a police raid in Manhattan.

At noon on Saturday, July 18 members of Northern Pride will lead a parade from Newcastle Civic Centre to the Town Moor, to mark the anniversary.

The parade, which is expected to take around an hour, will form part of the wider Newcastle Pride festival, which offers three days of live music and entertainment, including live performances by Irish girl band B*Witched and chart-topper Belinda Carlisle.

Mark Nichols, Chair of Northern Pride, said: “The Stonewall riots followed repeated raids by the police on a venue in Greenwich Village, New York City, which was popular among the LGBT community in the 60s.

“While these original demonstrations were sometimes violent, the Pride marches that followed became a symbol of hope and have continued to have a positive impact for the past 40 years.

“We’re very excited about the 2015 Parade in Newcastle and are inviting as many people as possible to come along and join us in this carnival-style celebration.”