City of Ames denies claim that Pridefest had "no security precautions"

The Ames City Council and Ames Police Department are denying claims that the local Pridefest celebration had "no security precautions" after a volunteer spoke out during Tuesday's meeting at City Hall.

Held on Sept. 14, Ames Pridefest is an annual event celebrating the LGBTQIA+ community hosted by the nonprofit Ames Pride. The festival began in September of 2017 , and went on a three-year hiatus because of the COVID-19 pandemic before returning in full force in 2023 .

Matthew Nasuti, a volunteer at this year's festival, approached the council Tuesday. Nasuti claimed that the police did not conduct walkthroughs nor did they erect physical barriers.

Nasuti claimed the city ignored warnings from federal agencies regarding LGBTQIA+ events.

The FBI and the Department of Homeland Security issued a public announcement in May to raise awareness of “foreign terrorist organizations (FTOS) or their supporters potential targeting of LGBTQIA+-related events and venues" during Pride Month in June.

Authorities say no local threats were made

Ames Police Chief Geoff Huff said police did not identify any local threats to Pridefest or its participants. He said the department worked with Pridefest organizers on the event's plan and did some extra patrol around the area that day.

"The organizers didn't ask for anything more than that; they could've asked to hire a police officer for the event if they wanted to," Huff said. "If they needed something, we were mere minutes or seconds away."

More: Ames is adding a mini-pitch soccer court to Lloyd Kurtz Park in the spring

Pridefest volunteer wants more security

Nasuti said the city would be "liable for failing to protect the event" if something happened. The volunteer said the festival − along with other events with at-risk populations − requires certain security measures. If those measures aren't met, Nasuti said the event should be canceled.

“If you don’t want to prioritize safety with the Iowa Police, then you need to say no,” Nasuti said. “Everyone thinks it can’t happen here, but it can.”

Ames Mayor John Haila did not agree with Nasuti's assertion that the city thinks there's "a pixie dust force field" encircling the community, and said the city takes security "extremely seriously."

The council asked city staff to prepare a memo on city liability in the event of a mass casualty at an event like Pridefest.

More: Ames High is getting a new, $2.5M track that will be ready for the 2026 season

Celia Brocker is a government, crime, political and education reporter for the Ames Tribune. She can be reached at CBrocker@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Ames Tribune: City of Ames denies claim that Pridefest had "no security precautions"