This is an OK article but doesnt mention the gathering - blessed by the Bishop of Sheffield - at Sheffield Cathedral during the procession. Also, while it mentions Sophie, it doesnt detail her mum's excellent campaign for tolerance - or the fact a Goth was stabbed and two Goth girls attacked in Leeds last week.

How can the dress sense be 'alternate'.
You see more 'goths' than burberry cladded 'chavs'.

Goths are common, not alternate.

I am alternate, I wear a shirt and trousers.

No help from Sheffield City Council...why doesnt that surprise me...

Having been into Goth music for a long time since circa 1984 I've seen a lot of abuse towards this group of the community all around the country after following bands from Brighton to Aviemore, Galway to Lowestoft. Most of the people in the scene are 100% genuine and there just to have believe it or not a great time, spend time with friends, meet like minded people have a drink or five, engage in interesting to surreal conversations!

I've been lucky and not had "much" abuse from people not in the scene just the "get your hair cut" yelled from a speeding sound system that's usually called a car .... but I know enough people who have been attacked for the way they choose to dress, even at last years Whitby Goth Weekend there was a guy from Leeds who was made up to look like the original Dracula style with prosthetic ears etc and was raising money for a Children's charity he was the attacked in the street by a group of largered up louts when all he was doing was walking back to his hotel alone in the early evening. I saw the aftermath of a metaler/biker type who had an arm and a leg broken in Sheffield just for wearing his leathers out in the street going to a club.

There are many other examples that could be recited ... I believe there was even an attack on an "alternative" type late on Saturday night as the individual was heading back from Corporation to their home ..

People in the Goth culture may look different, they may seem scary but most are as friendly as can be, are fairly well educated, have a sense of decency, raise a hell of a lot of money for charities from Cancer research to animal charities and most things in between.

The Goth community are not the only member of society who just want to get on with life and have a little respect from people, I think that every minority and majority culture/group expect the same. It's just the few idiots out there who think its funny to pick on someone who looks or acts differently to what they are used to

I'd be more willing to be tolerant if they hadn't spoilt the special dance arranged in the Peace Gardens as part of the Veterans Day event. Goodness knows what anybody visiting Sheffield - perhaps to invest and create jobs - must think when they are taken to the Peace Gardens, supposedly the jewel in the city's crown, and there are all these 'yoofs' hanging around being 'alternative'.

'Goth' for them.
They brighten an otherwise dull city up a bit..

"Air of Melancholy?" I was there and was not aware of that! There were families and children there, and I felt nothing but upbeat that there were so many people there of at least four generations , that gathered to demonstrate unity! Many of us, including myself and the mum of one of the organisers werer there as parents and grandparents and no- we are not grandparents at 30 and 32! We were the Punks and New Romantics of the'80's, by the way!
I was proud to represent my family and to march shoulder to shoulder with so many vital and enthusiastic young people, including my dog, who was made most welcome and was fussed and loved by many!
"Sea of black ?" I heartily encourage your reporter to obtain an urgent eye test, because there was blue, purple,red, orange and even bright green and pink! I may be old enough to be the grandmother of many of them, but even my eye sight is not that bad!

why can people live and let live what does it matter what you wear if you do no harm to anyone have just watch video and there is colour i have got grand kids if they choose to dress as goths it will not make them any different they will still be my grankids get to know the person not the clothes god bless you all.

Had my grandmother still been alive, she would have demanded that we 'spring' her from the Rest Home and have her grandchildren take her there!She was an original Goth, or Beatnik, she constantly wore black and rocked the house wherever she went!
Sh would have ben there at the front with everyone else!

It's just the few idiots out there who think its funny to pick on someone who looks or acts differently to what they are used to.
Couldn't agree more. Also, most of these idiots, these days, tend to have twattoos,that we all have to see and seem to think somehow that alcohol and soccer(or football as they call it) are ACTUALLY important.
Most of these morons are truly out and out cowards who live in their own fear.
Yes, people may look like freaks and weirdos, but it is only clothes for goodness sake.
Most of the critics, probably cannot even think straight because THEIR miserable, drug - filled and cowardly lives are so messed up.

Time to change....the system.