Saturday, May 25, 2013

Ukraine's Kiev Holds Its First Gay Pride Parade; Ten Anti-Gay Protesters Arrested for Agitation

There were a few minor disturbances -- resulting in 10 arrests -- but Kiev's LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) community managed to hold its first ever gay pride parade in Ukraine's capital today (May 25, 2013), the Religious Information Service of Ukraine website reports.

The Equality March was held in an area outside Kiev center after municipal authorities last week banned the group from holding the event at its original planned Lva Tolstoho location.

About 50 people from around Ukraine -- and some as far away as Sweden and Germany -- chanted and paraded down a narrow pathway near Pushkin Park and Shuliavska metro station, carrying rainbow flags and signs with slogans such as "LGBT rights == People's rights."

Dozens of buses parked along Victory Avenue brought more than 300 police in riot gear to the event to keep anti-gay protesters from attacking the march's participants. Still, about 10 people managed to rip banners from the hands of marchers and to shout violent anti-gay slogans. Police quickly detained them and dragged them into holding vans nearby.

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