Reuters AlertNet Lite - FACTBOX-Gay Pride events hit by by bans or violence

Reuters AlertNet Full site

NEWSDESK

FACTBOX-Gay Pride events hit by by bans or violence

21 Jun 2007 16:13:09 GMT
Source: Reuters

June 21 (Reuters) - Israeli police detained an Orthodox Jewish man accused of carrying a small home-made bomb in Jerusalem on Thursday as thousands marched in support of gay rights and in defiance of religious protesters.

The Brazilian city of Sao Paulo this year hosted what organisers said was the largest gay pride event in the world, attended by about 3 million people.

Here are some recent instances where gay pride events have been banned or disrupted by violence.

ISRAEL: In 2005, an ultra-Orthodox Jewish protester stabbed three marchers in a parade through Jerusalem. In 2006, organisers had planned a gay pride street parade but cancelled it and rallied at a small stadium instead after police said they needed to beef up security in case of Palestinian attacks.

RUSSIA: In May 2007 far-right activists kicked and punched demonstrators calling for the right to hold a gay pride parade in central Moscow. Police detained dozens of gay protesters, including two members of the European Parliament. Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov refused permission to hold the parade. In 2006, a gay march went ahead despite the ban. Activists were detained by police, abused by militant Christians and attacked by neo-Nazis.

LATVIA: A gay pride march in the capital Riga was banned by officials in 2006. In 2005, thousands tried to physically block the path of the parade. This year's event was attended by about 500 people. There was no violence.

POLAND: Polish President Lech Kaczyinski banned two gay pride marches when he was mayor of Warsaw. Authorities in Warsaw reluctantly allowed a march to go ahead in 2006 after Polish courts ruled such bans in other cities were illegal.

ROMANIA: Police detained dozens of protesters in June 2007 as hundreds tried to break up a gay rights march in the capital, Bucharest. About 500 gay activists marched through the city to demonstrate against discrimination and to call for the legalisation of same-sex marriages.

LITHUANIA - Permission was refused for the first gay pride event in Vilnius in May this year. The same month, bus drivers in the city of Kaunas refused to drive vehicles carrying ads promoting tolerance towards homosexual men and women, a campaign sponsored by the European Union and the Lithuanian government.

Source: Reuters

AlertNet news is provided by

Email this article Send comments

Countries

Small country map
© 2004 Europa Technologies Ltd.

Reset map

• Brazil profile
· View map

• Israel profile
· View map

• Latvia profile
· View map

• Lithuania profile
· View map

• Palestinian territories profile
· View map

• Poland profile

• Romania profile

• Russia profile

MORE >>

NGO latest

• Severe Poverty in the UK
Save the Children - International Alliance

• Participating in the broader health agenda
International HIV/AIDS Alliance - UK

• ACT Alert: Gaza: State of Emergency
ACT - Switzerland

• Continuing isolation of Gaza results in more violence.
Christian Aid - UK

• Tension in Gaza disrupts life at SOS Children's Village
SOS-Kinderdorf International

MORE >>

Latest news

• FACTBOX-Gay Pride events hit by by bans or violence

• Space shuttle prepares for return to Earth

• INTERVIEW-Iranian weapons still flowing into Iraq -US general

• NASA RULES OUT FIRST LANDING OPPORTUNITY OF SPACE SHUTTLE ATLANT

• Israel eases blockade of cargo to Hamas-ruled Gaza

MORE >>

Last updated:Thu Jun 21 16:14:51 2007