At least 80 skinheads attacked the rally that preceded the first gay pride
parade in Bratislava, Slovakia, on May 22.
The assaults injured two people and forced the relocation of the
festivities.
Member of the European Parliament Ulrike Lunacek reportedly dodged
“stones” that were thrown at her as she addressed the rally.
The attackers also threw smoke bombs and eggs at the approximately 1,000
celebrants.
Police arrested eight people. Local reports said some were connected to
the neo-Nazi group Slovenska Pospolitost.
Pride organizers and some media faulted the police for failure to secure
the parade events and route.
Lukas Fila, deputy editor of the daily newspaper Sme, said, “Slovakia has
experienced a day of shame.”
Lunacek, co-president of the European Parliament’s Intergroup on LGBT
Rights, commented, “It has been an important victory that Bratislava Pride
did take place — even though we did not march through the city center,
but with hundreds of rainbow flags across the Danube bridge to the other
shore.”
“Radicals take up public space only when allowed,” Lunacek said. “The
government’s duty is to work against nationalistic, racist and homophobic
hate speech and violence.”
LGBT people also gathered for a pride festival in Bucharest, Romania, on
May 22. It was the city’s sixth pride celebration.
Member of the European Parliament Michael Cashman addressed the 350
celebrants.
Anti-gay protesters were “kept at bay by a strong police presence,” the
LGBT Intergroup reported.
by Rex Wockner
