15 May 2010

Belarusian police violently break up gay pride parade

Riot police on Saturday broke up the demonstration and arrested several dozen participants, beating some of them and throwing them on the ground.

The organizers said that their goal was to attract public attention to the violation of sexual minorities' rights in Belarus. The leader of the Belarusian gay movement, Sergei Androsenko, said the government attitude toward gays amounted to the state sanctioning homophobia.

Some carried handwritten signs saying, "Today they ban gays, tomorrow they will ban you," in a short-lived protest that was the first of its kind organized by the Russian and Belarussian Slavic Pride rights group in the capital. Police refused to comment on the detentions.

Winnipeg Free Press - Reuters

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