Violence in Ukraine as Kiev gay pride march attacked
By Ryan Love
A gay pride parade in Ukraine was attacked by protesters today, leaving a number of marchers and policemen injured.
Opponents of the event, held in Kiev, threw smoke bombs and tear gas, with reports claiming that five officers were injured by the unknown assailants.
The Interfac news agency added that a small number of the estimated 300 marchers were also injured.
Some of the protestors attempted to break through a cordon formed by riot police to separate the two groups.
Right Sector spokesman Artem Skoropadskyi had warned yesterday: “There will be thousands of us. Gay propaganda is destructive and doing harm to our Christian nation, we can’t allow that.”
The first gay pride parade was staged in Ukraine in 2013, with strong protection for those involved after the 2012 event was cancelled.
The city’s Vitaly Klitschko had called on organisers to cancel the event to “avoid confrontation”.
Ukrainian lawmaker and journalist Serhiy Leshchenko praised police on Twitter for preventing “direct clashes” between the groups, and said about 25-30 “radicals” had been arrested.
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