ZAGREB, June 29 (Hina) - With tight police security, the first Croatian gay parade, which proceeded without major incidents, was held in downtown Zagreb on Saturday.
ZAGREB, June 29 (Hina) - With tight police security, the first
Croatian gay parade, which proceeded without major incidents, was
held in downtown Zagreb on Saturday. #L#
The event, which included around 200 people, was organised by the
Iskorak group for the promotion of different sexuality and the
Kontra lesbian group.
The parade was aimed at contributing to the social acceptance of
homosexual, bisexual, and transsexual people, and on calling on
citizens to oppose all forms of discrimination, the organisers
said.
A high number of police surrounded the parade from all sides and
followed it down Zagreb's centre so that nobody was able to join in
after the parade started.
Many citizens gathered outside the police cordon. Some supported
the parade by applauding, while others shouted insults, voicing
their disapproval of such rallies. No incidents or physical clashes
occurred during the parade.
Tear gas was thrown at the participants towards the end of the
parade.
Iskorak president Davor Manzin hoped such rallies of sexual
minorities would become traditional. He announced a similar
gathering for next year.
Manzin appealed for state officials' help with Iskorak's
initiative for the adoption of legislation which would abolish the
discrimination of sexual minorities in all areas of life, and urged
citizens to show good intentions and mutual acknowledgement.
Kontra president Sanja Juras announced several initiatives aimed
at amending the Constitution and laws on labour, health, family,
and higher education in order to prevent the discrimination of
homosexual, bisexual, and transsexual people and accept them as
equal citizens.
Interior Minister Sime Lucin congratulated the organisers and
participants in the parade on their courage and on what he described
was a magnificent and dignified rally. "Love each other and fight
for your rights," he said.
The chairman of parliament's human rights committee, Furio Radin,
said today's parade was the first act in the seeking of rights to
which every man was entitled to for the expression of his
personality and diversity, sexual orientation included.
The chief of the UN mission for human rights to Croatia, Juan Pablo
Ordonez, congratulated all who, despite the fear of intolerance and
violence, took part in today's parade.
Today is a big day for Croatia as the participants in the parade have
shown that their country is committed to an open society in which
tolerance and the struggle for human rights overcome violence, said
Ordonez.
The event was welcomed by representatives of the Croatian Helsinki
Committee on Human Rights, the Dutch Embassy, the Anti-Globalist
Movement, the B.a.B.e. women's organisation, the Citizens'
Committee on Human Rights, and the Centre for Peace Studies.
Present at the event to show their support, among others, were the
president of the ruling coalition's Croatian People's Party (HNS),
Vesna Pusic, and the chairwoman of parliament's national security
committee, Djurdja Adlesic, who hoped that today Zagreb and Croatia
would pass the test of democracy and tolerance.
The president of the Forum 21 association of electronic media
journalists, Drago Pilsel, said he compered today's event instead
of film director Mario Kovac, who was allegedly beaten prior to the
parade.
Zagreb police did not confirm this.
(hina) ha sb