Bulgaria Skinheads Attack Gay Parade with Molotov Cocktails, 60 Arrested
03/07/2008
By
ILGA-Europe
More than 60 persons have been arrested by the police for trying to attack and harass the participants in the gay pride parade, which took place in Sofia Saturday afternoon.
The arrested are mostly representatives of the skin heads and other extremist groups, who were throwing stones, bottles, squibs, and even Molotov cocktails at the procession.
The massive presence of the police, who were about as many as the participants in the parade - 150, however, prevented the hooligans from doing harm to any of the homosexuals and their supporters, and no one has been reported injured.
The leader of the nationalist extremists Bulgarian National Union Boyan Rasate has also been arrested, allegedly for taking part in the attempted violence.
According to some accounts, Rasate's five-year old daughter, whom he brought with him to the anti-rally, was left alone and helpless after he was arrested and thrown in the back of one of the police cars.
Over the last week Rasate's BNU had been among the strongest opponents of the gay parade, and even launched a campaign under the motto: "Be Intolerant, Be Normal" with posters spread all over Sofia.
Meanwhile, many of those who accompanied the arrested persons, complained of police violence against their friends.
Source: Sofia News Agency, 28 June 2008
The arrested are mostly representatives of the skin heads and other extremist groups, who were throwing stones, bottles, squibs, and even Molotov cocktails at the procession.
The massive presence of the police, who were about as many as the participants in the parade - 150, however, prevented the hooligans from doing harm to any of the homosexuals and their supporters, and no one has been reported injured.
The leader of the nationalist extremists Bulgarian National Union Boyan Rasate has also been arrested, allegedly for taking part in the attempted violence.
According to some accounts, Rasate's five-year old daughter, whom he brought with him to the anti-rally, was left alone and helpless after he was arrested and thrown in the back of one of the police cars.
Over the last week Rasate's BNU had been among the strongest opponents of the gay parade, and even launched a campaign under the motto: "Be Intolerant, Be Normal" with posters spread all over Sofia.
Meanwhile, many of those who accompanied the arrested persons, complained of police violence against their friends.
Source: Sofia News Agency, 28 June 2008
