Praise for police, organizers of first Kiev Pride Parade
This encouraging account of the first Pride Parade in Kiev, Ukraine, comes from Boris O. Dittrich, advocacy director of the LGBT program at Human Rights Watch:
On Saturday May 25, 2013 the first Kiev Pride Parade took place.
Some 75 demonstrators marched for about 20 minutes, while massively protected by police.
The location of the march was only disclosed to the demonstrators a few minutes before it started and they were taken there by buses, escorted by the police.
The media were then informed and they interviewed and filmed the participants.
The Ukrainian activists had planned everything very well and Kiev police were cooperative. There were only a few minor incidents of people who managed to break through the police cordon, but they were arrested immediately. About 10 arrests were made. Shortly after the Pride Parade, when all participants were driven away in buses to a safe place, they were released from police custody.
Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch monitored the Pride Parade. Amnesty International did a great job helping out the Ukrainian organizers by providing security.
The Ukrainian organizers were satisfied with this first march. They hope this is the start of a bright future for LGBT people in Ukraine.
Related articles
- Moscow police arrest protesters; Ukraine’s protect them (76crimes.com)
- Ukraine lawmakers seek ban on gay pride parades (76crimes.com)
- Court blocks Ukraine’s first-ever gay pride rally (76crimes.com)
- Ukraine Forced to Change Gay Pride March to Private Event (oblogdeeoblogda.me)
