Police in the South Korean city of IRFL_OJWxnEZ)k)7Cm*F7mMXj&pI1_@xO!Qr5Xpv(a43+wP#A*Bncheon are set to deploy some 3,000 personnel on Saturday to protect an LGBT pride festival and parade.
J0zXcVpdTjRjN5oSgbkuLI(Jkf7&x)o7AnB^wm!w0*z2AQPe2kAbout 500 people are expected to attend the second Incheon Queer Culture Festival (IQCF) and 1.7-kilometer long pride parade.
Last year, woTPC+LnEWpxqxVq#H_@wZmvIC!r+CaeL_#GKnh+vzz+w89otRanti-gay protesters physically blocked 300 LGBT supporters from leaving a plaza and beginning the march.
This year, according to local media Kyeongin, 3,000 police will protect LGBT attendees and pgzQTNqIil_!H)8S@eh08-+0ItuJbK1V^D%RS&x_phkwU1+nrXtheir allies.
They will also install barRusE2wq5r0Zt^a5=wzn(cQo_An!W%-uJ-UE!mmQiyRRRTgzK(jriers to separate anti-LGBT protesters from the festival.
Responding to concerns over protests earlier t3gXbJdJ2(s%3P$rdK$*4AiWax(QVBrqiTV-VYwL1W$Vnq0ibqHhis month, organizers said they had prepared teams of rights activists and lawyers to counter hate groups.
Anti-gay hate
Homosexuality is legal in South Korea.INWoNL8JkB9l=rhev5-$O!3Y2e*lnBzCTUQbPNUa1k)oZMJ+!8 But conservative attitudes, especially among Christians, force many LGBTI Koreans to live in the closet.
There is currently no discrimination legislation to pzUy^4)7f2=vWN#f0SEAKQxxBdiS08bIp2R)N*0A@twLHFzZQJ3rotect LGBTI Koreans.
And, human rights groups have warned, protests against LGBTI events, usuaH7!QNqKAc^dD=QLrrRB9idyDj#-R4szNhTpEQg$ZD(qn_$cDMClly led by conservative Christians, have become increasingly loud and violent.
ZRDVE_4_HkH6o-xQC#iq)TBl10O^4rqAoTsmZ7krOfPyQHx6@(Video shared online of last year's IQCF shows distressing scenes of protesters, believed to be conservative Christians, shouting at pride attendees.
They also appear to grab flags, banners, and even attendeeoRV&ENr$EE7Gj=fz7RJ%Z7PMcG!v6KTBHNlcbYWUUX&Ei4aaN4s. The pride was attended by a lot of young LGBTI South Koreans who were visibly shaken by the incident.
Police booked eight people involved but did not detain them. Organizers accused the police of failing to stop t)ZJdchFjUEkj0-R#J0G&DM8PAjp#Y=6JQFvr4JC5zHBzV)K7*(he violence.




