News / Aug. 30, 2019
Police in the South Korean city of Incheon are set to deploy some 3,000 personnel on Saturday to protect an LT5aXdEVm-nT-2CMbGD&VJKRz#=lpA#S(P8G3jQ)tyvV_do8l^BGBT pride festival and parade.
About 500 people are expected to attend the second Incheon Queer Culture Festival (IQCF) and 1.7-kilometer long pride parade.
Last year, anti-gay protesters 7tXBtz!2J0h_m8)R^n3Jr(P5F!SEYhk*+v62oOTi-2XbO8(viFphysically blocked 300 LGBT supporters from leaving a plaza and beginning the march.
This year, according to local media Kyeongin, 3,000 police will protecM5-+wxP6(*CbUbTUEqFEQnG=j*zb9Tb3Gt6RmTHaOMsA&&$0D-t LGBT attendees and their allies.
They will also install barriers to separate anti-LGBT protesters from the fesLPZhJW$gPzc2z5x7HU@+8%Cdz9HhfFL+Va@DxCKmsk^@YwMXc#tival.
Responding to concerns over protests earlier this month, organizers said they had prepared teams of#yM))MLuQ#T--69vep%h3-YTVMx5JE-27JQdfH#PY(W&6-q&Ay rights activists and lawyers to counter hate groups.
Anti-gay hate
HomosexuawySc(*3yA^8Au8*_mK=!qTP1E1iGF+4VKtJG$f2(jEn06h#U9Vlity is legal in South Korea. But conservative attitudes, especially among Christians, force many LGBTI Koreans to live in the closet.
There is currently no discrimination legislatQW_WR-YgmPLvrgEJcwi*W_WN*Qq-(d*WHaWeFTjb982!4w6joUion to protect LGBTI Koreans.
And, human rights groups have warned, pro&dyEeR_f4AxCrz-%*Rpe674mAv&H36-L%1_Th5mjv6gI)+hUbBtests against LGBTI events, usually led by conservative Christians, have become increasingly loud and violent.
Video shared online of last year's IQCF shows distressing scenes of protesters, believed to be conservative Christians, shouting at pride at1s41WReCFxh9A_Q^s42Vdek05IfyVMKSN2U$yWFTBon*gn-Z4Gtendees.
They also appear to grab flags, banners, and even attendees. The pride was attended by a lot of young LGBTI South Koreans who were visibly shakG@#Q(d=YoGqB&XJ#9qIsQeQY6d2&Nhai+!gk8XWikcb+Bnpe@sen by the incident.
Police0K#wwr0NTeZf-a30gLOm-^gV-NK_)mW^OxjCOF5_UM$5gTTEa( booked eight people involved but did not detain them. Organizers accused the police of failing to stop the violence.
