Ukrainian
gay rights activists are surrounded by police during a rally against
homophobia
in Kiev on May 18, 2013 (AFP/File)
|
KIEV — A
Ukrainian court on Thursday banned gay rights activists from holding their
first gay pride march through central Kiev, citing fears of violence.
Kiev's
district administrative court ruled that no events could be staged in the
capital on Saturday because of City Day celebrations, the Interfax Ukraine news
agency reported.
Activists
had planned to hold Kiev's inaugural "Equality March" that day
calling for an end to rampant discrimination against sexual minorities in
Ukraine.
But
opponents of the gay pride event announced plans for a huge alternative rally
on the same day in support of family values and against the "promotion of
homosexuality", raising the threat of violent attacks against the
participants.
The city
authorities said they had received more than 500 complaints from members of the
public over the planned gay pride march, while 61 parliamentary lawmakers
signed a letter calling for a blanket ban on all gay pride events in May and
June.
In Ukraine,
city authorities do not have the power to ban such public events but can ask a
court to rule on whether they can go ahead.
The gay
pride march's organisers said they intended to appeal the court decision and
were also seeking to hold the event in a different format.
"We
want to express our position, but we do not intend to breach the law," a
spokesman for the organising committee told AFP.
In May last
year the organisers themselves cancelled a planned gay pride rally over fears
of violent clashes with opponents.
Amnesty
International had urged city authorities to allow this year's march to go ahead
and to ensure adequate security to protect the participants.
The United
States Embassy and the European Union Delegation to Ukraine also expressed
their support for the event.
The EU
delegation called on local authorities and police "to effectively ensure
that all persons can exercise their rights to freedom of peaceful assembly
without putting their personal safety at risk."
Earlier
this month the parliament of ex-Soviet Ukraine postponed a vote on a EU-backed
bill that would have barred employers from firing staff because of their sexual
orientation.
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