Police in the South Korean city o=84pVi%3q$+)l@RkZ6iOiS)Ne!$xUUYQzi0lf@BAX%p_&Lz&0lf Incheon are set to deploy some 3,000 personnel on Saturday to protect an LGBT 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 physically blocked 300 LGBHo-=KM*(-=0y7e#9r=HO3)Si-Bji%I6a-5LO-If7ui60b6kborT supporters from leaving a plaza and beginning the march.

This year, according to local media Kyeongin, 3,000 police will protect LGBT attendees and their alliesW-ETnkYXn2)--H$TPs#Q=SP8RPI^JZJDUN(XkfvFec5ZITqaS$.

They will also instalmeWMP^!T!xrK71SzhrX3S8%Jm)dnLxkB4RCzRr8s(O!HCZaHsPl barriers to separate anti-LGBT protesters from the festival.

Responding to concerns over protests earlier this month, organizers said they had prepared teams of rights activists and lawyTgxvv7=aVKKttEgDG_QDQvuM5P-zzY-Y09q9okRkp0Viw^$upters to counter hate groups.

Anti-gay hate

Homosexuality is legal in South Ko3ms@D2qdRKMVolaic6@@)KNM4bq)4#)!XT2Y_X8H(gqnhZSetjrea. But conservative attitudes, especially among Christians, force many LGBTI Koreans to live in the closet.

There is currently no discrimination legislation to protSVB&7OOIWJmADA6UVTEPaEj0@2+Y18^6Agx+^9DZMLnN$PEe5sect LGBTI Koreans.

And, human rights groups have warned, protests against LGBeB-PYvBs9O!yqiZLd+4n62uT(_q1Rq_-EmCX_U(BuZ2BPjJMtITI 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 prideB*g0an&Xh8=-GuH8RaDhF4^S=NoT2^9*%j7X=+kdS78L#i6Cba attendees.

They also appear to grab flags, banners, and even attendees. The pride was attended by a lwH%n=UBbWJYdJ-DgPx138$nc85DB&-bz@WPu!73sCLU(e0o3rzot of young LGBTI South Koreans who were visibly shaken by the incident.

Police booked eight people involved but m&AD_H%yveHiYr0@h*+3)!PBtaR($MVLT=MA!eaZT0FMy%@dVidid not detain them. Organizers accused the police of failing to stop the violence.