Incheon pride parade set for clash with anti-LGBT groups

Police in the South Korean city of Incheon are set to depl3SS%RNpfRRfFWo000&hm9G&Khmxhu)([email protected]%0y+4JBsSvlloScoy 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 TYqmCIpA!vD2()g3R7OF$0qh!^&OEp$0s7d=+u-N$crGI55273300 LGBT supporters from leaving a plaza and beginning the march.

This year, according to local media Kyeongin, 3,00o=an-uog)1^m9y$$mf039MPZ7!qQ^ED05VQF)[email protected]0 police will protect LGBT attendees and their allies.

They will also install barriers to separate anti-LGBT protesters from the fe9VT*53Qhk0dQJVSz7_UZNcteg(ldMw)%SUK7wLVNjmn6u^N1QJstival.

Responding to concerns over protests e=AzE-KhH&5kDGY1m34qVmRchPC5Y#5%=ZgQ0CkK^zlb*7bw)zjarlier this 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. BuYx+tFaUU5u1KP6&dTSF7F1c93)bvMqNCGqiWL9G(HLLu+J0+N7t conservative attitudes, especially among Christians, force many LGBTI Koreans to live in the closet.

There is currently no disn9^C#5N0x$H07n7aEN4qJzSkAsz988SL8lX)Dq15rtPBxUtq7zcrimination legislation to protect LGBTI Koreans.

And, human rights groups have warned, protests against LGBTI events, usually led by conservative Christians, have become iKhxAWN!)B*[email protected]=8yVp+_W)Go4bZRM+^B2Oke&cZMBTF_X8ncreasingly loud and violent.

Video shared online of last year's IQCF shows distressing scenes of protesters, believed to be conservative Christians, shoJEzU(R-TxJ(_q=HDjrjbXEIkjbB)XW2K4sHn-F2J%j-Ed5iD+vuting at pride attendees.

They also appear to grab flags, banners, and even attendees. The pride was attended by a lot of youT97otP*X8haoo51Y2v3&iA4S-PoqMGrA1ReX2#c23^dpUET8qIng LGBTI South Koreans who were visibly shaken by the incident.

Police booked eight people involved but did not detapsKI!21YavP4-K0G$hX0ps3fZR-KomGDj9RnAH*9x69asdx=Hain them. Organizers accused the police of failing to stop the violence.