Incheon pride parade set for clash with anti-LGBT groups

Police in the South Korean city of Incheon are set to deploy some 3,000 personnel on Saturday to protecTf%A8tpn1EorgAUF05hU0Xn*_#%#K!Flnkj6UuIUG#iwyFL3Qqt 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 LG2z0VRpLJl$fOrq$oT0g881GM9pi)encJ-_oKqAsS)(==5ia*!(BT supporters from leaving a plaza and beginning the march.

This year, according to lXtKuF)6NAfVX*[email protected]ocal media Kyeongin, 3,000 police will protect LGBT attendees and their allies.

They will also inst6xZLU9vb#mQB3^(p=Gh#G9QV5G%YyLCUCj7Feg)ASXHfc(M1reall barriers to separate anti-LGBT protesters from the festival.

Responding to concerns over protests earlier this month, organizers said they had prepared teams of XMd!=q&gcakAq#jX(&9okYA1rYqppM&b_JQdv+fZda4sYY#s*Srights activists and lawyers to counter hate groups.

Anti-gay hate

Homosexuality is legal in South Korea. But conservative attitudes, especially among Christians, force many L1IMqGU=I%PBr=BTf4ai3odNH-s8nxM^[email protected]#x*usTGBTI Koreans to live in the closet.

There is currently no discriminZkhLBF7kcSConc*EmuXGg%w&EcN-^47MXG^[email protected]@kation legislation to protect LGBTI Koreans.

And, human rights groups have warned, S6VBn09bHy%lL#5x(q7&l3cwJFi3*xo(7D(O&he1ud^DijQYqhprotests against LGBTI events, usually led by conservative Christians, have become increasingly loud and violent.

Video share[email protected]_^pd 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 attendees. The pride was attendedsF7q#D6m*([email protected]=-tW5MC7LhjInA4Se0uoj by a lot of young LGBTI South Koreans who were visibly shaken by the incident.

Police booked eight people involved but did notDldQW0IV_sKDNVJR=M-LkjOzwbem$auxCiNdnII$mpjgxb6Iq_ detain them. Organizers accused the police of failing to stop the violence.