Incheon pride parade set for clash with anti-LGBT groups

Police in the South Korean citcm$!%3LU_zPVCdljO7pvmSY)#IMwEp)ya@PDwgJA0u9xf(fvgBy of 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 ye&9UnaXAV4JmFXR!6-70sGF1HG@E9QP@0kN-WG5MAys&qw)+=G4ar, anti-gay protesters physically blocked 300 LGBT supporters from leaving a plaza and beginning the march.

This year, according to local media Kyeongin, 3,000 pXXay7NjazYD9J)ofL7JLZZkLM5)5gHG2+8j#Uv9#Vbh8lkDHv8olice will protect LGBT attendees and their allies.

They will also install barriers tpEe3VBkFD1Qsk(_+i$Q8+b8ePg9ha&h0t@dDITU#*t2(w!^m4lo 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 #vrJhAudpR3L*ELFuEXKEyx0^8JWI@=YzwL(T0zGbEPb6*mr&Ulawyers to counter hate groups.

Anti-gay hate

Homosexuality is legal in South Korea. But conservative attitudes, especially among Christians, force many LGBTI Koreans to l*nmDIxAk^c@-n58C9lXbLlS2WmqgOT@Hesy)d-FIp^S$54@Rz0ive in the closet.

There is currently no discrimination legislation to protec$%jEllft-zegdeW*2d*sCEj+=t)=iOE*nO+H(X&Jva+=#P9vx3t LGBTI Koreans.

And, human rights groups have warned, protests against LGBTI events, usually led by conservative Christians, have become increasingly j&gm)a=$4Vyj#olDD_CsGeKvDSt*nptf#1sr3#WxTY1_I2Pf=Yloud and violent.

Video shared online of last year's IQCF shows distressing scenes of protesters, believed to be conservative Christi*1^^qCUUs*0)V&t4LMSg1Zb_!l*H1cH0ULSGOb$GFY)Enw7lm+ans, shouting at pride attendees.

They also appear to grab flags, banners, and even attendees. The pride was attended by a lot of young LGBTI South Koreans whovfQGM=dc^c^BEXMLZ+#yFVE9WV8AIdhcMY!ZAD462H$fTnlRxQ were visibly shaken by the incident.

Police booked eight people involved but did not detain them. Organizers accused the police of nc7oOQ5WNXh$uBWE+vQQO^gKzPm)Fmhc*X6PWLO*vYJnL@-AD(failing to stop the violence.