Incheon pride parade set for clash with anti-LGBT groups

^3ZS0sBu)$zYZr_mMm_cVMc#7e-_uiKOKs1jaQtFpA8cq5b+o!Police in the South Korean city 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 paraP7Zr%@MnkfN2R_Jx0xg7k9DzVyz(6fHq9z6XCVwk!JIcx#*jOpde.

Last year, anti-gay proLYoCi)dTRuk-+Wl1X-%5-5tpSOyNa1x0zN(lMv=N6)!y@#w*c@testers physically blocked 300 LGBT supporters from leaving a plaza and beginning the march.

This year, according to local media Kyeongin, 3,000 p*VdfYE&S)9O!w3kN1n8BOwmke*ck=uyzbJa40UYeqP98h-BD@Zolice will protect LGBT attendees and their allies.

They will also install barriers to sepan4^kN0%mTfIe(ir^(+q(heEqKLFNyzwyF9o9DJvXz4o2ThH94rrate anti-LGBT protesters from the festival.

Responding to concg-DTi9$ue*mRzKfmth1Y=)HhBlkiv!CS)+d026J%n1qR#ipnAcerns over protests earlier this month, organizers said they had prepared teams of rights activists and lawyers to counter hate groups.

Anti-gay hate

Homosexuality is legal in SoutVt6K+A7^jBVvWQPY17p#jRBGvTFidBemk_D=ofGnX(V6o5$xz0h Korea. But conservative attitudes, especially among Christians, force many LGBTI Koreans to live in the closet.

There is currently no %WO%faCQSl^1vHXGDkCWTDwJif!q#Xta^bs#4S=s=%CvYK6CiRdiscrimination legislation to protect LGBTI Koreans.

And, human rights groups have warned, protests against LGBTI events, usually led by conservative Christians, have become increasingly loud fGjcEXEtuxG!+E3uPB@R2z=fTWb#lw=%u3l#eW#L+W6$yDwpJHand violent.

Video shared online of last year's IQCF shows distressing scenes of protesters, believed to be conservative Chrv^uPWBi&c#Jmt+=!&fCswaL&yMsu2gzXTh58zL0B5YHmPOvL^Cistians, shouting at pride attendees.

They also appear to grab flags, banners, and even attendees. The pride was attended by a lotsH0C7O(84SG6^p6oAr!3WU(-4B#rkJE!ykGueDlY%MSaSomEI6 of young LGBTI South Koreans who were visibly shaken by the incident.

Kti(S(2rtYr7AdR2@+na9wB_1aE!46Ho*sRM-D_gDc*FR##lq^Police booked eight people involved but did not detain them. Organizers accused the police of failing to stop the violence.