Polish gays fight back
Simultaneous demonstrations will take place in many cities this weekend organised by the Campaign Against Homophobia in Poland. The marches are in response to the brutal police break up of a similar march in Poznan a week ago.
Last week's Equality Parade in Poznan had been branded illegal by the local authorities which refused to grant permission to the organizers, consequently sending riot police to disperse the peaceful demonstration as aggressive onlookers shouted derogatory and threatening slogans at the parade participants. In response, the Campaign Against Homophobia has planned protests in such cities as Elblag, Gdansk, Torun, Lodz, the capital Warsaw, Rzeszow, Wroclaw, Katowice and Krakow, from north to south and east to west. Tomasz Szypulski, one of the organizers says most of the marches will be legal this time.
The event in Gdansk was to be held by the monument to fallen shipyard workers in the days of their tragic and bloody struggle with the ruling communists. Could plans to stage an Equality Parade in such a sensitive location be considered too provocative and therefore triggering a predictable reaction on the part of the city? Tomasz Szypula agrees the choice might be seen as controversial, but the Gdnsk Shipyard stands as a universal symbol of civic freedom.
What is also important is that the action has received strong international support of equal rights organizations, emphasizes Tomasz Szypula of the Campaign Against Homophobia.
And the sexual minority organizations are just one of many which are directing a clear signal at the newly elected Polish government and parliament that they will not be subdued into accepting restrictions which reserve freedom only for chosen citizens standing for extreme right wing ideas.
Report by Slawek Szefs