by Rex Wockner
International News Briefs
At least 80 skinheads attacked the rally that preceded the first gay pride parade in Bratislava, Slovakia, on May 22.
The assaults injured two people and forced the relocation of the festivities.
Member of the European Parliament Ulrike Lunacek reportedly dodged "stones" that were thrown at her as she addressed the rally. The attackers also threw smoke bombs and eggs at the approximately 1,000 celebrants.
Police arrested eight people. Local reports said some were connected to the neo-Nazi group Slovenska Pospolitost.
Pride organizers and some media faulted the police for failure to secure the parade events and route. Lukas Fila, deputy editor of the daily newspaper Sme, said, "Slovakia has experienced a day of shame."
Lunacek, co-president of the European Parliament's Intergroup on LGBT Rights, commented, "It has been an important victory that Bratislava Pride did take place – even though we did not march through the city center, but with hundreds of rainbow flags across the Danube bridge to the other shore."
"Radicals take up public space only when allowed," Lunacek said. "The government's duty is to work against nationalistic, racist and homophobic hate speech and violence."
LGBT people also gathered for a pride festival in Bucharest, Romania, on May 22. It was the city's sixth pride celebration. Member of the European Parliament Michael Cashman addressed the 350 celebrants.
Anti-gay protesters were "kept at bay by a strong police presence," the LGBT Intergroup reported.
