June 6, 2015
Five Police Reportedly Injured in Kiev Gay March Clash
Winnie McCroy READ TIME: 1 MIN.
Opponents of a gay rights march held in Ukrain's capital have thrown smoke bombs and tear gas and the Interfax news agency cites police as saying five officers were injured in the clash.
Other reports said four of the estimated 300 marchers also were injured.
The march took place Saturday morning along the Dnipro River in Kiev. Helmeted riot police formed a cordon to keep marchers and opponents at a distance from each other. The opponents threw smoke bombs and some tried to break through the cordon. Some demonstrators were attacked after the march dispersed.
As in other parts of the former Soviet Union, animosity to homosexuals persists. The tensions are aggravated by opponents' claims that Ukraine's political turn toward the West will promote gay marriage.
Winnie McCroy is the Women on the EDGE Editor, HIV/Health Editor, and Assistant Entertainment Editor for EDGE Media Network, handling all women's news, HIV health stories and theater reviews throughout the U.S. She has contributed to other publications, including The Village Voice, Gay City News, Chelsea Now and The Advocate, and lives in Brooklyn, New York.
