Skinheads Attack Stockholm Gay Pride Parade
Reuters
Saturday, August 2, 2003; 12:28 PM
STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - A group of around 30 skinheads attacked marchers in a gay pride parade in Stockholm with stones and bottles on Saturday, police and a Reuters witness said.
A young man on the annual march promoting gay, lesbian and transsexual rights was injured in the head and taken to hospital. A police spokesman said his life was not in danger.
The assault took place just after the parade of 4,000 to 5,000 people had passed the Royal Palace in central Stockholm, unveiling a huge rainbow flag.
"A group of around 30 people jumped from behind a street corner and started beating the marchers and throwing bottles at them," said a Reuters cameraman at the scene.
He said the attackers carried banners reading, "Lock up pedophiles" and "Crush pedophiles," referring to a recent advertising campaign by a gay and lesbian rights group featuring pictures of young children.
The campaign, aiming to show that gay orientation can start at an early age, has drawn protests from a child protection group that said the sexual depiction of children could encourage pedophiles.
"We wanted to demonstrate against gay adoptions and against linking sexuality to children," said Marc Abramsson, a leader of the youth organization of the right-wing National Democrats, which had organized a demonstration against the gay parade.
He said about 200 anti-gay protesters had been demonstrating peacefully near the palace until the marchers threw bottles at them.
But a police spokesman said anti-gay activists had started the brawl. Police arrested two people for assault and drove groups of skinheads away from the city center to prevent more violence. The parade resumed later without further trouble. (Additional reporting by Gleb Bryanski)
All day long, they lie in the sun, and when the sun goes down, they lie some more.
