20 Apr Violent attack on human rights activists in Bitola
The activists from ‘LGBT United’ and the Coalition ‘Sexual and Health Rights of Marginalized Communities’ conducted public activities in Bitola as part of the project “Civic initiative for LGBT rights”. The human rights activists were putting posters with promotional content about the human rights of LGBT people and took a stroll on “Sirok Sokak” with a rainbow colored flag.
After leaving the busy “Sirok Sokak”, in front of the hostel “Diamond”, the activists were, at first, attacked by four persons who were later joined by three other attackers. The posters which promoted equality, non-discrimination and non-violence were violently confiscated. Three activists were ridiculed, spitted at, shoved, hit with hands on their faces and with posters on their heads.
After one of the activists shouted “Don’t hit him”, she received threats and the responses like: “You should put gay posters in Skopje, not in Bitola”, “I will beat you, tell that to everyone!”. “They came to ask for equality in Bitola”. In the moment when one of the activists made an attempt to use his mobile phone to ask for help, one of the tackers had taken the phone away from him and made a threat “I will kill you”. The attackers confiscated the posters and hit the phone on the ground and left.
The violence over LGBT activists was immediately reported in the police station in Bitola. ‘LGBT United’ and the Coalition ‘Sexual and Health Rights of Marginalized Communities’ strongly condemn the violence over the human rights activists in Bitola and demand that the Ministry of internal affairs take immediate measures for detecting and punishing the attackers.
How long will the activist in Macedonia be victims of violence and hate speech?
‘LGBT United’ and the Coalition ‘Sexual and Health Rights of Marginalized Communities’ demand from the government to publicly condemn the violence and the hate speech directed towards LGBT persons and to stop with the discriminatory campaigns which promote hate, intolerance, social exclusion and violence over the LGBT persons.