A Ukrainian Transgender Day of Remembrance observance turned violent last Sunday as far-right radicals attacked the rally, leaving at least three injured. Amongst those hurt was a Canadian journalist, Michael Colborne, who was covering the event.
The event was organized by Insight, a Ukrainian LGBTQ public organization. Roughly 50 people attended.
Though it was originally planned for Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, police forced attendees to move to the university’s metro station after far-right radicals began to move in.
“Radicals started moving towards LGBT people,” Sofiia Lapina told the Kyiv Post. “So the police started to physically shove us into the metro and told everybody that the rally has ended.”
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Related: Thugs attack LGBTQ activists & police, burn rainbow flag in Ukraine
While police claimed to protect the rally, Christopher Miller, a reporter present at the event, says police acted as aggressors, not preventing “far-right thugs” from shouting obscenities at rally participants.
“Journalists and activists were pushed & shoved by riot police into metro against our will. At one point, I was grabbed by police & prevented from reporting,” said Miller via Twitter.
Lapina said that she knew of three who were injured. Two women were hit with pepper spray, while Colborne was punched in the face. His glasses were broken and he suffered cuts to his face.
Police have labeled the attack as “hooliganism,” a term denoting implying rowdy behavior by young group of troublemakers.
Insight released a statement via Facebook calling out both the radicals and the police.
“The police, under the pressure of radical groups, stated that it is not capable of ensuring security,” read Insight’s statement. “Thus, the police are generally unable to ensure the implementation of human rights and freedoms.”
Far-right groups also disrupted a Ukrainian gay pride march in June.
Journalist @ColborneMichael took punch to face, sustained cut & had glasses broken by far-right radicals while covering today’s transgender rights rally as police not only stood by but physically removed activists from city-sanctioned event. cc @pressfreedom @RSF_EECA @OSCE_RFoM pic.twitter.com/UZyn7aKdee
— Christopher Miller (@ChristopherJM) November 18, 2018
Here’s a photo that shows police officers shoving the activists into the metro turnstiles. Second shows some of the frazzled activists waiting for the train afterward. pic.twitter.com/z9kiFFCSeU
— Christopher Miller (@ChristopherJM) November 18, 2018
On Sunday in Kyiv, police allowed far right radicals to break up a trans rights march (forced to move 2x) to mark Transgender Day of Remembrance. Today on #TDOR, 3 brave trans rights activists held single pickets at 3 locations where march was to be held https://t.co/MgrYRFgghb pic.twitter.com/JhvXHO1l2c
— Natalie Vikhrov (@natalievikhrov) November 20, 2018
