"Marsh of equality" in Kyiv

How the largest LGBT-Belief in the history of Ukraine has passed. Report "Medusa"

On Sunday, June 12, in Kyiv, the “Mars of Equality” was held, the largest procession of LGBT activists in the history of Ukraine. According to the organizers, up to two thousand people participated in it. Despite the threats of nationalists who promised to strictly disperse the participants, there were no serious incidents - because there were several times more police officers on the street than activists. At the request of Medusa, the journalist of the Kyiv edition of the Country.ua Juliana Skibitskaya visited the rally.

From eight in the morning, approaches to the Shevchenko Kyiv Park were closed from all sides. It is located in the very center of Kyiv: nearby - the University of Shevchenko, a little further - Bessarabskaya Square. The central streets of the Ukrainian capital were blocked not only by buses with the police, but also by metal fences; Near them stood a harsh look of the National Guard in camouflage and body armor. The march was planned at 10 in the morning, it was possible to go to it only through the framework of metal detectors. After 10 in the morning, the entrance to the park closed.

“Girls, we go through, let's a backpack, now you will be examined. Do not worry, [will inspect] also same -sex, ”said one of the police officers to the march participants and even winked on them. After a very thorough inspection, police officers wished a “good rest”.

In the large park it was almost empty - only the police sat on the benches. In 2016, six and a half thousand law enforcement officers were sent to protect the LGBT, three times more than in 2015. Then radical nationalists were able to break through the cordon of police officers and threw the participants in the procession with firecrackers and smoke bombs. In skirmishes, the National Guard also suffered with them.

“A group of suspicious people is coming from the metro university, a reception,” came hoarse negotiations from the radio police officers. Near the main building of the university, participants in the march and volunteers in bright yellow vests gathered. Their task was to build people in columns and ensure their safety.

A few days before the march, the organizers called the place and time of the meeting, and this became a precedent-earlier such information kept secret to the last, it was possible to get to the action only after registration and recommendations of two or three proven members of the LGBT community.

“We expect that in 2016 there will be about a thousand people. And I want the march to be open, so that everyone could come to come, ”Meduza said one of his organizers of the procession, the open gay of Zoryan Kis.

At the half -time of the first columns, the procession participants held the posters “The rights of Menshin - the rights of the people” (“The rights of minorities - human rights”) and “The rights of the people of the Zavzhdi for an hour” (“Human rights always on time”). Many waving rainbow flags. Deputies of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Mustafa Nayy and Sergey Leshchenko also came to support the action.

“I am quite a heterosexual,” said a bearded guy with a rainbow flag. “But I went here to support the rights of those who need it.” He skipped several times: "VSI RIZNI, VSI RIVNI!" ("All different, all equal").

At a distance from the LGBT colonn stood several people with their antimiting. They had in their hands the posters “I am against gay propaganda”, “Kyiv is not Sodom and Gomorrah”. The police were on duty next to them, but the opponents of the march behaved not aggressively.

A young guy who called himself “just a Ukrainian” approached the police and began to argue with him.

- Why can't I stand here? P ***** can I not?

“Please calm down,” the policeman answered him. They both spoke in Ukrainian.

- And I'm calm! I am calm, although here homosexuals are walking around Kyiv! While the boys are dying there in boilers! Your [Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine Arsen] Avakov - also n ****! And that's why you are protecting P ******! You need to drive you from the country!

When the march began, the guy tried to rush to the participants; He was immediately taken into a dense ring and the police brought him out. Later, another middle -aged man with a Cossack mustache, who insulted the participants in the procession.

The participants of the action joked, most have long been familiar with each other. Those who came in pairs hugged and took a selfie against the backdrop of rainbow flags. At the beginning of the column there was a group of girls with drums. Their faces were closed by balaclavs, like the members of the Pussy Riot group.

The police and employees of the National Guard rebuilt and completely cordoned off the participants of the march from all sides. There was very little to go through - to the metro station of Lev Tolstoy Square, only about a hundred meters. But the column could not start the movement in any way - the opponents of the march tried to stand in front and block the movement to the participants. The police, without further ado, immediately took them deep into the park.

- Are everyone ready? The volunteer shouted to the loudspeaker. In response, there was an approving rumble. Under the knock of drums, the column began movement. The expectations of the organizers were justified - there were more than a thousand people.

- Buntui, Kohai, do not give the right! (“Buntui, love, don’t give the right!”) - the participants of the starting procession were chanted one of their main slogans. From standing along the road, people peered out. Some waved their hands affably, others showed the middle finger.

The police periodically broke to run, tightly surrounding the participants. Journalists ran immediately behind them. The police cordon was so dense that outsiders could not go through him.

“This is such a big step forward, I just have no words,” a middle -aged woman in the Ukrainian embroidery told Medusa. In her hands was a poster with Angela Likina , the Ufa transgender, killed in February 2016. In a conversation with Medusa, a woman introduced herself as an inele, she is an open lesbian; Angela, according to her, was her close friend.

“Although Angela was so able to visit the march. I could not come without her, it would be wrong. Let everyone see and know that they need to fight for their rights. And that they really are needed, ”she continued.

The column approached the metro station. Buses stood here: it was necessary to organize a part of the march participants in order to avoid skirmishes. The rest of the people went down to the subway - the station was closed to the exit also for security reasons. In 2015, there was no organized transport: carriers, learning about the gay parade, refused to work even at a triple price.

Near the entrance to the subway stood three opponents of the march with posters - a guy, a girl and an elderly woman.

- Why did you come here? - asked the correspondent of "Medusa".

- Because we are not allowed to go out at all. Do you think there were three people? We were more, but we were not allowed, ”the woman began to explain.

- Are you against the march?

“We are not against gays, but we are against propaganda.” And the fact that they came out is propaganda, - an elderly woman stood on her.

- On the eve of the march, there were calls to disperse the action and beat its participants, how do you feel about this?

- We treat normally. This is a sin, so the Bible says.

- Read, mother, the Bible is better! It says that you need to love, - the girls who passed by in checkered shirts and with short haircuts laughed. One had bright green hair.

- It was so cool, well, just here! - confusedly said one of them to the Medusa correspondent. - We felt so protected. We are like in Europe. Sorry, little! Next year we need longer!

The participants gradually diverged: some approached the police and thanked them; In the tail of the column, the anthem of Ukraine sang.

Half an hour later, when the participants parted, and some police officers left, a group of aggressive young people appeared near the metro - about a hundred people. Many of them were in balaclavas. "P *******, out of Kyiv!" They shouted. The police tried to surround the group; But its participants, without finding the participants of the LGBT Marsh near the station, moved towards the center of Kyiv. Fayers lit up.

They walked about half a kilometer, to the Metro station of theatrical, then ran. The police, rushing after, shot down young people from their feet, used batons.

Among the runners were several people with the stripes of the “Right Sector” ( the organization was recognized in Russia extremist and prohibited ). A month before the march, the speaker of the Right Sector Artem Skoropadsky wrote on Facebook that on June 12, Bloody Porridge was expected. On the day of the action, he said that the “right sector” did not specially come - so that there was no massacre.

Those who managed to avoid detention went down to Khreshchatyk; Some launched the posters "Mom dad - well, dad dad is bad." “What are we doing here? Yes, they came to look at law enforcement agencies that protect P *****, ”the shave -headed guy said lazily.

Having stood half an hour on Khreshchatyk, they dispersed.

After the completion of the “Marsh of Equality”, the head of the National Police of Ukraine Khatia Dekanoidze reported that the participants were guarded by five and a half thousand police and another 1,200 fighters of the National Guard. 57 people detained. Unlike 2015, law enforcement officers were not injured. However, the two participants of the march were still beaten; One of them is hospitalized with moderate injuries. “The march of equality” was successful! We are safe. Thanks to everyone who supported us, ”Zoryan Kis wrote after Facebook.

Juliana Skibitskaya

Kyiv