Translated material
Kyiv rainbow
How the "margin of equality" went in Kyiv
The fact that the second “margin of equality”, organized in Kyiv by the LGBT community, will pass normally, did not cause much doubt. After receiving a visa -free visa with the EU, Kyiv should be proved in fact that Ukraine is really moving to Europe, where tolerance in relation to LGBT representatives is one of the democratic markers.
This test had to go with a bang. Therefore, neither the threats of the National Radines to disrupt the march, nor fake beagboards with pictures of the hugging “LGBT participants of the ATO, who also protect the homeland”, nor the hacking of the site of the organizers of the action with the subsequent placement of the collages of the hanged “sodomites” did not frighten the power.
The route, as last year: from the House of the Teacher to the Square of Leo Tolstoy (the distance of the order of one kilometer). Everything else is also similar: the ban on automobile traffic, the overlap of the adjacent streets with metal nets, passing pedestrians through the framework of metal detectors and output to the place near many police officers and the National Guards. This year there are about six thousand to protect five thousand participants in the march.
On the clock 10:18.
“So ... moved ...”-a team is heard in police radio, and a multi-colored cheerful column under the blue-yellow flags of Ukraine and the rainbow flags of LGBT slowly touch the place in the dense environment of the police in black and the fighters of the National Guard in green uniforms.
No more than one and a half thousand people dared to go to the marsh of equalities-2016. This year there are three times more. And two more carnival auto -platforms on which those who want equal rights for everyone dance. These are people who came from other regions of Ukraine and from other countries. In the crowd of ambassadors of countries, including the ambassador of Canada, living in a same-sex marriage, and, as colleagues say, several vip-officials. The Ukrainian, Russian and English speech are heard.
“We got here by bus through Chernigov,” Alexey answers the question, which has “Petersburg and Kyiv” on the T -shirt, between which a large heart is painted. By the way, in St. Petersburg, the authorities are not so harshly pressed by LGBT ...
- Why?
- And she is no longer enough for everyone. It’s much easier for us to fall under the distribution when you go to a political rally ...
The column continues a leisurely procession.
Four rows of strong guys in black, leading the column, make a dual impression, bringing the memories of films with regulars of gay bars, also preferring a militarian-old in black tones.
The format of the cordon itself makes a strange impression - a long dense case from the security forces, inside of which there are funny people with posters about freedom, equality and that Ukraine is a country for everyone ...
From whom they are so carefully protected, it is unclear - except for journalists and television operators who are scurrying through the column and fingering to the side to shoot the next general plan, there are no other outsiders along the route. The fact that in a pair of hundreds of meters the police (including equestrian) restrains the radicals trying to break through the cordon, it seems that no one is guessed.
The hatred of the LGBT community resembles a “peaceful” outpost-several speakers, from where the voice of a la Levitan, the campaign sermon of the Sodem sins and other threats that LGBT carry the Christian world sounds.
- Tell me, what are you doing here?
- We have a democratic country, and we have the right to express our point of view on what is happening here ...
- And who do you imagine?
“We are several organizations professing truly Christian values that believe that there is no place for this indecency in our country,” the young social activist, reminiscent of a priest in civilianity, answers, increasing the sound.
- Why is this entry in Russian?
- And so far we have no our quality product in Ukrainian ... Therefore, we use Russian ...
The column moves to the Red Corps of Kyiv University, but suddenly turns on Shevchenko Boulevard, because the police decide not to risk approaching the radicals. Dandemists with dogs quickly pass in front of the column on a new route, checking street lawns and urns for explosives. At a distance, a police unit on bicycles passes.
Like a year ago, it does not leave that working out security on the march of equality, the security forces not only bake about the prevention of incidents, but also conduct a demonstration of their capabilities. Such an alternative parade of power, addressed to those who, as the head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Avakov say, encroaches on a monopoly on violence, which can only be for the state.
“Boy, leave the balcony,” the policeman shouts to the curious kid on the third floor ... And indeed - not only the adjacent streets, but also the balconies of the houses are empty. Although you should be interesting to look at the column of funny people under the banners of the rainbow flowers, surrounded by a dense convoy of people in green and black uniforms. But there are not a single onlook on the balconies. And what is this mix from above, only spectators of those television channels can see where numerous quadracopters transmit the picture.
On the clock 10:36. Lion Tolstoy Square. The march is finished.
Some of the participants are seated on buses prepared by the Kyiv authorities for their safe transportation, but the bulk is sent to the subway. Although a year ago few went to this risk.
“You know,” says a colleague, watching how the stupor forces begin to curl up, “I think that in a couple of years all this tantrum will end.” First of all, because all these marches will cease to be a good PR supply for politicians. Remember how many tolerant deputies were spinning here last year before the cameras? And where are they today? The same story will be with the radicals ... they will find new enemies ... I saw such marches in Berlin and in Tel Aviv ... They go ... they shout, sing, waved with flags ... Their police, of course, protects, but not so much ... And people calmly sit at the tables in the cafe and look at the next carnival ... and it doesn’t occur to anyone that it’s some kind of alien ...