Fifty-six members of far-right groups were arrested on Sunday after they tried to disrupt a gay pride march in central Kyiv, police said.

Around 150 members of reactionary groups blocked the planned route of the march several times, and many of them threw gas canisters at riot police.

Five officers had to seek medical treatment after police moved in to clear the street.

'Police attacked us'

Far-right group C14 said police had surrounded its protesters, attacking them with batons and tear gas. "Look at how they protect 'sexual minorities' and violate the rights of regular Kyiv citizens," it said in a post on Facebook.

Read more: Going naked against homophobia

A further confrontation took place near the city's Opera House, leading to several other arrests.

Thousands of police and army were deployed to guard the march by supporters of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights.

Some 5,000 people later took part in the 20-minute march, which took place without further incident amid a large security presence.

Gay rights supporters in Kyiv remain defiant in the face of threats from far-right groups

March doubles in size

US ambassador Marie Yovanovitch and Rebecca Harms from the European Parliament were at the front of the crowd, which organizers said was roughly double the size of the previous year.

The two most recent gay pride marches in Kyiv have been largely peaceful, but the event in 2015 was disrupted by right-wing activists pelting participants with smoke grenades.

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"There must always be the police, otherwise someone will come, otherwise someone will interrupt, otherwise someone will attack," 19-year-old Liza, who took part in the march, told the Agence France-Presse news agencies.

As well as far-right activists, those who said they were defenders of "traditional family values" also protested against the march.

"Gay parades are a propaganda of gay dictatorship," Larysa, a 52-year-old woman told AFP.

"They can do what they want, but we are against the propaganda, against implantation of this to our children," she complained.

The Ukrainian government has increased support for LGBT rights since a Western-backed leadership came to power in 2014, but critics say homophobic attitudes remain relatively widespread.

One photographer and 200 naked men fighting for diversity Y. - Tailor, French "My father was born between the two World Wars. I never told him about my sexuality. I never told my mother, either. I studied medicine. After graduation I fell in love with a man ... my family thought that he was my best friend. Unfortunately, he died 16 years later. I work as a tailor now. I'm happy that nowadays in France men can marry other men. I think it should have been possible long ago."

One photographer and 200 naked men fighting for diversity J. - Shop Attendant, Spanish "I grew up in a Spanish village. I was bullied a lot in school. When I was about 13, an older boy approached me while I was sitting on my bench, reading. He told me 'You're filthy!' And the next thing you know, he poured a bottle of chocolate milk on me. I was shocked. I just stood there, all wet, while the ones around me laughed and looked at me as if I had been a monster."

One photographer and 200 naked men fighting for diversity S. - IT Project Manager and Massage Therapist, German "It was much harder for me to deal with my father's reaction. He started to yell at me, making it clear that I, as his son, would always be welcome, but my boyfriend wouldn't be allowed in the house. I could not breathe. I cried ... I stopped contacting him for eight years, and later, thanks to his wife, except for my first boyfriend, all my boyfriends would join me for visits."

One photographer and 200 naked men fighting for diversity A. - Fashion Designer, Spanish "I am not invisible. Or am I? I work in a very 'machista' environment. And even though nobody bullies me personally, I see what happens to the younger, more effeminate gay guys I work with. What does 'masculine' mean? Do we all have to be young and strong? Do we all have to be muscular? Are we just an object of desire?"

One photographer and 200 naked men fighting for diversity D. - IT Manager, Belgian "When I was living at home with my parents, I worked night shifts at the local bakery. Three days after I had come out to my parents, I drove back home and went to sleep in the early morning. My mother walked into my room all freaked out and asked 'Who did you tell you're that way?' Somebody had written the word 'homo' on the hood of my car ... I took it as a badge of honor."

One photographer and 200 naked men fighting for diversity M. - Rugby Player, Spanish "When people discover I am bisexual, a common reaction is to tell me how lucky I am, because I have a whole world of possibilities to choose from. However, reality is quite different and being bisexual has often been an obstacle for a relationship. Frequently, I am questioned when was the last time I was with a girl, as if I had to prove that I am still what I am."

One photographer and 200 naked men fighting for diversity D. - Actor, Dancer and Director, Romanian "I was in a supermarket with my boyfriend. We were going to the movies, so we bought two bottles of water, some snacks and a chocolate. And we were queuing, waiting to pay. Suddenly, behind me I hear: 'Gay, Gay!' I could have told him lots of things. But I kept my calm, since this type of behavior often leads to violence.

One photographer and 200 naked men fighting for diversity S. - Illustrator, Spanish "One night, I was in a park in Coruna, talking to a friend. Suddenly, seven hooded guys surrounded us, started to beat us up and call us 'faggots.' We fought back, but during the quarrel, one of the guys stabbed me in the back twice."

One photographer and 200 naked men fighting for diversity D. - Sales Manager, Italian "I’ve always been a 'fatty.' I became hairy at 14. Kids at school would often make fun of me. Growing up in a small Italian town, I never declared my sexual orientation. At 30, I left Italy to live in France, in the perspective of a better gay life. One day I had a sort of crisis and I waxed my entire body. I was so sad. Today I try to accept myself and be happy with the body I have."

One photographer and 200 naked men fighting for diversity C. - Shop Supervisor, Spanish "I went to the movies with my sisters, mother and aunt to see '50 Shades of Gray'. When the movie ended, two girls between 20 and 25 years called me 'faggot' out of the blue ... I didn't think that people still do that in 2018. Especially young people. My younger sister confronted them. A young straight couple also told them off and threatened to call the police. The girls ran away."

One photographer and 200 naked men fighting for diversity S. - Actor, French "Abroad. Eastern Europe. I was staying in a very old woman's apartment, in a poor faded tower of a grey suburb. She invited her grandson for me to meet. We drank vodka. Lots of vodka, directly from the bottle. He started to talk about what a family is and should be. 'Faggots. They all should die.' What do I think about that? 'I don’t know,' I said (lying). 'I never really thought about them'"

One photographer and 200 naked men fighting for diversity Tiberiu Capudean, Romanian photographer and LGBT activist "The fact that the men are naked in these pictures is the least important aspect. My aim was to show that diversity is something normal, whether it comes to sexual orientation, body shape, age or race." Author: Lavinia Pitu



mm/tj (AFP, Reuters)

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