World

10 hurt at Bosnia's first gay festival

by rahul | September 25, 2008 at 07:49 am

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As the former Yugoslavia members enjoy independence, the gay community in Bosnia and Serbia has been targeted for attacks recently. It is unclear what is behind such homophobic attacks. Some have argued it could be cause by the underling and still present right wing drive that fuelled xenophobia between ethnic groups which fought each other in the Yugoslav Wars.

© AP
2008-09-25 12:17:03 - SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina (AP) - Police say hooligans attacked the opening of Bosnia's first gay festival, injuring 10 people, including two journalists and a policeman.
Dozens of people from the anti-gay group Horde of Evil threw stones at the opening of an art exhibit at the start of the festival Wednesday night. Yelling, «Death to gays!,» the hooligans smashed at least one window at Sarajevo's Academy of Art. A separate, smaller group of Muslim extremists verbally attacked attendants at the four-day Queer Sarajevo Festival for holding the event during the Muslim month of Ramadan. Police dispersed both groups quickly, but they hid in nearby streets and attacked festival participants once again when they headed home.