Members of the neo-Nazi group Slovenská Pospolitosť attacked the participants at a pre-parade rally for LGBT rights in downtown Bratislava, Slovakia. A tear gas canister thrown by one of the approximately 80 neo-Nazis interrupted the rally, attended by 500 people, while the extremists also were throwing eggs at the participants, the Sme daily reported. Two rally participants who were carrying a rainbow flag, the symbol of of Gay Pride, were attacked by the neo-Nazis at Hviezdoslav Square in Bratislava.
Authorities then called off the planned march through the streets of central Bratislava, fearing further violence as the planned parade route was teeming with Neonazis. Police were worried that they could not guarantee the marchers’ safety.
“Instead of the parade of pride, Slovakia has experienced a day of shame,” wrote Sme’s deputy editor-in-chief Lukáš Fila in his commentary suggesting that the attack by the neo-Nazis against the participants shows a failure by the state.
Prior to the planned parade, not only extreme rightists but also some Catholic groups had tried to prevent the event and virrtually all leading politicians in the largely Catholic country have refrained from showing public approval of the parade ahead of Slovakia’s upcoming parliamentary elections on June 12.
Jan Slota, head of the Slovak National Party which is a coalition partner in the government of Prime Minister Robert Fico, even said he would “personally come in order to spit” at the gay parade. His comments had drawn only limited criticism by other politicians.
However, international diplomats and non-governmental organizations in Bratislava demonstrated their support for the event.
Among those who offered declarations of support were all Scandinavian and several Western European embassies, the representative of the EU Commission in Bratislava, as well as international non-governmental organizations in the city.
According to zire6666 who posted the below video on YouTube: “The police was unable to clear the city from the neonacis, not because they were too many, but because there was a lack of political will. They sent only a few dozens of cops to protect the 1st historical Gay Pride in Slovakia !!
Special thanks to zire666 for the video!