Two Ukranian LGBT activists were beaten up and tear gassed by a dozen youths in central after the first ever Kyiv, Ukraine Pride Parade was abruptly cancelled just 30 minutes vefore its start time today after Ukranian Police advised pride organizers that 500 ultra-right football hooligans were en route to the rally point with the intention of breaking it up and preventing the march from going ahead.

Senior Kyiv police officials had previously told pride organizers that he was not prepared to put his officers in harm’s way for the Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) community.

“It has been clear from the start that the Kyiv police department did not want this march to go ahead. Their reluctance to commit to the event and to put adequate security measures in place to protect demonstrators left organizers fearing for their safety,” said Max Tucker, Ukraine campaigner at Amnesty International.

The Ukraine parliamentary committee is currently working on a bill that like the one recently passed in St. Petersburg, Russia would restrict the distribution of and access to information “promoting homosexuality” and would amend several laws including the law on protection of public morals, the law on print media, the law on television and radio broadcasting, the law on publishing and the Criminal Code.

If passed the bill would directly discriminate against Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual individuals in the exercise of their right to freedom of expression.