Activists placed rainbow-coloured flower pots near policeman statue protesting against Interior Ministry’s official stance on rights of sexual minorities
Students of Fortinbras theatre laboratory at Belarus Free Theatre staged a nonviolent protest near a policeman statue outside the Interior Ministry’s headquarters to support LGBTQ+ communities.
Source: svaboda.org
The protest was interrupted by police. The participants were detained.
“We call on police officers to overcome their prejudice and begin to protect the rights of LGBT people who do not violate law and pay taxes, thus funding the ministry,” RFE/RL's Belarus Service quotes the activists as saying.
The protest followed a series of public and official discussions on LGBTQ+ communities in Belarus.
On May 17, the UK Embassy in Minsk flew a rainbow flag outside its building on the International Day Against Homophobia.
On May 20, the country’s Interior Ministry released a statement calling same-sex relationships a fake.
On May 21, a petition “For police for all people” was launched on the website petitions.by, asking to check the legality of the ministry’s statement. The petition was signed by 1,800 people.
On May 21, interior minister Ihar Shunevich called the gesture by the UK Embassy propaganda of an “unacceptable” way of life.
On May 22, social media users began to publish protest posts tagged #янеподделка (#iamnotfake), protesting against the ministry’s statement.
On May 30, the head of the BPF Youth (the youth wing of the opposition Belarusian People’s Party) criticised “imposing the LGBT agenda” and using LGBT symbols in public spaces.
On June 16, Ihar Shunevich’s portrait was spotted at a gay pride festival in the US; on June 28, it appeared at Toronto’s Pride Parade.