Hundreds of people participating in the Iasi Pride march in a city in northeast Romania were attacked by conservative and religious protesters.
Hundreds marched toward the city center in a parade organized by the Rise OUT Association when they were met with a group of people dressed in white T-shirts and wearing religious symbols.
The anti-Pride protesters chanted “Iasi is not Sodom”, a reference to the legendary city that according to the Bible was destroyed by God because of wickedness. They then threw eggs at the Pride marchers and set off flares.
The marchers responded by yelling: “Shame on you!”
Police separated the two groups along the route of the march, and officers were deployed to prevent tensions from escalating further.
Romanian Orthodox Church clergy in Iasi argued that Sunday was consecrated by the Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church as the ‘Sunday of Fathers and Children’
Organizers said they did not intend to cause offense. “The intent of the Iasi Pride 2022 march is to create visibility for the LGBTQ community and people often marginalised by the authorities and wronged by national law,” they said.
Accept which campaigns for the rights of LGBT people, said they were “excited to be at the second edition of Iasi Pride. See you next year,” in a message on Facebook.
Romania decriminalized homosexuality in 2001 as it prepared for EU membership but there is opposition and even hostility to same-sex couples in the socially conservative nation.
Same-sex unions are not legally recognized and same-sex couples have no legal protection.
Romanian authorities do about-face, allow Bucharest Pride march to take place in heart of city
