Six Injured at Sarajevo's Queer Festival

From B92 Six injured at Sarajevo's Queer Festival

25 September 2008 | 12:47 | Source: B92, Tanjug

SARAJEVO -- Nine people were injured at the opening of the Queer Festival in Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina police said. Police at the entrance to the Art Acedemy in Sarajevo (Beta) Dozens of hooligans tried to stop the first exhibition of homosexual culture in Bosnia-Herzegovina. They threw rocks at the Sarajevo Art Academy building during the opening of the event. The police was able to push back the rioters. The hooligans, some with their faces covered, and other with long beards, were yelling insults at the festival participants and shouting, "Allahu Akbar!" They also dragged people out of their cars and physically attacked others in the festival on the street. Six people were taken to the hospital with head injuries. The person suffering the most serious wounds was a Danish citizen. One police officer was also injured in the clashes with the hooligans. Police arrested eight attackers. Journalist Emir Imamović and writer Peđa Kojović were also injured. The hooligans gathered right before the opening of the exhibition. The police believe that they were football hooligans, judging by the clothes they were wearing and emblems that were noticed. The hooligans began to throw rocks and break windows in the building where the exhibition was being held. "We had high level security. I think that this says a lot about the situation in Bosnia, this community is homophobic and xenophobic. I think this shows that change is necessary in order for us to be accepted all together," exhibition organizer Maša Buzić said. At the event, multimedia artists presented their works dealing with the contemporary homosexual population and its fight for emancipation. The exhibition was opened despite threats. "I am not afraid. Why should I be afraid? If I should be afraid of what I am and what I love, then all I can do is kill myself," artist Alma Selmanović said. The Islamic Community condemned the gay rights exhibition in Sarajevo. It explained that the event preaches "immorality and unnatural love during the time of Ramadan", which is offensive to the religious beliefs of Muslims.