Many Ukrainian and international politicians condemned Lviv authorities for failure the hold the Equality Festival in Lviv and to prevent the disruption of the event.
Minister of Foreign affairs of Ukraine Pavlo Klimkin expressed concern about the attack on the LGBT activists in Lviv and spoke out against hatred.
“I condemn the attack on the LGBT activists in Lviv. Hatred undermines the unity of Ukraine. Tolerance and non-discrimination make Ukraine stronger”, wrote Minister of Foreign Affairs on his Twitter page.
Serhiy Leshchenko, the member of the Ukrainian Parliament of “Petro Poroshenko Bloc” thinks that Ukrainians got the chance to see a real Lviv in all its beauty, which is actually not so different from other cities of Ukraine.
“Thousands of people were surprised to hear in one day that a real Lviv is not what we think about it. The representatives of the Canadian diaspora have a shock like this when they come to Ukraine for the first time”, the MP shared his views on Facebook.
Read also: The Equality Festival in Lviv: the events in brief
The United States Ambassador to Ukraine Geoffrey Pyatt believes that developments concerning the Equality Festival are in disagreement with the European future of our country.
“Bad news that Lviv Equality Festival was unable to proceed due to violent counter protests”, the Ambassador wrote on Twitter. — “Displays of intolerance in Lviv at odds with the European future so many Ukrainians have sacrificed for“.
The Swedish Ambassador to Ukraine Andreas von Beckerath is of the same mind. “Appalling attacks against equality festival in Lviv. Protecting human rights for all citizens at all time is at the core of European values”, he wrote on his Twitter page.
Non-affiliated MP Yegor Firsov published a comprehensive post on Facebook on many aspects of the issue. “The scandal in Lviv, where inadequate aggressive young men attacked the event of the LGBT activists left a bad taste in the mouth. But it is more odious that a lot of my MP colleagues and some journalists supported the actions by the pogrom-makers […]. My other fellow-politicians chose to act like nothing happened, just chose to remain silent “, wrote Firsov.
The MP called “a medieval savagery” what had happened in Lviv and indicated that when the authorities can’t curb violence and let the crowd take justice into its own hands, it tells of powerlessness of the state and incompetence of the officials.
Read also: “Marriage is anachronism”: the MPs about same-sex partnerships in Ukraine
“The representatives of LGBT don’t propagate aggression and don’t carry a threat for Ukraine. They didn’t come out for a gay parade though they had the right for that. They organized their event behind closed doors, where they neither provoke nor disturb somebody. I believe, free citizens in a free state have the right to assemble, where they wish and discuss the topics they have interest in,” underlined Firsov.
“I want my country to be civilized, not barbarian, and for people to be able to feel safe, even if they belong to some minority. […] I want to live in the country, where people have the right to freedom of assembly, and police protect that freedom“, he added.
Read also: The Equality Festival: about the terrible word “quest” and “orcs” ski masks
The deputy head of “Petro Poroshenko Bloc” faction Mustafa Nayyem accused Lviv authorities of inaction, and namely the Mayor of Lviv Andrii Sadovyi, who hadn’t reacted to those events. “The authorities should always react when people’s rights are infringed upon. It doesn’t matter whose rights it is – LGBT people, the opposition, patriots, migrants, women, the elderly or children. The silence of the Lviv authorities and response to these events differs little to the indifference of the authorities to the outrages of the tityshky under Viktor Yanukovych,” wrote Nayyem on Facebook. — “I am frankly disappointed about the absence of reaction of the Mayor of Lviv Andrii Sadovyi. All in all, it isn’t a matter of opinion, it is a question of the leadership. The ideology of a politician can’t be a ground for condoning the rights violation of those, whose opinion he doesn’t support.” The MP is sure that “if the value base and the mechanisms to deter such phenomena don’t emerge in the country, reincarnation of yanukovychs is inevitable.”
Mayor of Lviv Andrii Sadovyi, who preferred to keep silence all week or acted like nothing happened, finally tried to find excuses. However, his statement sounds in the spirit of “I have nothing to do with it”.
The events in the city of Lviv Sadovyi called “a carefully planned operation”. “Participants from both sides were conscious or unconscious parts of the whole picture. I condemn the violence, but as the head of the local government I have limited influence over security forces and special bodies”, stated Sadovyi in a Facebook post.
“I warned the head of Lviv Regional State Administration before the event that the aim of the provocation was to discredit Ukraine at the international level and asked him to do everything within the scope of his powers to prevent such a scenario. I know that he discussed this situation with SBU. They know how to work in such cases. I hope, did everything possible. No one was injured, thank God for that. There are damages to reputation”, he wrote.
According to Sadovyi, the court made the right decision to ban the public events near the Opera House. “Direct clashes and blood on the streets of Lviv” – that’s what our foes wanted”, Lviv Mayor added.
Read also: Eurooptimists criticized inactivity of the police and Lviv authorities
The head of the Department of countering drug-related crime of the National Police Illia Kyva also decided to speak out on this hot topic.
“LVIV! THE BIBLE, LEVITICUS 20:13. If there is a man who lies with a male as those who lie with a woman, both of them have committed a detestable act; they shall surely be put to death. Their blood guiltiness is upon them. P.S. Read the Bible, believe GOD! ”, called Kyva actually for violence on his Facebook page.
Автор: Kolya Camouflage
