UK
Polish PM Slinks in Back Door to Avoid London Gay Protest
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Gays condemn Marcinkiewicz’s homophobia
LONDON, November 24, 2005 –
Poland’s homophobic Prime Minister, Kazimierz Marcinkiewicz, made an
undignified entrance via a side street to avoid gay rights protesters
picketing his lecture at Chatham House in London this afternoon
(November 24). |
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Instead of entering Chatham House via the grand and palatial entrance in St James’ Square, Mr Marcinkiewicz was bundled in via a side entrance in a nearby backstreet, Duke of York Street. Outside Chatham House, London-based Poles joined a picket organised by LGBT human rights group, OutRage!, with the support of the European Region of the International Lesbian & Gay Association. Martin Canerai and Swietlana (a Polish drag-queen), from Warsaw, were among the Poles who took part in the protest. They both expressed their horror and fear at the rise of Mr Marcinkiewicz and his homophobic, right-wing Law and Justice party: “We appreciate this protest in London,” said Swietlana. “Polish lesbians and gays need international solidarity.” Shortly after being named Prime Minister, Mr Marcinkiewicz declared homosexuality “unnatural,” He added: “The family is natural, and the state must stand guard over the family.” Mr Marcinkiewicz, a Catholic fundamentalist, went on to say that if a homosexual “tries to infect others with their homosexuality”, then the state must intervene in this violation of freedom. “This protest was very necessary, especially following last weekend's violent police arrests of gay marchers in the Polish city of Poznan,” said David Allison of the LGBT human rights group OutRage!. “We want the Polish Prime Minister to know that homophobes are not welcome in the UK,” he emphasised. PREVIOUS REPORTS Poland: Marches of Solidarity with Gays Planned Throughout Poland This Weekend. Peaceful demonstrations are to be staged in a number of Polish cities this weekend, it was announced today. Demonstrations, in solidarity with Poznań where police in full riot gear were brought in to break up a peaceful “March for Equality” last weekend, are to be staged in Elblag, Gdańsk , Krakow, Lodz and the capital, Warsaw. (UK Gay News, November 24, 2005) Poland: Euro MP: Homophobic Polish Prime Minister Is Not Welcome in UK. As the Polish Prime Minister, Kazimierz Marcinkiewicz, makes his first official visit to the UK since his election tomorrow (Thursday November 24), London’s Green MEP, Jean Lambert, has spoken out in anger against Marcinkiewicz’s homophobic policies and the treatment of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) people in Poland. (UK Gay News, November 23, 2005) Poland: Gay Lobby Should Undergo Medical Treatment, Says Polish MP. An ultra-conservative MP of Poland's ruling right-wing Law and Justice (PiS) party has said the “the state should statutorily ban making any positive remarks about homosexuality or promoting it.” (UK Gay News, November 23, 2005) Poland: Poznan Update: Dramatic Video Footage Shows Extent of Police Violence During Gay Demo. London Protest Set for Thursday. ILGA-Europe Protests to Barroso. Dramatic – and unedited – video footage of the problems in Poznan has been released by Indymedia.pl. (UK Gay News, November 22, 2005) Poland: The Battle of Poznan: A Gay Suspect’s View of the Poznan Events. By Tomasz Szypula. I am 25. I was born four months before the Solidarity began its revolution in August 1980. The only Poland I can remember is time after 1989. The time of democracy – at least until last Saturday. (UK Gay News, November 21, 2005) Poland: Riot Police Detain, Interrogate 65 at Gay Demo in Poznań. “They were dragging us around on the street” - Demonstrator. The police in Poznań today briefly detained and interrogated 65 demonstrators during the March of Equality organized by organizations of leftist and gay activists in Poznań, western Poland. (UK Gay News, November 21, 2005)
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Posted: 24 November 2005 at 17:30 (UK time)