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Injuries sustained at Queer Festival in Sarajevo
Sarajevo
First gay festival in Bosnia is attacked
"Dozens of men attacked the Academy of Fine Arts, where the opening ceremony of the four-day Queer Festival was being held. "
The first gay festival ever to be held in Bosnia has been spoilt by protestors.
Dozens of men attacked the Academy of Fine Arts in Sarajevo, the capital city, where the opening ceremony of the four-day Queer Festival was being held.
Reports say that eight people sustained head wounds as a result of the attack, during which gay attendees were dragged from their cars and some beaten in the street. The young men were wearing hoods to hide their faces.
One policeman was also injured, and only one attacker was detained after the offence.
The indoor festival was meant to be a celebration of gay art and film, and coincided with the Islamic holy month of Ramadan. This sparked a spate of death threats prompted by an Islamic media campaign and indicates that there is still a line of almost zero tolerance on homosexuality in the majority Muslim city.
Organisers assert that the timing was merely a coincidence.
