Participants and activists of the Pride parade attacked in the Chilean capital

(Photo courtesy of the Movement for Gay Integration and Liberation)

A group of masked men attacked LGBTQ activists and other participants in the annual Pride parade in the Chilean capital on June 29.

Witnesses reported that the men punched and kicked activists and parade participants, threatened them with a skateboard, threw rocks and paint at the floats, and damaged the parade’s infrastructure. The men also broke the headlight of a truck.

The Movement for the Integration and Liberation of Gays, a Chilean LGBTQ rights group known by the acronym Movilh, strongly condemned the violence, calling it deliberate attempts to disrupt a peaceful and safe demonstration.

“Vandalism that seeks to disrupt the peaceful course of our demonstrations and that only serves the interests of the homophobic/transphobic sector,” denounced Movilh.

The attack occurred when the masked men attempted to break through the security fence protecting the participants and the truck at the front of the parade.

“Like every year, we fence the truck with our volunteers to prevent anyone from being run over or injured by the wheels,” said Movilh. “The masked men approached the fence to break through it and beat with their feet and fists our volunteers and people outside our organization who tried to dissuade them in an act of solidarity.”

The motives behind this attack appear to be linked to previous calls on social media to boycott the event, but organizers stressed that acts of violence are alien to the inclusive and celebratory purpose of the parade.

Movilh spokeswoman Javiera Zúñiga told the Washington Blade: “After the attack we were subjected to during the Pride March, we published on our social networks the few images that were available from that moment.”

“Basically, we ask that anyone who has seen something and recognizes one of the attackers sends us an email or contacts us through our social networks so that we can file a report and do everything necessary to find those responsible.”

Zúñiga explained that “not only was there aggression against people, but there was also damage to private property because one of the headlights of a truck was broken.”

“For these two reasons, we ask anyone with information to contact us,” she said.

The incident has drawn widespread criticism from within and outside the LGBTQ community, who say it demonstrates the need to protect and promote respect for human rights and diversity.

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