LGBT activism in Bitola

Activists from LGBT United and the Coalition “Sexual and health rights of the marginalized communities” were performing public activities in Bitola, within the project “Civil initiative for LGBT rights”. The human rights activists were placing posters with promotional content on the rights of LGBT people and walked through “Shirok Sokak” with a rainbow flag.

“I cannot say that there is a strongly articulated movement in Skopje, but there is minimum activism and long-term results are probably more visible in Skopje than in other cities” – stated Irena Cvetkovic from the Coalition “Sexual and health rights of the marginalized communities”.

However, in Bitola the activists were first attacked by four people, then three more people joined the attackers. The posters, which promote equality, non-discrimination and non-violence, were violently taken. Three of the activists were humiliated, spitted, pushed, slapped on the face and hit on their heads with the posters, the Coalition stated.

“The Coalition has a project here in Bitola, we have formed an activist core with people from the LGBT community in Bitola. I believe that for the firs ttime we have had a public action in Bitola, in which mostly, but not exclusively, LGBT people participated. Those people were attacked by nine unknown perpetrators. Due to the fact that the action lasted for about an hour, probably during that time they found out that some unwanted people were placing posters about the rights of LGBT people, which condemn homophobia, homophobic hate speech and discrimination of these people”, Cvetkovic added.

They concluded with the statement that the violence against the LGBT activists has been reported at the police station in Bitola. The spokesperson of the police has not been informed of such an event.

Source: Tera Televizija