Israel: Anti-occupation LGBTQ activists block Tel Aviv pride parade

Dozens of Israeli LGBTQ activists against the occupation blocked Tel Aviv’s annual pride parade on Friday, holding up signs that read “There’s no pride in occupation,” and for a few minutes preventing the march from proceeding through the city center. 

The police immediately responded to the action, pushing the activists toward the sidewalk. Members of “Likud Pride,” the LGBTQ group affiliated with the ruling Likud party, joined the police and began shouting at and shoving the activists.

As opposed to the police, the LGBTQ community took an active interest in the action, which sought to spotlight the 50th year of the occupation. Some came over to speak with the activists, others expressed their support, while others lamented the fact that the activists were mixing politics with what they view as a non-political event.

Over this past week, over 200 members of the LGBTQ community signed a declaration put out by dozens of queer human rights and social justice activists, calling on the community not to forget that its own struggle for human rights, equality, and freedom is connected to the struggles of other minority communities. Read more via +972