The march began at 2.14 p.m. and subsequently participants passed through the main streets of the city. Manifestants were shouting the following slogans: “Liberty, equality, tolerance – these are Polish traditions”, “Jesus was a Jew too”, “Each is different, everyone is equal”, “We will show Poland the better world”. The march finished at 4 p.m.
As for contrmanifestation, it started after 1 p.m. and lasted about an hour. Its participants bellowed toward the Equality March the following: “Gay family is Lenin’s craft”, “When we catch, we will break”, “Pederasts, lesbians, gays – the whole Poland jeers at you”. The Police estimates that there were about 300 people who marched in that contrmanifestation. Some of them had their faces hidden and covered. After the visible signal from the organizers of the contrmanifestation to finish it, some of the participants dispersed. The others who stayed were subjected to the personal identity check procedure by the Policed and later on finally also left the manifestation.
The Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights representatives did not observe any clashes neither between the participants of the two manifestations nor between the Police and manifestants.
The Equality March was secured by the group of Police officers from the prevention division, including horse patrol, division of the officers with Police dogs and the firearm division. The back of the manifestation was additionally guarded by the armoured vehicle equipped in the water cannon. The police officers secured also gateways and side streets of the march route. According to the information provided by the Police, approximately 200 Policemen served in this operation.
As the police informed, no one had been arrested.
I the opinion of the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights observers, the work of the Police officers should be assessed positively. Measures used by the Police were sufficient and proportional. The observers did not notice any examples of abuse of powers by the Police officers. It separated manifestants from their opponents being on the route of the march, the officers did not succumb to provocations of the march objectors.
