Christian theology students organise protest march against Rainbow Friendship Rally in Sofia
Students from Sofia University's theology department announced they will stage a protest march on Sunday June 21 against the Rainbow Friendship Rally in Sofia, Bulgarian media said on June 19 2009.
"We are not protesting against the right of self determination of people but we do not think that the open manifestation and most of all the insolent demonstration of homosexual orientation is useful or healthy for society" protest rally organisers said in a media statement.
According to the organisers, the gay parade was not a harmless show but rather an attempt to diminish the difference between what was normal and what wasn’t. What was worse, the statement said, was the attempt to portray what was not normal as more valuable than the normal.
The protest march, which organisers said had the support of Orthodox Christians and Sofia Orthodox Christian churches, will start at 11.15am on June 21 in front of the Alexander Nevsky cathedral.
The protest is to end outside the National Palace of Culture (NDK), after passing through Rakovska street, Alexander Battenberg square and Vitosha boulevard.
The Rainbow Friendship Rally in 2008 ended in violence when marchers clashed with nationalists and police. The event this year has received the support of several embassies.
Steve Williams, the British ambassador to Bulgaria, has been sharply criticised by Bojan Rasate, the leader of the far-right political party Guardia Bulgarian National Alliance, after he sent a message in support of the Rainbow Friendship Rally.
On June 17 2009 a statement by United Partners public relations agency said that nine embassies have vowed to support the Rainbow Friendship march scheduled for June 27 2009 in Sofia. These are the embassies of UK, Belgium, The Netherlands, Denmark, Finland, France, Sweden, Norway and Germany.
On June 17, US ambassador in Sofia Nancy McEldowney also issued a statement of support for the Rainbow Friendship Rally.
"We are not protesting against the right of self determination of people but we do not think that the open manifestation and most of all the insolent demonstration of homosexual orientation is useful or healthy for society" protest rally organisers said in a media statement.
According to the organisers, the gay parade was not a harmless show but rather an attempt to diminish the difference between what was normal and what wasn’t. What was worse, the statement said, was the attempt to portray what was not normal as more valuable than the normal.
The protest march, which organisers said had the support of Orthodox Christians and Sofia Orthodox Christian churches, will start at 11.15am on June 21 in front of the Alexander Nevsky cathedral.
The protest is to end outside the National Palace of Culture (NDK), after passing through Rakovska street, Alexander Battenberg square and Vitosha boulevard.
The Rainbow Friendship Rally in 2008 ended in violence when marchers clashed with nationalists and police. The event this year has received the support of several embassies.
Steve Williams, the British ambassador to Bulgaria, has been sharply criticised by Bojan Rasate, the leader of the far-right political party Guardia Bulgarian National Alliance, after he sent a message in support of the Rainbow Friendship Rally.
On June 17 2009 a statement by United Partners public relations agency said that nine embassies have vowed to support the Rainbow Friendship march scheduled for June 27 2009 in Sofia. These are the embassies of UK, Belgium, The Netherlands, Denmark, Finland, France, Sweden, Norway and Germany.
On June 17, US ambassador in Sofia Nancy McEldowney also issued a statement of support for the Rainbow Friendship Rally.