Canister Of Tear Gas Thrown Into Croatian Nightclub Hosting Gay Party

Activists call the incident the latest in an "escalation of hatred in public spaces" against LGBT people.
From: NewNowNext

 At least two people were injured in Croatia after a canister of tear gas was thrown into a club hosting a gay party. Police are investigating the attack on Zagreb’s Super Super Club Saturday night, when witnesses report club goers smashed windows and trampled each other to escape.

 On Facebook, Zagreb Pride, which hosts the country’s annual LGBT celebration, called for police “to carry out [a] fast and effective investigation and to identify and bring to justice those responsible for this awful physical assault.”

The organization said the incident was just the latest in an “escalation of hatred in public spaces” against LGBT Croatians by radical right-wingers.

Criticizing the government for failing to respond to “fascist outbursts,” Zagreb Pride called on Prime Minister Andrej Plenković and Interior Minister Vlaho Orepić “to resolutely, loudly and clearly condemn this violent act directed against human rights of LGBTIQ people… and show that hatred and violence are not the values of our society.”

The association added that the LGBT community would “not surrender or step back in the fight for human rights… Hatred will never be able to defeat love!”

This year’s Zagreb Pride will be held June 10.

LGBT rights in Croatia have expanded in recent years, but homophobic and transphobic discrimination and violence is not uncommon, especially at Pride events.

Still, anti-discrimination and hate-crime laws both address sexual orientation, and in 2014, same-sex couples were granted status equivalent to heterosexual marriage, with the exception of adoption. (Gays and lesbians can register as “partner-guardians.”)