|
|
1500 walk on Liverpool anti-homophobia march
More than 1500 people braved wintry conditions recently to send a clear message to homophobic thugs that they are not wanted in Liverpool. The march was organised following a spate of “gay bashing” attacks in Liverpool, with the murder of gay teenager Michael Causer and the assault on Merseyside Police constable James Parkes. The marchers gathered at St George’s Plateau before following a route through the city centre to the New Picket, off Jamaica Street, where they heard speeches. Among them was gay Liverpool councillor Steve Radford. He said, “It was great to walk through the main shopping area of the city and show that gays and lesbians will not be treated as second-class citizens in our city, and that an injury on one is an injury on all of us. It was important we made a public statement in a dignified way.” Cllr Radford also read out a message of support for the march from the Bishop of Liverpool, the Rt Rev James Jones, on behalf of all the denominations in the city. The demonstration was organised after Edge Hill student Emma Stewart set up a Facebook page called Liverpool March Against Homophobia, which gained over 1,000 members in 24 hours. It now has more than 6,500 members and acts as a forum to speak out against homophobia. Organisers said the importance of the march had been shown yet again after the attack last week on a 19-year-old student, who was battered in the city centre by an eight-strong gang hurling homophobic abuse. |
