May 17 Photo Brief: International Day Against Homophobia, books burned in Nepal, walking art in Hong Kong
Anti-discrimination parades and demonstrations take place marking the International Day Against Homophobia, caravans of camels walk through the sulphur and mineral salt formations near Dallol in the Danakil Depression, northern Ethiopia, a kitchen fire spreads to neighboring buildings, including a major book store, in Kathmandu, Nepal, people wearing a white cloth take part in “Divisor”, a performance art piece by Brazilian artist Lygia Pape in Hong Kong and more in today’s daily brief.
- Presenter of Canada’s National Gay and Lesbian television OUTTV Marlene van Oortmarssen and spokesperson of the “Wel Jong Niet Hetero’s” (Flemish LBGB movement) Michiel Vanackere pose on May 16, 2013 as they spend 48 hours in a cage to focus the public’s attention on the International Day Against Homophobia at the Kunstberg / Mont des Arts in Brussels. (Belga – Siska Gremmelprez/AFP/Getty Images ORG XMIT: –
- United Russia deputy Vitaly Milonov (L) and gay rights opponents hold portraits of convicted paedophiles during a rally to mark International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia in St. Petersburg, Russia. The words on the portrait Milonov is holding reads, “Young boys: More than 14 incidents.” (Alexander Demianchuk/Reuters)
- A Serbian policeman (C) looks at activists gathered during the International Day Against Homophobia in downtown Belgrade. Two-thirds of Europe’s lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community are still afraid to show their sexuality in public and a quarter have been victims of physical or verbal attacks, an EU report said on May 17, marking the International Day Against Homophobia. (Alexa Stankovic/AFP/Getty Images)
- A policeman helps an injured man during clashes at an International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia (IDAHO) rally in Tbilisi, Georgia. (Stringer/Reuters)
- A Nepalese transgendered performer puts on make up backstage for an event on the International Day Against Homophobia and Trans-phobia in Kathmandu. Nepal, home to Asia’s leading gay and transgender rights movement, legally recognizes a third gender category on documents for transgender people. (Prakash Mathema/AFP/Getty Images)
- Two youngsters kiss each other behind a rainbow flag, a symbol for the homosexuals, during their anti-discrimination parade in Changsha, central China’s Hunan province. About one hundred persons gathered to the anti-discrimination parade on the International Day Against Homophobia, appealing for understanding to homosexuals from the mass people. (STR/AFP/Getty Images ORG XMIT:
- Queen Elizabeth II leaves an impression of her feet in a mould as Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (R) looks on during their visit to St Michael’s Mount, off the coast of Cornwall in south west England. Emily is the daughter of Gary Earrly, head of Cornish Heritage Builders, and was invited to receive the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh by the St Aubyn family who live on the island. (Andrew Winning – WPA Pool/Getty Images)
- A visitor passes the sculpture “1st Body” (2013) prior to the opening of the “Kapoor in Berlin” exhibition at the Martin Gropius Bau in Berlin, Germany. The 1991 Turner Prize winner, who is considered one of the most influential sculptors of his generation, has created around half the works specifically for the exhibition in Berlin, which runs at the Martin Gropius Bau from May 18 to November 24. (Adam Berry/Getty Images)
- Sri Lankan army personnel fire a 21-gun salute during a Victory Day parade rehearsal in Colombo. Sri Lanka celebrates War Heroes month with a military parade scheduled for May 18. The parade celebrates the fourth anniversary of the military defeat of the Tamil Tiger rebels in May 2009, ending a 37-year long separatist conflict. AFP PHOTO/Ishara S. Kodikara/AFP/Getty Images)
- A fire engine stands by at a narrow street outside the houses that caught fire at Thamel, a major tourist hub in Kathmandu, Nepal. According to local media, the fire started in the kitchen of Faces Lounge and Bar after a cooking gas cylinder exploded and spread to two neighboring buildings, including a major book store. (Navesh Chitrakar/Reuters)
- Nepalese police personnel look through burnt books on the streets during a fire at Thamel, a major tourist hub in Kathmandu, Nepal. The blaze, which destroyed property worth millions of Nepalese rupee, was brought under control after nine hours of firefighting. No deaths have been reported, but local witnesses say two people were injured. (Navesh Chitrakar/Reuters)
- A burnt book that reads “Catching Fire” is pictured at the scene of a fire at Thamel, a major tourist hub in Kathmandu, Nepal. (Navesh Chitrakar/Reuters)
- A boy sits near a dog in after returning to a Rohingya internally displaced persons (IDP) camp from a shelter from cyclone Mahasen, outside of Sittwe, Myanmar. (Soe Zeya Tun/Reuters)
- A boy from a Rohingya internally displaced persons (IDP) camp looks up as he huddles next to his mother while queuing for food in a school, where they were evacuated to shelter from cyclone Mahasen when it landed, outside of Sittwe, Myanmar. (Soe Zeya Tun/Reuters)
- US soldiers from the 10th Combat Aviation Brigade and a Polish soldier (C) carry a dog on a stretcher from a UH-60 Black Hawk medevac helicopter during a training drill at Forward Operating Base Ghazni. US-led coalition forces are winding down their operations before a scheduled withdrawal of the bulk of their 100,000 troops by the end of 2014, and racing to prepare Afghan forces to take over responsibility for security. (Dibyangshu Sarkar/AFP/Getty Images)
- People wearing a white cloth take part in “Divisor”, a performance art piece by Brazilian artist Lygia Pape, during the exhibition entitled “A Journal of the Plague Year. Fear, ghosts, rebels. SARS, Leslie and the Hong Kong story” at Hong Kong’s financial Central district. (Tyrone Siu/Reuters)
- People with their heads sticking out from holes on a large white cloth take part in “Divisor”, a performance art piece by Brazilian artist Lygia Pape, during the exhibition entitled “A Journal of the Plague Year. Fear, ghosts, rebels. SARS, Leslie and the Hong Kong story” at Hong Kong’s financial central district. (Tyrone Siu/Reuters)
- A horse normally used to work pulling on wooden carts, nibbles on grain spilt on the ground near sacks of wheat stacked at a grain distribution point in the outskirts of Amristar on May 16, 2013. This years wheat harvest is expected to be more bountiful than last year, India’s Agriculture Ministry said recently. India which is the second largest producer of wheat in the world is expected to produce about 93.6 million metric tons. Some reports estimate that this will mean a decrease in the local price of wheat and a boost in exports due to the large surplus of grain stored. (Robert Schmidt/AFP/Getty Images)
- Basketball fan Qin Xulei prepares to shoot a basketball into a hoop outside his home in Yichuan county, Luoyang, Henan province, China May 15, 2013. Qin, 13, who is among the top ten students at his school, lost his legs in a car accident when he was three. Qin hopes to represent China as part of their national wheelchair basketball team in the Paralympic Games in the future. (Stringer/Reuters)
- Basketball fan Qin Xulei (R) dribbles a basketball as he plays against his friend at a middle school in Yichuan county, Luoyang, Henan province, China May 15, 2013. Qin, 13, who is among the top ten students at his school, lost his legs in a car accident when he was three. Qin hopes to represent China as part of their national wheelchair basketball team in the Paralympic Games in the future. (Stringer/Reuters)
- Sulphur and mineral salt formations are seen near Dallol in the Danakil Depression, northern Ethiopia April 22, 2013. The Danakil Depression in Ethiopia is one of the hottest and harshest environments on earth, with an average annual temperature of 94 degrees Fahrenheit (34.4 Celsius). For centuries, merchants have travelled there with caravans of camels to collect salt from the surface of the vast desert basin. The mineral is extracted and shaped into slabs, then loaded onto the animals before being transported back across the desert so that it can be sold around the country. (Siegfried Modola/Reuters)
- A man walks on sulphur and mineral salt formations near Dallol in the Danakil Depression, northern Ethiopia April 22, 2013. The Danakil Depression in Ethiopia is one of the hottest and harshest environments on earth, with an average annual temperature of 94 degrees Fahrenheit (34.4 Celsius). For centuries, merchants have travelled there with caravans of camels to collect salt from the surface of the vast desert basin. The mineral is extracted and shaped into slabs, then loaded onto the animals before being transported back across the desert so that it can be sold around the country. (Siegfried Modola/Reuters)
- Men walk with their camels through the Danakil Depression, northern Ethiopia April 22, 2013. Once the caravan find a suitable place to mine salt, they extract, shape and pack as many salt slabs as possible before starting their two-day journey to the town of Berahile. The Danakil Depression in Ethiopia is one of the hottest and harshest environments on earth, with an average annual temperature of 94 degrees Fahrenheit (34.4 Celsius). For centuries, merchants have travelled there with caravans of camels to collect salt from the surface of the vast desert basin. The mineral is extracted and shaped into slabs, then loaded onto the animals before being transported back across the desert so that it can be sold around the country. (Siegfried Modola/Reuters)
- Kanburi pit viper snakes are on display at the Natural Historyu museum in Karlsruhe, southern Geramany. The snakes, 12 altogether, were born on May 9, 2013 at the museum. (Uli Deck/AFP/Getty Images ORG)
- Actor Jackie Chan attends the ‘Skiptrace’ Photocall during the 66th Annual Cannes Film Festival at the Palais des Festivals on May 16, 2013 in Cannes, France. (Stuart C. Wilson/Getty Images)
Crowds break up gay rights rally in Georgia
Margarita Antidze | Reuters
8:25 a.m. EDT, May 17, 2013
TBILISI (Reuters) – Priests and thousands of other Georgians broke through police barricades and forced gay rights activists to flee on Friday, cutting short their rally to mark the international day against homophobia.
Holding banners saying “Stop Homosexual Propaganda in Georgia!” and “Not in our city!”, the demonstrators swarmed into a square in central Tbilisi where about 50 Georgians were rallying in support of gay rights. Police escorted the gay rights supporters onto buses and drove them away to avoid violence.
Several people, including some journalists, received minor injuries, Georgian media said.
“We won’t allow these sick people to hold gay parades in our country,” said Zhuzhuna Tavadze, brandishing a bunch of nettles and adding that she was ready to fight.
“It’s against our traditions and our morals.”