Action week for Chechyna 3-5 May 2017

The National Queer Organization of Iceland organized an action week for Chechyna.

The Chechen Republic, which is part of the Russian Federation, is now the site of an extermination campaign against queer people, particularly gay and bi men. Despite loud protests from the international community in recent weeks, the situation has worsened and the violence grown in intensity. This must end now!

From Wednesday to Friday May 3-5, Samtökin ‘78 organized a chain vigil, where people took turns standing vigil outside the Russian Embassy on Garðastræti between noon and 5 pm.

On Friday May 5th at 4 pm, a group assembled at Suðurgata 3, put on pink triangles and marched to the Russian Embassy to remind Russia of its commitments to human rights.

Here are a few photos from the end of the event and a short clip showing María Helga Guðmundsdóttir, president of The National Queer Organization of Iceland thanking the participants. She also posed for us with icelandic drag queen Miss Gloria Hole who came representing the thriving drag community here.

The unusually heavy police presence followed allegations of vandalism from the embassy referring to a few printouts of this graphic taped to signposts.