Violence breaks out at first gay festival in Sarajevo

(24 Sep 2008) SHOTLIST 1. Wide of Gay festival venue 2. Mid of special police around venue 3. Wide of hooligans arriving at venue, chanting: (Bosnian) "Death for gays" 4. Mid of hooligans shouting at people at festival 5. Pan from people outside gay festival venue to hooligans 6. Wide of police dispersing hooligans 7. Mid of Muslim man arguing with police in front of venue for gay festival 8. Various of Muslim men and police arguing outside venue 9. Mid of police 10. Pan from crowd to police in entrance to venue 11. Various of art exhibition inside venue 12. Mid of superman figure 13. Set-up of artist, Alma Selmanovic 14. SOUNDBITE: (Bosnian) Alma Selmanovic, artist: "I'm not scared, why I should be scared. I should be scared of what I am, and what I love? Then I can kill myself." 15. Wide of exhibition 16. SOUNDBITE: (Bosnian) Masha Buzic, festival organiser: "Our security is on a very high level, and I think this for itself speaks about the situation in Bosnian society, which is homophobic and xenophobic. I think it proves that this society needs change and needs to accept all of us together." 17. Pan of hooligans STORYLINE Dozens of hooligans tried to disrupt Bosnia's first gay festival by throwing stones at Sarajevo's Academy of Art building at the opening of an art exhibition. The hooligans chanting "death to gays" broke at least one window of the building before they were dispersed by police. No one has been reported hurt. The Queer Sarajevo Festival is a four-day multimedia event. It had been criticised by Muslims who objected to its being held during the holy month of Ramadan, but the hooligans on Wednesday appeared to be soccer fans acting from other motivations. Some Muslims were seen outside the festival on Wednesday night in protest. "Our security is on a very high level, and I think this for itself speaks about the situation in Bosnian society which is homophobic and xenophobic. I think it proves that this society needs change and needs to accept all of us together," festival organiser Masha Buzic said. Artist Alma Selmanovic said she was not afraid of any protests or hooligans. "I'm not scared, why I should be scared. I should be scared of what I am, and what I love? Then I can kill myself," she said. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...