Macedonia: Gay activists hurt in cafe attack

SKOPJE, Macedonia (AP) — Police say about 30 people wearing masks and throwing rocks and bottles have attacked members of a gay rights activist group in Macedonia, wounding two of them.

Friday’s assault occurred at a coffee shop in the Old Bazaar section of Skopje, the capital, as the LGBT Association of Macedonia was celebrating its second anniversary there.

Uranija Pirovska, leader of the local office of the rights group Helsinki Committee, said it was the sixth organized attack against gays in Macedonia in two years.

She urged the country’s conservative government to issue a strong public condemnation.

The government has promised to create a constitutional amendment that would effectively outlaw gay marriage in Macedonia.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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