BY NATASHA BARSOTTI – Police tried to block the Dominican Republic’s fifth Pride march, telling participants they couldn’t carry the Caribbean country’s flag or rainbow flags that were reconfigured to look like the national flag.
Gay Star News reports that authorities took away the rainbow flags, then returned them, telling the marchers to keep them hidden. As the march proceeded, police again intervened, telling participants to put away national flags.
The report says activist David Ventura confronted police about their actions, saying, “Nobody can keep us from using our flag in an event that is meant to defend our human rights, because it would be like telling us we are not Dominicans.We are Dominicans.”
A video in Spanish shows one officer having trouble justifying why the marchers cannot carry the Dominican Republic flag.
In the end, police allow the march to proceed.
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