Teargas Fired Into Anti-Gay Crowd

Finally, some good news.

"(Dakar) Police in the Senegal capital of Dakar fired teargas into a crowd denouncing homosexuality following the release of a group of men charged with gross indecency after pictures of them allegedly at a gay wedding appeared in a local magazine.

The demonstration was organized by an Islamic group. Several hundred people gathered outside Dakar's main mosque despite the refusal by police to issue a permit for the protest.

Garbage bins were set on fire as organizers in front of the Grande Mosquee de Dakar demanded that all homosexuals in the country be rounded up and jailed.

When police ordered the protestors to disband some in the crowd began throwing stones. At that point police fired teargas into the crowd.

"We want homosexuals to be wiped out in this country," said organizer Cheikh Tidiane Ndiaye. "We will continue to fight for Senegal to become a Muslim nation."

Protesters chanted "Allahu Akbar [God is Greatest]".

Up to 20 men were arrested earlier this month following the publication in a widely popular Senegal gossip magazine of pictures purportedly of a gay wedding. All of those arrested allegedly were photographed at the "wedding".

It is believed the ceremony took place more than a year-and-a-half ago and that the photographs were sold to Icones magazine recently. Reports suggest that the sensationalist publication paid about $3000 for them.

Senegal is one of the few Francophone African countries that penalize homosexuality. Courts have wide latitude in dealing with gay sexual acts. Penalties on the books range from death to lashings, to imprisonment.

Five of the men were later released but authorities said the investigation continues.

International human rights groups have been pressuring the government to drop the investigation. The International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission and PAN-Africa ILGA sent a letter to the Senegalese Minister of Justice demanding the immediate and unconditional release of the men. (story)

One of the defense lawyers in the case said that the international attention on the case may have backfired.

Attorney Ralph Monye said that the case might have faded away because gay sex offences were seldom prosecuted."

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