Several hundred demonstrators marched through the centre of Ghent on Sunday afternoon to commemorate Ihsane Jarfi, murdered in 2012 in Liège, and other victims of homophobic violence.
The procession was organised by Fondation Ihsane Jarfi, Casa Rosa, Çavaria, and the City of Ghent. Ihsane Jarfi was killed on 22 April 2012 in Liège because he was gay, according to organisers. His murder led to an assize trial where three perpetrators received life sentences, and a fourth was sentenced to 30 years. Jarfi’s death was Belgium’s first officially recognised case of homophobic killing.
The march began at 14:00 under the city pavilion in Ghent and passed through several locations significant to the LGBTQ+ community. One such site was the Vrijdagmarkt, where in 1578 five young men were burned alive for “sodomy,” a religious offence considered a crime for centuries. Participants carried white flags and a banner that read, “Together we say no to violence.”
The event concluded back under the city pavilion with a series of speeches. “We must remain united and determined to promote human rights for everyone,” said Hassan Jarfi, Ihsane’s father and founder of Fondation Ihsane Jarfi. “Let us continue building a world where love and respect triumph over hatred and discrimination.”
