zimbabwe:

tatchell harasses mugabe in rome

British gay activist Peter Tatchell was outside the Zimbabwean Embassy in Rome between midnight and one in the morning as he continued his campaign against the great homophobe of Africa. He banged on the doors, slammed the heavy knockers, rang the emergency night buzzer and shouted at the windows.

"You will get no sleep as long as you continue to murder, torture and maim your own people," Tatchell yelled. "One day you will be arrested and put on trial just like Slobodan Milosevic."

"It is wrong that he can come to Italy in defiance of the EU [European Union] travel ban and do what he likes with impunity," Tatchell said later.

Tatchell was joined in the noisemaking by Grace Kwinjeh, the EU representative for the Zimbabwean opposition, the Movement for Democratic Change.

They left when it looked like Mugabe's bodyguards were preparing to come outside. Tatchell was beaten by Mugabe's bodyguards during a past protest.

Mugabe was in Rome ostensibly to attend the UN Food Conference.

"There is no point the EU agreeing to a travel ban if Mugabe is free to evade it by using the excuse that he is attending a UN conference," Tatchell said. "He is almost certainly exploiting the UN to indulge his penchant for fine restaurants and luxury shopping. ...
Mugabe should be arrested, rather than being feted by the UN"

The EU imposed a visa ban on Mugabe and 19 of his top officials on Feb 18 of this year due to mistreatment of observers sent to monitor Zimbabwe's presidential election. The United States followed suit on Feb 22, citing an election campaign "marred by political violence and intimidation."

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