The Guardian

LGBT people in Egypt targeted in wave of arrests and violence

Dozens of people are said to have been detained in crackdown after rainbow flags were waved at Cairo rock concert
A fan holds a rainbow flag at a performance by Mashrou’ Leila in Lebanon. Photograph: Jamal Said/Reuters

Members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community in Egypt are living in fear following a wave of arrests and violence.

Rights groups say dozens of people have been detained in the crackdown, which began after rainbow flags were waved at a rock concert on the outskirts of Cairo last month, prompting a furious reaction in the Egyptian media.

The current spike in arrests is part of an ongoing climate of repression against the LGBT community in Egypt. LGBT people have long grappled with government repression, including

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