More than 700 posters (pictured)for the Out in Africa Gay and Lesbian Film Festival in Cape Town, South Africa, have been systematically removed from lamp posts and posting boards, organizers report:

"Launched in 1994 to celebrate the constitution prohibiting discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation, the festival is on at the Nu Metro V&A waterfront until Sunday.

Alerted by a Sea Point resident, Murphy had driven around the city and had “seen empty places where my posters have been”.

She said she suspects the 'two-day systematic removal of the 700 posters' had been carried out by fundamentalist religious or right-wing groups.
Murphy said she hoped to see the vandals 'in the court of law, with them doing community service at a gay and lesbian project'. She said the organisers had been advised to lodge a complaint so that they could receive permission to view CCTV footage of where many of the posters had been.

The office of the executive mayor of Cape Town approved and paid R32 000 for the posters, Murphy said: 'It’s their money that’s been wasted and I can’t imagine them being too happy. I’ll be in their office tomorrow discussing the matter.'
She believed the festival had helped to promote tolerance. 'I kept thinking that there was an end to my work and that people have come to tolerate gays and lesbians. I don’t know why there has been this upsurge (in homophobia) all of a sudden. I think it’s because we’re an easy target. When there’s fear in the world its easier to go after a minority group.'

Murphy said there had been many messages praising the poster design as well as queries as to where the posters had gone."

The festival is currently underway and continues at the V&A Waterfront and Nu Metro until September 20.