Tension around second LGBT Pride in Riga is raising
17/07/2006
By
Mozaika
The Friendship Days and the second Riga Pride are taking place on 19-23 July. The Pride March is planned for Saturday, 22 July but there is no yet an official permission issued by the Riga City Council. Last year the first LGBT Pride March was initially allowed by the City authorities but following a hysterical homophobic campaign by the conservative politicians, Christian fundamentalists and the nationalist radicals, the City withdrew its permission. The ban was successfully challenged at the Administrative court, but the participants of the March experienced significant violence, harassment and obstructions.
This year some radical organisations already came out with their statements condemning the Pride March and calling for public actions of protests and disturbance during the March. For example, the radical organisation “All for Latvia” made an issue of the LGBT Pride March one of the central topic during their congress a few weeks ago and called upon their supporters to come out to the streets and block the March. Another radical youth organisations “Against the Stream” initiated a petition to collect signatures against the Pride March and collected over 13,000 signatures which were sent them to various Latvian officials, including the President of Latvia. Kaspars Dimiters, well known folk singer who also was one of the main campaigner against the last year Pride March and obstructed the entrance to the Anglican Church for Pride service, already published an advertisement-appeal in various Latvian papers calling “not to laid down at home, but to laid down on the streets” not to allow the Pride March to take place this year. Religious organisation ‘New Age’ broadcasts extremely homophobic statement during their TV programmes.
This year the Riga City Council suggested to host the March outside the city centre. On 11 July the organisers of this year Pride March were invited to meet the representatives of the Riga City Council alongside with the representatives of the police authorities. The possible routes for the March were discussed and the Riga City Council is to host another meeting to make their final decision next week. The organisers of the Pride March will be invited to the meeting of the Riga City Council committee on demonstrations.
However prior to this meeting some politicians already stated that the Pride March should not take place at the centre of Riga or due to security risks to all parties (the marchers, the protesters, and the general public) should not be allowed altogether.
Yesterday, Dzintars Jaundžeikars ,the Interior Minister from the First Party of Latvia, the main campaigner against the Pride March last year, came out with a statement that the Interior Ministry will not be able to provide adequate security during this year Pride March and that the Pride March is the ‘largest security risk’ since Latvia gained independence. On the same day his party comrade Armers Luvdiks, Vice-Mayor of Riga, from the First Part of Latvia, in a radio debate on the Pride March, also called for the Riga City Council not to allow the Pride March because of security risks and major opposition by the general public.
Alliance of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender people and their friends Mozaīka strongly condemned statement by the Interior Minister and called it ‘cynical and irresponsible’. Mozaīka board said that if the situation would not be that serious it would sound ridiculous that the country that hosted a World Championship in Ice Hockey and is about to host NATO summit is afraid of ‘old ladies throwing boiling water through the windows’.
Mozaīka said that such statement of the Minister serves his party interest and not the interests of the state and its citizens. Loudly threatening with violence the Minister is hoping that the Pride March will be banned or there will be a huge pressure on the organisers to voluntary withdrew their application for the March. Such behaviour of the Minister reflects no cares about the security and public order but enforcing his party’s views on a general public using his position.
Mozaīka said that the organisers cannot be responsible for the action of the opponents. If there is violence during the March is it an obligation of this state to secure its citizens the enjoyment of their right to free expression and assembly.
Mozaīka said that if the March is banned or ‘voluntary’ withdrawn, this will cause serious risks not just to sexual minorities, but the state, its democratic basis and its inhabitants as a whole. Defeating to the threats of violence will create a dangerous precedent which will not lead to the integration of our society, but the victory of extreme organisations and the violence will justify restriction on democracy. What will happen if the next year similar threats will be expressed against ethnic, national and /or religious minorities? Will the Minister also restrict freedoms enshrined in our Constitutions?
If the threats to our democracy are such significant and the March is the highest security risk since Latvia gained its independence, than the political parties, which created tension with their populism and hatred, should take responsibility for possible violence. Last year the police demonstrated high professionalism and there is grounds to believe the situation has changed this year, Mozaīka continued.
Mozaīka also asks the Minister why he never replied to the letter sent to him on 27 June with an invitation to discuss the security issue. He is obliged to reply by the law but also it is his moral obligation if he believes that our members are under risk of violence.
Mozaīka is very concerned that the Minister’s statements unfortunately leads to think that in a future peaceful demonstrations will be restricted while irritated radical masses will run around Riga streets throwing explosives.
For more information please contact:
Juris Lavrikovs
Mozaīka’s media coordinator
+ 371 22 43 1000
1. Mozaīka is an alliance of lesbian, gay , bisexual, transgender people and their friends.
2. More information about Mozaīka, full programme of the Friendship Days and Riga Pride is available on our website: www.mozaika.lv.
This year some radical organisations already came out with their statements condemning the Pride March and calling for public actions of protests and disturbance during the March. For example, the radical organisation “All for Latvia” made an issue of the LGBT Pride March one of the central topic during their congress a few weeks ago and called upon their supporters to come out to the streets and block the March. Another radical youth organisations “Against the Stream” initiated a petition to collect signatures against the Pride March and collected over 13,000 signatures which were sent them to various Latvian officials, including the President of Latvia. Kaspars Dimiters, well known folk singer who also was one of the main campaigner against the last year Pride March and obstructed the entrance to the Anglican Church for Pride service, already published an advertisement-appeal in various Latvian papers calling “not to laid down at home, but to laid down on the streets” not to allow the Pride March to take place this year. Religious organisation ‘New Age’ broadcasts extremely homophobic statement during their TV programmes.
This year the Riga City Council suggested to host the March outside the city centre. On 11 July the organisers of this year Pride March were invited to meet the representatives of the Riga City Council alongside with the representatives of the police authorities. The possible routes for the March were discussed and the Riga City Council is to host another meeting to make their final decision next week. The organisers of the Pride March will be invited to the meeting of the Riga City Council committee on demonstrations.
However prior to this meeting some politicians already stated that the Pride March should not take place at the centre of Riga or due to security risks to all parties (the marchers, the protesters, and the general public) should not be allowed altogether.
Yesterday, Dzintars Jaundžeikars ,the Interior Minister from the First Party of Latvia, the main campaigner against the Pride March last year, came out with a statement that the Interior Ministry will not be able to provide adequate security during this year Pride March and that the Pride March is the ‘largest security risk’ since Latvia gained independence. On the same day his party comrade Armers Luvdiks, Vice-Mayor of Riga, from the First Part of Latvia, in a radio debate on the Pride March, also called for the Riga City Council not to allow the Pride March because of security risks and major opposition by the general public.
Alliance of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender people and their friends Mozaīka strongly condemned statement by the Interior Minister and called it ‘cynical and irresponsible’. Mozaīka board said that if the situation would not be that serious it would sound ridiculous that the country that hosted a World Championship in Ice Hockey and is about to host NATO summit is afraid of ‘old ladies throwing boiling water through the windows’.
Mozaīka said that such statement of the Minister serves his party interest and not the interests of the state and its citizens. Loudly threatening with violence the Minister is hoping that the Pride March will be banned or there will be a huge pressure on the organisers to voluntary withdrew their application for the March. Such behaviour of the Minister reflects no cares about the security and public order but enforcing his party’s views on a general public using his position.
Mozaīka said that the organisers cannot be responsible for the action of the opponents. If there is violence during the March is it an obligation of this state to secure its citizens the enjoyment of their right to free expression and assembly.
Mozaīka said that if the March is banned or ‘voluntary’ withdrawn, this will cause serious risks not just to sexual minorities, but the state, its democratic basis and its inhabitants as a whole. Defeating to the threats of violence will create a dangerous precedent which will not lead to the integration of our society, but the victory of extreme organisations and the violence will justify restriction on democracy. What will happen if the next year similar threats will be expressed against ethnic, national and /or religious minorities? Will the Minister also restrict freedoms enshrined in our Constitutions?
If the threats to our democracy are such significant and the March is the highest security risk since Latvia gained its independence, than the political parties, which created tension with their populism and hatred, should take responsibility for possible violence. Last year the police demonstrated high professionalism and there is grounds to believe the situation has changed this year, Mozaīka continued.
Mozaīka also asks the Minister why he never replied to the letter sent to him on 27 June with an invitation to discuss the security issue. He is obliged to reply by the law but also it is his moral obligation if he believes that our members are under risk of violence.
Mozaīka is very concerned that the Minister’s statements unfortunately leads to think that in a future peaceful demonstrations will be restricted while irritated radical masses will run around Riga streets throwing explosives.
For more information please contact:
Juris Lavrikovs
Mozaīka’s media coordinator
+ 371 22 43 1000
1. Mozaīka is an alliance of lesbian, gay , bisexual, transgender people and their friends.
2. More information about Mozaīka, full programme of the Friendship Days and Riga Pride is available on our website: www.mozaika.lv.
