A blow for democracy: Riga city council denies permit for "Riga Pride 2006" march
Statement by Mozaika, alliance of LGBT People and Their Friends, 19 July 2006
This morning the Riga city council denied a permit for the planned "Riga Pride 2006" march, which had been requested by Mozaika, the association of lesbians, gays, bisexuals, transgender persons (LBGT) and their friends, and by the gay rights organisations ILGA Latvija and Rigas Praids.
The march was planned for this Saturday, July 22. The meeting at the city council was attended by acting executive director of the city of Riga P. I. Grinbergs and by representatives of several security structures of the Interior Ministry. The city council justified its decision by invoking threats of violence allegedly received from extremist groups and the police's inability to guarantee security and order during the march. According to city officials, the information about these threats is classified as a state secret, and will not be made public for 5 years.
Representatives of the national and security police noted that opponents of the Pride march have had more time to organize than last year. They stated that this year the police has received information that the opposition could be violent. If the march were to take place, they argued, the police would have to use extreme force to guarantee security. Invoking the "proportionality principle," the police argued against conducting the march anywhere in the city centre and urged the march organizers to voluntarily withdraw their request to organize the march. City and police officials also referred to the nearly 100 anti-Pride protesters gathered in front of the city council building this morning, and the 17,000 signatures that have allegedly been gathered on an anti-Pride petition.
"We are shocked by the city council's decision, which we view as not only an unacceptable restriction of the freedom of assembly, but a major blow to democracy in the face of terrorist threats," said Mozaika board member Linda Freimane. "We are preparing to challenge the decision in the Administrative Court today. Last year the Administrative Court acted very correctly by overturning the city council's decision to revoke the Pride march permit, and so we are very hopefully that this year, too, the Court will defend democratic rights in Latvia by overturning the council's decision."
Mozaika believes that by forbidding the march, the city council is endangering not only the rights of sexual minorities, but the foundations of democracy in Latvia. By caving in to the threats of terrorists and other extremists, a precedent is being established that will lead not to the consolidation of society, but to the victory of extremists and to the fully justified perception that threats are an effective instrument for limiting democracy. This precedent is extremely dangerous, because it demonstrates that the use or threat of force against a particular group is effective in winning the support of state organs in restricting the rights of this group. No resident of Latvia will be able to feel confident that at some point similarly undemocratic methods will not be used against him or her.
Mozaika reminds the press that at least 20 foreign officials will be arriving in Latvia this week to participate in the march and Friendship Days, including members of the Swedish, Danish, Austrian and European parliaments, a Swedish army captain and representatives of several human rights organizations.
Today at 14:00 Mozaika's press and information centre will be opened at the Reval Hotel Latvija, 2nd floor. We will be holding a press briefing 14:00. Thursday, 20 July, at. 11:00 Mozaika and its cooperation partners will be holding a press conference to discuss the latest developments concerning the Pride march and Friendship Days. The press conference will take place at the Wallenberg Building 54/55, Alberta ielà 13 (enter from Strelnieku iela 4a).
For more information please contact:
Juris Lavrikovs, Mozaika media coordinator: +371 22 43 1000
Katrina Schwartz, Mozaika media coordinator: +371 28 61 8131
email: info@mozaika.lv
