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Gay Prides: Baltic Pride march has been suspended
By: Nigel Robinson
The march was to have been a March for Equality
The march was to have been a March for Equality
The Baltic Pride march for this Saturday has been cancelled.
The Baltic Pride march for this Saturday has been cancelled.
The Lithuanian authorities have suspended the parade, which was due to take place in the capital Vilnius, on grounds of public security.
This is despite police assurances that they would be able to protect participants in the parade from attacks from counter demonstrations.
The application to suspend the march was made by the acting Attorney General Raimondas Petrauskas and Stanislovas Buškevičius, a member of the Kaunas City Council.
In a statement Mr Buškevičius said that the march “would offend the values dear to Lithuania – decency, fidelity, fertility, human dignity” and that the state should not embrace lifestyles that go against the values of the majority of the population.
The ban on the parade is, in fact a temporary one, pending a full hearing. However, the hearing is expected to be held after the march is scheduled to take place.
The organisers of Baltic Pride have issued a complaint to the Attorney General’s office and are seeking legal advice, describing the Court’s decision as “beyond understanding”.
Amnesty International has also condemned the decision. In a statement, John Dalhuisen, Amnesty International's expert on discrimination in Europe, said:
“The authorities in Lithuania must ensure that the march goes ahead unobstructed and safely as they are obliged under international law to guarantee the rights to freedom of expression and assembly.
“Anything less will amount to discrimination.”
For information on Baltic Pride visit their website
And for listing of all UK and European Prides visit Pride Life’s UK Prides page and European Prides page
