■ Tallinn Old Town, where Gay Pride march is scheduled, once again, to take place next month. photo:  Tallinn Tourism

TALLINN, July 14, 2007  –  Organisers of next month’s Tallinn Pride have hit back at local police who have said that a Gay Pride march would threaten the constitutional rights of other citizens.

The Tallinn police were quoted earlier in the week by InterFax, the Russian news agency, as saying that the Pride parade should not be held as the streets were narrow.

“We do take comments from police very seriously and have every intention to do whatever we are asked to do to secure the constitutional rights of other citizens,” said Lisette Kampus, spokesperson of Tallinn Pride.

“Obviously, this year we have paid a lot more attention to the security of all participants and our foremost wish is to cooperate with the police as much as possible to avoid the shameful acts of violence against Pride participants last year.”

She pointed out that during the previous three Pride parades in Tallinn old town, the organisers had successfully managed to arrange the parade so that it would not stop fellow citizens from moving freely.

Pride organizers have always made sure that all the routes and moving schemes would be arranged so that the security risks would be minimal, she pointed out.

Ms. Kampus  continued:  “The organisers also wish to draw attention to the fact that freedom of assembly is also a constitutional right.”

She insisted that the organisers do take all the responsibility that the public gathering law puts upon them and will ensure that the participants of the parade would not disturb the public order.

“In the previous years, there has not been a single act of disturbing the public order from the side of the participants so we are rather sure that the Pride parade participants are peaceful and law obeying also this year,” she said.

“At the same time, I would like to stress the fact that we can not, should not, and will not take responsibility for the actions of the people other than the participants.

“If this year someone from the ‘audience’ on the streets decides to throw stones, eggs or hit someone in the parade, they are committing a crime and are therefore subject to a punishment.

“The police have an obligation to protect the public order and safety of citizens.  We can not be responsible for such acts,” she insisted.

“The police claim that with this event there is a threat to public order.

“I would like to remind the Estonian police of the fact that it is their number one duty to protect the public order and the safety of citizens, regardless the event.

“And our sincere wish is that we can help them in doing so.  The participants or the Pride parade itself are in no way a threat to public order.”

Last year the participants of the Pride parade were violently attacked, with one Spanish citizen required medical help.  Others were hit with stones and sticks.

“But the police commented that the event had been peaceful,” she said.

“This year we had expected very good cooperation from the police side in order to avoid what happened last year, but instead we are facing the opposite.

“We are disappointed,” she said.

The organisers of Tallinn Pride do not see any reason – or sense – in organizing the Pride parade anywhere else in the centre but the old town.

“If we were to organise the parade in the city centre then this would mean rearranging traffic, closing down streets which then affects public transport and through all that would make it very complicated for other citizens to move around the city at that time,” Ms. Kampus said.

“Hence the wish to have the parade in the old town as all previous years – it is not opened for cars so the parade will not bother anyone.”

She admitted that it had been an “unpleasant surprise” to come across such issues for the first time in Estonia’s three-year Pride history.

Ms. Kampus said that there was a distinct lack of co-operation by both the police and city authorities this year.

“We are getting so many different answers and different suggestions on what to do next from the city clerks and police officials that it is hard to know at the end what is it that we are to do and to whom do we have to submit which papers.

“It has been a lot easier past years,” she said.

“I really want to believe that this hassle has been put on the organisers of other public events, too – and it’s not a question of tolerance or attitude towards Pride events.”

■  Tallinn Pride will take place from August 6-12 in the Estonian capital.  This year’s theme, All Different, All Equal, supports the Council of Europe in its campaign for diversity and show solidarity with other European countries that are still fighting homophobia and intolerance.  The Gay Pride march is scheduled for Saturday August 11.

LINKS

 

		Tallinn Pride website (English)
		Tallinn Tourism dedicated 'Gay Nightlife' webpage