HOME | ARCHIVE | EMAIL US | TRAVEL SECTION

LATVIA

Riga City Council Gives OK to Gay Pride March

■ Riga Pride 2007 in Vermanes Darzs. photo UK Gay News

RIGA, May 8, 2009  –  A Riga City Council committee has today approved the march in the city centre during Baltic Gay Pride, officially known a Baltic Friendship Days.

The march is scheduled for Saturday May 16 at Vermanes Darzs park, the location of the first officially approved parade in 2007.

For the organisers, Mokaika, the decision came at the eleventh hour – the Council had to make its decision known by May 9.

Writing yesterday on the Baltic Pride Facebook page, Kristine Garina said: “We have submitted our application to the City council in October 2008.  However up till now we have not received any confirmation from the City if we will be able to hold our event at Vermanes Darzs.”

Agreement was reached at a meeting today with seven representatives of the City Council.  The police were also represented.

Mozaika had wanted a longer march, but the police, worried about the safety of march participants expressed the view that a march similar to the one two years ago would be more secure.

However, the march will not be confined to the park, but the route is extended to include Terbates and Elizabetes streets.

Though Mozaika wanted a longer route, a compromise was reach.

“We appreciate the police do have a security problem, but we are more than happy with decision,” a Mozaika spokesperson said this afternoon.

Five members of the City Council’s for Demonstrations and Pickets voted in favour of the march going ahead, with two – Helmi Stalite and Aina Krukule – voted against, saying that the march “threatens morality and family values”.

A religious group attempted to pre-empt the decision by announcing that planned to hold an anti-gay rally in Vermanes Darzs at the same time.

■ For latest schedule of events, please click on the Baltic Pride logo below.

LINK

website

 

 

CLICK HERE FOR PRINTER FRIENDLY PAGE

Seed Newsvine