Message of Solidarity from Gloucestershire to Banned St. Petersburg Gay Pride

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GLOUCESTER, June 22, 2010 – Gloucestershire Gay Pride has sent a letter of solidarity to the organisers of banned St. Petersburg Pride. Both Prides are scheduled for Saturday, June 26, with the LGBT activists in the second city of Russia vowing to march whatever the outcome of the appeals to the ban.

City Hall in St. Petersburg on Friday refused permission for the march, citing “construction work” along the route.

While construction works in Southgate Street, Gloucester, meant that the original route for Gloucestershire Pride could not be used, the authorities here soon came up with an alternative route, the UK Pride said in a statement last night.

According to St. Petersburg Pride organisers, the decision of the City Hall was homophobic. The authorities suggested the organisers came up with alternative routes, when under Russian law it is the authorities which have to provide a suitable alternative.

Gay men and women in St. Petersburg are saying that they intend to attempt to stage their Pride march, even though it could well be banned.

Much the same has happened over the past five years in Moscow when gays in the capital have tried to stage a Pride. In Moscow, there have been arrests by the police – and OMON security police – in addition to the beating of gays by ultra-right wing thugs.

“There is very little that we can realistically do, except let the LGBT community in St. Petersburg know that we fully support their efforts,” Gloucestershire Pride chair Chris Marsh said last night.

“The authorities in Gloucestershire, including the police, have given us their support. I hope that everyone will remember this on the day and remember that in St. Petersburg they are staging their very first Pride on the same day.

“Unlike here in Gloucester, the Russian authorities have put-up every obstacle imaginable – and have totally banned their march. But the brave gay men and women of Russia’s second city have vowed to march anyway.

“It might be of some consolation to those in St. Petersburg who will be defiantly exercise their right to peaceful assembly despite the ban, but we will be marching for them in Gloucester on Saturday.

“While we are fortunate to be able to have our Pride March with the encouragement of our local authorities and police, we must never forget those in countries where there are not such freedoms,” Mr. Marsh pointed out.

The Gloucestershire Pride committee is encouraging as many as possible who will be taking part in the streets of Gloucester to carry placards condemning the lack of LGBT human rights in Russia in general and in St. Petersburg in particular.

Participants should be aware that the Chief Constable of Gloucestershire will be speaking from the steps of the Shire Hall immediately prior to the march, the committee said. His counterpart in St. Petersburg could well be organising the arrest of participants.

The full text of the letter, in both Russian and English, can be read HERE.

SEE ALSO

Pride Organisers Seek Police Protection Following Threat by Ultra Nationalists in St. Petersburg. Police protection has today been requested by the organisers of St. Petersburg Gay Pride following calls over the weekend for violence by several ultra nationalist groups on their Web sites. And yesterday the committies of Gloucestershire Pride in UK, which also has a Gay Pride march scheduled for June 26, disscussed the problems in Russia and decised to show "solidarity" with St. Petersburg. (UK Gay News, June 21, 2010)

City Officials Turn Down Request for St Petersburg Gay Pride, But Ask Organisers to Propose Different Routes. Organisers of next week’s St. Petersburg Pride have been told today by city officials that there would be no permit issued to stage a parade on the proposed route along Konnogvardeisky Boulevard to Decembrists Square. (UK Gay News, June 18, 2010)

St Petersburg Gay Pride Organisers Apply to City Chiefs for Rally, But Vow to Hold the Event Regardless. The organisers of the first St Petersburg Gay Pride March said today they have applied for permission to hold their rally on June 26. In the request sent to the City Hall, the organisers said that if their march is allowed they plan to have between 500 to 600 participants who will parade Konnogvardeisky Boulevard to Decembrists Square. (UK Gay News, June 15, 2010)

St. Petersburg Gay Pride Organisers Ask for Political Support from Foreign Embassies. Organisers of St. Petersburg Gay Pride have asked for support from the governments of 18 countries – and the Ambassador for the European Union. (UK Gay News, June 8, 2010)

St. Petersburg Gay Pride Organisers Arrested at Opposition Demo. Gays and lesbians who joined the “March of Opposition” on May 31 in St Petersburg were arrested by anti-riot police (OMON). (UK Gay News, June 3, 2010)

Gay Pride Events Are Still Hindered – and This Violates Freedom of Assembly. By Thomas Hammarberg, Human Rights Commissioner, Council of Europe. In Moscow, gay pride events scheduled for May 29 were banned as the authorities claimed they were unable to guarantee the security of the participants, and they wanted to avoid traffic jams. The organisers appealed against the decision, but the court upheld the ban. However, some gay rights activists managed to hold a brief protest in central Moscow. (UK Gay News, June 2, 2010)

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