LITHUANIA: Twenty-eight protesters are arrested during the second ever gay pride march held in Vilnius, according to the Lithuanian police

Record ID: 277929

  • Title: LITHUANIA: Twenty-eight protesters are arrested during the second ever gay pride march held in Vilnius, according to the Lithuanian police
  • Date: 27th July 2013
  • Summary: VILNIUS, LITHUANIA (JULY 27, 2013) (REUTERS) POLICE OFFICER ON DUTY AT GEDIMINAS AVENUE - WHERE THE GAY PRIDE MARCH TAKES PLACE GAY PRIDE PARTICIPANTS THE RAINBOW FLAG (LEFT) AND THE LITHUANIAN FLAG (RIGHT) (SOUNDBITE) (Lithuanian) LITHUANIAN GAY LEAGUE LEADER, VLADIMIR SIMONKO, SAYING: "The main goal of the march is to show that we are the same as every other citizen and
  • Embargoed: 11th August 2013 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Lithuania
  • Country: Lithuania
  • Topics: Police,Politics,People
  • Reuters ID: LVA12DYOA9RKSE5I8X3E38B5B4AC
  • Story Text: Twenty-eight protesters were arrested during the second-ever gay pride march held in Vilnius on Saturday (July 27), according to the Lithuanian police.
    The only previous gay pride march held in Vilnius was in 2010 - where tear gas was used against anti-gay protesters.
    There was no need for teargas on this occasion as more than 1,200 people participated in the demo. Police would not confirm how many officers were use to control the event and constrain the protesters but riot police and horses were deployed.
    With fewer arrests than in 2010 some of the participants felt homosexuality was coming more accepted in Lithuanian society.
    "The main goal of the march is to show that we are the same as every other citizen and this does not depend on sexual orientation," said Vladimir Simonk, the leader of the Lithuanian Gay League. I am happy that after winning four court cases we have won right to be among all the citizens and now Gediminas Avenue belongs to everybody."
    Gay Pride participant, Aurelija Minekaite, said: "I am for the human right to love, for the human right to choose with whom one wants to spend this life, which is the only one we have. And I want everyone to spend it who they want to with. And I don't want them to live constrained, in fear."
    Members of the European Parliament including the Swedish minister for EU affairs, Birgitta Ohlsson, were also in attendance.
    "I think it's fantastic to be here and it's so marvelous to be in the capital of lovely Vilnius to praise human rights, tolerance and democracy; the foundation of European Union. I'm so happy to have all our brave Lithuanian friends here together, because this the true spirit of the Baltic Sea, this is the true spirit of European Union that we share together," said Ohlsson.
    The Baltic News Service reported that the police started pre-trial investigations into incidents involving public disorder and possession of drugs.
    Petras Grazulis, an anti-gay lawmaker, was detained and driven away in a police car minutes before the start of the march, but was soon released.
    Those detained also included another fierce anti-gay politician, Vytautas Sustauskas.
    One Gay Pride participant, Artiom, admitted that homophobia was still a major issue in the country.
    "There is a big problem with homophobia in Lithuania. For other people to start to think, not those who know us, but those who are aggressive, who create the aggression and maybe think will about it and it can change their opinion a bit."
    However, Lithuania's second Gay Pride event has not changed the views of Lithuanian MP Petras Grazulis.
    "This is evil, this preaches perverse homosexual relationships, which destroy family and values," Grazulis said. "This is spiritual genocide."
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