RIGA - The annual Pride Parade has passed relatively peacefully despite hundreds of protesters shouting insults and hurling verbal abuse at the marchers.
About 200 's 300 gay and lesbian rights supporters hailing from more than 30 countries marched along the Daugava River in downtown Riga on May 31. Police estimate that there were as many as 700 opponents to the parade.
"This is about the struggle for the freedom of assembly… We're here because there are increasing LBGT [lesbian, bisexual, gay and transgender] issues as well as the fundamental human rights issues. Latvia, as a nation in the EU, should not be having these problems," Anders Dahlbeck, a researcher with Amnesty International, told The Baltic Times.
Dahlbeck led a large group of human rights activists to the event. A significant portion of the marchers sported yellow Amnesty International shirts.
In the days leading up to the parade the president released comments supporting the event, but no parliamentarians or politicians participated.
Protesters gathered just outside the planned parade route and were held back by a large metal fence and two busloads full of police. The opponents of the parade 's part of a movement dubbed NoPride 's screamed "stop pride" and "no gay imports," among other more obscene phrases.
A total of five people were arrested at the event 's four protesters and one marcher. The protesters were charged with administrative breaches for disobeying police orders, while the marcher will face a criminal procedure for tearing one of the NoPride signs.
The parade sparked an extensive debate over gay rights in Latvia. Roman Catholic Cardinal Janis Pujats and other religious leaders sent an open letter to the government calling for the parade to be banned.
"There can be no minority of alcoholics, homosexuals, drug addicts or any other people if the minority is based on immoral inclinations. Otherwise this would be direct promotion of immorality," the cardinal said.
The comments drew sharp criticism from EU politicians.
"The signatories to the letter show a blatant disregard for human rights… I send my love and support to those taking part in the Equality March. They are my heroes and warriors," the U.K.-based Pink News quoted MEP Michael Cashman as saying.
In 2006, LBGT activists were pelted with bags of excrement as they left both a church service and the hotel lobby where the culmination of the Friendship Days events were held. A full-blown parade had been previously banned.
Last year's parade was allowed to go ahead, but only under strict police supervision in a walled-off park.
Despite a significant number of protesters at this year's event, Mozaika, an organization promoting LBGT rights in Latvia, representatives have said that things are slowly getting better in the country.
"They seem to be less active as the year's progress and people are starting to come to terms with the idea that we aren't going anywhere," Mozaika founder Linda Freimane told TBT.
