Lithuania’s first gay pride march draws protests

[WillParkinson]

Source: The Associated Press

Lithuania’s first gay pride march draws protests
By The Associated Press
05.10.2010 11:00am EDT

(Vilnius, Lithuania) Opponents of Lithuania’s first gay pride parade threw smoke bombs and tried to break through a barrier Saturday but were stopped by police firing tear gas.

Later, protesters threw rocks and street signs at security forces, and two Lithuanian lawmakers were detained after trying to climb the barrier.

About 400 people took part in the two-hour march – dubbed “For Equality” – in a sealed-off area in downtown Vilnius. Holding large rainbow flags and dancing to music blaring from loudspeakers, they walked along a road near the city’s Neris river.

Participants included many foreigners, diplomats and members of the European Parliament.

“We are here because we believe … in a just society. Labels are for filing, for clothing, not for people. And we are here today to remove labels from people,” said Birgitta Ohlsson, Sweden’s minister for European Union affairs.

Read more: http://www.365gay.com/news/lithuanias-first-gay-pride-march-draws-protests/

[eleny]

1. I'm of Lithuanian heritage and their homophobia turns my stomach

[musette_sf]

3. me too and me too

:mad:

[David__77]

2. Fascist politics is big in the Baltics, Ukraine, and Poland.

Sad. Thankfully there are progressives too, and, after a long fight, they will win.

A real danger WE should be aware of the interference of agitation of US clerical authorities in whipping up these little fascist storms. They are using these obscurantist countries as their sociological laboratories.