Great news from Latvia where the courts have overturned Riga City Council's decision on the ban.
In the interim, the European Green Party has issued the following statement re Moscow.
15.05.2009
EUROPEAN GREENS SUPPORT GAY PRIDE EVENT IN MOSCOW
POLICE MUST GIVE PARTICIPANTS PROTECTION THEY ARE ENTITLED TO
The Spokespersons of the European Green Party have expressed their support for all those people who will attempt to hold a Gay Pride march in Moscow on Saturday 16th May.
Ulrike Lunacek, EGP Co-Spokesperson and Austrian Greens’ lead candidate in the European Elections, said: “ On behalf of all European Greens, I would like to express our wholehearted support for the organisers of and participants in the Gay Pride March, also known as Slavic Pride, which is due to take place in Moscow on Saturday 16th May. Previous attempts by LGBT activists to hold Gay Pride events in the city have been met with terrible violence and intimidation by rightwing extremists while the police stood by and watched. The organisers of this year’s event have been threatened with similar violence and we demand that the city authorities and police give those Russian citizens and foreign visitors taking part in the event the protection that they are entitled to. “
EGP Co-spokesperson Philippe Lamberts, number 2 in the European list for Ecolo, the French-speaking Belgian Green party, continued: “We applaud the courage of the Russians who are determined to take up their right to freedom of expression in support of equal rights for all citizens, including LGBT people, and also those human rights activists from other parts of Europe who will be in Moscow this weekend. Many Greens, including Peter Tatchell of the Green Party of England and Wales, will be in Moscow for the event, despite the fact that Mr Tatchell was beaten almost unconscious at Moscow Pride 2007 and then arrested by police. This coming Sunday, 17th May, is IDAHO ( International Day against Homophobia and Transphobia) and it is of great concern to us that there continue to be many parts of Europe where LGBT people face prejudice, violence and intimidation . In Riga, Latvia, the city authorities have banned a Gay Pride event planned for Saturday 16th May and we agree with Green MEP Jean Lambert that the European Commission must do much more to ensure that Latvia respects the human rights of its citizens equally.”
www.europeangreens.eu
EUROPEAN GREENS SUPPORT GAY PRIDE EVENT IN MOSCOW
POLICE MUST GIVE PARTICIPANTS PROTECTION THEY ARE ENTITLED TO
The Spokespersons of the European Green Party have expressed their support for all those people who will attempt to hold a Gay Pride march in Moscow on Saturday 16th May.
Ulrike Lunacek, EGP Co-Spokesperson and Austrian Greens’ lead candidate in the European Elections, said: “ On behalf of all European Greens, I would like to express our wholehearted support for the organisers of and participants in the Gay Pride March, also known as Slavic Pride, which is due to take place in Moscow on Saturday 16th May. Previous attempts by LGBT activists to hold Gay Pride events in the city have been met with terrible violence and intimidation by rightwing extremists while the police stood by and watched. The organisers of this year’s event have been threatened with similar violence and we demand that the city authorities and police give those Russian citizens and foreign visitors taking part in the event the protection that they are entitled to. “
EGP Co-spokesperson Philippe Lamberts, number 2 in the European list for Ecolo, the French-speaking Belgian Green party, continued: “We applaud the courage of the Russians who are determined to take up their right to freedom of expression in support of equal rights for all citizens, including LGBT people, and also those human rights activists from other parts of Europe who will be in Moscow this weekend. Many Greens, including Peter Tatchell of the Green Party of England and Wales, will be in Moscow for the event, despite the fact that Mr Tatchell was beaten almost unconscious at Moscow Pride 2007 and then arrested by police. This coming Sunday, 17th May, is IDAHO ( International Day against Homophobia and Transphobia) and it is of great concern to us that there continue to be many parts of Europe where LGBT people face prejudice, violence and intimidation . In Riga, Latvia, the city authorities have banned a Gay Pride event planned for Saturday 16th May and we agree with Green MEP Jean Lambert that the European Commission must do much more to ensure that Latvia respects the human rights of its citizens equally.”
www.europeangreens.eu
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