Riga Friendship Days / Baltic Pride 2009 - Latvia

May 16, 2009 - Baltic Pride Parade - For the last five years the organization of a human rights march for gays and lesbians in Latvia has brought radically conflicting points of view of the streets of Riga. With an active political and religious lobby against gay and lesbian rights in Latvia, the Latvian LGBT organization Mozaika has had to fight for its right to march in courts every year. This year again, the march was banned by the Riga City Council, until courts overturned the decision. Anti-gay rights activists were out in force on the streets of Riga today, with slogans, whistles and bull horns to harass the peaceful gay-rights marchers. Approximately 600 people marched in the Baltic Pride parade, which for the first time united gay-rights activists from all three Baltic Countries, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. The parade went off without a hitch, other than the insistent obscenities screamed by the "No Pride" group, unlike in 2006 and 2007 when marchers were attacked and arrests had to be made. The pictures are of both the pro and anti gay rights groups.

May 16, 2009 - Baltic Pride Parade - For the last five years the organization of a human rights march for gays and lesbians in Latvia has brought radically conflicting points of view of the streets of Riga. With an active political and religious lobby against gay and lesbian rights in Latvia, the Latvian LGBT organization Mozaika has had to fight for its right to march in courts every year. This year again, the march was banned by the Riga City Council, until courts overturned the decision. Anti-gay rights activists were out in force on the streets of Riga today, with slogans, whistles and bull horns to harass the peaceful gay-rights marchers. Approximately 600 people marched in the Baltic Pride parade, which for the first time united gay-rights activists from all three Baltic Countries, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. The parade went off without a hitch, other than the insistent obscenities screamed by the "No Pride" group, unlike in 2006 and 2007 when marchers were attacked and arrests had to be made. The pictures are of both the pro and anti gay rights groups.

May 16, 2009 - Baltic Pride Parade - For the last five years the organization of a human rights march for gays and lesbians in Latvia has brought radically conflicting points of view of the streets of Riga. With an active political and religious lobby against gay and lesbian rights in Latvia, the Latvian LGBT organization Mozaika has had to fight for its right to march in courts every year. This year again, the march was banned by the Riga City Council, until courts overturned the decision. Anti-gay rights activists were out in force on the streets of Riga today, with slogans, whistles and bull horns to harass the peaceful gay-rights marchers. Approximately 600 people marched in the Baltic Pride parade, which for the first time united gay-rights activists from all three Baltic Countries, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. The parade went off without a hitch, other than the insistent obscenities screamed by the "No Pride" group, unlike in 2006 and 2007 when marchers were attacked and arrests had to be made. The pictures are of both the pro and anti gay rights groups.