Arrests at Latvia Pride

By Benjamin Cohen • October 10, 2005 - 0:00

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Latvian police arrested a number of protesters Saturday during the city's first gay pride march.

Some thirty or so gays and lesbians marched through the centre of Riga, Latvia's capital. However, hundreds of demonstrators including some from the far right lined their route.

Protestors hurled rotten eggs and insults into the parade and several of them were arrested by the police.

The celebration of gay rights had previously been cancelled by the city's Chief Executive, Erik Shkapars but the decision was over turned by a local judge who issued a order forcing the city to allow the march to take place.

The judge claimed that banning the march would be a violation of the European Convention on Human Rights of which Latvia is a signatory to.

Previously this year, fellow former Eastern block states Moldova, Romania and Poland all tried to ban gay pride marches. In June, the Mayor of Warsaw cancelled his city's events, however some 2,500 people marched in defiance of his orders.

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