Update
to
Article below byAndy Harley, International Bureau
Chief for PageOneQ
and editor of UKGayNews:
Organisers of Riga Gay Pride
have been "rescued" after being trapped
for hours in the in the Reval Latvia Hotel, with
"hysterical" protesters surrounding the
building. Sources say that the deputy Prime Minister
had ordered that the organisers are to be "rescued"
A senior member of the Latvian cabinet arrived at
the hotel this evening , spoke to the trapped organisers
who, with police protection, left the building and
were whisked away to safety in a special bus.
"We
had not choice but to book a safe room," said
Juris Lavrikovs, one of the organisers and a staff
member of ILGA-Europe. He was speaking before the
Government "rescue"
"We are all safe, but the hysterical crowd
are still outside – we do not know when we
will be able to leave," he added.
Many of those attending the Pride function managed
to leave the hotel by various side entrances. But
the protesters, who were staging an illegal demonstration,
soon got wise and blocked all entrances, leaving
about a dozen inside.
Mr.
Lavrikovs said the the protesters outside the hotel
were holding an illegal demonstration and that they
had done considerable damage.
Update to Article
below: Andy Harley, International Bureau Chief
for PageOneQ
and editor of UKGayNews,
is on the telephone with one of the leaders of Pride
trapped inside the hotel. The fascists have blocked
the doors, preventing people from exitng at this time...
DEVELOPING HARD... Update posted at 4:23 pm EST.
"It's worse than Moscow"
RIGA, Latvia (July 22, 2006) – It is astonishing.
It’s worse than Moscow. There is total chaos here.
The police seem very weak and disorganized. The fascists
are able to act at will. And Latvia is in the European
Union.
The police presence outside the Reval Latvia Hotel,
where a press conference and and alternative event
to the banned Pride march is being staged, is symbolic.
Small and inadequate. We are under siege by a mob
of some 70 fascists.
The scene outside the Reval Latvia Hotel in Riga this
afternoon
The scene outside the Reval Latvia Hotel in Riga
this afternoon
“A small number of neo Nazis have now infiltrated
the hotel,” said Peter Tatchell of the gay human rights
group Outrage! “We fear that they are calling on their
mobiles to coordinate a fascist attack on the hotel.
A group of anti gay right wingers got into the hotel
lobby. They have just been evicted.
“The fascists are very well organized, he continued.
“They have a military-style operation. They seem to
know everything Mozaika has planned and are able to
disrupt every event the moment it starts.”
One of those assaulted was the openly gay pastor
Rev Maris Sants. The Police refused him protection
as he went to his car, where he was attacked.
“People attending the press conference had to be
rushed out into waiting vans to be ferried away from
the baying homophobic crowd,” said Mr Tatchell.
“Earlier today, the church service Rev Sants held
in support of Riga Gay Pride was attacked by a dozen
neo-Nazis. Worshippers were pelted with shit and rotten
fruit.
“Despite previously requesting police protection,
no police were present to protect the congregation.
Dutch MEP Sophie In’t Veld was one of the worshippers
prevented from leaving the church by the homophobic
vigilantes.
“The inaction of the Latvian police is scandalous.
They seem to be doing the absolute minimum” said Mr
Tatchell.
It feels like Moscow all over again. Homophobic mobs
are roaming the streets of Riga with apparent impunity.
As the Mozaīka organizers, together with the
Tatchell and myself, left the press conference, we
were followed by fascists in a van. The who pelted
the car with eggs.
“Thankfully, they had only eggs, not bricks or guns.
t was really scary as they zapped our vehicle. They
chased us through the streets until we got to the
Reval Latvia Hotel” said Mr Tatchell.
“Gangs of homophobes are roaming the streets of Riga,
looking for gays and lesbians to attack. There is
a police presence outside the Reval Hotel but not
elsewhere.”
As I write this report, a bus with 40 policemen has
just arrived, two hours after the first protests –
and despite having been requested several days ago
by the organisers.
The speeches of local politicians and foreign politicians
are coming to an end at the hotel. There are about
100 gays and lesbians who are here celebrate what
should have been Riga’s second Gay Pride. Protesters
outside the hotel have now started to attack those
leaving.
There appears to be little co-ordination between
the police and the hotel. The police are reacting
very slowly to the protesters and appear to be not
too concerned about the safety of the participants.
The first taxi that was trying to take one of the
organisers, was attacked by the protesters who pushed
the cars, and threw eggs – all under the eyes the
police who did nothing.
Journalists were also attacked with eggs and water
on them and on their cameras. Protesters were targeting
anyone leaving the hotel.
An elderly woman holding an icon in her hands lay
on a car with a bottle that she called “sacred water”.
It is not yet clear how gays, lesbians and their
friends will evacuate the building.
Today, Latvia does not show the face of a modern
and democratic country within the European Union.
Instead, Riga is showing the face of homophobic fascism,
threatening its citizen and their guests, members,
including Members of the European Parliament.
DEVELOPING HARD.....
