Livewire – Amnesty International blogging for human rights

By John Dalhuisen, Amnesty International’s researcher on discrimination in Europe.

Marching for equality, for respect and for human rights © Kåre Viemose

So it’s done.  It happened. Exhilarated, and a little exhausted, we are back at the hotel after a successful Pride march along Vilnius’s river Neris.  We were around 500 in the end, marching for equality, for respect and for human rights.  It was a demonstration and it was a celebration.

We were watched by a couple of thousand – and many more watching it, transmitted live, at home.  Some of those watching were supportive, some curious, many were opposed to our march, and a few, as we expected, were violent – throwing the odd smoke bomb, and anything else they could get their hands on (including, rather strangely, the occasional hotdog) at the police.  But the 600 plus police officers did their job.

Continuar leyendo ‘Baltic Pride 2010 – a rainbow over Lithuania’ »

By Jens Munch, Amnesty International, Denmark

A few hours ago I arrived in Vilnius, Lithuania, to participate in the Baltic Pride 2010 this Saturday. Until a moment ago, I did not know if the pride would be a reality.

But now I’m sitting in the hotel lobby, where the conference “Human Rights Combating Fear and Prejudice” is taking place, and everybody around me is smiling, voices are loud and cheerful and everyone is hopeful about the future of rights for LGBT-people here in Lithuania.

Continuar leyendo ‘Baltic Pride 2010: Human rights on the march …’ »

The first ever Baltic Pride march has concluded successfully.

Participants are now listening to speeches from the stage in the park in and around which the march took place.

Amnesty International’s John Dalhuisen told the crowd “we’re proud to be marching with you here today. It’s a march and a celebration.

Continuar leyendo ‘Riga Pride march passes off successfully’ »

The first ever Baltic Pride march is taking place in Riga, Latvia.

LGBT activists from Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia have come together to excercise their rights.

Latvian police are in place to separate the march from the noisy counter-demonstrators.


Continuar leyendo ‘First Baltic Pride demo takes place in Riga’ »

LGBT activists from the Baltic states are gathering, with Amnesty International joining in solidarity, in a central Riga park in Latvia.

Baltic Pride is almost ready to start and lots of colourful rainbow flags are in evidence.


Continuar leyendo ‘Baltic Pride gathers as counter-demo makes noise’ »