Aug 11, 2007News: Gay Pride Parade in Tallinn Passes Without Serious Incidents
By vanrozenheim
(Estonia) - This year’s Gay Pride parade in Estonian’s capital Tallin passed peacefully on Saturday in the streets of the Old City. An estimated number of 300 participants demonstrated their resolve to fight for their civil rights by cheering and clapping. Thousands of locals and tourists attended the demonstration as spectators. For safety reasons, the parade route protected by private security and extra police officers. Some counter-demonstrants were present as well, but no serious incidents were reported. The anti-Gay protesters crowd consisted at first of members of the Russian Orthodox minority, chanting "No Pride" as they followed the demonstration. Later, some Estonian skinheads joined them.
"The parade is a litmus test on how serious we are about human rights in a united Europe," a member of the European Parliament, Sophie in't Veld, told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa, ahead of the parade.
In an interview to the Baltic Times, Tallinn Pride organizer Lisette Kampus said parade organizers have hired security guards for each parade since 2004. “The police here don’t have an obligation to protect the freedom of assembly, so we have hired a security company. We are concerned about safety issues. We don’t want this to be unpleasant for anybody, the participants or the citizens who happen to pass by,” Kampus said.
This year’s parade is the fourth since first action 2004. Last year's parade turned into a violent orgie for the first time when more than 20 Estonian skinheads attacked the marchers with stones and sticks, injuring several people. One Spanish man was treated in hospital after being seriously injured.
