Banning Gay Pride Events is Against European Law

European countries that ban gay pride parades and celebrations are violating European law on freedom of assembly and expression,  so says the Council Of Europe's Human Right's Commissioner,  Thomas Hammarberg.


On his blog  earlier this month Mr Hammarberg  highlighted Lithuania, Moldova, Russia and Slovakia, after  pride events in those countries this year were either banned or subject to threats and violence.


"In Moscow, gay pride events scheduled for 29 May were banned as the authorities claimed they were unable to guarantee the security of the participants and they wanted to avoid traffic jams," Hammarberg wrote.  In Vilnius, Lithuania's pride in May, had "more policemen than Pride demonstrators"   he said. 


The Supreme Administrative Court stepped in at the last minute to un-ban  the banned  march, it "took place under heavy police protection and with a significant number of hostile protesters surrounding it." he wrote.   Media reports are the time  said there were 800 police officers,  who  protected  nearly 500 marchers,  yet there were at least 1,000 anti-gay demonstrators,  who failed to breach the police cordon as officers  used tear gas to keep them away.




"The European Court of Human Rights has made clear that the State has a duty to protect the participants in peaceful demonstrations, specifying that 'this obligation is of particular importance for persons holding unpopular views or belonging to minorities, because they are more vulnerable to victimisation,'" Hammarberg wrote. "The Court has also stressed that peaceful demonstrations cannot be banned simply because of hostile attitudes to the demonstrators or to the causes they advocate.  The rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly are fundamental rights in a democratic society and belong to all people," he concluded.




Jason Shaw






Jason is the UK Correspondent  for leading gay news website GayAgenda.com  he also writes for various other publications and websites. 




Jason's  gay blog The Seafront Diaries  tells of the daily life of a gay man heading into his 40's with a passion for cheesecake,  red wine and all things American -  especially the chocolate.





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