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From time to time, people put homophobic stickers on the poles in Kaunas. And the tension looms on September 4, when lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender marches in Kaunas increase.
However, at the end of the period, the Kaunas authorities appealed against the court’s decision, which obliged the municipality to coordinate the route of the LGBT march “Kaunas Pride” in Laisvės Alley, and not elsewhere. Representatives of the municipality maintain that this pedestrian street is not suitable for such a march.
“The congestion that can occur due to the outdoor cafes in Laisvės Alley and the narrow corridors has shown a number of places where the bottleneck effect occurs, which could create insecurity for the movement of people of sufficient mass. There are also unfinished jobs that create bottlenecks and certain problem areas, ”says Paulius Keras, Deputy Director of Administration.
And the organizers of Kaunas Pride are criticizing the government and say they have been waiting for that step from the municipality. But he assures that the September 4 march will definitely happen.
“In principle, the municipality wants to demonstrate its homophobic position, covering only technical issues. Other events did not interfere with daily activities in any way, and this makes it difficult. In any case, it seems that the interest of the city is the asphalt and the sidewalks “, – Danielė Liepa Bodrije, one of the organizers of the Kaunas Pride, is convinced.
The Kaunas authorities also rely on the position expressed by the police that it will be difficult to ensure security in Laisvės Alley, and the court did not take this into account.
“The expert opinion of the police on the safety of the march in this place has been completely underestimated, which is one of the most important things in our eyes,” Keras said.
The organizers reply that no one even tried to compromise and talk about how to better ensure public order.
“The whole microclimate that is now in the LGBT community is quite tense throughout the year. It is that fear not only against the march, it is online and everywhere. We hope for the best cooperation with the city, and the risk of an attack would be much lower if the municipality agreed to cooperate and negotiate on security, instead of leaving everything up in the air as it does now, ”says DL Bodrije.
We asked Kaunas residents how they evaluate the idea of organizing marches in Laisvės Alley in the temporary capital. Their opinions differ:
“I disapprove”
“All the blows, all the advances have been made with the revolutions and they are inevitable. That and women’s rights. People get used to it and forget that now we have what once went under the banner and fought ”.
“I really don’t want them to march for Freedom, much earlier, I don’t want to”
“They behave ugly if, as the foreigner shows, they are scared. Well, there are more places: Nemunas island, in another place Vilijampolė, you can walk “
“I really don’t like the lust on public display, that’s typical of such marches.”
“I am tolerant of them, but I could find a place for others”
The Kaunas Pride organizers asked 1,000 people for permission, who would march and then gather at Independence Square near the Cathedral. But he speculates that at least twice as many supporters of non-traditional orientations will gather that Saturday.
The court accepted the appeal of the Kaunas municipality, this appeal will be examined by the Supreme Administrative Court of Lithuania.
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