G.Nausėda addressed the participants of the family defense march: we did very little for the benefit of the families

A few minutes before the demonstration, people carrying historical tricolor Lithuanian flags, marching flags and other flags floated to Vingis Park, watched by police officers.

Police spokesman Ramūnas Matonis 15 minutes He said he has yet to make preliminary estimates from officials of how many people attended the event.

However, the police counted 3,000. Cars traveling in motion from all over Lithuania.

When they arrive at Vingis Park, people take their seats near the park’s stage and line up at the outdoor cafes.

The description of the great march in defense of the family says that it intends to unite against “aggressive gender propaganda through ideological warfare and laws made by the ruling majority.”

It is explained that the participants of the event “will give unanimous testimony to the determination of the vast majority of Lithuanian citizens to defend the rights of Lithuanian families and the legal and social order established in the Constitution of the Republic of Lithuania.”

The most conservative part of society is outraged by the deliberations of liberal politicians to ratify the so-called Istanbul Convention in Lithuania and legalize a gender neutral association.

“I am in favor of a normal family where a man is a man, a woman is a woman, a child is a child and I am opposed to all the little steps to legitimize things that are not even physiologically incomprehensible to me.” 15 minutes said Yaroslav, 43, from Vilnius, who came to the rally.

Darius, 36, of Kaunas, said politicians were gradually moving closer to the concept of family.

“I understand that homosexuals also have rights, they should not be discriminated against or condemned in any way, but the laws we are talking about now could end up teaching schools a new concept of the family. It is unacceptable to me “, – 15 minutes the man said.

Raimondas Grinevičius, one of the organizers of the rally, said he had organized it to “protect the families from total misunderstanding.”

“This whole rally is organized exclusively by all of you. We are just snails, “he told the audience.

G.Nausėda: we did not do enough for the families

President Gitanas Nausėda addressed the demonstration participants remotely, noting that people from various parts of Lithuania gathered in Vilnius “to talk about what is important to them: family, support.”

“I admit, we still did very little for the benefit of the families. Yes, we have money for children, lump sums, and we are opening educational opportunities for children from low-income families.

However, young families face enormous challenges in reconciling work and parenting, especially now that the pandemic is sapping our patience and strength. The state must help them, “said the head of state.

I recognize that we still have a long way to go to ensure that the rights of all are equally guaranteed.

True, he argued that the state should address the issue of same-sex relationships.

“We need to see how many different people live in our country, all those who love their homeland, citizens of the Republic of Lithuania. And I recognize that we still have a long way to go to ensure that everyone’s rights are equally guaranteed,” he said. the mandatary.

According to him, the state must ensure that same-sex couples receive information about the couple’s health status, the right to inherit and other important issues.

“However, this must be done in accordance with article 38 of the Constitution of the Republic of Lithuania, which states that the family is the basis of society and the state, and marriage is contracted by the free consent of a man and a woman. As President of the Republic of Lithuania, I will use my powers to ensure that this is the case, ”promised G. Nausėda, urging groups in society to defend their rights with dignity, without humiliating those who have different opinions.

For human rights defenders, the ambitions of the march organizers seem selective. They argue that the protection of families should not be done by isolating some of them, but by trying to ensure the well-being of all according to their needs.

The Vilnius City Municipality has also issued three permits to organize alternative events to the family march. They should take place at a time similar to the rally mentioned above in Žvėrynas, next to the bridge to Vingis Park and next to the White Bridge in the center of the capital.

The Vilnius City Council’s decision to issue a permit for the Great Family Defense March in Vingis Park for 7 thousand people caused many surprises. people, although the release from quarantine for the coronavirus pandemic allows events for up to 150 people.

However, representatives of the municipality assured that they could not prohibit the protest and the organizers said that this would be a protest and not an event.