Latvia's Riga city council bans gay parade

RIGA, Latvia, May 15 -- Authorities in the Latvian capital of Riga say security concerns have caused them to reverse a decision to allow a gay parade this Saturday.

Riga's picket and parade commission decided to ban the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender march which was expected to draw hundreds from seveal Baltic nations, the Baltic Times newspaper reported Friday.

Andris Grinbergs, director of the Riga city council, said the gay parade is at odds with moral and legal norms and along with a majority of the council agreed it would be a public security threat, the daily said.

Kaspars Zalitis, of the Latvian Amnesty International group, said the Riga council's decision to ban the parade was illegal and based on hatred.

Zalitis said Riga's police told him they were capable of protecting the parade, which organizers estimated would attract about 700 people.

Gay and lesbian organizations from Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania took part in the parade's organization.