Lithuanian Jewish community leader Faina Kukliansky, Liberal MP Dalia Kuodytė, liberal politician Aušrinė Armonaitė, conservative Mykolas Majauskas, Vilnius city council member Mark Adam Harold, reporter Indrė Makaraitytė, Social Democrat MP Marija Aušrinė Pavilionienė, Israeli Ambassador Amir Maimon, MP Vytautas Matulevičius Swedish Ambassador Cecilia Ruthström-Ruin, former Icelandic Prime Minister Johanna Sigurðardóttir, European Parliament Vice-President Ulrike Lunacek, the Swedish Minister for Culture and Democracy Alice Bah Kuhnke, US activists Judy and Dennis Shepards were among the people who participated in the event.
“I think that Lithuania has just moved closer to European values. I am very happy that everyone supported us,” said the head of the Lithuanian Gay League, organizer of the pride march, Vladimiras Simonko.
The police have estimated that between 1,500 and 2,000 people joined the pride march on Saturday afternoon.
It did not encounter any significant incidents, although the police detained six individuals who were all released after the event.
A small group of protesters were present in the Cathedral Square.
It is the third time that Lithuania’s LGBT community has staged a pride march. The first one took place in 2010 and had faced massive opposition from conservative groups and politicians.
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