■  Remembering the gay victims of the Nazis during the Second World War in the concentration camp in Salaspils, Latvia.  It was the only event in Riga Pride that escaped the unwarranted attention of the protesting far right groups.

It was, ironically, the one event during Riga Gay Pride that escaped the attention of the ultra-right.  A small group travelled the 20 kilometres to the Salaspils Memorial on the site of the notorious Nazi concentration camp Kurtenhof.

They made the short journey to remember the gays – and all victims–  of the Nazis.  At the Salaspils Memorial, the group found peace and calm.  “The fascist thugs had not figured out our plans,” Lars Grava wrote in his personal account Riga Pride 2006.

There, the group walked to the monument with their rainbow flags.  Himmler’s views on homosexuals were read and a prayer was said.

The group also mourned the “death of democracy” in Latvia with a short 30-second moment of silence.

The small impromptu ceremony was filmed by Latvian television and broadcast that night.  The broadcast item included the entire 30-second silence.

While there are many published images of the “troubled” Riga Gay Pride,  none have so far been published outside of Latvia of this simple ceremony.

UK Gay News is indebted to Lars Grava and Mozaika for providing the nine images of the peaceful event.