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Lithuania: Pride Flags Line The Streets Of Lithuania Following Arson Attacks

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Hundreds of Lithuanians are showing their support for the country’s LGBTI community after arsonists started a fire in a well-known filmmaker’s apartment building.

Arsonists started a fire outside Romas Zabarauskas’ apartment last week in what appeared to be an alleged hate crime because he flew a rainbow Pride flag from his balcony.

Zabarauskas and his boyfriend decided to fly the flag after arsonists set fire to the Lithuania Gay League’s office – a prominent LGBTI support group – in August.

‘I thought it was important not to give into fear. With my boyfriend, we bought a rainbow flag and unfurled it in our balcony. After the first fire in my apartment building, I told the policewoman that this could be related, and she gave me a shocking answer, telling me to simply take down the flag “before the whole house burns down”,’ the filmmaker told Gay Star News.

‘This goes against everything I believe in. Lithuania is a free country and no one can tell me or anyone else what to place in their private property. So I quickly realised we need to defend this freedom and instead of being afraid, show solidarity with the LGBT community.’

But it took a second fire in Zabarauskas’ building for police and officials to sit up and take notice. ‘A few days after the first fire in my apartment building, there was a second attack on another floor. This made the story even more visible in Lithuania: Vilnius’s City Mayor, the General Commissioner and others spoke out. Finally all the four cases received top police attention,’ he said.

Show your pride

The day after the fire he decided to order 500 Pride flags to hand out to people wanting to show their support of the LGBTI community. People in the capital Vilnius, were so eager that they ran out of flags within half an hour. Read more via Gay Star News