Swedish politician Birgitta Ohlsson had to take cover after having eggs thrown at her during a gay pride parade in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius. The Swedish Minister for European Union Affairs, along with other politicians attending the event, was targeted by protesters looking to disrupt the parade.
In addition to pelting eggs, the protesters tried to storm the stage where the politicians were standing.
Ohlsson said that a few eggs struck her head in what she described as “drama”. She noted that there was a “hateful atmosphere” in Vilnius and that she saw religious fundamentalists and neo-Nazis shouting hateful rhetoric.
The gay pride parade, named the March for Equality, is just the second of its kind ever to be staged in Lithuania, a predominantly Catholic country. Twenty-eight arrests were made during the event, including that of Petras Grazulis, an anti-gay lawmaker who tried to encourage protestors to cause trouble using a bullhorn.
Lithuanian politician Giedre Purvaneckiene also had eggs hurled at him. However, he pointed out that the protests show that they need to continue marching until people can march without fear.
Ohlsson also made a speech in which she criticised Russia’s “homosexual propaganda” law. She described it as “disgusting” how right-wing extremists continue to attack LGBT people in Russia and across Europe. She added that the EU has a crucial role to play.