Arrests at Russian gay protests

Fresh report from several News Agencies
27. May.2007

The gay rights demonstrators were trying to deliver a petition to the mayor of Moscow, demanding the right to stage public marches in order to allow a Gay Pride march to go ahead.

MPs from Germany and Italy were reportedly among those arrested.
British gay rights campaigner Peter Tatchell was arrested, along with the leader of GayRussia, Nikolai Alexeyev. Tatchell was punched in the face before being detained.
Italian MEP Marco Cappato was kicked by an anti-gay rights protester and then arrested when he demanded police protection. "Where are the police? Where is the protection? I'm a member of European Parliament," he shouted before he was led away.
Several demonstrators were punched and kicked by the anti-homosexual protesters who threw kicks, punches and eggs at the gay rights group, chanting "Moscow is not Sodom" and shouting "Death to homosexuals".
Moscow mayor Yury Luzhkov has called homosexuality "satanic" and said he will never allow gay rights parades in Russia's capital.
Gay activists were also attacked by right-wing protesters and arrested during a march in 2006.
Sunday's protest was to commemorate the 14th anniversary of the decriminalisation of homosexuality in Russia. Moscow city police spokesman Viktor Bryukov had warned the organisers not to go ahead.
"Moscow police don't have the right to encroach on the law to pander to a group of citizens who exploit the theme of human rights while distorting this notion," he said.

On Saturday, right-wingers and members of the Russian Orthodox Church held an anti-gay demonstration in Moscow.The head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Alexy II, supports the ban on gay parades.


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