Riot Police and Neo-Nazis Attack Gay Parade in Moscow - Over 120 Arrested

English

The parade in Moscow scheduled for Saturday, May 27 had been banned by the authorities. The gay and lesbian activists decided to march anyway and to go to Alexandrovski Sad, beside the Kremlin, to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, a monument which represents Russia’s struggle against fascism.

The reaction to the parade was exaggerated with religious leaders and fascists threatening the marchers. Despite the threat of violence, people decided to resist only they encountered problems from the very beginning. Militia, riot police and neo-nazis were blocking the exits of metros and either beating or chasing people. (See photo and video.)

The activists were very stubborn and kept coming back and trying to gather. Besides the gay and lesbians, about 200 political activists, including many anarchists, came to support and try to fight back the fascists. As a result, over 120 people were arrested. We believe most have already been released and will be charged with disturbing the peace or illegal gathering which are misdemeanours which carry a fine. We have no information yet as to whether anybody was seriously hurt and are waiting for updated information.

video

report from anarchists, video, Russian/English

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more info

I missed the event, and all reports I have seen were pretty confusing.
Apparently, course of events was something like the following:

-Gay pride march was banned the same day it was applied from regional police station, 17th of May. - 24th of May some human rights activists appealed to picket Moscow mayor for freedom of expression 27th of May 3 PM. This picket was also banned the same day.
-In a press conference in morning of 27th of May, organisers of the gay pride festival announced that they will visit statue of unknown soldier in Aleksanrovsky gardens next to Kremlin in order to lay flowers to tomb of unknown soldier as a (patriotic) anti-fascist gesture. As a result, fences were put around gardens and a band of about 200 christian fundamentalists, elderly women with icons, priests and nazi skinheads were gathering there. Around 2:30 PM. Just a few flowers could be laid there, some gay activist from France was beaten up in metro. Just few flowers could be laid around the fence. Both gays and "christians" were arrested. Soon motley crew of fascists went moving up by Tverskaya street towards mayor's office, where some people were defying ban of the picket (some reports talk of 200, others of 30 persons).
A German MP giving interview to TV cameras was beaten up while police was watching by, also some journalists were beaten up. Eventually nazis managed to mingle with picketers, and eventually it was hard to say who was who. In end of the day, more than 100 people were arrested from both sides.
-Most of the indoor events of the festival during the week (some seminars and exhibition of "Scandinavian gay-culture" went without harrasment, exception was lecture of Merlin Holland 25th of May, grandson of Oscar Wilde who has written books about him. Nazis disturbed lecture, and shot some pepper gas, but lecture could be continued in another auditorium.

Igor

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