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| Gay Rights Advocate Attacked by Religious Extremist in Moscow |
An unsanctioned gay pride parade descended into violence Sunday as
religious activists arrived to break up the demonstration and police
detained protesters.
More than 10 people were arrested outside the Moscow City Duma
Sunday, where gay rights activists had planned to hold to protest a new
law being discussed that would ban "homosexual propaganda," RIA-Novosti
reported.
Three of those arrested were Orthodox Church activists who had come
to disrupt the protest, while the other detained demonstrators were all
participants of the gay rights protest, including event organizer
Nikolai Alekseyev.
News media showed pictures and videos of physical altercations
between the two groups in which a man holding a rainbow flag was being
attacked as journalists stood by with cameras rolling.
Other pictures showed activists hold signs, including one anti-gay protester whose sign read "Moscow is not Sodom."
After the arrests, the remaining activists were dispersed, and police
stayed behind with several police buses to guard the area against
further disturbances.
The organizers of the parade had planned for a crowd of several
thousand to gather for a picket at the City Duma at 1 p.m. and to move
to City Hall an hour later. Police had warned that demonstrators could
face arrests and fines for holding an unsanctioned protest.
City authorities have repeatedly refused to allow gay parades, denying permission at lease six times since 2006.
The City Duma last month began discussions on the creation of an
anti-gay law similar to one already in force in St. Petersburg, but have
also decided to broaden its scope to ban all kinds of "sexual
propaganda."
