Banned Moscow gay rally broken up

[Ferran]

Banned Moscow gay rally broken up

Organiser Nikolay Alexeyev (L) was among those arrested

More than 70 people have been arrested in Moscow after activists tried to hold the city's first gay rights rally, despite a ban on the event.

About 50 gay rights supporters were held, as well as 20 people from religious and nationalist groups opposed to the march.

On Friday, a court upheld a ban on the march imposed by the city authorities who argued it could trigger violence.

Saturday marks 13 years since Russia's decriminalisation of homosexuality.

A number of foreign activists are in Moscow for a forum on gay rights.

About 1,000 riot police were deployed close to Red Square in the heart of the city to stop the rally from taking place and prevent clashes with its opponents.

They moved in when a group of activists tried to lay flowers at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, in a symbolic protest to equate the struggle for gay rights with the struggle against fascism in World War II.

The rally's organiser, Nikolay Alexeyev, was among those arrested.

Slogans and abuse

Meanwhile demonstrators representing nationalist and Orthodox Christian groups chanted anti-gay slogans and shouted abuse.

Nationalist groups opposed the rally

Eyewitnesses said several foreign gay rights activists were beaten by protesters.

"What happened today unfortunately is representative of the non-respect for human rights in Russia. You can't express your point of view, and you are not protected from extremists," said French activist Sebastien Maria.

Nationalist groups expressed anger at the nature of the action at the tomb.

"We are Russians. We are Orthodox. These soldiers died so we could live like Russians, not so these people could come here and tell us what to do," Andrey, 25, told Reuters news agency.

Both groups moved up one of the main city streets to a square outside the Moscow city government offices, where more arrests followed.

Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov said he had banned the march because he believed homosexuality was not natural and because the event would cause outrage in society - a position supported by many Christian and Muslim groups.

He said that as long as he was mayor he would not allow such events to take place.

Mr Alexeyev said the march would not go ahead as originally planned, but promised a public action nonetheless.



Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/5023466.stm

[svin]

Love these guys.

[Menydh]

Gays To Sue “Homophobic” Moscow Mayor Luzhkov for Banning Gay Pride


Moscow authorities will never allow a Gay Pride march to take place in Russia’s capital, Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov announced on Friday. He noted, that no formal request to conduct such an event had been received by the City Hall so far, but when a request is duly filed, it will be rejected outright, “to protect the feelings of Muscovites, who would definitely oppose such an event”, in Luzhkov’s words.

“Moscow Mayor has once again revealed his true homophobic self”, — reads GayRussia.Ru website’s comment to the Mayor’s promise.

The statement by Mayor Yuri Luzhkov came as a response to Thursday’s announcement by Russian gay and lesbian activists, that they will apply for a permit to hold pride celebrations in Moscow next May. If it is granted it would be the first pride parade ever held in the Russian capital. Speaking at a news conference, Nikolay Alekseyev, leader of the Gay Russia.Ru project, said the projected date is May 27, 2006 — the anniversary of the abolition of laws against homosexuality in 1993. Soviet laws deemed male homosexuality a criminal offence, punished by several years’ imprisonment.

Both Nikolay Alexeyev, and lesbian activist Evgeniya Debryanskaya, speaking at the same conference, said that in case of refusal to allow the march they will sue the Moscow Mayor in the European court of Human Rights in Strasbourg.

Russian gays attempted to hold a pride march in Moscow in 2001 in Moscow but officials refused to grant a permit saying it would be contrary to people’s religious feelings, Lenta.Ru news agency reports. In 2005, though, gay pride event organizers scored a number of victories in several former communist satellite states. In Riga, capital of Latvia, the local court lifted a ban over Gay Pride celebrations, imposed by the city council in the beginning of July. In Warsaw more than 2500 gays took part in a march, despite municipal ban. “Such events had already taken place in Tallinn, Riga, Bucharest, Sofia and Bratislava”, — Lenta.Ru quotes Nikolay Alexeyev as saying.


[quote]

[Menydh]

Originally Posted by Mynydd

Soviet laws deemed male homosexuality a criminal offence, punished by several years’ imprisonment.

Reminds me that in Cuba transexuals, in order to avoid being detained by police, they must (or had to?) to present a psychiatrist's certificate saying that they have a psychiatric malfunction.

[Slavni]

Good work brothers.See first and last attempt of organising gay-parade in Belgrade http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...q=belgrade+gay

[Menydh]

Seems as if there is still hope for Russia and Serbia.. so long as you stay away from the European Union.

I have fresh memories of Spain before entering the European Union. Much has changed since then.. to the worse.

[svin]

One of the of leaders of the meeting against homosexuals.


Btw, he is half-Serbian by father.

[Gil]

Gay people infesting your neighbourhood?
You get harassed by homo trash in public transportation?
Tired of "gay bars" and "gay parades" and "gay whatever"?
Call....





GAY DOZOR! (GAY WATCH!)

WOOHOOO! When I grow up I want to become a "rad" orthodox priest dude, fighting deviants with my power suit and samsonic beard!

[svin]

Manji, good luck.

[Agrippa]

The German left-liberal/Green Volker Beck, an annoying person, was present too:



He was beaten while cameras were present and the police men did nothing. His goals was to "support the homosexual movement there" and to participate on the gay parade. In fact he participated on an illegal event - but oh well, who cares in Germany, since he is a "hero" like the various gay politicians (like the mayor of Berlin and the chairperson of the Liberals (FDP) in the leading ranks of the establishment and all those which like to be photographed with homosexuals.

Its nice to see that there is some resistance in Russia - not just from some of the youth and rather unplanned, but also a general resentment in the population.

[Slavni]

Originally Posted by svin

One of the of leaders of the meeting against homosexuals.


Btw, he is half-Serbian by father.

Great old Chetnik

[Sokol]

Originally Posted by Slavni

Great old Chetnik

The great old idiot.
It Simonovich-Nikshich. he speaks, that has the right to be king of Serbia)))
The leader of very small group of christian-idiots (a maximum 50 men)
Owing to exotic clothes of these idiots they always get in a photo of foreign journalists.
When I see a photo of these idiots in foreign newspapers or sites I want to hit my head about a wall with shame.
Please, foreign comrades, do not think, that in Russia it is a lot of such idiots. No.

[Marcus Marulus]

It seems Russia has remained to a certain extent normal country...if they are "intolerant" of such things...

[Susi]

YOU SHALL NOT PASS!

[Franze]

Good for Russia, it´s a hope for mankind.

[Leland Gaunt]

Originally Posted by svin

One of the of leaders of the meeting against homosexuals.


Btw, he is half-Serbian by father.

Well, not like I am a homosexual, but still I wouldn't want to meet this guy in dark gloomy street one night. He looks like Leo Tolstoy goes military.