Moscow police detained almost all 30 gay rights protesters and 50 church supporters last Sunday. Russian Orthodox church activists broke up the two gay rights protests, water bombing and shouting prayers at protesters. Still other orthodox activists attacked the protesters violently grabbing their rainbow flags and trampling on them in front of television cameras.
Almost all of the 30 gay rights protesters were detained, but many fewer of the 50 Orthodox activists who incited the violence were detained.
Nikolai Alexeyev, who helped organise the protests, said he was detained for talking to journalists. ‘I am arrested at Moscow Pride City Hall protest. I have no words,’ he tweeted whilst in custody.
Earlier this year Russian MPs introduced a bill to that would impose fines for ‘spreading gay propaganda’ among minors. While the proposed law was developed to target actions like distribution of gay pornography to children, many believe it could be used to ban gay rights demonstrations.
Homosexuality was decriminalised in Russia in 1993, but prejudice toward gay people is still rife so the gay community remains largely underground.
The Russian Orthodox church, whose influence has grown since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, speaks out against homosexuality. Gay rights rallies have often ended in clashes with militant anti-gay activists and arrests.
Madonna spoke out saying that she will use her Russian tour this summer to speak out against the law, calling it ‘A ridiculous atrocity’.
