A criminal investigation has been opened into an attack on participants of an LGBT rally in St. Petersburg on Saturday, the Fontanka.ru local outlet reports.
At least 15 people were injured after a group of nationalist activists used pepper spray to attack participants of the Aug. 12 march. Fontanka said two of the nine attackers belonged to a nationalist group called Straight Edge.
The victims included journalists covering the event, Fontanka reported. St. Petersburg authorities are treating the incident as an assault, the report says.
Around one hundred activists waving rainbow flags and banners gathered at midday on Saturday to mark St. Petersburg’s eighth Gay Pride, in what organizers said was the largest turnout since 2010