Support The Moscow Times!

LGBT Activists Detained at St. Petersburg Pride Event

the_lentach / Twitter

Police in St. Petersburg have reportedly detained at least 11 LGBT activists, three of whom were taken away in an ambulance, at an unauthorized Pride event on Saturday.

Local administrations in recent years have either banned gay pride parades outright or backtracked on earlier promises to allow them, often citing a 2013 law banning “homosexual propaganda” toward minors. Recent polling has suggested that Russian attitudes toward equal rights for LGBT people were at a 14-year high and St. Petersburg has been named the country’s most LGBT-friendly city.

Around 50 activists had gathered with rainbow flags and banners in central St. Petersburg on Saturday despite the authorities’ refusal to authorize the event. 

National Guard troops encircled the small gathering and police warned those gathered of violating Russia’s public assembly law, according to local media.

Eleven activists were detained at the Pride event, the OVD-Info police-monitoring group reported Saturday.

Three of the activists were taken away in an ambulance, the group reported.

The detentions follow the gruesome killing of LGBT activist Yelena Grigoriyeva in St. Petersburg last month, shortly after her name appeared on an anti-LGBT “death list.” Authorities have arrested a suspect who had reportedly confessed to the killing.

… we have a small favor to ask.

As you may have heard, The Moscow Times, an independent news source for over 30 years, has been unjustly branded as a "foreign agent" by the Russian government. This blatant attempt to silence our voice is a direct assault on the integrity of journalism and the values we hold dear.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. Our commitment to providing accurate and unbiased reporting on Russia remains unshaken. But we need your help to continue our critical mission.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just 2. It's quick to set up, and you can be confident that you're making a significant impact every month by supporting open, independent journalism. Thank you.

Continue

Read more