A group of right-wing activists in St. Petersburg has filed a $10 million lawsuit against Madonna, claiming that the pop star's Aug. 9 concert in the city hurt the feelings of believers.
The suit, which demands 333 million rubles ($10.4 million) in moral damages, was filed and accepted by the city's Moskovsky District Court, Alexander Pochuyev, a lawyer for the plaintiffs, told Interfax on Friday.
He said the lawsuit targeted three parties: the company Petersburg Music Industry, which organized the concert, the concert hall, and the singer herself.
The nine plaintiffs in the case include the Trade Union of Russian Citizens, an ultra-patriotic organization led by writer Nikolai Starikov, and the nationalist People's Council movement, according to Starikov's website.
They argue that Madonna insulted believers by trampling an Orthodox cross and by asking her fans to raise pink bracelets worn on their arms to show support for the gay community, Interfax reported.
While Madonna did speak in favor of gay rights at the concert, the claim that she stepped on a cross at the concert had not been made before.
Earlier this year, St. Petersburg introduced an anti-gay bill heavily criticized by Russian and Western human rights groups that stipulates fines of up to 500,000 rubles ($15,700) for the promotion of homosexuality among minors.
Vladimir Milonov, a municipal lawmaker from United Russia who authored the law, said after the concert that Madonna violated the ban and called for her to be punished. No charges have been announced.
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