A new video on the video-sharing
website YouTube, credited to Russian website gayrussia.ru, shows a
small gay rights protest held in Moscow on Sunday. Authorities had
for the 3rd consecutive year denied gay groups from
holding parades or demonstrations.
The video shows a small group of
protesters led by rights leader Nikolai Alexeyev (sometimes spelled
Alekseev) holding pride flags and banners outside the famed
Tchaikovsky music conservatory. The Associated Press is
reporting that the protesters chanted, “No to homophobia,” and
hung a banner reading “Rights For Gays and Lesbians” from a
building in front of City Hall before police pulled it down.
Russian radio Ekho Moskvy reported up
to 15 people were detained.
In 2006, when protesters held their
last demonstration, violence erupted as anti-gay forces attacked the
demonstrators. Riot police arrested several gay activist.
Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov has
repeatedly stated that he will not grant a parade license to gay
groups and has called homosexuality “satanic.”