Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov vowed on
Monday to “crack down” on gay parades, UKGayNews.org.uk
reported.
“For several years, Moscow has
experienced unprecedented pressure to conduct a gay pride parade,
which cannot be called anything but a Satanic act,” Luzhkov said.
“We have prevented such a parade and we will not allow it in the
future. Everyone needs to accept this as an axiom.”
“It is high time to crack down on the
parade with all the power and justice of the law, instead of talking
about human rights.”
Luzhkov made his comments at the
opening of the 18th Christmas educational readings in
Moscow.
The mayor has denied gay activists a
parade license since 2006, and has previously called the parade “a
satanic act.”
Despite the ban, gay activists have
managed to stage small but politically effective protests. Last
year, demonstrators gathered near Moscow State University where they
chanted “Homophobia is the shame of Russia!” and “Equal rights
for everyone!” They were quickly surrounded by police who
violently arrested the protesters.
Despite such clashes, activists have
renewed calls for a May 29 gay pride parade in Moscow.
“There was nothing in Luzhkov's
speech that we haven't heard before,” Nikolai Alekseev, head of
Moscow Pride, said.
“All the same medieval and homophobic
rhetoric, under the obscurantist sauce,” he added.
Luzhkov also called the parade a
“social plague” on par with drug abuse, xenophobia and ethnic
feuding.