aTypical Joe: a gay New Yorker living in the rural South

Sunday, May 27, 2007

Violence, harassment and arrests at Moscow Pride

Homosexuality was decriminalized in Russia 14 years ago. You’d hardly know it by the way they treat gay rights campaigners:

A British gay rights campaigner was among those arrested after violence broke out at a banned gay rights protest in Russia.

Veteran protestor Peter Tatchell was detained in central Moscow along with MPs from Germany and Italy and Nikolai Alexeyev, a senior gay rights leader.

Hundreds of ultra-nationalists disrupted the protest by punching and kicking the gay rights group and throwing eggs at them.

Mr Tatchell had his clothes pulled and was smacked in the face before being arrested.

The Briton was among the gay pride demonstrators trying to give a petition to the mayor of Moscow demanding the right to stage public marches.

Italian MEP Marco Capatto was kicked by an anti-gay rights protester and then detained when he demanded police protection.

Here’s a “record” of the dispatches received by UK Gay News from many sources. A snippet:

It was short. The real violence started after we left.  We got there and then we went up to the city hall. Police immediately arrested Nikolai (Alekseev), and also Nikolai Khramov, so there were a lot of cameras everywhere. Many journalists. We felt eggs and other things being thrown. Police did nothing to arrest hooligans.  We walked 40 meters and there were interviews and journalists.  I was walking not far from Mitrofanov and saw a guy with a knife.

The BBC has a video report that I haven’t found yet (if you find it, link to it in comments). Here’s the statement of Nicolas Alexeyev, the organizer of Moscow Pride, released from inside Tverskoya police station.

Significantly more press was expected at today’s event than at last year’s, and the headline-grabber was to be Archbishop Alexiy of the Russian Orthodox Church. Alexiy, the Church’s representative in Italy before later leaving the Church, was to talk on “The Church in the 21st Century and LGBT Community.”

Ironically, the NYTimes Travel Section today features 36 Hours in Moscow. Call me chicken but, while my admiration and gratitude toward the protesters is heartfelt and deeply held, I’m staying away.

LATER: The NYTimes covers the story. Doug Ireland has photos and more details. Raw Story has AP Video of the violence.