By Christina Berger
Impunity Watch Reporter, Europe
MOSCOW, Russia — Over thirty people were arrested at a gay rights rally held in Moscow on Saturday after clashes broke out between gay rights activists and opponents. The gay rights activists had applied for a permit to hold a demonstration, but were denied authorization amidst reports that Moscow officials have vowed to never permit gay rights demonstrations in the city.
Gay activists had gathered on Saturday in front of the Kremlin wall and city hall to demonstrate when groups of men showed up–some wearing fatigues and combat boots–to disrupt the rally. Violence soon broke out, and police arrested 18 gay activists and 14 anti-gay activists.
The gay rights activists had applied for official permission to hold the rally, and were issued a denial from Moscow authorities on May 17. This ended the hope many had that Moscow’s new mayor would be more tolerant of the gay community. The gay rights activists had vowed to hold the rally anyways, continuing the pattern that has existed since around 2006 when the first demonstrations were held–and subsequently broken up by police after frequently ending in violence.
Human rights groups called on Moscow to retract the ban. “The Moscow City Authorities must overturn their decision to ban this year’s Moscow Gay Pride. So-called public morality concerns can never be used to justify restrictions on the freedom of expression of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people,” said Nicola Duckworth, Director of Amnesty International’s Europe and Central Asia Program. “The right response to such objections is not to cave in to their demands, but to ensure that those seeking to exercise their rights lawfully are able to do so in safety and in dignity.”
This latest incident in the struggle to publicly demonstrate in Moscow for gay rights comes not even a year after the European Court of Human Rights fined Russia for denying gay rights activists permission to demonstrate, which can be read about here. The court found that the denials violated the freedom of peaceable assembly guaranteed in the European Convention, as well as violated the prohibition discrimination in the enjoyment of rights also found in the Convention.
Despite this ruling, Moscow authorities have continued to routinely ban gay rights demonstrations, often citing complaints received from other groups such as religious groups or ultra-nationalists, or stating that allowing homosexuals to hold demonstrations would cause violent reactions from the community.
St. Petersburg, Russia’s second largest city, has recently begun practicing greater tolerance of gay community rallies and events. A St. Petersburg court found in October 2010 that banning a St. Petersburg Pride event was illegal. In May, gay rights activities held a demonstration in St. Petersburg which was authorizes by city officials and attended by more than 100 activists. It took place peacefully.
Nikolai Alexeyev, Head of Gay Russia and chief organizer of the Moscow Gay Pride Parade, told CNN, “We [in Moscow] have been asking for the last six years to gather. We are being deprived of a very simple right that is taken for granted in democratic countries.”
For more information, please see:
AP — More than 30 arrested at Moscow gay rights demos — 28 May 2011
RFE/RL — Clashes, Arrests As Gay-Rights Activists Rally In Moscow Despite Ban — 28 May 2011
NYT — Threats and Arrests at a Gay Rights Rally in Moscow — 28 May 2011
CNN — Dozens arrested in Moscow gay rights parade clashes — 28 May 2011
AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL — Moscow authorities ban gay pride event — 18 May 2011
RFE/RL — Activists Vow To Defy Moscow Gay-Parade Ban — 18 May 2011
