Tatchell braves banned Russian gay rights march
By politics.co.uk staff
British human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell is braving the Moscow Gay Pride march this weekend, despite the fact Russian authorities have banned it.
There have been warnings that anyone joining the march will face “tough measures”, and Mr Tatchell expressed some trepidation.
“I don’t have much confidence that the Moscow police will accept our right to protest or that they will protect us against neo-Nazi violence,” he said.
“Although I am determined to support our Russian and Belarusian comrades, like them I am anxious about what may happen to us. But we have to take some risks; otherwise the homophobes and authoritarians will win.
“At Moscow Pride in 2007 I was beaten almost unconscious by right-wing extremists, while the police stood by and watched. They then arrested me.”
Gay Pride marches in Russia have a habit of attracting neo-Nazis to demonstrate against them. Gay rights activists say police often stand by while neo-fascists attack the demonstrations.
This Saturday’s Moscow Gay Pride parade has been renamed Slavic Gay Pride to support the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) equality struggles in all Slavic countries, Russian and non-Russian.
It will coincide with the final of the Eurovision song contest which is being held later that night, also in Moscow.
