Moscow Mayor allows 'death to gays' protest, no approval yet for any gay event

By Paul Canning

The Moscow city government has allowed a far-right and Orthodox religious picket in the heart of the city calling for gays to be violently attacked and sent to death camps.

Activist Viacheslav Revin said that : 

"The participants held placards calling for violence against gays. Homophobes do not hide their desire to send the gays to death camps, as Hitler did during the reign of the Nazis."

Ilya Epishkin reports that the picket specifically against the Moscow gay parade was held in Pushkin Square and was attended by about 50 people. Those organising the picket collected signatures for a petition to be handed to Moscow authorities 12 May.

Despite reports to the contrary, Moscow authorities have not yet approved a 28 May gay rally. Earlier this year Russia lost an appeal against a European Court of Human Rights case brought by Russian gay activists against Moscow's ban on public gay events.

Last week gays and supporters were attacked at Moscow's May Day march.

• More pictures from the anti-gay picket

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• Update: Has Moscow Pride finally won government approval? Not yet (madikazemi.blogspot.com)