Police in St. Petersburg have briefly detained several gay activists, who have held pickets in defense of gay rights on a Russian military holiday.
Police officers detain a gay rights activist standing with a rainbow flag during a protest at Dvortsovaya (Palace) Square in St.Petersburg, Russia, Sunday, Aug. 2, 2015. Several gay rights activists stood protesting against gay rights violation at Palace square where paratroopers celebrated Paratroopers’ Day. (AP Photo/Dmitry Lovetsky)
Police detained Yury Gavrikov, leader of an LGBT rights group, as he left his home to stage a one-man picket on August 2 in front of the Hermitage Museum on Paratroopers Day, when Russian airborne-forces veterans traditionally roam through public parks in their signature berets and striped T-shirts.
An anti-gay takes away a poster from a gay rights activist who is taking part in a protesting picket at Dvortsovaya (Palace) Square in St.Petersburg, Russia, Sunday, Aug. 2, 2015. Several gay rights activists stood protesting against gay rights violation at Palace square where paratroopers celebrated Paratroopers’ Day. (AP Photo/Dmitry Lovetsky)
A former paratrooper celebrating Paratroopers Day, right, takes away a broadsheet of a gay rights activist who is taking part in a protest at Dvortsovaya (Palace) Square in St.Petersburg, Russia, Sunday, Aug. 2, 2015. Several gay rights activists stood protesting against gay rights violation at Palace square where paratroopers celebrated Paratroopers’ Day. Paratroopers are an elite unit of the Russian Army, and everyone in the country recognize their blue berets.(AP Photo/Dmitry Lovetsky)
Police accused Gavrikov of cursing in public, a charge he denied. He was held at a police station while awaiting a court hearing.
Veterans of Russia’s airborne forces confronted several other LGBT activists staging individual pickets near the museum, tearing up their posters and pulling rainbow-colored flags from their hands.
The activists were quickly taken away by police.
Russia has faced harsh criticism for its record on gay rights, including a vaguely worded law banning “propaganda of nontraditional sexual relations” to minors.
Original: Yahoo.
